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Category: Trump

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AMERICA/USA – The religious connotations of the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

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    Rome (Agenzia Fides) – The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization responsible for distributing food to the population of Gaza, has been led since June 3 by evangelical preacher Johnnie Moore Jr., considered by Newsmax Magazine as “one of the 25 most influential evangelical leaders in the United States.”Moore replaces Jake Wood, a former Marine who resigned as executive director of the GHF, claiming that he “could not carry out the aid project in strict compliance with the humanitarian principles of solidarity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I am not prepared to renounce.” This was not the only defection affecting the foundation, created in February 2025 in the US state of Delaware. Its headquarters in Geneva, which existed only formally, was dissolved at the end of June by the Swiss authorities. The Boston Consulting Group also publicly distanced itself from the project, noting in a statement that, in October 2024, some of its employees had volunteered to organize a team to create a humanitarian aid structure for Gaza, “without disclosing the full nature of the work and subsequently performing unauthorized tasks.” These individuals subsequently left the company.The arrival of Johnnie Moore Jr. accentuates the involvement of American evangelical communities close to Israel in the management of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Moore, President of the Congress of Christian Leaders, serves on the Board of Directors of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), which presents itself as “the leading nonprofit organization building bridges between Christians and Jews, blessing Israel and the Jewish people worldwide with humanitarian care and lifesaving aid.” Among its activities, the IFCJ assists Israeli soldiers with vouchers for food, clothing, furniture, and other essential items, as well as programs to support former soldiers, vulnerable soldiers, and “lone soldiers” (people who immigrate to Israel to enlist in the military and have no family in the country).Above all, the IFCJ promotes Jewish immigration to Israel as a “fulfillment of biblical prophecy.” According to its website, they state, “We have contributed to the fulfillment of prophecy by helping more than 760,000 Jews make aliyah, immigrate to Israel, since 1983.” Moore is also a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force for Minorities in the Middle East, the organization founded in 1913 to combat anti-Semitism in the United States.Presenting himself as a defender of religious freedom, Moore spoke out during the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) regarding the plight of Christian and Yazidi minorities persecuted by jihadists. The current leader of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been very active in the Middle East for years, where he has held meetings with political and religious leaders, including the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Moore claims to have been actively involved in the signing of the “Abraham Accords,” the strategic pacts between Israel and some Arab states promoted under the aegis of the first Trump administration (2017-2021). His relationship with the current US president dates back to the 2016 election campaign, when Moore served as co-chair of Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board. The following year, Moore and other evangelical leaders pressured Trump to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump subsequently appointed Moore to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.The opaque nature of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) funds has sparked controversy even within Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has called the foundation a “shell company” covertly funded by the Israeli government itself. Lapid has used the same definition for another US organization working in Gaza with the GHF: Safe Reach Solutions (SRS). This company, along with UG Solutions (run by a former US Green Beret), has been commissioned by the GHF to provide armed protection for food distribution centers in Gaza. In practice, these are armed contractors who, according to the Israeli press, have been operating in Gaza since January 2025 without the supervision of the Shin Bet, the Israeli security service that also operates in the Palestinian territories. SRS is headed by Phil Reilly, a former CIA officer. Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) was incorporated in the state of Wyoming on November 20, 2024, and is believed to be linked to the American strategic consulting firm Orbis Operations. In the fall of 2024, the Israeli government commissioned Orbis to design a plan to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza without going through UN agencies. The plan presented by Orbis envisioned the creation of a food distribution center managed by a private humanitarian organization, entrusting its security to private contractors in coordination with the Israeli army. This is the plan ultimately adopted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and the two contracting companies, SRS and UG Solutions.According to UN estimates, since the start of GHF operations in Gaza, more than 580 civilians have been killed and more than 4,000 injured in the foundation’s aid distribution centers. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 7/7/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • Tesla slides as Musk’s ‘America Party’ sparks investor worries

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Tesla shares fell nearly 7% in premarket trading on Monday after CEO Elon Musk’s plans to launch a new U.S. political party raised investor doubts about his focus on the electric automaker’s future.

    The former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) unveiled the ‘America Party’ on Saturday, voicing his displeasure over President Donald Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’.

    This further escalates Musk’s feud with Trump even as Tesla posted a second straight drop in quarterly deliveries. Their discord over the tax bill erupted into an all-out social media brawl in early June, with Trump threatening to cut Musk’s government contracts and subsidies.

    “Investors are worried about two things – one is more Trump ire affecting subsidies and the other, more importantly, is a distracted Musk,” said Neil Wilson, UK investor strategist at Saxo Markets.

    Investors had in May cheered Musk’s decision to scale back political spending and remain Tesla CEO for another five years. He had spent nearly $300 million around Trump’s re-election campaign last year.

    “But now (they) are worried he’s going to (get) sucked back in and take his eye off Tesla,” Wilson said.

    The first signs of investor unease surfaced soon after Musk’s announcement, with investment firm Azoria Partners delaying the listing of a Tesla exchange-traded fund.

    Trump on Sunday called Musk’s plans to form the “America Party” “ridiculous”, saying the Musk ally he once named to lead NASA would have presented a conflict of interest given Musk’s business interests in space.

    TESLA BOARD MOVES

    Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, a Tesla bull, said many investors are feeling a “sense of exhaustion” over Musk’s insistence on immersing himself in politics.

    Azoria Partners CEO James Fishback posted several critical comments on X about Musk’s new party, and called for the Tesla board to clarify Musk’s political ambitions and evaluate if his political involvement is compatible with his obligations to Tesla as CEO.

    The new party undermines the confidence shareholders had that Musk would be focusing more on the company, Fishback said.

    Musk’s latest political move raises questions around Tesla board’s course of action. Its Chair Robyn Denholm in May denied a Wall Street Journal report that said board members were looking to replace the CEO.

    Tesla’s board, which has been criticized for failing to provide oversight of its combative, headline-making CEO, faces a dilemma managing him as he oversees five other companies and his personal political ambitions.

    “This is exactly the kind of thing a board of directors would curtail – removing the CEO if he refused to curtail these kinds of activities,” said Ann Lipton, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School and an expert in business law.

    “The Tesla board has been fairly supine; they have not, at least not in any demonstrable way, taken any action to force Musk to limit his outside ventures, and it’s difficult to imagine they would begin now.”

    Tensions with Trump, struggling sales and an aging vehicle line-up have hurt Tesla’s stock, even as the company bets on growth from autonomous vehicles.

    The stock, which soared to over $488 in December after Trump’s November re-election, has lost 35% since then and closed last week at $315.35.

    Tesla is the worst performing stock among “the Magnificent Seven” group of high-growth U.S. companies this year.

    (Reuters)

     

  • Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas discuss ceasefire

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, while Israeli officials hold indirect talks with Hamas, aimed at a U.S.-brokered Gaza hostage-release and ceasefire deal.

    Trump said on Sunday there was a good chance such a deal could be reached this week. The right-wing Israeli leader said he believed his discussions with Trump would help advance talks underway in Qatar.

    It will be Netanyahu’s third White House visit since Trump returned to office in January, and follows Trump’s order last month for U.S. air strikes against Iran and a subsequent ceasefire halting the 12-day Israel-Iran war.

    Israel is hoping that its 12-day war with Iran will also pave the way for new diplomatic opportunities in the region.

    Avi Dichter, an Israeli minister and a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said he expected Trump’s meeting with the Israeli leader would go beyond Gaza to include the possibility of normalising ties with Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

    “I think it will first of all be focused on a term we have often used but now has real meaning; a new Middle East,” he told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Monday.

    Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu told reporters he would thank Trump for the U.S. air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and said Israeli negotiators were driving for a deal on Gaza in Doha, Qatar’s capital.

    Israel and Hamas were set to hold a second day of indirect talks in Qatar on Monday. An Israeli official described the atmosphere so far at the Gaza talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, as positive. Palestinian officials said that initial meetings on Sunday had ended inconclusively.

    A second Israeli official said the issue of humanitarian aid had been discussed in Qatar, without providing further details.

    The U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely. Hamas has long demanded a final end to the war before it would free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would not agree to halt fighting until all hostages are free and Hamas dismantled.

    Trump told reporters on Friday it was good that Hamas said it had responded in “a positive spirit” to a U.S.-brokered 60-day Gaza ceasefire proposal, and noted that a deal could be reached this week.

