MIL Email Publisher – Foreign Submissions

Source: U.S. Department of State

Public Schedule
Office of the Spokesperson
August 27, 2026

***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***

SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO

Secretary Rubio attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State and the White House.

DEPUTY SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER LANDAU

11:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Landau meets with Ugandan Foreign Minister Adonia Ayebare at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES MICHAEL J. RIGAS

Deputy Secretary Rigas is on travel to Egypt from August 25-29, 2026.

UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ALLISON M. HOOKER

Under Secretary Hooker attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.

UNDER SECRETARY FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY THOMAS G. DINANNO

7:00 a.m. Under Secretary DiNanno meets with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Funakoshi Takehiro in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS CATE DILLON

Assistant Secretary Dillon is on travel to Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam from August 25-September 9, 2026.

BRIEFING SCHEDULE

No Department Press Briefing.

Source link

Source: AMES Australia

August 29, 2026

A Melbourne winter night was lit up recently by a vibrant multicultural lantern festival now in its third year.

The ‘Luminous Festival’ played out along the Yarra River and around Federation Market on the southern edge of the CBD.

Around 500 people from more than 30 migrant and refugee communities came together to celebrate Melbourne’s incredible diversity of cultures, heritages and histories.

The parade saw drummers and musicians lead lantern holding community members around the Federation Square precinct.

Organised by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia in partnership with the City of Melbourne, the parade is aimed at bringing communities together to celebrate diversity and forge connections between communities.

Ahead of the parade, over the past few weeks, lantern making workshops have been held at the multicultural hub bringing together dozens of people from more than 30 communities. The lantern makers have forged friendships and community bonds.

The event included performances from the Newa Pucha Nepalese band, the singing group Kaiga Tuvalu Victoria Youth and Maracatu Estrela do Mar Inc Brasilian drummers, showcasing their stories, traditions and cultural richness.

AMES Australia CEO Melinda Collinson said the event brought people together to share a spectacular evening of light, colour and conversation.

“The parade is a celebration of the contributions migrants and refugees make in our community and a celebration of the rich cultural diversity they bring,” Ms Collinson said.

“It is fitting that we walked behind lanterns. For thousands of years, lanterns have played an important role in social events and religious festivals for almost all cultures and societies.

“They light the way for guests, and they illuminate the darkness. Lanterns are a symbol of good luck, health and prosperity.

“So, they are fitting symbol for the parade and for AMES Australia’s work in supporting migrants and refugees build successful new lives in Australia,” Ms Collinson said.

City of Melbourne Deputy Mayor Roshena Campbell told the event that Melbourne was a city that welcomed people from every community.

“We are a city that welcomes everyone. Multicultural communities make the city more vibrant and more interesting; and there is also an economic benefit welcoming people from so many parts of the world,” Cr Campbell said.

International student Keira Chen, who took part in the parade, said it was important to bring together newly arrived communities and connect them with the broader community.

“It has been important for me to connect with other communities and with the broader Australian community. I think this is really important that people and communities feel connected to each other,” Keira said.

“I think the idea of a lantern festival is cool. Lanterns are symbolic of lighting the way and finding pathways; they are also symbolic of knowledge and learning which is important to me. They have been important tools used in all communities and peoples for thousands of years, so they naturally are a unifying symbol,” she said.

Source: deVere Group

August 28 2026

Markets forgive volatility but they don't forgive silence, warns the CEO of one of the world's largest independent financial advisory organisations.

This is the warning from Nigel Green of deVere Group as Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh prepares to deliver his first Jackson Hole address since taking charge of the world's most powerful central bank, with inflation stuck above target and the bond market showing fresh strain.

US consumer prices rose 3.4% in the 12 months to July, still well above the Fed's 2% goal after six straight years of missing it.

The 10-year Treasury yield has climbed to 4.68%, nearly half a percentage point higher than a year ago, even as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has doubled the pace of long-dated bond buybacks in an attempt to hold borrowing costs down.

Warsh takes the stage at 10am Eastern, with the Fed's target range still parked at 3.50% to 3.75% and no clear signal on where it moves next.

“Warsh doesn't need a new framework today, he needs to answer one question clearly: will the Fed raise rates if inflation doesn't come down,” says Nigel Green.

“Everything else is noise dressed up as nuance.”

The deVere CEO says the market's patience with ambiguity has run out.

“Investors sat through weeks of mixed signals after Warsh suggested markets, rather than the Fed, should do the tightening.

“This approach only works if everyone believes the Fed will step in the moment it doesn't. Right now, plenty of people aren't convinced it will.”

The growing friction between the Fed and the US Treasury is the second flashpoint investors are watching closely.

“Bessent buying up long-dated bonds to push down yields is the Treasury doing the Fed's job in reverse,” notes Nigel Green.

“It loosens financial conditions exactly when inflation calls for the opposite. Warsh has to say, in plain terms, where the Fed stands on that tension.”

He warns that dodging the subject would be read as weakness rather than diplomacy.

“Credibility is earned by saying the hard thing before the market forces your hand.

“Warsh has the platform today, and investors around the world are tuning in for exactly that kind of clarity.”

Global investors are not only parsing Warsh's words for what they mean domestically.

“Every major central bank is watching how the Fed handles a government leaning on it,” he says. “If the Fed looks like it's bending, finance ministries with stretched budgets everywhere take note.”

Asked what he expects once Warsh finishes speaking, the deVere CEO is direct.

“Bond yields will move within minutes, and equities will follow them,” he says. “But the bigger reaction plays out over the following weeks, as investors decide whether they trust this Fed to finish the job on inflation. Trust, once questioned, is expensive to rebuild.

“Today isn't about soothing markets for an afternoon,” says Nigel Green. “It's about whether Warsh sets the terms of this fight or lets the bond market set them for him.”

He concludes: “Investors don't need Warsh to promise a number, they need him to show his working.

“A Fed that stays vague hands that planning over to speculation.”

About deVere Group

deVere Group is one of the world's largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

Source: KOF Swiss Economic Institute

Zurich, 28 August 2026, 9:00 a.m.

The KOF Economic Barometer rises in August. After its consecutive increases in the previous months, its level is now noticeably above its medium-term average. The outlook for the Swiss economy is positive.

In August, the KOF Economic Barometer increases by 2.5 points to a level of 106.7 (after revised 104.2 in the previous month). The indicator bundles for manufacturing, other services, as well as foreign demand particularly reflect these positive developments. The indicator bundle for private consumption is slightly under pressure.

Within the producing industry (manufacturing and construction), the developments for the majority of the indicator bundles are positive. Particularly the indicator bundles for stockpiling of intermediate products, for employment prospects, for production activity, and for order backlogs indicate a strengthened outlook.

Most of the sub-indicators within manufacturing equally support the positive outlook. Both the sub-indicators for the metal industry as well as for the textile industry show favourable developments, while the sub-indicators for the paper and printing industry experience a setback.

Data and Graphs

KOF Economic Barometer

KOF Economic Barometer (long-term average 2015-2024=100)

KOF Economic Barometer and Reference Series

The Swiss business cycle as measured by the smoothed GDP growth (Reference Series, SECO/KOF) is displayed at a standardized scale here (mean=100, standard deviation=10).

KOF Economic Barometer (long-term average 2015-2024=100)

Contribution of variable groups to the KOF Economic Barometer

Variable groups: Manufacturing; Construction; Accommodation and food service activities; Financial sector; Other services; Consumption; International; Other; KOF Economic Barometer.

This graph shows the deviations of the variable groups from the long-term group mean, which is standardized at 100. The variables included in the KOF Economic Barometer are divided into groups. The group values are calculated from the weighted group totals calculated with individual variable weights. Example: A group value of 102.0 means that the weighted group total deviates upwards by 2.0 from the group average. A contribution of 98.0 means that the weighted group total deviates downwards by –2.0 from the group average. The total deviations of all groups from their respective group average plus 100 result in the value of the KOF Economic Barometer.

Detailed information regarding the KOF Economic Barometer: KOF Economic Barometer

Full press release with graphs: PDF

Source: Foreign Press Center Japan

August 28, 2026

To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Foreign Press Center Japan (FPCJ) will host an international journalists’ conference entitled “The Rapidly Changing World and Journalism—The Global South and Japan: Understanding and Reporting on the Rebuilding of the International Order”.

As the international order undergoes profound change, journalists from Japan and abroad will discuss how to understand and communicate about the transformations taking place around the world. We sincerely look forward to your participation.

Official conference page

The international order established in the aftermath of World War II has reached a major turning point amid deepening tensions between states, intensifying geopolitical competition, and the growing influence of countries in the Global South. At the same time, advances in digital technology and the accelerating flow of information have dramatically transformed the environment surrounding journalism, with the spread of disinformation and divisive narratives and declining public trust in the news media.

This conference will bring together leading journalists from Europe, the United States, and countries of the Global South, as well as from Japan. The participants will first diagnose the current state of the international order by examining why the international order built up over the 80 years since the end of World War II is now being shaken, and the background and factors behind this shift. They will then discuss possible “prescriptions,” including the roles that could be played by international institutions centered on the United Nations, multilateral frameworks such as the G7, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, middle powers including Japan, and the media itself.

The discussion will also draw on perspectives from diverse regions to examine how Japan’s policies and society are portrayed and understood abroad, and to explore the challenges and opportunities for Japan in communicating with the international community.

Date and Time

14:00-17:55 (JST), Thursday, October 1, 2026

Format

Hybrid (in person and online)

Venue

10th-floor hall of the Japan National Press Club and online
Nippon Press Center Building, 2-2-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Organizer

Foreign Press Center Japan

Supported By

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, The Yomiuri Shimbun

Languages

English/Japanese (simultaneous interpretation)

Program

All times are shown in Japan Standard Time (JST).

13:30 Registration Opens

14:00-14:10 Opening
Opening remarks by President Kazuo Kodama
Greeting by Ministry of Foreign Affairs official

14:10-15:20 Session 1
Is the World Returning to an Age Where Might Makes Right?

15:20-15:35 Coffee Break

15:35-16:45 Session 2
What Should We Do? What Is the Role/Responsibility of the Media?

16:45-17:45 Session 3
Japan in the World: How Is Japan Being Reported On to the World Within the Changing International Order?

17:45-17:55 Closing

Speakers (9): Panelists and Moderator

• Hiroyuki Akita, commentator for Nikkei.
• Desi Anwar, Director, Senior Anchor and Journalist at CNN Indonesia.
• Kallol Bhattacherjee, Senior Assistant Editor with The Hindu.
• Javier C. Hernández, Tokyo Bureau Chief of The New York Times.
• Aya Igarashi, Vice Chair of Editorial Board, The Yomiuri Shimbun.
• Akira Ikegami, a freelance journalist while teaching contemporary history and economics at seven universities in Japan.
• Kazuo Kodama, President of Foreign Press Center Japan.
• Edward Luce, US national editor and a columnist at the Financial Times.
• Lourival Sant’Anna, international affairs analyst for CNN Brasil and a columnist for Estadão.

Please note that the program, schedule, and speaker information are subject to change without prior notice.

How to Register

This conference will be held in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online participation available.

1. Whether you wish to participate in person or online, please apply using the registration link.
2. A confirmation email will be sent from no-reply@zoom.us immediately after applying. Please make sure you receive it.
3. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam and trash folders, and apply again.

Source: U.S. Department of State Bureau of Global Public Affairs

Five years ago, on August 26, 13 American service members were killed and dozens more were wounded when an ISIS-K terrorist detonated a suicide bomb at Abbey Gate outside Kabul airport, Afghanistan.

“As our Nation remembers this atrocious attack, we honor the memory of every brave warrior who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” the White House said on X. “We join in grief with the families who lost a loved one, and renew our solemn pledge to never forget the 13 fallen patriots – their memory will live on forever.”

To honor their memory, President Trump signed a proclamation marking the fifth anniversary of the attack, August 26. He honored each of the fallen service members by name and renewed the administration's commitment to their families.

“We solemnly honor their selflessness and valor,” the President said in his proclamation. “I will always stand by our service members, support our military families, and I will never allow the failures that led to Abbey Gate to be repeated.”

On X, the State Department told the stories of the thirteen men and women killed at Abbey Gate, such as Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum who was expecting his first child and planned to become a history teacher and Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, who was killed attempting to help two Afghan trampled by the crowd. Her final words were “they need me, sir.”

“We stand with the Gold Star families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country,” Secretary of State Rubio said in a statement. “Our prayers will forever remain with them and the 45 U.S. service members who were injured during this terrible terrorist attack.”

The president encouraged all Americans to remember the heroism of the brave men and women who died.

“On this solemn anniversary, we renew our sacred promise to the 13 fallen service members and their families that we will always remember their names, cherish their memory, and never forget the price they paid for our country,” President Trump said.

Source: Equinor ASA

27 August 2026 12:00 (CEST)

Equinor ASA announces that Finn Bjørn Ruyter has decided to leave his position on the Board of Directors and prioritize his responsibilities as CEO of Hafslund and other board positions. The change takes effect 1 September 2026.

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

Official release

Source: Amnesty International

MEDIA ADVISORY

Spokespeople available

27 August 2026

Ahead of the meeting of the Central Election Commission on 28 August regarding a proposed referendum on introducing judicial caning as a criminal punishment in Taiwan, Amnesty International Taiwan’s Director, E-Ling Chiu, said:

“It is both disturbing and disgraceful that the Legislative Yuan has chosen to advance a referendum proposal on judicial caning that clearly breaches international human rights law.

“This proposal is part of a broader pattern that has emerged in recent months. Human rights-related budgets have been cut, the work of independent institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission has been obstructed and the functioning of the Constitutional Court has been undermined. The advancement of a referendum seeking to legitimize cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment further contributes to the erosion of the human rights protection framework that Taiwan has spent decades building.”

Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks added:

“When public anger over crimes is exploited for political gain at the expense of human rights, everyone stands to lose.

“Amnesty International opposes any legislative proposal to introduce judicial caning in Taiwan and calls on the government to reaffirm its commitment to Article 7 of the ICCPR and the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”

Background

On 14 August 2026, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan approved a referendum proposal asking voters whether the government should enact legislation introducing judicial caning as a special criminal punishment for offences including sexual assault, child abuse, high-value fraud and aggravated fraud. The proposal comes amid growing public anger over these offences fuelled by a series of highly publicized cases.

Shortly after the proposal was approved, Amnesty International Taiwan joined civil society organizations in issuing a joint statement expressing concern that judicial caning would violate human rights protections and contravene internationally recognized standards prohibiting corporal punishment.

The caning proposal is one of three referendum initiatives currently under consideration by Taiwan's Central Election Commission. The Commission is scheduled to deliberate on the proposals on 28 August before deciding whether they may proceed to a nationwide vote. If the Central Election Commission approves, the referendum will be held in November 2026, alongside a national election.

The International Review Committee in May of this year confirmed that corporal punishment constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment in violation of the right to personal integrity and human dignity in Article 7 ICCPR. Amnesty International opposes corporal punishment in all circumstances and has consistently called on governments worldwide to abolish punishments such as caning, flogging, whipping and other forms of corporal punishment that are incompatible with the absolute prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Revenue up 16.5% to $203.7 Million

Highlights:

• Revenue $203.7m (+16.5%)
• Underlying EBITDA $44.0m (+14.5%), margin 21.6%
• Adjusted Underlying NPAT $23.6m / EPS 6.01cps (+442% / +363%)
• Operating cash flow $22.0m (+107.5%); free cash flow $8.1m (+>100%)
• Reported profit $1.0m, swinging from a $21.9m loss in FY25
• Results at or above NPAT/EPS guidance; EBITDA at the lower end of guidance range
• Video Guard sites grew from 301 to 1,029 across the year; assisted police in 75 arrests
• Commercial security pipeline grew to $72.4m (+36% for the year)
• Acquisitions: Wormald NZ and Red Wolf completed; ADT UK acquisition announced (doubles group scale, ~£87m revenue, 49% EBITDA margin, 93% recurring revenue, ~160,000 UK residential customers)

Intelligent Monitoring Group Limited (ASX: IMB) (IMG or the Company) is pleased to announce its results for the financial year ended 30 June 2026 (FY26), delivering double-digit revenue growth, a sharp lift in profitability and record cash generation.

FY26 Financial Highlights

Revenue rose 16.5% to $203.7 million, while underlying EBITDA increased 14.5% to $44.0 million, delivering results at or above guidance on a net profit and earnings-per-share basis. Adjusted underlying net profit after tax surged 442% to $23.6 million, with adjusted earnings per share up 363% to 6.01 cents, as the Company benefited from lower finance costs following a debt refinancing and improved operating leverage.

Reported profit after tax swung to a $1.0 million profit, from a $21.9 million loss in FY25, while operating cash flow more than doubled to $22.0 million and free cash flow rose to $8.1 million.

Strategic expansion into the UK

The year's standout development was the announced acquisition of ADT UK, a proposed transaction that would double the size of the Group and mark IMG's transformational expansion into a major global security market. ADT UK is one of the United Kingdom's most established residential security providers, with a heritage dating back to 1874, serving more than 160,000 residential customers, generating GBP £87 million in revenue with a 49% EBITDA margin and 93% recurring revenue. The acquisition is subject to completion.

The proposed deal follows IMG's completed acquisitions of Wormald New Zealand and Red Wolf during FY26, which strengthened the Group's position across fire, security and life safety services and broadened its addressable market across Australasia.

Organic growth momentum

• Video Guard sites grew more than three-fold across the year, from 301 in Q1 FY26 to 1,029 by Q4 FY26, surpassing 1,000 installed sites across Australia and New Zealand
• IMG's remote monitoring capabilities assisted police in apprehending 75 offenders during active incidents over the year, and generated more than 15 monthly deterrence events
• The commercial security and fire technical services pipeline grew to $72.4 million by Q4 FY26, up 36% for the year, reflecting strong demand from the education, childcare and construction sectors
• ADT Guard, IMG's commercial guarding brand, gained traction without additional marketing spend, supported by improved messaging and rising customer interest
• Australian operations delivered 12.5% organic underlying EBITDA growth, offsetting a softer first half in New Zealand that improved through the year

Outlook

Looking ahead to FY27, IMG said it would focus on converting its growing commercial pipeline into new customer wins, scaling ADT Guard and remote video monitoring, driving growth from Wormald New Zealand and Red Wolf, and completing the ADT UK acquisition to establish a platform for long-term international growth.

About Intelligent Monitoring Group Limited

Intelligent Monitoring Group Limited (ASX: IMB) helps provide monitored security and IOT solutions that ensure the safety and protection of Australian businesses, homes, and individuals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Company operates with the highest security accreditation from its two-significant monitoring centres.

For more information: Intelligent Monitoring Group

Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Unexpected identity checks could be an early sign fraudsters are verifying stolen personal information before exploiting it, with Australians urged to take unfamiliar activity seriously.

27 August 2026

Truyu, the identity protection app built by CommBank, is urging Australians to be vigilant about a tactic it calls “Stolen Identity Validation”, where criminals test stolen personal information through small-scale acts of identity fraud before exploiting those same details further.

Personal information is highly sought-after by criminals because it allows them to pass identity checks required to open bank accounts, apply for credit cards and take out personal loans – leaving victims to deal with the consequences.

Truyu alerts customers when their identity details are checked by a majority¹ of Australian merchants, prompting them to confirm whether they recognise the activity. Analysis of those customer responses found that nearly a third (32%) of unauthorised identity checks had been preceded by an earlier telco-related identity check.

“Criminals are constantly looking for ways to test and exploit stolen identity information before using it for wider fraud. Activating prepaid SIM cards is one method we’re seeing used,” said James Roberts, CommBank Scam Prevention Officer.

While the pattern identified by Truyu suggests criminals are taking a considered – even cautious – approach to validating stolen identity details, they waste little time exploiting those details once confirmed. In almost half of those cases (47%), a second unauthorised identity check occurred within a week of the first.

“This ‘Stolen Identity Validation’ technique is about what comes next,” continued Roberts. “Once criminals confirm your details are accurate, they can reuse them across services to open accounts, apply for credit, or impersonate you.”

“Unexplained account openings, credit enquiries, or identity verification notifications can be early signs your details are being tested – even if no money has been stolen at that point,” said Melanie Hayden, Truyu Managing Director.

“Don’t ignore the warning signs,” continued Hayden. “If you notice unexpected activity involving your personal information, take it seriously. Act quickly to secure your accounts and report it to your bank, telco or relevant provider.”

Alongside Identity Check Alerts, Truyu’s app includes a range of other features to help protect Australians from fraud, including:

• Credit Activity Alerts: Alerts when your credit file is accessed or updated – for example, if a new bank account, loan or credit card is opened in your name.
• Email Leak Alerts: Notifies you if your email address appears in known data breaches, so you can secure affected accounts.
• Card Leak Alerts: Check if your debit or credit card details have been exposed, including on the dark web.
• Password Leaks: Scans dark web sources for exposed passwords linked to your email address and prompts you to act if they’re found.
• Scam Checker: A free, AI-powered tool that analyses screenshots of text messages to help identify potential scams and provide guidance on next steps.

Developed by CommBank’s venture scaling arm, x15ventures, and launched in May 2024, Truyu has since helped prevent an estimated $51 million in potential fraud losses, by:

• Issuing more than 105,000 Email Leak Alerts
• Detecting and alerting customers in the moment to nearly 25,000 identity checks
• Identifying more than 10,000 leaked passwords

The Truyu app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Truyu is also available to organisations as a breach response and cyber remediation service to help protect customers affected by a data breach.

Truyu features are not available on desktop or web.

For more, visit: truyu.com.au

¹ Truyu covers 63% of identity checks in Australia.

Things you should know

Media releases are prepared without considering an individual reader’s objectives, financial situation or needs. Readers should consider the appropriateness to their circumstances. Visit Important Information to access Product Disclosure Statements or Terms and Conditions which are currently available electronically for products of the Commonwealth Bank Group, along with the relevant Financial Services Guide. Target Market Determinations are available here. Loan applications are subject to credit approval. Interest rates are correct at the time they are published and are subject to change. Fees and charges may apply.

About x15ventures

x15ventures is a venture scaler powered by CommBank. Founded in 2020, x15 builds, buys and invests in startups that would benefit from connections to Australia’s leading bank, and could improve the lives of its more than 15 million customers, by either reimagining existing CommBank products or services, or offering solutions not traditionally classed as finance, but that could extend the bank’s relationship and relevance with customers.

x15’s platform model combines the latest cloud technology (running on a separate tech stack to CommBank) with enterprise grade controls, enabling ventures to innovate at pace in a 'bank safe' environment, and scale through access to CommBank assets – including capital, brand, and customer distribution – once ready.

For more, please visit: x15ventures.com.au.

Official release