Category: Politics

MIL-OSI USA: Cotton to Greer: Investigate Jack Smith for Election Interference
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
July 30, 2025

Cotton to Greer: Investigate Jack Smith for Election Interference

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer requesting an investigation into whether former Special Counsel Jack Smith violated federal law by using political actions to influence the 2024 election against then-candidate President Donald Trump.

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“These actions were not standard, necessary, or justified—unless Smith’s real purpose was to influence the election. In fact, throughout Special Counsel Smith’s tenure, he regularly used far-fetched and aggressive legal theories to prosecute the Republican nominee for president. I would add that President Biden also called during the election for President Trump to be ‘locked up.’”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

Mr. Jamieson Greer
Acting Special Counsel
United States Office of Special Counsel
1730 M Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036-4504

Dear Acting Special Counsel Greer:

I write requesting the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Jack Smith, Special Counsel for Attorney General Merrick Garland, unlawfully took political actions to influence the 2024 election to harm then-candidate President Donald Trump. As the Office of the Special Counsel is tasked with ensuring federal employees aren’t conducting partisan political activity under the guise of their federal employment, you’re well situated to determine whether Smith broke the law.

Many of Smith’s legal actions seem to have no rationale except for an attempt to affect the 2024 election results—actions that would violate federal law.

Consider just the following examples, where Smith expedited trial proceedings and deliberately published information, with no legitimate purpose:
- After filing the indictment against President Trump on August 10, 2023, Smith demanded the trial start January 2, 2024, with jury selection beginning as early as December 11, 2023. Defendants in these types of cases typically have more than two years to prepare for trial, but President Trump’s defense team had fewer than six months to review 13 million pages of evidence and thousands of hours of video footage provided by prosecutors. Notably, jury selection was to begin just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
- On December 11, 2023, after President Trump filed his defense with the District of Columbia District Court, Smith pressed for a trial before the election by moving for an expedited review by the appeals court. On the same day, however, Smith further escalated this push and filed a petition with the Supreme Court to bypass the district court. Smith skirted the normal appellate process but failed to articulate a legitimate reason the court should grant this abnormal request.
- Following the Supreme Court’s decision recognizing presidential immunity, Smith’s prosecution team filed an initial brief on September 5, 2024, although there was no defense motion pending. The judge granted Smith permission to file the brief on September 26, 2024, but pointed out this was “procedurally irregular.” This timeline is highly unusual considering complex litigation matters normally take place over several months, rather than a mere three weeks. This action also appears to violate the Justice Department’s 60-day rule, which prohibits timing any action, for the purpose of affecting any election or giving advantage or disadvantage to a candidate, within 60 days of the election.
- Smith’s brief on Trump’s immunity from prosecution was 165 pages, which required special permission to exceed the normal maximum page limit by four times. In fact, Smith also incorporated grand jury testimony typically kept secret at this point in other proceedings. This action appears to be a deliberate and underhanded effort to disclose unsubstantiated and extensive allegations timed to maximize electoral impact.
These actions were not standard, necessary, or justified—unless Smith’s real purpose was to influence the election. In fact, throughout Special Counsel Smith’s tenure, he regularly used far-fetched and aggressive legal theories to prosecute the Republican nominee for president. I would add that President Biden also called during the election for President Trump to be “locked up.”

President Trump of course vanquished Joe Biden, Jack Smith, every Democrat who weaponized the law against him, but President Trump’s astounding victory doesn’t excuse Smith of responsibility for his unlawful election interference. I therefore ask the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Jack Smith or any members of his team unlawfully acted for political purposes.

Sincerely,

Tom Cotton

United States Senator
MIL OSI USA News –
July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with James Glenday and Emma Rebellato, News Breakfast, ABC

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

James Glenday:

Welcome back to the show. On this Thursday morning, you’re watching News Breakfast. It is always lovely to have your company.

Emma Rebellato:

We’ll get an update on the latest with the global tsunami alerts in just a moment. But first, borrowers will be hoping the latest inflation data will be the confirmation the Reserve Bank needs to cut rates next month.

Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, joins us now from Canberra. Treasurer, thanks for joining us this morning.

Jim Chalmers:

Thanks for having me back on, Emma.

Rebellato:

So homeowners are hoping for a rate cut. Are you worried though that if there is a cut it will encourage more investors into the market, and that will price out people wanting to buy their own home?

Chalmers:

I’m not going to pre‑empt decisions that the Reserve Bank takes independently. I think rate relief is welcome, certainly when interest rates were cut twice already this year, that provided some very, very welcome rate relief for millions of Australians with a mortgage. That’s how we see it, but I don’t want to make predictions or pre‑empt the decisions that the Reserve Bank will take.

What yesterday’s numbers showed when it comes to those inflation numbers is really quite remarkable progress. The progress that Australians have made together over the course of the last 3 years on inflation has been outstanding because we’ve been able to get inflation down at the same time as we deep unemployment low, we’ve got real wages growing again – but it’s never mission accomplished, because the global environment’s uncertain, we’ve got some persistent structural issues in our economy, growth in our economy is soft and people are under pressure. And that’s why the primary goal, the main priority of the first 2 weeks of the parliament sitting has been to roll out more cost‑of‑living help.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, your productivity roundtable is on in just a few weeks. Will you be looking – and we know housing going’s to be on the agenda – will you be looking specifically at property investors. Do you want to change the capital gains tax discount?

Chalmers:

That’s not why we’ve put this Economic Reform Roundtable together. It’s all about making our economy more resilient and more productive, and our budget more sustainable.

I expect and I hope that building more homes is one of the central considerations of the Economic Reform Roundtable. I’ve been working very closely with Minister Clare O’Neil with a number of people who will be at the roundtable and with a whole range of people around the country.

We’ve all got an interest in building more homes sooner; that’s the government’s priority. The primary focus there, I think, at the roundtable will be around how we speed up approvals and get the zoning for housing right, because we desperately need more homes. The Commonwealth government has come to the table with tens of billions of dollars in investment, our political opponents want to cut funding for housing, but overwhelmingly, people want to see where there’s common ground to build more homes, and that will be the focus.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, one of the stories we’re following today is the latest Productivity Commission report on closing the gap. Again, so many targets are showing so little progress, and some are worsening. How would you characterise this? Is this a failure by governments?

Chalmers:

We need to do much better. I think from memory, 10 of the 15 measures, we’ve seen a little bit of progress in the report released overnight, some have gone backwards in worrying ways.

I think every member of the government, and I think many Australians would acknowledge that we need to do better, and the reason why these reports are so important is because they make sure that we keep governments and the community more broadly up to the mark. We need to do better when it comes to closing the cap.

Minister Malarndirri McCarthy is working in her characteristically diligent way with all of the stakeholders, all of the communities to try and turn these numbers around. There has been progress in 10 of the 15, there has been some worrying outcomes in the rest, but overall, we need to do more and we need to do better.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, we know the issue in the Middle East is a big talking point in parliament and in the government at the moment. Is it now inevitable that Australia will recognise a Palestinian state; do you want to see that happen?

Chalmers:

I do, and I think it’s a matter of when, not if Australia recognises a Palestinian state for a long.

Rebellato:

So could we see it before September, before that UN meeting?

Rebellato:

I don’t want to put a timeframe for it, it’s been a long‑standing bipartisan policy that we see a two‑state solution in that part of the Middle East. From my point of view that progress that has been made, that momentum that we’re seeing in the international community is welcome, but it’s also conditional.

There are a number of obstacles still in the way to recognition of a Palestinian state, for example, the treatment, the release of the hostages, making sure that there’s absolutely no role for Hamas. These are the sorts of things that the international community is working through.

That statement that came out yesterday that we signed as Australians via our Foreign Minister Penny Wong is a really important one. It condemns the terrorist act on 7 October, it demands a ceasefire, the release of hostages and access for humanitarian aid; it encourages countries to work towards recognition as a really important part of that two‑state solution, and the reason we want to see a two‑state solution is because Israeli families and Palestinian families need and deserve to be able to raise their kids in peace, and that’s what this is all about.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, let’s stay with issues overseas, and the issue of tariffs. Now, Donald Trump has now said if he’s not negotiated with a country that they’re now looking at between a 15 and 20 per cent tariff. Is that what you’re working towards now; forget about 10 per cent, it’s now looking 15 to 20?

Chalmers:

We haven’t heard differently from the 10 per cent baseline that’s been levied on Australia; obviously we continue to engage with the Americans on this. It’s one of the main issues playing out in the global economy, it’s a major source of uncertainty in the economy, whether it’s what’s been said overnight about India, whether it’s the back and forth between the US and China or the tariffs levied directly on Australia. We’ve got the baseline rate as far as we are aware, and as we understand it, which is 10 per cent.

Rebellato:

So you don’t expect that to move?

Chalmers:

I think it would be a brave person to assume that there won’t be – whether it’s with other countries or – there will always be more announcements about this. These tariff announcements are a moving feast. But our understanding, our expectation is we get the baseline.

We think that the best outcome is zero because these tariffs are an act of economic self‑harm. We see inflation is going up in the US. Earlier in the year they had slowing growth, interest rates on hold again in the US overnight, they’ve got higher interest rates than we do in Australia.

We think these tariffs are bad for the American economy, certainly bad for the global economy. We’re better placed and better prepared than most countries to deal with that, but we won’t be immune. We’ll continue to engage with the Americans on it.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, just to change things up a little bit, this is possibly the hardest question you’ll be asked today, we’ve been talking about theme songs. Do you have a favourite theme song?

Chalmers:

It’s hard to go past the themes – the 2 theme songs in the Rocky movies, or the theme song to that great Eminem movie, 8 Mile. I’m a hip‑hop guy –

Rebellato:

Oh, yeah.

Chalmers:

– as James on the couch knows, but I think the best theme song, now that you put me on the spot, the best theme song I can remember is when Powderfinger, These Days kicks in during that wonderful Australian movie, Two Hands.

I think These Days by Powderfinger came in at number 14 on the week in the Triple J Hottest 100 Australian songs. Like everyone who loves Powderfinger, I think that should have been higher. But that’s an amazing theme song, and that’s an incredible, Two Hands, Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown, Rose, all the great Australian actors and a wonderful Australian theme song too by Powderfinger from Brisbane.

Rebellato:

Treasurer, thank you so much for joining us this morning, we appreciate it.

Chalmers:

Thanks very much.

MIL OSI News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington, Sunrise, Channel 7

Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

Natalie Barr:

For more, we’re joined by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Good morning to you.

Jim Chalmers:

Morning, Nat.

Barr:

So, when the godfather of AI begins to regret his contribution to the invention, should we be concerned?

Chalmers:

I think there’s a whole range of views about artificial intelligence. I’m optimistic that it will be transformational in a good way in our economy but only if we manage the risks right. And so our government is doing a heap of work, including with Scott Farquhar and others who will be part of our Economic Reform Roundtable, to make sure that we maximise the opportunities of AI at the same time as we manage the risks. The risks can be substantial in our labour market and more broadly as well. We need to manage those. But overwhelmingly, I think AI will be transformational in our economy and in our society, and we need to make it work for us, not against us.

Matt Shirvington:

It’s moving so fast, isn’t it, Treasurer? Let’s talk about that roundtable. You said tech billionaire Scott Farquhar is going to be a part of that. He’s for this. He wants more productivity, more investment to expand AI in Australia. Is that required? Is that what we’re going to do? Are we going to take advantage of the time being now?

Chalmers:

I think there are broadly 3 schools of thought here. There’s a group of people who say, let it rip. There’s a group of people who, I think unrealistically, say that we should kind of turn back the clock and pretend these technological developments aren’t happening. And then there’s a responsible middle path, which is the approach that the government intends to take. And that’s all about making sure that our people are beneficiaries, not victims of these big technological changes. This will be seismic. Artificial intelligence will have a massive impact on our economy and on our society. And it’s up to us as governments and as societies to work out how we make that work for us, not against us. To make people beneficiaries of these changes rather than victims of it.

Barr:

So this is the guy who resigned from Google because he wanted to warn the world about the dangers. Are you confident that our country has the safeguards against the bad parts of AI?

Chalmers:

I’m confident that we can manage the risks, but it won’t be easy. And something that is changing this quickly, the pace of change, the accelerating pace of these technological changes, is a big challenge because we need to catch up and keep up with the way that it’s changing our economy and our society. And we need to make sure that its impact is positive, not negative.

The risks are there, they are substantial. We focus on the risks, for example, in the labour market, but also more broadly, and we need to manage that. Every country in the world is grappling with this challenge. Trying to work out how AI can be a force for good in our economy, making us more productive, making our work easier, augmenting some of the tasks that people do at work. Those are the upsides of AI.

There are potential downsides as well, and that’s why we work so closely with the tech industry and with others – my colleague Tim Ayres and Andrew Charlton and Ed Husic before that. It’s a big focus of the government. It’ll be a big focus of our efforts at the reform roundtable next month as well.

Shirvington:

It’s good to hear, because you just don’t want to miss the boat. Just quickly on inflation figures. You know, you’ve been at the helm, you’ve seen them go down and down and down. Low 2s now, paving the way potentially, for a rate cut next month. What do you think?

Chalmers:

I try not to make predictions about decisions that the independent Reserve Bank will take about interest rates, but I’m really pleased that inflation has come down so substantially. It’s a powerful demonstration of the progress that Australians have made together in the fight against inflation. When we came to office 3 years ago, it was higher than 6 per cent and absolutely galloping. We’ve got it down now into the low 2s. That’s a good thing. But the job’s not finished. It’s not mission accomplished.

We know that people are still under pressure and that’s why the main goal of the parliament the last 2 weeks since it’s returned after the election has been to deliver all kinds of cost‑of‑living relief to help ease some of these pressures. But inflation coming down is a very good thing. The unemployment rate staying relatively low is a very good thing. Real wages are growing as well, but we know there’s always more work to do.

Barr:

Treasurer, thank you very much for your time.

Chalmers:

Appreciate it, guys.

MIL OSI News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Intelligence Vice Chairman Warner on Confirmation of Joe Kent to Lead NCTC

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted 52-44 to confirm Joe Kent to head the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC):

“In May, Congress received clear written evidence that Mr. Kent, while serving as chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, sought to manipulate intelligence to match a political narrative promoted by President Trump. His efforts to alter intelligence assessments in support of demonstrably false political claims is not only a gross violation of the solemn responsibility with which the intelligence community is charged, which is to speak truth to power regardless of politics, but it is also a threat to our ability to keep the nation safe. When intelligence is shaped to fit political agendas instead of hard facts, it blinds decision-makers to real threats, sows confusion among our allies, and emboldens our adversaries.

“With today’s party-line vote to confirm Mr. Kent to one of the nation’s most sensitive counterterrorism roles, the Senate missed an opportunity to hold the Trump administration accountable for openly politicizing intelligence – a precedent that, if left unchecked, threatens to erode trust in our intelligence agencies, compromise the integrity of national security assessments, and ultimately make Americans less safe.”

On May 21, the Senate Intelligence Committee received copies of emails indicating that Mr. Kent pressured career intelligence officials to revise and suppress analytical conclusions that contradicted public claims made by President Trump. Specifically, Kent pressed the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to rewrite findings about the relationship between Venezuela’s government and the criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) “so this document is not used against the DNI or POTUS,” and to emphasize supposed ties between the Venezuelan government and TDA. Despite the pressure, the April 7 assessment issued by the NIC reaffirmed the original conclusion that Venezuela’s government “probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States.” Shortly thereafter, the senior career analysts leading the NIC were dismissed from their positions by DNI Gabbard.

Sen. Warner spoke in opposition to Mr. Kent’s nomination on the Senate floor prior to the vote. Video of those remarks is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Intelligence Vice Chairman Warner on Confirmation of Joe Kent to Lead NCTC

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted 52-44 to confirm Joe Kent to head the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC):

“In May, Congress received clear written evidence that Mr. Kent, while serving as chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, sought to manipulate intelligence to match a political narrative promoted by President Trump. His efforts to alter intelligence assessments in support of demonstrably false political claims is not only a gross violation of the solemn responsibility with which the intelligence community is charged, which is to speak truth to power regardless of politics, but it is also a threat to our ability to keep the nation safe. When intelligence is shaped to fit political agendas instead of hard facts, it blinds decision-makers to real threats, sows confusion among our allies, and emboldens our adversaries.

“With today’s party-line vote to confirm Mr. Kent to one of the nation’s most sensitive counterterrorism roles, the Senate missed an opportunity to hold the Trump administration accountable for openly politicizing intelligence – a precedent that, if left unchecked, threatens to erode trust in our intelligence agencies, compromise the integrity of national security assessments, and ultimately make Americans less safe.”

On May 21, the Senate Intelligence Committee received copies of emails indicating that Mr. Kent pressured career intelligence officials to revise and suppress analytical conclusions that contradicted public claims made by President Trump. Specifically, Kent pressed the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to rewrite findings about the relationship between Venezuela’s government and the criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) “so this document is not used against the DNI or POTUS,” and to emphasize supposed ties between the Venezuelan government and TDA. Despite the pressure, the April 7 assessment issued by the NIC reaffirmed the original conclusion that Venezuela’s government “probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States.” Shortly thereafter, the senior career analysts leading the NIC were dismissed from their positions by DNI Gabbard.

Sen. Warner spoke in opposition to Mr. Kent’s nomination on the Senate floor prior to the vote. Video of those remarks is available here.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Leading National Security Dems Alarmed by Trump’s Steep Concessions to China

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and several other key members of the Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees raised the alarm over public reporting that President Trump is pausing export controls on critical technology sold to China and undermining relations with Taiwan as part of an effort to secure a trade deal with Beijing.

The Senators are deeply concerned that President Trump’s desire for a perceived “deal” is clouding crucial U.S. export control decisions that could imperil national security, threaten U.S. artificial intelligence advantages, and put other American-generated emerging technologies critical to military programs at risk.

The twelve U.S. Senators, who also included Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senate Intelligence Committee member Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senate Armed Services Committee member Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-NJ), issued the following joint statement:

“President Trump has spent the past six months eroding our advantages over China, but recent developments make clear how willing his administration is to sacrifice American economic and technological leadership for symbolic “wins” with China in Trump’s self-inflicted trade war.

“In just the last two days, we have seen reporting that the Trump administration has cancelled a long-planned high-level security dialogue with Taiwan and denied the president of Taiwan the ability to transit the United States—a longstanding tradition respected by administrations of both parties. These developments come right on the heels of a decision to pave the way for the sale of advanced AI chips to China and to freeze export controls on additional American technologies enabling them to now flow to China, even as Beijing tightens export controls on the United States. Independent media reports today suggest these moves are an attempt to secure trade concessions, curry favor with President Xi Jinping, and ensure President Trump gets a visit to China. The president is demonstrating to Beijing that he can be cajoled into giving up America’s core interests.

“In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, President Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with President Trump. Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so.

“President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe. He is signaling his ambivalence about standing with Taiwan, our long-term partner in the region and a powerhouse of the global economy. And he is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow.

“President Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Leading National Security Dems Alarmed by Trump’s Steep Concessions to China

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and several other key members of the Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees raised the alarm over public reporting that President Trump is pausing export controls on critical technology sold to China and undermining relations with Taiwan as part of an effort to secure a trade deal with Beijing.

The Senators are deeply concerned that President Trump’s desire for a perceived “deal” is clouding crucial U.S. export control decisions that could imperil national security, threaten U.S. artificial intelligence advantages, and put other American-generated emerging technologies critical to military programs at risk.

The twelve U.S. Senators, who also included Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senate Intelligence Committee member Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senate Armed Services Committee member Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-NJ), issued the following joint statement:

“President Trump has spent the past six months eroding our advantages over China, but recent developments make clear how willing his administration is to sacrifice American economic and technological leadership for symbolic “wins” with China in Trump’s self-inflicted trade war.

“In just the last two days, we have seen reporting that the Trump administration has cancelled a long-planned high-level security dialogue with Taiwan and denied the president of Taiwan the ability to transit the United States—a longstanding tradition respected by administrations of both parties. These developments come right on the heels of a decision to pave the way for the sale of advanced AI chips to China and to freeze export controls on additional American technologies enabling them to now flow to China, even as Beijing tightens export controls on the United States. Independent media reports today suggest these moves are an attempt to secure trade concessions, curry favor with President Xi Jinping, and ensure President Trump gets a visit to China. The president is demonstrating to Beijing that he can be cajoled into giving up America’s core interests.

“In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, President Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with President Trump. Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so.

“President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe. He is signaling his ambivalence about standing with Taiwan, our long-term partner in the region and a powerhouse of the global economy. And he is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow.

“President Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself.”

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Helps Reinstate FBI Whistleblower, Delivers Keynote Address During National Whistleblower Appreciation Day

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

WASHINGTON – At the National Whistleblower Day celebration on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced he has succeeded in reinstating Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whistleblower Michael DeBey’s clearance and employment with the agency. This is the sixth whistleblower Grassley has successfully restored so far this year.

During his remarks, Grassley also spoke about his work to support patriotic whistleblowers and the important role they play in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. Grassley is the co-founder and co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus.

Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
“Whistleblower Appreciation Day”
Wednesday, July 30, 2025

It’s an honor to be among patriots here today.

Today, nobody will be treated like a skunk at a picnic.

Whistleblowers too often get the short end of the stick for simply telling the truth.

Instead, whistleblowers ought to be recognized for what they are: patriots and the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.

So, I’m proud to have introduced the National Whistleblower Appreciation Day resolution for the 12th year in a row.

Throughout my career, I’ve fought for whistleblowers.

I’m committed to ensuring that federal agencies treat whistleblowers fairly and are held accountable for retaliating against them.

That goes for both Republican and Democratic administrations.

When I first was elected to the Senate in 1981, I worked with brave whistleblowers like Ernie Fitzgerald.

Ernie was fired in 1968 by President Nixon for blowing the whistle on waste and fraud in Defense Department contracts.

I worked to pass laws to eliminate fraud that whistleblowers like Ernie told me about.

Now, because of this work, I passed the False Claims Amendment Act in 1986.

It’s helped recover more than $78 billion in fraud so far, and prevented countless billions more.

My “anti-gag” provision also became law. It’s an important sword and shield to protect whistleblowers.

Far too often, federal agencies tried to silence or intimidate whistleblowers through nondisclosure agreements.

My anti-gag provision is designed to put a stop to that.

I also championed laws and legislation to expand whistleblower protections for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

This Congress, I introduced much needed legislation to strengthen whistleblower protections for FBI employees.

But just because we’ve introduced legislation and passed good laws doesn’t mean we can stop paying attention.

I’ve worked hard to ensure individuals who retaliate against whistleblowers are held accountable. I’ve also pushed federal agencies to do right by whistleblowers.

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler made legally protected disclosures about government misconduct.

They were retaliated against and sidelined from doing their job.

This year, at my urging, they were taken out of the shadows of retaliation and were promoted by the Treasury Department.

I also pushed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to end the seven-year nightmare for Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers Mark Jones, Mike Taylor and Fred Wynn.

These brave whistleblowers faced years of retaliation for blowing the whistle on the government’s failure to collect DNA at the border.

At my urging, this year the Department of Homeland Security promoted them and restored their law enforcement credentials.

So, they got their guns and badges back to do their job.

I’ve also worked to restore the security clearances of FBI employees who had them suspended or revoked.

These FBI employees were retaliated against and, as we all know, the FBI’s illegal power move is to take away security clearances.

And it’s not just government whistleblowers who are important.

I’ve introduced legislation to protect private sector whistleblowers from retaliation for exposing waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct.

I’m the lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act.

That bill increases whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and subcontractors.

I also introduced the bipartisan Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025.

The bill protects corporate whistleblowers who report violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Additionally, I’m proud to have introduced the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act.

That bill is designed to increase transparency and provide whistleblower protections to employees who work in the Artificial Intelligence field.

But like I said, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

The task of supporting whistleblowers doesn’t start and stop with this day or depend on who’s in the White House.

If you make legally protected disclosures, you’re a whistleblower and ought to be protected from retaliation.

This administration has said Mr. Reuvini isn’t a whistleblower.

I’ve publicly disagreed.

The other two people who came forward about Mr. Bove are also whistleblowers.

Here’s my message to all whistleblowers in this room: just because I may disagree with the conclusions in a whistleblower disclosure, it doesn’t mean that I don’t support a whistleblower’s right to come forward.

And regardless of the content of the disclosure, every whistleblower must be protected from retaliation.

That’s why last week, I wrote President Trump about the importance of protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.

As this administration reduces the federal workforce, it must ensure terminations aren’t done because a protected disclosure was made. This administration, just like all the rest, has an obligation to comply with whistleblower laws.

In my letter, I also reminded President Trump of my outstanding request that he hold a Rose Garden Ceremony for whistleblowers.

I’ve asked every president since Ronald Reagan to have a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers.

I’m not giving up on that request just like I’m not giving up on any of you.

Whistleblowers are some of the bravest people out there. It takes guts to stick your neck out and report misconduct.

All of you here have put your careers, livelihoods and reputations on the line in service to our great country.

God Bless you for your service and sacrifices.

I’ll continue to fight for you.

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Helps Reinstate FBI Whistleblower, Delivers Keynote Address During National Whistleblower Appreciation Day

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

WASHINGTON – At the National Whistleblower Day celebration on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced he has succeeded in reinstating Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whistleblower Michael DeBey’s clearance and employment with the agency. This is the sixth whistleblower Grassley has successfully restored so far this year.

During his remarks, Grassley also spoke about his work to support patriotic whistleblowers and the important role they play in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. Grassley is the co-founder and co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus.

Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
“Whistleblower Appreciation Day”
Wednesday, July 30, 2025

It’s an honor to be among patriots here today.

Today, nobody will be treated like a skunk at a picnic.

Whistleblowers too often get the short end of the stick for simply telling the truth.

Instead, whistleblowers ought to be recognized for what they are: patriots and the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.

So, I’m proud to have introduced the National Whistleblower Appreciation Day resolution for the 12th year in a row.

Throughout my career, I’ve fought for whistleblowers.

I’m committed to ensuring that federal agencies treat whistleblowers fairly and are held accountable for retaliating against them.

That goes for both Republican and Democratic administrations.

When I first was elected to the Senate in 1981, I worked with brave whistleblowers like Ernie Fitzgerald.

Ernie was fired in 1968 by President Nixon for blowing the whistle on waste and fraud in Defense Department contracts.

I worked to pass laws to eliminate fraud that whistleblowers like Ernie told me about.

Now, because of this work, I passed the False Claims Amendment Act in 1986.

It’s helped recover more than $78 billion in fraud so far, and prevented countless billions more.

My “anti-gag” provision also became law. It’s an important sword and shield to protect whistleblowers.

Far too often, federal agencies tried to silence or intimidate whistleblowers through nondisclosure agreements.

My anti-gag provision is designed to put a stop to that.

I also championed laws and legislation to expand whistleblower protections for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

This Congress, I introduced much needed legislation to strengthen whistleblower protections for FBI employees.

But just because we’ve introduced legislation and passed good laws doesn’t mean we can stop paying attention.

I’ve worked hard to ensure individuals who retaliate against whistleblowers are held accountable. I’ve also pushed federal agencies to do right by whistleblowers.

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler made legally protected disclosures about government misconduct.

They were retaliated against and sidelined from doing their job.

This year, at my urging, they were taken out of the shadows of retaliation and were promoted by the Treasury Department.

I also pushed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to end the seven-year nightmare for Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers Mark Jones, Mike Taylor and Fred Wynn.

These brave whistleblowers faced years of retaliation for blowing the whistle on the government’s failure to collect DNA at the border.

At my urging, this year the Department of Homeland Security promoted them and restored their law enforcement credentials.

So, they got their guns and badges back to do their job.

I’ve also worked to restore the security clearances of FBI employees who had them suspended or revoked.

These FBI employees were retaliated against and, as we all know, the FBI’s illegal power move is to take away security clearances.

And it’s not just government whistleblowers who are important.

I’ve introduced legislation to protect private sector whistleblowers from retaliation for exposing waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct.

I’m the lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act.

That bill increases whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and subcontractors.

I also introduced the bipartisan Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025.

The bill protects corporate whistleblowers who report violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Additionally, I’m proud to have introduced the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act.

That bill is designed to increase transparency and provide whistleblower protections to employees who work in the Artificial Intelligence field.

But like I said, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

The task of supporting whistleblowers doesn’t start and stop with this day or depend on who’s in the White House.

If you make legally protected disclosures, you’re a whistleblower and ought to be protected from retaliation.

This administration has said Mr. Reuvini isn’t a whistleblower.

I’ve publicly disagreed.

The other two people who came forward about Mr. Bove are also whistleblowers.

Here’s my message to all whistleblowers in this room: just because I may disagree with the conclusions in a whistleblower disclosure, it doesn’t mean that I don’t support a whistleblower’s right to come forward.

And regardless of the content of the disclosure, every whistleblower must be protected from retaliation.

That’s why last week, I wrote President Trump about the importance of protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.

As this administration reduces the federal workforce, it must ensure terminations aren’t done because a protected disclosure was made. This administration, just like all the rest, has an obligation to comply with whistleblower laws.

In my letter, I also reminded President Trump of my outstanding request that he hold a Rose Garden Ceremony for whistleblowers.

I’ve asked every president since Ronald Reagan to have a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers.

I’m not giving up on that request just like I’m not giving up on any of you.

Whistleblowers are some of the bravest people out there. It takes guts to stick your neck out and report misconduct.

All of you here have put your careers, livelihoods and reputations on the line in service to our great country.

God Bless you for your service and sacrifices.

I’ll continue to fight for you.

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Denounces Starvation In Gaza, Criticizes Israeli Government’s Conduct Of War

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor about the crisis of starvation in Gaza, which has resulted in almost a third of Palestinians going for several days without eating and at least 63 people dying from malnutrition this month alone. Schatz criticized the Netanyahu government’s decision to cut off aid into Gaza and later set up an entity that failed to distribute aid safely and effectively.

“The fact that this catastrophe was preventable is precisely what makes it so indefensible,” said Senator Schatz, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. “People have been warning for months that the Israeli government’s actions would result in exactly this kind of tragedy, where children are dying by the dozens and hundreds of thousands of people are starving for days. What possible explanation is there for letting infants and 2- and 3-year-olds starve? What tactical advantage is being gained?”

Senator Schatz continued, “Standing up for our shared humanity, whatever our other differences and preferences, should not be a matter of controversy. The government of Israel is behaving terribly. Its conduct of the war is indefensible. And it is not in spite of my Jewishness and my Judaism that I feel this way – it is because of it.”

A transcript of Senator Schatz’s remarks is below. Video is available here.

The mass starvation and death sweeping through Gaza is a moral tragedy and a strategic abomination. What started as a war with a just cause – to go after Hamas for the unspeakable atrocities it committed on October 7th and bring home the hostages – quickly turned unjust and immoral.

Everyone knows how complicated and fraught the Middle East is. Everyone knows that navigating this generations-long conflict requires nuance and depth and a historical understanding in order to try and get it right. Everyone knows that smart and sincere and decent people can disagree on this issue. But what is happening today is entirely different. There is no excuse for this horrific suffering. It’s not making Israel or Israelis or Jews any safer…nor is it helping to bring home the 50 remaining hostages who’ve been in brutal captivity for almost 2 years.

The fact that this catastrophe was preventable is precisely what makes it so indefensible. People have been warning for months that the Israeli government’s actions would result in exactly this kind of tragedy…where children are dying by the dozens and hundreds of thousands of people are starving for days.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which Israel scrambled to set up 2 months ago, has failed. According to the BBC, where there used to be 400 U.N. aid distribution sites, there are now just 4 run by the GHF. And as a result, a third of Gazans are going multiple days in a row without eating. The World Health Organization reports that at least 63 people, many of them children, have died from malnutrition this month alone. And more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at GHF sites, according to the U.N.

In May, the GHF’s first executive director resigned, saying, “It is clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”

Whether you believe that this organization was set up to fail intentionally from the start, or more charitably, that the Israeli government established it without understanding that it wouldn’t succeed, it doesn’t matter. What is plainly obvious now is that it is not working. You don’t have to be some left-wing organization…or get your data from the Hamas government…to acknowledge that the GHF is failing at its fundamental mission of feeding people.

Which raises the question: why? Here we have an Israeli security apparatus that can – and did – synchronize an attack of exploding pagers across an entire country. They can reach in and gather intelligence from the high command of their greatest adversaries. The IDF is widely viewed as punching way above its weight in almost every way. And yet, Israel is asserting that, given all of those capabilities, the one thing that they can’t do is facilitate aid distribution. That’s too hard for them.

Food and medical assistance routinely get into conflict zones all around the world. Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gaza should not be any different. What is different are the stated goals of the extremists in the Israeli government.

“The only way to win the war and bring back the hostages is to completely stop the ‘humanitarian’ aid, conquer the entire Gaza Strip, and encourage voluntary migration.” That was the National Security of the government of Israel. Completely stopping humanitarian aid. Conquering the entire Gaza Strip. Encouraging migration. Those are their words – these are not my words.

And as starvation takes hold, their response is to deny that is even happening. “There is no starvation in Gaza.” Who said that? The Prime Minister of Israel. Ben-Gvir added, “If they were hungry, they would have returned the hostages home.” If they were hungry, they would have returned the hostages home.

It’s worth pausing on that for just a moment. Too many people in the Netanyahu government make no distinction between the actual enemy that is Hamas and innocent civilians. The idea that a desperate mother, malnourished herself, and out of breast milk for her infant; or a 7-year-old running to the front of an aid line to get whatever scraps he can for him and his siblings – the idea that these people are in charge of which hostages are released and when, and they suddenly are being held to account for the actions of Hamas on October 7th – is preposterous.

It’s another example of the casual dismissal of civilian death and suffering as if it’s an inevitable consequence of having to go after the bad guys. War is hell and all of that. But what possible explanation is there for letting infants and 2 and 3-year-olds starve? What tactical advantage is being gained?

Standing up for our shared humanity, whatever our other differences and preferences, should not be controversial. But too often, when someone is critical of Israel, and they’re a Jew, they’re characterized as a self-hating Jew. When someone is critical of Israel, and they’re not a Jew, they’re characterized as antisemitic.

I want to be crystal clear. Antisemitism is among the oldest and most vile prejudices that exist. It is real, it is scary, and it is on the rise in the United States. It should be fought at every turn, left, right, and center. And anyone who simply waves it away or denies the urgency of addressing it is either not paying attention or lying.

But criticizing the conduct of this war. Criticizing Minister Ben-Gvir who talks about ethnic cleansing. Criticizing the withholding of aid. Criticizing the excessive tolerance for civilian casualties. Criticizing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s apparent willingness to cling to power at the expense of Israel, Israelis, and Jews everywhere. That is a separate matter. Everybody gets to do that – just like Americans get to criticize their president without hating America or the people within it. People are more than their government. The government of Israel is behaving terribly. Its conduct of the war is indefensible. And it is not in spite of my Jewishness and Judaism that I feel this way – it is because of it.

There are a lot of people – including people I know personally, and I believe this – who believe deeply in the sacred idea of Israel. They are good people, and this cannot be about vanquishing one side of the political spectrum – whether that’s the left and center left or right and alt-right. This is about grounding ourselves in the very basic principle, which is: whatever else we’re fighting about, can we please hold the children harmless?

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney speaks with President of Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas

Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.

The leaders discussed the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Prime Minister Carney reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to a two-state solution – an independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security.

Prime Minister Carney shared Canada’s intention to recognize the State of Palestine at the 80^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025. He indicated that this intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to much-needed reforms, including the commitments by Palestinian Authority President Abbas to fundamentally reform its governance, to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state. Prime Minister Carney welcomed President Abbas’ commitment to these reforms.

The Prime Minister informed the President that Canada will increase its efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, and work closely with regional allies toward this goal.

Associated link

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Presidential Message on the 406th Anniversary of the First Representative Legislative Assembly in America

US Senate News:

Source: US Whitehouse
Four-hundred-and-six years ago, on a sweltering Virginia day, English settlers gathered in a modest wooden church in Jamestown to form the first representative assembly in the New World. This historic moment gave birth to the oldest continuous lawmaking body in the Western Hemisphere and laid the foundation for the most successful attempt at self-government in all of human history.
Seeking prosperity and opportunity in a new land, these early Virginians came together not as subjects of a foreign crown, but as an independent people determined to govern their own affairs. Against nearly insurmountable odds, they enacted laws to glorify God, promote the common good, and answer to the will of the people, addressing matters of taxation, agriculture, and trade with Native tribes. What began humbly in Jamestown has flourished through the ages into a rich legacy of self-government that continues to define the American spirit. As John Adams wrote before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, “We all look up to Virginia for examples.”
From town halls to statehouses to Congress and the presidency, the ideals that animated that first assembly—self-determination, representation, popular accountability, and devotion to the common good—still coarse through our customs and inspire our way of life.
As we stand on the cusp of our 250th year as an independent Nation, we pause now to honor the enduring principles of liberty and independence that were born in Virginia, the cradle of American democracy. These principles have guided our country for more than two centuries, and will continue to light our way for generations to come.
Today, we reaffirm that self-government and hard-fought freedom are our prized inheritance. America is not ruled by tyrants or distant powers; it is governed by a free, strong, and independent citizenry. As the legacy of Jamestown lives on through the Virginia House of Delegates and in the heart of every American citizen, we pay tribute to the heroic tenacity, bravery, and vision of the first settlers. Through their sacrifice, 406 years later, our Nation now stands taller, prouder, mightier, and greater than ever before—united, free, and governed only by the will of our people as one glorious Nation under God.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PERMANENT SECRETARY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS APPOINTED
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

PERMANENT SECRETARY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS APPOINTED

David Dinsmore appointed to the new role of Director of Communications at Permanent Secretary level
The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of David Dinsmore as the new Director of Communications at Permanent Secretary level.

David, who is currently Chief Operating Officer of News UK, will start the newly created role in November.

He will lead the Government Communication Service, the professional body that oversees communications activity across government.

The Permanent Secretary role has been created to transform how the UK Government communicates with the public and reform the Government Communication Service’s output across all departments and agencies.

David will be responsible for delivering the government’s communications strategy in a way that reflects the modern media environment and the government’s commitment to deliver the Plan for Change.

He will be based in the Cabinet Office.

Cabinet Secretary, Chris Wormald, said:

I congratulate David on his appointment as Permanent Secretary Director of Communications. He brings years of executive experience to the task of transforming the way we communicate with the public.

Effective communication is one of the government’s core democratic duties. I’m confident that under David’s leadership the Government Communication Service will take advantage of the rapidly evolving media landscape and go from strength to strength.

Incoming Permanent Secretary Director of Communications, David Dinsmore, said:

It is an honour to be asked to lead this important mission at such a pivotal moment. Clear and engaging communications are central to public trust, policy delivery, and national resilience. The media landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, supercharged by AI, and I look forward to helping the government leverage the exciting opportunities in front of us.

The appointment follows an external recruitment competition overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission.

ENDS

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Published 30 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Investing in Accessible On-Demand Transit Across Grey and Bruce Counties

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

Grey and Bruce Counties, Ontario, July 30, 2025 — Residents will benefit from improved accessible transportation services and transit system efficiency after a combined investment of more than $1.4 million from the federal government, Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit (S.M.A.R.T.) a not-for profit organization which provides day-to-day transportation to the residents of Bruce and Grey counties for residents who have a disability.

S.M.A.R.T. will receive an investment to purchase four accessible vans, eight accessible cars, and booking software to improve their on-demand transit service. S.M.A.R.T. will also receive funding in partnership with Home and Community Support Services of Grey and Bruce to complete a feasibility study to explore more efficient transit software systems, which will support better service delivery of their services.

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: World Day Against Trafficking in Persons: Joint statement

“Human trafficking is a horrific crime that robs individuals of their freedom and dignity, and victims are often left with deep emotional and psychological trauma. Alberta’s government is committed to fighting all forms of human trafficking, whether they involve sexual exploitation, forced labour or other forms of coercion and abuse. We recently invested $5.5 million through the Combatting Trafficking in Persons grant to support organizations that assist survivors and raise awareness across Alberta. We are also working closely with the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons to strengthen our province’s capacity to prevent, identify and respond to human trafficking. We will continue to forge strong partnerships across governments, law enforcement and community organizations to disrupt criminal activity and protect those at risk.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

“Coercion, violence and exploitation have no place in Alberta. Our government is committed to eliminating all forms of gender-based violence, including human trafficking, through Building on Our Strengths: Alberta’s 10-Year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence. Our actions focus on education, prevention and supporting front-line organizations across the province to put an end to gender-based violence in Alberta.”

Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women

“Many Albertans may not realize that human trafficking is happening right here in our province. It could be a neighbour, co-worker, classmate, or even a family member who is being victimized. That’s why Alberta’s government continues to invest in critical supports like women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and child and youth advocacy centres so survivors of sexual violence and exploitation can access the help they need. By working together to learn how to recognize, report and prevent human trafficking, we can empower survivors and build safer communities for everyone.”

Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services

“Human trafficking is happening in our cities, towns and communities, often in plain sight. On
this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, we are reminded that behind every statistic is a
person: someone’s child, friend or loved one, exploited through force, fraud or coercion.
At the Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons, we’re working across sectors to disrupt
trafficking networks, support survivors with dignity and care, and prevent future exploitation.
This year’s global campaign highlights the critical role of law enforcement and the justice system in dismantling trafficking while supporting survivors.”

Paul Brandt, co-chair, Alberta Centre to End Trafficking in Persons

MIL OSI Canada News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Cosponsors Sanders’ Resolutions to Block Certain Offensive Weapons Sales to Israel

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has cosponsored U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) to block the sales of certain offensive weapons to Israel. The JRDs would prohibit the U.S.-financed sale of $675 million for bombs and guidance kits, plus 20,000 fully automatic assault rifles to Israel. The Senate is expected to vote on the JRDs tonight.
“The Israeli-inflicted starvation of Palestinians in Gaza must end. This bombing campaign, which has killed and wounded tens of thousands of people and destroyed Gaza, must end. We cannot continue to be complicit. History will judge us for not standing up against this humanitarian catastrophe and these war crimes,” said Senator Welch. “The United States needs to say: Enough.”
Yesterday, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the need for the United States Senate to take immediate action. He condemned Hamas, pushed for a ceasefire, and demanded the release of the remaining hostages. Senator Welch also rejected the Netanyahu government’s illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war.
“We all condemn Hamas. We all want the release of the remaining hostages. But we have to ask ourselves the question: is it at all justifiable that there is a policy that has to be recognized that starvation is being used as a tool of warfare? I reject the legitimacy of that act. It’s a war crime, Mr. President. It’s a war crime to starve a population to get what you want from your enemy, as righteous as your defense against an enemy may be,” Senator Welch said in his remarks… “We cannot separate the current starvation in Gaza from the Netanyahu government’s strategy of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land.”
Watch his remarks here:

The text of the JRDs can be found below:

S.J.Res.34 – To prohibit the U.S.-taxpayer financed $675.7 million sale of 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bombs; 4,799 BLU-110A/B General Purpose 1,000-pound bombs; 1,500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; 3,500 JDAM guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; and related logistics and technical support services.

S.J.Res.41 – To prohibit the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Cosponsors Sanders’ Resolutions to Block Certain Offensive Weapons Sales to Israel

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has cosponsored U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) to block the sales of certain offensive weapons to Israel. The JRDs would prohibit the U.S.-financed sale of $675 million for bombs and guidance kits, plus 20,000 fully automatic assault rifles to Israel. The Senate is expected to vote on the JRDs tonight.
“The Israeli-inflicted starvation of Palestinians in Gaza must end. This bombing campaign, which has killed and wounded tens of thousands of people and destroyed Gaza, must end. We cannot continue to be complicit. History will judge us for not standing up against this humanitarian catastrophe and these war crimes,” said Senator Welch. “The United States needs to say: Enough.”
Yesterday, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the need for the United States Senate to take immediate action. He condemned Hamas, pushed for a ceasefire, and demanded the release of the remaining hostages. Senator Welch also rejected the Netanyahu government’s illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war.
“We all condemn Hamas. We all want the release of the remaining hostages. But we have to ask ourselves the question: is it at all justifiable that there is a policy that has to be recognized that starvation is being used as a tool of warfare? I reject the legitimacy of that act. It’s a war crime, Mr. President. It’s a war crime to starve a population to get what you want from your enemy, as righteous as your defense against an enemy may be,” Senator Welch said in his remarks… “We cannot separate the current starvation in Gaza from the Netanyahu government’s strategy of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land.”
Watch his remarks here:

The text of the JRDs can be found below:

S.J.Res.34 – To prohibit the U.S.-taxpayer financed $675.7 million sale of 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bombs; 4,799 BLU-110A/B General Purpose 1,000-pound bombs; 1,500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; 3,500 JDAM guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; and related logistics and technical support services.

S.J.Res.41 – To prohibit the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Ireland joins the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)
Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

30th July 2025

Minister of State for Small Business, Retail and Employment Alan Dillon has today announced Ireland’s accession to the Equal Pay International Coalition; a multilateral partnership working to reduce the gender pay gap at global, regional and national levels.

Minister Dillon made the announcement on the margins of the G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting, taking place on 30-31 July in George, South Africa.

Minister Dillon said:

“I am proud to announce that Ireland has officially become a member of the Equal Pay International Coalition. This marks a significant step forward in our commitment, as a nation, in ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender, receive equal pay for work of equal value. Aligned with the vision of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Coalition works to accelerate progress toward this goal, recognising that sustained and collective efforts are needed to close the gender pay gap.”

EPIC is a global initiative that brings together governments, employer and worker organisations, academia, civil society and private sector entities to tackle the gender pay gap through coordinated action. It operates at global, regional and national levels, making it the only coalition of its kind to focus on equal pay.

Gilbert Houngbo, International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General, said:

“On behalf of the ILO, I warmly welcome Ireland to the Equal Pay International Coalition. As a co-lead of EPIC, together with UN Women and the OECD, we are pleased to witness the growing momentum behind this global effort to redress pay inequalities. Ireland’s strong legal framework and commitment to social dialogue further strengthen the Coalition. We look forward to Ireland’s active engagement as we work together to advance equal pay for work of equal value everywhere.”

Maíra Lacerda, Head of the Special Advisory Office for International Affairs at the Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil and Chair of EPIC said:

“As the Chair of EPIC, I warmly welcome Ireland to the Coalition. Every new member brings valuable expertise and fresh momentum to our shared mission. Ireland’s longstanding commitment to pay equity and social dialogue strengthens our collective efforts to tackle persistent pay inequalities and promote fairer, more inclusive labour markets. Together, we grow stronger and closer to the goal of equal pay for work of equal value.”

Minister Dillon went on to say:

“As an EPIC member, Ireland will benefit from membership including through access to a wealth of global resources. We will also have the opportunity to exchange best practices with international counterparts and tap into a dynamic network of policy and equality experts. Joining EPIC is a joint initiative between the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, which leads on gender equality and gender pay gap policy. This combined approach is designed to maximise the impact of Ireland’s membership of EPIC.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors
- The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Women, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
- It is currently the only multi-stakeholder partnership working to reduce the gender pay gap at global, regional and national levels.
- The Coalition’s goal is to achieve equal pay for women and men everywhere. EPIC supports governments, employers, workers, and their organisations to make concrete and coordinated progress towards this goal.
- The Coalition comprises 67 members, including government entities from 28 countries, international and national employer and worker organisations, international organisations, academia, civil society organisations, as well as the private sector.
- The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is a member of the Coalition.
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MIL OSI Europe News –
July 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DoIT MOEA AI-Enhanced Vaccines and Anti-Pulmonary Inflammatory Drugs Shine at BIO Asia-Taiwan 2025: Health Maintenance, Prevention, and Treatment-A Triple Strategy for a Resilient and Healthy Taiwan

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

The Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) convened three research foundations-ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), FIRDI (Food Industry Research and Development Institute), and the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB)-to establish the DoIT pavilion, which held its opening ceremony at BIO Asia-Taiwan 2025. The pavilion showcases 12 innovative technological achievements in health maintenance, disease prevention, and treatment, highlighting Taiwan’s capabilities in biomedical research and development while injecting new momentum into the health industry. Key exhibit technologies include the “Smart Processing & Equipment Integration for Plant-Based Drinks,” designed for the elderly; the “Long-Lasting Immunity of CD40 Ligand Ribonucleic Acid Vaccine Adjuvant,” developed to extend vaccine effectiveness; and the “Novel Selective FPR1 Antagonist,” which reduces side effects while improving therapeutic outcomes.

Senior Technical Specialist of the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Mr. Tai Chien-Cheng , indicated that in the face of global political and economic uncertainties, pharmaceuticals have become essential strategic commodities vital to public well-being and safety. Taiwan’s strengths in research and development (R&D), regulatory frameworks, and manufacturing processes position it as a reliable partner for international pharmaceutical companies. To enhance global integration and expand cooperation, Taiwan should improve collaboration across both upstream and downstream industries, thereby increasing technical density and strengthening global competitiveness. He advocated for DoIT to continue connecting foundational resources and implementing supportive policies for R&D funding and tools to facilitate industrial advancement. The pavilion symbolizes the long-term commitment of research institutions to the “Three-Stage, Five-Level Prevention” framework, linking applications from “precision medicine” to “palliative care,” and showcasing the government’s proactive efforts in realizing the “Healthy Taiwan” policy.

In addition, several breakthroughs driven by or related to artificial intelligence (AI) are highlighted among the 12 innovative technologies showcased in the pavilion.

ITRI presents “Tumor-Derived Exosomes Enrichment and Detection Platform”, and “One-Stop Exosome Isolation and Characterization Services”. FIRDI showcases “Intelligent Preparation of Nutritional Beverages” in AI-powered biomedicine research and development.

ITRI’s “In Vivo Delivery of mRNA Encoding CAR to Macrophages for Solid Tumor Therapy” and “An Eye Drop Product for Dry AMD Treatment”. DCB showcases “Rejuvenating CAR-T Cells Through the Secretion of Antibodies Targeting Immunosuppressive Axis” and “NTSR1-ADC: A Novel Therapeutics for Head and Neck Cancer” for cancer and ophthalmic conditions. These technologies highlight the progress in therapeutic drug development and the emergence of new treatment breakthroughs.

Additionally, FIRDI contributes its technical expertise through the development of “Plant-based animal fat alternative technology” and “Microorganisms in the Modification of Food Texture and Flavor”. These innovations aim to redefine the texture and quality of plant-based meats, infusing the plant-based industry with dynamic advancements.

Spokesperson: Ministry of Economic Affairs Department of Industrial Technology (Taiwan) Deputy Director General Chou Chung-Pin
Telephone:02-23212200 extension 8121
Email:cbjou@moea.gov.tw

Contact person:Ministry of Economic Affairs Department of Industrial Technology (Taiwan) Technical Specialist Tai Chien-Cheng
Telephone:02-23212200 extension 8180
Email:cctai@moea.gov.tw

Media contact:Ministry of Economic Affairs Department of Industrial Technology (Taiwan) Researcher
Telephone:02-23212200 extension 8155,0910-660322
Email:yschi@moea.gov.tw

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Questerre announces definitive agreement to acquire 100% of PX Energy
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR UNITED STATES PERSONS

CALGARY, Alberta, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questerre Energy Corporation (“Questerre” or the “Company”) (TSX,OSE:QEC) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the “Definitive Agreement”) to acquire 100% of Parana Xisto SA (“PX Energy”), a privately held shale oil production and refining company based in southern Brazil by way of acquisition of the shares of its indirect parent companies, Forbes & Manhattan Resources Inc. (“F&M Resources”) and Forbes Participaҫões Ltda (the “Acquisition”).

“This acquisition is a rare opportunity for us to gain the expertise and capacity to advance our multi-billion barrel oil shale resource in Jordan⁽¹⁾. I’m very pleased we were able to structure it to ensure the Quebec Assets are not affected by this deal.” said Michael Binnion, President and Chief Executive Officer of Questerre. “PX Energy has operated for over thirty years using technology developed by Petrobras. We believe the PX Energy platform will also provide us with the operational base, deep expertise, and capital foundation needed to advance the Red Leaf oil shale and biofuel technology to the next stage. We are in active discussions with potential co-investors for up to 50% of this acquisition.”

Transaction Highlights

Assets acquired: PX Energy currently produces approximately 4,500 boe per day, with a targeted increase to 6,000 boe per day by August 31, 2026, supported by growth capital projects currently underway.

Purchase consideration: 65 million common shares of Questerre, structured as follows:
- 15 million common shares issued upon closing, which will be subject to a voting and lock-up agreement;
- 50 million common shares, released in two tranches based on the achievement of key performance milestones:
  - With respect to the first tranche of 25 million common shares, US$30 million Free Cash Flow achieved no later than September 30, 2027, with respect to the second tranche of 25 million common shares, US$40 million Free Cash Flow achieved no later than September 30, 2028; or
  - Equity financings completed at or above C$0.50 per share with respect to the first tranche for aggregate proceeds of at least C$25 million completed no later than September 30, 2027 and with respect to the second tranche, an equity financing at or above C$1.00 per share for aggregate proceeds of at least C$25 million no later than September 30, 2028.
Quebec asset spin-out: It is anticipated that Questerre’s Quebec-based assets (the “Quebec Assets”) will be transferred into a separate sidecar subsidiary company (the “Quebec Spin-out”). Questerre anticipates either distributing preferred shares of Questerre or of the new entity to its existing shareholders ahead of the closing of the acquisition of PX Energy in order not to dilute its existing shareholders’ position in the Quebec Assets.

Closing conditions: Completion of the Acquisition is subject to a number of conditions, including satisfactory due diligence review, board approval, standard regulatory approvals (including acceptance from the Toronto Stock Exchange and Oslo Stock Exchange (collectively, the “Exchanges”)) and third-party approvals including satisfactory waivers by the bond holders and convertible noteholders in favor of Questerre. Where applicable, the proposed Acquisition cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all.

The Company has retained Clarksons Securities AS, a Norwegian based investment banking firm as financial advisor to advise on the existing outstanding debt of PX Energy including US$80 million in senior secured bonds in Forbes Resources Brazil Holding SA (the parent company of PX Energy). The Company is anticipating that a stronger sponsor will be well received by the debt holders and the holders of US$8 million in convertible promissory notes in F&M Resources. Financial information on Forbes Resources Brazil Holding SA is available online at: https://investidores.pxenergy.com.br/.

Strategic Rationale

PX Energy is a vertically integrated refining and shale oil operation with established ESG performance, favorable cost structures, and a strong growth trajectory. Its operations generate US Dollar-linked revenues with Brazil reais-denominated costs, providing robust margin potential in a dynamic macroeconomic environment.

The acquisition strengthens Questerre’s oil shale footprint and complements its commitment to advancing environmentally responsible hydrocarbon technologies through its investee Red Leaf Resources Inc.

About Questerre Energy Corporation

Questerre Energy Corporation is a Calgary-based energy technology company focused on the responsible development of oil and gas resources across the Americas. Questerre integrates leading-edge technologies with a disciplined capital strategy to unlock long-term value while maintaining strong environmental and social governance standards.

About PX Energy Inc.

PX Energy is a Brazilian shale oil and refining company operating since the 1990s. It employs advanced pyrolysis technology, integrates mining and refinery operations, and maintains some of the region’s lowest carbon intensity per barrel. With secured offtake agreements and robust infrastructure, PX Energy is a platform for scalable, sustainable energy production. More information about PX Energy is available online at https://pxenergy.com.br/

All information contained in this news release with respect to PX Energy was supplied by the F&M Resources, for inclusion herein, without independent review by Questerre, and Questerre and its directors and officers have relied on F&M Resources for any information concerning the PX Energy.