    Some of Netanyahu’s hardline coalition partners oppose ending the fighting but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the 21-month-old war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire.

    A ceasefire at the start of this year ended in March, and talks to revive it have so far been fruitless. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza and sharply restricted food distribution.

    “God willing, a truce would take place,” Mohammed Al Sawalheh, a 30-year-old Palestinian displaced from Jabalia in northern Gaza, told Reuters on Sunday after an Israeli air strike overnight.

    “We cannot see a truce while people are dying. We want a truce that would stop this bloodshed.”

    The Gaza war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.

    Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s health ministry. Most of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the war and nearly half a million people are facing famine within months, according to United Nations estimates.

    TRUMP LASHED OUT AT ISRAELI PROSECUTORS

    Trump has been strongly supportive of Netanyahu, even wading into domestic Israeli politics last month by lashing out at prosecutors over a corruption trial against the Israeli leader on bribery, fraud and breach-of-trust charges Netanyahu denies.

    Trump, who has faced his own legal troubles, argued last week that the judicial process would interfere with Netanyahu’s ability to conduct talks with Hamas and Iran.

    Trump said he expected to discuss Iran and its nuclear ambitions with Netanyahu, lauding the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a tremendous success. On Friday, he told reporters that he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently, although Iran could restart efforts elsewhere.

    Trump insisted on Friday that he would not allow Tehran to resume its nuclear program, and said Tehran wanted to meet with him. Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace: Governments are not powerless in the face of deep sea miners colluding with Trump

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Kingston, Jamaica – Governments still have a chance to protect the future of the deep ocean as the 30th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) resumes today, with 37 now calling for a moratorium on deep sea mining – the only credible path to decisively resist predatory corporate seizure and prevent the irreversible harm the industry could unleash.

    This is the first time governments have gathered to discuss deep sea mining since The Metals Company (TMC) submitted the first ever application to commercially mine the international seabed. The move was encouraged by an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump aimed to fast-track deep-sea mining operations in both US and international waters, and has bolstered opposition to deep sea mining, not only to protect the environment but also to defend international cooperation and international law.[1]

    Greenpeace International campaigner Louisa Casson, who is attending the meeting, said: “We are witnessing the dangers that arise when nations take unilateral action without regard for collective consequences. We should learn from nature that ecosystems collapse without cooperation; our global systems are at risk when we fail to work together for the common good. The deep sea must not fall victim to predatory corporate seizure. It is time for governments at the ISA to commit to a moratorium—this is the only viable path to prevent the irreversible harm that deep-sea mining would unleash.”

    Nearly 200 governments have signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), often referred to as the “constitution of the ocean”, which establishes a global legal framework that prevents states from taking unilateral action to exploit them.

    In its latest financial filings, TMC acknowledged that many governments and the ISA are likely to view any deep sea mining permit issued under the Trump administration as a violation of international law.[2] This could result in lawsuits, being unable to sell minerals, and companies refusing to work with TMC throughout the supply chain. 

    Pressure is already mounting on Allseas, a company headquartered in Switzerland with significant presence in the Netherlands, who own the deep sea mining ship and machinery that TMC intends to rely on for commercial operations, and are also one of its largest shareholders. Last week, Greenpeace activists hung a banner from Allseas office in Delft, urging the company to break ties with Trump.[3]

    Recently, Dutch media reported that Climate Minister Sophie Hermans is raising concerns directly with Allseas over their involvement with TMC, while the Swiss government outlined its expectations for companies registered or active in Switzerland to follow international law and norms.[4][5] Allseas’ CEO has stated that the company “would not do anything illegal”.

    Moreover, TMC’s strategic collaboration with PAMCO is coming under new scrutiny, with the Japanese metal processing company admitting that it “consider(s) the establishment of the business via a route that has earned international credibility to be a material issue”.[6]

    The ISA risks caving in to corporate pressure with the President of the Council, H.E. Duncan Laki, circulating instructions to ISA parties to speed up discussions in an attempt to finalize a Mining Code by this year, which would pave the way for  commercial deep sea mining to begin in the international seabed.[7] These included strong limitations of intervention times or recourse to smaller meetings where observers were excluded. In response, Greenpeace has sent a letter to Secretary General Leticia Carvalho, warning that the ISA must not reward industry-led efforts to rush the adoption of the Mining Code.[8] Several governments have also voiced strong opposition, stating, “We categorically disassociate ourselves from any suggestion or interpretation that the Council is bound, legally or politically, to adopt the regulations by the end of the year.”[9] Other NGOs, Indigenous peoples and some States also addressed the issue.

    Louisa Casson added: “Governments are not powerless in the face of deep sea miners doing a doomed deal with Trump. They have both the authority and, now more than ever, the responsibility to act. With growing scientific concern, mounting public pressure, and unprecedented risks to fragile marine ecosystems, the time for courageous leadership is now”.

    ENDS

    Photos available in the Greenpeace Media Library

    Notes:

    [1] Trump’s executive order 

    [2] TMC’s Financial Fillings: “the announcement or implementation of this strategy may cause additional regulatory and political tensions, delay ISA decision-making, or impair our ability to secure or maintain exploration contracts or an exploitation contract under the ISA framework and may result in our need to engage in costly and time-consuming litigation to enforce our rights. In addition, UNCLOS parties and the ISA are under a legal obligation, under UNCLOS, not to recognise any commercial recovery permit issued to us under DSHMRA; many UNCLOS parties and the ISA are likely to regard such a permit as a violation of international law, including UNCLOS, which could affect international perceptions of the project, and could have implications for logistics, processing, and market access in UNCLOS parties for seabed minerals extracted under a US license and for downstream products containing them, or for partnerships involving foreign entities, and could also result in actions, pursuant to UNCLOS, against TMC under the national laws of UNCLOS parties, any or all of which could have a material adverse affect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects.”

    [3] Greenpeace Netherlands release

    [4] Dutch Cabinet raises concerns over Allseas 

    [5] Swiss government puts pressure on Allseas

    [6] Pacific Metals Company Financial Results Briefing 

    [7] Proposal by ISA President H.E. Duncan Laki

    [8] Letter to Secretary General Leticia Carvalho

    [9] Submission by Chile, Costa Rica and France 

    Contacts:

    Sol Gosetti, Media Coordinator for the Stop Deep Sea Mining campaign, Greenpeace International: +34 664029407, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Activates in Texas Following President Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration Announcement

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Activates in Texas Following President Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration Announcement

    lass=”text-align-center”>FEMA will partner with Texas state and local authorities to provide resources and assist in recovery efforts
    WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been activated in Texas following President Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration

     
    Beginning on the evening of July 3, heavy storms across the state of Texas produced rainfall totals between 5 to 15 inches and over 18 inches in some isolated areas, leading to significant flooding, especially in Kerr County located in the Texas Hill Country

     
    “Thank you, President Trump

    We are currently deploying federal emergency management resources to Texas first responders, and will work closely with state and local authorities to ensure the people of Texas get the support they need as search efforts continue and recovery begins,” said Secretary Kristi Noem

    “Pray for the victims, the families, and our first responders

    God bless Texas

    ”
    The Department of Homeland Security will ensure that state and local authorities have the resources they need to lead a swift and effective response amid this tragic disaster

    Secretary Noem was on the ground with Governor Abbott and local leaders on Saturday and will continue to work to make sure Texas has the resources needed to respond and recover

     
    In addition, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) is working around the clock, including overnight, on search and rescue operations

    Today, USCG continues to fly two helicopters in the Llano, Texas area and is assisting with two helicopters and three C-144 airplanes equipped with thermal cameras to find more survivors

    850 people have been rescued

    Individuals who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at www

    DisasterAssistance

    gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App

    If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA the number for that service

     
    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary Noem Commends President Trump and One Big Beautiful Bill Signing into Law: Historic Win for the American People and the Rule of Law

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Secretary Noem Commends President Trump and One Big Beautiful Bill Signing into Law: Historic Win for the American People and the Rule of Law

    lass=”text-align-center”>This historic legislation will help deliver on President’s Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens
    WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem today released the following statement on President Donald J

    Trump’s historic signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) Act into law

    The BBB secures a historic $165 billion in appropriations for DHS, which will help deliver on the President’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again

      
    “President Trump’s signing the One Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people,” said Secretary Kristi Noem

