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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Australia: MEDIA RELEASE: Aeris Resources’ André Labuschagne joins AREEA Board of Directors

    Source:

    The Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association (AREEA) is pleased to announce André Labuschagne, Executive Chairman of Aeris Resources, has joined its Board of Directors.

    Mr Labuschagne is an experienced mining executive, carving out a 35-year career primarily in the gold and copper industry.

    He has held various executive roles in South Africa, PNG, Fiji and Australia for leading gold companies including Emperor Gold Mines, DRD Gold and AngloGold Ashanti.

    As the former managing director of Norton Gold Fields Limited, Mr Labuschagne led the ASX-lister’s evolution into a significant Australian gold producer before its sale to a major Chinese gold company in 2012.

    AREEA Chief Executive Steve Knott AM said Mr Labuschagne would be a strong addition to the national employer group’s Board of Directors.

    “André is a hands-on leader whose strategic thinking, inclusive approach and decisiveness have not only contributed to successful corporate transactions but stood at the heart of building great teams and companies,” Mr Knott said.

    “His executive and operational skills – and long record of bringing value to businesses – will be of great benefit to AREEA’s membership.”

    About AREEA’s Board

    AREEA is the largest and most diverse national employer group for the Australian resources and energy industry.

    Its members include employers in hard rock and critical minerals mining, oil and gas, coal, smelting, refining, transport, logistics, engineering and all other supply and servicing sectors.

    As of July 2025, the AREEA Board comprises:

    • Julie Fallon (AREEA President), Executive Vice President Technical and Energy Development, Woodside Energy Limited
    • Tom Quinn (AREEA Vice President), Non-Executive Director, pitt&sherry, and Vast
    • Jo Taylor, (AREEA Vice President), Managing Director, Compass Group Australia
    • Johnpaul Dimech, Zone President APMEA, Brazil and LatAm; Region CEO, APMEA, Sodexo
    • André Labuschagne, Executive Chairman, Aeris Resources
    • Mark Norwell, Managing Director & CEO, Perenti
    • Bill Townsend, Senior Vice President Corporate, INPEX
    • Simon Younger, Chair, ExxonMobil Australia

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New technology for restoring gas turbine engine blades patented at Novosibirsk State University

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Employees Competence Center of the National Technology Initiative (NTI) in the direction of “Modeling and development of new functional materials with specified properties” based at NSU developed an innovative method for restoring damaged turbine blades of engines for aviation and energy (gas turbine units). The technology was developed with financial support from the NTI Foundation, successfully patented and is already beginning to be implemented in practice.

    Leading researcher of the NTI Center of Novosibirsk State University, head of the laser technology laboratory of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Engineering Alexander Malikov spoke in detail about the essence of the development and the prospects for its implementation:

    — Our new method allows us to restore heavily worn sections of gas turbine blades, fully preserving the original performance characteristics of the product. To do this, we use a special mode of laser pulse-periodic action, which allows us to form strong protective layers of metal or ceramic composites on the surface.

    According to Alexander Malikov, the task was to restore the thin edges of the blades, which are subject to intense exposure to high temperatures and pressure during engine operation. The advantage of the proposed technology is that using the traditional surfacing method would lead to overheating and destruction of sensitive areas of the parts.

    “We proposed an original solution to the problem by preliminary forming special protective layers before the main stage of surfacing. This approach allowed us to preserve the original geometric shape of the blade and ensure reliable adhesion of the restored layer to the main structure,” the scientist explained.

    The new method significantly reduces the cost of repairs, ensuring high strength and durability of restored elements of gas turbine units.

    The developed technology is in high demand on the Russian energy generation and aircraft manufacturing market. Modern gas turbine engines are used everywhere – from civil aviation to electric power engineering and natural gas transportation.

    Alexander Malikov noted the importance of this area of research:

    — The production of high-quality blades is one of the ten key technologies of the modern world. Their production requires complex solutions due to extreme operating conditions. Only four countries in the world have the necessary competencies: the USA, Great Britain, France and Russia.

    Previously, the energy segment of the Russian market was heavily dependent on foreign suppliers of spare parts and services for the restoration of parts. With the departure of Western companies from the Russian market, there was a need to develop our own technologies and services capable of replacing foreign analogues. The new technology created by Novosibirsk scientists is capable of significantly increasing the reliability and cost-effectiveness of servicing large industrial enterprises and facilities using gas turbine units.

    In the near future, it is planned to introduce the technology into serial production; a number of Russian companies have shown interest in it. Meanwhile, researchers continue to develop technologies for the restoration of various types of blades and other elements of industrial equipment.

    — To solve problems of this type, we first need to carefully study the properties of the material from which the product is made at the atomic level. In our work, we use synchrotron radiation, which provides great opportunities for emitting phase composition at a very high resolution level, and if we know the exact phase states of the material, the structural phases, then we can control it, — explained Alexander Malikov.

    Scientists will have even more opportunities with the launch of the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF), at one of whose workstations a number of studies in this area are already planned.

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China launches Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft to deliver supplies to space station

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    WENCHANG, Hainan Province, July 15 (Xinhua) — China launched the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft early Tuesday morning to deliver supplies to the Tiangong orbital space station, the China Manned Space Administration (CMSA) said.

    The Long March-7 Y10 carrier rocket carrying the Tianzhou-9 cargo ship lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in southern China’s Hainan Province at 05:34 Beijing time.

    About 10 minutes after liftoff, Tianzhou 9 separated from the launch vehicle and entered the designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded. CMSA declared the launch a complete success.

    The cargo ship will approach and dock with the space station, thus creating a new combination.

    The Tianzhou-9 cargo ship carries necessary supplies, including consumables for the crew in orbit, fuel, and equipment for experiments and tests.

    The current mission is the fourth resupply cargo flight for China’s manned space program since the space station entered the operation and development phase. It is also the 584th flight for the Long March series carrier rocket. -0-

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Press Conference by Secretary-General António Guterres at United Nations Headquarters

    Source: United Nations 4

    Following is a transcript of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ press conference to launch the 2025 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Report, in New York today:

    Dear members of the media,

    Today, we launch the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025.  Under-Secretary-General Li will go through the details.  But allow me to kick things off.

    We are now 10 years into our collective journey toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  The Report is a snapshot of where we stand today.  Since 2015, millions more people have gained access to electricity, clean cooking and the Internet.  Social protection now reaches over half the world’s population — a significant increase from just a decade ago. Access to education has continued to increase and more girls are staying in school.  Child marriage is declining.  Renewable energy capacity is growing, with developing countries leading the way.  And women’s representation is rising — across governments, businesses and societies.

    These gains show that investments in development and inclusion yield results. But let’s be clear:  we are not where we need to be.  Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress.  Nearly half are moving too slowly.  And 18 per cent are going in reverse.  We are in a global development emergency.  An emergency measured in the over 800 million people still living in extreme poverty.  In intensifying climate impacts.  And in relentless debt service, draining the resources that countries need to invest in their people.

    We must also recognize the deep linkages between underdevelopment and conflicts.  That’s why we must keep working for peace in the Middle East.  We need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages and unimpeded humanitarian access as a first step to achieve the two-State solution.  We need the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to hold.  We need a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions.  We need an end to the horror and bloodshed in Sudan.  From the DRC to Somalia, from the Sahel to Myanmar, we know that sustainable peace requires sustainable development.

    In the face of these challenges, the Report we are launching today points the way to progress.  Transformational pathways — in food, energy, digital access, education, jobs and climate — are our road map.  Progress in one area can multiply progress across all of them. But we must move faster, and we must move together.

    That means advancing affordable, quality healthcare for all.  Investing in women and girls as a central driver of progress.  Focusing on quality education and creating decent jobs and economic opportunities that leave no one behind.  Closing the digital divide and ensuring that technologies like artificial intelligence are used responsibly and inclusively.  And it means recognizing a fundamental fact.  Progress is impossible without unlocking financing at scale.

    The recent Sevilla Commitment reflected a commitment to get the engine of development revving again.  Through reform of the international financial architecture, real action on debt relief and tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks so countries can better access capital at scale and at a reasonable cost.  We have more opportunities to drive these priorities forward — from the High-Level Political Forum to the Second Food Systems Stocktake Summit to the World Social Summit and more.  We must maximize these moments for real commitments — and real delivery.

    Today’s Report shows that the Sustainable Development Goals are still within reach.  But only if we act — with urgency, unity and unwavering resolve.

    It’s a pleasure to be with you again and I will give the floor to my dear colleague Li.

    Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs:

    As the Secretary-General noted, we stand at a very defining moment.  This Report of 2025 serves as both our compass and call to action, providing the critical evidence needed to guide discussions at the HLPF and beyond.

    The data reveals in the Report a story of remarkable progress alongside turbulent challenges.  Over the past decade, we have seen the following tangible victories:

    • New HIV infections have decreased by nearly 40 per cent since 2010.
    • Malaria prevention efforts have saved more than 12 million lives since 2000.
    • [54] countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease.
    • An additional 110 million children have enrolled in school since 2015.
    • Access to electricity has reached 92 per cent of the global population, with 45 countries achieving universal electricity access in the past decade.
    • Internet use has increased by 70 per cent — reaching 68 per cent today globally.

    These are not mere statistics; they are the stories of lives transformed — more children in school, more families protected and more communities empowered.

    However, the Report also lays bare a harsh reality:  a challenging global context is stalling progress.  Conflicts are escalating, temperatures are breaking records and debt burdens are rising, while developing countries face an annual $4 trillion SDG financing gap.

    The world is not moving fast enough to achieve the SDGs amid overlapping crises.  Just to share some sobering facts from the Report:

    • Over 800 million people remain trapped in extreme poverty.
    • Billions of people lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
    • Women continue to devote 2.5 times as many hours to unpaid domestic and care work as men.
    • Climate change is accelerating, with 2024 marking the hottest year on record at 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels.
    • Low- and middle-income countries faced record-high debt servicing costs of $1.4 trillion in 2023.

    Despite these monumental challenges, the path forward is clear.  In the Report, it shows that progress is possible if we scale up solutions and build on hard-won gains.  We must focus our efforts on six key transitions that represent our most promising levers for systemic change.  Recent global events such as UNOC3 and FFD4 have demonstrated a renewed spirit and commitment to collective action.  Let us seize this moment to recommit, to act decisively and deliver on our promise.

    Thank you.

    **Questions and Answers

    Spokesman: Edie, please.

    Question: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary-General, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondence Association for doing this briefing.  As you well know, my name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press.  You said that there had been progress on 35 per cent of the SDG targets, but which, if any, of the 17 SDG Goals are on target to be achieved by 2030?  And if I may, what is your reaction to President Trump saying just an hour or two ago that if there is no peace deal in Ukraine in the next 50 days, he will impose biting sanctions on Russia.  And I think we also would all like to know what, if any, role the UN is being asked to play if there is a new ceasefire in Gaza?

    Thank you.

    Secretary-General:  There are many different questions.  [laughing]  First, there are only 35 per cent of the Goals that are on target. But that means that 35 per cent of the Goals are on target, and some are extremely important.  Extreme poverty has reduced.  Child mortality and women’s mortality have dramatically reduced, and the access of girls to education and, in general, the access to education has substantially increased.  So, if there were no Sustainable Development Goals, many of these achievements would never have been reached, because the Sustainable Development Goals have created a framework in which Governments and other entities could be united to deliver on some of the key priorities of development in today’s world.  So, the Sustainable Development Goals are a success already because at least one third of them are achieving the results that were determined.

    Now, but why is it not the same everywhere?  Where are the obstacles?  Let’s be clear.  There is something fundamentally wrong in the structure of the economic and financial architecture and in the way it operates to the detriment of developing countries.  And this has nothing to do with the Sustainable Development Goals.  The Sustainable Development Goals are objectives to improve the living conditions of everybody.  The problem is that the Sustainable Development Goals do not include the instruments that would be necessary to make them happen.  And that is why we have been strongly insisting for the need to deep reforms in the international financial architecture, and I would say, in the rules of the global economy, in order to make sure that it is possible for countries that are drowning in debt, for countries that have no access to concessional funding, for countries that are marginalized in international trade.  We need those reforms to create the conditions for those countries to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

    So, I think that the discussion is not whether or not we have reached enough.  The discussion is what are the roots in the injustices and inequalities of our global economic and financial system that make it so difficult to implement things that everybody will recognize are the things that are needed for us to live with dignity.

    The second question that you have asked is about the sanctions.  I would say that what we absolutely need is to have an immediate ceasefire and to have an immediate ceasefire paving the way for a political solution and the political solution based on the Charter, on international law and on the different resolutions of the bodies of the UN.  Whatever can contribute to these objectives will, of course, be important if it is done in line with international law.

    Question:  And on Gaza…

    Secretary-General:  Gaza is horrific.  We all condemned the horrible, terrible, attacks of Hamas, but what we are witnessing in Gaza is a level of death and destruction that has no parallel in recent times.  And it is something that undermines, I would say, undermines the most basic conditions of human dignity for the population of Gaza, independently of the enormous suffering that they are having.

    We absolutely need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.  And I hope that the parties are able to overcome, both parties are able to overcome the difficulties that they still find for that ceasefire to take place.  But the ceasefire is not enough.  It is essential that that ceasefire leads to a solution, and that solution can only be possible if both Palestinians and Israelis can have a State where they can exercise their rights.  The idea, and that is why we are going to have in July, one conference on the two-State solution, the idea that it would be possible to have 5 million people inside a country, in their own lands, without any rights is something that is totally against humanity and totally against international law.

    Spokesman:  Sherwin Bryce-Pease.

    Question:  Secretary-General, Sherwin Bryce-Pease, South African Broadcasting.  What is your estimation, sir, of the impact of the decisions by the United States in recent months to withdraw from various development-related initiatives, including climate finance and the recent financing for development conference that you referred to in Sevilla.  Its rejection, also, of increased lending by development banks in particular, essentially pushing back at the reforms you are seeking to achieve in terms of the restructuring of the global financial institutions?  How are you going to fill the gaps that are going to be left by the United States’ withdrawal from these initiatives?

    Thank you.

    Secretary-General:  The problem is not the presence or not presence in international meetings.  The question is that, obviously, we need in an international economic and financial system that is fundamentally wrong and unfair, we need reforms.  And to put obstacles to those reforms is indeed something that is extremely negative.  And I hope that the countries that lead the global economy, the G7 countries, understand that it is better to lead the reforms of a system today than to wait and one day suffer the reforms of the system that will become inevitable.

    Spokesman:  Dezhi?

    Question:  Secretary-General, Xu Dezhi, China Central Television.  A similar question with Sherwin.  We know that Trump Administration now reversed multiple policies, it’s not only just the international financial institution.  It’s also about the clean energy policy.  It’s about its tariffs to bring instability of the world economy.  How much impact would that be to the SDGs?  And given the fact this is only the first year of this Administration, you will have four years, how would, how should other countries to do to achieve the SDGs?

    Thank you.

    Secretary-General:  Well first of all, about clean energy, I think that independently of the will of the Government of any country and in particular, the United States, we are witnessing irreversible movements towards the hegemonic role of renewables.  This is moving at a speed that nobody could forecast just a few months ago.  And the truth is that even in the United States, you have a number of states that are moving forward very strongly, and you have the private sector that makes their accounts and sees where profits are.  And today, the cheapest energy is renewable.  And so, you are not intelligent if you invest in more expensive forms of energy or if you invest in things that will be stranded in the near future.  So, I am pretty confident that the realities of the global economy will make any attempt to slow down the process ineffective.  And I’m optimistic about the capacity of renewable energy to very quickly assume a leading role in the global economy.

    About trade, it is clear that any trade war is something in which nobody wins.  Everybody loses.  And so, I strongly believe that it is absolutely essential to avoid trade wars.  And we don’t know yet what is going to happen.  Many things are changing every day, but I hope we come to the end of this with a rational global trade system.

    Spokesman:  Thank you, Pam, and then we’ll have to go.

    Question:  Thank you very much for a somewhat grim Report, but an optimistic view of it.  Pamela Falk from US News and World Report.  So, a big picture question.  The Pew Charitable Trust, other organizations, look at the UN and favourability around the world.  And although it’s still positive, it’s trending downward.  What can you do, particularly since global goals like nutrition that overlaps two SDGs, people at the N4D [Nutrition for Development] is looking for private sector funds, clusters of countries.  Is that the new multilateralism?  And what can you do to bring up the favourability of the UN?

    Thank you.

    Secretary-General:  What we are witnessing in the world today is a progressive trend for a multipolar world.  You see the emerging economies growing at a faster rate than developed countries.  We can talk about China, but we can talk about India, we can talk about Indonesia, we can talk about so many other countries.  So, the global economic relations are changing, and we see a trend more and more for these different entities to network.  And in that networking, multipolarity will tend to strengthen multilateralism.  So, I’m very optimistic about the future of multilateralism because I’m seeing that every single day, there is a bit more equilibrium in international relations.  Every single day, we move a little bit more to multipolarity.  And at every single day, we are heading into a direction that, because multipolarity by itself requires multilateralism, we are heading into a direction in which the present trends and the present attacks and the present, I would say, forms of undermining multilateralism, will inevitably fail.

    Spokesman: Thank you very much. We need to let our guests go.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Taipower Holds 2025 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: Continues Strengthening Financial Operations, Calls for Budget Support

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Taipower held its 2025 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting today (June 27), briefing shareholders on its mission to ensure stable power supply for Taiwan while helping the government mitigate the impact of global developments on households and industries in recent years. Taipower noted that despite financial challenges, it sought a total of NT$300 billion in government budget subsidies over the past year, but none were approved by the legislature. To maintain the sustainable operation of Taiwan’s electricity supply, secure the nation’s power needs, and support economic development, Taipower will continue to seek government funding while doing its utmost to improve its own financial operations. Compared with the same period last year, losses from January to May this year have already narrowed by nearly NT$32 billion, a decline of over 50%.

    The 2025 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting was chaired by Taipower Chairman Wen-Sheng Tseng, with President Yao-Ting Wang delivering the 2024 Business Report. During the meeting, shareholders were also briefed on last year’s corporate bond issuance, financial statements, and the approval of its deficit compensation proposal. Additionally, the biennial board member election was conducted during the meeting.

    Taipower explained that the Russia-Ukraine war led to surging fuel prices globally. While other countries substantially raised electricity rates, further fueling inflation, Taipower instead chose to absorb nearly NT$600 billion in electricity costs for households and industries over the past three years to protect livelihoods and cushion inflationary pressures, resulting in significant financial losses. In 2023, Taipower recorded total revenue of NT$871.4 billion and expenditures of NT$912.5 billion, with a pre-tax net loss of NT$41.1 billion. After factoring in tax credits, the net loss remained NT$41.1 billion. As of the end of last year, cumulative losses stood at NT$422.9 billion.

    Taipower stressed that a stable financial footing is crucial to protecting the public’s right to reliable power and supporting social and industrial development. In April this year, the Electricity Price Review Committee decided, in light of global trade tariffs and political-economic conditions, to freeze electricity prices, meaning Taipower continues to bear external cost pressures on behalf of households and businesses. To maintain financial soundness, Taipower has, over the past year, repeatedly sought a total of NT$300 billion in government funding to cover the costs it has absorbed to stabilize power prices, essentially subsidizing electricity for the entire nation, but these proposals have not been approved by the legislature. Taipower hopes for greater understanding and support from all sectors of society.

    In addition to pursuing government subsidies, Taipower is also working to improve its own finances. For electricity price subsidies for schools and social welfare organizations, Taipower has, in accordance with the Electricity Act and the March 2024 resolution of the Electricity Price Review Committee, maintained preferential electricity rates but will reduce its direct subsidies starting this year. Relevant funding will now revert to the respective competent authorities for budgeting, which is expected to increase Taipower’s annual revenue by nearly NT$4 billion. As for subsidized electricity for offshore islands, Taipower has absorbed losses exceeding NT$100 billion to date. Moving forward, Taipower will handle related matters through the national budgeting process under the Offshore Islands Development Act and will actively seek government budget allocations to cover them.

    Furthermore, Taipower has adopted four key strategies to boost revenue and reduce expenses to strengthen its financial foundation: On the power generation and procurement side, it has refined its fuel procurement strategies. On the electricity retailing side, it has expanded green power resale and low-carbon power sales. In transmission and distribution, it has reduced expenditures by adjusting line installation fees and optimizing ancillary services. Furthermore, Taipower is investing in asset revitalization to expand revenue sources, making every effort to reduce losses. From January to May this year, Taipower recorded a loss of NT$28.5 billion, nearly NT$32 billion less than the same period last year, marking a reduction of more than 50%.

    Spokesperson: Vice President Chih-Meng Tsai
    Tel: (02 )2366-6271/0958-749-333
    Email: u910707@taipower.com.tw
    Contact Person: Chief Secretary of Board Secretariat Shou-Fu Cheng
    Tel: (02 )2366-6210/0900-781-357
    Email: u026726@taipower.com.tw

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Taipower’s Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Ceases Operation as 40-Year License Expires Diversified Dispatch with Gas and Renewables to Secure Stable Supply

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Today (May 17), Unit 2 of Taipower’s Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant reached the end of its 40-year operating license. The unit began a gradual power reduction in the afternoon and was disconnected from the grid and safely shut down by evening. Taipower explained that Unit 2 of Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 951,000 kW (or 0.951 GW), accounting for about 3% of Taiwan’s total power generation, has now completed its licensed operating life. In response to the gradual decommissioning of nuclear units in recent years, as well as the retirement or downsizing of aging coal-fired units, Taipower has proactively implemented renovation and expansion projects since 2017 at its Datan, Taichung, and Hsinta power plants. These projects focus on building low-carbon, low-emission gas-fired combined-cycle units. Coupled with the accelerated deployment of renewable energy in recent years, and supported by pumped-storage hydropower, battery storage, and demand-side management, Taipower’s diversified power dispatch strategy has kept electricity supply stable while significantly reducing air pollution and carbon emissions. This year, four large gas-fired units with a combined capacity of nearly 5 GW from the Datan, Hsinta, and Taichung power plants will come online, along with approximately 3.5 GW of wind and photovoltaic power. Together, these additions will ensure a reliable and sufficient power supply for the public.

    Taipower added that Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 began commercial operation on May 18, 1985, and generated a cumulative total of approximately 274,160 GWh of electricity over its 40-year service period. In line with its license expiry, the unit began load reduction at 1:00 p.m. today, was disconnected from the grid at about 10:00 p.m., and reached safe shutdown status by midnight. Next, the reactor’s spent fuel will be removed and transferred to the spent fuel pool. Taipower will continue with the development of dry storage facilities and advance site selection and construction of final disposal sites for nuclear waste. The Company calls for public understanding and support for these critical backend nuclear waste management processes.

    Spokesperson: Vice President, Chih-Meng Tsai
    Tel: (02 )2366-6271/0958-749-333
    Email: u910707@taipower.com.tw

    Contact Person: Director of Nuclear Power Generation Department, Chih-Pao Lin
    Tel: (02 )2366-7040/0921-210-506
    Email: u808941@taipower.com.tw

    Contact Person: Director of Power Dispatch Department, Fang-Cheng Chou
    Tel: (02 )2366-6600/0952-810-417
    Email: u027007@taipower.com.tw

    Contact Person: Director of Nuclear Backend Management Department, Ying-Chen Liao
    Tel: (02 )2365-7210 Ext. 2200/0953-685-053
    Email: u880803@taipower.com.tw

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Next-Generation Communications Leadership Interview ①] ‘Standardization Shapes the Future of Communications’

    Source: Samsung

    In the global mobile communications industry, standards are much more than just technical specifications — they are key drivers of the global market’s direction and technological leadership. As the world moves beyond 5G and accelerates toward 6G, attention is once again turning to the technological leadership behind global standardization.
     
    Since 2020, Samsung Electronics has played a pioneering role in advancing next-generation communication technologies through active participation in international standardization efforts. This includes the publication of its 6G white papers and securing of key positions in major organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). At the May 2025 3GPP elections, Samsung secured additional leadership positions, reaffirming its distinct standing at the forefront of the industry.
     
    To shine a light on this progress, Samsung Newsroom is launching an interview series with the leaders of the company’s communications business, which will introduce the current state of next-generation communications technology research and global standardization efforts. In part one of the Communications Leadership Interview series, the Newsroom sat down with Jin-Kyu Han, Vice President of the Tech Standards Research Team at Samsung Research, to discuss the current landscape and future outlook of 6G standardization, as well as Samsung’s strategies and vision.
     
    ▲ Jin-Kyu Han, Vice President of the Tech Standards Research Team at Samsung Research
     
     
    International Standards for Seamless Communication Across Borders
    Today, using our own smartphones to access roaming services while traveling abroad is something we often take for granted. This is a convenience that has only become truly seamless through the invisible promise of international standards — born from the collaboration of countless companies and experts around the world.
     
    “Common protocols are essential for products and services from different companies to work together seamlessly,” explained Han. “In the mobile communications industry, where a diverse range of players — including smartphone manufacturers, network equipment vendors, telecom operators and semiconductor companies — are involved, standardization is an indispensable element. It plays a key role in uniting the world into a single market.”
     
    Standardization serves as the backbone that drives the global communications industry toward a unified direction. “At technological inflection points like the transition to 6G, the importance of industry-wide discussions and consensus on standards becomes even greater,” Han emphasized.
     
     
    Global Collaboration Driving 6G Standardization
    How does global standardization actually function? Unlike initiatives driven by a single entity, global telecommunications standardization is built on a clear, step-by-step framework of collaboration. Two key players in this process are the International Telecommunication Union (ITU1) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP2).
     
    “The ITU sets the direction for each new generation of communication technology, and based on that blueprint, the 3GPP works with global companies to define the technical details and carry out the standardization process,” explained Han.
     
    ▲ Overview of ITU and 3GPP
     

    Global 6G standardization has now entered its launch phase. Following preliminary discussions on 6G technology directions that began in 2021, ITU-R officially announced the recommended framework for 6G standardization in November 2023. With the goal of finalizing 6G technical specifications by 2030, 3GPP plans to develop and propose a range of candidate technologies.
     
    “3GPP took its first step toward 6G standardization by hosting a workshop in Korea this March,” explained Han. “6G study items were approved during its plenary meeting in June, and starting in the second half of this year, detailed technical discussions will begin within its Working Groups (WGs).”
     
    ▲ Key milestones and objectives of the ITU and 3GPP by year
     
    The standardization of 6G is a shared journey in which the world works together toward a common goal. As standardization efforts gain momentum, companies worldwide are moving quickly to position their technologies within this framework, ensuring interoperability while developing solutions that meet market demands.
     
     
    Samsung’s 6G Leadership: Driving Consensus Amid Fierce Competition
    Countries and companies around the world are participating in discussions on next-generation communications standardization, each taking on specific roles. This process demands forward-looking leadership capable of both steering technological development and harmonizing diverse viewpoints—a role where Samsung Electronics has emerged as a central figure, simultaneously advancing innovation while building industry consensus.
     
    Standardization is a continuous process marked by fierce competition among countless global stakeholders that aim to secure a lead in standards by having their own technologies incorporated. In this complex landscape, Samsung has consistently been elected to leadership positions within groups, earning recognition for its neutrality, credibility and coordination capabilities
     
    “Samsung chaired the ITU-R’s 6G Vision Group, helping to establish the initial global vision for 6G and contributing to the design of its early roadmap,” explained Han. “We’re also leading discussions within 3GPP by serving as chairs and vice-chairs across various technical groups, steering the direction of standardization.”
     
    Currently, Samsung Electronics holds a total of eight chair and vice-chair positions across 3GPP’s key Technical Specification Groups (TSGs). Han added, “In particular, the Radio Access Network (RAN) and System Architecture (SA) WG2 groups, where Samsung serves as chair, are central to shaping the structure and direction of 6G technologies. These groups are at the core of industry-wide technical discussions and the fact that Samsung chairs them is a testament to our influence.”
     

     
    Samsung is also laying a solid technological foundation for standardization discussions through its pioneering research activities across various core 6G technologies. Since standardization only holds real value when it is backed by concrete technologies and practical feasibility, Samsung’s technological competitiveness contributes to making these discussions more effective.
     
    “3GPP chairs are responsible for guiding discussions according to the timeline, while mediating and resolving various conflicts that arise during the standardization process,” Han explained. “Holding a significant number of chair positions is a clear sign that the mobile communications industry recognizes our technological capabilities and leadership.”
     
     
    Key Focus Areas for Next-Generation 6G Research
    As technical discussions within 3GPP begin in earnest this year, Samsung is concentrating its research on the core technologies necessary for 6G commercialization. At the heart of these discussions are three key phrases: AI integration, enhanced energy efficiency, and strengthened security.
     
    “6G should deliver user-perceivable improvements, not just faster speeds or higher quality,” noted Han. “By applying AI technologies to network operations, we can automate complex processes while simultaneously reducing operational costs and improving service quality.”
     
    “From the increasingly critical perspective of security and privacy, Samsung is also focusing on building safer communication systems while increasing system flexibility to easily and rapidly incorporate new services,” he added.
     

     
    As we approach the 6G era — where technologies and services will connect seamlessly across national borders — international cooperation and coordination are more important than ever. In this evolving landscape, Samsung Electronics continues to play a leading role in shaping the global conversation on next-generation connectivity.
     
    In part two of this series, Samsung Newsroom will explore the 6G standardization roadmap, key focus technologies and Samsung’s role as chair of the 3GPP TSG RAN, providing a closer look at the forefront of next-generation communications discussions.
     
     
    1 Short for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations specialized agency dedicated to advancing information and communication technologies (ICT) and networks. Its work includes allocating radio frequencies, establishing technical standards, and supporting developing countries, while playing a vital role in fostering international cooperation in the global ICT sector.
    2 Short for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, an international collaborative initiative established to develop standards for mobile communication technologies. It primarily develops globally applicable specifications for mobile communication systems, including radio access networks, services and systems, core networks, and mobile devices.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Demands Answers on Trump Admin Re-Adding Medical Debt onto Credit Reports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Demands Answers on Trump Admin Re-Adding Medical Debt onto Credit Reports

    Senator Reverend Warnock leads the Democratic caucus in demanding the Trump administration explain its rollback of the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025

    In the final days of the Biden Administration, Senator Warnock successfully pressed the CFPB to ban credit lenders from including medical bills in credit reports and prohibit lenders from using medical information in lending decisions

    In Georgia, 27% of rural citizens have medical collections on their credit report, ten percentage points higher than the national average due in part to the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and 26 other senators pushed the Trump administration for answers regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025. The letter demands CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the senators said.

    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.

    At the conclusion of the letter, the senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.

    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,”    the senators closed.

    Senator Warnock continues to stand up in defense of Georgia consumers by holding the CFPB under President Trump accountable. In February, Senator Warnock questioned Trump administration CFPB nominees at a Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing. During the hearing, Senator Warnock asked the nominees if they agreed with President Trump on the CFPB being, ‘A very important thing to get rid of’ and if the agency would address the 266,560 outstanding complaints from Georgians in a timely manner. In May, President Trump withdrew his nominee for the CFPB. OMB Director Russell Vought serves as acting director of the agency.

    In Georgia, roughly 640,000 people don’t have access to affordable health care because state leaders have refused to expand Medicaid. 27% of rural citizens have medical collections on their credit report – ten percentage points higher than the national average. Senator Warnock has a long track record of working to address the harmful consequences of medical debt on working families including calling on the CFPB to establish an ombudsman position for consumer medical debt and urging the CFPB to protect Americans from predatory medical debt collection practices. 

    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Schumer, and Merkley the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

    Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below

    Dear Acting Director Vought,

    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it. 

    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.

    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.

    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier. 

    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.

    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:

    • Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    • Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    • Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    • Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    • Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts

    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Curtis, Schiff, Mullin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Curtis, Schiff, Mullin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) introduced bipartisan legislationto support and commemorate the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games set to take place in Los Angeles, California and Salt Lake City, Utah, respectively, through the minting of new commemorative coins. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.-03), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.-41), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37), and Blake Moore (R-Utah-01) introduced companion legislation in the House.

    The America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act would direct the Treasury Department to mint and issue four types of coins each in commemoration of the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The coins would be minted at no cost to the federal government, and any proceeds collected from the sale of these commemorative coins would aid in the execution of the 2028 and 2034 Games as well as support their legacy programs, which include the promotion of youth sports in the United States.

    “After years of careful preparation and federal collaboration, Los Angeles will be under the world spotlight for the Olympic and Paralympic Games before we know it,” said Senator Padilla. “Our bipartisan legislation will help ensure Los Angeles has the resources it needs to put on a world-class event — with a token to commemorate the Games for years to come. There is strong congressional interest in promoting and supporting all upcoming U.S.-hosted Olympic events to showcase our nation and our athletes on the global stage, and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to advance this bill.”

    “The 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will showcase Utah’s pioneer spirit, community strength, and commitment to excellence,” said Senator Curtis. “These commemorative coins honor not just the athletes, but the values that built our state and the legacy we’ll pass on to future generations.”

    “It is such an honor that our Golden State will be hosting the 2028 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. And I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to commemorate these historic games and our incredible athletes,” said Senator Schiff.

    “American athletes are the pinnacle of our exceptionalism and I am looking forward to them leading the way as we host both the 2028 Summer Olympic Games and the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. As Oklahoma’s world-class facilities will be home to multiple official venues, I am honored to join with my colleagues on this important legislation,” said Senator Mullin.

    “The dedication demonstrated by the American athletes who participate in the Olympic and Paralympic Games is truly inspiring and our nation is honored to host both the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games and Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Games. That is why I am proud to join my colleagues in celebrating our athletes by introducing America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act. As a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over this legislation, I look forward to Congress moving quickly to advance this important bill. As an Angelino, I am excited to witness the Olympics return to Los Angeles after 44 years, and I am proud to join with my colleagues to honor the Salt Lake City 2034 Games as well,” said Representative Sherman.

    “It is no small honor to host the Olympic Games, and no small feat to organize them either. That is why these commemorative coins would not only pay proper tribute to such a great honor, but also help pay for the preparations to ensure the upcoming Olympic games – including the 2028 games in my home state – receive the resources they need,” said Representative Lucas.

    “The Olympic and Paralympic Games are incredible events that celebrate athletic achievement and the human spirit. I’m especially excited for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, which will allow southern California residents to get an up-close look at these remarkable competitions as well as deliver a tremendous boost to our tourism economy. I want to thank all of my colleagues who have worked together to advance the bipartisan America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act,” said Representative Calvert.

    “As we gear up for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I’m proud to co-lead the America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act,” said Representative Kamlager-Dove. “This commemorative coin will celebrate not only the upcoming games, but also nearly a century of Olympic history in Los Angeles. The 2028 Games in Los Angeles memorialized by this coin will be a feat all Angelenos and Americans can be proud of.”

    “I’m immensely proud to represent Utah in co-leading the America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act. The return of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to Salt Lake City in 2034 will mark only the second time in history that the Winter Olympics have returned to the same city, and I cannot wait to see Utah front and center on the world stage once again,” said Representative Moore. “This bid was supported by over 80% of Utahns and will bring billions in GDP growth, tens of thousands of jobs, and showcase the world’s best athletes on the Greatest Snow on Earth. I’m also thrilled that the Summer Olympics will return stateside to Los Angeles in 2028 and look forward to this bill quickly passing through both houses of Congress.”

    “The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will mark the historic return of the summer Games to America in more than 30 years,” said LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover. “The heart and dedication demonstrated by the athletes who participate in the Games is truly unparalleled. Los Angeles 2028, followed by Salt Lake 2034 will serve as an opportunity for American athletes to showcase their talent and resilience on the world’s stage. We’re grateful to Senators Padilla, Curtis, Schiff, and Mullin and Congressmembers Sherman, Lucas, Calvert, Kamlager-Dove and Moore for moving this bill forward to honor these athletes and our U.S. host cities for the 2028 and 2034 Games.”

    “As a four-time Olympian, I greatly appreciate the commemorative coin program as another means of showcasing our Olympic and Paralympic athletes,” said Catherine Raney Norman, Vice President Development and Athlete Relations, Salt Lake City-Utah 2034, A four-time Olympic speed skater. 

    Specifically, the America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act would direct the Treasury Department to mint and issue commemorative $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, half-dollar clad coins, and proof silver $1 coins in commemoration of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games set to be held in in Los Angeles and the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games set to be held in Salt Lake City.

    The United States has hosted the modern Olympic Games nine times, with the 2028 Games set to become the third time Los Angeles will host the summer Olympic Games and the 2034 Games set to become the second time Salt Lake City will host the Olympic Winter Games.

    Senator Padilla has secured millions of dollars in federal investments to help prepare Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Last year, Padilla, Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), and former Representative Grace F. Napolitano celebrated nearly $900 million in federal investments in LA Metro to improve mobility and upgrade transportation infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This included $139 million for LA Metro’s “Removing Barriers and Creating Legacy” project, which will reconnect communities and strengthen mobility across highway and arterial barriers ahead of the Games. The funding comes through the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program (RCN), which includes the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program that was modeled off the Reconnecting Communities Act that Padilla co-led in 2021. Padilla also traveled on a presidential delegation to Paris last year for the opening ceremony of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Durbin, Kelly, Senate Democrats Press Trump Administration on Weaponization of Immigration Court Hearings to Trap, Arrest, Deport Immigrants

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Durbin, Kelly, Senate Democrats Press Trump Administration on Weaponization of Immigration Court Hearings to Trap, Arrest, Deport Immigrants

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) led 21 Senate Democrats in pressing the Trump Administration on its recent initiatives to weaponize immigration court hearings as an inhumane trap to arrest immigrants just trying to follow the law by terminating their immigration court cases and deporting them without adequate due process.

    In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons, the Senators condemned these predatory actions as an affront to due process. The Senators expressed serious concern over recent reporting of the Trump Administration’s inhumane initiatives of detaining noncitizens at their immigration court hearings, often suddenly dismissing their immigration cases and arresting them without prior notice.

    “These actions prevent noncitizens from having their fair day in court and raise serious legal and due process concerns,” wrote the Senators. “They also make clear that this Administration is not targeting the worst criminals and threats to public safety, instead redirecting staff and resources away from drug trafficking and human trafficking and towards these operations targeting noncriminal immigrants who are following the law and showing up for their day in court.”

    “These actions also place noncitizens in an impossible position. If noncitizens who fear arrest do not attend their immigration court hearing, they may receive an in absentia removal order that will newly subject them to swift detention and removal. If they do attend, they risk arrest, detention, and a swift deportation, possibly to South Sudan, Libya, or El Salvador—countries they may have no connection to. This manipulation of existing laws to enact this Administration’s mass deportation agenda is creating chaos in our immigration system while doing nothing to make our communities safer,” concluded the Senators.

    The Senators admonished the misuse of expedited removal (ER) as part of the Trump Administration’s efforts, noting that it typically has only been applied to noncitizens upon their arrival or within 14 days of their arrival if they are detained near the border. The widespread use of ER for law-abiding noncitizens entrenched in the United States — including those working or attending school — is unprecedented and violates due process protections.

    The Senators also underscored the insincerity and misleading nature of ICE’s intentions outside these hearings, arguing that ICE often did not give prior notice or explanation of their intentions for fast-track removals surrounding these hearings. This prevents noncitizens from seeking counsel or taking steps to oppose their removals. They also made a series of information requests.

    In addition to Padilla, Durbin, and Kelly, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senators Padilla and Schiff, as well as Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), and Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), previously sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem expressing their concern over the deliberate targeting of immigrants trying to follow the legal process at courthouses, including at the San Diego Immigration Court located in the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem, Attorney General Bondi, and Acting Director Lyons:

    We are extremely concerned by reports of a recent initiative to arrest and detain noncitizens at their immigration court hearings, and in many cases, dismiss their immigration cases without advance notice and while hiding the government’s intent to arrest them. Some reports indicated that plain-clothed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel stationed outside of immigration courtrooms had lists of cases marked for dismissal and even photos of the individuals they intended to arrest. Upon the granting of this request by an immigration judge, ICE officers have reportedly arrested individuals or families outside the courtrooms and placed them in a fast-track removal process known as expedited removal (ER). These actions prevent noncitizens from having their fair day in court and raise serious legal and due process concerns. They also make clear that this Administration is not targeting the worst criminals and threats to public safety, instead redirecting staff and resources away from drug trafficking and human trafficking and towards these operations targeting noncriminal immigrants who are following the law and showing up for their day in court.

    ER historically has applied only to a noncitizen who “is arriving in the United States” and certain other noncitizens apprehended close to the border less than 14 days after arrival in the United States. Individuals subject to ER are mandatorily detained and can be summarily deported without a hearing before a judge, administrative appeal or federal court review, unlike regular removal proceedings. The ER process offers very limited administrative review and no meaningful opportunity for a noncitizen to challenge whether they can legally be placed in ER. There is no real opportunity to provide documentation, for example, that would demonstrate they have continuously resided in the United States for more than two years, or that they were, in fact, admitted or paroled into the United States and therefore not subject to ER. ICE is now expanding the application of ER to noncitizens in the interior of the United States who have developed significant ties to the United States, including by lawfully working and attending school. Arresting law-abiding individuals and placing them in ER deprives them of the opportunity to have their fair day in court with the due process protections in immigration court proceedings.

    Nevertheless, we understand that ICE attorneys have been instructed to look for immigration court cases that can be dismissed and then orally request, without prior notice, that removal proceedings be dismissed or the Notice to Appear be withdrawn. ICE often did not inform immigration judges or the noncitizens that the purpose of their request was not relief from removal, but instead that ICE intended to arrest and place the individual in fast-track removal without a hearing. It has been a longstanding practice to dismiss cases that are not a priority for enforcement or that ICE chooses not to prosecute, allowing noncitizens to instead pursue immigration applications affirmatively through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Here, however, many noncitizens were not notified that their cases were being dismissed for a different purpose—to place them in ER—and effectively deny them access to a decision from an immigration judge as well as affirmative applications through USCIS. Because noncitizens did not understand the purpose of their dismissal, they did not, through counsel or otherwise, have an opportunity to take steps to oppose the ICE attorneys’ motions to terminate or withdraw.

    Immigration judges—who are not part of an independent judiciary but housed under the Executive Office of Immigration Review within the Department of Justice—have also received guidance encouraging immigration judges to grant the ICE attorneys’ motion to dismiss “with no additional documentation or briefing” or opportunity for a noncitizen to respond. In some cases, immigration judges were not made aware of the purpose of the dismissal. As a result, immigration judges could not take into account in their dismissal determination that the noncitizen will immediately be placed in ER. In some cases, the immigration judge did not give noncitizens adequate time to respond to ICE motions to dismiss, or ensure those appearing pro se were informed of the consequences of their cases being dismissed. And in some cases, the immigration judge dismissed the case over the strong objections from the noncitizen who wished for their immigration case to continue with the court.

    Noncitizens whose removal proceedings are abruptly dismissed in this manner lose the ability to request relief in immigration court for which they are otherwise eligible, such as asylum or adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident, or to request that an immigration judge hold their case while they pursue an immigration status with USCIS, such as classification as a Special Immigrant Juvenile. Many of these noncitizens who had their cases dismissed had reportedly already submitted an asylum application or other forms of relief to the immigration court, raising serious concerns that their applications were wrongfully denied any consideration. For example, a Mexican transgender woman with no criminal history who came to the United States in 2023 after being subject to abduction and rape by members of the Knights Templar drug cartel in Mexico, had applied for asylum; upon her appearance for her court hearing in Portland, Oregon, ICE moved to dismiss her case, the court granted the request, and she was subsequently arrested by ICE agents in the lobby. In another case, ICE requested the dismissal of a case of a Cuban man who entered the United States in 2021 and had an asylum application pending; an immigration judge in the Miami Immigration Court told the asylum seeker he could seek asylum affirmatively from USCIS after the dismissal; instead, ICE arrested and detained him.

    The U.S. Supreme Court recently stated, “[w]e have long held that no person shall be removed from the United States without opportunity, at some time, to be heard. Due process requires notice that is reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties and that affords[s] a reasonable time …to make an appearance.” Here, it appears that the ICE attorneys are being told to dismiss immigration cases and place noncitizens in expedited removal. At the same time, immigration judges are being told that they may dismiss such cases without any briefing or opportunity to respond. In addition, often noncitizens have not been notified of the purpose of their dismissal, in order to respond or contest the dismissal of their immigration cases, or the placement of their case into expedited removal. Taken together, these actions raise serious due process concerns.

    These actions also place noncitizens in an impossible position. If noncitizens who fear arrest do not attend their immigration court hearing, they may receive an in absentia removal order that will newly subject them to swift detention and removal. If they do attend, they risk arrest, detention, and a swift deportation, possibly to South Sudan, Libya, or El Salvador—countries they may have no connection to. This manipulation of existing laws to enact this Administration’s mass deportation agenda is creating chaos in our immigration system while doing nothing to make our communities safer.

    We request responses to the following questions by July 25, 2025:

    1. What specific guidance has DHS or DOJ/EOIR issued regarding the dismissal of standard 240 removal proceedings and the facilitation of enforcement actions in and around immigration courtrooms? Please provide a copy of the relevant guidance, email, memorandum, or other directives associated with this policy.

    2. How many individuals have been detained and placed in ER following dismissal of their cases from January 20th to May 19th, 2025? How many have been detained and placed in ER following dismissal since May 20, 2025? Provide the total number of individuals arrested and detained by week, and disaggregate by country of origin, gender, and age.

    a. What number of the total individuals detained and placed in ER following the dismissal of their removal proceedings have been referred for a credible fear interview (CFI)? How many have passed that interview with the asylum officer and how many did not? Of the total negative CFIs by an asylum officer, how many were reviewed by an Immigration Judge and reversed?

    b. Of the total individuals detained and placed in ER following dismissal of their cases, how many had applications pending with the immigration court in INA 240 proceedings at the time that the ICE attorney moved for dismissal? How many had applications pending with USCIS (e.g. adjustment of status, SIJ classification, T or U visa)? Of those with applications pending in immigration court, how many were asylum applications and how many were for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident?

    c. Of those individuals who had asylum applications pending in immigration court when the ICE attorney requested the dismissal of proceedings, how many were subsequently given a CFI after dismissal and their placement in ER? Of those, how many passed that interview with the Asylum Officer and were placed back into proceedings to again pursue their asylum claim? Of those with an asylum application pending who were subsequently given a CFI after dismissal and their placement in ER, how many had a negative CFI with an asylum officer which was subsequently reversed by an IJ and were placed back into proceedings?

    d. What number of the total individuals detained and placed in ER following the dismissal of their removal proceedings have been placed back into INA 240 proceedings for any reason?

    3. Are immigration judges being monitored or tracked on how they respond to ICE motions to dismiss the cases or to withdraw the NTA? If so, how is that information being utilized?

    4. There are reports of cases where the immigration judge did not immediately grant ICE’s motion to dismiss and did give the noncitizen additional time to respond, but ICE detained the noncitizen anyway.

    a) Since May 20th, in how many cases has an ICE attorney orally requested a dismissal, and the IJ has either denied such a motion or granted additional time for the noncitizen to respond?

    b) In how many of those cases did ICE arrest and detain the noncitizen despite the removal proceedings not being dismissed?

    c) In how many of those cases did ICE request a Change of Venue to a detained docket?

    d) For the subset of cases moved to the detained docket, in how many cases has ICE moved to dismiss again before a different immigration judge in order to place the noncitizen in ER?

    5. Of the total detained and placed in ER after the dismissal of their court cases, how many had a criminal conviction?

    6. Of the total detained and placed in ER after dismissal of their court cases, how many were continuously present in the United States for more than two years? Provide an explanation of the legal basis for their placement in ER.

    7. Of the total detained and placed in ER after dismissal of their court cases, how many were in removal proceedings after having been initially paroled into the United States at a port of entry? Provide the total number and disaggregate by country of origin, gender and age. Also, provide the total number of individuals who were initially paroled more than two years prior to the issuance of the I-860 ER order.

    8. Provide a complete list of all the immigration courts where ICE courthouse arrests and placements into ER have occurred since May 20, 2025. At each of these immigration courts, disaggregated by each individual court, have in abstentia removal orders increased and if so, by what percentage of the total scheduled court hearings? Provide a daily accounting of the number of in absentia removal orders issued in each immigration court since January 1, 2025, disaggregated by court.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, India should adhere to good-neighborliness, friendship: Chinese FM

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing, capital of China, July 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday that China and India should adhere to the direction of good-neighborliness and friendship, and find a way for mutual respect and trust, peaceful coexistence, common development and win-win cooperation.

    Wang made the remarks when holding talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing.

    As two major Eastern civilizations and major emerging economies living adjacent to each other, the essence of China-India relations lies in how to live in harmony and achieve mutual success, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

    Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached important consensus during their meeting in Kazan, pointing out the direction for the improvement and development of China-India relations, Wang said.

    Wang called on both sides to aim high, plan for the long term, adhere to the direction of good-neighborliness and friendship, and realize the “Dragon-Elephant Tango.”

    Wang said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, and the sustained improvement and growth of bilateral relations have not come easily, making them more valuable to cherish.

    Noting the relationship between the two countries is not directed against any third party, nor should it be disrupted by any third party, Wang called on both sides to build mutual trust rather than suspicion, pursue cooperation rather than competition, and seek mutual success rather than mutual attrition.

    China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consistently enhance political mutual trust, meet each other halfway to expand exchanges and cooperation, act with consideration for the bigger picture to properly manage differences, and strengthen coordination via multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), to promote the sustained, healthy, and steady development of China-India relations, Wang said.

    Wang said that President Xi proposed the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and Prime Minister Modi advocated that “the world is one family,” noting that these concepts are interrelated.

    Both sides support multilateralism and hope that the international order will develop in a more just and reasonable direction, Wang said.

    He added that China is willing to enhance communication and coordination with India, and jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system, the stability of the global industrial and supply chains, and an international environment of openness and cooperation.

    China is willing to work with India to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and safeguard the common interests of the Global South to promote regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, Wang said.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing, capital of China, July 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    For his part, Jaishankar said that the Kazan meeting between the leaders of the two countries has provided important guidance for India-China relations, with bilateral exchanges and cooperation across various fields being normalized.

    He also expressed the appreciation for China’s facilitation of the resumption of Indian pilgrimages to China’s Xizang.

    Noting that India and China are development partners, not rivals, the Indian foreign minister said India is willing to view its relations with China from a long-term perspective, take the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to focus on common interests, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border regions.

    He called on both sides to work on positive factors in the bilateral relationship, so that the differences will not escalate into disputes, and competition will not turn into conflict.

    As India and China are important neighbors, populous countries, and major global economies, their relations carry regional and global significance, said Jaishankar.

    He added that India adheres to strategic autonomy and pursues an independent foreign policy. India stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China at the multilateral level to promote a multipolar world, Jaishankar noted.

    He also said that India fully supports China in successfully hosting the SCO summit as its rotating chair.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese medics treat patients, empower locals in Benin

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

    A doctor of the 27th batch of the Chinese medical team to Benin (C) examines a patient at the Mono and Couffo Departmental Hospital Center in Lokossa, Benin, on July 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    When Yang Ping stepped back into the intensive care unit, a wave of relief washed over her: Beatrice Lawe, a 45-year-old patient once teetering on the brink of death, was breathing on her own, vital signs stable, after an emergency operation performed by Yang and fellow members of the Chinese Medical Team in Benin.

    “She really made it through,” recalled Yang, a surgeon who leads the 27th Chinese medical team.

    Lawe had earlier undergone surgery for peritonitis and appendicitis at another hospital, but developed severe complications shortly after. When her condition suddenly deteriorated, she was rushed to the Mono and Couffo Departmental Hospital Center in Lokossa, southwest Benin.

    Yang still remembers the moment of her initial assessment. “Based on clinical experience, the odds of her survival were almost nil,” she said.

    Despite the grim outlook, Yang and her colleagues pressed on with emergency procedures, fully supported by the patient’s family. Two weeks later, a miracle unfolded: Lawe regained consciousness with her condition stabilized.

    She was eventually discharged in good health and, six months later, underwent a successful second operation for colostomy reversal and digestive tract reconstruction, after which she fully returned to normal life.

    Her recovery became more than just a clinical success. It symbolized the deep trust and friendship between Chinese doctors and Beninese patients.

    The hospital where Lawe was cured has a longstanding bond with China. Built with Chinese aid and inaugurated in April 1997, the Mono and Couffo Departmental Hospital Center serves as a key regional medical center in Benin.

    Since 1978, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China has continuously dispatched medical teams to the West African country, a commitment that has remained unbroken for 47 years.

    The 27th batch of the Chinese medical team arrived in Benin in January 2024, consisting of 22 members, including 18 medical professionals. They are stationed in Lokossa and Natitingou.

    Since their arrival, they have provided medical care to 15,382 patients, performed 2,758 surgeries, and organized 26 visits across Benin to provide locals with free consultation, treatment and, when needed, medication.

    In a country with limited infrastructure, scarce advanced equipment, and a high prevalence of tropical diseases, the Chinese medical team often works under intense pressure.

    “Motorcycle-related trauma cases are especially frequent,” Yang noted. “At peak times, we handle up to seven or eight severe orthopedic injuries a day.”

    To help address these challenges, China and Benin signed a cooperation agreement in 2021, establishing a partnership between the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University and the Mono and Couffo Departmental Hospital Center.

    Through telemedicine consultations, academic exchanges, talent training, and expert visits, the program aims not just to heal, but to empower.

    “We are not only here to treat patients,” Yang said. “We are here to leave behind skills that will stay on and benefit our Beninese friends for generations.”

    Through case discussions, live demonstrations, and bedside teaching, the Chinese team helps local hospital staff improve their ability to independently manage situations such as emergency trauma, fracture reduction, and postoperative care.

    The resulting effects are evident to the Beninese crew. Head nurse Jacqueline Oussou, who has worked in Lokossa for 15 years, said she has seen an increase in patients coming specifically for Chinese doctors.

    “They are so dedicated, and they did an excellent job in surgery, obstetrics, otolaryngology and ophthalmology,” she said.

    In the anesthesia department, nurse Elsie Tchenagni highlighted the importance of the new equipment and skills brought by the Chinese team.

    “They not only brought in new equipment, but also trained us patiently on how to use them,” she said. “Now our procedures are much more precise. Even with language barriers, we have developed strong working chemistry.”

    From emergency surgeries to daily rounds, from hands-on training to technology transfer, the Chinese medical team in Benin has become more than just a group of doctors. They are trusted partners in health and an embodiment of friendship.

    Over the past 47 years, successive generations of Chinese doctors have traveled from afar to serve in Benin, upholding the principle that “people come first, life comes first.” Their unwavering dedication is reflected in the lives they save and the lasting impact they have on local healthcare.

    In every hospital ward and surgical theater, their presence tells a quiet yet powerful story — one of humanity, perseverance, and a shared hope for a healthier future. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s foreign trade demonstrates resilience despite global headwinds

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

    An aerial drone photo shows vehicles to be exported at Yantai Port in east China’s Shandong Province, Jan. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s foreign trade continued to recover in the first half of 2025, with imports returning to positive growth in June, as the world’s second-largest economy showed resilience despite global economic uncertainties.

    The country’s total imports and exports of goods in yuan-denominated terms rose at a pace of 2.9 percent during the January-June period to 21.79 trillion yuan (about 3.05 trillion U.S. dollars), a record high for the period, data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) showed on Monday.

    The growth rate accelerated from a rise of 2.5 percent registered in the first five months of the year.

    Describing the first-half foreign trade performance as “hard-won,” GAC deputy head Wang Lingjun told a press conference that China still faces growing global unilateralism and protectionism, which have increased the complexity and uncertainty of the external environment. He stressed that “arduous efforts” are needed to stabilize foreign trade growth in the second half of the year.

    A breakdown of the data showed that China’s exports rose 7.2 percent year on year during the first half of the year, while imports fell 2.7 percent, according to the GAC data.

    In June alone, the country’s exports climbed 7.2 percent from a year earlier, while imports gained 2.3 percent, reversing from a decline of 2.1 percent posted in May.

    Monday’s data also showed continued structural improvements in China’s foreign trade.

    High-tech product exports maintained strong growth in the first half of the year, rising 9.2 percent year on year. Notably, Chinese brands accounted for a larger share of the total, reaching 32.4 percent.

    In terms of trading partners, trade between China and ASEAN totaled 3.67 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.6 percent. China’s trade with the European Union went up 3.5 percent year on year to 2.82 trillion yuan, while its trade with the United States decreased by 9.3 percent year on year to 2.08 trillion yuan, according to the data.

    China’s trade with Belt and Road partner countries rose 4.7 percent to 11.29 trillion yuan, and trade with African countries increased 14.4 percent to 1.18 trillion yuan during the period.

    Wang noted that China has the strength, confidence and capability to overcome various risks and challenges, citing its diversified and stable markets, innovative and competitive products, and resilient exporters as key buffers against external risks.

    The foreign trade data were released one day ahead of the country’s other key economic indicators for the first half of the year, including GDP, retail sales, industrial production and fixed-asset investment.

    China’s economy expanded 5.4 percent year on year in the first quarter of the year, compared with an annual growth of 5 percent in 2024. The country has set its full-year growth target at around 5 percent for this year. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA Statement on Representative Assembly Recommendation

    Source: US National Education Union

    By: National Education Association

    Published: July 14, 2025

    National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement:

    “Among many items debated at NEA’s 2025 Representative Assembly, delegates voted to forward a recommendation to the NEA Executive Committee that the National Education Association (NEA) not use, endorse, or publicize materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) or participate in ADL programs. As was shared with delegates at that time, a vote to support the measure would result in an automatic referral to the NEA Executive Committee in accordance with NEA rules on sanctions and boycotts. 

    “As educators, we know that before making any decision, we must do our own research, listening, and learning. That process has begun by meeting with a multitude of Jewish leaders, civil rights leaders, academic practitioners, and elected officials. Today, I met with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, to clarify NEA’s process and restate our commitment to combating the rise of antisemitism in our society. The NEA has a long history of combating antisemitism and providing resources for educators to use in our schools and communities. And we have increased that work over the last several years, given the clear rise of antisemitism. As educators, our duty is to increase understanding and strengthen the culture of respect and inclusion all of our students need. Antisemitism has no place in our union, in public education, or in our country. 

    “We will move expeditiously, with integrity and authenticity, to abide by our organization’s clear process. As always, our work will be guided by our mission, vision, and core values.”

    -###-

     Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carbajal Response to Inaccurate and Misleading ICE Claims

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) issued the response below following ICE’s inaccurate and misleading claims about the Carpinteria, CA, raid that took place on July 10, 2025.

    “This is a blatant attempt to distort what occurred in Carpinteria,” said Rep. Carbajal. “DHS and ICE conducted their raid using a disturbing and disproportionate level of force, both on the farm workers they were targeting and the peaceful protesters who gathered to defend their neighbors. I witnessed agents, in full military gear, fire smoke canisters and other projectiles into a crowd of peaceful civilians. Just before I arrived at the scene, witnesses told me the agents threw a stun grenade into the crowd. Several civilians were injured, including a child. 

    “This aggressive behavior in a normally quiet part of the Central Coast sparked alarm across our community, prompting a flood of calls and messages to my office from concerned citizens. I went to the scene to seek answers and represent my constituents. In response to my questions, an ICE Public Affairs Specialist voluntarily gave me his card in full public view of the dozens of TV cameras, reporters, and livestreaming smartphones that were around us to film the interaction.

    “ICE’s claims of ‘doxxing’ and ‘violent mobs’ are attempts to deflect attention from their unjust tactics, distort the facts to support misleading narratives, and avoid accountability for their aggressive actions that caused injuries and left our community traumatized.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is there any hope for the internet?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aarushi Bhandari, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Davidson College

    Hate and mental illness fester online because love and healing seem to be incompatible with profits. Ihor Lukianenko/iStock via Getty Images

    In 2001, social theorist bell hooks warned about the dangers of a loveless zeitgeist. In “All About Love: New Visions,” she lamented “the lack of an ongoing public discussion … about the practice of love in our culture and in our lives.”

    Back then, the internet was at a crossroads. The dot-com crash had bankrupted many early internet companies, and people wondered if the technology was long for this world.

    The doubts were unfounded. In only a few decades, the internet has merged with our bodies as smartphones and mined our personalities via algorithms that know us more intimately than some of our closest friends. It has even constructed a secondary social world.

    Yet as the internet has become more integrated in our daily lives, few would describe it as a place of love, compassion and cooperation. Study after study describe how social media platforms promote alienation and disconnection – in part because many algorithms reward behaviors like trolling, cyberbullying and outrage.

    Is the internet’s place in human history cemented as a harbinger of despair? Or is there still hope for an internet that supports collective flourishing?

    Algorithms and alienation

    I explore these questions in my new book, “Attention and Alienation.”

    In it, I explain how social media companies’ profits depend on users investing their time, creativity and emotions. Whether it’s spending hours filming content for TikTok or a few minutes crafting a thoughtful Reddit comment, participating on these platforms takes work. And it can be exhausting.

    Even passive engagement – like scrolling through feeds and “lurking” in forums – consumes time. It might feel like free entertainment – until people recognize they are the product, with their data being harvested and their emotions being manipulated.

    Blogger, journalist and science fiction writer Cory Doctorow coined the term “enshittification” to describe how experiences on online platforms gradually deteriorate as companies increasingly exploit users’ data and tweak their algorithms to maximize profits.

    For these reasons, much of people’s time spent online involves dealing with toxic interactions or mindlessly doomscrolling, immersed in dopamine-driven feedback loops.

    This cycle is neither an accident nor a novel insight. Hate and mental illness fester in this culture because love and healing seem to be incompatible with profits.

    Care hiding in plain sight

    In his 2009 book “Envisioning Real Utopias,” the late sociologist Erik Olin Wright discusses places in the world that prioritize cooperation, care and egalitarianism.

    Wright mainly focused on offline systems like worker-owned cooperatives. But one of his examples lived on the internet: Wikipedia. He argued that Wikipedia demonstrates the ethos “from each according to ability, to each according to need” – a utopian ideal popularized by Karl Marx.

    Wikipedia still thrives as a nonprofit, volunteer-ran bureaucracy. The website is a form of media that is deeply social, in the literal sense: People voluntarily curate and share knowledge, collectively and democratically, for free. Unlike social media, the rewards are only collective.

    There are no visible likes, comments or rage emojis for participants to hoard and chase. Nobody loses and everyone wins, including the vast majority of people who use Wikipedia without contributing work or money to keep it operational.

    Building a new digital world

    Wikipedia is evidence of care, cooperation and love hiding in plain sight.

    In recent years, there have been more efforts to create nonprofit apps and websites that are committed to protecting user data. Popular examples include Signal, a free and open source instant messaging service, and Proton Mail, an encrypted email service.

    These are all laudable developments. But how can the internet actively promote collective flourishing?

    What if Wikipedia were less the exception, and more the norm?
    Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

    In “Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want,” sociologist Ruha Benjamin points to a way forward. She tells the story of Black TikTok creators who led a successful cultural labor strike in 2021. Many viral TikTok dances had originally been created by Black artists, whose accounts, they claimed, were suppressed by a biased algorithm that favored white influencers.

    TikTok responded to the viral #BlackTikTokStrike movement by formally apologizing and making commitments to better represent and compensate the work of Black creators. These creators demonstrated how social media engagement is work – and that workers have the power to demand equitable conditions and fair pay.

    This landmark strike showed how anyone who uses social media companies that profit off the work, emotions and personal data of their users – whether it’s TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram or Reddit – can become organized.

    Meanwhile, there are organizations devoted to designing an internet that promotes collective flourishing. Sociologist Firuzeh Shokooh Valle provides examples of worker-owned technology cooperatives in her 2023 book, “In Defense of Solidarity and Pleasure: Feminist Technopolitics in the Global South.” She highlights the Sulá Batsú co-op in Costa Rica, which promotes policies that seek to break the stranglehold that negativity and exploitation have over internet culture.

    “Digital spaces are increasingly powered by hate and discrimination,” the group writes, adding that it hopes to create an online world where “women and people of diverse sexualities and genders are able to access and enjoy a free and open internet to exercise agency and autonomy, build collective power, strengthen movements, and transform power relations.”

    In Los Angeles, there’s Chani, Inc., a technology company that describes itself as “proudly” not funded by venture capitalists. The Chani app blends mindfulness practices and astrology with the goal of simply helping people. The app is not designed for compulsive user engagement, the company never sells user data, and there are no comments sections.

    No comments

    What would social media look like if Wikipedia were the norm instead of an exception?

    To me, a big problem in internet culture is the way people’s humanity is obscured. People are free to speak their minds in text-based public discussion forums, but the words aren’t always attached to someone’s identity. Real people hide behind the anonymity of user names. It isn’t true human interaction.

    In “Attention and Alienation,” I argue that the ability to meet and interact with others online as fully realized, three-dimensional human beings would go a long way toward creating a more empathetic, cooperative internet.

    When I was 8 years old, my parents lived abroad for work. Sometimes we talked on the phone. Often I would cry late into the night, praying for the ability to “see them through the phone.” It felt like a miraculous possibility – like magic.

    I told this story to my students in a moment of shared vulnerability. This was in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the class was taking place over videoconferencing. In these online classes, one person talked at a time. Others listened.

    It wasn’t perfect, but I think a better internet would promote this form of discussion – people getting together from across the world to share the fullness of their humanity.

    Efforts like Clubhouse have tapped into this vision by creating voice-based discussion forums. The company, however, has been criticized for predatory data privacy policies.

    What if the next iteration of public social media platforms could build on Clubhouse? What if they brought people together and showcased not just their voices, but also live video feeds of their faces without harvesting their data or promoting conflict and outrage?

    Raised eyebrows. Grins. Frowns. They’re what make humans distinct from increasingly sophisticated large language models and artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT.

    After all, is anything you can’t say while looking at another human being in the eye worth saying in the first place?

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

    – ref. Is there any hope for the internet? – https://theconversation.com/is-there-any-hope-for-the-internet-259251

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ABC’s and CBS’s settlements with Trump are a dangerous step toward the commander in chief becoming the editor-in-chief

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael J. Socolow, Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine

    Will settlements by news companies with President Donald Trump turn journalists into puppets? MARHARYTA MARKO/iStock Getty Images Plus

    It was a surrender widely foreseen. For months, rumors abounded that Paramount would eventually settle the seemingly frivolous lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump concerning editorial decisions in the production of a CBS interview with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2024.

    On July 2, 2025, those rumors proved true: The settlement between Paramount and Trump’s legal team resulted in CBS’s parent company agreeing to pay $16 million to the future Donald Trump Library – the $16 million included Trump’s legal fees – in exchange for ending the lawsuit. Despite the opinion of many media law scholars and practicing attorneys who considered the lawsuit meritless, Shari Redstone, the largest shareholder of Paramount, yielded to Trump.

    Redstone had been trying to sell Paramount to Skydance Media since July 2024, but the transaction was delayed by issues involving government approval.

    Specifically, when the Trump administration assumed power in January 2025, the new Federal Communications Commission had no legal obligation to facilitate, without scrutiny, the transfer of the CBS network’s broadcast licenses for its owned-and-operated TV stations to new ownership.

    The FCC, under newly installed Republican Chairman Brendan Carr, was fully aware of the issues in the legal conflict between Trump and CBS at the time Paramount needed FCC approval for the license transfers. Without a settlement, the Paramount-Skydance deal remained in jeopardy.

    Until it wasn’t.

    At that point, Paramount joined Disney in implicitly apologizing for journalism produced by their TV news divisions.

    Earlier in 2025, Disney had settled a different Trump lawsuit with ABC News in exchange for a $15 million donation to the future Trump Library. That lawsuit involved a dispute over the wording of the actions for which Trump was found liable in a civil lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll.

    GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump said the CBS interview with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was ‘fraudulent interference with an election.’

    It’s not certain what the ABC and CBS settlements portend, but many are predicting they will produce a “chilling effect” within the network news divisions. Such an outcome would arise from fear of new litigation, and it would install a form of internal self-censorship that would influence network journalists when deciding whether the pursuit of investigative stories involving the Trump administration would be worth the risk.

    Trump has apparently succeeded where earlier presidents failed.

    Presidential pressure

    From Jimmy Carter trying to get CBS anchor Walter Cronkite to stop ending his evening newscasts with the number of days American hostages were being held in Iran to Richard Nixon’s administration threatening the broadcast licenses of The Washington Post’s TV stations to weaken Watergate reporting, previous presidents sought to apply editorial pressure on broadcast journalists.

    But in the cases of Carter and Nixon, it didn’t work. The broadcast networks’ focus on both Watergate and the Iran hostage crisis remained unrelenting.

    Nor were Nixon and Carter the first presidents seeking to influence, and possibly control, network news.

    President Lyndon Johnson, who owned local TV and radio stations in Austin, Texas, regularly complained to his old friend, CBS President Frank Stanton, about what he perceived as biased TV coverage. Johnson was so furious with the CBS and NBC reporting from Vietnam, he once argued that their newscasts seemed “controlled by the Vietcong.”

    Yet none of these earlier presidents won millions from the corporations that aired ethical news reporting in the public interest.

    Before Trump, these conflicts mostly occurred backstage and informally, allowing the broadcasters to sidestep the damage to their credibility should any surrender to White House administrations be made public. In a “Reporter’s Notebook” on the CBS Evening News the night of the Trump settlement, anchor John Dickerson summarized the new dilemma succinctly: “Can you hold power to account when you’ve paid it millions? Can an audience trust you when it thinks you’ve traded away that trust?”

    “The audience will decide that,” Dickerson continued, concluding: “Our job is to show up to honor what we witness on behalf of the people we witness it for.”

    During the Iran hostage crisis, CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite ended every broadcast with the number of days the hostages had been held captive.

    Holding power to account

    There’s an adage in TV news: “You’re only as good as your last show.”

    Soon, Skydance Media will assume control over the Paramount properties, and the new CBS will be on the airwaves.

    When the licenses for KCBS in Los Angeles, WCBS in New York and the other CBS-owned-and-operated stations are transferred, we’ll learn the long-term legacy of corporate capitulation. But for now, it remains too early to judge tomorrow’s newscasts.

    As a scholar of broadcast journalism and a former broadcast journalist, I recommend evaluating programs like “60 Minutes” and the “CBS Evening News” on the record they will compile over the next three years – and the record they compiled over the past 50. The same goes for “ABC World News Tonight” and other ABC News programs.

    A major complicating factor for the Paramount-Skydance deal was the fact that “60 Minutes” has, over the past six months, broken major scoops embarrassing to the Trump administration, which led to additional scrutiny by its corporate ownership. Judged by its reporting in the first half of 2025, “60 Minutes” has upheld its record of critical and independent reporting in the public interest.

    If audience members want to see ethical, independent and professional broadcast journalism that holds power to account, then it’s the audience’s responsibility to tune it in. The only way to learn the consequences of these settlements is by watching future programming rather than dismissing it beforehand.

    The journalists working at ABC News and CBS News understand the legacy of their organizations, and they are also aware of how their owners have cast suspicion on the news divisions’ professionalism and credibility. As Dickerson asserted, they plan to “show up” regardless of the stain, and I’d bet they’re more motivated to redeem their reputations than we expect.

    I don’t think reporters, editors and producers plan to let Donald Trump become their editor-in-chief over the next three years. But we’ll only know by watching.

    Michael Socolow’s father, Sanford Socolow, worked for CBS News from 1956 to 1988.

    – ref. ABC’s and CBS’s settlements with Trump are a dangerous step toward the commander in chief becoming the editor-in-chief – https://theconversation.com/abcs-and-cbss-settlements-with-trump-are-a-dangerous-step-toward-the-commander-in-chief-becoming-the-editor-in-chief-261006

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A warning from the future: the risk if NZ gets climate adaptation policy wrong today

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Logan, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    New Zealand 2050: On the morning of February 27, the sea surged through the dunes south of the small town of Te Taone, riding on the back of Cyclone Harita’s swollen rivers and 200mm of overnight rainfall.

    By mid-morning, floodwaters had engulfed entire streets. Power was out. Roads were underwater. Emergency services responded swiftly, coordinating evacuations and establishing shelters.

    But for many residents, the realisation came days later: the help they expected after the water receded – support to rebuild, relocate or recover – wasn’t coming.

    “We lost everything,” says Mere Rākete, a solo mother of three, standing outside her home, now uninhabitable. “I rang the council, the government helpline, even the insurance company. They all said I’m not covered.”

    Mere lives in a suburb long identified as “high risk” under national climate risk maps. She didn’t stay there because she ignored the risk. She stayed because she had no viable alternative.

    “They say we had a choice. But when houses here were $400,000 and anything safer was $700,000, what choice is that?”

    No more buyouts

    Although this story is fictitious, it describes a plausible future based on how New Zealand’s draft climate adaptation framework could play out. It reflects the likely consequences of policy decisions that focus narrowly on financial exposure.

    Last week’s recommendations from the Ministry for the Environment’s Independent Reference Group rightly called for urgent and improved risk information. But they focused narrowly on direct risk to property and infrastructure.

    In particular, the group proposed that beyond 2045 the government should not buy out property owners after climate-related disasters (or those at high risk of future events).

    Responding to the recommendations last week, climate policy analyst Jonathan Boston wrote that ruling out property buyouts “is philosophically misguided, morally questionable, administratively inept, and politically naïve”.

    But it appears the government shares the reference group’s view. Addressing the current flooding disaster in the Tasman district, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, “In principle, the government won’t be able to keep bailing out people in this way.”

    Beyond the specifics of financial compensation, however, lie the cascading and systemic risks that follow a major weather event. In reality, the impacts do not stop at the property boundary.

    When a family is displaced, or even fears displacement, the consequences ripple outward: schooling is disrupted, jobs are lost, mental health declines, community networks fragment and local economies suffer.

    Research shows how the after-effects of a disaster domino through interconnected systems, affecting health, housing, labour markets and social cohesion.

    A policy decades in the making

    Back to the future: our fictional town of Te Taone sits in a floodplain identified decades ago. By the 2040s, insurance had become unaffordable. New development slowed but many families, especially those on lower incomes, remained, with few relocation options.

    The adaptation framework proposed in 2025, based on a “beneficiary pays” model, created a 20-year transition period that ended in 2045. After that, residents in high-risk areas became ineligible for buyouts or standard recovery funding.

    Future government investment was limited to Crown-owned assets or projects with “national benefit”. Restoration of local infrastructure such as roads and power lines would depend on whether councils or ratepayers could pay.

    Today, parts of Te Taone remain cut off. Power is still out in some areas. The school has relocated inland. Local shops have closed. Many homes are damaged, waterlogged, or destroyed, and some families are now living in tents.

    “It’s not that we weren’t warned,” says a local community worker. “It’s just that we couldn’t afford to do anything but live with the risk and hope for the best.”

    Te Taone’s experience is now raising deeper concerns that Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate adaptation framework may be entrenching a form of “climate redlining”. Those with the means can move to escape risk, while others are left behind to bear it.

    Adaptation or abandonment?

    Māori communities are especially affected. Parts of the floodplain include ancestral land, some communally owned, some leased by whānau who cannot easily relocate. In many cases, this land was only recently returned from the Crown, after years of land court proceedings or Treaty settlements.

    The prospect of abandoning it again, without coordinated support, echoes earlier waves of institutional neglect. Mere Rākete is now considering joining a class action, one of several reportedly forming across the country.

    Residents are challenging the government or local councils over a failure in their duty of care by allowing homes to be built, sold or inhabited in known risk zones without clear and enforceable warnings or adequate alternatives.

    Meanwhile, adaptation experts are calling for a reset: a national compensation framework with clear eligibility rules, long-term investment in affordable housing beyond hazard-prone areas.

    Above all, they argue, government policy based on a climate adaptation framework developed 25 years ago has not reduced exposure to risk. Instead, it has redistributed it from those who could leave to those who couldn’t.

    In the meantime, the remaining residents of Te Taone wait for the next cyclone and wonder whether, next time, anyone will help.

    Planning with people in mind

    Our imagined future scenario can be avoided if governments take a broader view of adaptation. Treating climate risk as an individual responsibility may reduce short-term government liability. But it will not reduce long-term social and fiscal liability.

    The risk of failing to act systemically is that the country pays in other ways – in fractured communities, rising inequity and preventable harm.

    Adaptation to climate change has to be about more than limiting the upfront costs of buyouts or infrastructure repairs. Ignoring the wider impacts will only shift the burden and increase it over time.

    Real economic and community resilience means planning with people in mind, investing early and making sure no one is left behind. That work must begin now.

    Tom Logan owns shares in Urban Intelligence. He receives funding from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and the Royal Society of NZ.

    Paula Blackett works part time for Urban Intelligence. She receives research funding from the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and undertakes consulting work regarding climate risk and adaptation.

    – ref. A warning from the future: the risk if NZ gets climate adaptation policy wrong today – https://theconversation.com/a-warning-from-the-future-the-risk-if-nz-gets-climate-adaptation-policy-wrong-today-260912

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Barca demotion sparks Ter Stegen’s doubts over Germany future

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

    Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s reported demotion at Barcelona has raised fresh concerns about his standing in Germany’s national team just a year before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    According to Spanish and German media reports, including Sport, Mundo Deportivo and Kicker, new Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has informed the 33-year-old goalkeeper that he will serve as third-choice next season, behind new signing Joan Garcia and 35-year-old Wojciech Szczesny.

    Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (R) argues with Barcelona’s goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen during the UEFA Europa League play-off 2nd leg match between Manchester United and Barcelona in Manchester, Britain, Feb. 23, 2023. (Xinhua)

    Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has publicly sought clarification on Ter Stegen’s future, warning that regular playing time is essential for selection. “Rhythm and consistent match practice are inevitable for anyone wanting to be part of the World Cup squad,” Nagelsmann said.

    Garcia, 24, joined Barcelona from local rivals Espanyol for a reported 25 million euros on a contract through 2031, while Szczesny has agreed to a two-year extension. Despite being under contract until 2028, Ter Stegen’s demotion threatens his role with Germany.

    Reports indicate that a transfer may be the only solution to safeguard Ter Stegen’s World Cup hopes. Clubs including Galatasaray, Monaco, and several Premier League sides have reportedly shown interest.

    Ter Stegen had previously insisted he would fight for his place at Barcelona. However, Flick’s stance may alter his plans. The German keeper had only recently returned to action after a long-term knee injury, reclaiming the starting spot during last month’s UEFA Nations League Finals.

    Kicker described Barcelona’s approach as a clear signal the club wants to move on from Ter Stegen, despite his decade of service, 422 appearances and 19 trophies. Complicating matters further, the goalkeeper recently separated from his wife but remains committed to staying in Barcelona for personal reasons, as his children live there.

    Former Germany international and ex-Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler criticized Barcelona’s treatment of Ter Stegen as disrespectful, given his years of elite performances. Adler advised him to seek a transfer to protect his chances of being Germany’s No. 1 at the World Cup.

    Ter Stegen, according to reports, is both surprised and disappointed by the decision, though polls in Spanish media suggest the majority of Barcelona supporters back Flick’s move.

    The 2026 tournament represents Ter Stegen’s first chance to start at a major tournament after having spent much of his international career as backup to Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, who withdrew from Germany duty after Euro 2024.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Africa – Unlocking Opportunity: How India can Harness the Africa Corridor to Grow Merchandise Exports (By Shivank Goel)

    Source: Rand Merchant Bank

    From tech stack adoption in countries like Ghana and Angola, to partnerships between Indian public sector firms and African energy providers, the bilateral relationship is rapidly deepening
    SANDTON, South Africa, July 14, 2025 – By Shivank Goel, an Indo-Africa Corridor Specialist at RMB (www.RMB.co.za)

    At GTR Africa 2025, a diverse panel of experts – including representatives from the Reserve Bank of India’s research wing, MSME chambers and leading financial institutions – explored the question of how India can double its export trade to reach the government’s target of $2 trillion by 2030. In 2024, India’s exports of goods and services were estimated at over $800 billion, up 5.6% year on year. Yet services continue to outpace goods, with an eight-percentage-point lead in growth.

    For India to achieve a more balanced export profile and reach its national targets, boosting merchandise exports is imperative. Africa stands out as a significant factor in helping India achieve its ambitious goals, particularly as a market for Indian merchandise exports. Financial institutions have a substantial role to play in supporting this trade and unlocking the opportunities within the India-Africa corridor.

    A growth market with strategic alignment

    Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Across sectors such as infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, automotive components, agriculture, and consumer goods, Indian products are already gaining traction. Shared cultural and historical ties, a largely English-speaking business environment, and similar developmental goals in education, technology, healthcare, and infrastructure position the two regions as natural trade partners.

    With the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa is poised to become more integrated with an addressable market of 1.2 billion people, $3.4 trillion in GDP, and reduced intra-continental tariffs. This transforms the way Indian exporters can approach the region, moving from fragmented country-specific strategies to viewing Africa as a unified, high-growth destination, not only for trade but also for embedding into the region as a way to participate in the global value chain.

    Financial and structural hurdles to overcome

    Although this opportunity is promising, Indian exporters, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), face several challenges in navigating African markets. One of the most significant hurdles is logistical complexity, including infrastructure constraints in certain regions, which can disrupt supply chains and increase the cost and time of moving goods across borders.

    Another key concern is partner and counterparty risk. In many cases, assessing the creditworthiness of potential trading partners is difficult, and this uncertainty can deter Indian firms from entering new markets. Exporters must also contend with foreign exchange volatility and concerns about the timely and secure repatriation of funds, which can further complicate trade with certain African countries.

    In addition, many exporters – particularly newer or smaller firms – struggle to access the working capital and trade finance required to scale operations or explore new markets. These financing gaps can limit their ability to take advantage of the growing opportunities presented by Africa’s expanding consumer base and regional trade integration.

    Overcoming these barriers requires a holistic financial approach that combines a deep understanding of local markets with tailored credit solutions, risk mitigation tools, and long-term partnership models.

    Digitisation is a critical enabler of trade finance

    As global trade becomes increasingly volatile due to shifting tariffs, regulatory uncertainty, and tightening cycles, efficiency and agility are critical. Digital transformation plays a pivotal role in reducing costs and improving access to finance.

    Innovations such as e-bills of lading, blockchain-based guarantees, and the use of machine learning and AI for document verification and compliance checks can reduce delays and human error in cross-border trade processes. While traditional trade finance cycles can take 60 to 90 days, digital solutions allow exporters to respond quickly to market changes and manage cash flow more effectively.

    Banks and financiers investing in African-led digitisation efforts are well placed to support Indian exporters entering or expanding in the region. By building digital platforms that align with local regulatory environments and business norms, financial partners can help unlock a new era of trade connectivity between the two regions.

    Leveraging AfCFTA for regional and global value chains

    One of the most powerful tools available to Indian exporters is the ability to use Africa not just as an end market but also as a base for regional and global value chain participation. With AfCFTA aiming to eliminate trade barriers between African nations, a company that invests or establishes operations in one country could potentially access the entire continent tariff-free.

    This opens new opportunities to move up the value chain through manufacturing, technology transfer, and joint ventures that foster local capacity while increasing India’s global trade footprint. It also encourages long-term thinking and investment in the corridor, for shared prosperity, rather than short-term export opportunism.

    The need for skills and inclusive innovation

    Export growth cannot happen in a vacuum. Both India and Africa need to invest in upskilling and reskilling their workforces, particularly in fields like engineering, logistics, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Encouraging more people to pursue careers in these sectors is essential in building long-term trade resilience.

    Technology must be made accessible and inclusive, with tools and training offered in local languages and tailored to diverse educational backgrounds. The goal is not to replace people with machines, but to empower people to work more effectively with technology, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and productivity, particularly in the areas of financing and trade compliance.

    The role of diplomacy

    India’s growing diplomatic and economic engagement with Africa is already yielding results. During its presidency of the G20 in 2023, India championed the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member, highlighting its ambition to serve as a voice for the Global South.

    Today, India is collaborating with African nations on digital infrastructure, payment platforms, energy projects, naval cooperation, and more. From tech stack adoption in countries like Ghana and Angola, to partnerships between Indian public sector firms and African energy providers, the bilateral relationship is rapidly deepening.

    To accelerate trade, policy frameworks on both sides must evolve to support openness, competition, and innovation. Incentives for exporters, joint R&D investments, streamlined customs procedures, and predictable regulations will all play a critical role.

    Building a corridor for shared prosperity

    The India–Africa trade corridor represents one of the most promising frontiers for growing Indian merchandise exports in the coming decade. The geopolitical environment is increasingly supportive, and there is significant scale and numerous synergies that can be leveraged for expansion.  

    By investing in digital transformation, financial access, skills development, and long-term policy alignment, stakeholders across the trade ecosystem, from governments and banks to MSMEs and large corporates, can build a corridor that delivers shared growth and resilience. Africa is not just a market to be tapped; it has the potential to become a strategic partner for India in shaping the future of global trade.

    About the Author:
    Shivank Goel is an Indo-Africa Corridor Specialist at RMB. He was a panellist at GTR Africa 2025, contributing to the discussion on policy and finance strategies to accelerate India’s merchandise exports and strengthen the India–Africa trade corridor.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rural News – Alternative grass grub weapon now urgent – Federated Farmers

    Source: Federated Farmers

    Federated Farmers says urgent action is needed to plug a looming gap in treatments to fight native grass grub, which costs the agricultural sector hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
    “This is our biggest agricultural pest by a country mile, yet there’s a real risk farmers’ arsenal to fight it will soon be empty,” Feds biosecurity spokesperson David Birkett says.
    “It’s pleasing that manufacturers have work developing new chemicals underway.
    “We also need the Environmental Protection Authority to prioritise and fast-track their assessment of any new options.”
    Costelytra giveni is a scourge for pasture and lawn, and also a risk to horticulture and native plant root systems.
    The two most effective chemicals to control the grub – chlorpyrifos and Diazanon – are both being phased out after decisions by the EPA to ban them.
    Chlorpyrifos, a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide, is banned in the European Union and Canada, and its use is heavily restricted in Australia.
    It is in the process of being phased out internationally via the Stockholm Convention, of which New Zealand is a signatory.
    The EPA recently consulted on banning chlorpyrifos here. After considering new information, and holding a public hearing, a decision-making committee found risks to people and the environment – especially to those spraying it – outweighed the benefits.
    “We’re pleased the EPA listened carefully to our submission, and decided that for the agricultural sector, the ban would come at the end of an 18-month phase-out period,” Birkett says.
    “However, stocks of chlorpyrifos are already very limited and in the face of bans, manufacturers are taking it out of production.”
    The other potent weapon for combating grass grub, Diazanon, will also be banned from 2028.
    Federated Farmers understands AgResearch and ag chem companies are well underway with developing a new tool for combatting grass grub.
    “We’d really like to see them accelerate that development work. It would be disastrous for food production and our agricultural exports if our farmers are left high and dry for any period without an effective control method,” Birkett says.
    A 2018 study said native scarab grass grub causes losses of up to $380 million on dairy farms and $205 million on sheep and beef farmers every year – and that was with access to chlorpyrifos.
    Birkett says the EPA also needs to play its role swiftly.
    “Federated Farmers has been critical of the EPA’s failure to get on top of a backlog of assessment applications for agri-chemicals and animal health treatments.
    “We’ve welcomed Government announcements on new measures aimed at streamlining assessment processes, particularly in cases where chemicals are already being used safety in other countries.
    “But the the EPA also needs to adjust its priorities and not focus on assessing generic chemicals that are already available,” Birkett says.
    “Their work stream needs to take better account of how far off approvals are for effective replacement products, including biosecurity and pest increase issues, and how much delays would cost the country.
    “The new chemicals that offer the greatest economic benefits should get priority in the queue – and I would put any new treatment for grass grub in that category,” Birkett says. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Economy – RBNZ explores the impact of an ageing population on the financial system

    Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

    15 July 2025 – New Zealand faces an economic shift as the population ages, according to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in a Financial Stability Report special topic article released today.

    While the economic impact will unfold slowly, the Reserve Bank is urging financial institutions to understand and be prepared for the structural changes and potential risks associated with this long-term change, Director of Financial System Assessment Kerry Watt says.  

    “An ageing population is likely to influence savings, borrowing and investment behaviour. This in turn will affect interest rates, asset prices and the demand for financial products. The overall impacts may be complex and vary over time.”  

    As the population ages, overall savings are expected to rise in the near term before declining. People typically borrow when young, save during their working years, and draw down those savings in retirement.  

    Increased saving could put downward pressure on interest rates and lift the value of assets like housing and equity. Demand for housing loans may decline as the population ages. Older investors may favour lower risk assets.  

    For banks, increased deposit funding and reduced demand for mortgages may encourage a shift towards other types of lending and expansion in the provision of other services. For the insurance sector, demand for health insurance is expected to grow, while demand for life insurance may decline.  

    Demographic change and changes in the levels of savings and borrowing may also affect how monetary policy flows through the economy. In addition, increased expenditure on healthcare and superannuation will impact fiscal policy.

    “Understanding and adapting to these changes will be key to maintaining financial system resilience,” Mr Watt says.    

     

    More information

    The Grey Wave: Exploring the impact of an ageing population on the financial system: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=b0d0c803e0&e=f3c68946f8

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: FIND MINING launchs a new zero-investment APP to help you mine BTC and XRP for free. To cater to BTC breaking through the $121K mark

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    BTC is rising strongly, and the crypto market is facing unprecedented new opportunities

    Bitcoin has continued to rise in the past few weeks, mainly benefiting from global macroeconomic uncertainty, increased demand to fight inflation, and continued inflows of ETF funds. The current price is above the $121,000 mark, and the market generally expects BTC to further hit a record high.

    For many ordinary users, the high investment threshold and complicated transaction process make it difficult to “get on board” Bitcoin.Trustworthy global top cloud mining platform like FIND MINING play an important role in helping people simplify traditional hardware and mine BTC and XRP for free.

    FIND MINING Chairman and CEO said: “Our mission is to give every ordinary person the opportunity to participate in the future of cryptocurrency. FIND MINING is not only a mining tool, but also an empowerment platform. We are committed to breaking the threshold of traditional mining through technological innovation, allowing users to easily and safely participate in the creation and accumulation of digital assets with just a mobile phone. With Bitcoin breaking through $121,000, we firmly believe that everyone should seize this historic opportunity.”

    FIND MINING was legally established in the UK in 2018. In the more than seven years since its establishment, it has gained the trust of more than 9.4 million members, with a service network covering 175 countries and regions and more than 1.32 million mining machines. With its efficient, profitable, transparent and secure system, it has become a force that cannot be ignored in the encryption field.

    FIND MINING: Turn your phone into a mining machine and easily participate in mining

    FIND MINING has launched a lightweight mining application based on blockchain network optimization, which supports running on Android and iOS systems. Its core advantages are:

    ●AI-driven computing power allocation: The platform’s built-in AI engine dynamically allocates the best mining computing power based on real-time market conditions and difficulty, ensuring that mining revenue assets maintain a steady upward trend

    • Green energy and global nodes: Relying on 135 new energy mines covering various countries and regions in Europe and America, using green energy such as hydropower and solar energy to create a new field of low-carbon and environmentally friendly mining
    • Multi-currency support: not only supports BTC and XRP, but also covers at least 13 digital assets such as DOGE, ETH, USDT, LTC, SOL, BCH, USDC, etc.
    • Convenient and transparent withdrawal: Users’ daily income will be automatically settled and can be withdrawn to personal wallets or reinvested at any time. 24-hour manual online customer service and 24-hour deposit and withdrawal services are available throughout the year.
    • Funds are safe and secure: SSL encryption measures are used to protect each member’s funds.

    According to the latest annual report released by FIND MINING, the company has successfully completed its strategic reserve this year, holding a total of 70 million XRP and 395 Bitcoins, and the total liquid assets exceeded US$830 million.

    How to get started in FIND MINING?

    It only takes 3 steps to start mining:

    1. Register a member account for free
    2. Choose the contract plan that suits you to purchase

    For more contracts, please visit FIND MINING official website：https://findmining.com/

    1. Sit back and wait for your earnings to arrive

    Ordinary people can also “mine digital gold”: a new channel to get BTC and XRP for free

    In the traditional cryptocurrency world, participating in mining often means high initial investment and certain technical barriers. The emergence of FIND MINING breaks this barrier, providing ordinary users with a “zero threshold” way to enter the blockchain. With just a mobile phone and a little time, everyone can become a creator of digital currency.

    Especially in the current environment where BTC prices continue to soar, obtaining BTC and XRP for free through FIND MINING is undoubtedly a low-risk, high-potential way to participate.

    Bitcoin breaking through $121,000 is not only a feast for the digital currency market, but also an unprecedented new opportunity for ordinary people to change their destiny. And FIND MINING is the bridge to that opportunity.

    Register a FIND MINING account now to start your mobile mining journey and accumulate crypto wealth from the palm of your hand.

    Official Website:https://findmining.com/

    Google Play One-Click Download of Mobile Apps

    Contact us: info@findmining.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involves risk. There is potential for loss of funds. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Booker, SFRC Colleagues Demand Answers Regarding State Department Layoffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    July 14, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and their fellow members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) in writing a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing deep concerns with imminent Reductions in Force (RIFs) at the State Department and requested answers on the Trump Administration’s process for carrying out these layoffs. 

    The Senators wrote: “RIFs should remain a tool of last resort, and if implemented must be conducted according to long-standing procedures that prioritize transparency and a merit-based process for both career civil service employees and Foreign Service Officers (FSOs). During a time of increasingly complex and wide-spread challenges to U.S. national security, this administration should be strengthening our diplomatic corps—an irreplaceable instrument of U.S. power and leadership—not weakening it. However, RIFs would severely undermine the Department’s ability to achieve U.S. foreign policy interests, putting our nation’s security, strength, and prosperity at risk.”

    Since January, the Foreign Service has shrunk by nearly 25 percent and the number of civil service employees has also decreased due to agency closures, early retirement and buyouts. 

    The Senators requested a response to the following questions by no later than July 18, 2025: 

    RIF Criteria:

    1. When were RIF lists created, by whom, and against what criteria?
    2. Is the Department choosing to RIF based on current office assignment rather than globally ranking FSOs and civil servants based on grade and skillsets?  If so, why?
    3. Are the lists being updated to reflect Permanent Changes in Station (PCS) or curtailments?
    4. How many veterans and consular coned generalists are included on the list?
    5. It can take years of training for an FSO or civil servant to master diplomatic and negotiation skills, including obtaining fluency in critical languages. Why are skilled officers, including those with specialized language skills not being reassigned? How will the Department fill these specialized skill and experience gaps?

    Foreign Service Officers:

    1. Why is the administration preventing FSOs from transferring into critical vacancies?
    2. Why is the administration preventing candidates who accepted a “handshake” from being paneled to a position they were chosen for based on merit?
    3. What is the rationale for conducting RIFs before the reorganization takes effect?
    4. How many vacant FSO positions will there be worldwide after RIFs are processed? How does the Department plan to fill mission critical posts?
    5. Why is the Department processing RIFs prior to determining the number of vacant positions remaining following your reorganization efforts?
    6. How is the Department protecting the pipeline of FSOs to ensure no critical skill gaps in the future?

    Civil Service:

    1. Civil service employees often come to the Department with specialized experience.  How is the Department working to retain critical, hard to replace employees in the civil service?
    2. How is the Department working to ensure key specialties, knowledge, and personnel are retained and transferred during the reorganization?
    3. Why is the Department refusing to process any lateral moves by civil service employees who have been offered other civil service positions within the Department?
    4. If reducing waste, fraud, and abuse is the goal of the reorganization, why is the Department not efficiently allowing these experienced civil service employees to laterally move into vacant positions they were chosen for based on merit?
    5. If remaining officers are going to be asked to take on additional work, how will they be remunerated for their time and effort? 
    6. Will the hiring and lateral transition freezes be lifted once RIFs are complete?

    Reassignment Process:

    1. Will there be a competitive reassignment for high-performing, mission-critical personnel following the RIFs?  If so, what is the timeline and criteria for this reassignment process?  How will the Department communicate these details with its employees?

    The letter is cosigned by SFRC Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

    The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website. 

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two arrested after shot fired at Munno Para

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police have arrested two men and are looking for a third suspect after a firearm was discharged at Munno Para last night.

    About 7.45pm on Monday 14 July, police received calls about a disturbance occurring between two groups of men on Stebonheath Road. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots during this time.

    One group then left in a vehicle which was last seen heading towards Brandis Road.

    Northern District police responded and located two men who were victims involved in the disturbance. They were not physically injured.

    As a result of investigations, police arrested a 23-year-old man and a 41-year-old man both from Smithfield Plains.

    Police recovered a firearm during a search at a Davoren Park home suspected of being involved in the incident which will be forensically tested.

    The 23-year-old man was charged with possessing a firearm without a licence, two counts of discharging a firearm reckless as to harm a person and affray. The 41-year-old man was charged with possessing a firearm without a licence and affray.

    They have both been refused bail and will appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court today.

    Anyone with information on the incident or has any dashcam or CCTV who hasn’t yet spoken with police is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    Police advise that the incident is not random, and the men are known to each other.

    CO2500028748, CO2500028743

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils catalogue of green finance-supported projects

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

    BEIJING, July 14 — China’s financial authorities on Monday unveiled a catalogue of green finance-supported projects, as part of efforts to strengthen green finance’s role in driving the country’s green transition in economic and social development and advancing the “Beautiful China” initiative.

    The 2025 edition of the catalogue, jointly issued by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the National Financial Regulatory Administration and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, covers projects across a wide range of industries, including energy conservation and carbon reduction, environmental protection, resource recycling, green and low-carbon energy transition, ecological protection and restoration, green infrastructure upgrades, as well as green services and trade.

    The publication of the catalogue aims to boost liquidity in the green finance market, improve the efficiency of green finance asset management and reduce the costs of assessing green finance-supported projects, according to a statement by the PBOC.

    The newly released catalogue, which offers guidance and serves as a reference for the future issuance of green loans and green bonds, will take effect on Oct. 1, 2025.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Committee, Rosen Helps Advance Bipartisan National Defense Bill with Major Wins for Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    Senator Rosen Helped Write And Pass the Legislation To Provide A 3.8% Pay Raise for Troops, Deliver For Nevada’s National Security Installations, And Benefit Nevada Servicemembers
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced several major wins for servicemembers in Nevada that she helped secure in the bipartisan national defense bill that advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate’s bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 NDAA) contains thirty provisions championed by Senator Rosen, including the core of her FORGOTTEN Veterans Act. This bill classifies the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) as contaminated from nuclear testing and toxic activities, requires the Defense Department to document servicemember exposures to radiation and toxins that happen stateside, and requires the Air Force to identify all those who served at classified locations within the NTTR since 1951 and establish a process for them to provide proof of having served there, so that they can finally have a basis to submit PACT Act claims. 
    The Senate NDAA also authorizes several key military construction projects, including to support the readiness of the Nevada Air National Guard Base in Reno to receive C-130J aircraft to carry out their dangerous fire fighting mission. Additionally, it includes Senator Rosen’s amendment to break down a key barrier for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) crews who conduct combat operations – such as Creech Air Force Base – to continue to be able to access critical  mental health services through the VA once separated from the military. The NDAA also supports enlisted retention efforts through higher pay, provides a 3.8% pay raise for all troops, and does not authorize any funding for defense nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain. 
    “One of my top priorities is working to strengthen our national security and ensure our military has all of the resources it needs to support servicemembers and keep Nevadans safe. I’m proud to have helped shape a strong, bipartisan national defense package that supports our servicemembers in Nevada, strengthens our alliances, and enhances our military readiness,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation includes key provisions I secured to support critical national security installations in Nevada, provide our servicemembers with a deserved pay raise, and eliminate barriers for those who served within the Nevada Test and Training Range to submit PACT Act claims for toxic and radiation exposure. I’ll always work across party lines to keep Nevadans safe.”
    Rosen-led provisions in the FY26 NDAA include:
    Radiation and Toxic Exposure Documentation: Requires DOD to document all servicemember exposures, including those that occur domestically, so it can be seen by the VA after they’ve separated from the military; classifies the NTTR as contaminated; and requires the Secretary of the Air Force to identify all those who served within the NTTR since January 27, 1951 (the date of the first nuclear test), establish a process for veterans to provide proof of their assignment within the NTTR, and make all efforts to identify individuals without requiring them to submit evidence of their stationing. 
    Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Crew Mental Health Access: Directs the military service secretaries, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to establish a status identifier or equivalent recognition to note the combat participation of remotely piloted aircraft crews, ​in order to allow continued access to combat-related mental health services through the VA once the servicemember separates from the military. This is based on Senator Rosen’s bipartisan CARE for RPA Crews Act.
    Veteran Training Records: Directs the Pentagon to assess the feasibility of providing military training and qualification records to post-9/11 veterans to assist them in obtaining civilian jobs. This builds on Senator Rosen’s bipartisan Translating Military Skills into Civilian Jobs Act, which was signed into law as part of the FY2025 NDAA, which only applied to those currently serving, not veterans.
    Designating Creech Air Force Base as Remote & Isolated: Designates Creech AFB as a remote installation, making it eligible for additional funding for things like morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) activities, and medical services such as dental. This is to support Creech Airmen and their families, who often have to live an hour’s drive from Creech, because Creech has no on-base housing, limited off-based housing, and few services such as child care.  ​ 
    Nevada Air National Guard Fuel Cell Hangar: Authorizes $5.4 million for a larger fuel cell hangar at the Air National Guard Base in Reno, which is necessary for the base’s candidacy to receive C-130J aircraft, which are larger than the current fleet of C-130Hs. Senator Rosen has been working to secure C-130J aircraft for the Nevada National Guard to provide them with more capable aircraft for their dangerous fire fighting mission. ​
    Nevada Air National Guard Engine Maintenance and Support Facility: Authorizes $3.2 million to expand the facility at the Air National Guard Base in Reno. ​This project is also necessary for the base’s candidacy to receive C-130Js.
    Expansion of Nevada Army National Guard Armory in Henderson: Authorizes over $2.3 million for the expansion of the Nevada Army National Guard Armory in Henderson to help alleviate cramped working conditions.
    Fallon Range Training Complex Improvements: Authorizes $47 million to accelerate modernization of the Fallon Range Training Complex to route the highway and natural gas pipelines around range B-16. ​
    Enlisted Retention Pay: Authorizes the Department of Defense to provide retention incentive pay to enlisted servicemembers that have a college degree in a field related to their military specialty to help improve recruitment and retention.
    Report on Initiatives that Negate the Need for Nuclear Testing: Directs the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration to brief Congress on how technological advancements and ongoing initiatives – including modernization of the underground laboratory at the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) –  will provide greater certainty on the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile, which negates the need for nuclear testing.
    Report on Incentive Programs for After-Hours Child Care: Directs the Department of Defense to brief Congress on their efforts to create and implement incentive programs that would encourage Family Child Care providers to expand their services, support military spouses, and provide after-hours childcare, which would support r Creech Airmen and their families, who often work outside of normal business hours due to the global operations they support.
    Report on Integration of Military Service Outcome Data with State Educational Systems: Directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to brief Congress on the feasibility of establishing a data sharing system to assist states in accessing military enlistment data to better inform students about military careers. 
    Hearing Aid Coverage for Children of Retired Servicemembers: Extends hearing aid coverage to children of all retired servicemembers, including retired members of the reserve components.
    Creech Air Force Base Health Assessment: Directs the Secretary of the Air Force, in coordination with the Defense Health Agency, to assess behavioral and social health conditions affecting servicemembers and families stationed at Creech. 
    Cyber Talent Management: Creates a DoD talent management program to support cyber personnel transitioning from active duty to the reserves. The provision  also authorizes U.S. Cyber Command to carry out a pilot program to provide skill incentive pay to help retain the top Cyber talent in the Cyber Mission Force. 
    Tibetan Plateau Strategy: Requires an expanded report on China’s military strategy on the Tibetan Plateau, directing the Department of Defense to analyze the risks related to China’s control of natural resources – particularly water – on the Plateau.
    Report on Department of Defense Paint Facilities for Corrosion Control: Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the status of facilities worldwide – including at Nellis Air Force Base – that conduct sanding and blasting operations of paint containing Hexavalent Chromium—a toxic, cancer-causing chemical used in paint on aircraft to prevent them from corroding.
    Rosen-backed provisions included in the FY26 Senate NDAA:
    Prioritize C-130J Recapitalization: Prohibits the Air Force until 2028 from spending funds on C-130J modernization until all Air National Guard units flying legacy C-130Hs, such as the Nevada Air National Guard in Reno, are set to receive C-130Js. 
    SkillBridge Protection: Protects the existing SkillBridge program for all enlisted servicemembers. SkillBridge provides transitioning servicemembers opportunities to participate in training and development with potential post-service employers during their last 180 days of military service, so they can gain invaluable skills, and be more prepared for life after service. Senator Rosen helped introduce bipartisan legislation with Senator Cruz to expand the SkillBridge program. 
    IVF for Military Families: Ensures that In-vitro Fertilization ( IVF) and fertility-related care shall be covered under TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select for both servicemembers and their spouses for up to three cycles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces More Than $2.2 Million for Airport Improvements Across Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Published: July 14, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that six Maine airports will receive a total of $2,263,425 to support important infrastructure improvements. The funding comes from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Fiscal Year 2025 Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA). Senator Collins was one of 10 senators who negotiated the IIJA, which provided $15 billion for airport improvements nationwide.
    “Maine’s airports are vital pieces of our state’s transportation network that promote job creation and economic development. Throughout our state, airports play a critical role not only in carrying residents and visitors, but also in facilitating medical services for those in rural communities during emergencies when seconds count,” said Senator Collins. “These significant investments will allow airports across Maine to make much-needed improvements to their infrastructure.”
    Specifically, the funding has been allocated as follows:
    Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) – $930,362 to support a runway extension study and to acquire snow removal equipment to enhance the airport’s ability to clear the priority areas of the airfield during adverse weather conditions.
    Bangor International Airport (BGR) – $512,477 to rehabilitate runway pavement to minimize foreign object debris and maintain the structural integrity of the pavement, extending its useful life. This funding will also support the installation of a precision approach path indicator system and flight check.
    Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport (SFM) – $442,548 to rehabilitate the existing taxilane and construct a new service road to bring the airport into conformity with current FAA standards.
    Pittsfield Municipal Airport (2B7) – $162,000 to reconstruct the existing apron pavement and airfield markings, which have reached the end of their useful life.
    Greenville Municipal Airport (3B1) – $108,037 to update the existing airport master plan study.
    Machias Valley Airport (MVM) – $108,001 to construct a new 5,000-foot additional runway, adding capacity and increasing efficiency.
    Since joining the Appropriations Committee in 2009, Senator Collins has helped to secure more than $1 billion in competitive transportation grants for the State of Maine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China launches Tianzhou-9 cargo craft to send space station supplies

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

    A Long March-7 Y10 rocket carrying cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-9 blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China’s Hainan Province, July 15, 2025. China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-9 in the early morning on Tuesday to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

    The Long March-7 Y10 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-9, blasted off at 5:34 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

    After about 10 minutes, Tianzhou-9 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded. The agency declared the launch a complete success. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

    China launched the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-9 in the early morning on Tuesday to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

    The Long March-7 Y10 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-9, blasted off at 5:34 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, the agency said.

    After about 10 minutes, Tianzhou-9 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

    The cargo craft will later conduct the rendezvous and docking with the space station combination.

    Tianzhou-9 is loaded with essential supplies, including consumables for the orbiting crew, propellant, and equipment for application experiments and tests.

    The mission is the fourth cargo resupply flight of China’s manned space program since the space station entered the application and development phase. It is also the 584th mission of the Long March rocket series. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Women’s Asia Cup: Australia cruise, S. Korea seal last-second win

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

    Australia, South Korea and Japan all claimed victories in Monday’s group-stage matches at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, with Australia cruising past Lebanon, Japan edging the Philippines and South Korea sealing a dramatic last-second win over New Zealand.

    Australia continued its dominant run with a commanding 113-34 victory over Lebanon, following its opening-day thrashing of the Philippines. Across their first two group matches, the Opals have posted a combined point differential of +155.

    The game was one-sided from the tip-off, as Australia opened with a 17-0 run and held Lebanon to single-digit scoring in the first quarter. The Australians maintained defensive intensity throughout, never allowing Lebanon to score more than 11 points in any quarter.

    Australia shot 55.5% from the field, dominated rebounds with 60-23, and tallied 39 assists – the highest by any team in a single game so far in this tournament. Eight Australian players scored in double figures, led by Isabelle Bourne’s game-high 15 points. Lebanon’s Nour Labban was the only scorer in double digits for her team, finishing with 11 points.

    Australia head coach Paul Goriss praised his team’s focus over the first two games and noted that controlling the rebounds had been a key point of emphasis.

    Earlier in the day, veteran center Park Ji-su delivered a buzzer-beating layup with just 0.5 seconds left to lift South Korea to a thrilling 78-76 win over New Zealand.

    South Korea had led by 11 points after three quarters, but saw its advantage disappear after New Zealand’s Emilia Shearer hit a go-ahead jumper with 6.5 seconds remaining. Park responded with a decisive basket, and New Zealand was unable to convert on the final inbounds play.

    However, the win came at a cost. Star shooter Kang Lee-seul, who had scored 19 points, exited late in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury. Choi I-saem led South Korea with 23 points, and Park Ji-hyun added 20. Kang and Choi combined for 11 three-pointers.

    Shearer finished with 22 points for New Zealand, while Rebecca Kathleen Pizzey and McKenna Dale each contributed 11.

    “We are prepared even if Lee-seul can’t play. The same goes for someone like Ji-su – we’re ready to adjust,” said South Korea head coach Park Soo-ho, whose team now faces defending champion China on Tuesday.

    In Monday’s final group game, 2023 runner-up Japan was given a late scare but held on for an 85-82 win over the Philippines.

    Japan appeared to be in control with a 14-point lead with just three minutes remaining, but a late surge from Naomi Natalie Panganiban and Jack Animam narrowed the gap to six points with 15 seconds left. Despite a clutch three-pointer from Vanessa De Jesus, the Philippines ran out of time and fell just short of a dramatic comeback.

    Japan, which had edged Lebanon by just four points in its group-stage opener, has yet to fully find its offensive rhythm. Playing against the Philippines, they improved slightly, shooting 44.4% from the field – still below their usual standards. With a crucial matchup against high-flying Australia ahead, Japan will need to tighten up on both ends.

    Veteran Maki Takada led Japan with 20 points, while 20-year-old Minami Yabu added 15. For the Philippines, Animam posted a game-high 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

    MIL OSI China News –