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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Wednesday, 16 October 2024 – Volume 779 – 001421

    Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard

    Question No. 2—Prime Minister

    2. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government’s statements and actions?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes, and especially our actions to get on top of inflation. This morning Stats New Zealand confirmed that inflation fell to 2.2 percent in the September quarter, the lowest rate in more than 3½ years, and it is clear that our plan, our economic plan, is working, which is why under our Government we’re getting on top of inflation fast. Just before the election last year, Treasury picked that inflation would have only fallen to 3.1 percent by this time and wouldn’t have reached 2.2 percent until the end of next year. And that’s despite all the scaremongering from the Opposition that fully funded tax relief, which Labour didn’t support, for supporting working families with the cost of living would actually push inflation higher. It didn’t do that. But, instead, our economic plan is delivering lower inflation, lower interest rates, two interest rate cuts in 10 months versus, I think, six or seven increases over the last six years. Importantly, what we’re seeing is that the foundations for economic growth to get New Zealand back on track are in place.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why did his Government cut funding for apprenticeships in critical infrastructure sectors when apprentice numbers are already in decline, compounding the skills shortages in the trades sector?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, what I’d say to the member is the Apprenticeship Boost was actually another case of Labour leaving behind another fiscal cliff. We’ve made funding for Apprenticeship Boost permanent so the programme wouldn’t expire like it would under Labour and, at the same time, we’re targeting it at the skills that we need.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why has he and his Government cut funding for apprenticeships in areas such as pipeline construction, bitumen resurfacing, road construction and maintenance, and drinking and waste-water treatment when this country is facing major challenges in those areas and this will only exacerbate skill shortages?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, we have to make sure we are spending money carefully. That’s what we do on the side of the House; we don’t waste money. That’s only a very small proportion of those that are actually using Apprenticeship Boost, and what I’d say to you is that we are making sure that we’ve got support for the skills we need like building and agriculture and manufacturing, forestry, food, and hospitality.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why was providing over $200 million in tax breaks to the tobacco company Philip Morris more important to his Government than keeping people in apprenticeships?

    SPEAKER: Just a moment. I think there’s a word there that probably shouldn’t have been in it. Do you want to ask that question again.

    Hon Member: What’s that?

    SPEAKER: I think you referred to the entity belonging to someone, which it didn’t. So just ask the question again.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why was providing over $200 million in tax breaks to companies like Philip Morris, the country’s largest supplier of cigarettes, more important to his Government than keeping people in apprenticeships?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I reject the characterisation of that question. What I would say to that member is that on this side of the House we are very committed to lowering daily smoking rates. We are determined to deliver on Smokefree 2025 and we’re going to make alternatives available. Also what I’d say is, with respect to the so-called tax that he talks about, what we’ve done is make sure Treasury is conservatively estimating the loss of excise tax by any shift that happens to an alternative product other than cigarettes.

    Rt Hon Winston Peters: Prime Minister, how often have you met someone whose logic is that when the tax on cigarettes go up, as it did December last year, it somehow is a concession to some business?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: It’s just prudent to actually set money aside. And for the most extreme scenario, if we get a shift from cigarettes to alternative products—that’s what we’re accounting for.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why should the construction sector have trust in his Government when they are cutting apprenticeships and, in their first 10 months in power, they have spent their time gutting school building programmes, shelving State housing projects, cancelling major infrastructure projects, and leaving the industry staring down a pipeline that’s looking more like an empty barrel?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Again, what you see is you see a business confidence at a 10-year high. Why is that? Because they know this is a Government dealing with and improving the economic fundamentals. We are making sure there is financial discipline and no wasteful spending. We’re making sure that inflation now, for the first time in 3½ years, is within the band. Interest rates cuts are coming down; confidence is up. That leads to economic growth and people in work.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If things are so good for the building and construction sector, why are there 10,000 fewer people employed in the building and construction sector now than there were the day he became Prime Minister?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Because this economy is dealing with the lag effects of woeful economic mismanagement by that member and his former Government. What is good news is that consents are up 2 percent; the Infrastructure Commission’s latest pipeline estimates a total of over 6,000 projects—$147 billion worth; and the Transport Government policy statement put in $33 billion for the next three years. If the member cares a lot about it, I look forward to his support of our fast-track legislation, because that was a great idea from David Parker. We’ve built on it; there’s 149 fantastic projects: 55,000 potential new homes, 30 percent increase in electricity generation, and 180 kilometres of new roads, rail, and public transport.

    Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why won’t he admit that his Government doesn’t care about the damage it causes to New Zealand’s infrastructure, workforce, and economy, as long as his favourite pet projects like tax breaks for landlords and tobacco companies get billions of dollars that could so desperately be spent elsewhere?

    Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Aww, it’s a terribly sad day for the Leader of the Opposition. We have good news, which is we have inflation in the bands, we’ve delivered income tax relief for low and middle income working New Zealanders—people the Labour Party used to care about but don’t any more—we’ve got fast-track legislation sitting there, and he refuses to support it. Come on board, do something positive.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Launches Medicare Open Enrollment 2024 Webpage for Kansas Seniors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Topeka, KS – Medicare open enrollment is now open and continues through December 7th, 2024. This period is Kansas seniors’ opportunity to change their Medicare benefits if they determine action is necessary. 
    U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. has launched a new webpage to help Kansas seniors navigate the Medicare open enrollment season. Kansas seniors can use this webpage to research Medicare benefit plans, find resources for benefits counseling, learn about avoiding scams, and read about other important information related to Medicare open enrollment. 
    “Our office stands ready to point Kansas seniors in the right direction this Medicare open enrollment season,” Senator Marshall said. “If seniors are happy with their plan, they can keep it without doing anything. For seniors who want to change their Medicare coverage, now is the time. I encourage seniors to do their research and take their time. Consult with your doctor, local hospital, and community pharmacist about how changes will impact your care. Utilize the available state and federal Medicare resources and ask them questions. Taking these steps will ensure you pick the plan that is best for you.”
    Kansas seniors with questions about open enrollment or Medicare in general can call Senator Marshall’s Salina office to speak with a casework specialist. The Salina office can be reached at 785-829-9000.
    Click HERE or on the image below to access Senator Marshall’s Medicare open enrollment webpage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity in Singapore

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity, in Singapore. The event marked a significant milestone with the official launch of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

    In his remarks, Dr. Kao underscored the importance of establishing robust regional mechanisms that shape unified policies across ASEAN, while working together with ASEAN strategic partners to build a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.

    Download the full remarks here.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity in Singapore appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: African Development Bank supports BIASHARA Africa 2024 Business Forum

    Source: African Development Bank Group

    The African Development Bank has lent support to the Biashara Africa 2024 Business Forum or AfCFTA Business Forum, held from 9-11 October 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda.

    The meeting, organized by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), brought together industry leaders, policymakers and government representatives to promote African trade and foster economic growth on the continent. This year’s forum was themed “Dare to Invent the Future of the AfCFTA.”

    As part of ongoing institutional support to the AfCFTA Secretariat, an African Development Bank delegation to the forum included Acting Director for the Bank’s Industrial and Trade Development department Ousmane Fall, Trade Policy Officer Abou Fall and Trade Facilitation Officer Rachael Nsubuga.

    During the opening ceremony President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and AfCFTA champion emphasized connectivity across the continent in his remarks.

    “How well we adapt as Africa to crisis depends on how strongly connected, we are,” Kagame said, urging governments to strengthen governance and institutions to prioritize implementation of AfCFTA protocols on trade in goods, services and movement of people for efficient trade.

    Fall delivered a statement underscoring the Bank’s commitment to support African member countries through a comprehensive strategy to address investments tacking policy and regulation, corridors infrastructure, technology and connectivity constraints.

    He noted that the African Development Bank has been very active in addressing access to trade finance as a major impediment to productivity. So far, the Bank has facilitated more than 3,000 trade transactions involving 170 financial institutions in all regional member countries for a cumulative trade value of over $12 billion since the inception of The Bank Trade Finance Program.

    Africa accounts for only two percent of global production, although it is most integrated in global value chains, but in the less profitable segments of value chains, Fall said.  

    The Biashara 2024 Business Forum held business exhibitions and side events on diverse topics such as unlocking the trade potential of Africa; trade finance; value chains; partnerships for Africa’s trade; and business to business events.

    The AfCFTA is the world’s largest free trade area bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight regional economic communities. The overall mandate of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$ 3.4 trillion.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE’s speech in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to LegCo (1)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the translation of the speech made by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to the Legislative Council this morning (October 16):

    Mr President, Honourable Members and fellow citizens,

    I. Reform and Embrace Changes to Achieve Prosperity

    1. This is my third Policy Address.

    2. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee) adopted the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization. The Resolution calls on Hong Kong to fully harness the institutional strengths of “One Country, Two Systems” while consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre. It also supports Hong Kong’s position to become an international hub for high-calibre talents, to exert a greater role in our country’s opening up to the world, and to deepen collaboration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) through better harmonisation of rules and mechanisms.

    3. In running for office, more than two years ago, I stated that “we must embrace a reform mind-set” and we “need further revamping”. I proposed to build a “result-oriented” government, setting key performance indicators (KPIs) to create a new government culture. I put forward a series of reform measures, including the establishment of Care Teams to enhance district services, introduction of the Advance Allocation Scheme to shorten the waiting time for public housing, and assistance to junior secondary students living in subdivided units (SDUs) for tackling intergenerational poverty. I believe that we must maintain our development momentum and self-renewal, and that we must embrace changes while staying principled, innovative and flexible in meeting challenges and opportunities.

    4. Regarding system reforms, I work on the principle that anything essential but lacking in the system must be established; any serious shortcomings must be rectified; any bottlenecks, weaknesses or hurdles must be overcome; and any areas in need of consolidation must be reinforced and improved. In the reform process, we have to decide what should be built from scratch, what should be overhauled to set things right, and what should be consolidated and bolstered. In taking forward reforms, we must have a systemic mind-set and manage the relationships between overall and local interests, between the present and the future, between macro and micro concerns. While we may make reference to the successful experiences of other places, we cannot adopt them directly given the differences in the basis and structure of our systems. Our reform proposals must take heed of the prevailing circumstances and be tailored to local conditions.

    5. Since becoming Chief Executive, I have carried out reforms along the above principle.

    6. On implementation of “One Country, Two Systems”, we fulfilled the constitutional responsibility to enact local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law; we reformed the institutional set-up of the District Councils by implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”; we enacted a new legislation to enable an essentially automatic extension of land leases in an orderly manner for a term of 50 years to beyond 2047, manifesting the long-term adherence to “One Country, Two Systems”.

    7. On governance, we reformed the government structure and reshuffled the duties among policy bureaux, increasing their number from 13 to 15. We created three new Deputy Secretaries of Department to strengthen co-ordination of work across bureaux, setting up task forces led by the Deputy Secretaries to enhance implementation. We cultivated a government culture focusing on results. We also introduced a mechanism mobilising the Government at all levels to respond to major incidents.

    8. In economic development, we established the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC) to optimise the use of government funds for the development of industries and our economy. We pressed ahead with the development of the “eight centres” and the Northern Metropolis, taking an industry-oriented approach. We set up the Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) to strengthen our efforts in trawling for talents and enterprises. We also established Hong Kong as a regional hub for higher education.

    9. As for people’s livelihood, we implemented healthcare reform and took steps to build our primary review mechanism for drugs and medical devices. We set up a system for bringing in healthcare professionals to alleviate manpower shortage in the public healthcare system. We also launched Light Public Housing (LPH) to fill short-term gaps in the supply of public housing, and established the Task Force on Tackling the Issue of Subdivided Units. We pooled resources for targeted poverty alleviation. We established an annual review mechanism for minimum wage protection. We also rationalised traffic flow among the three road harbour crossings.