    “This $165 billion in funding will help the Department of Homeland Security and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”  
    In June, Secretary Noem laid out the national security wins that the BBB secures for the American people

    The highlights include:  

    $46

    5 billion to complete construction of the border wall

    $14

    4 billion for removal transportation

    $12 billion in state reimbursements for states that fought against the Biden administration’s open border

    $4

    1 billion to hire additional CBP personnel, including 3,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents

    $3

    2 billion for new technology and $2

    7 billion for new cutting-edge border surveillance

    $855 million to expand Customs and Border Protection’s vehicle fleet

    The law will also provide ICE with the funding to hire 10,000 new agents, which would allow the rate of deportations to reach as high as 1 million per year

    ICE currently has 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel across 400 offices

    The BBB provides ICE with enough detention capacity to maintain an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens and secures 80,000 new ICE beds

    The Big Beautiful Bill will also fully fund ICE’s 287(g) program, which empowers state and local law enforcement to assist federal immigration officers

    Under the law, ICE and Border Patrol agents will also receive a $10,000 bonus for the next four years

    The BBB also bolsters the U

    S

    Coast Guard (USCG) with the following:  

    $14

    1 billion for USCG cutters

    $3

    7 billion for USCG aircraft

    $6 billion for USCG infrastructure

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Secret Service Celebrates 160th Birthday

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: United States Secret Service Celebrates 160th Birthday

    From combatting counterfeit currency to protecting the President and our nation’s leaders, the US
    Secret Service marks 160 years of service to our nation
    WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Homeland Security honors the 160th anniversary since the founding of the United States Secret Service
    One of our nation’s oldest and most recognized federal law enforcement agencies, the Secret Service was founded on July 5, 1865, to combat rampant counterfeiting that threatened the integrity of America’s economy at a time when nearly half of all US currency in circulation was fake

    The agency’s earliest mission was simple: defend the dollar and restore trust in our financial system
    Since then, that mission has expanded, and with it, the agency’s reach, resilience, and reputation
    Today, the Secret Service protects not only our currency, but our Commander-in-Chief, senior national leaders, foreign dignitaries, and major national events
    160 years later, the badge still means what it always has: duty, loyalty, and courage

    After being empowered by President Trump and Secretary Noem to end discriminatory DEI programs and hiring practices, the Secret Service has achieved record breaking recruitment
    The agency has received over 22,000 applications, a 200% increase from the same period in 2024, when it received only 7,000 applications
    These officers are charged with a no-fail mission, and that mission demands only the best of the best

    “When others step back, the United States Secret Service steps forward -shielding America from unseen threats with sharp eyes and steadfast courage
    Thank you to the US Secret Service for 160 years of service to our nation!” said Secretary Noem

    WATCH

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Albanese’s Curtin speech becomes latest political football in debate over US relationship

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Anthony Albanese seems to find himself on eggshells whenever the Australian-American relationship comes up.

    After the G7 debacle, he’s persistently pursued – to his obvious irritation – by journalists asking when he’ll have his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. It’s a question he has so far been unable to answer, as he prepares for his fourth meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

    There is no Washington meeting lined up, so Albanese just talks about the various occasions when their paths are due to cross. The next time is the Quad in India later this year (there is no fixed date).

    Trump’s deadline for deals on his tariffs has now been moved from this week to August 1. Despite the months of negotiation, the government (as of now) is not expecting to receive a concession on the hefty 50% steel and aluminium tariffs, nor on the general 10% tariff. That will invite a fresh round of criticism that the government has not been able to leverage Australia’s advantages on critical minerals with the Trump administration.

    And now the PM has stirred controversy with his John Curtin Oration, delivered on Saturday night.

    Curtin is at the top of Labor’s pantheon of heroes, and generally regarded as one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers, by many as the greatest. Labor PMs regularly pay homage. (Bob Hawke and Paul Keating once had a spectacular falling out after Hawke considered Keating had slighted Curtin’s memory.)

    In the second world war Curtin famously stood up to United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill to insist Australian troops be returned home, rather than diverted to Burma as Churchill wanted. And in those dark wartime days, Curtin dramatically “looked to America” for Australia’s security.

    In delivering Saturday’s oration, Albanese painted the Curtin course as an example of Labor forging an independent foreign policy, and identified with it.

    He said Curtin was the “founder” of the Australia-US alliance (contested by those who date the alliance from the Menzies years, when ANZUS was signed).

    Albanese said “Curtin’s famous statement that Australia ‘looked to America’ was much more than the idea of trading one strategic guarantor for another”.

    “It was a recognition that Australia’s fate would be decided in our region.

    “It followed the decision Curtin had made in 1941 that Australia would issue its own declaration of war with Japan.

    “Speaking for ourselves, as a sovereign nation.”

    “We needed an Australian foreign policy anchored in strategic reality, not bound by tradition.”

    “So we remember Curtin not just because he looked to America. We honour him because he spoke for Australia.

    “For Australia and for Labor, that independence has never meant isolationism, Choosing our own way, doesn’t mean going it alone,” Albanese said.

    Curtin’s biographer John Edwards, writing in the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter, says Albanese’s oration “adroitly positions Australia for a testing time on foreign policy.

    “Albanese’s speech affirms that in the competition between the United States and China, Australia will act in its own interests.”

    Edwards puts the December 1941 appeal to the US against a particular background. The context of the article was a meeting then taking place in Washington between Churchill and US President Roosevelt, he writes.

    Churchill was anxious the US not be distracted from the European conflict by the Pacific war. “Curtin’s article was a demand for Australia – not the United Kingdom – to be America’s principal partner in the war against Japan,” Edwards writes.

    Others, notably the Australian’s foreign editor Greg Sheridan, have accused Albanese of misrepresenting the history.

    But apart from details of the historical argument, the timing, emphasis and context of Albanese’s remarks are what’s relevant.

    Sheridan writes, “Who on earth is Albanese messaging in this speech? Because it implies greater Australian strategic distance from the US, it will be welcomed in Beijing.”

    Former ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos (a Liberal government appointee but usually objective in his observations) said the speech made clear the bipartisan support for the alliance.

    But “given the context of Australia-US relations at present, the speech will need careful explanation to our American friends to avoid a misconception that was hyped that the speech would be a declaration of independence from the US,” Sinodinos said.

    An interpretive job that will presumably fall, in part, to ambassador Kevin Rudd.

    If the oration will require “careful explanation”, how much more carefully will the prime minister have to be in what he says in China next week and the messages he sends indirectly to Washington?

    It all serves to reinforce the importance of Albanese meeting the president as soon as feasible. The more time elapses, the more the fog needs to be cleared from the relationship.

    Michelle Grattan 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. View from The Hill: Albanese’s Curtin speech becomes latest political football in debate over US relationship – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-albaneses-curtin-speech-becomes-latest-political-football-in-debate-over-us-relationship-259684

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Albanese’s Curtin speech becomes latest political football in debate over US relationship

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Anthony Albanese seems to find himself on eggshells whenever the Australian-American relationship comes up.

    After the G7 debacle, he’s persistently pursued – to his obvious irritation – by journalists asking when he’ll have his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. It’s a question he has so far been unable to answer, as he prepares for his fourth meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

    There is no Washington meeting lined up, so Albanese just talks about the various occasions when their paths are due to cross. The next time is the Quad in India later this year (there is no fixed date).

    Trump’s deadline for deals on his tariffs has now been moved from this week to August 1. Despite the months of negotiation, the government (as of now) is not expecting to receive a concession on the hefty 50% steel and aluminium tariffs, nor on the general 10% tariff. That will invite a fresh round of criticism that the government has not been able to leverage Australia’s advantages on critical minerals with the Trump administration.

    And now the PM has stirred controversy with his John Curtin Oration, delivered on Saturday night.

    Curtin is at the top of Labor’s pantheon of heroes, and generally regarded as one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers, by many as the greatest. Labor PMs regularly pay homage. (Bob Hawke and Paul Keating once had a spectacular falling out after Hawke considered Keating had slighted Curtin’s memory.)

    In the second world war Curtin famously stood up to United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill to insist Australian troops be returned home, rather than diverted to Burma as Churchill wanted. And in those dark wartime days, Curtin dramatically “looked to America” for Australia’s security.

    In delivering Saturday’s oration, Albanese painted the Curtin course as an example of Labor forging an independent foreign policy, and identified with it.

