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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: First Responders – Waikato wetland fire update #7

    Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

    A drone sighting in the area near the Waikato wetland fire forced Fire and Emergency to halt all air operations for a short time this afternoon.
    Incident Controller Mark Tinworth says this is standard practice because drones are a serious threat to aircraft.
    “A mid-air collision between a drone and a helicopter could have fatal consequences,” he says.
    “Members of the public must not fly drones anywhere near the fireground.
    “This impacted our ability to fight this fire as air operations have been our main avenue for suppression of the fire.”
    The drone was quickly grounded and air operations were able to resume after a break of around 10 minutes.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New research shows problematic community attitudes allow child sexual abuse to continue

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea de Silva, Adjunct professor, Monash University

    Many Australians are victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

    Almost one in three have been sexually abused as a child, generally more than once, and often with significant and lifelong impacts.

    The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse has released findings from more than 4,000 adults in a new study examining the community’s attitudes towards, knowledge of, and responses to child sexual abuse.

    The data reveal some troubling findings, with pervasive and harmful community norms and attitudes that act to enable child sexual abuse to continue.

    What are social norms?

    Social norms are “rules” shared among people in a particular society, community, or group, and define what is considered “normal” and appropriate behaviour within the group.

    These rules are often unwritten and not openly discussed.

    These norms influence what people do (and don’t do) in many aspects of life, including preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.

    Why do they matter?

    Some cultures’ norms and attitudes limit disclosure of abuse.

    In our study, 62% were pretty sure they knew someone who had been sexually abused as a child.

    Yet only 9% had directly been told by a child about being sexually abused, while 35% had been told by an adult about historical child sexual abuse.

    These low rates suggest there are forces at play that limit talking about child sexual abuse.

    Some in the community believe it’s not acceptable to discuss child sexual abuse. In response to a hypothetical disclosure by an adult friend, about one in ten thought it was very/extremely important to tell their friend that it’s best not to talk about it at all.

    Some (5%) reported they would try to avoid their friend.

    What else did the research reveal?

    There was also evidence community members didn’t think child sexual abuse was an important problem or that it affected them directly.

    Around two in three adults felt they were not directly affected or were unsure if they were affected by child sexual abuse. More than half didn’t think child sexual abuse happened where they live.

    One in ten thought child sexual abuse receives too much media coverage.

    Some norms and attitudes also limit intervention to stop child sexual abuse.

    We found that of those who discovered or received a child’s disclosure about sexual abuse, less than half had a supportive conversation with the child (about 40%) and/or reported to authorities like police or child protection agencies (about 30%).

    Also, almost one in three adults were “not at all” confident about how to talk to the parent/carer of a child they suspected had been sexually abused. More than a quarter (28%) felt “not at all” confident about how to start a conversation with the child they suspected had been sexually abused.

    Not having these conversations or not reporting maintains secrecy around child sexual abuse. It can send a message to victims and survivors not to talk about it, or that nothing will be done to stop the abuse.

    Though the lack of intervention may be due to a lack of confidence, we also found adults held attitudes that children can’t always be believed (22%) or were too unreliable to take their word over an adult’s (18%).

    These attitudes mean many children won’t be believed and protected if they disclose sexual abuse.

    Some norms and attitudes increase acceptance of child sexual abuse, or blame victims, especially adolescents.

    Alarmingly, 40% of respondents in the study thought older children were responsible for actively resisting an adult’s sexual advances, and 12% believed adolescent girls who wear very revealing clothing are “asking” to be sexually abused.

    Adding to this, 13% believed children who act “seductively” are at least partly to blame if an adult responds sexually, while 8% thought obedient children are less likely to experience child sexual abuse, implying “good” children won’t be sexually abused.

    These harmful attitudes misdirect the blame for the abuse onto the victim, making it unsafe for them to disclose and at the same time, making it acceptable for adults to stay silent.

    Blaming victims maintains the status quo of unacceptably high levels of child sexual abuse and causes further harm.

    Where to from here?

    Putting an end to the sexual abuse of children in Australia requires concerted and co-ordinated action at all levels of society.

    Global initiatives offer some guidance on how shifting entrenched and harmful attitudes and norms can change behaviours.

    At a minimum, we must challenge gender inequality and power imbalances, promote equitable relationships and shared responsibilities. Mobilisation programs intervening directly at the community level and initiatives with specific populations who hold harmful and problematic attitudes are also promising in preventing child sexual abuse.

    Now we have benchmarks on the community’s attitudes towards child sexual abuse, we can measure the effectiveness of Australia’s efforts for change.

    It is everyone’s responsibility to know the signs, listen, believe and act in response to child sexual abuse.

    Andrea de Silva works for the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse who conducted this study. The National Centre is funded by the Department of Social Services. The National Centre is a partnership between the Australian Childhood Foundation, Blue Knot Foundation and the Healing Foundation.

    Amanda L. Robertson works for the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse who conducted the study with funding from the Department of Social Services.

    – ref. New research shows problematic community attitudes allow child sexual abuse to continue – https://theconversation.com/new-research-shows-problematic-community-attitudes-allow-child-sexual-abuse-to-continue-241792

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Israel’s actions in Gaza, backed by the US, are shaking the world order to its core

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Dunning, Sessional Academic, School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University

    While the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could have provided an off-ramp for the conflict in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing vows of “total victory” make this seem unlikely.

    The concept of “total victory”, however, is extremely problematic. Every time Israel declares an area cleared of Hamas and then withdraws, Hamas, which carried out the horrific attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, has quickly returned to reestablish control.

    As a result, there has been a marked Israeli escalation in northern Gaza in recent days, and much discussion about a so-called “general’s plan” being pushed by some right-wing members of Netanyahu’s government.

    Concocted by a former Israeli general, Giora Eiland, the plan is, in essence, to forego negotiations, bisect the enclave and give northern Gaza’s 400,000 inhabitants the bleak choice between leaving and dying.

    We don’t know whether Netanyahu will officially endorse the plan. Israeli leaders reportedly told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week they are not implementing it. However, it nonetheless has broad support among Israel’s political and military elite.

    The Israeli military has already issued expulsion orders to the people of northern Gaza. The government has said anyone who remains would be considered a military target and will be deprived of food and water.

    While Israel denies obstructing humanitarian aid, the World Food Program said no food aid entered northern Gaza for two weeks in early October. While some aid has been entering since then, thousands are still at risk of starvation and outbreaks of preventable diseases.

    Moreover, many Palestinians, including the sick, elderly and wounded, are unable to move and have nowhere to go. The prospect of the overcrowded and unprotected tent cities of the south is hardly enticing.

    Israeli human rights groups say the military had been deliberately blocking aid to give the population no choice but to leave northern Gaza. Israel may now be backtracking under pressure from the United States, which has given Netanyahu’s government a 30-day deadline to increase the amount of aid it allows into Gaza or risk losing US weapons funding.

    Undermining international norms and rules

    Israel’s war against Gaza, and now Lebanon, has repeatedly challenged the foundations of the liberal international rules-based order set up after the second world war, as well as the tenets of international law, multilateral diplomacy, democracy and humanitarianism.

    The norms of the liberal world order are expressed in various institutions, such as:

    • the UN Charter
    • the UN Security Council, with its notionally legally binding resolutions
    • the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague
    • the Geneva Conventions governing the rules of war
    • the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
    • and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), among many others.

    Recently, the ICJ ruled Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem is illegal and ordered it to withdraw. In response, Netanyahu said the court had made a “decision of lies”.

    In a separate case, South Africa brought a charge to the ICJ, alleging Israel has committed genocide against the Palestinian people over the past year. The world’s top court has preliminarily ruled there is a “plausible” case for a finding of genocide, and said Israel must take measures to ensure its prevention.