    10. Reform is a continuous process. Over the past two years, my team and I have focused on economic growth and on improving people’s livelihood through development, with the well-being of the people of Hong Kong close to our hearts. This Policy Address will deepen our reforms and explore new growth areas. Measures include building an international gold trading market, promoting high value-added maritime services, and building a commodity trading ecosystem and internationally-accredited metal warehouses. We will promulgate the Development Outline for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop, building a testing ground for policy and institutional innovation. We will also set up a working group on developing the low-altitude economy.

    11. In this Policy Address, I will continue to follow through the “four proposals” put forward by President Xi Jinping in his important speech delivered on 1 July 2022. I will also outline our vision and objectives for reforms and changes, as well as the related key measures and KPIs. A Supplement offering more details on the policy measures and related matters has also been compiled.

    (To be continued.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Conference addresses the systemic causes of poverty – Vic

    Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

    Media are invited to attend ‘Pakukore: Poverty, by Design—Addressing the systemic causes of poverty and options for change,’ an upcoming conference which will analyse the interconnected web of economic, governmental, legal, and institutional systems that have locked poverty in.

    Hosted by the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, the conference runs from 21‒23 November. It features speakers from research backgrounds and the front lines, who will provide evidence, present joined-up thinking, and examine where hope lies for eradicating poverty and assisting those who suffer its harms.

    “Should a developed nation continue to tolerate poverty and inequality? The conference invites speakers who work at the front lines in the fight against poverty to tell us of the lasting and severe harms it inflicts on people’s lives,” says Rebecca Macfie, JD Stout Research Fellow and co-organiser.  

    The programme will be ordered around the systems that have played, and continue to play, key roles in underpinning and maintaining the crisis of poverty: economic management, the housing, health, welfare, and education systems, the courts and corrections, and short-term political thinking.  

    The conference will also look at where hope lies, and how we can choose to redesign Aotearoa New Zealand to eradicate poverty and heal those who suffer its harms.

    Confirmed speakers include:

    Murray Edridge, Maria English, Philippa Howden-Chapman, Judge Ida Malosi, Professor Lisa Marriot, Max Rashbrooke, Professor Tracey McIntosh, Professor Māmari Stephens, Associate Professor Anna Matheson, Dr Jin Russell, Craig Renney, Jennie Smeaton, Pat Hanley, Brooke Pao Stanley, Agnes Magele, Rebecca Macfie, Dr Huhana Hickey, Sue Bradford, Bill Rosenberg, Dr Kay Saville-Smith, James Te Puni, Miriana Stephens, Professor Nikki Turner, Associate Professor Sarah-Jane Paine, Dr Avataeao Junior Ulu, Dr Hana O’Regan, Amanda Coulston, Jess Berentson-Shaw, MPs Carmel Sepuloni, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Kassie Hartendorp. Journalist and commentator Bernard Hickey will be the conference rapporteur.

    The conference opens on Thursday 21 November 2024 at 5 pm with the JD Stout Memorial Lecture from Rebecca Macfie, and then runs from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November. A full programme can be viewed here.  https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/stout-centre/about/events/poverty-by-design-addressing-the-systemic-causes-of-poverty-and-options-for-change

    Venue:  
    Lecture Theatre 1
    Rutherford House
    Pipitea Campus
    Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – Nursing students rally across the country

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    On Saturday (19 October), New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) nursing students take their struggle to the streets calling on the Government to invest in their futures with paid training.
    Students need assistance while they study but are being ignored and exploited by those in charge, NZNO spokesperson and former National Student Unit co-chair Shannyn Bristowe says.
    They are given no additional financial help during clinical placements which sees them working full time without pay for up to 12 weeks – and often away from their hometown, she says.
    “Existing student allowances aren’t enough to cover even the most basic necessities.
    “Tauira (students) are stressed both financially and mentally. They are living in sheds, in cars, or in cramped, temporary spaces, just to get by. Some can’t afford to keep the lights on or put kai on the table for their whānau. The financial burden of studying weighs heavily on us all, forcing some of us to make impossible choices between paying bills, buying food, or continuing our education.
    “This burden is even heavier for Tauira Māori, as existing inequities create additional barriers, leading to the continued under-representation of Māori in the nursing workforce.
    “This is the reality we face every day. And we endure it because we want to serve, we want to help, we want to be the faces of care for our communities.”
    Ms Bristowe says with a high student drop-out rate of 33 percent, paid training is essential to keep students focused on studying and professional development instead of perpetually struggling.
    “Aotearoa cannot wait. Our people need nurses who are well-prepared, culturally safe, and emotionally resilient. Nurses who have not been broken by the journey to get there but have been supported along the way.
    “We ask the Government: Is this not a worthy investment? Because this isn’t just about us-it’s about the health and future of Aotearoa. We’ll be calling on the public to support us by signing our petition to the Government calling for paid training,” Ms Bristowe says.
    Rallies take place at nine centres across the country.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China eyes further fruitful partnership with Australia

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in Beijing on Tuesday, noting that China is willing to work with Australia to build a more fruitful bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

    Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, Han said consolidating and developing bilateral ties serves the common interests of the two countries and is conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity, as both China and Australia are important countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Han said China is ready to work with Australia to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to peace and development in the region and the world.

    Lines said she has felt the vitality and achievements of China’s development during this visit, adding that the close cooperation between Australia and China benefits the people.

    The Australian Senate is committed to promoting the sustained and steady development of Australia-China ties and the two countries being equal partners, Lines said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: World Buddhist Forum showcases over 2,000 exhibits

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    People visit an exhibition of the sixth World Buddhist Forum in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Oct. 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

    An exhibition of more than 2,000 pieces (sets) of fine cultural relics, original paintings and calligraphic works, multimedia images, grotto reproduction, and interactive installations opened Tuesday at the ongoing sixth World Buddhist Forum in the coastal city of Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province.

    The exhibits show the essence of the world Buddhist culture in an all-round and multi-dimensional way, and the course of the integration of Buddhism with Chinese culture after its entry into China, the organizers said.

    The exhibition is one of major activities during the forum. The exhibition area is the largest among all previous editions, with four thematic sub-exhibitions covering world Buddhist art and culture, and inheritance and development of Buddhism in China.

    First launched in 2006, the triennial forum has successfully organized five editions, and evolved into the largest and most influential multilateral platform for international Buddhist-related exchange and dialogue initiated by China.  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Mysterious black balls have washed up on Sydney’s Coogee beach. Are they the result of an oil spill, or something else?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Hook, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO

    Sydney’s popular Coogee beach has been closed until further notice after hundreds of strange black balls washed up on the shoreline.

    The black balls were discovered on Tuesday afternoon.
    Randwick City Council

    The balls were discovered on Tuesday afternoon. The local authority, Randwick City Council, says samples have been collected for testing, and the incident has been reported to the Environment Protection Authority and Beachwatch NSW.

    A council spokesperson said the debris may be “tar balls” formed when oil comes into contact with debris and water – typically the result of oil spills or seepage.

    I am a senior research scientist at CSIRO, specialising in environmental toxicity. While the objects could be tar balls, in my view, it is also possible they are something else. But in any case, the debris poses a potential risk to marine life and the public, and authorities were right to close the beach.

    What are tar balls?

    Tar balls are typically dark, sticky blobs found on beaches after an oil spill. They occur when oil comes into contact with the ocean’s surface and becomes weathered by wind and waves. This breaks the oil patches into smaller pieces.

    Tar balls usually form in a variety of shapes and sizes – ranging from big, flat pancakes to tiny spheres. The image below shows a typically irregular tar ball that washed up on an island in the United States.

    Tarballs, such as this one found on Dauphin Island, Alabama, usually form in a variety of shapes and sizes.
    NOAA

    On this basis, I am not certain the pieces of debris found at Coogee are tar balls. They certainly might be. I haven’t seen them in person, but from the publicly available images, the objects appear to be relatively uniform, perfectly round shapes. That would be very unusual for tar balls – but not impossible.

    The balls could be plastic debris washed off a container ship, such as squash balls or plastic used in manufacturing. But obviously, we have to wait until tests have been conducted on the objects before we can determine their origin and composition.

    And finally, the balls appear to have washed up only at Coogee beach. It would be uncommon for oil spill remnants to drift to a single location unless the spill happened very close to shore.

    What are the potential harms?

    Whatever the objects are, they could pose a hazard to marine life.

    If the objects are sticky or oily, they may coat animals that come into contact with them. An animal that ate the objects may also be harmed. The balls would be difficult to digest and might stay in the animal’s stomach for a long time, preventing it from eating other food.

    If the objects are in fact tar balls, this is dangerous to animals because oil can be carcinogenic.

    What should be done?

    Every precaution should be taken until we know exactly what these mysterious objects are.

    Authorities are doing the right thing in keeping people away from the beach as the cleanup and testing continue. The public should heed official advice not to enter the beach and especially, not to touch the spheres.

    At this stage, it appears no other beach is affected, so there are plenty of other nearby options for beach-lovers.

    In the meantime, we should let the forensic scientists and other experts do their job.

    Sharon Hook 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. Mysterious black balls have washed up on Sydney’s Coogee beach. Are they the result of an oil spill, or something else? – https://theconversation.com/mysterious-black-balls-have-washed-up-on-sydneys-coogee-beach-are-they-the-result-of-an-oil-spill-or-something-else-241470

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Social media footage reveals little-known ‘surfing’ whales in Australian waters

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanessa Pirotta, Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University

    Sapphire Coastal Adventures

    As humpback and southern right whales return to Antarctica at the tail end of their annual migration, east coast whale watchers may think the show will soon be over. But some whale species are still here, possibly year-round. And we need to find out more about them.

    My team’s new research concerns one of these little-known species – the Bryde’s whale. You may have seen it feeding, breaching or surfing, without realising what it was.

    My colleagues and I wanted to learn more about where Bryde’s whales can be found in Australian waters. So we tapped into observations shared on social media, including drone footage and photographs from whale-watching tours. We also gathered observations from scientists.

    We discovered a wealth of information. It includes evidence of feeding and “surfing” behaviours possibly never documented before. Findings from this research will directly help inform conservation efforts to protect this species, which we still know so little about in Australian waters.

    A Bryde’s whale rides the surf after feeding in shallow waters.
    Taylor Arnell and Austin Ihle @takethemap

    Observing whales through citizen science

    Scientists can’t always be out in the field, or on the water. That’s why the data gathered by everyday people, known as “citizen scientists”, can be so useful. It captures valuable information about wildlife that can be used later by professional researchers.

    Citizen science projects involving marine life have grown over recent years. They include people documenting humpback whale recovery by counting northward migrating humpback whales off Sydney, and people watching sharks off Bondi Beach via the @DroneSharkApp.

    Hungry hungry whales

    Like humpback whales, these giants are “baleen” whales, meaning they are toothless. But Bryde’s whales have a much pointier mouth and lack that famous hump.

    A preference for warmer waters means Bryde’s whales are also known as tropical whales. They can be found in tropical or subtropical waters.

    Around the world, Bryde’s whales have demonstrated interesting feeding behaviours, from high-speed seafloor chases to “pirouette feeding”.

    Bryde’s whale in shallow waters near baitfish.
    Taylor Arnell and Austin Ihle @takethemap.

    Hanging out in shallow and deep waters

    Our study documented Bryde’s whales feeding in both deep and shallow waters off the east coast of Australia, alone or sometimes with other whales.

    We tapped into more than an hour of drone vision and more than 200 photos of Bryde’s whales shared by citizen scientists on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

    In offshore environments, Bryde’s whales were typically seen “side lunging” – where they propel themselves forward and turn onto their side then open their mouth to engulf their food. They also swam from below and scooped up their prey, much like humpback whales.

    Lunging Bryde’s whale feeding on small baitfish in New South Wales waters.
    Brett Dixon

    In shallow waters, Bryde’s whales were observed feeding directly within or behind the surf break.

    We believe this is a new feeding behaviour for this species. We call it “shallow water surf feeding”.

    Whales may be using the surf to assist with their feeding efforts, or, perhaps they are there because that’s where the bait fish are hanging out.

