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  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Releases Statement on Bipartisan Bill to Fund Labor, Health, and Education Departments for Fiscal Year 2026

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, released the following statement after the full committee advanced her Fiscal Year 2026 funding legislation to the Senate floor. In addition to funding critical programs that the Trump Administration has tried to cut or withhold funding from – including Head Start, the National Institutes of Health, and Job Corps – the bipartisan bill takes further steps to mandate the timely delivery of Congressionally approved funding and adequate staffing levels at federal agencies to carry out the mission of these programs.

    “At the end of the day, my North Star is delivering for the people of Wisconsin. While no one got everything they wanted in this bill, I’m proud to say we found common ground and are doing just that to address the challenges facing working families across the country. From investing in cancer and Alzheimer’s research, to protecting the Department of Education and early education funding, to strengthening my 988 Suicide Lifeline, we came together to deliver for our constituents,” said Senator Baldwin. “This bill not only puts Donald Trump’s budget in the trash, it also reins in this President’s efforts to dismantle and withhold funding for critical programs our constituents rely on. This bill takes on the kitchen table issues families face by addressing childcare costs, connecting more Americans with good-paying jobs, and taking on the mental health and opioid epidemics. While it is not perfect, I look forward to getting it over the finish line on behalf of Wisconsinites who want to see a Washington that works for them.”

    As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Senator Baldwin writes the bill that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. A summary of the bill is available below.

    Key Points & Highlights – Department of Health and Human Services

    Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The bill provides $116.6 billion, an increase of $446 million in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services over fiscal year 2025.

    The bill rejects the Trump administration’s harmful efforts to defund and dismantle critical work that HHS oversees—maintaining important funding for programs across HHS that touch the lives of nearly every American, while providing targeted increases to important bipartisan priorities. The bill includes new requirements to help ensure adequate staffing and the timely awarding of funding to prevent completely unnecessary delays and disruptions in programs that families and communities across the country count on—from child care and Head Start to substance use and mental health—and that support lifesaving research into cures and treatments for devastating diseases.

    Biomedical Research: The bill provides $48.7 billion in discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an increase of $400 million to propel lifesaving and life-changing cures and treatments across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

    The bill rejects the catastrophic 40% cut to NIH proposed by President Trump, and instead of slashing funding for biomedical research, includes a:

    • $150 million increase for cancer research;
    • $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research;
    • $30 million increase for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases;
    • $30 million increase for the Office of Research on Women’s Health;
    • $25 million increase for ALS research, fully funding the $100 million as authorized by the ACT for ALS Act of 2021;
    • $20 million increase for the IMPROVE Initiative for research on maternal mortality;
    • $12 million increase for BRAIN Initiative research;
    • $10 million increase for diabetes research;
    • $10 million increase for rare disease research;
    • $9 million increase for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network; and a
    • $5 million to implement the National Parkinson’s Project.

    The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s proposal—and illegal efforts—to cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would devastate biomedical research, and continues a longstanding provision that prohibits NIH from implementing such a cap. The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s misguided elimination of programs across NIH by maintaining funding for HIV vaccine research, training programs that support the next generation of researchers, and the Safe to Sleep campaign, among others.

    The bill also includes, as part of a manager’s amendment, a new provision that would prevent implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s misguided policy for NIH to fund significantly more of its multi-year research grants in one lump sum. This poorly thought-out new policy would significantly cut the number of research grants NIH awards this year and next year—according to NIH’s own estimate, by 40% in fiscal year 2025, reducing the percentage of cancer research grants it will award from 13% to 7%, and Alzheimer’s disease grants from 18% to 6%. OMB’s attempt this week to explicitly and illegally withhold billions in funding and halt all remaining NIH research grants through the rest of the year makes its intentions crystal clear. More needs to be done to protect NIH research programs, but the provision included in this bill is an important step in preventing the Trump administration from decimating the biomedical research enterprise Congress has built in a bipartisan manner over decades, which has long been the envy of the world and drives medical innovation that has saved millions of lives.

    The bill also includes a new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability by requiring institutions to complete investigations into concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions, even if the alleged perpetrator leaves their current position and is no longer employed by the institution. It provides the NIH Director the authority to decline the transfer of an award to a different institution, helping to close the “pass-the-harasser” loophole. It also provides the NIH Director the authority to share investigation reports on an as-needed basis with any institution that receives NIH funding.

    Child Care and Early Learning Programs: The bill includes $8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)—an $85 million increase over fiscal year 2025; and $12.4 billion for Head Start, an $85 million increase. Much more needs to be done to address our broken child care system and ensure every working family can find and afford child care, which is critical for businesses and our economy too—but sustained annual increases in these programs are critical in the meantime. The bill also sustains funding for Preschool Development Grants, which President Trump proposed eliminating in his budget request.

    Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health: The bill sustains funding to address the rising toll of opioid overdoses fueled by fentanyl, maintain access to substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and improve access to mental health services.

    The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cuts to SAMHSA programs and maintains SAMHSA as its own, independent agency to ensure substance use and mental health remain a priority at HHS. The bill includes targeted increases to SAMHSA programs, including $2.0 billion, a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response grants, a $20 million increase; and $145 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.

    It protects key investments in mental health programs by sustaining funding for the Mental Health Block Grant, Project AWARE, Mental Health Awareness Training, and the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network. The bill also provides $535 million, a $15 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to address continued increases in demand as 988 has been stood up over the last several years, and it restores dedicated funding for the LGBTQ+ youth specialized services line that President Trump eliminated this summer.

    Additionally, it includes approximately $180 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals and services in our nation’s K-12 schools.

    Essential Health Care Programs: The bill protects investments in health care access and affordability and the health care workforce—maintaining investments in core programs, including $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers and $128.6 million for the National Health Service Corps. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is fully funded, and the bill affirms support for the mission and scientific integrity of the task force. The bill also includes a $9.3 million increase in rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals.

    Importantly, the bill provides a $5 million increase in funding for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative to strengthen and reform the nation’s organ donation and transplant system. There are more than 100,000 individuals on the organ transplant waitlist, and this initiative, which began during the Biden administration, will allow the OPTN to better serve patients and families and strengthen accountability.

    Public Health: The bill rejects the approximately $4 billion—or 50%—cut to CDC programs proposed by President Trump’s budget request. CDC helps keep Americans safe and healthy by protecting against diseases and supporting states and local communities as they do the same. It also rejects the Trump administration’s haphazard proposal to dismantle CDC, which risks Americans’ health and safety, and requires HHS to support staffing levels to carry out the CDC’s programs.

    The bill also helps support state and local health departments by sustaining critical programs across the CDC, including funding for chronic diseases, the Office of Smoking and Health, injury prevention programs (including firearm injury and mortality research), global health programs, and immunization and infectious disease prevention programs.

    HIV/AIDS: The bill includes $613 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which provides high-need jurisdictions with prevention and treatment services for people at high risk for HIV transmission. This includes $220 million within the CDC’s Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research programs to develop and deploy innovative data management solutions, increase access to PrEP, and better detect and respond to HIV clusters, and $128.9 million for the CDC’s global HIV/AIDS program. The bill also provides full funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, including dental services and training for health care practitioners, two initiatives that President Trump sought to eliminate in his budget proposal.

    Women’s Health: The bill sustains funding for reproductive health programs, including Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which President Trump eliminated in his budget proposal. The bill also increases investments in maternal health across CDC and NIH with a $53 million increase for programs that aim to address maternal mental health, prevent pregnancy-related deaths, support best practices to improve maternal health outcomes, and invest in women’s health research. The bill also provides funding for a new initiative to support survivors of sexual assault and creates a new menopause initiative within AHRQ to translate research best practices into clinical practice for women. Importantly, the bill includes increases in funding for the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and maternal health safety initiatives through the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health program.

    Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense: The bill includes $3.6 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). It sustains funding for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); Project Bioshield; the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS); and Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) activities to help ensure that critical resources in the public health supply chain—including raw materials, medical countermeasures, and ancillary supplies—are manufactured in the United States. It also includes $4 million to support a new program to improve emergency medical services and trauma care during a public health emergency.

    Administration for Community Living: The bill maintains funding for the Administration for Community Living as its own agency within HHS to help support seniors and Americans with disabilities so they can live and participate fully in their communities. This includes providing $1.1 billion for senior nutrition programs and providing targeted increases for family caregiver programs.

    Home Heating and Cooling Assistance: The bill includes $4.045 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2025, to help low-income households heat and cool their homes.

    Key Points & Highlights – Department of Education

    Department of Education: The bill provides $79.0 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education.

    The bill rejects the Trump administration’s call to eliminate the Department of Education and maintains funding across the Department, including funding for K-12 formula and competitive grant programs, CTE and adult education programs, federal student aid, postsecondary competitive grants, and civil rights enforcement to provide the resources needed to help schools improve educational outcomes for students and protect all students from discrimination.

    The bill includes new requirements that the Department of Education maintain the staff necessary to ensure it carries out its statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs and activities funded in this bill in a timely manner. The bill also includes new requirements for the Department of Education to make formula grants available to states and districts on time. While this should be unnecessary, this step prevents any administration from withholding key funding for students and creating chaos for states and schools, which distracts educators from helping kids thrive.

    Supporting Elementary and Secondary Education Students: The bill strengthens investments in foundational formula grant programs for elementary and secondary education and in public schools, teachers, and students—rejecting the $4.5 billion cut and the proposed consolidations in President Trump’s budget request for a new $2 billion block grant program.

    The bill boosts funding for Title I-A grants by $50 million above the fiscal year 2025 level to $18.457 billion. More than 80% of the nation’s school districts receive these funds, and nearly 25 million students go to schools receiving Title I funding. The bill also provides $15.224 billion, an increase of $50 million over fiscal year 2025, for all three IDEA Special Education State grant programs and retains each as a separate program. IDEA state grant programs support more than seven million students and children with disabilities and their families who receive IDEA services through these programs. The bill also includes new guardrails to prevent the administration from moving these formula grant programs to other federal agencies and disrupting the efficient and effective use of federal funds intended to improve outcomes for students.

    The bill also continues current investments, except for a few targeted reductions, across a range of other important formula and competitive grant programs authorized to improve teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, rejecting President Trump’s proposed elimination of $1.5 billion in total funding for nine important programs.

    Career and Technical Education (CTE): The bill provides $1.45 billion for CTE grants and $729 million for adult education grants and appropriates such funding to the Department of Education to carry out these programs, rejecting President Trump’s call to eliminate federal support for adult education. The bill includes new provisions requiring both CTE and adult education formula grants to be awarded in a timely way to prevent any administration from withholding these critical funds.

    Higher Education: The bill provides a total maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395 for the 2026-2027 award year, rejecting President Trump’s proposal to cut the Pell grant by over $1000. This coming school year, Pell Grants are expected to help over 7 million students at all stages of life pursue postsecondary education and further their careers. The bill also rejects President Trump’s proposals to eliminate a range of postsecondary education programs.

    Instead, the bill sustains funding for Federal Work Study and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant that provide additional need-based aid to students to help them afford postsecondary education. The bill also includes $65 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program and $15 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence to help educator preparation programs address educator shortages. It also continues other investments available to recruit, develop, and retain an effective and diverse teacher and school leader workforce, including $90 million for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program.

    The bill sustains funding for TRIO at $1.191 billion; $388 million for GEAR UP; $75 million for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS); a $10 million for the Basic Needs Program; and $40 million for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program to help students prepare for and succeed in post-secondary education. The bill also sustains funding for Title III and V programs that support HBCUs, MSIs, Tribal colleges, and other institutions. President Trump had proposed to eliminate CCAMPIS, TRIO, GEAR UP, International Education, the Basic Needs Program, and the Postsecondary Student Success Grant, among other programs in his budget request.

    The bill also sustains funding for the administration of student aid programs. This funding supports a wide range of activities, including: implementing the FAFSA; disbursing student aid; ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers; implementing more affordable repayment plans; and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs. Finally, the bill includes important requirements to help Congress conduct oversight over the new higher education provisions contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    Protecting Students from Discrimination: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cut of $49 million, or one-third of the total budget, for the Office for Civil Rights. Instead, the bill maintains the current budget level of $140 million and requires the Department to support the staffing levels necessary for OCR to fulfill its statutory responsibilities.

    Advancing Education Research, Statistics, and Assessments: The bill maintains current funding of $793 million for the Institute of Education Sciences for all programs and activities of IES funded in fiscal year 2024, rejecting the massive reduction of $532 million or 67% proposed in President Trump’s budget request. The Trump administration’s significant workforce reductions and program delays at IES this year have caused it to fail to meet statutory requirements. The bill requires the Department to support staffing levels necessary for IES and the National Center for Education Statistics to fulfill their statutory responsibilities.

    Key Points & Highlights – Department of Labor

    Department of Labor (DOL): The bill includes $13.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor. The bill rejects the harmful cuts proposed by the Trump administration, including the administration’s proposal to block grant our nation’s workforce training programs.

    Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It includes a new directive requiring DOL to award such funds in a timely manner. It provides $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $105 million for YouthBuild. The bill also rejects President Trump’s call to eliminate Job Corps and instead provides $1.76 billion for Job Corps. Rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts for many of these programs and continuing funding for these key workforce development programs will help grow the economy, provide workers with the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future, and help American businesses compete globally.

    Worker Protection: The bill rejects drastic reductions proposed in President Trump’s request and sustains key investments in DOL’s worker protection agencies charged with enforcing requirements for employers to pay workers what they earn and provide safe and healthy workplaces. The bill maintains $191 million in funding for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which is responsible for, among other things, ensuring private sector employment-based group health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. The bill also maintains $260 million for Wage and Hour Division to support the Division’s work to recover wages workers are owed and to combat exploitative child labor. Last year, the Division secured more than $273 million in back wages collected and damages for nearly 152,000 workers nationwide.

    The bill also provides $111 million, $41 million more than President Trump’s budget request, for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs to enforce labor provisions of free trade agreements and trade preference programs and combat international child labor and forced labor. Finally, the bill rejects the proposed elimination of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Women’s Bureau, providing $106 million and $23 million, respectively.

    Key Points & Highlights – Related Agencies

    Social Security Administration (SSA): The bill includes $15.0 billion for SSA’s administrative expenses—an increase of $594 million over fiscal year 2025. This is $100 million more than President Trump’s budget request to help address staffing challenges and improve service to the public. The Trump administration has single-handedly created completely unnecessary chaos at SSA that has weakened Americans’ ability to get the benefits they are owed—and it has continually misled the public with easily disproven claims about widespread fraud. Instead of admitting to its lie, SSA has doubled down and pursued poorly planned and implemented policy changes. The American public and the beneficiaries SSA serves have paid the price, with unacceptable wait times to access the benefits and services Americans deserve, and that they have literally earned through a lifetime of work. Instead of chasing conspiracy theories, the administration should focus on actually improving services and addressing service delivery challenges impacting Americans across the country. The resources in this bill will help SSA do just that.

    AmeriCorps: The bill rejects President Trump’s elimination of AmeriCorps and sustains funding for all of AmeriCorps’ grant programs by providing a total of $1.25 billion to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to administer these programs. This bill also includes new provisions requiring any administration to award AmeriCorps state formula funding in a timely way and includes new requirements to ensure CNCS will award competitive grants in a timely fashion, too. The bill will support AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country and working to address pressing challenges, including responding to natural disasters, assisting in schools, supporting our veterans, promoting economic opportunity, and conserving and protecting the environment.

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): As a result of Congressional Republicans’ approval of the Rescissions Act of 2025—the first ever partisan rescissions bill signed into law—no funds are provided in the bill for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the more than 1,500 locally owned public TV and radio stations nationwide that have, for over 50 years, been supported by CPB funds and infrastructure investments. Republicans’ devastating rescissions bill will particularly hurt 120 stations that rely on CPB for more than 25% of their revenue, who are now scrambling to find new sources of support or significantly reduce programming or close in the coming months.

    Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): The bill continues to invest $295 million in the nation’s libraries and museums through programs of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and requires IMLS to fund specified programs and activities at amounts identified in the Committee report.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is Australia becoming a more violent country?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Violence Research and Prevention Program, Griffith University

    Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed robbers, or shoppers simply going about their business are confronted by knife-wielding thugs.

    The way media and politicians talk, it seems as if we are in the middle of an unprecedented violent crime crisis.

    But are we?

    The short answer is: no.

    Comparing today with the past

    Although the numbers fluctuate from year to year, Australia is less violent today than in previous years.

    It is difficult to make direct comparisons over decades, because the way crimes are defined and recorded changes (especially for assault).

    Weapons and violence are rarely out of the media cycle in Australia, leading many to fear this country is becoming less safe for everyday people. Is that really the case, though? This is the first story in a four-part series.

    For crimes like domestic violence, the statistics are extremely hard to compare over time but even so, prevalence appears to have declined (although only about half of all women who experience physical and/or sexual violence from their partners seek advice or support).

    However, if we consider homicide and robbery (which have been categorised much the same way over time), the numbers have been falling for decades.

    Yes, knives and bladed weapons have been in the news recently, but this does not mean they are being used more often.

    Reliable, long-term statistics are not always available but the ones we have show the use of weapons has declined over time.

    Interestingly, this seems to have nothing to do with the weapons themselves. For instance, armed robbery and unarmed robbery both rise and fall in about the same way, at about the same time. Homicide follows a similar pattern.

    Not all crimes are reported to police but self-reported statistics show the same trends.

    Relative to ten years ago, Australians now are less likely to say they have experienced physical or threatened face-to-face assault in the previous 12 months.

    Places with greater socioeconomic disadvantage typically experience more violence. In Queensland, for instance, Mt Isa has higher violent crime rates than affluent areas of Brisbane.

    Despite differences between places, there is generally less violence than there used to be.

    Why is violence declining?

    Nobody knows quite why violence is decreasing. This is not just happening in Australia but across many developed nations.

    Suggestions include better social welfare, strong economies, improved education, low unemployment, women’s rights and stable governance. Also, new avenues have opened up that carry less risk than violent crime – such as cyberfraud instead of robbing a bank.

    There is no clear, compelling explanation.

    Yet when we consider Australia’s responses when violence does occur, measures such as bans (for example, on machetes), more police powers and more (or longer) prison sentences have become the fallback.

    Evidence shows these types of reactions achieve little, but in an environment of endless “crisis” it is almost impossible to make good decisions. This is made even harder in circumstances where victims and activists push politicians to implement “feel-good” policies, regardless of how ultimately fruitless those will be.

    Who are the people being violent?

    One thing remains the same: violent crime is primarily committed by younger men (who are also likely to be victims).

    Ethnicity and migration are also recurrent themes. Just as young Italians with switchblades were the focus of moral panic in the 1950s and 60s, migrants from places such as Africa and the Middle East are now held up as a danger.

    Ethnicity/migration history data is not always recorded in crime statistics, but the information we do have suggests a more complex picture.

    Factors such as exposure to warfare and civil strife can certainly play a role in people’s use of violence.

    However, unemployment, poverty, poor education and involvement with drugs and/or gangs tend to play a much larger part.

    Reactions versus reality

    If society is less violent, why are public reactions to violence seemingly becoming more intense?

    Incidents that would have received little attention a decade ago now dominate public debate and single incidents – no matter how rare or isolated – are enough to provoke sweeping legislative and policy changes.

    Violence is political currency. The more the spectre of violence is emphasised and exaggerated, the more power people are willing to give to authorities to do something to fix it.

    This is also about psychology: the better things get, the more sensitive people tend to be to whatever ills remain and resilience can crumble when something bad does happen.

    Pandering to this by rushing to make people feel safer – while politically irresistible – has unintended consequences. When another incident occurs, as it always does, people feel even more vulnerable because they were led to believe the problem had been “fixed”.

    This creates a never-ending cycle of superficial responses while underlying issues are ignored.

    We cannot legislate or politicise our way out of violence. The best responses are ones that identify and address actual root causes and look at the circumstances that surround violence – rather than fixating on the violence itself.

    This means moving away from emotional reactions and taking a clear look at why violence occurs in the first place.

    Until this happens, any further reductions in violence are more likely to be good luck than good management.

    Samara McPhedran has received funding from various Australian and international government grant programs, including the Australian Research Council and Criminology Research Council, for a number of projects relating to violence. She has been appointed to various advisory panels and committees, including as a member of the Queensland Ministerial Advisory Panel on Weapons. She does not receive any financial remuneration or other reward for these activities. She is the Executive Director (Analysis, Policy and Strategy) of the Violence Prevention Institute Australia. She is not, and has never been, a member of any political party. The views expressed are those of the author alone.

    – ref. Is Australia becoming a more violent country? – https://theconversation.com/is-australia-becoming-a-more-violent-country-260102

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Steps to spur consumption, enhance vitality

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

    A State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for stepping up efforts to improve the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies, while arranging the implementation of interest subsidies on personal consumption loans and loans to service sector businesses to better stimulate consumption and enhance market vitality.

    As the country’s latest step to boost innovation-driven growth, the State Council executive meeting approved a guideline on deeply implementing the AI Plus initiative, calling for promoting the large-scale, commercial application of artificial intelligence and advancing its accelerated adoption and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.

    On Thursday, the National Bureau of Statistics released the latest purchasing managers index, or PMI, data, which suggested the necessity to consolidate the resilience of the manufacturing sector and overall economic momentum in the second half of the year.

    Economists called for further reinforcing support for domestic demand and employment, as the nation’s manufacturing activity cooled in July amid unfavorable weather and the traditional off-season. The official PMI for the manufacturing sector stood at 49.3 in July, down from 49.7 in June, the NBS said on Thursday.

    Despite the moderation, high-tech manufacturing continued to gain traction in July, highlighting the vitality of the country’s industrial upgrading and reinforcing the sector’s ability to withstand ongoing external challenges, experts said.

    Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said, “With both domestic and external demand softening, the manufacturing PMI ended its two-month rebound and declined within the contraction territory in July.”

    The official manufacturing PMI has stayed below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction for the fourth consecutive month. In July, the subindex of new orders — a barometer of market demand — dropped to 49.4 from 50.2 in June, while that of new export orders went down to 47.1 from 47.7 in the previous month.

    External headwinds dampened export momentum, while the effect of earlier policies to boost domestic demand started to wane in July, Wang said, adding that high temperatures, heavy rains and flooding in some regions disrupted production.

    Downward pressures on economic growth may intensify in the third quarter, said Wang, who expects additional measures to boost domestic demand as China’s relatively low levels of sovereign debt and inflation have offered ample policy room to offset a slowdown in external demand.

    The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on Wednesday that made arrangements for economic work in the second half, emphasizing that macro policies should continue to exert force and be strengthened at an appropriate time.

    New economic drivers

    Xiong Yi, Deutsche Bank’s chief economist for China, said, “If GDP growth slows faster than expected, a budget deficit increase may become necessary in the fourth quarter.”

    He said he anticipates that the Chinese economy will grow 4.8 percent in 2025, following its strong resilience in the first half of the year.

    According to Xiong, service consumption is expected to become a new driver of economic growth and employment in the second half of the year. China is enhancing its support for service consumption, with a particular focus on cultural tourism, elderly care, healthcare and domestic services.

    Despite the overall decline, the PMI for high-tech manufacturing came in at 50.6 in July, while that for equipment manufacturing was at 50.3, the NBS said, indicating the sectors’ capability to thrive despite challenges.

    For instance, Nantong Haixing Electronics Co, an electronic energy storage materials producer based in Nantong, Jiangsu province, saw its export value exceeding 50 million yuan ($6.95 million) in the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 67.23 percent, data from Nanjing Customs showed.

    Jin Wenhui, the head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said that despite intense worldwide competition, sustained investment in innovation has enabled the company to pursue industrial upgrading and remain resilient in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

    Guangdong Greenway Technology Co, a manufacturer of electric motorcycles and bicycles, as well as mobile energy storage systems, based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, shipped its products to more than 80 countries and regions across Europe and the Americas in the first half of the year, according to Huangpu Customs in Guangdong.

    Wu Jing, head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said, “With years of development in lithium battery manufacturing, we’ve steadily increased our supply of high-quality, eco-friendly products amid the global shift toward energy transition, while actively exploring new markets and opportunities overseas.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong’s economy expands 3.1 percent in Q2

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

    Hong Kong’s economy continued expansion in the second quarter of 2025, with real gross domestic product (GDP) up 3.1 percent year on year, local data showed on Thursday.

    The growth rate picked up from 3 percent registered in the first quarter, according to advance GDP estimates from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

    In breakdown, private consumption expenditure increased by 1.9 percent in real terms over a year earlier, rebounding from a decline of 1.2 percent in the previous quarter.

    On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison basis, GDP increased by 0.4 percent in real terms from the first quarter.

    A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said that the solid Q2 growth was boosted by strong export performance and improved domestic demand.

    Total exports of goods saw accelerated growth amid resilient external demand, while the bullish local stock market buoyed services export, the spokesperson added.

    Private consumption expenditure resumed moderate growth after four consecutive quarters of decline, supported by sanguine consumer sentiments.

    Looking ahead, steady economic growth in Asia, particularly in the Chinese mainland, as well as the HKSAR government’s policy efforts, will continue to bolster growth, said the spokesperson, while cautioning against potential impacts from U.S. tariff policies and the pace of U.S. interest rate cuts. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong’s economy grows for 10th straight quarter as consumer, investor sentiment perks up

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

    Hong Kong’s economy continued expansion in the second quarter of 2025, the 10th consecutive quarter of growth, as consumer and investor sentiment warmed, local data showed on Thursday.

    Advance estimates from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government showed that Hong Kong’s real gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 3.1 percent year on year in Q2, picking up from the 3-percent rate registered in the first quarter.

    Analysts and industry insiders said that the solid Q2 growth was boosted by strong export performance and improved domestic demand, pointing to notable economic resilience.

    Total exports of goods measured in national accounts terms recorded an increase of 11.5 percent over a year earlier as external demand retained steam, while bullish local stock market buoyed export of financial and business services, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government.

    “The strong goods export figure is a result of Hong Kong forging closer ties with the Chinese mainland market as well as other markets around the world. Its role as a global trade hub remains unchanged,” said Liang Haiming, chairman and chief economist of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute.

    Hong Kong boasts the world’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) market and one of the best-performing stock markets by mid-July. The 52 IPOs raised 124 billion Hong Kong dollars (15.8 billion U.S. dollars) in total.

    Total market capitalization of the Hong Kong bourse came in at 42.7 trillion Hong Kong dollars in the first half of this year, up 33 percent year on year.

    “The rising valuation of Chinese assets showed that global investors appreciate Chinese companies’ ability to innovate,” said Zhao Yang, managing director of CICC Global Institute.

    Another token of renewed investor confidence is capital inflow into the city. The number of registered funds reached 976 as of March 2025, with overall net inflows exceeding 44 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 285 percent.

    “Continued capital inflow, stock market upticks, as well as the HKSAR government’s efforts to land mega events and high value-added tourism, have bolstered consumer sentiment,” said Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan.

    Private consumption expenditure in Q2 increased by 1.9 percent after four consecutive quarters of decline, Thursday’s data showed.

    The long streak of steady GDP growth affirms global confidence toward Hong Kong’s economy and creates a nurturing environment for its economic upgrade, especially in exploring new drivers like green finance, sci-tech innovation and high-end services, said Liang.

    A report released by the HKSAR government on Wednesday showed that Hong Kong’s core competitiveness is solid and new strengths are emerging. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for August 1, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 1, 2025.

    Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region. In

    Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor of Law, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government. It promotes good government, spurring those in power into better practice. Even when what is revealed is pretty revolting, transparency means those transgressions are known, and accountability for

    Wood fires, warm drinks, hot water bottles: 5 expert tips on how to avoid burns this winter
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Martin, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Science, The University of Western Australia Alex P/Pexels It’s a cold, crisp evening and the air carries a chill that bites. As temperatures drop and houses get colder, we turn to trusted sources of

    Is Australia becoming a more violent country?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Violence Research and Prevention Program, Griffith University Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed

    The royal commission recommended abolishing time limits on abuse cases – a year on, nothing has changed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoë Prebble, Lecturer in Criminal Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Among the 138 recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report to parliament was a clear call: remove the legal time limits that prevent survivors of historic

    Industrial-scale deepfake abuse caused a crisis in South Korean schools. Here’s how Australia can avoid the same fate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Scanlan, Senior Lecturer in Health Information Management, University of Tasmania South Korea’s deepfake crisis triggered a wave of protests in 2024. Anthony WALLACE / AFP Australian schools are seeing a growing number of incidents in which students have created deepfake sexualised imagery of their classmates. The

    Colombia is producing more cocaine than ever – and more is reaching Australian shores
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cesar Alvarez, Lecturer in Terrorism and Security Studies, Charles Sturt University Members of the Colombian anti-narcotics police test cocaine after a drug bust. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images Imagine an area larger than the Australian Capital Territory, nearly twice the size of London and four times that

    How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlee Bower, Senior Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney gremlin/Getty Images Without even realising it, your world sometimes gradually gets smaller: less walking, fewer days in the office, cancelling on friends. Watching plans disintegrate on the chat as

    Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucinda Chambers, PhD Candidate in Marine Bioacoustics, UNSW Sydney CassandraSm/Shutterstock Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes. For the next

    Shark tales, a sinking city and a breathless cop thriller: what to watch in August
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Lecturer, Digital Communication, RMIT University As the cool nights continue, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a new batch of captivating films and series. This month’s streaming highlights bring a little bit of everything, from gripping true crime, to thought-provoking political drama, and

    A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles

    As protesters condemn Western media ‘complicity’, Gaza journalists struggle for survival
    Asia Pacific Report Protesters demonstrated outside several major US media outlets in Washington this week condemning their coverage of the genocide in Gaza, claiming they were to blame over misinformation and the worsening catastrophe. Banging pots and pans to spotlight the starvation crisis, they accused the media of “complicity in genocide”. Banners and placards proclaimed

    The company tax regime is a roadblock to business investment. Here’s what needs to change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Robson, Deputy Chair, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology Erman Gunes/Shutterstock Productivity growth is a key driver of improvements in living standards. But in Australia over the last decade, output per hour worked grew by less than a quarter of its 60-year average.

    Grattan on Friday: Aggrieved Liberals stamp their feet, testing Sussan Ley’s authority
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As any leader of a political party knows, when you demote people they can become difficult, or worse. Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers. Sarah Henderson, who was opposition education spokeswoman last term,

    Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, ASIO boss Mike Burgess says
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, according to a study by ASIO and the Australian Institute of Criminology. The figure includes the direct costs of known espionage incidents, including state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, as well as the indirect

    Labor well-placed to win three Bass seats in Tasmanian election, giving left a total of 20 of 35 MPs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor is well-placed to win three seats in the electorate of Bass at the Tasmanian election, although its party totals imply it deserves only two. This would

    The Muslim world has been strong on rhetoric, short on action over Gaza and Afghanistan
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Australian National University When it comes to dealing with two of the biggest current crises in the Muslim world – the devastation of Gaza and the Taliban’s draconian

    Kids need to floss too, even their baby teeth. But how do you actually get them to do it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dileep Sharma, Professor and Head of Discipline – Oral Health, University of Newcastle Jonathan Borba/Pexels A survey from the Australian Dental Association out this week shows about three in four children never floss their teeth, or have adults do it for them. Many of the survey respondents

    Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Sydney Brett Boardman/Belvoir The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: independent MP Allegra Spender on making tax fairer for younger Australians
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With parliament now finished its first fortnight’s session, attention will soon be on the government’s August 19-21 economic reform roundtable, bringing together business, unions, experts and community representatives to pursue consensus on ways to lift Australia’s flagging productivity. Independent member

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thriving under pressure: Chinese companies build resilience, boost innovation amid headwinds

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

    Thriving under pressure: Chinese companies build resilience, boost innovation amid headwinds

    Merchant Sun Lijuan (R) introduces products to an Indian merchant inside her shop at the Yiwu International Trade Mart in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)

    “It’s hot and wet today,” chirped a doll in a clear, childlike voice, dressed in a pink floral blouse and a rainbow tulle skirt. The doll was on display at a toy stall in Yiwu City, a bustling trade hub in east China often dubbed the “world’s supermarket.”

    The question — “What’s the weather like today?” — came from stall owner Sun Lijuan, who has worked in the doll business in Yiwu for over a decade.

    Her latest model, now powered by AI, marks a major shift from the talking toys of the past. “It’s no longer just a doll that sings, tells stories, or answers basic questions,” Sun said. “Now it can respond to almost anything. For kids, it’s more like a companion — a friend.”

    Sun is currently developing Spanish-language versions and has asked long-time clients to take the new AI dolls’ smart modules to South America to test server connectivity.

    Amid global tariff headwinds, innovation is unfolding daily in Yiwu across a wide range of industries and products. Local businesses are steadily strengthening both resilience and innovation capacity, driving a 24.5 percent year-on-year increase in the city’s exports in the first half of the year.

    Visits by foreign buyers in Yiwu jumped 18.6 percent from a year earlier in the first five months, underscoring growing interest in the city’s expanding and evolving product lines.

    The resilience of the “world’s supermarket” echoed a robust 5.3 percent year-on-year growth in China’s GDP in the first half of the year. Behind this hard-won result against the global backdrop of economic and trade headwinds, businesses like Sun’s tell inspiring stories of agility and enterprise.

    Merchants participate in a language learning session at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

    WEATHERING GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES

    The rapid rollout of new products, Sun said, owes much to China’s strengths in innovation and talent. “Since the rapid ascent of DeepSeek earlier this year, we’ve been approached by many integrated circuit chip developers eager to collaborate on next-generation dolls,” she said. “I’ve never had so much contact with PhDs from top universities and tech firms.”

    This year has also been one of personal growth for Sun. After DeepSeek gained attention, the Yiwu International Trade Market began offering free AI training and she managed to pick up several software skills.

    In March, a long-time client from Mexico visited her shop and requested adjustments to the doll’s facial features and clothing. Sun made the edits on her computer within minutes, impressing the client and securing an order on the spot.

    “Many people have asked me whether external uncertainties have hit my factory hard, and I always say the impact has been limited,” Sun said, noting her factory has, over the years, developed talking dolls in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, Arabic and Russian, for more than 50 markets such as Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

    “Entrepreneurs in Yiwu who’ve made it this far have been tested by the market repeatedly. Without foresight, they would’ve been pushed out of the market long ago,” she added.

    The new AI-powered dolls cost three to four times as much to produce as older talking models, but they also bring higher profit margins, according to Sun.

    Sun Lijuan said the production cost of the new AI-powered dolls is three to four times that of traditional talking models — but the added technology also brings higher profit margins.

    Sun’s toy business offers a glimpse into a broader trend. Across China, companies are drawing on the country’s institutional strengths, vast market potential, resilient supply chains, a deep talent pool, and growing innovation and openness to sharpen their resilience and adaptability in an increasingly complex global landscape.

    SHARPENING INNOVATION

    On the vast Gobi Desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, towering high-voltage power lines form a striking “forest of steel.” Between the power lines, drones flit in and out of view like birds patrolling their territory, detecting minor faults or unusual objects on the towers and cables.

    This photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a 750-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line under construction in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Ma Yuan/Xinhua)

    This is a fully autonomous drone inspection system developed by technology company I-KINGTEC in north China’s Tianjin Municipality. A young tech firm founded just eight years ago is helping to solve one of the toughest challenges of power line inspections in uninhabited regions.

    Its “Orca” drone can autonomously take off, fly missions and collect data. Serving as its all-weather base, the “Tiger Den” station can automatically replace the drone’s battery pod — a task that once depended almost entirely on manual labor.

    “How to make drones truly unmanned throughout the entire workflow has been the question we sought to answer from the very beginning,” said Zhu Shengli, co-founder of the company. He noted that the firm’s technological breakthroughs have been made possible by China’s supportive policies for the low-altitude economy and a strong talent pool.

    At Zhu’s company, the average age of employees is just 27, and R&D staff make up 70 percent of the workforce. The company has filed more than 600 IP applications to date.

    It posted over 200 million yuan (28 million U.S. dollars) in revenue last year, and its first-quarter earnings this year have already exceeded the full-year total for 2024.

    China’s tech firms like Zhu’s have seen strong momentum this year. In the first half of 2025, the country’s high-tech sectors posted rapid gains, with value-added industrial output in high-tech manufacturing rising 9.5 percent, 3.1 percentage points higher than the overall industrial growth during the same period.

    Sheng Laiyun, deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics, described the “accumulation of new growth momentum” as a key feature of China’s economic performance. He noted an accelerating integration of technological and industrial innovation, which is high on policymakers’ agendas.

    To boost innovation, China has introduced a series of policy measures this year, including setting up a national venture capital guidance fund expected to mobilize 1 trillion yuan, expanding re-lending for tech innovation and upgrades from 500 billion to 800 billion yuan, and launching a dedicated “sci-tech board” in the bond market. The measures aim to channel more financial resources into early-stage, small-scale, long-term, and hard-tech ventures.

    TAPPING VAST DOMESTIC MARKET

    At a time when global demand is uneven, China’s vast domestic market of over 1.4 billion people continues to serve as a powerful anchor. Consumer demand is evolving rapidly, driving the emergence of new business models and product innovations.

    Despite pressures on the broader food service sector, Xibei, a leading Chinese catering chain brand with nearly 400 outlets and around 17,000 employees, is charting a different course by upgrading its children’s meals and offering higher-quality options to attract family diners, a strategy that has helped lift overall sales.

    The chain now offers four kids’ meal set options. One standout is a 69-yuan set featuring a whole yellow croaker, organic vegetables, corn soup, shrimp and egg custard, mousse, and hand-rolled oat noodles. To ensure it’s safe for children to eat, each fish goes through three rounds of machine inspection followed by manual deboning.

    “Kids’ meals are emerging as a powerful driver of family dining. Parents are willing to invest in quality for their children,” said Song Xuan, vice president of Xibei.

    Sales of Xibei’s children’s meals rose 7.4 percent year on year last year. Families dining with children now make up about 50 percent of total tables across its outlets on average.

    Despite skepticism over China’s consumer momentum and concerns about weak market demand, Xibei offers a snapshot of the country’s evolving spending power.

    China’s consumer market continued to gain momentum in the first half of the year, with retail sales of consumer goods rising 5 percent year on year, 0.4 percentage points faster than in the first quarter. Consumption contributed 52 percent to GDP growth during the period, making it the main driver of the economy.

    The vast Chinese market is also a shared market for the world, with consumer goods imports totaling 7.4 trillion yuan between 2021 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Commerce. In terms of actual purchasing power, China’s retail sales of consumer goods surpassed those of the United States last year, reaching 1.6 times the U.S. level, based on World Bank data and calculations.

    Xiong Yi, China Chief Economist at Deutsche Bank, noted strong potential for further growth in services consumption. “China has likely reached a development stage where its population will have increasing demand for higher-quality services,” he said.

    To better meet differentiated demand and tap deeper into China’s growing dining market, Xibei plans to roll out lightly salted meal sets for toddlers as young as one or two years old.

    “We are confident in the long-term prospects of China’s catering industry, given its vast growth potential. To stay competitive in such a rapidly evolving market, we must continue to transform and upgrade,” said Jia Guolong, chairman and founder of Xibei.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eritrea: Training for Heads of Ministry of Education Branch in Anseba Region

    Source: APO


    .

    The Ministry of Education branch in the Anseba Region, in collaboration with partners, has provided training to heads of education regional office and supervisors, school directors, heads of sub-zonal education offices, and other officials.

    The training, conducted from 22 to 28 July in Keren, covered administration and leadership, student-centered teaching methodology, conflict resolution, reporting and statistics, as well as other topics related to the teaching-learning process.

    Mr. Kiflai Andemicael, head of the education office in the region, stated that the objective of the training was to identify strengths and challenges, and to enhance the capacity and competitiveness of students.

    Ambassador Abdella Musa, Governor of the region, emphasized the significance of the training in ensuring quality education and called for its sustainability.

    In the same vein, Brig. Gen. Eyob Fesehaye (Halibai), Commander of the Western Command of the Eritrean Defense Forces, conducted a seminar for the training participants under the theme “The Compensation of a Committed Teacher is the Satisfaction of Conscience.”

    Noting that teachers and teaching are key pillars of resilience, Brig. Gen. Eyob underscored that education is the only path to development and called on teachers to properly discharge the heavy responsibility bestowed upon them.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Provisional statistics of restaurant receipts and purchases for second quarter of 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Provisional statistics of restaurant receipts and purchases for second quarter of 2025 
         The value of total receipts of the restaurants sector in the second quarter of 2025, provisionally estimated at $27.1 billion, increased by 0.8% over a year earlier. Over the same period, the provisional estimate of the value of total purchases by restaurants increased by 2.7% to $8.8 billion.
     
         After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total restaurant receipts decreased by 0.4% in the second quarter of 2025 compared with a year earlier.
     
         Analysed by type of restaurant and comparing the second quarter of 2025 with the second quarter of 2024, total receipts of Chinese restaurants decreased by 3.8% in value and 5.2% in volume. Total receipts of non-Chinese restaurants increased by 5.7% in value and 5.1% in volume. Total receipts of fast food shops increased by 2.1% in value and 0.7% in volume. Total receipts of bars decreased by 2.5% in value and 4.1% in volume. As for miscellaneous eating and drinking places, total receipts decreased by 0.7% in value and 2.6% in volume.
     
         Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of total restaurant receipts increased by 0.2% in value and 0.6% in volume in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the preceding quarter.
     
         Comparing the first half of 2025 with the same period in 2024, total restaurant receipts increased by 0.1% in value but decreased by 1.1% in volume.
     
         To facilitate further understanding of the short-term business performance of the restaurants sector, statistics in respect of the restaurant receipts and purchases in individual months of the reference quarter are also compiled.
     
         Analysed by month, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total receipts of the restaurants sector increased by 0.9%, increased by 1.8% and decreased by 0.5% respectively in April, May and June 2025, compared with the corresponding months in 2024.
     
         After discounting the effect of price changes, it was provisionally estimated that the volume of total restaurant receipts decreased by 0.2%, increased by 0.7% and decreased by 1.6% respectively in April, May and June 2025, compared with the corresponding months in 2024.
     
    Commentary
     
         A Government spokesman said that restaurant receipts resumed a mild increase in the second quarter of 2025. The value of total restaurant receipts increased by 0.8% over a year earlier, or by 0.2% over the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted comparison.
     
         Looking ahead, domestic consumption sentiment will continue to be supported by the continued growth of the economy, increase in employment earnings, and the buoyant local stock market. The Government’s proactive efforts in promoting tourism and mega events should also benefit the business.
     
    Further information
     
         Table 1 presents the revised figures of restaurant receipts by type of restaurant and total purchases by the restaurants sector for the first quarter of 2025 as well as the provisional figures for the second quarter of 2025.
     
         Table 2 and Table 3 present the revised value and volume indices respectively of restaurant receipts by type of restaurant for the first quarter of 2025 and the provisional indices for the second quarter of 2025.
     
         Table 4 presents the year-on-year rate of change in total restaurant receipts in value and volume terms based on the original quarterly series, as well as the quarter-to-quarter rate of change based on the seasonally adjusted series.
     
         The revised figures on restaurant receipts and purchases for the second quarter of 2025 (with breakdown by month) will be released through the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode540.html 
         The classification of restaurants follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.
     
         More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Quarterly Survey of Restaurant Receipts and Purchases”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (    www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080002&scode=540 
         Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of C&SD (Tel: 3903 7401; e-mail:     qsr@censtatd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Thundery Showers On Most Days In The First Fortnight Of August 2025

    Source: Government of Singapore

    Singapore, 1 August 2025 – Southwest Monsoon conditions are prevailing, with winds blowing mainly from the southeast or southwest.

    2          The first fortnight of August 2025 is expected to be wetter than the previous fortnight. Thundery showers are expected over parts of the island in the late morning and afternoon on most days. In addition, Sumatra squalls may bring widespread thundery showers and gusty winds in the pre-dawn and morning on a few days. The total rainfall for the first fortnight of August 2025 is forecast to be above average over most parts of the island.

    3          The daily maximum temperatures are likely to range between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days.

    4          For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app.

    REVIEW OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (16 – 31 JULY 2025)

    5          Southwest Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region in the second fortnight of July 2025, with winds blowing mostly from the southeast or southwest.

    6          Singapore experienced fair and warm weather on most days in the second fortnight of July 2025. Thundery showers fell over parts of the island on some days. On 30 July 2025, regional convergence of winds brought moderate to heavy thundery showers over many areas of Singapore in the night. The daily total rainfall of 88.4mm recorded at Lower Peirce Reservoir that day was the highest rainfall recorded for the second fortnight of July 2025.

    7          The daily maximum temperatures in the second fortnight of July 2025 were above 33 degrees Celsius on most days. The highest daily maximum temperatures of 34.9 degrees Celsius were recorded at Admiralty on 17 July 2025 and at Paya Lebar on 18 July 2025. There were also several warm nights, particularly over the eastern, southern and western parts of the island where the minimum night-time temperatures stayed above 27 degrees Celsius.

    8          Most parts of Singapore recorded below average rainfall in the second fortnight of July 2025. The area around Paya Lebar registered rainfall of 83 per cent below average, and the area around Clementi registered rainfall of 24 per cent above average.

     

    CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

     Long-term Statistics for August
     (Climatological reference period: 1991-2020)
    Average daily maximum temperature: 31.4      °C
    Average daily minimum temperature: 25.3 °C
    Average monthly temperature: 28.1 °C
         
    Average rainfall: 146.9 mm
    Average number of rain days: 14  
    Historical Extremes for August
    (Rainfall since 1869 and temperature since 1929)
    Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature: 32.7  °C (2019)
    Lowest monthly mean daily minimum temperature: 23.0  °C (1962)
         
    Highest monthly rainfall ever recorded:  526.8  mm (1878)
    Lowest monthly rainfall ever recorded: 11.8  mm (2019)

     

    METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE SINGAPORE

    1 Aug 2025

    ~~ End ~~

    For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stand-alone houses lead annual rise in home consents – Stats NZ media and information release: Building consents issued: June 2025

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Introducing 1 Hour Payday Loans Online from 1F Cash Advance! Experience Instant Approval Loans with No Credit Check and Get Your Quick Cash the Same Day You Apply

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOULDER, Colo., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 1F Cash Advance, a responsive fintech committed to delivering fast, people-focused financial solutions, today announces the nationwide launch of its enhanced 1-Hour Payday Loan product. Designed to support Americans with bad credit facing unexpected expenses, the product offers quick financial relief. It addresses record-high financial stress levels affecting households across the country.

    Get Cash in 1 Hour – Apply for a Payday Loan Today!

    1F Cash Advance leverages AI and machine learning to evaluate a broader range of data points, such as social media activity, online transaction patterns, and utility payments, to assess borrower creditworthiness. This innovative approach eliminates the need for a traditional credit check, a benefit that is appreciated by people with limited or poor credit history who are often rejected by banks.

    Using advanced AI analytics, 1F Cash Advance creates personalized loan packages tailored to each borrower’s unique financial profile and needs. This ensures borrowers receive customized solutions rather than standardized, one-size-fits-all offers.

    “Our 1-hour payday loans are built for speed. You apply online, answer a few quick questions, and hear back in minutes,” says Marsha Welch, financial expert at 1F Cash Advance. “The whole idea is to resolve the emergency immediately before it turns into something more serious.”

    As financial demands become more varied and time-sensitive, 1F Cash Advance has expanded its offerings, developing multiple loan options that address a wide range of everyday challenges:

    Today, the urgency and scale of consumer financial insecurity have intensified throughout 2024 and into 2025. The following statistics illustrate this trend:

    • Consumer prices rose by 3.0% over the year leading up to January 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many families are still feeling the pressure, even though inflation isn’t as high as it was in 2022.
    • About 37% of Americans say they wouldn’t be able to handle a $400 emergency expense, based on a Federal Reserve report.
    • More than 12 million people now rely on short-term payday loans each year. Just three years ago, that number was around 900,000.

    1-hour payday loans fit today’s fast-paced lifestyle, letting qualified borrowers get $100 to $1,000 almost instantly. You receive a guaranteed approval with no credit check and repay the loan by your next paycheck. The goal: to help Americans manage pressing financial obligations, such as rent, utilities, medical bills, or car repairs, without unnecessary delays or burdensome red tape.

    Apply Now for a 1 Hour Payday Loan – Quick Approval, Instant Relief!

    Unlike conventional loans, which often require collateral or an extensive credit history, these cash advances are unsecured and highly accessible. Applicants need only meet basic eligibility criteria: be a legal adult with a government-issued ID, a consistent income stream, and an active checking account.

    1F Cash Advance utilizes automated systems to verify income and banking history in real-time, without relying on full credit reports. Once approved, funds are deposited directly into the customer’s bank account the same day.

    “It’s a practice that keeps doors open to more people, even for those with bad credit history,” says Latoria Williams, founder & CEO at 1F Cash Advance. “In many cases, approvals arrive in as little as 15 minutes, and the money is on its way before the end of the day.”

    “Speed matters when you’re staring down a utility shutoff or an urgent repair,” adds Marsha Welch. “But clarity is just as important. Even a fast form at 1F Cash Advance is still a legal contract.”

    What makes 1-hour payday loans so appealing is their simplicity: one online form replaces piles of paperwork, no collateral changes hands, and everything stays confidential. The company believes it provides a modern alternative to borrowing from friends or paying overdraft fees, especially for households with tight budgets.

    For many, bridging a short-term cash gap with a clear, straightforward option is well worth the service cost. While fees typically range from $10 to $30 per $100 borrowed, responsible borrowing and transparent terms keep the process manageable. Edward Evans, managing editor and money management expert at 1F Cash Advance, argues that clear disclosures and automated underwriting keep the process transparent: “Fast money should never mean hidden terms. Our goal is relief today without regret tomorrow.”

    From the Field: Statistics & Real Voices of Local Managers

    Experts from 1F Cash Advance analyzed data from their offices nationwide to determine the source of online applications. The leaders were Texas, California, Florida, and Mississippi; these four states account for the majority of commission fees. 1F Cash Advance experts predict that this figure will grow even more in 2024 after receiving final data.

    Usage maps highlight strong demand across the South, Midwest, and Western states. Meanwhile, in regions like New York, Massachusetts, West Virginia, and Oregon, where lending rules are more restrictive, activity remains minimal.

    “1-hour payday loans requests have increased by about 40% over the past two months. Most are for repairs, vehicle or HVAC, a consistent theme.” – José Ramirez, manager from the Texas office.

    “High cost of living in LA and the Bay Area means urgent needs crop up often. We’ve seen overdraft protections and quick payday solutions become essential tools.” – Priya Singh, manager from the California location

    “Midwestern tight budgets show demand for low-sum advances, typical borrowings are $300–$500, often for auto or rent.” – Mark Walters, loan officer from the Ohio store

    “Tourism jobs with irregular pay cycles push us into gig-focused solutions. Approvals are up 35% year‑over‑year.” – Maria Lopez, manager from the Florida store

    1F Cash Advance has emerged as a nimble fintech leader in an industry now serving over $21 million annually in short-term loans.

    Their early adoption of immediately payout technology, combined with strong compliance controls and credit risk data analytics, positions us for rapid scaling. Key metrics include:

    • Year-over-year loan volume increased by 75% in Q1 2025.
    • Net default rate held below 8%, significantly lower than the 15–20% industry average.
    • Customer retention rate exceeds 60%, with high repeat usage among borrowers with stable repayment histories.

    Regional differences in short-term lending come down to two main factors: what states allow and local economic conditions. Texas and Mississippi have looser rules, so people use 1-hour payday loan services more. New York, Massachusetts, and Oregon have strict laws that basically shut down access.

    The economy plays a big role too. California and Florida have tons of gig workers – Uber drivers, delivery people, restaurant staff – who never know what their next paycheck will look like. In tourist areas like Florida and parts of Tennessee, work is seasonal and people get stuck between jobs. Rural areas down South and in the Midwest deal with bad credit and high unemployment, so folks can’t get regular bank loans.

    Things might change next year. Some Midwest states are talking about copying Illinois and capping rates at 36%. 1F Cash Advance worry’s this could backfire – if rates get too low, people might end up borrowing from sketchy offshore websites instead.

    Rising Demand for 1-Hour Payday Loans: Key Reasons

    All signs indicate that the demand for 1-hour Payday Loans will grow, and there are several reasons for this.

    On May 29, 2025, a federal appeals court allowed President Trump’s 10% import tariff to remain in place while legal battles continued. As a result, many retailers are warning customers to expect higher prices on everyday goods as additional costs are passed through the supply chain.

    And Americans are already reacting. According to 1F Cash Advance, 1-hour payday loan inquiries increased by 19% in just one week following the court decision.

    “When prices rise before paychecks do, families look for fast cash that arrives the right now,” explains Latoria Williams.

    Additionally, the gig economy continues to expand. Upwork’s Freelance Forward report reveals that 38% of U.S. workers, about 64 million people, now earn their main income through freelance or gig work. These workers don’t receive paid time off and often wait for client payments, meaning their income can fluctuate significantly from one week to the next.

    “Freelancers can plan their budget, but they can’t lock in a payday,” says Edward Evans. When a client pays late, even a quick $300 advance can be the difference between missing rent and staying on track with repairs. Technology is making access to emergency funds even easier — another reason why interest is growing.

    How Technology Redefining 1-Hour Payday Loans

    As AI-powered approval tools and real-time access to banking data gain traction, a new era of financial inclusion and responsiveness is emerging. Technologies like FedNow®, the Federal Reserve’s real-time payment service, are paving the way for 24/7 banking, including nights and weekends — a significant step forward in meeting the demands of today’s digital-first economy.

    Artificial intelligence is transforming the way creditworthiness is assessed. Instead of relying solely on traditional FICO scores, modern AI models evaluate a broader range of financial behaviors, such as transaction history, income stability, and bill payment patterns. This shift expands access to credit for millions who were previously overlooked by traditional systems, especially gig workers and individuals with non-traditional income streams.

    The launch of FedNow® brings true real-time payments to the U.S. financial system. For consumers, this means instant access to funds — whether it’s loan disbursements, paychecks, or repayments. For lenders, it enables a smooth and efficient flow of capital, improving both borrower satisfaction and operational processes.

    These innovations are particularly important for underbanked populations and gig workers, who often face inconsistent income and limited access to credit. Borrowers with poor credit can get guaranteed approval through AI-driven decisions and instant funding. Flexible repayment schedules match their payday or gig income, making it easier to manage unique financial needs.

    How These Advances Position 1F Cash Advance

    All this tech progress means 1F Cash Advance can offer 1-hour loan services that actually work. They’re not just promising speed — they can deliver it. Here’s how they stack up against your other options when you need cash fast:

    Feature 1F Cash Advance Traditional Banks Credit Cards Other Payday Lenders
    Approval Speed Within 15 minutes Days to weeks Instantly if approved Same day or next day
    Funding Time Usually within 24 hours or the same day  1–5 business days Immediately usable Often same-day
    Transparency Clear fees & terms upfront Regulated disclosure Hidden fees, variable APR Often vague or misleading
    Credit Score Impact Soft check or none Hard check, strict Depends on usage No credit check advertised
    Accessibility Online, low barriers High credit & income reqs Credit-dependent Widely available
    Loan Amounts $100–$5,000 typical $1,000–$50,000 Based on the limit $100–$1,500
    Repayment Flexibility Flexible terms Strict terms High interest if unpaid Lump sum or rollover fees
    Use Case Fit Emergency, short-term needs Large, planned expenses Ongoing purchases Emergency, short-term
             

    Quick Cash in Just 1 Hour – Payday Loans with Guaranteed Approval!

    Look, what used to be cutting-edge is becoming standard. Everyone expects faster service now, whether it’s food delivery or getting a loan with no credit check. The combination of smart AI approval systems and instant payments means companies like 1F Cash Advance can actually help people who banks won’t touch. And when you need money in an hour, that tech backbone is what makes 1-hour payday loans reliable instead of just another empty promise.

    About 1F Cash Advance

    Founded in 2019, 1F Cash Advance was created to help consumers access the funds they need and overcome everyday financial emergencies. The company operates under fair lending laws and uses encryption technologies to protect customer data.

    Headquartered in Boulder, CO, 1F Cash Advance combines digital convenience with local accessibility. In addition to its nationwide online service, the company operates over 80 physical locations across the U.S., including in Texas, Nevada, Kansas, and Tennessee.

    Committed to transparency and customer care, 1F Cash Advance has earned high trust ratings and consistently positive reviews from its clients.

    Media Contact Info

    Mailing Address

    1F Cash Advance, LLC

    1942 Broadway St., STE 314C Boulder, CO 80302

    Main Office Location

    2770 Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO 80302

    Website: https://1firstcashadvance.org

    E-mail: info@1firstcashadvance.org

    Phone:  (720) 428-2247

    Social Media:

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/49624086-d128-46fd-8edb-9d978d3c425d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Flames to floods: how Europe’s devastating wildfires are fuelling its next climate crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ioanna Stamataki, Senior Lecturer in Hydraulics and Water Engineering, University of Greenwich

    In recent years, I have all too often found myself passing over an active wildfire when flying from London to my family home in Greece during the summer months. The sky glows an eerie, apocalyptic red, and the scent of smoke fills the cabin. Silence falls as we become unwilling witnesses to a tragic spectacle.

    Now wildfires are again raging across the Mediterranean. But the flames themselves are only part of the story. As wildfires become more intense and frequent, they’re setting off a dangerous chain reaction – one that also includes a rising risk of devastating floods.

    Author’s photo from a plane landing in Athens last summer.
    Ioanna Stamataki

    In January 2024, Nasa reported that climate change is intensifying wildfire conditions, noting that the frequency of the most extreme wildfires had more than doubled over the past two decades. While some of this is driven by natural weather variability, human-induced warming is clearly playing a major role. Decades of rising temperatures combined with longer and more severe droughts have created ideal conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread.

    This year, another brutal Mediterranean wildfire season is unfolding right before our eyes, with numerous active wildfire fronts across the region. As of July 22 2025, 237,153 hectares have burned in the EU – an increase of nearly 78% from the same period last year. The number of fires rose by about 45%, and CO₂ emissions increased by 23% compared to 2024. These are terrifying statistics.

    Climate phenomena are closely interconnected

    The fires themselves are bad enough. But they’re also closely connected to other climate-related extremes, including floods.

    Natural hazards often trigger chain reactions, turning one disaster into many. In the case of floods, wildfires play a big role both through weather patterns and how the land responds to rain.

    On the weather side, higher temperatures lead to more extreme rainfall, as warmer air can hold more moisture and fuels stronger storms. Intense wildfires can sometimes get so hot they generate their own weather systems, like pyrocumulus clouds – towering storm clouds formed by heat, smoke and water vapour. These clouds can spark sudden, localised storms during or shortly after the fire.

    The damage doesn’t end when the flames die down. Satellite data shows that burned land can remain up to 10°C hotter for nearly a year, due to lost vegetation and damaged soil.

    As the world warms, the atmosphere is able to hold about 7% more moisture for every extra degree. Recent temperatures of 40°C or more in Greece suggest a capacity for more downpours and more flooding.

    Greece is getting hotter and hotter (Each stripe represents one year, with blue indicating cooler and red indicating warmer than the 1961-2010 average).
    Ed Hawkins / Show Your Stripes (Data: Berkeley Earth & ERA5-Land), CC BY-SA

    Wildfires also make the land itself more vulnerable to flooding. Burnt areas respond much faster to rain, as there is less vegetation to slow down the water. Wildfires also change the soil structure, often making it water-repellent. This means more water runs off the surface, erosion increases, and it takes less rain to trigger a flood.

    Under these conditions, a storm expected once every ten years can cause the sort of catastrophic flooding expected only every 100 to 200 years. Water moves much faster across scorched landscapes without plants to slow it down. Wildfires also leave behind a lot of debris, which can be swept up by fast-moving floodwaters.

    While EU-wide data on post-wildfire flood risk is still limited, various case studies from southern Europe offer strong evidence of the connection. In Spain’s Ebro River Basin, for example, research found that if emissions remain high and climate policy is limited, wildfires will increase the probability of high flood risk by 10%.

    Nature’s ability to regenerate is nothing short of magical, but recovering from a wildfire takes time. Burnt soil takes years to return to normal and, during that time, the risks of extreme rainfall are higher. Beyond the impact of wildfires on soil and water, it is important not to overlook the devastating loss of plant and animal species or even entire ecosystems, making the natural world less biodiverse and resilient.

    To reduce the frequency and severity of extreme events, we must focus on repairing climate damage. This means moving beyond isolated perspectives and adopting a multi-hazard approach that recognises how disasters are connected.

    Flooding after wildfires is just one example of how one crisis can trigger another. We need to recognise these cascading risks and focus on long-term resilience over short-term fixes.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Ioanna Stamataki currently receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust and the Royal Society for ongoing flood research. Previous research has been supported by the EPSRC and the Newton Fund (via the British Council) for career development and international collaboration.

    – ref. Flames to floods: how Europe’s devastating wildfires are fuelling its next climate crisis – https://theconversation.com/flames-to-floods-how-europes-devastating-wildfires-are-fuelling-its-next-climate-crisis-262204

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Vicky Eatrides and Rachelle Frenette to CIPPIC Summer Speaker Series

    Source: Government of Canada News

    “Regulatory Riverbanks: Helping Build Canada’s Telecommunications Future”

    Ottawa, Ontario 
    July 30, 2025

    Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer 
    Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

    Rachelle Frenette, General Counsel and Executive Director, Legal Services (CRTC)

    Check against delivery

    Introduction

    Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you, Matt, for the warm welcome.

    Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people. Let us take a moment to thank the Anishinaabeg people and to pay respect to their Elders.

    Thank you for inviting us to speak with you today. It is great to be here and to see a number of familiar faces in the room. And a warm hello to everyone joining us online.

    On behalf of the CRTC, I want to thank CIPPIC for your ongoing work to engage students and the academic community in meaningful conversations about Canadian telecommunications policy. By leading various advocacy and research-driven initiatives, CIPPIC continues to make a vital contribution to shaping a more equitable, transparent, and accountable digital landscape.

    And your work is more important than ever.

    Telecommunications shape how we live — how we learn, how we work, how we access healthcare, and how we stay close to loved ones. That is why listening to Canadians grounds telecommunications policy in the lived realities of communities across the country.

    When I think about our role in telecommunications policy, I am reminded of something the Canadian business leader Bonnie Brooks once said: “we build the riverbanks and let the water flow freely.” I think that this is a fitting metaphor for the work of many regulators.  

    At the CRTC, we are building riverbanks in the form of regulatory frameworks that support a healthy and competitive telecommunications industry. And our frameworks are not just built to hold the current — they are meant to guide it.

    We know that effective regulatory policy starts with a clear sense of purpose. So that is where we will start today: our mandate and our place within the broader framework of telecommunications policy.

    Then, let us talk about the CRTC’s ongoing efforts to help connect all Canadians to high-quality Internet and cellphone services. 

    And finally, we will delve into the CRTC’s work on affordability, investment, and consumer protections.

    CRTC mandate

    So let us begin with a quick overview of the CRTC and our mandate, and then briefly touch on the landscape of telecommunications regulation beyond the CRTC.

    Starting with the CRTC.

    The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act establishes the CRTC as a commission consisting of members appointed by the Governor in Council.

    There are currently nine members — a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson for Telecommunications, a Vice-Chairperson for Broadcasting, and six regional Commissioners who are located across the country.

    Commissioners have a team of expert staff supporting them — many of whom have spent their entire careers studying and analyzing the telecommunications and broadcasting industries in both the public and private sectors.

    We have colleagues with consumer, social policy, legal, and other diverse expertise, who help Commissioners make informed decisions that benefit Canadians.

    Now let us turn to our mandate. As you may know, the CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. We hold public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and make decisions based on the record.

    This means taking into account a number of different — and often competing — interests as the Commission makes its decisions. These decisions create regulatory frameworks that guide how telecommunications service providers interact with Canadians and with each other.

    The CRTC regulates the telecommunications industry through the Telecommunications Act. Our decisions are guided by the nine telecommunications policy objectives outlined in the Act. These objectives, established by Parliament, range from foundational goals — such as ensuring reliable, affordable, and high-quality telecommunications services — to more targeted aims, like promoting telecommunications research and development in Canada.

    In the broader landscape, telecommunications regulation in Canada is a shared responsibility. In addition to the CRTC, the Minister of Industry holds key regulatory responsibilities under both the Telecommunications Act and the Radiocommunication Act.

    Most notably, the Minister oversees the management of Canada’s wireless spectrum, which is essential for delivering cellphone services and over-the-air broadcasting.

    I mentioned the policy objectives in the Act earlier. These can be supplemented by Government policy directions to the CRTC. Together, the legislation and policy directions serve as guiding principles the CRTC must take into account when making its decisions.

    The current policy direction was issued in 2023. It contains a number of key themes that drive the CRTC’s policy work, such as using regulation to promote competition, affordability, consumer interests, and innovation. Other parts of the policy direction guide the CRTC on how it should do that work, like asking us to ensure that any measures we impose are efficient and proportionate to their purpose.

    Our frameworks are informed by the broader landscape of telecommunications regulation — by Parliament through the objectives in the Act, by the government through the policy direction, and, importantly, by the evidentiary records we build during our public consultations.

    We value diverse perspectives because each voice contributes to the record and directly influences the decisions the Commission makes. That is why organizations like CIPPIC are essential — you help ensure that the interests of Canadians are heard and reflected in our policies.

    I think that is a good segue to the CRTC’s regulatory work.

    Connecting Canadians

    Let us start with the CRTC’s ongoing efforts to connect Canadians to high-quality Internet and cellphone services.

    Most of us here today have had access to high-speed Internet and the latest cellphone technology for many years. We have come a long way, but there is still more work to do to make Internet access available to everyone across Canada.

    Our latest public information shows that about 750,000 Canadian households still lack access to unlimited Internet plans at speeds of at least 50 megabits per second download and 10 megabits per second upload. While the number of households that lack access continues to drop, we know that rural, remote, and Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected.

    An Internet user in the North told the Competition Bureau during their market study on broadband that this “results in feelings of isolation and as though we aren’t a part of Canada.”

    This is a powerful reminder of the impact a lack of connectivity can have, including on our sense of belonging.

    Let me share another example.

    We know that there are communities in Canada that do not have a high school, and where local education can end at grade 9 or 10. This was the case for Angelina in the Northwest Territories, whose story was reported in the media. Angelina had to move 200 kilometres to Yellowknife to attend in-person high school classes. Most of us cannot imagine having had to leave our families and friends at age 15 to go to school.

    So, what does this have to do with connectivity?

    Well, for students like Angelina who do not have a local school, online schooling can be an alternative. But online schooling is only an option for students who have access to high-quality Internet.

    In 2019, the CRTC launched its Broadband Fund as part of a government-wide effort to help connect rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada.

    To date, the CRTC has allocated over $750 million to projects that provide Internet or cellphone services to nearly 50,000 homes in more than 290 communities. The Broadband Fund has also helped improve cellphone service on more than 630 km of major road and build over 5,500 km of fibre across the country.

    Affordability and investment

    While ensuring that Canadians are connected is an important part of the CRTC’s role, we also work to keep Internet and cellphone services affordable and to preserve incentives for providers to invest in reliable, high-quality networks.

    Our Vice-Chair of Telecommunications, Adam Scott, recently described this work as the “Goldilocks problem” in telecommunications policy: if prices are too high, affordability suffers; if prices are too low, investment is discouraged, risking lower service quality and reduced connectivity.

    Solving this issue starts with listening.

    We have heard firsthand the struggles Canadians face affording their telecommunications services. During our public hearing on high-speed Internet, we learned about an individual named Sandy who lived in British Columbia and whose relatives spent more on telecommunications than on food. And similarly, we heard about Brigitte in Ontario, for whom the Internet was a vital lifeline. It was so essential that she had to cut back on other things to afford it.

    These stories show that making sure Canadians have affordable telecommunications is as important as making sure they are connected through programs like the CRTC’s Broadband Fund.

    While Statistics Canada data shows that Internet and cellphone prices are trending down, our latest public opinion research shows that people feel these services have become less affordable over the past year.

    On the other side of the “Goldilocks problem,” we know that building networks is expensive and that fair returns take time. We also know that in remote areas, connecting a single home can cost telecommunications companies several thousands of dollars.

    So how are we tackling the “Goldilocks problem”?

    We are taking action to encourage competition, while maintaining incentives for companies to invest.

    Let us start with cellphone services.

    The CRTC’s rules let smaller regional cellphone providers offer service across Canada by using the networks of larger companies. These rules are helping to provide Canadians with more options than we had before. They are also helping to increase competition between small and large companies, leading to more affordable services.

    Smaller providers are able to reach new areas they could not serve before. But to make sure they keep investing in their own networks, access to the networks of larger companies is only temporary — they must finish building their own infrastructure by 2030.

    We are also taking action to improve competition for Internet services. Over the past few years, Canadians have had fewer options when it comes to choosing an Internet provider. That is why, last August, the CRTC began allowing companies to offer Internet plans using the fibre networks of Canada’s largest telephone companies in areas where those companies do not have their own networks.

    We also put measures in place to make sure companies keep investing in high-quality networks. That includes setting fair rates so large companies are paid for the cost of building fibre networks, limiting where they can use the new rules so that they keep building their own networks, and delaying competitive access to brand-new fibre until 2029.

    Now that these frameworks are in place, our next steps are to keep a close eye on how they are working and to make changes if needed.

    Consumer protections

    That brings us to the last policy area we will cover today — consumer protections.

    We have heard stories of Canadians facing unexpected increases in their monthly bills. We have also heard of Canadians who want to take advantage of a better deal in the market only to be faced with high fees for cancelling their existing service. And we know that Canadians need simple and convenient self-service mechanisms to modify, right-size, or cancel their plans.

    As part of our mandate to protect and empower consumers in their dealings with service providers, the CRTC put in place codes of conduct that help ensure that Canadians have clear contracts, are not surprised by higher bills, and have the information they need to make the best choices about their Internet, cellphone, and TV services.

    Last year, the CRTC launched a comprehensive Consumer Protections Action Plan to modernize our approach to better serve Canadians. And to bring this Action Plan to life, we initiated four public proceedings.

    The first proceeding focuses on preventing bill shock by ensuring Canadians receive advance notice when their discounts or service plans are about to expire.

    The second aims to limit any fees Canadians might face when cancelling or changing plans.

    The third explores how we can expand self-serve options, so that it is easier to find and choose the best Internet and cellphone plans.

    And the fourth proceeding, which was the subject of a public hearing just last month, aims to make Internet plan details clearer and more consistent.

    This is a crucial area of our work that will continue to be a focus for the CRTC.

    In the coming weeks, we will launch a consultation to consider additional consumer protections, including clearer communications or refunds, when Canadians experience a service outage. And looking out further, we plan to combine our consumer protection codes into a single code that is more clear, simple, and consistent across all services. So, stay tuned.

    Conclusion

    Thank you again for welcoming us today.

    If there is one message we hope you take away, it is this: telecommunications policy is not just about towers or cables — it is about people, and it is about building a healthy industry that serves them well.

    At the CRTC, we know that we do not have all the answers. But we do know this: better policy happens when we listen — to individuals, to businesses, and to organizations like CIPPIC that help bring diverse voices into the conversation.

    So here is where you come in.

    Join our public consultations. Share your stories. Challenge our thinking.

    Because at the end of the day, we know that the most effective regulatory riverbanks are the ones we build together.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Cricket’s great global divide: elite schools still shape the sport

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Habib Noorbhai, Professor (Health & Sports Science), University of Johannesburg

    If you were to walk through the corridors of some of the world’s leading cricket schools, you might hear the crack of leather on willow long before the bell for the end of the day rings.

    Across the cricketing world, elite schools have served as key feeder systems to national teams for decades. They provide young players with superior training facilities, high-level coaching and competitive playing opportunities.

    This tradition has served as cricket’s most dependable talent pipeline. But is it a strength or a symptom of exclusion?

    My recent study examined the school backgrounds of 1,080 elite men’s cricketers across eight countries over a 30-year period. It uncovered telling patterns.

    Read more: Cricket: children are the key to the future of the game, not broadcast rights

    Top elite cricket countries such as South Africa, England and Australia continue to draw heavily from private education systems. In these nations, cricket success seems almost tied to one’s school uniform.

    I argue that if cricket boards want to promote equity and competitiveness, they will need to broaden the talent search by investing in grassroots cricket infrastructure in under-resourced areas.

    For cricket to be a sport that anyone with talent can succeed in, there will need to be more school leagues and entry-level tournaments as well as targeted investment in community-based hubs and non-elite school zones.

    Findings

    South Africa is a case in point. My previous study in 2020 outlined that more than half of its national players at One-Day International (ODI) World Cups came from boys-only schools (mostly private).

    These schools are often well-resourced, with turf wickets, expert coaches and an embedded culture of competition. Unsurprisingly, the same schools tend to produce a high number of national team batters, as they offer longer game formats and better playing surfaces. Cricket’s colonial origins have influenced the structure and culture of school cricket being tied to a form of privilege.

    Read more: Elite boys’ schools still shape South Africa’s national cricket team

    In Australia and England, the story is not very different. Despite their efforts to diversify player sourcing, private schools still dominate. Even in cricketing nations that celebrate working-class grit, such as Australia, private school players continue to shape elite squads.

    The statistics say as much; for example: about 44% of Australian Ashes test series players since 2010 attended private schools, and for England, the figure is 45%. That’s not grassroots, it could be regarded as gated turf…

    Proportion of elite male cricketers by school type. Habib Noorbhai

    Yet not all countries follow this route. The West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka reflect very different models. Club cricket, informal play and community academies provide their players with opportunities to rise. These countries have lower reliance on private schools. Some of their finest players emerged from modest public schooling or neighbourhood cricketing networks.

    India provides an interesting hybrid. Although elite schools such as St. Xavier’s and Modern School contribute players, most national stars emerge from public institutions or small-town academies. The explosion of the Indian Premier League since 2008 has also democratised access, pulling in talent from previously overlooked and underdeveloped cities.

    In these regions, scouting is based on potential, not privilege.

    So why does this matter?

    At first glance, elite schools producing elite cricketers might appear logical. These institutions have the resources to nurture talent. But scratch beneath the surface and troubling questions appear.

    Are national teams truly reflecting their countries? Or are they simply echo chambers of social advantage?

    Read more: Cricket inequalities in England and Wales are untenable – our report shows how to rejuvenate the game

    In South Africa, almost every Black African cricketer to represent the country has come through a private school (often on scholarship). That suggests that talent without access remains potentially invisible. It also places unfair pressure on the few who make it through, as if they carry the hopes of entire communities.

    I found that in England, some county systems have started integrating players from state schools, but progress is slow. In New Zealand, where cricket is less centralised around private institutions, regional hubs and public schools have had more success in spreading opportunities. However, even there, Māori and Pasifika players remain underrepresented in elite squads.

    Four steps that can be taken

    1. One solution lies in recognising that schools don’t have a monopoly on talent. Cricket boards must increase investment in grassroots infrastructure, particularly in under-resourced areas. Setting up community hubs, supporting school-club partnerships and more regional competitions could discover hidden talent.

    2. Another step is to improve the visibility and reach of scouting networks. Too often, selection favours players from known institutions. By diversifying trial formats and leveraging technology (such as video submissions or performance-tracking apps), selectors can widen their net. It’s already happening in India, where IPL scouts visit the most unlikely of places.

    3. Coaching is another stumbling block. In many countries, high-level coaches are clustered in elite schools. National boards should consider optimising salaries as well as rotating certified coaches into public schools and regional academies. They should also ensure coaches are developed to be equipped to work with diverse learners and conditions.

    4. Technology offers other exciting possibilities too. Virtual simulations, motion tracking and AI-assisted video reviews are now common in high-performance centres. Making simplified versions available to lower-income schools could level the playing field. Imagine a township bowler in South Africa learning to analyse their technique using only a smartphone and a free app?

    Fairness in sport

    The conversation about schools and cricket is not just about numbers or stats. It is about fairness. Sport should be the great leveller, not another mechanism of exclusion. If cricket is to thrive, it needs to look beyond scoreboards and trophies. It must ask who gets to play and who never gets seen?

    Read more: Why is cricket so popular on the Indian sub-continent?

    A batter from a village school in India, a wicket-keeper from a government school in Sri Lanka or a fast bowler in a South African township; each deserves the chance to be part of the national story. Cricket boards, policymakers and educators must work together to make that possible.

    The game will only grow when it welcomes players from all walks of life. That requires more than scholarships. It requires a reset of how we think about talent. Because the next cricket superstar may not wear a crest on their blazer. They may wear resilience on their sleeve.

    – Cricket’s great global divide: elite schools still shape the sport
    – https://theconversation.com/crickets-great-global-divide-elite-schools-still-shape-the-sport-261709

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Cricket’s great global divide: elite schools still shape the sport

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Habib Noorbhai, Professor (Health & Sports Science), University of Johannesburg

    If you were to walk through the corridors of some of the world’s leading cricket schools, you might hear the crack of leather on willow long before the bell for the end of the day rings.

    Across the cricketing world, elite schools have served as key feeder systems to national teams for decades. They provide young players with superior training facilities, high-level coaching and competitive playing opportunities.

    This tradition has served as cricket’s most dependable talent pipeline. But is it a strength or a symptom of exclusion?

    My recent study examined the school backgrounds of 1,080 elite men’s cricketers across eight countries over a 30-year period. It uncovered telling patterns.



    Read more:
    Cricket: children are the key to the future of the game, not broadcast rights

    Top elite cricket countries such as South Africa, England and Australia continue to draw heavily from private education systems. In these nations, cricket success seems almost tied to one’s school uniform.

    I argue that if cricket boards want to promote equity and competitiveness, they will need to broaden the talent search by investing in grassroots cricket infrastructure in under-resourced areas.

    For cricket to be a sport that anyone with talent can succeed in, there will need to be more school leagues and entry-level tournaments as well as targeted investment in community-based hubs and non-elite school zones.

    Findings

    South Africa is a case in point. My previous study in 2020 outlined that more than half of its national players at One-Day International (ODI) World Cups came from boys-only schools (mostly private).

    These schools are often well-resourced, with turf wickets, expert coaches and an embedded culture of competition. Unsurprisingly, the same schools tend to produce a high number of national team batters, as they offer longer game formats and better playing surfaces. Cricket’s colonial origins have influenced the structure and culture of school cricket being tied to a form of privilege.



    Read more:
    Elite boys’ schools still shape South Africa’s national cricket team

    In Australia and England, the story is not very different. Despite their efforts to diversify player sourcing, private schools still dominate. Even in cricketing nations that celebrate working-class grit, such as Australia, private school players continue to shape elite squads.

    The statistics say as much; for example: about 44% of Australian Ashes test series players since 2010 attended private schools, and for England, the figure is 45%. That’s not grassroots, it could be regarded as gated turf…

    Yet not all countries follow this route. The West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka reflect very different models. Club cricket, informal play and community academies provide their players with opportunities to rise. These countries have lower reliance on private schools. Some of their finest players emerged from modest public schooling or neighbourhood cricketing networks.

    India provides an interesting hybrid. Although elite schools such as St. Xavier’s and Modern School contribute players, most national stars emerge from public institutions or small-town academies. The explosion of the Indian Premier League since 2008 has also democratised access, pulling in talent from previously overlooked and underdeveloped cities.

    In these regions, scouting is based on potential, not privilege.

    So why does this matter?

    At first glance, elite schools producing elite cricketers might appear logical. These institutions have the resources to nurture talent. But scratch beneath the surface and troubling questions appear.

    Are national teams truly reflecting their countries? Or are they simply echo chambers of social advantage?



    Read more:
    Cricket inequalities in England and Wales are untenable – our report shows how to rejuvenate the game

    In South Africa, almost every Black African cricketer to represent the country has come through a private school (often on scholarship). That suggests that talent without access remains potentially invisible. It also places unfair pressure on the few who make it through, as if they carry the hopes of entire communities.

    I found that in England, some county systems have started integrating players from state schools, but progress is slow. In New Zealand, where cricket is less centralised around private institutions, regional hubs and public schools have had more success in spreading opportunities. However, even there, Māori and Pasifika players remain underrepresented in elite squads.

    Four steps that can be taken

    1. One solution lies in recognising that schools don’t have a monopoly on talent. Cricket boards must increase investment in grassroots infrastructure, particularly in under-resourced areas. Setting up community hubs, supporting school-club partnerships and more regional competitions could discover hidden talent.

    2. Another step is to improve the visibility and reach of scouting networks. Too often, selection favours players from known institutions. By diversifying trial formats and leveraging technology (such as video submissions or performance-tracking apps), selectors can widen their net. It’s already happening in India, where IPL scouts visit the most unlikely of places.

    3. Coaching is another stumbling block. In many countries, high-level coaches are clustered in elite schools. National boards should consider optimising salaries as well as rotating certified coaches into public schools and regional academies. They should also ensure coaches are developed to be equipped to work with diverse learners and conditions.

    4. Technology offers other exciting possibilities too. Virtual simulations, motion tracking and AI-assisted video reviews are now common in high-performance centres. Making simplified versions available to lower-income schools could level the playing field. Imagine a township bowler in South Africa learning to analyse their technique using only a smartphone and a free app?

    Fairness in sport

    The conversation about schools and cricket is not just about numbers or stats. It is about fairness. Sport should be the great leveller, not another mechanism of exclusion. If cricket is to thrive, it needs to look beyond scoreboards and trophies. It must ask who gets to play and who never gets seen?



    Read more:
    Why is cricket so popular on the Indian sub-continent?

    A batter from a village school in India, a wicket-keeper from a government school in Sri Lanka or a fast bowler in a South African township; each deserves the chance to be part of the national story. Cricket boards, policymakers and educators must work together to make that possible.

    The game will only grow when it welcomes players from all walks of life. That requires more than scholarships. It requires a reset of how we think about talent. Because the next cricket superstar may not wear a crest on their blazer. They may wear resilience on their sleeve.

    Habib Noorbhai 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. Cricket’s great global divide: elite schools still shape the sport – https://theconversation.com/crickets-great-global-divide-elite-schools-still-shape-the-sport-261709

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial News: Official Analytical Information Publication Calendar for August 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    31.07.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values31.07.2025—Banking System Review (in accordance with the requirements of the IMF SDDS)*01.07.202501.08.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values06.08.2025—Average monthly actual rates on loans provided by Moscow banks in rubles and US dollars (MIACR, MIACR-IG, MIACR-B, MIACR USD)July 202506.08.2025—Average weighted interest rates on loans and deposits and the structure of loans and deposits by maturity (information on loans provided to non-financial organizations)June 202506.08.2025—Information on allocated funds (information on loans granted to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs; small and medium-sized businesses)01.07.202506.08.2025 –Brief commentary “Lending to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs”01.07.202506.08.2025 –Information bulletin “Information on the mortgage housing lending market in Russia”01.07.202507.08.2025 –Financial assets and liabilities of the Households sector for selected financial instruments01.07.202507.08.2025 –Non-financial sector and household debt ratio for bank loans and issued debt securities01.07.202507.08.2025 –Key performance indicators of mutual investment fundsJune 202507.08.2025—Households sector transactions with financial assets and liabilities for individual financial instruments01.07.202507.08.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values07.08.202516:00International reserves of the Russian Federation (as of the beginning of the reporting date)08.08.202507.08.202516: 00International reserve assets (end of period) (in accordance with IMF SDDS requirements)*July 202507.08.2025—Dynamic series of key performance indicators of mutual investment funds and joint-stock investment fundsJune 202508.08.2025—Average weighted interest rates on loans and deposits and the structure of loans and deposits by maturity (information on loans granted to individuals; deposits of individuals and non-financial organizations)June 202508.08.2025—Information on average arithmetic interest rates on deposits of individuals in rubles, US dollars and eurosJune 202508.08.2025—Brief commentary “Interest rates on credit and deposit operations of credit institutions in rubles”June 202508/08/202511:00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values08.08.2025—Monetary base in a narrow definition01.08.202511.08.202516: 00Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in goods (according to the balance of payments methodology)*June 202512.08.2025—Key Stock Market Indicators*July 202513.08.2025—Statistical Bulletin “Lending to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses”June 2025 08/14/2025 16:00Assessment of the balance of payments of the Russian FederationJanuary-June 2025 08/14/2025 16:00Assessment of key aggregates of the balance of payments of the Russian FederationJanuary-June 2025 08/14/2025 16:00Assessment of the external debt of the Russian Federation01.07.202514.08.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values14.08.2025—Central Bank Survey (in accordance with IMF SDDS requirements)*01.08.202514.08.2025 –Short-term external debt of the Russian Federation by remaining maturity01.04.202514.08.2025 –Debt securities owned by Russian banks transferred under repo transactions with the Bank of Russia01.08.202514.08.2025 –Monetary base in a broad definition01.08.202515.08.2025 –Information on early repayment and refinancing of mortgage housing loansII quarter 2025 08/15/2025—Average daily turnover indicators of the interbank loan (deposit) market and repo transactionsJuly 2025 08/15/2025—Key derivative indicators of the ruble exchange rate dynamicsJuly 2025 08/15/2025 16:00The share of non-resident investments in the volume of bond issues of external bond loans of the Russian Federation01.07.202515.08.2025 –Dynamic series of the main indicators of the segment of individual investment accounts (IIA)II quarter 2025 08/15/202511:00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values15.08.202516:00Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in services by monthJune 2025 08/15/2025—Currency structure of settlements for the supply of goods and provision of services under foreign trade contracts by geographic zones and currencies of states in accordance with the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 05.03.2022 No. 430-rJune 202520.08.202516:00Assessment of upcoming changes in international reserves and other liquidity in foreign currency of the monetary authorities of the Russian Federation*01.08.202521.08.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values21.08.2025—Central Bank Review01.08.202521.08.2025 –Review of credit institutions01.08.202521.08.2025 –Overview of the banking system01.08.202521.08.2025 –Listed shares of Russian issuers traded on the domestic market01.08.202521.08.2025 –Money supply M2 (national definition)01.08.202521.08.2025 –Variable coupon debt securities issued on the domestic market by type of base indicator01.08.202521.08.2025 –Domestic debt securities issued by interest rate types01.08.202521.08.2025 –Domestic debt securities01.08.202522.08.2025 –International investment position of the Russian Federation in national and foreign currencies01.04.202522.08.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values26.08.202516:00The share of non-resident investments in the volume of federal loan bond issues01.08.202527.08.202516: 00The share of non-resident investments in the volume of federal loan bond issues01.08.202528.08.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values28.08.2025—Domestic debt securities included in the sustainable development sector01.08.202529.08.2025 –Financial accounts and balance sheets of financial assets and liabilities of the system of national accounts of the Russian Federation01.04.202529.08.2025 –Information on deposited funds (information on loans granted to individuals)01.08.202529.08.2025 –Information on attracted funds (information on funds of organizations, bank deposits (deposits) and other attracted funds of legal entities and individuals, budget funds in accounts opened in credit institutions)01.08.202529.08.2025 –Indicators of the housing (mortgage housing) lending market01.08.202529.08.2025 –Key performance indicators of non-state pension funds operating in the area of compulsory pension insuranceII quarter 2025 08/29/2025—Key performance indicators of non-state pension funds operating in non-state pension provisionII quarter 2025 08/29/2025—Banking System Review (in accordance with the requirements of the IMF SDDS)*01.08.202529.08.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values01.09.2025—Dynamic series of the main performance indicators of professional participants in the securities marketII quarter 2025 09/01/2025—Dynamic series of the main indicators of brokers’ activitiesII quarter 202502.09.2025—Key indicators of the balance sheet and financial performance report of management companiesII quarter 2025 09/02/2025—Financial Sector Review01.04.202502.09.2025 –Review of other financial institutions01.04.202502.09.2025 –Dynamic series of key performance indicators of management companiesII quarter 2025 09/02/2025—Dynamic series of key performance indicators of trust managersII quarter 202509/04/2025—Average monthly actual rates on loans provided by Moscow banks in rubles and US dollars (MIACR, MIACR-IG, MIACR-B, MIACR USD)August 202509/04/202516:00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values05.09.2025—Information on the main performance indicators of the insurerJanuary-June 202505.09.2025—Non-financial sector and household debt ratio for bank loans and issued debt securities08.08.202505.09.202516: 00International reserves of the Russian Federation (as of the beginning of the reporting date)09.09.202505.09.202516: 00International reserve assets (end of period) (in accordance with IMF SDDS requirements)*August 202509/05/2025—Information bulletin “Information on the mortgage housing lending market in Russia”08.08.202505.09.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values05.09.2025—Monetary base in a narrow definition01.09.202508.09.2025 –Financial assets and liabilities of the Households sector for selected financial instruments01.08.202508.09.2025 –Average weighted interest rates on loans and deposits and the structure of loans and deposits by maturity (information on loans granted to individuals; deposits of individuals and non-financial organizations)July 202509/08/2025—Average weighted interest rates on loans and deposits and the structure of loans and deposits by maturity (information on loans provided to non-financial organizations)July 202509/08/2025—Information on average arithmetic interest rates on deposits of individuals in rubles, US dollars and eurosJuly 202509/08/2025—Information on allocated funds (information on loans granted to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs; small and medium-sized businesses)01.08.202508.09.2025 –Households sector transactions with financial assets and liabilities for individual financial instruments01.08.202508.09.2025 –Brief commentary “Interest rates on credit and deposit operations of credit institutions in rubles”July 202509/08/2025—Brief commentary “Lending to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs”08.08.202509.09.2025 –Key performance indicators of mutual investment fundsJuly 202509.09.2025—Dynamic series of key performance indicators of mutual investment funds and joint-stock investment fundsJuly 202511.09.202516:00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values11.09.202516:00Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in goods (according to the balance of payments methodology)*July 202512.09.2025—Key derivative indicators of the ruble exchange rate dynamicsAugust 2025 09/12/2025—Key Stock Market Indicators*August 2025 09/12/2025—Key performance indicators of housing savings cooperativesII quarter 2025 09/12/2025—Central Bank Survey (in accordance with IMF SDDS requirements)*01.09.202512.09.2025 –Monetary base in a broad definition01.09.202512.09.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values15.09.2025—Statistical Bulletin “Lending to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses”July 202515.09.2025—Average daily turnover indicators of the interbank loan (deposit) market and repo transactionsAugust 202509/15/202516:00Assessment of the balance of payments of the Russian FederationJanuary-July 2025 09/15/2025 16:00Assessment of key aggregates of the balance of payments of the Russian FederationJanuary-July 202515.09.2025—Currency structure of settlements for the supply of goods and provision of services under foreign trade contracts by geographic zones and currencies of states in accordance with the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 05.03.2022 No. 430-rJuly 202516.09.2025—Debt securities owned by Russian banks transferred under repo transactions with the Bank of Russia01.09.202516.09.202516: 00Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in services by monthJuly 2025 09/18/2025 16:00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values19.09.202516:00Assessment of upcoming changes in international reserves and other liquidity in foreign currency of the monetary authorities of the Russian Federation*01.09.202519.09.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values22.09.2025—Central Bank Review01.09.202522.09.2025 –Review of credit institutions01.09.202522.09.2025 –Overview of the banking system01.09.202522.09.2025 –Money supply M2 (national definition)01.09.202523.09.2025 –Listed shares of Russian issuers traded on the domestic market01.09.202523.09.2025 –Variable coupon debt securities issued on the domestic market by type of base indicator01.09.202523.09.2025 –Domestic debt securities issued by interest rate types01.09.202523.09.2025 –Domestic debt securities01.09.202525.09.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values25.09.202516:00The share of non-resident investments in the volume of federal loan bond issues01.09.202526.09.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values29.09.2025—Domestic debt securities included in the sustainable development sector01.09.202530.09.2025 –Information on deposited funds (information on loans granted to individuals)01.09.202530.09.2025 –Information on attracted funds (information on funds of organizations, bank deposits (deposits) and other attracted funds of legal entities and individuals, budget funds in accounts opened in credit institutions)01.09.202530.09.2025 –Indicators of the housing (mortgage housing) lending market01.09.202530.09.202516: 00Balance of payments, international investment position and external debt of the Russian FederationII quarter 2025 09.30.202516:00Balance of Payments of the Russian Federation. Analytical PresentationII quarter 2025 09.30.202516:00Balance of Payments of the Russian Federation. Standard Components*II quarter 2025 09/30/2025—Banking System Review (in accordance with the requirements of the IMF SDDS)*01.09.202530.09.202516: 00International Investment Position of the Russian Federation. Standard Components (as of date)*01.07.202530.09.202516: 00International Investment Position of the Russian Federation. Main AggregatesII quarter 2025 09.30.202516:00External debt of the Russian Federation by maturity and financial instruments*01.07.202530.09.202516: 00External debt of the Russian Federation in national and foreign currencies01.07.202530.09.202516: 00External debt of the Russian Federation01.07.202501.10.2025 –Financial assets and liabilities of the Households sector01.07.202501.10.2025 –Households sector transactions with financial assets and liabilities01.07.202502.10.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values03.10.202511:00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values03.10.2025—Monetary base in a narrow definition01.10.202506.10.2025 –Average monthly actual rates on loans provided by Moscow banks in rubles and US dollars (MIACR, MIACR-IG, MIACR-B, MIACR USD)September 202507.10.2025—Average weighted interest rates on loans and deposits and the structure of loans and deposits by maturity (information on loans provided to non-financial organizations)August 2025 10/07/2025—Information on allocated funds (information on loans granted to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs; small and medium-sized businesses)09.09.202507.10.2025 –Non-financial sector and household debt ratio for bank loans and issued debt securities01.09.202507.10.202516: 00International reserves of the Russian Federation (as of the beginning of the reporting date)01.10.202507.10.202516: 00International reserve assets (end of period) (in accordance with IMF SDDS requirements)*September 202507.10.2025—Brief commentary “Lending to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs”09.09.202507.10.2025 –Information bulletin “Information on the mortgage housing lending market in Russia”09.09.202507.10.2025 –Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in services in the structure of the extended classification of services (according to the balance of payments methodology)II quarter 2025 10/08/2025—Financial assets and liabilities of the Households sector for selected financial instruments09.09.202508.10.2025 –Average weighted interest rates on loans and deposits and the structure of loans and deposits by maturity (information on loans granted to individuals; deposits of individuals and non-financial organizations)August 2025 10/08/2025—Information on average arithmetic interest rates on deposits of individuals in rubles, US dollars and eurosAugust 2025 10/08/2025—Key performance indicators of mutual investment fundsAugust 2025 10/08/2025—Households sector transactions with financial assets and liabilities for individual financial instruments09.09.202508.10.2025 –Brief commentary “Interest rates on credit and deposit operations of credit institutions in rubles”August 2025 10/08/2025—Dynamic series of key performance indicators of mutual investment funds and joint-stock investment fundsAugust 2025 10/09/2025—Current account of the balance of payments of the Russian Federation with seasonal adjustmentII quarter 2025 09.10.2025—Main aggregates of the current account of the balance of payments of the Russian Federation with seasonal adjustmentII quarter 202509.10.202516:00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values09.10.2025—Dynamics of individual indicators of the current account with seasonal adjustmentII quarter 2025 10.10.2025—Direct investments of the Russian Federation by the asset/liability principle and the directional principle01.07.202510.10.2025 –List of financial sector organizations01.10.202510.10.2025 –Key Stock Market Indicators*September 202510.10.2025—Accumulated balances on direct investments of the Russian Federation on direct investment instruments (by the principle of direction)01.07.202510.10.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values13.10.202516:00Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in goods (according to the balance of payments methodology)*August 2025 10/14/2025—Export of certain types of services by subjects of the Russian FederationII quarter 2025 October 14, 2025—Statistical Bulletin “Lending to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses”August 2025 10/14/2025—Key derivative indicators of the ruble exchange rate dynamicsSeptember 202510/14/2025—Central Bank Survey (in accordance with IMF SDDS requirements)*01.10.202514.10.2025 –Import of certain types of services by subjects of the Russian FederationII quarter 2025 October 14, 2025—Monetary base in a broad definition01.10.202515.10.2025 –Average daily turnover indicators of the interbank loan (deposit) market and repo transactionsSeptember 202510/15/202516:00Assessment of the balance of payments of the Russian FederationJanuary-August 202510/15/202516:00Assessment of key aggregates of the balance of payments of the Russian FederationJanuary-August 202510/15/2025—Currency structure of settlements for the supply of goods and provision of services under foreign trade contracts by geographic zones and currencies of states in accordance with the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 05.03.2022 No. 430-rAugust 202510/16/202516:00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values16.10.2025—Debt securities owned by Russian banks transferred under repo transactions with the Bank of Russia01.10.202516.10.202516: 00Foreign trade of the Russian Federation in services by monthAugust 2025 10/17/2025—Extended Non-Financial Sector and Household Debt Measure01.07.202517.10.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values20.10.2025—Export of certain types of services by types of economic activity of residents of the Russian FederationII quarter 202510/20/202516:00Assessment of upcoming changes in international reserves and other liquidity in foreign currency of the monetary authorities of the Russian Federation*01.10.202520.10.2025 –Central Bank Review01.10.202520.10.2025 –Review of credit institutions01.10.202520.10.2025 –Overview of the banking system01.10.202520.10.2025 –Import of certain types of services by types of economic activity of residents of the Russian FederationII quarter 2025 October 20, 2025—Money supply M2 (national definition)01.10.202522.10.2025 –Listed shares of Russian issuers traded on the domestic market01.10.202522.10.2025 –Variable coupon debt securities issued on the domestic market by type of base indicator01.10.202522.10.2025 –Domestic debt securities issued by interest rate types01.10.202522.10.2025 –Domestic debt securities01.10.202523.10.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values24.10.202511:00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values27.10.202516:00The share of non-resident investments in the volume of federal loan bond issues01.10.202530.10.2025 –Information on deposited funds (information on loans granted to individuals)01.10.202530.10.2025 –Information on attracted funds (information on funds of organizations, bank deposits (deposits) and other attracted funds of legal entities and individuals, budget funds in accounts opened in credit institutions)01.10.202530.10.2025 –Indicators of the housing (mortgage housing) lending market01.10.202530.10.202516: 00Total international reserve assets, end of working week*weekly values30.10.2025—Domestic debt securities included in the sustainable development sector01.10.202531.10.2025 –Banking System Review (in accordance with the requirements of the IMF SDDS)*01.10.202531.10.202511: 00Monetary base in narrow definition (Weekly values)weekly values

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Services trade growth slows in first quarter of 2025

    Source: World Trade Organization

    Services exports in Europe and North America increased by only 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, down from 8% and 11% respectively in the first quarter of 2024. In contrast, strong growth was sustained in Asia at 9%.

    The overall slowdown in services trade was mainly due to “Other commercial services,” a category that encompasses a wide variety of mostly digitally deliverable services ranging from financial to professional services (Chart 1). In 2024, “Other commercial services” accounted for some 60% of global services trade, with Europe contributing 40% of those exports (Chart 2).

    Chart 1: Commercial services trade growth by main sector, 2024Q1-2025Q1
    Year-on-year % change

    Note: Services trade measured as exports.
    Source: WTO-UNCTAD estimates.

    Chart 2: Structure of world exports of commercial services, 2024
    % shares

    Source: WTO-UNCTAD estimates.

    Chart 3 shows a deceleration across selected subsectors of “Other commercial services” in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period of 2024. Growth in “Other business services,” covering various professional, technical and trade-related services, as well as research and development services, moderated. The United States posted a subdued 4% year-on-year increase in “Other business services” following an 8% expansion in the same period of 2024. Exports by the European Union remained flat in US dollar terms, although they rose by 4% when measured in euros.

    Financial services exports grew by only 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting reduced investment activity amid increased global economic uncertainty. The sector was also affected by exchange rate movements, which dampened US dollar-denominated growth. Exports from both the European Union and the United States rose just 2% year-on-year while Switzerland’s exports fell by 3%. The United Kingdom, on the contrary, posted a robust 10% year-on-year increase sustained by double digit growth in exports to the United States (+13%).

    Intellectual property related services expanded by 4% year-on-year in the first three months of 2025 in comparison with a 7% growth in the same quarter of 2024. Global trade in IP-related services remains highly concentrated, with the European Union and the United States accounting for nearly 70% of exports in 2024. EU exports, measured in US dollars, rose by just 3% year-on-year, held back by exchange rate volatility, despite stronger underlying growth of 6% in euro terms.

    Global construction exports fell by 15% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reversing part of the strong 25% growth recorded during the same period in 2024. The decline reflects weaker performance across several key economies, including China (-25%), which alone accounted for over 28% of global construction exports in 2024, the Republic of Korea (-15%), and the European Union (-6%). The downturn in the first quarter likely reflects delayed investment due to uncertainty and rising costs.

    Computer services exports were only marginally affected by the broader slowdown, as strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and cybersecurity solutions continued to drive growth. This momentum is expected to persist, supported by ongoing business adaptation to new technologies and rising consumer preferences for digital services. During the period, India’s computer services exports grew by 13%, while Ireland recorded a 9% increase.

    Chart 3: Other commercial services exports by selected subsector, 2024 and Q1 2025
    Year-on-year % change

    Note: Sectors are ranked according to their relative share in services trade in 2024.
    Source: WTO estimates for Q1 2025 and Q1 2024; WTO-UNCTAD estimates for 2024.

     As for the other main sectors of commercial services, global transport exports were up 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, following rapid growth especially in the third and fourth quarter of 2024 due to frontloading. Asia recorded the fastest growth, up 10%, driven by a 31% rise in China, while Singapore and the Republic of Korea posted modest gains of 2%. Payments for shipping services increased by 19% in South and Central America and the Caribbean, as demand for goods surged.

    Despite a difficult economic and geopolitical context, international travel expanded by 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. For the first time since the pandemic, international tourist arrivals were 3% above 2019 levels according to UN Tourism data. In Asia, travel receipts grew by 13%, driven by China (+96%), Viet Nam (+33%), Japan (+25%) and Thailand (+18%) as tourism continues to recover in the region. By contrast, North America’s travel receipts fell by 1%.

    Services trade performance varied across major traders in the first five months of 2025 according to available monthly statistics. Double digit exports growth was recorded in Asian economies such as China (+13%, through June), India (+12%) and Japan (+11%). In North America, the United States and Canada saw diverging trends. US service exports rose by 5%, while Canada recorded a 6% decline. The EU’s service exports to non-member countries rose by 3%, while imports from outside the Union grew more sharply, increasing by 6%. The United Kingdom recorded marked growth, with exports up 9% and imports rising by 13%.

    Chart 4: Services export and import growth of selected economies, January-May 2025
    Year-on-year % change

    Note: Statistics for Brazil, China and Pakistan refer to January-June.
    Source : National sources and Eurostat.

    Quarterly statistics are estimates as of time of publication and subject to frequent revisions. They are available for download at WTO Stats, as well as monthly statistics. Annual services trade data and related visualizations can be accessed at WTO | Statistics — Global Services Trade Data Hub and WTO | World Trade Statistics 2024.

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Industrial-scale deepfake abuse caused a crisis in South Korean schools. Here’s how Australia can avoid the same fate

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Scanlan, Senior Lecturer in Health Information Management, University of Tasmania

    South Korea’s deepfake crisis triggered a wave of protests in 2024. Anthony WALLACE / AFP

    Australian schools are seeing a growing number of incidents in which students have created deepfake sexualised imagery of their classmates. The eSafety Commissioner has urged schools to monitor the situation.

    In 2024, the problem of deepfakes became a crisis in South Korea: more than 500 schools and universities were targeted in a coordinated wave of deepfake sexual abuse.

    AI-generated sexualised images of students — mostly girls — were circulated in encrypted Telegram groups. The perpetrators were often classmates of the victims.

    A new report from global child-protection group ECPAT with funding from the UK-based Churchill Fellowship takes a close look at what happened in Korea, so other countries can understand and avoid similar crises. Here’s what Australia can learn.

    A glimpse into our future?

    The events in South Korea were not just about deepfake technology. They were about how the technology was used.

    Perpetrators created groups on the Telegram messaging platform to identify mutual acquaintances in local schools or universities. They then formed “Humiliation Rooms” to gather victims’ photos and personal information so they could create deepfake sexual images.

    Rooms for more than 500 schools and universities have been identified, often with thousands of members. The rooms were filled with deepfake imagery, created from photos on social media and the school yearbook.

    Bots within the app allowed users to generate AI nudes in seconds. One such bot had more than 220,000 subscribers. The bot gave users two deepfake images for free, with additional images available for the equivalent of one Australian dollar.

    Telegram screenshots show an automated deepfake bot that charges users to produce images.
    Telegram

    This wasn’t the dark web. It was happening on a mainstream platform, used by millions.

    And it wasn’t just adult predators. More than 80% of those arrested were teenagers. Many were described as “normal boys” by their teachers — students who had never shown signs of violent behaviour before.

    The abuse was gamified. Users earned rewards for inviting friends, sharing images, and escalating the harm. It was social, yet anonymous.

    Could this happen in Australia?

    We have already seen smaller, less organised deepfake incidents in Australian schools. However, the huge scale and ease of use of the Korean abuse system should be cause for alarm.

    The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation recorded 58,503 reports of pictures and videos of online child abuse in the 2023–24 financial year. This is an average of 160 reports per day (4,875 reports a month), a 45% increase from the previous year.

    This increase is likely to continue. In response to these risks, the Australian government, through the eSafety Commissioner, is applying the existing Basic Online Safety Expectations to generative AI services. This creates a clear expectation these services must work proactively to prevent the creation of harmful deepfake content.

    Internationally, the European Union’s AI Act has set a precedent for regulating high-risk AI applications, including those that affect children. In the United States, the proposed Take It Down Act aims to criminalise the publication of non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes.

    These are a start, but a lot more work remains to be done to provide a safe online environment for young people. The Korean experience shows how easily things can escalate when these tools are used at scale, especially in peer-to-peer abuse among adolescents.

    5 lessons from Korea

    The South Korean crisis holds several lessons for Australia.

    1. Prevention must start early. Korea’s crisis involved children as young as 12 (and even younger in some primary schools targeted). We need comprehensive digital ethics and consent education in primary schools, not just in high schools.

    2. Law enforcement needs AI tools of their own to keep up. Just as offenders are using AI to scale up abuse, police must be equipped with AI to detect and investigate it. This may include facial recognition, content detection, and automated triage systems, all governed by strict privacy protocols.

    3. Platforms must also be held accountable. Telegram only began cooperating with South Korean authorities after immense public pressure. Australia must enforce safety-by-design principles and ensure encrypted platforms are not safe havens for abuse.

    4. Support services must be scaled up. Korea’s crisis caused trauma for entire communities. Victims often had to continuing going to school with perpetrators in the same classrooms. Australia must invest in trauma-informed support systems that can respond to both individual and collective harm.

    5. We must listen to victims and survivors. Policy must be shaped by those who have experienced digital abuse. Their insights are crucial to designing effective and compassionate responses.

    The Korean crisis didn’t happen overnight. The warning signs were there: in 2023 Korea produced more than half the world’s celebrity deepfakes). This has been accompanied by rising misogyny online and the proliferation of AI tools. But they were ignored until it was too late. Australia mustn’t make the same mistake.

    Joel Scanlan 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. Industrial-scale deepfake abuse caused a crisis in South Korean schools. Here’s how Australia can avoid the same fate – https://theconversation.com/industrial-scale-deepfake-abuse-caused-a-crisis-in-south-korean-schools-heres-how-australia-can-avoid-the-same-fate-262322

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Euro area bank interest rate statistics: June 2025

    Source: European Central Bank

    31 July 2025

    Bank interest rates for corporations

    Chart 1

    Bank interest rates on new loans to, and deposits from, euro area corporations

    (percentages per annum)

    Data for cost of borrowing and deposit interest rates for corporations (Chart 1)

    The composite cost-of-borrowing indicator, which combines interest rates on all loans to corporations, decreased in June 2025. The interest rate on new loans of over €1 million with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to three months remained broadly unchanged at 3.29%. The rate on new loans of the same size with an initial rate fixation period of over three months and up to one year fell by 7 basis points to 3.41%. The interest rate on new loans of over €1 million with an initial rate fixation period of over ten years decreased by 17 basis points to 3.54%. In the case of new loans of up to €250,000 with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to three months, the average rate charged fell by 7 basis points to 3.71%.

    As regards new deposit agreements, the interest rate on deposits from corporations with an agreed maturity of up to one year fell by 12 basis points to 1.93% in June 2025. The interest rate on overnight deposits from corporations fell by 5 basis points to 0.53%.

    The interest rate on new loans to sole proprietors and unincorporated partnerships with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to one year decreased by 14 basis points to 3.97%.

    Table 1

    Bank interest rates for corporations

    i.r.f. = initial rate fixation
    * For this instrument category, the concept of new business is extended to the whole outstanding amounts and therefore the business volumes are not comparable with those of the other categories. Outstanding amounts data are derived from the ECB’s monetary financial institutions balance sheet statistics.

    Data for bank interest rates for corporations (Table 1)

    Bank interest rates for households

    Chart 2

    Bank interest rates on new loans to, and deposits from, euro area households

    Data for cost of borrowing and deposit interest rate for households (Chart 2)

    The composite cost-of-borrowing indicator, which combines interest rates on all loans to households for house purchase, showed no change in June 2025. The interest rate on loans for house purchase with a floating rate and an initial rate fixation period of up to one year decreased by 9 basis points to 3.61%. The rate on housing loans with an initial rate fixation period of over one and up to five years stayed almost constant at 3.41%. The interest rate on loans for house purchase with an initial rate fixation period of over five and up to ten years remained broadly unchanged at 3.47%. The rate on housing loans with an initial rate fixation period of over ten years stayed constant at 3.12%. In the same period the interest rate on new loans to households for consumption decreased by 13 basis points to 7.40%, driven by both the interest rate and the weight effects.

    As regards new deposits from households, the interest rate on deposits with an agreed maturity of up to one year decreased by 7 basis points to 1.77%. The rate on deposits redeemable at three months’ notice stayed almost constant at 1.44%. The interest rate on overnight deposits from households remained broadly unchanged at 0.27%.

    Table 2

    Bank interest rates for households

    i.r.f. = initial rate fixation
    * For this instrument category, the concept of new business is extended to the whole outstanding amounts and therefore the business volumes are not comparable with those of the other categories; deposits placed by households and corporations are allocated to the household sector. Outstanding amounts data are derived from the ECB’s monetary financial institutions balance sheet statistics.
    ** For this instrument category, the concept of new business is extended to the whole outstanding amounts and therefore the business volumes are not comparable with those of the other categories. Outstanding amounts data are derived from the ECB’s monetary financial institutions balance sheet statistics.

    Data for bank interest rates for households (Table 2)

    Further information

    The data in Tables 1 and 2 can be visualised for individual euro area countries on the bank interest rate statistics dashboard. Additionally, tables containing further breakdowns of bank interest rate statistics, including the composite cost-of-borrowing indicators for all euro area countries, are available from the ECB Data Portal. The full set of bank interest rate statistics for both the euro area and individual countries can be downloaded from ECB Data Portal. More information, including the release calendar, is available under “Bank interest rates” in the statistics section of the ECB’s website.

    For media queries, please contact Nicos Keranis, tel.: +49 69 1344 7806

    Notes:

    • In this press release “corporations” refers to non-financial corporations (sector S.11 in the European System of Accounts 2010, or ESA 2010), “households” refers to households and non-profit institutions serving households (ESA 2010 sectors S.14 and S.15) and “banks” refers to monetary financial institutions except central banks and money market funds (ESA 2010 sector S.122).
    • The composite cost-of-borrowing indicators are described in the article entitled “Assessing the retail bank interest rate pass-through in the euro area at times of financial fragmentation” in the August 2013 issue of the ECB’s Monthly Bulletin (see Box 1). For these indicators, a weighting scheme based on the 24-month moving averages of new business volumes has been applied, in order to filter out excessive monthly volatility. For this reason the developments in the composite cost of borrowing indicators in both tables cannot be explained by the month-on-month changes in the displayed subcomponents. Furthermore, the table on bank interest rates for corporations presents a subset of the series used in the calculation of the cost of borrowing indicator.
    • Interest rates on new business are weighted by the size of the individual agreements. This is done both by the reporting agents and when the national and euro area averages are computed. Thus changes in average euro area interest rates for new business reflect, in addition to changes in interest rates, changes in the weights of individual countries’ new business for the instrument categories concerned. The “interest rate effect” and the “weight effect” presented in this press release are derived from the Bennet index, which allows month-on-month developments in euro area aggregate rates resulting from changes in individual country rates (the “interest rate effect”) to be disentangled from those caused by changes in the weights of individual countries’ contributions (the “weight effect”). Owing to rounding, the combined “interest rate effect” and the “weight effect” may not add up to the month-on-month developments in euro area aggregate rates.
    • In addition to monthly euro area bank interest rate statistics for June 2025, this press release incorporates revisions to data for previous periods. Hyperlinks in the main body of the press release lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Unless otherwise indicated, these euro area statistics cover the EU Member States that had adopted the euro at the time to which the data relate.
    • As of reference period December 2014, the sector classification applied to bank interest rates statistics is based on the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010). In accordance with the ESA 2010 classification and as opposed to ESA 95, the non-financial corporations sector (S.11) now excludes holding companies not engaged in management and similar captive financial institutions.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s new growth drivers see rapid expansion

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

    China’s new growth drivers continued to expand steadily in 2024, contributing a greater share to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), official data showed Thursday.

    The value-added output of these emerging sectors, comprising new industries, new business formats, and new business models, increased by 6.7 percent year on year last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

    Their share of GDP rose to 18.01 percent in 2024, marking a 0.43 percentage point increase from the previous year.

    Meanwhile, recent data showed that the country’s high-tech sectors sustained rapid expansion in the first half of 2025, with value-added industrial output in high-tech manufacturing rising by 9.5 percent. This growth rate was 3.1 percentage points higher than that of the overall industrial output during the same period.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s manufacturing sector weakened in July, but new growth drivers are resilient

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — China’s manufacturing sector weakened slightly in July due to seasonal factors, but the fundamental conditions for economic growth remained in place, new industries are gaining momentum and business confidence continues to strengthen.

    China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) stood at 49.3 in July, down 0.4 percentage points from June, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Thursday.

    China’s manufacturing industry has entered its traditional low season, with the situation further affected by abnormally high temperatures and natural disasters, including heavy rains and floods in some regions, said NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe.

    Despite the overall decline, Zhao Qinghe noted that a number of sub-indices showed positive dynamics. The business activity index in high-tech manufacturing was 50.6, and in equipment manufacturing – 50.3, both indicators remained above the threshold separating growth and decline.

    Market expectations have improved markedly. The business expectations index rose to 52.6, up from 52 in June. Particularly optimistic were sectors such as automobile manufacturing, railway equipment manufacturing and electrical equipment manufacturing, with their expectations indexes exceeding 55.

    Other positive signals revealed by the data include steady growth in the manufacturing index, continued price recovery and stable growth in large enterprises. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Advance estimates on Gross Domestic Product for second quarter of 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (July 31) the advance estimates on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2025.
     
    According to the advance estimates, GDP increased by 3.1% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 3.0% in the first quarter.
     
    Analysed by major GDP component, private consumption expenditure increased by 1.9% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, as against the decrease of 1.2% in the first quarter.
     
    Government consumption expenditure measured in national accounts terms recorded an increase of 2.5% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 0.9% in the first quarter.
     
    Gross domestic fixed capital formation increased by 2.9% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, following the increase of 1.1% in the first quarter.
     
    Over the same period, total exports of goods measured in national accounts terms recorded an increase of 11.5% in real terms over a year earlier, accelerated further from the growth of 8.4% in the first quarter. Imports of goods measured in national accounts terms grew by 12.7% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025, compared with the increase of 7.2% in the first quarter.
     
    Exports of services rose further by 7.5% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, after the increase of 6.3% in the first quarter. Imports of services increased by 7.0% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025, compared with the increase of 4.7% in the first quarter.
     
    On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison basis, GDP increased by 0.4% in real terms in the second quarter of 2025 when compared with the first quarter.

    Commentary
     
    A Government spokesman said that the Hong Kong economy continued to expand solidly in the second quarter of 2025, supported by strong exports performance and improved domestic demand. According to the advance estimates, real GDP grew by 3.1% over a year earlier, picking up slightly from the preceding quarter. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter basis, real GDP rose further by 0.4%.
     
    Analysed by major expenditure component, total exports of goods saw accelerated growth, as the external demand was resilient and the temporary easing of US tariff measures led to some “rush shipments”. Exports of services continued to expand notably, thanks to strong growth in inbound tourism, further expansion in cross-boundary traffic, and vibrant financial and related business service activities amid the buoyant local stock market. Domestically, private consumption expenditure resumed moderate growth after four consecutive quarters of decline, as supported by the stabilisation in the domestic consumption market. Meanwhile, overall investment expenditure increased further alongside the economic expansion.
     
    The Hong Kong economy exhibited remarkable resilience in the first half of 2025. Looking ahead, steady economic growth in Asia, particularly in the Mainland, combined with the Government’s various measures to bolster consumption sentiment, attract investment, diversify markets, and promote economic growth, will continue to provide steadfast support for various segments of the Hong Kong economy. Nevertheless, uncertainties in the external environment remain elevated. The US’ renewed tariff hikes of late will exert pressure on global trade flows as well as its domestic economic activity and inflation. The uncertain pace of US interest rate cuts will also affect investment sentiment. Moreover, the “rush shipment” effect is expected to fade later this year. Hong Kong’s economic performance going forward will, to a certain extent, depend on how these factors evolve.
     
    The revised figures on GDP and more detailed statistics for the second quarter of 2025, as well as the revised GDP forecast for 2025, will be released on August 15, 2025.
     
    Further information
     
    The year-on-year percentage changes of GDP and selected major expenditure components in real terms from the second quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2025 are shown in Table 1.
     
    When more data become available, the C&SD will compile revised figures on GDP. The revised figures on GDP and more detailed statistics for the second quarter of 2025 will be released at the C&SD website (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode250.html) and the Gross Domestic Product by Expenditure Component report (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1030001&scode=250) on August 15, 2025.
     
    For enquiries about statistics on GDP by expenditure component, please contact the National Income Branch (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5077 or email: gdp-e@censtatd.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Provisional statistics of retail sales for June 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (July 31).

         The value of total retail sales in June 2025, provisionally estimated at $30.1 billion, increased by 0.7% compared with the same month in 2024. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in May 2025 increased by 2.4% compared with a year earlier. For the first half of 2025, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales decreased by 3.3% compared with the same period in 2024.

         Of the total retail sales value in June 2025, online sales accounted for 8.5%. The value of online retail sales in that month, provisionally estimated at $2.5 billion, increased by 8.4% compared with the same month in 2024. The revised estimate of online retail sales in May 2025 decreased by 1.2% compared with a year earlier. For the first half of 2025, it was provisionally estimated that the value of online retail sales decreased by 0.4% compared with the same period in 2024.

         After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in June 2025 decreased by 0.3% compared with a year earlier. The revised estimate of the volume of total retail sales in May 2025 increased by 1.9% compared with a year earlier. For the first half of 2025, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales decreased by 4.7% in volume compared with the same period in 2024.

         Analysed by broad type of retail outlet in descending order of the provisional estimate of the value of sales and comparing June 2025 with June 2024, the value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased by 6.8%. This was followed by sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified (+7.2% in value); commodities in supermarkets (+0.4%); medicines and cosmetics (+6.0%); commodities in department stores (+5.7%); and optical shops (+1.0%).

         On the other hand, the value of sales of wearing apparel decreased by 4.3% in June 2025 over a year earlier. This was followed by sales of food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (-1.5% in value); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (-9.3%); motor vehicles and parts (-6.0%); fuels (-8.7%); furniture and fixtures (-16.3%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-7.2%); Chinese drugs and herbs (-2.0%); and books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-4.7%).

         Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of the value of total retail sales increased by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the preceding quarter, while the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales increased by 2.7%.
     
    Commentary

         A government spokesman said that retail sales showed signs of stabilisation in recent months. The value of total retail sales increased further by 0.7% in June 2025 over the year.

         Looking ahead, the spokesman said continued increase in employment earnings, buoyant local stock market, coupled with the Government’s proactive efforts in promoting tourism and mega events and also enterprises’ strenuous effort in providing more diversified experiences would provide support to the consumption sentiment in the domestic market and businesses of the retail sector.

    Further information

         Table 1 presents the revised figures on value index and value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for May 2025 as well as the provisional figures for June 2025. The provisional figures on the value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet as well as the corresponding year-on-year changes for the first half of 2025 are also shown.

         Table 2 presents the revised figures on value of online retail sales for May 2025 as well as the provisional figures for June 2025. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first half of 2025 are also shown.

         Table 3 presents the revised figures on volume index of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for May 2025 as well as the provisional figures for June 2025. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first half of 2025 are also shown.

         Table 4 shows the movements of the value and volume of total retail sales in terms of the year-on-year rate of change for a month compared with the same month in the preceding year based on the original series, and in terms of the rate of change for a three-month period compared with the preceding three-month period based on the seasonally adjusted series.

         The classification of retail establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.

         These retail sales statistics measure the sales receipts in respect of goods sold by local retail establishments and are primarily intended for gauging the short-term business performance of the local retail sector. Data on retail sales are collected from local retail establishments through the Monthly Survey of Retail Sales (MRS). Local retail establishments with and without physical shops are covered in MRS and their sales, both through conventional shops and online channels, are included in the retail sales statistics.

         The retail sales statistics cover consumer spending on goods but not on services (such as those on housing, catering, medical care and health services, transport and communication, financial services, education and entertainment) which account for over 50% of the overall consumer spending. Moreover, they include spending on goods in Hong Kong by visitors but exclude spending outside Hong Kong by Hong Kong residents. Hence they should not be regarded as indicators for measuring overall consumer spending.

         Users interested in the trend of overall consumer spending should refer to the data series of private consumption expenditure (PCE), which is a major component of the Gross Domestic Product published at quarterly intervals. Compiled from a wide range of data sources, PCE covers consumer spending on both goods (including goods purchased from all channels) and services by Hong Kong residents whether locally or abroad. Please refer to the C&SD publication “Gross Domestic Product by Expenditure Component” for more details.

         More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Monthly Survey of Retail Sales”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080003&scode=530).

         Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7400; email: mrs@censtatd.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Results of the June 2025 Survey on credit terms and conditions in euro-denominated securities financing and OTC derivatives markets (SESFOD)

    Source: European Central Bank

    31 July 2025

    • Price and non-price credit terms and conditions remained largely unchanged between March 2025 and May 2025, tightening slightly for certain counterparty types
    • Demand for lending against collateral and financing rates/spreads increased across all asset classes except equities
    • Tariff turmoil in April 2025 had a limited but slightly negative impact on bank clients’ ability to meet margin calls

    Price and non-price credit terms and conditions remained largely unchanged between March 2025 and May 2025, with a slight tightening of non-price terms across banks and dealers, non-financial corporations and sovereigns. For price terms, survey responses indicated no net change. General market liquidity and functioning was most frequently cited as the primary driver behind tightening. Looking ahead, some survey respondents expect credit terms and conditions to ease slightly in the third quarter of 2025. However, the vast majority (86%) stated that, overall, no changes were foreseen (Chart 1).

    Chart 1

    Expected and realised quarterly changes in overall credit terms and price/non-price terms offered to counterparties across all transaction types

    (net percentages of survey respondents)

    Source: ECB.

    Note: Net percentages are calculated as the difference between the percentage of respondents reporting “tightened somewhat” or “tightened considerably” and the percentage reporting “eased somewhat” or “eased considerably”.

    Turning to financing conditions for funding secured against the various types of collateral, financing rates/spreads increased across nearly all collateral types except equities for both average and most-favoured clients, reversing the decline observed in the preceding quarter. Furthermore, respondents indicated that demand for funding secured against any type of collateral except equities increased in the most recent period (Chart 2). Maximum maturities of funding decreased slightly for most collateral types, especially for government bonds, with only high-quality, non-financial corporate bonds showing a small net increase.

    Chart 2

    Securities financing transactions experienced an increase in financing rates/spreads and demand for funding, except for equities

    a) Change in financing rates/spreads for average clients by collateral type

    b) Change in overall demand for term funding by collateral type

    (net percentages of survey respondents, inverted)

    (net percentages of survey respondents, inverted)

    Source: ECB.

    Note: Net percentages are calculated as the difference between the percentage of respondents reporting “decreased somewhat” or “decreased considerably” and the percentage reporting “increased somewhat” or “increased considerably”.

    Against the background of broadly unchanged credit terms and conditions for the various types of non-centrally cleared over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, including initial margin requirements, survey respondents pointed out a few changes regarding credit limits, liquidity and valuation disputes. The volume of valuation disputes increased for a few types of derivatives, particularly foreign exchange derivatives and credit derivatives referencing structured credit products. The maximum allowed exposure decreased for interest rate and commodity derivatives, while it increased slightly for credit derivatives. This was paired with reported improvements in the liquidity and trading of credit derivatives.

    The survey found that the US tariff announcements on 2 April had a limited but slightly negative impact on clients’ ability to meet margin calls. At the same time, the announcements did not significantly increase forced asset sales. The survey also featured a set of special questions examining euro area government bond (EGB) repo market activity and trading strategies. A large majority of respondents confirmed that they had engaged in trades combining EGB repo and reverse repo transactions, with margin offsets being a common practice for these types of transactions. However, other EGB repo trades were less common, such as those in combination with EGB futures or other interest rate derivatives. Yield curve or duration trades were named the most popular trades among client hedge funds, although alternative strategies, including cash-futures basis trades and intra-euro area sovereign repo trades, were also prevalent. Moreover, the majority of respondents indicated they had conducted a material number of EGB repo or reverse repo transactions as non-CCP bilateral trades in the last year and that they also expected the share of these trades to increase further over the next year.

    The results of the June 2025 SESFOD survey, the underlying detailed data series and the SESFOD guidelines are available on the ECB’s website, together with all other SESFOD publications.

    The SESFOD survey is conducted four times a year and covers changes in credit terms and conditions over three-month reference periods ending in February, May, August and November. The June 2025 survey collected qualitative information on changes between March 2025 and May 2025. The results are based on the responses received from a panel of 26 large banks, comprising 14 euro area banks and 12 banks with head offices outside the euro area.

    For media queries, please contact Verena Reith, tel.: +49 172 2570849.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Saint Lucia Concludes Two-Day Migration Data Workshop to Shape Evidence-Based Policy

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Castries, Saint Lucia –  The Government of Saint Lucia took a major step last week, as it moves to develop a comprehensive evidence-based migration policy to serve the country’s development agenda in the coming years.  The “Essentials of Migration Data” (EMD) workshop was held from 16-17 July 2025 with the aim of strengthening the Government’s ability to produce, disseminate and use data and statistics on migration.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s New Growth Drivers Continue Accelerated Expansion in 2024

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — China’s new economic growth drivers are expected to continue expanding steadily in 2024, making an even larger contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Thursday.

    The volume of value-added production from new industries, new forms of business and new business models increased by 6.7 percent year-on-year, the data showed.

    By the end of 2024, their share in GDP increased to 18.01 percent, which is 0.43 percentage points more than in the previous year.

    Meanwhile, the latest data showed that the country’s high-tech sectors continued to grow rapidly in the first half of this year, with the value-added industrial output of high-tech manufacturing growing by 9.5 percent. The growth rate was 3.1 percentage points higher than the country’s overall industrial output in the same period. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor well-placed to win three Bass seats in Tasmanian election, giving left a total of 20 of 35 MPs

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    Labor is well-placed to win three seats in the electorate of Bass at the Tasmanian election, although its party totals imply it deserves only two. This would give left-leaning MPs a total of 20 of 35 seats. Interstate, New South Wales Labor has surged to a large lead in a Resolve poll.

    The postal receipt deadline for the July 19 Tasmanian state election passed at 10am Tuesday. Final statewide vote shares
    were 39.9% Liberals (up 3.2% since the March 2024 election), 25.9% Labor (down 3.2%), 14.4% Greens (up 0.5%), 2.9% Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (up 0.6%), 1.6% Nationals (new) and 15.3% independents (up 5.7%).

    Tasmania uses the proportional Hare-Clark system to elect its lower house. There are five electorates corresponding to Tasmania’s five federal seats, and each electorate returns seven members, for a total of 35 lower house MPs.

    Under this system, a quota for election is one-eighth of the vote or 12.5%, but half of this (6.2%) is usually enough to give a reasonable chance of election. There’s no above the line section like for the federal Senate. Instead, people vote for candidates not parties, with at least seven preferences required for a formal vote.

    Robson rotation means that candidates for each party are randomised across ballot papers for that electorate, so that on some ballot papers a candidate will appear at the top of their party’s ticket and on others at the bottom.

    This means parties can’t control the ordering of their candidates. Independents can be listed in single-candidate columns.

    Leakage occurs when party candidates with more than one quota are elected and their surplus distributed, or when minor candidates are excluded and their preferences distributed. In the federal Senate, the large majority of votes are cast above the line, and these votes cannot leak from the party that received a first preference vote.

    The consequence of leakage is that parties will lose votes from their totals during the distribution of preferences when their own candidates are elected or excluded. Single-candidate tickets can’t lose votes, and will only gain as other candidates are excluded.

    Unlike other states and federally, the Tasmanian distribution of preferences is done manually. Before the distributions, analyst Kevin Bonham had called 14 of the 35 seats for the Liberals, ten for Labor, five for the Greens and four for left-leaning independents, leaving two undecided (the final seats in Bass and Lyons).

    Labor well-placed to win three seats in Bass

    Final primary votes in Bass gave the Liberals 3.34 quotas, Labor 2.20, the Greens 1.32, the Shooters 0.32 and independent George Razay 0.27. The Shooters and Razay had single-candidate tickets that can’t leak votes.

    After three days of preference distributions, vote shares in Bass are 3.30 quotas for the Liberals, 2.25 for Labor, 1.31 for the Greens, 0.40 for the Shooters and 0.37 for Razay.

    On quota fractions, the final seat in Bass looks as if it should go to the Shooters or Razay. However, with one Labor candidate already elected, the two leading Labor candidates (Jess Greene and Geoff Lyons) each have about 0.37 quotas with two Labor candidates still to be excluded.

    If the remaining Labor votes divide roughly evenly between Greene and Lyons, they would each have about 0.62 quotas. Greens preferences will then favour Labor whether their final opponent is the Shooters or the Liberals. So Labor is well-placed to win three seats in Bass despite their party total implying they only deserve two.

    If Labor wins the final Bass seat, Labor, the Greens and left-leaning independents would have a total of 20 of the 35 seats, making any Labor attempt to form government easier.

    In Lyons, final primary votes gave the Liberals 3.36 quotas, Labor 2.27, the Greens 1.08, the Shooters 0.53 and the Nationals 0.33. The Shooters had a single-candidate ticket.

    The Liberals now have 3.36 quotas, Labor 2.44, the Greens one, the Shooters 0.68 and the Nationals 0.34. Neither Labor nor the Liberals have any chance of pulling off an even split across candidates, so the Shooters will win the final Lyons seat.

    NSW Resolve poll: Labor surges to large lead

    A New South Wales state Resolve poll for The Sydney Morning Herald, conducted July 13–18 from a sample of 1,054, gave Labor 38% of the primary vote (up five since April), the Coalition 32% (down four), the Greens 13% (up two), independents 8% (down six) and others 10% (up four).

    Resolve does not usually give a two-party estimate for its state polls, but The Poll Bludger estimated a Labor lead by 57–43. Despite the strong voting intentions for Labor, Labor incumbent Chris Minns’ lead over Liberal Mark Speakman as preferred premier narrowed from 40–15 to 35–16. This indicates that Labor’s surge is due to the federal election result.

    Resolve polls taken well before an election have overstated the independent vote as they give independent as an option in all seats, when many seats don’t have viable independents. The six-point drop for independents in this poll suggests a different method is now being used.

    By 32–25, respondents expected their personal outlook in the next year to get better rather than worse, but by 25–21 they expected the NSW state outlook to get worse.

    Additional questions from federal Resolve poll

    I previously covered a national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers that gave Labor a 56–44 lead. On reforms, 36% thought the government should take the opportunity from its landslide re-election to undertake reforms, while 32% thought it should restrict itself to policies put forward at the election.

    By 47–20, respondents opposed raising the GST rate even if it would reduce other taxes. By 31–26, they supported reducing or ditching negative gearing concessions. By 36–27, they supported reducing or ditching capital gains tax concessions on properties.

    By 57–18, respondents thought the opposition should work with the government to negotiate changes, rather than just oppose major reforms.

    By 53–18, respondents thought Donald Trump’s election as United States president last November a bad outcome for Australia (68–11 bad in April, after Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs).

    By 46–22, they thought Australia becoming more independent from the US on foreign policy and national security would be good. By 38–26, voters blamed Trump more than Albanese for the lack of a meeting.

    Adrian Beaumont 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. Labor well-placed to win three Bass seats in Tasmanian election, giving left a total of 20 of 35 MPs – https://theconversation.com/labor-well-placed-to-win-three-bass-seats-in-tasmanian-election-giving-left-a-total-of-20-of-35-mps-261751

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Monetary Statistics for June 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

    According to statistics published today (July 31) by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, total deposits with authorized institutions increased by 0.9 per cent in June 2025. Among the total, Hong Kong dollar deposits decreased by 0.9 per cent while foreign currency deposits increased by 2.4 per cent in June, mainly reflecting fund flows of corporates. For the first half of 2025 as a whole, total deposits and Hong Kong dollar deposits increased by 7.6 per cent and 7.0 per cent respectively. Renminbi deposits in Hong Kong decreased by 9.6 per cent in June to RMB882.1 billion at the end of June, mainly reflecting fund flows of corporates. The total remittance of renminbi for cross-border trade settlement amounted to RMB1,223.5 billion in June, compared with RMB1,123.6 billion in May. It should be noted that changes in deposits are affected by a wide range of factors, such as interest rate movements and fund-raising activities. It is therefore more appropriate to observe the longer-term trends, and not to over-generalise fluctuations in a single month.
     
    Total loans and advances increased by 1.1 per cent in June, and increased by 2.5 per cent in the first half of 2025. Among the total, loans for use in Hong Kong (including trade finance) and loans for use outside Hong Kong increased by 0.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively in June. The Hong Kong dollar loan-to-deposit ratio increased to 72.0 per cent at the end of June from 70.5 per cent at the end of May, as Hong Kong dollar deposits decreased while Hong Kong dollar loans increased.
     
    For the second quarter of 2025 as a whole, loans for use in Hong Kong (including trade finance) increased by 1.6 per cent after increasing by 0.5 per cent in the previous quarter. Analysed by economic use, the increase in loans during the second quarter was mainly led by loans to financial concerns and loans to electricity and gas.
     
    Hong Kong dollar M2 and M3 both decreased by 0.8 per cent in June, while both increased by 8.4 per cent when compared to a year ago. The seasonally-adjusted Hong Kong dollar M1 increased by 4.4 per cent in June and increased by 23.7 per cent compared to a year ago, reflecting in part investment-related activities. Total M2 and total M3 both increased by 0.8 per cent in June. Compared to a year earlier, total M2 and total M3 both increased by 11.5 per cent.  
     
    As monthly monetary statistics are subject to volatilities due to a wide range of transient factors, such as seasonal funding demand as well as business and investment-related activities, caution is required when interpreting the statistics.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: More online travel agencies commit to refund within 14 days for cancelled flights, following a dialogue with the Commission and consumer authorities

    Source: EuroStat – European Statistics

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 31 Jul 2025
    Following a dialogue with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network of national consumer authorities, Expedia and Lastminute.com have committed to better inform consumers of their rights and ensure they receive ticket refunds within 14 days in case of a flight cancellation by the airline.

    MIL OSI Europe News –