Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Europe: Frank Elderson: The rule of law as a constitutional pillar of European central banking

Source: European Central Bank

Keynote speech by Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, at the Italian constitutional court

Rome, 9 June 2025

Introduction

Thank you very much for inviting me.

The writings, judgments and speeches of many among this distinguished audience have shaped our understanding of the rule of law. I find it a privilege – and slightly daunting – to address you today on such a fundamental issue.

Today I am speaking to you as a central banker and banking supervisor. However, before I do so, allow me to take a moment to speak from a more personal perspective. Not as an official, but as the young law student I once was, reflecting on how I first came to understand and appreciate the rule of law.

As a law student at the University of Amsterdam in the early 1990s, I often cycled past a monument to Henk van Randwijk, a member of the anti-Nazi resistance during the Second World War. The monument is simple. A plain red brick wall, bearing the final lines of Van Randwijk’s most famous poem in simple white lettering:

“een volk dat voor tirannen zwicht
zal meer dan lijf en goed verliezen
dan dooft het licht …”

“a people that bows to tyrants
will lose more than body and belongings
then, the light goes out …”

I would sometimes stop, park my bicycle against a tree, and contemplate these words, hearing the echo of the heinous crimes committed on the streets of Amsterdam, and far beyond, during those hellish years when the light had indeed gone out.

I would think of the US military cemetery in Margraten, in the South of the Netherlands, where my parents used to take me and my sisters as children to see the endless rows of meticulously kept graves, each honouring one of the 10,000 US soldiers buried there, who had given their lives so that the light might shine once again in all its splendour.

I would continue my way to law school, thinking of one of the most fundamental lessons our professors had taught us: if the horrors of the past are to be avoided, if minorities are to be protected, if the individual is to be free, democracy needs to be accompanied by the rule of law. We studied the small, but fundamental, book, “Democracy and the Rule of Law”, which I keep on a shelf facing my desk to this day. Our professors never tired of explaining how vital the word “and” is in that title: the rule of law is both a precondition for democracy, and an essential limit to majority rule. For tyranny, which Van Randwijk’s poem so poignantly warns against, can be exercised not only by a single ruler, but also by half the population plus one. Put succinctly, democracy protects the majority against the minority, while the rule of law protects the minority, even a minority of one, against the majority. And this, so we were taught, is why we need both.

Although the importance of the rule of law has been impressed on me since my earliest days, I am not speaking to you today as a historian, a legal scholar, or a young law student. Today I speak to you as a central banker and banking supervisor. Today, I intend to show that the rule of law is of the highest relevance for us as a central bank and supervisor to deliver on our mandate. In addition, I will present the case that we have a specific role to play in upholding the rule of law.

The rule of law is not merely the bedrock upon which lawyers, judges and legal scholars build their work. In recent years, its pivotal role in fostering economic prosperity has come to the forefront of public debate, underscoring its profound relevance far beyond the boundaries of the legal profession.

The rule of law is not a binary concept – it is not simply present or absent. Instead, it exists on a continuum, shaped by various factors such as constraints on government powers, independent courts, the absence of corruption, and respect for human rights. Its strength is also wide-ranging, varying significantly across jurisdictions, and it evolves over time. For many decades, the global rule of law experienced a steady and encouraging ascent. However, some recent indicators suggest that this progress may have reached its peak, while others point to signs of retreat.^[1]

Today I will discuss how the rule of law supports central banks in delivering on their price stability mandate, and banking supervisors in fostering financial stability.

It is worth emphasising that the connection between the rule of law and a thriving economy is well-established: a strong rule of law correlates consistently with robust and sustained economic growth.^[2]

Last year, economists Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James Robinson were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for their groundbreaking research, which persuasively demonstrated not just such a correlation, but a causal relationship between weak institutions – closely linked with a poor rule of law – and lower economic growth.^[3] Their findings highlight an important insight: economies thrive when institutions are strong, as institutional strength enables investors, entrepreneurs and consumers to make long-term decisions with confidence, knowing that contracts will be enforced, corruption fought and property rights upheld. Institutional reliability thus forms the backbone of innovation, creativity and sustained growth.

However, this relationship is not one-directional. Strong economic growth, in turn, reinforces institutional resilience, creating a virtuous cycle in which institutional strength and economic prosperity feed into one another.^[4]

Central banks are a crucial part of this mutual dependence. They are significantly more effective in delivering on their mandates when the rule of law is strong. At the same time, strong central banks and strong supervisors are essential institutions in supporting a strong economy. As such, within their mandates, central banks and prudential supervisors have a vital role to play in upholding, promoting and, when necessary, determinedly defending the rule of law.

Why does the rule of law matter for the European Central Bank?

The Treaty on European Union proudly declares that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. The rule of law forms the backbone of some of the most tangible and far-reaching achievements of our European Union – ranging from the single market and the protection of human rights to the mutual recognition of judgments. Few aspects of European integration reflect its unity more clearly than the shared commitment to upholding the rule of law.

For the ECB, the rule of law is a critical foundation of its mandate in multiple important ways. Today, I will focus on three closely connected areas: first, the role of the rule of law in laying the very foundations for, and safeguarding trust in, money; second, the importance of the rule of law for delivering on our mandates; and third, the role of the rule of law supporting price and financial and price stability by ensuring the independence of the central bank.

Money

Let me start with trust in money. Aristotle declared long ago that money was introduced by convention as a kind of substitute for a need or demand, and its value is derived not from nature but from law.^[5] While money has classically been thought of as serving the functions of medium of exchange, store of value, unit of account and means of payment, it is the law which determines whether a thing is money and what nominal value is attributed to it. It is the law which determines which things are legal tender.^[6]

Modern money is “fiat money” meaning that it has no intrinsic value. Following the end of the gold standard with the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, its value is also no longer tied to physical assets like gold. Instead, the value of our money rests entirely on trust – trust in public authorities, trust in the institutional frameworks that uphold it, and, fundamentally, trust in the central bank as the issuing authority.

Consider the euro banknotes in your pockets. The paper itself holds no intrinsic value. The worth we collectively assign to those €10, €20 or €50 banknotes is rooted in a strong legal foundation. Law gives central bank money legal tender status, meaning that it must be accepted for settling a debt. Trust in all other forms of “money”, such as commercial bank deposits, ultimately rests on convertibility at par with central bank money. The law thus helps preserve the value of today’s banknotes as well as the savings in your bank account.^[7]

We are currently taking a pivotal step in adapting central bank money to the digital age, by progressing towards the possible issuance of a digital equivalent: a digital euro. As cash today, which will remain available, a digital euro builds on the treaty-based competence to issue legal forms of public money, leveraging advanced technology within a robust legal framework to ensure people trust the numbers on their screens. The rule of law underpins these frameworks, transforming algorithms into a reliable and trustworthy form of public money.

Delivering on our mandates

Let me now turn to the function of the rule of law in enabling central banks to effectively deliver on their mandates.

For central banks to effectively fulfil their mandate of price stability, they must carefully assess the economic outlook. This assessment requires leveraging models and historical patterns to forecast economic developments. However, for us to be able to predict and forecast economic developments, the economy must operate within a framework of consistent and transparent rules. The rule of law plays a vital role in this regard. By fostering predictability and stability, it provides the essential foundation for robust economic analysis and informed monetary policy decision-making.

The effectiveness of the ECB’s banking supervision mandate to promote the safety and soundness of banks also hinges on a strong legal system with enforceable supervisory decisions. The laws give the supervisor a broad toolkit to ensure that banks remain safe and sound. For instance, this toolkit includes the power to require banks to hold more capital as part of the bank-specific annual Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process, and the power to sanction banks if they do not adhere to prudential rules.

Beyond these broader principles, a sound legal system is indispensable for central banking operations in practical terms. For instance, the legal requirement for adequate collateral is a cornerstone of both monetary policy implementation and financial stability. Yet collateral can only be deemed adequate if the legal framework guarantees that central banks can enforce their rights over it when necessary.

Another example is the central bank’s reliance on accurate statistics to carry out its mandate effectively. To ensure that reporting agents fulfil their obligations, central banks require enforceable sanctioning powers.

All these examples show that the rule of law is a precondition of central banking and prudential supervision.

Central bank independence

The effectiveness of a central bank in achieving its price stability mandate rests on its independence. Like the judiciary and other independent agencies, independent central banks are part of a constitutional model that recognises the role of independent institutions as checks and balances on executive and legislative power. Most legal systems in advanced economies ensure that the power to create money should be entrusted to bodies operating outside the electoral cycle to mitigate a time-inconsistency problem: the tendency of policymakers to prioritise short-term gains over long-term stability.^[8] Independence insulates the central bank from the short-term pressures of daily politics, enabling it to focus on its mandate.

Hence central bank independence, price stability and the rule of law are closely intertwined. Empirical evidence suggests that price stability depends on both the strength of the rule of law and the independence of the central bank. Social trust in the central bank depends on the overall level of trust in the legal system as a whole. If a perfectly independent central bank were to operate in a system with systematic deficiencies in the rule of law, it would not be able to deliver effectively on its mandate.^[9] In short, an independent central bank can only function if its decisions are seen as credible, and, crucially, credibility depends on the overall system based on the rule of law functioning well.

Moreover, the distinct character of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) also illustrates the crucial importance of the rule of law for the ECB. As the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled, the ESCB is based on a highly integrated system that brings together national central banks and the ECB.^[10] National central banks are not merely national institutions – they are also integral components of the ESCB. Importantly, the governors of the national central banks of the euro area are also members of the ECB’s Governing Council, which is responsible for taking monetary policy decisions.

A similar principle applies to the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). For instance, the Joint Supervisory Teams that inspect banks are composed of staff from both the ECB and national competent authorities (NCAs). Likewise, the ECB Supervisory Board includes representatives from both the ECB and NCAs.

Because of the integrated nature of both the ESCB and the SSM, which both bring together national authorities and the ECB, rule of law deficiencies at the national level can affect the functioning of the ESCB, the SSM and the ECB. Respect for the rules governing the organisation and safeguarding the independence of these national components of the ESCB and the SSM are thus essential to achieving their mandates of price and financial stability.

What central banks can do to support the rule of law

Now that we have explored how the rule of law is a precondition for central banks and supervisors being able to deliver on their mandates, let us turn to the other side of the coin: the role of the European Central Bank in upholding and protecting the rule of law.

Clearly, central banks cannot oversee the general conditions of the rule of law – that is not their mandate. But central banks do have specific responsibilities in this context.

First, central banks must themselves adhere to rule of law principles under the scrutiny of courts. And second, central banks have instruments at their disposal that can be used to reinforce the legal fabric that supports the rule of law.

Let me start with the former: central banks are fully embedded in the rule of law architecture. For instance, the Treaties explicitly place the ECB under the jurisdiction of the CJEU, and the ECB’s actions – in all areas, including monetary policy, banking supervision and transparency – have been subject to judicial scrutiny.^[11] Compared with other major central banks, the ECB is among those most frequently brought before court.^[12] By contrast, most other central banks are practically exempt from the jurisdiction of the courts when conducting monetary policy.^[13] The preliminary reference procedure has also brought ECB monetary policy measures before the CJEU.^[14] In essence, even when discretion is granted to the ECB by the courts or the legislature, it is discretion within the bounds of the law – not beyond it – and both its scope and conditions remain subject to judicial review.

This duty of the ECB has both a negative and a positive dimension. Not only is the ECB responsible for remaining within the confines of the law, it also has to react when other institutions with which it cooperates threaten to violate the law.^[15]

Legal scrutiny by the courts is not the only form the legally required ECB’s accountability takes, however. In fact, a key pillar of our transparency and accountability to citizens includes explaining our decisions to the public and reporting regularly to elected bodies. For example, the ECB publishes detailed accounts of the monetary policy meetings of the Governing Council, explains its policies in dedicated press conferences and answers questions from Members of the European Parliament. (MEPs). Moreover, the President of the ECB and the Chair of the Supervisory Board appear regularly in front of the European Parliament to exchange views with MEPs. This not only makes monetary policy and banking supervision more understandable, but also proactively submits our institution to public scrutiny. Public scrutiny is an indispensable element of the rule of law: the law must be seen to be upheld for its acceptance by the general public.

Let me now turn to the ECB’s role in maintaining the rule of law. And I would like to be crystal clear again: in the EU, maintaining the rule of law is mainly a task for the courts and the political institutions. But the ECB also has responsibilities in this area, and I will outline five that I think are particularly important.

First, the Treaties give the ECB special powers to monitor respect for central bank independence, in particular personal independence. The Statute of the ESCB, which is a Protocol of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU (TFEU), exceptionally empowers the Governing Council of the ECB and national governors to bring to the European Court of Justice an action for annulment of a national measure that does not respect the independence of central bank governors.^[16] This is the only case where the EU legal order provides for an annulment by the European Court of Justice of a national measure. I am sure that the jurists in today’s audience will immediately recognizes how exceptional this is. By allowing a direct change of the legal reality within the national legal order by means of an EU remedy, the Statute of the ESCB ensures, very effectively, that the rule of law is upheld.

Second, the ECB Governing Council has the role of acting as guardian of the Treaties vis-à-vis the national central banks in the same way as the Commission is guardian of the Treaties vis-à-vis the Member States.^[17] While the ECB has never instituted infringement proceedings against a national central bank before the CJEU, the very existence of this power enables the ECB to ensure compliance by national central banks with the requirements of central bank independence and the prohibition of monetary financing of the public sector. Another as yet unused power of the ECB under the Statute of the ESCB/ECB is the power of the ECB Governing Council, by a two thirds majority vote, to prohibit national central banks from performing functions other than those specified in the Statute where these interfere with the objectives and tasks of the ESCB.^[18] The existence of this power enables the ECB to ensure that the functions of national central banks do not interfere with ESCB’s primary objective of price stability or the monetary policy and other tasks of the ESCB.

Third, the Treaties require national and EU authorities to consult the ECB on any draft legislation that falls within its fields of competence.^[19] The ECB enjoys a privileged position in directly influencing national legislation at the stage of its adoption and raising issues of legality. The ECB has issued numerous opinions on draft national legislation concerning the institutional structure and governance of national central banks. A recurring theme in many of these opinions has been the compatibility of amendments to the statutes of national central banks with the Statute of the ESCB, particularly regarding Member States’ obligation to ensure the independence of their national central banks and the prohibition of monetary financing.

Fourth, the Treaties require the ECB to issue convergence reports.^[20] At least once every two years, or at the request of a Member State with a derogation from adopting the euro, the ECB reports to the Council on the progress made by the Member States with a derogation on the fulfilment of their obligations regarding the achievement of Economic and monetary union. Last week, the ECB published its report on Bulgaria.^[21] These convergence reports receive more attention with regard to their economic dimensions, but they also include an important examination of the compatibility between national and EU law.^[22] Whilst this ECB instrument only addresses the legislation of Member States that have not adopted the euro, it is a means of consolidating and developing EU standards, including where rule of law issues might be at stake.

And last but not least: the Statute of the ESCB provides the ECB with specific powers regarding international cooperation.^[23] In practice this means that the ECB actively participates in international fora and institutions with a clear direction to uphold their role and the international rule of law. As you all know, public international law, from the World Trade Organization to the very fundamentals of international humanitarian law, is currently under a heavy strain, which makes our role regarding international cooperation all the more relevant.

Conclusion

Let me conclude.

With these remarks, I hope to have shown that the rule of law is of the highest relevance for central banks and supervisors.

First, it is a necessary condition for us to adequately deliver on our price and financial stability mandates. Here we depend (and count!) on those institutions whose mandate is specifically focused on upholding the rule of law, among which the legislature and, especially, you, the judiciary.

Second, in specific areas the ECB itself has a role to play in safeguarding, nurturing and defending the rule of law. Within the limits of our competences, you can count on us to do so.

The European Union is both creature and guarantor of the rule of law. It is a beacon of legal certainty, strong institutions and the protection of fundamental rights. All of us continuing to play our role – and we will play ours as much as we know that the courts will play theirs – will lead not only to the protection but to the growth of the quality and the depth of the rule of law.

By thus further strengthening the rule of law, we will encourage investment, foster economic growth and enhance the international role of the euro.^[24] And by doing so we will further solidify the foundations for freedom, peace and prosperity that will ensure that Van Randwijk’s light will never fade but will shine more brightly than ever before.

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lifesaving partnership in line for national award

Source: City of Leicester

A LIFESAVING initiative that enables front-line police officers in Leicestershire to carry and administer an antidote to opiate drugs has been shortlisted for a national award.

The city council’s public health team worked in partnership with the police and local drug and alcohol treatment service Turning Point to develop the initiative, which has potentially already saved 14 lives in its first 12 months of operation.

It’s now in line for a Public Partnerships award, as part of the 2025 Local Government Chronicle’s Awards, which recognise excellence in local government across the whole of the UK.

The partnership was developed in response to a national rising trend in drug deaths. Many of these could have been avoided with the use of the antidote Naloxone, which reverses the effects of an opiate overdose – if given quickly enough.

Leicester’s Director of Public Health Rob Howard said: “In the event of an opiate overdose, administering an immediate dose of naloxone by nasal spray reverses respiratory arrest and allows time for emergency medical services to be called.

“Police officers are most likely to be the first on scene at such incidents, and thanks to years of hard work by all involved, we believe that the Leicestershire police service is now the first in England and Wales to commit to enabling all front-line officers to carry Naloxone.

“This incredible partnership work has not only saved lives, and will save lives in the future, but is also supporting a broader understanding of the challenges faced by people who use drugs.”

Approval for a pilot scheme was given by Leicestershire Police in 2023, after Turning Point and the city council’s public health team had found funding and established pilot sites.

Initially small groups of police officers were given training in overdose awareness and administering Naloxone, and as a result almost 200 officers voluntarily agreed to carry it.

James Edmondston, Leicestershire Police’s Substance Misuse Team Leader said: “The most important duty of a police officer is to preserve life and Naloxone gives officers a simple, safe and effective way of doing so. This initiative reflects a strong and robust partnership commitment to saving lives and supporting people into long term treatment.

“It is fantastic to see its use being celebrated– it really does save lives and we are looking to expand its use across the force and into custody.”

Julie Bass, Turning Point’s Chief Executive said: “Being short-listed for this prestigious award is testament to the power of partnership. We have been delighted to work with Leicestershire Police and Leicester City Council on this initiative, which genuinely has saved lives and also strengthened joint working across our organisations.”

In the first 12 months of the scheme, police officers administered naloxone on 14 separate occasions, in situations where people were likely to have otherwise died, before calling for ambulance back-up.

New recruits to Leicestershire Police are now trained in administering naloxone as part of their core training, and offered the chance to carry at that time. Since this was introduced, every new recruit has volunteered to carry it.

The winners of the LGC Awards will be announced at a ceremony on 11 June 2025, at Grosvenor House, London.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: 33/2025・Trifork Group: Weekly report on share buyback

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Company announcement no. 33 / 2025
Schindellegi, Switzerland – 9 June 2025

Trifork Group: Weekly report on share buyback

On 28 February 2025, Trifork initiated a share buyback program in accordance with Regulation No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, (Safe Harbour regulation). The share buyback program runs from 4 March 2025 up to and including no later than 30 June 2025. For details, please see company announcement no. 7 of 28 February 2025.

Under the share buyback program, Trifork will purchase shares for up to a total of DKK 14.92 million (approximately EUR 2 million). Prior to the launch of the share buyback, Trifork held 256,329 treasury shares, corresponding to 1.3% of the share capital. Under the program, the following transactions have been made:

	Number of shares	Average purchase price (DKK)	Transaction value (DKK)
Total beginning	99,074	87.27	8,646,363
2 June 2025	1,600	92.95	148,720
3 June 2025	1,800	92.98	167,364
4 June 2025	1,800	92.42	166,356
5 June 2025			Market closed
6 June 2025	1,800	93.49	168,282
Accumulated	106,074	87.65	9,297,085

A detailed overview of the daily transactions can be found here: https://investor.trifork.com/trifork-shares/

Since the share buyback program was started on 4 March 2025, the total number of repurchased shares is 106,074 at a total amount of DKK 9,297,085.
On 25 March, 25 April and 23 May 2025, 4,370 shares acquired through the share buyback program were utilized for the Executive Management’s monthly fixed salary, representing a change from cash payment to payment partly in shares (refer to company announcement no. 1 of 21 January 2025). On 1 April 2025, 19,943 shares acquired through the share buyback program were utilized to serve the RSU plan of Executive Management and certain employees.

With the transactions stated above, Trifork holds a total of 338,090 treasury shares, corresponding to 1.7%. The total number of registered shares in Trifork is 19,744,899. Adjusted for treasury shares, the number of outstanding shares is 19,406,809.

Investor and media contact
Frederik Svanholm, Group Investment Director, frsv@trifork.com , +41 79 357 73 17

About Trifork
Trifork (Nasdaq Copenhagen: TRIFOR) is a pioneering global technology company, empowering enterprise and public sector customers with innovative digital products and solutions. With 1,215 professionals across 71 business units in 16 countries, Trifork specializes in designing, building, and operating advanced software across sectors such as public administration, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, energy, financial services, retail, and real estate. The Group’s R&D arm, Trifork Labs, drives innovation by investing in and developing synergistic, high-potential technology companies. Learn more at trifork.com.

Attachment

CA_33_25_Buyback

The MIL Network –

June 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Subsea7 awarded contract offshore Trinidad and Tobago
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Luxembourg – 9 June 2025 – Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a sizeable¹ contract by Shell for the Aphrodite gas project offshore Trinidad and Tobago.

The project involves the transportation and installation of subsea equipment at the Aphrodite development, located within Block 5a, at water depths of up to 290 metres.

Project management and engineering activities will begin immediately at Subsea7’s office in Houston, Texas, with offshore operations planned for 2027.

Craig Broussard, Senior Vice President for Subsea7 Gulf of Mexico, said, “Engaging with Shell from the outset has been key to building trust and driving efficiencies. This award in Trinidad and Tobago reflects our growing presence in the region, as well as our ongoing commitment to safe, predictable project delivery while supporting local talent and resources.”
1. Subsea7 defines a sizeable contract as being between $50 million and $150 million.
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Subsea7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industry’s partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.
Subsea7 is listed on the Oslo Børs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

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Contact for investment community enquiries:
Katherine Tonks
Investor Relations Director
Tel +44 20 8210 5568
ir@subsea7.com

Contact for media enquiries:
Ashley Shearer
Communications Manager
Tel +1 713 300 6792
ashley.shearer@subsea7.com

Forward-Looking Statements: This document may contain ‘forward-looking statements’ (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘future’, ‘goal’, ‘intend’, ‘likely’ ‘may’, ‘plan’, ‘project’, ‘seek’, ‘should’, ‘strategy’ ‘will’, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the ‘Risk Management’ section of the Group’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; (xvii) global availability at scale and commercially viability of suitable alternative vessel fuels; and (xviii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
This stock exchange release was published by Katherine Tonks, Investor Relations, Subsea7, on 9 June 2025 at 08:00 CET.

Attachment
- SUBC Shell Aphrodite
The MIL Network –
June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: Shell Plc First Quarter 2025 Euro and GBP Equivalent Dividend Payments

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SHELL PLC FIRST QUARTER 2025 EURO AND GBP EQUIVALENT DIVIDEND PAYMENTS

June 9, 2025

The Board of Shell plc today announced the pounds sterling and euro equivalent dividend payments in respect of the first quarter 2025 interim dividend, which was announced on May 2, 2025 at US$0.358 per ordinary share.

Shareholders have been able to elect to receive their dividends in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling. Holders of ordinary shares who have validly submitted US dollars, euros or pounds sterling currency elections by June 2, 2025 will be entitled to a dividend of US$0.358, €0.3136 or 26.41p per ordinary share, respectively.

Absent any valid election to the contrary, persons holding their ordinary shares through Euroclear Nederland will receive their dividends in euros at the euro rate per ordinary share shown above. Absent any valid election to the contrary, shareholders (both holding in certificated and uncertificated form (CREST members)) and persons holding their shares through the Shell Corporate Nominee will receive their dividends in pounds sterling, at the pound sterling rate per ordinary share shown above.

Euro and pounds sterling dividends payable in cash have been converted from US dollars based on an average of market exchange rates over the three dealing days from June 4 to June 6, 2025. This dividend will be payable on June 23, 2025 to those members whose names were on the Register of Members on May 16, 2025.

Taxation – cash dividend
If you are uncertain as to the tax treatment of any dividends you should consult your tax advisor.

Note
A different currency election date may apply to shareholders holding shares in a securities account with a bank or financial institution ultimately holding through Euroclear Nederland. This may also apply to other shareholders who do not hold their shares either directly on the Register of Members or in the corporate sponsored nominee arrangement. Shareholders can contact their broker, financial intermediary, bank or financial institution for the election deadline that applies.

Enquiries
Media: International +44 (0) 207 934 5550; U.S. and Canada: https://www.shell.us/about-us/news-and-insights/media/submit-an-inquiry.html

CAUTIONARY NOTE

The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.

Forward-Looking statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; “aspire”; “aspiration”; ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; “desire”; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; “vision”; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks, including climate change; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including tariffs and regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East, and a significant cyber security, data privacy or IT incident; (n) the pace of the energy transition; and (o) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, June 9, 2025. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.

Shell’s net carbon intensity
Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “net carbon intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “net carbon intensity” or NCI is for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.

Shell’s net-zero emissions target
Shell’s operating plan and outlook are forecasted for a three-year period and ten-year period, respectively, and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next three and ten years. Accordingly, the outlook reflects our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plan and outlook cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is outside our planning period. Such future operating plans and outlooks could include changes to our portfolio, efficiency improvements and the use of carbon capture and storage and carbon credits. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans and outlooks to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.

Forward Looking non-GAAP measures
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as adjusted earnings and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.

The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.

LEI number of Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70
Classification: Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of the United Kingdom

The MIL Network –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI: NBPE – NB Private Equity Partners Announces Transaction in Own Shares

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ITALY, DENMARK, JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES, OR TO ANY NATIONAL OF SUCH JURISDICTIONS

St Peter Port, Guernsey 9 June 2025

NB Private Equity Partners (“NBPE” or the “Company”) today announces details of Class A Shares bought back pursuant to general authority granted by shareholders of the Company on 12 June 2024 and the share buy-back agreement with Jefferies International Limited.

Transaction on London Stock Exchange

Date of purchase of Shares 6 June 2025

Number of Shares purchased 3,000 Class A Shares

Highest price/lowest price paid £14.50 / £14.34

ISIN for the Shares GG00B1ZBD492

All Class A Shares bought back will be cancelled. Following the cancellation, the number of outstanding Class A Shares is 45,533,911‬. The Company also has 3,150,408 Class A shares held in treasury. For reporting purposes under the FCA’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules the market should use the figure of 45,533,911 voting rights when determining if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company.

For further information, please contact:

NBPE Investor Relations        +44 20 3214 9002
Luke Mason        NBPrivateMarketsIR@nb.com

Kaso Legg Communications        +44 (0)20 3882 6644

Charles Gorman        nbpe@kl-communications.com
Luke Dampier
Charlotte Francis

About NB Private Equity Partners Limited
NBPE invests in direct private equity investments alongside market leading private equity firms globally. NB Alternatives Advisers LLC (the “Investment Manager”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC, is responsible for sourcing, execution and management of NBPE. The vast majority of direct investments are made with no management fee / no carried interest payable to third-party GPs, offering greater fee efficiency than other listed private equity companies. NBPE seeks capital appreciation through growth in net asset value over time while paying a bi-annual dividend.

LEI number: 213800UJH93NH8IOFQ77

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman is an employee-owned, private, independent investment manager founded in 1939 with over 2,800 employees in 26 countries. The firm manages $515 billion of equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and hedge fund portfolios for global institutions, advisors and individuals. Neuberger Berman’s investment philosophy is founded on active management, fundamental research and engaged ownership. Neuberger Berman has been named by Pensions & Investments as the #1 or #2 Best Place to Work in Money Management for each of the last eleven years (firms with more than 1,000 employees). Visit www.nb.com for more information. Data as of March 31, 2025.

This press release appears as a matter of record only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any security.

NBPE is established as a closed-end investment company domiciled in Guernsey. NBPE has received the necessary consent of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. The value of investments may fluctuate. Results achieved in the past are no guarantee of future results. This document is not intended to constitute legal, tax or accounting advice or investment recommendations. Prospective investors are advised to seek expert legal, financial, tax and other professional advice before making any investment decision. Statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, estimates, projections, opinions and beliefs of NBPE’s investment manager. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Additionally, this document contains “forward-looking statements.” Actual events or results or the actual performance of NBPE may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such targets or forward-looking statements.

The MIL Network –

June 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Periodic announcement on the acquisition of the Bank‘s own shares and its results (week 5)

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

This announcement contains information on transactions of the acquisition of own shares of AB Artea bankas (the Bank) carried during the period specified below under the Bank’s own share buy-back programme announced on 30 April 2025.

The period during which the acquisition of the Bank’s own shares under the programme was carried out – 05.05.2025 – 06.06.2025.

Period covered by this periodic report – 02.06.2025 – 06.06.2025.

Other information:

Transaction overview
Date	Total number of shares purchased on the day ( units)	Weighted average price (EUR)	Total value of transactions (EUR)
2025.06.02	100,000	0.871	87,100.00
2025.06.03	100,000	0.872	87,179.98
2025.06.04	100,000	0.873	87,298.57
2025.06.05	100,000	0.86	86,000.00
2025.06.06	100,000	0.857	85,700.01
Total acquired during the current week	500,000	0.867	433,278.56
Total acquired during the programme period	2,400,000	0.877	2,105,921.93

The Bank’s own bought-back shares: 12,497,749 units. Following the above transactions, the Bank will own a total of 12,997,749 units of own shares representing 1.96 % of the Bank’s issued shares. Further detailed information on the transactions is attached. This information is also available at: www.artea.lt

Additional information:
Tomas Varenbergas
Head of Investment Management Division
tomas.varenbergas@artea.lt, +370 610 44447

Attachment

Additional detailed information about transactions (week 5)

The MIL Network –

June 9, 2025

MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues a EUR 1 billion green benchmark under its MTN programme

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Municipality Finance Plc
Stock exchange release
9 June 2025 at 10:00 am (EEST)

Municipality Finance issues a EUR 1 billion green benchmark under its MTN programme

Municipality Finance Plc issues a EUR 1 billion green benchmark on 10 June 2025. The maturity date of the benchmark is 14 June 2032. The benchmark bears interest at a fixed rate of 2.625% per annum.

The benchmark is issued under MuniFin’s EUR 50 billion programme for the issuance of debt instruments. The offering circular, the supplemental offering circular and the final terms of the benchmark are available in English on the company’s website at https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/for-investors.

MuniFin has applied for the benchmark to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on on 10 June 2025.

Danske Bank A/S, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, Frankfurt am Main, J.P. Morgan SE and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) act as the Joint Lead Managers for the issue of the benchmark.

MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

Further information:

Joakim Holmström
Executive Vice President, Capital Markets and Sustainability
tel. +358 50 444 3638

MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The owners of the company include Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the State of Finland. The Group’s balance sheet is over EUR 53 billion.

MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. Our customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, joint county authorities, corporate entities under the control of the above-mentioned organisations, and affordable social housing. Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.

MuniFin’s customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

Read more: https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/

Important Information

The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into any such country or jurisdiction or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities or other financial instruments in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

The MIL Network –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

“You just [expletive] shot the reporter!”

Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was in the middle of a live cross, covering the protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy in Los Angeles, California. As Tomasi spoke to the camera, microphone in hand, an LAPD officer in the background appeared to target her directly, hitting her in the leg with a rubber bullet.

Earlier, reports emerged that British photojournalist Nick Stern was undergoing emergency surgery after also being hit by the same “non-lethal” ammunition.

The situation in Los Angeles is extremely volatile. After nonviolent protests against raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began in the suburb of Paramount, US President Donald Trump issued a memo describing them as “a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States”. He then deployed the National Guard.

‘Can’t you just shoot them?’

As much of the coverage has noted, this is not the first time the National Guard has been deployed to quell protests in the US.

In 1970, members of the National Guard shot and killed four students protesting the war in Vietnam at Kent State University. In 1992, the National Guard was deployed during protests in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers (three of whom were white) in the killing of a Black man, Rodney King.

Trump has long speculated about violently deploying the National Guard and even the military against his own people.

During his first administration, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, former Secretary of Defence Mark Esper alleged that Trump asked him, “Can’t you just shoot them, just shoot them in the legs or something?”

Trump has also long sought to other those opposed to his radical agenda to reshape the United States and its role in the world. He’s classified them as “un-American” and, therefore, deserving of contempt and, when he deems it necessary, violent oppression.

During last year’s election campaign, he promised to “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country”. Even the Washington Post characterised this description of Trump’s “political enemies” as “echoing Hitler, Mussolini”.

In addition, Trump has long peddled baseless conspiracies about “sanctuary cities”, such as Los Angeles. He has characterised them as lawless havens for his political enemies and places that have been “invaded” by immigrants. As anyone who has ever visited these places knows, that is not true.

It is no surprise that in the same places Trump characterises as “disgracing our country”, there has been staunch opposition to his agenda and ideology.

That opposition has coalesced in recent weeks around the activities of ICE agents, in particular. These agents, wearing masks to conceal their identities, have been arbitrarily detaining people, including US citizens and children, and disappearing people off the streets. They have also arrested caregivers, leaving children alone.

As Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic during the first iteration of Trump in America, “the cruelty is the point”.

The Trump administration’s mass deportation program is deliberately cruel and provocative. It was always only a matter of time before protests broke out.

In a democracy, nonviolent protest by hundreds or perhaps a few thousand people in a city of ten million is not a crisis. But it has always suited Trump and the movement that supports him to manufacture crises.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the mass deportations program and a man described by a former adviser as “Waffen SS”, called the protests “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”. Trump himself also described protesters as “violent, insurrectionist mobs”.

Nowhere does the presidential memo deploying the National Guard name the specific location of the protests. This, and the extreme language coming out of the administration, suggests it is laying the groundwork for further escalation.

The administration could be leaving space to deploy the National Guard in other places and invoke the Insurrection Act.

Incidents involving the deployment of the National Guard are rare, though politically cataclysmic. It is rarer still for the National Guard to be deployed against the wishes of a democratically elected leader of a state, as Trump has done in California.

A broader assault on democracy

This deployment comes at a time of crisis for US democracy more broadly. Trump’s longstanding attacks against independent media – what he describes as “fake news” – are escalating. There is a reason that during the current protests, a law enforcement officer appeared so comfortable targeting a journalist, on camera.

The Trump administration is also actively targeting independent institutions such as Harvard and Columbia universities. It is also targeting and undermining judges and reducing the power of independent courts to enforce the rule of law.

Under Trump, the federal government and its state-based allies are targeting and undermining the rights of minority groups – policing the bodies of trans people, targeting reproductive rights, and beginning the process of undoing the Civil Rights Act.

Trump is, for the moment, unconstrained. Asked overnight what the bar is for deploying the Marines against protesters, Trump responded: “the bar is what I think it is”.

As New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie recently observed:

We should treat Trump and his openly authoritarian administration as a failure, not just of our party system or our legal system, but of our Constitution and its ability to meaningfully constrain a destructive and system-threatening force in our political life.

While the situation in Los Angeles is unpredictable, it must be understood in the broader context of the active, violent threat the Trump administration poses to the US. As we watch, American democracy teeters on the brink.

Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

– ref. Trump has long speculated about using force against his own people. Now he has the pretext to do so – https://theconversation.com/trump-has-long-speculated-about-using-force-against-his-own-people-now-he-has-the-pretext-to-do-so-258471

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road closed following crash, Roxburgh

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are attending a crash on State Highway 8, Fruitlands – Roxburgh Road, near Roxburgh.

The crash involved a vehicle and a pedestrian and was reported just after 7.20pm.

The pedestrian has been seriously injured.

The road is currently closed, there are diversions in place from Roxburgh to Roxburgh Dam.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Parades Commission failed Scarva – public disorder was entirely predictable and avoidable

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

Statement by TUV party chairman Keith Ratcliffe:

“As I warned in advance, Saturday’s anti-Israeli parade through Scarva was deeply provocative, entirely unnecessary, and now, sadly, has led to the very outcome many of us feared – disorder on our streets and arrests in our community.

“I formally objected to this parade to the Parades Commission and raised serious concerns both in writing and in a telephone call to the police. I made it crystal clear to the Parades Commission that Scarva, a quiet, close-knit Unionist village with deep ties of sympathy and support for Israel, was no place for Palestinian flags and associated political messaging on a Saturday morning.

“And yet, the parade was allowed to proceed unchecked – no conditions, no restrictions and no serious engagement with local concerns. The Commission was warned. The PSNI was informed. And now we have witnessed precisely the breakdown in community relations that this parade was always going to cause.

“Scarva is not a canvas for political performance. Residents here should not be subjected to displays that are knowingly inflammatory. People have a right to go about their daily lives without being dragged into conflict they did not ask for and do not support.

“Let me be clear: this situation was entirely avoidable. The blame lies squarely with those who organised this needlessly provocative display, and with the Parades Commission, who failed in their duty to prevent disorder and protect community cohesion.“

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

June 9, 2025
11 years of PM Modi: Tap water now reaches nearly 80% of rural households under Jal Jeevan Mission

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

In a landmark achievement reflecting the progress made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11 years of governance, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has successfully brought tap water connections to over 15.60 crore rural households, now covering nearly 80% of all rural homes across India. This represents a dramatic rise from just 3.23 crore households—or 17% coverage—when the mission was launched on August 15, 2019, under his leadership.

The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to ensure access to safe and adequate drinking water through functional household tap connections. More than just addressing the issue of water scarcity, the initiative has become a transformative force in rural India, particularly benefiting women by alleviating the centuries-old burden of fetching water. This has had far-reaching effects on women’s health, education, and overall participation in the economy.

According to data released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, 189 districts have reported complete tap water coverage under the Har Ghar Jal initiative, with 108 of these districts certified through Gram Sabha resolutions. At the block level, 1,862 blocks have reported full coverage, with 892 receiving certification. Among gram panchayats, 1,18,230 have reported tap water availability in all households, and 79,402 have been certified. Additionally, of the 2,51,579 villages that have submitted reports, 1,53,193 have achieved certified status.

Eleven states and Union Territories, including Goa, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, have reached 100% tap water connectivity for all rural households. The mission has also made a significant impact on education and childcare infrastructure, with 9.32 lakh schools and 9.69 lakh Anganwadi centres now equipped with functional tap water supply.

To ensure long-term sustainability, JJM includes a strong emphasis on greywater management, augmentation of water sources, rainwater harvesting, and local community involvement. It is supported by a robust Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign to promote water conservation as a people’s movement—jan andolan. The initiative not only focuses on infrastructure but also encourages communities to take ownership of water systems through participation in operations, maintenance, and water quality monitoring.

The mission’s impact extends well beyond infrastructure. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that achieving JJM’s objectives could save over 5.5 crore hours per day that would otherwise be spent collecting water—time saved primarily by women. WHO also estimates that safely managed drinking water could prevent up to 400,000 deaths annually from diarrheal diseases and save approximately 14 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Research by Nobel laureate Professor Michael Kremer indicates that safe water access could reduce mortality among children under five by nearly 30%, potentially saving 136,000 lives each year.

The employment impact of the mission is equally significant. According to a joint study by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and the International Labour Organization, the mission is projected to generate 59.9 lakh person-years of direct employment and 2.2 crore person-years of indirect employment during its capital expenditure phase. Additionally, the operation and maintenance phase is expected to create 13.3 lakh person-years of direct employment.

A strong focus on quality assurance supports the mission’s objectives. A network of 2,162 laboratories has tested 66.32 lakh water samples, while 24.80 lakh women have been trained to use Field Testing Kits (FTKs). These efforts have resulted in the testing of 85.39 lakh water samples using FTKs, enabling early detection of contamination and fostering local capacity for water monitoring.

Running parallel to JJM, the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign has been instrumental in raising public awareness about sustainable water practices. The 2023 campaign focused on source sustainability for drinking water, while the 2024 edition emphasized the theme “Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti,” highlighting the critical role of women in water conservation and community engagement.

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Underwater robot could improve pipeline and cable security
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Underwater robot could improve pipeline and cable security

Dstl has trialled an underwater robot which can prevent adversaries from sabotaging undersea cables and pipelines by disarming or removing threats.
An underwater robot could soon be saving lives at sea for the Royal Navy and prevent adversaries from sabotaging undersea cables and pipelines.

A commercially available remotely operated vehicle (ROV) has been adapted by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and industry partners to deal with sabotage threats and clear legacy unexploded ordnance. These present hazards to both vessels and divers deployed to deal with them.

Dstl has incorporated or developed a number of systems to enable the ROV to detect unexploded ordnance and remotely place explosive charges to enable safe neutralization.

Dstl explosives engineer John said:

“This technology would be a valuable toolset for keeping our Armed Forces safe whilst providing the public with value for money.

This unique capability with its sensors, tools and cameras will give operators a real time ability to deal with these underwater hazards in a safe, effective and efficient way.”

The robot can operate at depths greater than divers can reach, and it can also work there safely for much longer.

Underwater Robot Deploys Remote Explosive

The new technology and systems developed will work in partnership with other robots to scan the seabed for hazards and will be able to deal with them once one is spotted.

The robot can be launched from a ship or a shoreline and is operated remotely, feeding video and sonar images back to the operators.

They will then be able to remotely deal with underwater hazards in relative safety.

The robot is not normally destroyed, which means it can be used multiple times giving the public better value for money in addition to the economic benefits of partnering with industry. This project supports numerous specialist jobs in industry.

Our specialists work closely with Royal Navy specialists to develop tactics and techniques as well as technology.

Trials have taken place at:

Horsea Island in Portsmouth

Portland Harbour

South Wales

Norway

Alford Technologies, Atlantas Marine, Sonardyne and ECS Special Projects are among the industry partners involved.

This Royal Navy funded project has developed a number of cutting-edge technologies that have been tested in successful trials.

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Published 9 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 9, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Palestinian supporters in NZ accuse Israel of ‘state piracy’ and condemn silence

Asia Pacific Report

Israel’s military attack and boarding of the humanitarian boat Madleen attempting to deliver food and medical aid to the besieged people of Gaza has been condemned by New Zealand Palestinian advocacy groups as a “staggering act of state piracy”.

The vessel was in international waters, carrying aid workers, doctors, journalists, and supplies desperately needed by the 2 million population that Israel has systematically bombed, starved, and displaced.

“This was not a military confrontation. It was the assault of an unarmed civilian aid ship by a state acting with total impunity,” said the group Thyme4Action.

“This is piracy, it is state terror, and it is a genocidal act of war.

Half of the 12 crew and passengers on board are French citizens and the volunteer group includes French-Palestinian European parliamentarian Rima Hassan and Swedish climate crisis activist Greta Thunberg and two journalists.

They all made pre-recorded messages calling for international pressure on their governments against the Israeli state. The messages were posted on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition X page.

The group Thyme4Action said in a media release that a regime engaged in genocide would send sends drones and armed commandos to detain civilians in international waters.

Israel’s ‘total moral collapse’
“We are witnessing the total moral collapse of a state, supported for years by Western governments to act with utter impunity, violate our global legal system, morality and principles.

“No amount of spin or military propaganda can hide the cruelty of deliberately starving a population, targeting children, bombing hospitals and bakeries, and then violently stopping others from bringing aid.”

Thyme4Action said the attack on the Madleen was not a separate incident — “it is part of the same campaign to eliminate Palestinian life, hope, and survival. It is why the International Court of Justice has already ruled that Israel is plausibly committing genocide.”

“This is not complicated,” said the statement.

French journalist Yanis Mhandi on board the Madleen . . . “I’ve been detained by Israeli forces while doing my job as a journalist.” Image: FFC screenshot APR

“Israel has no legal authority in international waters. Under the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Israel’s boarding of a civilian aid ship beyond its territorial waters is an act of piracy, unlawful kidnapping, forcible abduction and armed
aggression.

Under international humanitarian law, deliberately blocking aid to a population facing
starvation is a war crime.

Under the Genocide Convention, when a state intentionally denies food, water, and
medicine to a population it is bombing and displacing, this constitutes part of a genocidal
campaign.”

NZ silence condemned
The advocacy group condemned the silence of the New Zealand government as being “no longer neutral”.

The moment that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition lost communications with the Madleen as Israeli forces attacked the vessel. Image: FFC

It demonstrated a shocking lack of respect for international law, for human rights, and for the safety of global humanitarian workers.

“It reflects a broader decay in foreign policy — where selective outrage and Israeli
exceptionalism undermine the credibility of everything New Zealand claims to stand for.”

Thyme4Action called on the New Zealand government to:

• Publicly condemn Israel’s illegal assault on the Madleen and its passengers;
• Demand the immediate release of all aid workers, journalists, and civilians
abducted by Israeli forces;
• Suspend all diplomatic, military, and trade cooperation with Israel until it complies
with international law; and
• Support international accountability mechanisms, including referring Israel’s crimes
to the International Criminal Court and backing enforcement of the ICJ’s provisional
measures on genocide.

“This has to stop. This is not just a crisis in Gaza,” said the statement.

‘Crisis of global morality’
“It is a crisis of global morality, of international law, and of our basic shared humanity.

“We stand with the people of Gaza. We stand with the brave souls aboard the Madleen, and
we demand an end to this madness before the world forgets what it means to be human.

“We need a government that stands for all that is right, not all that is wrong.

“Aid is not terrorism. International waters are not Israel’s territory. And silence in the face of evil is complicity.”

Pro-Palestinian supporters in New Zealand have held protests against the genocide and demanding a ceasefire right across the country at multiple locations for the past 87 weeks.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Iran to Present Israel’s Strategic Documents Soon – Minister

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

TEHRAN, June 9 (Xinhua) — Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib announced Sunday that the country has received a “valuable collection” of strategic, operational and scientific data and documents from Israel, which he said will be made public soon.

In an interview with Iran’s state news agency IRIB, Khatib called the acquisition a “great intelligence achievement” for his ministry.

He said the documents cover Israel’s nuclear program as well as its relations with the United States, Europe and other countries, stressing that some of the intelligence files could enhance Iran’s offensive capabilities.

He refrained from detailing the methods used to transfer the documents to Iran, saying the methods were as important as the documents themselves and would remain protected.

E. Khatib added that a “complex, large-scale, comprehensive and lengthy” operation was developed and carried out to obtain them.

IRIB said in a statement on Saturday that the blackout was necessary to ensure the safe transfer of the documents, noting that the volume of data was so large that it took weeks to study it. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 9, 2025
The Government Of The Day Is Handicapped; It Can’t Register an FIR because there is a Judicial order: Vice-President

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (2)

lign=”center”>Motion to remove the judge is the answer? If there has been a crime, a culpable act, Why wasn’t it punished? questions VP
Permission to file FIR Could Have Been Given on the Very First Day; It Could Have Been Given at Least After the Report, stresses VP
Committee of Judges Can not Substitute FIR or Constitutional Removal Mechanism for Judges: Vice-President
We Have Lost More Than Three Months, And The Investigation Has Not Even Been Initiated, says VP
Has money influenced the Judiciary in judicial work?, questions VP
If The Temple Of Justice Is So Sacrileged, So Tainted, So Besmirched… Then, Where Would People Go For Justice?, asks VP
Lawyers Of The Bar Are Custodians Of The Rule of Law, says VP
The People’s Confidence… Will Be Restored — Only By Very Thorough Investigation, Proper Investigation, Scientific Investigation, highlights VP
Surely The Cash Will Not Come Without A Purpose. And The Purpose Can’t Be Legitimate, Says VP

The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said, “The Government of the day is handicapped. It can’t register an FIR. Because there is a judicial order. And that judicial order is more than three decades old. It provides virtually impregnable cover. Unless permission is accorded by a functionary at the highest level in the judiciary, an FIR can’t be registered. So I pose a question to myself, in deep pain, worried, concerned, in anguish — why was that permission not given? That was the minimum that could have been done on the earliest occasion.”

He further said, “I have raised the issue. Ultimately, if a motion is brought to remove a judge, is that the answer? If there has been a crime, a culpable act shaking the foundations of democracy — the rule of law, why wasn’t it punished? We have lost more than three months, and the investigation has not even been initiated. Whenever you go to court, they ask why the FIR was delayed.”

Shri Dhankhar further stated, “Does the committee of judges have a constitutional sanction? Does it have statutory sanction? Can this report result in any outcome? Can this report, by itself, be actionable? If a judge removal mechanism is there, the Constitution says this removal mechanism can be initiated either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. This is the only way. Then this committee cannot substitute for an FIR investigation. Now, the separation of powers. Penal thing has to follow it. If we have to lay claim on democracy, on the rule of law, equality before law, let me tell you — even the President of India and the Governors — they have immunity from prosecution only till they are in office. No other body has it. No other in the country, no other constitutional office has this immunity, and that too while in office. Now, how can we have a mechanism that such a crime — a culpable act — revealed from a document revealed by the Supreme Court, that there was a cash haul.”

The Vice-President said, “I find it very soothing and must congratulate you that the bar associations in the country are active on it. I hope an FIR is filed. One, that permission could have been given on the very first day. It should have been. A compulsive, expedient situation should have been there, because the mechanism evolved is the same. Second, it could have been given at least after the report. Could it have been given on the judicial side? What happened on the judicial side — it is there. I gather from the public domain — money spending.”

Shri Dhankhar further said, “While I have appreciated the former Chief Justice for putting those documents in the public domain, so what we say, there was a cash haul, because the report says — the report was put in the public domain by the Supreme Court. Let us not destroy the idea of democracy. Let us not dilute our ethical standards so low. Let us not decimate integrity.”

Interacting with members of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association in Chandigarh today, the Vice-President said, “Judicial system at the moment, because of a very painful incident that happened mid-March in Delhi at the residence of a sitting judge, there was a cash haul, obviously tainted, unaccounted, illegal. And unexplained! The intervention is very significant. One, it appeared in the public domain after 6-7 days. Imagine if it had not appeared. So, we don’t know whether it is isolated or if there are other instances. Now, whenever tainted, unaccounted, unexplained cash haul is there, the system has to move to find out whose money is this? And what is the money trail? Where did this loose cash come from? Are there big sharks? Has the money influenced the Judiciary in judicial work? All these issues are agitating not only the minds of lawyers but also people on the street. But let the lid be blown off the can of worms. Let these skeletons in the cupboards come out. Why was there no FIR? Why has there been no investigation at all?”

Shri Dhankhar stated, “I’m so happy that our Bar associations are picking up the issue. But the confidence of the people is very fundamental in all institutions. All I am saying is, the thought that it will die down, that it will not get media attention, that people have short memories, and those actors, sharks who are culpable, postures that indicate the highest criminality. We must not be sparing them. The people’s confidence, I’m sure, will be restored — I don’t know to what extent — but only by very thorough investigation, proper investigation, scientific investigation — the investigation that will expose, to public satisfaction, the original source of money, the money trail, the people involved, the beneficiaries, and the purpose.”

The Vice-President recollected, “If you know a famous case — Sarwan Singh v. State of Punjab, 1957 — the gap between establishing the truth is sometimes very thin. The distance between ‘may be true’ and ‘must be true’ is very thin. But this thin distance has to be negotiated by evidence of unimpeachable veracity. So I put innocence at a very high level. I am not aware of who is guilty. But one thing is for sure — a crime of great enormity, shaking the foundations of the Judiciary and democracy, has taken place. I hope it will be addressed”

Shri Dhankhar stated, “As a former President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association, probably this is the first time this happened — that we got together. So lawyers in such bodies are watchdogs of democracy. And in democracy, nothing matters more than proper investigation, proper findings, getting to the source, the original source of the tainted, unaccounted, illegal cash. Surely the cash will not come without a purpose. And the purpose can’t be legitimate. Lord Denning, a great judge, quoted Fuller. Fuller is from 350 years from now: “Be ye never so high, the law is above you.” Now, those who have to enforce the law are also subject to the law.”

Highlighting that courts are a temple of justice, Shri Dhankhar said, “For lawyers, nothing is more important than the purity of the system where you work. That is why we call it the temple of justice. Now, if the temple of justice is so sacrileged, so tainted, so besmirched that people come very close to losing faith, then where would people go for justice? Before we inflict more injuries on the soul of Bharat — it’s written in a sense of democracy — I hope things will take shape.

He further said, “All I’m saying is that our judges need protection. Because judges make tough decisions. Judges decide against the Executive. The Executive in any democracy is a mighty power. So judges have to be fearless and independent. They cannot be subjected in a routine way. But now what has happened is — even judges’ premises are sacrosanct. Any crime happening therein is not subject to investigation unless a sanction is given.”

The Vice-President said, “Now, if this institution is clouded, smoked, then one gets an idea. We don’t know how many skeletons are in the cupboard. Then another worry — stories are going around. Names are floating on whose money is it? Maybe it is not their money. So, proper investigation will also save the reputation of many, many who are being doubted. Because a criminal investigation must nab only the accused and prove the guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Because people can’t put pressure. Bar associations can. We have a role to play in this society. You are stakeholders. Ultimately, you’ll be the sufferers. You help people access courts. Members of the bar, you do your utmost to secure the dispensation of justice in the right way. If faith in what you are assisting with is shaken, there will be no way.”

Signifying the importance of the Bar Association, the Vice-President said, “The Body of Lawyers and Bar Associations is, in a sense, custodians of the rule of law. They are watchdogs of democracy, and when the system is challenged, there is an obligation on members of the Bar. There have been times when lawyers play a key role, and that is why in our democracy, we have a separation of powers, which means the Executive will do its role, the Legislature will do its role, and the Judiciary will do its role. The critical issue is, judgments have to be given by judges. They can’t be scripted by the Legislature. I am Chairman, Rajya Sabha, you can’t script a judgment. Am I right? Similarly, the job that we do can’t be done by the Executive or the Judiciary.”

Shri Dhankhar further said, “The Bar Association of the Punjab and Haryana High Court is unique in the entire country. Two States, One Union Territory, very, very important Bar Association. The same is about the Bar Council. I had the good fortune to be the President of my association in Rajasthan, but that was the presidency of the bench at Jaipur. You are the president in the complete right. Whenever I have appeared in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, it has always been a pleasure to come to this place because the Bar has a long tradition. Members of the Bar have been instrumental in getting us freedom. During the freedom struggle, top lawyers ignored their real practice in fiscal terms and devoted themselves to the nation.”

Highlighting the importance of a democratic society, Shri Dhankhar said, “In a democratic society, the rule of law and equality in law are compromised — seriously, severely, if some people are above the law, beyond scrutiny, beyond investigation. Secondly, yours is a very important High Court, covering a huge jurisdictional area of two states and a Union Territory. The Chief Justice of the High Court, apart from judicial work, also has to do administrative work. And the administrative work is very large. Same about Haryana.”

The Vice-President said, “I believe the greatest power of Indian citizens is to be treated as innocent till proven guilty. So I don’t want to suggest someone is guilty. But let the investigation be there. It should be proved. Definitely. We don’t know how many people will be there once we break the curtain.”

He further added, “Purpose is equally important because if it is related to judicial work, if judgment can be influenced by money bags, that day at least, I do not wish to see. And no Member of Parliament would love to see it—unless one is part of it.”

In conclusion, Shri Dhankhar said, “Let me tell you, I have travelled all over the world. On intelligence, our judges are the best. In hard work, our judges are the best. When they lose confidence in everybody — the executive, and I would say even in organizations to which I belong, but they trust the Judiciary. Because they know, a judge is a reincarnation of God. He will do justice. And there also, they draw a distinction. A sitting judge, in public perception, I don’t subscribe to it, carries greater weightage than a judge under oath will certainly do justice.”

June 9, 2025
Ayushman Bharat scheme led to historic development in health in last 11 years: Nadda

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The flagship Ayushman Bharat – Jan Arogya scheme has led to historic development in the health sector in the last 11 years, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday.

In a post on X, Nadda elucidated the progress made by the country in various fields under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over the last decade.

“In the last 11 years, there has been historic development in all areas, including education, health, transport, infrastructure, and defense,” Nadda said.

The Union Minister noted how every section of society has been uplifted due to unprecedented initiatives, such as the “Ayushman Bharat – Jan Arogya” by the government.

As of May 30, more than 41.02 crore Ayushman Cards have been created in 33 states and union territories.

The AB-PMJAY has emerged as one of the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance schemes. It has enabled 8.59 crore hospital admissions worth Rs 1,19,858 crore, ensuring access to secondary and tertiary care without pushing families into debt, according to an official statement by the government.

Further, the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras rose to 16,469, as of May 30, from just 80 in 2014. It brought essential medicines within reach of the common citizen.

“Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, India has made remarkable progress in every field in the last 11 years. From becoming the fourth largest economy globally to international diplomacy, unprecedented work has been done on the upliftment of every section including farmers, women, youth, elderly, laborers, businessmen, infrastructure development, and inclusive policies,” Nadda said.

Other initiatives that contributed to the growth of the country include Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Jan Dhan, Mudra Yojana, Drone Didi, self-help groups, and self-employment scheme.

These have uplifted “crores of citizens across the country to come out of the poverty line and live a life of dignity,” the Minister said.

He stated that the 11 years of the Modi government have been dedicated to “service, good governance and welfare of the poor”, which is enabling the country to rapidly progress towards building a ‘developed India’.

(With inputs from IANS)

June 9, 2025
India celebrates 11 years of PM Modi’s leadership: A decade of transformative governance and inclusive growth

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks 11 years at the helm of the Indian government, the nation reflects on a decade defined by unprecedented transformation, inclusive development, and governance rooted in the spirit of Seva (service).

Under PM Modi’s leadership, India has not only surged economically and technologically but also redefined its global standing and internal governance priorities. The slogan 11 Years of Seva has come to symbolize a period of speed, scale, and selfless public service, touching every section of Indian society—from farmers to youth, from marginalized communities to women, and from remote villages to global forums.

India’s GDP has more than tripled over the last decade—from ₹105 lakh crore ($2.1 trillion) in 2013–14 to over ₹330 lakh crore ($4.2 trillion) in 2024–25. The country’s export capacity saw a 91% surge, hitting $890 billion in total exports this year. Initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes attracted ₹1.61 lakh crore in investments and created over 11.5 lakh jobs across 14 sectors.

Infrastructure witnessed massive upgrades. National highway length grew from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,204 km in 2024. Operational airports more than doubled to 157. In the Northeast alone, ₹81,000 crore has been invested in railway projects, with 1,728 km commissioned—up 159% from the previous decade.

Agriculture saw a budgetary increase of nearly six times, with Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) rising substantially for major crops. Over ₹3.68 lakh crore has been directly transferred to over 11 crore farmers under PM-KISAN, while institutional credit to agriculture nearly tripled.

Women emerged as key stakeholders in this growth journey. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam has secured one-third reservation for women in legislatures, and women now constitute 43% of STEMM enrollments and over 2 crore MSME entrepreneurs. Self-help groups (SHGs) have grown to 90.9 lakh, transforming grassroots leadership.

Health and Digital Transformation

Healthcare underwent a seismic shift. Ayushman Bharat has issued over 36 crore health cards, saving citizens ₹1.25 lakh crore in medical costs. India added nearly 400 new medical colleges, doubled MBBS seats, and saw a sharp decline in maternal and infant mortality rates.

Telemedicine service eSanjeevani delivered over 36 crore consultations—making it the world’s largest digital health platform. Aadhaar-enabled DBT schemes transferred over ₹43 lakh crore directly to beneficiaries, while UPI transactions crossed ₹214 lakh crore, with India now handling nearly half of global real-time payments.

Global Positioning and Defence Prowess

India has transitioned from a major arms importer to an emerging defence exporter, with defence exports soaring from ₹1,941 crore in 2014 to ₹23,662 crore in 2024. Indigenous platforms like the Vande Bharat trains and advanced defence drones have solidified India’s technological edge.

India’s role on the global stage also evolved, leading humanitarian missions like Operation Ganga, Brahma, Kaveri, and Vande Bharat to rescue citizens and deliver aid globally.

Sustainability and Green Growth

The green revolution under PM Modi’s governance is visible in the 3,400% rise in solar power capacity (from 2.82 GW to 100+ GW), the planting of over 142 crore trees, and the creation of 282 new protected ecological areas. The ₹19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to position India as a global clean energy hub.

Peace and Integration in the Northeast

Violence in the Northeast has reduced significantly—insurgency-related incidents fell by 70%, and over 10,500 insurgents have surrendered. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been revoked in large parts of the region, as development replaces discord. PM Modi has visited the region 78 times—more than all previous prime ministers combined.

Youth, Innovation, and Digital Bharat

With 1.61 lakh startups recognized and India now ranking third globally in the unicorn count, the youth have become central to India’s innovation ecosystem. Over 2.27 crore youth have been trained under Skill India, and more than ₹2 lakh crore has been invested in their skilling and employment.

India’s digital backbone also saw remarkable growth—with average data usage per person rising 325 times, from 70 MB in 2014 to 22.8 GB in 2025, and mobile phone production scaling from 5.8 crore units to over 33 crore annually.

From eradicating open defecation and improving healthcare access to transforming India into a startup and manufacturing powerhouse, the past 11 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have laid the foundation for a Viksit Bharat (developed India).

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: 15 killed in Malaysia road accident

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Xinhua) — At least 15 people were killed when a bus carrying students collided with a multi-purpose vehicle on the East-West Highway in Malaysia’s Perak state early Monday, authorities said.

The clash, which was reported at 1:10 p.m. local time, left 48 people injured, 13 of whom were found dead at the scene, civil defense forces said in a statement.

Two more victims died in hospital, Malaysia’s Bernama news agency reported.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed condolences to the families of all those killed in the plane crash and instructed the Ministry of Higher Education to coordinate the provision of appropriate assistance to the families of the victims. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Keeping the grass growing and the Fieldays traffic flowing

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Here’s what road users need to know:

State Highway 21 (SH21) Airport Road, State Highway 1 (SH1) and State Highway 1C (SH1C) interchange at Tamahere are likely to be severely congested from tomorrow, Tuesday 10 through to Sunday 15 June, and motorists should plan ahead. Long queues and delays can be expected.

“We know that Fieldays attracts thousands of people every year, so we’ve planned for the inundation of traffic to Mystery Creek and surrounding state highways, by making some changes to help traffic flow,” says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Waikato Journey Manager, Andrew Brosnan.

“This year, there will be a closure of the SH21 northbound lane, between the SH21 Airport Road – Raynes Road intersection and the event. This lane will be closed from 7am to 10am and from 4pm to 6pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to reduce tailbacks on SH1 during the morning and afternoon traffic peaks.

“Tamahere Interchange will be closed between 6am and 11am,” Mr Brosnan says.

Alternative routes for people travelling through the area but not to Fieldays are to use State Highway 3 (SH3) and SH1C. People travelling from SH1 to Fieldays on SH21 Airport Road will not be affected. Through-traffic is limited to people living around SH21 Airport Road and school traffic including local school buses and parents travelling to and from Tamahere School and Tamahere Educare.

“Attendees should also consider taking the bus. There are several free services travelling to and from Fieldays every day,” Mr Brosnan says.

Regional buses and Hamilton City buses can be taken free to the Hamilton Transport Centre, and then out to Gate 1 at Fieldays, Mystery Creek with a valid 2025 Fieldays ticket which must be presented to the driver.

Regional buses include those from Raglan, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Morrinsville, Huntly, Taumarunui, Te Kūiti and Tokoroa. Buses to Fieldays will depart from Hamilton Transport Centre approximately every 30 minutes from 7am to 11am returning from 1pm to 5.30 pm.

Visit fieldays.co.nz/attend-fieldays/getting-to-fieldays for more information.

While the event is on, people are encouraged to use alternative routes or travel arrangements between Tuesday 10 and Sunday 15 June.

Check Journey Planner before heading to Fieldays or if travelling through the area.

You can get real-time updates on traffic conditions around Mystery Creek at https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/regions/waikato/traffic-dashboard

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The blow-up between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has been entertaining, but how did things go so bad, so fast?

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Henry Maher, Lecturer in Politics, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney

A no-holds-barred and very public blow-up between the world’s richest man and the president of the United States has had social media agog in recent days, with each making serious accusations against the other.

And while tech billionaire Elon Musk appears to have cooled the spat somewhat – deleting some of his more incendiary social media posts about Donald Trump – the president still appears to be in no mood to make up, warning Musk of “very serious consequences” if he backs Democrats at the mid-term elections in 2026.

Tensions erupted over Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB). The OBBB proposes extensive tax cuts which could add roughly US$3 trillion (A$4.62 trillion) to the US national debt.

After stepping down from his role as advisor to Trump, Musk criticised the OBBB as “disgusting abomination” that would “burden America [sic] citizens with crushing unsustainable debt”. Trump returned fire, suggesting “Elon was ‘wearing thin’, I asked him to leave […] and he just went CRAZY!”.

In a dramatic escalation, Musk responded by calling for Trump’s impeachment. Musk also tweeted allegations that Trump was implicated in the Epstein files related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has since deleted those tweets.

Why has the much-hyped “bromance” between Musk and Trump suddenly ended? And what was the basis of their alliance in the first place?

Musk in politics

Like many billionaires, Musk had previously been hesitant to get involved in frontline politics. He says he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, but claimed in 2021 “I would prefer to stay out of politics”.

In early 2024, Musk was still claiming to be politically non-aligned, suggesting he would not donate to either presidential campaign.

This apparent neutrality ended following the attempted assassination of Trump at a July 2024 campaign rally, with Musk immediately endorsing Trump.

In reality, Musk’s conversion to the MAGA movement long predated the assassination attempt. Musk’s hyperactive Twitter/X account shows a steady radicalisation.

Across 2020-2024, Musk engaged with accounts sharing MAGA and far-right conspiracy theories. These include the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory, and the related South African white genocide conspiracy. Musk’s posts also show the obsession with opposing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies characteristic of the MAGA movement.

After endorsing Trump, Musk spent US$288 million (A$444 million) supporting Trump’s election and appeared at campaign events around the country.

Musk’s support for Trump was both ideological and pragmatic.

From tax cuts to immigration restrictions to opposing DEI, there were clearly many ideological commonalities between Musk and Trump.

There were also clear practical benefits for both men. Trump gained the financial backing of the world’s wealthiest man. Musk gained not only unparalleled access to the US president, but also a role leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

DOGE: success and failure

Early reporting on the second Trump presidency noted the omnipresence of Musk, who at one point moved into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to be close to the president.

However, observers were sceptical about the potential effectiveness of DOGE, and Musk’s claim it would save the government US$2 trillion (A$3.02 trillion).

In the early months of the Trump administration, Musk cut government programs and employees at a remarkable rate. The USAID program was particularly hard hit, as were the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

As the spending cuts picked up pace, Musk began to attract more controversy. Critics questioned the apparent power wielded by the unelected billionaire. Musk’s ties to the far right were also in the spotlight after he appeared to perform two “Roman salutes”, which many observers believed to be a Nazi salute.

Trump clips Musk’s wings

Musk’s apparent rampage through government did not last long. As Trump’s executive appointees assumed control of their departments, Musk and DOGE experienced increasing resistance. After a series of fractious cabinet meetings, Trump reportedly reduced the power of DOGE in March.

Political attention was also clearly affecting Musk’s businesses. The negative publicity has significantly damaged the Tesla brand, leading to declining sales around the world and repeated falls in Telsa’s share price.

On May 1, Musk announced he would be leaving DOGE, claiming the department had saved the government US$180 billion (A$277 billion) in spending. This number is likely an exaggeration, but still falls well short of his original target.

Musk has learned a harsh lesson in politics – that the complexities of government resist simple reform and cannot be easily rolled back in the way a CEO might slim down a company.

For Trump, his manoeuvring of Musk appears to be another smart political move. As the public face of DOGE, Musk bore the negative rap for early government cuts and chaos. Having used his money and reputation, Trump dispensed with Musk as he has with so many advisers and appointees before.

The falling out

Musk departed his role in a muted White House ceremony, where Trump thanked him for his service and presented him with a ceremonial “golden key” to the White House.

However, behind the public show of civility, tension was brewing over Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

Trump and Musk had originally claimed that the US$2 trillion (A$3.02 trillion) in DOGE savings could be used to fund a substantial tax cut. With the efficiency savings not eventuating, Musk worried the OBBB would significantly increase US public debt.

Unable to convince Trump or other Republican legislators, Musk took to X, launching a “Kill the Bill” campaign that ultimately led to his incendiary showdown with Trump.

For his part, Trump has belittled Musk, suggesting Musk only opposed the OBBB because it cut subsidies for electric vehicles.

Though the subsidy cuts will affect Tesla, Musk has previously supported eliminating subsidies. Musk’s anger at the OBBB is more likely driven by the realisation he has been played by Trump.

What now?

Trump has used and discarded many other powerful figures in his chaotic political career. Musk has more power than most, and might be able to strike back at Trump.

Yet, with his public reputation and brands already tarnished, Musk would be ill-advised to pick further fights with Trump and his adoring MAGA movement.

Accordingly, Musk has indicated over the weekend he is open to a détente. Tesla investors will no doubt be relieved if Musk makes good on his pledge to step back from politics and return to his businesses.

More concerning are the prospects for democracy. With wealth and power continuing to concentrate in a handful of billionaires, voters appear reduced to the role of viewers forced to watch the reality TV drama unfold.

Though Trump appears to have won this round of billionaire battle royale, whatever happens next, democracy is the real loser.

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

– ref. The blow-up between Elon Musk and Donald Trump has been entertaining, but how did things go so bad, so fast? – https://theconversation.com/the-blow-up-between-elon-musk-and-donald-trump-has-been-entertaining-but-how-did-things-go-so-bad-so-fast-258394

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: 2-million-year-old pitted teeth from our ancient relatives reveal secrets about human evolution

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Ian Towle, Research Fellow in Biological Anthropology, Monash University

Ian Towle / The Conversation

The enamel that forms the outer layer of our teeth might seem like an unlikely place to find clues about evolution. But it tells us more than you’d think about the relationships between our fossil ancestors and relatives.

In our new study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, we highlight a different aspect of enamel. In fact, we highlight its absence.

Specifically, we show that tiny, shallow pits in fossil teeth may not be signs of malnutrition or disease. Instead, they may carry surprising evolutionary significance.

You might be wondering why this matters. Well, for people like me who try to figure out how humans evolved and how all our ancestors and relatives were related to each other, teeth are very important. And having a new marker to look out for on fossil teeth could give us a new tool to help fit together our family tree.

Uniform, circular and shallow

These pits were first identified in the South African species Paranthropus robustus, a close relative of our own genus Homo. They are highly consistent in shape and size: uniform, circular and shallow.

Initially, we thought the pits might be unique to P. robustus. But our latest research shows this kind of pitting also occurs in other Paranthropus species in eastern Africa. We even found it in some Australopithecus individuals, a genus that may have given rise to both Homo and Paranthropus.

Uniform, circular and shallow pitting on teeth may be a previously undetected clue about evolutionary relationships.
Towle et al. / Journal of Human Evolution

The enamel pits have commonly been assumed to be defects resulting from stresses such as illness or malnutrition during childhood. However, their remarkable consistency across species, time and geography suggests these enamel pits may be something more interesting.

The pitting is subtle, regularly spaced, and often clustered in specific regions of the tooth crown. It appears without any other signs of damage or abnormality.

Two million years of evolution

We looked at fossil teeth from hominins (humans and our closest extinct relatives) from the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, where we can see traces of more than two million years of human evolution, as well as comparisons with sites in southern Africa (Drimolen, Swartkrans and Kromdraai).

The Omo collection includes teeth attributed to Paranthropus, Australopithecus and Homo, the three most recent and well-known hominin genera. This allowed us to track the telltale pitting across different branches of our evolutionary tree.

What we found was unexpected. The uniform pitting appears regularly in both eastern and southern Africa Paranthropus, and also in the earliest eastern African Australopithecus teeth dating back around 3 million years. But among southern Africa Australopithecus and our own genus, Homo, the uniform pitting was notably absent.

A defect … or just a trait?

If the uniform pitting were caused by stress or disease, we might expect it to correlate with tooth size and enamel thickness, and to affect both front and back teeth. But it doesn’t.

What’s more, stress-related defects typically form horizontal bands. They usually affect all teeth developing at the time of the stress, but this is not what we see with this pitting.

The uniform, even nature of the pitting suggests a genetic origin rather than environmental factors such as malnutrition or disease.
Towle et al. / Journal of Human Evolution

We think this pitting probably has a developmental and genetic origin. It may have emerged as a byproduct of changes in how enamel was formed in these species. It might even have some unknown functional purpose.

In any case, we suggest these uniform, circular pits should be viewed as a trait rather than a defect.

A modern comparison

Further support for the idea of a genetic origin comes from comparisons with a rare condition in humans today called amelogenesis imperfecta, which affects enamel formation.

About one in 1,000 people today have amelogenesis imperfecta. By contrast, the uniform pitting we have seen appears in up to half of Paranthropus individuals.

Although it likely has a genetic basis, we argue the even pitting is too common to be considered a harmful disorder. What’s more, it persisted at similar frequencies for millions of years.

A new evolutionary marker

If this uniform pitting really does have a genetic origin, we may be able to use it to trace evolutionary relationships.

We already use subtle tooth features such as enamel thickness, cusp shape, and wear patterns to help identify species. The uniform pitting may be an additional diagnostic tool.

For example, our findings support the idea that Paranthropus is a “monophyletic group”, meaning all its species descend from a (relatively) recent common ancestor, rather than evolving seperatly from different Australopithecus taxa.

And we did not find this pitting in the southern Africa species Australopithecus africanus, despite a large sample of more than 500 teeth. However, it does appear in the earliest Omo Australopithecus specimens.

So perhaps the pitting could also help pinpoint from where Paranthropus branched off on its own evolutionary path.

An intriguing case

One especially intriguing case is Homo floresiensis, the so-called “hobbit” species from Indonesia. Based on published images, their teeth appear to show similar pitting.

If confirmed, this could suggest an evolutionary history more closely tied to earlier Australopithecus species than to Homo. However, H. floresiensis also shows potential skeletal and dental pathologies, so more research is needed before drawing such conclusions.

More research is also needed to fully understand the processes behind the uniform pitting before it can be used routinely in taxonomic work. But our research shows it is likely a heritable characteristic, one not found in any living primates studied to date, nor in our own genus Homo (rare cases of amelogenesis imperfecta aside).

As such, it offers an exciting new tool for exploring evolutionary relationships among fossil hominins.

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

– ref. 2-million-year-old pitted teeth from our ancient relatives reveal secrets about human evolution – https://theconversation.com/2-million-year-old-pitted-teeth-from-our-ancient-relatives-reveal-secrets-about-human-evolution-258390

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 9, 2025
Does U.S. law allow Trump to send troops to quell protests?

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops to California after two days of protests by hundreds of demonstrators against immigration raids, saying that the protests interfered with federal law enforcement and framing them as a possible “form of rebellion” against the authority of the U.S. government.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday said he had formally requested that the Trump Administration rescind “its unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County” and return them to his command.

WHAT LAWS DID TRUMP CITE TO JUSTIFY THE MOVE?

Trump cited Title 10 of the U.S. Code, a federal law that outlines the role of the U.S. Armed Forces, in his June 7 order to call members of the California National Guard into federal service.

A provision of Title 10 – Section 12406 – allows the president to deploy National Guard units into federal service if the U.S. is invaded, there is a “rebellion or danger of rebellion” or the president is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

WHAT ARE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ALLOWED TO DO UNDER THE LAW CITED IN TRUMP’S ORDER?

An 1878 law, the Posse Comitatus Act, generally forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement.

Section 12406 does not override that prohibition, but it allows the troops to protect federal agents who are carrying out law enforcement activity and to protect federal property.

For example, National Guard troops cannot arrest protesters, but they could protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who are carrying out arrests.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH?

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to assembly, freedom of speech and the press.

Experts have said that Trump’s decision to have U.S. troops respond to protests is an ominous sign for how far the president is willing to go to repress political speech and activity that he disagrees with or that criticizes his administration’s policies.

IS TRUMP’S MOVE SUSCEPTIBLE TO LEGAL CHALLENGES?

Four legal experts from both left- and right-leaning advocacy organizations have cast doubt on Trump’s use of Title 10 in response to immigration protests calling it inflammatory and reckless, especially without the support of California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who has said Trump’s actions would only escalate tensions.

The protests in California do not rise to the level of “rebellion” and do not prevent the federal government from executing the laws of the United States, experts said.

Title 10 also says “orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States,” but legal experts said that language might not be an obstacle. Legislative history suggests that those words were likely meant to reflect the norms of how National Guard troops are typically deployed, rather than giving a governor the option to not comply with a president’s decision to deploy troops.

COULD CALIFORNIA SUE TO CHALLENGE TRUMP’S MOVE?

California could file a lawsuit, arguing that deployment of National Guard troops was not justified by Title 10 because there was no “rebellion” or threat to law enforcement. A lawsuit might take months to resolve, and the outcome would be uncertain. Because the protests may be over before a lawsuit is resolved, the decision to sue might be more of a political question than a legal one, experts said.

WHAT OTHER LAWS COULD TRUMP INVOKE TO DIRECT THE NATIONAL GUARD OR OTHER U.S MILITARY TROOPS?

Trump could take a more far-reaching step by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1792, which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement, for which there is little recent precedent.

Casting protests as an “insurrection” that requires the deployment of troops against U.S. citizens would be riskier legal territory, one legal expert said, in part because mostly peaceful protests and minor incidents aren’t the sort of thing that the Insurrection Act were designed to address.

The Insurrection Act has been used by past presidents to deploy troops within the U.S. in response to crises like the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War. The law was last invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, when the governor of California requested military aid to suppress unrest in Los Angeles following the Rodney King trial.

But, the last time a president deployed the National Guard in a state without a request from that state’s governor was 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to protect civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama.

(Reuters)

June 9, 2025

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Recording the roots: Oral history brings Kirks Bush to life

Source: Auckland Council

Kirks Bush in Papakura has been transformed from a neglected area into a cherished native forest, thanks to dedicated local volunteers.

A new oral history project, led by historian Janine Irvine and funded by Papakura Local Board, is preserving the stories behind this community effort.

The project honours the environmental, emotional, and cultural legacy of those who restored Kirks Bush—and calls for new volunteers to continue the work.

For more than 30 years, a quiet transformation has taken place in Papakura at Kirks Bush. Once known as a place to avoid, this pocket of native forest has slowly become a sanctuary thanks to the tireless efforts of volunteer group Friends of Kirks Bush.

Now through the Kirks Bush Oral History project, those decades of dedication are being formally recognised, recorded, and preserved.

Led by historian Janine Irvine, and funded by Papakura Local Board, the project aims to capture and protect the stories for those who have played a role in reclaiming and restoring Kirks Bush.

Papakura Local Board Chair Brent Catchpole says local iwi – Te Ākitai Waihoua recognised the importance of preserving the stories and contributions of the Friends of Kirk Bush.

“The board are pleased to see the oral history come to fruition; Kirks Bush is a living taonga nestled in the heart of Papakura with a rich history and fond memories for local residents.

“I commend the Friends of Kirks Bush and all the community partners involved for their dedication to preserving this very special urban ngāhere that we all get to enjoy today.”

The oral histories are more than a record of volunteer labour; they’re a testament to community resilience and long-term commitment. From those who have spent countless hours pulling weeds, removing graffiti, advocating for improvements and kauri protection, this project is a chance to have their experiences formally acknowledged and archived for future generations.

In the Oral History of Kirks Bush, Muriel Nacey describes how rewarding it was to see people become more confident about walking in the Bush as conditions improved.

For Margaret Gane Kirks Bush offered her a kind of pause or reset from daily life. “They speak to me about something far bigger than me,” she describes, recalling the feeling of walking beneath the tall tree canopy.

“I come out and my life is so much more in perspective. Those trees have lived through things I have not seen.” she says

Kirks Bush survival amid Auckland’s urban sprawl is rare, and its transformation into a place of safety, learning, and connection is thanks to those who cared enough to act.

The Oral History of Kirks Bush ensures that this care is not forgotten. It recognises the decades of quiet mahi and honours those who made a long-term commitment to the land.

Many of the founding friends of Kirks Bush have now retired or passed on, and new volunteers are needed to carry this important work forward, to care for and nurture this very special place.

Become a Friend of Kirks Bush by volunteering today!

Contact Margeret Gane

Phone: 022 158 8064

Email: margaretjgane@gmail.com

Listen here: Friends of Kirks Bush Collection – Oral History – Kura

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MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 9, 2025

Political divide widens as Trump deploys National Guard to Los Angeles

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Republicans and Democrats traded barbs on Sunday after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles amid massive protests against increasing and divisive immigration raids.

“Important to remember that Trump isn’t trying to heal or keep the peace. He is looking to inflame and divide,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in one of the most direct rebukes.

“His movement doesn’t believe in democracy or protest – and if they get a chance to end the rule of law they will take it.”

Democratic Senator Cory Booker condemned Trump for deploying troops without California’s approval, warning it would only escalate tensions. On NBC’s “Meet the Press” he accused Trump of hypocrisy, and noted the president’s inaction on January 6, 2021 when thousands of his supporters raided the U.S. Capitol and his subsequent pardons for those arrested.

Footage showed at least a half dozen military-style vehicles and riot shields on Sunday at the federal building in Los Angeles with federal law enforcement firing gas canisters to disperse demonstrators protesting against the ICE crackdown.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Trump sparred over the protests, with Newsom condemning the federal response as an overreach, saying Trump wants “a spectacle,” while the president accused Newsom of failing to maintain order.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday defended Trump’s decision and said he had no concern about the National Guard deployment, adding, “One of our core principles is maintaining peace through strength. We do that in foreign affairs and domestic affairs as well. I don’t think that’s heavy handed.”

Republican Senator James Lankford said Trump is trying to de-escalate tensions, pointing to scenes of protesters throwing objects at law enforcement.

He recalled similar unrest in 2020 in Seattle and Portland, where National Guard backed local law enforcement amid racial justice protests.

The protests against the raids have become the latest focal point in a national debate over immigration, protest rights, and the use of federal force in domestic affairs. It also has fueled discussion on the boundaries of presidential power and the public’s right to dissent.

(Reuters)

June 9, 2025
China’s May exports slow, deflation deepens as tariffs bite

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

China’s May export growth slowed to a three-month low as U.S. tariffs slammed shipments, while factory-gate deflation deepened to its worst level in two years, heaping pressure on the world’s second-largest economy on both the domestic and external fronts.

The global trade war and the swings in China-U.S. trade ties have in the past two months sent Chinese exporters, along with their business partners across the Pacific, on a roller coaster ride and hobbled world growth.

Exports expanded 4.8% year-on-year in value terms in May, slowing from the 8.1% jump in April and missing the 5.0% growth expected in a Reuters poll, customs data showed on Monday, despite a lowering of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods which had taken effect in early April.

Imports dropped 3.4% year-on-year, deepening sharply from the 0.2% decline in April and worse than the 0.9% downturn expected in the Reuters poll.

Exports had surged 12.4% year-on-year and 8.1% in March and April, respectively, as factories rushed shipments to the U.S. and other overseas manufacturers to avoid U.S. President Trump’s hefty levies on China and the rest of the world.

While exporters in China found some respite in May as Beijing and Washington agreed to suspend most of their levies for 90 days, tensions between the world’s two largest economies remain high and negotiations are underway over issues ranging from China’s rare earths controls to Taiwan.

Trade representatives from China and the U.S. are meeting in London on Monday to resume talks after a phone call between their top leaders on Thursday.

“Export growth was likely stalled by heavy customs inspections in May due to tightened export control efforts,” said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, noting that rare earth exports nearly halved last month, while electric machinery exports also slowed significantly.

Underscoring the U.S. tariff impact on shipments, customs data showed that China’s exports to the U.S. slumped 34.5% year-on-year in May in value terms, widening from a 21% drop the previous month. Imports to the U.S. also lost further ground, dropping 18.1% from a 13.8% slide in April.

China’s May trade surplus came in at $103.22 billion, up from the $96.18 billion the previous month.

Other data, also released on Monday, showed China’s import of crude oil, coal, and iron ore dropped last month, underlining the fragility of domestic demand at a time of rising external headwinds.

Beijing in May rolled out a series of monetary stimulus measures, including cuts to benchmark lending rates and a 500 billion yuan low-cost loan program for supporting elderly care and services consumption.

The measures are aimed at cushioning the trade war’s blow to an economy that relied on exports in its recovery from the pandemic shocks and a protracted property market slump.

China’s markets showed muted reaction to the data. The blue-chip CSI300 Index CSI300 and the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index SSEC were up around 0.2%.

DEFLATIONARY PRESSURES

Producer and consumer price data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics on the same day, showed that deflationary pressures worsened last month.

The producer price index fell 3.3% in May from a year earlier, after a 2.7% decline in April and marked the deepest contraction in 22 months, while consumer prices extended declines, having dipped 0.1% last month from a year earlier.

Cooling factory activity also highlights the impact of U.S. tariffs on the world’s largest manufacturing hub, dampening faster services growth as suspense lingers over the outcome of U.S.-China trade talks.

Sluggish domestic demand and weak prices have weighed on China’s economy, which has struggled to mount a robust post-pandemic recovery and has relied on exports to underpin growth.

Retail sales growth slowed last month as spending continued to lag amid job insecurity and stagnant new home prices.

U.S. coffee chain Starbucks said on Monday it would lower prices of some iced drinks by an average of 5 yuan in China.

The core inflation measure, excluding volatile food and fuel prices, registered a 0.6% year-on-year rise, slightly faster than a 0.5% increase in April.

However, Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics, said the improvement in core prices looks “fragile”, adding “we still think persistent overcapacity will keep China in deflation both this year and next.”

(Reuters)

June 9, 2025
India’s inclusive development journey: 11 years of transformative social welfare under ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Marking eleven years of transformative governance under the banner of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas,” the Government of India has unveiled an extensive account of its welfare-driven initiatives that have reshaped the socio-economic landscape of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a statement released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), said, “Bharat is changing, and it is changing rapidly. People’s self-confidence, their trust in the government, and the commitment to build a new Bharat is visible everywhere.”

Over the past decade, the government has focused on complete saturation of welfare schemes, ensuring no eligible citizen is left behind. This approach has led to the expansion of access to essential services such as clean water, housing, electricity, sanitation, healthcare, and social security, significantly improving the lives of millions across the country.

The Jal Jeevan Mission has brought tap water to over 15.59 crore rural households, achieving full coverage in eight states and three union territories. In the housing sector, nearly 4 crore homes have been completed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), with over 90 lakh homes under the urban component now owned by women. Rural electrification has also seen remarkable progress, with 2.86 crore homes electrified under the SAUBHAGYA scheme. As a result, the average daily electricity supply in rural areas has risen from 12.5 hours in 2014 to 22.6 hours in 2025.

The Swachh Bharat Mission has transformed sanitation across India, resulting in the construction of 12 crore household toilets and the declaration of over 5.64 lakh villages as Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus. In the realm of healthcare, the Ayushman Bharat scheme now covers 55 crore individuals, while the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme provides additional support for all citizens aged 70 and above. Free ration distribution through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has benefited 81 crore citizens since its launch during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a financial commitment of ₹11.80 lakh crore until 2028.

Efforts to ensure clean cooking fuel have reached a milestone with 10.33 crore LPG connections distributed under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Additionally, the PM SVANidhi scheme has extended loans to 68 lakh street vendors, helping formalize 76.28 lakh vendors into the economic mainstream. In the field of entrepreneurship, India now boasts 1.57 lakh recognized startups and 118 unicorns, reflecting the vibrancy of its innovation ecosystem. Worker welfare has also been strengthened, with more than 30.86 crore unorganised workers registered on the eShram portal, of whom over half are women.

India’s anti-poverty efforts have been globally recognized. The World Bank’s Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief reports that 171 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty, with the rate falling from 16.2 percent in 2011–12 to just 2.3 percent in 2022–23. The UNDP’s Multidimensional Poverty Index also shows a dramatic decline from 53.8 percent in 2005–06 to 16.4 percent in 2019–21, underscoring gains in health, education, and living standards.

Rural consumption indicators further reflect these improvements. The average monthly per capita expenditure in rural areas has nearly tripled, increasing from ₹1,430 in 2011–12 to ₹4,122 in 2023–24. Urban spending has shown similar growth, rising from ₹2,630 to ₹6,996 in the same period.

The government’s empowerment initiatives have particularly benefitted women, artisans, and marginalized communities. The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana has disbursed ₹33.33 lakh crore in loans to over 52 crore accounts, with 68 percent allocated to women. The Stand-Up India scheme continues to support SC/ST and women entrepreneurs through substantial bank financing. The PM Vishwakarma Yojana has provided toolkits, collateral-free loans, and training support to 2.37 million artisans. Meanwhile, the Lakhpati Didi initiative, aiming to make three crore rural women economically self-reliant, builds on the success of over 10 crore women joining self-help groups nationwide.

Social security has expanded through schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM), which now offers assured monthly pensions to 51.35 lakh unorganised workers. Insurance schemes PMJJBY and PMSBY cover over 75 crore citizens, offering low-cost life and accident insurance.

Inclusivity remains a central pillar of the government’s approach. Sixty percent of current Union Ministers hail from minority communities. Nearly 44 percent of rural homes built under PMAY-G have been allotted to SC/ST households. More than half of all scholarship recipients come from SC/ST/OBC backgrounds. In education, the number of Eklavya Model Residential Schools sanctioned for tribal students has grown fourfold since 2014, now totaling 477. Eleven Tribal Freedom Fighter Museums are being developed to honor the contributions of tribal leaders, while Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is celebrated annually to commemorate the legacy of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

To improve last-mile delivery, the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has reached 2.6 lakh gram panchayats and over 4,000 urban bodies across the country, promoting the saturation of welfare schemes. The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), focused on 112 of India’s most backward districts, has already shown measurable improvements in key sectors like health, education, and basic infrastructure.

As Bharat approaches its centenary of independence, the government reiterates its commitment to building a developed, inclusive, and self-reliant nation. The results of the past eleven years, driven by policy innovation, data-driven governance, and community participation, represent not only progress but a vision of Viksit Bharat that is within reach.

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Jobs at US’s Largest Port Halved Amid Tariff Controversy – Media

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Xinhua) — The number of jobs at the Port of Los Angeles, the largest and busiest port in the United States, has been cut in half due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs that have crippled trade with the Asia-Pacific region, local media reported Saturday.

Over the last 25 shifts, only 733 jobs were available for the 1,575 dockworkers seeking work, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, adding that the port handled 25 percent less cargo than projected for May.

“They haven’t been laid off, but they’re working a lot less than they were before,” Seroka said. “We’ve actually seen a decline in work since the tariffs were put in place, in May,” he added.

J. Seroka attributed the job losses to the decrease in the volume of cargo passing through the port.

The Port of Los Angeles has been the largest container port in the United States every year since 2000. In California alone, nearly 1 million jobs are tied to trade through the port. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 9, 2025
Prince of Clay Alcaraz battles back from the brink to retain French Open crown

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink of a first Grand Slam final loss to outlast Jannik Sinner in a French Open title clash for the ages on Sunday and keep his crown, cementing his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros’ post-Rafa Nadal era.

In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old saved three match points in the fourth set to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) and continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and end the Italian’s 20-match winning run at the majors.

Alcaraz showed his steely determination to win the epic in five hours and 29 minutes – the longest final at Roland Garros – and soaked up the roaring ovation from a thoroughly entertained Parisian crowd long used to 14-times champion Nadal’s reign.

“I’m just really happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament,” Alcaraz told Sinner after collecting the Musketeers’ Cup.

“I’m sure you’re going to be champion not once, but many times. It’s a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you.”

Victory made him only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win all of his first five Grand Slam singles finals after Swiss great Roger Federer but Alcaraz was more enthralled with an achievement he shared with fellow Spaniard and 22-times major champion Nadal.

“The coincidence of winning my fifth Grand Slam at the same age as Nadal, that’s destiny,” Alcaraz told reporters.

“It’s a stat I’m going to keep forever … It’s a huge honour. Hopefully it’s not going to stop like this.”

Alcaraz and Sinner, who have lifted seven out of the last eight Grand Slams to stamp their authority in the men’s game, were locked in a fierce battle full of dramatic momentum shifts in the first major final between two men born in the 2000s.

Sunday’s five-hour-plus fiesta was the second-longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era and marked only the third time since 1968 that a player saved a match point en route to victory in a Grand Slam final.

Alcaraz matched Argentine Gaston Gaudio’s 2004 French Open feat and Serbian Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon comeback in 2019.

Playing his first Grand Slam after serving a three-month ban after a doping case, top seed Sinner held serve in a tense five-deuce opening game lasting 12 minutes.

However, the 23-year-old was broken in the fifth game when he fired a forehand wide, before hitting back from 2-3 and going on to snatch an intense opening set following an unforced error by Alcaraz.

ON THE ROPES

Relentless pressure from the baseline allowed Sinner to go a break up early in the second set and the top seed began to apply the squeeze on Alcaraz, who was on the ropes trailing 1-4 on a sunbathed Court Philippe Chatrier.

An aggressive Alcaraz came out fighting and drew loud cheers when he drew level after 10 games and then forced a tiebreak but Sinner edged ahead with a blistering forehand winner and doubled his lead after the clock ticked past two hours.

Alcaraz, who had never come back from two sets down before, battled hard in the hope of avoiding heartbreak in a major final and pulled a set back before saving three match points at 3-5 down in the fourth, later restoring parity following the tiebreak.

He traded breaks in a high-quality decider but prevailed in the super tiebreak to become the third man to capture back-to-back Roland Garros titles this century after Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten.

“He was born to play these kind of moments,” said Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

“Every time we were in these situations, even when he was younger in the challengers … he always went for it.”

Sinner was left to digest how he let slip a golden chance to win claycourt’s blue riband event following hardcourt triumphs at the U.S. Open and Australian Open.

Alcaraz fell to the red dirt before Sinner went over to his side of the court to congratulate him and the Spaniard then ran to the heaving stands to hug his team and celebrate.

“CARLOS II, PRINCE OF CLAY,” the French Open posted on X.

Sinner had a contemplative look, sitting on his bench as his rival rejoiced, and was gracious in defeat when he congratulated him during the trophy ceremony.

“We tried our best today, we gave everything … an amazing tournament even though it’s very difficult now,” Sinner said.

“It’s a big privilege for me to play here … I won’t sleep very well tonight but it’s okay.”

(Reuters)

June 9, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Palestine Forum of New Zealand Calls for Safe Passage of Madleen and Urgent Sanctions Against Israel
Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand strongly condemns the violent interception of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel attempting to deliver essential humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Gaza, by the Israeli military. We demand the immediate safe passage of the vessel and call upon the New Zealand Government to urgently implement meaningful sanctions against Israel for its ongoing war crimes and illegal occupation of Palestine.

“The Madleen was carrying life-saving aid to a population enduring unimaginable suffering under Israel’s illegal siege. Its interception is a flagrant violation of international law and a direct attack on humanitarian principles,” said a spokesperson for the Palestine Forum of New Zealand.

The unlawful blockade of Gaza — now in its 18th year — has turned the region into what human rights organisations have described as the world’s largest open-air prison. The systematic denial of aid, food, water, fuel, and medical supplies is part of Israel’s ongoing campaign of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand reiterates the following urgent demands:

Immediate safe passage for the Madleen and all humanitarian vessels to Gaza.

The New Zealand Government is to impose targeted sanctions against Israel, including an end to military, economic, and diplomatic cooperation.

Support for the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill and pressure on Parliament to prioritise it for debate.

Active support for international legal mechanisms, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Aotearoa cannot remain silent while innocent people are bombed, starved, and denied medical care. New Zealand has a proud history of standing on the side of justice — from opposing apartheid in South Africa to advocating for nuclear-free policies. It’s time our government showed the same moral courage for Palestine,” the spokesperson added.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands in unwavering solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Madleen crew, and the people of Gaza. It will continue to amplify the call for justice, dignity, and the right of return for all Palestinians.

Maher Nazzal
Palestine Forum of New Zealand
MIL OSI New Zealand News –
June 9, 2025

Date of purchase of Shares	6 June 2025
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Category: Transport

Keynote speech by Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, at the Italian constitutional court

Introduction

Why does the rule of law matter for the European Central Bank?

Money

Delivering on our mandates

Central bank independence

What central banks can do to support the rule of law

Conclusion

‘Can’t you just shoot them?’

A broader assault on democracy

Underwater robot could improve pipeline and cable security

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Musk in politics

DOGE: success and failure

Trump clips Musk’s wings

The falling out

What now?

Uniform, circular and shallow

Two million years of evolution

A defect … or just a trait?

A modern comparison

A new evolutionary marker

An intriguing case

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