NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI China: 30.8 kg of heroin seized in central Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Myanmar authorities have seized 30.8 kg of heroin and 154,000 stimulant tablets in central Myanmar’s Mandalay region, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) said on Saturday.

    Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police searched a vehicle in Pyigyitagon township of Mandalay region on March 9 and confiscated the narcotics, and arrested three suspects.

    Three other suspects in connection with the case were later arrested.

    The seized narcotics are approximately worth over 1 billion kyats (about 476,190 U.S. dollars).

    The suspects have been charged under the country’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, and further investigations were ongoing. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update – Death of man at North Adelaide

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating the death of a man at North Adelaide this morning.

    About 7.45am on Sunday 16 March, police and paramedics responded to reports of a man collapsed on a walking path within Brougham Gardens between Brougham Place and King William Road.

    A 54-year-old man from Marden was found unresponsive when police arrived.

    Paramedics commenced CPR at the scene before he was rushed to hospital but sadly, the man died.

    Eastern District Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death with assistance of Major Crime officers and Forensic Response.

    A postmortem is expected to be carried out tomorrow.

    Anyone who was in the vicinity of O’Connell Street or Brougham Gardens between 6am and 8am this morning is asked to contact police.

    Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestoppersssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Former Filipino Duterte’s arrest by the ICC – 20 journalists killed during his presidency

    Pacific Media Watch

    Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has recalled that 20 journalists were killed during the six-year Philippines presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, a regime marked by fierce repression of the press.

    Former president Duterte was arrested earlier this week as part of an International Criminal Court investigation into crimes against humanity linked to his merciless war on drugs. He is now in The Hague awaiting trial.

    The watchdog has called on the administration of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to take strong measures to fully restore the country’s press freedom and combat impunity for the crimes against media committed by Duterte’s regime.

    “Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” Rodrigo Duterte said in his inauguration speech on 30 June 2016, which set the tone for the rest of his mandate — unrestrained violence against journalists and total disregard for press freedom, said RSF in a statement.

    During the Duterte regime’s rule, RSF recorded 20 cases of journalists killed while working.

    Among them was Jesus Yutrago Malabanan, shot dead after covering Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war for Reuters.

    Online harassment surged, particularly targeting women journalists.

    Maria Ressa troll target
    The most prominent victim was Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the news site Rappler, who faced an orchestrated hate campaign led by troll armies allied with the government in response to her commitment to exposing the then-president’s bloody war.

    Media outlets critical of President Duterte’s authoritarian excesses were systematically muzzled: the country’s leading television network, ABS-CBN, was forced to shut down; Rappler and Maria Ressa faced repeated lawsuits; and a businessman close to the president took over the country’s leading newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, raising concerns over its editorial independence.

    “The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is good news for the Filipino journalism community, who were the direct targets of his campaign of terror,” said RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani.

    RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani . . . “the Filipino journalism community were the direct targets of [former president Rodrigo Duterte]’s campaign of terror.” Image: RSF

    “President Marcos and his administration must immediately investigate Duterte’s past crimes and take strong measures to fully restore the country’s press freedom.”

    The repression carried out during Duterte’s tenure continues to impact on Filipino journalism: investigative journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been languishing in prison since her arrest in 2020, still awaiting a verdict in her trial for “financing terrorism” and “illegal possession of firearms” — trumped-up charges that could see her sentenced to 40 years in prison.

    With 147 journalists murdered since the restoration of democracy in 1986, the Philippines remains one of the deadliest countries for media workers.

    The republic ranked 134th out of 180 in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

    Source report from Reporters Without Borders. Pacific Media Watch collaborates with RSF.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Television interview – Sunday Agenda, Sky News

    Source: Minister for Trade

    Andrew Clennell: The Trade Minister, Don Farrell, joins me now from Adelaide. Don Farrell, thanks for your time. You’re due to talk to the US Trade Ambassador tomorrow.

    Minister for Trade: Pleased to be with you.

    Andrew Clennell: And you spoke at two o’clock Friday morning to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. How did your chat with Mr Lutnick go and what are you hoping to achieve with Mr Greer?

    Minister for Trade: Look, Andrew, I did speak with Commerce Secretary Lutnick. That’s the second contact we’ve had with one another since he just recently was appointed to that position. I obviously expressed my disappointment that we had not been able to reach an agreement over the suspension of tariffs on steel and aluminium. But I did say that there’s obviously a further review, and you’ve talked about some of the issues that potentially arise, that the U.S. Government is undertaking by the early part of April. I indicated to him that we want to continue to talk with them. I find that discussion is the best way to resolve these issues. Not retaliatory tariffs, but discussion. What we need to do, Andrew, is find out what it is that the Americans want in terms of this relationship between Australia and the United States and then make President Trump an offer he can’t refuse.

    Andrew Clennell: And did Howard Lutnick give you any indication of what they might be after? Because obviously you offered them some form of critical minerals deal. Did he give any, any ray of light you had a chance? I mean, I think you’ve said that President Trump allowed Australia or the Prime Minister to believe there was a chance when there wasn’t. Has he given you any suggestion there’s a chance, or was he holding the line and saying, look, this is our America First policy, that’s it.

    Minister for Trade: Look, it wasn’t a pessimistic conversation, I’m pleased to say, Andrew. but look, he gave, you know, no assurances about what might happen in the next round of negotiations. Our job is to sit down and continue to talk. I think the important thing here to understand, Andrew, is that when President Trump, in his first iteration, gave Australia an exemption to Prime Minister Turnbull, it was one of over 30 exemptions that the United States gave to a range of countries around the world. So, more than 30 countries, including most of our competitors in the American market, were able to get an exemption. On this occasion, not one country, not one country got an exemption on either steel or aluminium. Now, that’s obviously, we think that’s bad news. We think it’s bad news, obviously, for the companies that trade in Australia with the United States. It’s also bad news for the Americans because what that has done is simply pushed up the price of steel and aluminium in the US market and that has to have an impact both on, on inflation and on jobs. So, part of my job is to continue to put the arguments to the Americans that in fact, this is the wrong policy to adopt. We should actually be doing the opposite. We should be making more free trade, more fair trade, rather than less trade.

    And of course, one of the things that we’ve done in government is diversify our trading relationship. So, we have new agreements with the United Kingdom, we’ve got new agreements with India. I think we’re just about to get another offer from the Indians to even expand our trading relationship with India. We’ve signed a new agreement with the United Arab Emirates. This is like dealing with the Woolies warehouse of the Middle East. If you can get your products into the United Arab Emirates, then you can get it all around the Middle East. On Tuesday night, I spoke with my Korean counterpart, Mr. Ahn, and we’ve got identical problems with the United States. Of course, they sell a lot more steel into the United States than we do. But we are talking about how we can expand our relationship with Korea so that we can sell more product into Korea.

    So, it’s a two-pronged approach. Andrew, we are continuing the discussions with the United States. We’ll continue to discuss. We’re not going down the track of some countries in applying retaliatory tariffs. I don’t think that will work, it hasn’t worked for any other country, why would it work for us? We want to explain our position and we want to get those exemptions for Australian companies because it’s good for prosperity in the United States, but it’s also good for prosperity in Australia.

    Andrew Clennell: Well, I think you’ve got Buckley’s chance of arguing free and fair trade to the Trump administration, to be frank Minister, but what’s the worst-case scenario here? What’s the worst-case scenario? $30 billion, our exports to the U.S. Could we lose it all?

    Minister for Trade: Look, I don’t believe so, Andrew. And just on that first point you made, Buckley’s chance. When I came to this job three years ago, we had $20 billion worth of trade bans in China. People told me, look, you will never, never, ever get that trade back. At the end of last year, the last of the products that had been subject to those trade impediments, namely crayfish, we got back into China. And since then, in the first month of that new trade, we got $188 million of crayfish sold into China. You can reverse these decisions, Andrew, so, don’t give up on us just yet. You can get countries to realise. You can get countries if you keep talking to them and you keep making your arguments, which is exactly what I intend to do. If you keep making your arguments, you can in fact convince countries that the policies that they are adopting are in fact counterproductive, just as they were with China.

    Andrew Clennell: Okay, but what’s the worst-case scenario? What’s the worst-case scenario here?

    Minister for Trade: Look, I wish I could tell you exactly what the American Government is finally going to do. To be honest with you, I suspect they don’t even know themselves right now. They’re conducting this review. They’re conducting the review in respect of every single trade agreement they have. It’s not just Australia, it’s every country. And my job in the discussions that go on in this coming week and in the weeks ahead is to get the best result for Australian producers, and that’s what I intend to do. And it’ll only be by reaching out, by having discussions, by putting our point of view that we’re going to get an acceptable outcome here.

    Andrew Clennell: In any of these discussions, do you talk about the prospect of a phone call between Prime Minister Albanese and President Trump?

    Minister for Trade: Oh, that’s way above my pay grade, I’m afraid, Andrew.

    Andrew Clennell: Is it though? Kevin Rudd asks.

    Minister for Trade: Well, he’s the ambassador, of course he asks, and that’s the job of the ambassador to do that representation on behalf of the Australian Prime Minister.

    Andrew Clennell: How many times has he asked, do you know?

    Minister for Trade: No, I don’t know the answer to that question, Andrew. But you know, we were amongst the first countries to ring President Trump when he was elected and congratulated him. The Prime Minister did that. And we of course got a second phone call with him to express our concerns about the direction that he was taking in respect of tariffs.

    To the best of my knowledge, we were the only country in the world where he said, I’m going to give some consideration to not applying these tariffs to you. Now, I know we didn’t get the exemption in the end, but we were the only country that at least got him to say, look, we’re going to give some consideration to this. Ultimately, the consideration was that they would not do it.

    As I’ve said on Sky previously, the people around President Trump, particularly Mr. Navarro, I think, were determined that they weren’t going to go down the track that they went down last time. So, I mentioned before over 30 countries got exemptions for steel and aluminium. They were determined, the people around President Trump were determined not to go down that track again. They were going to apply the tariffs, the 25 per cent tariffs, and no country was going to get an exemption. But look, we will continue to talk. As I said, I’ve spoken to Commerce Secretary Lutnick on Friday morning, tomorrow US time, so, Tuesday morning, I think 7:30, I’m going to have my conversation with Jamieson Greer. We’re going to work out firstly what it is that the Americans want out of this arrangement, because it’s still not clear to me what it is that they are seeking. But once we find that out, we’ll work through this issue and we’ll work through it in Australia’s national interest.

    Andrew Clennell: Why haven’t you been to the US, yourself?