    At this juncture, however, human rights groups and others have argued that Israel has failed to comply with this order, thereby undermining one of the key institutions of the liberal world order.

    This is compounded by the fact that few major democratic states have been willing to strongly condemn Israel’s failure to comply with international law in Gaza – or have done so belatedly – let alone intervened in any concrete fashion.

    In addition, the UN Security Council has failed – primarily due to the veto power exercised by the US – to take any tangible measures to enforce its own resolutions against Israel, as well as the rulings of the ICJ.

    This is fuelling widespread perceptions of hypocrisy in relation to the accountability of notionally democratic states for alleged violations of humanitarian law, compared with other nations that don’t have great power patrons.

    In the early 1990s, for instance, the UN Security Council unanimously passed several resolutions against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, followed a decade later by resolutions demanding Saddam Hussein’s regime comply with weapons inspection mandates. The US and its allies used these resolutions as the legal justification for their invasion of Iraq. Ultimately, no weapons of mass destruction were found. Then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan later said the invasion of Iraq was illegal and contrary to the UN Charter.

    However, dozens of UN Security Council resolutions concerning Israel have been passed and not enforced. Many others have been vetoed by the US.

    The prosecutors of the ICC have also requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity (in addition to several Hamas leaders, now dead). The warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were met with indignation by some Western politicians. Yet, the West broadly praised the ICC’s arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Furthermore, the US Congress attempted to sanction the court over the Netanyahu arrest warrant, once again underscoring the often selective way in which international law is applied by nation states.

    A crisis of legitimacy for the world order

    Democratic states like to present themselves as the protectors, and sometimes enforcers, of the liberal world order, ensuring continued international peace and security.

    Indeed, Israel and its supporters often characterise its military actions as the forward defence of the democratic world against tyrannical larger powers, as a means of protecting itself from adversaries that want to destroy it. The problem is Israel’s actions often directly contradict the liberal world order it purports to defend, thereby undermining its legitimacy.

    Failure to rein in Israel’s actions has led to accusations of “double standards” regarding international law. The US and Germany provide Israel with 99% of its arm imports and diplomatic cover. Although Germany has stopped approving new weapons exports to Israel, both countries certainly have more leverage to stop the carnage in Gaza if they wish.

    The West’s self-abrogated moral superiority is arguably in tatters as it continues to undermine the principles of the liberal world order. The question is: if this world order falls, what will the new world order look like?

    Tristan Dunning has signed a statement of solidarity with Palestine from academics in Australian universities.

    Shannon Brincat has signed a statement of solidarity with Palestine from academics in Australian universities.

    Martin Kear 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. Israel’s actions in Gaza, backed by the US, are shaking the world order to its core – https://theconversation.com/israels-actions-in-gaza-backed-by-the-us-are-shaking-the-world-order-to-its-core-241460

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Should a big tech tax fund news? A new report reopens debate on platforms and media

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Sims, Professor in the practice of public policy and antitrust, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

    Meta’s announcement nearly eight months ago that it would no longer do commercial deals under the News Media Bargaining Code has led to much speculation as to how the government would respond.

    The code became law in 2021. Facing the threat of designation under it – which would involve further legal obligations platforms may wish to avoid – both Google and Facebook (now Meta) did deals with news media businesses worth up to A$250 million per year.

    Google did deals with essentially all qualifying news media business, large and small – the criteria largely being that their journalists provide news. Facebook did deals with news businesses likely employing up to 85% of Australian journalists

    With little response from the government so far, a new report from a federal parliamentary committee investigating the impact of social media on Australian society provides welcome focus on this issue.

    Key recommendations

    The committee makes 11 recommendations, three of which in particular are worth focusing on.

    Recommendation two says the Australian government should explore alternative revenue mechanisms to supplement the code, such as a digital platform levy. But it also says “exploration should include consideration for preserving current and future commercial deals”, presumably under the code.

    Recommendation three says the Australian government should develop an appropriate mechanism to guide the fair and transparent distribution of revenue arising from any new revenue mechanisms. In particular, this would support the:

    sustainability of small, independent and digital only publishers, as well as those operating in underserved communities and rural, regional and remote areas.

    Recommendation six says the Australian government “should investigate the viability and effectiveness of ‘must carry’ requirements for digital platforms in relation to Australian news content”.

    Coalition members provided a different perspective on some of the committee’s recommendations. They expressed concern about the lack of action from the government in response to Meta’s decision to not do more deals under the code. Further, they read the report as saying that the code is “no longer fit for purpose” – a view they strongly disagree with.

    Meta has also heavily criticised the committee, saying it has ignored:

    the realities of how our platforms work, the preferences of the people who use them, and the value we provide news publishers who choose to post their content on our platforms.

    Meta, parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is strongly opposed to paying a levy to fund news media.
    QubixStudio/Shutterstock

    Not so simple

    The committee’s recommendations raise many questions.

    First, how would the levy sit with wanting to maintain existing and future deals under the code? In any solution to dealing with Meta it would seem silly to damage the current arrangements with Google, which has committed to continue supporting news organisations under the code, and who are paying the majority of the up to $250 million per year?

    Second, biasing any revenue to smaller and/or rural and regional publishers may mean that, despite most news stories coming from the larger media companies, they would not benefit in accordance with their content being used. The code did see benefit to large, medium and small media businesses. But, of course, the larger companies gained most money as they provided most content.

    Some smaller media businesses did miss out on funding. But it was often judged that they do not provide news journalism, which was what the code is seeking to promote.

    In 2018, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (of which I was then chair) made a number of recommendations to the government. These included the code. They also included government funding for journalism in underserved areas and support for other objectives, such as boosting smaller news media companies. A different objective requiring a different policy instrument.

    Third, the problem that arose with Meta’s decision to not do further deals under the code saw many calls for Meta to be designated under the code. This would have meant they would be forced to do deals and potentially face arbitration if the news media businesses were not happy with the outcome.

    As the parliamentary committee would be aware, when Canada largely copied the code, it automatically designated Meta. In response, Meta took all news and links to news off its platform. This allows Meta to escape the Canadian version of the code as it only applies to platforms that carry news.

    One solution to this is to insist the tech platforms “must carry” news, as suggested in recommendation six. Then they would be back under the code and could be successfully designated and forced to negotiate. It is unclear in the report whether the “must carry” idea, which would make the code relevant to all platforms, is an alternative to the levy.

    A way through

    Overall, the report provides welcome renewed focus on this topic. By recommending the government “explore” a levy or “investigate” must carry obligations, the committee appears to recognise the potential difficulties with these options.

    Would there be international trade implications from a levy? How would money from a levy be distributed? It is one thing to have a fund to help small players in underserved markets; quite another for the government to be distributing money to large media players.

    And how would the “must carry” provision be enforced given that carrying content may not be the same as users discovering it?

    But there may be a way through these problems. Allow Google to continue as they are under the code, look at what other platforms need to be covered by the code, and threaten that if Meta or another platform were to take news off their site, then a levy or a must carry provision would be introduced. In the case of Meta, such threats, which must be real, could see them revert to doing deals under the code.

    To help new and emerging news journalism, particularly in underserved areas, this would seem to require government funding, as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recommended all the way back in 2018.

    Rod Sims is a former chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

    – ref. Should a big tech tax fund news? A new report reopens debate on platforms and media – https://theconversation.com/should-a-big-tech-tax-fund-news-a-new-report-reopens-debate-on-platforms-and-media-241897

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: NDB positioned to drive growth of member states

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The New Development Bank will make greater efforts to advance economic growth in emerging economies and help address pressing issues such as climate change as it welcomes more potential members, said Dilma Rousseff, the NDB’s president.

    To help emerging countries ensure stable development and avoid crises, the NDB will facilitate the building of infrastructure in areas such as logistics, education, digital services and healthcare, Rousseff had said during an interview in September after she received China’s Friendship Medal, the highest honor China offers foreigners.

    The NDB has already stepped up efforts to finance infrastructure projects in member countries. It has cumulatively approved loans of $35 billion for 105 projects, with the major ones being the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III in India, the Serra da Palmeira Wind Power Project in Brazil, and the Jiangxi Urban and Rural Cold Chain Logistics Project in China, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

    At the end of August, the NDB announced a $280 million loan agreement with Transnet, South Africa’s leading freight transport and logistics company, to support the modernization and improvement of the country’s freight rail sector.

    During a meeting of the bank’s board of directors in late August, a $1-billion loan was approved for financing South Africa’s water and sanitation infrastructure development. Another $150 million loan was approved to China’s Bank of Communications Financial Leasing for the acquisition of at least three liquefied natural gas carriers.

    In January, the NDB inked three loan agreements with India to boost the country’s transportation, water and sanitation infrastructure in designated areas. The combined value of the loans is about $700 million.

    As Rousseff pointed out, developing countries have limited capacity to address climate change. Further development and use of more renewable energy sources was needed, she said. As China is already a world leader in the electric vehicle segment, she hoped the nation would make more progress in energy storage and stable renewable energy supply.

    According to the NDB’s strategy between 2022 and 2026, climate change mitigation will be a focus area, as the majority 40 percent of the bank’s $30 billion financing to be provided by 2026 has been reserved for green goals.

    After issuing a 6-billion yuan ($840 million) five-year panda bond — yuan-denominated bonds issued by overseas institutions in the Chinese onshore market — at the beginning of the year, in July the NDB issued an 8-billion yuan three-year panda bond. The bonds are part of the bank’s efforts to finance infrastructure and sustainable development in member states while addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

    Initiated by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2014 with the purpose of mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries, the NDB formally began operations in July 2015, with its headquarters in Shanghai.

    In 2021, the NDB began expanding its membership and admitted Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay as new member countries.

    “The partnership within the NDB does not sit on the development goals of respective members but rather represents the vision of member countries and better connects them,” she said, adding that the NDB welcomes other countries.

    A model for the future

    According to Rousseff, China’s development trajectory can serve as a good reference for the Global South. The nation’s experiences show that economic, infrastructure and technological development can overcome barriers, sanctions and obstacles, she said.

    Applauding China’s achievements in the fields of socioeconomic and cultural development over the past 75 years, Rousseff said that it is now taking the lead in innovation, helping to advance globalization and reform. The country’s stress on development of new quality productive forces has shown its dedication to scientific and technological development.

    “I feel like that there is no one single moment that I can have a full picture of China, as it is always developing, taking on a new look. The ever ongoing reform and opening-up has been refreshing China’s image,” she said.

    The stronger ties between China and Brazil are another good example, showing that partnership among the Global South countries can help facilitate economic growth and improve people’s well-being, she said.

    Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Brazil have strengthened their cooperation in the areas of trade and technology. At the same time, Brazil has served as China’s largest food supplier over the past few years, playing an important role in China’s food security, said Rousseff.

    Meanwhile, Chinese companies’ presence in Brazil is of great importance, facilitating Brazil’s reindustrialization, she said.

    As Rousseff further explained, there are several highlights in China’s investments in Brazil. These include the China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s concession contracts with Brazil’s leading oil and gas company Petrobras for oil exploration in the Pelotas Basin in southern Brazil.

    Also, the less-developed areas in Brazil have benefited from China’s investment in power and overall energy supply, and high-voltage direct transmission lines built by China have helped address Brazil’s energy shortage, she said.

    Since 2009, China has been Brazil’s largest trading partner and a major source of investment, while Brazil has been China’s largest trading partner in Latin America. Trade volume between China and Brazil reached $181.53 billion in 2023.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China issues list of investment projects worth 200B yuan

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo taken on Oct. 17, 2024 shows the construction site of the Beijing sub-center comprehensive transportation hub in Tongzhou District, sub-center of Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China has issued a list of projects worth 200 billion yuan (about 28 billion U.S. dollars) that are in next year’s investment plans, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) told Xinhua Tuesday.

    Numbering 647 in total, the investment projects issued in advance this year include urban underground pipe networks, using employment as a means of disaster relief, reinforcing dilapidated reservoirs, ecological conservation and restoration, transportation infrastructure, essential public facilities such as education, healthcare and culture, as well as key agricultural product storage facilities, according to the NDRC official.

    The NDRC will push ahead with the start-up and construction of the projects as soon as possible, said the official, adding that efforts will be made to achieve tangible progress this year so as to provide strong support for economic growth in the fourth quarter.

    The official noted that the foundation for achieving the full-year growth target is quite solid, citing favorable factors such as the growth momentum of high-frequency data for October and the country’s GDP growth rate of 4.8 percent in the first three quarters.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Huawei releases HarmonyOS NEXT operating system

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s executive director, speaks at the launch event of HarmonyOS NEXT in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, Oct. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese tech giant Huawei on Tuesday released HarmonyOS NEXT, its self-developed operating system built independent of Android architecture.

    The launch event in Shenzhen, where the company is based, marks another milestone for Huawei since Washington put it on the “Entity List” in 2019, barring it from doing business with U.S. firms including Google, which provides Android.

    HarmonyOS NEXT is the fifth iteration of HarmonyOS. HarmonyOS has been installed on over 1 billion devices, said Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s executive director, at the event.

    Yu said that HarmonyOS NEXT is truly independent from Android and Apple’s iOS, with its own operating kernel, programming language, AI framework and other features that were developed without using the Linux kernel or Android open-source code.

    “HarmonyOS NEXT provides a new option and market space for the development of related industries around the world,” he said, hailing it as an open, secure and efficient operating system.

    Over the past year, Huawei worked with more than 10,000 domestic partners to develop HarmonyOS NEXT apps, helping build an innovative IT industrial chain, Yu said.

    As an open-source operating system, HarmonyOS was first launched in August 2019 and has replaced iOS to become the second-largest mobile operating system on the Chinese market.

    More than 15,000 applications and meta-services are available for use on HarmonyOS, according to Yu.

    Industry insiders say a major advantage of HarmonyOS is its coordination of various platforms, including smartphones, cars and other intelligent devices.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: IMF report highlights global financial fragilities despite rate cuts

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday said that despite rate cuts and buoyant markets, there are mounting global financial fragilities, urging policymakers to “remain vigilant” about the medium-term prospects.

    The newly released Global Financial Stability Report highlighted two areas of concern. For one, accommodative financial conditions have continued to increase vulnerabilities, such as lofty asset valuations around the world, increased government and private-sector debt levels, and more use of leverage by financial institutions, Tobias Adrian, director of the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department, and his colleagues wrote in a blog.

    The second area of concern, according to the blog, is the “disconnect” between heightened uncertainty — especially related to increased geopolitical risks — and financial market volatility.

    “Asset prices may not fully reflect the potential impact of wars and trade disputes. Such a disconnect makes shocks more likely, because high geopolitical tension could trigger sudden sell-offs in financial markets and prompt volatility to snap back as it catches up to uncertainty,” the authors argued.

    “As the global economy continues to grow, and with monetary policy easing, risk-taking by investors could increase. And thus, vulnerabilities such as debt and leverage could build up, raising downside risks in the future,” they said.

    The IMF’s Global Financial Stability Report urged central banks to push back against overly optimistic investor expectations for monetary policy easing in countries where inflation remains stubbornly above targets. On the fiscal side, adjustments should focus primarily on credibly rebuilding buffers to keep financing costs at reasonable levels.

    Noting that more progress is needed on financial policies, the IMF report argued that fragilities created by nonbanks using more leverage and maturity mismatches underscore the need for more active regulatory and supervisory engagement.

    In response to a question from Xinhua at a press conference Tuesday, Adrian said that the IMF welcomes the recent easing of monetary policy by the People’s Bank of China, noting that the cut in interest rates and engagement in asset purchases have supported the easing of financial conditions.

    “The cost of funding for households and corporations in China, those financial conditions have eased quite markedly, equity markets have rallied, longer term bond yields have declined, and we generally welcome that easing,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Yuan-based assets seen more alluring

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    File photo shows a worker counts Chinese currency renminbi at a bank in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Renminbi financial assets are set to attract more foreign investment in the months ahead after foreign holdings of onshore bonds and equities rose amid the country’s sharpening policy focus on shoring up asset prices, according to officials and analysts.

    “We have the conditions and confidence that China’s cross-border capital flows will maintain a stable and positive trajectory in the coming months of the year and beyond,” said Jia Ning, head of the Balance of Payments Department of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

    SAFE data showed on Tuesday that foreign investment in Chinese bonds saw a continuous and stable influx, amassing over $80 billion in net increases in the first three quarters.

    A “noticeable improvement” in foreign investment in onshore stocks has emerged recently, according to SAFE, without disclosing specific figures.

    James Wang, head of China strategy at UBS Investment Bank Research, said that focus from foreign investors on the country has picked up as the latest policy moves appeared to be aimed at lifting asset prices, which would support expectations and consumption via the wealth effect.

    “We believe a stabilization in some key economic indicators, particularly nominal retail sales, could see some long-only investors come back to the China (stock) market,” Wang said, though a greater level of volatility in the equity market is likely, given the short-term nature of capital inflows so far.

    Since late September, Chinese policymakers have launched a series of stimulus measures with a particular emphasis on stabilizing the property market and bolstering the stock market. The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, launched its first policy tools specially aimed at boosting stock market liquidity.

    On Monday, the PBOC conducted the first operation of a new swap facility — which enables financial institutions to swap less liquid securities for more liquid ones and pledge them for lending to invest in the capital market — at a size of 50 billion yuan ($7.02 billion).

    Share-buying transactions financed through the facility were made by China International Capital Corp Ltd on Tuesday.

    Informed sources said the central bank will continue to conduct the facility operation in batches as necessary and will expand the size of the facility based on the actual situation after the initial 500 billion yuan in quota is used up.

    The implementation of a special central bank lending program to buy back shares and boost share holdings with an initial quota of 300 billion yuan also got underway. As of Sunday, 23 listed companies said they had applied for over 10 billion yuan of the loans in total, and more are expected to follow suit.

    China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed up 0.54 percent at 3285.87 points on Tuesday, while the onshore renminbi came in at around 7.12 against the greenback as of Tuesday afternoon, weakening by 82 basis points from the previous session.

    “Foreign investment in China’s capital markets is still in a nascent stage, with holdings of renminbi-denominated assets accounting for 3 percent to 4 percent of the domestic bond and stock markets,” said Li Hongyan, deputy head of SAFE.

    “There is room for further growth given a multitude of favorable factors,” Li said, adding that a package of incremental policies has consolidated China’s long-term positive economic momentum.

    Total holdings of onshore renminbi bonds by foreign investors have surpassed $640 billion so far, marking a historic high, with treasury bonds and bonds issued by policy-oriented banks the preferred investment targets, she said.

    According to SAFE, the accumulative amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was $5.2594 trillion and $5.2566 trillion during the January-September period, respectively, representing a surplus of $2.8 billion.

    In September, the surplus surged to $60.2 billion amid improved foreign investment and continued inflows from trade, SAFE data showed.

    Guan Tao, global chief economist at BOCI China, said that in the base case scenario that the United States achieves a soft landing and continues interest rate cuts, foreign institutions may continue to boost holdings in renminbi bonds, especially treasury bonds, as yield spreads further narrow.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Israeli military confirms killing of Hezbollah leader

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Israeli military confirmed on Tuesday that Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, was killed in an airstrike on Beirut three weeks ago.

    Safieddine was killed in a bombing carried out by Israeli warplanes on Beirut’s southern suburb, the military said in a statement. The attack targeted a building where, according to Israel, Hezbollah’s main underground intelligence headquarters were located.

    The military said that about 25 senior Hezbollah commanders were present in the building during the attack but did not clarify whether they survived.

    Safieddine was a cousin of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. After Israel assassinated Nasrallah in September, Safieddine was widely presumed to be the successor.

    Safieddine was also a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah’s highest military-political body, responsible for decision-making and setting the group’s policies.

    “We have reached Nasrallah, his successor, and most of Hezbollah’s leadership,” Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said following the announcement of Safieddine’s killing. “We will know how to reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel’s citizens.”

    Hezbollah has not commented on the announcement by the Israeli military.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon reaches 2,530

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Oct. 19, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the beginning of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict has reached 2,530, with injuries up to 11,803, according to a report released Tuesday by the Disaster Risk Management Unit at the Lebanese Council of Ministers.

    On Monday alone, 63 people were killed and 234 others wounded in Israeli attacks, the report said.

    A total of 24 people were killed and 85 others injured in the South Governorate, and three were killed and 21 others wounded in the Nabatieh Governorate, with Bekaa Valley reporting seven more deaths and five more injuries, the report said.

    It added that 11 people were killed and 63 others injured in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, whereas 18 were killed and 60 others wounded in Mount Lebanon.

    Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has been launching intensive airstrikes on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.

    Israel has been intensifying raids and shelling in southern and eastern regions of Lebanon, as well as Mount Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. In addition, Israel announced the launch of a ground operation near the border with southern Lebanon earlier this month.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese, European scholars discuss human rights issues

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Over 60 officials and human rights scholars from China and European countries including Germany, Britain, Sweden, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic gathered in Berlin on Tuesday for a seminar focused on the protection of “new and emerging rights.”

    The seminar addressed key topics including social rights, economic inequality, the intersection of digital technology and human rights, and protecting human rights in the context of climate change.

    Ma Huaide, vice president of China Society for Human Rights Studies and president of China University of Political Science and Law, said the protection of emerging rights has become a new issue in global human rights development.

    Ma emphasized China’s efforts in protecting citizens’ online security and privacy rights, as well as promoting environmental protection and green development. He also called for global cooperation to adopt a “humanity first” approach, promote true multilateralism to avoid imbalances in the global governance of emerging rights, and foster consensus through openness and fairness.

    Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and chairperson of the German think tank Schiller Institute, praised China’s vision of a shared future for mankind, as well as initiatives like the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, which transcend narrow geopolitical interests to address modern human rights needs.

    Jure Zovko, president of the International Academy for the Philosophy of the Sciences, underscored the importance of dialogue between civilizations, urging mutual learning to protect human beings and their living conditions, while mitigating the risks associated with globalization.

    Jiang Jianxiang, director of the Central South University Human Rights Center, said that the diversity of emerging rights concepts and their protection reflects the cultural diversity of the international community. He highlighted the potential for new insights through deeper cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and European human rights institutions and scholars.

    First held in 2015, the seminar, now in its eighth edition, is an institutionalized platform for in-depth exchanges and cooperation on human rights between China and Europe.

    This year’s seminar was co-hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the Central South University Human Rights Center, organized by the German and Chinese Culture Foundation, and co-organized by the University of Munster and the International Academy for the Philosophy of the Sciences.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Sandwich chain Subway boosts presence in China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Sandwich chain Subway on Tuesday announced the opening of its 4,000th store in the Asia-Pacific region, which is located in east China’s Shanghai Municipality.

    This opening marks a key step in the brand’s accelerated expansion in the Chinese market, according to the company.

    As one of the world’s leading fast-food chains, Subway has been increasing its investment in China.

    Since June 2023, Subway has opened over 250 new stores on the Chinese mainland. The figure is nearly half of the total number of new stores opened since Subway entered the Chinese mainland market in 1995, making China the market with the highest number of new store openings worldwide during this period.

    China has always been one of the most important markets in the quick service restaurant industry, said John Chidsey, CEO of Subway, adding that China will be a very successful market for Subway.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US firms continue to seek investment opportunities in Chinese market

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Tourists take the sight-seeing cable car in Chongqing, southwest China, Aug. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Many U.S. companies are seeking investment opportunities in the Chinese market amid China’s introduction of a host of incremental policies to support economic growth.

    On Monday and Tuesday, a roundtable meeting between the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and U.S. multinationals was held in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.

    Representatives from about 60 U.S. companies and chambers of commerce participated in the meeting.

    Several U.S. companies have recently announced increases in their investments in China, viewing it as a long-term, high-growth market, said Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, while adding that he hopes China’s opening-up policies rolled out this year will inject vitality into the Chinese economy.

    China’s recent incremental policies have reinforced enterprises’ confidence in the Chinese market, encouraging them to expand research and development, production and recruitment, said Tao Lin, vice president of Tesla.

    A number of foreign enterprises have participated in China’s national program of large-scale equipment renewals and trade-in of durable consumer goods, according to NDRC official Wen Hua. The program, which targets green and digital transformation, is open to foreign companies, including American firms, that can leverage their own strengths and offer competitive products and technologies, Wen said.

    The NDRC is revising the Catalog of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment, and efforts will be made to enhance the transparency of policy formulation and improve services for foreign-funded enterprises, said Hua Zhong, an official of the NDRC.

    The NDRC established the roundtable meeting mechanism in 2021 and nine related activities have taken place thus far. The aim of this mechanism is to encourage U.S. enterprises to participate deeply in building a higher-level open economy, while also sharing in the dividends resulting from the high-quality development of China’s economy.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Gold prices continue to hit new highs

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Global spot gold prices soared to new heights on Monday, reaching $2,740 per ounce, following multiple records since the year began.

    Experts predicted possible fresh highs backed by US Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, geopolitical uncertainties and purchases from central banks.

    Such a trend is set to favor gold mining companies while presenting challenges for downstream retail sales, said experts, adding companies ought to innovate by offering products with smaller weight variations and novel features to entice consumers.

    Li Yuefeng, a researcher at the Beijing Gold Economy Development Research Center, said that escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the impending US election and expectations of loose monetary policies worldwide have propelled a surge in gold demand as safe-haven assets, driving up international gold prices to break past $2,700 per ounce, establishing a new all-time high.

    Li said this year has witnessed a remarkable increase of over 30 percent in international gold prices, the most significant annual surge since 1979. Looking ahead, Li highlighted the upcoming release of the Purchasing Managers’ Index data as an important factor influencing gold prices.

    “If the PMI data continues to show better-than-expected performance, the US dollar may rise against other currencies to new highs as investors could further reduce their bets on Fed rate cuts,” said Li. “Conversely, if the PMI unexpectedly drops below 50, indicating a contraction in private business activity, it could exert pressure on the dollar, thereby driving international gold prices higher. This week may see a risk of a slight drop of gold prices after reaching new highs.”

    Liu Shikai, manager of research and development at a trading center under the Shandong Zhaojin Gold and Silver Refinery Co Ltd, said that the recent surge in international spot gold prices to cross $2,700 per ounce was predominantly driven by regional tensions.

    He anticipated a continued upward trajectory for international gold prices in the near term, potentially reaching new historical peaks. Geopolitical tensions, mounting uncertainties surrounding US politics and the economy in anticipation of the election, remain pivotal in supporting international gold prices.

    Furthermore, a recent report from the World Gold Council highlighted that central banks’ gold purchases have contributed and will continue to contribute to the uptrend in gold prices. In July, global central banks’ net purchase of gold reached 37 metric tons, marking a 206 percent increase from the previous month, the highest monthly increase since January. The WGC has forecast a continuation of this trend among global central banks in the near future.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Central SOEs invest 1.4 trillion yuan in emerging industries

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The investment of China’s centrally administrated state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in strategic emerging industries reached 1.4 trillion yuan (about 196.6 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three quarters of the year, official data showed Tuesday.

    The investment during the period jumped 17.6 percent year on year, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the central SOEs’ total investment, data from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council showed.

    The SASAC said it has guided the central SOEs to develop strategic emerging industries and launched actions to promote industrial upgrading and boost future industries, achieving positive results.

    The central SOEs have made a series of important achievements in key areas such as new-generation information technology, artificial intelligence and new-energy vehicles, it added.

    Data from the SASAC also showed that the operating revenue of the central SOEs in strategic emerging industries in 2023 has exceeded 10 trillion yuan for the first time.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s forex market sees active trading

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China’s foreign exchange market recorded active trading during the first nine months of this year, demonstrating strong resilience with market expectations and transactions remaining generally rational and orderly, the country’s forex regulator said on Tuesday.

    China’s foreign exchange market saw a turnover of 30.27 trillion U.S. dollars from January to September 2024, up 10.1 percent year on year, Li Hongyan, deputy head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, told a press conference.

    Li noted that foreign exchange settlements and sales moved toward equilibrium, as exchange rate expectations among domestic entities remained stable and foreign exchange transactions were carried out in an orderly and sensible manner.

    Despite the complex global economic and financial landscape, China’s foreign exchange market has weathered external challenges and shown signs of stabilization and improvement.

    The RMB exchange rate has remained stable amid two-way fluctuations, demonstrating increased flexibility, Li said. The balance of payments has also held steady — underpinned by a solid trade surplus.

    Li highlighted growing equilibrium in cross-border capital movements, with foreign investment in China rising along with steady inflows into domestic bonds.

    Net foreign investment in domestic bonds surpassed 80 billion U.S. dollars in the first three quarters of 2024, while foreign investment in Chinese equities saw notable improvement.

    Outbound investments by Chinese entities also progressed smoothly, as both direct and securities investments enjoyed steady growth, she said.

    The increasing maturity and resilience of China’s foreign exchange market have enhanced its ability to adapt to external shifts, providing solid support for maintaining stability in the country’s balance of payments, Li added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: IMF maintains 2024 global growth forecast at 3.2%

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday maintained its global growth forecast in 2024 at 3.2 percent, consistent with its projection in July, according to its newly released World Economic Outlook (WEO).

    The level of uncertainty surrounding the global economic outlook is high, the report noted.

    “Newly elected governments (about half of the world population has gone or will go to the polls in 2024) could introduce significant shifts in trade and fiscal policy,” the report said.

    IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas speaks at a press conference in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    “Moreover, the return of financial market volatility over the summer has stirred old fears about hidden vulnerabilities. This has heightened anxiety over the appropriate monetary policy stance — especially in countries where inflation is persistent and signs of slowdown are emerging,” it further said.

    The report also noted that a further intensification of geopolitical rifts could weigh on trade, investment and the free flow of ideas. “This could affect long-term growth, threaten the resilience of supply chains, and create difficult trade-offs for central banks,” it said.

    In response to a question from Xinhua, IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said at a press conference that rising geopolitical tensions are “something that we are very concerned about,” noting that there are two dimensions of the impact.

    “One is, of course, if you increase tariffs, for instance, between different blocks, that will disrupt trade, that will misallocate resources, that will weigh down on economic activity,” said Gourinchas.

    “But there is also an associated layer that comes from the uncertainty that increases related to future trade policy, and it will also depress investment, depress economic activity and consumption,” he continued.

    The chief economist noted that the IMF has found an impact on global output levels of approximately 0.5 percent in 2026. “So it’s a quite sizable effect of both an increase in tariffs between different countries and an increase in trade policy uncertainty,” he said.

    According to the latest WEO report, global growth is projected to hold steady, but there are weakening prospects and rising threats.

    The growth outlook is very stable in emerging markets and developing economies, around 4.2 percent this year and next, with continued robust performance from emerging Asia, the report said.

    Noting that the return of inflation near central bank targets paves the way for a policy triple pivot, Gourinchas said that the first pivot — on monetary policy — is under way already.

    The second pivot is on fiscal policy, he noted. “After years of loose fiscal policy in many countries, it is now time to stabilize debt dynamics and rebuild much-needed fiscal buffers,” Gourinchas said.

    The third pivot — and the hardest — is toward growth-enhancing reforms, he said. “Much more needs to be done to improve growth prospects and lift productivity,” he said.

    The IMF chief economist noted that while industrial and trade policy measures can sometimes boost investment and activity in the short run, especially when relying on debt-financed subsidies, “they often lead to retaliation and fail to deliver sustained improvements in standards of living.”

    “Economic growth must come instead from ambitious domestic reforms that boost technology and innovation, improve competition and resource allocation, further economic integration and stimulate productive private investment,” he added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: DPRK top leader inspects strategic missile bases

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has inspected strategic missile bases, calling for the country’s strategic missile force to keep counteraction posture in response to the ever-increasing threat by the United States, state media reported on Wednesday.

    Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, examined the readiness for action of strategic deterrence directly connected with the state security, including the functions and capabilities of missile-launching facilities in the missile bases and the strategic missile combat duty, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, without specifying the exact date of the inspection tour.

    Noting that the strategic missile force is the “core force” of the country’s war deterrence, Kim stressed an important principle of the national defense strategy of “technically modernizing the overall armed forces with the strategic missile force as a priority,” the KCNA said.

    As the U.S. strategic nuclear means pose an ever-increasing threat to the DPRK security, it is an urgent imperative for the country to “more definitely bolster its war deterrence and take a thorough and strict counteraction posture of the nuclear forces,” he was quoted by the KCNA as saying.

    The DPRK leader also stressed the need to “further modernize and fortify the strategic missile bases and make all bases fully ready to keep thorough counteraction posture capable of promptly dealing a strategic counterblow to the enemies at any time and under any circumstances,” the KCNA report said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rural News – OSPRI’s donation continues support for farmers

    Source: OSPRI New Zealand

    Disease management agency OSPRI has announced a funding package commitment for the Rural Support Trust, a charity they consider critical to the success of their work.
    The Rural Support Trust offers one to one support to those struggling with the pressures of life on the farm. As such, they are a vital safety net in the rural community, and their team of local experienced people will be relied on as the sector confronts tough economic conditions.
    To provide support when and where it is needed, resourcing is critical, and while partially funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries, the Trust relies on additional charitable donations. Recognising this and valuing the Trust’s support around the impact of its disease management programmes, OSPRI recently committed to annual donations over the next three years.
    “The impact of disease on farmers’ wellbeing is well documented, and we experience first-hand the stress that comes to bear on farming families when their livestock become infected with TB or M.bovis” says Helen Thoday, OSPRI’s North Island General Manager for Service Delivery. “So having a partner like The Rural Support Trust, often involving someone who’s been through it too, to help, is an important part of recovery”.
    As a not for profit itself, OSPRI understands just how important financial assurance is. “We’ve worked with the Rural Support Trusts previously, providing funding to ensure they could meet community needs during the Hawkes Bay TB outbreak. When taking on the surveillance of M.bovis last year, we also continued the funding, started by MPI, to support those farmers impacted by the disease. So, it’s gratifying to make a commitment of ongoing donations to support farmers dealing with infected herds, or any personal difficulty really” confirms Helen.
    Amanda Jordan, the Chair of Taranaki Rural Support has also been a long-time defender of biosecurity and continues this work with one of OSPRI’s farmer committees. As a 5th generation jersey cow farmer, Amanda and her family have battled through plenty of challenges, and she still remembers the impact of TB – at one stage managing three of the seven herds infected in Taranaki. Between that experience and calling on the Trust herself, Amanda was determined to do more for her industry and talks warmly about a network of locals. “We’ve an amazing coordinator, and an important part of her work is listening to the caller carefully, and then finding the right willing person in the community. If we’re concerned about welfare, we’ll find support quickly and close by, but often it’s about someone with the right experiences or background for a situation”.
    Fourteen Rural Support Trusts operate across regions throughout New Zealand, and then there is a national office providing coordination to ensure ground support remains widely accessible to those who need it. “I’m hugely proud of each Trusts’ efforts, there’s real comfort in having someone to walk with you during tough times – so providing those rural connections is such an important part of it” says Maria Shanks, General Manager of New Zealand Rural Support Trust. “We’re lucky to have a collection of principle sponsors and partners and pleased to have OSPRI’s support as they also work amongst our communities”.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Synaptics Expands in Taiwan to Capture Rapid Growth in $24B AI IoT Market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HSINCHU, Taiwan, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Synaptics® Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA) today announced it has expanded in Hsinchu, now making Taiwan Synaptics’ largest employee base worldwide. The expansion underscores the increasingly critical role of Taiwan in the semiconductor industry and gives Synaptics headroom to grow both its essential operations and engineering expertise. Among other things, the facilities will house the team that develops AI-enabled Edge devices for the IoT to capture a significant piece of the rapidly growing $24B market across consumer, automotive, enterprise, and industrial applications.

    “Our investment in Taiwan reflects our confidence in the region as a vital and strategic location for growth,” said Michael Hurlston, President and CEO of Synaptics. “Taiwan plays an increasingly pivotal role in the electronics supply chain and has nurtured a strong talent pool to draw upon to ensure our customers and partners are successful.”

    The Hsinchu and Taipei offices will be a hub for Synaptics’ finance and sales central services, operations engineering and supplier management, wireless product development and support, as well as core PC touch and fingerprint sensor solutions.

    About Synaptics Incorporated
    Synaptics (Nasdaq: SYNA) is leading the charge in AI at the Edge, bringing AI closer to end users and transforming how we engage with intelligent connected devices, whether at home, at work, or on the move. As the go-to partner for the world’s most forward-thinking product innovators, Synaptics powers the future with its cutting-edge Synaptics Astra™ AI-Native embedded compute, Veros™ wireless connectivity, and multimodal sensing solutions. We’re making the digital experience smarter, faster, more intuitive, secure, and seamless. From touch, display, and biometrics to AI-driven wireless connectivity, video, vision, audio, speech, and security processing, Synaptics is the force behind the next generation of technology enhancing how we live, work, and play. Follow Synaptics on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, or visit http://www.synaptics.com.  

    Synaptics and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

    Media Contact
    Synaptics Incorporated
    Patrick Mannion
    Director of External PR and Technical Communications
    +1 631-678-1015
    patrick.mannion@synaptics.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appeal for sightings of missing swimmer

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police, Coastguard and Surf Life Saving New Zealand have continued to search for a man believed missing in the water off Onerahi, Northland.

    The 83-year-old man was reported missing on Monday 21 October and is believed to have been swimming off Onerahi on Sunday 20 October.

    The man typically goes for a daily swim in the Whangārei Harbour and wears a wetsuit and pink swim cap.

    The Police Eagle Helicopter has been deployed in the area and has conducted a wide search of the area. Coastguard will be conducting a dummy exercise in the water, to detect currents.

    Police are appealing to the public, and in particular to motorists who were in the Beach Road area in Onerahi on the morning of Sunday 20 October between 8am – 11am.

    If you saw the swimmer or have any dashcam footage from the area that relates, please update us at 105 online or call 105 referencing file number 241021/1742.

    Police would like to thank Far North Search and Rescue, squads from Waipu Cove Surf Life Saving Club, Whangārei Heads Volunteer Surf Life Saving Patrol, volunteers from Northland Coastguard Air Patrol and Coastguard Whangarei who are involved in the search.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MoU signed on green shipping corridor between Shanghai, Hamburg ports

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s Shanghai Port and the Port of Hamburg, Germany on Tuesday jointly announced the building of a green shipping corridor between the two ports, a move aimed at promoting their green transformation, strengthening cooperation and exchange, and collectively advancing the sustainable development of the global shipping industry.

    The Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, the Hamburg Port Authority, COSCO SHIPPING Lines Co., Ltd. and the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on jointly building the green shipping corridor at the North Bund Forum, which opened in Shanghai on Tuesday.

    According to the MoU, the signing parties will cooperate in promoting the construction and use of shore power at the ports, explore and promote the necessary infrastructure, regulations and preferential policies needed for the supply, use and refueling of green fuels, and invite more partners to join in the efforts to achieve the green shipping corridor goal.

    Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority, said many other ports are expected to follow the example of building green shipping corridors.

    It’s not just an agreement between two ports, he said. “We should increase our network of green shipping corridors all over the world.”

    China has committed to a “dual carbon” goal of reaching the peak of carbon emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060.

    As part of the efforts to contribute to the goal, Shanghai Port has signed agreements with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to co-build green shipping corridors.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: New air-cargo route links Shanxi, Almaty

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A new air freight route officially opened Monday, linking Taiyuan, capital city of north China’s Shanxi Province, and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

    A freighter, loaded with cargo including clothing and daily consumer goods, left Taiyuan Wusu International Airport for Almaty on Monday morning, according to the customs of Taiyuan.

    The round-trip flights will operate twice each week, on Mondays and Fridays. The type of goods transported via the route is expected to be increased in the future.

    The first flight on the route marks the official opening of the air cargo channel connecting Shanxi with the Central Asian country, injecting new impetus into the economic and trade exchanges between the two sides, said the customs.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Leap in Sino-African ties foreseen

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

    The current global economic slowdown and shocks to industrial and supply chains have presented China and Africa with a crucial opportunity to scale up mutual cooperation and move it to a higher level, officials and experts said.

    A shift in China-Africa investment cooperation toward higher-end industries, digitalization, and green development is a vital step in facilitating the inclusive growth of both sides, they said.

    They made the remarks at the Symposium on High-Quality Development of China-Africa Investment Cooperation on Monday, which was jointly hosted by the China-Africa Development Fund and the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Development in Beijing.

    The complementary economic and industrial development profiles of China and Africa have formed a solid basis for their thriving cooperation, said Jing Ning, deputy director-general at the department of Western Asian and African affairs under the Ministry of Commerce.

    The synergistic pairing of China’s technologies, equipment and management expertise with Africa’s markets and human resources has been a key driving force behind the advancement of the continent’s industrialization, technological innovation, and youth employment, Jing said.

    China’s investments in Africa are not only growing in volume but are also strategically oriented toward ensuring that Africa becomes a global manufacturing hub, said Rahamtalla M. Osman, permanent representative of the African Union to China.

    Africa’s green development potential, renewable energy needs, youth population and emerging consumer markets, coupled with the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, have made it a promising investment destination, Osman said.

    The Chinese government announced plans to facilitate at least 70 billion yuan ($9.8 billion) in investments by Chinese companies in Africa over the next three years during the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in September.

    Meanwhile, China and Africa will establish a joint digital technology cooperation center and 20 flagship digital demonstration projects. China is committed to equipping African nations with the latest advancements in clean energy technologies, including solar, wind, and hydropower systems.

    As Chinese enterprises expand their investments in Africa, they are not only pursuing their own interests, but also striving to bring tangible benefits to African countries, said Wang Shaodan, chairman of the China-Africa Development Fund.

    CADF, along with partner enterprises, is actively promoting technology transfers to African countries, transitioning from “Made in China” to “Made in Africa” and enhancing the local industrial development capabilities, Wang said.

    In 2013, Chinese home appliances manufacturer Hisense and the CADF jointly invested $350 million to establish Hisense South Africa Industrial Park, where the company has promoted technology transfer and upskilled local workers.

    This has enabled South Africa to acquire manufacturing capabilities and develop export-ready brands for the European market, Wang added.

    China is also working to facilitate the transfer of agricultural technologies to Africa through a wide range of cooperation modalities, which is crucial for enhancing Africa’s food security, said Yu Zirong, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Development.

    Africa is currently facing the dual dilemma of debt and development, and Chinese financial institutions and enterprises are exploring the expansion of new collaborative models to address this challenge, said Yu Yong, deputy director-general of the department of African affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    These new approaches, including public-private partnership, and integrated investment-construction-operation model, are designed to ensure the continuous funding and liquidity needed to support Africa’s industrialization, ultimately leading to a reduction in the continent’s debt burden, Yu said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: More elderly living alone, survey says

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

    The number of elderly people living alone in China has increased significantly since 2010 as they tend to have fewer children, highlighting the significance of strengthening the nation’s elder care system, according to the results of a survey released recently.

    The survey considers an individual elderly once he or she reaches the age of 60.

    Elderly empty nesters — those who live by themselves or live with their spouses only — accounted for 59.7 percent of all the elderly people in China in 2021, up 10.4 percentage points from 2010, according to the fifth sample survey on the living conditions of urban and rural senior residents.

    About three-fourths of empty nesters lived with their spouses. The proportion of rural empty nesters was slightly higher than that of their urban counterparts, standing at nearly 62 percent, the survey said.

    The survey was jointly conducted in 2021 by six government departments and elder care industry associations, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Health Commission. The results were made public recently.

    It also shows that the average number of children that each senior had in 2021 was 2.6, down by 0.6 from 2010. Rural elderly had slightly more children on average at 2.9, compared with 2.3 for urban senior residents.

    “In various aspects of daily life, middle-old (70 to 79 years old) and very-old (80 and above) empty nesters tend to confront greater risks, so the growing size of this population has posed higher demands for developing at-home and community-based elder care services,” said the China National Aging Committee, which was involved in the survey, in a statement explaining the results.

    The committee added that the trend of having fewer children will diminish families’ ability to care for seniors, thus requiring accelerated efforts to improve supportive policies for home-based and public elder care.

    China is coping with a rapidly aging population. Official data shows that the number of people age 60 and older was almost 297 million last year, comprising 21.1 percent of the total population. The proportion of elderly is expected to exceed 30 percent of the nation’s population by 2035.

    The deepening aging trend has prompted authorities to step up development of home-based and community elderly care homes, strengthen the integration of medical and elder care services and encourage the private sector to make investments in the elder care industry.

    Survey results show that the number of elderly who have become more accepting of care provided by elder care institutions has increased by 3.3 percentage points since 2015.

    “Their demands tend to be more varied over time, and their top five demands are at-home medical services, meal assistance, cultural and entertainment activities, health education and at-home cleaning services,” the survey said.

    Li Yongxin, an official at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said during a news conference on Monday that the number of elder care facilities in China had increased to around 410,000 by June, double the figure seen in 2019. The majority of them are community-based.

    To address the prominent healthcare demands of the rural elderly, Li said that efforts are being made to upgrade rural elder care homes into regional eldercare centers. Public venues in the countryside that sit idle will be the first considered for conversion into care facilities or canteens for seniors.

    According to the survey, more than 56 percent of the elderly population in 2021 consisted of the younger group, from 60 to 69 years old, which was on par with the level seen in 2010.

    “Young elderly represent important and valuable human resources that have great potential,” said the committee, adding that the age structure of China’s elderly population in China will continue to remain relatively young.

    At the same time, the proportion of seniors with a senior high school diploma or degree from a higher education institute also increased from 2010 to 2021.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: North China expands trade via freight rail

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

    With regular freight train service from Qisumu International Logistics Park in Ulaanqab, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, to Moscow now in operation, experts said the new route opens a trade channel for North China, and will further expand its exports with the support of the Belt and Road Initiative.

    Launched on Oct 16, the route marks a new addition to the China-Europe freight railway lines originating from Ulaanqab, and is also the city’s first eastbound route along this line.

    Ulaanqab is one of the first 23 cities that was designated as a national logistics hub for the China-Europe freight train service.

    Since the launch of its first China-Europe freight train in 2016, Ulaanqab has expanded operations to eight countries, with destinations such as Yekaterinburg, Russia and Almaty, Kazakhstan. The city now operates 22 international routes.

    As of Oct 16, Ulaanqab’s China-Europe freight routes have operated 806 trains with 33,000 carriages, with a total cargo value of $1.53 billion.

    In recent years, Inner Mongolia has prioritized the development of the freight train network, focusing on Ulaanqab’s role as a key gateway for northbound trade.

    “The autonomous region aims to further enhance its participation in the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor by strengthening Ulaanqab’s logistics capabilities,” said Liang Jing, deputy general manager of Inner Mongolia Asia Europe International Logistics Ltd.

    Citing the importance of the east route of the China-Europe freight service, Liang said, “The new route will increase railway capacity, optimize platform resources and improve service efficiency to further integrate Ulaanqab into the high-quality development of the BRI.”

    Liang said Ulaanqab’s proximity to Ereenhot — only 327 kilometers away — also plays a big role in lowering logistics costs, as many of the products manufactured in Inner Mongolia are transported via these routes.

    So far this year, the region’s government has invested 800 million yuan ($112.4 million) in infrastructure to support Sino-European freight services, including the construction of a logistics center.

    Major exports on this route from Inner Mongolia include sunflower seeds from Bayannuur, Chery automobiles from Ordos, and local timber, grain and oil products, which make up about two-thirds of the region’s total goods transported. Local products account for up to 50 percent of the total freight, Liang said.

    From January to September, 14,689 China-Europe freight trains were operated nationwide, marking a 13 percent year-on-year increase, said China State Railway Group Co Ltd, the nation’s railway operator.

    The trains transported 1.57 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of goods, an 11 percent year-on-year rise.

    In September, over 171,000 TEUs of products were transported by 1,633 China-Europe freight trains, marking 12 percent and 15 percent year-on-year increases, respectively. The freight service saw monthly operations of over 1,600 trains for seven consecutive months so far this year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Johnson, Chairman Steil Demand Classified Briefings on Potential Foreign Influence in U.S. Elections

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
    WASHINGTON – On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and U.S. Congressman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) sent letters to the U.S. Treasury Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) requesting information on potential election interference through fraudulent donations by foreign actors. In the letter to Treasury, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member Johnson requested Suspicious Activity Reports related to ActBlue. They also requested that all three agencies provide classified briefings on the matter.
    Excerpts from the letters read:
    “As Chairman of the Committee on House Administration (“CHA”) and as the Ranking Member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (“PSI”), both with broad oversight of our nation’s federal elections, we write to you to raise an urgent concern regarding potential illicit election funding by foreign actors.”
    “CHA has been investigating claims that foreign actors, primarily from Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China, may be using ActBlue to launder illicit money into U.S. political campaigns. The investigation has indicated that these actors may be exploiting existing U.S. donors by making straw donations without their knowledge.”
    Read the full letters here.
    Background:
    On April 17, 2023, Ranking Member Ron Johnson wrote to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) regarding a video posted online by the O’Keefe Media Group on March 28, 2023 alleging that political donations are being made in large amounts to certain political groups without the donors’ knowledge. The FEC refused to confirm or deny whether it is investigating this matter.
    On October 31, 2023, following reports that ActBlue was accepting political contributions without a card verification value (CVV), Chairman Steil sent a letter demanding answers on ActBlue’s practices, questioning if they are complying with federal campaign finance laws and preventing foreign and illegal contributions.
    On November 27, 2023, ActBlue responded to Chairman Steil’s letter saying it did not require a CVV in order to contribute on their website.
    On September 6, 2024, Chairman Steil introduced H.R. 9488, the Secure Handling of Internet Electronic Donations (SHIELD) Act. The legislation prohibits political committees from accepting an online contribution unless the contributor provides the CVV and billing address associated with the card and from accepting online contributions from prepaid cards. It also adopts a top legislative recommendation from the FEC to prohibit individuals from knowingly aiding or abetting a person making a contribution in the name of another person.
    On September 11, 2024, the SHIELD Act passed the Committee on House Administration by a voice-vote.
    On September 18, 2024, Chairman Steil sent letters to the Attorneys General from Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri, updating them on the Committee’s investigation into ActBlue, a major democratic fundraising platform. Along with the letter, the Attorneys General received the data and evidence that the Committee has collected over the course of almost a year. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Grill seekers – Burglars cooking up trouble with a stolen BBQ.

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    At about 3.30pm on Monday afternoon, two people broke a window to enter a house in Fairfield Hamilton setting off the house alarm which alerted a passerby.

    They were then seen running from the address carrying a television set.

    Witnesses saw them ditch the television over a back hedge, then leave in a white Holden vehicle, which had been parked in the driveway of the victim’s house.

    Police units recognised the description of the vehicle as it had been spotted acting suspiciously in the area earlier in the day. 

    At about 4.45pm, Police located the Holden vehicle and two people matching the descriptions of the burglars. 

    They were found at the shops in Dinsdale, parked in a disability car park.

    The offenders were trying to sell a BBQ at the Dollar Dealers when they were confronted by Police.

    Both attempted to resist the officer, and they were sprayed with O/C spray and arrested, without further incident.

    Inspector Andrea McBeth, Area Commander Hamilton City says, “This is a good catch and we appreciate the people who called us so quickly with good descriptions.

    This incident serves as a timely reminder to anyone leaving their property unattended for a period of time to take steps to make sure it’s secure.

    Burglars are largely opportunistic. Alarms will help discourage any burglar looking for easy entry and, in this case, it did.  It alerted members of the public who were able to help.

    Locks on windows and doors can be effective, as well as security signage, CCTV, alarms, and sensor lights.

    Be wary of posting too much information on social media about holiday or travel plans, or photos of inside your home, as this can make your property a vulnerable target while you’re away.

    Keep in contact with your neighbours and let each other know if you notice anything unusual.

    Call Police straight away on 111 if you see or suspect anything suspicious at your home or a neighbour’s.

    When reporting activity, it’s helpful to take note of the number of people, clothing they wear, and any vehicles present.

    You can make a report after the fact using our 105 service, either by phone or online.

    A woman aged 22 is charged with burglary and a man aged 40 is charged with burglary, resisting arrest, obstructing police, and possession of an offensive weapon.  They both appeared in the Hamilton District Court today. 

    The driver of the Holden vehicle also received a number of tickets including one for illegally parking in a disability car park.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected counterfeit goods worth about $14.9 million (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected counterfeit goods worth about $14.9 million (with photos)
    Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected counterfeit goods worth about $14.9 million (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         ​Hong Kong Customs from October 9 to 16 seized about 74 700 items of suspected counterfeit goods at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound. The total estimated market value of the seizure was about $14.9 million.           Through risk assessment, Customs inspected four 40-foot containers, declared as carrying footwear and arriving in Hong Kong from the Mainland, in the abovementioned period. After inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected counterfeit sports shoes therein.           An initial investigation revealed that the batch of suspected counterfeit goods would be transshipped to overseas regions.           An investigation is ongoing.           Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary counterfeit goods activities by interception at source, with stringent enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.           Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.           Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 80 80 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 23, 2024Issued at HKT 11:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –