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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI: BW Energy: First quarter results 2025 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

     BW Energy First quarter results 2025 

    HIGHLIGHTS 

    • Record Q1 EBITDA of USD 182.1 million, net profit of USD 83 million 
    • Operational cash-flow of USD 154.7 million in the quarter 
    • Q1 gross production of 4.2 mmbbls with 3.2 mmbbls net to BW Energy  
    • Highest quarterly production since inception from the Dussafu licence  
    • Maintained a strong balance sheet with cash position of USD 286.9 million 
    • Substantial oil discovery in the Bourdon prospect 
    • Maromba development FID unlocking path to more than doubling production and potential for future dividends 

    BW Energy, operator of the Dussafu Marin licence in Gabon and the Golfinho cluster offshore Brazil, reported a record quarterly EBITDA of USD 182.1 million for the first quarter of 2025. This was up 31% from USD 141.6 million in the previous quarter on increased oil sales following all-time-high production in Gabon and higher output in Brazil. The net production was ~36,000 bbls/day, including the Tortue, Hibiscus, and Hibiscus South fields in the Dussafu licence (73.5% working interest or “WI”) and the Golfinho field (100% WI).  

    “BW Energy delivers a strong first quarter with record production and EBITDA on the back of sustained stable operations across our asset portfolio in Gabon and Brazil,” said Carl K. Arnet, the CEO of BW Energy. “The accretive start to 2025 is further underpinned by the Bourdon discovery growing our Dussafu reserves, FID on the Golfinho Boost adding to production and reducing OPEX, and finally the Maromba FID. This transformative project is set to unlock industry-leading production growth and position BW Energy for future shareholder distributions.”  


    DUSSAFU

    BW Energy completed three liftings in the first quarter at an average realised price of USD 74.8/bbl. Net production was approximately 2.6 mmbbls of oil and the net sold volume, the basis for revenue recognition, was approximately 3.2 mmbbls including 65,000 bbls of DMO deliveries and 320,889 bbls of state profit oil with an over-lift position of 350,893 bbls at period-end.  

    Net production from the Dussafu licence averaged ~28,700 bbls/day, an increase of 5% from the previous quarter. Operating cost (excluding royalties) decreased to USD 9.9/bbl from USD 11.7/bbl in the fourth quarter due to operational efficiencies and increased production. Further cost savings are expected as BW Energy is preparing to take over the operations of the BW Adolo FPSO during the current quarter.  

    On 2 January 2025, Phase 1 of the Hibiscus / Ruche development was completed with eight producing wells, two more than planned at project sanction.   


    GOLFINHO

    Net production from the Golfinho field averaged ~7,300 bbls/day equivalent to a total production of 657,000 bbls in the quarter, up 12% from the previous quarter as gaslift resumed after completion of Petrobras maintenance. One lifting was carried out of ~500,000 bbls at a realised price of USD 75/bbl. Remaining inventory was approximately 597,750 bbls at the end of the period. Operating cost (excluding royalties) averaged USD 42.2/bbl barrel, down from 56.4/bbl in the fourth quarter, primarily due to higher production. In early April, the Brazilian oil and gas regulator ANP extended the production phase under the Golfinho concession contract, which has been extended to 2042 from previously 2031. 

    OTHER ITEMS

    On 28 March, BW Energy entered into an up to USD 500 million Reserve Based Lending (RBL) facility, replacing the 2022 facility which was increased to USD 300 million in 2023. The facility has an initial commitment of USD 400 million, which can be expanded with an additional USD 100 million subject to mutual agreement and satisfaction of customary conditions precedent. The senior secured long-term debt facility matures on 1 October 2030. 

    At 31 March 2024, BW Energy had a cash balance of USD 286.9 million, compared to USD 221.8 million at end-December. The increase reflects cash flow from operations less debt repayment and investments in the period. The Company had a total drawn debt balance of USD 599 million including the MaBoMo lease, the Dussafu RBL, the Golfinho prepayment facility and bond debt. 

    Production guidance for 2025 is unchanged at between 11 and 12 mmbbls net to BW Energy. Expected full-year operating cost is maintained at USD 18 to 22/bbl (the basis for calculating unit operating cost has been revised from 2025 onwards to exclude royalties, tariffs, workovers, domestic market obligation purchases, production sharing costs, and incorporates the impact of IFRS 16 adjustments, primarily impacting Gabon operations). Net capital expenditures for 2025 are expected at USD 650-700 million, up from USD 260 to 285 million previously. The increased follows the FIDs for the Maromba development and the Golfinho Boost project.  

    DEVELOPMENT PLANS 

    BW Energy confirmed a substantial oil discovery with good reservoir and fluid quality in the Bourdon prospect offshore Gabon. Management estimates indicate 56 million barrels oil in place, of which approximately 25 million barrels are considered recoverable, potentially through a future development cluster following the MaBoMo blueprint. The discovery will enable the Company to book additional reserves not included in its 2024 Statement of Reserves.  

    Work on optimising Golfinho production continued to focus on stabilising FPSO performance and selected future well workovers. In mid-April, BW Energy made FID on the Golfinho Boost project with planned investments of USD 107 million. The project is set to add 3 kbbls/day of incremental production and 12 mmboe of further reserves, while also increasing production uptime and reducing OPEX with first oil planned in the second half of 2027.   

    BW Energy has also made FID for the Maromba development offshore Brazil based on a capex-efficient, phased development with a wellhead platform (WHP) and FPSO. The development targets 500 million barrels of oil in place in the highly delineated Maastrichtian sands. First oil is planned in the second half of 2027 with expected plateau production of 60,000 barrels of oil per day, enabling short pay-back time and more than doubling BW Energy’s total net production by 2028.    

    In Namibia, BW Energy continued to prepare for an appraisal well targeting the Kharas Prospect northwest in the Kudu licence with planned start-up drilling operations in the second half of 2025. Long-lead items have been procured and the Company is reviewing offers for rig capacity.  

    REPORTS AND PRESENTATION 

    Please find the first-quarter earnings presentation attached. The reports are also available at: 

    www.bwenergy.no/investors/reports-and-presentations 

    BW Energy will today hold a live presentation at Hotel Continental, Oslo, Norway, and conference call followed by a Q&A hosted by CEO Carl K. Arnet, CFO Brice Morlot, CSO Thomas Young, CTO Jerome Bertheau and CCO Thomas Kolanski at 09:30 CEST. 

    You can follow the presentation via webcast with supporting slides, available on: 

    VIEWER REGISTRATION • Q1 2025   

    Please note, that if you follow the webcast via the above URL, you will experience a 30 second delay compared to the main conference call. The Web page works best in an updated browser – Chrome is recommended. 


    For further information, please contact: 

    Brice Morlot, CFO BW Energy

    +33.7.81.11.41.16, ir@bwenergy.no
     

    About BW Energy: 

    BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The Company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The Company’s assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine licence offshore Gabon, 100% interest in the Golfinho and Camarupim fields, a 76.5% interest in the BM-ES-23 block, a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil, a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy. In addition, BW Energy holds approximately 6.6% of the common shares in Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. and a 20% non-operating interest in the onshore Petroleum Exploration License 73 (“PEL 73”) in Namibia. Total net 2P+2C reserves and resources were 599 million barrels of oil equivalent at the start of 2025. 

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pie in the sky? After the Coalition’s stinging loss, nuclear should be dead. Here’s why it might live on

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia

    barmalini/Shutterstock

    When the Coalition launched its nuclear plan last year, Labor was on the nose and early polls showed some support for the policy. But then the wheels fell off.

    Nuclear didn’t stack up on cost or timeframe. Early support fell away. By the time of the election, support for maintaining Australia’s ban on nuclear power had increased from 51% to 59%.

    When Opposition leader Peter Dutton gave his budget reply speech in late March, he barely mentioned the nuclear policy – instead promoting gas and attacking renewables.

    After Saturday’s Coalition rout, the prospect of nuclear power in Australia should be dead and buried. But that’s not guaranteed. The National Party strongly backs nuclear power.

    With metropolitan Liberals sceptical of nuclear reduced to a rump, the Nationals and regional Liberals will gain influence within the Coalition. If conservative Nationals prevail, we may well see the nuclear policy survive the election post-mortem and be resurrected for the next election.

    Why did the Coalition back nuclear?

    In the 1990s, the Coalition introduced laws banning nuclear power in Australia. But interest in the technology has never gone away. Australia has abundant uranium, and nuclear power appeals to some demographics.

    Politically, Dutton’s choice to back nuclear power was pragmatic. There were real tensions inside the Coalition on climate action. Nuclear power seemed to offer a way past these tensions, as a zero emissions energy source providing baseload power. It would also have meant slowing the renewable rollout and building more gas power plants to cover the gap left by retiring coal.

    It appears the nuclear policy wasn’t a Dutton priority. Nationals leader David Littleproud says he and the Nationals pushed the Coalition to adopt nuclear in exchange for continued support for the 2050 net zero target. After Saturday’s wipeout in Liberal-held metropolitan seats, the Nationals will have a stronger hand.

    On Sky News yesterday, Littleproud claimed nuclear was not the reason for the Coalition’s loss. National MPs are still backing nuclear.

    If the Nationals stick to their guns, we may see the Coalition bring nuclear to the next election.

    Three-year federal terms make it difficult for new governments to embark on long term plans. Nuclear energy would take at least 15 years to come online. The Coalition’s last realistic opportunity to go nuclear would have been back in 2007, when there was renewed interest in the technology.

    At that time, renewables were quite expensive. But solar, wind and batteries now cost much less, while nuclear was already expensive and has remained so.

    Government tenders for renewable and storage projects tend to be massively oversubscribed, with far more interest than opportunities. By contrast, nuclear doesn’t have business backing. The Australian Industry Group has argued the Coalition’s nuclear policy was 20 years too late. This business reticence explains the Coalition’s proposal to build the nuclear reactors with public money.

    This year, clean energy levels in Australia’s main grid will reach 44–46%, according to the Clean Energy Regulator. With a strong pipeline of new projects, that could reach 60% by the next election. It’s hard to see what role nuclear could have in any future grid.

    Nuclear isn’t quite dead

    In contrast to intermittent renewables, nuclear offers reliable zero emissions baseload power. If you talk to nuclear backers, you’ll likely hear a variant of this sentence.

    But there’s “no going back” to the old baseload model where large, inflexible coal plants churned out power, as the head of the Australian Energy Market Operator Daniel Westerman pointed out last week. That’s because renewables are the cheapest energy source. Powering Australia on 100% renewables is possible with enough battery storage or pumped hydro to compensate for the solar duck curve, in which solar power drops off in the evening.

    So why does nuclear have a hold on the Coalition’s imagination, even as it faces its largest crisis since Menzies founded the Liberal Party?

    One likely reason is cultural opposition to renewables. This is especially evident among prominent Nationals such as Littleproud, Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce. As the thinking presumably goes, if “latte-sipping greens” in inner city areas back renewables, genuine country Australians should naturally oppose them.

    It is, of course, not that simple. Renewables are often just as popular in the bush as in the cities. A Lowy Institute poll found almost two-thirds of regional respondents supported the government’s 82% renewable target for 2030. Farmers hosting solar panels or wind turbines energy generation on their properties see them as guaranteed income even if livestock or grains are having a bad year.

    The problem for the Nationals and for the Coalition more broadly is that nuclear just isn’t that popular. Early support for the policy was soft. It melted away as authoritative sources such as the CSIRO pointed to the exorbitant cost and long timeframe to build reactors from scratch.

    Labor, with a resounding majority, is likely to accelerate the shift to clean energy. While the urban-rural political divide will still play out in Coalition opposition to clean energy, Labor’s large electoral mandate and dominance in the populous cities will encourage it to press ahead.

    As the surviving members of the Coalition lick their wounds and begin to figure out how they did so badly, we can expect to see nuclear up for discussion. But given the new power of the Nationals and regional Liberals in the party room, we may not have seen the last of nuclear fantasies in Australia.

    Adam Simpson 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. Pie in the sky? After the Coalition’s stinging loss, nuclear should be dead. Here’s why it might live on – https://theconversation.com/pie-in-the-sky-after-the-coalitions-stinging-loss-nuclear-should-be-dead-heres-why-it-might-live-on-255866

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 5 huge climate opportunities await the next parliament – and it has the numbers to deliver

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Skarbek, Climateworks CEO, Monash University

    Australians have returned an expanded Labor Party to government alongside a suite of climate-progressive independents. Meanwhile, the Coalition – which promoted nuclear energy and a slower renewables transition – suffered a historic defeat.

    Labor also looks set to have increased numbers in the Senate, where the Greens are likely to hold the balance of power.

    These numbers mean support for progressive climate and energy policy in Australia’s 48th parliament is shaping as stronger than the last. So what does this mean as Australia seeks to position itself as a leader in the global net zero economy?

    In its first term in government, Labor laid the groundwork for stronger climate action, including legislating an emissions-reduction target and putting crucial policies and organisations in place. The next parliament will be well-placed to build on these foundations. Here, we explain where key opportunities lie.

    1. National emissions target for 2035

    By September this year, all signatories to the global Paris Agreement must set emissions reduction targets out to 2035.

    Labor is waiting on advice from the Climate Change Authority before setting its target. The authority’s initial advice last year suggested a target between 65% and 75%, based on 2005 levels.

    Some countries have already set their targets. The United Kingdom, for example, will aim for a reduction of at least 81% by 2035, based on 1990 levels.

    2. A firm plan for net-zero

    Australia has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Getting there will require innovation and investment across the economy. In the last term of government, Labor began
    developing net-zero plans for each economic sector. They comprise energy, transport, industry, resources, the built environment, and agriculture and land.

    The plans are due to be finalised this year. They will act as a tangible map for Australia to meet both net zero and the 2035 emissions-reduction target, and are keenly awaited by state governments, industry and investors.

    This policy area presents the broadest opportunity for the crossbench to exert influence for greater ambition, scale and pace. Neither the 2035 target nor the sector plans need to go through parliament – however they could feature in broader parliamentary negotiations.

    Separately, the Safeguard Mechanism will be reviewed in 2027, during this parliament. The policy aims to reduce emissions reductions from Australia’s biggest greenhouse-gas polluters. It is key to reaching net zero in Australia’s industrial sector, and an important moment to ensure the policy reduces emissions at the rate needed.

    3. Bidding to host COP31

    Australia is bidding to host next year’s United Nations global climate talks, or COP, in partnership with Pacific Island nations. The bid was opposed by the Coalition.

    A decision on the COP host is expected in June. If Australia succeeds, the federal government will seek to use the high-profile global gathering to showcase its climate credentials – and there will be high expectations from Pacific co-hosts. So all policy between now and then really matters.

    4. An energy system to make Australia thrive

    Energy produces about 70% of Australia’s emissions. Tackling this means reducing emissions from electricity through renewable generation. Elsewhere in the economy, it means switching from gas, petrol and diesel to clean electricity.

    The government’s plan to reach 82% renewable energy by 2030 remains crucial. Australia’s electricity system is expected to reach around 50% renewable energy this year. But there is more work to do.

    A review of the National Electricity Market is due this year. It is expected to recommend ways to promote greater investment in renewable generation and storage. This includes what policy might follow the Capacity Investment Scheme, a measure to boost renewables investment which will be rolled out by 2027.

    Faster action on the renewable shift can also be achieved through the Australian Energy Market Operator’s next Integrated System Plan – the nation’s roadmap for guiding energy infrastructure and investment.

    Labor also has scope to improve energy efficiency, and better match energy demand and supply – especially at times of peak energy use. The government’s commitments to subsidise home batteries, and expand the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, will help achieve this. The crossbench, including the Greens, is likely to seek greater investments to reduce household energy use and costs.

    Beyond this, Australia’s electricity grid needs to be double the size of what’s currently planned, to power the entire economy with clean energy.

    5. Leverage clean energy export advantages

    Australia generates about a quarter of its GDP from exports – many of them emissions-intensive such as fossil fuels, minerals and agricultural products.

    In his election victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Australia to seize the moment at a time of global economic disruption. Key to this will be building on the Future Made in Australia agenda and ensuring Australia makes the most of its competitive advantages as the world transitions to net-zero.

    This will include:

    • leveraging a strong reputation as a reliable trade partner
    • capitalising on our world-leading solar and wind energy resources to produce low-emissions goods for export
    • developing the industry around critical minerals and rare earths needed in low-emissions technologies
    • helping metals and minerals sectors achieve net-zero emissions pathways.

    This will be central to trade negotiations in the years to come. Realising Australia’s green exports aspiration requires action abroad as well as at home.

    A game-changing decade

    This decade is crucial to Australia’s future economy, and to the success of Australia’s long-term transition to net zero emissions. Our work has shown Australia can slash emissions while the economy grows.

    The question now is how quickly the re-elected government – indeed, the next parliament – can realise Australia’s ambition as a renewable energy superpower.

    The next three years will provide vital opportunities and they must be seized – for the sake of our energy bills, our economic prosperity and Australia’s reputation on the world stage.

    Anna Skarbek is on the board of the Net Zero Economy Authority, SEC Victoria, the Centre for New Energy Technologies, the Green Building Council of Australia, and the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of the Glasgow Financial Alliance on Net Zero. She is CEO of Climateworks Centre which receives funding from philanthropy and project-specific financial support from a range of private and public entities including federal, state and local government and private sector organisations and international and local non-profit organisations. Climateworks Centre works within Monash University’s Sustainable Development Institute.

    Climateworks Centre is a part of Monash University. It receives funding from a range of external sources including philanthropy, governments and businesses. Businesses such as mining companies and industry associations have previously co-funded Climateworks’ research on industrial decarbonisation, and may benefit from policies mentioned in this article.

    – ref. 5 huge climate opportunities await the next parliament – and it has the numbers to deliver – https://theconversation.com/5-huge-climate-opportunities-await-the-next-parliament-and-it-has-the-numbers-to-deliver-255772

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Costa, Newhouse, Curtis Push to Unlock Federal Funding for Western Water Infrastructure

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

    WASHINGTON—Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21), Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), and Senator John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening water quality and storage infrastructure across the Western United States. “Water is the lifeblood of the West, and as climate change intensifies drought and weather extremes, we must invest in reliable, modern water infrastructure,” said Congressman Costa. “Our legislation will provide California and San Joaquin Valley water managers with the tools they need to expand water storage and ensure clean drinking water in our communities.”  “After meeting with several water conservancy districts across Utah over the past few months, one thing is clear: Utah’s rapid population growth is placing significant pressure on our community water resources,” said Senator Curtis. “This bipartisan legislation would make it easier for local governments and utilities to invest in critical water infrastructure projects—helping ensure we can meet the growing needs of our communities.”“Federal irrigation, clean water, and wastewater projects are essential to rural areas like Central Washington, but a lack of resources for maintenance and repairs puts our water infrastructure at risk. This legislation gives our local water managers the tools they need to sustain long-term projects and guarantee clean, safe water that our communities, farmers, and ranchers rely on,” said Congressman Newhouse.”As we face the ongoing challenges of water scarcity in the West, the introduction of the Every Drop Counts Act and the Groundwater Technical Assistance Act represents a useful step toward ensuring a sustainable future for our communities, ecosystems, and farms. These bipartisan efforts will not only enhance our capabilities for groundwater recharge but also empower local agencies to innovate and implement solutions that restore our vital aquifers. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a resilient water supply that supports agriculture, the environment, and the needs of our growing population,” said Rick Borges, President of the Friant Water Authority.“The Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act provides much-needed reforms related to technical issues that substantially limit access to WIFIA loan funding for facilities under federal ownership, regardless of the method of loan repayment,” said Cannon Michael, Board Chair of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. “We thank Rep. Costa for his leadership on this issue. Given the significant infrastructure improvements needed to improve the reliability of water supplies for the Water Authority’s members, it’s critical that every funding tool be available to improve affordability for the farming families, disadvantaged communities, and wildlife and wildlife enthusiasts who are reliant on the Water Authority’s members for their water supplies.”BACKGROUNDCalifornia’s San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, depends heavily on complex water delivery systems to sustain its economy and rural communities. However, the region is grappling with drought, groundwater depletion, and strict water quality standards. The Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act would update the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), originally enacted in 2014. This legislation accelerates investment in the nation’s aging water systems by offering long-term, low-cost loans for major water projects. This bill would clarify that federally owned water infrastructure, when operated by non-federal entities such as California’s Friant Water Authority and the San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority is eligible for WIFIA financing.Access to WIFIA financing will enable San Joaquin Valley water agencies to invest in infrastructure upgrades, including groundwater recharge, surface storage, and conveyance improvements.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Inside information: Jouko Pölönen appointed as the CEO of eQ Plc

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    eQ Plc Stock exchange release, inside information

    5 May 2025, at 8:00 AM

    The Board of Directors of eQ Plc (“eQ”) has decided to appoint M.Sc. (Econ & Bus. Adm.), eMBA Jouko Pölönen as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Jouko Pölönen will assume the position no later than 5 November 2025. Since 28 October 2024, Janne Larma has been serving as eQ’s interim CEO and will continue in that role until Pölönen is able to start as a new CEO.

    eQ will host a press conference regarding Pölönen’s appointment on 5 May at 1:30 PM, welcoming representatives of the media, investors and analysts. Further details regarding participation can be found at the end of this release.

    Pölönen, 55, has made a distinguished career in the financial sector. Most recently, he has served for seven years as CEO of Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company. Prior to that, he held roles such as Head of Banking at OP Financial Group and CEO positions at OP Corporate Bank Plc, Helsinki Area Cooperative Bank, and Pohjola Insurance Ltd.

    “eQ is one of the leading asset managers in Finland, with a particularly strong position in private equity and real estate asset management. I am excited to join eQ’s talented team and confident that together we can create added value for our clients and shareholders. I am highly goal- and results-oriented. I expect that we can drive profitable growth during the coming years,” says Pölönen.

    Chair of the Board Georg Ehrnrooth says that the Board is very pleased to have appointed Pölönen as CEO of eQ.

    “We are convinced that Jouko is the right person to lead eQ and to implement our growth objectives and strategy together with our skilled and professional team,” Ehrnrooth says.

    “Jouko brings in his extensive experience in the financial sector, leadership, and strategic development and execution. In addition, Jouko has a broad network of contacts with investors, businesses, and the public sector. While eQ’s financial performance in the past couple of years has not met the targets, we believe the fundamentals for a turnaround are already in place,” Ehrnrooth continues.

    Pölönen sees significant opportunities in the asset management market:

    “eQ has excellent products that many institutions and family offices rely on. More and more private individuals are saving and investing, and we want to offer also to them the best wealth management products and services to build their wealth. I consider professional asset management as a highly interesting and growing market. A key factor for me in a accepting this role was also the opportunity to become an owner myself,” Pölönen says.

    The three largest shareholders of eQ have agreed to sell a total of one million (1,000,000) eQ shares to Pölönen. Technically, the shares will be sold to Pölönen’s personal investment company. This amount represents approximately 2.4 percent of eQ’s total share capital. As a result of the transaction, Pölönen will rank among the ten largest shareholders of eQ. The share sale will be completed during May.

    Georg Ehrnrooth comments:

    “We want to ensure Jouko’s commitment and give him a strong incentive to drive growth with an entrepreneurial spirit and act in accordance with eQ’s values.”

    Additionally, the Board of Directors has decided to grant Pölönen 100,000 stock options under the 2025 option program. The terms of the option program were announced on 4 February 2025 and are available on the company’s website. Pölönen will receive the options upon the commencement of his employment.

    Jouko Pölönen’s CV is attached to this release.

    Press Conference

    eQ will hold a press conference today, 5 May 2025, at 1:30 PM. Speakers will include Georg Ehrnrooth, Chair of the Board; Janne Larma, interim CEO of eQ; and Jouko Pölönen, appointed CEO of eQ. The event will take place at Studio Eliel in Sanomatalo, Helsinki. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations. The event can also be followed via webcast at: https://eq.videosync.fi/2025-05-05

    eQ Plc

    Additional information:

    Janne Larma, interim CEO, tel. +358 40 500 4366
    Georg Ehrnrooth, Chair of the Board, tel. +358 9 6817 8777 

    Distribution: Nasdaq Helsinki, www.eQ.fi, media

    eQ is a Finnish group of companies specialising in asset management and corporate finance business. eQ Asset Management offers a wide range of asset management services (including private equity funds and real estate asset management) for institutions and individuals. The assets managed by the group total approximately EUR 13.6 billion. Advium Corporate Finance, which is part of the group, offers services related to mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and equity capital markets. The share of the group’s parent company eQ Plc is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. More information about the group is available on our website at www.eQ.fi.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: A subsidiary of Aktsiaselts Infortar signed a shareholders’ agreement for acquiring a shareholding in OÜ Estonia Farmid

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    On 2. May 2025 OÜ EG Biofond (registry code: 11504910) signed an investment agreement and a shareholder ‘agreement for acquiring a 96,6%% shareholding in OÜ Estonia Farmid (registry code: 10627556). A 3.4% shareholding is held by Estonia Farmid OÜ’s subsidiary, Osaühing Estonia (registry code: 10038386).
    According to the agreements, getting an approval from the Competition Authority and additional operations are preconditions for completion of the transaction. Following the transaction, the shareholders of Estonia Farmid OÜ are OÜ EG Biofond with a 96.6% shareholding and Osaühing Estonia with a 3.4% shareholding.
    Estonia Farmid OÜ holds shareholdings in three agricultural companies: Estonia OÜ, Kabala Agro OÜ, and Sõrandu Farm OÜ, collectively employing nearly 150 people. The agricultural group manages a total of 9,400 hectares of arable land in Türi and Järva municipalities, of which over 6,000 hectares are owned by the company. The group’s dairy farms are located in Central Estonia – Oisu, Taikse, and Kabala – with a total of 2,640 dairy cows. The average milk production per cow at the Estonia dairy farm is among the highest in Estonia, reaching 13,300 kilograms annually. In addition to milk production, the company grows 27,000 tons of grains and rapeseed per year. Estonia Farmid OÜ also owns a 40% stake in the Oisu biomethane plant, which helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with milk production.
    “Estonia’s greatest natural resources are food, timber, and minerals – these are the pillars of both our current and future economy. Estonia has fertile farmland, and our milk production is among the best in the region. The dairy industry is definitely one of the sectors where we can compete internationally,” said Ain Hanschmidt, Chairman of the Management Board of Infortar.
    “The economy is set on three pillars – agriculture, industry, and services. In recent years, Infortar has expanded its presence across all three sectors to achieve its ambitions and manage risk. More than that, we have grown to become a market leader in each,” Hanschmidt added.
    “Estonia Farmid, one of Estonia’s strongest agricultural companies, is doing well, but further development requires investments and risk-taking on a scale that the current owners no longer consider reasonable. We’re now at a point where the next steps for Estonia Farmid OÜ should be taken by a new, ambitious owner,” said Jaanus Marrandi, Management Board Member of Estonia Farmid OÜ.
    “Estonia Farmid is being acquired by one of Estonia’s most prominent and financially strong groups – known for its solid reputation and international reach. As a listed company, Infortar provides us with the confidence that the work done so far, as well as future development and stability, will be ensured,” Marrandi emphasized.
    The transaction is not treated as a transaction beyond everyday economic activities or a transaction of a significant importance, nor as a transaction with related persons, within the meaning of the “Requirements for Issuers” part of the NASDAQ Tallinn Stock Exchange rules. The transaction does not have a significant impact on Aktsiaselts Infortar’s activities. The members of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board of Aktsiaselts Infortar are not personally interested in the transaction in any other way.

    Infortar operates in seven countries, the company’s main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47% stake in Tallink Grupp, a 100% stake in Elenger Grupp and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approx. 141,000 m2. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, and other areas. A total of 110 companies belong to the Infortar group: 101 subsidiaries, 4 affiliated companies and 5 subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,228 people.

    Additional information:
    Kadri Laanvee
    Investor Relations Manager
    Phone: +372 5156662
    e-mail: kadri.laanvee@infortar.ee 
    www.infortar.ee/en/investor

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi Jinping urges all-out efforts to search and rescue people after two excursion boats sank in southwest China /more/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for all-out efforts to search for and rescue people in the water and treat all those injured after two sightseeing boats sank in southwest China’s Guizhou Province.

    The incident occurred on the Liuchong River in Qianxi County City at around 4:40 p.m. on May 4, leaving three people dead and 14 missing. A total of 60 people were hospitalized.

    Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, gave important instructions, calling for maximum efforts to carry out search and rescue work, properly handle issues related to the dead and provide support to their families.

    Stressing that several emergency incidents have occurred in various regions of the country in quick succession recently, resulting in deaths and injuries, the Chinese President called on local authorities and relevant departments to learn lessons from these tragedies, resolutely eradicate carelessness and strengthen the responsibility of all parties involved.

    Xi Jinping stressed the importance of strengthening security measures in tourist attractions, major public facilities, residential areas and passenger return routes during the International Labor Day holiday to curb the tendency of frequent serious accidents.

    In turn, Li Qiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, ordered that all efforts be directed to the search and rescue of missing persons, as well as to providing medical assistance to the injured. He stressed that, given the approaching end of the May Day holidays, local authorities must conduct comprehensive safety checks and eliminate potential risks at key facilities and in key areas in order to prevent and minimize the occurrence of various serious incidents.

    In accordance with the important instructions of Xi Jinping and the orders of Li Qiang, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Zhang Guoqing led a team of responsible persons to the scene to lead the search and rescue work and eliminate the consequences of the incident. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Israeli army calls up tens of thousands of reservists to expand Gaza offensive

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    JERUSALEM, May 4 (Xinhua) — Israel’s military has begun issuing “tens of thousands” of draft notices to reservists to expand its offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Sunday during a visit to a naval base, vowing to step up pressure on the Palestinian Hamas movement to free hostages.

    “This week we are issuing tens of thousands of draft notices to our reservists to strengthen and expand operations in Gaza,” said E. Zamir. “We are increasing the pressure to bring our hostages home and defeat Hamas.”

    He added that as part of the expanded offensive, the army would operate in “additional territories” of the enclave and destroy “all military infrastructure.”

    E. Zamir said that reservists will also be sent to other areas, including the northern border with Lebanon and Syria, as well as the occupied West Bank.

    Earlier over the weekend, Israeli forces struck more than 100 targets in the Gaza Strip, including militant cells, underground infrastructure and military camps, the IDF said.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners have vowed to continue the war until Hamas is completely defeated, despite growing pressure from the Israeli public for a ceasefire to free the 59 hostages Israel says are still being held in the Gaza Strip.

    In March, Israel ended a two-month truce with Hamas and resumed air and ground fighting. More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli offensive began in October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Increased 47.6% by End of March 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) — The number of charging infrastructure facilities in China increased 47.6 percent year-on-year by the end of March 2025, as the country continued to expand its new energy vehicle (NEV) charging network, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

    At a recent press conference, Zhang Xing, a spokesman for the aforementioned department, said that the total number of charging infrastructure facilities across the country had reached nearly 13.75 million units by the end of March.

    He noted that this figure includes 3.9 million public NEV chargers and 9.85 million private chargers.

    At present, 38,000 charging devices have been installed in 98 percent of expressway service areas nationwide. All townships in the country’s 13 provincial-level regions have been covered by charging devices, raising the coverage rate of townships and townships to 76.91 percent.

    To strengthen the integration of NEVs with power grids, the SUE has jointly launched vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot programs in nine cities including Shanghai in eastern China and selected 30 bidirectional charging projects to test the pilot programs, Zhang Xing added. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s SAIC Motor signs deal for joint electric vehicle brand with Huawei

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    SHANGHAI, May 4 (Xinhua) — Shanghai-based Chinese automaker SAIC Motor on Thursday signed an agreement to set up a plant to produce vehicles and auxiliary battery units for its new electric vehicle (EV) brand, developed jointly with telecom giant Huawei, in the Lingang New Area of China’s Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ).

    According to SAIC Motor, the plant’s production capacity at the initial stage of the project will be about 250,000 vehicles per year.

    The move follows a partnership formed earlier this year between SAIC Motor and Huawei. In February this year, the two companies signed an in-depth cooperation agreement to jointly launch the SAIC Shangjie brand.

    Tech giant Huawei is already collaborating with four other EV brands, namely AITO, Luxeed, Stelato and Maextro, under its Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA). Tech support from Huawei, such as adaptive driver assistance and AI cockpit solutions, has given new impetus to partner automakers.

    SAIC Shangjie brand products will be equipped with Huawei’s intelligent mobility solutions, said Zhu Yong, head of SAIC ShangJie, adding that the intelligent electric vehicles will target the mid- to high-end market, with customers mainly including household consumers and young office workers.

    The first model under this brand is a mainstream SUV priced at around 200,000 /around $27,800/, which is expected to hit the market this fall. The SUV will be available in two versions: a pure electric version and an extended range version. The pure electric model will have a range of over 600 km on a full charge.

    By joining the HIMA family, SAIC Shangjie brand will help further lower the price range of cars co-developed with Huawei to 200,000 yuan to better tap the vast market, Zhu Yong said.

    SAIC Shangjie’s project is expected to increase the scale of the already leading new energy vehicle (NEV) industry in Lingang New Area, home to Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, to 300 billion yuan, said Li Xiangcun, an official with the Lingang New Area Administrative Committee.

    Currently, there are more than 200 automobile-related companies in the Lingang New Area, forming an ecosystem covering automobile production, research, development and testing. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: LINCOLN HWY/MITCHELLVILLE RD HIGHWAY, COWELL (Grass Fire)

    Source: South Australia County Fire Service

    COWELL

    Issued on
    05 May 2025 14:14

    Cowell Grass Fire

    Issued for COWELL near Lincoln Highway and Mitchellville Road intersection, 3km North of Cowell in the Eastern Eyre Peninsula of South Australia.

    CFS firefighters on 3 trucks have contained the fire, which was burning adjacent the roadside on Lincoln Highway. Firefighters will remain on scene into this afternoon to ensure the fireground remains safe.

    Roads are currently open around this incident however this may change at short notice. Continue to monitor road closures at: traffic.sa.gov.au

    Emergency services may be working on and around roads in the area, and motorists are advised to stay away. If you need to travel on roads in the area, please take care and drive to the local conditions.

    Smoke may impact roads in the area, and visibility may be reduced. To ensure your safety and that of firefighters and other emergency personnel who are working in the area, please do not enter the area unless necessary.

    Message ID 0008585

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Wang Liqin has big shoes to fill as Chinese table tennis chief

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

    Wang Liqin has stepped into one of the most challenging roles in sports as the new head of Chinese table tennis – just three days after Brazil’s Hugo Calderano stunned the world by winning the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup in Macao – a rare feat in a sport long dominated by China. His appointment also comes less than a month before the World Championships begin in Qatar.

    Wang replaces 49-year-old Liu Guoliang, who resigned on April 23 after a legendary career as a player, coach and administrator. Wang, 46, faces the task of maintaining China’s dominance in a sport where international challengers are gaining ground.

    “It is a tremendous responsibility to take over as president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA),” said Wang, a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose second gold came under Liu’s coaching. “I feel both excited and anxious.”

    Since retiring from competition in 2014, Wang has risen steadily through the ranks as a sports official in Shanghai. He credits much of his success to Liu.

    “It was coach Liu who guided me to fulfill my dreams as an athlete,” Wang said. “Since becoming a sports official, I’ve always sought his advice. He holds the key to Chinese dominance in this game.”

    Acknowledging that Liu is irreplaceable, Wang said his top priority is preparation.

    “The immediate task is the World Championships in Doha, and the long-term goal is the Los Angeles Olympics,” he said.

    Calderano, who became the first Brazilian and Pan-American player to win the World Cup last month, now leads the global challenge to China. China, meanwhile, is sending a young team to Doha – one without reigning Olympic champions Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, and Chen Meng.

    Wang has been overseeing a 15-day closed-door training camp for the team at the Chengdu Table Tennis School – the same training ground where China began its gold-medal sweep at the Paris Olympics.

    Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin, China’s top two men’s players, both fell to Calderano in the World Cup and are now looking for redemption. On the women’s side, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu continue to lead a squad considered stronger than the rest of the field.

    “The Doha worlds will be Wang Liqin’s first test,” said CCTV commentator Li Wujun. “Any missteps or near misses will be blamed on poor timing of the leadership transition.”

    Liu cited a desire for a smooth transition and more time with family as reasons for stepping down. “I resigned at the right time to give the new CTTA leadership a full cycle to prepare for the LA Games,” he said.

    However, Chinese social media has questioned whether Liu’s international responsibilities – as vice president of the ITTF and chair of the World Table Tennis board – conflicted with his role as CTTA president. Others pointed to increasing “toxic fandom” under his tenure.

    One of the most controversial moments came during the all-Chinese women’s final at the Paris Olympics, when Chen Meng was booed and attacked online while Sun Yingsha was vocally supported both in the arena and on social media.

    Chinese table tennis received a boost on April 9, when the International Olympic Committee added a mixed team event to the 2028 Olympics. The IOC also replaced the men’s and women’s team events with men’s and women’s doubles, bringing the total number of events at LA28 to six.

    “It’s great news for the table tennis world,” said Wang. “But the reshuffling of the LA table tennis program means we’ll need new strategies for six events.”

    On the day of Wang’s election, Liu patted him on the arm and said half-jokingly, “We swept the board in Paris. Now it’s your turn.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Going for Gold on the Takitimu North Link

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Autumn is a time to celebrate the harvest at the Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project, following a golden construction season.

    With piling on the project now 96 percent complete, the highway is really on solid ground,” says Manager of Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter.

    “Interest in the project is extremely high with 370 people turning up to meet the team and see the progress at our Open Day recently, followed by a visit by the Minister of Transport, Chris Bishop, who declared the project ‘amazing’ and said he couldn’t wait to see it open.

    “With 11 culverts now complete (out of 19), 72 percent of the utility work finished and over 163,000 hours of machinery work under our belt, we’re heading into the winter months in a strong position to continue to build our structures,” says Mr Coalter.

    There are 6 bridges currently in construction, so while earthworks wind down for the cooler months, the site will still be a hive of activity, keeping the 275 people working on the project very busy.