    Minister for Trade: Look, can I say this, Andrew, modern communications these days, a telephone call, a video conference, which is what I’ll be doing with Jamieson Greer, Ambassador Greer, on Tuesday, we’re getting our message across. After that first conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Albanese, we embarked on a course of action which was determined in consultation with the officials in the United States about how best to progress our concerns about the introduction or the reintroduction of tariffs. We followed that. We followed that course of action and we followed it until last Wednesday when it became clear that the Americans were not going to give us an exemption. So, we had a plan. We had a plan for how we deal with this issue. We were hopeful, certainly based on early discussions, that we would get a successful result here. In the event that that didn’t happen. But we’re not giving up. We’re continuing the talks. And in fact, in lots of ways, the talks will be beefed up in the weeks and the months ahead as we try and resolve all of these issues, but these are not easy issues, Andrew.

    Andrew Clennell: No, they’re not. But Peter Dutton says you haven’t got the relationships. He’s pointed the finger at Kevin Rudd. The suggestion is Albanese, the Prime Minister, was seen as too close to Joe Biden. Penny Wong found out from the media that this had occurred. What do you say to all that? I mean, his contention as we go into an election campaign is their government would have better luck with the US Administration. What do you say to that?

    Minister for Trade: Look, Peter Dutton couldn’t go two rounds with a revolving door Andrew. What happened? When we came to government, there were $20 billion worth of tariffs and trade impediments with the Chinese. If Peter Dutton’s so good at building relationships and solving problems, they didn’t get a cent, they didn’t get a cent or a single tariff removed in that previous three years in government. We got the best result or the best response of any country in the world. We got a consideration by the President to review these tariffs. Now ok, it didn’t ultimately result in us getting the tariffs removed and we accept that. We accept that situation. I’d ask your listeners, who do you think is going to be better to negotiate with the United States? Somebody with a proven record of getting results or somebody, when they had the opportunity to get some results, did nothing. Did nothing. They did nothing.

    Andrew Clennell: What would a tariff do to the beef industry?

    Minister for Trade: It would certainly have a clearly a negative impact. The United States I think is, if it’s not the largest export market for our beef industry, it would have a significant impact. We are expanding our beef exports, our beef exports right now thanks to the Albanese Labor Government, are the best that they’ve ever been. We’re exporting more beef than we ever have. The significance, of course to the United States about our beef exports is that most of it goes into McDonald’s hamburgers. And if you push up the price of those beef exports by 25 per cent or 10 per cent or whatever the figure is, then you simply push up the price of hamburgers in the United States. It doesn’t make any sense, Andrew. It doesn’t make any sense at all.

    Andrew Clennell: Sure.

    Minister for Trade: You want to be pushing prices down. You don’t want to be pushing them up.

    Andrew Clennell: Indeed. There’s also speculation the trade war could harm the PBS somehow and cause pharmaceutical prices to go up. How would that occur and what do you make of that speculation?

    Minister for Trade: Well, it simply is speculation. That’s all it is, Andrew. I’ve not heard one comment from any person in the United States that refers to the PBS. We’ve got a terrific health system. We’re continuing to improve all the time. Minister Butler is always coming up with new ideas to improve our health system. The PBS is an essential part of our health system and there will be absolutely nothing that the Americans can do to impact on our health system or the PBS system. And we certainly, we certainly would not contemplate doing anything at any stage that makes our health system more expensive. We want to put downward pressure on the cost of health and we’re going to continue to do that, especially if we get re-elected in a few weeks’ time.

    Andrew Clennell: It’s been reported the deal that Australia put on the table was access to our critical minerals like lithium, manganese, what’s the nature of that deal? Presumably America would still have to pay for the minerals. Would they get the minerals at a cheaper rate? Would they have the first right of refusal on the minerals? What are the minerals to be used for? Making mobile phones, electric cars and the like?

    Minister for Trade: Yeah, look, Australia is very fortunate in the sense that we have either the largest or the second largest reserves of all critical minerals and rare earths in the world. Now, critical minerals are different from other minerals. If you go up to the Pilbara, you can see iron ore as far as the eye can see, Andrew. Critical minerals tend to be in much smaller deposits and they’re much deeper down. Two things about that. They are more expensive to extract and they take longer to dig out of the ground and they don’t last as long so you’ve got to keep finding new resources. What this means for what we were proposing to the Americans was continued and improved investment in getting access to those critical minerals. We’ve got some of the most sophisticated miners in Australia, Andrew. We’ve got a very sophisticated mining operation here, much more sophisticated than the Americans. But the thing we often don’t have is access to capital. So, the offer to the Americans was, look, we’ll work with you. You want these critical minerals, you want them for electric batteries in cars, you’ve mentioned some of the other things, mobile phones, all of these sorts of things. But the process of extraction is expensive, we need capital. We want to work with other countries. We want to particularly work, for instance, with the Europeans. We’ve made them some offers in this regard. It’s not about cheaper prices, it’s not about preferred access. It’s about ensuring that they’ve got a reliable supply chain to ensure that when they need these critical minerals, you’ve got a reliable country like Australia who can provide them.

    Andrew Clennell: So, would that be Australian money or American money? When you talk about increased investment –

    Minister for Trade: Both. Both.

    Andrew Clennell: Okay. So, an Australian financial offer was put on the table?

    Minister for Trade: No, it wasn’t a financial offer in that sense. It was a way forward to try and get support both in Australia and in the United States for extracting these critical minerals. So, if we’re going to go down the track of decarbonising our economies, this is the way we need to go. But it’s going to require investment, significant investment. The Australian Government is already making significant investments in this area. But to get to where we want to get to in terms of that net zero project, then we need more investment and – 

    Andrew Clennell: Do you see the hand of Elon Musk? Do you see the hand of Elon Musk in any of this? The keenness of the Americans for these critical minerals.

    Minister for Trade: Well, look, they didn’t accept our offer. So, if Mr Musk was involved in this, then he doesn’t appear to have influenced the result, if that was what he was after. To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Musk was not involved in any of these discussions that I –

    Andrew Clennell: All right, no worries. We’re nearly out of time. Overnight, the PM reiterated in a meeting with European leaders he would consider sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if there was peace. That’ll be controversial with a lot of Australians because it’s not our region. We know Peter Dutton doesn’t support this. Is the PM trying to muscle up here after Peter Dutton has continually called him weak? What’s the motivation to get involved in this conflict?

    Minister for Trade: Andrew, for the last 80 years, in other words, since the end of World War II, Australia has been involved in peacekeeping missions all the way around the world. We’ve come out right from day one, Prime Minister Albanese has been very clear and very strong on this, we support Ukraine. Ukraine’s fight for democracy. Ukraine’s fight for its sovereignty is Australia’s fight. It’s Australia’s fight. We’ve made significant financial contributions to Ukraine to ensure that they can defend themselves from this illegal and immoral monster, Putin, and we’ll continue to do that. And if Prime Minister Starmer says, look, will you contribute to peacekeeping? I think that’s the right thing to do. Look, it’s not all about popularity and so forth, but it’s the right thing to do. We want to see peace around the world. The best thing that Australia can do in terms of any international relationship is to support peace. And if we can make a contribution to that peacekeeping effort, then I think we should. And I think Mr. Dutton is completely on the wrong track here. Australians support the Ukrainian fight. I was on the steps of Parliament House just a couple of weeks ago with Premier Malinauskas. His background is Lithuanian. He knows exactly what happens if you don’t stand up to bullies like Putin. It’s in our interest to defend democracy in Ukraine. It’s in our interest to be part of a peacekeeping force when there’s peace.

    Andrew Clennell: Finally, and briefly, there was something of a blow to the government late last week with the default market offer out, that Australians face price rises of up to 10 per cent on their power bills. Will the government’s electricity subsidy be extended and increased in the budget?

    Minister for Trade: Well, you know the answer to that question, Andrew. You’ll have to ask the Treasurer, and you’ve only got a few more sleeps to find out what’s going to be in the next budget.

    Andrew Clennell: Well, I might ask him on the show next week. Thanks very much, Don Farrell.

    Minister for Trade: Nice talking with you Andrew. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump freezes VOA, other US-funded media outlets

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Hundreds of staffers at Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and other outlets received a weekend email that they will be barred from their offices and should surrender press passes and equipment, local media reported Saturday.

    The cuts followed an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, which listed U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), as part of “unnecessary” federal bureaucracy.

    USAGM, VOA’s parent agency, employs about 3,500 staff and has an 886 million-U.S. dollar budget for 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.

    The agency has severed all contracts for the privately incorporated international broadcasters it funds, including Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, local media reported.

    VOA director Michael Abramowitz said on social media that nearly his entire staff of 1,300 journalists, producers and assistants had been put on administrative leave.

    The White House said the cuts would ensure “taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.”

    Reports indicated that the decision is expected to face challenges, as Congress, not the president, has the constitutional power of the purse. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese animated blockbuster ‘Ne Zha 2’ premieres in Indonesia

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Audience enter the cinema for the Indonesian premiere of Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 at CGV Grand Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

    Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” the highest-grossing animated film of all time, premiered in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday, with a packed theater of eager moviegoers.

    Throughout the screening, Indonesian moviegoers were fully immersed in the movie, responding with laughter, gasp, and applause. Notably, the audience was moved and hailed spontaneously, showing their excitement and appreciation.

    After the screening, many young viewers gathered near the “Ne Zha 2” posters to film videos, eagerly recommending the movie to others.

    Oscar Prajnaphalla, head of marketing at Warner Bros. Indonesia, the movie’s local distributor, expressed his admiration. “This is the first Chinese movie we have distributed, and I must say, ‘Ne Zha 2’ left a strong impression. The animation is top-notch, the production quality is outstanding, and the story is deeply engaging. It’s a film that truly captivates the audience.”

    “Seeing today’s response, it’s clear that viewers were highly impressed by the animation and storytelling. I do not doubt that through word-of-mouth, ‘Ne Zha 2’ will attract even more moviegoers. We look forward to bringing more exceptional Chinese films to the Indonesian market in the future,” he added.

    For many Indonesians, “Ne Zha 2” marks their first experience with Chinese animated movies. Local moviegoer Syarah Prasetyo described it as a visually stunning film that kept her engaged throughout.

    “The plot twists kept me engaged, and the depiction of parental love resonated deeply with our culture, making it easy to connect with. The humor and emotional moments were well-balanced, making the entire viewing experience incredibly enjoyable. I genuinely look forward to seeing more outstanding Chinese movies at Indonesian cinemas,” she said.

    “Ne Zha 2” will officially hit screens in Indonesia on March 21. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Two disciplines in arts at AADTHU achieve record highs in QS World University Rankings

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Participants pose for a group photo after a forum during the 2024 Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE 2024) in Milan, Nov. 16, 2024. [Photo courtesy of AADTHU]

    Tsinghua University ranked No. 1 in Asia and No. 14 globally for arts and design, and No. 2 in Asia and No. 3 worldwide for art history in the 15th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, released on March 12 by global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds.  

