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  • MIL-OSI: Best Personal Loans for Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval $100- $5,000 – IOnline Payday Loans

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHERIDAN, Wyo., May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Navigating the world of personal loans, including $5,000 personal loans for bad credit, can be daunting, especially for those with bad credit.

    Fortunately, there are options available that offer guaranteed approval for personal loans for bad credit, even if your minimum credit score isn’t ideal.

    This article explores what personal loans are, clarifies the concept of bad credit, and highlights how iOnline Payday Loans can assist in finding the best deals.

    From $5,000 loans to easy and low-interest options for secured loans, this information aims to help you secure the financing you need and compare multiple personalized loan offers.

    >> Click Here to Apply for No Credit Check Loans >>

    ✅Key Takeaways:

    IOnline payday loans can aid in obtaining guaranteed approval for bad credit personal loans and emergency loan options.

    Options such as small, legit, easy, low interest, and secured personal loans for bad credit.

    To qualify for a guaranteed approval bad credit personal loan, check credit score, consider alternative lenders, provide collateral or a co-signer, and show proof of income.

    >> Click Here to Apply for No Credit Check Loans >>

    What is a Personal Loan?

    A personal loan is an unsecured loan that individuals can obtain from banks, credit unions, or online lenders, typically for various purposes such as debt consolidation, medical expenses, or home improvements. These loans serve as a financial lifeline, enabling borrowers to access funds quickly without the need for collateral.

    >> Click Here to Apply for No Credit Check Loans >>

    There are several types of personal loans available, including fixed-rate loans, where the monthly payment remains constant throughout the repayment period, and variable-rate loans, which can fluctuate based on market conditions. The primary purpose of these loans often centers around improving cash flow or managing unexpected expenses.

    Interest rates for personal loans are determined by multiple factors, with the borrower’s credit score playing a crucial role in assessing risk for lenders. Generally, a higher credit score can lead to lower interest rates, positively impacting monthly payments.

    Online lenders have emerged as popular alternatives to traditional banks, often offering quicker approval processes and competitive rates. Credit unions may also provide attractive options with lower fees and rates for their members.

    Check the dynamics of personal loans, including how long to pay off and early payoff penalty considerations, give the power to individuals to make informed decisions and select a financing solution that best meets their needs.

    >> Click Here to Apply for No Credit Check Loans >>

    What is Bad Credit?

    Bad credit refers to a low credit score, which can significantly hinder a person’s ability to obtain loans, credit cards, and favorable interest rates. A credit score is a numerical representation that lenders use to assess an individual’s credit risk, calculated based on factors such as payment history, credit utilization, and the length of credit history.

    Borrowers will encounter varying credit score requirements for personal loans, with many lenders establishing a minimum credit score necessary for qualification. This makes it challenging for those with bad credit to secure the financing they need. In a financial context, bad credit is typically defined as a credit score below 580, which is categorized as poor. This situation often arises from numerous missed payments or excessive credit utilization, resulting in limited loan options, higher interest rates, or outright denial of credit applications.

    Financial experts classify credit scores into ranges, with poor credit receiving the lowest rating:

    • Excellent: 750-850
    • Good: 700-749
    • Fair: 580-699
    • Poor: 300-579

    Consequently, individuals with bad credit frequently have restricted loan options, as lenders are reluctant to offer loans without imposing steep terms. This can lead to high fees and/or collateral requirements, severely limiting financial possibilities.

    Guaranteed Approval for Bad Credit Personal Loans

    Guaranteed approval for personal loans designed for individuals with bad credit is an essential option for borrowers who have been affected by their financial situation and are seeking immediate solutions. These loans typically have less stringent credit score requirements, enabling individuals to apply even if they have been rejected by other lenders.

    Lenders offering guaranteed approval are more likely to provide secured personal loans that require collateral, giving borrowers access to the funds they need while also providing lenders with a level of assurance. It is crucial for borrowers to understand the terms, interest rates, and fees associated with these loans.

    What Does Guaranteed Approval Mean?

    Guaranteed approval refers to a lender’s commitment to provide a loan to a borrower, regardless of their credit score, as long as the borrower meets certain terms and conditions. This promise is especially appealing to individuals with poor credit, who often struggle to secure financing through traditional avenues due to stringent credit score requirements.

    Guaranteed approval loans direct lenders access to a market of borrowers who frequently feel neglected and excluded from the financial system. Typical requirements for these loans may include the verification of steady income and the provision of collateral, which help lenders mitigate some of the risks associated with lending to those with bad credit.

    Such loans can be crucial for addressing urgent financial needs, allowing borrowers to cover immediate expenses or consolidate existing debts. However, it is important to be cautious of the potential risks involved. High-interest rates and fees can significantly impact borrowers’ ability to repay the loans, and if not managed properly, can lead to a cycle of debt.

    Ultimately, while guaranteed approval loans provide a pathway for individuals with poor credit to obtain financing, careful examination of the terms and conditions is essential to avoid the associated risks.

    How Can IOnline Payday Loans Help with Bad Credit Personal Loans Guaranteed Approval?

    IOnline payday loans offer a valuable option for personal loans, particularly for individuals with bad credit. They provide emergency cash solutions for those who may be unable to secure loans through traditional banks and lenders, which often have stricter requirements. These loans can be beneficial for individuals who have difficulty obtaining financing from conventional sources, as they may not involve the same credit checks that standard banks do.

    The application process is straightforward through platforms like Acorn and other quick loan marketplaces, allowing potential borrowers to submit their applications with just a few clicks. Once approved, funds can be transferred into the borrower’s account within hours, providing immediate assistance in times of need.

    However, the higher interest rates associated with personal loans for bad credit are a significant concern, as they can lead to a debt spiral if not managed properly. Therefore, it is crucial for those seeking this type of loan to fully understand the implications of the loan’s terms and conditions.

    The Best Personal Loans for Bad Credit Guaranteed Approval

    Finding the best personal loans for bad credit with guaranteed approval can be challenging, but viable options do exist. These loans are available in various amounts, such as bad credit personal loans guaranteed approval $5,000, and may be secured.

    Many lenders now offer customized solutions that facilitate easy access to funds, even for those with poor credit histories, during emergencies or unexpected expenses.

    $5,000 Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    A $5,000 personal loan for bad credit is designed for individuals who need cash quickly and may face challenges in securing traditional loans. These loans typically offer flexible repayment terms; however, they often come with higher costs due to elevated interest rates, and approval times can vary depending on the lender’s specific criteria.

    It is important for individuals to understand the unique conditions associated with this type of loan product in order to gain better control over their finances and explore top lenders for personal loans in states like California and Hawaii.

    The first step in obtaining a personal loan is to review the eligibility requirements, which generally include the following:

    • Age: Must be 18 years or older
    • Income: A consistent source of income is required
    • Residency: Proof of residency in the U.S. is necessary

    Interest rates on $5,000 personal loans for bad credit can vary significantly based on the borrower’s risk profile. Key aspects to consider include:

    • Loan Amounts: While $5,000 is the standard amount, ensure that the lender can provide the exact sum you require.
    • Loan Terms: Terms typically range from 1 to 5 years, with monthly payments tailored to fit your budget.
    • Application Process: Most applications can be completed online, leading to a quick turn around time.

    To maximize the chances of loan approval, individuals should consider applying with multiple lenders. It is also essential to compare the total cost of borrowing, including not only the interest rate but also any hidden fees, to secure the best deal.

    Understanding what to look for in a lender—such as customer service, clarity of terms and conditions, and repayment options—can significantly influence your experience in the long run.

    Small Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    Small Personal loans for bad credit offer access to minimal financial assistance without the burden of large debt, allowing you to apply online at Acorn and explore options such as borrowing $10,000 at 6.99%. These small personal loans for bad credit are specifically designed for those whose credit history does not accurately reflect their current ability to repay loans. They can be particularly helpful when unexpected costs arise.

    Typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, personal loans for bad credit help borrowers cover emergency expenses, medical bills, or necessary repairs without overwhelming them with significant debt, allowing for monthly payment on personal loans and considering the average interest rate personal loans. The concept of easy personal loans enables individuals to quickly apply online through a simplified process that prioritizes their immediate financial needs.

    Additionally, these loans often come with flexible terms, allowing borrowers to choose repayment schedules that suit their specific circumstances. Overall, small personal loans are a valuable resource for those struggling with bad credit, enabling them to improve their financial situation while paving the way for better credit in the future.

    Legit Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    Legitimate personal loans for bad credit are available through established online lenders and credit unions such as Acorn Finance, Avant, LendingPoint, Oportun, Universal Credit, OneMain, Best Egg, Upstart, that are more understanding of their needs. Borrowers seeking financial assistance and guidance should take the time to research how to find authentic personal loans.

    Discovering legitimate personal loans becomes easier when borrowers take the following steps:

    • First, investigate the reputation of any lender by reading customer reviews and ratings, including checking offers for personal loans from reputable companies.
    • Next, compare various loan offers and lenders to secure better rates and terms.
    • It is also essential to read the fine print to understand all applicable costs and conditions.

    This knowledge can help borrowers avoid scams that target those in need of financial support. By knowing what questions to ask and recognizing warning signs, borrowers can make more informed decisions. Additionally, consulting with financial advisors or utilizing online resources can help them identify better lending options.

    Easy Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    Easy personal loans for bad credit are financial solutions that enable individuals to quickly borrow cash when needed and are generally easier to qualify for compared to other types of loans. These loans are often available online and feature fast approval times, making them ideal for emergency situations. However, borrowers should be aware that the terms and interest rates for easy personal loans can vary significantly among lenders.

    Designed to assist those in challenging financial situations, easy personal loans for bad credit prioritize accessibility and quick logistics tailored to urgent needs. One of the most appealing aspects of these loans is the quick application process; applicants can often receive a decision within a few hours, alleviating the stress that comes with unexpected expenses.

    To maximize the benefits of personal loans, individuals should:

    • Explore multiple lenders and select the one offering the most favorable terms.
    • Read reviews about the lending company thoroughly.
    • Assess their ability to repay the loan before committing.
    • Ensure there are no hidden fees.

    By following these guidelines, individuals can ensure they choose the loan option that best suits their financial situation.

    Low Interest Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    Low-interest personal loans for bad credit are particularly beneficial for borrowers, as they help reduce overall repayment amounts. By comparing offers from multiple lenders, borrowers can identify loans with relatively low interest rates that align with their financial situation. While loans with low interest rates may require a slightly higher credit score than other bad credit loans, borrowers should be prepared to shop around and negotiate terms to secure the best possible rates.

    Understanding how to navigate the loan landscape is essential, especially for those with poor credit. By investing time in finding low-interest loans, borrowers can significantly decrease their total repayment amount.

    Here are three key tips to help borrowers effectively compare lenders:

    • Determine the total loan cost, including interest rates and any applicable fees.
    • Research lender reputations through online reviews and personal recommendations.
    • Consider the flexibility of repayment terms, as longer or varied terms may provide added benefits.

    It’s important to note that these lower rates may come with certain trade-offs. Borrowers should be cautious, as some lenders may impose additional fees or have stricter credit requirements. Therefore, carefully assessing the overall financial impact is crucial.

    Secured Personal Loans for Bad Credit

    Secured personal loans for bad credit allow borrowers to obtain funds by offering collateral, which reduces the risk for lenders and often results in better terms and lower interest rates. These loans provide bad credit borrowers with access to financing that they might not otherwise qualify for, and the collateral used to secure the loan significantly increases their chances of approval.

    However, borrowers should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of putting their assets on the line. Risks include the possibility of losing the collateral and restrictions on how these assets can be used. By securing a loan with an asset, borrowers are putting that asset at risk in the event of default.

    Common types of collateral include real estate properties, vehicles, savings accounts, and other valuable assets that lenders consider secure based on the amount they can lend against them.

    Secured personal loans offer borrowers essential funds at lower rates compared to unsecured loans, which typically carry higher interest rates due to the increased risk for lenders. Additionally, the repayment terms for secured loans are often more flexible, making it easier for borrowers to manage their budgets.

    Assets Used as Collateral:

    • Real estate properties
    • Automobiles
    • Investment accounts
    • Valuable collectibles

    Advantages of Secured Loans:

    • Lower interest rates
    • Higher borrowing limits
    • Improved approval odds

    Risks Involved:

    • Potential loss of collateral
    • Impact on credit score if default occurs

    Unlike unsecured loans, which rely solely on the borrower’s creditworthiness, secured personal loans provide an affordable means of accessing funds while also involving certain risks.

    How to Qualify for a Guaranteed Approval Bad Credit Personal Loan

    To qualify for a guaranteed approval bad credit personal loan, you need to meet the requirements set by lenders and explore options that enhance your chances of approval, including understanding the minimum credit score personal loans require and considering a secured loan for bad credit.

    These requirements may include providing collateral, proof of income, or having a co-signer, which can significantly improve your likelihood of getting approved despite having low credit.
    Borrowers should carefully review different personal loan offers, as the requirements and terms can vary from one lender to another.

    Check Your Credit Score

    Checking your credit score is the first and most crucial step in the qualification process for any personal loan, especially when seeking guaranteed approval for bad credit personal loans, as understanding the credit score to qualify can improve your prospects.

    Knowing your credit score helps you understand your chances of being approved for a loan and identify the areas of your credit profile that you may want to improve before applying. Monitoring your credit score also enables you to make informed decisions and prepares you for discussions with potential lenders.

    To check your credit score effectively, there are several resources available. Many financial institutions and credit card companies offer free access to credit scores, while dedicated online services provide comprehensive reports for a nominal fee. Several factors influence credit scores, including:

    • Payment history
    • Utilization rate
    • Length of credit history
    • Types of credit accounts
    • Recent inquiries

    Understanding these factors not only helps individuals grasp their current financial standing but also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy credit score. A good credit score significantly increases the likelihood of loan approval, as lenders use it as a key tool to assess repayment ability.

    Before applying for loans, it is wise to review your credit reports for any errors. Regular monitoring and taking corrective actions can help improve your credit score over time. Good habits include making payments on time, reducing outstanding debts, and avoiding the application for multiple loans simultaneously, as the latter can negatively impact your score.

    By understanding credit scores, individuals can position themselves for more favorable loan terms and conditions.

    Provide Collateral or a Co-Signer

    Using collateral or having a co-signer is one of the most effective ways to apply for personal loans fast for individuals with bad credit. Collateral protects lenders, which reduces their risk and can lead to a favorable interest rate for personal loans.

    Similarly, having a co-signer with a stronger credit score can enhance your application, as lenders will consider both of your credit scores, increasing the likelihood of qualifying for a secured personal loan. Properly utilizing collateral and co-signers can enable borrowers to access capital that they might not otherwise be able to obtain.

    Collateral typically refers to tangible assets such as vehicles, property, or savings accounts, which give lenders reassurance that they have something to collect in case the loan defaults. Conversely, a co-signer agrees to take on the responsibility of repaying the loan if the primary borrower is unable to meet their obligations.

    Here are some important considerations when involving a co-signer:

    • They must maintain good credit, as their credit score is part of the loan approval process, increasing the chance of loan approval with bad credit.
    • They need to be financially capable of making payments if you are unable to do so.
    • Their credit score will be affected by the loan.

    While using collateral and co-signers can improve access to financing, both options carry risks. It is crucial for borrowers to carefully assess their ability to repay the loan and understand the potential implications for the financial circumstances of the co-signer or collateral holder.

    Show Proof of Income

    Providing proof of income is one of the most crucial steps when applying for personal loans, particularly for borrowers with bad credit seeking guaranteed approval. Lenders require this documentation to assess a borrower’s ability to repay the loan, which is a key consideration in their decision-making process.

    Typically, lenders ask personal loan applicants to submit documents such as pay stubs, bank statements, or tax returns to verify their income. By providing clear and accurate information, you can expedite the loan approval process, making it possible to apply for a personal loan quickly.

    Offering a comprehensive view of your financial situation enhances your credibility and reassures lenders about your ability to repay the loan, making it easier to check offers for personal loans.

    Proof of income consists of several documents that demonstrate an applicant’s earnings over a specific time frame. To gather your documentation, consider the following tips:

    • Collect and organize your pay stubs from the last few months, as they are the most current and straightforward source of proof of income. Ensure that they align with your expectations and reflect any deductions that may apply.
    • Compile your bank statements, which can supplement your pay stubs and provide lenders with insight into your financial health and regular income deposits.
    • If you are self-employed, be prepared to present tax returns along with profit and loss statements that detail your income sources.
    • Stay informed about any changes in your employment or income. Keeping your lender updated can significantly enhance trust and confidence in their decision to lend you money.

    Consider Alternative Lenders

    Alternative lenders can broaden your options when searching for personal loans for bad credit, as they often have different criteria and may be more lenient in granting loans to individuals with lower credit scores. Many of these lenders operate online, making it easy to review offers for personal loans and assess the terms and rates available without the pressure of a traditional bank setting.

    It is essential to conduct thorough research to ensure you are working with reliable lenders. Exploring alternatives such as peer-to-peer lending platforms or credit unions can help borrowers find better solutions that may better suit their circumstances. These alternatives often offer flexible repayment terms and more favorable interest rates compared to conventional banks.

    When considering these lenders, it is important to:

    • Evaluate Interest Rates: Compare the annual percentage rates (APRs) of various lenders like Avant and LendingPoint to secure the best deal.
    • Evaluate Loan Terms: Ensure that repayment schedules are clear and that there are no hidden fees.
    • Evaluate Credibility: Look up reviews or ratings of the lender from previous borrowers to ensure their reliability.

    By assessing these criteria, individuals can make informed decisions that align with their financial interests.

    Conclusion: Finding the Right Guaranteed Approval Bad Credit Personal Loan for You

    Finding the right guaranteed approval personal loan for those with bad credit requires time and effort. It is crucial for individuals in need of this resource to conduct thorough research on various loan options to avoid taking on loans they may struggle to repay.

    According to an article by Expert Market Research titled “How to Get a Personal Loan with Bad Credit in 2025,” borrowers can take control of their financial situations by applying online through platforms like Acorn and comparing offers from top lenders. This approach allows them to select options that provide the necessary support at an affordable cost.

    Understanding the loan terms, interest rates, and potential fees is essential for making informed decisions, especially when you apply online at Acorn Finance.

    Conducting thorough research not only give the power tos borrowers but also reduces the risk of falling into predatory lending situations.
    It is advisable to review customer testimonials, assess each lender’s reputation, and evaluate how each loan aligns with personal financial goals.

    By considering these factors, borrowers can ensure that any loans they take on will facilitate rather than hinder their future financial growth and stability. As many individuals turn to personal loans for financial recovery and stability, being diligent, informed, and seeking multiple offers is the best course of action.

    Remember that investing time in searching for the best options can lead to greater financial security and peace of mind.

    Remember to pay more than minimum payment whenever possible to reduce the total interest paid.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best personal loans for bad credit guaranteed approval?

    The best personal loans for bad credit guaranteed approval include options from reputable lenders such as IOnline Payday Loans and platforms like Pay Day Ventures.

    These loans offer a guaranteed approval for individuals with a poor credit score and may range from $5,000 to smaller amounts like $500.

    Can I get a small personal loan with bad credit?

    Yes, there are options for small personal loans for bad credit. These loans typically have a lower loan amount, such as $500 or less, and may have higher interest rates. It’s important to compare offers and choose a reputable lender.

    Are there legit personal loans for bad credit?

    Yes, there are legit personal loans for bad credit from reputable lenders. It’s important to do your research and choose a lender with a good reputation and fair terms. IOnline Payday Loans is a trusted brand that offers legit personal loans for bad credit.

    Can I borrow $10 with easy personal loans for bad credit?

    There are options for easy personal loans for bad credit, but it’s important to be cautious of predatory lenders. Look for lenders like IOnline Payday Loans that offer a simple application process and quick approval, but also have fair terms and rates.

    Can I get a low interest personal loan with bad credit?

    While it may be more challenging to find a low interest personal loan with bad credit, it is possible. Look for lenders that specialize in bad credit loans, and compare offers to find the best rate. Keep in mind that a bad credit score may result in a higher interest rate compared to someone with good credit.

    Is a secured personal loan a good option for bad credit?

    A secured personal loan, where you use collateral such as a car or home to secure the loan, may be a good option for bad credit, especially with lenders like Oportun, Universal Credit, and OneMain.

    This can help lower the risk for the lender and may result in a lower interest rate. However, it’s important to carefully consider the potential consequences if you’re unable to repay the loan.

    Media Contact:
    Company Name: IOnline Payday Loans
    Registered Office Address: 1095 Sugar View Dr Ste 500 Sheridan, WY 82801
    Company Website: https://ionlinepaydayloans.com/
    Email: mria@ionlinepaydayloans.com
    Phone: 307-777-7311
    Contact person name: Mria

    Disclaimer: This announcement contains general information about Ionline payday loan services and should not be considered financial advice. Ionline Payday Loans does not guarantee loan approval, and loan terms may vary by applicant and lender requirements. Loans are available to U.S. residents only.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/caf8c62c-a5ca-4e06-8304-be78011c432e

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: BIS and South African Reserve Bank invite global innovators to take up G20 TechSprint challenge for trust and integrity in scalable and open finance

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    • The sixth edition of the G20 TechSprint global competition calls for solutions to address trust and integrity in finance.
    • The G20 TechSprint invites development of innovative solutions for verifiable digital identity, consumer-consented credit data portability and fraud and cyber risk mitigation.
    • Open to developers worldwide; winners to be chosen in November by an independent judging panel.

    The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) today launched the sixth edition of the G20 TechSprint focused on developing innovative solutions to promote integrity and trust in finance.

    The G20 TechSprint is an international competition to explore innovation and develop cutting-edge technological solutions to pressing global challenges. Following the success of the previous competitions in the areas of regulatory compliance and supervision, green and sustainable finance, central bank digital currencies, cross-border payments and solutions to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this year’s TechSprint will focus on three problem statements, as formulated by the BIS Innovation Hub and SARB: 

    • Digital identity solutions: establish trust among financial institutions through innovative, verifiable and privacy-preserving digital identity technologies.
    • Credit data portability: improve the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to access finance through secure, consumer-consented data exchange solutions that facilitate seamless cross-border sharing of credit information.
    • Solutions to mitigate fraud and cyber risks: drive the wider adoption of fast payment systems globally – and consequently promote financial inclusion and economic growth – through technology designed to reduce fraud and cyber risks.

    The G20 TechSprint is more than a competition. It is a collaborative effort to redefine the future of finance. Our collective challenge is clear: to develop scalable, adaptable, and inclusive solutions that reinforce trust and integrity across borders. The themes of South Africa’s presidency- solidarity, equality, and sustainability-should inspire us to break down barriers and forge partnerships that have lasting global impact.

    Agustín Carstens, General Manager of the BIS

    Innovation must drive inclusion, build trust and deliver lasting impact on our continent and across the world. We are looking forward to solutions that will bring more people into the digital economy and enable cross-border trade.

    Lesetja Kganyago, Governor, SARB

    How to participate

    The G20 TechSprint 2025 is open to developers from around the world. To participate, register at: https://app.apixplatform.com/h1/g20southafricahack and submit technological solutions to one or more problem statements.

    • Shortlisted teams will be invited to develop their solutions over an eight-week period and will have an opportunity to showcase them and receive feedback from national authorities and invited experts.
    • An independent panel of experts will choose one winning solution for each problem statement, to be announced by November.
    • The winners for each category (problem statement) will receive an award of USD 30,000. All short-listed projects receive a stipend of USD 5,000.

    The last day to submit proposals is 20 June 2025.

    For more information, visit: www.resbank.co.za or www.bis.org. 

    To apply, visit the competition page: https://app.apixplatform.com/h1/g20southafricahack.    

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New WWI mural unveiled at Hilsea Station depicting life in the trenches

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    It’s part of a series of improvements to the station’s safety, appearance, and accessibility made by Portsmouth City Council, enabled with a £50,000 grant from South Western Railway’s (SWR) Customer and Communities Improvement Fund.

    The painting of the mural was coordinated by ThinkingBigger Ltd. It will serve as a wayfinder to the nearby WWI Remembrance Centre, based in Bastion 6 in Hilsea Lines, who also contributed to its design. The Councillors who represent the Hilsea area also helped to steer the project.

    ThinkingBigger Ltd is a Portsmouth-based publishing company and educational service provider. The piece brings together the incredible artwork of two of the publishing house’s authors: Spike Zephaniah Stephenson, the artist whose design was chosen, and local historian Professor Sue Harper, who penned the letter incorporated into the mural.

    Its launch was marked on Thursday, 1 May, by a ‘yarn bomb’ of crocheted poppies, made by volunteers from across the city and beyond, supported by Seeded Southsea. Volunteers from the Remembrance Centre have supported the mural design. They decorated the new bollards that have been installed to help keep the space clear of vehicles for pedestrians.

    The poppy, a symbol of remembrance and hope since the First World War, now represents all those who have lost their lives in active service to the present day. A second remembrance mural is under construction on the west side of the underpass, which the council hopes to develop in collaboration with local schools.

    The £50,000 grant will be used to make significant improvements in the area between Hilsea Station, the WWI Remembrance Centre, and the start of Hilsea Lines, including improved wayfinding, lighting, and additional CCTV in the vicinity of Hilsea Station and its entrances and exits. These enhancements are to help visitors feel safer and better navigate to key locations such as the footpath to Foxes’ Forest and Hilsea Lines, which are next to the WWI Memorial Centre.