    “We’ve commenced trials for the first section of pavements at Te Mete, and we’ve already got 2km of drainage in, so it’s all happening both above the ground and below.

    “And as the seasons turn, the 2025 planting season will see 164,000 plants go in the ground, adding to the 70,000 already in, so there’s heaps to look forward to.”

    But don’t just take Mr Coalter or Mr Bishop’s word for how epic things are looking – check out the progress on this fly through video:

    Watch video on Youtube(external link)

    Piling on 15th Avenue.

    Minden interchange towards WETI.

    Fast facts

    • 275 people currently working on the project
    • More than 2478 people inducted and worked on various aspects of the project to date
    • Over 22.5 million hours worked since project started
    • 90 subcontractor staff engaged, with half of those local businesses
    • 4 bridges built 6 under construction
    • 2.3 million cubic metres of dirt moved (of total 3 million cubes)
    • 8.84km of piles on the project, 96 percent complete
    • 800,000 linear metres of wick drains installed, to reduce settlement time
    • 70,000 plants in the ground, of more than 900,000 required in total
    • 11 out of 19 culverts completed
    • 2km of network drainage installed out of 13km
    • 72 percent complete of utility work (includes Power, Gas, Fibre, Telecommunications, Water, Sewer)
    • Total machine hours 163,149 (up until end of March 2025)
    • 35 dump trucks, 10 bulldozers and 20 excavators on site
    • Commenced first section of pavement trials at Te Mete.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Mile Plains — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Lyndsay Moorhouse

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    West Hants RCMP Detachment is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 43-year-old Lyndsay Moorhouse, from Three Mile Plains. She was last seen on May 4 in Three Mile Plains.

    Moorhouse is described as 5-foot-2 and approximately 200 pounds. She has medium-length blond hair, blue eyes, and glasses. She is believed to be wearing jeans and a black hoodie.

    Moorhouse is known to frequent the Halifax area.

    Investigators believe that she may be driving a blue 2019 Hyundai Elantra, Nova Scotia licence plate GEB 779. The image included is a stock photo of the vehicle.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lyndsay Moorhouse is asked to contact the West Hants RCMP Detachment at 902-798-2207, or 911 in an emergency. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A rubbish election: voting in Australia produces mountains of waste – but there’s a better way

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Given, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University

    More than 18 million Australians voted on Saturday, after walking past countless corflutes, reading campaign flyers and reviewing how-to-vote cards.

    The 2025 federal election was Australia’s biggest yet, with 710,000 more people on the electoral roll than in 2022. The Australian Election Commission amassed 250,000 pencils, 240,000 vests, 80,000 ballot boxes and 5,000 rolls of tamper-proof tape to stock some 7,000 polling places.

    So, what happens to these materials after polling day? Some are warehoused, ready for reuse next time around. Others are repurposed. But every election also generates a mountain of waste for landfill.

    It doesn’t have to be this way. Australia needs to mandate a cradle-to-grave approach to creating, using, recycling and disposing of election materials. Meanwhile, electronic machines and online voting can reduce the need for paper ballots, just as social media campaigns can reduce paper mail drops.

    Magill School in the Sturt electorate, like most polling centres, was wrapped in lightweight plastic posters.
    Clare Peddie

    Where do election materials go after the polls close?

    In response to inquiries from The Conversation, the Australian Election Commission said most AEC materials, such as tamper-proof tape, vests and pencils, are stored between elections at counting centres. Other materials, such as cardboard voting booths, are recycled or donated to schools or charities.

    Most councils require corflutes to be collected within seven days of an election. But no rules govern reuse or disposal. Corflutes are made from polypropylene, a lightweight plastic that is technically recyclable. But it’s not a straightforward process, so most recycling facilities reportedly cannot accept this waste.

    Some candidates donate corflutes to schools, childcare centres and charities, because the white reverse side can be used to mount artworks.

    Second-hand corflutes have also been used as shelters for homeless people, heat shields for bee hives, or to repair damaged skylights. But no doubt many end up in landfill.

    Are there alternatives?

    Many countries are “greening” their elections. In 2019, India’s election commission directed parties to eliminate single-use plastic including corflutes. In 2024, the United Kingdom’s Westminster Foundation for Democracy outlined strategies for reducing election “pollution”, addressing supply chains and packaging.

    Australia relies heavily on disposable election materials. While many of these can be recycled, it’s better to avoid single-use materials.

    Parties could also display how-to-vote instructions on posters at election sites, rather than handing out individual flyers that are recycled or thrown away.

    In 2022, the AEC introduced plain brown cardboard screens and ballot boxes, saying they are easier to recycle and reuse than previous versions “wrapped” in purple-and-white branded paper. However, Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers says elections will probably always be “highly manual and resource-intensive exercises”. We disagree.

    Could Australia use electronic or online voting to reduce waste?

    Other countries are introducing online voting to reduce waste. One study in Estonia found the carbon footprint of paper-based voting was 180 times greater than internet-based voting. More than 50% of the population voted online in 2023.

    India introduced electronic voting machines in 1982 and mandated them, nationwide, in 2004. In 1999 alone this saved 7,700 tonnes of waste.

    The United States introduced mechanical voting machines in the 1890s, punch cards and scanned ballots in the 1960s, and “direct-recording” electronic voting machines in the 1970s. Today, touch screens are used in many voting booths, with paper records for auditing. Now just 7% of districts rely on paper ballots and hand-counted ballots are rarely used.

    Yet electronic voting machines are not without controversy. Security concerns after the 2016 US election resulted in 94% of districts shifting to optical scanning, and use of “direct-recording” electronic voting machines almost halved.

    Ireland invested €50 million (A$88 million) into electronic voting machines in 2002, but they were never used due to concerns about potential tampering.

    Australia should explore secure options for electronic voting machines and online voting. In its response to The Conversation, the AEC said this would be a matter for parliament to consider, because the law currently demands that elections are in-person events.

    Can social media campaigning help?

    Social media enables candidates and voters to engage in new ways. For instance, Labor senators Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong took part in a Facebook “pop quiz” on April 29, which had 55,000 views. But social media can amplify misinformation, so consumers need to fact-check what they see and hear online.

    Combined, the parties and affiliated groups spent more than A$39 million on advertisements on YouTube, Facebook and Google during the 2025 campaign. The AEC had to update its authorisation guidelines to cover podcasters and other content creators.

    This mirrors global shifts towards social media campaigning. During Canada’s 2025 campaign, Liberal leader Mark Carney (who went on to be elected prime minister) created a video with celebrity Mike Myers, reaching 10 million views.

    While such creative approaches may engage voters, they still carry a carbon footprint. Carney and Myers’ video likely produced about six tonnes of CO₂ emissions due to the energy and electricity used in production, streaming and viewing.

    Mike Myers and Mark Carney used social media creatively in Canada’s 2025 election campaign.

    Text messages also connect candidates with voters. Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party sent 17 million texts the election campaign. This equates to 240kg of CO₂ emissions from energy-hungry data centres and personal devices.

    This is less than the emissions the average Australian produces in a week. However, the unsolicited texts riled many voters, many concerned about privacy and who wanted to opt out.

    What’s the solution?

    Australia should mandate a reduction in the disposal of election materials.

    Some print materials may always be needed, because not all voters can access digital content or vote online. But the current situation is unsustainable.

    Global experiences show innovation is possible. Australia can reduce its reliance on new, physical materials, while maintaining public trust.

    Australia’s newly elected officials have an opportunity to green future elections, adopting a more sophisticated approach to voting in a digital age. There’s no excuse for producing mountains of plastic and paper waste every three or four years. Our nation deserves better.

    Lisa M. Given receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Association for Information Science and Technology.

    Gary Rosengarten receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Renewable Affordable Clean Energy for 2030 CRC, and is a non-executive board member of the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity.

    Matt Duckham 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. A rubbish election: voting in Australia produces mountains of waste – but there’s a better way – https://theconversation.com/a-rubbish-election-voting-in-australia-produces-mountains-of-waste-but-theres-a-better-way-255780

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: SCIO organizes media trip to Xizang

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

    SCIO organizes media trip to Xizang

    China SCIO | April 8, 2025

    The State Council Information Office (SCIO) invited journalists from Chinese and foreign media outlets to visit Xizang autonomous region from March 27 to 31 to learn about its development.

    During their visit, the journalists attended an SCIO press conference for the release of the white paper “Human Rights in Xizang in the New Era,” and visited the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, enterprises, schools, and villages in Lhasa and Nyingchi, to gain a deeper understanding of Xizang’s economic and social development.

    Journalists visit a day-care center for the elderly in Chengguan district, Lhasa, Xizang, March 27, 2025. [Photo by Xu Xiang/China SCIO]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese astronauts back from six-month mission with record-setting space tasks

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

    The return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, carrying astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, touches down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. The three astronauts are all in good health condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)

    The return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft landed smoothly Wednesday in the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) declaring the mission a success.

    By 2:02 p.m., the Shenzhou-19 crew, Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, had all left the return capsule. They had spent 183 days in orbit and are all in good health, the CMSA said.

    The mission set a world record for the longest single-time extravehicular activities (EVAs), and witnessed two historic milestones, namely, Commander Cai Xuzhe fulfilling the most EVA tasks to date in China and the nation’s first female flight engineer aboard the Tiangong space station.

    Cai has carried out five EVAs in two spaceflight missions, meaning he has completed more EVAs than any other Chinese astronaut.

    “Gazing at the beautiful blue planet countless times in space, I am constantly reminded that this is our shared home, one that we must all work together to protect,” said the 48-year-old mission commander, sitting in a chair in front of the capsule.

    Astronaut Cai Xuzhe is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

    Song Lingdong is the first post-90s Chinese astronaut to conduct EVAs.

    “We have transformed the dedication and hard work of all the researchers into fruitful scientific achievements,” said Song. “We are extremely proud of that.”

    Wang Haoze is China’s first female spaceflight engineer to enter the space station.

    “It feels wonderful to be home, to feel the solid ground beneath my feet once again,” said Wang. “I am now confident and capable of taking on even more challenging tasks in the future.”

    The Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, launched in October 2024, separated from the space station combination at 4 a.m. After undocking from Tiangong, the spacecraft executed a fast return mode, said Mao Yongjun, an expert from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

    At 12:17 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command through the ground station, and the orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-19 spaceship separated from the return capsule.

    Then the brake engine ignited, and the return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The return capsule touched down at 1:08 p.m. at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the CMSA said.

    The return of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for Tuesday, had been postponed due to unfavorable wind conditions at the Dongfeng landing site, according to the CMSA.

    This return mission featured two technological improvements. Helicopters and search vehicles were equipped with BDS-3 terminals, thus enhancing positioning accuracy and efficiency for ground recovery, Mao said.

    According to Mao, a laser meteorological radar was installed near the landing site to obtain detailed wind field data, boosting forecast accuracy from kilometers to within hundreds of meters.

    Astronaut Song Lingdong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Bei He)

    LONGEST SPACEWALK

    During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew completed three EVAs, setting a world duration record of nine hours for single-time EVAs, said CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang at a previous press conference.

    The crew successfully resolved an unexpected payload adapter jamming problem during their first EVA, ensuring the success of subsequent experiments, Lin said.

    China’s Feitian (“Flying in Space”) extravehicular suits have demonstrated exceptional reliability, having been used for 19 EVAs since the Shenzhou-12 mission, and the most frequently worn suit has been used 17 times, according to Lin.

    Lin said that the space station’s robotic arms, which can be connected and “crawl” on the exterior of the space cabins due to their unique designs, enable astronauts to access all EVA areas.

    Additionally, the coordination support system between space and ground has been refined to provide robust professional backing for EVA planning, real-time control, cross-system collaboration and emergency response.

    Astronaut Wang Haoze is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

    RECORD EXPERIMENTS

    The Shenzhou-19 crew accomplished multiple scientific firsts aboard the space station.

    For the first time globally, they achieved orbital preparation of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates using an all-optical trap, said Lin.

    In Tiangong, the crew established the world’s first space-based optical lattice platform for quantum simulations, with atomic temperatures cooled to tens of picokelvins, reaching an internationally leading level.

    The trio has successfully bred three generations of fruit flies in orbit, collecting over four terabytes of video data documenting their growth, sleep patterns, locomotor activity and reproductive behaviors.

    Upon return, researchers on the ground will analyze the samples brought back by Shenzhou-19 to study the effects of microgravity and a hypomagnetic field on living organisms.

    They have participated in 88 projects spanning space life science, microgravity, fundamental physics, space materials, space medicine, and new space technologies, achieving notable results, said Lin.

    The Shenzhou-19 mission generated over 102 samples of 13 types, which have been returned to Earth for in-depth analysis by scientists. These studies are expected to produce scientific outcomes in fundamental research, new materials, space radiation effects and hypomagnetic biological mechanisms.

    A CMSA video clip has revealed the Shenzhou-19 crew conducting an in-orbit trial of a specialized in-cabin robot — a pipeline inspection system. The astronauts constructed simulated pipelines of varying diameters to assess the robot’s mobility, successfully demonstrating its ability to navigate through pipes of different sizes.

    The pipeline inspection robot, featuring 23 degrees of freedom, draws biological inspiration from echinoderm animals like starfish and sea cucumbers, mimicking their tube feet with an innovative movement mechanism.

    Equipped with an intelligent control system, it processes real-time sensor data to precisely calculate its position and location, enabling navigation through the space station’s pipe network while maintaining operational safety in confined spaces.

    The crew’s work log recorded the human-machine collaborative experiment with an intelligent flying robot “Xiaohang” designed by the Harbin Institute of Technology.

    The voice-controlled intelligent robot can assist astronauts with multiple orbital operations, including taking photos, inspections, materials management and product state examination.

    During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew carried out tests using brainwave experiment device and the data will be used to investigate how gravity impacts the processing of visual motion information and to reveal the cognitive and neural mechanisms of human perception in microgravity.

    Last November, the three Chinese astronauts connected with some Bulgarian youth via video links, sharing their space exploration experiences and answering questions about their work and life aboard Tiangong.

    In December, an art exhibition themed “I Love My Motherland” took place simultaneously on the space station and in Beijing and Macao. This marked the fourth exhibition aboard Tiangong and the first to occur in both space and on Earth. The exhibition featured 75 artworks selected from over 20,000 submissions by Chinese teenagers. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Pilot FTZs in China’s coastal regions unwaveringly deepen opening up

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

    As China marks the 10th anniversary of establishing three pilot free trade zones (FTZs) in its coastal regions, the country has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to deepening reform and advancing high-level opening up.

    Over the past decade, the pilot FTZs in Tianjin municipality and provinces of Guangdong and Fujian have yielded numerous achievements in institutional innovation, trade facilitation and industrial development.

    EXPERIMENTAL POLICIES

    In the Nansha area of the Guangdong pilot FTZ, citizens and tourists can hail a self-driving vehicle, which runs across the district populated by about a million residents.

    Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving technology developer, set up its research and development center in Nansha in 2017, the year after its establishment. At the time, China had yet to introduce policies on autonomous driving. With the pilot FTZ’s policies, Guangzhou chose to pioneer and experiment with drafting regulations, paving the way for the legalization of autonomous vehicle road testing.

    The policies of pilot FTZs have benefited both domestic and international businesses.

    In response to the needs of airlines and maintenance enterprises, authorities in the Tianjin pilot FTZ have tailored and introduced bonded maintenance policies, enabling aviation companies worldwide to enjoy more convenient services for both routine maintenance and passenger-to-cargo conversions in the pilot FTZ.

    Under the previous customs rules, aircraft conversions required prepayment of import duties and a deposit of approximately 10 million yuan (about 1.39 million U.S. dollars), which would be refunded about six months after the completion of the three-month conversion process. At the same time, maintenance companies had to lease warehouses in a bonded zone for parts storage.

    However, since 2019, the Tianjin pilot FTZ’s bonded maintenance initiative has removed the deposit requirement, enabling foreign aircraft to be serviced in this zone without upfront capital expenditure.

    This initiative saves the aircraft maintenance company Tianjin Haite Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. approximately 50,000 yuan a month in warehouse rental costs, as it can now store maintenance components in its own facility. “Our overseas revenue has soared from 2 million U.S. dollars in 2019 to 15.5 million U.S. dollars in 2025, thanks to the zone’s bonded maintenance policy,” said Li Han, the company’s deputy general manager.

    The Fujian pilot FTZ has also implemented multiple experimental policies to boost cross-border trade, including streamlining the administrative approval process, shortening the customs clearance period, and granting equal treatment to domestic and foreign enterprises.

    Taking customs clearance as an example, Fujian has offered one-stop customs clearance services for companies in the pilot FTZ areas, which allows them to apply for customs clearance without docking the vessels. The policy has reduced logistics costs by 28 percent and improved customs clearance efficiency by 30 percent on average.

    Zhongjing Petrochemical Group Co., Ltd., a polypropylene producer located in the Fuzhou area of the Fujian pilot FTZ, requires substantial production materials imported from overseas each year. Under the traditional customs declaration model, vessels must wait for the declaration and inspection of all cargo before unloading, incurring daily port stay-over costs of up to 360,000 yuan per vessel.

    The local customs authority conducted on-site research and tailored a “compartmentalized declaration and inspection upon unloading” supervision model. This has resulted in an average reduction of one day in the operational cycle for individual vessels.

    Huang Min, deputy general manager of the company, said the new customs measures have improved the efficiency of their raw material turnover by nearly 30 percent. “This is particularly crucial for bulk hazardous materials such as propane, which have high demands for storage and transportation timeliness.”

    The optimization of the customs clearance process ensures continuous operation of production lines. “This year, we plan to expand our production capacity and anticipate importing approximately 2.6 million tonnes of propane and other materials, with the new model expected to save us over 20 million yuan in port stay fees,” Huang said.

    DEEPENING OPENING UP

    “The three pilot FTZs have comprehensively deepened reform and led high-standard opening up with high-level modern industrial clusters,” Meng Huating, a commerce ministry official, told a press conference last week.

    The Guangdong pilot FTZ has seen its total trade volume surge from approximately 110 billion yuan in 2015 to around 740 billion yuan in 2024, achieving an average annual growth rate of over 24 percent. The Fujian pilot FTZ has 138,000 newly established enterprises, 8.8 times the number before its establishment. The official said that the Tianjin counterpart has attracted an average annual utilization of foreign investment exceeding 2 billion U.S. dollars, contributing more than 40 percent of the city’s total actual foreign investment while occupying just 1 percent of its land area.

    In the Qianhai and Shekou areas of the Guangdong pilot FTZ, authorities have been attracting more global talent as a move to drive deeper opening up.

    To solve their work and living problems, global professionals can visit the Qianhai International Talent Hub, a one-stop center offering 700 government and business services, including streamlined visa and work permit processing.

    The hub has also launched an “In Qianhai” online portal, which has provided employment information, business policies and other customized support for 48,000 people.

    To make financial activities more convenient, the Tianjin pilot FTZ has established over 3,000 Free Trade (FT) accounts to bolster cross-border trade and investment for domestic and international enterprises, with transaction volume surpassing 1.15 trillion yuan.

    Previously, companies needed to have multiple accounts and go through intricate processes — including currency conversion — to procure foreign goods. FT accounts now enable direct payments in Chinese currency, renminbi, and foreign currencies through a unified account, offering flexible financing solutions and competitive onshore-offshore exchange rates.

    Bank of China has customized financial products by integrating FT accounts with local specialized industries, such as leasing and shipping logistics, providing one-stop services like online freight settlement, asset trading and cross-border financing.

    “FT accounts streamline cross-border transactions, reduce costs and enhance returns for businesses,” said Sun Yong, vice president of the bank’s Tianjin branch.

    With a global eye, the Xiamen pilot FTZ area in Fujian has been facilitating more convenient trade by taking advantage of its coastal location with ports and shipping facilities.

    The area is endeavoring to build a hub connecting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, while building an interconnected economic corridor. So far, 122 shipping routes named after the “Silk Road Maritime” have been opened, linking 46 countries and 145 ports.

    To date, China has set up 22 pilot FTZs. In 2024, they attracted 28.25 billion dollars of foreign direct investment in actual use, accounting for 24.3 percent of the country’s total, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

    China established its first pilot FTZ in Shanghai in 2013, with the major mission of trialing transformative reforms in government functions, the country’s financial system, trade services, foreign investment and taxation, and pilot policies that could later be applied across the country.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: At 4,534 meters above sea level, they help monitor world climate change

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

    In the early morning, Shi Kaihao struggles to run against the wind. The sharp breeze cuts through his clothes, but he is focused on his task: dragging a two-meter-diameter hydrogen balloon to the sky.

    Twice a day, with the help of his colleagues, he fills the balloon with hydrogen, hangs sensors that measure temperature, humidity, wind speed and other meteorological data at the bottom of the balloon, and releases it into the air.

    Shi, 28, works at the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station at an altitude of 4,534 meters, located at the source of the Yangtze River in the city of Golmud, northwest China’s Qinghai Province.

    This photo taken with a mobile phone shows a staff member inflating a weather balloon at the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Linhai)

    Since its establishment in 1956, meteorologists have been stationed there, obtaining precious meteorological data and contributing to the climate observation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as “the roof of the world.”

    Releasing balloons in this high-altitude area is no easy feat, considering the oxygen content in the air is less than 60 percent of that at sea level and the maximum wind speed reaches 17 meters per second. Even in spring, temperatures remain far below freezing, and the thin air makes every movement exhausting.

    “Sometimes, some of our slighter colleagues get dragged by the wind while running to release the balloon, ending up thrown hard to the ground,” said Shi.

    In addition to upper-air meteorological observations, he and his colleagues carry out fieldwork including permafrost monitoring, temperature measurements and ecological surveys.

    This photo taken with a mobile phone shows a staff member adjusting a meteorological observation device at the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, June 30, 2024. (Golmud’s meteorological bureau/Handout via Xinhua)

    Miao Peilin, head of the station, said the upper-air detection measurements contribute to global meteorological data exchange, providing a vital reference for studying worldwide weather patterns and climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

    “Despite various hardships, we know that our meteorological observation data is of great significance,” said Miao, 36.

    The station now has nine workers. Miao not only works with the team on daily weather monitoring tasks but also takes care of his colleagues, aged between 25 and 30. He said many young people struggle to adapt here, spending years in solitude.

    “After working here for a while, even traffic in the city feels scary,” he said.

    A staff member operates a meteorological observation device at the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)

    The station keeps a cat and this lively little companion brings joy to their otherwise quiet and routine-filled days.

    Over the decades, the station has witnessed enormous changes. Wang Shengcang, the observation center director of Golmud’s meteorological bureau, used to work in the station for 12 years, starting in 1993. Back then, before the railway line had been built, he and his colleagues had to hitch a lift on trucks to get to the station from the city proper. The trip took up to two days if it was snowy. Supplies were scarce, often little more than potatoes and cabbage.

    “A monthly letter from home became my meager comfort,” said Wang, now 54.

    The working conditions there have greatly improved, with makeshift facilities transformed into brick-and-mortar houses and dormitories with an oxygen supply.

    Staff members pose for a group photo at the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, March 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Qi Zhiyue)

    Equipment upgrades have also enhanced meteorological data automation and accuracy. In 2023, the new BeiDou satellite-based navigation sounding system became operational, enabling real-time acquisition of second-level atmospheric data during the ascent, float and descent stages of weather balloons. This significantly enhances vertical atmospheric sounding capabilities and greatly improves meteorological support for disaster prevention and mitigation.

    Data from the Tuotuohe Meteorological Station shows that over the past 30 years, the average annual temperature in the area has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius, annual precipitation has increased by 13.8 percent, and the number of sandstorm days has decreased from an average of 11.1 days per year to 5 days compared with the 1971-2000 period.

    Zhang Chengxiang, head of Golmud’s meteorological bureau, said that rising temperatures and increased precipitation confirmed the warming and humidification trend of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. At the same time, the decrease in sandstorms and strong winds is attributed to ecological conservation efforts such as desert control and grassland restoration in nearby regions like the Sanjiangyuan, an area that contains the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers.

    “The data serves as strong evidence of climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and provides important references for permafrost research and ecological management on the plateau,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils draft of its first-ever environmental code

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

    China is poised for a significant enhancement in its green efforts as a draft of the country’s first-ever environmental code was unveiled on Sunday.

    The draft, submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) for a first reading, comprises 1,188 articles in five chapters including the general provisions, pollution prevention and control, ecological protection, green and low-carbon development, legal liability and supplementary provisions.

    Once adopted, it will become China’s second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020. The compilation of the environmental code was initiated in 2023.

    An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 5, 2024 shows a view of Yuehu Park and city skyline of Ningbo City, east China’s Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

    China formulated its first environmental protection law in 1979. Ever since, the country has rapidly advanced its legislation on environmental protection. Today, China boasts over 30 laws, more than 100 administrative regulations and numerous other legal documents in this field, forming a relatively comprehensive legal framework.

    The compilation of the code facilitates the systematic integration of legislation, fills gaps in the legal framework, elevates the status and authority of eco-environmental laws, and makes their enforcement and compliance more convenient, said Wang Canfa, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law.

    China has long been a champion of green development. After decades of sustained efforts, the country has emerged as a global leader in improving air quality and expanding forest resources.

    An aerial drone photo taken on May 14, 2023 shows people walking at the Changxing forest farm in Dongxing Town of Rongxian County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

    In 2024, China saw significant improvements in its air quality. The average concentration of PM2.5 in cities at or above the prefecture level was 29.3 micrograms per cubic meter, a year-on-year decrease of 2.7 percent. The country is also home to the world’s largest total human-made forest area. In 2024 alone, China planted 4.45 million hectares of trees and improved 3.22 million hectares of grassland.

    However, the country’s drive to strengthen ecological conservation remains at a critical stage, facing considerable challenges, and the mission to build a Beautiful China and advance modernization in harmony with nature still requires significant and sustained efforts, Shen Chunyao, director of the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission, said on Sunday during an ongoing session of the top legislature when explaining the necessity of the draft code to lawmakers.

    During the session, scheduled from April 27 to 30, the lawmakers will review the draft environmental code, and other legislative bills.

    The draft outlines China’s overall requirements for green and low-carbon development. It establishes principles and guiding provisions on issues related to climate change and carbon peaking and neutrality goals, giving full consideration to both international and domestic situations and the need for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

    China will also engage in international cooperation on climate change, participate in, contribute to, and lead global climate governance efforts, according to the draft.

    An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 1, 2024 shows the scenery of Mount Chomolhari in Yadong County of Xigaze City, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

    “Addressing climate change is a global challenge,” said Zhang Zhongmin, a professor at the law school of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. He added that the draft balances both international and domestic efforts, emphasizes mitigation and adaptation, and includes provisions for international cooperation, which will help enhance its international influence.

    The draft also includes provisions for preventing and controlling pollution in various fields, specifically addressing air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, as well as issues related to solid waste, noise, radioactive pollution sources, chemical substances, electromagnetic radiation, and light pollution.

    The ecological protection chapter of the draft emphasizes the importance of safeguarding ecosystems, specifying that the country will enhance conservation efforts for forests, grasslands, wetlands, seas and marine islands, rivers, lakes, deserts, snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and croplands. It also calls for the advancement of major projects focused on protecting and restoring key ecosystems.

    An aerial drone photo taken on July 6, 2024 shows short-finned pilot whales swimming in the waters east of Hainan Island, south China. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

    “The promulgation and implementation of the code will promote the integrated protection of air, water, soil, and biodiversity, as well as the coordinated management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts,” Wang said.

    China’s environmental law codification seeks to strike a balance between economic and social development and environmental protection, in contrast to some countries that focus primarily on either environmental preservation or economic gains, Wang said.

    Speaking to the media, Lyu Zhongmei, vice chairperson of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee, said that China’s environmental code should be rooted in the country’s national conditions, while also drawing on best practices and learning from the experiences of the codification efforts of other nations.

    “Having a separate chapter on green and low-carbon development is something that has never been done in other countries, and it is a significant feature of China’s ecological environmental code,” said Lyu. “This highlights the important value of our efforts in compiling this code, which is to implement the new development philosophy.”

    Highlighting the code’s global significance, Lyu said that, based on the fundamental concept of sustainable development, the code will become a landmark achievement in global ecological progress, offering a legislative model for other countries to follow and leading the way in the development of ecological law worldwide. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tailoring and the Black dandy: how 250 years of Black fashion history inspired the 2025 Met Gala

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Slade, Associate Professor of Fashion, University of Technology Sydney

    Portrait of a Man, c. 1855 National Gallery of Art

    Fashion is one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding ourselves and the world around us. Nowhere is this clearer than in the story of Black American tailoring and the legacy of the Black dandy.

    Inspired by scholar Monica L. Miller’s groundbreaking book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the theme of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute spring 2025 show is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.

    The exhibition charts the evolution of the Black dandy from the 18th century to today. The story it tells is about more than suits. It’s about power, pride, resistance and joy.

    Each year, the Met Gala takes its dress code from the institue’s spring exhibition. This year’s is “Tailored for You”. So who is the Black dandy, why are they so important to fashion today, and what can we expect to see on the red carpet?

    The birth of the Black Dandy

    “Black dandy” is a modern term. Figures like American abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1818–95) or Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture (1743–1803) would not have called themselves dandies, but they used style with similar effect: as a tool of resistance, self-fashioning and cultural pride.

    Toussaint Louverture was a leader during the widespread uprisings of enslaved people in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) in 1791. This image was drawn in 1802.
    The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    French poet Charles Baudelaire (1821–67) first wrote about dandies in 1863, describing them as individuals who elevate style to a form of personal and aesthetic resistance.

    Baudelaire’s dandy was not just stylish but symbolic. He was an emblem of modernity itself: a time marked by fluid identities, liminal spaces and the collapse of clear boundaries between gender, authenticity and social order.

    Dandyism among Black men took root in the 18th and 19th centuries in both the United States and the Caribbean. Tailoring became a way to reclaim dignity under enslavement and colonialism.

    Dandies take the clothing of an oppressor – aristocratic, colonial, segregationist or otherwise – and turn it into a weapon of elegance. Through meticulous style and refinement, dandies make a silent yet striking claim to moral superiority.

    Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, and freed in 1838. This photograph shows him in 1855.
    The Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Douglass famously appeared in immaculate Victorian suits when campaigning for abolition, consciously dressing in the same style as those who denied his freedom.

    Louverture used perfectly tailored French military uniforms during the Haitian Revolution against French colonial rule.

    In the 1920s, Harlem dandies wore fine tailoring and flamboyant colours, rejecting the idea that poverty or discrimination should dictate presentation.

    In perfectly tied cravats, polished shoes and sharply tailored coats, Black dandies refashion power on their own terms.

    Presence through style

    Dandies also challenge the narrow rules of masculinity.

    Conventional menswear often demands restraint, toughness and invisibility. Dandies dare to embrace beauty, self-adornment and performance. This masculinity can be expressive, creative and even flamboyant.

    The luxurious silk suits and carefully groomed appearance of American Jazz pioneer Duke Ellington (1899–1974) projected glamour rather than austerity.

    The elegantly tailored overcoats and scarves of American poet Langston Hughes (1901–67) suggested a masculinity deeply entwined with creativity and softness.

    Figures in Harlem’s ballrooms and jazz clubs blurred gender boundaries decades before mainstream conversations about gender fluidity emerged.

    A street scene in Harlem, New York City, photographed in 1943.
    Library of Congress

    A tradition of Black tailoring

    In a world where Black self-presentation has long been scrutinised and politicised, tailored clothing asserted visibility, authority and artistry. Dandies transformed fashion into a political declaration of dignity, resistance and creative power.

    Black American tailoring practices blossomed most visibly in the zoot suits of the Harlem Renaissance, though they also had strong roots in New Orleans, Chicago and the Caribbean.

    As seen in the Sunday Best of the Civil Rights era, Black tailoring walked the line between resistance and celebration: beautiful but with clear political intent.

    In the 1970s, the Black dandy became more flamboyant, wearing tight, colourful clothes with bold accessories. He transformed traditional suits with exaggerated shapes, bright patterns and plaids inspired by African heritage.

    Artists popular with a white audience like Sammy Davis Jr (1925–90), Miles Davis (1926–91) and James Brown (1933–2006) embraced the aesthetic, contributing to its widespread acceptance.

    Sammy Davis Jr with his first European gold record, 1976.
    Nationaal Archief, CC BY

    Meanwhile, a super stylish contingent of Black men in the Congo, La Sapeur, refined their look so spectacularly they would become the benchmark of the Black dandy for generations to come.

    The 1990s saw a new era of Black dandyism emerge through luxury sportswear and hip-hop aesthetics.

    Designer Dapper Dan (1944–) revolutionised fashion by remixing luxury logos into bold, custom streetwear, creating a distinctive Black aesthetic that bridged hip-hop culture and high fashion.

    Musician Andre 3000 (1975–) redefined menswear by blending Southern Black style with bold colour, vintage tailoring and theatrical flair.

    Today, the tradition thrives in the style of influencer Wisdom Kaye, the elegance of LeBron James, and the risk-taking of Lewis Hamilton.

    Dressing for the red carpet

    Tailored for You invites guests to interpret the dandy’s legacy in personal, bold and boundary-pushing ways.

    Whether conforming to tradition, subverting expectations or creating something entirely new, this theme is a celebration of the freedom to dress – and be – on your own terms.

    The Black dandy is a figure of defiance and desire, of ambiguity and brilliance, of resistance and beauty. Dandyism blurs boundaries between masculinity and femininity, artifice and authenticity, conformity and rebellion. It unsettles fixed identities and reflects broader tensions within modern life.

    The poet and activist Countee Cullen, as depicted by Winold Reiss around 1925.
    National Portrait Gallery

    Black dandies have shocked, amused, offended, delighted and inspired society since their inception. In the sharp defiance of Douglass’ Victorian suits, the flamboyant spectacle of Harlem ballrooms, and the logo-laced rebellion of Dapper Dan’s streetwear, the Black dandy has continually forced the world to reckon with the politics of presence, pride and performance.

    Despite being overlooked by mainstream fashion history, they’ve shaped the way we see elegance, masculinity and self-expression. This Met Gala and the accompanying exhibition are not just a celebration – they are a long-overdue recognition.

    Dijanna Mulhearn receives funding from Australian Government Research Training Stipend.

    Toby Slade 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. Tailoring and the Black dandy: how 250 years of Black fashion history inspired the 2025 Met Gala – https://theconversation.com/tailoring-and-the-black-dandy-how-250-years-of-black-fashion-history-inspired-the-2025-met-gala-250650

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Sarah Proudfoot appointed ACCC Chief Executive Officer

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    Sarah Proudfoot has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the ACCC following an extensive external recruitment process.

    Ms Proudfoot started with the ACCC/AER in 2005 when she joined the agency’s Infocentre.

    She has since held a range of senior roles in the agency, including executive general manager of the ACCC Infrastructure Division between 2020 and 2024 with oversight of the ACCC’s work across telecommunications, rail, ports, airports, electricity and gas as well as the 2023 Childcare Inquiry.

    Ms Proudfoot was appointed executive general manager of the ACCC’s National Anti-Scam Centre in August 2024 and has been acting chief executive since February 2025.

    “During her career Sarah has consistently demonstrated her ability as an outstanding strategic leader with personal drive, credibility and integrity, and a strong commitment to public service,” ACCC Chair Gina-Cass Gottlieb said.

    “I am confident that with Sarah’s contribution as CEO leading our capable people, our agency will continue to deliver important outcomes for the Australian economy and community.”

    Ms Proudfoot said: “One of the many things I’ve loved in my time at the ACCC is the fact our work makes a difference to people’s lives every day. It is a significant responsibility and privilege to take on the role of CEO and to work with Commissioners and our talented, dedicated team in the interests of consumers and protecting competition across our economy.”  

    Ms Proudfoot holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Torres, Padilla, Schiff, Slam DHS Immigration Enforcement in Pomona Harming Economy, CA Communities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    May 02, 2025

    Lawmakers urge DHS to “focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Norma Torres (D-Calif.-35), U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), condemned the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) indiscriminate immigration enforcement raids in Pomona, California as part of President Trump’s cruel mass deportation agenda that are terrorizing California communities and harming the economy. The lawmakers demanded answers on recent egregious DHS enforcement actions — without notice or coordination — including the arrest of at least 10 day laborers outside of a Home Depot, the detainment of a small business owner at gunpoint outside of his barbershop, and an enforcement raid at a Pomona auto body shop conducted with the Riverside County Sherriff’s department.

    Padilla, Schiff, and Torres underscored the deep distrust and economic chaos these enforcement raids foster, hurting entire communities and national supply chains and keeping consumers at home out of fear.

    “We write with deep concern regarding recent immigration enforcement actions conducted in Pomona, California, that have caused widespread fear, disrupted local businesses, and harmed community trust in law enforcement,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “Enforcement actions that indiscriminately disrupt immigrant communities – particularly without transparency or local coordination – threaten not only individual rights but also the economic stability and public safety of entire cities like Pomona,” continued the lawmakers. “Pomona’s small businesses are already feeling the impact. Customers are afraid to shop. Workers are afraid to show up for work.”

    The lawmakers highlighted that California’s economy — now the fourth largest in the world — relies on the contributions of immigrant labor, as immigrants and their children make up the majority (55 percent) of California’s workforce, with immigrants alone comprising 34 percent of the state’s population. Last year, undocumented immigrants contributed $87 billion in household income, $66 billion in spending power, $50 billion to Social Security, and $14 billion to Medicare. They emphasized that immigrant workers make up a significant portion of California’s leading agriculture, health care, and construction sectors. Immigrant construction workers comprise over 40 percent of California’s construction workforce, and are already doing essential work to help Los Angeles County rebuild from the devastating wildfires earlier this year.

    The lawmakers stressed that rather than indiscriminately targeting long-term residents with no criminal records, DHS should work with Congress to help provide these immigrants with a pathway to citizenship. Senator Padilla previously introduced the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers, including Dreamers, as his first bill in Congress.