    He said Curtin was the “founder” of the Australia-US alliance (contested by those who date the alliance from the Menzies years, when ANZUS was signed).

    Albanese said “Curtin’s famous statement that Australia ‘looked to America’ was much more than the idea of trading one strategic guarantor for another”.

    “It was a recognition that Australia’s fate would be decided in our region.

    “It followed the decision Curtin had made in 1941 that Australia would issue its own declaration of war with Japan.

    “Speaking for ourselves, as a sovereign nation.”

    “We needed an Australian foreign policy anchored in strategic reality, not bound by tradition.”

    “So we remember Curtin not just because he looked to America. We honour him because he spoke for Australia.

    “For Australia and for Labor, that independence has never meant isolationism, Choosing our own way, doesn’t mean going it alone,” Albanese said.

    Curtin’s biographer John Edwards, writing in the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter, says Albanese’s oration “adroitly positions Australia for a testing time on foreign policy.

    “Albanese’s speech affirms that in the competition between the United States and China, Australia will act in its own interests.”

    Edwards puts the December 1941 appeal to the US against a particular background. The context of the article was a meeting then taking place in Washington between Churchill and US President Roosevelt, he writes.

    Churchill was anxious the US not be distracted from the European conflict by the Pacific war. “Curtin’s article was a demand for Australia – not the United Kingdom – to be America’s principal partner in the war against Japan,” Edwards writes.

    Others, notably the Australian’s foreign editor Greg Sheridan, have accused Albanese of misrepresenting the history.

    But apart from details of the historical argument, the timing, emphasis and context of Albanese’s remarks are what’s relevant.

    Sheridan writes, “Who on earth is Albanese messaging in this speech? Because it implies greater Australian strategic distance from the US, it will be welcomed in Beijing.”

    Former ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos (a Liberal government appointee but usually objective in his observations) said the speech made clear the bipartisan support for the alliance.

    But “given the context of Australia-US relations at present, the speech will need careful explanation to our American friends to avoid a misconception that was hyped that the speech would be a declaration of independence from the US,” Sinodinos said.

    An interpretive job that will presumably fall, in part, to ambassador Kevin Rudd.

    If the oration will require “careful explanation”, how much more carefully will the prime minister have to be in what he says in China next week and the messages he sends indirectly to Washington?

    It all serves to reinforce the importance of Albanese meeting the president as soon as feasible. The more time elapses, the more the fog needs to be cleared from the relationship.

    Michelle Grattan 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. View from The Hill: Albanese’s Curtin speech becomes latest political football in debate over US relationship – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-albaneses-curtin-speech-becomes-latest-political-football-in-debate-over-us-relationship-259684

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Israel’s Netanyahu says he believes Trump can help seal ceasefire deal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believed his discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday would help advance talks on a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal, as Trump predicted an agreement could be reached this week.

    Israeli negotiators taking part in the ceasefire talks that resumed in Doha on Sunday have clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions that Israel has accepted, Netanyahu said on Sunday before flying to Washington.

    “I believe the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance these results,” he said, adding his determination to ensure the return of hostages held in Gaza and to remove the threat of the Palestinian militant group Hamas to Israel.

    It will be Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Trump returned to power nearly six months ago.

    Trump said he believed a hostage release and ceasefire deal could be reached this week, which could lead to the release of “quite a few hostages.”

    “I think there’s a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week,” Trump told reporters before flying back to Washington after a weekend golfing in New Jersey.

    Public pressure is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire and end the war in Gaza, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. Others, including Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, have expressed support.

    Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit”, a few days after Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.

    But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.

    The first session of indirect Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks in Qatar ended inconclusively, two Palestinian sources familiar with the matter said early on Monday, adding that the Israeli delegation didn’t have a sufficient mandate to reach an agreement with Hamas.

    Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that changes sought by Hamas to the ceasefire proposal were “not acceptable to Israel”. However, his office said the delegation would still fly to Qatar to “continue efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to.”

    Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a demand the militant group has so far refused to discuss.

    Netanyahu said he believed he and Trump would also build on the outcome of the 12-day air war with Iran last month and seek to further ensure that Tehran never has a nuclear weapon. He said recent Middle East developments had created an opportunity to widen the circle of peace.

    HOSTAGES

    On Saturday evening, crowds gathered at a public square in Tel Aviv near the defence ministry headquarters to call for a ceasefire deal and the return of around 50 hostages still held in Gaza. The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, chanted and carried posters with photos of the hostages.

    The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

    Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed over 57,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, displaced the population, mostly within Gaza, and left the territory in ruins.

    Around 20 of the remaining hostages are believed to be still alive. A majority of the original hostages have been freed through diplomatic negotiations, though the Israeli military has also recovered some.

    (Reuters)

  • Israel’s Netanyahu says he believes Trump can help seal ceasefire deal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believed his discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday would help advance talks on a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal, as Trump predicted an agreement could be reached this week.

    Israeli negotiators taking part in the ceasefire talks that resumed in Doha on Sunday have clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions that Israel has accepted, Netanyahu said on Sunday before flying to Washington.

    “I believe the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance these results,” he said, adding his determination to ensure the return of hostages held in Gaza and to remove the threat of the Palestinian militant group Hamas to Israel.

    It will be Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since Trump returned to power nearly six months ago.

    Trump said he believed a hostage release and ceasefire deal could be reached this week, which could lead to the release of “quite a few hostages.”

    “I think there’s a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week,” Trump told reporters before flying back to Washington after a weekend golfing in New Jersey.

    Public pressure is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire and end the war in Gaza, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. Others, including Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, have expressed support.

    Palestinian group Hamas said on Friday it had responded to a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit”, a few days after Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce.

    But in a sign of the potential challenges still facing the two sides, a Palestinian official from a militant group allied with Hamas said concerns remained over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing in southern Israel to Egypt and clarity over a timetable for Israeli troop withdrawals.

    The first session of indirect Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks in Qatar ended inconclusively, two Palestinian sources familiar with the matter said early on Monday, adding that the Israeli delegation didn’t have a sufficient mandate to reach an agreement with Hamas.

    Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that changes sought by Hamas to the ceasefire proposal were “not acceptable to Israel”. However, his office said the delegation would still fly to Qatar to “continue efforts to secure the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to.”

    Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a demand the militant group has so far refused to discuss.

    Netanyahu said he believed he and Trump would also build on the outcome of the 12-day air war with Iran last month and seek to further ensure that Tehran never has a nuclear weapon. He said recent Middle East developments had created an opportunity to widen the circle of peace.

    HOSTAGES

    On Saturday evening, crowds gathered at a public square in Tel Aviv near the defence ministry headquarters to call for a ceasefire deal and the return of around 50 hostages still held in Gaza. The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, chanted and carried posters with photos of the hostages.

    The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

    Gaza’s health ministry says Israel’s retaliatory military assault on the enclave has killed over 57,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, displaced the population, mostly within Gaza, and left the territory in ruins.

    Around 20 of the remaining hostages are believed to be still alive. A majority of the original hostages have been freed through diplomatic negotiations, though the Israeli military has also recovered some.

    (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)

  • 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 Submissions: Australia – Albanese Government Must Act, CSIRO Research Fuels Calls for Deep Sea Mining Moratorium

    Source: Deep Sea Mining Campaign

    As the peak international body on deep sea mining begins a three-week meeting, CSIRO has released a series of reports commissioned by mining proponent The Metals Company (TMC) that underscore the severe environmental risks and scientific uncertainty surrounding the dangerous industry.

    The findings confirm international consensus; the deep ocean is too poorly understood to proceed with deep sea mining safely or responsibly, prompting major environmental organisations to call on the Albanese Government to support a moratorium.

    The timing of the CSIRO reports appears to align with what was, until recently, TMC’s plan to submit an application to the ISA on June 27 – plans the company has now abandoned in favour of a controversial U.S. based pathway via a dormant 1980s law and enabled by the Trump administration. 

    Pressure is mounting on the Albanese Government to adopt a precautionary stance supporting a moratorium at the ISA in line with many of its major partners, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand. Currently, 37 countries back a deep sea mining moratorium.

    TMC continues to apply pressure on international regulators to accelerate approvals for this high-risk untested industry. With a state-funded agency producing research likely to be used to legitimise mining in international waters, ocean advocates are calling on the Albanese Government to direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC. 

    The CSIRO reports confirm the likely damage to the seafloor and to the marine environment that civil society, Indigenous Pacific communities, and independent scientists have warned about; deep sea mining is too destructive and there is too much uncertainty to proceed. 

    “These findings echo the concerns we’ve heard right across the Pacific region – that the deep ocean is a highly complex, precious environment, and that accelerating deep sea mining would be dangerous,” said Phil McCabe, Pacific Regional Coordinator at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.

    There remains a severe lack of real-world data about deep sea ecosystems – particularly in relation to the long-term environmental impacts and the risk of toxic pollution entering the food chain. Scientists warn that many of these impacts are likely to be irreversible in human timeframes. The CSIRO reports acknowledge the potential for heavy metals to bioaccumulate in marine life, including tuna, swordfish, whales, and dolphins. 

    “We’ve seen this before; traffic light systems, digital twin technology, adaptive management systems – all designed to give the illusion of sustainable management,” said Dr. Helen Rosenbaum, Research Coordinator at the Deep Sea Mining Campaign. “When the science is this uncertain, the only responsible signal is red.”

    TMC’s recent decision to abandon its application to the ISA and instead issue permits through a dormant U.S. law has been widely condemned by governments and legal experts as a direct challenge to international law and multilateralism. The move undermines the ISA’s authority just as states prepare to negotiate key regulations. 

    “Australia’s credibility is on the line,” said Duncan Currie, International Lawyer and advisor to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. “CSIRO’s involvement with The Metals Company (TMC) risks implicating Australia in their attempt to sidestep international governance. The Albanese Government must now draw a clear line; support a moratorium at the International Seabed Authority, and ensure CSIRO takes no further action on TMC’s behalf.”

    “At the ISA, a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep sea mining is the only viable path to protecting the deep sea,” said Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific. “Delegates at the ISA must listen to the science and the voices of Pacific nations and back a moratorium to stop deep sea mining before it starts.”

    The Deep Sea Mining Campaign, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, and Surfrider Australia call on the Albanese Government to announce its support for a Moratorium at the upcoming ISA meeting in Jamaica; and direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • Oil tumbles as OPEC+ hikes August output more than expected

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Oil prices slipped on Monday after OPEC+ surprised markets by hiking output more than expected in August, while uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and their potential impact on global economic growth weighed on demand expectations.

    Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 47 cents, or 0.69%, to $67.83 a barrel by 0327 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was at $66.05, down $0.95, or 1.42%.

    The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed on Saturday to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August.

    “The increased production clearly represents a more aggressive competition for market share and some tolerance for the resulting decline in price and revenue,” Tim Evans of Evans Energy said in a note.

    The August increase represents a jump from monthly increases of 411,000 bpd OPEC+ had approved for May, June and July, and 138,000 bpd in April.

    The decision will bring nearly 80% of the 2.2 million bpd voluntary cuts from eight OPEC producers back into the market, RBC Capital analysts led by Helima Croft said in a note.

    However, the actual output increase has been smaller than planned so far and most of the supply has been from Saudi Arabia, they added.

    In a show of confidence in oil demand, Saudi Arabia on Sunday raised the August price for its flagship Arab Light crude to a four-month high for Asia.

    Goldman analysts expect OPEC+ to announce a final 550,000 bpd increase for September at the next meeting on August 3.

    Oil also came under pressure as U.S. officials flagged a delay on tariffs but failed to provide details on the change.

    The U.S. is close to finalising several trade agreements in the coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, with the higher rates scheduled to take effect on August 1.

    Trump in April announced a 10% base tariff rate on most countries and higher “reciprocal” rates ranging up to 50%, with an original deadline of this Wednesday.

    However, Trump also said levies could range in value from “maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20%”, further clouding the picture.

    “Concerns over Trump’s tariffs continue to be the broad theme in the second half of 2025, with dollar weakness the only support for oil for now,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

    (Reuters)

  • Oil tumbles as OPEC+ hikes August output more than expected

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Oil prices slipped on Monday after OPEC+ surprised markets by hiking output more than expected in August, while uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and their potential impact on global economic growth weighed on demand expectations.

    Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 47 cents, or 0.69%, to $67.83 a barrel by 0327 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was at $66.05, down $0.95, or 1.42%.

    The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed on Saturday to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August.

    “The increased production clearly represents a more aggressive competition for market share and some tolerance for the resulting decline in price and revenue,” Tim Evans of Evans Energy said in a note.

    The August increase represents a jump from monthly increases of 411,000 bpd OPEC+ had approved for May, June and July, and 138,000 bpd in April.

    The decision will bring nearly 80% of the 2.2 million bpd voluntary cuts from eight OPEC producers back into the market, RBC Capital analysts led by Helima Croft said in a note.

    However, the actual output increase has been smaller than planned so far and most of the supply has been from Saudi Arabia, they added.

    In a show of confidence in oil demand, Saudi Arabia on Sunday raised the August price for its flagship Arab Light crude to a four-month high for Asia.

    Goldman analysts expect OPEC+ to announce a final 550,000 bpd increase for September at the next meeting on August 3.

    Oil also came under pressure as U.S. officials flagged a delay on tariffs but failed to provide details on the change.

    The U.S. is close to finalising several trade agreements in the coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, with the higher rates scheduled to take effect on August 1.

    Trump in April announced a 10% base tariff rate on most countries and higher “reciprocal” rates ranging up to 50%, with an original deadline of this Wednesday.

    However, Trump also said levies could range in value from “maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20%”, further clouding the picture.

    “Concerns over Trump’s tariffs continue to be the broad theme in the second half of 2025, with dollar weakness the only support for oil for now,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

    (Reuters)

  • Oil tumbles as OPEC+ hikes August output more than expected

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Oil prices slipped on Monday after OPEC+ surprised markets by hiking output more than expected in August, while uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and their potential impact on global economic growth weighed on demand expectations.

    Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 47 cents, or 0.69%, to $67.83 a barrel by 0327 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was at $66.05, down $0.95, or 1.42%.

    The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed on Saturday to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August.

    “The increased production clearly represents a more aggressive competition for market share and some tolerance for the resulting decline in price and revenue,” Tim Evans of Evans Energy said in a note.

    The August increase represents a jump from monthly increases of 411,000 bpd OPEC+ had approved for May, June and July, and 138,000 bpd in April.

    The decision will bring nearly 80% of the 2.2 million bpd voluntary cuts from eight OPEC producers back into the market, RBC Capital analysts led by Helima Croft said in a note.

    However, the actual output increase has been smaller than planned so far and most of the supply has been from Saudi Arabia, they added.

    In a show of confidence in oil demand, Saudi Arabia on Sunday raised the August price for its flagship Arab Light crude to a four-month high for Asia.

    Goldman analysts expect OPEC+ to announce a final 550,000 bpd increase for September at the next meeting on August 3.

    Oil also came under pressure as U.S. officials flagged a delay on tariffs but failed to provide details on the change.

    The U.S. is close to finalising several trade agreements in the coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, with the higher rates scheduled to take effect on August 1.

    Trump in April announced a 10% base tariff rate on most countries and higher “reciprocal” rates ranging up to 50%, with an original deadline of this Wednesday.

    However, Trump also said levies could range in value from “maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20%”, further clouding the picture.

    “Concerns over Trump’s tariffs continue to be the broad theme in the second half of 2025, with dollar weakness the only support for oil for now,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

    (Reuters)

  • Trump says US nears trade deals as tariff deadline delayed

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The United States is close to finalizing several trade pacts in coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, with the higher rates set to take effect on August 1.

    Since taking office, Trump has set off a global trade war that has roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies, through efforts such as deals with the United States and other countries.

    In April Trump unveiled a base tariff rate of 10% on most countries and additional duties of up to 50%, but later gave a three-week reprieve until Wednesday for all but 10% of them.

    Trump, whose remarks to reporters on Sunday came just before his return to Washington from a weekend golfing in New Jersey, had flagged the August 1 date earlier, but it was unclear if all tariffs would increase then.

    Asked to clarify, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters the higher tariffs would take effect on August 1, but Trump was “setting the rates and the deals right now.”

    In a posting on his Truth Social website, Trump later said the U.S. would start delivering tariff letters from 12:00 pm ET (1600 GMT) on Monday.