    Both disciplines are part of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU). Notably, the art and design discipline rose 10 places in the global rankings, while the art history climbed 2 places.

    In its largest-ever subject rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds compared over 21,000 academic programs, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities across 100 countries and regions, spanning 55 subjects and five faculty areas. The Chinese mainland ranked third globally with 1,230 subjects listed, trailing only the United States and the United Kingdom.

    According to AADTHU’s official website, the academy’s achievements are deeply rooted in its strong commitment to constructing an integrated interdisciplinary system and to pioneering internationalized education.  

    By leading the reform of global art education, AADTHU is crafting a new professional development blueprint with an open approach. It is deepening its strategy of integrating art and science, advancing the development of interdisciplinary talent, and fostering innovation in technology and design, cultivating professionals with expertise in both the sciences and humanities.  

    In 2024, the academy invited 44 professors from prestigious global institutions, alongside artists, designers and industry leaders, for short-term programs. These initiatives featured 30 lectures, eight courses and two workshops, drawing over 1,000 faculty and student participants. Beyond this, the academy hosted 42 distinguished international experts as keynote speakers at conferences it either organized or co-hosted.

    Notable events from 2024 include an opening forum on the integration of art design and industry innovation in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) at Milan Academic Week in Milan, Italy, in January, as well as the 6th Art and Science International Symposium held in Beijing in March. Meanwhile, the 2024 Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE 2024), themed “New Dimensions: Imagination Beyond the Horizon,” and the exhibition “From the Seine to Guanghua Road: Modernization of Art Deco” were successfully held in Milan and Beijing, respectively, in November.  

    Further highlights from last year include the “Arts and Crafts Artworks Exhibition of AADTHU” held in Wakayama prefecture, Japan, and a special exhibition and international symposium on Dunhuang art research, which opened at the China-France Fashion Week in Paris, France. “Brilliance of Cooperation: The Olympic Art Exhibition of Tsinghua University” was also held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in October.  

    Additionally, Tsinghua University’s doctoral degree authorization points for the first-level disciplines of both art studies and design studies successfully passed an on-site evaluation in October by experts from peer higher education institutions. Earlier this year in January, the China Scientometrics and Bibliometrics Research Center of CNKI also named 11 faculty members from AADTHU as “2024 CNKI Highly Cited Scholars.” CNKI stands for China National Knowledge Infrastructure, a leading online academic database.

    AADTHU offers a diverse range of disciplines across 10 departments, including textile and fashion design, ceramic design, visual communication design, environmental art design, industrial design, information art & design, painting, sculpture, arts and crafts, and art history. The academy also features specialized offices for research, international exchanges, and art galleries. 

    The academy’s website also showed in recent years, AADTHU has continued to enhance its international standards, strengthen global academic exchanges, and expand its influence in international art education. Its art and design discipline, among the earliest in China to grant master’s and doctoral degrees, consistently ranks first nationally, emphasizing interdisciplinary, innovative, and globally competent talent development. AADTHU’s Department of Art History has also ranked among the top in national evaluations, with over half of its graduates securing positions at universities, museums, and research institutions.

    AADTHU pledges to use its expertise to support a global community with a shared future. Guided by the principle of “art for life, design for livelihood,” it is contributing to addressing rural revitalization, livelihood development and global issues, making art a force for progress and contributing Tsinghua’s wisdom to world civilization.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Ne Zha 2’ storms into global box office top 5, cementing it as a cultural phenomenon

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Cultural creative products of Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 are pictured in a toy store in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, March 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Lu Youyi)

    Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” has soared past Disney’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to claim the fifth spot on the all-time global box office charts, further solidifying its status as both a cultural and commercial phenomenon.

    According to data from ticketing platform Maoyan as of Saturday, the film’s global earnings — including presales — have surpassed 15.019 billion yuan (about 2.09 billion U.S. dollars), a milestone reached just 45 days after its release during the Chinese New Year on Jan. 29.

    This latest feat adds to an impressive list of records for the film, which became the first film to gross 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market, the first non-Hollywood title to enter the billion-dollar club, and the highest-grossing animated movie of all time worldwide.

    MILESTONE FOR CHINESE CINEMA

    Directed by Yang Yu, known as Jiaozi, the sequel to 2019’s “Ne Zha” — which grossed 5 billion yuan and topped the Chinese box office that year — has redefined the ceiling for single-film earnings in Chinese cinema. Over 98 percent of its revenue has come from the Chinese mainland, according to Maoyan data.

    “This success has not only boosted the confidence of creators but also showcased the resilience and immense growth potential of the Chinese market,” said Lai Li, a Maoyan analyst.

    The film’s roots run deep in Chinese mythology, continuing the story of the boy god Nezha as he and his ally Aobing struggle to rebuild their physical forms. With the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, they navigate a journey of self-discovery, fate and defiance.

    The story’s rich mythology, dazzling animation and universal themes have struck a chord with audiences. “‘Ne Zha 2’ is a miracle and a peak in Chinese cinema, a record that may remain unbroken for a long time,” said Chen Xuguang, director of the Institute of Film, Television and Theatre at Peking University.

    EXPANDING GLOBAL REACH WITH ACCLAIM

    The film’s technical achievements are just as remarkable. With nearly 2,000 visual effects shots and contributions from 138 animation studios, “Ne Zha 2” exemplifies the growing strength of China’s creative industry.

    Since its international rollout began on Feb. 13 in Australia and New Zealand, “Ne Zha 2” has steadily expanded its global footprint. It opened in North America the following day, shattering the region’s 20-year-old opening weekend record for a Chinese-language film.

    Sheila Sofian, a professor at the University of Southern California and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, praised the film’s production design, sound design, and music, calling it “mind-blowing” in a video interview shared by China Media Group.

    After debuting in Singapore on March 6, “Ne Zha 2” launched this week in the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, with further Southeast Asian rollouts planned in the coming weeks.

    Its European expansion is also underway. On Friday, the film held preview screenings in Britain and Ireland ahead of its official March 21 release in both countries, with further European rollouts to follow.

    Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia, which holds theatrical distribution rights for “Ne Zha 2” across 37 territories, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Spain, described the film’s European launch as “unprecedented in scope.”

    INDUSTRY-WIDE, CULTURAL IMPACT

    “Ne Zha 2” has struck a deep emotional chord with audiences. One Maoyan user reflected on the film’s themes of prejudice and resilience, writing, “The line ‘prejudice in people’s hearts is like an unmovable mountain’ rings true… Even I, from a humble background, used to judge others based on their family background.”

    Another viewer, a high school student preparing for China’s tough college entrance exams, found personal inspiration: “With 100 days left until the exam, ‘Ne Zha 2’ reminded me that my potential is limitless. If there’s no path ahead, I’ll carve one out myself!”

    Largely driven by “Ne Zha 2,” China’s box office revenue during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday hit a record high, injecting much-needed optimism into the country’s film industry, which saw earnings fall by 23 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, and by 34 percent from the pre-pandemic peak in 2019.

    Dong Wenxin, a film critic and manager of a cinema in Jinan, Shandong Province, emphasized the film’s industry-wide impact. “‘Ne Zha 2’ hasn’t drained the market but expanded it. More people are paying attention to theatrical releases and are willing to support quality content,” she told Xinhua. “We owe a lot to ‘Ne Zha 2’ — it’s proof that great commercial blockbusters can sustain a healthy market cycle.”

    Beyond its domestic success, “Ne Zha 2” is poised to serve as a cultural bridge, offering global audiences a window into China’s rich mythology and traditions.

    Yin Hong, vice chairman of the China Film Association and a professor at Tsinghua University, told Xinhua that the success of “Ne Zha 2” reflects the dynamism of China’s creative industries, the enduring appeal of its traditional culture, and the potential for Chinese stories to captivate audiences all over the world.

    In a video interview, Jiaozi reflected on the personal journey the “Ne Zha” films have taken him on, revealing how the series has evolved from his own passion into a broad cultural phenomenon. “The first step was creating something I loved, and domestic audiences loved it too,” he said. “Over time, I’ve worked to improve it, to refine my craft. I believe that one day, new ideas, deeper meanings, and a new soul will emerge from it, and the whole world will be able to appreciate it.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Guam at decolonisation ‘crossroads’ with resolution on US statehood

    By Mar-Vic Cagurangan in Hagatna, Guam

    Debate on Guam’s future as a US territory has intensified with its legislature due to vote on a non-binding resolution to become a US state amid mounting Pacific geostrategic tensions and expansionist declarations by the Trump administration.

    Located closer to Beijing than Hawai’i, Guam serves as a key US strategic asset, known as the “tip of the spear,” with 10,000 military personnel, an air base for F-35 fighters and B-2 bombers and home port for Virginia-class nuclear submarines.

    The small US territory of 166,000 people is also listed by the UN for decolonisation and last year became an associate member at the Pacific Islands Forum.

    Local Senator William A. Parkinson introduced the resolution to the legislature last Wednesday and called for Guam to be fully integrated into the American union, possibly as the 51st state.

    “We are standing in a moment of history where two great empires are standing face-to-face with each other, about to go to war,” Parkinson said at a press conference on Thursday.

    “We have to be real about what’s going on in this part of the world. We are a tiny island but we are too strategically important to be left alone. Stay with America or do we let ourselves be absorbed by China?”

    His resolution states the decision “must be built upon the informed consent of the people of Guam through a referendum”.

    Trump’s expansionist policies
    Parkinson’s resolution comes as US President Donald Trump advocates territorially expansionist policies, particularly towards the strategically located Danish-ruled autonomous territory of Greenland and America’s northern neighbour, Canada.

    “This one moment in time, this one moment in history, the stars are aligning so that the geopolitics of the United States favour statehood for Guam,” Parkinson said. “This is an opportunity we cannot pass up.”

    Guam Legislature Senator William A. Parkinson holds a press conference after introducing his resolution. BenarNews screenshot APR

    As a territory, Guam residents are American citizens but they cannot vote for the US president and their lone delegate to the Congress has no voting power on the floor.

    The US acquired Guam, along with Puerto Rico, in 1898 after winning the Spanish-American War, and both remain unincorporated territories to this day.

    Independence advocates and representatives from the Guam Commission on Decolonisation regularly testify at the UN’s Decolonisation Committee, where the island has been listed as a Non-Self-Governing Territory since 1946.

    Commission on Decolonisation executive director Melvin Won Pat-Borja said he was not opposed to statehood but is concerned if any decision on Guam’s status was left to the US.

    “Decolonisation is the right of the colonised,” he said while attending Parkinson’s press conference, the Pacific Daily News reported.

    ‘Hands of our coloniser’
    “It’s counterintuitive to say that, ‘we’re seeking a path forward, a path out of this inequity,’ and then turn around and put it right back in the hands of our coloniser.

    “No matter what status any of us prefer, ultimately that is not for any one of us to decide, but it is up to a collective decision that we have to come to, and the only way to do it is via referendum,” he said, reports Kuam News.

    With the geostrategic competition between the US and China in the Pacific, Guam has become increasingly significant in supporting American naval and air operations, especially in the event of a conflict over Taiwan or in the South China Sea.

    The two US bases have seen Guam’s economy become heavily reliant on military investments and tourism.

    The Defence Department holds about 25 percent of Guam’s land and is preparing to spend billions to upgrade the island’s military infrastructure as another 5000 American marines relocate there from Japan’s Okinawa islands.

    Guam is also within range of Chinese and North Korean ballistic missiles and the US has trialed a defence system, with the first tests held in December.

    Governor Lou Leon Guerrero delivers her “State of the Island” address in Guam on Tuesday . . . “Guam cannot be the linchpin of American security in the Asian-Pacific if nearly 14,000 of our residents are without shelter . . .” Image: Office of the Governor of Guam/Benar News

    The “moment in history” for statehood may also be defined by the Trump administration spending cuts, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero warned in her “state of the island” address on Wednesday.

    Military presence leveraged
    The island has in recent years leveraged the increased military presence to demand federal assistance and the territory’s treasury relies on at least US$0.5 billion in annual funding.

    “Let us be clear about this: Guam cannot be the linchpin of American security in the Asian-Pacific if nearly 14,000 of our residents are without shelter, because housing aid to Guam is cut, or if 36,000 of our people lose access to Medicaid and Medicare coverage keeping them healthy, alive and out of poverty,” Guerrero said.

    Parkinson’s proposed legislative resolution calls for an end to 125-plus years of US colonial uncertainty.

    “The people of Guam, as the rightful stewards of their homeland, must assert their inalienable right to self-determination,” states the resolution, including that there be a “full examination of statehood or enhanced autonomous status for Guam.”

    “Granting Guam equal political status would signal unequivocally that Guam is an integral part of the United States, deterring adversaries who might otherwise perceive Guam as a mere expendable outpost.”

    If adopted by the Guam legislature, the non-binding resolution would be transmitted to the White House.

    A local statute enacted in 2000 for a political status plebiscite on statehood, independence or free association has become bogged down in US courts.

    ‘Reject colonial status quo’
    Neil Weare, a former Guam resident and co-director of Right to Democracy, said the self-determination process must be centred on what the people of Guam want, “not just what’s best for US national security”.

    “Right to Democracy does not take a position on political status, other than to reject the undemocratic and colonial status quo,” Weare said on behalf of the nonprofit organisation that advocates for rights and self-determination in US territories.

    “People can have different views on what is the best solution to this problem, but we should all be in agreement that the continued undemocratic rule of millions of people in US territories is wrong and needs to end.”

    He said the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence next year can open a new venue for a conversation about key concepts — such as the “consent of the governed” — involving Guam and other US territories.

    Republished from BenarNews with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: US launches new crewed mission to bring home stranded astronauts

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    NASA and SpaceX launched a new crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday to bring home two NASA astronauts who have been stranded in space since last June.

    The spacecraft lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in the state of Florida at 7:03 p.m. Friday Eastern Time (2303 GMT), according to a NASA live broadcast.

    About two and a half minutes after the launch, SpaceX confirmed the successful separation of the rocket’s first stage. The first stage booster landed at Landing Zone 1 located near the launch pad.

    The spacecraft is currently en route to the ISS. It will take about 28.5 hours for the spacecraft to autonomously dock to the space station, scheduled at 11:30 p.m. Saturday Eastern Time (0330 GMT Sunday), NASA said.

    The new mission, codenamed Crew-10, carries NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and cosmonaut Kirill Peskov with Russian state space corporation Roscosmos to the ISS.

    During their mission, Crew-10 is scheduled to conduct material flammability tests to contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs, NASA said, adding that the crew will engage with students worldwide via the ISS ham radio program and use the program’s existing hardware to test a backup lunar navigation solution.

    Also, one crew member will conduct an integrated study to monitor and analyze physiological and psychological changes in the human body, providing valuable insights for future deep space missions.

    Following the arrival of Crew-10 to the orbital laboratory, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission — which includes NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — will return to Earth.

    Williams and Wilmore have been stuck in space since last June due to technical problems of Boeing’s Starliner which took them to the ISS.

    The two astronauts were initially scheduled for an eight-day mission in space, but numerous issues were detected during their trip to the ISS, including helium leaks and propulsion issues. As a result, NASA deemed the Starliner spacecraft unsafe to return with astronauts on board.

    While the Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth last September, Williams and Wilmore remained aboard the ISS for several additional months. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 30.8 kg of heroin, 154,000 stimulant tablets seized in central Myanmar

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Myanmar authorities have seized 30.8 kg of heroin and 154,000 stimulant tablets in central Myanmar’s Mandalay region, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) said on Saturday.

    Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotics police searched a vehicle in Pyigyitagon township of Mandalay region on March 9 and confiscated the narcotics, and arrested three suspects.

    Three other suspects in connection with the case were later arrested.

    The seized narcotics are approximately worth over 1 billion kyats (about 476,190 U.S. dollars).

    The suspects have been charged under the country’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, and further investigations were ongoing. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Why Global Civilization Initiative matters to human progress

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting via video link and delivers a keynote address in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    In the book-lined office of Professor Stelios Virvidakis at the University of Athens, Greece’s oldest and most esteemed academic institution, a letter is carefully preserved like a precious, delicate bridge model.

    It came from Chinese President Xi Jinping, delivered to congratulate the inauguration of the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations in the time-honored university in February 2023.

    “It was a delightful surprise to us all,” said Virvidakis, his philosopher’s gaze softening at the memory.

    In the letter, Xi noted that over 2,000 years ago, China and Greece, two civilizations glittering at each end of the Eurasian continent, made groundbreaking contributions to the evolution of human civilization.

    Now, he pointed out, it is of profound historical and contemporary significance for them to work together to promote exchanges and mutual learning and enhance the development of all civilizations.

    The well-preserved letter reflects Xi’s broader vision of fostering cross-cultural dialogue and mutual learning as a catalyst for global peace and development, a vision that has been driving his diplomatic action worldwide.

    That aspiration is best embodied in his Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), launched at a conference between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and global political parties in 2023, where he stressed that tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity’s modernization process when the future of all countries are closely connected.

    With the GCI marking its second anniversary on Saturday, Xi’s vision — to build a world where civilizations don’t collide but converse — has become ever more relevant, standing both as a nod to ancient ties and as a bold stitch in a fraying global tapestry.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and foreign leaders arrive to attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    In recent years, some scholars and politicians in the West have been peddling once again the clash of civilizations theory, first proposed by American political scientist Samuel Huntington in 1993. They portray some civilizations as superior to others and seek to divide countries through ideological and racial lines.

    On the background of the resurgence of such sentiments is a world undergoing unprecedented transformations rarely seen in a century. Global South countries, on a collective rise, are demanding their legitimate right to modernization in louder voices, while the global deficits in peace, security, development and governance are growing ever larger.

    In Xi’s eyes, no civilization in the world is superior to others, and every civilization is equal and unique. “Civilizations have come in different colors, and such diversity renders exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations relevant and valuable,” he said in a speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in 2014.

    Months after he put forward the GCI in 2023, Xi explained at an event in San Francisco that the initiative is meant “to urge the international community to address the imbalance between material and cultural advancement and jointly promote continued progress of human civilization.”

    China’s global initiatives, including the GCI, advocate for an egalitarian and inclusive order in pursuit of just and coherent global governance, said Ong Tee Keat, president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific and a former transport minister of Malaysia.

    In the meantime, he said, “the GCI has driven home a clear message that all nations have the right to choose their own development paths in their pursuit of modernization, which is not necessarily synonymous with Westernization.”

    In September 2024, at the opening ceremony of the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Xi put forward 10 partnership actions for modernization, with the first being “Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations.”

    “China will enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilizations on our way to modernization, and strive together for more fruitful outcomes under the GCI,” Xi said.

    As the world order designed to serve the interests of Western powers no longer meets the evolving needs and aspirations of Global South countries, a call for change is a natural response, said Ong, the Malaysian expert.

    “This must occur … free from any mental subordination. Only then can an environment conducive to a nation’s modernization and development be established,” he said. “In this respect, the GCI undoubtedly serves as a potent enabler.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Death of man at North Adelaide

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating the death of a man at North Adelaide this morning.

    About 7.45am on Sunday 16 March, police and paramedics responded to reports of a man collapsed on a walking path between Brougham Place and King William Road.

    The man was unresponsive when police arrived.

    Paramedics commenced CPR at the scene and was then rushed to hospital but sadly, the man died.

    Eastern District Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

    Police are asking anyone who was in the area early this morning and noticed anything suspicious to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestoppersssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: KATARAPKO ISLAND (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    KATARAPKO ISLAND

    Katarapko Island fires

    Issued for KATARAPKO ISLAND approximately 10 km from Berri in the Riverland, South Australia.

    The CFS, SA Metropolitan Fire Service, Department for Environment and Water, SA Police and SA State Emergency Services are responding to multiple ignitions near Katarapko Island.

    Firefighters on approximately 26 trucks, supported by aircraft and boats, are on scene working to quickly extinguish the blazes.

    The cause of the fires is yet to be determined and Fire Investigators have been notified.

    Smoke may be impacting communities and roads in the area, and visibility may be reduced. You should stay informed and be aware of the health impacts of smoke on yourself and others.

    Emergency services may be working on and around roads in the area, and motorists are advised to stay away. If you need to travel on roads in the area, please take care and drive to the local conditions.