For further information, please contact:

Questerre Energy Corporation
Jason D’Silva, Chief Financial Officer
(403) 777-1185 | (403) 777-1578 (FAX)

Advisory Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information (“forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada. Any statements about Questerre’s expectations, beliefs, plans, goals, targets, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions, information and statements about possible future events, conditions and results of operations or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipates”, “aims”, “strives”, “seeks”, “believes”, “can”, “could”, “may”, “predicts”, “potential”, “should”, “will”, “estimates”, “plans”, “mileposts”, “projects”, “continuing”, “ongoing”, “expects”, “intends” and similar words or phrases suggesting future outcomes. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements in respect of:
- anticipated benefits of the Acquisition to the Company and its shareholders, including any operational and economic synergies;
- the timing and receipt of any required securityholder, third-party (including, satisfactory waivers by the bondholders and convertible noteholders), Exchanges, or regulatory approvals;
- the ability of the Company and PX Energy to satisfy the conditions to, and to negotiate and execute a Definitive Agreement and to complete, the Acquisition;
- the anticipated timing for executing a Definitive Agreement;
- the form of the Quebec Spin-out, and any changes to the anticipated structure thereof;
- the closing of the Acquisition and the Quebec Spin-out, including the timing thereof, if it is to close at all;
- the application of the HCCO technology to, and the overall integration of, the PX Energy Platform being acquired, and any operational synergies or economic benefits that may result;
- PX Energy’s predicted production rates, and its production at similar rates upon completion of the Acquisition; and
- the achievement of the performance milestones attached to the consideration payable, and the timing thereof, if at all.
The forward-looking information that may be in this news release is based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions, having regard to the Company’s experience and its perception of historical trend which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect, and includes, but is not limited to, expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions relating to:
- the timely receipt of approval of the Acquisition by the Exchanges, third parties, and other regulatory bodies;
- all closing conditions to the Acquisition being satisfied and the closing of the Acquisition occurring as anticipated;
- all closing conditions to the Quebec Spin-out being satisfied and the closing of the Quebec Spin-out occurring as anticipated;
- foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates;
- future crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas prices;
- management’s expectations relating to the timing and results of its other exploration and development activities;
- ability of management to execute on key priorities;
- the effectiveness of various actions resulting from the Company’s strategic priorities;
- the Company’s ability to integrate the PX Energy platform to advance its oil shale and biofuel technology to the next stage;
- the Company’s ability to maintain PX Energy predicted rate of production; and
- the Company’s ability to apply its HCCO technology to the assets being acquired.
Although Questerre believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because Questerre can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Current conditions, economic and otherwise, render assumptions, although reasonable when made, subject to greater uncertainty. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking information.

Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, without limitation, the following risk factors:
- the Acquisition not being completed on the terms anticipated or at all, including due to a closing condition not being satisfied, including, the inability to obtain receipt of all necessary securityholder, third parties (including satisfactory waivers by the bond holders and convertible noteholders), Exchanges, and regulatory approvals or consents, lack of material changes with respect to the parties and their respective businesses;
- the Quebec Spin-out not being completed on the terms anticipated or at all;
- the synergies expected from the Acquisition not being realized;
- loss of key personnel of PX Energy upon completion of the Acquisition;
- the implementation of Bill 21 by the Government of Quebec;
- additional funding requirements;
- exploration, development and production risks;
- volatility in the oil and gas industry;
- prices, markets and marketing of crude oil and natural gas;
- liquidity and the company’s substantial capital requirements;
- prices, markets and marketing of crude oil and natural gas;
- political uncertainty;
- non-government organizations;
- changing investor sentiment;
- global financial market volatility;
- adverse economic conditions;
- alternatives to and changing demand for petroleum products;
- environmental risks;
- regulatory risks;
- inability of management to execute its business plan;
- competition from other issuers;
- expiration of licenses and leases;
- Indigenous claims;
- possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of acquisitions; and
- reputational risks.
Additional information regarding some of these risks, expectations or assumptions and other risk factors may be found in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other documents available on the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and Questerre undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

Barrel of oil equivalent (“boe”) amounts may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio has been calculated using a conversion rate of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil and the conversion ratio of one barrel to six thousand cubic feet is based on an energy equivalent conversion method application at the burner tip and does not necessarily represent an economic value equivalent at the wellhead. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalent of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

This news release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of US persons (as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“)), absent registration or an exemption from registration. The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and, therefore, may not be offered for sale in the United States, except in transactions exempt from registration under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

⁽¹⁾ There is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources. In October 2016, Questerre commissioned an independent assessment of its oil shale resources in Jordan (the “Millcreek Report”). The Millcreek Report was conducted by Millcreek Mining Group, an independent qualified reserves evaluator, as defined by NI 51-101 with an effective date of September 30, 2016. The assessment was prepared in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGE Handbook. The assessment indicated a best estimate of discovered petroleum initially in place of between 7.8 billion barrels to 12.2 billion barrels. Given the preliminary nature of the Millcreek Report, it does not contain any estimates regarding the timing or cost to obtain commercial development nor has Questerre finalized the specific technology to be used. Please reference the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016, and dated March 24, 2017, as filed under the Corporation’s profile on www.sedarplus.ca.

The MIL Network –
July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: SDHG’s Lead in Electricity-Computing Integration Helps Market Cap Hit HK$100 Billion
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- SDHG market cap hit HK$100 billion for the first time, as stock price surged 200+ percent in 2025
- From 2021 to 2024, SDHG’s total assets more than tripled, from RMB 21.43 billion to RMB 66.17 billion
- Dazzling success attributed to SDHG’s two-pronged strategy of smart investing in new energy and computing power
- Electricity-Computing Integration model places SDHG in unique position to lead industry
- SDHG’s outstanding ability to align key businesses with national policy priorities wins dedicated government support
HONG KONG, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shandong Hi-Speed Holdings Group Ltd. (00412.HK) shares rose to HK$17.26 at closing on Monday, July 28, sending the market cap of the strongly growing company to HK$103.9 billion. SDHG market cap exceeded HK$100 billion for the first time on July 11. The fact that it has since remained steadily above the HK$100 billion mark indicates the market’s unequivocal endorsement of SDHG as a leader in Electricity-Computing Integration and AI-ready infrastructure.

SDHG’s Lead in Electricity-Computing Integration Helps Market Cap Hit HK$100 Billion

As global competition in AI innovation intensifies to a breakneck pace, the demand for computing power has skyrocketed, which led renewable energy and computing power to become critical battlegrounds for serious contenders in the field. SDHG, a pioneer strategic investor in Electricity-Computing Integration, is widely believed to lead the race.

Pivot to AI infrastructure builder
The demand for both computing power and the electricity to run the data centers in China is forecast to see exponential growth in the coming years. In 2025, data center electricity consumption is expected to account for 5 percent of China’s total electricity usage. The country’s intelligent computing power is projected to reach 1,037.3 EFLOPS in 2025 and to surge to 2,781.9 EFLOPS in 2028. The highly centralized GPU clusters required for intelligent computing centers will have to consume more power.

On the eve of AI innovation booms, SDHG has made a strategic transition from primarily making financial investments toward becoming an investment holding platform focused on emerging industries. It has since emerged as China’s leading company owning premium assets in both renewable energy and computing power, creating a unique Electricity-Computing Integration model.

In 2022, SDHG acquired Shandong Hi-Speed New Energy Group Ltd. (SHNE, 01250.HK) and now owns 56.97 percent of the company’s stakes. In 2023, SDHG made a strategic investment worth US$299 million in VNET Group Inc. (NASDAQ: VNET). SHNE owns clean energy projects in more than 20 provinces in China and has been actively exploring international markets. VNET started focusing on selling data center services to retail clients in China and has grown to serve hyperscale customers including Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and Huawei Cloud.

These and other smart investment moves have helped the company gain a strong foothold in traditional infrastructure as well as in new infrastructure.

Alignment with national policy priorities
SDHG has shown outstanding ability to align its key businesses with major national policy priorities, namely renewable energy and computing power. As a result, SDHG enjoys full policy dividends from such national projects as “East Data, West Computing” and secures dedicated government support in energy-rich provinces, especially support for its Electricity-Computing Integration model.

Partnering with local governments and companies, SDHG has been able to achieve great success in experimenting with innovative business models that hand the company a unique advantage in both Chinese and international markets. The Ulanqab Source-Grid-Load-Storage Integration Project in Inner Mongolia is one of SDHG’s flagship projects and epitomizes the innovativeness of Electricity-Computing Integration.

SDHG is building power generation and storage facilities (solar and wind) right next to AIDC and other computing power centers in grassland town Ulanqab. The model breaks down traditional power grid constraints by enabling direct electricity trading (“selling electricity across the wall”). It thus establishes an ecosystem of power generation, transmission, and consumption in the same physical space. This self-contained green ecosystem, with tremendous environmental and economic value, operates on the principles of:

– Instant Utilization (power consumed immediately upon generation)
– On-Demand Availability (guaranteed supply for computing facilities)
– Market-Based Pricing (dynamic cost optimization)
– Mutual Benefit (win-win for energy producers and computing operators)

Upon completion, the SDHG Ulanqab project will generate approximately 860 million kWh of electricity annually, supplying a significant part of the power to run VNET’s 150MW computing centers in Ulanqab. When the 1GW Ulanqab III is in full operation and powered by SDHG, an additional RMB 1.3 billion worth of economic benefits will be created for the company.

The SDHG Ulanqab project with its pioneering Electricity-Computing Integration model is set to play a major role in AI’s transformation of Chinese tech industry, the same way as Stargate and other mega projects contribute to the building of AI infrastructure in their respective countries.

Reliable financing toolkit
SDHG’s solid background in licensed financial transactions and ability to leverage Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center have also been crucial in its success in financing the new energy and computer power projects with a reliable world-class toolkit.

In May 2024, SDHG issued US$900 million worth of perpetual bonds — the largest USD senior perpetual bond issuing by any Chinese issuer since 2021, which were subscribed by 280 institutional accounts across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In March 2025, SDHG’s portfolio company VNET Group Inc. completed a $430 million convertible preferred notes offering — the largest such issuance relative to market cap by a Chinese firm since early 2024 which secured foundational capital for its domestic expansion.

Endowed with the above-mentioned advantages, SDHG has established itself as a market leader with proven operational excellence, attracting more and more major companies to become customers and partners.

In May 2025, SDHG signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to build projects driven by “green computing power and clean energy”, develop “zero-carbon smart parks”, and collaborate in the field of intelligent transportation, including vehicle-road coordination and large-scale intelligent driving models.

The capital market has also reacted to SDHG’s new strategy and remarkable business performance enthusiastically. In June 2025, multiple brokerages issued initiating coverage reports with “Outperform” ratings for SDHG, including Soochow Securities (Hong Kong), Zhongtai Securities, Tebon Securities, and SXC Securities.

“Through smart strategic maneuvers, SDHG has managed to build a complete ecosystem in new energy and new infrastructure, greatly enhancing the company’s core competitiveness,” the Zhongtai Securities report states.

SDHG was incorporated as China New Financial Group Limited. The company was acquired by Shandong Hi-Speed Group in 2017 and adopted its current name in 2022. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the same year and is now a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Composite Index. The company currently holds an Fitch “A-” Issuer Default Rating (IDR) with an ESG Entity Rating of “2” (Sustainable Fitch).

SHDG has been on a phenomenal growth trajectory in the last 4 years despite macroeconomic challenges in the world and in the region. From 2021 to 2024, its total assets more than tripled — expanding from RMB 21.43 billion to RMB 66.17 billion. Its stock price has soared over 200 percent in 2025, while annual revenues are forecast to grow to RMB 6.59 billion, RMB 6.77 billion, and RMB 7.37 billion for 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively. Net profit attributable to parent company shareholders is expected to more than double in the period, from RMB 216 million in 2025 to RMB 555 million in 2027.

“We expect SDHG to keep its growth momentum in the coming years, benefiting from and contributing to national policy initiatives in new energy and computing power. In particular, SDHG’s Electricity-Computing Integration model powering AIDC will cement the company’s lead in the industry and help realize its full potential as a market innovator,” the Zhongtai Securities report concludes.

Media Contact
Company Name: Shandong Hi-Speed Holdings Group
Contact: Stanley Shi
Website: https://www.sdhg.com.hk/en/
Email: stanleyshi@sdhg.com.hk

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/19edaee3-12ec-4982-8ee3-ecf0bfa533d8

The MIL Network –
July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Tbilisi celebrated the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army of China

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

Tbilisi, July 29 (Xinhua) — The Chinese Embassy in Georgia held a reception in Tbilisi to mark the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The event was attended by employees of the Georgian Ministry of Defense, high-ranking government officials, members of parliament, foreign ambassadors, military attachés, as well as representatives of the media, Chinese and Georgian companies and public circles.

The ceremonial part began with the performance of the national anthems of China and Georgia. The first vice-speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Gia Volski, delivered a congratulatory message on behalf of the country’s legislative body. He noted that China was one of the first countries to recognize Georgia’s independence, stressed the importance of China’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and reaffirmed Georgia’s unwavering commitment to the one-China principle.

G. Volsky also emphasized the strategic importance of Georgia as a bridge between Europe and Asia and noted the country’s role in the Belt and Road initiative, especially within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

He recalled the results achieved in bilateral cooperation, including the free trade agreement of 2018, the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2023 and the introduction of a visa-free regime from 2024. According to him, in 2024, trade turnover between Georgia and China exceeded $1.9 billion. The Vice Speaker expressed confidence in the further strengthening of the Georgian-Chinese partnership and thanked the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Georgia Zhou Qian for his contribution to the development of bilateral relations.

In his speech, Zhou Qian noted that the PLA, created and led by the Communist Party of China, has grown from nothing to become strong in its 98-year history. The army has made invaluable contributions to the liberation of the Chinese people, the construction of a socialist country, the protection of national sovereignty and security, and the maintenance of peace and stability throughout the world, he added.

The ambassador stressed that China deeply appreciates the contribution of the Georgian people to the victory in the world anti-fascist war. According to the diplomat, China and Georgia are countries with an ancient civilization and a rich historical heritage. China has always supported Georgia in protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as in striving for sustainable development in accordance with national conditions, Zhou Qian said.

The Ambassador emphasized that China, as one of the first countries to sign the UN Charter and a permanent member of the Security Council, is ready to continue to actively cooperate with all countries of the world, including Georgia. He expressed readiness to jointly promote the correct view of history, defend the results of the victory in World War II and support the international system, the core of which is the UN. –0–

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: B. Netanyahu to present Gaza annexation plan in case Hamas refuses deal – media

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

JERUSALEM, July 29 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present a plan to annex part of the Gaza Strip to the country’s security cabinet, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday evening.

According to her, B. Netanyahu told the ministers that Israel gave Hamas several days to agree on a ceasefire. If it refuses the agreement, Israel will begin to gradually annex parts of the Gaza Strip until the Palestinian movement surrenders, the prime minister added.

The article notes that B. Netanyahu has chosen this course of action in order to secure the support of the far-right Religious Zionism party, which opposes both the ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. Keeping this party in the coalition is crucial to preventing the collapse of the current government.

According to media reports, Religious Zionism leader and cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich told his associates that the party is pushing a “good strategic move” and it will soon become clear whether it will be successful.

Haaretz writes that during his conversations with ministers, B. Netanyahu stated that his plan was approved by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Also on Monday, the Prime Minister’s Office said Israel would continue to work with international organizations, as well as the United States and European countries, to ensure that large amounts of humanitarian aid reach the Gaza Strip. “While the situation in Gaza remains difficult and Israel works to ensure that aid reaches the Strip, Hamas is benefiting from attempts to create the impression of a humanitarian crisis,” the office said. -0-

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Portugal questions fairness of EU-US trade deal

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

LISBON, July 29 (Xinhua) — Portugal has expressed concern over the recently concluded tariff deal between the EU and the United States, calling it a limited improvement that is not in line with genuine free trade principles and comes at a high cost to both sides.

The country’s Ministry of Economy and Territorial Integrity acknowledged that the agreement, which sets US tariffs on European goods at 15 percent, could provide some predictability. However, “nothing can replace free trade,” and Portugal will continue to actively advocate for the gradual elimination of tariffs and other trade barriers, the ministry stressed.

The Confederation of Portuguese Businesses (CPB) expressed only “relative relief” at the agreement, noting that the price to be paid was “high for both sides.”

“When you were expecting a hurricane, you are glad that it is just a normal storm,” said CBP Director General Rafael Alves Rocha. However, he warned that the agreed duties were significantly higher than the current average of around 2.5 percent, representing a setback for exporters and highlighting the asymmetry of the EU and US tariff structures.

The CPB said the agreement was unbalanced and put European producers at a disadvantage.

The Portuguese government responded to the potential negative consequences with financial support measures for businesses.

The Reforcar programme, aimed at protecting companies from adverse trade consequences, was launched in April. To date, 14,000 applications have been submitted for a total of €3.2 billion, of which €2.5 billion has been approved and €1.6 billion has already been spent.

In addition, a special credit line has been created to support export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises. The Ministry of Economy received 2.6 thousand applications for 1.3 billion euros, of which 600 million euros were approved.

The new PT2030 incentive programme has launched a non-repayable grant pipeline to support internationalisation, targeting joint projects and cooperation strategies in foreign markets. The ministry announced that public applications for collective internationalisation initiatives will open on 31 July.

Despite these supportive measures, Lisbon’s cautious tone and criticism from the business community reflect significant doubts about the long-term benefits of the EU-US trade deal. –0–

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Bitget Launchpool Features GAIA with over 4.7M Tokens in Rewards

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the feature of Gaia (GAIA) on its launchpool as well as a listing for spot trading. Gaia is a decentralized computing infrastructure that enables everyone to create, deploy, scale, and monetize their own AI agents. Trading for the GAIA/USDT pair will begin on 30 July 2025, 09:00 (UTC).

Bitget’s GAIA Launchpool campaign is offering 4,741,300 GAIA in total rewards. Eligible users can participate by locking BGB during the event, which runs from 30 July 2025, 09:00 to 1 August 2025, 09:00 (UTC). In the BGB locking pool, users can lock between 5 and 50,000 BGB, with maximum limits determined by their VIP tier, for a chance to earn a share of 3,858,300 GAIA.

Alongside the listing, Bitget will launch a CandyBomb campaign with 633,000 GAIA available in rewards. Of this, 211,000 GAIA will be allocated to the GAIA, BTC and BGB trading pool for new users, while 422,000 GAIA will be up for grabs in the GAIA trading pool for existing users. The campaign will run from 30 July 2025, 9:00 till 6 Aug 2025, 9:00 (UTC).

Bitget will also run an X Giveaway, where 750 qualified users will have the chance to win a share of 125,000 GAIA. The campaign runs from 30 July 2025, 9:00 to 1 August 2025, 9:00 (UTC). To participate, users must follow Bitget and Gaia on X, quote the giveaway post with the hashtag #GAIAxBitgetLaunchpool, tag a friend, sign up, deposit or trade GAIA on Bitget, and complete the form linked in the post.

In addition, a community campaign will run from 30 July 2025, 9:00 to 6 Aug 2025, 9:00 (UTC), offering another 125,000 GAIA to be shared among 750 qualified users. To join, users need to become members of both the Bitget Discord and BGB Holders Group, sign up, make a net deposit of over 100 USDT, and complete any GAIA/USDT spot trade.

Gaia is a decentralized AI network that enables users to host, own, and interact with autonomous AI agents in a secure and transparent environment. Built on blockchain technology, Gaia ensures each AI node operates independently while contributing to a broader, interconnected ecosystem. Users can deploy advanced models such as Qwen2 0.5B Instruct and customize them using personal or business data to create tailored AI services.

By prioritizing data sovereignty and privacy, Gaia introduces a new model for decentralized AI development and monetization. Its user-friendly infrastructure allows individuals to easily install node software, configure models, and participate in domain-based AI collaboration, unlocking new possibilities for innovation in the Web3 space.

Bitget continues to expand its offerings, positioning itself as a leading platform for cryptocurrency trading. The exchange has established a reputation for innovative solutions that empower users to explore crypto within a secure CeDeFi ecosystem.

With an extensive selection of over 800 cryptocurrency pairs and a commitment to broaden its offerings to more than 900 trading pairs, Bitget connects users to various ecosystems, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Base, and TON. The addition of Gaia into Bitget’s portfolio marks a significant step toward expanding its ecosystem by embracing decentralized AI innovation, empowering users with greater control over data privacy, and supporting the next generation of AI-driven Web3 applications.

For more details on Gaia, visit here.

About Bitget

Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.

Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

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

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7730d634-b088-4a1c-b437-c1051b2dd570

The MIL Network –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN participates in the 17th FJCCIA Dialogue in Jakarta

Source: ASEAN

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, and the Federation of Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN (FJCCIA) Chairman, Mr. Wakabayashi Koichi, today led the 17th Dialogue between the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the FJCCIA at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. Joined by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) President, Mr. Kataoka Susumu, Japanese government representatives and key members of Japanese chambers across ASEAN, the dialogue explored critical areas such as resilient supply chains, green economy & sustainability, and digital economy & emerging technologies. The high-level exchange aligned with ASEAN’s priorities, fostering actionable policies to enhance regional competitiveness and deepen the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Download the full remarks here.

The post Secretary-General of ASEAN participates in the 17th FJCCIA Dialogue in Jakarta appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

MIL OSI Economics –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace: Governments must rise to the moment and vote in favour of a moratorium on deep sea mining

Source: Greenpeace

The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.

While high-level representatives from Palau, France and Panama attended to rally the international community, Greenpeace is calling for greater efforts from more governments to put a legal barrier between mining machines and the deep ocean.

Upcoming ISA meetings must secure a moratorium and leave no room for rushed attempts to adopt a Mining Code. Recent developments have made it clear that outstanding political and scientific concerns cannot be hastily resolved under industry-driven pressure.

Louisa Casson, Campaigner, Greenpeace International who attended the meeting, says: “Governments have yet to rise to the moment. They remain disconnected from global concerns and the pressing need for courageous leadership to protect the deep ocean. We call on the international community to rise up and defend multilateralism against rogue actors like The Metals Company. Leaders must respond by establishing a moratorium and reaffirming that authority over the international seabed lies collectively with all States-for the benefit of humanity as a whole.”

Juressa Lee, Greenpeace Aotearoa seabed mining campaigner, says: “Deep sea mining is the latest form of colonisation and extraction. Pacific civil society is overwhelmingly opposed to deep sea mining and must not be ignored in the rush by companies and states based in the Global North to start plundering the ocean.”

While calls for a moratorium on deep sea mining have not yet gained global consensus, they continue to gain momentum, supported by compelling arguments from a diverse group of countries. Croatia has just become the 38th government calling for a precautionary pause, moratorium or ban on deep sea mining.

On Tuesday His Excellency Surangel S. Whipps Jr., President of the Republic of Palau, addressed the Assembly, drawing attention to persistent efforts and intense pressure from the industry to rush the negotiations and finalise a Mining Code. He stated: “Exploiting the seabed is not a necessity – it is a choice. And it is reckless. It is gambling with the future of Pacific Island children, who will inherit the dire consequences of decisions made far from their shores.”

In the first meeting of the ISA since The Metals Company (TMC) submitted the world’s first-ever application to commercially mine the international seabed, governments at the ISA Council responded by launching an investigation into whether mining contractors, including TMC’s subsidiaries Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML), are complying with contractual obligations to act in accordance with the international legal framework.

Notes

[1] Decision of the Council of the International Seabed Authority relating to the reports of the Chair of the Legal and Technical Commission

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

July 30, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – Job decline continues, wages not growing with inflation – CTU

Source: NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has said that today’s release of labour market data shows the continued economic pain that is being felt by workers.

“This new data shows that unemployment is rising, wages are not keeping up with rising costs, and young people are bearing the brunt of the Government’s failure to protect jobs and grow the economy,” said Wagstaff.

“According to Stats NZ, the number of filled jobs was down 27,850 from this time last year and is down by more than 30,000 over two years. There are 10% fewer 15–19-year-olds in work than this time last year. The Government doesn’t have a plan to tackle unemployment.

“Total wages grew 1.2% last year. Inflation is currently 2.7%. We have had two years in a row where the minimum wage was cut in real terms, and the Government has cut the living wage from government contracts. Working people’s pay isn’t keeping up with the cost of living, and there is no relief in sight.

“When we look at the data, there are 12,169 fewer people working in construction than this time last year, nearly 6,000 fewer in manufacturing and 5,000 fewer in professional, scientific, and technical services. It’s no wonder employment confidence is at near record lows.

“The government’s plan for the economy isn’t working and is only compounding the cost-of-living crisis for working people. They are delivering tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy, and spending cuts for everyone else.

“The longer that we leave unemployment to grow, the harder it will be to tackle. It’s time we had policies like fair pay agreements to help deliver the strong working conditions needed right now, and social insurance to support workers in transition. It’s time we had a government that cared for working people and their families,” said Wagstaff.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

July 30, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Keith Rankin Analysis – How did New Zealand compare in the first half of the 2020s?

Analysis by Keith Rankin.

Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

The following two tables show New Zealand and the 24 other economies in the world most easily and fruitfully compared to New Zealand. The countries are sorted with the worst-performing economies (in terms of economic growth per capita) listed at the top. Thus, taking four-year compounded growth for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Germany was the worst performer (ranked 25 out of 25); its economy, adjusted for population growth, shrank over four years by 1.2 percent.

The ‘top’ three countries in the table all had such negative growth.

Table 1: Rankings for 25 Advanced Economies 2019-23

2019-23*	growth pc	inflation	interest	population
	rank	rank	rank	rank
Germany	25	6	9	18
Finland	24	19	9	20
Austria	23	1	9	9
United Kingdom	22	2	4	12
Canada	21	14	3	3
Spain	20	15	9	10
France	19	16	9	19
Japan	18	24	25	24
Norway	17	10	7	6
Sweden	16	9	21	15
New Zealand	15	4	1	5
Switzerland	14	25	24	7
Australia	13	11	8	4
Belgium	12	8	9	13
Portugal	11	17	9	16
Netherlands	10	3	9	8
Italy	9	12	9	23
Israel	8	22	6	1
United States	7	5	2	11
Slovenia	6	7	9	17
Denmark	5	18	23	14
Korea	4	21	5	21
Greece	3	20	9	25
Taiwan	2	23	22	22
Ireland	1	13	9	2
*	end of year data for inflation and interest

source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025

On growth, New Zealand was in the middle of the pack, with 3.9 percent compounded growth per capita; that averages out to just below one percent per annum.

On inflation and interest rates, a high ranking is generally regarded as a poor performance; although a low inflation rate may be outside the policy target zone, just as a high inflation rate may be. New Zealand had the fourth-highest CPI inflation over that four-year period, comparing consumer prices in December 2023 with December 2019. In December 2023, consumer prices were 20.6% higher than in December 2019. The country with highest compounded inflation was Austria with 22.4%, and the lowest Switzerland with 5.5%.

New Zealand had the highest compounded interest rates for that period; it had top-ranking for high-interest. If $1,000 was ‘invested’ at the Official Cash Rate each December from December 2020, and reinvested each December for four years in total, the accumulated amount would have been $1,111. Next highest were the United States and Canada. This ranking gives a sense of the monetary policy in the four years after the 2020 covid wave; New Zealand had the tightest monetary policy for the period as a whole, meaning the strongest ‘anti-inflationary policy’. If you see Table 2 below, you will see that New Zealand had the lowest economic growth in 2024, a direct consequence of that tighter monetary policy stance.

On interest rates, we note that the countries in the Euro currency zone all experience the same monetary policy setting. It means that those Euro countries which are more aggressively anti-inflation tend to resort most to fiscal consolidation, a euphemism for government retrenchment and austerity. There is no simple measure for tight fiscal policy; the Budget deficit/surplus is often used incorrectly because government retrenchment significantly undermines government revenue.

On inflation, we note that some of those northern European countries which we normally expect to have low inflation actually had the highest inflation: Austria, Netherlands, Germany. One country similar to New Zealand on inflation and interest, and with zero growth per capita, was the United Kingdom. Australia was better than New Zealand on all three measures: growth, inflation, and interest. And much the same as New Zealand on population growth.

Table 2: Rankings for 25 Advanced Economies 2023-24

2023-24*	growth pc	inflation	interest	population
	rank	rank	rank	rank
New Zealand	25	13	6	2
Austria	24	15	8	15
Canada	23	17	7	1
Finland	22	22	8	12
Ireland	21	24	8	3
Germany	20	9	8	20
Israel	19	3	2	5
Switzerland	18	25	24	4
United Kingdom	17	10	1	6
Netherlands	16	2	8	11
Belgium	15	1	8	14
Australia	14	11	5	13
Japan	13	6	25	25
Sweden	12	20	22	17
Italy	11	23	8	22
France	10	21	8	19
Portugal	9	4	8	10
Norway	8	14	2	7
Slovenia	7	19	8	18
United States	6	8	2	9
Korea	5	16	20	21
Spain	4	7	8	8
Greece	3	5	8	24
Denmark	2	18	21	16
Taiwan	1	12	23	23
*	end of year data for inflation and interest

source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025

Table 2 shows the same data items for 2024. Of particular interest is the 2024 growth and inflation rates in 2024, compared to the interest rates for the preceding four years. New Zealand, with the toughest monetary policy over a longer period certainly got the recession it asked for; and was the median country for CPI inflation in 2024, virtually bang-on the policy target. (Was the pain worth it?)

It’s important to note that many countries with significantly lower inflation than New Zealand did not have anything like the very high policy interest rates that New Zealand was subjected to; eg Sweden, Italy, France, Denmark, Slovenia. Any beneficial link from high interest rates to low inflation remains moot; and it is clear that high-interest-rate policies do much damage to the wider economy. While Japan had higher inflation in 2024 than New Zealand, we note that Japan’s overall increase in consumer prices in the half-decade was much lower than New Zealand’s. Japan’s inflationary pressures are almost entirely imported, with New Zealand’s domestically generated CPI inflation being significantly greater than Japan’s.

We should note that southern Europe was doing particularly well in 2024. Although Greece’s per capita growth is fuelled in part by substantial population losses. Spain, on the other hand, is getting its population back. Further north, the Austrian economy is looking particularly problematic; it’s no wonder the ‘far-right’ political party did so well there in elections at the end of 2024 (ten percentage points higher than the Hitler-led NSDAP party got in Germany in 1930). And Finland is not looking happy either, despite low inflation.

United States, United Kingdom and Australia continued to have above-median inflation in 2024, despite – or, more likely, because of – their continued perseverance with high-interest monetary policies.

On population growth we see that Canada has been the overall ‘winner’, presumably in the sense that it both attracts and accepts immigrants. Surprisingly, in 2024 Australia slumped in its population growth, whereas New Zealand did not. I suspect that 2025 will show more immigration in Australia than New Zealand.

Finally

All is not well in the New Zealand economy. And it’s also quite unwell in some other countries, especially the North European Euro-zone countries, and the United Kingdom. And the United States, with its tight monetary policies, seems to have only averted the fate of the United Kingdom and New Zealand (and Germany and Austria) by virtue of stimulus to its military-industrial complex. Or, strictly speaking, to its military complex. Civilian industry remains weak in the USA.

*******

Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

July 30, 2025

Parliament to resume debate on Operation Sindoor today

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Rajya Sabha is scheduled to begin its discussion on Operation Sindoor on Tuesday. The operation, launched by the Indian Armed Forces, was conducted in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 people, most of them tourists.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha will continue the debate on Operation Sindoor for the second consecutive day. On Monday, the House opened the discussion with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh initiating the debate. He described India’s cross-border strikes as accurate, precise, and non-escalatory, and said that the operation served a specific objective.

“Operation Sindoor’s main purpose was to destroy and decimate terror factories operating from Pakistani soil. It was stopped because the goal of dismantling terror bases and nurseries was achieved,” the Defence Minister told the House.

He also said that it was the Indian government which decided to call off Operation Sindoor and there was no pressure from any entity or nation, as claimed by the Opposition and their claims are “blatantly false” and “misleading”.

Singh further criticised the Opposition for focusing on issues that he termed as relatively minor, stating that such distractions could compromise national security. “When the aim is to go higher, we should not pay attention to small issues because focusing on issues that remain comparatively small can divert attention from national security,” he said.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who also addressed the House during the debate, said India’s response to cross-border terrorism has undergone a strategic shift, which he described as the “new normal.” He said the country had moved past an era of strategic restraint and was now defining its own terms.

He elaborated on this evolving doctrine: Terrorists will not be treated as proxies, cross-border attacks will be met with direct and appropriate response, there will be no dialogue except on terrorism – talks and terror cannot go hand-in-hand, India will not bow to nuclear intimidation, and good neighbourly ties are incompatible with terrorism – blood and water cannot flow together.

Participating in the debate, Deputy Leader of the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi criticised the government for its handling of the April 22 attack. He said that more than 100 days had passed since the incident, but the five perpetrators had not been apprehended. Gogoi also questioned the rationale behind stopping Operation Sindoor after Pakistan capitulated, asking why the government did not proceed to reclaim areas under illegal occupation by the neighbouring country.

Congress, the principal opposition party, has been allotted around two hours to present its views in the Upper House, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge expected to lead the debate.

July 30, 2025

Category: Politics

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Source: Greenpeace