    So far, the additional CCTV and lighting have been installed, as well as bollards to improve pedestrian access.

    Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Steve Pitt, said:

    “We are very grateful to South Western Railway for their generous grant. These improvements will not only enhance safety and accessibility in the Hilsea area but also strengthen our community’s connection to its rich history. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is particularly poignant to see these efforts come to fruition, as we all collectively honour the sacrifice of our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.”

    This project is part of a broader collaboration with SWR to join up their ‘Safe Spaces’ initiative within the train network and the Council’s ‘Safer Streets’ work. The improvements around Hilsea Station are a testament to the ongoing commitment to creating safer, more welcoming environments for all.

    South Western Railway’s Customer and Commercial Director, Peter Williams, said:

    “Grants from our Customer and Communities Improvement Fund are awarded to projects that deliver clear community benefit or address an area of social need across our network. We’ve been very pleased to support Portsmouth City Council’s important scheme to make the area around Hilsea Station safer and more accessible for local residents.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As Warren Buffett prepares to retire, does his investing philosophy have a future?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University

    Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old investing legend and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, has announced plans to step down at the end of this year.

    His departure will mark the end of an era for value investing, an investment approach built on buying quality companies at reasonable prices and holding them for the long term.

    Buffett’s approach transformed Berkshire Hathaway from a small textile business in the 1960s into a giant conglomerate now worth more than US$1.1 trillion (A$1.7 trillion).

    He built his fortune backing US industry in energy and insurance and American brands, including big stakes in household names such as Coca-Cola, American Express and Apple.

    At Berkshire’s annual meeting at the weekend, held in an arena with thousands of devoted investors, Buffett named Greg Abel as his successor.

    Abel, 62, is currently chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, as well as vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway’s vast non-insurance operations.

    He’s known for his disciplined, no-nonsense management style. The company’s board has now voted unanimously to approve the move.

    This changing of the guard comes at a pivotal moment. Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency has already delivered significant economic policy shifts.

    Meanwhile, questions about US economic dominance grow louder against China’s continued rise.

    The ‘Oracle of Omaha’

    Few names command as much respect in the world of finance as Warren Buffett. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1930, Buffett displayed an early genius for numbers and investing. He bought his first stock at age 11.

    His investment philosophy – buying undervalued companies with strong fundamentals – would later earn him the nickname the “Oracle of Omaha” for his uncanny ability to predict market trends and identify winning investments years before others did.

    Value investing

    Buffett drew his investment approach from the value investment principles of British-born US economist Benjamin Graham.

    He preferred businesses with lasting advantages and a clear value proposition. Some of his key investments included insurance company GEICO, railroad company BNSF, and more recently Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD.

    He avoided speculative bubbles (such as the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s and, more recently, cryptocurrencies) and preached long-term patience to investors. As he famously wrote in a 1988 letter to shareholders:

    In fact, when we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.

    Buffett’s guidance helped Berkshire navigate many economic booms and recessions. Over his six decades at the helm, the company delivered impressive compounded annual returns of almost 20% – virtually double those of the S&P 500 index.

    Beyond financial success, Buffett championed ethical business practices and pledged to donate more than 99% of his wealth through the Giving Pledge, which he cofounded with Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.



    Read more:
    How Warren Buffett’s enormous charitable gifts reflect the ‘inner scorecard’ that has guided him up to the billionaire’s planned retirement

    Challenges to Buffett’s strategy in today’s world

    In an op-ed for the New York Times in 2008, Buffett famously shared the maxim that guides his investment decisions:

    Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.

    But his strategy thrived in an era of increasing globalisation, free trade, and US economic supremacy. The world has shifted since Buffett’s heyday.

    There are concerns about the recent underperformance of value investing. Technology companies now dominate older industries.

    This raises questions about whether those who succeed Buffett can spot the next major industry disruptors.

    America first?

    Trump’s return as US president heralds major changes in economic policy. Trade restrictions might hurt some of Berkshire’s international investments. However, these same policies might benefit Buffett’s US-focused investments.

    The idea of US economic superiority also faces new questions. China may overtake the US economy in the 2030s. The US share of global economic output has fallen from about 22% in 1980 to about 15% today.

    Buffett’s “never bet against America” mantra faces new scrutiny.

    Warren Buffett discusses trade deficits and protectionism on May 3.

    The challenges for Buffett’s successor

    Abel inherits a company with about US$348 billion (A$539 billion) in cash. That’s a serious amount of capital to deploy wisely amid global economic uncertainty and Trump’s trade war.

    Abel will likely maintain Berkshire’s core values while updating its approach. His challenges include:

    1. Maintaining the “Buffett premium”: Abel lacks Buffett’s cult-like following among investors, which may gradually erode the additional value the market assigns to Berkshire due to Buffett’s leadership.

      Without Buffett’s reputation, Abel may face increased pressure to effectively deploy Berkshire’s massive cash pile in a still-expensive stock market, where valuations are high and finding bargains is harder than ever.

    2. Technological adaptation: while Berkshire has increased its technology investments over the years (including positions in Apple and Amazon), balancing its legacy holdings (such as Coca-Cola and railroads) with growth sectors (AI, renewables) remains challenging.

    3. Environmental concerns: Berkshire Hathaway’s heavy reliance on coal and gas-fired utilities has drawn growing criticism as investors and regulators demand cleaner energy solutions.

    4. Replicating the “golden touch”: Buffett’s genius wasn’t just in picking stocks. It was also in capital allocation, deal-making, and crisis management (for example, buying into Goldman Sachs during the global financial crisis). Can Abel replicate that?

    After Buffett

    Buffett’s principles – patience, intrinsic value and betting on America – are timeless. But the world has moved on. His successor must navigate geopolitical risks, technological disruption, and the rise of passive investing while preserving Berkshire’s unique culture.

    The post-Buffett era represents more than just a leadership change. It’s a test of whether Buffett’s principles can survive in an increasingly short-term, technology-dominated, and geopolitically complex world.

    Abel’s leadership will reveal the enduring power – or limitations – of Buffett’s philosophy.

    Angel Zhong 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. As Warren Buffett prepares to retire, does his investing philosophy have a future? – https://theconversation.com/as-warren-buffett-prepares-to-retire-does-his-investing-philosophy-have-a-future-255867

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Utah County Man Sentenced to Prison for Affinity Fraud Scheme that Scammed Over $5M from Alpha Influence Investors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Kole Glen Brimhall, 27, of Orem, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment after he defrauded approximately 135 investors through the sale of a fraudulent investment offered through Alpha Influence, LLC, a registered Utah company. Brimhall was also sentenced to three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgement in the amount of $1,097,709.82 and $5,003,400 in restitution to the victims.  

    The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, comes after Brimhall pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024, to fraud in the offer and sale of securities. See prior press release: Utah Sales Agent Admits to Defrauding Clients of More than $4.9M.

    According to court documents and statements made at the defendant’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from March 2020 to June 2022, Brimhall sold fraudulent investment security contracts for Alpha Influence. As part of the scheme, Brimhall and others aggressively promoted, primarily through social media, that purchasing the Alpha Influence investment would generate life-changing passive income for investors in a very short amount of time exclusively through the efforts of the “Alpha Influence Team.”

    As team lead within the Alpha Influence sales structure, Brimhall was responsible for the sale of approximately 135 Alpha investments to individual investors and received $1,097,709.82 in verified commissions for those fraudulent sales.

    “Brimhall’s participation in defrauding investors not only left investors in financial devastation, but with a loss of trust that can have a lifelong impact in their personal and professional life,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. “It is our hope that by prosecuting these crimes, we will deter others from participating in affinity fraud schemes in our communities.”

    “This $20 million fraud, driven by bold displays and false promises shared on social media, caused significant harm to over 500 Utahns,” says Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce, Margaret Busse. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: such predatory actions will not be tolerated, and we stand firmly committed to protecting Utah investors. Fraudulent activities like this erode public trust in legitimate investments and undermine the very foundations of our financial system. I’m proud of the hard work and collaboration between our Utah Division of Securities, the U.S. Attorney General’s Office, and the FBI that went into bringing these individuals to justice.”

    “Many of the victims in this case are members of the working class who have the least margin for loss. Yet the defendant shamelessly used their hard-earned money on fancy cars and extravagant vacations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “While fraud schemes are not violent in nature, they can be financially and emotionally devastating. The FBI is dedicated to holding accountable those who profit through deception.”

    The case was investigated jointly by the Utah Division of Securities and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf, Jennifer E. Gully, and Brian Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: KH Group Plc’s Business Review January–March 2025: Moderate growth and improving profitability

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KH Group Plc
    Stock Exchange Release 6 May 2025 at 8:00 am EEST

    KH Group Plc’s Business Review January–March 2025: Moderate growth and improving profitability

    This is the summary of the Business Review for January–March 2025. The full Half-Year Report is attached to this release and is also available on the company’s website at www.khgroup.com.

    KH Group, January–March 2025 IFRS

    • Net sales amounted to EUR 41.8 (40.4) million. HTJ and Indoor have been retrospectively classified as discontinued operations.
    • Comparable operating profit was EUR 0.2 (-0.1) million.
    • Operating profit was EUR -0.1 (-0.5) million.
    • Net profit for the period from continuing operations was EUR -0.4 (-1.7) million.
    • Earnings per share (undiluted and diluted) from continuing operations were EUR -0.01 (-0.03).
    • Equity per share at the end of the review period was EUR 0.85 (1.30).
    • Return on equity for rolling 12 months was -43.4% (-19.2%).
    • The Group’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to EUR 4.5 million at the end of the review period.
    • Gearing at the end of the review period was 291.3% (225.3%).
    • Gearing excluding lease liabilities was 187.9% (141.6%).

    CEO Ville Nikulainen:

    “The Group’s net sales and operating profit from continuing operations increased moderately year-on-year during the January–March review period. KH-Koneet’s net sales and operating profit increased in both Finland and Sweden in spite of the weakened market situation. Sales of heavy crawler excavators in Finland, in particular, grew significantly year-on-year. Nordic Rescue Group’s net sales declined, but operating profit for the first quarter was on a par with the comparison period. The financial situation of the wellbeing services counties became clearer after the turn of the year and, as a result, the order book for Nordic Rescue Group’s operations in Finland strengthened during the review period. In Sweden, the demand for rescue vehicles has remained at a good level.

    In Indoor Group, the general uncertainty in the market continued to have a negative impact on net sales and operating profit. The extensive operating model reform programme to improve Indoor Group’s profitability targets an annual improvement in operating profit of at least EUR 10 million by the end of 2026. A significant part of the targeted profitability improvement is estimated to be realised already during 2025. The change negotiations concluded in December 2024 will generate annual savings in wage costs of approximately EUR 6–7 million, which will improve the company’s result significantly already during the second quarter.

    As a strategic measure, KH Group announced in March 2024 that it had initiated a sale process for Indoor Group. KH Group has engaged a financial advisor to explore various options for its Indoor Group shareholding. No final decision has been made on the sale of Indoor Group holdings and there is no certainty as to the timing, terms or completion of any such transaction. KH Group aims to complete the process during 2025. Another strategic step was completed in March 2025 as KH Group acquired the remaining KH-Koneet Group Oy minority shares in accordance with the shareholder agreement and KH-Koneet is now a fully-owned subsidiary of KH Group. The purchase price of the shares was EUR 2.0 million.

    In 2025, the business areas will focus on securing net sales and operating profit as well as improving the efficiency of working capital. KH Group’s change in strategy is being advanced according to plan.”

    Events after the review period

    The Board of Directors of KH Group Plc decided to establish a performance-based share scheme for key employees of KH-Koneet. The plan replaces the performance-based matching share plan announced on 31 May 2024. The purpose of the new scheme is to align the goals of shareholders and key employees in order to increase the company’s shareholder value in the long term, guide the key employees to achieve the company’s strategic objectives, engage their commitment to the company and offer them a competitive incentive scheme based on the earning and accrual of KH Group shares. The performance-based share scheme has one (1) performance period of two (2) years, corresponding to the financial periods 2025–2026. The scheme provides key employees with the opportunity to earn KH Group shares based on performance

    Financial objectives and future outlook

    KH Group’s objective is to become an industrial group built around the KH-Koneet business and to divest other business areas in line with the Group’s strategy. At the same time, active developments will continue regarding other business areas. Exit planning and the assessment of exit opportunities for the other business areas will also continue.

    During the next few years, the aim is to invest in the growth of the core business and pay dividends after significant exits within the limits established by the balance sheet structure and financing agreements.

    The guidance with the current Group structure of continuing operations for 2025 is as follows: the company estimates that both the net sales (EUR 194.0 million) and the comparable operating profit (EUR 7.2 million) will remain approximately at the same level year-on-year.

    KH GROUP PLC

    Ville Nikulainen
    CEO

    FURTHER INFORMATION:
    CEO Ville Nikulainen, tel. +358 400 459 343

    DISTRIBUTION:
    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Major media
    www.khgroup.com

    KH Group Plc is a Nordic conglomerate operating in the business areas of KH-Koneet, Nordic Rescue Group and Indoor Group. We are a leading supplier of construction and earth-moving equipment, rescue vehicle manufacturer as well as furniture and interior decoration retailer. The objective of our strategy is to create an industrial group around the business of KH-Koneet. KH Group’s share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Since the beginning of this year, more than 2,000 freight trains have passed through Xi’an on China-Europe routes.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) — Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, has received and dispatched more than 2,000 freight trains running on China-Europe/Central Asia routes since the beginning of this year.

    Train number X9043, loaded with cars, household appliances and other goods, left the Xi’an International Port station on the morning of April 29 and headed to the Tajik city of Danghara, becoming the 2,000th freight train to pass through the Shaanxi city on the China-Europe/Central Asia route since the beginning of this year, the provincial people’s government press service reported.

    In the first four months, the number of trains running on the above-mentioned routes and passing through Xi’an, as well as the volume of freight traffic, increased by more than 30 percent year-on-year, statistics show.

    The stable development of regular railway transportation between China and Europe and China and Central Asia brings benefits to both foreign and domestic consumers.

    According to the deputy general director of the Shaanxi company “Aiju”, last year the company implemented a number of projects in the field of processing agricultural products in the North Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan. On the way back, these freight trains delivered more grain, oils and food products to the country.

    “We plan to gradually increase the range of agricultural products and supply more high-quality food products produced in Kazakhstan to the domestic market,” the entrepreneur summed up. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UPDATE: The SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge has reopened following a mechanical malfunction

    Source: Washington State News 2

    UPDATE: As of 9:26 p.m., Monday, May 5, the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge is open to traffic.

    SHINE – Due to mechanical issues, the State Route 104 Hood Canal Bridge is closed to vehicle traffic until further notice.

    During a routine closure for a marine vessel at 1:02 p.m. on Monday, May 5, the bridge experienced a mechanical malfunction. Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are working to identify the cause of the malfunction.

    There is no estimate for reopening at this time, but WSDOT is making every effort to reopen the bridge to vehicular traffic as soon as possible and apologizes for the inconvenience this delay poses to travelers.

    No convenient route around the bridge

    The alternative route is through Shelton via SR 3 and US 101, but the detour adds about three hours to the normal travel time.

    Traveler resources

    Realtime information about the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge is available via the WSDOT app and the WSDOT Travel Map. Advance notifications about the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge are available at Hoodcanalbridge.com. Travelers are encouraged to sign up for Hood Canal Bridge email updates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rock scaling works planned for State Highway 63 Howard Narrows near St Arnaud

    Source: Argument for Lifting NZ Super Age

    Improving the resilience of state highways in the top of the South Island continues, with State Highway 63 at Howard Narrows near St Arnaud the next in line for improvements.

    Improving the resilience of state highways in the top of the South Island continues, with State Highway 63 at Howard Narrows near St Arnaud the next in line for improvements.

    Contractors will be on-site on the St Arnaud-Kawatiri Highway, from Monday 19 May until Friday 27 June to complete rock scaling and rock bolting.

    Rock scaling site SH63 Howard Narrows.

    Work will be underway on weekdays only between 7:30am and 5pm.  No work will be done on weekends

    Rob Service, System Manager Nelson/Tasman says contractors will be working on the top rock face about 30 metres above the highway, a section that hasn’t been strengthened before.

    “Our team will use a 60-tonne crane with a cradle to provide abseilers access to the top of the rock face but due to the geography the loose rock and debris must be removed manually.” 

    “Approximately 120 rock bolts will be drilled to stabilise the face before mesh rock-protection is installed,’ Mr Service says.

    He says that, as the location’s name suggests, this section of State Highway 63 is incredibly narrow, which makes the work extremely challenging. 

    “To ensure the safety of road users and our crew we must close the road while this work is completed.”

    “Rock falls can pose a serious risk to road users and sometimes result in lengthy road closures. Reducing this risk is a priority.”

    Mr Service says improving State Highway 63’s resilience is critical. 

    “We have seen from past severe weather events how crucial it has been in providing an alternative route when State Highway 6 has been closed between Nelson and Blenheim.”

    “It is critical we continue to invest in the highway to improve the resilience and reliability of the regional state highway network,” Mr Service says.

    Because rock scaling can only be done safely during the day, the work requires daytime road closures. Measures will be in place to reduce delays and disruptions for drivers, with regular openings planned to let queued traffic through the work site. They will be scheduled for 10 am, 12 noon, and 3 pm, for 20 minutes.

    While the project is underway, Mr Service says road users will have to detour via State Highway 63 St Arnaud-Kawatiri Highway, Korere-Tophouse Road and State Highway 6 Kohatu-Kawatiri Highway.

    “This is a significant detour and will require extra travel time. However, it is unavoidable as it is not safe to have traffic driving through the project site when rocks are being removed from the cliff face. We have to keep drivers safe from the risk of rockfalls.”

    “Please bear with us. We know there will be disruptions and delays while the work is completed. But investing in these improvements now helps prevent bigger hassles in the future,” Mr Service says.

    NZTA/Waka Kotahi is working with the freight industry, the local community to ensure those affected by this work can make arrangements in advance.

    Works schedule

    • Monday 19 May, to Friday 27 June, 7:30am – 5pm (weekdays only) full road closure of State Highway 63 between Howard Valley Road and Kawatiri Junction.
    • During this time the road will reopen for 20 minutes at 10am, 12noon and 3pm to let queued traffic through.  These times will be dependent on the weather and safe passage through site.
    • The road will operate under stop/go traffic lights and a reduced temporary speed limit outside of work hours.
    • During work hours the detour route for all vehicles will be via State Highway 63 St Arnaud-Kawatiri Highway, Korere-Tophouse Road and State Highway 6 Kohatu-Kawatiri Highway.
    • Allow an extra 30 minutes travel time when travelling on the detour route.
    • Emergency services will be accommodated through the closure.

    View larger map [PDF, 130 KB]

    More information

    • This work is funded by the Crown Resilience Programme – a $419 million investment package of resilience improvement activities that will reduce the impact of severe weather events on our national roading networks. The total crown resilience programme comprises $279 million for activities on State Highways, and $140 million for activities on Local Roads – Crown Resilience Programme (CRP)(external link)
    • Other resilience works recently completed in the top of the South Island include rock scaling work on State Highway 65 at Higgins Bluff and flood prevention works on State Highway 1 at Dashwood in Marlborough, State Highway 6 at Dellows Bluff and State Highway 63 near the Wash Bridge in the Wairau Valley. Stage Two of the resilience work on State Highway 6 Whangamoa Saddle is also planned to begin in May.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ‘feminisation’ of Labor is a key reason Australians embraced it – and Anthony Albanese

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University

    Watching elections over the decades, one thing that has struck me is that results are invariably hyperbolised in the first blush of the people’s verdict. The achievement of the winners is over-egged in the commentary, as is the scale of the calamity suffered by the losers.

    That caveat notwithstanding, I think we can credibly say that Saturday’s election result was the most momentous since John Howard’s totemic victory of 2001 — a win that set in train much of what has happened in Australian politics over the course of this century.

    As I suggested in my pre-election essay on Anthony Albanese’s prime ministership, the impending victory for Labor would in part be an endorsement, even if grudging, of his leadership of the nation. It would be a reward for the fact that, despite limitations, he had run an industrious, orderly, united and scandal-free government. His was a mature administration that the country had been bereft of for nearly two decades.

    But the magnitude of Labor’s triumph on Saturday was undoubtedly most of all a repudiation of Duttonism. It was an emphatic assertion of what Australia is not. Why that makes this election the most significant since 2001 is that Dutton was an ideological heir to Howard — as before him was Tony Abbott, notwithstanding the latter’s idiosyncratic influence by the philosophy of the post-war right-wing Catholic crusader, B.A. Santamaria.

    Dutton entered the House of Representatives at the 2001 election, and the early advance of his parliamentary career was nurtured by Howard. As he articulated during this campaign, Dutton regarded Howard as his political touchstone.

    Like Abbott’s, Dutton’s leadership of the Liberal Party represented a doubled down version of the conservative populism that Howard so effectively unleashed at the 2001 election.

    This was a point that Lech Blaine perceptively recognised in his chilling 2024 Quarterly Essay portrait of Dutton. In common with Abbott, Dutton’s rendition of Howardism was an aggressively crude variant. Moreover, both of these unequal proteges were wanting in their mentor’s masterful political dexterity. Antithetical to the heritage of the Liberal Party, they were also short of interest in, let alone aptitude for, economic policy.

    Howard’s conservative populism was directed at cleaving working-class voters off Labor, especially in outer suburban electorates of Australia. For some time, there has been an emerging expectation that Dutton was poised to fruitfully capitalise on an incipient revolt against the Albanese government in outer suburbia. That is, a belief that these seats were susceptible to swallowing whole Dutton’s Frankenstein version of Howardism.

    Dutton’s strategy for hunting after votes in the outer suburbs and the commentary that has attended to it did a disservice to those communities. Undoubtedly, their populations, fast growing and undergoing a tsunami of demographic change, are enduring severe economic duress and struggling with over-stretched infrastructure and services.

    But there has been too much of a readiness to extrapolate from this that they were ripe for embracing an angry, grievance-fuelled politics, that they were vulnerable to xenophobic dog whistling, that they were, in short, home to an uglier Australia.

    The rejection of Duttonism in outer suburbia Australia suggests that, to the contrary, because of their kaleidoscopic diversity of ethnicities and cultures, these communities shrink from a politics of divisiveness and nativism.

    In other words, the routing of the Liberals on Saturday ought to be the moment that finally closes the door on the direction that Howard orientated the party at the beginning of this century. It should be his last hurrah.

    The dilemma, of course, is that stripped of moderates (the idea of the vaunted “broad church” thriving under Howard was itself greatly exaggerated), there is a serious question of whether the Liberals can reverse their 25-year rightwards pivot.

    The new leader could begin the journey back towards the centre by never darkening the doors of Sky News after Dark. A folly of Abbott and Dutton was their tribal attitude to the media. They skewed their communications to reactionary sympathisers who, rather than providing a reality check, encouraged ideological amplification.



    Read more:
    In its soul-searching, the Coalition should examine its relationship with the media

    What of Albanese and his leadership? In my pre-election essay on him, I flagged a concern that victory would feed his self-narrative of always being under-estimated. That it would encourage him to stick fast to his first term modus operandi of cautious, dogged incrementalism at a point when the nation is overdue for a burst of expansive reformism. The scale of Saturday’s win arguably heightens that risk.

    Yet we do have to acknowledge that Albanese, fortunate though he has been with the incurably inauthentic Scott Morrison and then Dutton as opponents, has been under-estimated. He has insisted since 2022 that his was a two-term strategy in which the first would be about measured consolidation that would, in turn, open the path to a long-term Labor government whose legacy would be durable change. This result means the prime minister and his team now have the opportunity to achieve that.

    Watching the ABC’s election night broadcast, a chief takeaway was the conspicuous camaraderie among senior members of Albanese’s Labor cabinet. Treasurer Jim Chalmer’s sincerely generous words about the prime minister’s leadership exemplified that.

    During Labor’s first term, I wondered whether Chalmers, for all his virtues, was actually too much a patient team player and not enough of an agitator within the government. In other words, that he did not sufficiently ginger up Albanese for greater policy adventurism, as Paul Keating did Bob Hawke during the last great era of Labor reformism.

    But Saturday night spotlighted a different, but perhaps at least as equally valuable, dynamic at the top of the government. That is genuine respect, even affection, between its key personnel. Keating could never have been as laudable of Hawke as Chalmers was of Albanese as the votes were tallied.

    This says much about the character of Chalmers, as it does about other leading cabinet members who have exuded that spirit of camaraderie throughout the life of the government. Most notably, the prime minister’s brains trust: Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Tony Burke, Mark Butler and Katy Gallagher.

    But it must also reflect Albanese’s respect for his colleagues. It speaks to his ability to harmoniously manage a team, his gift for generating unity of purpose, and his willingness to afford ministers a self-empowering autonomy in contributing to Labor’s collective enterprise. These are no small things. Respect and decency in a government begins with the prime minister and filters down.

    Let us not get misty-eyed. Albanese is vulcanised by a lifetime in politics. He is tough and a ruthless foe. His political blooding was as a left faction functionary in the right-controlled New South Wales Labor Party. Intra-party knife fighting was an essential part of the skill set he developed.

    But, consistent with all prime ministers, to understand Albanese’s approach to leadership we need to return to his formative roots. He was fatherless, defined by being the only child of a single mum, disability pensioner. These circumstances, as former journalist Katharine Murphy identified, imbued him with a pronounced streak of self-sufficiency, a “lone wolf” aspect. Yet also discernible is a resulting “feminine” side to his character and his prime-ministerial style.

    Albanese readily exhibits empathy and emotion. A familiar sight of him is lips quivering as he struggles to suppress tears. He dares speak of kindness and compassion as positive leadership attributes — in this he evokes former New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. And he practices a collaborative, cooperative minded governing operating mode, which are behaviours conventionally associated with women leaders.

    Not coincidentally, a striking feature of Albanese’s prime ministership is that the “feminisation” of Labor has proceeded apace. For instance, policies such as the movement towards universal childcare support and government-backed wage increases in the care industries whose workforce is dominated by women employees. The record proportion of women appointed to cabinet. The continuing storming of the ramparts of caucus by women — they now comprise a majority of the party room — reinforced at the federal election most spectacularly in Brisbane, where six additional female Labor candidates prevailed, including Ali France, slayer of Dutton. And the consolidation of the pattern of women voters favouring Labor.

    It’s unfashionable these days to quote the post-war lion of the Labor left, Jim Cairns. However, when he retired in 1977, Cairns was asked who he would like to inherit his seat. He replied, “a woman, they feel the value of life”. Perhaps a sentiment by which Albanese abides.

    In the past, Paul Strangio received funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. The ‘feminisation’ of Labor is a key reason Australians embraced it – and Anthony Albanese – https://theconversation.com/the-feminisation-of-labor-is-a-key-reason-australians-embraced-it-and-anthony-albanese-255883

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: More than 16,000 children killed in Gaza since war starts

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

    A Palestinian child suffering from severe malnutrition is pictured at the Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City, May 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    More than 16,000 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the onset of Israel’s military offensive on Oct. 7, 2023, at a rate of one child every 40 minutes, Gaza-based health authorities reported on Monday.

    Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals with Gaza’s health authorities, said the toll included 16,278 children, among them 908 infants and 311 newborns who died after birth. Al-Hams made the statement during a press briefing at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

    Palestinian child Ahmed Khaled Hijazi (L) is pictured among the rubble in the town of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    He highlighted that the humanitarian situation had significantly worsened since Israel closed the crossings in early March, disrupting essential healthcare services. This has left thousands of children and pregnant women without access to medical care, further exacerbating the crisis.

    Many children are surviving on just one incomplete meal a day, with limited access to clean drinking water and proper nutrition, due to the Israeli targeting of infrastructure and the denial of aid, he said.

    Palestinians wait to receive free food from a food distribution center in Gaza City, on April 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    He also noted that thousands of children are living in displacement centers without basic necessities, while pregnant women face significant challenges in reaching hospitals.

    Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the expiration of the first phase of a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The second phase has yet to materialize, as the parties remain at an impasse.

    In a separate development, Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that at least 54 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Monday, which targeted homes, vehicles, and gatherings across various parts of Gaza.

    A Palestinian woman carries the body of a child killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on April 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 2023, including about 2,500 who have died since Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18, marking the end of a two-month ceasefire.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Once were (AI) sceptics

    Source:

    The Haps

    David Seymour’s speech to the Tauranga Business Chamber has been widely praised. More would get done if the Government had fewer Ministers. Parliament comes out of a three-week recess into three weeks of sitting that will culminate in the Budget on May 22nd. For years ACT published Alternative Budgets showing how the Government could afford two per cent of GDP on Defence. Now two per cent is happening and the weekend’s helicopter announcement is just the beginning. Meanwhile a journalist wrongly accused Free Press of ‘misinformation’ while trying to defend media standards. We are not making this up.

    Once were (AI) sceptics

    The future’s always been a bit disappointing when we get to it, like for those of us who are STILL waiting for flying cars. (Nerdy) children of the ‘90s grew up watching Beyond 2000, a weekly program devoted to the technologies that would change our lives in the next millennium if we survived Y2K. The same program wouldn’t work today, people would roll their eyes at the earnestness of it all.

    At Free Press, we’ve kept off the Artificial Intelligence bandwagon, maybe because we’ve lived long enough to be a little sceptical. We never lost hundreds of thousands of lives to COVID, and neither did countries with far more relaxed policies towards it. Climate change was supposed to bring apocalypse by 2010, and 2020 was too scary to think about, according to the usual suspects. Yet, here we all are.

    Most of the people who go on endlessly about AI couldn’t even give you a short, sharp definition of what it is. They can’t explain why it is more than just another software development. The eighties gave us spreadsheets, the nineties email, and the noughties social networks. All of them had an effect, but they haven’t transformed life as we know it.

    What’s more, it was kind of a toy, as recently as a year ago, the hype of ChatGPT had come and gone. People found it too often ‘hallucinated’ firing out such crazy solutions that you definitely wouldn’t use it for anything important. So, what’s changed?

    In the last year the progress has been staggering, and it’s the rate of change itself that stands out. By now MPs could ask Chat GPT, Perplexity, or Grok for advice, on say, a briefing to a select committee from officials. It could produce a set of policy proposals according to different levels of political ambition while the officials are still speaking. The level of intelligence and nuance is extraordinary, and the rate of change more so.

    For business, the opportunities are extraordinary. We don’t pretend to give businesspeople advice, too many people in the political world think they’re business experts. What we do know is that tasks such as interacting with customers can have massive labour savings. An online doctor consultation can be summarised with perfect notes produced before the patient is out the clinic door. It’s all very exciting.

    What about education? Twelve-year-olds are saying their main source of information is ChatGPT or Perplexity. If they want to know something they don’t Google it, they don’t watch the news and they certainly don’t get a book from the library. They ask an AI program and talk to it like a virtual friend.

    That sets off a lot of questions. Where is the ability to think for themselves? If they can get an answer to any question in seconds, do they need to know anything? If AI can solve all their problems, what space remains for humans? Is it schools’ jobs to prepare them to live in this world, and are schools remotely equipped to do so?

    Where do the blunt bans on mobile phones and social media for young people fit in? Do they preserve a human sphere so kids can get to know themselves without dependence on machines, or do they leave kids even more naive and unprepared to live in that world?

    If that’s education, how about the public service? They’ve always been slow to take on technology. They’re sclerotic thanks to fear of privacy laws. Yet at the same time the public sector has been eating money for too long and badly needs productivity growth.

    We once were sceptics, but the last year of progress has changed our mind. AI is big. It’s at least as big as spreadsheets, emails, and online social networks. With the Chinese Government reported to be making AI a compulsory subject for six-year-olds this year, New Zealand policy will need to raise its sights from its usual debates and ask what our philosophy on AI is…

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leader Schumer, Padilla, Whitehouse Lead Democratic Ranking Members in Warning Republicans Against Overruling Parliamentarian’s Decision on California’s Clean Air Act Waivers

    US Senate News:

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

    Leader Schumer, Padilla, Whitehouse Lead Democratic Ranking Members in Warning Republicans Against Overruling Parliamentarian’s Decision on California’s Clean Air Act Waivers

    Senators to Republican Leadership: Disregarding the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision in an attempt to revoke California’s waivers “would be a procedural nuclear option—a dramatic break from Senate precedent with profound institutional consequences.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, led Democratic Ranking Members in strongly warning Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) of the dangerous and irreparable consequences if Senate Republicans overrule the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision regarding California’s preemption waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that allow the state to implement more protective air quality standards.
    The letter comes after the House of Representatives last week voted to revoke three of California’s Clean Air Act waivers for the state’s clean cars and trucks programs, despite the Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s determination that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not rules under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), and the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision that any CRA resolutions on this subject would therefore require 60 votes to secure Senate passage. The Senators emphasized that GAO’s determination is consistent with 50 years of agency practice, and that Senate opponents of the Clean Air Act waivers — including Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) — have even previously acknowledged themselves that these waivers are not reviewable under the CRA by sponsoring legislation related to California’s waiver authority.
    “We understand that some may be considering overruling the Parliamentarian’s decision,” wrote the Senators. “While that might be more expedient than agency rulemaking or considering legislation under the Senate’s normal rules, such an action would be a procedural nuclear option—a dramatic break from Senate precedent with profound institutional consequences.”
    The Senators warned that if Senate Republicans disregard the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision in an attempt to revoke California’s Clean Air Act waivers, they would set a precedent that could be applied to legislation beyond the CRA — eliminating longstanding guardrails and paving the way for a future Senate Majority to overrule the Parliamentarian in order to achieve its legislative goals.
    “If the current Senate Majority were to open this door, the CRA could be weaponized to retroactively invalidate decades of agency actions—including adjudications, permits, and licensing decisions that were never previously considered ‘rules’—and effectively hijack the Senate floor,” continued the Senators. “In addition, if efforts to invalidate such actions were successful, future administrations would face significant obstacles utilizing the underlying authorities for any arguably similar actions, given the plain text of the CRA. Most importantly, however, once that precedent is set, a future Senate Majority could subsequently apply it to legislation beyond the CRA. Put bluntly, there is no cabining a decision to overrule the Parliamentarian.”
    In addition to Leader Schumer and Senators Padilla and Whitehouse, the letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.).
    Senator Padilla has been outspoken in pushing back against Republican attacks on California’s Clean Air Act waivers. Padilla, Whitehouse, and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) welcomed the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision that the waivers are not subject to the CRA. Padilla also joined Senators Whitehouse and Schiff in blasting Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s weaponization of the EPA after that GAO finding. Padilla and Schiff previously slammed the Trump Administration’s intent to roll back dozens of the EPA’s regulations that protect California’s air and water.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Leader Thune and Whip Barrasso:
    We write to emphasize the far-reaching and likely irreversible consequences if the current Senate Majority were to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian’s recent decision that a joint resolution of disapproval regarding three Clean Air Act preemption waivers granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the state of California would not be entitled to expedited procedures in the Senate.
    In reaching that decision, the Senate Parliamentarian relied on the determination made by the independent, non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) that the three Clean Air Act preemption waivers do not qualify as “rules” under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
    GAO’s determination should not be seen as novel or surprising because it is consistent with fifty years of agency practice. Even prominent Senate opponents of the Clean Air Act waiver provision—including Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lee and Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Capito—have previously acknowledged in legislation and public materials that these waivers are not subject to CRA review.
    We, however, do not write to relitigate the determination by GAO or the question already decided by the Parliamentarian. Both parties have been on the losing end of decisions by the Parliamentarian. We ourselves were on the losing end of several decisions by the Parliamentarian during the 117th Congress. But we did not attempt to overrule these decisions, even though we did not agree with them.
    Now, we understand that some may be considering overruling the Parliamentarian’s decision. While that might be more expedient than agency rulemaking or considering legislation under the Senate’s normal rules, such an action would be a procedural nuclear option—a dramatic break from Senate precedent with profound institutional consequences.
    If the current Senate Majority were to open this door, the CRA could be weaponized to retroactively invalidate decades of agency actions—including adjudications, permits, and licensing decisions that were never previously considered “rules”—and effectively hijack the Senate floor. In addition, if efforts to invalidate such actions were successful, future administrations would face significant obstacles utilizing the underlying authorities for any arguably similar actions, given the plain text of the CRA. Most importantly, however, once that precedent is set, a future Senate Majority could subsequently apply it to legislation beyond the CRA. Put bluntly, there is no cabining a decision to overrule the Parliamentarian. 
    We therefore urge you to weigh these issues carefully—with full knowledge of the consequences—should you consider whether to overrule the Parliamentarian regarding a CRA resolution disapproving the Clean Air Act preemption waivers.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU teachers win Kolba award for women in science and technology

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    On April 18, the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics hosted the third Kolba award ceremony for women in science and technology, as part of the annual forum of the same name. This year, 77 women scientists were recognized in 30 nominations in the following areas: natural, technological and exact, social and humanitarian, fundamental and applied sciences. Among them are two representatives of NSU: Olga Yarovaya, associate professor of the Department of Medical Chemistry of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of NSU, and Anna Lysova, senior lecturer of the Department of Physical Chemistry. Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU.

    The Kolba Prize was established by the Foundation for the Development of Professional Initiatives “Women of the Nuclear Industry” with the aim of popularizing science through the formation of role models among women and girls – future scientists, creating a modern image and enhancing media significance, uniting women into the largest scientific community for the exchange of experience and knowledge, as well as strengthening the human and intellectual capital in the country.

    Olga Yarovaya is a chemist specializing in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and the development of antiviral compounds. Olga spoke in more detail about her area of scientific interest:

    — I study terpenes and their derivatives (mono-, sesqui- and diterpenoids) to create antiviral drugs. My work covers the synthesis of compounds, analysis of their activity against influenza, Marburg and other pathogens, as well as the study of their mechanisms of action. In 2003, I defended my PhD thesis on the synthesis and antiviral activity of terpene compounds. And in 2023–2024, I published a number of articles in the journal Uspekhi Khimii, including studies of small molecules against hemorrhagic fever viruses and diterpenes.

    Anna Lysova is engaged in the synthesis of organometallic compounds, which, due to their porosity, are used as adsorbents for capturing and separating gases and various organic substances. Anna shared her opinion on why science is her life’s work and why such awards are important for scientists:

    — Science is what I do every day: my job, my hobby. I am lucky that I love my job and it gives me pleasure, that I do not get tired of it and it does not bore me. Science is what surrounds us: technology, smartphones, cars; what we use every day in our everyday life and what makes human life better, easier, more interesting. This award is important to me as recognition of the importance of scientific work of me and my team, as an opportunity to declare the results of my research to the whole country. I felt proud that our research was appreciated.

    The winners received the distinctive “Kolba” badge.

    This year, applications for the Kolba Prize are open from April 20 to December 31, 2025. by link

    Telegram 

    Vkontakte 

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Robust performance of listed firms highlights vitality, resilience of Chinese economy

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

    This photo taken on April 25, 2025 shows robot IRON of Xiaopeng at the 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in east China’s Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Most companies listed on China’s A-share market delivered robust performance last year, underscoring the vitality and resilience of the world’s second-largest economy.

    As of Tuesday, 5,304 firms listed on Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges had released their financial reports for 2024, with 66.42 percent achieving profits, according to financial information provider Wind Info. Notably, 19.21 percent posted a year-on-year net profit increase of over 20 percent.

    These reports reflect the underlying strength of the Chinese economy, buoyed by ongoing industrial transformation and a steady buildup in innovation capacity, said Zhu Keli, a researcher with the China Institute of New Economy.

    New engines 

    Financial disclosures showed emerging sectors, from artificial intelligence and new energy to advanced manufacturing, are becoming fresh growth engines driving China’s economic development.

    According to data from the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, nearly half of China’s top 50 listed firms by market capitalization in 2024 came from emerging industries, a marked increase in both number and proportion.

    The auto and electronics sectors stood out among emerging industries with stellar net profit growth. The auto industry posted an 11.16 percent year-on-year expansion in net profit while the electronics sector surged 35.18 percent from a year ago, underlining the strong momentum in tech-related manufacturing.

    Auto parts supplier Shuanglin Group, for instance, reported a more than fivefold increase in net profit last year, driven by rising demand from electric vehicle (EV) makers including BYD and Changan Auto. The company has also secured new orders from EV brands like AVATR.

    In the electronics sector, Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai, saw its business performance register marked growth last year, with operating revenue hitting a record high. The leading semiconductor producer credited its rapid expansion to a rebound in the semiconductor sector and surging demand for high-end smartphones and intelligent vehicles in the market.

    Innovation-driven growth 

    Technological innovation emerged as a notable feature of corporate performance last year. China’s listed companies have been increasingly bets on frontier and disruptive technologies, playing a pivotal role in the country’s broader push for innovation-driven growth.

    Data showed that in 2024, A-share firms accounted for more than half of corporate research and development (R&D) spending nationwide and held nearly one-third of all the country’s patents. The R&D intensity, measured by R&D expenditure as a share of operating revenue, gained 0.1 percentage points from a year ago to 2.6 percent.

    Chongqing-based automaker Seres, which collaborates with Huawei on AITO cars, invested nearly 7 billion yuan (about 972 million U.S. dollars) in R&D last year, a surge of about 60 percent year on year. Its R&D crew also expanded by about a quarter from a year ago to over 6,200 people.

    By maintaining a strong focus on R&D, the firm has tapped global frontier technologies and innovation resources, facilitating the integration of software and automotive technologies, said Zhang Xinghai, chairman of the company.

    These financial reports underline the faster integration between traditional and emerging industries in the Chinese economy, with listed firms proactively sharpening competitive edges, Zhu said, adding that the country is fostering diversified growth engines amid the pursuit of high-quality development.

    In the annual government work report released in March, China’s policymakers have pledged to make solid progress in high-quality development, outlining measures to modernize its industrial system and advance the integration of technological and industrial innovation, among others. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese automaker backs Indonesia’s green industry push as main partner in AIGIS 2025

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

    This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2025 shows the booth of Jaecoo, a brand of Chinese automaker Chery, during the 2025 Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) in Jakarta, Indonesia. [Photo/Xinhua]

    JAECOO, an SUV brand under China’s Chery Group, has been trusted as the main partner in organizing the 2nd Annual Indonesia Green Industry Summit (AIGIS) to be held this August, a flagship initiative launched by Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry to accelerate the country’s progress toward its 2060 net-zero emissions target.

    “This involvement reflects JAECOO’s long-term commitment to supporting Indonesia’s green industry ecosystem through technological innovation and strategic collaboration,” the company said in a press release on Sunday.

    As part of the AIGIS program, the 2025 National Green Industry Forum was held in Bandung on April 30, bringing together over 300 stakeholders from government, industry, and research institutions.

    Discussions focused on the adoption of low-carbon technologies, improvements in energy efficiency, and the advancement of green innovation.

    The forum highlighted the urgent need for industrial transformation, noting that Indonesia’s industrial sector accounts for 34 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and contributes 41 percent to the nation’s GDP.

    JAECOO officially entered the Indonesian market in early 2025, introducing its J7 model equipped with the Super Hybrid System (SHS), a solution designed to combine environmental sustainability with powerful urban mobility.

    “I was surprised by the pre-booking price. It’s very competitive for a vehicle with this level of capability,” said Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Reza, who test-drove the J7 SHS at the forum. “PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) technology like this is far more efficient and cost-effective than conventional hybrids (HEVs).”

    As a brand rooted in new energy innovation, JAECOO shares a common vision with the Indonesian government’s green development roadmap.      

    According to the company, its participation in AIGIS reflects a commitment to delivering real technology and real action for a sustainable future.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Witnesses sought after suspicious fire in Bluff

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are appealing for information following a suspicious car fire in Bluff on Sunday 4 May.

    About 3.40pm, a Ford Courier ute was set alight while it was parked on Marine Parade. The vehicle suffered substantial damage.

    Senior Constable Pete Jenkins says a man carrying a red petrol can was seen running away from the vehicle after it was set on fire.

    “This person was last seen running south on Henderson Street, where he was picked up in a dark-coloured vehicle.

    “We want to talk to this man, and also need to hear from anyone who has information that could help our enquiries. If you saw suspicious activity in the Marine Parade area on Sunday, please contact us.”

    Information can be reported to Police online, or by calling 105. Please use the reference number 250504/8027.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police stress safety to heavy vehicle drivers

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Southland Police are reminding heavy motor vehicle drivers of the importance of road safety as the country makes its way towards winter.

    “There have already been a couple of crashes involving trucks and I want to remind drivers to manage their fatigue and drive to the conditions for this time of year, particularly in early morning,” says Senior Sergeant Scott Mackenzie, Southland Road Policing Manager.

    Colder months bring more dangers to the country’s roads.

    “In winter the sun sits lower in the sky and sun strike becomes a more common occurrence. Surface conditions, particularly on rural roads become less predictable, and slow-moving tractors and silage wagons are more prevalent at this time of year,” he says.

    “All of this makes it even more important to practice appropriate following distances.

    “I’m asking drivers to make sure they are getting a good night’s sleep, taking regular breaks, checking their speed, and wearing their seatbelts.”

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Team.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Local environment prioritised, thanks to targeted rate

    Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

    A targeted rate that protects and restores Auckland’s environment is delivering beyond its investment, thanks to the support of partners and volunteers.

    Auckland Council’s environmental services team delivers natural environment and climate outcomes Auckland-wide, through a programme that delivers great value at community level.

    At April’s Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee, chaired by Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, the division’s financial performance review highlighted its multi-pronged approach.

    “Protecting our unique natural environment requires ongoing management of pressures, such as pest plants and animals. Through the targeted rate, it receives dedicated investment so, ultimately, we have an Auckland we are proud to call home,” says Cr Simpson.

    “The environmental programme is delivering great results region-wide and in our local communities too, thanks to key partnerships, co-funding, new tools to lift productivity and volunteers.

    “The natural environment programme is 97 per cent rates funded, which is around $43 per year per ratepayer through the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) and some general rates.

    “That investment delivers good value for money,” says Simpson. “In some cases, it delivers a quantifiable $6 return for every $1 invested.”

    How we’re investing for the natural environment

    NETR and general rates funding delivers and supports a range of environmental activity, including community-led initiatives across all Auckland Council wards.

    Auckland Council environmental services general manager Samantha Hill says environmental protection and restoration is a long-term game and the focus is on delivering on commitments that will have enduring future impact.

    “We are here to protect, improve and minimise risks to the natural environment and we can’t do this alone. It is important to recognise and acknowledge the tireless commitment and support from our partners and communities,” says Ms Hill.

    “The NETR-funded work has enabled a wide range of community-led action and youth involvement. At the same time, key partnerships and regularly assessing opportunities to improve, such as new technologies and tools, means we continue to deliver value for money.”

    Rates funding helps contract specialist environmental services; enables partnerships with investors to deliver even greater value; and helps activate community-led conservation, including around $2 million per year in contestable grants.

    Community grants, technical advice and training is funded by both the NETR and general rates, helping deliver proactive action at local level but also added value.

    For example, the Community Coordination and Facilitation Grant saw $1 million in funding shared across 36 local community groups in 2024 – ultimately resulting in over 276,000 volunteer hours and third-party funding on projects benefiting the natural environment.

    It also delivered a $6.10 return for each $1 of grant funding invested.

    Environmental services work closely with local boards to design and deliver locally driven initiatives, supporting over 110 local board projects worth $4 million in 2023-2024.

    Additional strategic partnerships with business, mana whenua, central government, community and private investors, and other groups, are also adding value to the programme.

    For example, over $2 million has been sourced so far from central government and private investors for the first phase of the Kawau Island multi-species pest eradication project. Private sector business and philanthropic funding has also been secured for other projects.

    Detailed information on NETR-funded activity delivered in each local board can be found on this PDF [7.77MB].

    To find out more about Auckland Council’s environmental programme, visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/environment

    What the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) delivers

    The current priorities:

    • upgrade and re-open tracks in the Waitākere Ranges in accordance with the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park 2019-2024 Track Reopening Programme

    • control possums across the region, in high priority sites

    • adequate control of pest plants for 66 per cent of significant ecological sites within council parks by 2028

    • work in partnership to achieve pest mammal eradications on Kawau, Aotea and Waiheke islands

    • protect regionally threatened species and high priority ecosystems

    • support community-led action through the provision of advice, grants and tools

    • deliver in partnership with mana whenua

    • implement a comprehensive Pest Free Warrant programme to reduce pest spread to islands by the full range of high-risk businesses.

    What’s been achieved to date:

    • thirty-three tracks upgraded in the Waitākere Ranges

    • Hūnua Ranges Regional Park remains free of kauri dieback disease

    • Hūnua and Waitakere Ranges regional parks are kept free of feral deer and goats

    • 30 per cent of rural mainland Auckland has possum populations maintained at/below target densities for biodiversity protection (at June 2024)

    • Kōkako populations in the Hūnua Ranges have increased from 106 pairs in 2018 to 259 in 2024, as a result of possum and predator control

    • regional conservation status assessments have been completed for freshwater fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, bats and vascular plants

    • 51 per cent of priority native habitats in regional parks have pest plants being effectively controlled towards, or managed below, target densities for biodiversity protection (at June 2024)

    • partnerships are underway with Ngāti Manuhiri, Department of Conservation, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, Ministry for Primary Industries and the Kawau community to eradicate possums and wallabies on Kawau Island

    • the council is also partnering with Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea to eradicate rats, cats and pest plants on Aotea. Alongside Te Korowai o Waiheke, the council is supporting the eradication of stoats and the trialling of rat eradication on Waiheke Island

    • around 800 scheduled and unscheduled vehicle and passenger ferry sailings are inspected for pests each year. As a result, all Hauraki Gulf Islands where non-native predators such as rats and stoats have been eradicated remain free of these pests.   

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Local environment prioritised thanks to targeted rate

    Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

    A targeted rate that protects and restores Auckland’s environment is delivering beyond its investment, thanks to the support of partners and volunteers.

    Auckland Council’s environmental services team delivers natural environment and climate outcomes Auckland-wide, through a programme that delivers great value at community level.

    At April’s Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee, chaired by Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, the division’s financial performance review highlighted its multi-pronged approach.

    “Protecting our unique natural environment requires ongoing management of pressures, such as pest plants and animals. Through the targeted rate, it receives dedicated investment so, ultimately, we have an Auckland we are proud to call home,” says Cr Simpson.

    “The environmental programme is delivering great results region-wide and in our local communities too, thanks to key partnerships, co-funding, new tools to lift productivity and volunteers.

    “The natural environment programme is 97 per cent rates funded, which is around $43 per year per ratepayer through the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) and some general rates.

    “That investment delivers good value for money,” says Cr Simpson. “In some cases, it delivers a quantifiable $6 return for every $1 invested.”

    How we’re investing for the natural environment
    NETR and general rates funding delivers and supports a range of environmental activity, including community-led initiatives across all Auckland Council wards.

    Auckland Council environmental services general manager Samantha Hill says environmental protection and restoration is a long-term game and the focus is on delivering on commitments that will have enduring future impact.

    “We are here to protect, improve and minimise risks to the natural environment and we can’t do this alone. It is important to recognise and acknowledge the tireless commitment and support from our partners and communities,” says Ms Hill.

    “The NETR-funded work has enabled a wide range of community-led action and youth involvement. At the same time, key partnerships and regularly assessing opportunities to improve, such as new technologies and tools, means we continue to deliver value for money.”

    Rates funding helps contract specialist environmental services; enables partnerships with investors to deliver even greater value; and helps activate community-led conservation, including around $2 million per year in contestable grants.

    Community grants, technical advice and training is funded by both the NETR and general rates, helping deliver proactive action at local level but also added value.

    For example, the Community Coordination and Facilitation Grant saw $1 million in funding shared across 36 local community groups in 2024 – ultimately resulting in over 276,000 volunteer hours and third-party funding on projects benefiting the natural environment.

    It also delivered a $6.10 return for each $1 of grant funding invested.

    Environmental services work closely with local boards to design and deliver locally driven initiatives, supporting over 110 local board projects worth $4 million in 2023-2024.

    Additional strategic partnerships with business, mana whenua, central government, community and private investors, and other groups, are also adding value to the programme.

    Over $2 million has been sourced so far from central government and private investors for the first phase of the Kawau Island multi-species pest eradication project. Private sector business and philanthropic funding has also been secured for other projects.

    Detailed information on NETR-funded activity delivered in each local board can be found here.

    To find out more about Auckland Council’s environmental programme, visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/environment

    What the Natural Environment Targeted Rate (NETR) delivers

    The current priorities:

    • upgrade and re-open tracks in the Waitākere Ranges in accordance with the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park 2019-2024 Track Reopening Programme
    • control possums across the region, in high priority sites
    • adequate control of pest plants for 66 per cent of significant ecological sites within council parks by 2028
    • work in partnership to achieve pest mammal eradications on Kawau, Aotea and Waiheke islands
    • protect regionally threatened species and high priority ecosystems
    • support community-led action through the provision of advice, grants and tools
    • deliver in partnership with mana whenua
    • implement a comprehensive Pest Free Warrant programme to reduce pest spread to islands by the full range of high-risk businesses.

    What’s been achieved to date:

    • thirty-three tracks upgraded in the Waitākere Ranges
    • Hūnua Ranges Regional Park remains free of kauri dieback disease
    • Hūnua and Waitakere Ranges regional parks are kept free of feral deer and goats
    • 30 per cent of rural mainland Auckland has possum populations maintained at/below target densities for biodiversity protection (at June 2024)
    • Kōkako populations in the Hūnua Ranges have increased from 106 pairs in 2018 to 259 in 2024, as a result of possum and predator control
    • regional conservation status assessments have been completed for freshwater fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, bats and vascular plants
    • 51 per cent of priority native habitats in regional parks have pest plants being effectively controlled towards, or managed below, target densities for biodiversity protection (at June 2024)
    • partnerships are underway with Ngāti Manuhiri, Department of Conservation, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, Ministry for Primary Industries and the Kawau community to eradicate possums and wallabies on Kawau Island
    • the council is also partnering with Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea to eradicate rats, cats and pest plants on Aotea. Alongside Te Korowai o Waiheke, the council is supporting the eradication of stoats and the trialling of rat eradication on Waiheke Island.
    • around 800 scheduled and unscheduled vehicle and passenger ferry sailings are inspected for pests each year. As a result, all Hauraki Gulf Islands where non-native predators such as rats and stoats have been eradicated remain free of these pests.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican man arrested for illegal re-entry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alejandro Mendez Flores, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Flores was encountered by Customs and Border Protection officers on April 30, 2025, at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. Flores was driving a vehicle with a State of Kentucky registration and inadvertently entered onto the bridge toward Canada, where he was refused admission. Flores then encountered CBP officers. A records check determined that Flores was previously arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas in July 2019 after having illegally entered the United States. He was physically removed from the United States.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

    Flores made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.     

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mechanical malfunction closes SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge

    Source: Washington State News 2

    SHINE – Due to mechanical issues, the State Route 104 Hood Canal Bridge is closed to vehicle traffic until further notice.

    During a routine closure for a marine vessel at 1:02 p.m. on Monday, May 5, the bridge experienced a mechanical malfunction. Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are working to identify the cause of the malfunction.

    There is no estimate for reopening at this time, but WSDOT is making every effort to reopen the bridge to vehicular traffic as soon as possible and apologizes for the inconvenience this delay poses to travelers.

    No convenient route around the bridge

    The alternative route is through Shelton via SR 3 and US 101, but the detour adds about three hours to the normal travel time.

    Traveler resources

    Realtime information about the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge is available via the WSDOT app and the WSDOT Travel Map. Advance notifications about the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge are available at Hoodcanalbridge.com. Travelers are encouraged to sign up for Hood Canal Bridge email updates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta Next: Albertans to choose path forward

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of projected “Trump Slump,” Governor Newsom announces record-high tourism — again

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 5, 2025

    What you need to know: California remains the #1 state for tourism, with record-high tourism spending reaching $157.3 billion in 2024. However, the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric are driving away tourists, killing tourism and hospitality jobs, and already leading to decreased tourism projections.

    SACRAMENTO — Governor Newsom and Visit California today announced that California’s tourism spending continued to grow in 2024, reaching a record-high of $157.3 billion in tourism spending throughout the state — an increase of 3% from 2023, another record-spending year.  This comes after recent news that California’s economy is now the fourth-largest economy in the world and experienced a population increase for the second year in a row.

    “California dominates as a premier destination for travelers throughout the nation, and around the globe. With diverse landscapes, top-rate attractions, and welcoming communities, California welcomes millions of visitors every year. We also recognize that our state’s progress is threatened by the economic impacts of this federal administration, and are committed to working to protect jobs and ensure all Californians benefit from a thriving tourism industry.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    The announcement comes with the release of Visit California’s 2024 Economic Impact Report and revised 2025 forecast released today. According to Visit California’s report, in 2024:

    • Visitors spent $157.3 billion at businesses across the state.
    • Tourism spending supported 1.2 million jobs and created 24,000 new jobs.
    • $12.6 billion in state and local tax revenues was generated from tourism.

    Economic progress at risk of Trump Slump

    However, the forecast also anticipates a 1% dip in overall visitation and a 9.2% decline in international visitation in 2025, in direct response to federal economic policy and an impending “Trump Slump.” Looking ahead, 2025 is projected to be more challenging, particularly due to global economic pressures and a slowdown in international tourism, the direct result of declining global sentiment about travel to the United States. California is already seeing the impact, with a sharp year-over-year decline in March of this year.

    In anticipation of the slump caused by the Trump administration, Governor Newsom and Visit California are encouraging Californians to continue to travel within the state to help support the booming tourism industry. The Governor has also launched a new campaign encouraging Canadian consumers to continue to travel to the Golden State.

    More people moving to California 

    In addition to record-breaking tourism, California is welcoming more new residents. Governor Newsom recently announced California’s population increased for the second year in a row. The announcement also noted that previous reports that California’s population had declined by hundreds of thousands of people in 2021 and 2023 were found inaccurate, and since 2021, California’s population has increased by nearly 275,000 people. 

    California’s economic leadership

    With a nation-leading GDP and more Fortune 500 companies than any other state, California’s economy remains a global powerhouse driven by diversity, creativity, and opportunity.

    • 4th largest economy in the world: California’s $4.1 trillion GDP recently surpassed Japan.
    • #1 in the nation: Leads the U.S. in Fortune 500 companies, new business starts, venture capital access, manufacturing output, high-tech industries and agriculture.
    • Major trade powerhouse: Over $675 billion in two-way trade, making California the largest importer among U.S. states and a key driver of job creation.
    • Manufacturing hub: Home to 36,000+ manufacturing firms, employing over 1.1 million workers, with strengths in aerospace, electronics, and zero-emission vehicles.
    • AI & innovation leader: California hosts 32 of the world’s top 50 AI companies and produces 25% of global AI patents and conference papers.

    Recent news

    May 2, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today after the University of California Board of Regents named James Milliken the new president of the University of California: “California’s future depends on the strength of our institutions,…

    May 2, 2025

    News What you need to know: As part of the California Jobs First initiative, the state is awarding $30.5 million in tax credits to seven companies committed to creating new jobs and investing over $2.1 billion across key industries like clean energy, advanced…

    May 1, 2025

    News LOS ANGELES — California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom today joined students, mental health professionals, and athletes at two schools in Pasadena and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula’s East Palo Alto Clubhouse to celebrate Move Your Body, Calm…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Opening of the 5-8 May plenary session

    Source: European Parliament

    European Parliament President Roberta Metsola opened the 5-8 May plenary session with a minute’s silence in memory of His Holiness Pope Francis

    President Roberta Metsola said Pope Francis would be remembered for his “inspirational leadership, his moral authority, and his kindness, taking every opportunity to speak up for a more humane, more peaceful and unified world”. President Metsola remembered the late Pope’s message to MEPs to “work together every day for a better, more compassionate, and more courageous European Parliament”.

    MEPs then held a minute’s silence in memory of Pope Francis, after which political group speakers held a round of short statements.

    World War II Anniversary

    President Metsola announced that, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, there would be a wreath laying ceremony at 10:30 on Wednesday in front of the Louise Weiss building, followed by a ceremony in the hemicycle including testimonies from three WWII veterans, at 11:30.

    Security Action for Europe (SAFE) Regulation

    President Metsola announced that in accordance with Rule 138 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the Legal Affairs Committee had verified the legal basis of the Commission’s SAFE regulation proposal to reinforce Europe’s defence industry and found unanimously, on 23 April 2025, that Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union was not the appropriate legal basis. President Metsola agreed to write to the Presidents of the Council and of the European Commission accordingly.

    Changes to the agenda

    Tuesday

    The President announced three requests to fast track files under Rule 170(6): CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2025 to 2027; the protection status of the wolf; and amendments to the Capital Requirements Regulation as regards securities financing transactions under the net stable funding ratio. The votes on these requests will take place on Tuesday.

    Wednesday

    A Commission statement on the fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms is added to the agenda before the debates on Rule 150 on Wednesday afternoon.

    Council and Commission statements on the illegal visit of President Erdogan to the occupied areas of Cyprus are added as the last item on Wednesday afternoon, with one round of group speakers and no resolution.

    As a result of these additions, Wednesday’s sitting will be extended to 23:00.

    Incoming MEPs

    Wolker Schnurrbusch (NI, DE) has replaced Maximilian Krah (NI, DE) as of 4 April 2025.

    Parliamentary immunity

    Hungarian authorities have asked for the Parliamentary immunity of Péter Magyar (EPP, HU) to be waived, and referred the matter to the Legal Affairs Committee.

    Interinstitutional negotiations

    The LIBE, PECH, and jointly, the SEDE and ITRE committees have decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, pursuant to Rule 72, paragraph 1 of the Rules of procedure, on the basis of the reports available on the plenary website.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: WTO report highlights improved impact of technical assistance activities in 2024

    Source: WTO

    Headline: WTO report highlights improved impact of technical assistance activities in 2024

    The report reveals that the WTO delivered more than 300 technical assistance activities in 2024, the highest number in the past decade. Over 19,000 government officials were trained in various trade-related areas, including more than 5,000 from least-developed countries (LDCs).
    This represents a 19 per cent rise in the number of technical assistance activities compared to 2023. The increase was largely driven by a significant shift towards e-Learning, which saw the number of participants soar by 45 per cent, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all participants.
    The report notes the sustained effectiveness of the activities in assisting beneficiaries in expanding their knowledge and skills. This is reflected by the three percentage point increase in fully or partially met performance targets compared to 2023.
    The year was also marked by the successful completion of the WTO accession processes of Comoros and Timor-Leste, both of which benefited from extensive technical assistance throughout their negotiations.
    “This support was instrumental in strengthening their capacity to navigate the complexities of WTO accession, which took 17 years for Comoros and nearly eight years for Timor-Leste,” WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang notes in the foreword to the report. “Their successful accession highlights the critical role of technical assistance in building the expertise and institutional frameworks necessary for developing economies to fully participate in global trade.”
    WTO technical assistance continued to combine virtual, in-person and e-Learning formats in 2024 in order to provide targeted support aligned with beneficiaries’ evolving priorities. Standards, agriculture, market access for goods (including trade facilitation), trade in services, trade remedies and fisheries subsidies were among the top ten topics covered by technical assistance activities. Meanwhile, existing offerings exploring other WTO topics or responding to emerging challenges and opportunities, such as digital trade and trade and environment, continued to be developed.
    However, the report struck a note of caution with regard to increasing financial constraints, as 2024 saw voluntary contributions to WTO technical assistance reach their lowest level in 25 years, with unearmarked funds falling to below CHF 3 million. While the cost-saving measures implemented by the WTO Secretariat have so far ensured that technical assistance delivery levels and quality are preserved, cash reserves are nearing exhaustion. Should the current low level of voluntary contributions persist, activities will inevitably suffer in volume and quality, leading to reduced impact over time.
    The full report is available here.
    Background
    A core function of the WTO, technical assistance and capacity-building activities aim to enhance professional and institutional trade capacities in developing and least-developed WTO members and observers. These activities equip beneficiaries with the know-how to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the rules-based multilateral trading system, and to address related challenges. Within the WTO Secretariat, the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) oversees these activities.

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  • MIL-OSI Economics: Transparency remains a central focus at subsidies committee discussions

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Transparency remains a central focus at subsidies committee discussions

    The Chair referred to the most recent WTO Secretariat update, noting that 82 members have yet to submit their 2023 and 2021 subsidy notifications, and that  72 members have still not submitted their 2019 notifications. He reiterated his call for members to submit their notifications promptly, emphasizing that all members benefit from the collective effort of timely and complete notifications. Eight members echoed these calls and commended the Secretariat’s continued efforts to support members in preparing and submitting their notifications, including through targeted technical assistance.
    Review of members’ subsidy notifications
    During the special meeting, the Committee examined 2023 new and full subsidy notifications submitted by Albania, Bahrain, Ecuador, India, Kazakhstan and Montenegro. Additionally, it reviewed outstanding notifications from earlier cycles, notably from Madagascar (2019). The Committee also continued its review of 2023 subsidy notifications from Australia, Brazil, China, Eswatini, Nepal, Norway, Türkiye, the United States and Vanuatu. It also continued its review of a 2019 notification from the Russian Federation.
    National legislation
    The Committee reviewed legislative notifications submitted by Armenia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. It also continued its review of the legislative notifications of the European Union, Ghana, the Kyrgyz Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Solomon Islands.
    Reports of members on countervailing duty actions
    Members reviewed semi-annual reports on countervailing duty actions submitted by Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the European Union, India, Mexico, Peru, Chinese Taipei, Türkiye,  the United States and Viet Nam for the period July to December 2024.
    The Committee also considered notifications on preliminary and final countervailing duty actions from members including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.
    The Chair emphasized the need for regular and timely submissions of these reports to ensure ongoing transparency and effective oversight by the Committee.
    Other matters
    The Chair recalled the 31 December 2015 deadline for the elimination of export subsidies by members that received “fast track” extensions under Article 27.4 of the SCM Agreement. He noted that only 15 of the 19 members that had received extensions have provided the final required notifications. He called on the remaining members to comply without delay.
    The Committee reviewed the updated GNI per capita calculations for members listed in Annex VII(b) of the SCM Agreement. According to the latest figures, Senegal graduated from Annex VII(b) while the following members did not: Congo, Ghana, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. They therefore remain on the list until their GNP per capita exceeds US$ 1,000 (in constant 1990 dollars) for three consecutive years.
    The Committee also discussed, and members exchanged views on, a range of issues under the following separate agenda items: “discriminatory subsidies policies and measures of the United States” (item sponsored by China); “France’s electric vehicle subsidies programme” (sponsored by the Republic of Korea); and “subsidies and overcapacity” (sponsored by the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States).
    The Committee elected Mr Kazumochi Kometani from Japan as the new member of the Permanent Group of Experts replacing Ms Tomoko Ota, also from Japan. 
    The Committee conducted a scheduled review of its trial use of the e-Agenda platform, originally agreed in October 2023, to streamline meeting procedures by enabling the upload of delegations’ statements. The Committee agreed to extend the current trial arrangement for an additional two years. A formal review will take place at the Committee’s spring 2027 meeting.
    Next meeting
    The Chair reminded members that the autumn 2025 meetings of the SCM Committee are scheduled to take place in the week of 27 October 2025.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Beneficiaries and amounts invested under the MediaInvest instrument? – E-000858/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    MediaInvest[1], a part of the InvestEU[2] programme, is a dedicated equity investment vehicle aimed at stimulating private investment in the audiovisual and gaming sectors. It is implemented by the European Investment Fund[3] (EIF) on behalf of the Commission.

    To date, the EIF has signed four deals under MediaInvest ( Logical Content Ventures (France), focusing on content production; Behold Ventures (Sweden) focusing on video games sector; IPR.VC (Finland) focusing on European films and TV series; Together S.L.P (France), focusing on audiovisual small and medium enterprises).

    The EIF publishes once a year on its website a list of (i) financial intermediaries[4] being supported via InvestEU, including MediaInvest; and (ii) final beneficiaries[5] that have received financial support via InvestEU for an amount of at least EUR 500 000.

    As announced in the communication ‘The Road to the next multiannual financial framework’[6], the Commission intends to present its proposal for the next multiannual financial framework in July 2025.

    InvestEU aim at ensuring that financial intermediaries commit to invest a minimum amount into EU eligible companies. In addition, MediaInvest requires that a significant percentage of the investments targets audiovisual projects based in the EU.

    • [1] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/mediainvest
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:4516649
    • [3] eif.org/index.htm
    • [4] www.eif.org
    • [5] https://www.eif.org/InvestEU/equity_products/ieu-equity-visibility-report-final-recipients.pdf
    • [6] COM(2025) 46 final.
    Last updated: 5 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland Transport seeks feedback on unclogging Dominion Road congestion

    Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines

    Auckland Transport (AT) is asking for feedback to change the operating hours of Dominion Road’s southbound bus lane by one hour, to help improve congestion and keep your city moving.

    AT is also proposing to install a peak time right hand turn ban at certain bottleneck intersections to improve traffic flow.

    “Dominion Road is long, but quite narrow, and we simply can’t fit any more vehicles down it – it’s reached its peak,” Chris Martin, AT’s Road Network Optimisation Manager says.

    “More Aucklanders are on the move earlier in the afternoon, and this, combined with school traffic, means the peak travel time home on Dominion Road now starts at 3pm rather than 4pm. We need to keep pace with this, and make the appropriate amendments to keep it moving,” Mr Martin says.

    “The only things we can do to speed up travel is to make the most of the space already on the road, and this means using the existing bus lane more, and to restrict right hand turns at key intersections.

    “We believe this change will save the average bus passenger up to three minutes in travel time between 3pm-4pm along Dominion Road. That’s up to 15 minutes every week,” he says.

    People who travel along Dominion Road will know all too well that it is often congested in peak times.

    It’s been this way for more than a decade. While Auckland’s population has grown rapidly since, the number of vehicles that can fit down the road, around 25,000, has remained the same.

    “Making better use of the existing bus lane is one of our most effective ways of beating congestion, helping more Aucklanders travel to and along the road,” Mr Martin says.

    “By increasing the operating hours of the bus lane, we can increase the number of people who are able to travel down Dominion Road by bus.

    “One double-decker bus can hold up to 100 people. If more people experience a faster bus journey, that’s potentially up to 100 fewer vehicles squeezing their way down this road.”

    Feedback on intersection changes

    AT wants to make other changes to Dominion Road to improve congestion, including restricting right hand turns at two specific intersections in peak time traffic.

    “Balmoral is especially prone to congestion on Dominion Road in peak times, and part of the problem is the number of motorists turning right down Wiremu Street looking for a park,” Mr Martin says.

    “This turning traffic must wait a while for northbound traffic to clear and means other southbound vehicles on Dominion Road back up behind causing big delays down through to the intersection with Balmoral Road, and beyond.”

    AT is proposing to restrict right-hand turns from Dominion Road onto Wiremu Street and also Memorial Drive in peak hour traffic between 7am–10am and 3pm-7pm on weekdays.

    We are also proposing to implement a permanent no right turn ban onto George Street.

    “Restricting right turns at these bottlenecks during the peak period will help to unclog the busy through traffic approaching major intersections and reduce delays, as well as reducing turning crash risks,” Mr Martin says.

    AT invites you to provide feedback on the proposed changes for Dominion Road at haveyoursay.at.govt.nz. Feedback is open until 25 May 2025. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Vermilion County Man Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison for Counterfeiting and Violating Supervised Release

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    URBANA, Ill. – A Bismarck, Illinois, man, Jacob R. Kirkley, 48, was sentenced on May 2, 2025, to four years in prison for his second federal counterfeiting conviction, as well as an additional 18 months in prison for violating his federal supervised release, which was imposed following his first counterfeiting conviction. When Kirkley completes his combined five-and-a-half year sentence, he will be required to serve three years of federal supervised release.

    The sentences followed a trial last December in Urbana where a federal jury convicted Kirkley of manufacturing, selling, and possessing counterfeited United States currency. During two days of trial testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that, on December 7, 2023, Kirkley sold an undercover officer with the Illinois State Police $1000 of counterfeited U.S. currency that he had made for $250. On December 13, 2023, and January 8, 2024, Kirkley sold the same undercover officer another $1000 and $5000 in counterfeit U.S. currency that he had made, respectively. On January 11, 2024, agents of the U.S. States Secret Service and Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group executed a federal search warrant at Kirkley’s residence in Bismarck and recovered additional counterfeit currency, as well as various items used to counterfeit the currency.

    At the time Kirkley committed those offenses, he was on federal supervised release for a previous federal counterfeiting conviction. In 2022, Kirkley was convicted of one count of manufacturing U.S. currency and two counts of passing U.S. currency after a 2020 incident where a Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputy found over $20,000 of counterfeit U.S. currency in his truck and then learned Kirkley had passed counterfeit currency at Carnaghi’s Towing and McDonald’s in Danville, Illinois, and Dollar General in Tilton, Illinois. At the time, the Deputy also found over $20,000 counterfeit U.S. currency, plus four printers, a paper cutter, and numerous counterfeit-making implements in Kirkley’s hotel room at the Budget Inn in Danville. Kirkley served 27 months in federal prison for those offenses and was serving a three-year term of federal supervised release at the time that he committed his latest counterfeiting offenses. Kirkley was released from federal prison in May 2023, six months before committing these offenses.   

    At the time of sentencing, the government presented evidence that Kirkley violated his federal supervised release not only by committing a new counterfeiting offense, but also by testing positive for methamphetamine use on eight separate occasions. The government also presented evidence that Kirkley had told the undercover officer during a covertly recorded conversation that “my name’s a red flag for any kind of . . . counterfeit material at all,” that he learned how to use “Bible paper” to counterfeit currency when he was in federal prison the first time, and that he believed he would “be screwed” and would have “the book” thrown at him if he were caught counterfeiting again.

    Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Kirkley had not accepted responsibility for his criminal conduct. Judge Bruce followed the government’s recommendation to impose a sentence above the range recommended by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines because Judge Bruce was troubled by Kirkley committing his offense while on federal supervised release for the same crime and so soon after being released from federal prison.

    The maximum statutory penalties for each of Kirkley’s five counts of conviction are up to twenty years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for Kirkley’s violation of his conditions of supervised release is up to two years of imprisonment.

    “Counterfeiting offenses undermine the integrity and stability of our financial system and leave hardworking business owners who receive these false payments in the lurch,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory M. Gilmore. “Repeat offenses are particularly problematic. We are grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their dedicated investigative work.”

    “Protecting the nation’s currency and financial infrastructure have long been key missions for the U.S. Secret Service, along with safeguarding our country’s leaders,” said Resident Agent in Charge Michael Kurzeja, of the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Resident Office. “The Secret Service goes to extraordinary lengths to detect, investigate, and stop those who manufacture and try to profit from counterfeit currency, and attempt to weaken the nation’s financial infrastructure. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of Illinois, as well as all our local partners who helped in this case.”

    “The impact of counterfeiting can be widespread with the potential of hurting both businesses and individuals as false currency circulates,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to help protect the integrity of our U.S. currency and hold those who break the law accountable.”

    The case investigation was conducted by the Springfield Division of the United States Secret Service, Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, and Illinois State Police. Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government at trial.

    MIL Security OSI –