    “While no one disagrees with targeting violent criminals for deportation, the enforcement actions in Pomona demonstrate that the Department is indiscriminately targeting all noncitizens for removal — including those who have no criminal records and who have been living in and contributing to our communities for decades,” added the lawmakers.“These actions do not make us safer and are contrary to the ideals that we all stand for. We urge you to instead focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success.”

    The lawmakers concluded their letter by demanding information on the raids, including why local officials were not notified and what steps DHS is taking to rebuild trust with immigrant communities.

    “We urge your Department to review these operations carefully and to recommit to an immigration enforcement strategy that prioritizes public safety, upholds civil rights, and reflects the economic realities and moral values of our nation,” concluded the lawmakers.

    Senator Padilla blasted the Pomona immigration raids last week, emphasizing that indiscriminate immigrant enforcement hurts our communities and economy.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem,

    We write with deep concern regarding recent immigration enforcement actions conducted in Pomona, California, that have caused widespread fear, disrupted local businesses, and harmed community trust in law enforcement.

    According to press reports, the City of Pomona in our home state of California has been at the epicenter of recent immigration enforcement activity, much of which has been conducted without giving notice to local officials:

    • On Tuesday, April 22, Martin Majin-Leon, a long-time resident and small business owner, was detained at gunpoint in front of his barbershop, terrorizing his family and community. He was released after 30 hours, but the trauma persists. Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval expressed frustration, commenting to federal officials that they were “terrorizing our community.” Reports suggest DMV records may have played a role in his targeting, raising concerns about data-sharing between state agencies and federal immigration authorities.
    • Meanwhile, that same day, federal immigration enforcement agents detained as many as 20 day laborers outside a Home Depot in Pomona, where witnesses saw agents arrive in marked and unmarked vehicles around 8 a.m. The Pomona Police Department had no prior knowledge of the operation, and conflicting reports have persisted regarding whether U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or other federal law enforcement entities were responsible for the detentions.
    • Later that week, on Friday, April 25, another major enforcement action occurred at Moon Auto Collision in Pomona, executed jointly by Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies and Homeland Security Special Response Teams under the auspices of a narcotics warrant. Pomona city officials, including Mayor Tim Sandoval, were given no prior notice. Mayor Sandoval, upon visiting the scene, underscored the devastating impact these operations have had on community trust and the economic health of local businesses.

    Enforcement actions that indiscriminately disrupt immigrant communities – particularly without transparency or local coordination – threaten not only individual rights but also the economic stability and public safety of entire cities like Pomona. Pomona’s small businesses are already feeling the impact. Customers are afraid to shop. Workers are afraid to show up for work. One local business owner told reporters, “Customers are scared. They are not coming to buy anything. They are not coming to get repairs done.”

    While no one disagrees with targeting violent criminals for deportation, the enforcement actions in Pomona demonstrate that the Department is indiscriminately targeting all noncitizens for removal — including those who have no criminal records and who have been living in and contributing to our communities for decades. These actions do not make us safer and are contrary to the ideals that we all stand for. We urge you to instead focus enforcement against those who pose a legitimate risk to public safety and to work with Congress on a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants who are essential to our economic success.

    California’s economy – now the fourth largest in the world – demonstrates the strength and contributions of immigrant labor. Immigrants and their children comprise 55 percent of California’s workforce. Immigrants alone account for 34 percent of the state’s population and paid $168 billion in taxes last year, while generating over $400 billion in spending power. Undocumented immigrants contributed $87 billion in household income and $66 billion in spending power, alongside $50 billion to Social Security and $14 billion to Medicare.

    Additionally, in the wake of the destructive wildfires that devastated Los Angeles County earlier this year, immigrant construction workers—who make up more than 40 percent of the workforce in California—are essential to the community’s ability to rebuild and recover. Put simply, in critical sectors such as agriculture, construction, and health care, immigrant workers are indispensable to our community.

    Accordingly, we respectfully request answers to the following:

    1. Why weren’t local officials in Pomona notified about recent enforcement actions?

    2. Which federal law enforcement entities were involved in or aware of these enforcement actions?

    3. Has DHS responded to local law enforcement’s request for answers?

    4. What protocols exist to coordinate with local law enforcement and elected officials before conducting large-scale enforcement actions?

    5. How does DHS plan to comply with the April 29, 2025 court order from the Eastern District of California barring Border Patrol agents from detaining or arresting individuals without reasonable suspicion of illegal presence, as required by the Fourth Amendment?

    6. Was California Department of Motor Vehicles data accessed in the case of Martin Majin-Leon?

    7. What safeguards exist to prevent improper use of state data for immigration enforcement purposes?

    8. What steps is DHS taking to rebuild trust with immigrant communities that have been traumatized by these events?

    We urge your Department to review these operations carefully and to recommit to an immigration enforcement strategy that prioritizes public safety, upholds civil rights, and reflects the economic realities and moral values of our nation.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Rally held in Tokyo on Japan’s Constitution Day to honor peace, oppose war

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

    Nearly 40,000 peace-seeking Japanese participated in a rally in a park in Tokyo on Constitution Memorial Day on Saturday, calling for honoring the country’s pacifist constitution and opposition to war and arms expansion.

    Many Japanese lawmakers, scholars and citizens were invited to speak at the rally, with many participants holding banners and placards such as “Oppose arms expansion” and “Love the Constitution and safeguard world peace!” to express their firm support for the concept of peace.

    The current Constitution of Japan was enacted in 1947 and is known as the pacifist postwar constitution, in which Article 9 renounces war and bans the country from maintaining land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential.

    For decades, Article 9 has been a fundamental constraint on Japan’s military endeavors. However, in recent years, the Japanese government has taken steps such as lifting the ban on collective self-defense and updating three security and defense-related documents, which have caused grave concern among the public.

    Senior officials from opposition parties called for not allowing the Diet, the country’s parliament, to propose constitutional amendments, while underscoring the need to protect peace, lives, livelihoods and human rights by utilizing the current constitution.

    Tomoko Tamura, head of the Japanese Communist Party, pointed out in her speech that the Japanese government’s series of actions have essentially incorporated the Self-Defense Forces into the U.S. military command system, adding that Japan should promote peace diplomacy in East Asia free from war concerns in accordance with the Constitution and build a broader framework for dialogue and cooperation.

    Ex-Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official Shigeaki Koga said the world is undergoing profound changes and Japan should adhere to the spirit of peace embodied in its constitution. He stressed that Japan should break away from its dependence on certain countries and rebuild diplomatic relations based on people-to-people exchanges and understanding, noting that only through dialogue can confrontation be resolved and peace maintained.

    Emeritus Manabu Sato of the University of Tokyo criticized the current Japanese government’s military expansion policy as being contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and questioned the huge defense expenditure. He believes that war-renouncing Article 9 has brought long-term peace to Japan after the war, and the government should give priority to using resources for education, people’s welfare and the improvement of social structure.

    The rally attracted a large number of young people and families. A mother who brought her children to the rally told Xinhua: “I hope my children can grow up in an environment free from the threat of war. As a parent, I have the responsibility to pass on this concept.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Far right candidate leads Romania’s presidential election rerun: exit polls

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

    Exit polls showed that George Simion, chairman of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, took the lead in the first round of the Romanian presidential election rerun on Sunday.

    According to the exit polls conducted by the Center for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS), Simion garnered 33.1 percent of the vote, followed by Crin Antonescu of the electoral alliance Romania Forward with 22.9 percent and Mayor of Bucharest Nicusor Dan, an independent candidate, with 20.9 percent.

    In another exit poll carried out by the AVANGARDE Socio-Behavioral Studies Group, Simion secured 30 percent of the vote while Antonescu and Dan both had 23 percent.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport, Israel vows strong response

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

    Yemen’s Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a missile attack near Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel in the morning.

    “We targeted Ben Gurion Airport, using a hypersonic ballistic missile that successfully hit its target,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired live on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

    “American and Israeli defense systems failed to intercept the missile,” he said.

    Sarea warned international airlines against sending flights to the Israeli airport, declaring it “no longer safe for air navigation.”

    In the statement, Sarea noted the group also launched a drone attack Saturday night aimed at a “vital target” in the city of Ashkelon, southern Israel.

    He stressed that the Houthi group would launch more attacks against Israel until “the war against the Gaza Strip stops, and the humanitarian aid is allowed back into the Palestinian enclave.”

    On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said on the social media platform X that sirens sounded across central Israel after a projectile was fired from Yemen. The attack prompted millions of residents to flee to shelters and safe rooms in the morning hours.

    Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported that a man sustained moderate-to-light injuries in his limbs during the incident, while two women and another man suffered light injuries.

    According to a video released by the Israeli police, the explosion caused by the Houthi missile left a crater measuring several meters in depth and width in the vicinity of Ben Gurion Airport. Israel’s Airports Authority said takeoffs and landings were suspended for about an hour before operations resumed.

    Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to retaliate strongly shortly after the attack, warning in a statement, “Whoever strikes us will be struck sevenfold,” without elaborating.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to convene a security assessment meeting to discuss the attack, his office said.

    Senior security officials told Israel’s state-owned Kan TV News that following the Houthi strike near Tel Aviv, Israel intends to respond with force, adding that Israel had refrained from attacking the Houthis at the request of its ally, the United States, which has been leading intense airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-March. “After the strike on Ben Gurion Airport, we no longer consider ourselves under any limitations,” an unnamed Israeli official said.

    Yemen has conducted a series of missile and drone launches toward Israel over the weekend, most of them intercepted. However, Israeli and American missile defense systems failed to intercept the missile fired at Ben Gurion, the busiest airport in the country.

    Several international airlines canceled or diverted flights following the incident. Air Europa, SWISS, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, and Brussels Airlines have canceled all inbound and outbound flights to and from Israel.

    The Houthis have intensified missile and drone launches toward Israel in recent weeks, amid renewed U.S. airstrikes on their positions in Yemen.

    The Houthi forces, who control much of northern Yemen, have been targeting Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as an act of solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. The group has repeatedly said it would halt its attacks if the U.S. hostilities cease and Israel ends its military campaign and blockade against Gaza.  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Two-way tourism between China, Europe gathers pace over May holiday

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

    Tourists from Hungary show souvenirs bought at Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    From European visitors walking through China’s historic neighborhoods to Chinese tourists sampling regional cuisine in southern Europe, two-way travel between China and Europe is steadily gaining momentum and evolving in form.

    As the May holiday season unfolds, tourism flows are picking up on both sides, supported by streamlined visa policies and enhanced travel connectivity, and shaped by growing interest in flexible, culturally rich experiences.

    Growing interest in China travel

    “We now have 12 tour groups travelling in China,” said Ewa Gajewska, a project manager with CT Poland, a Polish travel agency specializing in China tours for 25 years. To accommodate heightened demand during Poland’s peak travel period in May, the agency added extra departures beyond its original plans.

    “Almost every group this year has been full, with 26 tourists plus a tour leader,” she told Xinhua, adding that some returning clients are now opting to explore lesser-known but captivating destinations such as Yunnan and Guizhou.

    While Gajewska’s insights reflect the Polish market, similar trends have been observed elsewhere.

    Clients returning from other Asian destinations consistently found China’s tour offerings “more engaging and diverse,” said Alesya Plyavina, manager at Latvian Antario Travel Agency. “Potential tourists are already booking trips to China even for the end of the year.”

    According to Chinese travel platform Trip.com, inbound travel bookings from around the world rose by 173 percent year-on-year as of April 25.

    One major driver behind the renewed interest is China’s recent visa facilitation policies. Since late 2024, China has extended visa-free stays from 15 to 30 days for ordinary passport holders from 38 countries, including 32 European nations. Additionally, travelers from 54 countries, more than half of which are European, are now eligible for visa-free transit in China for up to 240 hours.

    “The extension of the visa-free entry to 30 days helps a lot in generating more demand and bookings,” said Vera Nebel, Asia product manager at German travel agency Ikarus Tours. “We experienced an increase in bookings for those tours of more than 15 days, because it’s a long journey from Germany to China, and it’s a big country.”

    In addition to the visa-free policy, convenient services and infrastructure such as digital payments, shared bikes and high-speed trains have also enhanced the experience for first-time visitors, said veteran Dutch tour guide Tom Lops, who has visited China over 30 times.

    “Think basically, and let yourself be surprised by all the new impressions you will have in this country,” he said.

    Exploring Europe in Chinese way

    As Europeans discover China as a diverse travel destination, Chinese tourists are exploring the continent with increasing depth and sophistication.

    Airbnb China’s latest May holiday report showed Chinese user searches for international destinations had more than doubled from last year, with many European countries ranking among the top 30 choices. Hiking, road trips and island tours are now preferred choices.

    Szymon Sikora, an English-language guide at Poland’s Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, frequently leads Chinese tourists on immersive “miner tours” — a hands-on experience where guests dress as miners and explore underground tunnels.

    “Sometimes I feel maybe I should learn Mandarin,” he told Xinhua, adding that more Chinese tourists are opting for immersive and adventurous experiences over traditional sightseeing.

    In Slovenia, Liao Shasha, general manager of Visdom Travel Agency, noted growing interest from Chinese tourists due to relaxed visa policies and better flight connectivity. Rather than large group tours, Chinese visitors now prefer smaller, flexible groups seeking personalized and upscale experiences, Liao said.

    These evolving preferences mirror not only new global tourism patterns but also broader developments in China. Decades of stable development and high-quality modernization have enlarged the middle-income group in China and led to rising demand for more sophisticated, customized travel experiences.

    “More Chinese tourists are willing to pay for a better life — fine hotels, great food, world-class performances,” said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. “These ‘small but fine’ and deeply emotional travel experiences are bringing depth and warmth to global tourism.”

    Tourism brings cooperation opportunities

    As China-Europe travel gathers pace, European observers believe its influence goes beyond tourism — helping foster mutual understanding and encouraging broader cooperation.

    In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the visa-free agreement with China, in place since 2017, has significantly boosted tourism and people-to-people interactions. As the two countries mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, local tourism officials anticipate greater collaboration ahead.

    Haris Fazlagic, president of the Sarajevo Canton Tourist Board, said the visa policy is crucial to expanding tourism. “It gives us the motivation to improve services, expand offerings and reach more Chinese visitors.”

    Looking ahead, Sarajevo aims to launch direct flights, enhance infrastructure and develop experiences tailored to Chinese travelers, Fazlagic added.

    In neighboring Croatia, the number of Chinese tourists in 2024 approached the pre-pandemic record of around 300,000. Meanwhile, “China, with its cultural and historical sights, can be a truly top-notch lure for Croatians,” said Davorko Vidovic, former deputy speaker of the Croatian Parliament.

    He welcomed China’s visa-free policy, seeing it as an essential step toward stronger economic, cultural and political ties.

    “I hope that when the one-year trial ends, the visa-free policy will be extended as it can open up enormous opportunities for cooperation between the two sides,” Vidovic told Xinhua. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s live music performances go viral, fueling consumption growth

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

    Tourists watch a music fountain show in Shangqiu City, central China’s Henan Province, May 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Driven by rising consumer spending on entertainment and tourism, China’s live music performance industry, particularly concerts and music festivals, has expanded rapidly, emerging as a key growth driver for services consumption and economic growth.

    Under a sky streaked with a molten gold sunset, the air hums with the salt-kissed breeze off the Bohai Sea. Zhao Sisi adjusts her pulsing light-up headband as she laughs with her friends. Zhao’s friends traveled two hours from Beijing to join her at the Bubbling & Boiling Music and Art Festival, which is being held at Dongjiang Port, Tianjin.

    “It’s quality time for me to meet my best friends — people I rarely see while busy with work — and enjoy our favorite singers together,” said Zhao, a Tianjin resident.

    After booking a three-day pass and a nearby hotel, 28-year-old Gu Chengbo relaxes with his girlfriend on a sofa at a makeshift massage stall, surrounded by pop-up merchandise stands and street food vendors. “I came here for the May Day holiday, and nothing has disappointed me — not the music, food, accommodations, or entertainment facilities,” he told Xinhua.

    The main audience of the festival is aged between 18 and 30, among which female audiences account for as high as 70 percent, and out-of-town audiences take up to about 70 percent, said Zhang Chongshuo, CEO of Sparkle Live Entertainment Co., Ltd, host of the festival.

    Zhang noted that these attendees are drawn to the event to fulfill their spiritual and cultural needs, reflecting their active engagement in cultural and tourism consumption. He emphasized that this trend has fostered a new cultural consumption model centered around music festivals.

    According to industry experts, the May Day holiday is usually a peak period for hosting music festivals, and a 1-yuan (about 0.14 U.S. dollars) music festival ticket can drive about 7 to 8 yuan of consumption in the host city, including hotels, catering, and shopping.

    Besides music festivals, concerts are also good excuses for audiences to explore a city and splash the cash on travel, food and accommodation. Among the major tourist cities, Haikou saw significantly higher hotel reservations during the May Day holiday, growing by 3.4 times compared to last year. A popular boy group called Teens in Times is holding concerts from Saturday to Sunday in the coastal city known for its tropical beaches.

    According to data from the China Association of Performing Arts, the number of concerts with over 10,000 people rose by 84.37 percent from a year earlier in 2024, making it the category with the most outstanding box office performance in China’s performance market.

    So far, China’s live music performance industry, led by concerts and music festivals, boasts a market size of around 30 billion yuan and drives the development of more than 120 related industries such as food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment, said Han Yuanjun, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy.

    Han noted that this plays a key role in shaping a city or a destination by comprehensively driving its soft power and economic growth.

    In the latest plan on special initiatives to increase consumption released in March, the Chinese government has vowed to expand consumption in culture, sports and tourism. It will optimize the approval process for commercial performances and increase the number of tickets available for sale based on safety, according to the plan.

    Local governments have also beefed up efforts to encourage music performance activities in a bid to stimulate consumption growth. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the organizing units that introduce large-scale concerts and music festivals in 2025 will receive an incentive of up to 5 million yuan based on the total number of ticket sales and sales revenue.

    Dongguan in south China capitalized on the debut of the Strawberry Music Festival during the holiday, rolling out more than 500 cultural activities and six tourism routes to transform festival buzz into economic gains.

    Zhao is already looking forward to her idol’s concert in Beijing this October. “I will definitely go as long as I have time, and I will probably reunite with my squad there,” she said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China sees surge in new ‘digital intelligence’ jobs

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

    In a FAW Jiefang Group Co., Ltd. factory in Changchun, northeast China’s Jilin Province, senior intelligent vehicle design engineer Bai Zhigang is fine-tuning a smart heavy-duty truck.

    With 19 years of experience in the automotive industry, Bai has transitioned from traditional truck design to the development of intelligent connected vehicles, riding the wave of China’s rapid development in intelligent manufacturing.

    In his new profession, he equips vehicles with sensors to enhances their autonomous recognition capabilities and select appropriate controllers to enable autonomous driving in specific scenarios. This helps reduce driver fatigue and improve safety.

    “Our job is to figure out how to bring value to users through intelligent driving,” Bai said. “Specifically, we are responsible for the entire system architecture design, software development and calibration.”

    In recent years, China’s intelligent connected vehicle industry has seen explosive growth as the country strives to take the lead in the reshuffling of the global auto industry. Bai’s career shift reflects the conventional to intelligent transformation of China’s auto industry.

    As China moves toward high-quality development, new professions are emerging across the country. In 2024, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced the official recognition of 19 new professions, including intelligent connected vehicle maintenance technician, intelligent manufacturing system maintenance technician and industrial internet maintenance technician.

    China’s high-speed rail industry — a golden calling card of intelligent manufacturing — has also seen the emergence of new job categories. On an assembly line operated by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., dozens of rail vehicles were assembled in an orderly fashion.

    Senior engineer Bao Hongyang guided operators using smart wrenches to apply torque to bolts. The wrenches’ built-in sensors uploaded the torque data to a connected system immediately.

    “Based on the data uploaded to the backend, we can confirm that the system is running normally,” Bao explained.

    In the past, there was no way to record torque data, and quality of work depended solely on the workers’ sense of responsibility, making it impossible to trace quality issues. Now, data speaks for itself. Only when the set standard torque is reached, can a bolt be considered properly tightened, according to Bao.

    Since joining CRRC Changchun in 2008, Bao has been responsible for the design of instructions for large numerical control machines that mill parts such as doors and windows for high-speed trains. With the increasing speeds of high-speed trains, intelligent manufacturing has been integrated into the entire life cycle of rail vehicles in China.

    Bao now needs to design and maintain a large number of intelligent manufacturing systems, enabling “silent” equipment to “speak” through data, thereby improving production efficiency and minimizing product failure rates.

    At a substation in Jilin City, Jilin Province, power quality manager Li Sihan monitors readings on a dashboard, checking a newly installed electric heat-tracing device. Li developed the maintainable electric heat-tracing device, which has significantly reduced power outages and maintenance costs in the area.

    “Traditional heat-tracing belts require a complete power shutdown for maintenance, which severely affects power supply quality,” Li said. “With the maintainable electric heat-tracing device, we can maintain fault points without shutting down power, and work in a localized manner.”

    In Li’s view, the emergence of the power quality management profession reflects China’s shift from ensuring power supply to ensuring power quality in its power system.

    Today, China’s intelligent manufacturing equipment sector continues to expand, with multiple national demonstration factories, provincial digital workshops and smart factories being established.

    Data shows that over 90 percent of these demonstration factories have applied technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins. With the efforts of workers like Bai, Bao and Li, China is moving from being a manufacturing giant to becoming a smart manufacturing powerhouse. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s financial salvo gains speed to shore up economic growth

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

    China’s stepped-up fiscal policies are emerging as a pillar in its efforts to stabilize the economy, offering much-needed support to sectors under financial strain and helping the world’s second-largest economy weather persistent global uncertainty.

    In 2025, the country pledged to intensify counter-cyclical adjustments, raising the deficit-to-GDP ratio to 4 percent and setting the government deficit at 5.66 trillion yuan (about 786 billion U.S. dollars), both at their highest levels in recent years.

    While vowing a more proactive fiscal policy, China plans to issue 1.3 trillion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds, up from 1 trillion yuan in 2024, alongside 4.4 trillion yuan in local government special-purpose bonds.

    Data points to an accelerated roll-out of bond issuance. In the first quarter alone, the total issuance of government treasury bonds surpassed 3.3 trillion yuan, while local government bond issuance exceeded 2.8 trillion yuan, an over 80 percent increase from the same period last year.

    These funds are swiftly being channeled into efforts to boost consumer demand, accelerate infrastructure investment, and subsidize people in difficulties. Economists said this front-loaded fiscal drive reinforces short-term stability and leaves ample leeway for further issuance of ultra-long treasury bonds and capital support measures for banks later in the year.

    Stimulating domestic demand

    In Guiyang, capital city of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, an electric bicycle shop draws a steady stream of customers. The surge in foot traffic, according to store owner Zhou Houlu, is largely thanks to a government-backed trade-in program that offers subsidies to buyers who hand in their used bikes.

    “On top of the government subsidies, customers can get discounts depending on the condition of the old bikes,” Zhou explained. Since the program’s launch, his store’s sales have jumped by roughly 15 percent year on year.

    Across China, tens of millions of consumers are tapping into this multi-billion-dollar trade-in program, as the government places renewed emphasis on consumer spending and domestic demand.

    To support the program, the government funding for the national consumer goods trade-in program has doubled, from 150 billion yuan in 2024 to 300 billion yuan this year, delivered through ultra-long special treasury bonds.

    So far, the efforts have been translating into robust domestic demand. As of April 25, more than 120 million consumers had received subsidies under the program, driving sales exceeding 720 billion yuan. Retail sales of consumer goods, a key barometer of economic strength, rose 4.6 percent year on year in January-March, with the figure in March recording the strongest single-month growth since 2024.

    With 300 billion yuan in ultra-long treasury bonds providing a solid financial backbone, combined with supportive opening-up policies, the 2025 trade-in program is poised to anchor the sustained recovery of China’s consumer market, said Peng Yu, chief operating officer at Beijing Zitan Dongjian Data.

    Expanding effective investment

    Ramped-up financial support has also been directed toward local governments, enabling them to advance major infrastructure projects vital for sustaining investment momentum.

    The construction of a major transport hub in Zhanjiang, a coastal city in south China’s Guangdong Province, is progressing at full speed. The project is a key component of the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway, which is set to become the province’s longest rail line and a key connector within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

    “In the first quarter, our project received 1.497 billion yuan in local government special-purpose bonds, which has been instrumental in keeping construction on track,” said the project manager.

    This project exemplifies China’s expedited drive to direct local bond financing into effective investment. In the first three months of the year, the country’s local governments issued new bonds worth nearly 1.24 trillion yuan, including some 960.3 billion yuan in special-purpose bonds.

    Aside from more expansionary fiscal spending, local governments have been granted more flexibility in channeling their special-purpose bonds toward project categories, an effort to enhance investment efficiency and regional responsiveness.

    Results suggest that the policy shift has gained traction. Fixed-asset investment went up 4.2 percent year on year in the first quarter, 1 percentage point higher than the full-year growth rate of 2024. Infrastructure investment jumped 5.8 percent year on year in the January-March period, up 1.4 percentage points from last year.

    Analysts expect bond issuance to accelerate further in the second quarter, with the scale of new special-purpose bonds likely to expand.

    Feng Lin, senior analyst at Dongfang Jincheng, said the bond supply may exceed expectations in the second quarter, as the government looks to offset external challenges through fiscal expansion. “The faster pace of issuance enhances counter-cyclical adjustment and creates space for future policy maneuvering,” Feng noted. 

    MIL OSI China News –