    Regardless, it’s impressive to see such a large whale in the surf and in shallow waters.

    Spotted: mums with their calves

    We also documented mothers with calves. This indicates some parts of the Australian east coast could possibly serve as an important area for nursing mothers with their young. They could also be using these waters for calving.

    We don’t yet fully understand the species’ movements around Australia, and whether they swim in New Zealand waters. For example, the world-famous white humpback whale Migaloo has been known to swim across the Tasman Sea.

    Bryde’s whale mother with calf in NSW waters escorted by dolphins.
    Brett Dixon

    Could these Bryde’s whales we see here in Australian waters be the same ones seen in New Zealand waters? Are they calving in New Zealand or Australia and moving between the two? If so, what does this mean for their protection?

    Whales don’t recognise international boundaries. They go where they want, when they want. This is why collaborative research like this is important for our growing knowledge of this species.

    The more we know, the better we can protect

    This is the first dedicated paper on both the occurrence and feeding behaviour of Bryde’s whale in Australian waters.

    As humans continue to expand our footprint in the ocean through activities such as offshore wind energy, shipping, fishing and tourism, knowledge of this species and others can help inform future decisions in our blue backyard.

    Findings of this study will directly contribute to Australia’s efforts to protect whales. One immediate action will be contributing information to the federal review of Biological Important Areas for protected marine species. The more we know, the better we can target conservation efforts to provide for a species we know relatively little about in Australian waters.

    And even though the humpbacks and southern rights are headed back south to Antarctica for the summer, it’s still worth keeping your eyes on the water. You might be the next person to spot a Bryde’s whale in Australian waters. Let us know if you do!

    An example of shallow water surf feeding by a Bryde’s whale.
    Taylor Arnell and Austin Ihle @takethemap

    Vanessa Pirotta 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. Social media footage reveals little-known ‘surfing’ whales in Australian waters – https://theconversation.com/social-media-footage-reveals-little-known-surfing-whales-in-australian-waters-241347

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on October 15, 2024

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 532,197.56 6.29 4.50-6.50
         I. Call Money 10,248.04 6.42 5.00-6.50
         II. Triparty Repo 369,769.45 6.27 6.20-6.37
         III. Market Repo 151,167.07 6.31 4.50-6.50
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 1,013.00 6.40 6.40-6.45
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 436.00 6.38 5.75-6.50
         II. Term Money@@ 255.50 – 6.55-6.90
         III. Triparty Repo 429.00 6.27 6.24-6.40
         IV. Market Repo 395.33 6.49 6.49-6.49
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Tue, 15/10/2024 2 Thu, 17/10/2024 26,060.00 6.49
    3. MSF# Tue, 15/10/2024 1 Wed, 16/10/2024 1,528.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 15/10/2024 1 Wed, 16/10/2024 76,656.00 6.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -101,188.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Fri, 04/10/2024 14 Fri, 18/10/2024 44,275.00 6.49
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Mon, 14/10/2024 4 Fri, 18/10/2024 24,070.00 6.49
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    5. On Tap Targeted Long Term Repo Operations€ Mon, 15/11/2021 1095 Thu, 14/11/2024 250.00 4.00
    Mon, 27/12/2021 1095 Thu, 26/12/2024 2,275.00 4.00
    6. Special Long-Term Repo Operations (SLTRO) for Small Finance Banks (SFBs)£ Mon, 15/11/2021 1095 Thu, 14/11/2024 105.00 4.00
    Mon, 22/11/2021 1095 Thu, 21/11/2024 100.00 4.00
    Mon, 29/11/2021 1095 Thu, 28/11/2024 305.00 4.00
    Mon, 13/12/2021 1095 Thu, 12/12/2024 150.00 4.00
    Mon, 20/12/2021 1095 Thu, 19/12/2024 100.00 4.00
    Mon, 27/12/2021 1095 Thu, 26/12/2024 255.00 4.00
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       6,242.78  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -58,562.22  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -159,750.22  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on October 15, 2024 996,914.69  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending October 18, 2024 1,001,756.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ October 15, 2024 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on September 20, 2024 418,318.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    € As per the Press Release No. 2020-2021/520 dated October 21, 2020, Press Release No. 2020-2021/763 dated December 11, 2020, Press Release No. 2020-2021/1057 dated February 05, 2021 and Press Release No. 2021-2022/695 dated August 13, 2021.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    £ As per the Press Release No. 2021-2022/181 dated May 07, 2021 and Press Release No. 2021-2022/1023 dated October 11, 2021.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad            
     Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2024-2025/1301

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE’s speech in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to LegCo (3)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    III. Consolidate and Enhance Our Status as an International Financial, Shipping and Trade Centre

    29. The development of international financial, shipping and trading centres are closely intertwined. Besides expanding and strengthening our existing businesses, we will also explore new growth areas, specifically by creating a commodity trading ecosystem to attract relevant enterprises to establish presence in Hong Kong, turning our city into an operation centre for international commodity trading, storage and delivery, shipping and logistics, risk management, and more. This will help develop the markets in international gold, non‑ferrous metal, green transportation, and others, further promoting the integrated development of Hong Kong as an international financial, shipping and trade centre.

    30. Hong Kong ranks among the world’s largest import and export markets for gold by volume. The current complexity in geopolitics underscores our city’s edge in security and stability, and hence an attractive location for investors for gold storage, spurring relevant activities such as gold trading, settlement, and delivery. We will capitalise on our strengths as an international financial centre to build Hong Kong into an international gold trading centre.

    31. The Government will facilitate an international commodity exchange to set up accredited warehouses in Hong Kong. We will also introduce measures such as a preferential tax regime to attract enterprises to expand their business in Hong Kong, and to increase storage and trade volume of commodities.

    32. Green shipping and aviation is a global trend. The Government will nurture industrial development of sustainable aviation fuel and green maritime fuel, and establish a fuel bunkering centre, leveraging the development opportunities in finance, trading and maritime sectors stemming from new energy.

    (A) International Financial Centre

    33. Hong Kong is an international financial centre, ranking third globally and first in investment environment. The Government will continue with reforms to reinforce and enhance our status as an international financial centre.

    Deepen Mutual Market Access and Enrich Offshore Renminbi Business

    34. We will continue to enhance the mutual market access regime and reinforce our status as the world’s largest offshore Renminbi (RMB) business hub, contributing to the internationalisation of RMB. Key measures include continuously improving our infrastructure and upgrading the Central Moneymarkets Unit to facilitate the settlement of various assets in different currencies by international investors. We will also develop the fixed income market infrastructure by, for instance, setting up a central clearing system for RMB‑denominated bond repurchase (repo) transactions, making RMB sovereign bonds issued in Hong Kong a more popular choice of collateral in offshore markets. We will look to enhance the Cross‑boundary Wealth Management Connect Scheme as well.

    35. We will also strive to bolster offshore RMB liquidity and make good use of the currency swap agreement between the HKSAR and our country, enabling the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) to better support Hong Kong’s economic and trade development; expand the night‑time, cross‑boundary service capability of Hong Kong’s RMB Real Time Gross Settlement System to facilitate global settlement in offshore RMB markets; and explore the provision of more diversified channels for obtaining offshore RMB financing.

    36. We will provide more RMB‑denominated investment products –

    (i) the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) to encourage more listed companies to have shares listed in the RMB stock trading counter, and expand the scope of RMB equities;

    (ii) to increase issuance of RMB bonds and support issuance of more green and sustainable offshore RMB bonds in Hong Kong;

    (iii) to seek support from the Ministry of Finance for boosting the size and frequency of issuing RMB sovereign bonds, and launching offshore RMB sovereign bond futures as soon as possible, in Hong Kong; and

    (iv) to actively liaise with the Mainland authorities to expand the Bond Connect (Southbound Trading) as appropriate, including expanding the scope of eligible Mainland investors to non‑bank financial institutions such as securities firms and insurance companies; and enriching liquidity management tools that facilitate offshore investors’ investment in onshore bonds by actively exploring and introducing, at appropriate juncture, various bond repo and collateral products and arrangements using onshore RMB bonds.

    Further Enhance Our Status as an International Risk Management Centre

    37. Hong Kong has the highest concentration of insurance companies and the highest insurance density in Asia. To further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a global risk management centre, the Insurance Authority will initiate a review next year. We will examine capital requirements for infrastructure investment, enriching insurance companies’ asset allocation for risk diversification and driving investment in infrastructure such as the Northern Metropolis. We will also continue to invite Mainland and overseas enterprises, including large state‑owned enterprises in the Mainland, to establish captive insurers in Hong Kong.

    Further Enhance Our Status as an International Asset and Wealth Management Centre

    38. There are 2 700 single‑family offices in Hong Kong, and the industry has predicted that Hong Kong will become the world’s largest cross‑boundary wealth management centre by 2028. We will make every effort to attract more global capital to be managed in Hong Kong, including facilitating the opening of new distribution channels for private equity funds through HKEX’s listing, and:

    (i) collaborating with sovereign wealth funds in regions along the Belt and Road (B&R) – We will strive to collaborate with large‑scale sovereign wealth funds in regions such as the Middle East, in financing the setting up of funds to invest in assets in the Mainland and other regions;

    (ii) enhancing the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme – Effective today, investment in residential properties is allowed provided that the transaction price of the residential property concerned is no less than $50 million, with the amount of real estate investment to be counted towards the total capital investment capped at $10 million. In addition, investments made through an eligible private company wholly owned by an applicant will be counted towards the applicant’s eligible investment with effect from 1 March 2025; and

    (iii) expanding the scope of tax concessions – The Government will consult the industry on the proposal to add qualifying transactions eligible for tax concessions for funds and single‑family offices.

    Proactively Expand Markets and Deepen Overseas Networks

    39. We will continue to actively expand and deepen our overseas networks, including forging financial co‑operation with the Middle East and the region of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), organising more international financial mega events, and exploring further collaboration with Islamic markets in the area of finance.

    Further Enhance the Securities Market

    40. Relevant measures include:

    (i) opening up new sources of capital overseas – Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) tracking Hong Kong stock indices will be launched in the Middle East, seeking to attract allocation of capital in the market to Hong Kong stocks;

    (ii) striving for more listing of enterprises in Hong Kong – We will leverage the advantages brought about by our mutual access with the Mainland’s financial markets to attract international enterprises to list in Hong Kong. We will also encourage large‑scale Mainland enterprises to list here, particularly aiming to have more prominent initial public offerings in the near term;

    (iii) optimising vetting of listing applications – The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the HKEX will announce specific measures for further optimising relevant procedures to provide greater certainty regarding the time required for vetting of listing applications; and

    (iv) boosting market efficiency – The SFC and the HKEX will boost market efficiency and lower transaction costs, including reviewing the arrangement for deposit of margin, and refining the requirements on placement of margin and collateral.

    Provide Convenient Cross-boundary Financial Services Arrangement

    41. To promote financial inclusion, we will facilitate members of the public in making cross‑boundary transactions and payments.  The HKMA and the People’s Bank of China are pushing forward the linkage of fast payment systems in the two places, i.e. the Faster Payment System (FPS) in Hong Kong and the Internet Banking Payment System (IBPS) in the Mainland, to facilitate real‑time, cross‑boundary small‑value payments by residents on both sides; and they will implement the arrangement enabling issuance of bank cards by Mainland branches of Hong Kong‑incorporated banks in the Mainland.

    Build an International Gold Trading Market

    42. Hong Kong ranks among the world’s largest import and export markets for gold by volume. Amidst the increasingly complicated geopolitics, our city’s security and stability gives us a clear edge as an attractive place for physical gold storage, driving more gold trading, settlement and delivery activities, and potentially propelling Hong Kong into a gold trading centre. This will spur development of the related industry chain, ranging from investment transactions, derivatives, insurance, storage, to trading and logistic services.

    43. The Government will promote the development of world‑class gold storage facilities, facilitating the storage and delivery of spot gold by users and investors in Hong Kong, and driving demand for related services such as collateral and loan businesses, opening up new growth areas of the financial sector.

    44. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) will set up a working group to take forward the establishment of an international gold trading centre. This will include, among other things, strengthening the trading mechanism and regulatory framework, promoting application of cutting‑edge financial technology, and actively exploring with the Mainland authorities on the inclusion of gold‑related products in the mutual market access programme.

    Enhance the Green Finance Ecosystem

    45. Hong Kong is a leading sustainable finance hub in Asia. The international carbon market (Core Climate) launched by the HKEX is the world’s only carbon market to offer Hong Kong dollar (HKD) and RMB settlement for trading of international voluntary carbon credits.

    46. The HKMA will roll out the Sustainable Finance Action Agenda. In addition, the FSTB will launch a roadmap on the full adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards) this year, leading Hong Kong to be among the first jurisdictions to align its local requirements with ISSB Standards.

    (B) International Shipping Centre

    47. Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest and most efficient ports, and ranks fourth in the International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCDI). The average length of stay of container vessels in the Hong Kong port is 0.95 days, about half the average of 1.85 days for the world’s top 20 container ports, earning our city the reputation as a “catch‑up port” for vessels to make up for delays in other ports.

    48. The shipping business is composed of the port sector and maritime services, in which maritime services (including professional services such as ship broking, financing and leasing, maritime insurance, maritime law and arbitration) are the high‑value‑added segment of shipping business and the source of growth, having grown by nearly 40% over the past three years (from 2019 to 2022) in terms of economic contribution. We will step up our efforts in fostering Hong Kong’s maritime industry while taking a multi‑pronged approach to consolidate our status as an international shipping centre.

    Establish the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board

    49. The existing Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board will be reconstituted into the “Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board”, a high‑level advisory body to assist the Government in formulating policies and long‑term development strategies. To be chaired by a non‑official member, with other members largely from the maritime sector, the new body will be underpinned by dedicated staff to undertake research and publicity work. Additional funding will be provided to enhance its research capabilities, strengthen its Mainland and overseas promotional work and step up manpower training, supporting the Government in policy implementation more effectively and promoting the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s maritime industry.

    Promote Development of High Value-added Maritime Services

    50. We will strive to promote the development of high value‑added maritime and professional services. Indeed, the Government has been encouraging more shipping commercial principals and maritime service enterprises to establish presence in Hong Kong by providing tax exemptions for ship leasing business and offering half‑rate tax concessions for marine insurance, ship management, ship agency and ship broking. We will continue to boost Hong Kong’s maritime strengths. Relevant measures include:

    (i) enhancing and promoting tax concessions – To strengthen the local maritime ecosystem, we will step up promotion of existing tax concessionary measures for maritime services and enhance the preferential tax regime (including introducing new tax deduction arrangements for ship lessors pursuant to international tax rules);

    (ii) attracting maritime service enterprises to establish presence in Hong Kong – We will encourage leading or high‑potential marine insurance business operators to establish presence in our city to broaden the range of marine insurance products; and

    (iii) developing maritime services talents – We will strengthen collaboration with international marine insurance organisations to promote the training of marine insurance talents, and expand the scope of the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund to cover more green energy courses, marine insurance examinations, and others.

    Advance Development of Green Maritime Centre

    51. We will develop Hong Kong into a green maritime centre through:

    (i) promoting the green transformation of registered ships – The Marine Department earlier this year began offering cash incentives to ships meeting relevant international standards on decarbonisation, and it will step up promotion of this initiative;

    (ii) developing a green maritime fuel bunkering centre – We will promulgate the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering by the end of this year. We will take forward the related infrastructural development such as green maritime fuel bunker terminals, promote port emissions reduction, offer incentives to encourage green maritime fuel usage, co‑operate with ports in the GBA, and construct a green shipping corridor with major trading partners; and

    (iii) offering green fuel bunkering facilities – We will provide green ships with smart information concerning navigational safety, and enhance the ship monitoring systems to ensure safety during fuel bunkering.

    Create a Commodity Trading Ecosystem

    52. Commodities including metals and minerals account for more than half of the global shipping trade volume. Shipowners and commodity traders are the key users of shipping routes and maritime services. Their presence and operation in Hong Kong can drive the maritime services industry, and boost demand for related financial and professional services such as hedging activities of related futures products, conducive to consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre. We will explore the introduction of tax concessions and support measures to attract relevant enterprises in the Mainland and overseas to set up businesses in Hong Kong, building a commodity trading ecosystem in our city.

    53. There has been an international commodity exchange expressing its intention to establish accredited warehouses in Hong Kong for storage and delivery of commodities, including non‑ferrous metal products. We will capitalise on this opportunity to establish relevant supporting facilities so as to attract Mainland enterprises to engage in commodity trade, especially of non‑ferrous metal, in Hong Kong, further expanding the demand for our maritime and trade services.

    Develop the Smart Port and Conduct International Promotions

    54. The Government will complete installation of a port community system next year. It will be equipped with functions such as shipment tracking, real‑time transport information, electronic information and document retrieval, and port data analysis, enabling the flow and sharing of data among stakeholders in the maritime, port and logistics industries.

    55. The Government will also organise more major events with international maritime organisations and enterprises to showcase to the world Hong Kong’s maritime strengths.

    Expand High Value-added Logistics Services

    56. We are taking forward the Action Plan on Modern Logistics Development, and will release four quality logistics sites for industry to develop modern, high‑end, multi‑storey logistics facilities. The findings of the planning study on the development of modern logistics clusters in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (NDA) will be published next year.

    57. The Government will continue to strengthen co‑operation in the logistics sector with the western part of Guangdong and other neighbouring areas, making good use of the Hong Kong‑Zhuhai‑Macao Bridge (HZMB) to expand the catchment area of our cargo services and facilitate more goods to go through Hong Kong.

    (To be continued.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Old and Valuable Tree in Sham Shui Po Park to be removed by LCSD

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Old and Valuable Tree in Sham Shui Po Park to be removed by LCSD
    Old and Valuable Tree in Sham Shui Po Park to be removed by LCSD
    *****************************************************************

         The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will remove an Old and Valuable Tree (OVT) in Sham Shui Po Park on October 21 in view of its very poor health and structural condition.      The tree concerned is a Eucalyptus robusta listed on the Register of OVTs (registration number LCSD SSP/1).      The tree is 11 metres tall. Its health and structural condition has been deteriorating since 2012, showing signs of termite infestation in its trunk and wood decay in its trunk base, with three open cavities. The LCSD has carried out regular inspections and maintenance of the tree, including applying fungicides, applying fertiliser, conducting soil aeration, placing termite bait, applying pesticide, pruning and removing decayed branches, and cabling to alleviate the tree risk. However, obvious signs of wood decay at the trunk base have been found since 2023. The health and structural condition of the tree have been deteriorating, and it is considered irrecoverable. Considering the heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic at nearby Lai Chi Kok Road, the tree’s removal is necessary to ensure public safety.      The LCSD has consulted the Urban Forestry Advisory Panel through the Tree Management Office, and members of the panel had no objection to the removal proposal. Also, having obtained the Sham Shui Po District Council’s support, the LCSD plans to remove the tree on October 21 and replant a Plumeria rubra Acutifolia at a nearby location.      A spokesman for the LCSD reiterates that the department will continue to adopt a prudent approach in inspecting and managing trees under its care. Removal of problematic trees will be considered only when no other viable risk mitigation measure is available. 

     
    Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024Issued at HKT 11:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Course 73 ready to hit the beat

    Source: South Australia Police

    A former Victorian police officer, automotive office manager, and competitive dance instructor are among the 16 Course 73 members to graduate today from the South Australia Police (SAPOL) Academy.

    Ranging in age from 19 to 40, eight men and eight women are eager to hit the road and bring diverse backgrounds to policing, including Italian and Slovenian.

    Other graduates offer work experience as a former Police Security Officer and in Defence, as an events manager, working on oil rigs, in childcare, and in sales.

    Prior to joining SAPOL, Myah was studying as a full-time university student in Law and Criminology.

    “I believe this prior study has greatly assisted me in understanding legislation as a SAPOL member,” she said.

    “I was also working part-time as a competitive dance instructor, and at a trampoline park.

    “My most memorable experience throughout my training was the relationships that were established from the very beginning of the course that remained strong throughout.”

    Fellow graduate Craig was a serving Senior Constable from Victoria Police before deciding to pursue a South Australian lifestyle.

    “The decision to transfer was for a change of scenery for my family and I, with a goal of coastal living. I moved to South Australia with my wife and two young daughters,” he said.

    “My experiences as a police officer of seven years have assisted me throughout the recruit training process. The extra training and refreshing I experienced further developed my skills as a police officer.

    “I was drawn to South Australia itself, rostering that suits a family lifestyle, generous pay and job security.”

    Before becoming a police officer, Melanie worked full-time as an office manager in the automotive industry, also playing and umpiring netball.

    “Both experiences helped me throughout my training as being confident and taking charge were imperative to being successful, like on the netball court,” she said.

    “I was expecting the academy to be competitive, but everyone was helpful and wanted us to succeed.

    “To those thinking of joining, the academy will test you both mentally and physically, but you’re not alone, the whole academy and especially your course are there to support and help you.”

    Myah hopes to one day work in the domestic and family violence field, while Craig is interested in advancing SAPOL’s digitalised police workforce. Melanie feels experience on the road will influence her future direction but has identified community engagement as an area of interest.

    Course 73 members will be stationed at metropolitan and regional areas, including Port Lincoln, Berri and Port Pirie.

    SAPOL is currently recruiting and is keen to hear from people interested in an inspiring career with unmatched experiences and rewards.

    If you’re looking for job security, career progression pathways and a chance to make a real difference in local communities visit Achievemore – Join Us (police.sa.gov.au)

    Melanie, Myah, and Craig are among Course 73 members to graduate today from the South Australia Police Academy.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Priorities set for Retirement Villages Act review

    Source: New Zealand Government

    E te huru mā, haramai e noho. E tu te huru pango, hanatu e haere.

    The coalition Government is progressing mahi in the Retirement Villages Act 2003 review and focusing it on the areas of highest importance, Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka and Seniors Minister Casey Costello announced today.

    “It’s clear based on the over 11,000 public submissions received in 2023 during consultation that there are some areas with high levels of agreement,” says Mr Potaka.

    “These areas include updating the Act to bring it in line with sector best practice, strengthening transparency such as introducing a plain language version of the Code of Practice, and looking at changes to increase protections for residents, for example restricting operators from passing on insurance excesses to residents if the damage was not their fault. 

    “Additionally, I have agreed the next steps of the review should focus on three key priority areas that support residents. These involve receiving advice on:

    • Maintenance and repairs of operator-owned chattels and fixtures. 
    • Managing complaints and disputes.
    • Options for incentivising or requiring earlier capital repayments when residents move out of a village.

    “The objectives of the review remain the same including ensuring adequate consumer protection, balancing the rights and responsibilities of operators and residents, and ensuring the ongoing viability of the sector.

    “The continuation of the Retirement Village Act review reflects the coalition Government’s agreement to work with the sector and safeguard the interests of the residents living in retirement villages.

    “I expect to receive a series of briefings and kōrero from agencies next year, before seeking Cabinet agreement for legislative change in 2026. At this stage, any amendment Bill will likely be introduced in the next Parliamentary term,” Mr Potaka says.

    “New Zealand’s population is ageing and it’s essential we have a range of housing options available for older people,” Ms Costello says.

    “Retirement villages play an important role in this mix, and around two-thirds of them also provide aged care facilities, so we need to continue the review and to get it right.”

    It is estimated that more than 53,000 people currently live in retirement villages and the industry forecasts that close to 113,000 retirees will be wanting to live in this type of accommodation by 2048.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: The Winners! | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L

    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
    X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
    #USArmy #Soldiers #Military #BestSquad2024 #BSC2024

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3dW5X_es6E

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Statement On Deteriorating Humanitarian Situation In Gaza

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    October 15, 2024

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Tuesday released a statement following reports that no food aid has entered northern Gaza in more than two weeks, putting one million displaced Palestinians at risk of starvation. On Sunday, the Biden Administration sent a letter to senior Israeli officials warning that if conditions in Gaza do not improve within 30 days, the U.S. may consider restricting military assistance to Israel. 
    “I am deeply disturbed by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and it is vital for Israel to take immediate steps to improve these nightmarish conditions. Despite some improvements by Israeli authorities earlier this year, the amount of humanitarian aid reaching desperate Palestinians has fallen to new lows at a time when needs are higher than ever. After more than a year of conflict, the actions required to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza are both known and achievable – as demonstrated by the recent successful campaign to vaccinate more than half a million Palestinian children against polio. The way Israel conducts this war matters, and the Israeli government has to do more to guarantee the safety of humanitarian aid workers and ensure sufficient aid is reaching Palestinians across all parts of Gaza. Israel, along with every other recipient of U.S. military aid, is required to abide by international humanitarian law for that assistance to continue. The Biden-Harris Administration took the right step this week by laying out clear changes that Israel must make in the next 30 days to stay in compliance with U.S. law.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Murray, Smith, Larsen Send Letter to Boeing, Unions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    10.15.24
    Cantwell, Murray, Smith, Larsen Send Letter to Boeing, Unions
    SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined U.S. Representatives Adam Smith (D, WA-09), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), ranking member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, in calling for Boeing and the machinists unions to reach a mutually beneficial resolution to the month long strike.
    The full text of the letter to Kelly Ortberg, president and chief executive officer of The Boeing Company, Jon Holden, IAM District 751 president, and Brandon Bryant, IAM District W24 president is HERE and below.
    Dear Mr. Ortberg, Mr. Holden, and Mr. Bryant:
    We are writing about the contract negotiations between the Boeing Company and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Districts 751 and W24. With the machinist strike now lasting well over a month, and with no further talks currently scheduled, we urge you to redouble your efforts to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.
    With over 42,000 single-aisle and wide body commercial aircraft projected to be manufactured over the next twenty years, valued at $8 trillion, now is the time to rebuild the historic partnership between management and workers in order to restore Boeing’s reputation for engineering and manufacturing excellence. This will require investing in next generation manufacturing techniques, innovative new materials, and providing workers with wages and benefits that acknowledge the essential and irreplaceable work they perform for the Company.
    IAM 751 and W24 represent a vital workforce in the Pacific Northwest and for nearly a century have made it possible for Boeing to produce aircraft that fly millions of passengers each day, connecting communities and economies around the world. With these contributions in mind, we hope you will expeditiously work out a fair and durable deal that recognizes the importance of the machinist workforce to Boeing’s future, the aerospace economy of the Pacific Northwest, and the nation.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter, we look forward to your timely response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BPA Investing Approximately $3 Billion in PacNW Electricity Grid Using Cantwell-Led Authorization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    10.15.24
    BPA Investing Approximately $3 Billion in PacNW Electricity Grid Using Cantwell-Led Authorization
    Cantwell: “Bringing more affordable clean power online is the key to holding down electricity costs.”
    EDMONDS, WA – The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) announced today it is moving forward with approximately $3 billion in electricity grid improvement projects that will significantly increase the capacity and reliability of the Pacific Northwest grid and its ability to integrate new energy sources. This announcement adds to the $2 billion in grid upgrades BPA announced in July 2023, both investments enabled by the increased borrowing authority Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) included in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 
    In Central Washington these upgrades include expanding the capacity of the existing Coulee-Olympia 287 kV circuit to 500 kV, looping in the Columbia line with a new 500 kV substation, and reconductoring some adjacent transmission lines. In Western Washington, BPA will be rebuilding the Schultz-Olympia portion of the Coulee-Olympia by also increasing its capacity from 287 kV to 500 kV, along with installing some necessary new transformers and shunt capacitors. A 500 kV line can typically carry 3-5 times more power than a 287 kV line. The remaining grid investments will occur in Oregon. 
    “I commend Bonneville for expanding our region’s transmission capacity using the tools we gave them in the bipartisan infrastructure bill,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Bringing more affordable clean power online is the key to holding down electricity costs. These investments will not only create thousands of construction jobs, they will help revitalize our Pacific Northwest grid so we can take advantage of countless manufacturing, electrification, and emission reduction opportunities.”
    In July 2021, Sen. Cantwell authored and fought for passage of a bipartisan amendment that eventually resulted in a $10 billion increase in BPA’s borrowing authority being included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The measure allowed BPA to continue to borrow at low-interest rates at no ultimate cost to the taxpayer, so that Bonneville could move forward with the vital projects announced today. Sen. Cantwell’s amendment also linked expanded borrowing authority to new financial oversight requirements and opportunities for increased stakeholder engagement.
    Without Sen. Cantwell’s efforts, the borrowing authority would likely not have been established, industry insiders said at the time. 
    In July of 2023, BPA announced $2 billion in electricity grid investments. Combined with the proposed BPA announced then, BPA is now working on more than 20 proposed projects with an estimated cost of approximately $5 billion.
    This July, Sen. Cantwell joined U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and regional energy stakeholders to discuss technological and policy solutions that will ensure NW ratepayers and our regional economy continue to benefit from abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy. More than 200 business, government, and non-profit energy professionals attended the event, including BPA Administrator John Hairston. On the day of the event, Sen. Cantwell released a snapshot report highlighting the key energy technology areas that the Pacific Northwest is poised to lead.
    Bonneville’s generating and transmission portfolio consists primarily of emissions-free sources and is the backbone of an electricity system that is relied on by tens of millions of people throughout the Western United States. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the Pacific Northwest will need to add 56% more transmission capacity by 2040. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s latest report indicates that electricity demand in the Northwest is projected to increase by more than 30% in the next decade, triple the prediction from three years ago. 
    Sen. Cantwell has been a longtime champion of BPA and the cost-based power it helps provide the Pacific Northwest, and has successfully fended off multiple efforts to privatize BPA or increase regional electricity rates.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marines with MRF-SEA, 15th MEU Begin Exercise KAMANDAG 8 in the Philippines

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MANILA, Philippines  –  

    The U.S. Marine Corps, including personnel from Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU), and the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) have begun KAMANDAG 8, a bilateral exercise scheduled from Oct. 15-25, 2024. Conducted under the annual Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) activities for 2024, the exercise aims to strengthen the interoperability of participating nations while promoting regional security and cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region.

    KAMANDAG 8 is designed to enhance combined operational proficiency in key areas such as combat medicine; coastal defense; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; engineering; and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) response. This year’s exercise will feature participants from several allied and partner nations, fostering deeper international military cooperation and readiness.

    “KAMANDAG serves as a testament to the enduring and ironclad alliance our nations share. We will enhance our interoperability, strengthen our collective defense, and build personal friendships,” said Col. Stuart Glenn, commanding officer, MRF-SEA. “Through our efforts, we reaffirm our mutual commitment to regional security as we face the ever-evolving security environment that threatens a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

    The estimated total number of exercise participants is over 2,300 personnel. More than 1,000 Marines and Sailors from MRF-SEA and the 15th MEU will train alongside over 1,100 personnel from the PMC and Philippine National Police. Service members from the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, British Armed Forces, Australian Defense Force, and French Armed Forces constitute the remainder of participants. Members of the Royal Thai Marine Corps and Indonesian Marine Corps are in-country to observe the exercise. Training will take place across the Philippines in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, the National Capital Region, Cavite, and Palawan.

    KAMANDAG is an annual PMC and U.S. Marine Corps-led exercise aimed at enhancing the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense and humanitarian capabilities by providing valuable training in combined operations with foreign militaries in the advancement of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. 2024 marks the eighth iteration of exercise KAMANDAG.

    MRF-SEA is a rotational unit derived from elements of I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) executing a U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific operational model that involves training events and exchanges with partner military subject matter experts, promotes security goals with Allied and partner nations, and ensures a persistent I MEF presence west of the International Date Line.

    The 15th MEU is a forward-deployed, flexible crisis response force, embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response, and limited contingency operations to support the requirements of geographic combatant commanders.

    POINT OF CONTACT:
    Capt. Mark McDonough
    Communication Strategy & Operations Director
    Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia
    +1 (760) 799-4590
    mark.mcdonough@usmc.mil

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE’s speech in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to LegCo (2)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    II. Steadfastly and Successfully Implement “One Country, Two Systems” and Strengthening Our Governance Systems (A) Fully and Faithfully Implement the Principle of “One Country, Two Systems”Optimise the Institutional Strengths of “One Country, Two Systems”12. The institutional advantages of “One Country, Two Systems” are numerous. Whether Hong Kong was fighting against the pandemic, tackling economic challenges, or seeking development opportunities, the Central Government always stands by Hong Kong and supports Hong Kong through a multitude of facilitation measures, ensuring our long-term prosperity and stability.13. Under the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong is rooted in “One Country” and enjoys the benefits of “Two Systems”, enabling Hong Kong to serve the country’s needs with its own strengths. Hong Kong boasts both national and international advantages, enjoying the benefits of policies, guarantees and opportunities of our country. Hong Kong is an international city fully open to the world, underpinned by a capitalist system, with free flow of capital, people and information. It adopts a common law system, maintains its own legislative and judicial systems, laws, tax regime, currency and financial system, and is a separate customs territory. Hong Kong is a global metropolis.14. We will continue to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the principles of “One Country, Two Systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy. We will continue to fully leverage the institutional strengths of “One Country, Two Systems” for sustaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, contributing to China’s building into a great country and realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.Safeguard National Security15. Security and development work together like the two wings of a bird. Development requires a safe social environment. In March 2024, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) fulfilled the constitutional responsibility and historic mission of enacting local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law. The newly enacted Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) achieves convergence, compatibility and complementarity with the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL). Together they form a comprehensive legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security. But threats to national security may spring up any time. We must stay vigilant and put up our guard.16. Public officers are duty bound to safeguard national security. Section 8(3)(a) of the SNSO stipulates that if the law of the HKSAR confers any function on any person, the function is to be read as including a duty to safeguard national security. Section 114 stipulates that public servants must provide assistance for the work on safeguarding national security. All bureaux and departments must review their codes, guidelines and procedures to ensure compliance with these provisions.17. It is of utmost importance that our people safeguard national security of their own accord. Since opening in August, the National Security Exhibition Gallery has been well-received by the public. We will train up tutors at district level for promotion of national security education in the community. Thematic exhibitions will be rolled out by the gallery to dovetail with the 10th National Security Education Day next year. The Education Bureau (EDB) will also update the Curriculum Framework of National Security Education.Foster Patriotic Education18. The Working Group on Patriotic Education has formulated promotion strategies and measures for supporting the organisation of more activities such that the spirit of patriotism can take root in society. Next year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance. The Government will host commemorative activities to strengthen the sense of patriotism. The EDB will organise a range of joint school and cross-sectoral activities under the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country 3.0” series, continue to enhance Chinese History and national geography education in primary and secondary schools, and enrich patriotism and history elements in Mainland exchange programmes.Promote Chinese Culture19. Established in April, the Chinese Culture Promotion Office earnestly promotes Chinese culture, including planning for the construction of a museum to showcase the development and achievements of our country, and a new Chinese Culture Experience Centre. It also continues to organise the Chinese Culture Festival and exhibitions of the General History of China series.(B) Strengthen Our Governance Systems20. Since taking office, the current-term Government has taken forward various reforms on cross-disciplinary co-ordination and governance culture so as to strengthen our governance systems. Apart from introducing three Deputy Secretaries of Department to strengthen leadership and cross-bureau co-ordination, I have set indicators for specified tasks and monitored their progress and outcomes, creating a government culture focusing on actions and delivery of results. Moreover, we have updated the Civil Service Code to spell out the core values and standards of conduct that civil servants should uphold, and introduced a mechanism to mobilise the Government at all levels to enhance emergency response. The Government will deepen the reforms and continue to strengthen our governance systems.Enhance the Cross-bureau Co-ordination Mechanism21. We will enhance the leadership and cross-bureau co-ordination mechanisms, and fully leverage the leading and co-ordinating functions of Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of Department. We will establish the following committee and working groups:(i) The Committee on Education, Technology and Talents, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration with the Secretary for Education, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, and Secretary for Labour and Welfare, as members, will co-ordinate and promote the integrated development of education, technology and talents. It will also expand connections, attract and cultivate talents, foster the development of technologies, and promote Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talents; (ii) The Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy, led by the Deputy Financial Secretary, will kick-start projects with application prospects, formulate development strategies and action plans on the low-altitude economy, as well as take forward regulatory reform and plans for related infrastructural facilities;(iii) The Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots, led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, will strengthen cross-departmental co-ordination and leverage community efforts, identifying and developing tourist hotspots of high popularity and with strong appeal in various districts; and(iv) The Working Group on Promoting Silver Economy, led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, will formulate measures to expedite the development of the silver industry in line with the daily needs of the elderly.Strengthen Governance Capabilities of the Civil ServiceStrengthen Civil Service Management22. Efforts in strengthening the reward and punishment system in the past two years include launching the Chief Executive’s Award for Exemplary Performance, streamlining the mechanism of directing officers with persistent sub-standard performance to retire, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of handling disciplinary cases. We will review the Public Service (Administration) Order and Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulation to enhance the civil service disciplinary mechanism, and will consult with the Public Service Commission on the preliminary proposals next year.National Studies and International Training23. The civil service must have a full grasp of the policy objectives and strategies of our nation. The Government will organise seminars and learning activities on the important policies, reports and so on delivered by the Central People’s Government (CPG).  We will also arrange for the middle, senior and directorate level officers to receive training at renowned institutions in the Mainland and overseas to help foster their sense of national identity and develop global perspectives.24. With the support of the CPG, the HKSAR Government will continue to send officers to work in various offices of the United Nations through a dedicated programme.Civil Service Exchange Programme between Hong Kong and the Mainland25. The Government will collaborate with the Mainland cities in the GBA, as well as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Wuhan and Hangzhou to launch mutual civil service exchange programmes.Launch the Governance Talents Development Programme26. The Civil Service College will launch a Governance Talents Development Programme to further develop governance capabilities of officers at leadership ranks. The college will also enhance its internal research and training capability building.Digital Transformation of Public Services27. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) will endeavour to fortify information systems of the Government and public organisations. The DPO will also spearhead the pilot use of a locally developed generative artificial intelligence (AI) document processing copilot application in government departments. About 20 digital government and smart city initiatives will also be launched this year, including using blockchain technology for issuing electronic certificates for designated civil service examinations and electronic licensing by the Fire Services Department, as well as the use of AI for handling public enquiries.Bolster Security of Computer Systems of Critical Infrastructure28. The Government will require critical infrastructure operators to undertake obligations to protect their computer systems, so as to reinforce their resilience against cybersecurity challenges. A bill will be introduced later this year.(To be continued.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: A Layered Approach to Stealthier Undersea Vehicles

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Defence

    Dr Chirima (left) and fellow researcher Dr Matthew Ibrahim with DSTG’s ultrasonic immersion system which is able to measure the speed of sound, transmission loss and reflection coefficients of Dr Chirima’s material samples which are immersed in the water.

    Acoustic materials researcher Dr Gleny Chirima hopes to make our submarines disappear. In her recently-announced Chief Defence Scientist Fellowship, Dr Chirima will investigate an innovative layered viscoelastic coating that could dramatically reduce the signature of undersea vehicles.

    Dr Chirima has Masters and PhD qualifications related to polymer materials and composites, and is a member of DSTG’s Acoustic Materials research domain which focuses on making undersea vehicles stealthier.

    ‘We study how underwater sound interacts with materials and seek ways to modify materials for controlling sound behaviour in our underwater structures,’ says Dr Chirima. The challenging aim is to make platforms invisible to external sensors, while also reducing the acoustic signature emanating from the platforms.

    ‘When sound moves from water to a different material, it will get reflected off that material’s surface,’ she explains. ‘Why? Because of what we call impedance mismatch. Impedance is the resistance of a material to the propagation of sound. If sound is travelling from water to water, it will just go through it like it’s invisible. We want to make a multi-layered material, with a first layer matched to the impedance of water so the sound is not reflected. And then we are going to vary the impedances of the subsequent layers gradually until we get to the last layer which matches the impedance of the vessel’s hull (steel, for example).

    ‘Having a minimal impedance mismatch between the layers, only a small fraction of the sound gets reflected. Within the multilayer material we’ll also have sound absorbing material which will reduce sound emissions from within the vessel.’

    Testing teamwork

    In addition to the functional aspects of a material, such as the way sound travels through the layers, there are many parameters that need to be considered when designing materials for the highly complex, hostile undersea environment.
    For example, the coating is going to be affected by the marine environment and likely to degrade over time, how will performance be impacted?

    Working that out is a team effort. While Dr Chirima enjoys the physical testing of potential materials, other team members will be overseeing the modelling of the platform and its environment.

    ‘For my fellowship project we’ll try concepts in the lab, and once we understand our material we’ll take it further to equipment that mimics the harsh conditions that we experience under the sea. The next step then is to work with an industry partner to test it on a bigger scale.’

    Lots of laboratory work ahead

    The concept of a matched, multi-layered material has been brewing in the team for a while, and Dr Chirima’s fellowship is an opportunity to investigate the game-changing type of material, modify some aspects and verify and understand its potential.
    Using raw resin ingredients, Dr Chirima is geared up for a heavy laboratory schedule preparing and casting the viscoelastic material samples in-house at DSTG.

    ‘There are so many parameters that we need to play around with in order to optimise the qualities that we want in the material,’ she says. ‘Obtaining quality samples through good preparation is crucial, because that determines the quality of results you’re going to get at the end of the day.

    ‘The other big challenge I foresee is designing the experimental setup to measure the speed of sound through the materials; we want accurate measurements but the material is designed to stop sound propagation. And a final challenge will be collaborating with an industrial partner to scale up samples to sizes of relevance to real platforms (and then testing those samples).

    ‘I find this work intensely interesting, it keeps me on my toes and makes me look forward to what’s coming tomorrow,’ says Dr Chirima. ‘The ultimate aim would be to cover entire platforms in this material, and if we are successful I’m sure all Defence underwater vessels could benefit from a coating.’

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Qantas and Jetstar increase capacity at Sydney Airport

    Source: Sydney Airport

    Wednesday 16 October 2024

    Qantas has revealed that it will resume the A380 service on its Sydney to Dallas route for the first time since COVID, providing passengers with greater options to this sought-after destination.

    Commencing 11 August 2025, the flights will enhance capacity on the route and are due to be operate on Qantas’ A380 configured with 70 Business Class seats and 341 Economy Class seats and 787 aircraft configured with 42 Business Class seats and 166 Economy Class seats.

    At the same time, Jetstar has announced it will increase flights between Sydney and the South Korean capital, Seoul from four per week to daily from 17 June 2025, adding 100,000 seats a year on the route to better serve strong leisure demand.

    With daily flights from Sydney, Jetstar will operate a total of 10 return flights between Australia and Seoul each week, making it the largest carrier between the two countries.

    Once the new flights begin in mid-2025, Jetstar will offer more than 240,000 low fares seats a year between Sydney and Seoul.

    Greg Botham, Group Executive, Aviation Growth & Group Strategy, Sydney Airport, stated, “The A380 has always been a passenger favourite so it’s great news that Qantas are returning it to their Sydney to Dallas route, and the increased capacity will provide more choice for passengers travelling to and from the USA.

    “We’re equally excited to announce that Jetstar is enhancing its services to Seoul, increasing its flights from four to a daily schedule, making it the largest carrier to Korea from Australia.

    “Korean travellers ranked as the fifth largest group passing through Sydney Airport in Q3, a 54 per cent increase compared to 2019 figures, so we know this will be welcome news for passengers.

    “These developments highlight our commitment to supporting airline growth and options for passengers at Australia’s global gateway.”

    Cam Wallace Qantas International CEO stated, “As part of our historic fleet renewal program, these changes are about having the right aircraft on the right route and responding to growing customer demand. 

    “One of the benefits of our dual brand strategy is the flexibility we have with our combined Qantas and Jetstar fleets. 

    “Qantas launched flights to Seoul after the pandemic, and now that demand has normalised, it’s grown substantially as a leisure market, opening up a great opportunity for Jetstar to increase its frequencies and allow Qantas to redeploy its aircraft to other routes where we are seeing strong demand.”

    Jetstar Executive Manager, Customer Jenn Armor stated, “We were the first low-cost carrier to launch direct flights between Australia and South Korea’s capital Seoul from Sydney in November 2022.

    “Demand has grown significantly since then, and with the launch of daily flights from Sydney adding 100,000 seats a year, we’ll become the largest carrier between the two countries.

    “It’s no wonder Seoul is becoming increasingly popular. Its vibrant nightlife and food scene, combined with rich history, famous K-pop culture and shopping, means there’s something for every traveller to enjoy.

    “We’d like to thank Sydney Airport for supporting the additional flights.”

    Notes to Editor

    To celebrate the expansion of its Sydney to Seoul service, Jetstar is offering fares from $309^ one-way for selected travel dates on its Deals page at jetstar.com.

    Jetstar flight schedule between Australia and South Korea (from 17 June 2025)

    Frequency From To Depart Arrive
    JQ47 Mon, Tue*, Wed, Thu*, Fri, Sat*, Sun Sydney Seoul (ICN) 10:45 20:15
    JQ48 Mon, Tue*, Wed, Thu*, Fri, Sat*, Sun Seoul (ICN) Sydney 21:50 10:05 +day
    JQ53 Tue, Thu, Sat Brisbane Seoul (ICN) 11:30 20:15
    JQ54 Tue, Thu, Sat Seoul (ICN) Brisbane 21:50 08:20 +day

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update – homicide inquiry, Te Awamutu

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Enquiries into the death of a man in Te Awamutu overnight are continuing this afternoon.

    The two people arrested at the scene have now been released, however continue to assist us with our enquiries.

    A post-mortem examination will take place on Friday and Police expect this will inform next steps.

    However, we can confirm we are currently not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter. 

    Police are still working to ascertain the full circumstances of what occurred, and would like to speak to anyone who might have witnessed this incident who has not yet come forward.

    If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 241016/0455.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Transport – Trucking firms weathering tough economic conditions

    Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

    The latest economic data shows the road transport industry continues to meet market demand, despite tougher economic times, and most companies are successfully withstanding rising costs.
    Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Interim Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that transport operators have shown remarkable resilience in the face of challenging economic conditions.
    “While it’s clearly not easy out there, we believe there is no cause for alarm. It’s a case of operators having to do what they need to do to weather the current downturn before the economy gradually moves up a gear and gets in better shape.”
    “It’s important for operators to keep a keen eye on costs and pass increases on to customers when necessary, and to take advantage of best price offers for fuel and other services. Transporting New Zealand can help with all of those challenges.”
    Recently released economic data confirms this tough picture for the industry. The latest Transporting New Zealand/Grant Thornton Transport Cost Index (TCI) for the quarter ending June 2024 with forecasting to September 2024, shows transport costs outpacing CPI inflation.
    “The TCI increased by 8.2% in the 12 months to June 2024, with CPI sitting at 3.3% during the same period. While it’s great to see general inflation coming down, there are still real cost pressures facing road freight operators when setting their rates.” Dom Kalasih says.
    “The only TCI cost category coming down over the June 2024 quarter was fuel, with all other categories apart from RUC increasing. That means costs like insurance, tyres, overheads and interest are all going up”.
    These cost increases have combined with falling monthly demand to put the squeeze on some freight operators. The latest ANZ Truckometer data revealed a monthly fall in September for the Heavy Traffic (down 1.8%). However, it was 0.6% higher than a year ago (based on a three-month average). Light traffic was 1.1% lower. ANZ commented “The overall signal regarding economic activity remains weak.”
    Motor Industry Association (MIA) data for September 2024 and for the year to the end of September shows a mixed picture. Heavy commercial vehicle sales were down on 2023 (minus 2.30%) but up on 2022 (plus 7.95%). Monthly sales for September 2024 (585) were lower than last year (724).
    Transporting New Zealand encourages any members under pressure to contact their team for support.
    About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand 
    Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. 
    Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4,700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE’s speech in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to LegCo (6)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    V. Build Hong Kong into an International Hub for High‑calibre Talents(A) Co‑ordinate and Promote Integrated Development of Education, Technology and Talents103. Education nurtures our future, technology denotes our strength, and talents lead our development. The Government will set up the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents. Led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, the committee will co‑ordinate and drive the integrated development of education, technology and talents, expand connections, formulate policies to attract and cultivate talents, foster the development of technologies, and also promote Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talents.(B) Attract Talents104. Hong Kong boasts five of the world’s top 100 universities and is an international hub for exchange and collaboration among high‑calibre talents.Trawl for Talents105. The Government implemented a new talent admission regime in late 2022. More than 380 000 applications have been received to date, and around 160 000 talents have arrived in Hong Kong with their families.106. In the next five years, there will be a projected shortage of around 180 000 workers across different sectors. To build a quality talent pool for development, we will reform various aspects of the talent admission regime, including:(i) updating the Talent List to include talents required for development of the “eight centres”;(ii) expanding the list of universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme to 198 universities by adding 13 top Mainland and overseas universities, and extending the validity period of the first visa of high‑income talents under the scheme from two years to three years;(iii) enhancing the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, providing new channels to attract experienced specialists in specific skilled trades facing acute manpower shortage to come to Hong Kong.  There will be a quota under the new arrangement;(iv) introducing a new mechanism under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, proactively inviting top‑notch talents to come to our city for development, promoting Hong Kong as the focal point of international high‑calibre talents; and(v) extending for two years the pilot arrangement of including graduates from the GBA campuses of Hong Kong universities under the Immigration Arrangements for Non‑local Graduates.Assist Talents in Pursuing Development in Hong Kong107. The HKTE will step up promotion of its online platforms to offer comprehensive information on salaries, taxation, education, visas and so on, in addition to providing personalised assistance. The HKTE will expand its network of collaborative partners and organise online and in‑person job fairs with industries and employer organisations, so that employers can directly match jobs with talents. It will also organise another international talent forum and conduct overseas promotion.Promote Development of an International Hub for Post-secondary EducationNurture Future Talents and Establish the “Study in Hong Kong” Brand108. The Government is committed to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for post‑secondary education.  Relevant measures include:(i) incentivising more local students to pursue advanced studies – We will set up the Hong Kong Future Talents Scholarship Scheme for Advanced Studies, beginning in the 2025/26 academic year, offering scholarships each year to up to 1 200 local students enrolling in designated postgraduate programmes;(ii) creating the “Study in Hong Kong” brand – We will strive to host international education conferences and exhibitions. We will also encourage local post‑secondary institutions to enhance collaboration and exchange with their counterparts around the world in promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand on a global scale, and to attract more overseas students, especially those from ASEAN and other B&R countries, to study in our city through the provision of scholarships and other incentives; and(iii) improving hostel facilities – We will launch a pilot scheme to streamline the processing of application in relation to planning, lands and building plans, so as to encourage the market to convert hotels and other commercial buildings into student hostels on a self‑financing and privately‑funded basis, increasing the supply of student hostels. The Government will also make available suitable sites for the private sector to build new hostels, having regard to market demand. The Development Projects Facilitation Office under the Development Bureau (DEVB) will provide one‑stop advisory and facilitation services for these projects.Promote Quality Development of Self-financing Institutions109. We will introduce a bill next year to amend the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance, to improve the regulatory and quality assurance mechanisms of self‑financing post‑secondary institutions.Develop the Northern Metropolis University Town110. The Government has earmarked over 80 hectares of land in the Northern Metropolis for the Northern Metropolis University Town, and will encourage local post‑secondary institutions to introduce more branded programmes, research collaboration and exchange projects with renowned Mainland and overseas institutions in a flexible and innovative manner. We will retain flexibility in the planning process to facilitate development of student hostels. We plan to publish the Northern Metropolis University Town Development Conceptual Framework in the first half of 2026.(C) Nurture TalentsPromote Multiple PathwaysAdvance the Development of Universities of Applied Sciences111. The Hong Kong Metropolitan University has been recognised as the first university of applied sciences (UAS) in Hong Kong. The UAS alliance will be established this year to, among other things, embark on joint promotion and strengthen collaboration with UASs around the world. The Government has allocated a start‑up fund of $100 million for the alliance.Expand Our Vocational Talent Pool112. The Government will build a campus for the newly established Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology, under the Vocational Training Council, and develop its Lift and Escalator Technology Centre.Promote STEAM Education in Primary and Secondary Schools113. The EDB will establish the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education to promote digital education, renew the Junior Secondary Science Curriculum and provide support for teachers in using AI in teaching.Enhance Support for Schools, Teachers and Students114. The Government will allocate $2 billion to set up the Teacher Professional Development Fund to support the long‑term development of the teaching profession, and to enhance the training and exchange programmes for teachers. A provision of about $470 million will be allocated to enhance the learning and teaching of English, Putonghua and other languages. We will also strengthen support for students with special educational needs and continue to provide subsidies such as textbook assistance for students with financial needs.Expedite Youth Hostel Projects115. In response to our young people’s aspirations to have their own living space, the Government launched the Youth Hostel Scheme and expanded it two years ago by subsidising non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) to rent suitable hotels and guesthouses for use as youth hostels. We have also set up a task force to offer targeted support and technical advice, including providing relevant NGOs with assistance in negotiating with hotel owners to expedite agreements. The number of hostel places has now increased to about 3 000.Support Young People to Purchase Subsidised Sale Flats116. The HKHA will allocate an extra ballot number to young family applicants and one‑person applicants aged below 40 with White Form status for the purchase of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats from the next HOS sale exercise onwards. Starting from the next White Form Secondary Market Scheme (WSM) exercise, the WSM quota will increase by 1 500, all of which will be allocated to young family applicants and one‑person applicants aged below 40.Strengthen Support for Youth Development117. We will create, among others, the “Youth Post” hostel and spaces for cultural and arts exchanges for youths in the Kai Tak Community Isolation Facility. We will also set up a physical platform for interaction in the Nam Cheong District Community Centre for “Youth Link” members. Communication with young people will be augmented through various means, including leveraging the new mobile application “HKYouth+” and other online media.118. To strengthen support for unleashing the potential of young people, the Government will establish a new interactive space and set up a video studio at the Youth Square. We will also launch a new round of the Funding Scheme for Youth Life Planning Activities to sponsor NGOs in providing enhanced services and strengthening national affairs content. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will contribute $300 million to support these initiatives.119. We will continue to promote the Mainland and overseas exchange and internship programmes and enhance the GBA Youth Employment Scheme by relaxing eligibility requirements to allow young people aged 29 or below with sub‑degree or higher qualifications to join the scheme, increasing the limit of monthly allowance granted to enterprises to $12,000, and exploring reciprocal arrangements.120. The Youth Employment and Training Programme will be refined and its Chinese title renamed, with the upper age limit for participants raised to 29. Additional workplace attachment opportunities will be provided in the GBA under the programme.(To be continued.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE’s speech in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to LegCo (5)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    IV. Develop New Quality Productive Forces Tailored to Local Conditions

    75. The core element of new quality productive forces is to achieve high‑quality economic development through technological empowerment. Hong Kong is striving to become an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre by promoting the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries while actively nurturing emerging ones. We will spare no effort in developing new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions.

    (A) International I&T Centre

    Optimise the Strategy and Institutional Set-up for the Development of New Industrialisation

    76. We will draw up a medium to long‑term development plan for new industrialisation in Hong Kong. We will also press ahead with the establishment of the Hong Kong New Industrialisation Development Alliance to promote closer collaboration among the Government and the industry, academia, research and investment sectors, building a co‑operative platform for new industrialisation in Hong Kong. This includes providing more financing opportunities and fostering I&T co‑operation between newly‑listed companies in Hong Kong and local universities.

    Establish the Third InnoHK Research Cluster

    77. The InnoHK research clusters have become home to about 2 500 research and development (R&D) personnel from Hong Kong and around the world. The Government has already started preparatory work to establish the third InnoHK research cluster, which will focus on advanced manufacturing, materials, energy and sustainable development. The target is to attract world‑class R&D teams to collaborate with local institutions, promoting R&D and bringing in talents.

    Increase Research Funding

    78. The Government will launch a new round of Research Matching Grant Scheme totalling $1.5 billion to attract more organisations to support research endeavours of institutions.

    Increase Investment for I&T Industries

    79. We will increase investment and guide more market capital to invest in I&T industries, reflecting a revamped approach of Government in this. Relevant measures include:

    (i) setting up a $10 billion I&T Industry‑Oriented Fund – We will set up a fund‑of‑funds to channel more market capital to invest in specified emerging and future industries of strategic importance, including life and health technology, AI and robotics, semi‑conductors and smart devices, advanced materials and new energy. The goal is to systematically build an I&T ecosystem;

    (ii) optimising the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund – We will redeploy $1.5 billion to set up funds jointly with the market, on a matching basis, investing in start‑ups of strategic industries, to further enhance Hong Kong’s start‑up ecosystem; and

    (iii) maximising the impact of the HKIC as “patient capital” – The HKIC will continue to attract I&T enterprises to establish their presence and settle in Hong Kong by channelling and leveraging market capital.

    Attract International Start-up Accelerators to Establish a Presence in Hong Kong

    80. The Government will launch the I&T Accelerator Pilot Scheme with a funding allocation of $180 million at a one‑to‑two matching ratio between the Government and the institution, up to a subsidy ceiling of $30 million. The Scheme aims to attract professional start‑up service providers with proven track records in and beyond Hong Kong to set up accelerator bases in Hong Kong, fostering the robust growth of start‑ups.

    Develop the Low-altitude Economy

    81. Low‑altitude economy, which refers to economic activities in airspace below 1 000 metres, presents a wide array of application scenarios including rescues, surveys and delivery of goods and passengers. Formulating a management system for low‑altitude economy will help drive development in areas such as telecommunication technologies, AI and the digital industry, unlocking the low‑altitude airspace as a new production factor for our economy.

    82. The Government will establish the Working Group on Developing Low‑altitude Economy. Led by the Deputy Financial Secretary, it will formulate development strategies and inter‑departmental action plans, starting with projects on low‑altitude applications. It will designate specific venues for such purposes, draw up regulations and design the institutional set-up, and study and map out plans to develop the required infrastructure and networks. Relevant measures include:

    (i) exploring low‑altitude flying application scenarios – We will press ahead with pilot projects and designate venues to explore deploying drones for delivery, surveys, building maintenance, aerial photography, performances, search and rescue, and other possibilities;

    (ii) amending relevant regulations – This includes relaxing restrictions on beyond‑line‑of‑sight flying activities, as well as those on weight and loading of drones, encouraging market research and investment, facilitating technology tests and developing aerial tours;

    (iii) promoting interface with the Mainland – We will explore with the Mainland authorities the joint establishment of low‑altitude cross‑boundary air routes, immigration and customs clearance arrangements and supporting infrastructure; and

    (iv) studying and planning for low‑altitude infrastructure – In the long run, we need a highly effective, intelligent and digitalised low‑altitude infrastructure system for the real‑time management on networks of low‑altitude activities. It will strategise solutions for complex management and safety issues arising from such activities. The working group will embark on technical studies and planning of support facilities for low‑altitude activities (such as vertiports and charging stations), communications network, air route network, management of low‑altitude flying activities and so on to lay the foundation for the low altitude economy.

    Promote Development of Communications Technology

    83. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are less costly than traditional ones. The Government will conduct a study on streamlining the vetting procedures of licence applications for operating LEO satellites. The Government will also make available more suitable radio spectrum to the market in a timely manner.

    Advance R&D of Aerospace Science and Technology

    84. Hong Kong’s research teams have been actively engaged in R&D of aerospace science and technology. This year, a Hong Kong resident was selected as a preparatory astronaut. We are very grateful for our country’s support for Hong Kong in developing aerospace‑related technologies. The Government will set up a research centre under the InnoHK research cluster to participate in the Chang’E‑8 mission, contributing to national aerospace development.

    Promote Development of New Energy

    85. The Government will earmark around $750 million under the New Energy Transport Fund to subsidise the taxi trade and franchised bus companies to purchase electric vehicles, and launch the Subsidy Scheme for Trials of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Heavy Vehicles.

    86. We will further promote the development of new energy by:

    (i) setting a target for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) consumption – We will speed up the reduction of carbon emissions by the aviation industry and cater to the increasing demand of international airlines for SAF;

    (ii) developing SAF and green maritime fuel supply chains – We will formulate the long‑term plan for industry development in respect of fuel supply and demand, storage and bunkering; and

    (iii) promoting green and low carbon hydrogen energy – We will actively support the industry to establish a solar‑to‑hydrogen facility for demonstration, introduce a bill next year to ensure the safe use of hydrogen fuel, and formulate the approach of hydrogen standard certification suitable to Hong Kong.

    (B) Regional Intellectual Property Trading Centre

    87. Hong Kong’s intellectual property (IP)‑intensive industries accounted for about 30% of our Gross Domestic Product and of total employment respectively. We will strengthen our position as a regional IP trading centre by expanding the IP trading ecosystem of the I&T sector and creative industries.

    Enhance the Legislative Framework for IP

    88. The Government will strengthen protection for the products of innovation and creativity yielded by R&D efforts. Measures include putting forward a proposal next year to enhance the Copyright Ordinance regarding the protection for AI technology development, launching a consultation in 2025 on the registered designs regime currently under review, and proposing legislative amendments to streamline IP litigation processes for the High Court to manage and hear these cases more effectively.

    89. Next year, the Trade Marks Registry under the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) will launch a new AI‑assisted image search service to facilitate the public’s search of the trademark database.

    90. With the Central Government’s support, Hong Kong will participate in the World Intellectual Property Organization Lex‑Judgments Database next year, sharing important IP case precedents of local courts, to showcase to the international community the quality of our IP‑related judicial judgments.

    Strengthen Training of IP Talents

    91. The Government will continue to discuss with the patent agent sector and stakeholders to plan for the introduction of regulatory arrangements for local patent agent services, covering qualification, registration, and other areas, aiming to nurture professional talents and enhance service quality.

    92. The IPD will collaborate with the Qualifications Framework Secretariat to develop practical teaching materials for deployment by training providers, benefitting personnel across 23 different industries.

    (C) International Health and Medical Innovation Hub

    93. To expedite patients’ access to advanced diagnostic and treatment services, and to foster new quality productive forces in biomedical technology, the Government will complement technological innovation with institutional innovation, developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.

    Reform the Approval Mechanism for Drugs and Medical Devices

    94. The Government will expedite the reform of the approval mechanism for drugs and medical devices, including:

    (i) extending the “1+” mechanism to all new drugs, including vaccines and advanced therapy products, and improving the approval mechanism to speed up registration, facilitating good drugs for use in Hong Kong;

    (ii) devising the timetable for the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation and the roadmap towards adoption of “primary evaluation”, as well as formulating strategies and measures to facilitate R&D of drugs and medical devices; and

    (iii) taking forward preparatory work for legislating for the statutory regulation of medical devices.

    Strengthen Biomedical Technology R&D and Translation

    95. The Government will enhance Hong Kong’s clinical trial capability on all fronts and facilitate the translation of innovative biomedical research results into clinical applications by:

    (i) joining hands with Shenzhen to establish the GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform, extending the R&D network and expediting clinical trials;

    (ii) establishing the Real‑World Study and Application Centre to open up local health and medical databases and promote co‑operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen to integrate data generated from the “special measure of using Hong Kong‑registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in GBA”. This will accelerate approval for registration of new drugs in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas; and

    (iii) supporting R&D, clinical trials and application of advanced biomedical technology in Hong Kong, attracting global top‑notch innovative enterprises and research organisations to set up operations in Hong Kong.

    (D) Promote Integrated Development of Digital Economy and Real Economy

    96. A robust system to promote integration of real economy and digital economy is one of the key drivers of new quality productive forces. The Government will expedite the development of digital economy, which includes accelerating the digital transformation of industries, strengthening digital infrastructure, exploring development of a data‑trading ecosystem, and exploring on a pilot basis facilitation arrangements for cross‑boundary data flow within the GBA.

    Accelerate Development of Digital Trade

    97. The Government will push forward reforms in the digitalisation of enterprises and trade. Measures include fostering participation in discussions among the international community about the development of digital economy and exploring the inclusion of relevant provisions in bilateral trade agreements during the negotiation process, with a view to promoting digital trade and cross‑boundary e‑commerce.

    98. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is developing the Trade Single Window to provide a one‑stop electronic platform. It will help the industry lodge import and export trade documents for trade declaration and customs clearance. Separately, the HKMA has established a working group to conduct an in‑depth study into the changes in future supply chains and make recommendations. The scope of study covers promoting the digitalisation of trade through areas such as talents and financial infrastructure, as well as the technology and legal framework, with the goal to lower trade cost and upgrade the trade ecosystem.

    Establish a New Fintech Innovation Ecosystem

    99. The Government will continue to promote the development of innovative financial services including Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), mobile payment, virtual banks, virtual insurance and virtual asset (VA) transactions. The FSTB will shortly issue a policy statement, setting out its policy stance regarding the application of AI in the financial market. Other measures include:

    (i) promoting the use of CBDCs for cross‑boundary payment – The HKMA is actively testing and exploring more add‑on technology solutions and use cases related to cross‑boundary trade settlement on the mBridge platform, and will further widen the participation of both the public and private sectors;

    (ii) enhancing the regulation of VA trading – The FSTB will complete the second round public consultation on the regulatory proposals for over‑the‑counter trading of VA and put forward a proposed licensing regime for VA custodian service providers;

    (iii) promoting real‑world asset tokenisation and developing a digital money ecosystem – The HKMA is taking forward Project Ensemble, a financial market infrastructure project, to explore the application of real‑world asset tokenisation and the use of digital money for interbank settlement, facilitating the development of the relevant asset trading. Separately, the HKMA also allows potential stablecoin issuers to test business plans and use‑cases through the stablecoin issuer sandbox, and will work with the FSTB to introduce a bill on the regulation of fiat‑referenced stablecoin issuers later this year; and

    (iv) promoting the development of the digital securities market – The HKMA will soon launch the Digital Bond Grant Scheme to encourage more financial institutions and issuers to adopt tokenisation technology in capital market transactions.

    Facilitate Cross-boundary E-commerce Logistics Services

    100. To develop Hong Kong into a cross‑boundary e‑commerce logistics and distribution centre, the Government will review existing procedures to enhance the efficiency of cross‑boundary goods’ distribution, strengthening the competitiveness of our city.

    Promote Smart Construction and Management of Public Rental Housing Estates

    101. The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) has selected 10 Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates as pilot sites for smart estate management. Next year, it will establish a central platform for property management and introduce digital technologies in daily estate management work, enhancing management effectiveness and service quality. The HKHA will also progressively apply the Project Information Management and Analytics Platform in new public housing projects starting next year, enhancing works efficiency by project management digitalisation and adopting three‑dimensional digital maps and virtual digital models, etc.

    Promote LawTech

    102. The DoJ will set up the Advisory Group on Promoting the Development of LawTech to formulate policies and measures on LawTech and promote its application in relevant sectors.

    (To be continued.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Open Polytechnic to co-host 2025 30th ICDE World Conference in Wellington

    Source: Open Polytechnic of New Zealand

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    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road Safety – Local Crash Survivor wins award for contribution to road safety

    Source: Road Safety Education

    NZ Steel recognises contribution to road safety in Palmerston North. Since 2007, over 115,000 students in New Zealand have participated in the country’s largest, best practise road safety education programme, RYDA. 
    At all of these workshops 7-8 different facilitators run interactive sessions with the students and each year NZ Steel, Road Safety Education’s (RSE) co-founding partner, recognises one of these facilitators for the outstanding contribution they make towards helping to save lives and reduce road trauma through their work.

    On Monday 23rd September Palmerston North based facilitator Juliette Wilson was presented with this year’s NZ Steel Supporting Excellence Facilitator Award.  Juliette, herself a victim in a road crash in 2005, takes leave from her full-time job to facilitate a crash investigation with students.  

    Using her own lived experience as a case study she bravely helps students unpack her crash and helps them identify all the different crash factors which contributed to her injuries, enabling them to understand how crashes happen and come up with strategies to help avoid similar crashes happening to them.

    Juliette has been assisting with the programme since 2015 facilitating RYDA sessions across the Lower North Island. “If I can change the mindset of just one rangatahi by sharing my story, then I’ve saved a life—one more than I had the day before speaking to them.” She graciously accepted her award in front of over 50 parents attending a new parent programme (Drive Coach) also run by RSE and designed to support the RYDA youth programme.

    RYDA, an evidence-led best practice programme, has been delivered to high school students in New Zealand  since 2007, with over 115,000 students taking part since it began. RYDA is developed and provided by RSE, a not for profit and leading learning organisation operating throughout Australia and New Zealand.  With a commitment to best practice in road safety education, their facilitators are highly trained and receive fantastic feedback from students and teachers alike.

    NZ Steel has been a founding partner of RSE since 2007 and through their support have enabled the programme to expand from an initial few schools around Auckland to now reaching over 170 nationally from Kaitaia to Invercargill.  As part of their partnership, they sponsor the NZ Steel Supporting Excellence in Road Safety Education Facilitator Award each year.  Ms Vicki Woodley, Manager External Affairs says,” We would like to congratulate Juliette on her well-deserved award and thank her for her wonderful contribution over almost a decade.  The impact of sharing her own personal story to raise awareness to help young people stay safe on our roads is truly amazing.

    Youth road trauma in NZ

    In the past 5 years the 15-19 year old group continue to be over-presented in the overall road trauma statistics.  Below is road deaths for the past 5 years for 15-19 year olds.

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024 (to date)

    28

    28

    35

    38

    23

     

    Drivers are at their highest risk of being involved in a crash during their first year of driving unsupervised. A range of factors have been linked to the higher rate of injuries and deaths caused by young drivers. These include driver inexperience, risky driving behaviours such as speeding, driving while fatigued, driving without a seatbelt and driving smaller and/or older vehicles with fewer safety features.  The risk of crashing diminishes with experience plus the development of decision-making and resilience skills so they can recognise risky situations and make safer choices.

    RYDA aims to address this over-representation of youths in general, through targeted, customised learning that addresses attitudes to road use, and creates positive normative behaviour in youths right at the time they are preparing for driving themselves, and are more likely to be the passengers of novice drivers.

    The RSE’s facilitators ability to bring this to life for students and positively engage with them so they adopt behaviour change strategies going forward is critical to them getting the best outcomes from the programme. The NZ Steel Supporting Excellence Facilitator Award is a great way they can recognise excellence and celebrate the efforts of the more than 100 different facilitators who assist with the programme.

    About RSE and the RYDA programme

    RYDA is Australasia’s largest and longest running road safety education program for high school students. Since 2001, over 800,000 students have participated in the program, including over 115,000 in New Zealand since 2007.  RYDA aims to empower students with the strategies, tools and resilience to make good decisions on the road, as both drivers and passengers. For more information, visit http://www.rse.org.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –