NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ACT backs end to corrosive public sector DEI appointments

    Source:

    ACT is welcoming confirmation that public service reform will put merit, not identity, at the heart of what it means to be a public servant.

    “If you’re vying to become a public service boss, it shouldn’t matter whether you’re brown, white, or blue. What matters is whether you are competent to deliver the services we expect for our taxes,” says ACT Public Service spokesperson Todd Stephenson.

    “A creeping focus on people’s identity over merit in the public sector is corrosive. It distracts from service delivery, elevates less competent candidates, and is fundamentally racist.

    “Now, with ACT in government, we’re cutting out the ideological rot. Our coalition agreement commits to amending the Public Service Act ‘to clarify the role of the public service, drive performance, and ensure accountability to deliver on the agenda of the government of the day.’

    “New Zealanders don’t care about the identity of the person procuring life-saving medicines, improving the education system, or responding to natural disasters – so long as it’s the person with the best skills and experience doing it.

    “Real inclusion means treating people as individuals, not representatives of demographic groups. It’s difficult to convince public servants to treat all New Zealanders equally when their own organisation hires people through a lens of identity.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ACT backs legal certainty for Fiordland’s successful hunter-led conservation

    Source:

    ACT Conservation spokesperson Cameron Luxton is welcoming the Hunting and Fishing Minister’s moves toward designating wapiti as a Herd of Special Interest in Fiordland National Park, calling it a win for conservation, regional tourism, and common sense.

    “The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation has spent years doing what government departments struggle to do. They manage the herd, trap pests, maintain huts, and protect native species like the blue duck/whio. And they do it all without asking taxpayers for a cent,” says Luxton.

    Forest and Bird has opposed the move, comparing it to creating a ‘sanctuary for stoats.’

    “That sort of rhetoric says more about Forest and Bird’s eco-fundamentalist ideology than the facts. We’re never going back to a pre-human ecology. Allowing hunter-led management of the wapiti population frees up DoC resources to deal with greater threats to native wildlife, such as stoats and rats.

    “Forest and Bird needs to wake up and realise that hunters are conservationists too.”

    Luxton says ACT backs the Government’s move to ensure Herds of Special Interest can be recognised in national parks, as originally intended.

    “When passionate hunters are already getting the job done, the role of government should be to get out of the way. Or at the very least, provide legal certainty so they can keep going.”

    Editor’s note: Cameron Luxton is the sponsor of the Conservation (Membership of New Zealand Conservation Authority) Amendment Bill, which would ensure hunters and fishers are represented on the Conservation Authority, just as Forest and Bird is already. The Bill is currently in Parliament’s member’s bill ballot.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Young detainees often have poor mental health. The earlier they’re incarcerated, the worse it gets

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emaediong I. Akpanekpo, PhD Candidate, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Populist rhetoric targeting young offenders often leads to kneejerk punitive responses, such as stricter bail laws and lowering the age of criminal responsibility. This, in turn, has led to more young people being held in detention.

    In Australia, the number of young people held in detention facilities increased by 8% (from 784 to 845) between the June quarter of 2023 and the June quarter of 2024.

    But what if some of these young people were treated and helped, rather than incarcerated? A series of recently published studies examining mental health in the youth justice population suggests treatment would be more beneficial than punitive measures – some of which may even promote persistent offending.

    Increased incarceration

    New South Wales saw a 31% increase in young people in detention between 2023 and 2024.

    Increases in youth detention numbers have also been reported in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania and South Australia over the same period.

    About 60% of young people in detention are First Nations youth.

    Custody as a catalyst

    Young people in the justice system have significantly higher rates of mental ill-health and adverse childhood experiences than their peers in the general population.

    However, less clear is how involvement in the justice system, particularly custody, affects the severity and trajectory of these mental health issues over time.

    Our team examined how exposure to the justice system affected mental health among young people in NSW. We analysed administrative health and justice data over two years post-supervision.

    These data came from more than 1,500 justice-involved youth who participated in the Young People in Custody Health Survey in 2003, 2009 and 2015 and Young People on Community Orders Health Survey between 2003 and 2006.

    We found young people who had spent time in custody faced markedly higher rates of subsequent psychiatric hospitalisation compared with those supervised in the community.

    The risk of psychiatric hospitalisations was higher for those with multiple custody episodes. This demonstrates the significant negative impact of incarceration on the mental health of young people long after they are released.

    We also examined how the impact of custody on psychiatric hospitalisations differed by age.

    We found psychiatric hospitalisation rates were similar among youth aged 14–17 years who had been supervised in the community, compared with those aged 18 and older.

    However, youth aged 14–17 who were placed in custody were hospitalised at significantly higher rates than their older peers aged 18 and above.

    This suggests incarceration is particularly harmful for younger offenders.

    How does this affect crime?

    When we examined the long-term consequences of youth detention on subsequent offending, we found conviction during adolescence, especially before the age of 14, significantly increased the likelihood of later entering the adult prison system.

    Those who were incarcerated during adolescence faced a fivefold increase in the risk of being incarcerated as an adult, compared with young people who’d never been in custody.

    This suggests it may be beneficial to delay the involvement of young people in the justice system to help prevent repeat offending in the future.

    Breaking the cycle

    So what can be done to help?

    In NSW, laws allow young people with mental health conditions to be diverted from judicial processes into treatment. Such laws for young people also exist in other states, although specific models vary.

    While research shows those diverted into treatment have a lower risk of reoffending, less than half of eligible youth receive this option.

    How do we help those who miss out? Our studies examined whether going to mental health services voluntarily (without a court order) could help reduce recidivism.

    Among boys who had been in custody, we found they were 40% less likely to reoffend if they received mental health treatment after release than those who did not receive such treatment.

    A similar, but larger, benefit was observed among boys supervised in the community. There, mental health treatment was associated with a 57% reduction in reoffending risk.

    Evidence-based reform

    Evidence shows punitive measures do not deter youth crime, but instead are likely to perpetuate cycles of offending into adulthood.

    Policymakers should reimagine youth justice to protect young people and create real pathways to rehabilitation.

    Raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to delay the onset of formal contact with the justice system aligns with developmental science and prevents early criminalisation of young people.



    Read more:
    Locking up young people might make you feel safer but it doesn’t work, now or in the long term

    Enhancing routine mental health screening in the justice system and expanding access to diversion programs is warranted.

    Our findings on the benefits of routine mental health treatment highlight the potential for more integrated approaches. When combined with wraparound services for health and education, they could be even more effective.

    As detaining a young person costs around $1 million annually, mental health treatment-based approaches make sound financial sense too.

    Tony Butler receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Emaediong I. Akpanekpo 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. Young detainees often have poor mental health. The earlier they’re incarcerated, the worse it gets – https://theconversation.com/young-detainees-often-have-poor-mental-health-the-earlier-theyre-incarcerated-the-worse-it-gets-252376

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders on Trump’s ‘Disastrous’ Reconciliation Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, May 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today  gave remarks on the floor of the Senate opposing Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill which will cut Medicaid, nutrition, education, and other programs for working families. 

    Sanders remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched HERE:

    The American people, whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents, understand that we have a corrupt campaign finance system which allows billionaires and their lobbyists to play an enormously powerful role in electing candidates, defeating candidates and in crafting legislation. This is true of the Democratic Party and it is true of the Republican Party. 

    Today, with Republicans in control of the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, we are seeing how this corrupt process plays out for the priorities of the Republican party and for their billionaire campaign contributors.

    M. President: This so-called reconciliation bill, President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that the Republicans are rushing through the House right now is a rather extraordinary piece of legislation. In many respects, given the crises facing our country, this legislation does exactly the opposite of what should be done.

    It is no secret that we have more income and wealth inequality in our country today than we have ever had.

    Today, the wealthiest man in the world, Mr. Elon Musk, who is now worth more than $400 billion, owns more wealth than the bottom 52% of American society. The top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. And CEOs of large corporations now make over 350 times what their workers make.

    Unbelievably, according to the RAND Corporation, over the past 50 years, nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90% of the American people to the top 1%.

    What we have seen is the very wealthiest people in America are becoming much richer while at the same time, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and many millions of families are struggling to put food on the table. That is the economic reality of today.

    What does President Trump and Republicans’ reconciliation bill do to address this grossly unfair and unstable situation? What are they doing when the very rich are becoming much richer while working families struggle?

    Here’s the answer: this legislation makes the rich and wealthy campaign contributors even richer while making life harder and more stressful for the working families of our country.

    This legislation provides massive tax breaks to the top 1% and large corporations in our country and pays for these tax cuts by cutting Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, nutrition, education and other programs that are life and death for working families.

    Let me give you one example of how outrageous this legislation is.

    As currently written, this bill provides a $235 billion tax break to the top two-tenths of 1% by increasing the estate tax exemption for couples to $30 million.

    The estate tax is only applicable to the very wealthiest people in this country who inherit substantial sums of money from a relative.

    Under this provision, a couple that inherits $30 million would now pay ZERO tax on that inheritance. Once again, this provision applies only to the top two-tenths of 1% of Americans – the very, very wealthiest people in this country. 99.8% of Americans would not benefit by one nickel under this provision.

    Further, M. President, this legislation would provide a $420 billion tax break to large, profitable corporations that are stashing their profits in the Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens and who, by the way, are replacing American workers with robots.

    Bottom line: The tax provisions in the reconciliation bill provide huge benefits to the people in our country who need them the least while doing great harm to ordinary Americans. 

    M. President, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, you know that our current health care system is broken, it is dysfunctional, it is cruel and it is wildly expensive. 

    Despite spending almost twice as much per capita on health care as any other major nation, some 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured. And we remain the only major country on earth not to guarantee healthcare to all as a human right.

    So, given that reality, how does this reconciliation bill address the horrific health care crisis in America? Does it expand health care to more Americans and lower the number of uninsured? Does it take on the greed of the insurance companies and the drug companies who make tens and tens of billions of dollars every year by ripping off the people of our country? Is that what this reconciliation bill does? Not quite.

    What this legislation does do is cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by $715 billion, which the Congressional Budget Office has estimated would eliminate  health insurance for over 13.7 million Americans. In other words, this legislation makes a very bad situation, in terms of our health care crisis, catastrophically worse.

    If we were to pass this bill, the number of Americans who would be uninsured or underinsured would rise to almost 100 million Americans. In other words, instead of lowering the number of uninsured or underinsured people in this country, this bill greatly increases that number. But that’s not all that this legislation does.

    This bill forces millions of Medicaid recipients who make as little as $16,000 a year to pay a co-pay of $35 each time they visit a doctor when they get sick – up to 5% of their annual income. What will be the impact of that?

    According to a study from Yale University some 68,000 Americans die every year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.

    Now, if you’re making a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year, the odds are that a $35 co-payment will not deter you from going to the doctor. You may not like it, but you fork over the $35 to go to the doctor when you are sick.

    But M. President, if you are a low income American and you are struggling to pay the rent, or you’re struggling to buy food for your kids or pay for child care, that $35 co-pay may be just too much – and the result is that you don’t see the doctor when you should.

    M. President: When you throw almost 14 million Americans off the health insurance they have and when you force low-income people to pay a $35 co-payment that they can’t afford to pay, no one can deny that many thousands more Americans will die if this bill is signed into law.

    This bill is a death sentence for many thousands and thousands of people.

    Further, M. President, when Trump and the Republicans in the House make massive cuts to Medicaid, they are also talking about making massive cuts to community health centers which provide primary health care to over 32 million low-income and working class Americans.

    Community health centers rely on Medicaid for 43% of their revenue. When you make massive cuts to Medicaid you are significantly cutting back on the access that millions of low-income and working class Americans will have to primary health care.

    M. President, it is not just community health centers that would be devastated by this legislation. All across this country,  rural hospitals are shutting down and facing enormous financial pressure. This legislation will only accelerate those closures and bring increased hardship to rural America at a time when rural America already has enough problems.

    Here is what Rick Pollack, the president and CEO of the American Hospital Association said: “These proposed cuts will not make the Medicaid program work better for the 72 million Americans who rely on it. Instead, it will lead to millions of hardworking Americans losing access to health care and many of our nation’s hospitals struggling to maintain services and stay open for their communities.”

    Further, M. President, I hope my colleagues will listen to what Bruce Siegel, the president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals said in opposition to this bill: “Hospitals, which already operate on thin margins, cannot absorb such losses without reducing services or closing their doors altogether.”

    That is exactly what rural America does not need. We don’t need more hospitals shutting down. M. President, we cannot allow that to happen.

    And let’s be clear: It’s not just hospitals and community health centers that are opposed to this legislation. Physicians throughout this country have also come out in strong opposition to this legislation.

    Let me read from a statement issued today in opposition to this bill from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association: “Our organizations, representing more than 400,000 physicians who serve millions of patients, are alarmed by proposals to implement cuts or other structural changes to Medicaid during the budget reconciliation process. Cuts to Medicaid will have grave consequences for patients, communities and the entire health care system. With reduced federal funding, it will be harder for patients to access care, states will be forced to drop enrollees from coverage, and it will limit the health care services patients can access and cut payment rates … The impact of cuts to Medicaid funding is significant and wide-reaching, and it must be reconsidered.”

    That’s what medical organizations in our country representing 400,000 doctors are saying about this disastrous piece of legislation.

    Further, M. President, at a time when 22% of our seniors are trying to survive on less than $15,000 a year, this legislation will make it much harder for seniors and people with disabilities to receive the care they desperately need in nursing homes. When Medicaid provides over 60% of the revenue nursing homes rely on, slashing Medicaid will be a disaster for the seniors and disabled who need to live in nursing home care.

    And that’s not all that this legislation is doing.

    For the vast majority of Americans, including myself, who believe that women should have the right to control their own bodies, this bill essentially defunds Planned Parenthood which provides vital health care to millions of women.

    But it is not just our health care system that would be devastated under this legislation.

    While this bill provides massive tax breaks to billionaires, it would cut $290 billion from nutrition programs that would take food away from an estimated 4 million children and about half a million seniors.

    M. President: I don’t know if there is any religion in this world where it would be morally appropriate to take food out of the mouths of hungry kids and frail seniors in order to provide more tax breaks to billionaires?

    Further, M. President: For the many young people in our country struggling with student debt and others who wonder how they will ever be able to afford to go to college, this bill cuts federal funding for education by more than $350 billion.

    What does that mean? Among other things, it means that the average student loan borrower with a bachelor’s degree in America would see his or her loan payments increase by about $3,000 per year – or some $244 a month.

    At a time when college is now unaffordable for millions of young people, at a time when we desperately need a well-educated population and the best educated workforce in the world, this bill moves us in the wrong direction.

    Finally, M. President, at a time when we already spend more on the military than the next nine nations combined and when everyone knows there is massive waste and fraud in the Pentagon, this bill increases defense spending by $150 billion.

    And M. President, this is just some of what’s in this terrible bill. There are many other horrific provisions which are equally damaging that I have not touched upon.

    M. President, it seems to me that this bill reflects exactly what is wrong with our current corrupt political system. When we have massive income and wealth inequality, our job is to demand that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes, not give huge tax breaks to the very rich.

    When 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, our job should be to guarantee health care to every man, woman and child in this country, not throw 13 million Americans off of the health care they currently have.

    When children and seniors go hungry here in the wealthiest country on Earth, our job should be to make sure that all Americans have the nutrition they need to lead healthy lives, not increase the level of hunger in our country. 

    M. President, in many respects, this bill represents exactly why many Americans are giving up on democracy and  have such contempt for Congress. At a time when the richest people have never had it so good, they see Republican leadership working overtime to make the billionaire class even richer. 

    At a time when a majority of Americans are struggling to put food on the table and pay for health care, they see Republican leadership making life even more difficult for average Americans.

    M. President, this is a disastrous piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces PORCUPINE Act to Support Taiwan’s Self-Defense

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Providing Our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments (PORCUPINE) Act. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) is the lead Democrat sponsor. The PORCUPINE Act will help streamline the process for arms sales to Taiwan regulated by the Arms Export Control Act. Currently, sales to NATO member states and other close allies and partners of the United States have shorter congressional notification timelines and higher threshold values. However, Taiwan is not currently included on that list. The bill will also make it easier for our allies and partners to send U.S.-origin weapons to Taiwan. 

    “On my recent CODEL to Taiwan, I saw a partner ready and willing to provide for its own self-defense in the face of increasing aggression by Communist China,” said Ricketts. “However, our antiquated arms sales process and struggling defense industrial base have prevented Taiwan from getting the weapons it needs in a timely manner. The PORCUPINE Act will make it easier for us to send arms to Taiwan, quicker, while also creating a process for our closest allies and partners to do the same.”

    “Taiwan is on the front lines of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and defending the island and our values requires that we swiftly provide the weapons systems it needs—but in the face of Chinese greyzone pressure and the constant threat of invasion, it takes far too long to deliver these weapons,” said Coons. “China isn’t going to bide its time and wait for arms sales to be completed before launching an attack. Passing the PORCUPINE Act today is the first of many steps we need to take to update our arms sales process and ensure our Taiwanese partners have what they need to defend themselves.”

    The PORCUPINE Act would:

    • Put Taiwan in the NATO-plus category for shorter formal Congressional notification times and higher weapons value thresholds.
    • Require the Secretary of State to establish an expedited decision-making process for blanket third party transfers of defense articles and services from NATO member countries, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand or Israel to Taiwan, including transfers and re-transfers of U.S. origin grant, FMS, and DCS end-items not covered by an exemption under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

    BACKGROUND:

    Under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the Department of State (State) submits to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee a notification of a prospective major arms sale before the executive branch takes further formal action. This allows committees to ask questions or raise concerns prior to State initiating a formal notification. State will generally not proceed as long as one of the four corners has a hold on a sale during the informal process. 

    After the informal notification process is complete, the AECA requires the President to formally notify Congress 30 days before issuing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for an Foreign Military Sales(FMS)-administered sale, enhancement, or upgrading of major defense equipment valued at $14 million or more; the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of defense articles or services valued at $50 million or more; or the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of design and construction services valued at $200 million or more. In the case of such sales to NATO member states, NATO, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel, or New Zealand, the President must formally notify Congress 15 calendar days before proceeding with the sale. The prior notice threshold values for transfers to these recipients are $25 million for the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of major defense equipment; $100 million for the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of defense articles and defense services; and $300 million for the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of design and construction services.

    A similar process for formal notification times and thresholds exists between NATO-Plus countries and other countries for Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), as well. FMS involves the U.S. government acting as an intermediary, facilitating a government-to-government transaction, while DCS allows direct contracts between US companies and foreign entities. DCS offers more flexibility in contract terms and conditions. FMS often include a “total package” approach, encompassing training, spare parts, and other support, potentially leading to higher initial costs. FMS contracts typically adhere to U.S. military standards, ensuring interoperability with US forces. DCS contracts may offer non-standard configurations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: E. Macron calls for Europe’s strategic independence amid weakening US support

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    PARIS, May 14 (Xinhua) — It would be irresponsible for Europeans not to prepare for strategic independence from the United States within the next five to 10 years, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with TF1 television on Tuesday.

    Because of the systematic “America First” policy, “US interests will become less and less /focused/ on Europe,” he is sure.

    The president pointed to a clear trend of Washington’s disengagement from its European allies over the past 15 years. It began “when the United States decided not to join us in Syria, when they unilaterally withdrew from Afghanistan, and you can see it in recent months,” Macron said, referring to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

    Calling the current global climate a “moment of geopolitical awakening,” the French leader stressed that the European Union, originally created as a project for peace, must now solve the problem of how to remain “free.”

    Asked how the EU should respond to US tariffs, Macron vehemently opposed a trade war but stressed Europe’s resolve. “We are here and we will fight to the end,” he said. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Colleagues in Introducing Resolution Condemning $400 Million Airplane Gift to Trump from Qatar

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Coons (D-DE), and other Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution in the Senate condemning President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, that he announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. The U.S. Constitution prohibits the President of the United States from accepting a gift from a foreign state without the consent of Congress as a way to prevent bribery and corruption.
    “Donald Trump is accepting a multimillion dollar plane from a foreign government as a personal gift, while clearly ignoring the Constitution,” said Senator Rosen. “Trump gets richer off of his position while hardworking families suffer from his reckless actions. This is corruption plain and simple, and I’m supporting this resolution to make our strong opposition clear.”
    The full text of the resolution can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been leading the fight to clean up Washington. Last year, her bipartisan No CORRUPTION Act was signed into law to ban former members of Congress from receiving a taxpayer-funded pension during their appeals process after being convicted of certain felonies related to their time in office. Following the Supreme Court decision that Presidents are immune from prosecution for “official” actions, Senator Rosen joined her colleagues in introducing a constitutional amendment to make it clear that no one, including the President, is above the law in the United States. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Cosponsors Resolution Condemning $400 Million Airplane Gift to Trump From Qatar, Reiterating Constitutional Ban on Such Gifts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Cosponsors Resolution Condemning $400 Million Airplane Gift to Trump From Qatar, Reiterating Constitutional Ban on Such Gifts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined 26 other Senators in introducing a resolution condemning President Trump’s acceptance of a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are leading the resolution.
    Senator Padilla, along with his Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues, raised concerns about the potential for Qatari influence on the Trump Administration during Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s committee hearings. AG Bondi was previously registered as a foreign agent for the government of Qatar and Director Patel did previous “consulting work” for the Qatari government.
    “While Republicans in Congress are working to gut Medicaid and Social Security, President Trump is brazenly accepting a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar — for his use during and after he leaves office,” said Senator Padilla. “Once again, Trump is showing us that he puts his own interests above those of the American people, benefiting himself and leaving working families behind. This foreign gift reeks of corruption, is blatantly against the law, threatens our national security, and will cost taxpayers tens of millions in retrofit costs and security upgrades.”
    “President Trump’s penchant for corruption and grift has risen to a new level with the news his presidency is for sale – if you happen to have $400 million dollars,” said Leader Schumer. “This Qatari plane deal would be the largest Presidential bribe in modern history and it’s not just naked corruption, it’s a grave national security threat. Senate Republicans may bury their heads in the sand while Trump tries to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies, but Senate Democrats are going to stand up for the American people and say enough is enough – we condemn this attempt at corruption and gross violation of the Constitution.”
    “The Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress,” said Senator Schatz. “Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. We are asking the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no president should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”
    “We wouldn’t trust another country to decorate the Oval Office, to set up our Situation Room, or to wire the White House briefing room, so why would we let another country build Air Force One for us, which is an airborne version of all three? This isn’t just a massive act of corruption, it’s a national security risk of the highest order,” said Senator Coons, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “If President Trump is so willing to put his own administration in danger for the sake of a $400 million gift, imagine how much danger he’s willing to put the American people in.”
    In addition to Senator Padilla, the resolution is also cosponsored by Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New global data: New Zealand ranks alarmingly low for child wellbeing, mental health

    Source: UNICEF

    Wednesday 14th May 2025 – New Zealand has ranked fourth lowest out of 36 OECD and EU countries for child well being in a new report just released by UNICEF.

    For mental wellbeing, New Zealand was the lowest ranking country, in 36th place out of 36 countries with available data.

    New Zealand showed the single highest youth suicide rate in the analysed countries during the reporting period – almost three times higher than the average for high-income countries.The report cites suicide as the fourth most common cause of death globally among adolescents aged 15-19 years.

    The latest in a UNICEF Innocenti research series spanning 25 years, Report Card 19: Fragile Gains – Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World uses globally comparable datasets to provide critical insight into child wellbeing in the world’s wealthier countries between 2018-2022. While it is encouraging that recent domestic statistics on suspected suicide indicate that rates may be slightly decreasing, New Zealand is still a notable outliercompared to other countries and our rates are much too high.  

    The report also shows where Aotearoa is falling behind on other key issues facing children – including physical wellbeing, where New Zealand has the third highest percentage of overweight children, and bullying, where the percentage of bullied children is the second highest.

    UNICEF Aotearoa CEO Michelle Sharp says the data should be a wake-up call and the upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the government to create positive change.

    “Too many children in Aotearoa are missing out on their childhood. We’re calling on the government to direct funding towards addressing these problems and to shift the dial, so New Zealand is not ranked so alarmingly close to the bottom of the table when it comes to child wellbeing. The government can act now, and act quickly to make positive impacts if it chooses to,” she says.

    UNICEF Aotearoa is deeply concerned about what the report tells us on children and young people’s wellbeing in our country, and the trajectory this continues to take since 2022.Recent data captured in the Government’s own Annual Report on the Child and Youth Strategy, as well as the most recent child poverty data from Statistics NZ, indicates that on major themes relating to poverty and mental wellbeing, the data has not improved in the last two years.

    Food security, affordable housing, hospital admissions and material hardship all continue to show negative trends.  

    Faced with this stark data, UNICEF Aotearoa is calling on the government to address economic inequality and to prioritise funding for suicide prevention in the upcoming Budget, particularly for Māori and Pacific youth, who are disproportionately represented in negative statistics.    

    UNICEF Aotearoa Director of Advocacy and Programmes Teresa Tepania-Ashton saysthere are several measures that could be implemented quickly.

    “Immediately expanding eligibility for the Best Start payment to all children up to the age of five and laying out a roadmap for expanding eligibility up to the age of 18 would help tackle economic inequality and make a positive difference to many whānau in Aotearoa who are doing it really tough at the moment,” she says.

    “We also support calls for the government to address food insecurity by fully funding an expanded Ka Ora Ka Ako healthy school lunches programme, ensuring that all children across every school and early childhood centre have access to nutritious meals, thereby tackling food insecurity quickly”.

    Sharp says child wellbeing in New Zealand is a political choice.

    “The quality of life being experienced by the tamariki and rangatahi in this country is down to political choice, and we urge our decision-makers to make the right choices and directly invest in children in the imminent Budget and beyond”.  

    Sharp says child wellbeing in New Zealand is a political choice.

    “The quality of life being experienced by the tamariki and rangatahi in this country is down to political choice, and we urge our decision-makers to make the right choices and directly invest in children in the imminent Budget and beyond”.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi congratulates Australian PM Albanese on reelection

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Xi congratulates Australian PM Albanese on reelection

    Xinhua | May 14, 2025

    Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday congratulated Anthony Albanese on his reelection as Australian prime minister.

    Xi said that over the past three years, he had met with Prime Minister Albanese, and engaged with him in in-depth discussions on strategic, comprehensive and directional issues concerning the development of China-Australia relations.

    These discussions led to important consensuses that have provided strategic guidance to improve and grow bilateral ties, he added.

    Strengthening cooperation between China and Australia, Xi said, is of great significance for achieving shared development and promoting world peace and stability.

    The Chinese president also expressed his readiness to work with Albanese to advance the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership in a steady fashion, delivering greater benefits to the people of both countries.

    On the same day, Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Albanese, saying that China is willing to work with the new Australian government to promote a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China Book Corner inaugurated in Bangladesh

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

    A China Book Corner was officially inaugurated at the National Library of Bangladesh on Sunday in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The unveiling ceremony and subsequent “Reading China” China-Bangladesh Youth Exchange brought together nearly 300 participants, including representatives from governments, media organizations, universities, and enterprises of both countries.

    Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG), speaks at the China Book Corner unveiling ceremony in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 11, 2025. [Photo/CICG]

    In his opening remarks, Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG), noted that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, and it is also the China-Bangladesh People-to-People Exchange Year. He said he hopes that the book corner and exchange event would deepen cultural ties and mutual understanding. 

    Du said books are vital bridges for the exchange of civilizations, and he encouraged young people to embrace reading and dialogue to better understand other cultures.

    Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, honorable adviser of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh, speaks at the China Book Corner unveiling ceremony in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 11, 2025. [Photo/CICG]

    Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, honorable adviser of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh, called the book corner a key outcome of the two countries’ leadership exchanges and a model of cultural cooperation. He expressed hope for expanded collaboration in fields such as new media and film.

    Yao Wen, Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, speaks at the China Book Corner unveiling ceremony in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 11, 2025. [Photo/CICG]

    Yao Wen, Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, highlighted the millennium-old cultural ties between China and Bangladesh, saying the new book corner would serve as a high-quality platform for deepening mutual understanding and promoting cultural exchange.

    Mofidur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh, speaks at the China Book Corner inaugural ceremony in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 11, 2025. [Photo/CICG]

    Mofidur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh, emphasized that with growing cooperation in infrastructure and economic development, it is the right time to expand into cultural collaboration. He said the book corner would open a new window for the Bangladeshi public to better understand China.

    The China Book Corner is officially inaugurated at the National Library of Bangladesh in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 11, 2025. [Photo/CICG]

    The book corner received a donation of more than 1,200 books, including titles covering China’s politics, culture, science, and agriculture.

    Jointly hosted by CICG, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, this event was part of CICG’s broader cultural exchange initiative in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, as well as the China-Bangladesh People-to-People Exchange Year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Readers forum on ‘Xi Jinping: The Governance of China’ held in Bangladesh

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

    Chinese representatives present Bangladeshi counterparts with the books during the China-Bangladesh Readers Forum on “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 11, 2025. The forum was held recently here with more than 350 attendees from the political, academic, business and media circles of both China and Bangladesh. [Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua]

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s listed firms log solid Q1 earnings on thriving consumption, tech innovation

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

    Despite global economic uncertainties, China’s listed companies posted solid first-quarter performance in 2025, driven by robust consumer spending and steady advances in technological innovation.

    Among the 5,400 listed companies that have released financial reports for the first quarter (Q1), more than 70 percent were in the black, according to financial information provider Wind.

    The combined net profit attributable to shareholders of all listed firms came in at 1.49 trillion yuan (about 207 billion U.S. dollars), up 3.64 percent from a year ago, the data showed.

    According to analysts, the Q1 reports reflect a surge in emerging consumption trends and booming technological innovation among China’s listed companies, underscoring the country’s ongoing shift toward high-quality development.

    The consumer sector emerged as a bright spot in first-quarter earnings, with listed consumer companies reporting a 4.7 percent year-on-year rise in revenue and a 14.7 percent increase in net profit attributable to shareholders, both outpacing the average growth rate of non-financial firms.

    Appliance makers were among the top gainers, supported by the government-backed trade-in scheme. During the period, the household appliance and consumer electronics segments posted year-on-year growth of 22.8 percent and 107.5 percent, respectively, in net profit attributable to shareholders.

    Last year, China’s consumer goods trade-in program boosted product sales by more than 1.3 trillion yuan, according the Ministry of Commerce. Building on the achievements, the country’s central authorities have recently issued approximately 81 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds, aiming to increase support for the program this year.

    New consumption models have been reshaping the market. According to Founder Securities, Chinese consumers have been spending more on holidays, ice and snow sports, and buying “guzi”– a homonym for “goods” that refers to various merchandise featuring elements of animation, comics and games (ACG) culture.

    In the first quarter, profits of firms in ice and snow tourism rose 25.8 percent year on year, while companies in the pet industry and those related to “guzi” economy saw earnings jump 58.2 percent and 93.6 percent, respectively.

    Spending on culture, entertainment and tourism also gained momentum among Chinese consumers, fueling business growth across sectors such as aviation, hospitality and film.

    Take the movie industry, for example. As of April 30, 16 film and television production companies had released their first-quarter financial reports, with six of them reporting a year-on-year doubling of net profit attributable to shareholders.

    Yan Xiang, chief economist at Founder Securities, said that the simultaneous rise in profits and revenue among consumer-related firms highlights the immense potential of China’s vast consumer market. As consumption continues to expand steadily, consumer spending is expected to play an increasingly significant role in boosting growth in the country, he added.

    Another key theme emerging from the quarterly reports was tech-driven innovation, with listed Chinese companies emphasizing advancements in smart manufacturing, digital operations and supply chain optimization as part of a broader push to spur growth through technology.

    In line with the trend, China’s listed firms have funneled more funds for research and development (R&D), with data from Wind showing that nearly half of all listed firms increased R&D investments in Q1.

    Breakthroughs in core technologies have also facilitated industrial upgrades. Companies in emerging industries accounted for 40 percent of all firms listed on the Shanghai main board, overtaking traditional sectors like finance to become the market’s leading sectors by market capitalization.

    Zheng Hongda, an analyst with Western Securities, stressed the importance of strong internal momentum among China’s technology firms in the face of a complex external environment.

    For technology companies, their investment plans for the next period should center on key areas such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, which will galvanize the internal driving forces along the industrial chain, Zheng said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China completes testing of heavy, reusable liquid rocket engine

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

    China completes testing of heavy, reusable liquid rocket engine

    Xinhua | May 14, 2025

    China has successfully completed the full-engine testing of a 140-tonne liquid oxygen-methane engine that will power the country’s reusable carrier rockets, the engine’s maker said on Tuesday.

    Developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology, the rocket engine boasts the largest thrust among China’s current open-cycle liquid oxygen-methane ones.

    It is designed to serve as a crucial power source for reusable rockets and will play a vital role in future space-Earth transportation systems, reusable launch vehicles and heavy-lift rocket development.

    The academy said that the latest successful test marks a breakthrough in the production of China’s hundred-tonne-class liquid oxygen-methane engines. It also highlighted the efficiency of the development process, noting that it was completed in just seven months.

    In December 2024, the state-owned rocket engine developer tested its 90-tonne reusable liquid oxygen-kerosene engine for commercial spacecraft — a milestone achievement since it began focusing on the commercial space sector in 2023.

    The commercial space sector was listed in the country’s 2024 government work report as a “new engine of economic growth.”

    The academy said that more efforts will be dedicated to developing heavier engines, specifically targeting reusable 200-tonne liquid oxygen-methane engines. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update on aged care respite service at Burrangiri

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services



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

    Released 14/05/2025

    Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith announced this morning that the ACT Health Directorate is preparing the necessary paperwork to support The Salvation Army to continue delivery of the Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Facility for a further two years.

    This announcement complements the Albanese Labor Government’s $10 million election commitment to ensure the number of respite beds in the ACT will not reduce.

    Minister Stephen-Smith said the original decision to close the facility was not made lightly and the significant commitment from the Commonwealth Government has enabled new options to be considered in the delivery of respite care in the short and longer term.

    Federal Labor has recognised the Commonwealth responsibility for aged care respite, and the ACT Government will continue working with the Commonwealth for the benefit of older Canberrans and their carers.

    “It is important to note that while the Burrangiri service can continue in the short term, the Health Directorate’s advice remains that the facility would require a significant scope of work to be fit for purpose for the delivery of quality aged care respite services in the medium term,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “However, the ACT Government recognises the concerns raised by the community around the availability of respite and the value of the Burrangiri service to those who currently rely on it. A two-year extension allows us to work with the Commonwealth on more sustainable solutions for respite in the ACT and best use of the funding available.”

    Minister Stephen-Smith said she has written to the re-appointed Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP, seeking to work together to deliver appropriate respite for older Canberrans and their carers.

    “I was very pleased that Federal Labor committed $10 million for a new facility or to extend an existing facility to deliver aged care respite beds in the ACT,” she said.

    “I’ve written to Minister Butler asking him to consider Commonwealth co-funding to support the Burrangiri extension, as well as to expedite delivery of the election commitment to ensure dedicated residential respite beds will be available as soon as possible.”

    The ACT Government is also working with Carers ACT to explore options to identify land for a purpose-built respite centre and the Government has started this important work with Carers ACT.

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN participates in a roundtable organised by the Asia New Zealand Foundation

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today participated in in the roundtable discussion organised by the Asia New Zealand Foundation in Wellington. Participated by New Zealand’s government officials and academia, the Roundtable focused on geopolitical issues and challenges impacting the region, as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation on this matter. SG Dr. Kao shared his observations on ASEAN and how it has managed to navigate the evolving geopolitical changes. He further emphasised the need to work together and explore ways to effectively address challenges in this rapidly changing world.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN participates in a roundtable organised by the Asia New Zealand Foundation appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Green Budget: Free GPs for all

    Source: Green Party

    The Green Party has launched its plan for Free GPs as part of its Green Budget.

    “Healthcare isn’t a luxury, it’s a human right we can afford to provide to all,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.

    “In the last election, we campaigned on providing free dental for all. Today, we’re expanding that to ensure nobody is priced out of receiving the care they need, whether that is from the dentist or the doctor.

    “Successive Governments have failed to invest in the health of our communities, resulting in more and more people falling through the cracks and being left behind. A shocking 44 percent of Māori have an unmet need for primary care.

    “This is just common sense. Free GP visits will reduce the pressure our hospitals are under by stopping small issues becoming big ones that need emergency treatment.

    “Our approach will make sure communities right across the country have access to the care they need with our Community Health Service. We will create community care clinics in the highest need areas first, such as South Auckland, which has an estimated shortage of about 127 GPs.

    “Community not-for-profit primary care providers, such as kaupapa Māori providers, will also be funded to provide free GP and nurse visits alongside the Community Health Service.

    “We will build the workforce we need to support our communities and ensure everyone has access to a GP by maximising the medical student caps at both Auckland and Otago University. This will begin to close workforce gaps and ensure we have what we need to meet increased demand.

    “Rather than leaning on private healthcare and leaving thousands out in the cold like the current Government, we can take control and build a health system that supports all of us and leaves nobody behind,” says Marama Davidson.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: PNG police authorised to use lethal force with ‘domestic terrorist’ kidnappers as one hostage escapes

    RNZ Pacific

    An escape of a 13-year-old girl from a hostage crisis on the border of Papua New Guinea’s Western and Hela provinces has boosted hopes for the rescue of her fellow captives.

    The group of 10 people was taken captive early on Monday morning at Adujmari.

    PNG Police Commissioner David Manning has called the perpetrators “domestic terrorists” and warned that officers were able to use lethal force if needed to secure the release of the hostages.

    The girl Aiyo’s fellow captives are four adults — a teacher and his wife, and a health worker and his wife — along with another four school girls.

    The Post-Courier reports that the kidnappers have demanded the government pay a ransom of K500,000 (NZ$207,000) for the safe release of the captives.

    Aiyo has told police that the kidnappers had threatened to harm the group if no money was forthcoming.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police, Commander Steven Francis, said officers were working around the clock to secure their safe release.

    Locals in the Adujmari district have so far raised more than K11,000 (NZ4500) to try and negotiate the safe release of the group.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM meets Brazilian guests in Beijing

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, and Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, in Beijing, capital of China, May 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, May 13 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira, and Celso Amorim, special advisor to the president of Brazil, in Beijing on Monday.

    Both sides reviewed the frequent exchanges between the two heads of state in recent years, and made preparations for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s visit to China, especially the important talks about to be held between the two heads of state.

    They unanimously agreed to promote the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future in accordance with the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, adhere to multilateralism, safeguard common international rules and the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South, and make contributions to promoting world peace, stability and development.

    The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other issues, expressing support for direct dialogue and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and pledged to play their role in the Group of Friends for Peace to gather more international consensus for promoting the political settlement of the crisis.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Brazil issue joint statement on Ukraine crisis

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

    China and Brazil issued a joint statement on the Ukraine crisis on Tuesday, welcoming Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to open peace talks and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s positive response.

    The statement said that China and Brazil hope that Russia and Ukraine will begin a direct dialogue as soon as possible, which is the only way to end the conflict.

    It said that China and Brazil commend recent signals of willingness to engage in dialogue on the Ukraine crisis, and expect relevant parties to initiate fruitful negotiations, build a greater consensus to achieve a political settlement, and address the legitimate concerns of all parties. China and Brazil believe it is necessary to find a solution to the Ukraine crisis by examining its root cause, with the aim of reaching a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement.

    The statement said that to achieve that goal, China and Brazil in May 2024 called on all relevant parties to create the conditions for the resumption of dialogue, and launched the Group of Friends for Peace at the United Nations in September of the same year, with the aim of uniting the countries of the Global South.

    China and Brazil are willing to work with the rest of the Global South to continue making active efforts to resolve the crisis, the statement said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN chief highlights role of UN peace operations

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

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C, front), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (R, front) and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (L, front) attend the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 in Berlin, Germany, May 13, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday highlighted the role of UN peace operations and called for more support from member states.

    Speaking at the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 in Berlin, Germany, Guterres credited peacekeeping operations with helping many countries, calling the efforts “the most globally recognized symbol of the world’s ability to come together to help countries move from conflict to peace.”

    The secretary-general also noted that 4,400 peacekeepers have fallen in the line of duty throughout the decades.

    Guterres also underscored the challenges facing peacekeepers today, including complex conflicts, growing global division, misinformation, terrorism and transnational crime, among others.

    “We are now facing the highest number of conflicts since the foundation of the United Nations, and record numbers of people fleeing across borders in search of safety and refuge,” Guterres said.

    He urged efforts to make peacekeeping operations more adaptable, flexible and resilient, adding that peace operations can only succeed when backed by robust mandates and clear, predictable and sustained contributions.

    The two-day event serves as a political forum gathering representatives from around 130 countries to discuss the future of peacekeeping. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Canadian PM Carney unveils new cabinet

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

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled on Tuesday a new cabinet.

    The new cabinet, Carney’s second but his first since being elected, includes a core group of 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state.

    Anita Anand replaced Mélanie Joly as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Joly became Industry Minister.

    Dominic LeBlanc’s new title is president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, intergovernmental affairs and one Canadian economy.

    François-Philippe Champagne remains Finance Minister and took on the additional role of Revenue Minister.

    Carney’s Liberal Party won the parliamentary elections in Canada last month to form a minority government. The House of Commons’ sitting calendar currently has May 26 listed as the first sitting date for MPs. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China supports UN’s core role in global security governance

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

    China’s Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Tuesday highlighted the importance of the United Nations peacekeeping efforts, reaffirming China’s support for the UN’s central role and its core position in global security governance.

    During his meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Berlin while attending the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, Dong noted that over the past 80 years since its founding, the UN has played an important role in upholding international fairness and justice. Amid complex and profound changes in the current international landscape, the UN’s role must be strengthened rather than weakened, he said.

    The UN’s peacekeeping operations were born for peace and have played a significant role in maintaining world peace, Dong stressed.

    The minister added that China will announce new peacekeeping commitments, support the reform and transformation of UN peacekeeping efforts, and remain a steadfast supporter and constructive force in UN peacekeeping operations.

    Guterres expressed appreciation for China’s long-standing support for the United Nations, describing the country as an important pillar of multilateralism both now and in the future.

    He said the United Nations highly values the three major global initiatives proposed by China and is committed to close cooperation with China across a wide range of areas, firmly opposing unilateralism based on power politics.

    Guterres also noted China’s increasingly important role in UN peacekeeping and said he looks forward to closer cooperation with China in this field. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Political parties can recover after a devastating election loss. But the Liberals will need to think differently

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University

    Australia has just had its second landslide election in a row.

    In 2022, there was a landslide against the Liberals, but not to Labor, which fell over the line (as a majority government) by three seats and with just over 32% of the primary vote. But the Coalition – actually Liberal – loss of seats, at 19, was the kind of result usually associated with the term “landslide”.

    In 2025, we have a genuine landside to Labor. At the time of writing, the ABC has declared a Labor gain of 15 seats (78 to 93), but with the strong likelihood of one more, and an outside chance of another.

    Labor’s share of the two-party preferred vote sits at 54.8%. To add a bit of historical perspective: Labor’s two-party preferred vote is lower than the Coalition’s in the so-called Vietnam election of 1966 (56.9%) and the Dismissal election of 1975 (55.7%), but better than John Howard’s in 1996 (53.6%) and Tony Abbott’s in 2013 (53.5%). The Coalition managed 94 seats in a slightly smaller House of Representatives of 148 (compared to 150 at the 2025 election) in 1996. Labor might also land on 94 this time, once the counting is done.

    For Labor, it is a victory on a scale only rivalled – and indeed slightly overshadowed statistically – by John Curtin’s wartime election in 1943, when Labor gained 49 seats in a House of 74. That was two-thirds of the available seats and perhaps 58% of the two-party preferred vote. (The full distribution of preferences only came in later elections). In 2025, Labor is likely to land on just under 63% of the House.

    Big majorities carry their own headaches, as Labor’s factional wrestling of recent days reminds us. But a big loss is a much worse ordeal for the loser.

    First, there is the problem of finding a leader. He, or she, will be selected from depleted ranks. They will often inherit a demoralised party that will lack belief in its ability to return to office in a single term – allowing that there has been no one-termer in Australian federal politics since the Scullin government (1929-32).

    Sussan Ley, the new Liberal leader, will realise – or should realise – that as a leader elected following such a defeat, her chances of ever making it to the prime ministership are slim.

    Since the second world war, a new leader chosen after a loss of office has never become prime minister. Peter Dutton, who became opposition leader in 2022, joined Billy Snedden (after 1972), Kim Beazley (1996), Brendan Nelson (2007) and Bill Shorten (2013) as those who never went on to lead the country.

    But any leader who slips into the role – either re-elected or for the first time – after a big loss is a long shot to make it. The best example we have from the postwar era is Gough Whitlam, elected leader in February 1967 after one of the biggest landslides in Australian political history, won by Harold Holt at the 1966 election. It is therefore worth revisiting what he did to get there.

    Whitlam biographers such as Graham Freudenberg and Jenny Hocking have offered us a detailed picture of Whitlam’s systematic work on reforming the party and policy as part of his pitch to the people. The Liberals could do worse than think in those terms as they contemplate their rebuild. They have vast work to do on all of those fronts.

    As a party, Labor was a basketcase in 1967. In Victoria, it was dominated by a group of left-wing unionists and members who seemed more concerned with maintaining ideological purity than winning elections. Whitlam taunted them at the state conference in 1967 that “certainly, the impotent are pure”.

    But between 1967 and 1972, Whitlam and his allies – some of them on the left outside Victoria – modernised the party’s structures and rules, and moderated left-wing domination of the Victorian branch. Alongside these reforms came a comprehensive policy overhaul – the formulation of what Whitlam reverentially called “The Program” – drawing on a vast network of experts across the country and the most compelling models from other countries.

    This was paired with a redesign of the party’s image that helped it win back a vast number of voters at the 1969 election, culminating in the remarkable, election winning “It’s Time” campaign in 1972.

    It was a six-year effort, and it was far from easy. But it is perhaps the best modern example we have of what a shattered party needs to do to win back office.

    Labor faced similar challenges after 1975 and, although the process was messier, Bob Hawke’s eventual election in March 1983 owed much to a process of reform of Labor party, policy and image led by Bill Hayden between 1977 and 1983. This time, it was the Queensland branch of the party – Hayden’s own – that needed an overhaul, which it received through federal intervention of the kind applied to Victoria a decade before.

    Labor also worked out a Prices and Incomes Accord with the union movement, designed to avoid many of the economic and political problems experienced by Whitlam in government, such as runaway inflation. Hayden, like Whitlam before him, crafted an electable opposition. Hawke, however, reaped the benefit after he replaced Hayden on the eve of the 1983 campaign.

    There are lessons here for the Liberals. First, they can no longer avoid party reform. Their post-election reviews of recent times often read like Gothic tales: indeed, I could recommend the Western Australian one after the 2021 state election only to those with stomachs capable of standing up to slasher movies.

    Second, the 2025 election revealed a Coalition policy wasteland. Some, such as the idea of a nuclear power plants across the country, were daft. Others, like cuts to the fuel excise for a year – coinciding with a decline in petrol prices – were dross. Others again simply made it appear the Coalition was making it up as it went along. It would be hard to conceive of anything further removed from the best examples we have of policy rebuilding by shattered parties.

    Finally, there are the people. Who, exactly, are the Liberals trying to win over? From May 2022, Dutton seemed to have his eye on Labor voters in the outer suburbs, but he did very little that was likely to win them over. He did even less to win over groups who have turned decisively away from the Liberals in recent years, such as women and the young.

    Whatever efforts they made to win over the so-called multicultural communities, such as Chinese-Australian voters, were undone by clumsy messaging from the ministerial ranks about “spies”. In the end, it often seemed that Dutton – and possibly also most of the survivors of 2022 – didn’t have their hearts in appealing to the kinds of voters who had turned to the teals, Labor and Greens in 2022. They preferred to commune with their own.

    The impotent are still pure: the Liberals emerge from the 2025 campaign unsullied by a dalliance with strangers. They now have their reward. Whether a party organisation with branches dominated by the ideologue, the conservative, the elderly and the eccentric can act as an instrument for forging a new electoral alliance of the kind that set up the party in the 1940s for decades of success must be considered doubtful. There is no Robert Menzies on the horizon. And there is no Liberal movement speaking a language of progress rather than reaction.

    This is the greatest crisis faced by Australia’s centre right since 1943 – and we can be certain that, unlike Ben Chifley, Anthony Albanese won’t do his opponents the favour of trying to nationalise the banks.

    Frank Bongiorno 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. Political parties can recover after a devastating election loss. But the Liberals will need to think differently – https://theconversation.com/political-parties-can-recover-after-a-devastating-election-loss-but-the-liberals-will-need-to-think-differently-232695

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China supports UN’s core role in global security governance: defense minister 2025-05-14 08:24:13 China’s Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Tuesday highlighted the importance of the United Nations peacekeeping efforts, reaffirming China’s support for the UN’s central role and its core position in global security governance.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

      BERLIN, May 13 (Xinhua) — China’s Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Tuesday highlighted the importance of the United Nations peacekeeping efforts, reaffirming China’s support for the UN’s central role and its core position in global security governance.

      During his meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Berlin while attending the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, Dong noted that over the past 80 years since its founding, the UN has played an important role in upholding international fairness and justice. Amid complex and profound changes in the current international landscape, the UN’s role must be strengthened rather than weakened, he said.

      The UN’s peacekeeping operations were born for peace and have played a significant role in maintaining world peace, Dong stressed.

      The minister added that China will announce new peacekeeping commitments, support the reform and transformation of UN peacekeeping efforts, and remain a steadfast supporter and constructive force in UN peacekeeping operations.

      Guterres expressed appreciation for China’s long-standing support for the United Nations, describing the country as an important pillar of multilateralism both now and in the future.

      He said the United Nations highly values the three major global initiatives proposed by China and is committed to close cooperation with China across a wide range of areas, firmly opposing unilateralism based on power politics.

      Guterres also noted China’s increasingly important role in UN peacekeeping and said he looks forward to closer cooperation with China in this field. 

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Green Budget for a country worth fighting for

    Source: Green Party

    The Green Budget shows how much better our lives could be under a Green Government, instead of one dominated by corporate greed.

    “This is a Budget for a country that belongs to and works for New Zealanders,” says Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. 

    “We believe in fairness and common sense. A Green Government will rapidly reduce emissions, reduce the cost of living and improve our quality of life.

    “That means free GP visits, free Early Childhood Education, free dental care, an Income Guarantee to ensure no one falls below the poverty line, housing for all, a stable climate, clean air, clean water and clean soil.

    “We can do this by taxing the wealthiest fairly.

    “Or, we can continue to let our infrastructure crumble, kids go hungry and the healthcare system teeter on the edge of collapse, as the Government promises for their Budget next week.

    “These are political choices. The Greens choose a country worth fighting for, instead of the Luxon Government’s choices seeing New Zealanders leaving in record numbers.

    “The Aotearoa we all deserve is entirely within our grasp. Our Green Budget is the detailed map, and in the coming weeks, we will be working with communities across Aotearoa to start our journey to making it a reality,” says Chlöe Swarbrick. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UN eyes reform to modernize itself ahead of 80th anniversary

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

    The United Nations General Assembly convened an informal plenary meeting on Monday to hear a briefing from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the UN80 Initiative, a wide-ranging reform effort launched as the UN approaches its 80th anniversary of founding.

    The UN80 Initiative, introduced in March, aims to modernize the operations of the 193-member body. The reform focuses on identifying efficiencies and improvements within existing frameworks, reviewing how member states’ requests are carried out, and exploring changes to the agency’s structure, said Guterres.

    The changes are expected to yield “meaningful reductions” in the overall budget, said Guterres. The departments for political and peacekeeping affairs could see a 20 percent reduction in staff by eliminating duplication, according to UN.

    The financial strain on the organization is already apparent. As of May, just 1.8 billion U.S. dollars of the 3.5 billion dollars in regular budget assessments for 2025 has been received, which represents a shortfall of roughly 50 percent, according to data from the Fifth Committee of the UNGA.

    Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, said his expectation of this reform initiative is to advance institutional renewal and efficiency enhancement. “This is a task of great importance, and the Secretary-General must exercise strict oversight. China hopes the reform will deliver concrete results.”

    “As the world enters a new period of turbulent transformation marked by rising unilateralism and multiplying global challenges, the role of the United Nations must be reinforced, not diminished,” Fu said.

    It is essential to uphold the authority and status of the United Nations, he said. He added that reform must strengthen rather than weaken the organization.

    “The more complex and volatile the international situation becomes, the more important it is to support the UN in playing its central role and to safeguard the international system with the UN at its core. This must remain the fundamental direction and ultimate goal of the reform, and should be firmly upheld,” the Chinese envoy said.

    “A more streamlined, efficient, responsive, financially accountable, and influential United Nations is in the interest of all parties,” he said.

    As reform concerns the interests of all member states, “it is imperative to enhance transparency, strengthen consultation with member states, build the broadest possible consensus, conduct comprehensive and prudent evaluations, and make responsible decisions,” he added.

    “Reform must not be used as an excuse for the UN to do less or even nothing, nor should it become a justification for certain countries to shirk their financial obligations,” Fu emphasized.

    He stressed that the legitimate interests of developing countries must be fully safeguarded. Their representation and voice must be effectively enhanced. “This is key to the success of the reform,” he said.

    “It is unacceptable for the interests of a few countries to override those of other member states, or for the legitimate rights and interests of the vast number of developing countries to be sacrificed to meet the demands of a minority,” he said.

    Guterres and his predecessors have faced challenges in trying to reform the organization over the past decades. The UN has been criticized for heavy bureaucracy, slow decision-making, and fragmented coordination among agencies. The UN is also heavily dependent on voluntary contributions from member states, which leads to unpredictable funding.

    Abbas Kadhom Obaid, permanent representative of Iraq to the UN, speaking at Monday’s meeting on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, expressed “deep concern” over the dire liquidity situation of the UN.

    He noted that “one single member state, which is also the only beneficiary of the maximum ceiling on the scale of assessments, continues to be responsible for more than 90 percent of arrears to the regular budget.”

    Obaid pointed out that any proposal aimed at achieving efficiencies by reducing duplications and redundancies across the UN system “should not aim at dismantling UN agencies and funds, to the detriment of due support to member states.”

    “We emphasize that any reforms foreseen under this initiative must preserve, first and foremost, the multilateral and inclusive nature of the United Nations, while also avoiding strategy-driven models that may ultimately compromise the effectiveness of our organization, particularly with regard to the implementation of its multiple mandates approved by member states,” he said.

    He added that for small states, a strong and effective multilateral system, underpinned by respect for the UN Charter and international law, is not an option but an existential necessity.

    Burhan Gafoor, permanent representative of Singapore to the UN, speaking on behalf of the Small States Group (SSG), said the world is witnessing a period of geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation and rising nationalism. “We are deeply concerned by the erosion of respect for international law and by efforts to reverse economic integration and globalization,” he said.

    The UN is facing a significant budget shortfall as the United States and other donors scale back humanitarian aid and multilateral funding. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 includes deep cuts to foreign aid, with signals that U.S. contributions to the UN system could be nearly eliminated.

    Richard Gowan, UN Director at the International Crisis Group, warned in April that the UN may face a 20 percent budget reduction in 2026 due to donor cuts and unpaid member contributions, The New York Times reported.

    In February, Trump signed an executive order calling for a review of U.S. engagement with the UN and withdrew from agencies focused on human rights, reproductive health, climate change, and global health. Other UN donors, including the United Kingdom, are also reducing humanitarian spending.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Coons Lead Group Of 27 Senators In Introducing Resolution To Condemn $400 Million Airplane Gift To Trump From Qatar

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced a resolution in the Senate condemning a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, President Donald Trump announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. In addition to Schatz and Coons, the resolution is cosponsored by Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).

    “Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself,” said Senator Schatz. “Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. We are asking the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no president should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

    “President Trump’s penchant for corruption and grift has risen to a new level with the news his presidency is for sale – if you happen to have $400 million dollars,” said Leader Schumer. “This Qatari plane deal would be the largest Presidential bribe in modern history and it’s not just naked corruption, it’s a grave national security threat. Senate Republicans may bury their heads in the sand while Trump tries to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies, but Senate Democrats are going to stand up for the American people and say enough is enough – we condemn this attempt at corruption and gross violation of the Constitution.”

    “We wouldn’t trust another country to decorate the Oval Office, to set up our Situation Room, or to wire the White House briefing room, so why would we let another country build Air Force One for us, which is an airborne version of all three? This isn’t just a massive act of corruption, it’s a national security risk of the highest order,” said Senator Coons, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “If President Trump is so willing to put his own administration in danger for the sake of a $400 million gift, imagine how much danger he’s willing to put the American people in.”

    “While Republicans plot to gut vital services like Social Security and Medicaid and unleash economic uncertainty onto hardworking Americans, Donald Trump is planning to accept a luxury jet, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government,” said Senator Booker. “This not only creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security concerns, and undermines public trust in our government, but is a slap in the face to the people across the country who are struggling to make ends meet. All Senators should be able to agree that no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts. I hope my Republican colleagues will support this resolution.”

    “The president doesn’t get to trade U.S. foreign policy and national security for a private jet,” said Senator Murphy. “This resolution sends the message Trump won’t: the Oval Office is not for sale.”

    “No, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional,” said Senator Sanders. “Congress must not allow this over-the-top kleptocracy to proceed.”

    “President Trump wants to accept a $400 million private jet from a foreign government, have American taxpayers pay to retrofit it as Air Force One, and then keep it for himself to jet around the world as soon as he leaves office. It’s hard to imagine more brazen corruption or a clearer violation of our Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, and there’s no question this outlandish proposal puts our country’s national security at risk,” said Senator Murray. “Every member of Congress should support this simple resolution condemning violations of the Emoluments Clause and making clear Trump cannot accept a $400 million private jet from Qatar without explicit consent from Congress.”

    “If someone came to one of my town halls in Oregon and tried to argue that getting a $400 million jet from the government of Qatar wasn’t corruption, they would be laughed out of town,” said Senator Wyden. “Instead of securing new allies against adversaries like China or opening new markets for American products, Trump is using America’s clout to get a private jet. It’s corruption plain and simple that fritters away American influence and leaves us weaker.” 

    “While Republicans in Congress are working to gut Medicaid and Social Security, President Trump is brazenly accepting a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar — for his use during and after he leaves office,” said Senator Padilla. “Once again, Trump is showing us that he puts his own interests above those of the American people, benefiting himself and leaving working families behind. This foreign gift reeks of corruption, is blatantly against the law, threatens our national security, and will cost taxpayers tens of millions in retrofit costs and security upgrades.”

    “Donald Trump is accepting a multimillion dollar plane from a foreign government as a personal gift, while clearly ignoring the Constitution,” said Senator Rosen. “Trump gets richer off of his position while hardworking families suffer from his reckless actions. This is corruption plain and simple, and I’m supporting this resolution to make our strong opposition clear.”

    “This is corruption plain and simple. The President of the United States accepting a $400 million plane from a foreign government is unheard of, and would require direct consent from Congress,” said Senator Warner. “This is just the latest act by President Trump that shows his administration has no regard for the rule of law and is ripe to be exploited by foreign actors.”

     “Trump’s brazen willingness to accept a luxury jet from Qatar raises the dangerous prospect that the president can be bought and paid for by foreign powers — putting their interests over Americans’ and our national security. Every Senator should join us in rejecting it and blocking the sale of the presidency to the highest bidder,” said Senator Van Hollen.

    “Our founding fathers knew that we must protect ourselves from corruption and foreign influence, which is exactly why we have a constitutional provision prohibiting presidents from accepting lavish gifts from foreign governments—a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, reportedly valued at $400 million, is no exception,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Shaheen. “Congress and the American public have a right to know the details of any arrangement that calls into question whether the President is acting on behalf of American interests and American interests alone. Further, the security implications of taking a foreign-owned and managed plane and outfitting it with the most sensitive U.S. technology continues to demonstrate a lack of judgement in this administration when it comes to guarding U.S. intelligence.”

    “There’s no such thing as a $400 million “no-strings-attached” gift,” said Senator Duckworth. “This is the mother of all bribes. It puts our national security in jeopardy and erodes public trust—all for the President’s own personal gain. Donald Trump wants to sell our foreign policy and sell out our people.”

    “Donald Trump accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country is corruption in plain sight,” said Senator Hirono. “Trump’s latest grift undermines our national security, flies in the face of the Constitution, and will cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions, if not billions, in retrofits.”

    “The mere notion that the President would cravenly accept a $400 million attempt to win favor from a foreign power is beyond the pale and reeks of corruption.  The White House and presidency are sacred trusts from the American people, not venues for Trump to enrich himself and his family with shady deals and influence buying,” said Senator Durbin. “Our resolution reaffirms what our Constitution makes clear – no President should receive gifts from a foreign power.”

    “While President Trump claims to target fraud and abuse, his actions continue to prove that his priorities are his own interests and those of his wealthy friends,” said Senator Bennet. “His plan to accept a $400 million luxury jet from the Qatari government for use as Air Force One is an act of blatant corruption and a violation of our Constitution that poses severe counterintelligence risks, needlessly undermining U.S. national security.”

    “This is corruption in plain sight. Under no circumstance should a sitting president be accepting luxury gifts from a foreign government, especially while negotiating an arms sale,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “This is yet another example of President Trump focusing on enriching himself rather than improving the lives of everyday Americans. I’m joining with my colleagues on this resolution to protect national security, to stand up for our constituents, and to uphold the rule of law.”

    “If an ordinary government official accepted a gift even a fraction as valuable as this, there would be a full investigation, and potential firings due to concerns of foreign influence,” said Senator Slotkin. “Now the President is taking a $400 million foreign gift. Beyond the perception of corruption, the idea that a foreign country would have access to Air Force One, as the buyer, during production, leaves it incredibly vulnerable to bugs, tracking devices, and whatever else they or other countries may attempt to manipulate.”

    “This is corruption, plain and simple. The U.S. is not for sale, and we cannot allow the presidency to be bought by foreign interests,” said Senator Klobuchar.

    “Just when you think the Trump Administration can’t sink to a new low of ethical misconduct, he accepts a luxury jet from a foreign nation. Corruption on full display,” said Senator Merkley.

    “We’re beyond foreign interference at this point. We’re watching a President invite a foreign government to buy him off,” said Senator Alsobrooks. “American values are actively being flushed down the toiled by this corrupt President.”

    “The American public knows this is wrong—especially a gift of this size,” said Senator Kim. “It’s blatant corruption, and the President knows it. Air Force One isn’t just a plane—it’s a secure command center for national security decisions and classified communications and is hardened to ensure the President is protected. Taking a jet from a foreign government is a serious national security risk, and taxpayers will still foot the bill to make it flight ready. This is a dangerous abuse of power, plain and simple.”

    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz: No President Should Take $400 Million Gift From A Foreign Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate floor to condemn a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, that President Donald Trump announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. Schatz also announced he will be asking for a vote in the Senate to condemn this action.

    “I cannot believe I have to say this, but a president should not take a $400 million gift from a foreign country,” said Senator Schatz. “The Emoluments Clause. It’s a fancy phrase, but a simple idea: No foreign gifts.”

    “Air Force One is not just a random luxury airplane,” continued Senator Schatz. “It is a symbol of — and a projection of — American power… It represents not just the weight of the presidency, but America itself — generations of history and international leadership. But in one fell swoop, Donald Trump is selling out one of the most iconic symbols of American power that we have.”

    “This week, several of my colleagues and I will be asking the Senate to vote to condemn this action,” concluded Senator Schatz. “There should be 100 of us that agree on this fundamental principle: No president should take free stuff from a foreign government. And certainly nothing worth $400 million.”

    The full text of his remarks can be found below. Video is available here.

    I cannot believe I have to say this, but a president should not take a $400 million gift from a foreign country.

    It doesn’t matter which president, what party. It doesn’t matter which foreign country. It doesn’t matter if there is or is not a legal justification. No president should take a $400 million gift from a foreign country.

    I shouldn’t have to explain why — but it is a high principle literally enshrined in the Constitution because people who we have representing us should know, not think, but know, that their representatives are focused on them and this country only, that our loyalties not be divided, that our minds are not wandering elsewhere.

    The Emoluments Clause. It’s a fancy phrase, but a simple idea: No foreign gifts.

    If a foreign government offers you anything — but especially something close to half a billion dollars—the answer is, ‘No, thank you.’ End of story. Very simple. End of story. ‘I cannot take that.’

    First of all, because I cannot take that because I cannot have divided loyalties. I’m going into the region; I cannot take a $400 million gift before I begin negotiations with you. But it is explicitly prohibited by the United States Constitution. And the gift in is that the country of Qatar is going to literally provide a luxury aircraft — not just any luxury aircraft to the President of the United States, but Air Force One.

    And why does this matter? Air Force One is not just a random luxury airplane. It is a symbol of — and a projection of — American power. It has flown 15 different presidents. It carried President John F. Kennedy’s body after his assassination, and saw President Johnson be sworn in under unprecedented circumstances, it rushed President George W. Bush back to Washington after the Twin Towers were struck, and just two years ago, it flew President Joe Biden for a secret trip to Ukraine during the war.

    When people see Air Force One on TV, when they see it land in other countries— whether in London, or Tokyo, or Brazil — they immediately know that America has arrived. It represents not just the weight of the presidency, but America itself — generations of history and international leadership.

    But in one fell swoop, Donald Trump is selling out one of the most iconic symbols of American power that we have, and what people will now see is the most powerful man on Earth flying around in a plane paid for by a foreign government. It is disgusting. It is wildly corrupt. And just because they are doing the corruption in plain sight does not make it any less damning or sad or gross.

    This week, several of my colleagues and I will be asking the Senate to vote to condemn this action. There should be 100 of us that agree on this fundamental principle: No president should take free stuff from a foreign government. And certainly nothing worth $400 million.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate and House Republicans Make Strides to Repeal Over a Dozen Biden-Era Regulations to Advance Trump’s America First Agenda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – In a seismic victory for President Trump’s America First Agenda, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today released the following statement on Senate and House Republicans’ efforts to reverse over a dozen of Joe Biden’s nonsensical regulations using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) – a legislative tool allowing Congress to strike down federal rules and regulations with a simple majority vote.
    “While the Biden-Harris administration tried to suffocate our nation’s businesses and families with nonsensical regulation after regulation, Senate and House Republicans are tearing down these barriers to unleash American prosperity,” said Senator Marshall. “I am committed to continue working with my colleagues to ensure these CRAs allow us to boldly deliver on President Trump’s promises.”
    Among the 13 burdensome Biden-Harris-era regulations that were targeted, Senate Republicans have slashed red tape to unleash American energy, end costly green new scam mandates, strengthen digital finance, and expand personal freedoms. These actions deliver on President Donald Trump’s America First agenda by reducing consumer costs, protecting privacy, and empowering businesses.
    Promise Made: Unleash American Energy
    Promise Kept:

    S.J.Res. 11 – Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era rule that prevented offshore oil and gas drilling because of the presence of “shipwrecks and cultural resources.” 
    Why It Matters: By overturning this regulation, we can unleash American energy through expanded production capacity off American shores.
    Status: Passed and became law on March 14, 2025.

    S.J.Res. 31 – Tailpipe Emissions and Area Pollution

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era rule that requires sources of persistent and bioaccumulative hazardous air pollutants to comply with certain major source emission standards under the Clean Air Act.
    Why It Matters: By eliminating it, we’re lessening regulations and letting American industry flourish without the heavy and misguided hand of activist government bureaucrats holding it back.
    Status: Passed the Senate but has not yet passed the House.

    Promise Made: End the Green New Scam
    Promise Kept:

    H.J.Res. 24 – Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era regulation that defines “walk-in coolers” and “walk-in freezers” as refrigerated spaces smaller than 3,000 square feet, which would have increased costs and regulations on manufacturers and restaurants.
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    H.J.Res. 42 –Appliance Energy Efficiency

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era Department of Energy (DOE) rule that would have increased the cost of basic appliances.
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    H.J.Res. 75 –Energy Standards for Freezers and Refrigerators

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era DOE rule that attempts to amend energy conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers, that would have increased the cost of basic appliances. It would also have put financial constraints on any business that uses these appliances, such as restaurants, grocers, and more.
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    H.J.Res. 20 – Gas Powered Water Heaters

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era rule that would have placed restrictions and regulations on gas-powered water heaters, which would have resulted in increased costs of tankless water heaters and reduced choice in the market.
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    H.J.Res. 35 – Waste Emissions Tax for Energy Producers

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that implemented a Methane Tax on American energy producers, which would have resulted in higher costs passed onto consumers.
    Status: Passed and became law on March 14, 2025.

    H.J.Res. 61 – Rubber Tire Manufacturer Emissions

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era EPA rule that attempted to add emissions standards to rubber tire manufacturing, including them in the hazardous air pollutant (HAP) regulation requirements, which would have resulted in higher costs passed onto consumers.
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    Why They Matter: By passing resolutions to overturn these six specific rules, we’re preventing increased costs from being invariably be passed onto consumers, removing burdensome regulations that could harm businesses large and small, and allowing American families to have more choice in the market and keep more of their hard-earned money.

    Promise Made: Strengthen U.S. Leadership in Digital Finance
    Promise Kept:

    S.J.Res. 3 / H.J.Res. 25 –Crypto IRS Reporting Requirements

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era rule that mandates that brokers submit information returns and provide payee statements detailing the gross proceeds from digital asset transactions they carry out for their clients.
    Why It Matters: With the elimination of this rule, the private financial information of American citizens is further protected. 
    Status: Passed and became law on April 10, 2025.

    S.J.Res. 18 – Overdraft Fee Regulations

    What It Does: This resolution overturns an overreaching Biden-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that limited overdraft fees.
    Why It Matters: Overturning this ensures that banks and financial institutions can negotiate their own relationships with customers with limited government interference. 
    Status: Passed and became law on April 10, 2025.

    S.J.Res. 28 – Digital Payment Providers

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a burdensome and overreaching Biden-era CFPB rule that would have threatened Americans’ privacy interests.
    Why It Matters: The rule, if left intact, could stifle innovation and impose undue burdens on digital payment providers like Venmo or PayPal. 
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    S.J.Res. 13 –Bank Merger Application Review

    What It Does: This resolution overturns a Biden-era rule from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) that would have made more stringent the government’s review of bank mergers.
    Why It Matters: Overturning this rule will allow American financial institutions to make decisions that work best for their customers. 
    Status: Passed the Senate but has not yet passed the House.

    Promise Made: Eliminate Burdensome Regulations
    Promise Kept:

    H.J.Res. 60 – Regulations for ATV Usage

    What It Does: This resolution will make minor changes to a Biden-era regulation that will result in improved management of motorized uses in the Orange Cliffs Special Management Unit, including:

    Prohibiting the use of ORVs and street-legal ATVs on an 8-mile segment of the Poison Spring Loop located on Route 633 proceeding north to Route 730.
    Eliminating the superintendent’s authority to potentially allow ORVs and street-legal ATVs on the upper portion of the Flint Trail.

    Why It Matters: By improving this regulation, we will give Americans greater freedom to traverse the great outdoors, without the government needlessly telling them how to do it. 
    Status: Passed, but not yet signed by the President.

    MIL OSI USA News –