    In a separate post, he rolled out a wholly new tariff policy, calling for countries “aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies” of the BRICS developing nations to be charged an extra 10% tariff, with no exceptions to be granted.

    The first BRICS summit in 2009 was attended by leaders from Brazil, China, India and Russia, with South Africa joining later while Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were included last year.

    Trump has close ties to leaders of some of those countries, such as Saudi Arabia and UAE, and has been touting the prospect of a trade deal with India for weeks.

    On Sunday, BRICS leaders condemned attacks on Gaza and Iran, called for reforms to global institutions and warned that the rise in tariffs threatened global trade.

    It was not immediately clear if Trump’s tariff threat would derail trade talks with India, Indonesia and other BRICS nations, however.

    Earlier on Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN’s “State of the Union” that several big trade agreements would be announced in the next days, adding that European Union talks had made good progress.

    Trump would also send letters to 100 smaller countries with which the United States does not have much trade, notifying them of higher tariff rates, he added.

    “President Trump’s going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don’t move things along, then on August 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level,” Bessent said.

    “So I think we’re going to see a lot of deals very quickly.”

    Kevin Hassett, who heads the White House National Economic Council, told CBS’s “Face the Nation” program there might be wiggle room for countries engaged in earnest negotiations.

    “There are deadlines, and there are things that are close, and so maybe things will push back past the deadline,” Hassett said, adding that Trump would decide.

    ‘I HEAR GOOD THINGS’

    Stephen Miran, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told ABC News’ “This Week” program that countries needed to make concessions to get lower tariff rates.

    “I hear good things about the talks with Europe. I hear good things about the talks with India,” Miran said. “And so I would expect that a number of countries that are in the process of making those concessions … might see their date rolled.”

    Bessent told CNN the Trump administration was focused on 18 important trading partners that account for 95% of the U.S. trade deficit. But he said there had been “a lot of foot-dragging” among countries in finalizing trade deals.

    Thailand, keen to avert a 36% tariff, is now offering greater market access for U.S. farm and industrial goods and more purchases of U.S. energy and Boeing BA.N jets, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told Bloomberg News on Sunday.

    India and the United States are likely to make a final decision on a mini trade deal in the next 24 to 48 hours, local Indian news channel CNBC-TV18 reported on Sunday, with average tariffs of 10% on Indian goods shipped to the U.S., it said.

    Hassett told CBS News that framework agreements already reached with Britain and Vietnam offered guidelines for other countries. He said Trump’s pressure was prompting countries to move production to the United States.

    The Vietnam deal was “fantastic,” Miran said.

    “It’s extremely one-sided. We get to apply a significant tariff to Vietnamese exports. They’re opening their markets to ours, applying zero tariff to our exports.”

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: Death toll from Texas floods rises to 80, Trump denies link with his policy

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

    Up to 80 people have died while more than 40 people remain missing on Sunday, three days after hours of heavy rain led to major flash flooding in the south-central U.S. state of Texas, authorities said Sunday afternoon.

    U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he is planning to visit Texas on Friday, hours after signing a major disaster declaration, unlocking key federal resources as search and rescue efforts continue.

    Kerr County, the hardest hit among 20 affected counties in the region, alone accounts for at least 68 of the fatalities, including 21 children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday.

    Four other counties have reported a combined total of 12 deaths.

    Leitha said 10 girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic were still unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon, noting search and rescue efforts are still underway.

    Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference Sunday afternoon that at least 41 people were still unaccounted for across the state’s flood-impacted area.

    He warned that additional heavy rainfall is expected in the coming days, keeping parts of the state at risk for further flooding.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened seven shelters, which are also providing food and water for central Texas communities, said a CNN report.

    Also on Sunday, Trump pushed back on criticism that his administration’s budget cuts to the nation’s weather services had played a role in the deadly floods in Texas.

    “I would just say this is a 100-year catastrophe and it’s just so horrible to watch,” Trump spoke to reporters as he left his New Jersey golf club after the weekend, “This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it.”

    Asked if the federal government needs to rehire the meteorologists who left during earlier budget and staffing cut after he returned to the White House, the president suggested it was not necessary.

    Criticism has been mounting over how the National Weather Service (NWS) handled the emergency. Some local officials and residents said the flood warnings were late or insufficient.

    Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, asserted Friday that the NWS “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.”

    Staffing data provided by the NWS’s labor union showed the San Angelo forecasting office currently has four vacancies out of 23 positions and San Antonio has six vacancies out of 26, according to a report from Texas Tribune. Both offices are in central Texas.

    However, the NWS forecasting offices were operating normally at the time of the disaster, said the report, citing Greg Waller, service coordination hydrologist with the NWS West Gulf River Forecast Center in Fort Worth in northern Texas. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 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 past five years. The policy also requires these applicants to set their profiles to public.

    This move is an example of governments treating a person’s digital persona as their political identity. In doing so, they risk punishing lawful expression, targeting minority voices, and redefining who gets to cross borders based on how they behave online.

    Anyone seeking one of these visas will have their social media searched for “indications of hostility” towards the citizens, culture or founding principles of the United States. This enhanced vetting is supposed to ensure the US does not admit anyone who may be deemed a threat.

    However, this policy changes how a person’s online presence is evaluated in visa applications and raises many ethical concerns. These include concerns around privacy, freedom of expression, and the politicisation of digital identities.

    Digital profiling

    The Trump administration has previously taken aim at higher education with the goal of changing the ideological slant of these institutions, including making changes to international student enrolment and the role of foreign nationals in US research institutions.

    Digital rights advocates have expressed concerns this new requirement could lead to self-censorship and hinder freedom of expression.

    It is unknown exactly which specific online actions will trigger a visa refusal, as the US government hasn’t disclosed detailed criteria. However, guidance to consular officers indicates that digital behaviour suggesting “hostility” toward the US or its values may be grounds for concern.

    Internal advice suggests officers are trained to look for social media content that may reflect extremist views, criminal associations or ideological opposition to the US.

    Political ‘passport’

    In a sense, this policy turns a visa applicant’s online presence into a kind of political passport. It allows for scrutiny not just of past behaviour but also of ideological views.

    Digital identity is not just a technical construct. It carries legal, philosophical and historical weight. It can influence access to rights, recognition and legitimacy, both online and offline.

    Once this identity is interpreted by state institutions, it can become a tool for control shaped by institutional whims. Governments justify digital surveillance as a way to spot threats. But research consistently shows it leads to overreach.

    A recent report found that US social media monitoring programs have frequently flagged activists and religious minorities. It also found the programs lacked transparency and oversight.

    Digital freedom nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation has warned these tools risk punishing people for lawful expression or for simply being connected to certain communities.

    The US is not alone in integrating digital surveillance into border security. China has implemented social credit systems. And the United Kingdom is exploring digital ID systems for immigration control. There are even calls for Australia to use artificial intelligence to facilitate digital border checks.

    The United Nations has raised concerns about the global trend toward digital vetting at borders, especially when used without judicial oversight or transparency.

    A free speech issue

    These new checks could have a chilling effect on self-expression. This is particularly true for those with views that don’t align with governments or who are from minority backgrounds.

    We’ve seen this previously. After whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed widespread use of data gathering by US intelligence agencies, people stopped visiting politically sensitive Wikipedia articles. Not because they were told to, but because they feared being watched.

    This policy won’t just affect visa applicants. It could shift how people use social media in general. That’s because there is no clear rulebook for what counts as “acceptable”. And when no one knows where the line is, people self-censor more than is necessary.

    What can you do?

    If you think you might apply for an affected visa in the future, here are some tips.

    1. Audit your social media history now. Old posts, “likes” or follows from years ago may be reviewed and judged out of context. Review your public posts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X. Delete or archive anything that might be misconstrued.

    2. Separate personal and professional online identities. Consider keeping distinct accounts for private and public engagement. Use pseudonyms for creative or informal content. Immigration authorities are far less likely to misinterpret context when your online presence is clearly tied to your educational or professional goals.

    3. Understand your online visibility and history. Even if you have privacy settings enabled, tagged content, public “likes”, comments and follows can still be seen. Algorithms expose content based on associations, not just what you post. Don’t assume your visibility is limited to your followers.

    4. Keep records of any deleted or misinterpreted posts. If you think something might be questioned or if you delete posts ahead of an application, keep a backup. Consular officials may request clarification or evidence. It’s better to be prepared than to be caught off-guard without explanation.

    Your social media is no longer a personal space. It may be used by governments to determine whether you fit in.

    Samuel Cornell receives funding from an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

    Daniel Angus receives funding from Australian Research Council through Linkage Project ‘Young Australians and the Promotion of Alcohol on Social Media’. He is a Chief Investigator with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    T.J. Thomson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an affiliate with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making & Society.

    – ref. New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents – https://theconversation.com/new-us-directive-for-visa-applicants-turns-social-media-feeds-into-political-documents-260201

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Qatar as Netanyahu heads to Washington

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

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for an official visit to Washington on Sunday, calling the trip a “great opportunity” to expand the circle of peace in the Middle East.

    Speaking before boarding his flight, Netanyahu said there were new prospects for Israel to reach normalization agreements with Arab countries “far beyond what we could previously imagine.”

    Netanyahu has made expanding normalization efforts a central goal of his foreign policy. Under the 2020 Abraham Accords, Israel signed normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. The country has peace agreements also with Egypt and Jordan.

    “We have already transformed the face of the Middle East beyond recognition,” he said, referring to Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the cross-border fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as conflicts with Iran, Yemen and Syria.

    Earlier on Sunday, an Israeli delegation was sent to Qatar to resume indirect negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire-for-hostages deal, according to an Israeli official.

    Netanyahu said the delegation had received “clear instructions” to work toward a ceasefire under terms already accepted by Israel. He added that his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump “can certainly help promote the outcome we all hope for.”

    Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, which begins Monday, is his third since Trump returned to office in January.

    The trip comes amid growing public pressure in Israel for a long-term ceasefire that would end the war in Gaza and secure the return of around 50 hostages, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have pushed him to continue the military campaign and establish a permanent Israeli control over parts of the Palestinian enclave.

    Hamas announced on Friday it had responded “in a positive spirit” to a U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day truce. Trump said Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” the deal.

    Since Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, at least 6,860 Palestinians have been killed and 24,220 others wounded, according to figures released Sunday by Gaza health authorities. That brings the total death toll in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 to 57,418, with 136,261 injured.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Death toll from Texas floods reaches 78; Trump plans visit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 78 on Sunday, including at least 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day and fears of more flash flooding as rain fell on saturated ground prompted fresh evacuations.

    Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said 68 people had died in flooding in his county, the epicenter of the flooding, among them 28 children. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 confirmed missing. The governor did not say how many of the dead outside Kerr were children.

    Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp. Sheriff Leitha said on Sunday that 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counselor were still missing.

    “It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through,” said Abbott, who said he toured the area on Saturday and pledged to continue efforts to locate the missing.

    The flooding occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

    Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kiddsaid at the press conference on Sunday afternoon the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County.

    “You will see the death toll rise today and tomorrow,” said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, also speaking on Sunday.

    Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio.

    “Everyone in the community is hurting,” Leitha told reporters.

    A WALL OF WATER

    Kidd said he was receiving unconfirmed reports of “an additional wall of water” flowing down some of the creeks in the Guadalupe Rivershed, as rain continued to fall on soil in the region already saturated from Friday’s rains.

    He said aircraft were sent aloft to scout for additional floodwaters, while search-and-rescue personnel who might be in harm’s way were alerted to pull back from the river in the meantime.

    The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4:15 p.m. local time (2115 GMT) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

    U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, the department said.

    SCALING BACK FEDERAL DISASTER RESPONSE

    Trump, who said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably on Friday, has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government’s role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves.

    Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm.

    Trump’s administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service’s parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.

    Spinrad said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a “moderate” flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system.

    Joaquin Castro, a Democratic U.S. congressman from Texas, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous.

    “When you have flash flooding, there’s a risk that if you don’t have the personnel … to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,” Castro said.

    ‘COMPLETE DEVASTATION’

    Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding.

    Katharine Somerville, a counselor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins sustained damage and lost power in the middle of the night.

    “Our cabins at the tippity top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, y’all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen,” Somerville said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday.

    Somerville said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe.

    The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet (9 meters).

    A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least six feet (1.83 m) from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall.

    -Reuters

  • Death toll from Texas floods reaches 78; Trump plans visit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 78 on Sunday, including at least 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day and fears of more flash flooding as rain fell on saturated ground prompted fresh evacuations.

    Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said 68 people had died in flooding in his county, the epicenter of the flooding, among them 28 children. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 confirmed missing. The governor did not say how many of the dead outside Kerr were children.

    Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp. Sheriff Leitha said on Sunday that 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counselor were still missing.

    “It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through,” said Abbott, who said he toured the area on Saturday and pledged to continue efforts to locate the missing.

    The flooding occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

    Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kiddsaid at the press conference on Sunday afternoon the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County.

    “You will see the death toll rise today and tomorrow,” said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, also speaking on Sunday.

    Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio.

    “Everyone in the community is hurting,” Leitha told reporters.

    A WALL OF WATER

    Kidd said he was receiving unconfirmed reports of “an additional wall of water” flowing down some of the creeks in the Guadalupe Rivershed, as rain continued to fall on soil in the region already saturated from Friday’s rains.

    He said aircraft were sent aloft to scout for additional floodwaters, while search-and-rescue personnel who might be in harm’s way were alerted to pull back from the river in the meantime.

    The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4:15 p.m. local time (2115 GMT) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

    U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, the department said.

    SCALING BACK FEDERAL DISASTER RESPONSE

    Trump, who said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably on Friday, has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government’s role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves.

    Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm.

    Trump’s administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service’s parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.

    Spinrad said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a “moderate” flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system.

    Joaquin Castro, a Democratic U.S. congressman from Texas, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous.

    “When you have flash flooding, there’s a risk that if you don’t have the personnel … to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,” Castro said.

    ‘COMPLETE DEVASTATION’

    Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding.

    Katharine Somerville, a counselor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins sustained damage and lost power in the middle of the night.

    “Our cabins at the tippity top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, y’all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen,” Somerville said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday.

    Somerville said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe.

    The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet (9 meters).

    A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least six feet (1.83 m) from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall.

    -Reuters

  • Death toll from Texas floods reaches 69, including 21 children

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 69 on Sunday, including at least 21 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day.

    Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said the death toll in Kerr county, the epicenter of the flooding, had reached 59, while another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 remained missing.

    Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp, where 11 girls and a counselor are still missing.

    “It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through,” said Abbott, who said he toured the area on Saturday and pledged to continue efforts to locate the missing.

    The flooding occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the U.S. Independence Day holiday. Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said earlier that 21 children have died in the flooding.

    Officials speaking at the press conference on Sunday afternoon said the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green county, five in Travis county and one in Williamson county.

    Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio.

    “Everyone in the community is hurting,” Leitha told reporters.

    The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4:15 p.m. local time (2115 GMT) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

    U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, the department said.

    Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government’s role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves.

    Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm.

    Trump’s administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service’s parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.

    Spinrad said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts.

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a “moderate” flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system.

    Joaquin Castro, a Democratic U.S. congressman from Texas, told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous.

    “When you have flash flooding, there’s a risk that if you don’t have the personnel … to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,” Castro said.

    ‘COMPLETE DEVASTATION’

    Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding.

    Katharine Somerville, a counselor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins sustained damage and lost power in the middle of the night.

    “Our cabins at the tippity top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, y’all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen,” Somerville said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday.

    Somerville said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe.

    The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet (9 meters).

    A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least six feet (1.83 m) from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall.

    -REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.06.2025 Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Praise Pres. Trump’s Swift Approval of Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) thanked President Donald Trump for his formal approval of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for a federal emergency disaster declaration due to devastating flooding in Kerrville and surrounding areas.
    Sen. Cruz said, “The flooding we are seeing in Central Texas is absolutely devastating. Heidi and I send our heartfelt condolences to all those who have been directly impacted by this natural disaster. We thank President Trump for quickly approving Governor Abbott’s disaster declaration, and Secretary Noem for being on the ground and sending additional personnel to support Texans.
    We urge everyone to heed the warnings from local officials and stay out of harm’s way. We are immensely grateful to the first responders—both in Texas and from across the country—who are risking their own safety to rescue those in need. As Texans, we must remain united in spirit and grit, and support our neighbors as we always do best.”
    Sen. Cornyn said, “The Kerrville community has endured unimaginable devastation, and I thank President Trump for swiftly approving this disaster declaration to ensure every available resource is being utilized in rescue and recovery efforts. Being a Texan doesn’t just describe where you’re from, it describes who your family is, and even in the darkest times, Texans come together to serve one another in a powerful way. As a lifelong Texan and a father of two, my heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy, and I encourage all Texans and Americans to pray for our state and for the safe return of those who are still missing.”
    BACKGROUND
    Sens. Cruz and Cornyn sent a letter earlier today to Pres. Trump urging the administration to continue surging all available federal resources to Kerr County to assist with ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
    Click here to read the full letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson Demand Access to South Loop ICE Facility to Perform Oversight After Being Turned Away

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    CHICAGO, IL – Just days after their attempt to conduct oversight at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the South Loop of Chicago was denied, Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) have sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding immediate access to the facility and full transparency around recent detentions and conditions inside.

     

    “We were denied the ability to perform congressional oversight – as is our duty as members of the United States House of Representatives,” the lawmakers wrote. “During the visit to this facility, the ICE officer who refused to identify himself called the Chicago Police Department to evict us for ‘trespassing.’”

    The visit by Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson came after disturbing reports that on June 4, ICE officials detained at least 10 individuals after sending them text messages instructing them to appear at the facility for a “routine appointment.” 

    “It is unclear exactly how many people were taken, where they were taken to, and if they were given access to counsel,” the lawmakers wrote of the incident. “We were denied those answers.”

    The congressmen emphasized the urgency of their request amid a broader immigration crackdown. Last week, President Donald Trump announced he was instructing ICE to target Democratic cities, including Chicago, as part of the “single largest mass deportation program in history.”

    “The President’s politically motivated actions are deeply troubling, particularly for communities like ours in Illinois that have already seen intensified enforcement activity in recent weeks,” Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson wrote.

    The letter concludes with an urgent call to action by Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Jackson: “Given the serious and potentially illegal nature of the activity in these reports, we request that the Department of Homeland Security allow Members of Congress to access the South Loop facility for the purpose of investigating their activity further. Please issue a response by Friday, June 27.”

    The full letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Watch: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Confronts Republican Witnesses on Trump Administration’s Elimination of LGBTQ+ Crisis Hotline

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Today, during a House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services hearing, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) sharply criticized the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate the dedicated LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotline within the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In a powerful line of questioning, Congressman Krishnamoorthi warned that removing this lifesaving service, under the banner of eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, was not just misguided; it was cruel. 

    Early today, Congressman Krishnamoorthi also led a bipartisan letter calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse the decision to discontinue specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

    “In the name of expunging DEI, the Trump administration is not only rewriting history, it is actively putting lives at risk,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “There is no more tragic example than the decision to end the LGBTQ+ crisis hotline, which has fielded over 1.3 million calls, texts, and chats since becoming fully operational.”

    Citing data from the Trump-era Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Congressman noted that LGBTQ+ youth face suicide risks at rates four times higher than their peers.

    When questioned, Republican witnesses claimed to be unaware of both the CDC’s findings and bipartisan support for the hotline.

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi also referenced a 2018 statement from Republican Senator Orrin Hatch highlighting the vulnerability of LGBTQ+ youth, as well as a May 2025 bipartisan letter from Republican Representatives Mike Lawler and Young Kim urging the Trump administration to preserve the LGBTQ+ lifeline.

    “You don’t dispute that my Republican colleagues said this, do you?” he asked one witness.

    “I’m not aware of anything to do with the suicide hotline,” the witness replied.

    “And that’s the problem,” the congressman responded. “A lack of awareness. The fact that we are expunging an LGBTQ+ youth suicide hotline in the name of expunging DEI is precisely why this crusade is so dangerous.”

    While also addressing Medicaid and SNAP cuts elsewhere in the hearing, Congressman Krishnamoorthi emphasized that eliminating support programs for vulnerable populations, especially under the false pretense of advancing “equality for everybody,” only makes life harder for working families and marginalized communities.

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s question line is available in full here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Demands Trump Administration Follow the Law, End Reported Plan to Withhold Intelligence from Congress Following Iran Strikes

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to reverse reported plans to restrict the flow of classified information to Congress following the June 21, 2025, U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The letter follows reports that the Administration intends to withhold intelligence after a leak related to Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. In the days since the strikes, conflicting accounts have emerged about their effectiveness—raising serious questions about how much Iran’s nuclear program was disrupted and whether President Trump and his Administration misled the public about the operation’s impact.

    “As a Member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I strongly believe that leaks of classified information must be investigated to hold those responsible accountable,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi wrote. “Congressional intelligence committees also have an obligation to conduct congressional oversight regarding any and all intelligence and intelligence-related activities, and U.S. law clearly states that ‘The President shall ensure that the congressional intelligence committees are kept fully and currently informed of the intelligence activities of the United States, including any significant anticipated intelligence activity.’”

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi warned that limiting the flow of classified information to Congress would violate that legal requirement. “Your Administration’s plans to limit sharing sensitive information with Congress, as recent reports detail, would not comply with the law to keep the congressional intelligence committees ‘fully and currently informed,’” he continued.

    The letter also highlights conflicting accounts about the effectiveness of the strikes. “These conflicting reports are deeply alarming and require further evaluation from the intelligence community,” it states.

    “While mindful that intelligence gathering and operation analysis is still ongoing, it is critical that Congress has full and immediate access to all information necessary to conduct oversight,” Krishnamoorthi wrote. “I expect that your Administration will adhere to its legal obligations and ensure that Congress, particularly the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, is provided with timely, comprehensive, and unfiltered access to intelligence assessments and operational analyses.”

    The full letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Cruz Praise Pres. Trump’s Swift Approval of Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    Approval Comes After Cornyn-Led Letter to POTUS Urging More Federal Resources
    U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today thanked President Donald Trump for his formal approval of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for a federal emergency disaster declaration due to devastating flooding in Kerrville and surrounding areas:
    “The Kerrville community has endured unimaginable devastation, and I thank President Trump for swiftly approving this disaster declaration to ensure every available resource is being utilized in rescue and recovery efforts,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Being a Texan doesn’t just describe where you’re from, it describes who your family is, and even in the darkest times, Texans come together to serve one another in a powerful way. As a lifelong Texan and a father of two, my heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy, and I encourage all Texans and Americans to pray for our state and for the safe return of those who are still missing.”
    “The flooding we are seeing in Central Texas is absolutely devastating,” said Sen. Cruz. “Heidi and I send our heartfelt condolences to all those who have been directly impacted by this natural disaster. We thank President Trump for quickly approving Governor Abbott’s disaster declaration, and Secretary Noem for being on the ground and sending additional personnel to support Texans. We urge everyone to heed the warnings from local officials and stay out of harm’s way. We are immensely grateful to the first responders—both in Texas and from across the country—who are risking their own safety to rescue those in need. As Texans, we must remain united in spirit and grit, and support our neighbors as we always do best.”
    Sens. Cornyn and Cruz sent a letter earlier today to Pres. Trump urging the administration to continue surging all available federal resources to Kerr County to assist with ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Is Now the Law

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Today, President Donald J. Trump officially signed The One Big Beautiful Bill into law — a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation that makes good on his campaign promises and puts America First.

    Here’s what this means for everyday Americans:

    • The largest tax cut in history for middle- and working-class Americans
    • Bigger paychecks of $10,000+ more in annual take-home pay for families.
    • NO tax on Tips.
    • NO tax on Overtime.
    • NO tax on Social Security.
    • A $12.5 billion modernization of our air traffic control system.
    • Permanently increasing the Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families.
    • Permanently securing our borders by finishing the border wall and hiring thousands of new ICE officers and Border Patrol agents.
    • Driving down energy costs with a massive expansion of domestic oil and gas production capacity.
    • A tax deduction on Made in America auto loan interest.
    • Protection for two million family farms from punitive double taxation.
    • Creating Trump Accounts for every American newborn.
    • Restoring fiscal sanity by cutting $1.5 trillion in spending.
    • Strengthening Medicaid by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse and blocking illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid.
    • Funding the Golden Dome missile defense system to confront 21st century threats.
    • Modernizing our military to ensure it has the resources to be a ready, lethal fighting force after four years of Biden-era weakness.

    MIL OSI USA News –