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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 5th anniversary of NSL heralded

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Today marks the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL).

     

    In a statement, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said the HKNSL’s implementation over the past five years has shown the law to be a “guardian” in upholding the principle of “one country, two systems” and in safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

     

    It added the HKNSL is an important and timely piece of legislation with profound historical significance.

     

    The statement stressed that the HKNSL has enabled Hong Kong to make a major transition from chaos to order and has laid a solid legal foundation for safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

     

    National security, it said, forms the basis for a country’s existence and development; however, after reunification, Hong Kong had long been “undefended” with regard to national security, with anti-China elements and external forces continuously challenging the principle of “one country, two systems”, and even attempting to seize the power of governance.

     

    The Hong Kong SAR Government iterated that unprecedented crises were brought to Hong Kong by the “anti-national education” incident in 2012; the illegal “Occupy Central” movement in 2014; and the Mongkok riot in 2016; as well as the “black-clad violence” and Hong Kong’s version of a “colour revolution”, which lasted for more than 10 months from June 2019, severely damaging Hong Kong’s societal, economic and business environment and causing the public to live in fear.

     

    The central authorities acted decisively at a critical moment for Hong Kong, the statement added. The National People’s Congress (NPC) made a decision on May 28, 2020, on the basis of which the NPC Standing Committee enacted the HKNSL on June 30, 2020. The law was then listed under Annex III to the Basic Law for local promulgation and implementation in the Hong Kong SAR.

     

    The statement outlined that the HKNSL addressed shortcomings and plugged loopholes in the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, playing the role of a stabilising force that immediately stopped violence and curbed disorder. It said the HKNSL’s implementation was a “watershed moment” in Hong Kong’s transition from chaos to order, as stability and safety in the city have been restored by the law.

     

    It added that thanks to the concerted efforts of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Legislative Council and all sectors of the community, the Hong Kong SAR fulfilled its constitutional duty last year by completing the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law.

     

    The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), which took effect on March 23, 2024, improved the city’s legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security.

     

    It said the HKNSL and the SNSO are compatible and complementary, building a strong line of defence to safeguard national security in Hong Kong.

     

    The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised Hong Kong’s laws safeguarding national security firmly adhere to the principle of the rule of law, while protecting rights and freedoms in accordance with the law.

     

    The business environment, it said, has continuously improved. Hong Kong is the world’s freest economy, ranks third among global financial centres, and recently returned to the global top three economies in the world in terms of competitiveness, demonstrating that it is advancing at full steam “from stability to prosperity”.

     

    The statement continued that Hong Kong’s laws safeguarding national security also protect human rights, with respect and protections for human rights being embodied both in the provisions of the HKNSL and the SNSO and in their implementation.

     

    Both HKNSL Article 4 and SNSO Section 2 stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected and that the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong shall be protected in accordance with the law. These include the rights to freedom of speech, of the press, of publication, of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration.

     

    The Hong Kong SAR Government said that the laws’ various provisions are in line with international standards, striking a reasonable balance between safeguarding national security and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.

     

    It added that the Hong Kong SAR has a solid, resilient foundation of rule of law that is well-recognised by the international community, and that the city’s law enforcement agencies take actions based on evidence and in accordance with the law.

     

    It also outlined that the Department of Justice, by virtue of Basic Law Article 63, controls criminal prosecutions, free from any interference, while independent prosecutorial decisions for each case are made in a rigorous and objective manner, based on evidence and applicable laws and in accordance with the Prosecution Code.

     

    Articles 2, 19 and 85 of the Basic Law specifically provide that the Hong Kong SAR enjoys independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication, and that the courts of the Hong Kong SAR shall exercise judicial power independently, free from any interference.

     

    The statement stressed that cases will never be handled any differently owing to the occupation, political stance or background of the persons involved.

     

    In addition, HKNSL Article 5 and SNSO Section 2 stipulate that the principles of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for offences endangering national security. These include the principles of conviction and punishment only by the application of the law, the presumption of innocence, the prohibition of double jeopardy, the right of accused persons to defend themselves, and other rights in judicial proceedings that criminal suspects, defendants and other parties in judicial proceedings are entitled to under the law.

     

    The statement highlighted that governments have an inherent right to enact laws safeguarding national security, and that this is established international practice.

     

    It added that the HKNSL and the SNSO clearly define the elements of offences and related penalties, and precisely target an extremely small minority of people and organisations who commit acts that endanger national security, while protecting the lives and property of the general public. It stressed that law-abiding persons will not engage in acts that endanger national security and will not unwittingly violate the law, and therefore have no reason to be concerned.

     

    Since the promulgation and implementation of the HKNSL, the statement highlighted, stability has been quickly restored in society. With the SNSO in effect, it said, the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong SAR residents and of other persons in Hong Kong are even better protected, while the economy of Hong Kong is picking up.

     

    The Hong Kong SAR Government reiterated that safeguarding national security is an ongoing and endless commitment.

     

    Citing the “White Paper on China’s National Security in the New Era”, published by the central authorities on May 12, it said external forces have been meddling more and more in China’s affairs, and have attempted to blockade, suppress and contain China through so-called “Hong Kong issues”.

     

    As geopolitical risks continue to escalate, the Hong Kong SAR Government said it will strive steadfastly to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to improve its legal system and enforcement mechanisms under the robust protection of the HKNSL and the SNSO, so as to address evolving national security risks and challenges more effectively.

     

    The Hong Kong SAR Government will also ramp up its efforts in publicity and education, so as to raise public awareness around safeguarding national security, thereby forming a societal shield to fend off external intervention. It said this will ensure high-quality development with high-level security, contributing to a new chapter in the practice of “one country, two systems”.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Imposition of Emergency was nothing short of Earthquake to destroy Democracy-VP

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    lign=”center”>During Emergency the highest court of the land got eclipsed, overturned the verdict of nine High Courts-VP
    The youth of today cannot afford to be unaware of the Emergency — the darkest period, says VP
    Academic institutions are natural organic crucibles of ideation and innovation-VP

    Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that,  “50 years ago, this day, the oldest, the largest and now the most vibrant democracy went through difficult air pocket, unexpected hazard in the shape of headwinds, nothing short of earthquake to destroy democracy. It was imposition of emergency. The night was dark, the cabinet was sidelined. The beleaguered Prime Minister then facing an adverse High Court order, yielded to personal gain, ignoring the entire nation and the President trampled constitutionalism, signed declaration of emergency. What followed for 21, 22 months was turbulent period for our democracy, never imagined. The darkest period of democracy we had the occasion to see.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937807255123988862

    Addressing students and faculty members as Chief Guest at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Kumaon University in Nainital, Uttarakhand today he stated, “ A lakh and forty thousand people were put behind bars. They had no access to the justice system. They could not vindicate their Fundamental Rights. Nine High Courts, fortunately, stood the ground and they hail — emergency or no emergency — Fundamental Rights cannot be put on hold, ruling firmly that every citizen of the country has a right which can be fructified by judicial intervention. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court — the highest court of the land — got eclipsed. It overturned the verdict of nine High Courts. It ruled, it decided two things– Emergency declaration thereof is a decision of the Executive, not open to judicial review. And, it is also a decision on the time for how long it will last, and that citizens do not have Fundamental Rights while there is emergency. It was a major setback to the people at large.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937812746008936600

    Underlining the significance of ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ for the youth of the day he said, “ Just reflect young boys and girls because you will have to learn about it unless you do it you will not know it. What happened to the Press? Who were the people put behind the bars? They became Prime Ministers of this country. They became Presidents of this country. That was the scenario and that is why to make aware our youth…….you are the most vital stakeholders in governance, in democracy. You therefore cannot forget. or cannot afford not to learn about that darkest period. Very thoughtfully the government of the day decided that this day will be celebrated as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’. The celebration will be that it will never happen again. The celebration will be  that those guilty, those who allowed such kind of transgression of humanity’s rights,  spirit and essence of the Constitution. Who they were? why they did it? In the Supreme Court also, my friend will bear me out, one judge dissented H.R.Khanna, and it was commented by a leading newspaper in the US that if ever democracy returns to Bharat, a monument will surely be built for H.R. Khanna who held his ground.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937815412747760044

    Stressing on the role of on campus learning, Shri Dhankhar said, “ Academic institutions are much beyond just learning centers for degrees and credentials. Otherwise, why there is difference between virtual learning and a campus learning? You immediately know the time you spend amongst your colleagues on the campus defines your mindset. These places are meant to catalyse the change needed, the change you want, the nation you want. These are natural organic crucibles of ideation and innovation. Ideas come, but there must be ideation of idea. If an idea comes in out of fear of failure, you don’t engage in innovation or trial. Our progress will come to stand still. These are places where worlds envy our demographic youth as the occasion to script not only their own career, but to script the destiny of Bharat. And therefore please get going. There is a tagline of one of the corporate products which you must come across. Just  do it. Am I right? I would add one more. Do it now.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937818677123911772

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1937817934614958127

    Emphasising on the importance of alumni and alumni contribution, Shri Dhankhar said, “ Over 50 years you have had large number of Alumni……..Alumni of an Institution is a very important component. You look to social media and google. You will find some Institutions in the developed world have Alumni Fund corpus, more than 10 billion US dollars.  One has a corpus of more than 50 billion US dollars. This comes not as a deluge, it comes by the trickle effect. Let me for instance give an illustration. If these 100,000 alumni of this great Institution decide to make a contribution only of 10,000 rupees a year. The annual amount will be 100 crores……..and just imagine if it is year after year, then you will not be looking here and there. You will be self-sustaining. It will soothe you. Secondly, the alumni will have the occasion to connect with the Alma mater. So you will have easy route….He will handhold you. She will handhold you. So I strongly urge that let there be initiation from Dev Bhoomi about Alumni Association.”

  • The words added in Preamble during emergency have been added as Nasoor; a sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatana-VP

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    lign=”center”>What a travesty of justice ! First, we change something which is not changeable, alterable and then change it during Emergency-VP
    Preamble, the soul of the Constitution should have been respected rather than tweaked, altered, and decimated, asserts VP
    Except Bharat, no other constitution’s preamble has undergone change-VP
    A very serious work which cannot be altered, has been casually, farcically, and with no sense of propriety, changed-VP
    Dr. B.R. Ambedkar lives in our hearts, he dominates our mind and touches our soul-VP

    The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that, “Preamble of any constitution is its soul. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution is unique. Except Bharat, [no other] Constitution’s  Preamble has undergone change and why?  Preamble is not changeable. Preamble is not alterable. Preamble is the basis on which the constitution has grown. Preamble is the seed of the Constitution. It is Soul of the constitution but this Preamble for Bharat was changed by 42nd Constitutional Amendment act of 1976, adding words Socialist, Secular and integrity”.

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1938876252103799111

    Speaking at an event at the Vice-President’s Enclave today, marking the presentation of the first copy of the copy,  ‘Ambedkar’s Messages’ compiled by Shri D. S. Veeraiah, author and former MLC karnataka, Shri Dhankhar emphasised, “During the Emergency, the darkest period of Indian democracy, when people were behind the bars, Fundamental Rights were suspended. In the name of those — we the people — who were enslaved,  we just go for what? Just a flourish of words? It is to be deprecated beyond words. In Kesavananda Bharati, as I reflected — vs State of Kerala, 1973, a 13-judge bench — the judges focused and deeply reflected on the Preamble of the Constitution. The celebrated judge, Justice H.R. Khanna, I quote: The Preamble serves as a guide to the interpretation of the Constitution and indicates the source from which the Constitution derives its authority — namely, the people of India.”

    “We must reflect. Dr. Ambedkar did painstaking work. He would have surely focused on it. The founding fathers thought it befittingly wise to give us that Preamble. No country’s Preamble has undergone change — except Bharat. But devastatingly, this change was effected for Bharat at a time when people were virtually enslaved. We the people, the ultimate fountain of power — the best of them were languishing in jails. They were denied access to the judicial system. I am referring to the 22 months of draconian Emergency that was proclaimed on 25th June 1975. So, what a travesty of justice ! First, we change something which is not changeable, alterable — something that emanates from We the People — and then, you change it during Emergency. When We the People were bleeding — in heart, in soul — they were in darkness”, he added.

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1938879085385785752

    “We are changing the soul of the Constitution. We are, as a matter of fact, by this flash of words, added during the darkest period of Emergency — the darkest period for the Constitution of the country. And in the process, if you deeply reflect, we are giving wings to existential challenges. These words have been added as Nasoor (festering wound). These words will create upheaval. Addition of these words in the Preamble during the Emergency signal  betrayal of the mindset of the framers of the Constitution. It is nothing but belittling the civilizational wealth and knowledge of this country for thousands of years. It is sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatana”, he further underlined.

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1938881671484649672

    Highlighting the Contemporary relevance of Ambedkar’s messages, Shri Dhankhar stated, “ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar lives in our hearts. He dominates our mind and touches our soul….Ambedkar’s messages bear huge contemporaneous relevance for us. His messages need to permeate down the line, up to the family level. The children must come to know about these messages. As someone associated with Parliament by virtue of being Vice-President of the country and Chairman of Rajya Sabha — the Upper House, the House of Elders, the Council of States — I am therefore immensely satisfied to receive ‘Ambedkar’s Messages’ that must be honoured and respected, first and foremost by Parliamentarians and legislators all over the country, then by the policymakers…..We must reflect why our temples of democracy are sacrileged? Why our temples of democracy are ravaged by disruption?”

    He further stated, “Justice Sikri, another celebrated judge in that judgment, says — I quote: “The Preamble of our Constitution is of extreme importance, and the Constitution should be read and interpreted in the light of the grand and noble vision expressed in the Preamble.” The grand and noble vision was trampled. So was Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s spirit. Thus, unhesitatingly, the Preamble — crafted by the genius of Dr. Ambedkar and approved by the Constituent Assembly, the soul of the Constitution — should have been respected rather than tweaked, altered, and decimated. The change also, friends, militates against our civilizational ethos of thousands of years, where Sanatan philosophy — its spirit and essence — dominated the discourse.”

    Speaking further on the issue, he said, “ Friends, Judiciary is an important pillar of our democracy. I belong to that system, gave better part of my life. Let me  make this audience aware and through you the entire nation what judiciary felt about preamble of the Indian Constitution. There have been,  so far, two benches of the Supreme Court in higher formations, an 11-judge bench in IC Golaknath versus State of Punjab, and another one, 13-judge combination in Kesavanand Bharati. In Golaknath, the issue came up about preamble, and Justice Hidayatullah, reflecting on the situation, stated explicitly, I quote, “The Preamble to our constitution contains in a nutshell its ideals and aspirations. It is not a mere flourish of words, but embodies the objectives which the Constitution seeks to achieve.”

    “Justice Hegde and Justice Mukherjee I quote, in the same judgment, “The preamble of the Constitution, like the soul of the Constitution, is unalterable. As it embodies the fundamental values and the philosophy on which the Constitution is based.” It is nothing  less than an earthquake for a building whose foundations are sought to be changed from the top floor. Justice Shelat and Justice Grover. what they reflected on preamble, I quote, “The preamble to constitution is not mere preface or introduction. It is a part of the constitution and is a key to open the mind of the makers, indicating the general purposes for which the people ordained the constitution.” A very  serious work which cannot be altered, has been casually, farcically,  and with no sense of propriety, changed.”

    https://twitter.com/VPIndia/status/1938886235260624975

    Recalling wise words of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, Shri Dhankhar stated, “ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a visionary. He was a statesman. We should never see Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as a politician.  Never see him. If you go through his journey, you will find it can’t be relieved ordinarily. It takes extraordinary human effort, spinal strength to negotiate that journey, the kind of suffering he underwent. Can you ever imagine Dr. B.R. Ambedkar being given Bharat Ratna posthumously? It was my great good fortune to be a member of Parliament in 1989 and a Minister when this one of the greatest sons of soil was conferred posthumously Bharat Ratna but my heart wept. Why so late? Why posthumously? And therefore I quote with deep concern, beseeching everyone in the country to search their souls and think for the nation. He said—–I do not want that our loyalty as Indians should in the slightest way affected by our competitive loyalty, whether that loyalty arises out of our religion, out of our culture or out of our language. I want all people to be Indian first, Indian last and nothing else but Indians…….It was his last address in the Constituent Assembly, 25th November 1949 — a day before the Constitution was signed by the Members of the Constituent Assembly. And what he said — amazing. I would urge everyone in the country to put it in a frame and read it every day. He says — he’s expressing his pain: I quote:

    “What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. Will history repeat itself?”

    He goes on to say — I quote: “It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds, we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed? Or will they place creed above the country….. I quote,  “I do not know, but this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we must all regularly guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.”

  • MIL-OSI: Haffner Energy Reports Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Haffner Energy Reports Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

    Strategic milestones were reached, opening up the prospect of a commercial and economic ramp-up in the current financial year

    Vitry-le-François, France – June 30, 2025, 08:00am (CEST)

    • 2024-2025, a year of milestones demonstrating Haffner Energy‘s technological maturity: commissioning of the Marolles showcase site and green hydrogen production kick-off; signature of a first contract essential to the development of a hydrogen, electricity, and biochar production unit at the Corbat Group site in Glovelier, Switzerland; new strategic partnerships with recognized international players, particularly in the SAF industry;
    • Launch of a capital increase1 that resulted, after the close of the fiscal year, in a €7M fundraising with widening of the free float to almost 25%;
    • Net cash available of €559k at 03/31/2025 and a significantly reduced cash-burn rate, thanks to the ramp-up of the cash preservation plan initiated in November 2023;
    • EBITDA* improved significantly to -€10,011k, driven by revenue returning to positive at €378k and cost reductions, and a net loss of -€12,311k for the year ended 03/31/2025;
    • A consolidated 2025-2026 commercial outlook (total pipeline of €1.55Bn and €388M weighted pipeline2 at the end of March 2025) and a confirmed EBITDA-breakeven target at 03/31/2026.

    HAFFNER ENERGY (ISIN code: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF), just published its consolidated annual results at 03/31/2025, as approved on 06/27/2025 by the Board of Directors. On this occasion, the Company provided an update on its progress and outlook.

    Philippe HAFFNER, Co-founder and CEO of Haffner Energy said:

    “The 2024-2025 financial year is in continuity with the path we embarked on back in the second half of 2023. After launching new offers to expand our addressable market beyond hydrogen and achieving a significant increase in our project portfolio, we continue to roll out our roadmap. This year, we have carried out structuring projects that bring us closer to our objective of profitable growth: first, we have set up an industrial-scale showcase site in Marolles presenting all our technologies, whether in operation or still in development – seemingly the first site in the world to produce green hydrogen from solid biomass; this decisive element for the conversion of our project pipeline into contracts has already enabled us to sign a first contract for the installation of a hydrogen, electricity, and biochar production unit in Switzerland. To support our development, we have also continued to strengthen our network of partnerships with leading players, such as LanzaJet, LanzaTech, Atoba, and Luxaviation for the SAF market.

    In terms of financial results, although the conversion of our project pipeline into contracts had not yet materialized at 03/31/2025 and we remain in a loss-making position, we have recorded an improvement in our EBITDA thanks to the cost-cutting efforts undertaken to preserve our cash. With the first significant contracts expected to be signed, the 2025-2026 financial year should enable us to achieve our target of breakeven EBITDA by March 31, 2026.

    The capital increase launched at the end of the financial year, to which the family holding company Haffner Participation contributed €950k, resulted in a €7M fundraising in early April 2025. It will enable us to support the Company’s development. The success of this operation is due in particular to the commitment of most of our historical shareholders and to the arrival of new investors. We would like to thank them for their confidence in our project and our prospects, despite the recent turbulence on the Haffner Energy stock market.”

    I. 2024-2025: ADVANCES ILLUSTRATE HAFFNER ENERGY’S TECHNOLOGICAL MATURITY

    During the FY 2024-2025, Haffner Energy took crucial steps to accelerate its commercial and industrial development, with the creation of the Marolles showcase site and the signing of major partnership agreements, particularly in the SAF industry.

    Operational commissioning of the Marolles hydrogen and renewable gas production, testing and training center: a strategic priority for the year

    During the period, the attention of the Haffner Energy team was particularly focused on the installation and commissioning of a showcase site for the Company’s technologies and expertise in the Vitry-Marolles business park (Marne County), near its headquarters. Started in late 2023, the development of this production, testing and training center unfolded in several stages: after archaeological excavations, site preparation and equipment assembly, the center entered the renewable gas (syngas) production phase on June 18, 2024 (cf. 06/20/2024 press release). Equipped with new-generation equipment and intended to operate continuously 8,000 hours per year, this site was inaugurated on November 22, 2024, during Industry Week (cf. 11/22/2024 press release and press kit).

    After obtaining regulatory approvals and installing additional equipment, the team dedicated to this project reached a strategic milestone for Haffner Energy’s industrial and commercial development with, in February 2025, the commissioning of mobility-grade green hydrogen production (cf. 02/26/2025 press releases). Green hydrogen produced as part of the activities on the Marolles site – 120 tonnes/year – is to be commercialized. Haffner Energy already signed an offtake Memorandum of Understanding on December 16, 2024, with a French operator specializing in hydrogen removal and resale in order to decarbonize mobility and industry.

    This site now allows the Company’s customers and prospects to test the range of possibilities offered by Haffner Energy technologies at full-scale and with their own biomass: production of “super green” gas and hydrogen, co-production of electricity, production and/or gasification of biocarbon and/or biochar. This site is also intended to train their teams in operating and maintaining the equipment.

    This project, which has resulted in the world’s first known site producing hydrogen from solid biomass residues, was made possible thanks to the support and commitment of the French public authorities through various local and national entities. It has thus benefited from more than €1.5M in public funding3, demonstrating the trust placed in Haffner Energy to contribute to the green reindustrialization strategy led by the French government.

    While the success of this structuring project attests to Haffner Energy’s technological and industrial maturity, it will also demonstrate the economic and ecological relevance of its technologies. Indeed, compared to alternative technologies, water electrolysis in particular, the “super green” hydrogen produced by Haffner Energy through its thermolysis technology is especially competitive due to the low cost of the primary energy used (biomass), combined with excellent energy efficiency (+ 75% for installations > 20MW). In addition, this hydrogen is carbon negative when co-produced biochar is used to sequester biogenic carbon.

    This showcase site is therefore a decisive tool to realize the Company’s commercial potential. In the short term, it will allow several contracts awaiting signature to move forward, as evidenced by the recent signing of a first contract for the construction of a hydrogen, electricity, and biochar production unit from forestry residues on the Corbat Group site in Glovelier, Switzerland, for H2bois SA. This unit, which is expected to be commissioned in July 2026, represents a total order value for Haffner Energy that is likely to reach €8.3M including options (cf. 03/12/2025 press release).

    2024-2025: new strategic partnerships with leading players

    The growing maturity of Haffner Energy’s technologies in their various applications has enabled the Company to amplify the process of building strategic partnerships already underway and to gain the trust of leading players. During this past year, new agreements have mainly occurred in the SAF industry, the Company’s priority segment given its market potential.

    Haffner Energy established a first partnership with the American company LanzaJet in June 2024 in the context of its SAF production plant project, Paris-Vatry SAF (cf. 06/06/2024 press release). A global leader in ATJ (Alcohol-to-Jet) technology, LanzaJet is a remarkably advanced player in the industry with more than 90 SAF projects in its portfolio. It was named in 2024 by Time Magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Companies”. Its investors include the Aéroport de Paris (ADP) group, British Airways, Airbus, Southwest Airlines and Microsoft, among others.

    A key agreement was also signed in September 2024 with IðunnH2, the green hydrogen and sustainable e-fuel project developer in charge of Iceland’s largest e-SAF production plant project (65,000-tonne capacity). Located near Keflavík International Airport, the site is to be commissioned in 2028, using biogenic carbon from on-site biocarbon gasification with Haffner Energy’s patented technology. This solution was chosen by IðunnH2 for its ability to significantly reduce costs and increase productivity in the e-SAF production process. Indeed, in Iceland, the limited volumes of local biomass mean low access to biogenic carbon, an essential component of SAF. Haffner Energy’s supplies of solid biocarbon, gasified on-site by its Gasiliner®, will provide a competitive and flexible alternative to the usual option of biogenic CO2, a gas that is expensive to capture, transport and store. (cf. 09/02/2024 press release).

    Keen to amplify the scope of their first partnership, Haffner Energy and LanzaJet announced another partnership agreement in January 2025 (cf. 01/28/2025 press release), accompanied by LanzaTech, the developer of a differentiating solution for transforming syngas into ethanol and a LanzaJet shareholder. The Nasdaq-listed company is a recognized leader in commercial carbon management solutions.

    The objective of the tripartite agreement is to explore joint projects for the conversion of biomass residues into sustainable aviation fuel across the entire SAF production value chain by combining the technologies of the three companies. It also involves exploring a variety of opportunities, including the development of industrial facilities, fuel purchase agreements, and joint technology licenses, as well as financial support and/or investment in specific SAF projects.

    Haffner Energy also entered into a partnership agreement with ATOBA Energy in February 2025 (cf. 02/20/2025 press release), a SAF aggregator whose purpose is to solve the financial dilemma between airlines and producers by allowing different players to benefit from long-term SAF contracts at optimized prices, in particular through off-takes from diversified producers and technologies. This partnership should facilitate the financing of Haffner Energy’s SAF projects by removing the barriers of this value chain, as production plant projects struggle with signing the necessary contracts to guarantee investment returns. The identification of Haffner Energy by ATOBA Energy as a strategic player in the SAF ecosystem is another testament to the competitiveness of its technological solutions.

    Lastly, after the end of the fiscal year, Haffner Energy announced a partnership agreement with global business aviation leader Luxaviation to accelerate the production and promotion of SAF. Luxaviation is to take an active role in SAF Zero (cf. 06/18/2024 press release), an initiative launched by Haffner Energy in September 2024 (cf. 09/12/2024 press release).

    In addition, Haffner Energy has pursued its partnership approach aimed at diversifying its sustainable biomass supply sources. In France, a new agreement was signed in August 2024 with Bambbco, leader in the development of the bamboo industry in France (cf. 09/24/2024 press release). The partnership aims to improve the energy use of biomass, particularly on marginal lands and semi-desert areas, by creating local ecosystems for SAF projects. In a similar fashion, Haffner Energy had signed a partnership early 2024 with the US company Hexas, specialized in the production of raw plant-based materials from its regenerative crop: XanoGrass™ (cf. 03/13/2024 press release).

    II. SUCCESSFULLY RAISING THE FUNDS NEEDED TO FINANCE THE COMPANY’S GROWTH

    Shortly before FY 2024-2025 ended, Haffner Energy launched a capital increase through the issue of shares with share subscription warrants (ABSA), while maintaining shareholders’ preferential subscription rights (DPS).

    This operation’s final completion, materialized by the settlement-delivery of the shares on April 4, 2025, i.e. just after the close of the fiscal year, enabled the company to raise €7M and expand its free float, which now stands at almost 25% of the capital.

    As announced in June 2024, and within the framework of the authorizations granted by the Annual General Meeting of September 12, 2024, Haffner Energy raised funds to accelerate the Company’s development. Following a decision by the Board of Directors at its meeting of March 12, 2025, this took the form of a €7M capital increase through the issue of ABSAs with shareholders’ preferential subscription rights (DPS).

    A two-stage transaction: €7M through the issue of ABSAs, potentially doubled if the warrants are exercised within 18 months.

    As a reminder, the operation had the following characteristics:

    – Transaction eligible for the IR-PME, PEA and PEA-PME, FIP-FCPI and Article 150-0 B ter schemes
    – Allocation of preferential subscription rights (DPS): on the basis of 1 preferential subscription right for 1 share held on 03/14/2025
    – Negotiability of DPS from 03/17/2025 to 03/26/2025 inclusive
    – Subscription ratio: 9 ABSA for 23 Existing Shares
    – Subscription price per ABSA: €0.40, i.e. a 59% discount to the closing price on 03/12/2025, the day before the transaction was announced (€0.98).
    – ABSA subscription period from 03/19/2025 to 03/28/2025 inclusive
    – Final completion of the issue recorded on 04/04/2025, for an amount of €6,995,497.60, of which €1,748,874.40 par value and €5,246,623.20 issue premium, bringing the Company’s share capital to €6,218,220.10.
    – Settlement-delivery of the ABSA: 04/04/2025
    – Trading of New Shares (ISIN: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF) and BSAs (ISIN FR001400Y4X9) on Euronext Growth in Paris since 04/04/2025Trading of New Shares (ISIN: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF) and BSAs (ISIN FR001400Y4X9) on Euronext Growth in Paris since 04/04/2025
    – Terms and conditions of exercise of the warrants attached to the ABSAs (on the basis of 1 warrant per New Share): as from 04/04/2026 for a period of 6 months, 3 warrants entitling the holder to subscribe to one New Share at a price of €1.20. Exercise of all the warrants would ultimately represent a potential capital increase of €6,995,498 gross.

    This operation benefited from the renewed support of historical shareholders (Haffner Participation, VICAT, EUREFI) and new investors, who had committed to participate in the transaction up to €5.5M.

    It was carried out with the assistance of Gilbert Dupont, as global coordinator and bookrunner, and CIC Market Solutions as custodian.

    Post-transaction, a modified capital structure and a near-doubling of the free float

    The gross capital increase recorded by the Board of Directors at its meeting on April 1, 2025 amounted to €6,995,497.60, including €1,748,874.40 nominal value and €5,246,623.60 share premium, and resulted in the issuance of 17,488,744 ABSAs at a subscription price of €0.40 per share, including €0.10 nominal value and €0.30 issue premium (cf. press releases of 2/04/2025 and 4/04/2025).

    Following the issuance of ABSA, Haffner Energy’s share capital was increased to €6,218,220.10 divided into 62,182,201 ordinary shares with a nominal value of €0.10.

    The operation led to a change in the breakdown of capital and voting rights. In particular, the capital increase led to a significant increase in the free float (from 12.83% to 24.75%), which should ultimately prove positive for the share’s attractiveness.

    Table: Impact of the ABSA issue on the breakdown of share capital and Differential Voting Rights

      Before Capital Increase After Capital Increase
      Number of shares % of Capital Number of DVR % of exercisable DVRs Number of shares % of Capital Number of DVR % of exercisable DVRs
    Haffner Participation 17 824 000 39,88% 35 648 000 45,15% 20 199 000 32,48% 38 023 000 39,42%
    Eurefi 5 741 600 12,85% 11 483 200 14,54% 8 311 600 13,37% 14 053 200 14,57%
    Sous total Concert 23 565 600 52,73% 47 131 200 59,69% 28 510 600 45,85% 52 076 200 53,99%
    Vicat 1 175 000 2,63% 1 175 000 1,49% 3 675 000 5,91% 3 675 000 3,81%
    Eren Industries 1 000 000 2,24% 2 000 000 2,53% 1 391 302 2,24% 2 391 302 2,48%
    Kouros 11 826 112 26,46% 21 920 542 27,76% 11 826 112 19,02% 21 920 542 22,73%
    HRS 1 000 000 2,24% 1 000 000 1,27% 1 000 000 1,61% 1 000 000 1,04%
    Flottant 5 736 238 12,83% 5 736 238 7,26% 15 388 680 24,75% 15 388 680 15,95%
    Self-holding 390 507 0,87% – 0,00% 390 507 0,63% – 0,00%
    TOTAL 44 693 457 100% 78 962 980 100% 62 182 201 100% 96 451 724 100%

    For the record, a shareholder who did not take part in the operation and previously held 1% of the capital saw a dilutive effect of 0.72% applied to his position.

    After the operation, stock price in turmoil 

    Mechanically, and all other things being equal, Haffner Energy’s share price should have fallen by around 28%, in line with the dilutive effect. However, following the capital increase, the share experienced unexpectedly high trading volumes, due first and foremost to massive and disorderly selling, leading to a drop in the share price to a low of €0.25 on 04/18/2025. Since then, the stock price has begun to rise again (to €0.35 on 06/23/2025). Trade is still occurring in very high volumes, without Haffner Energy having any specific information on their origin.

    III. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS OF LOW SIGNIFICANCE, MARKED BY EFFORTS TO IMPROVE EBITDA AND PRESERVE CASH

    The consolidated financial statements presented below, for which audit procedures are in progress, were approved by the Board of Directors at its 06/27/2025 meeting. The scope of consolidation and accounting methods used at March 31, 2025, are unchanged from the previous year: Haffner Energy’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS; the only consolidated subsidiary is Jacquier.

    In terms of consolidated financial results, FY 2024-2025 displays a similar profile to the previous one, albeit with a few changes.

    In thousands of euros 03.31.25
    (12 months)    		 03.31.24
    (12 months)
    Net sales
    Other income    		 378
    79    		 -157
    69
    EBITDA -10,011 -12,791
    Operating result -12,275 -10,263
    Net income -12,311 -9,935
    Shareholders’ equity 14,300 26,768
    Cash available 5594 11,042

    At 03/31/025, consolidated revenue remained amounted to €378k. It mainly comprised sales of boiler-making equipment by Jacquier and various services and studies by Haffner Energy.

    As a reminder, consolidated revenue was negative for FY 2023-2024 (-157 k€) due to the impact of the termination of the R-Hynoca contract in December 20235 (cf. 14/12/2023 press release).

    Confirmed EBIDTA improvement thanks to cost-cutting measures

    Extending the trend of the first half of the year, EBITDA6continued to improve to -€10,011k, under the combined effect of the decrease in purchases consumed (-15%), personnel costs (-17%) and external expenses (-23%), resulting from the full impact of the cash preservation plan initiated in November 2023.

    Operating result nevertheless deteriorated (-€12,275k at 03/31/2025, down €2,012k compared to 03/31/2024). This change is mainly due to the reversal of provisions for losses on completion from the previous year in the amount of €5,787k.

    As of 03/31/2025, consolidated net income stood at -€12,311k, registering a larger loss than last year (-€9,935k at 03/31/2024).

    After appropriation of net income, shareholders’ equity amounted to €14,300k, excluding the impact of the capital increase which will be taken into account in FY 2025-2026 due to its completion after the closing date.

    Haffner Energy’s other assets and liabilities are as follows:

    On the assets side, non-current assets (€11,250k, or +€309k) were almost stable, mainly composed of intangible assets representing the Company’s intellectual property (€8,105k as of 03/31/2025 compared to €7,843k as of 03/31/2024). Current assets, on the other hand, contracted significantly to €22,456k (-€12,321k), mainly due to:

    • the consumption of a significant portion of cash (€559k as of 03/31/2025 compared to €11,042k as of 03/31/2024).
    • the decrease in other current assets (advances paid to suppliers for €2,464k and Research Tax Credit for €941k).

    Conversely, inventories and outstandings increased, reaching €13,432k at the end of the financial year (+€3,287k) mainly due to the installation of the Marolles site.

    On the liabilities side, shareholders’ equity amounted to €14,300k at 03/31/2025 (a decrease of €12,468k) mainly due to the allocation of the year’s profit to reserves. It should be noted that the capital increase is not taken into account as of 03/31/2025.
    Non-current liabilities decreased slightly (-€268k at 03/31/2025 to €5,833k). This change takes into account the €500k RDI loan received from Bpifrance in March 2025.
    Current liabilities, meanwhile, increased +€725k to €13,574k at 31/03/2025. This change is mainly due to the net increase in provisions ongoing litigations (+€882k to €1,116k at 31/03/2025).

    It should be noted that, as the proceedings with Sara and Carbonloop are still in progress, the balance sheet position of previous years has been maintained. In addition, a provision has been booked in respect of employee-related litigation.

    Net cash position necessitates fundraising despite reduced cash-burn rate

    As of 03/31/2025, net cash and cash equivalents amounted to €559k.

    As a reminder, the main measures of the cash preservation plan initiated since November 2023 and implemented during the year have focused on:

    • Overheads in addition to reinforced budget management and expense control measures, the company reduced fees, cancelled non-essential service or subcontracting contracts whose tasks could be handled internally, changed payroll managers, renegotiated the commercial terms of other contracts, and limited travel and related expenses to essentials.
      • Payroll: in addition to the freeze on recruitment and replacements, as well as the absence of a general salary increase over FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-2025, Haffner Energy implemented a targeted redundancy plan in the summer of 2024, resulting in the loss of nine (9) positions. Subsequent to the balance sheet date, a redundancy plan for economic reasons was launched at SAS Jacquier. This redundancy plan resulted in the departure of three (3) employees from the workforce on 06/16/2025.
      • Leased surface areas: these have been reduced in both Nantes and Paris, thanks to the relocation of the Paris offices in January 2025 and the termination of the lease on the 1st floor of the Nantes offices.
      • Postponement of non-priority investments, such as the deployment of a new ERP system (€1.3M).
      • Renegotiations with strategic partners and service providers to review certain delivery schedules and invoice payment deadlines (€3M)
      • Deferrals of payments illustrating the commitment of all internal stakeholders to the company, such as the deferral of the payment of the individual portion of employees’ target-based bonuses and the payment of directors’ fees; lastly, we note the waiver by the two executives and founding investors, Philippe and Marc Haffner, of the variable portion of their remuneration for FY 2023-2024, as well as the temporary two-stage reduction of part of their fixed remuneration for FY 2023-2024 and FY 2024-2025. These amounts have been provisioned in the financial statements.

    Thanks to the implementation of these cost-saving measures, the average monthly cash-burn rate was significantly reduced during the year, gradually falling from €1.4M at the end of 2023 to €1M at the end of 2024, to about €0.6M per month in Q1 2025 (calendar year), excluding income and non-recurring expenses.

    In order to ensure that the Company would have the necessary resources to pursue its development until the expected ramp-up in revenue, and as announced as early as June 2024, Haffner Energy therefore initiated the above-mentioned capital increase during the year (see page 4).          

    Having carried out a review of its liquidity risk, the Company considers that it will have sufficient cash to finance its activities until at least 03/31/2026.

    This cash outlook takes into account:

    – The €7M capital increase finally subscribed on April 4, 2025, after the closing of FY 2024-2025;

    – The receipt, in March 2025, of a €500k innovation grant from Bpifrance (RDI loan) for the hydrogen production, testing and training center project in Marolles (Marl’Hy);

    – Cost reductions undertaken by the Company (see page 8) that cap the average monthly cash burn-rate, excluding non-recurring income and expenses, at around €600k (compared with €1M at the end of 2024).

    In the 1st half of the year, this is subject to the successful completion of the endurance test at the Marolles site and the signature of the resulting contracts, as well as to the obtaining, during the year, of additional financing linked to the equipment at the Marolles site.

    IV. PROJECTS AND PROSPECTS: FOUR NEW OPERATIONAL PRIORITIES

    For the current financial year, the Haffner Energy team, boosted by the confidence and support from its business partners, shareholders and institutional ecosystem, has set four new operational priorities: accelerating the conversion of its pipeline, moving forward with the implementation of targeted strategic projects, continuing to structure its action, and simplifying its governance.

    Accelerating pipeline conversion

    At the end of FY 2024-2025, Haffner Energy had an estimated total sales pipeline of €1.55Bn compared to €1.4Bn at 03/31/2024, confirming a high level of commercial activity due to the various initiatives undertaken since mid-2023: launch of a high-capacity offer for the renewable gas market (syngas) and a SAF offer; business development in the United States through the creation of a subsidiary; increased presence in various US trade fairs dedicated to renewable energies and hydrogen7.

    On the occasion of its capital increase, and in order to offer a clearer and more representative view of its business and prospects, the Company decided to adopt a communication based on a weighted sales pipeline** instead of medium-term annual revenue targets, as was previously practiced, as projects typically convert into backlog over a two-year cycle. This weighted pipeline is determined by applying a probability of success to the potential revenue of each project that counts in the sales pipeline

    At the end of March 2025, Haffner Energy’s weighted sales pipeline stood at €388M.

    Two contracts for hydrogen production equipment had been identified as likely to be signed following the start of hydrogen production at the Marolles site in February 2025 (cf. 02/26/2025 press release).

    The first of these is the H2bois project, for which Haffner Energy signed an initial contract on 03/12/2025, which is essential for the creation of this unit to produce hydrogen, electricity, and biochar from biomass at the Swiss Corbat group’s site (cf. 03/12/2025 press release). With delivery of the site scheduled for July 2026, orders for Haffner Energy are expected to be staggered between now and the end of FY 2025-2026.

    The second regards REFORMERS’ Renewable Energy Valley project in Alkmaar in the Netherlands. The latter was awarded the 2025 World Hydrogen Award, “Clean Project” category, May 22, 2025, in Rotterdam, thanks to the choice of HYNOCA® as the green hydrogen production technology included in the project.

    Advancing the implementation of a number of targeted strategic projects: R&D, Marolles, and commercial partnerships

    While growing the market for existing solutions is the priority for the current financial year, Haffner Energy has continued and will continue to invest time in Research & Development in order to offer its customers new or optimized solutions. The performance of its biomass thermolysis technology is indeed the source of the recognition enjoyed by the Group. In particular, before the end of FY 2024-2025, the Company was awarded the “Innovative Company” label by Bpifrance. This recognition enabled the company to welcome an FCPI fund to its capital.

    In April 2025, the Group presented a new line of production units, Hynoca® Flex 500 IG, capable of producing 12 tonnes per day of marketable green hydrogen for less than €3/kg without subsidies, and of generating profitable renewable electricity at peak times (cf. 24/04/2025 press release). Competitive with grey hydrogen and fossil fuels thanks to its energy efficiency of over 80%, this new solution offers all the flexibility of hydrogen and electricity cogeneration, enabling producers’ sites to manage random hydrogen demand and benefit from continuous operation without having to lock themselves into rigid off-take contracts.

    The current year’s priorities also include optimizing equipment at the strategic Marolles site, and in particular finalizing the installation of the Gasiliner® (cf. 11/22/2024 press release).

    The Haffner Energy team has also been working to advance the strategic Paris-Vatry SAF project. During FY 2024-2025, the Company finalized the creation of SPV (Special Project Vehicle) PARIS VATRY SAF SAS. In addition, Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, a global business aviation leader, confirmed its interest in playing an active role in spin-off SAF Zero at the International Paris Air Show this month. Luxaviation’s participation could take the form of financing the initial development of SAF activities, supporting strategy and global visibility, as well as off-take agreements in SAF Zero projects such as Paris-Vatry SAF (cf. 06/18/2025 press release).

    Finally, the FactorHy project of a first plant to assemble renewable gas and hydrogen production modules is still underway. Preliminary studies have been completed and detailed studies for the building permit application are continuing.

    Continuing to structure its action

    Having completed the creation of Haffner Energy Inc., an unconsolidated US subsidiary, in May 2024, Haffner Energy will continue to work on structuring its action and future developments with a view, in particular, to making effective progress in the SAF market. For current FY, the Company intends to launch SAF Zero, a spin-off designed to maximize its potential in this booming market (cf. 12/09/2024 press release and 18/06/2025 press releases).

    Simplifying its governance

    In addition, Haffner Energy has decided to simplify its corporate governance to enhance efficiency.

    At its meeting on 05/09/2025, the Board of Directors decided to propose the following to the 06/23/2025 Combined General Meeting of Shareholders:

    • a reduction in the number of Board members, with the early termination of the terms of office of Kouros France and Kouros SA, who also undertook to reduce their shareholding following the capital increase in which they did not wish to participate;
    • a partial renewal of the Board’s membership, to allow the entry of a new director representing the Luxembourg company Eren Industries, one of Haffner Energy’s industrial shareholders. A partner of Haffner Energy’s since the Company’s IPO, this recognized player in the energy transition is dedicated to technological innovation in the service of the natural resource economy. Eren Industries develops and invests in infrastructure projects, particularly in low-carbon energy production (hydrogen, biogas, biomethane, etc.), some of which could be projects of interest to Haffner Energy, and will provide the Board with all its sector expertise.
    • An update of the statutes simplifying the majority rules applicable to certain Board decisions, in line with common practice.

    All the resolutions were adopted at the June 23, 2025 General Shareholders’ Meeting.

    It should be noted that the Board of Directors has decided to reduce the attendance fees of independent directors as from the next financial year. Non-independent directors will not be remunerated.

    In addition, Mrs Bich Van Ngo and Mrs Sophie Dutordoir, independent directors, resigned from the Board at the close of the Annual General Meeting on 06/23/2025.

    Mr. Olivier Piron (Société E-Venture Management and Investment srl) was co-opted to the Board of Directors as an independent director at the close of the Board meeting of 06/27/2025.

    As a result, Haffner Energy’s Board of Directors is now composed of six (6) members, up from eight (8) previously:

    • Mr. Philippe Haffner, Chairman and CEO of Haffner Energy
    • Mr. Marc Haffner, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Haffner Energy
    • Mrs. Francesca Ecsery, independent
    • Société E-Venture Management and Investment srl, with Mr. Olivier Piron as permanent representative
    • Europe and Growth, with Mr. Xavier Dethier as permanent representative
    • Eren Industries SA, with Mr. David Corchia as permanent representative

    Next events

    Shareholder webinar : July 1, 2025 – register here

    Annual General Meeting : September 10, 2025

    More detailed financial information on the annual accounts at 03/31/2025 is available on the website www.haffner-energy.com.

    About Haffner Energy

    Haffner Energy designs, manufactures, supplies, and operates biofuel and hydrogen solutions using biomass residues. Its innovative, patented thermolysis technology produces Sustainable Aviation Fuel, as well as renewable gas, hydrogen, and methanol. The company also contributes to regenerating the planet through the co-production of biogenic CO2 and biochar. A company co-founded 32 years ago by Marc and Philippe Haffner, Haffner Energy has been working from the outset to decarbonize industry and all forms of mobility, as well as governments and local communities. Haffner Energy is listed on Euronext Growth (ISIN code : FR0014007ND6 – Mnémonique : ALHAF).

    Investor relations

    investisseurs@haffner-energy.com

    Media relations        

    Laure BOURDON
    laure.bourdon@haffner-energy.com
    +33 (0) 7 87 96 35 15

    Glossary:

    The Company is now adopting a communication based on a weighted sales pipeline instead of medium-term annual revenue targets, as was previously practiced, as projects typically convert into backlog over a two-year cycle.

    * Pipeline designates a business opportunity when at least one of the following situations occurs:
    – a preliminary feasibility study for the installation of equipment is, or has been, carried out; or
    – a budget offer, or a preliminary business plan for the project, or a complete commercial offer including specifications, has been sent to the customer and Haffner Energy is awaiting its response; or
    – a letter of intent has been sent to Haffner Energy by the customer; or
    – Haffner Energy has received an invitation to participate and is part of a tender process.

    ** The weighted pipeline is determined by applying a probability of success to the potential sales of each project included in the total pipeline. Thus, given a total pipeline of projects worth €1.55Bn at March 31, 2025, the weighted pipeline at March 31, 2025 stood at €388M, with “hydrogen projects” now accounting for only 18% of the weighted pipeline.

    1 Subscription period for the Capital Increase closed on 03/29/2025, Settlement-Delivery on 04/04/2025.
    2 In order to offer a clearer and more representative view of its business and prospects, the Company is now adopting a communication based on a weighted sales pipeline instead of medium-term annual revenue targets, as was previously practiced, as projects typically convert into backlog over a two-year cycle. This weighted pipeline is determined by applying a probability of success to the potential revenue of each project that counts in the sales pipeline.

    3 Including an Innovation-Research and Development Loan (PIRD) in the amount of €500k granted by Bpifrance and received in early March 2025.
    4 Cash and cash equivalents at 03/31/2025 do not include the €7M fundraising, which was completed after closing on 04/04/2025
    5 The termination of the R-Hynoca contract was accompanied by a memorandum of understanding under which Haffner Energy will have to make two residual payments (€1M before 12/31/2025 and €0.85M before 12/31/2026).
    6 EBITDA corresponds to operating income before depreciation and amortization, impairment net of reversals of fixed assets and current assets, and before operating provisions net of reversals.
    7 Since January 2025, Haffner Energy has participated in Hyvolution Paris 2025, Bio360 Expo 2025 in Nantes, World Electrolysis Congress 2025 in Cologne, World Hydrogen Summit 2025 in Rotterdam, for example.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Bill to regulate online casino gambling introduced

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden has today introduced the Online Casino Gambling Bill to the House of Representatives.
    “The Online Casino Gambling Bill will introduce a regulatory system for online gambling in New Zealand, which will prioritise harm minimisation, consumer protection, and tax collection,” says Ms van Velden.
    Cabinet has previously agreed to introduce new legislation to regulate the online casino gambling market, which is currently unregulated in New Zealand. Key features of the Bill include:

    Up to 15 licences for online casino gambling operators will be auctioned
    Companies applying for a licence will need to provide detailed information to the regulator, including on their business plans for New Zealand
    Licensed operators will be allowed to advertise, with restrictions
    Unlicensed operators will be prohibited and fines up to $5 million may be applicable for breaking the law

    Detailed regulations about advertising and harm minimisation standards are currently being developed and will set out the specific requirements that operators must abide by.
    “The Bill will proceed to select committee later this year and New Zealanders will have the ability to have their say through the select committee process.”
    The introduction of the Bill meets action 21 on the Coalition Government’s Quarter Two Action Plan. The Bill is publicly available here: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2025/0178/latest/LMS1449135.html

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Panasonic HD donated 400 solar lanterns to areas without electricity in Nepal through the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Panasonic HD donated 400 solar lanterns to areas without electricity in Nepal through the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

    Osaka, Japan, June 30, 2025 – Panasonic Holdings Corporation Co., Ltd. (Panasonic HD), donated 400 solar lanterns in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to vulnerable households living in areas without electricity in the municipality of Chandragiri and the rural municipality of Rajpur in Nepal.
    On June 18, 2025, a donation ceremony was held in the municipality of Chandragiri in the district of Kathmandu. Local residents, Chandragiri municipal government officials, and representatives from the Embassy of Japan in Nepal, UN-Habitat, and Panasonic HD attended the ceremony.

    The areas where the donations were made are home to many socially disadvantaged people, including those who live in precarious living conditions, as a result of the effects of the former caste system. In addition to an unreliable power supply, economic hardship prevents most households in this region from using electricity sufficiently, which hinders daily life.
    As a result, they are forced to rely on traditional means of lighting such as kerosene lamps, firewood and candles, which creates a variety of challenges, including indoor air pollution, increased living costs, fire risks and even lost educational opportunities.
    The following effects are expected from these donations:

    Improvement of the indoor air environment by reducing kerosene use.
    Reducing fuel costs and the economic burden.
    Reducing fuel procurement time and costs.
    Securing home study time for children.

    Since 2013, Panasonic HD has been involved in activities to support areas lacking electricity, which makes it difficult for people to escape poverty. Since 2021, these activities have been conducted under the name “LIGHT UP THE FUTURE,” a project which aims to illuminate the future of these areas. To date, Panasonic HD has partnered with various organizations, including NGOs and NPOs, to deliver more than 120,000 solar lanterns to people in over 36 countries and regions.
    Panasonic HD will continue collaborating with various partners on these initiatives to create opportunities in education, health, and increased income, working toward a sustainable, poverty-free society.

    The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is a United Nations agency established in 1978 with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, to address issues related to urbanization and human settlements. With the mission of “A better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world,” UN-Habitat works globally through policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action with national governments, local governments, civil society organizations, and private sectors particularly towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
    Established in 1997, the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is in Fukuoka, as the regional headquarters overseeing 42 countries. The Fukuoka Office operates in 15 countries and implements 90 projects across 18 countries and regions, promoting extensive international cooperation throughout the region.
    The donation of solar lanterns is part of the environmental technology cooperation projects implemented by UN-Habitat.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • How will the Dalai Lama’s successor be chosen?

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The choice of a successor to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is a matter of riveting interest not only for followers of his religion, but also China, India, and the United States, for strategic reasons.

    The Nobel peace laureate, who turns 90 on Sunday, is regarded as one of the world’s most influential figures, with a following extending well beyond Buddhism.

    HOW WAS HE CHOSEN?

    Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after his death.

    The 14th Dalai Lama, born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farming family in northeastern Tibet, was identified as such a reincarnation when he was just two years old.

    A search party sent by the Tibetan government made the decision on the basis of several signs, such as a vision revealed to a senior monk, the Dalai Lama’s website says. The searchers were convinced when the toddler identified belongings of the 13th Dalai Lama with the phrase, “It’s mine, it’s mine”.

    In the winter of 1940, Lhamo Thondup was taken to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the capital of today’s Tibet Autonomous Region, and officially installed as the spiritual leader of Tibetans.

    HOW WILL HIS SUCCESSOR BE CHOSEN?

    In his book “Voice for the Voiceless”, released in March 2025, the Dalai Lama said his successor would be born outside China.

    The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in northern India since 1959, after fleeing a failed uprising against the rule of Mao Zedong’s Communists.

    He wrote that he would release details about his succession around the time of his 90th birthday.

    The Tibetan parliament-in-exile, based in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, like the Dalai Lama, says a system has been established for the exiled government to continue its work while officers of the Gaden Phodrang Foundation will be charged with finding and recognising his successor.

    The current Dalai Lama set up the foundation in 2015 to “maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama” with regard to his religious and spiritual duties, it says on its website. Its senior officers include several of his aides.

    WHAT DOES CHINA SAY?

    China says its leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama’s successor, as a legacy from imperial times. A selection ritual, in which the names of possible reincarnations are drawn from a golden urn, dates to 1793, during the Qing dynasty.

    Chinese officials have repeatedly said the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should be decided by following national laws that decree use of the golden urn and the birth of reincarnations within China’s borders.

    But many Tibetans suspect any Chinese role in the selection as being a ploy to exert influence on the community.

    It is inappropriate for Chinese Communists, who reject religion, “to meddle in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama,” the Buddhist leader has said.

    In his book, he asked Tibetans not to accept “a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China,” referring to the country by its official name.

    Beijing brands the Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for keeping alive the Tibetan cause, as a “separatist” and prohibits displays of his picture or any public show of devotion towards him.

    In March 2025, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the Dalai Lama was a political exile with “no right to represent the Tibetan people at all”.

    China denies suppressing the rights of the Tibetan people, and says its rule ended serfdom in, and brought prosperity to, a backward region.

    WHAT ROLE COULD INDIA AND THE U.S. PLAY?

    Apart from the Dalai Lama, India is estimated to be home to more than 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists who are free to study and work there.

    Many Indians revere him, and international relations experts say his presence in India gives New Delhi some kind of leverage with rival China.

    The United States, which faces rising competition from China for global dominance, has repeatedly said it is committed to advancing the human rights of Tibetans.

    U.S. lawmakers have previously said they would not allow China to influence the choice of the Dalai Lama’s successor.

    In 2024, then U.S. President Joe Biden signed a law that presses Beijing to resolve a dispute over Tibet’s demands for greater autonomy.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong

    FG Trade/Getty

    Last week, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched a new report on sexual harassment, called Speaking From Experience. It includes the voices of more than 300 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment from vulnerable communities.

    In it, the commission calls for a new wave of robust law reform measures to protect and support victim-survivors and hold employers accountable.

    This report comes five years after the 2020 Respect@Work report, which made 55 recommendations to address workplace sexual harassment. Yet, in 2022, a survey by the commission found one in three workers had experienced sexual harassment.

    This new report is a watershed one, building on the work already done since 2020. So how far have we come in dealing with workplace sexual harassment? And how would new laws help?

    What’s in the new report?

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s new report, Speaking From Experience, emerges from the Respect@Work recommendations.

    Recommendation 27 of the Respect@Work report suggested the commission establish a way to hear historical disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The commission then turned this recommendation into its latest release.

    This report was a listening process that put victim-survivors front and centre. First Nations, migrant, LGBTQIA+, disabled and young workers were the main contributors to the report.

    An example of the experiences of the contributors is a fast food worker, who said:

    I know personally for me, as a queer person, I’m just exhausted […] it’s
    just a lot of mental energy and for nothing to happen, or for it to cause
    more problems, it’s just like really a deterrent…

    The commission was particularly concerned with identifying what does – and what does not – help victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment. The contributors shed light on what needs to change in the workplace and in the law.

    One major theme was about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used to settle workplace sexual harassment claims.

    NDAs restrict who victim-survivors can speak to about their experience of workplace sexual harassment, including colleagues, friends, family and in public. Sometimes these agreements can hamper attempts to get support for the harassment.

    The commission found victim-survivors are often pressured to sign NDAs in circumstances where the employer has far more power.

    The commission recommended new legislation to restrict using agreements in this way.

    This recommendation extends well beyond Respect@Work, which only produced best-practice guidelines. Extending the regulation is an important step forward, as subsequent research has revealed how ineffective these guidelines have been in practice.

    Australia is now out of step with the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, which have all regulated the use of NDAs after the #MeToo movement.

    Working Women’s Centres are currently leading a sector-wide campaign for change, and the regulation of NDAs is underway in Victoria.

    Improving the positive duty

    Respect@Work introduced a positive duty on people running a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

    In Speaking From Experience, the commission is asking for enhanced regulatory powers to enforce the positive duty to make it more effective.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is a ‘positive duty’ to prevent workplace sexual harassment and why is it so important?

    The commission is currently prevented from speaking publicly, or to other regulatory agencies, about its enforcement activities unless it has entered an “enforceable undertaking” with an organisation or applied for a Federal Court order.

    This means that, 18 months after being empowered to enforce the positive duty, the commission can’t speak publicly about how it is doing so.

    To be an effective regulator, it must be able to publicise its enforcement actions and share information with other agencies.

    The current law actually contributes to the culture of silencing and secrecy that continues to shroud workplace sexual harassment.

    Further, there are currently no civil penalties for breaching the positive duty. In Speaking From Experience, the commission found this limits the extent to which some workplace leaders will take the positive duty seriously. It found this risks turning the prevention of workplace sexual harassment into a box-ticking compliance process.

    The recommendations about penalties and transparency represent an acknowledgement that the commission’s powers to create systemic and structural change to target workplace sexual harassment are too limited.

    In the absence of penalties, risk to reputation – the fear that public exposure of inaction or permissive workplace cultures concerning sexual harassment – remains the greatest incentive for employers to comply with the positive duty.

    But workplace sexual harassment has been unlawful for more than 30 years. The current law does little more than continue to ask employers to do the right thing.

    If the commission is not given the powers it needs to effectively enforce the law, too much reliance is placed on individual complainants to take action. As the Speaking From Experience report reveals, that means victim-survivors would need to overcome massive social, economic, cultural and legal barriers.

    Over to the government

    Speaking From Experience is a significant moment for workplace sexual harassment law reform and policy in Australia. It continues the work that Respect@Work started and takes it in a new direction, focusing on protecting and supporting victim-survivors and accountability for employers.

    The Albanese government says it’s serious about addressing workplace gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. If that’s true, it should implement the commission’s recommendations in full, and quickly.

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

    – ref. ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help – https://theconversation.com/im-just-exhausted-sexual-harassment-at-work-is-still-rife-these-new-laws-would-help-259884

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ailwood, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Wollongong

    FG Trade/Getty

    Last week, the Australian Human Rights Commission launched a new report on sexual harassment, called Speaking From Experience. It includes the voices of more than 300 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment from vulnerable communities.

    In it, the commission calls for a new wave of robust law reform measures to protect and support victim-survivors and hold employers accountable.

    This report comes five years after the 2020 Respect@Work report, which made 55 recommendations to address workplace sexual harassment. Yet, in 2022, a survey by the commission found one in three workers had experienced sexual harassment.

    This new report is a watershed one, building on the work already done since 2020. So how far have we come in dealing with workplace sexual harassment? And how would new laws help?

    What’s in the new report?

    The Australian Human Rights Commission’s new report, Speaking From Experience, emerges from the Respect@Work recommendations.

    Recommendation 27 of the Respect@Work report suggested the commission establish a way to hear historical disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The commission then turned this recommendation into its latest release.

    This report was a listening process that put victim-survivors front and centre. First Nations, migrant, LGBTQIA+, disabled and young workers were the main contributors to the report.

    An example of the experiences of the contributors is a fast food worker, who said:

    I know personally for me, as a queer person, I’m just exhausted […] it’s
    just a lot of mental energy and for nothing to happen, or for it to cause
    more problems, it’s just like really a deterrent…

    The commission was particularly concerned with identifying what does – and what does not – help victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment. The contributors shed light on what needs to change in the workplace and in the law.

    One major theme was about non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which are commonly used to settle workplace sexual harassment claims.

    NDAs restrict who victim-survivors can speak to about their experience of workplace sexual harassment, including colleagues, friends, family and in public. Sometimes these agreements can hamper attempts to get support for the harassment.

    The commission found victim-survivors are often pressured to sign NDAs in circumstances where the employer has far more power.

    The commission recommended new legislation to restrict using agreements in this way.

    This recommendation extends well beyond Respect@Work, which only produced best-practice guidelines. Extending the regulation is an important step forward, as subsequent research has revealed how ineffective these guidelines have been in practice.

    Australia is now out of step with the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, which have all regulated the use of NDAs after the #MeToo movement.

    Working Women’s Centres are currently leading a sector-wide campaign for change, and the regulation of NDAs is underway in Victoria.

    Improving the positive duty

    Respect@Work introduced a positive duty on people running a business or undertaking to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace.

    In Speaking From Experience, the commission is asking for enhanced regulatory powers to enforce the positive duty to make it more effective.



    Read more:
    Explainer: what is a ‘positive duty’ to prevent workplace sexual harassment and why is it so important?

    The commission is currently prevented from speaking publicly, or to other regulatory agencies, about its enforcement activities unless it has entered an “enforceable undertaking” with an organisation or applied for a Federal Court order.

    This means that, 18 months after being empowered to enforce the positive duty, the commission can’t speak publicly about how it is doing so.

    To be an effective regulator, it must be able to publicise its enforcement actions and share information with other agencies.

    The current law actually contributes to the culture of silencing and secrecy that continues to shroud workplace sexual harassment.

    Further, there are currently no civil penalties for breaching the positive duty. In Speaking From Experience, the commission found this limits the extent to which some workplace leaders will take the positive duty seriously. It found this risks turning the prevention of workplace sexual harassment into a box-ticking compliance process.

    The recommendations about penalties and transparency represent an acknowledgement that the commission’s powers to create systemic and structural change to target workplace sexual harassment are too limited.

    In the absence of penalties, risk to reputation – the fear that public exposure of inaction or permissive workplace cultures concerning sexual harassment – remains the greatest incentive for employers to comply with the positive duty.

    But workplace sexual harassment has been unlawful for more than 30 years. The current law does little more than continue to ask employers to do the right thing.

    If the commission is not given the powers it needs to effectively enforce the law, too much reliance is placed on individual complainants to take action. As the Speaking From Experience report reveals, that means victim-survivors would need to overcome massive social, economic, cultural and legal barriers.

    Over to the government

    Speaking From Experience is a significant moment for workplace sexual harassment law reform and policy in Australia. It continues the work that Respect@Work started and takes it in a new direction, focusing on protecting and supporting victim-survivors and accountability for employers.

    The Albanese government says it’s serious about addressing workplace gender equality and the prevention of violence against women. If that’s true, it should implement the commission’s recommendations in full, and quickly.

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

    – ref. ‘I’m just exhausted’: sexual harassment at work is still rife. These new laws would help – https://theconversation.com/im-just-exhausted-sexual-harassment-at-work-is-still-rife-these-new-laws-would-help-259884

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: MPs to present Support Workers with giant bank cheques representing their lost $20,644.45 pay equity wages – PSA

    Source: PSA

    Opposition MPs will present giant bank ‘cheques’ representing $20,644.45 in stolen pay equity wages to care and support at Parliament on Tuesday 1 July.
    July 1 heralds pay increases for politicians while care and support workers mark three years to the day waiting for one. Their pay equity claim – now cancelled by the National-led Government – was initiated on 1 July 2022.
    “The cheque represents the amount owed to these women from the care and support pay equity claim the Government cancelled on May 6,” says PSA Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley.
    “The figure reflects what should have been paid to workers under the claim, calculated using their pay equity rates.
    “It’s a life-changing amount of money the National-led Government have stolen from hardworking people – most of them women,” Woolley said.
    What: Labour MP Jan Tinetti and Green MP Teanau Tuiono to handover symbolic giant cheques to care and support workers.
    Where: Parliament – exact location TBC.
    When: 2pm – 2:20pm, Tuesday 1 July.
    Who: A care and support worker from each of the three unions – E tū, the Public Service Association, and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation.
    How: The cheques will be handed over after short speeches from support workers, MP Jan Tinetti, and Melissa Ansell-Bridges – National Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.
    PSA analysis shows support workers would be $20,644.45 better off if they’d been paid equity rates over the three years people in Government have failed to deliver their settlement.
    Notes:
    The analysis is based on the 21 per cent margin above the minimum wage that care and support workers received in the 2017 settlement. The settlement rates, or the minimum wage rate, whichever was higher has been compared with what the rate would have been if the 21 per cent margin had been maintained. The comparison is based on a 30-hour work week.
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appointments – Young leaders step up to Federated Farmers board

    Source: Federated Farmers

    Karl Dean (36) and Richard Dawkins (35) have been elected to the Federated Farmers board at the organisation’s AGM in Christchurch, replacing Richard McIntyre and Toby Williams.
    “It’s really exciting to have two capable young leaders like Karl and Richard stepping up into these significant national leadership roles,” Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says.
    “While they may be new to our national team, they’re by no means new to Federated Farmers. They’ve held senior leadership roles within our organisation for some time now.
    “Karl and Richard are both highly respected and experienced farmers within their regions, and have worked their way up from the grassroots.
    “I have no doubt they’ll both make a huge contribution.”
    Karl Dean, who sharemilks with his wife Amie near Leeston in Canterbury, has been elected as the organisation’s new national dairy chair.
    He has previously held roles as Federated Farmers North Canterbury provincial president and vice-chair of the national dairy council.
    “It’s a real privilege to be elected to the board, and I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to help lead a constructive and future-focused dairy council,” Dean says.
    “It’s also been a huge honour to work with Richard McIntyre over the past seven years on the dairy council, and his 12 years of service hasn’t gone unnoticed.
    “His leadership has helped shape a strong, positive culture, and I’m committed to carrying that legacy forward.”
    Richard Dawkins, who farms with his wife Jess in the Waihopai Valley near Blenheim, has been elected as the organisation’s new national meat & wool chair.
    He has previously spent five years on Federated Farmers’ national meat & wool council and two years as Marlborough province’s vice-president.
    “It’s a huge honour to be elected to this role and I’m really looking forward to leading a young and dynamic team of meat and wool farmers who are passionate about the future,” Dawkins says.
    “The face fronting the ‘Save our Sheep’ campaign may have changed, but the team standing behind it remains the same. We’re ready to tackle the challenges sheep farmers face head on.”
    Langford also acknowledges the role outgoing board members Richard McIntyre and Toby Williams have played in a significant revival at Federated Farmers over the last few years.
    “Both Richard and Toby have been real heavyweights who were absolutely relentless in their advocacy for farmers and rural communities,” Langford says.
    “Richard is probably best known for his work calling for an independent inquiry into rural banking, but his legacy within Federated Farmers is so much bigger than that.
    “He also put in a huge amount of effort pushing for better immigration settings for farmers, and changes to KiwiSaver rules that will really help our next generation of young farmers.
    “Toby’s impact has been enormous too. He’s the man who stepped up to put the final nails into the coffin of He Waka Eke Noa.
    “He’s also led the charge in the fight against blanket carbon forestry on productive farmland, launching the iconic ‘Save Our Sheep’ campaign earlier this year.”
    Langford says while goodbyes are always difficult, they also create an exciting opportunity for new leaders to step up, bring fresh thinking, and stamp their own mark on the future of farming.
    “Nobody has a job for life at Federated Farmers. Our roles are up for re-election every year and there’s always somebody waiting in the wings ready to step up.
    “That’s what keeps us on our toes and accountable to our members at the grassroots – but it’s also what keeps the fire burning in our bellies to keep delivering tangible results for farmers.
    “As an organisation, we’re lucky to have passionate young guys like Karl and Richard putting their hands up for some pretty big leadership roles within the sector.
    “I know they’re going to make a real impact for farmers, and will pick up the fight exactly where Richard and Toby left off. I’m looking forward to working with them.”  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace activists confront second “ocean killer” at sea, as vessels turn off AIS

    Source: Greenpeace

    For a second time, Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have confronted a bottom trawler off the East Coast, rebranding it an “ocean killer” in protest at its destructive fishing activities.
    Launching from the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, activists came alongside Sealord’s Ocean Dawn while it was bottom trawling in the Chatham Rise area on Monday morning, and painted the message on its hull.
    This comes three days after activists confronted Talley’s bottom trawler, the Amaltal Atlantis, in the same area and painted “Ocean Killer” on its hull.
    Ocean Dawn, owned by Sealord, trawls heavily on the Chatham Rise, an area known as a hotspot for coral life. In 2018, Ocean Dawn illegally trawled in a Benthic Protected Area on the Chatham Rise, bringing up 1.3 tonnes of sponges and bycatch. The vessel has also previously received permits to fish in the High Seas of the Tasman. 
    Speaking from onboard the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juan Parada says, “Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have again taken action to stand up for ocean life that we all want to see thrive. Today they have rebranded another bottom trawler at sea, once more calling out bottom trawlers for what they are – “ocean killers”.
    “Bottom trawling is indiscriminate and destructive. When the heavy trawl nets are dragged across the seafloor and over seamounts, they turn coral into rubble, and kill fur seals, sharks and seabirds as ‘bycatch’.
    “Out here, we’ve observed these trawlers operating day and night, emptying the oceans on which we all rely.
    “If you were moved and horrified by the footage in David Attenborough’s Ocean, you should know it’s happening right here, right now, by multiple companies including Sealord and Talley’s.
    “If we want a healthy ocean for the future, bottom trawling must stop on the places it does the most harm.” 
    Greenpeace has been documenting trawling off the east coast of the South Island from the Rainbow Warrior. Overnight, after multiple bottom trawling vessels stopped submitting their location information, Greenpeace tracked a mystery trawler, which turned out to be Ocean Dawn. The captain of one trawl vessel Greenpeace spoke to via radio, reported they had been given a company directive to turn the Automatic Identification System (AIS) off.
    The New Zealand bottom trawling industry operates in the waters of Aotearoa, and in the High Seas of the Tasman where New Zealand is the only country still operating a fleet.
    Parada says, “The rest of the world is taking steps to protect international waters, places like the Tasman Sea where marine life is varied and abundant, from deep sea corals to migrating whales and seabirds. Shockingly, New Zealand is actively standing in the way of progress by continuing to advocate for the bottom trawling industry.
    “It’s time Sealord, the trawling industry, and the government listened to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who want ocean health valued over industry interests.
    “From depleted fish numbers to smashed coral, dead sharks and seabirds, the cost of bottom trawling is too high. To protect the ocean for the future and safeguard the ocean we all love, bottom trawling must stop.”
    Last week Greenpeace documented another trawler, Thomas Harrison, also owned by Sealord, in the Cook Strait, photographing the net surrounded by seabirds and seals – which often end up as bycatch.
    Notes:
    • The paint used to paint the hull is water based and non-toxic
    • In the period 1990 to 2004 the total area trawled in NZ waters was 465,100 square kilometres – almost double NZ’s land mass.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Local News – Lower Hutt Mayor welcomes new water entity reset for the region

    Source: Hutt City Council

    Wellington’s metropolitan councils have agreed to form a new jointly owned water services entity that will be more efficient, reliable, and deliver greater value for money.
    Upper Hutt City Council was the final partner to vote in favour of the new entity today, following earlier support from Porirua, Lower Hutt and Wellington City Councils and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
    The new entity will take over the ownership and management of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure by 1 July 2026.
    Unlike Wellington Water, the new entity will own the water infrastructure that is currently owned by councils. The entity will be able to generate its own income, manage its own debt, and will not be constrained by council funding.
    Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry welcomed today’s milestone saying the decision marks a reset for water services in the region.
    “The new entity unlocks the financial tools needed to make smart investments in water infrastructure, without placing an unsustainable burden on ratepayers. “It will enable better decision-making across the entire network and ensure more consistent service delivery.”
    Barry said it was significant that all five councils have come to the table with a shared vision.
    “It shows we’re putting what’s best for our ratepayers and residents ahead of parochial politics.”
    Barry said turning around historical underinvestment in water infrastructure will take time and water bills will still increase under the new entity to meet the needs of the region’s ageing network.
    However, high-level modelling shows that any rise in water charges will be about 30% less than what households would face under the current model.
    “Our main goal is to introduce a new way of delivering water services that allows for more investment in the network with an entity that is more efficient; while keeping costs more affordable and sustainable over the long-term,” Barry said.
    The entity will be governed by a board of independent professional directors who will be appointed by a steering committee of council and iwi representatives.
    The primary relationship of the entity will be with its customers (residents) not its shareholders (councils), giving the organisation the independence and accountability to deliver.
    The decision comes as part of the Government’s ‘Local Water Done Well’ reform, which requires councils to decide on a long term water services model and submit delivery plans by September 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • Indian stock market opens flat; Sensex holds above 84,000 mark

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian stock market opened on a steady note on Monday, with benchmark indices trading flat amid positive global cues and selective buying in PSU bank and IT stocks.

    At around 9:27 am, the BSE Sensex was marginally higher by 1.35 points at 84,057.55, while the NSE Nifty gained 6.50 points, or 0.03 per cent, to trade at 25,644.30.

    Analysts attributed the steady start to easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, a sharp correction in Brent crude prices to 67 dollars per barrel, and encouraging signals on the trade front, including possible deals between the US, China and India.

    Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said that large-cap counters like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries and L&T have been key drivers of the recent rally due to institutional accumulation.

    The Nifty Bank index in early trade was up by 15.15 points at 57,459.05. Meanwhile, the Nifty Midcap 100 advanced by 220.90 points to 59,606.05, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 rose 153.35 points to trade at 19,130.15.

    Within the Sensex pack, M&M, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, NTPC and UltraTech Cement were among the laggards in the opening session. On the other hand, Trent, SBI, L&T, Eternal, Axis Bank and Hindustan Unilever were trading in positive territory.

    Continued weakness in the dollar index is supporting foreign fund inflows, while retail investor confidence remains strong. Market experts, however, advise caution when making fresh investments at elevated valuations despite the ongoing bull run.

    Foreign institutional investors were net buyers on June 27, picking up shares worth Rs 1,397.02 crore, whereas domestic institutional investors booked profits, selling equities worth Rs 588.93 crore.

    In Asia, key markets such as China, Bangkok, Japan, Seoul and Jakarta were trading higher, while Hong Kong was in negative territory.

    Overnight in the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed higher at 43,819.27, up 432.43 points or 1 per cent. The S&P 500 gained 32.05 points to end at 6,173.07, and the Nasdaq added 105.55 points to close at 20,273.46.

    -IANS

  • China’s weak factory activity maintains pressure for more stimulus as tariff risks weigh

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    China’s manufacturing activity shrank for a third straight month in June, though at a slower pace, as increases in new orders, purchasing volumes and supplier delivery times signalled that policy support rolled out since late last year is taking effect.

    But business sentiment remains subdued, Monday’s survey showed, with employment, factory gate prices and new export orders still languishing, and keeping alive calls for even more stimulus as authorities deal with U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught and chronic weakness in the property sector.

    The National Bureau of Statistics purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 49.7 in June from 49.5 in May, matching the median forecast in a Reuters poll but remaining below the 50-mark that separates growth from contraction.

    “Two months of successive improvement, that’s a decent reading given June was the first full month without Trump’s prohibitive 100%-plus tariffs,” said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

    “There is still evidence of frontloading in trade, but the tariffs are lower now and manufacturers are preparing to ship holiday season goods,” he added.

    The new export orders sub-index remained in contraction for a 14th straight month in June, inching up to 47.7 from 47.5 in May, while employment diverged from other indicators by deteriorating further. However, new domestic orders rose to 50.2 from 49.8, and purchasing volumes jumped from 47.6 to 50.2 — offering policymakers some hope that domestic demand may be starting to recover.

    Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said the PMIs suggested the world’s second-largest economy had regained some momentum over the past month, but warned tensions with the West would continue to squeeze its exports and there were still signs of deflationary pressures.

    The non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services and construction, grew to 50.5 from 50.3.

    Activity in the food and beverages, travel, hospitality and logistics sectors fell this month, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said in a statement. However, this drag was offset by a pickup in the construction PMI, which rose to a 3-month high of 52.8, Capital Economics’ Huang said.

    “Fiscal support looks to have continued to support infrastructure spending,” Huang added, but cautioned that “a fading fiscal tailwind is likely to slow activity in the second half of the year.”

    MORE STIMULUS

    Uncertainty also lingers among factory owners, as the business outlook index – which normally moves in line with the headline PMI – dropped in June and suggested producers were waiting on a more durable trade deal to a fragile framework agreed between Beijing and Washington earlier this month.

    That puts pressure on policymakers to roll out more support measures, as the government cannot afford for China’s vast manufacturing sector to stagnate or shrink, if its ambitious 2025 growth target of “around 5%” is to be met.

    Profits at China’s industrial firms swung sharply back into decline in May, which officials attributed to weak demand and falling industrial product prices.

    Policymakers are confident they can push ahead with reforms launched late last year to transition China’s economy from a manufacturing-led model to a consumer-driven one, Premier Li Qiang told delegates at World Economic Forum and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank meetings last week.

    Such a shift in the engines of growth, which economists say is crucial to securing China’s future, could be progressed while maintaining strong growth, Li said.

    But economists say the transition could take years, and that reform typically comes at the cost of a more subdued economy in the short term.

    “Exports are expected to decelerate in the second half of the year, and domestic deflationary pressures will intensify,” said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group, who expects more stimulus in coming months.

    “Household consumption cannot be a real short-term driver, but fiscal spending in things like infrastructure can deliver the kind of growth required to hit this year’s target.”

    (Reuters)

  • Amit Shah inaugurates National Turmeric Board headquarters in Telangana, promises major boost to farmers and exports

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a major boost to India’s turmeric farming sector, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated the headquarters of the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad, Telangana.

    The inauguration ceremony was attended by Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and other senior dignitaries.

    Addressing the gathering, Shah highlighted that the creation of the Board fulfills a 40-year-old demand of turmeric farmers, particularly in Telangana. The initiative, he said, was a promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 and now stands fulfilled. Nizamabad, widely recognized as the “turmeric capital” of India, will now have the infrastructure to take its produce to global markets within the next few years.

    “The Board will eliminate the role of middlemen and put in place an integrated framework for turmeric packaging, branding, marketing, and export,” Shah said. He also underscored the medicinal value of turmeric, referring to it as a “wonder drug” with anti-viral, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties that are gaining international recognition.

    The Centre has set a target to scale turmeric exports to $1 billion by 2030, with all required preparations already underway. The National Turmeric Board will spearhead efforts to ensure maximum value returns to farmers, promote GI-tagged organic turmeric, and facilitate training and capacity-building programs. The Board will also guide compliance with global standards for quality and safety and support research and development to further explore turmeric’s therapeutic benefits.

    Shah revealed that turmeric prices in 2025 reached ₹18,000–₹19,000 per quintal, and the government is working to push that figure up by ₹6,000–₹7,000 over the next three years. He noted that turmeric was cultivated on over 3 lakh hectares across the country in 2023–24, yielding 10.74 lakh tonnes.

    Key turmeric-growing districts in Telangana—Nizamabad, Jagtial, Nirmal, and Kamareddy—are expected to gain significantly from this institutional support. Shah also pointed to the establishment of the National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) and the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) by the Modi government to promote farmers engaged in both exports and organic farming.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World-first AI system to warn of NHS patient safety concerns

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    World-first AI system to warn of NHS patient safety concerns

    Pioneering AI technology will be developed to scan NHS systems to flag safety issues in real time and trigger crucial inspections earlier 

    • Pioneering AI technology will be developed to scan NHS systems to flag safety issues in real time and trigger crucial inspections earlier 
    • Patients to benefit from safer treatment thanks to faster identification of problems in care and greater quality assurance of data 
    • Initiative is part of government’s Plan for Change to shift NHS services from analogue to digital under the 10 Year Health Plan 

    Patients will receive better care thanks to a world-first AI early warning system being developed to automatically identify safety concerns across the NHS, helping stop failures before they escalate.  

    It follows a pledge by the Health and Social Care Secretary to overhaul health and care regulation, root out poor performance and guarantee patients safe, quality care.

    There have been growing concerns about safety in the NHS in recent years after a spate of scandals including in mental health and maternity services.

    The new safety warning system, being developed as part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, will rapidly analyse healthcare data and ring the alarm bell on emerging safety issues.

    Work on rolling out the system is already underway. A new Maternity Outcomes Signal System will launch across NHS trusts from November, using near real-time data to flag higher than expected rates of stillbirth, neonatal death and brain injury.  

    When fully implemented, it could analyse hospital databases to identify patterns of abuse, serious injuries, deaths, or other incidents that can slip through the net, cause harm and stop hospitals from running safely. 

    Where concerns are raised, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will deploy specialist inspection teams as soon as possible to investigate and take swift action.  

    The forthcoming 10 Year Health Plan will usher in a new era of transparency, a rigorous focus on high-quality care for all, and a renewed focus on patient and staff voice. This major intervention to boost patient safety will be on behalf of everyone whose healthcare has caused them unnecessary suffering – whether in scandals, or because they have received ineffective care from the NHS more broadly.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

    While most treatments in the NHS are safe, even a single lapse that puts a patient at risk is one too many. Behind every safety breach is a person – a life altered, a family devastated, sometimes by heart-breaking loss.

    Patient safety and power are at the heart of our 10 Year Health Plan. By embracing AI and introducing world-first early warning systems, we’ll spot dangerous signs sooner and launch rapid inspections before harm occurs.

    This technology will save lives – catching unsafe care before it becomes a tragedy. It’s a vital part of our commitment to move the NHS from analogue to digital, delivering better, safer care for everyone.

    By helping transform patient care, this initiative forms a key part of the government’s Plan for Change. It is built on the NHS Federated Data Platform, which allows healthcare staff to securely access the information they need in one place. That means less paperwork and manual inspections for staff, and more time caring for patients.

    This follows the government’s commitment last week to a rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to provide truth and accountability for impacted families and drive urgent improvements to care and safety. 

    Professor Meghana Pandit, Co-National Medical Director – Secondary Care, said:

    The NHS in England will be the first country in the world to trial an AI-enabled warning system to flag patient safety issues which will rapidly analyse routine hospital data and reports submitted by healthcare staff from community settings.

    The move will turbo-charge the speed and efficiency with which we identify patient safety concerns and enable us to respond rapidly to improve patient care.

    The adoption of the AI warning system is underpinned by the government’s transformation of the NHS from analogue to digital – one of the three key shifts outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan. 

    CQC’s Chief Executive Sir Julian Hartley said: 

    We will develop a stronger focus on all dimensions of quality, using data which we and partners hold on inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes to spot and act on risk earlier.  

    We are already developing our new clearer, simpler, assessment approach, and in the future our experienced teams of inspectors, led by our newly appointed Chief Inspectors, will be able to conduct more inspections and share feedback on the findings more quickly – so that providers can make faster improvements, and the public have timely information about care.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Dalai Lama set to reveal succession plan as China watches

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday, as his followers wait for the Tibetan spiritual leader to share details about his succession in a move that could irk China.

    Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist and says it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.

    Tibetan Buddhists hold that enlightened monks are reborn to carry forward their spiritual legacy. The 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90 on Sunday and has said he would consult senior monks and others at this time to share possible clues on where his successor, a boy or a girl, could be found following his death.

    He has previously said he could possibly reincarnate in India, where he lives in exile near the northern Himalayan town of Dharamshala. He was identified as the reincarnation of his predecessor when he was two.

    Dolma Tsering Teykhang, the deputy speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in Dharamshala, said it was important for the world to hear directly from the Dalai Lama on the issue because while China “tries to vilify him at every chance … it is trying to frame rules and regulations on how to have the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in their hand”.

    “China is trying to grab this institution … for its political purpose,” she said.

    “We want the incarnation of the Dalai Lama to be born not only for the survival of Tibet as a distinct culture, religion and nation, but also for the well-being of the whole humanity.”

    Thupten Ngodup, Tibet’s chief state oracle, said typically such discussions on the reincarnation do not take place when a monk is still alive but things are different now mainly because the “Chinese government is interfering”.

    Beijing said in March that the Dalai Lama was a political exile who had “no right to represent the Tibetan people at all”. China has said it is open to discussing his future if he recognises that Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parts of China, a proposal the Tibetan government in exile has rejected.

    ‘AS IF HE’S NOT THERE’

    The religious conference this week, being held for the first time since 2019, will be attended by more than 100 Tibetan Buddhist leaders and will feature a video statement from the Dalai Lama.

    Hollywood star Richard Gere, a long-time follower of Tibetan Buddhism, will be among those attending, organisers have said.

    The Dalai Lama will attend prayers called by the Tibetan government in exile on July 5 and participate in his birthday celebrations a day later, according to a schedule shared by the organisers.

    He will speak at the celebrations for about half an hour. India’s parliamentary affairs minister, Kiren Rijiju, and some other Indian officials are expected to attend.

    Tibetans have been praying for his long health, especially since knee surgery in the U.S. last year, although the Dalai Lama told Reuters in December that he could live until he was 110. The previous Dalai Lama died earlier than expected at 58.

    The Dalai Lama and Tibetan officials say there is a system in place for the government-in-exile to continue its political work while officers of the Dalai Lama’s Gaden Phodrang Foundation search and recognise the next Dalai Lama.

    The current Dalai Lama set up the foundation in 2015 and its senior officers include several of his aides.

    Teykhang and other Tibetan officials said the Dalai Lama has been preparing his people for the day when he is gone, especially through his 2011 decision to hand his political role to a democratically elected government, ending a 368-year-old tradition of being both spiritual and temporal head of Tibetans.

    “Since he has come in the form of a human, we have to agree that there will be a moment when he is not with us,” said Teykhang. “His Holiness has really prepared us for that day, he made us act as if he’s not there.”

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Aquatic products controls maintained

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today reiterated that the import of aquatic products from 10 higher-risk Japanese prefectures has been banned since August 24, 2023, adding that a public announcement will be made if there is any adjustment to the policy.

     

    The statement came in response to media enquiries on the relaxation of import control measures on Japanese food products by the Mainland.

     

    The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China yesterday issued a “Notice on Conditional Resumption of the Import of Aquatic Products from Certain Regions in Japan”, announcing that imports of some aquatic products of Japanese origin – except for those from 10 specified prefectures – will resume with immediate effect.

     

    According to the notice, imports must comply with relevant national laws, regulations and food safety standards, and the Japanese authorities must effectively discharge their official regulatory responsibilities.

     

    In its statement, the HKSAR Government said imports of aquatic products from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama have been banned since August 24, 2023, to safeguard food safety and protect public health in Hong Kong.

     

    The measure was taken in response to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station into the sea by the Japanese government.

     

    The HKSAR Government said it must act in a prudent manner, given that the duration and scale of the discharge are unprecedented.

     

    It also outlined that it has maintained communication with the Japanese authorities on relevant issues. This has included requesting that Japan provide information on the latest situation, as well as scientific evidence concerning the discharge, to assess whether there may be conditions for relaxing the current precautionary measures.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-US trade deal kicks into gear: immediate tariff cuts for UK auto and aerospace sectors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK-US trade deal kicks into gear: immediate tariff cuts for UK auto and aerospace sectors

    The UK-US trade deal has today come into force, slashing US export tariffs for the UK’s automotive and aerospace sectors.

    • Immediate benefits for UK auto and aerospace sectors as tariffs are slashed under the UK-US trade deal, protecting British jobs across the country.
    • UK car manufacturers can now export to the US under a reduced 10% tariff quota saving hundreds of millions annually and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.
    • The UK aerospace sector also gains a major boost, with 10% tariffs on goods like engines and aircraft parts removed today and a commitment to maintain them at 0%.

    From today, British car and aerospace manufacturers will benefit from major tariff reductions when exporting to the US, saving thousands of jobs, as the landmark UK-US trade deal comes into effect.

    The UK is the only country to have secured this deal with the US, reducing car export tariffs from 27.5% to 10%, saving manufacturers hundreds of millions each year and protecting hundreds of thousands of jobs.

    At the same time, the aerospace sector has seen the removal of 10% tariffs on goods such as engines and aircraft parts, helping make companies such as Rolls Royce more competitive and allow them to continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation.

    These changes are a huge win for both sectors and will help ensure UK manufacturers remain globally competitive, protect British jobs and continue to lead in innovation and excellence.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    Our historic trade deal with the United States delivers for British businesses and protects UK jobs. From today, our world-class automotive and aerospace industries will see tariffs slashed, safeguarding key industries that are vital to our economy.

    We will always act in the national interest – backing British businesses and workers, delivering on our Plan for Change.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 

    We agreed this deal with the US to protect jobs and support growth in some of our most vital sectors – and today, we’re delivering on that promise for the UK’s world-class automotive and aerospace industries.

    British car manufacturers can now export to the US at a significantly reduced 10% tariff rate – down from 27.5% – and aerospace goods will see 10% tariffs removed, saving sectors hundreds of millions each year and safeguarding thousands of jobs.

    This is a clear example of our Plan for Change in action: cutting costs for businesses, speeding up delivery of trade benefits, and helping UK industries thrive in a challenging global environment.

    Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS said:

    News that tariffs on aerospace goods are to be relaxed is welcome to the industry and regulatory bodies alike.

    The UK’s aerospace sector is renowned for its innovation and excellence, and thanks to our role in the global supply chain, more than 100,000 people are employed in highly skilled jobs in the sector throughout the country.

    Efforts to reach this outcome are hugely appreciated by a sector that has remained resilient against a multitude of external pressures.

    Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of SMMT said:

    The implementation of the new trading agreement between the UK and US is good news for US customers and a huge relief for the UK automotive companies that export to this critically important market.

    It immediately slashes the punitive tariffs that brought the US export market to a standstill and threatened the viability of some of the most famous names in British manufacturing.

    Securing the deal – the first and, so far, only automotive deal in place with the administration – is a diplomatic coup and provides a foundation on which to grow trade in the future. Combined with the new Industrial and Trade Strategies that have automotive at their heart, UK companies can look to the future with more optimism.

    We have worked with the US and all parts of UK industry to build a quota system which is as simple, fair and effective as possible.  

    Thanks to the UK-US deal, the UK is the only country to be exempt from the global tariff of 50% on steel and aluminium. As the Prime Minister and President Trump have again confirmed, we will continue go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed.  

    Today’s announcement demonstrates the kind of agile, sector-specific agreement outlined in the UK’s Trade Strategy — designed to deliver rapid, practical benefits for British businesses and workers in key industries.

    This deal is one of many international agreements this government has secured recently to boost our economy, including a trade deal with India which will add £4.8 billion to the UK economy and £2.2 billion in wages every year, and a renewed EU deal which will add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040 on SPS and emissions measures alone. 

    Today’s announcement is the result of work happening at pace between both governments to lower the burden on UK businesses, especially the sectors most impacted by the tariffs. We will now update Parliament on the implementation of quotas on US beef and ethanol, as part of our commitment to the US under this deal.  

    Background:

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Support for flood affected farmers and growers

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government today classified the flooding across the Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough regions as a medium-scale adverse event unlocking extra support for flood-affected farmers and growers Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson say.

    “Last week’s deluge damaged infrastructure such as livestock fences, culverts, and tracks, and left pasture and orchards covered in silt and flood debris,” Mr McClay says.

    “The Government is making up to $100,000 available to support and coordinate recovery efforts, including up to $20,000 for the Top of the South Rural Support Trust. The remainder of the funding will be made available to other organisations that work with farmers and growers on-the-ground.

    “Today’s classification unlocks further support for farmers and growers, including tax relief. It also enables MSD to consider Rural Assistance Payments and activating Enhanced Taskforce Green.”

    This funding is on top of $100,000 already contributed by the Government to the Mayoral Relief Fund.

    Mr Patterson is encouraging flood-affected farmers and growers to seek support if they need it and to monitor the weather forecast.

    “It’s important to help those farmers and growers and rural communities now facing a big clean-up effort, such as fixing damaged fences,” Mr Patterson says.

    “The government, via Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) On Farm Support will continue to work closely with sector groups and the Rural Support Trust to determine where the need is and how the funding will be allocated.

    “Farmers and growers will face many months of work to get back on track. We will continue to assess what further support is needed to assist recovery efforts.

    “There is a risk of further rain this week. We are encouraging farmers to stay informed through MetService forecasts and to take necessary precautions, such as moving livestock to higher ground.”

    Farmers and growers who require support are encouraged to contact their local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Murray Again Slams Republicans for Using Deceptive Tactics to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI EARLIER TODAY: Senator Murray Rips Into Republicans for Using Deceptive “Current Policy Baseline” to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires
    Murray: “Republicans should know, if they replace math with magic, if they tear up the Senate process, if they blow off the Senate Parliamentarian, that bill will come due.”
    ***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s remarks HERE***
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke out again on the Senate floor to slam Republicans’ use of a so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.
    Republicans’ 940-page reconciliation bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. About 17 million Americans will lose their health care, more than 300 rural hospitals could close, and more than 500 nursing homes could close. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below and HERE:
    “Mr. President, there are some things you can’t change with legislation, despite what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem to believe.
    “For example, one plus one is two. And while a trillion might have a lot of zeroes in it—it is, in fact, a much, much bigger number.
    “Now that might sound obvious, but apparently, my colleagues across the aisle need a little reminder.
    “Because, right now, Republicans are pretending not to get it. It is almost beyond belief, and it is certainly beyond common sense.
    “After years of complaining about the debt—in fact, at the same time they are talking about how we need to address the debt—Republicans now are suddenly pretending they don’t know how to count. Republicans are suddenly pretending the parliamentarian doesn’t exist if they don’t talk to her.
    “Republicans are suddenly pretending that precedent doesn’t exist if they just fake amnesia, and that norms, and consequences for breaking them, will disappear if they wish it away really hard.
    “My preschool students had more common sense!
    “Republicans should know, if they replace math with magic, if they tear up the Senate process, if they blow off the Senate Parliamentarian, that bill will come due.
    “And not just the bill for four trillion dollars—blown on tax cuts for billionaires and corporations—the bill will also come due for trashing this Senate process and precedent when Republicans are no longer in the majority.
    “And, M. President, if Republicans are serious about plowing forward with rewriting—or ignoring—Senate procedure, and the laws of mathematics—I just ask, spare me the empty excuses. Spare me the explanations that totally ignore the reality of what you are doing.
    “I mean, do they really think it washes away everything to say, “oh it’s fine to break the process in half because we say it’s fine’… ‘oh it’s fine, we have the authority to ignore math… give me a break!
    “To every Republican who really thinks that is a convincing argument… to anyone who thinks ‘we can’ is an acceptable rationale for going nuclear and pretending the most expensive bill in the history of our country can be paid for by some magic bean counting…
    “Here’s my challenge to you.
    “Go back home and try that game with your constituents. Tell them: ‘It’s okay. Yes, the debt is going to be four trillion dollars higher ten years from now… that’s true. But it’s fine! We voted on it, and we get to say, a trillion is actually zero.’
    “Go ahead, see how that works out for you. And you may as well tell them you are voting against gravity next, because that’s just as reasonable.
    “And don’t forget, when you tell your families back home that four trillion in tax cuts for the billionaires and companies are free because you waved a wand, or you said some magic words, don’t forget to tell them: those are just tax cuts for the billionaires, not for working families.
    “Don’t forget to tell the folks back home: ‘yeah, I voted to say a trillion dollars is nothing, but we still need to kick people off their health care—that’s too expensive. We still need to close those hospitals—we have to cut costs. And we still have to kick people off SNAP—because the debt is out of control.’
    “And don’t forget to mention that, ‘No, we can’t afford child care. No, we can’t afford paid leave. No, we can’t afford to solve your problems. Magic math is apparently just for billionaires. You all are getting less.’
    “Please, Republicans—send that message to your constituents. Just see how it goes over.
    “Because, you can fool yourself, but you are not going to fool the American people. They don’t get to balance their budget with magic math. They don’t get to pretend a trillion dollars is nothing. And they don’t get to pretend that this bill is free.
    “Because, at the end of the day, regardless of what policy baseline you all want to use in D.C., those families back home? They are the ones who will be paying the actual cost.
    […]
    Senator Merkley: Would you yield to a question?
    Senator Murray: I would.
    Senator Merkley: In the time that you were Budget Chair, did you every contemplate a situation in which you argued that renewing a tax break that was, by law, expiring, would somehow have no impact on the deficit?
    Senator Murray: To my friend from Oregon, I never would have contemplated, and I never would have put it forward. And I happen to know that if I had suggested that, that my Republican colleagues would have been all over me, telling me that breaks the rules.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Zelensky approves Ukraine’s withdrawal from treaty banning anti-personnel mines

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

    Staff members of the State Service for Emergencies of Ukraine conduct search and clearance operations at the site of an air strike in Kiev, Ukraine, on June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Sunday to withdraw the country from the Ottawa Convention — an international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines.

    The decree approves the National Security and Defense Council’s decision to pull out of the treaty “so as to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

    The withdrawal will take effect once it passes parliament, said Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko.

    “Russia is not a side of this convention,” Kostenko wrote on Facebook. “We cannot stay bound when the enemy has no limitations.”

    Ukraine signed the Ottawa Convention in 1999 and ratified it in 2005.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Deteriorating short-term outlook for east coast gas supply

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The east coast gas supply outlook for 2025 and 2026 has deteriorated despite an easing in gas prices in the second half of 2024, according to the ACCC’s latest gas inquiry report, released today.

    The report finds that there is a risk of shortfall in the fourth quarter of 2025 and throughout 2026 if Queensland LNG producers export all uncontracted gas.

    It is expected that southern states will need to continually rely on gas from Queensland as their local reserves deplete.

    There is no change to the medium-term outlook, with structural shortfalls on the east coast still projected from 2028 unless new gas supply is brought online.

    “Gas prices eased over the past 6 months, reflecting movements in international prices and an increase in market activity following implementation of the Gas Code,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    “However, prices continue to be higher than pre-2022 levels. Concerningly, supply into the domestic market has fallen since that time and gas is increasingly being sold on a short-term basis, posing challenges for gas users who need longer-term certainty for their businesses.”

    “Gas policy in recent years has largely been directed towards the LNG producers to ensure that their uncontracted gas is available in the short term to avert domestic shortfalls,” Ms Brakey said.

    “For long-term energy security and affordability, however, it is critical to address underlying barriers to more efficient investment in domestic supply.”

    There are sufficient gas reserves and resources to meet projected domestic demand for at least the next decade, but these are yet to be developed due to a combination of policy, technical and commercial factors.

    Long-standing impediments to the development of east coast gas reserves by a diversity of suppliers need to be addressed, the report recommends.

    The report finds that Queensland’s gas reserves and resources, which are substantially held by the LNG producers, will be key to meeting the needs of the east coast gas market.

    The report examines individual Queensland LNG producers’ export operations and their role in the domestic market given each of the LNG producers’ different gas holdings and impacts on the domestic market.

    The report also includes preliminary observations on how the market has responded to regulatory changes implemented since 2022-23.

    “The information in the June report will enable stakeholders to make more informed decisions in response to the most recent forecasts of the east coast’s supply-demand balance,” Ms Brakey said.

    “The report also provides a robust evidence base to support informed engagement by the market, government and the public on policy decisions and regulation, including in respect of the upcoming Government Gas Market Review in the context of continuing concerns about the adequacy of gas production and the efficiency of the east coast gas market,” Ms Brakey said.

    The supply outlook for 2025 and 2026 has deteriorated

    The short-term supply outlook for the east coast has deteriorated since the December 2024 report as some key producers have downgraded their production forecasts. The ACCC now expects between a 2 petajoules (PJ) shortfall and an 11 PJ surplus in the fourth quarter of 2025.

    There is a risk of shortfall throughout 2026 if the Queensland LNG producers export all their uncontracted gas. Refilling gas storage facilities over summer, when gas demand is typically lower, will be essential to meeting demand in the southern states next year, particularly for the winter months.

    The June inquiry report includes the supply outlooks for the Queensland LNG producers.

    “The LNG exporters are the only producers with discretion to either export their uncontracted gas, or supply it into the domestic market, so understanding what can affect this ‘swing gas’ and the decisions they could make about gas will be necessary for consideration of options to manage shortfall risks and for effective policy responses,” Ms Brakey said.

    Forecast east coast supply-demand balance in Q4 2025 and 2026 (PJ)

    Source:  ACCC analysis of data obtained from gas producers and of AEMO’s 2025 GSOO domestic demand forecast (Step Change scenario).
    Note:   Totals may not sum due to rounding.

    Prices have continued to decrease but remain higher than previous years

    Prices offered by producers and retailers showed a moderate decline over the second half of 2024. This continues the trend observed since the peak of the 2022 energy crisis and is consistent with changes in international prices and domestic supply-demand conditions.

    Prices offered by producers to retailers for 2025 supply averaged $13.34 per gigajoule (GJ) between June and December 2024; a 10 per cent decrease from the previous six months. Retailer offers to commercial and industrial (C&I) users over this period fell by seven per cent to $14.34 per GJ. Offers for 2026 supply fell by seven per cent over the same period for both producers and retailers.

    However, market activity was lower, with fewer offers being made during the second half of 2024 compared to the first half of that year. Gas volumes contracted under long-term Gas Supply Agreements over this period remained below pre-2022 levels.

    Background

    In 2017, the Australian Government directed the ACCC to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry to improve transparency of the gas market in Australia and support its efficient operation, and to monitor gas supply. On 25 October 2022, the Government announced the extension of the ACCC’s gas inquiry role through to 2030.

    The ACCC’s next interim report is scheduled for September 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unsafe and unethical: bed shortages mean dementia patients with psychiatric symptoms are admitted to medical wards

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cindy Towns, Senior Lecturer in General Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Otago

    Getty Images

    New Zealand’s mental health crisis is well documented in the government’s 2018 inquiry, He Ara Oranga, which shows one in five people experience mental illness or significant mental distress.

    However, an almost singular focus on care of young people obscures the psychiatric needs of older adults.

    Failure to account for these needs has resulted in physicians facing pressure to admit psychiatric patients to medical wards that are not designed or resourced to care for them. This compromises patient safety and rights as well as fundamental standards of care.

    Our new research highlights the clinical, ethical and legal consequences of this practice and calls for urgent action.

    Dementia includes psychiatric features

    The memory deficits of dementia are well known but the condition also includes psychiatric presentations. These are known collectively as the “behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia” (BPSD). When severe, they can include intrusive behaviour, violence and inappropriate sexual conduct. Such patients require admission and specialist treatment.

    However, New Zealand has a severe shortage of psychiatric beds for older adults. Even more concerning is that despite well recognised demographic trends and clinical concerns, bed numbers have decreased over time rather than increased.

    Reports that Dunedin plans to slash the number of psycho-geriatric beds by 50% reflect a lack of government insight into the risks this large and growing patient cohort poses.

    Hospitals routinely expect medical wards to admit dementia patients presenting with BPSD when no psycho-geriatric bed is available. Yet it is impossible for staff on medical wards to adhere to even basic standards of care.

    Poor design

    A lack of single rooms means medical teams cannot provide the security and minimisation of light and noise people with dementia require. Single rooms need to be prioritised for transmissible infections, delirium and terminal care.

    Medical wards are also not designed for aggressive patients. People can enter and exit freely, potential weapons (scissors, for example) are accessible, there are no seclusion rooms or low-stimulus areas, and nursing stations are not secure.

    Medical staff are not trained in de-escalation or restraint and ward pharmacists are not specialised in the medications required to treat BPSD.

    Those presenting with physical or sexual violence also need dedicated security, well beyond what healthcare assistants on “patient watches” can provide. Most healthcare assistants are women, which creates a grossly inadequate level of safety when managing violent male patients.

    The experience of Wellington general medicine staff documents numerous assaults on nurses and intrusive and frightening behaviour. Staff have been punched, hit, bitten and threatened. One nurse was stabbed while attending to another patient in a multi-bed room.

    Admissions have included physically robust patients who have seriously assaulted family or carers. This includes one man who committed a fatal assault and another who was sexually aggressive and stabbed a family member.

    High rates of mixed-gender bedding in hospital wards raise the risk of harm. The United Kingdom banned hospitals from placing men and women in the same room in 2010. Yet despite concerns for patient safety, New Zealand has no prohibition on this practice.

    Poor policy

    By comparison, Australia proposed a risk stratification approach more than 20 years ago whereby severe dementia patients would be managed in secure units with dedicated security staff and specialist psycho-geriatric care.

    This model is used throughout Australia in policy and planning. In New Zealand, severe dementia is defaulted to medical wards even in cases where patients are presenting solely due to extreme violence.

    According to the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, patients are entitled to an appropriate standard of care. Admitting someone with dementia to medical wards that cannot meet basic standards of care clearly breaches this right.

    BPSD admissions also significantly compromise the rights of other patients. The risks are again demonstrable rather than potential. International media reports have documented male dementia patients assaulting female patients in medical wards without the necessary security measures.

    Medical staff in New Zealand hospitals have also witnessed numerous incidents of intrusion and harassment as well as assaults of other patients by dementia patients inappropriately admitted to medical wards with BPSD.

    We should also recognise indirect impacts of people with severe dementia being admitted on medical wards. Many patients wait overnight for admission, increasing their risk for complications, and breaching rights to privacy and dignity.

    When psychiatric patients occupy medical beds, they contribute to admission delays, complications and rights breaches for medical patients awaiting beds.

    Urgent need for more psycho-geriatric beds

    Wellington general medicine teams have raised serious concerns about dementia admissions for many years. Yet there are no secure areas and no additional psycho-geriatric beds.

    We need to ask why the practice continues when harm is so obvious. The answer appears to be about cost. When physicians relent and admit psychiatric patients, the risks are high but the financial cost is low. The consequences are born by elderly and frail patients seldom able to advocate for themselves.

    Change relies on health leaders and funders caring about safety, rights and basic standards of care. Unfortunately, the Wellington experience and the decision to cut beds in Dunedin suggest change will not happen unless physicians consistently refuse the admission of psychiatric patients. But this is a morally distressing position to be put in.

    New Zealand must urgently address the shortage of psycho-geriatric beds. Until these are in place, temporary secure accommodation must be made available under the care of mental health specialists.

    Medical teams can no longer be expected to manage the mental health crisis as well as their own medical workloads. It is unsafe, unethical and untenable for all involved.

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

    – ref. Unsafe and unethical: bed shortages mean dementia patients with psychiatric symptoms are admitted to medical wards – https://theconversation.com/unsafe-and-unethical-bed-shortages-mean-dementia-patients-with-psychiatric-symptoms-are-admitted-to-medical-wards-257634

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 30, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 30, 2025.

    Fiji’s Dr Prasad unveils $4.8b budget as deficit widens
    By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist The Fiji government is spending big on this year’s budget. The country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, unveiled a FJ$4.8 billion (about NZ$3.5 billion) spending package, complete with cost of living measures and fiscal stimulus, to the Fijian Parliament on Friday. This is about F$280

    Cities are heating up the planet – how they can do more to fight climate change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Quality Stock Arts/Shutterstock Cities have a central role to play tackling climate change. They contribute 67–72% of the greenhouse gas emissions which are heating up the planet. At the same time, cities are increasingly at risk

    Tahiti prepares for its first Matari’i public holiday
    RNZ Te Manu Korihi Tahiti will mark Matari’i as a national public holiday for the first time in November, following in the footsteps of Matariki in Aotearoa New Zealand. Matari’i refers to the same star cluster as Matariki. And for Tahitians, November 20 will mark the start of Matari’i i ni’a — the “season of

    Scientists look to black holes to know exactly where we are in the Universe. But phones and wifi are blocking the view
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucia McCallum, Senior Scientist in Geodesy, University of Tasmania ESA / Hubble / L. Calçada (ESO), CC BY The scientists who precisely measure the position of Earth are in a bit of trouble. Their measurements are essential for the satellites we use for navigation, communication and Earth

    Could we live with a nuclear-armed Iran? Reluctantly, yes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Zala, Senior Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, Monash University As the ceasefire between Israel and Iran seems to be holding for now, it is important to reflect on whether this whole episode was worth the risks. Wider escalation was (and remains) possible, and we do not

    How to reform the NDIS and better support disabled people who don’t qualify for it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Bennett, Disability Program Director, Grattan Institute Australia is spending more than ever on disability services – and yet many people with disability still aren’t receiving the support they need. Since the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) began in 2013, it has transformed the lives of hundreds

    Mr Smith or Gary? Why some teachers ask students to call them by their first name
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Brownlie, Lecturer in Education, University of Southern Queensland Johnny Greig/ Getty Images When you went to school, did you call your teacher Mrs, Ms or Mr, followed by their surname? Perhaps you even called them Sir or Miss. The tradition of addressing teachers in a formal

    NZ cities are getting hotter: 5 things councils can do now to keep us cooler when summer comes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Stand on any car park on a sunny day in February and the heat will radiate through your shoes. At 30°C air temperature, that asphalt hits 50–55°C – hot enough to cause

    Murdoch’s News Corp has moved into the mortgage business. Where are the regulators?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberta Esbitt, Associate, RMIT University If you want to advertise a house online in Australia, you don’t have many options. Just two companies dominate the market. Australia’s largest property listings platform, realestate.com.au, belongs to digital media company REA Group, which is majority-owned by Rupert Murdoch’s US-based media

    Clark warns in new Pacific book renewed nuclear tensions pose ‘existential threat to humanity’
    Asia Pacific Report Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has warned the country needs to maintain its nuclear-free policy as a “fundamental tenet” of its independent foreign policy in the face of gathering global storm clouds. Writing in a new book being published next week, she says “nuclear war is an existential threat to

    ‘Bridge for peace – not more bombs,’ say CNMI Gaza protesters
    By Bryan Manabat in Saipan Advocacy groups in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) disrupted the US Department of Defense’s public meeting this week, which tackled proposed military training plans on Tinian, voicing strong opposition to further militarisation in the Marianas. Members of the Marianas for Palestine, Prutehi Guahan and Commonwealth670 burst into

    Why manufacturing consent for war with Iran failed this time
    COMMENTARY: By Ahmad Ibsais On June 22, American warplanes crossed into Iranian airspace and dropped 14 massive bombs. The attack was not in response to a provocation; it came on the heels of illegal Israeli aggression that took the lives of more than 600 Iranians. This was a return to something familiar and well-practised: an

    A return to Nature.
    Headline: A return to Nature. – 36th Parallel Assessments Thomas Hobbes wrote his seminal work Leviathan in 1651. In it he describes the world system as it was then as being in “a state of nature,” something that some have interpreted as anarchy. However, anarchy has order and purpose. It is not chaos. In fact,

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: 21 Palestinians killed by Israeli army across Gaza

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

    Palestinians are seen near a site of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on June 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 21 Palestinians were killed on Sunday in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip, Gaza’s civil defense said, as the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of wide areas in Gaza City and northern parts of the enclave amid escalating military operations.

    According to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the civil defense in Gaza, Israeli warplanes struck residential houses and tents sheltering displaced people in various areas of the enclave, killing at least 17 people, including women and children. Dozens of others were injured, some critically.

    Basal told Xinhua that four other Palestinians were killed while searching for food near the U.S.-backed aid distribution center in the Shakoush area, north of Rafah in southern Gaza.

    There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on these incidents.

    Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s health authorities, told Xinhua on Sunday the Israeli army has intensified its attacks over the past 24 hours, targeting residential areas and shelter centers.

    “We are witnessing daily casualties and a worsening health crisis. Artillery fire is dispersing crowds waiting for aid,” al-Bursh said, noting that most injuries were to the head and chest.

    Gaza’s health authorities warned that the humanitarian and medical situation has reached catastrophic levels due to the continued blockade that restricts the entry of emergency medical supplies.

    Meanwhile, local sources told Xinhua that Israeli artillery shelled the eastern and southern outskirts of Gaza City, Jabalia in the north, and Khan Younis in the south, amid fierce fighting with Palestinian armed groups.

    Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a press statement on Sunday that its fighters had targeted an Israeli D9 bulldozer with a Yasin 105 missile east of Khan Younis, causing it to catch fire.

    The group also claimed to have shelled Israeli army positions in the Ma’an area with mortars.

    Also on Sunday, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for residents in Jabalia and the Gaza City neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, al-Daraj, and al-Sabra, urging civilians to move to the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza. The directive marks one of the largest evacuation orders issued in recent months.

    Israeli army spokesperson for Arabic media Avichay Adraee warned that military operations would intensify in these areas and expand westward toward the city center.

    Following the warning, witnesses reported that dozens of families fled their homes under heavy bombardment. Streets were filled with civilians, many carrying belongings on foot or in private vehicles, heading southward in search of safety.

    On Sunday, Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned of the danger of what he described as the largest displacement campaign in Gaza since the start of the conflict.

    He urged the United States to pressure Israel to halt its operations and push for a ceasefire to prevent further escalation.

    Abu Rudeineh reaffirmed that any political initiative must guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the 1967 borders.

    At least 6,175 Palestinians had been killed and 21,378 others injured since Israel renewed its intensive strikes in Gaza on March 18, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 56,500, and injuries to 133,419, Gaza’s health authorities said on Sunday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Iran’s top military commander questions Israel’s ceasefire commitment

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

    A state funeral for the military commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day conflict with Israel is held in Tehran, Iran, on June 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Iran’s top military commander on Sunday questioned Israel’s commitment to a recently agreed ceasefire following 12 days of fighting, warning that Tehran was prepared to respond forcefully to any renewed aggression, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

    Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, made the remarks during a phone call with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, as the two discussed the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

    “We have serious doubts about the enemy’s adherence to the ceasefire,” Mousavi said. “If aggression is repeated, we are fully prepared to respond decisively.”

    He accused Israel and the United States of launching attacks on Iran despite what he described as Tehran’s restraint, including during indirect nuclear talks with Washington.

    Saudi Arabia’s defense chief condemned “aggression” against Iran and said Riyadh had made efforts to help end the conflict, according to Tasnim. The two sides also agreed to maintain consultations aimed at improving bilateral ties and promoting regional stability.

    Separately, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, said Tehran had not scheduled any meeting with U.S. officials, rejecting recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump of upcoming nuclear talks, state media reported.

    Speaking at the close of a NATO summit earlier this week, Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials would meet the following week to discuss a possible nuclear deal.

    The conflict escalated on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting military and nuclear facilities. The attacks killed senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, according to Iranian officials.

    Iran retaliated with waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel. On June 22, U.S. forces bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In response, Iran struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

    A ceasefire between Iran and Israel was reached last Tuesday after nearly two weeks of fighting.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cycling boom fuels economy, urban vitality in north China city

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

    As the sun rises over a green fitness trail in Xingtai in north China’s Hebei Province, a group of cyclists pedals in unison, their wheels humming along the smooth, tree-lined path.

    “The road is flat and smooth, without any noticeable slopes. It’s a real pleasure to ride here,” said Zhao Wei, a cycling enthusiast with eight years of riding experience.

    Nowadays, as more people turn to cycling for fitness, stress relief and social connection, the humble bicycle has evolved far beyond its traditional role as a mere mode of transport.

    In Xingtai, a city renowned for its bicycle manufacturing industry, the local government is charting a new course as it works to shape a distinctive urban identity as a “City of Bicycles.”

    This year, Xingtai launched an initiative to integrate cycling with wellness and tourism. So far, more than 50 cycling-friendly tourism routes have been developed, each blending physical activity with local culture and lifestyle.

    Some routes highlight revolutionary history, while others combine cycling with traditional health practices such as herbal therapy and Tai Chi-themed parks, transforming simple rides into immersive cultural experiences.

    Data shows that the return rate of tourists participating in cycling tours has reached 35 percent, significantly higher than that of traditional sightseeing tours.

    “Each cycling route is carefully designed with both safety and scenic value in mind, combining public participation with professional competitions, and blending health, leisure and culture,” said Guo Qingbo, deputy director of Xingtai Sports Bureau.

    The city’s vibrant cycling culture is evident in the rising number of local club members.

    According to Wang Zhenping, general manager of a cycling club in Xingtai, the club has registered over 30,000 members since its founding in 2008. In the first five months of this year alone, more than 3,000 new members joined.

    “Many families are joining together, which reflects a new trend in people’s health awareness and consumption habits,” Wang said.

    Xingtai is also tapping into the potential of cycling competitions, projecting the city not only as a venue for races but also as a vibrant display of urban vitality.

    In May, the city hosted multiple large-scale cycling events that attracted hundreds of professional and amateur riders from across the country.

    Such events are driving the rise of a new “cycling economy,” boosting consumption in sectors such as sports equipment, wellness services, tourism, dining and lodging.

    Statistics show that cycling tourists spend an average of 2.3 times more than ordinary visitors, with over 60 percent of that spending going toward gear upgrades and health-related services.

    Xingtai’s ambition to become a cycling capital is backed by solid industrial foundations. With bicycle manufacturing dating back to the 1970s, it remains one of the city’s key industries.

    Today, Xingtai is home to over 4,500 bicycle producers, with an annual output of 20 million adult bicycles and 80 million children’s bicycles.

    China’s cycling boom is part of the country’s broader efforts to build itself into a leading sporting nation. With its wide accessibility and eco-friendly appeal, cycling has emerged as one of the fastest-growing forms of public exercise.

    According to the General Administration of Sport of China, the number of people who regularly engage in physical exercise nationwide rose from 360 million in 2014 to 550 million in 2023, with the proportion of the population participating in sports increasing from 26 percent to 39 percent.

    Official data also show that China’s sports industry reached a total output of nearly 3.7 trillion yuan (about 516.56 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, reflecting strong momentum in sectors such as sporting goods manufacturing, outdoor events and health services. Cities like Xingtai are riding this wave by aligning local development with national sports policies.

    Currently, as China’s bicycle market shifts toward premium models, manufacturers in Xingtai are seizing the opportunity to upgrade.

    Efforts are underway to strengthen the industrial chain and promote the rapid shift of the bicycle industry toward the middle and high-end market, a local official said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “It Is Those Who Can Least Afford It Who Are Going To Be Hit The Hardest”– In Speech on Senate Floor, Cantwell Shows How GOP’s Budget Sells Out the American People

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    06.29.25

    “It Is Those Who Can Least Afford It Who Are Going To Be Hit The Hardest”– In Speech on Senate Floor, Cantwell Shows How GOP’s Budget Sells Out the American People

    Cantwell: From kicking 17 million Americans off Medicaid & other health insurance to effectively cancelling state AI protections, the budget proposed by Congressional Republicans is a cash grab for corporations & the rich — at the expense of everyone else

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as the Senate prepares to vote on a new budget that would gut $930 billion from Medicaid, funnel resources to special interests via massive corporate tax breaks, and add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) delivered a speech on the Senate floor to highlight how various provisions included in the 940-page document ultimately sell out the American people.

    “This bill would make the entire health care system less responsive and more expensive for everyone by dismantling Medicaid and shifting more of the cost burden on to states — and threatening the very existence of rural hospitals. This bill also sells spectrum out from under our national defense and safety agencies and forces states to choose between protecting their citizens from dangerous AI or providing broadband service, and just gives away big breaks to companies like Meta — that’s Facebook — or Google, who I’m sure at this point in time don’t really need that additional tax break. Clearly, though, the most [egregious] and certainly most destructive part of the bill, of this reconciliation, is the changes to health care,” Sen. Cantwell said.

    “You’re going to increase the cost of uncompensated care. You’re going to make people wait to go to emergency rooms and then they’re going to be sicker,” she said. “It’s ten times more expensive to deal with somebody at an emergency room than just get health insurance and get covered.”

    “Yes, extending the 2017 tax cuts does help some middle-class families, and we would support that. But all the hits in other areas — like health insurance — mean they will lose money overall. The lowest 20% of income brackets are hit even harder. In this massive bill, it is those who can least afford it who are going to be hit the hardest,” Sen. Cantwell concluded.

    Her speech can be watched in full HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    Sen. Cantwell, who serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has been fighting this proposed budget every step of the way.

    To sound the alarm on proposed Medicaid cuts, Sen. Cantwell hosted a virtual press conference on Friday with Republican leaders from red states – Utah, North Carolina, and Missouri. On Monday, she delivered another speech on the Senate floor highlighting the story of the Winterrose family in Richland, WA, who rely on Medicaid to ensure their 5-year-old daughter can live at home. Last month, she convened a group of health care providers across Washington state for a virtual press conference to highlight statewide opposition to the cuts.  The same day, 23 Republican members of the Washington state legislature sent a letter to the entire Washington state federal congressional delegation, urging the delegation to “protect Medicaid funding for Washington State.”

    When details of her Republican colleagues’ plan to slash Medicaid were made public earlier this year, Sen. Cantwell toured the state to hear from folks who would be directly impacted by the cuts. Doctors, patients, and health care providers in Seattle, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Wenatchee warned that such cuts would devastate Washington state’s health care system and limit access to lifesaving care. 

    Sen. Cantwell also released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that Medicaid cuts would have on Washington state’s highly-ranked long-term care system for seniors and people with disabilities. In February, she released a snapshot report that demonstrated how cuts would harm health care access in Washington state, and she followed up with a report in March that dove into impacts on the Puget Sound region. Last week, the Senator released a fact sheet that warned of dire consequences for reproductive health care in Washington state if the Republican reconciliation bill is passed.

    In her remarks today, Sen. Cantwell also discussed new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), available here, of the impact of the Republican plan’s cuts to Medicaid.  In addition, a Joint Economic Committee (JEC) fact sheet, available here, provides updated estimates for all 50 states and D.C. of the estimated number of people losing their health insurance. The JEC data broken down by Congressional District is available here.

    A previous version of the bill included a provision that would have required the federal government to sell off millions of acres of public land. On Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell held a virtual press conference with the mayor of Boise, professional climbers, a leader from outdoor gear retailer REI, and a spokesperson for a hunting and angling advocacy group to fight back – yesterday, the provision was dropped.

    Earlier this week, Sen. Cantwell criticized new reconciliation bill language released by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) which forces states receiving Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding to choose between expanding broadband or protecting consumers from harms caused by artificial intelligence for ten years. Cruz’s new language would also auction spectrum critical to national defense: “The newly released language by Chair Cruz continues to hold $42 billion in BEAD funding hostage, forcing states to choose between protecting consumers and expanding critical broadband infrastructure to rural communities,” Sen. Cantwell said earlier this week. “Forty state attorneys general oppose the AI moratorium that would leave every American vulnerable to AI-assisted fraud, theft, and abuse at a time when we should be strengthening consumer protections. This bill would auction off spectrum essential for military drone operations and risk grounding both civilian and military aircraft due to interference with airplane altimeters. It would jeopardize our weather tracking radar systems and the bands we rely on for WiFi connectivity. And for what? So telecommunications companies—the same ones that failed to protect Americans from Salt Typhoon—can profit and Trump can hawk more of his $47.45 phone plans. This is a fundamental threat to our national defense and a massive giveaway to China.” Sen. Cruz claims that the ten-year moratorium on states’ enforcement of AI laws applies only to a new $500 million appropriation. However, concerns remain that the bill’s text still leverages broadband funding to deny states the ability to protect their citizens from AI-assisted fraud, theft, and abuse.

    The Senate is currently scheduled to vote on the budget bill late tonight or early tomorrow morning. If the bill passes the Senate, it will go back to the House for at least 72 hours of consideration before a House vote.

    MIL OSI USA News –