    Message ID 0008374

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Is Standing Up to Terrorism and Protecting International Commerce

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.
    Our economic and national security have been under attack by the Houthis for too long. Today, President Trump’s action and leadership are moving to end this.
    Shipping Disruption
    Houthi attacks against shipping since 2023 have caused a sustained negative effect on global trade and the economic security of the United States. A 2024 Defense Intelligence Agency report detailed how container shipping through the Red Sea has precipitously declined due to Houthi attacks.
    Before their attacks, 25,000 merchant ships passed through the Red Sea annually. The current number has dropped to around 10,000 ships annually.
    Imports of consumer goods and cars to the United States, as well as agricultural exports from our own Gulf of America, have been rerouted due to the Houthi attacks.
    In November 2023, the Houthis seized the ship M/V Galaxy Leader and began to attack commercial ships with anti-ship missiles and unmanned vehicles.
    Houthi attacks caused approximately 75% of U.S.- and UK-affiliated vessels to reroute around Africa instead of transiting the Red Sea. Traveling around Africa takes an average of ten days longer than sailing through the Red Sea. Additional fuel costs are roughly one million dollars more for each voyage around Africa.
    Higher shipping rates caused by Houthi attacks probably increased global consumer goods inflation between 0.6 and 0.7 percent in 2024.
    Impacts to Allies and Partners
    The Red Sea serves a primary conduit for trade between Europe and Asia. Around 95% of ships traveling between Europe and Asia normally would go through the Red Sea.
    Out of the top ten importers (by value) of trade through the Red Sea, five are EU nations.
    Houthi attacks caused approximately 60% of EU-affiliated vessels to reroute around Africa instead of transiting the Red Sea
    The Houthis have attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023.2023
    October 19, 2023: The USS Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, intercepted multiple missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. These missiles posed a threat to U.S. forces.
    November 19, 2023: The Houthis attacked and seized the M/V Galaxy Leader and held the multinational crew hostage for over a year.
    December 3, 2023: Houthi forces launched missiles and drones targeting three commercial ships in the Red Sea. The USS Carney responded to distress calls and intercepted three drones during this assault.
    December 16, 2023: The USS Carney engaged and destroyed 14 drones launched by the Houthis in the southern Red Sea, preventing potential attacks on U.S. military and commercial maritime vessels.
    December 26, 2023: The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely responded to a distress call from the commercial vessel Maersk Hangzhou, which was under attack by Houthi forces. U.S. Navy helicopters engaged, resulting in the sinking of three Houthi boats.
    December 30, 2023: Houthi forces fired anti-ship ballistic missiles targeting the USS Gravely. The destroyer successfully intercepted the incoming missiles, preventing any damage.
    2024
    January 10, 2024: The Houthis launched a large-scale missile and drone attack against U.S. and UK naval forces in the Red Sea. The coordinated defense successfully neutralized all incoming threats.
    January 15, 2024: The Houthis rebels targeted the U.S.-owned M/V Gibraltar Eagle with a missile, resulting in damage to the vessel.
    January 17, 2024: The Houthi rebels targeted the U.S.-owned cargo ship Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden using drones, resulting in damage to the vessel.
    January 26, 2024: The oil tanker Marlin Luanda, linked to British interests, was attacked by Houthi missiles in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire onboard.
    August 21, 2024: The Houthi rebels attack the Greek-flagged oil tanker M/V Sounion, threatening a massive oil-spill and followed by a months-long salvage effort.  
    September 27, 2024: The USS Spruance, USS Stockdale, and USS Indianapolis were targeted by a barrage of missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces in the Red Sea. All threats were intercepted without any damage to the U.S. warships.
    November 11, 2024: Houthi forces launched a coordinated attack involving drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles against the USS Spruance and USS Stockdale in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The U.S. destroyers successfully intercepted all incoming threats.
    December 1, 2024: While escorting U.S.-flagged merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane intercepted multiple missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces, ensuring the safety of the convoy.
    December 9–10, 2024: The USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane again faced Houthi-launched drones and missiles while escorting merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden. All threats were neutralized without any damage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HK reaches for the Moon

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The beauty and mystery of the Moon have captivated the human imagination for millennia. Channelling that fascination into scientific discovery, China launched its lunar exploration programme in 2004.

    Chang’E-8, part of the programme’s fourth phase, is scheduled to be launched around 2028 to lay the groundwork for the construction of a China-led international lunar research station.

    The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) has been appointed by the China National Space Administration to lead an international collaboration project under Chang’E-8 and develop a multifunctional lunar surface robot for scientific exploration.

    Multifunctional role

    HKUST Space Science & Technology Institute Director Prof Yu Hongyu explained that the robot is equipped with dual robotic arms and  is capable of deploying and installing instruments, collecting lunar surface samples and more.

    After the Chang’E-8 probe lands, the robot will need to retrieve other probes or sensors from it and move them to their designated locations.

    “Precise control of the robotic arms is a challenging task. The process requires avoiding collisions with other instruments and positional accuracy.”

    The Moon’s extreme temperatures and lack of satellite navigation systems pose additional challenges, so the robot is designed to perceive the topography of the Moon, plan and change its paths accordingly.

    “In response to the Moon’s low-gravity and harsh environmental conditions, we are developing a software to ensure that the robot can autonomously adapt its posture and functions based on the environmental changes,” Prof Yu added.

    Another key feature of the robot is its ability to serve as a mobile charging station to charge various lunar surface equipment.

    “In the future International Lunar Research Station, there will be several robots and instruments working collaboratively. They require a stable energy supply. Our robot, fitted with solar panels, can provide wireless charging capabilities,” Prof Yu  elaborated.

    Lunar linkup

    To complete the international collaboration project, the Government has established the Hong Kong Space Robotics & Energy Centre under the InnoHK Research Clusters.

    Led by HKUST, the centre brings together researchers from the local and mainland universities, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology as well as the South African National Space Agency.

    The Innovation & Technology Commission estimates that the centre will provide training for around 20 PhD students and employ over 70 researchers in related fields. It aims to build Hong Kong’s aerospace technology capabilities, driving innovation from concept, research, production, testing to system integration.

    As aerospace technology is a multidisciplinary field, the centre will not only enhance Hong Kong’s aerospace research and engineering capabilities, but also generate industry impact for sectors such as engineering, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, computing and communications, promoting their development.

    Strong support

    Noting that Hong Kong has a solid foundation in basic research and development (R&D), Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong said the Government strongly backs local universities and research institutions in conducting aerospace technology-related research and supporting the country to become the world’s leading spacefaring nation.

    He noted that the centre will capitalise on Hong Kong’s distinct advantages under “one country, two systems”, enhancing the city’s R&D capabilities and international scientific reputation.

    “In recent years, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of deep space exploration. The level of deep space exploration capability is an important indicator of a country’s scientific and technological strength.

    “Through deeply engaging in national space missions and strengthening international scientific and technological co-operation, the centre will facilitate the transformation and application of cutting-edge technologies related to aerospace, significantly enhance Hong Kong’s global competitiveness in the aerospace field and propel its advancement as an international innovation and technology centre.”

    Prof Sun also pointed out that the Government has started to establish the third InnoHK research cluster focusing on advanced manufacturing, materials, energy and sustainable development.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launches to International Space Station

    Source: NASA

    Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station.
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Shortly after docking, the crew will join Expedition 72/73 for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.
    “Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership. This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space and driving growth in our national space economy,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Through these missions, we are laying the foundation for future exploration, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars. Our international crew will contribute to innovative science research and technology development, delivering benefits to all humanity.”
    During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
    NASA’s live coverage resumes at 9:45 p.m., March 15, on NASA+ with rendezvous, docking, and hatching opening. After docking, the crew will change out of their spacesuits and prepare cargo for offload before opening the hatch between Dragon and the space station’s Harmony module around 1:05 a.m., Sunday, March 16. Once the new crew is aboard the orbital outpost, NASA will broadcast welcome remarks from Crew-10 and farewell remarks from the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew, beginning at about 1:40 a.m.
    Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
    The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time as Crew-10 joins NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. Following a brief handover period, Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov will return to Earth no earlier than Wednesday, March 19.Ahead of Crew-9’s departure from station, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida. 
    During their mission, Crew-10 is scheduled to conduct material flammability tests to contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs. The crew will engage with students worldwide via the ISS Ham Radio program and use the program’s existing hardware to test a backup lunar navigation solution. The astronauts also will serve as test subjects, with one crew member conducting an integrated study to better understand physiological and psychological changes to the human body to provide valuable insights for future deep space missions.
    With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 24 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from our home planet. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign and beyond.
    More about Crew-10McClain is the commander of Crew-10 and is making her second trip to the orbital outpost since her selection as an astronaut in 2013. She will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73 aboard the space station. Follow McClain on X.
    Ayers is the pilot of Crew-10 and is flying her first mission. Selected as an astronaut in 2021, Ayers will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Follow Ayers on X and Instagram.
    Onishi is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his second flight to the space station. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Follow Onishi on X.
    Peskov is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his first flight to the space station. Peskov will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.
    Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
    -end-
    Josh Finch / Jimi RussellHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
    Steven Siceloff / Stephanie PlucinskyKennedy Space Center, Florida321-867-2468steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
    Kenna Pell / Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111kenna.m.pell@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State Archives Launches Musical Event “Builder’s Spotlight”

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    State Archives Launches Musical Event “Builder’s Spotlight”

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Main

    HONOLULU — How are ʻukulele built? What are the best materials to use? What would it sound like if the sound hole was in the back of the instrument?

    Those questions and more will be answered at an event the Hawaiʻi State Archives, a division of the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), is hosting. “Builder’s Spotlight” will feature a local instrument maker who will talk about the instruments they make, then perform live music on those instruments.

    The first in this occasional series will be on Saturday, March 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. It will be livestreamed on the Archives’ Facebook page (Hawaiʻi State Archives) then posted to the Archives’ YouTube page when it’s done. The event is free to watch. The public may submit questions on the Facebook page in real time and a moderator will relay the questions to the host during the two-hour event.

    Well-known local musician Kimo Hussey will be the host. The first guest will be luthier Manny Halican of Pahu Kani. Halican will bring in six ʻukulele he built. Halican is also a musician and singer, so the demonstrations will include both Halican and Hussey performing intermittently while discussing design philosophy.

    “This is an excellent educational series highlighting the local artisans who bring cultural and historical value through Hawaiian music and song. It’s wonderful that we will record and save the lectures so that generations to come can learn from these masters,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan.

    This is a component of the Hawaiian Music Archives Initiative, which centralizes all the State Archives’ musical resources for people to explore Hawaiian music history. “The Hawaiian Music Archives Initiative includes 28,000 phonographic recordings, 15 cubic feet of Hawaiian sheet music and instruction guides, and over 1,000 vintage ʻukulele dating back to the 1890s. In September 2024, it also became the home of the ʻUkulele Hall of Fame.”

    State Archivist Adam Jansen, Ph.D., said, “In 2015, the Legislature designated the ʻukulele the official modern musical instrument of Hawaiʻi. We needed a repository to understand this instrument and to help create a deeper understanding of how Hawaiian music brought Hawaiʻi to the world, and by extension the concept of aloha.”

    “I love the ʻukulele. The rewards I get from playing it are wonderful and infinite,” explained Hussey, 80, who started playing the ʻukulele when he was five years old. The Līhuʻe resident will fly in from Kauaʻi to host the event. “I hope by teaching our viewers more about Hawaiʻi’s favorite instrument, it will increase their appreciation the next time they listen to music played on an ʻukulele.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Super Pressure Balloons Return to New Zealand for Test Flights

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program has returned to Wānaka, New Zealand, for two scheduled flights to test and qualify the agency’s super pressure balloon technology. These stadium-sized, heavy-lift balloons will travel the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes for planned missions of 100 days or more. 
    Launch operations are scheduled to begin in late March from Wānaka Airport, NASA’s dedicated launch site for mid-latitude, ultra long-duration balloon missions.  
    “We are very excited to return to New Zealand for this campaign to officially flight qualify the balloon vehicle for future science investigations,” said Gabriel Garde, chief of NASA’s Balloon Program Office at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. “Our dedicated team both in the field and at home has spent years in preparation for this opportunity, and it has been through their hard work, fortitude, and passion that we are back and fully ready for the upcoming campaign.” 
    While the primary flight objective is to test and qualify the super pressure balloon technology, the flights will also host science missions and technology demonstrations. The High-altitude Interferometer Wind Observation (HIWIND), led by High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, will fly as a mission of opportunity on the first flight. The HIWIND payload will measure neutral wind in the part of Earth’s atmosphere called the thermosphere. Understanding these winds will help scientists predict changes in the ionosphere, which can affect communication and navigation systems. The second flight will support several piggyback missions of opportunity, or smaller payloads, including: 

    Compact Multichannel Imaging Camera (CoMIC), led by University of Massachusetts Lowell, will study and measure how Earth’s atmosphere scatters light at high altitudes and will measure airglow, specifically the red and green emissions.  
    High-altitude Infrasound from Geophysical Sources (HIGS), led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, will measure atmospheric pressure to collect signals of geophysical events on Earth such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. These signals will help NASA as it develops the ability to measure seismic activity on Venus from high-altitude balloons.   
    Measuring Ocean Acoustics North of Antarctica (MOANA), led by Sandia National Laboratories and Swedish Institute of Space Physics, aims to capture sound waves in Earth’s stratosphere with frequencies below the limit of human hearing.
    NASA’s Balloon Program Office at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility is leading two technology demonstrations on the flight. The INterim Dynamics Instrumentation for Gondolas (INDIGO) is a data recorder meant to measure the shock of the gondola during the launch, termination, and landing phases of flight. The Sensor Package for Attitude, Rotation, and Relative Observable Winds – 7 (SPARROW-7), will demonstrate relative wind measurements using an ultrasonic device designed for the balloon float environment that measures wind speed and direction.

    NASA’s 18.8-million-cubic-foot (532,000-cubic-meter) helium-filled super pressure balloon, when fully inflated, is roughly the size of Forsyth-Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, which has a seating capacity of more than 35,000. The balloon will float at an altitude of around 110,000 feet (33.5 kilometers), more than twice the altitude of a commercial airplane. Its flight path is determined by the speed and direction of wind at its float altitude.  
    The balloon is a closed system design to prevent gas release. It offers greater stability at float altitude with minimum altitude fluctuations during the day to night cycle compared to a zero pressure balloon. This capability will enable future missions to affordably access the near-space environment for long-duration science and technology research from the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes, including nighttime observations. 
    The public is encouraged to follow real-time tracking of the balloons’ paths as they circle the globe on the agency’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website. Launch and tracking information will be shared across NASA’s social media platforms and the NASA Wallops blog.
    NASA’s return to Wānaka marks the sixth super pressure balloon campaign held in New Zealand since the agency began balloon operations there in 2015. The launches are conducted in collaboration with the Queenstown Airport Corporation, Queenstown Lake District Council, New Zealand Space Agency, and Airways New Zealand.  
    “We are especially grateful to our local hosts, partners, and collaborators who have been with us from the beginning and are critical to the success of these missions and this campaign,” said Garde. 
    NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia manages the agency’s scientific balloon flight program with 10 to 16 flights each year from launch sites worldwide. Peraton, which operates NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, provides mission planning, sustaining engineering services, and field operations for NASA’s scientific balloon program. The Columbia team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons over some 40 years of operations. NASA’s balloons are fabricated by Aerostar. The NASA Scientific Balloon Program is funded by the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Division.  
    For more information on NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program, visit:
    www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons.
    By Olivia Littleton
    NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

    lass=”text-align-center”>Another student who supported Hamas was arrested by ICE HSI for overstaying her student visa

       
    WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that one of the Columbia students who had her student visa revoked for advocating for violence and terrorism self-deported using the CBP Home App and ICE arrested a Palestinian student for overstaying her expired F-1 visa

     
    Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, entered the United States on a F-1 student visa as doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University

    Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hammas, a terrorist organization

    On March 5, 2025, the Department of State revoked her visa

    The Department of Homeland Security has obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11

     
    Another student Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa

    Her visa terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance

    Previously, in April 2024 Kordia was arrested for her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University in New York City

     
    The below statement is attributable to Secretary Noem:  
    “It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America

    When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country

    I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport

    ” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – Heʻeia State Park Banquet Hall Reopens, March 14, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – Heʻeia State Park Banquet Hall Reopens, March 14, 2025

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

     

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    HE‘EIA STATE PARK BANQUET HALL IS REOPENED

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

    March 14, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – A valued location for community gatherings and celebrations in Windward Oʻahu is operating again. Since the reopening of the banquet hall at Heʻeia State Park on Saturday, March 1, there have been over 200 reservations and inquires for baby luaus, birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries and other types of celebrations.

     

    The hall and associated facilities were closed for the last month after the previous lease to the nonprofit Kama‘aina Care, Inc. was canceled. The banquet facility has been managed by cooperating partners with the DLNR Division of State Parks (DSP) for the past 48 years, since He‘eia was acquired as a state park in 1977. Prior to that, Kealohi Point was known as and operated as “Ulumau Village.”  

     

    In January, another nonprofit, Halau Nohona Hawai‘i (HNH), was awarded a revocable permit by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) on a month-to-month basis. DSP is evaluating future management options and partnerships for enhancing the community’s experience, adding educational opportunities, estuary stewardship and to ensure that Heʻeia State Park is also known as Kealohi Point, a venerated cultural feature of Kāne’ohe Bay.

     

    “DSP has learned that HNH, through the culinary and event management skills of its co-founder Kaimana Chee, a kumu hula and a homegrown resident from Hauʻula, will be able to provide an affordable and quality standard for events in the banquet hall,” said Curt Cottrell, DSP Administrator.

     

    “With extensive experience in managing diverse culinary and events and operations across six continents, Kaimana and the HNH is bringing this depth of knowledge back home,” Cottrell added.

     

    To prepare for the reopening of the banquet hall, DSP received 300 new chairs and 40 tables. DSP staff hustled to unwrap and mark them as parks property. A DSP caretaker has been assigned to open the entrance gate each morning and to support service of the comfort station.

     

    For now, the grounds will be maintained through a contracted service, since DSP has not had staff assigned to this park for over 14 years due to Kamaʻaina Care doing all the maintenance. 

     

    The Puakea Foundation, led by Uncle Bobby Puakea, has a longstanding curatorship agreement in its halau waʻa onsite, and will continue its waʻa restoration and education programs that will now include paddling training and workshops.

     

    A new and critically needed additional partner in the park is DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) which is establishing a field station at the park and has installed an office trailer to support law enforcement operations on the windward coast. DOCARE will have the capacity to support park closure and ensure improved public safety. 

     

    Cottrell called DOCARE’s move “timely.” In December, someone broke into the banquet hall, damaged glass and stole expensive tools and materials owned by Kama‘aina Care, and DSP picnic tables and benches have been stolen. A few weeks ago, two arson fires were extinguished in the park.

     

    “Having DOCARE’s presence is enormously beneficial not only for He‘eia, but for the adjacent He‘eia Kea Small Boat Harbor and other facilities and lands in windward O‘ahu under DLNR jurisdiction,” Cottrell said.

     

    # # #

     

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

     

    HD video – He‘eia State Park and chair stenciling (Feb. 25-26, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oomyt0i38xd4ixrqeex04/Heeia-State-Park-Banquet-Hall-Reopens-media-clips.mov?rlkey=3ew4jgezg43vamp7spe3cpknx&st=m52v4unm&dl=0

     

     

    Photographs – He‘eia State Park and chair stenciling (Feb. 25-26, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/aiwa6j3ynsags7srd1pjr/ACaOdhdwo2frMdb4KHD0XBU?rlkey=ssf4fo6txxg2zgmdekzmzzv6l&st=9lrzex3p&dl=0

     

     

     

    Media Contacts: 

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawaiʻi Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    Email: DLNR.comms@hawaii.gov

     

    Patti Jette

    Communications Specialist

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396 

    Email: [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor — News Release — Gov. Green Announces First One ‘Ohana Fund Disbursement

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor — News Release — Gov. Green Announces First One ‘Ohana Fund Disbursement

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI 
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D. 
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA 
     

    GOVERNOR GREEN ANNOUNCES FIRST ONE ‘OHANA FUND DISBURSEMENT TO SURVIVORS

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    March 14, 2025

    HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., today announced the initial disbursements from the $175 million One ‘Ohana Fund, a key initiative of the Maui Wildfires Compensation Program (MWCP). This fund was created to provide direct financial relief to the families of those who lost loved ones and to individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the August 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.

    “While no amount of money can replace the lives lost or the suffering endured, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing timely and fair compensation,” said Governor Green. “Today marks a significant step forward in the long journey of recovery for the people of Maui.”

    Initial Disbursements and Program Progress:
    • The first $1.5 million payment has been issued to the estate of a wildfire victim.
    • A total of 26 wrongful death claims have been qualified:
    • One claim has been paid.
    • 22 additional payments will be made upon approval of good-faith settlement petitions.
    • Two claimants withdrew, and one claim was voided under program protocols.
    • Nine serious physical injury claims are in the final review process.
    • Phase One of the MWCP is expected to be fully completed by June 30, 2025.

    Larger Global Settlement and Future Payments:
    • The One ‘Ohana Fund will provide 23 wrongful death payments and nine injury case payments.
    • Families receiving disbursements may seek additional compensation from the $4 billion global settlement fund.
    • After these disbursements, the One ‘Ohana Fund will begin accepting up to 79 additional wrongful death claims, each receiving $1.5 million, with the ability to pursue further compensation.

    Ensuring Fairness and Transparency:
    • The state of Hawaiʻi has pledged $800 million to the global settlement, pending legislative approval.
    • A new oversight entity will be established to ensure efficient and equitable distribution of funds.
    • Maui Circuit Court Judge Peter Cahill will oversee the resolution of claims from subrogation insurers.

    “This process was designed to be accessible and fair,” Governor Green emphasized. “Nearly 65% of wrongful death claimants have represented themselves—an encouraging sign that our approach is working as intended.”

    The state remains committed to:
    • Ensuring that all displaced residents—regardless of ethnicity or citizenship—receive assistance.
    • Engaging the community in long-term planning for transitional and permanent housing.
    • Returning historically recognized lands to the Lahaina community.
    • Securing $500 million for Infrastructure Master Planning to support long-term rebuilding efforts.

    “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Judge Ronald Ibarra (Ret.), our legal teams, pro bono attorneys, financial partners and community organizations for making today possible,” said Governor Green. “We will continue to stand with our families, our community and all those who need support. Together, we will rebuild Lahaina stronger.”

    To view the livestream, double-click here. 
    Photos from today’s news conference can be found here.
    Slides from today’s news conference can be found here.

    # # #

    Media Contacts:   
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Office: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected] 

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNE LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

     

     

    News Release 2025-43

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    March 14, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez issued the following statement after a federal judge in the United States District Court for Maryland issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) for 18 federal agencies, ordering them to stop the illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees and to reinstate fired employees by 1:00pm (ET) on Monday, March 17, 2025. 

     

    “President Trump blindsided the states when he fired thousands of federal probationary employees without giving them the 60-day notice required by law. He jeopardized these employees’ financial security and risked overwhelming the states’ ability to help those who were out of work.

     

    “This ruling not only requires the Trump administration to stop these indiscriminate and unlawful layoffs but also orders it to undo the harm inflicted across the country by restoring the jobs of hardworking federal employees.  

     

    “These mass firings reflect a disregard for both the law and the essential role of the civil service in maintaining government stability. Our office is committed to upholding the rule of law and will take every necessary legal step to ensure compliance with this court order.” 

     

    The TRO comes seven days after Attorney General Lopez joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injuries to the plaintiff states. The TRO stops the unlawful mass firings, orders the agencies to give those employees their jobs back, and applies to the following 18 federal agencies:

     

     

    The state of Hawaiʻi is represented in this matter by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day.

     

    Information on the original lawsuit can be found here.

     

    Attorney General Lopez was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

     

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

    KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

     

    RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     

    1. EUGENE TIAN

    CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

     

    HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT 

    Jobs Increased by 9,900 Year-Over-Year

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    March 14, 2025

    HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 3.0 percent, the same as the previous six consecutive months after benchmark revision. In January, 662,850 persons were employed and 20,400 were unemployed, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 683,250 statewide. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in January, down from 4.1 percent in December.

    The unemployment rate figures for the state of Hawai‘i and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted in accordance with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not-seasonally adjusted rate for the state was 2.7 percent in January, compared to 2.8 percent in December.

    Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

    In a separate measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs decreased by 500 month-over-month, from December 2024 to January 2025. Job gains were experienced in Manufacturing (+100); Private Education & Health Services (+100); and Other Services (+100). Employment in Construction remained unchanged. Job losses occurred in Information (-100); Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-200); Financial Activities (-200); Professional & Business Services (-500); and Leisure & Hospitality (-1,100). Within Leisure & Hospitality, the bulk of the job contraction was in Food Services & Drinking Places. Government employment went up by 1,300 jobs, primarily due to a smaller-than-typical seasonal release of workers in both the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i system. Year-over-year, nonfarm jobs have gone up by 9,900, or 1.6 percent.

     

    Technical Notes:

    Labor Force Components

    The concepts and definitions used by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program are the same as those used in the Current Population Survey for the national labor force data:

    • Civilian labor force. Included are all persons in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older classified as either employed or unemployed. (See the definitions below.)
    • Employed persons. These are all persons who, during the reference week (the week including the twelfth day of the month), (a) did any work as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in an enterprise operated by a member of their family, or (b) were not working but who had jobs from which they were temporarily absent because of vacation, illness, bad weather, childcare problems, maternity or paternity leave, labor-management dispute, job training, or other family or personal reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off or were seeking other jobs. Each employed person is counted only once, even if he or she holds more than one job.
    • Unemployed persons. Included are all persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the four-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
    • Unemployment rate. The unemployed percent of the civilian labor force [i.e., 100 times (unemployed/civilian labor force)].

    Seasonal Adjustment

    The seasonal fluctuations in the number of employed and unemployed persons reflect hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season. These variations make it difficult to tell whether month-to-month changes in employment and unemployment are due to normal seasonal patterns or to changing economic conditions. Therefore, the BLS uses a statistical technique called seasonal adjustment to address these issues. This technique uses the history of the labor force data and the job count data to identify the seasonal movements and to calculate the size and direction of these movements. A seasonal adjustment factor is then developed and applied to the estimates to eliminate the effects of regular seasonal fluctuations on the data. Seasonally adjusted statistical series enable more meaningful data comparisons between months or with an annual average.

    Current Population (Household) Survey (CPS)

    A survey conducted for employment status in the week that includes the twelfth day of each month generates the unemployment rate statistics, which is a separate survey from the Establishment Survey that yields the industry job counts. The CPS survey contacts approximately 1,000 households in Hawai‘i to determine an individual’s current employment status. Employed persons consist of 1) all persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week, 2) all persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-owned enterprise operated by someone in their household and 3) all persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs, whether they were paid or not. Persons considered unemployed are those that do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks and are available for work. Temporarily laid-off workers are counted as unemployed, whether or not they have engaged in a specific job-seeking activity. Persons not in the labor force are those who are not classified as employed or unemployed during the survey reference week.

    Benchmark Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data

    Statewide and sub-state data for 2019 to 2024 have revised inputs and data for 1990 to 2024 have been re-estimated to reflect revised population controls and model re-estimation.

    Change to Monthly Employment Estimates

    This release incorporates revised job count figures for the seasonally adjusted series. The revised data reflects historical corrections applied to unadjusted super sector or sector-level series dating back from 2018 through 2024. For years, analysts with the state of Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Research and Statistics Office have developed monthly employment estimates for Hawai‘i and its metropolitan areas. These estimates were based on a monthly survey of Hawai‘i businesses and analysts’ knowledge about our local economies. Beginning with the production of preliminary estimates for March 2011, responsibility for the production of state and metropolitan area (MSA) estimates were transitioned from individual state agencies to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

    For Hawai‘i, this means the transition of statewide, Honolulu and Kahului-Wailuku MSA estimates for both the seasonally adjusted and not-seasonally adjusted areas are produced by BLS. State agencies will continue to provide the BLS with information on local events that may affect the estimates, such as strikes or large layoffs/hiring at businesses not covered by the survey and to disseminate and analyze the Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates for local data users. BLS feels this change is designed to improve the cost efficiency of the CES program and to reduce the potential bias in state and area estimates. A portion of the cost savings generated by this change is slated to be directed toward raising survey response rates in future years, which will decrease the level of statistical error in the CES estimates. Until then, state analysts feel this change could result in increased month-to-month variability for the industry employment numbers, particularly for Hawai‘i’s counties and islands. BLS can be reached at 202-691-6555 for any questions about these estimates.

    The not-seasonally adjusted job estimates for Hawai‘i County, Kaua‘i County, Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

    Labor Force Estimates for Small Areas

    Labor Force estimates for the islands within Maui County (Maui, Moloka‘i and Lānai) are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

    Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force and Unemployment Estimates for Honolulu and Maui County

    BLS publishes smoothed seasonally adjusted civilian labor force and unemployment estimates for all metropolitan areas, which includes the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County.

    BLS releases this data each month in the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release. The schedule is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm.

    Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization

     

    Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, 2024 annual averages (percent)  
    Area Measure  
    U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6
                 
    United States 1.5 1.9 4.0 4.3 4.9 7.5
                 
    Hawai‘i 0.8 1.1 3.1 3.2 4.0 6.4

     

    The six alternative labor underutilization state measures based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) and compiled on a four-quarter moving-average basis defined as:

    U-1, persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

    U-2, job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

    U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (this is the definition used for the official unemployment rate);

    U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers;

    U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers*, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers; and

    U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.

    *Individuals who want and are available for work, and who have looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months (or since the end of their last job if they had one within the past 12 months) but were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey, for such reasons as childcare or transportation problems, for example. Discouraged workers are a subset of the marginally attached.

    Please note that the state unemployment rates (U-3) that are shown are derived directly from the CPS. As a result, these U-3 measures may differ from the official state unemployment rates for the latest four-quarter period. The latter are estimates developed from statistical models that incorporate CPS estimates, as well as input data from other sources, such as state unemployment claims data.

    ###

    Media Contacts:

     

    Dr. Eugene Tian

    Chief State Economist

    Research and Economic Analysis Division

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    Phone: 808-586-2470

    Email: [email protected]

    Laci Goshi

    Communications Officer

    Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

    Cell: 808-518-5480

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Murder charge in Kaikohe homicide

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police investigating the homicide in Kaikohe have filed a murder charge.

    Emergency services were called to a Mangakahia Road property yesterday morning, where a man located with stab wounds eventually died at the scene.

    A man taken into custody at the time has now been charged with murder.

    The 44-year-old will appear in Kaikohe District Court tomorrow [Monday].

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Electronics Technology for Hyperloop Project to be developed at ICF Chennai: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 9:57PM by PIB Delhi

     

    Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, informed that the electronics component technology for the Hyperloop project will be developed at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. He visited the Hyperloop testing facility at IIT Madras Discovery Campus and witnessed a live demonstration. 

    Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated that the 410-meter-long Hyperloop test tube located at IIT Chennai is the longest Hyperloop test facility in Asia.

    Speaking to the journalists, the Minister said that the entire testing system for Hyperloop transportation has been developed using indigenous technologies, and he congratulated all the young innovators for this achievement.

    The Minister expressed confidence that India will soon be ready for Hyperloop transportation, as the Hyperloop transportation technology, which is currently under development, has yielded good results in the tests conducted so far.

    The Railway Ministry has been provided financial funding and technical assistance to the Hyperloop project, and now, all the electronics technology for this Hyperloop project will be developed at ICF Chennai. The Minister stated that highly skilled experts at the ICF factory have successfully developed larhe electronics systems for Vande Bharat high-speed trains, and the electronics technology for this Hyperloop project will also be developed at ICF.

    The Minister congratulated the young innovators team of IIT Chennai and the Avishkar organization for this successful testing.

    Later, the Minister visited the IIT Chennai campus in Guindy, where he inspected the exhibition organized by the IIT’s Center for Innovation titled Open House 2025. He interacted with students and young innovators. During the interaction, he stated that India will become a leading country in all sectors under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The Minister noted that the youth are performing efficiently in the fields of data science, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors, and that India has the highest number of skilled youth in the world, who will play a significant role in making India a developed nation. He also announced that presently there are five semiconductor facilities operational in the country and the first India made semiconductor will be rolled out by the end of this year.

    The Minister presented prizes and shields to the winners of the innovation competition held during the exhibition and encouraged them to create more new inventions. Dr. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Chennai, was also present at the event.

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

    .***

    AD/KV

    (Release ID: 2111564) Visitor Counter : 41

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INS IMPHAL COMPLETES VISIT TO PORT LOUIS FOR NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 7:04PM by PIB Delhi

    INS Imphal completed her port visit to Mauritius and left Port Louis on 14 Mar 25. The ship was at Mauritius to participate in the 57th Mauritius National Day celebrations, representing India with a marching contingent, the Indian Navy band and flypast by two MH 60R helicopters. Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister was the Chief Guest at the spectacular parade. 

    During the port visit, the ship also held several professional interactions, cultural engagements, sports fixtures and community outreach activities to further strengthen the robust bonds between the two countries.

    Training capsules were conducted onboard the ship for Mauritius National Coast Guard (NCG) personnel on practical aspects of harbour and sea watchkeeping, VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure), force protection, shipborne helicopter operations, firefighting and damage control.

    A medical camp for the elderly at Gayasingh Ashram was also conducted by the ship’s crew.

    The ship was opened to the public on 12 March on the occasion of Mauritius National Day and saw over 1,300 visitors.

    The ship’s crew visited key security establishments at Port Louis, including the Mauritius Police and NCG Headquarters.

    Capt Kamal K Choudhury, the ship’s Commanding Officer, called on key dignitaries and high-ranking officials of the Mauritius Government and Mauritius Police Force (MPF).

    The ship hosted a deck reception along with the High Commission of India, that was attended by senior ministers and officials from Mauritius and members of local diplomatic corps.

    After her departure from Port Louis, INS Imphal undertook a bilateral Passage Exercise and Joint EEZ surveillance with MCGS Victory, to consolidate the synergy and collaboration between the Indian Navy and the National Coast Guard of Mauritius.

    This landmark deployment of INS Imphal provided a renewed impetus to the robust bilateral ties between the two nations and reaffirmed India’s commitment to act swiftly as the ‘First Responder’ and the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ to address maritime challenges in the IOR.

    ******

    VM/SKS                                                                                                        58/25

    (Release ID: 2111518) Visitor Counter : 82

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister engages in an insightful conversation with Lex Fridman

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 7:01PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi recently had an engaging and thought-provoking conversation with renowned podcaster and AI researcher Lex Fridman. The discussion, lasting three hours, covered diverse topics, including Prime Minister Modi’s childhood, his formative years spent in the Himalayas, and his journey in public life. This much-anticipated three-hour podcast with renowned AI researcher and podcaster Lex Fridman is set to be released tomorrow, March 16, 2025. Lex Fridman described the conversation as “one of the most powerful conversations” of his life.

    Responding to the X post of Lex Fridman about the upcoming podcast, Shri Modi wrote on X;

    “It was indeed a fascinating conversation with @lexfridman, covering diverse topics including reminiscing about my childhood, the years in the Himalayas and the journey in public life. 

    Do tune in and be a part of this dialogue!”

    *******

    MJPS/ST

    (Release ID: 2111517) Visitor Counter : 29

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the transfer of Assam Rifles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and the formal exchange of maps takes place in Aizawl, Mizoram

    Source: Government of India (2)

    In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the transfer of Assam Rifles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and the formal exchange of maps takes place in Aizawl, Mizoram

    Due to an important decision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a three decade-old demand of the people of Mizoram is being fulfilled today

    PM Modi’s visionary decision will make a large area of land available in a key region of Mizoram, giving a new direction to the state’s development

    This decision stands as a testament to Modi government’s responsibility towards the people of Mizoram and its commitment to the state’s progress

    The Modi government is fully dedicated to building a developed, peaceful, secure, and beautiful Mizoram

    Since the establishment of the first army camp in Aizawl in 1890, this marks the most significant decision for the region

    From tourism to technology, sports to space, and agriculture to entrepreneurship, Modi government is shaping new dimensions of development in the North-East

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 6:10PM by PIB Delhi

    In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the transfer of Assam Rifles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and the formal exchange of maps took place today in Aizawl, Mizoram. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Mizoram Chief Minister Shri Lalduhoma, the Union Home Secretary, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and the Director General of Assam Rifles.

    On this occasion, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, described the event as a significant milestone in Mizoram’s development. He noted that for nearly 35 years a long-standing demand was there to relocate Assam Rifles to interior areas due to space constraints caused by topography and facilitate overall development of Mizoram, including Aizawl. He highlighted the acute shortage of space in Aizawl is stifling its modernisation and increase of public facilities. Shri Shah credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s crucial decision for fulfilling this decades-old demand today.

    Shri Amit Shah said that this decision is not merely an administrative move but is a testament to Modi government’s responsibility towards the people of Mizoram and its commitment to the state’s progress. He said Prime Minister Modi’s visionary decision will make a large area of land available in a key region of Mizoram, giving a new direction to the state’s development. Shri Shah also noted that this will be regarded as the most significant decision in the history since the establishment of the first army camp in Aizawl in 1890.

    Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India has been actively working for the past 10 years to strengthen and integrate the entire North-East. He highlighted that the Modi government is driving unprecedented development in the region, spanning sectors from tourism to technology, sports to space, and agriculture to entrepreneurship. Shri Shah pointed out that from independence until 2014, all previous Prime Ministers collectively visited the North-East 21 times, whereas since 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi alone has made 78 visits. Additionally, he noted that before 2014, Union Ministers, apart from those from the North-East, had visited the region only 71 times, whereas in the past decade, the number of visits by Union Ministers has exceeded 700.

    Shri Amit Shah stated that under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, the North-East is not only witnessing rapid development but also experiencing unprecedented peace. He highlighted major infrastructure projects in Mizoram, including the initiation of Package-1 and Package-3 on National Highway 502-A at a cost of ₹2,500 crore. Additionally, a four-lane road on National Highway 6 in Aizawl and Kolasib districts is being developed for ₹1,742 crore, while the double-laning of the Aizawl-Tuipam section of National Highway 54 is underway at a cost of ₹1,006 crore. Further, bamboo link roads are being constructed across Mizoram at an investment of ₹100 crore. Shri Shah emphasized that the Modi government has undertaken road construction projects worth ₹5,000 crore in Mizoram over the last decade. He noted that 10 helipads have been built for ₹2 crore, and the Bairabi-Sairang Railway project has been launched at an investment of ₹5,000 crore. Moreover, a 164-bed super-specialty research center is being constructed at a cost of ₹600 crore, while the ₹1,300 crore Tuirial Hydro Power Project has also been initiated. To enhance connectivity, 314 mobile towers have been installed across the state. Union Home Minister reaffirmed the Government of India’s unwavering commitment to building a developed, peaceful, secure, and beautiful Mizoram.

    *****

    RK/VV/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2111509) Visitor Counter : 57

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Bureau of Indian Standards cracks down on E-Commerce platforms selling unsafe Non-Certified products

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 5:49PM by PIB Delhi

    To curb the distribution of non-compliant products through e-commerce platforms, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has carried out search and seizure operations at multiple warehouse locations of leading e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart, in cities like Lucknow, Gurugram and Delhi. 

    In a recent raid conducted on 07 March 2025 at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, BIS seized 215 toys and 24 hand blenders, all lacking mandatory BIS certification. Earlier, in February 2025, a similar operation at an Amazon warehouse in Gurugram resulted in the seizure of 58 aluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, 7 PVC cables, 2 food mixers and 1 speaker – all found to be non-certified.

    Similarly, in a raid at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram, operated by Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, BIS seized 534 stainless steel bottles (vacuum insulated), 134 toys and 41 speakers, that were not certified.  BIS’s investigations into multiple violations on both Amazon and Flipkart traced non-certified products back to Techvision International Pvt Ltd. Acting on this lead, BIS conducted raids at two different facilities of Techvision International in Delhi, uncovering approximately 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves, without BIS certification. Non-certified products seized include brands like Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, Butterfly among others.

    Following the seizure of material, BIS initiates legal action under BIS Act, 2016 to hold the responsible entities accountable. BIS has already filed two court cases against M/s Techvision International Pvt Ltd for violations of Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act, 2016. Additional cases are in the process of being filed for other seizure operations. Under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016, defaulters face a penalty not less than two lakh rupees, which may extend up to ten times the value of the goods sold or offered for sale. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the violation, offenders may also face imprisonment of up to two years.

    BIS is actively conducting market surveillance to ensure that consumer products available in the market, including on e-commerce platforms, comply with applicable safety and quality standards. As part of surveillance, BIS purchases various consumer products and subjects them to rigorous testing to verify compliance with the prescribed standards.

    The products under market surveillance include commonly used consumer goods such as domestic pressure cookers, hand-held blenders, food mixers, electric irons, room heaters, PVC cables, gas stoves, toys, two-wheeler helmets, switches, sockets, and aluminium foils for food packaging. Considering the potential hazards posed by substandard quality products, the Central Government has made BIS certification mandatory for these products in the public interest.

    However, during its surveillance activities, BIS has identified that several non-certified products are being sold on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, BigBasket even though BIS certification has been made mandatory for these products. Non-certified products include those that do not bear ISI Mark or bear an ISI Mark with an invalid license number (CM/L number). These non-certified products pose significant safety risks to consumers as they have not undergone independent third-party testing to ensure they meet minimum safety and performance standards.

    These large-scale seizures highlight the widespread issue of unsafe non-certified products being sold online, underscoring the urgent need for e-commerce platforms to exercise greater due diligence in ensuring that only BIS-certified products are listed for sale, wherever mandated by Central Government. In this regard, BIS has issued notices to all these e-commerce platforms, directing them to ensure that products requiring BIS certification are duly certified before being made available to consumers.

    BIS urges consumers to make informed purchasing decisions by utilizing the BIS Care app. This app provides consumers with crucial information on products that require mandatory BIS certification and allows them to verify the authenticity of a product’s BIS certification by checking the ISI Mark and the manufacturer’s license number (CM/L). Additionally, consumers can use the BIS Care app to lodge complaints about products that do not bear the ISI Mark or report quality concerns regarding BIS-certified products.

    BIS remains committed to safeguarding consumer interests and encourages the public to connect with BIS through the BIS Care app to ensure safer markets and improved product quality.

    For further information, consumers may visit BIS website www.bis.gov.in.

     

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

    (Release ID: 2111506) Visitor Counter : 105

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –