Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP reminds public to take precautions against measles during travel According to the latest information released by the World Health Organization, over 127 000 measles cases (including at least 38 deaths) were reported in Europe and Central Asia last year, double the number of cases reported for 2023 and the highest number since 1997. Children under 5 accounted for more than 40 per cent of the cases, as childhood measles vaccination coverage remained suboptimal in some countries. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also reported that the majority of paediatric cases have never been vaccinated against measles. In the ongoing measles outbreaks in North America, the United States and Canada have each recorded more than 200 cases so far this year, with cases mainly affecting children who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. In neighboring areas, measles outbreaks continued to occur from time to time in the past year in Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Police will implement special traffic arrangements in various districts during Ching Ming Festival period to facilitate grave sweepers, and to ensure smooth vehicular traffic movements and pedestrian safety.
Hong Kong Island —————– Northbound Lin Shing Road, except for GMB route 18M, hearses, funeral vehicles and vehicles with permit; – Cape Collinson Road east of Lin Shing Road, except for GMB route 18M, taxis, hearses, funeral vehicles and vehicles with permit; – Cape Collinson Road west of Lin Shing Road, except for franchised buses, GMB routes 16A, 16M and 16X, taxis, hearses, funeral vehicles and vehicles with permit; – The slip road leading from Cape Collinson Road to the Garden of Remembrance and the crematorium, except for hearses and vehicles carrying passengers to services at the Crematorium; and – The slip road leading to Chai Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery.- Cape Collinson Road east of Lin Shing Road, except for hearses, funeral vehicles and vehicles with permit; – Cape Collinson Road west of Lin Shing Road, except for franchised buses, GMB routes 16A, 16M and 16X, hearses, funeral vehicles and vehicles with permit; – The slip road leading from Cape Collinson Road to the Garden of Remembrance and the crematorium, except for hearses and vehicles carrying passengers to services at the crematorium; – The slip road leading to Chai Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery; and – Wan Tsui Lane, except for vehicles heading to Hing Wah Plaza.- Cape Collinson Road between its slip road to the crematorium and Shek O Road will be re-routed one-way westbound during the above road closures and the operation hours of Citybus route 388.- Lin Shing Road; – Cape Collinson Road; and – Shek O Road between Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution and Tai Tam Road.——– Vehicles are prohibited to pick up or drop off passengers along Yu Chau West Street near Wing Ming Street (outside “83 Wing Hong Street”); and – Stopping or parking will be prohibited on Ching Cheung Road daily from 7am to 7pm. Members of the public should access Saint Raphael’s Catholic Cemetery via the subway across Ching Cheung Road from the end of the unnamed road between Wing Ming Street and the cemetery. No parking facilities in the cemetery will be open for public use.—————- Ming Yin Road, except for franchised buses; – Wo Ka Lau Road; and – All access roads within Wo Hop Shek Cemetery.- Traffic along southbound Pak Wo Road near MTR Fanling Station cannot turn right to the car park on Pak Wo Road near Fung Ying Seen Koon.- The car park on Pak Wo Road near Fung Ying Seen Koon, except for the disabled parking spaces and public buses of the residents’ service route No. NR112. Depending on the prevailing situation, vehicles with elderly and disabled passengers may be allowed to use the car park for boarding shuttle buses that are heading for Wo Hop Shek Cemetery; – Parking spaces on Wah Ming Lane; and – Parking spaces at Ming Yin Road between Wo Hop Shek Cemetery Office and Kiu Tau Road.- Sha Ling Road, except for vehicles of Sha Ling residents.- The access roads leading to Ching Chung Koon and Ching Chung Sin Yuen.- San Fuk Road between Leung Shun Street and Tsing Chung Koon Road will be re-routed one-way westbound.- Tsing Chung Koon Road between Tsing Chung Path and San Fuk Road; – Tsing Lun Road between Tsun Wen Road and the northern vehicle entrance of Tuen Mun Hospital; and – Southbound Tsun Wen Road between Tsing Lun Road and San Fuk Road.- Wing Kei Road between Kwai Hei Street and Wing Kin Road will be re-routed one-way southbound. Vehicles cannot travel via Kwai Hei Street for Wing Kei Road; and – Wing Hau Street will be closed.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
WSD seizes first Most Outstanding Award in Global Most Innovative Knowledge Enterprise (MIKE) Award (with photo)??? The Global MIKE Award is the highest accolade in the field of knowledge management, organised by the Institute of Knowledge and Innovation, Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA) at Bangkok University. The independent judging panel consists of experienced industry experts and corporate management personnel. This year, a total of 19 organisations received this honor, with three organisations, including the WSD, receiving the Most Outstanding Award. The Global MIKE Award is the most prestigious of its kind in which entries were assessed by 36 international judges through rigorous adjudication. Since 2021, the WSD has consecutively won the Global MIKE Award and the Hong Kong MIKE Award, and last year achieved the Hong Kong Top Winner for the first time. Issued at HKT 17:45
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Air Accident Investigation Exchange Forum 2025, hosted by the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) in Hong Kong for three consecutive days from March 12, concluded today (March 14). Other participating investigation authorities were the Office of Aviation Safety and the Aviation Accident Investigation Center of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore and the Accident Prevention and Investigation Group of the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao (AACM).
This regional forum was the first of its kind organised by the AAIA since its inception in 2018. Riding on the theme “Regional Investigative Synergy, Aviation Safety Excellence”, the forum attracted professional representatives from investigation authorities from the Mainland, Singapore, Macao and Hong Kong. It aimed to deepen regional ties, share forefront investigation experiences, exchange latest investigation methodologies and technological advancements with a view to strengthening aviation safety.
Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics Ms Joan Hung welcomed and thanked the distinguished representatives for joining the forum in Hong Kong. She said that the forum’s foundation was actually underpinned by the close collaboration among the investigation authorities of the four places over the years, symbolising their mutual commitment in enhancing aviation safety. The Chief Accident and Safety Investigator of the AAIA, Mr Man Ka-chai, highlighted in his keynote speech the significance of fostering mutual collaboration among the authorities in safeguarding aviation safety. The forum, he said, served as a dynamic interactive platform for partner authorities to deliberate the best solutions to the latest challenges in civil aviation investigations.
The Safety Oversight Commissioner of the CAAC and Director of the CAAC Office of Aviation Safety, Captain Zhu Tao; the Director of TSIB of Singapore, Mr Michael Toft; and the President of the AACM, Mr Stanley Pun, also delivered speeches at the forum.
Through a series of presentations, case studies and thematic seminars, this three-day forum allowed participating guests to share their insights and delve into the latest investigation techniques, human factors analyses and methods of introducing the evaluation of organisational/systematic factors into investigative processes, etc. The participants also visited the Airport Meteorological Office of the Hong Kong Observatory and inspected the aircraft accident recovery equipment and supporting tools managed by the Airport Authority Hong Kong to learn more about the supportive measures in place at Hong Kong International Airport for safeguarding aviation safety.
The AAIA had established co-operation arrangements with the CAAC, TSIB of Singapore and AACM individually to strengthen the regional collaborative ties, covering exchanges and sharing of information, experiences, facilities and equipment. The co-operation arrangements are available at the AAIA webpage (www.tlb.gov.hk/aaia/eng/about_us/cooperation_arrangements/index.html).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Fraudulent mobile application related to Bank of Communications (Hong Kong) Limited The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the App concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. Issued at HKT 16:50
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Speech by SCED at launch event of Green360: An AI-driven ESG Platform for Businesses (English only) Agnes (Chairman of the HKGCC, Ms Agnes Chan), Jeffrey (Legislative Council Member Mr Jeffrey Lam), General Committee members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. It is with great honour to join the event today.
Firstly, I would like to thank the HKGCC for its unwavering commitment to advancing the sustainability agenda within our business community. Initiatives like Green360 are pivotal in fostering a culture of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance among corporations, especially among our small and medium-sized enterprises.
The introduction of Green360 comes at a crucial time as we navigate the complexities of environmental challenges and the urgent need for sustainable practices. This innovative platform not only aligns with the global movement towards a greener economy but also emphasises Hong Kong’s role as a leader in integrating advanced technology commercial development.
This initiative not only pushes for compliance but also strives to exceed expectations, fostering best practices that can set Hong Kong as a global leader in promoting ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles. It aims to create a business environment that is sustainable and profitable, thus attracting and sustaining investment.
Moreover, Green360 is committed to empowering businesses through education, and self-audit reporting is a constructive step for companies to embrace ESG. It promises to be a beacon of support for our businesses as they transit towards more sustainable operations, providing them with the tools and knowledge vital for this journey.
Thank you, the HKGCC, for launching this initiative. Let us continue to work together, leveraging technology and shared responsibility, to make Hong Kong a sustainable, inclusive and responsible hub for commerce and innovation. Thank you. Issued at HKT 16:12
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Space Museum to launch new dome show “T. REX” The show will take audiences to follow palaeontologist Dr Tyler Lyson and his palaeontological team to the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, the United States, where three children made the unexpected discovery of T. rex fossils. The show will also recreate the challenges in a T. rex’s life from a timid newborn dinosaur to an apex predator. Newborn T. rexes grow from the size of a domestic cat to nearly human-sized at an astonishing rate in the first year, and hone their hunting skills through playful activities as they prepare for future survival. Juvenile T. rexes were able to hunt medium-sized prey like the Edmontosaurus. The show is filled with thrilling scenes, including a T. rex defending against threats from powerful rivals such as the Quetzalcoatlus to protect its young, an epic life-and-death battle against a Triceratops, and the fierce conflicts among siblings during pack hunting.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
2025-26 Valuation List and Government Rent Roll open for inspection from March 17 If payable, Government rent is charged at 3 per cent of the rateable value of a property.
The 2025-26 Budget proposes to provide rates concession for the first quarter of 2025-26, i.e. April to June 2025, subject to a ceiling of $500 for each rateable tenement.Issued at HKT 11:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) signed between Hong Kong and Bahrain in March last year will enter into force on March 21, following the completion of the two sides’ respective internal procedures required.
Under the IPPA, the two governments undertake to provide investors of the other side with fair, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment of their investments, compensation in the event of expropriation of investments, and the right to free transfers abroad of investments and returns. The IPPA also provides for settlement of investment disputes under internationally accepted rules, including arbitration.
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said, “By enabling investors of Hong Kong and Bahrain to enjoy corresponding protection of their investments in the host economies, the IPPA will enhance confidence of investors, expand investment flows and further strengthen the economic and trade ties between the two places.
“The Government has been actively seeking to expand Hong Kong’s global economic and trade networks with a view to assisting enterprises and investors in opening up markets. We are exploring the signing of IPPAs with Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Peru, as well as exploring IPPAs or free trade agreements with emerging markets including potential partners in the Middle East and other regions along the Belt and Road,” he added.
The IPPA with Bahrain is the second of its kind signed by the current-term Government, following the IPPA signed with Türkiye. It is also the 24th investment agreement that Hong Kong has signed with a foreign economy.
The other foreign economies that have signed IPPAs with Hong Kong are the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia, Austria, the Belgo-Luxembourg Economic Union, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Registered minor works contractor fined and prohibited by disciplinary board from certifying or carrying out minor works for six months
The Registered Contractors’ Disciplinary Board (the Board) has completed a disciplinary inquiry under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) and decided that a registered minor works contractor (RMWC) should be disciplined under sections 13(2)(b), 13(2)(i) and 13(2)(j) of the BO for having carried out and certified building works as if it were minor works carried out under the simplified requirements of the Minor Works Control System (MWCS), and having been negligent or misconducted itself in the building works.
The Board ordered the RMWC to be prohibited from certifying or carrying out any minor works under the simplified requirements of the MWCS for six months with effect from the date of the Gazette and be fined $20,000. Also, the RMWC was ordered to pay $50,100 in total, being the costs of the Board and the Buildings Department (BD) for conducting the inquiry.
The RMWC submitted a certificate to the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Housing in March 2022, notifying the commencement of minor works, i.e. alteration of external non-load bearing reinforced concrete walls, at a shopping centre at Tsui Lam Road, Tseung Kwan O. The RMWC subsequently submitted a completion certificate to the ICU certifying the completion of the alteration works. After an investigation by the ICU, it was revealed that the alteration works involved external walls, including external load bearing reinforced concrete walls, which were over 3.5 metres high, and do not comply with the Building (Minor Works) Regulation. Such works do not belong to any minor works items and should only be carried out after obtaining prior approval and consent from the ICU. All of the above showed that the RMWC had carried out and certified such works as if it were minor works commenced under the simplified requirements of the MWCS, and that the RMWC had been negligent or had misconducted itself in the building works.
A spokesperson for the BD reiterated that any registered contractor who contravenes the relevant provisions of the BO in carrying out building works will be subject to enforcement action including criminal prosecution and disciplinary action under the BO.
In the second season of “Severance,” there’s an unexpected character: a child supervisor named Miss Huang, played by actress Sarah Bock, who matter-of-factly explains she’s a child “because of when I was born.”
Miss Huang’s deadpan response is more than just a clever quip. Like so much in the Apple TV+ series, which has broken viewership records for the streaming service, I think it reveals a devastating truth about the role of work in the 21st century.
As a scholar of childhood studies, I also see historical echoes: What constitutes a “child” – and whether one gets to claim childhood at all – has always depended on when and where a person is born.
An age of innocence?
Americans are deeply invested in the idea of childhood as a time of innocence, with kids protected by doting adults from the harsh realities of work and making ends meet.
However, French historian Philippe Ariès famously argued that childhood, as many understand it today, simply did not exist in the past.
Using medieval art as one resource, Ariès pointed out that children were often portrayed as miniature adults, without special attributes, such as plump features or silly behaviors, that might mark them as fundamentally different from their older counterparts.
Looking at baptism records, Ariès also discovered that many parents gave siblings the same name, and he explained this phenomenon by suggesting that devastatingly high child mortality rates prevented parents from investing the sort of love and affection in their children that’s now considered a core component of parenthood.
While historians have debated many of Ariès’ specific claims, his central insight remains powerful: Our modern understanding of childhood as a distinct life stage characterized by play, protection and freedom from adult responsibilities is a relatively recent historical development. Ariès argued that children didn’t emerge as a focus of unconditional love until the 17th century.
Kids at work
The belief that a child deserves a life free from the stress of the workplace came along still later.
After all, if Miss Huang had been born in the 19th century, few people would question her presence in the workplace. The Industrial Revolution yielded accounts of children working 16-hour days and accorded no special protection because of their tender age and emotional vulnerability. Well into the 20th century, children younger than Miss Huang routinely worked in factories, mines and other dangerous environments.
To today’s viewers of “Severance,” the presence of a child supervisor in the sterile, oppressive workplace of the show’s fictional Lumon Industries feels jarring precisely because it violates the deeply held belief that children are occupants of a separate sphere, their innocence shielding them from the dog-eat-dog environs of competitive workplaces.
Childhood under threat
As a child worker, Miss Huang might seem like an uncanny ghost of a bygone era of childhood. But I think she’s closer to a prophet: Her role as child-boss warns viewers about what a work-obsessed future holds.
Today, the ideal childhood – access to play, care and a meaningful education – is increasingly under threat.
As politicians and policymakers insist that children are the future, many of them refuse to support the intensive caregiving required to transform newborns into functioning adults. As philosopher Nancy Fraser has argued, capitalism relies on someone doing that work, while assigning it little to no monetized value.
Child-rearing in the 21st century exists within a troubling paradox: Mothers provide unpaid child care for their own children, while those who professionally care for others’ children – predominantly women of color and immigrants – receive meager compensation for this essential work.
In other words, economic elites and the politicians they support say they want to cultivate future workers. But they don’t want to fund the messy, inefficient, time-consuming process that raising modern children requires.
The show’s name comes from a “severance” procedure that workers undergo to separate their work memories from their personal ones. It offers a darkly comic version of work-life balance, with Lumon office workers able to completely disconnect their work selves from their personalities off the clock. Each is distinct: A character’s “innie” is the person they are at the job, and their “outtie” is who they are at home.
I see this as an apt metaphor for how market capitalism seeks to separate the slow, patient work required to raise children and care for other loved ones from the cold-eyed pursuit of economic efficiency. Parents are expected to work as if they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work.
The result is a system that makes traditional notions of childhood – with its unwieldy dependencies, its inefficient play and its demands for attention and care – increasingly untenable.
Capitalism’s ideal child
Plummeting global fertility rates around the world speak to this crisis in child care, with the U.S., Europe, South Korea and China falling well below the birth rate required to replace the existing population.
Even as Elon Musk frets about women choosing not to have children, he seems eager to restrict any government aid that would provide the time or resources that raising children requires.
Accessible health care, affordable, healthy food and stable housing are out of the reach of many. The current administration’s quest for what it calls “government efficiency” is poised to shred safety net programs that help millions of low-income children.
In the midst of this dilemma, Miss Huang offers a surreal solution to the problems children pose in 2025.
She is, in many ways, capitalism’s ideal child. Already a productive worker as a tween, she requires no parent’s time, no teacher’s patience and no community’s resources. Like other workers and executives at Lumon, she seems to have shed the inefficient entanglements of family, love and play.
In this light, Miss Huang’s clever insistence that she is a child “because of when I was born” is darkly prophetic. In a world where every moment must be productive, where caregiving is systematically devalued and where human relationships are subordinated to market logic, Miss Huang represents a future where childhood survives only as a date on a birth certificate. All the other attributes are economically impractical.
Viewers don’t yet know if she’s severed. But at least from the perspective of the other workers in the show, Miss Huang works ceaselessly and, in doing so, proves that she is no child at all.
Or rather, she is the only kind of child that America’s economic system allows to thrive.
In 2024, ADB made a commitment for climate finance to reach 50% of its total annual committed financing by 2030, as it progresses towards delivering over $100 billion in cumulative climate finance from its own resources from 2019 to 2030. ADB aims to ensure that 75% of its number of operations (on a 3-year rolling average) will support climate change mitigation and/or adaptation by 2030.
From 2019 to 2024, ADB has already reached $41.9 billion towards this commitment, investing in its operations (including both regular and concessional ordinary capital resources, as well as Asian Development Fund grant resources). This includes $11.1 billion committed in 2024, of which $1.6 billion is non-sovereign financing. From 2022 to 2024, the share of ADB operations supporting climate action has already reached 91%, surpassing the target for the second year in a row.
SPECIAL REPORT:By Giff Johnson, editor of the Marshall Islands Journal and RNZ Pacific correspondent in Majuro
The late Member of Parliament Jeton Anjain and the people of the nuclear test-affected Rongelap Atoll changed the course of the history of the Marshall Islands by using Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior ship to evacuate their radioactive home islands 40 years ago.
They did this by taking control of their own destiny after decades of being at the mercy of the United States nuclear testing programme and its aftermath.
In 1954, the US tested the Bravo hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll, spewing high-level radioactive fallout on unsuspecting Rongelap Islanders nearby.
For years after the Bravo test, decisions by US government doctors and scientists caused Rongelap Islanders to be continuously exposed to additional radiation.
Marshall Islands traditional and government leaders joined Greenpeace representatives in showing off tapa banners with the words “Justice for Marshall Islands” during the dockside welcome ceremony earlier this week in Majuro. Image: Giff Johnson/RNZ Pacific
The 40th anniversary of the dramatic evacuation of Rongelap Atoll in 1985 by the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior — a few weeks before French secret agents bombed the ship in Auckland harbour — was spotlighted this week in Majuro with the arrival of Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior III to a warm welcome combining top national government leaders, the Rongelap Atoll Local Government and the Rongelap community.
“We were displaced, our lives were disrupted, and our voices ignored,” said MP Hilton Kendall, who represents Rongelap in the Marshall Islands Parliament, at the welcome ceremony in Majuro earlier in the week.
“In our darkest time, Greenpeace stood with us.”
‘Evacuated people to safety’ He said the Rainbow Warrior “evacuated the people to safety” in 1985.
Greenpeace would “forever be remembered by the people of Rongelap,” he added.
The Able US nuclear test at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands on 1 July 1946. Image: US National Archives
In 1984, Jeton Anjain — like most Rongelap people who were living on the nuclear test-affected atoll — knew that Rongelap was unsafe for continued habitation.
There was not a single scientist or medical doctor among their community although Jeton was a trained dentist, and they mainly depended on US Department of Energy-provided doctors and scientists for health care and environmental advice.
They were always told not to worry and that everything was fine.
Crew of the Rainbow Warrior and other Greenpeace officials — including two crew members from the original Rainbow Warrior, Bunny McDiarmid and Henk Hazen, from Aotearoa New Zealand – were welcomed to the Marshall Islands during a dockside ceremony in Majuro to mark the 40th anniversary of the evacuation of Rongelap Atoll. Image: Giff Johnson/RNZ Pacific
But it wasn’t, as the countless thyroid tumors, cancers, miscarriages and surgeries confirmed.
As the desire of Rongelap people to evacuate their homeland intensified in 1984, unbeknown to them Greenpeace was hatching a plan to dispatch the Rainbow Warrior on a Pacific voyage the following year to turn a spotlight on the nuclear test legacy in the Marshall Islands and the ongoing French nuclear testing at Moruroa in French Polynesia.
A Rainbow Warrior question As I had friends in the Greenpeace organisation, I was contacted early on in its planning process with the question: How could a visit by the Rainbow Warrior be of use to the Marshall Islands?
Jeton and I were good friends by 1984, and had worked together on advocacy for Rongelap since the late 1970s. I informed him that Greenpeace was planning a visit and without hesitation he asked me if the ship could facilitate the evacuation of Rongelap.
At this time, Jeton had already initiated discussions with Kwajalein traditional leaders to locate an island that they could settle in that atoll.
I conveyed Jeton’s interest in the visit to Greenpeace, and a Greenpeace International board member, the late Steve Sawyer, who coordinated the Pacific voyage of the Rainbow Warrior, arranged a meeting for the three of us in Seattle to discuss ideas.
Jeton and I flew to Seattle and met Steve. After the usual preliminaries, Jeton asked Steve if the Rainbow Warrior could assist Rongelap to evacuate their community to Mejatto Island in Kwajalein Atoll, a distance of about 250 km.
Steve responded in classic Greenpeace campaign thinking, which is what Greenpeace has proved effective in doing over many decades. He said words to the effect that the Rainbow Warrior could aid a “symbolic evacuation” by taking a small group of islanders from Rongelap to Majuro or Ebeye and holding a media conference publicising their plight with ongoing radiation exposure.
“No,” said Jeton firmly. He wasn’t talking about a “symbolic” evacuation. He told Steve: “We want to evacuate Rongelap, the entire community and the housing, too.”
Steve Sawyer taken aback Steve was taken aback by what Jeton wanted. Steve simply hadn’t considered the idea of evacuating the entire community.
But we could see him mulling over this new idea and within minutes, as his mind clicked through the significant logistics hurdles for evacuation of the community — including that it would take three-to-four trips by the Rainbow Warrior between Rongelap and Mejatto to accomplish it — Steve said it was possible.
And from that meeting, planning for the 1985 Marshall Islands visit began in earnest.
I offer this background because when the evacuation began in early May 1985, various officials from the United States government sharply criticised Rongelap people for evacuating their atoll, saying there was no radiological hazard to justify the move and that they were being manipulated by Greenpeace for its own anti-nuclear agenda.
Women from the nuclear test-affected Rongelap Atoll greeted the Rainbow Warrior and its crew with songs and dances this week as part of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the evacuation of Rongelap Atoll in 1985 by the Rainbow Warrior. Image: Giff Johnson/RNZ Pacific
This condescending American government response suggested Rongelap people did not have the brain power to make important decisions for themselves.
But it also showed the US government’s lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation in which Rongelap Islanders lived day in and day out in a highly radioactive environment.
The Bravo hydrogen bomb test blasted Rongelap and nearby islands with snow-like radioactive fallout on 1 March 1954. The 82 Rongelap people were first evacuated to the US Navy base at Kwajalein for emergency medical treatment and the start of long-term studies by US government doctors.
No radiological cleanup A few months later, they were resettled on Ejit Island in Majuro, the capital atoll, until 1957 when, with no radiological cleanup conducted, the US government said it was safe to return to Rongelap and moved the people back.
“Even though the radioactive contamination of Rongelap Island is considered perfectly safe for human habitation, the levels of activity are higher than those found in other inhabited locations in the world,” said a Brookhaven National Laboratory report commenting on the return of Rongelap Islanders to their contaminated islands in 1957.
It then stated plainly why the people were moved back: “The habitation of these people on the island will afford most valuable ecological radiation data on human beings.”
And for 28 years, Rongelap people lived in one of the world’s most radioactive environments, consuming radioactivity through the food chain and by living an island life.
Proving the US narrative of safety to be false, the 1985 evacuation forced the US Congress to respond by funding new radiological studies of Rongelap.
Thanks to the determination of the soft-spoken but persistent leadership of Jeton, he ensured that a scientist chosen by Rongelap would be included in the study. And the new study did indeed identify health hazards, particularly for children, of living on Rongelap.
The US Congress responded by appropriating US$45 million to a Rongelap Resettlement Trust Fund.
Subsistence atoll life All of this was important — it both showed that islanders with a PhD in subsistence atoll life understood more about their situation than the US government’s university educated PhDs and medical doctors who showed up from time-to-time to study them, provide medical treatment, and tell them everything was fine on their atoll, and it produced a $45 million fund from the US government.
However, this is only a fraction of the story about why the Rongelap evacuation in 1985 forever changed the US narrative and control of its nuclear test legacy in this country.
The crew of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior III vessel were serenaded by the Rongelap community to mark the 40th anniversary of the evacuation of Rongelap Islanders from their nuclear test-affected islands this week in Majuro. Image: Giff Johnson/RNZ Pacific
Rongelap is the most affected population from the US hydrogen bomb testing programme in the 1950s.
By living on Rongelap, the community confirmed the US government’s narrative that all was good and the nuclear test legacy was largely a relic of the past.
The 1985 evacuation was a demonstration of the Rongelap community exerting control over their life after 31 years of dictates by US government doctors, scientists and officials.
It was difficult building a new community on Mejatto Island, which was uninhabited and barren in 1985. Make no mistake, Rongelap people living on Mejatto suffered hardship and privation, especially in the first years after the 1985 resettlement.
Nuclear legacy history Their perseverance, however, defined the larger ramification of the move to Mejatto: It changed the course of nuclear legacy history by people taking control of their future that forced a response from the US government to the benefit of the Rongelap community.
Forty years later, the displacement of Rongelap Islanders on Mejatto and in other locations, unable to return to nuclear test contaminated Rongelap Atoll demonstrates clearly that the US nuclear testing legacy remains unresolved — unfinished business that is in need of a long-term, fair and just response from the US government.
The Rainbow Warrior will be in Majuro until next week when it will depart for Mejatto Island to mark the 40th anniversary of the resettlement, and then voyage to other nuclear test-affected atolls around the Marshall Islands.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture
14 March 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Approved arrangements operators, customs brokers, importers, manned depots, and freight forwarders who are required to book and manage requests for inspections via the Biosecurity Portal.
Approved arrangements operators who will be required to view and/or update details of their Approved Arrangement via the Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).
Approved arrangement operators attempting to access online reports of…
NEWARK, N.J. – A dual Russian and Israeli national was extradited to the United States on charges that he was a developer of the LockBit ransomware group, United States Attorney John Giordano announced.
In August, Rostislav Panev, 51, was arrested in Israel pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request. Today, Panev was extradited to the United States and had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa where Panev was detained pending trial.
“Rostislav Panev’s extradition to the District of New Jersey makes it clear: if you are a member of the LockBit ransomware conspiracy, the United States will find you and bring you to justice,” said United States Attorney John Giordano. “Even as the means and methods of cybercriminals become more sophisticated, my Office and our FBI, Criminal Division, and international law enforcement partners are more committed than ever to prosecuting these criminals.”
“No one is safe from ransomware attacks, from individuals to institutions. Along with our international partners, the FBI continues to leave no stone unturned when it comes to following LockBit’s trail of destruction. We will continue to work tirelessly to prevent actors, such as Panev, from hacking their way to financial gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Newark Division Terence G. Reilly.
According to the superseding complaint, documents filed in this and related cases, and statements made in court, Panev acted as a developer of the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in or around 2019 through at least February 2024. During that time, Panev and his LockBit coconspirators grew LockBit into what was, at times, the most active and destructive ransomware group in the world. The LockBit group attacked more than 2,500 victims in at least 120 countries around the world, including 1,800 in the United States. Their victims ranged from individuals and small businesses to multinational corporations, including hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, critical infrastructure, and government and law-enforcement agencies. LockBit’s members extracted at least $500 million in ransom payments from their victims and caused billions of dollars in other losses, including lost revenue and costs from incident response and recovery.
LockBit’s members were comprised of “developers,” like Panev, who designed the LockBit malware code and maintained the infrastructure on which LockBit operated. LockBit’s other members, called “affiliates,” carried out LockBit attacks and extorted ransom payments from LockBit victims. LockBit’s developers and affiliates would then split the ransom payments which were extorted from victims.
As alleged in the superseding complaint, at the time of Panev’s arrest in Israel in August, law enforcement discovered on Panev’s computer administrator credentials for an online repository that was hosted on the dark web and stored source code for multiple versions of the LockBit builder, which allowed LockBit’s affiliates to generate custom builds of the LockBit ransomware malware for particular victims. On that repository, law enforcement also discovered source code for LockBit’s StealBit tool, which helped LockBit affiliates exfiltrate data stolen through LockBit attacks. Law enforcement also discovered access credentials for the LockBit control panel, an online dashboard maintained by LockBit developers for LockBit’s affiliates and hosted by those developers on the dark web.
The superseding complaint also alleges that Panev exchanged direct messages through a cybercriminal forum with LockBit’s primary administrator, who, in an indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey in May, the United States alleged to be Dimitry Yuryevich Khoroshev (Дмитрий Юрьевич Хорошев), also known as LockBitSupp, LockBit, and putinkrab. In those messages, Panev and the LockBit primary administrator discussed work that needed to be done on the LockBit builder and control panel.
Court documents further indicate that, between June 2022 and February 2024, the primary LockBit administrator made a series of transfers of cryptocurrency, laundered through one or more illicit cryptocurrency mixing services, of approximately $10,000 per month to a cryptocurrency wallet owned by Panev. Those transfers amounted to over $230,000 during that period.
In interviews with Israeli authorities following his arrest in August, Panev admitted to having performed coding, development, and consulting work for the LockBit group and to having received regular payments in cryptocurrency for that work, consistent with the transfers identified by U.S. authorities. Among the work that Panev admitted to having completed for the LockBit group was the development of code to disable antivirus software; to deploy malware to multiple computers connected to a victim network; and to print the LockBit ransom note to all printers connected to a victim network. Panev also admitted to having written and maintained LockBit malware code and to having provided technical guidance to the LockBit group.
The LockBit Investigation
The superseding complaint against, and apprehension of, Panev follows a disruption of LockBit ransomware in February 2024 by the U.K. National Crime Agency (NCA)’s Cyber Division, which worked in cooperation with the Justice Department, FBI, and other international law enforcement partners. As previously announced by the Department, authorities disrupted LockBit by seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and by seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators, thereby disrupting the ability of LockBit actors to attack and encrypt networks and extort victims by threatening to publish stolen data. That disruption succeeded in greatly diminishing LockBit’s reputation and its ability to attack further victims, as alleged by documents filed in this case.
The superseding complaint against Panev also follows charges brought in the District of New Jersey against other LockBit members, including its alleged primary creator, developer, and administrator, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev. An indictment against Khoroshev unsealed in May alleges that Khoroshev began developing LockBit as early as September 2019, continued acting as the group’s administrator through 2024, a role in which Khoroshev recruited new affiliate members, spoke for the group publicly under the alias “LockBitSupp,” and developed and maintained the infrastructure used by affiliates to deploy LockBit attacks. Khoroshev is currently the subject of a reward of up to $10 million through the U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program, with information accepted through the FBI tip website at www.tips.fbi.gov/.
A total of seven LockBit members have now been charged in the District of New Jersey. Beyond Panev and Khoroshev, other previously charged LockBit defendants include:
In July, two LockBit affiliate members, Mikhail Vasiliev, also known as Ghostrider, Free, Digitalocean90, Digitalocean99, Digitalwaters99, and Newwave110, and Ruslan Astamirov, also known as BETTERPAY, offtitan, and Eastfarmer, pleaded guilty in the District of New Jersey for their participation in the LockBit ransomware group and admitted deploying multiple LockBit attacks against U.S. and foreign victims. Vasiliev and Astamirov are presently in custody awaiting sentencing.
In February 2024, in parallel with the disruption operation described above, an indictment was unsealed in the District of New Jersey charging Russian nationals Artur Sungatov and Ivan Kondratyev, also known as Bassterlord, with deploying LockBit against numerous victims throughout the United States, including businesses nationwide in the manufacturing and other industries, as well as victims around the world in the semiconductor and other industries. Sungatov and Kondratyev remain at large.
In May 2023, two indictments were unsealed in Washington, D.C., and the District of New Jersey charging Mikhail Matveev, also known as Wazawaka, m1x, Boriselcin, and Uhodiransomwar, with using different ransomware variants, including LockBit, to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. Matveev remains at large and is currently the subject of a reward of up to $10 million through the U.S. Department of State’s TOC Rewards Program, with information accepted through the FBI tip website at www.tips.fbi.gov/.
The U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program is offering rewards of:
Information is accepted through the FBI tip website at tips.fbi.gov.
Khoroshev, Matveev, Sungatov, and Kondratyev have also been designated for sanctions by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for their roles in launching cyberattacks.
Victim Assistance
LockBit victims are encouraged to contact the FBI and submit information at www.ic3.gov. As announced by the Department in February, law enforcement, through its disruption efforts, has developed decryption capabilities that may enable hundreds of victims around the world to restore systems encrypted using the LockBit ransomware variant. Submitting information at the IC3 site will enable law enforcement to determine whether affected systems can be successfully decrypted.
LockBit victims are also encouraged to visit www.justice.gov/usao-nj/lockbit for case updates and information regarding their rights under U.S. law, including the right to submit victim impact statements and request restitution, in the criminal litigation against Panev, Astamirov, and Vasiliev.
The FBI Newark Field Office, under the supervision of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, is investigating the LockBit ransomware variant. Israel’s Office of the State Attorney, Department of International Affairs, and Israel National Police; France’s Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command, Paris Prosecution Office — Cyber Division, and judicial authorities at the Tribunal Judiciare of Paris; Europol; Eurojust; the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency; Germany’s Landeskriminalamt Schleswig-Holstein, Bundeskriminalamt, and the Central Cybercrime Department North Rhine-Westphalia; Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice, Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Zurich, and Zurich Cantonal Police; Spain’s Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil; authorities in Japan; Australian Federal Police; Sweden’s Polismyndighetens; Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Politie Dienst Regionale Recherche Oost-Brabant of the Netherlands; and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation have provided significant assistance and coordination in these matters and in the LockBit investigation generally.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, David E. Malagold, and Vinay Limbachia for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys Debra Ireland and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the charges against Panev and the other previously charged LockBit defendants in the District of New Jersey.
The Justice Department’s former Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust, Office of International Affairs, and National Security Division also provided significant assistance.
Additional details on protecting networks against LockBit ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov. These include Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisories AA23-325A, AA23-165A, and AA23-075A.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding complaint and above-named Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The future of Māori radio in Aotearoa New Zealand requires increased investment in both online platforms and traditional airwaves, says a senior manager.
Matthew Tukaki, station manager at Waatea Digital, spoke with Te Ao Māori News about the future of Māori radio.
He said there was an urgent need for changes to ensure a sustainable presence on both AM/FM airwaves and digital platforms.
“One of the big challenges will always be funding. Many of our iwi stations operate with very limited resources, as their focus is more on manaakitanga (hospitality) and aroha (compassion),” Tukaki said.
He said that Waatea Digital had been exploring various new digital strategies to enhance viewership and engagement across the media landscape.
“We need assistance and support to transition to these new platforms,” Tukaki said.
He also highlighted the continued importance of traditional AM frequencies, particularly during emergencies like Cyclone Gabrielle, where these stations served as vital emergency broadcasters.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was released Saturday as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a court’s release approval.
Yoon got off a black vehicle and walked out of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, about 20 km south of Seoul, waving hands and bowing to his supporters who were standing along the road, TV footage showed.
After arriving at the presidential residence in central Seoul, the impeached leader got off the vehicle again to shake hands with his supporters.
Yoon said in a statement that he appreciated the court’s determination, people’s support despite cold weather, and the leadership of the ruling People Power Party.
The Seoul Central District Court approved the release of the arrested president on Friday, accepting Yoon’s request to cancel his detention that was made by his legal team on Feb. 4.
Yoon was apprehended in presidential office on Jan. 15 and was indicted under detention on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection, becoming the country’s first sitting president to be arrested and prosecuted.
Prosecutors brought the accusation against Yoon at 6:52 p.m. local time on Jan. 26, but the Seoul Central District Court said Yoon’s arrest period expired at 9:07 a.m. local time of the same day.
The prosecution’s special investigative unit in charge of Yoon’s insurrection case sought to appeal against the court’s Friday ruling, but the country’s prosecutor general ordered the unit to follow the court’s decision, according to local media outlets.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the opposition-led National Assembly hours later.
A motion to impeach Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14, and since then the constitutional court has held 11 hearings on Yoon’s impeachment with its final verdict widely expected to be delivered next week.
The ninth trilateral journalist exchange program among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, organized by the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) based in Seoul, wrapped up here on Saturday.
The program is annually held to deepen understanding of trilateral cooperation and explore future directions for cooperation among the three countries.
This year’s program centers on the theme “Trilateral Cooperation: Toward a Shared Future.” The delegation was led by TCS Deputy Secretary-General Zushi Shuji.
When addressing the closing ceremony, TCS Secretary-General Lee Hee-sup emphasized that journalists hold the power to bridge gaps and highlight shared aspirations and culture of the three countries.
Media has played an extremely important role in fostering mutual trust and cooperation, he noted.
Stories you craft from this experience will be told to the public, thus contributing to shaping the future of trilateral cooperation, Lee added.
During the one-week stay in Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul, 12 journalists had discussions, joint interviews and cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and deepen journalistic collaboration.
Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” hit Malaysian movie screens at Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on Saturday.
“Chinese films are gaining increasing popularity in the Malaysian market,” said Tan Cheong Tatt, chief operation officer of TGV Cinemas, during the premiere event.
TGV Cinemas is one of major cinema chains in Malaysia. Tan Cheong Tatt noted that the production quality of Chinese animated films has improved dramatically compared to the past.
The event drew more than 1,000 attendees, including cultural and media representatives from Malaysia and China, as well as local fans.
Tan Chiew Huong, a local fan, said after the screening that “every frame is visually stunning, as beautiful as a fairy tale.”
“The movie was absolutely fantastic. I cried multiple times during the most emotional scenes,” Swee Kai Lit, another local fan, told Xinhua.
Joyce Lee, managing director of Encore Films Pte. Ltd, said that the film was meticulously crafted, with cutting-edge visual effects that captivate audiences.
“The film’s soaring social media buzz suggests strong market potential here,” said Joyce Lee.
She added that movies are a vital bridge for cultural exchange, and audiences from all walks of life in Malaysia will gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture through this story and the movie.
class=”c3″>South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will be released as the prosecution decided not to appeal against a Seoul court’s release approval, multiple media outlets said Saturday.
Yoon was expected to be transported to the presidential residence in central Seoul from the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, about 20 km south of the capital city.
The Seoul Central District Court approved the release of the arrested president on Friday, accepting Yoon’s request to cancel his arrest that was made by his legal team on Feb. 4.
Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on Jan. 15 and was indicted under detention on Jan. 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection, becoming the country’s first sitting president to be arrested and prosecuted.
Prosecutors brought the accusation against Yoon at 6:52 p.m. local time on Jan. 26, but the court said Yoon’s arrest period expired at 9:07 a.m. local time of the same day.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the opposition-led National Assembly hours later.
A motion to impeach Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14, and since then the constitutional court has held 11 hearings on Yoon’s impeachment with its final verdict widely expected to be delivered next week.
Talks began in Busan, South Korea, on Monday aiming to clinch a legally binding deal on plastics pollution, led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
The meeting follows two years of intergovernmental negotiations to develop a legally binding global instrument that covers land and the marine environment – a blink of an eye in diplomatic circles, where multilateral deals can be decades in the making.
“Our world is drowning in plastic pollution. Every year, we produce 460 million tonnes of plastic, much of which is quickly thrown away,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres via video message, as he urged delegates to push for a deal.
“By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Microplastics in our bloodstreams are creating health problems we’re only just beginning to understand.”
Cautious optimism
Expressing hope for a potentially historic deal, UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson insisted that it was “the moment of truth” to take action.
“Not a single person” on the planet wants plastic washing up on their shores or plastic particles circulating in their bodies, or their unborn babies, she maintained, adding that it was a sentiment shared by the G20 group of industrialized nations.
“Waste pickers, civil society groups are fully engaged; businesses are calling for global rules to guide this future; indigenous people are speaking out; scientists are calling out the science,” Ms. Anderson said.
“The finance sector is beginning to make the moves at the international level. There’s also been clear signals that a deal is essential, including the G20 declaration last week, which said that G20 leaders were determined to land this treaty by the end of the year.”
Broad support
More than 170 countries and over 600 observer organizations have registered for one week of talks in the large port city of Busan, where South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol urged delegates to agree on a path to zero plastic pollution, for the sake of future generations.
“The excessive reliance of humanity on the convenience of plastics has resulted in an exponential increase in plastic waste; the waste accumulated in our oceans and rivers now jeopardizes the lives of future generations,” he said, via video link.
“I sincerely hope that over the coming week all Member States will stand together in solidarity – with a sense of responsibility for future generations – to open a new historic chapter by finalizing a treaty on plastic pollution.”
Coming full circle
Officially, the talks are known as the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee discussions (INC-5) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The session follows four previous rounds which began exactly 1,000 days ago in Uruguay.
By contrast, “some plastics can take up to 1,000 years to decompose”, UNEP chief Ms. Anderson said, and even then, “they break into eversmaller particles that persist, pervade and pollute…Damaging ecosystem resilience, blocking drainage in cities and also very likely harming human health and growth in plastic pollution is emitting more greenhouse gases, pushing us further into climate disaster. That is why public and political pressure for action has risen into a crescendo.”
In his message to the Busan meeting, the UN Secretary-General underscored the need for a treaty that is “ambitious, credible and just”.
Any deal must address the life cycle of plastics – “tackling single-use and short-lived plastics, waste management and measures to phase out plastic and promote alternative materials”, Mr. Guterres insisted.
These should enable all countries to access technologies and improve land and marine environments, while also ensuring that the most vulnerable communities who rely on plastic collection are not left behind, such as waste pickers.
Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association
Headline: Media Release: WA gas industry congratulates Cook Labor Government on re-election – Australian Energy Producers
WA’s oil and gas industry congratulates Premier Roger Cook on WA Labor’s re-election, and looks forward to continuing to work with the government to deliver reliable and affordable energy to WA and the region.
Australian Energy Producers Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said WA’s economy runs on natural gas, providing more than half of WA’s primary energy and 60 per cent of the state’s electricity.
“Premier Cook has been a strong supporter of WA’s oil and gas sector, recognising its importance to the WA economy and the state’s energy security, and the critical role that natural gas plays in reducing emissions in Australia and the region,” Ms McCulloch said.
WA’s gas industry contributes $35 billion a year to the WA economy and supports more than 73,000 jobs in the state. Natural gas also provides more than half the energy used by WA’s mining and minerals processing sector that drives the state’s economic growth.
“At a time when cost-of-living pressures and energy security are front of mind, the oil and gas industry is committed to providing reliable and affordable energy for WA and the region.”
Ms McCulloch said the industry was committed to working with the WA Government to progress key policies including bringing on new gas supply to avoid forecast gas shortfalls from 2030, unlocking new onshore gas exploration and development, and progressing the implementation of the Government’s Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Action Plan released in November.
“WA’s gas sector has a critical role to play in reducing emissions in WA and the region, while continuing to provide reliable and affordable energy to WA homes and businesses. CCUS will be essential to achieving net zero by 2050 and presents significant economic opportunities for WA.”
Ms McCulloch said WA’s gas industry valued the strong bipartisan support of the Liberals and Nationals for the sector, which provides policy certainty and stability that is so critical to business confidence and encouraging investment.
“A strong gas industry is essential for a strong WA economy, and we look forward to working with all elected members in the next parliamentary term.”
Senior officials are gathering in the historic city of Gyeongju to outline the year’s key priorities, focusing on enhancing regional connectivity, fostering innovation, and promoting prosperity that benefits all. The discussions are a critical step in shaping the policies that will guide APEC through a rapidly changing global landscape.
“This is a pivotal moment for our region,” said Ambassador Yoon Seongmee, Chair of the 2025 APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting as she opened the meeting on Saturday. “Our goal is to reinforce our shared commitment to a future that benefits all of our people.”
“The theme for 2025, ‘Building a Sustainable Tomorrow’, reflects the shared ambition of fostering an open, dynamic, and resilient Asia-Pacific,” Ambassador Yoon added. “To realize this vision, we must prioritize both connectivity and innovation to secure long-term prosperity.”
Ambassador Yoon also emphasized that 2025 will see APEC prioritize discussions on how to explore avenues for cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and address the impacts of demographic changes.
Stressing that rapidly advancing AI technology and demographic shifts have far-reaching impacts across all aspects of our members’ societies, Ambassador Yoon emphasized the need for the region to work together to address these challenges and identify new opportunities in a way that is both sustainable and beneficial to all.
“It is time for APEC to tackle these trends to ensure that the region remains adaptable and capable of sustained growth,” she stated.
Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat, highlighted the concerns of businesses around the region, noting the unpredictable environment where investments are put on hold and fewer jobs are created.
“Ensuring connectivity means ensuring that trade continues to flow smoothly and that economies across the region remain integrated. APEC plays a key role in fostering these connections and promoting collaboration, especially as we navigate global uncertainties,” said Pedrosa.
“Through dialogue, stakeholder engagement and partnership, we can continue to create opportunities that benefit everyone, regardless of the challenges that may arise,” Pedrosa added.
The meeting will see senior officials adopt strategies for deepening regional cooperation. These include bridging digital divide, promoting sustainable growth and fostering innovation through digital trade and policy alignment across member economies.
Additionally, Ambassador Yoon emphasized that for APEC, often referred to as an “incubator of ideas”, to develop collective responses to these challenges, it is essential to further strengthen cross-fora collaboration among APEC’s various forums, as well as public-private engagement, one of APEC’s key characteristics.
In the next session on Sunday, senior officials will delve deeper into APEC’s plans to strengthen digital economy integration and tackle issues such as public health, food security, supply chain disruptions and sustainable development.
“This meeting sets the stage for continued dialogue and collective action, ensuring that the initiatives discussed today will lead to concrete outcomes in the coming months,” conclude Ambassador Yoon.
A series of sectoral ministerial meetings will follow in the year, further shaping the policy directions that will guide APEC’s work.
Economic growth in the APEC region remains stable in the short term, yet medium-term prospects face mounting risks as trade restrictions, fiscal pressures and geopolitical uncertainties continue to evolve, according to the latest APEC Regional Trends Analysis.
The report projects GDP growth of 3.3 percent in 2025, following an estimated 3.5 percent expansion in 2024, though a further slowdown to 2.7 percent is anticipated in the coming years. Structural challenges, including demographic shifts and rising trade barriers, are expected to weigh on future economic trajectory.
“The region’s growth trajectory reflects both resilience and vulnerability,” said Carlos Kuriyama, Director of the APEC Policy Support Unit. “While we are seeing steady economic activity, sustained growth will require proactive reforms, particularly in trade policy and fiscal management.”
Trade performance in the region has shown modest recovery, with merchandise trade in the first nine months of 2024 increasing by 3 to 4 percent in 2024, reversing the sharp contraction seen in 2023 on a year-on-year basis. However, the number of trade remedies surged to 1,043 by the end of 2024, up from 960 in 2023, highlighting ongoing worries on unfair trade practices.
Moderating inflation trends, on the other hand, offer a measure of relief, with rates easing to 2.6 percent in 2024, compared to 3.8 percent in 2023. This has provided central banks with greater policy flexibility. However, increasing trade restrictions and geopolitical risks could reintroduce price pressures, potentially limiting interest rate adjustments.
“While inflation has moderated, risks remain,” said Rhea C. Hernando, an analyst with the Policy Support Unit. “Ongoing global risks, rising protectionism, and shifts in trade policy could complicate efforts to maintain price stability in the months ahead.”
The region’s fiscal position remains fragile, as sustained government expenditures continue to outpace stagnant revenue collection, which has hovered around 28 to 29 percent of GDP for over two decades. Without fiscal adjustments, rising public debt levels could strain economic resilience.
Meanwhile, global financial volatility has driven investors toward safe-haven assets, pushing gold prices to record highs. Escalating economic and geopolitical uncertainties, reflected in the sharp rise in policy uncertainty indices since 2020, have fueled increased hedging.
“Macroeconomic stability hinges on careful fiscal planning,” said Glacer Niño A. Vasquez, a researcher with the Policy Support Unit. “Governments need to strike a balance—ensuring fiscal prudence while enhancing investments in infrastructure, digital transformation, and human capital to boost productivity and growth.”
The report underscores the urgent need for structural reforms to sustain long-term economic momentum. Flexible and coordinated monetary and fiscal policies will be necessary to control inflation while preserving growth potential. Deeper regional cooperation will be essential to foster open trade and investment while addressing shared challenges. Productivity-enhancing reforms that promote innovation, technological adoption, and workforce skills development will also be critical to securing APEC’s long-term economic future.
“As global uncertainties persist, APEC economies must reinforce trade openness, strengthen policy coordination, and pursue long-term reforms,” Kuriyama concluded. “A forward-looking approach will be crucial in fostering a resilient and sustainable regional economy.”
For more information on the APEC Regional Trends Analysis, March 2025, visit this page.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
With 61% of enrolled voters counted in Saturday’s Western Australian election, the ABC is calling 40 of the 59 lower house seats for Labor, five for the Liberals and four for the Nationals, with ten remaining undecided.
Vote shares are 41.8% Labor (down 18.1% since Labor’s massive 2021 win), 28.6% Liberals (up 7.3%), 5.1% Nationals (up 1.1%), 10.5% Greens (up 3.6%), 3.7% One Nation (up 2.4%), 3.1% Australian Christians (up 1.6%), 2.3% Legalise Cannabis (up 1.9%) and 3.6% independents (up 2.9%).
While Labor had a big fall in its primary vote since winning 59.9% in 2021, this fall didn’t go directly to the Liberals and Nationals, with these parties’ combined votes up 8.4%.
The ABC’s two-party estimate shows a Labor win by 58.3–41.7, an 11.3% swing to the Liberals and Nationals from the 69.7–30.3 Labor margin at the 2021 election, which was a record victory in Australia for either major party at any state or federal election.
The Poll Bludger’s results have Labor leads in 45 of the 59 seats, the Liberals in seven, the Nationals in six and one independent lead. If these are the final numbers, Labor would lose eight seats from 2021, with the Liberals gaining five, the Nationals two and independents one.
The Poll Bludger’s two-party estimate is a little worse for Labor than the ABC’s, with a Labor lead by 57.4–42.6, a 12.2% swing to the Liberals and Nationals. If the Poll Bludger’s two-party estimate is right, the final Newspoll and DemosAU polls will be correct, while if the ABC’s is right, they will have understated Labor.
I said in my preview article that polls suggested that Labor would be well down on 2021, but that they would have a bigger win than in 2017 (41 of the 59 seats on a two-party vote of 55.5–44.5). The results show this will be the case. This will be the third landslide in a row for Labor in WA.
Most seats have counted their pre-poll votes and postal votes that arrived before election day. Remaining votes will mostly be absent votes (pre-poll and election day). These votes were cast outside a voter’s home electorate, and need to be posted back to the home electorate before they can be counted. In past elections, absent votes have assisted Labor.
There are also seats, such as Fremantle and Pilbara, where no two-candidate count has yet been provided. In those seats, the electoral commission initially selected the wrong two candidates and needs to re-do the two-candidate count. Fremantle is the only seat likely to be won by a non-major party candidate.
Federal implications and the upper house
I don’t think there are many federal implications from state elections, but this election will give a morale boost for federal Labor after losing the Queensland election last October and being narrowly behind the Coalition in the polls since December.
When a state party is the same as the federal government, that party is federally dragged, and performs worse than it would if the opposite party held government federally. Labor’s big win does not suggest federal drag was a factor in WA.
However, WA accounts for only 16 of the 150 federal seats. Victoria, where federal Labor is being dragged down by an unpopular state Labor government, has 38 seats.
The Poll Bludger wrote that the Liberals had done poorly in swing terms since the 2021 election in affluent Perth seats, suggesting that affluent metropolitan federal seats won’t swing back to the Liberals, and teal independents should retain their seats.
In my preview article, I wrote that during the last term Labor had scrapped the old very malapportioned upper house system, and all 37 upper house members will be elected by statewide proportional representation with preferences. A quota is 1/38 of the vote or 2.63%.
In the upper house, 46.7% of enrolled voters have been counted, well behind the 61.3% in the lower house. Labor has 41.3%, the Liberals 27.9%, the Nationals 5.6%, the Greens 10.8%, One Nation 3.4%, Legalise Cannabis 2.8%, the Christians 2.6%, an independent group 1.3% and Animal Justice 1.1%.
On current counts, Labor would win 15 of the 37 seats, the Liberals ten, the Nationals two, the Greens four, One Nation one, Legalise Cannabis one and the Christians one. That would leave three seats undecided, with Labor, the Liberals and the independent group ahead.
However, there’s much more counting to go in the upper house, and the current counts don’t include below the line votes. The major parties do relatively badly on below the line votes and the Greens relatively well.
Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Nestled in the Museum of the War of Resistance & Coastal Defence, Madam Hong Cafe enjoys the spectacular views of Shau Kei Wan and Lei Yue Mun. In addition to rejoicing in the views and delicious food here, customers can also show their support for people with disabilities.
Warm hospitality
The cafe is run by a social enterprise and is one of the projects subsidised by the Social Welfare Department’s Enhancing Employment of People with Disabilities through Small Enterprise Project (3E Project). It aims to provide an inclusive working environment for those with disabilities, so as to enhance their self-confidence.
There are more than 30 staff members in the cafe and about 60% of them are persons with disabilities. Albert is one of them. He has been working at enterprises of the Fu Hong Society for six years and joined Madam Hong Cafe as a waiter about three years ago.
Albert speaks English and Putonghua fluently and a little bit of French. He often recommends food to customers, even foreign visitors. To him, the most challenging part of the job is to handle complaints. He also shared his experience of encountering situations when children get too excited and romp about in the cafe. “My secret trick is to approach them with a big smile and remind them softly to be careful.”
Employee empowerment
The cafe’s supervisor Bobo Lau described Albert as a conscientious worker who is very attentive to the customers.
Ms Lau said one of the reasons why it is not easy for people with disabilities to find a job is that many employers do not understand their needs. For example, people with disabilities need repeated guidance, encouragement and appreciation from others.
“Moreover, some of them cannot work long hours. As such, I adjusted the duration of work shifts and assigned work according to their strengths so that each employee can give full play to their strengths.”
Promoting equality
The Social Welfare Department launched the 3E Project in 2001 with the aim of enhancing the employment of persons with disabilities through a market-driven approach and direct creation of more work opportunities. The project provides funding support to non-governmental organisations in setting up small enterprises or businesses to ensure people with disabilities can enjoy an inclusive working environment.
The grant’s maximum amount is $3 million per application and at least half of the employees must be persons with disabilities.
Enhancement measures were introduced in 2019 to provide further support. This includes additional funding for salary expenses for one employee in the preparatory stage and an extending funding support for salary expenses of employees with disabilities immediately after the funding period is over.
As at the end of January 2025, a total grant of over $175 million was approved to set up around 140 businesses of different types, including retail, food and beverage as well as car wash and car care services. Approximately 1,430 jobs have been created and about 70% of them are especially for persons with disabilities.
Social Welfare Department Senior Executive Officer (Marketing Consultancy) Christine Ngan noted that the objective of the Government’s rehabilitation policy is to help persons with disabilities to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the fullest extent, and to encourage them to integrate into the community. It also aims to acknowledge the equal rights of those with disabilities as members of the community.
She said: ”Through the 3E Project, the Government aims to enhance the public understanding of the capabilities of persons with disabilities and encourage more employers to engage them. These will help them achieve self-reliance and integrate into the community.”
Initiatives announced this week underscore the Government’s commitment to fix New Zealand’s broken healthcare system, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“We are relentlessly focused on improving health outcomes and ensuring Kiwis have access to timely, quality healthcare.“That’s why we are spending more on health than ever before – a record $30 billion each year.“Making it easier for people to see a doctor or nurse at their local GP clinic in a timely manner is a key part of this.“That’s why I announced a significant package this week to improve access to primary care and boost the primary care workforce, including:
100 clinical placements for overseas-trained doctors to work in primary care. Incentives for primary care to recruit up to 400 graduate registered nurses per year for five years. A $285 million uplift to funding over three years for general practice from 1 July, in addition to the capitation uplift general practice receives annually. An increase in the number of training placements for doctors at medical schools by a further 25 each year, meaning 100 more doctor training places will be added over the course of this Government. Up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors a year to train in primary care settings. A new 24/7 digital service for all New Zealanders to be able to access online medical appointments. Up to 120 training places for nurse practitioners specialising in primary care. Accelerating advanced tertiary education for up to 120 primary care registered nurses.
“Strengthening urgent and after-hours care will also be a focus of mine as part of our plan to enable faster access to primary care, and work on this is underway.“We are also focused on delivering better outcomes for those with cancer, including earlier detection of cancers through screening programmes.“This week, I was pleased to announce that the Government has agreed to progressively lower the age of eligibility for bowel cancer screening tests to align with Australia, which is 45 years old. By delivering the first step of lowering the age to 58, more lives will be saved.“We know that improving screening rates is crucial, which is why we also announced a significant investment for targeted initiatives that aim to increase screening rates among population groups with low rates, such as Māori, Asian, and Pacific Peoples.“This follows our decision to extend breast screening to women aged 70 to 74 and our $604 million boost to Pharmac over four years to deliver new cancer treatments and medicines.“Finally this week, I outlined my key five priorities as Minister of Health to put the focus firmly back on patients:
Focusing Health New Zealand on delivering the basics. Fixing primary healthcare. Reducing emergency department wait times. Clearing the elective surgery backlog. Investing in health infrastructure.
“Our plan supports our Government’s wider commitment to rebuild the economy, restore law and order, and deliver better health, education, and infrastructure for every New Zealander. Kiwis want action, and I am focused on delivering real change at pace.“We will not stop until our health system delivers timely, quality care to all New Zealanders.”
Timor-Leste, a young island nation in Southeast Asia, is particularly vulnerable to the ravages of the climate crisis. A combination of technology, community knowledge and UN support could help to ensure that casualties and damage are kept to a minimum, the next time extreme weather hits.
In April 2021, catastrophic flash floods ravaged Timor-Leste, claiming the lives of more than 30 people and destroying over 4,000 homes. Among the worst-hit areas was Orlalan, a remote mountainous village with a population of nearly 6,000. Residents there had little idea how to protect themselves when floodwaters surged and landslides struck.
In Orlalan, community leaders like Armandina Valentina, whose family was affected in the 2021 floods, have taken on the responsibility of educating their neighbors. Valentina is relentless in her efforts, knocking on doors to make sure every resident knows where to go when disaster strikes. She emphasizes that the most vulnerable—pregnant women, children, and the elderly—must be given special attention to avoid panic.
Her activities are part of a national initiative, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aimed at safeguarding the lives of the Timorese population.
ONU News/Felipe de Carvalho
In a disaster simulation exercise in Orlalan village, Timor-Leste, children receive first aid
Disaster role play
Another element of the programme is disaster simulations. UN News recently joined one of these drills in Orlalan, where children play a crucial role. During the exercise, they practice staying in visible areas, protecting their heads, and shouting for help if they’re trapped. Some children simulate injuries and receive first aid, while others follow rescue teams to safe locations.
For young volunteer Fretiliana Alves, these simulations are not just a form of training—they are a calling. “My main motivation is to save lives,” she explains. Alves encourages her peers to join the effort, finding fulfillment in rescuing and caring for those in need.
The success of these efforts relies heavily on local volunteers who know the risks and terrain of their communities. As Emidia Belo, Disaster Risk Reduction coordinator for the Red Cross of Timor-Leste (CVTL), notes, during a disaster, these volunteers are often the first responders. Their intimate knowledge of local conditions is indispensable, especially when access to affected areas is blocked.
Saving the most vulnerable
What sets UNEP’s preparedness program apart is its inclusivity. Training sessions are tailored to ensure that people with disabilities, children, the elderly, and pregnant women are all adequately equipped for the challenges posed by a disaster. Antonio Ornai, who is visually impaired, participated in a landslide simulation for the first time in September 2024. “I am grateful to be included,” he says. “I will use everything I’ve learned to protect myself in the future.”
This approach, says Emidia Belo, is vital. “Disasters affect everyone, but they hit the most vulnerable the hardest,” she adds. “Changing the community’s mindset to be prepared is a long-term process. It’s not something that happens in just one or two years.” With UNEP’s five-year support, Timor-Leste is making significant strides, but there is still much work to be done.
ONU News/Felipe de Carvalho
Solar powered megaphones are being installed in remote areas in Timor-Leste as part of a multi-hazard Early Warning System
Sound the alarm, loud and clear
In Orlalan, the evacuation process during a disaster follows a meticulous five-step plan. First, national authorities issue an early warning of the impending danger. Community leaders then meet to assess escape routes and identify safe shelters. This information is broadcast through solar-powered sound systems, reaching even the most remote villages, while volunteers use megaphones to ensure everyone is informed.
As the evacuation begins, civil defense teams and first responders trained in first aid are deployed to help those in need. The most vulnerable are prioritized, and once everyone is safely relocated, essential supplies are distributed by the government to the shelters.
But the process is not without its challenges. “The hardest part is ensuring enough food during an evacuation,” says Adriano Soares, chief of Torilalan, a small village. “The floods damage crops, depleting our resources and making it difficult to survive.”
ONU News/Felipe de Carvalho
As a partner organization of UNEP, CVTL is responsible for community preparedness programs in six villages across Timor-Leste
Game-changing, life-saving tech
In a powerful address during COP29, the UN Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out a dire reality: that the world’s least developed countries and island nations have less than 10 per cent of the data they need for effective alert systems. The message was clear—without the right data, lives are at risk.
Efforts are now underway in Timor-Leste to close this gap.
As part of the UNEP initiative, nine Automatic Weather Stations, two Automated Meteorological Observation systems, three radars and a marine buoy are being installed across the country.
According to Terêncio Fernandes, Director of the National Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, these technologies will help the country progress from a basic level of climate observation to a more advanced one, with the potential to reach level five—a benchmark for comprehensive, real-time climate data.
The new AWS stations, which are low-cost and can transmit data without the need for internet, are a game-changer for remote villages like Orlalan. These stations collect critical data on rainfall, wind speed, temperature, and other meteorological factors, transmitting it every minute to a central system for analysis.
A legacy of global action
The system that is being built in Timor-Leste is not just a national achievement; it is a testament to the power of global cooperation. Much of this progress is the result of decisions made at the 2010 UN Climate Conference, COP16, where the Green Climate Fund was established to help countries like Timor-Leste adapt to the climate crisis.
As climate negotiations continue at COP29 and beyond, the lessons learned in Timor-Leste could serve as a blueprint for other nations facing similar threats.
For now, the people of Orlalan, and other communities across the country, are learning to live with the reality of a changing climate, but they are also preparing for it—together. With technology, knowledge, and community spirit, they are proving that resilience, even in the face of catastrophe, is within reach.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), ranking member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jack Reed (D-R.I), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee released the following statement about the announcement of a new European security agreement:
“We applaud the bold new steps outlined by our European partners to strengthen their defense and stand with Ukraine on the frontlines of democracy. This historic announcement paves the way for more than $800b in additional defense investments across the continent and shows that the leaders of Europe are clear-eyed about the dangers we face and are willing to rise to the challenge. They understand that a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace rests on strengthening our collective defense and deterrence, particularly in the face of a growing alignment between our adversaries in China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
“This announcement also demonstrates Europe’s resolve in working to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Ukraine must come to the negotiating table from as strong a position as possible in pursuit of a deal that protects Ukrainian sovereignty, strengthens transatlantic security, and ensures that Putin and his fellow dictators understand that aggression will never triumph over the drive for freedom. Our own nation’s strategy towards Ukraine was driven by that reality. For the past three years, we’ve been helping Ukraine on the battlefield to ensure it has the strongest position at the negotiating table. We know Putin will only stop when we stop him, and Ukrainian troops have been bravely fighting and dying to achieve that goal without putting any of our own servicemembers in harm’s way. That must continue. Now, the Europeans, who have already contributed more to Ukraine’s war effort than we have, have pledged major increases in defense spending and investments and signaled that they will take the lead in crafting a package of security guarantees to give Ukraine the best chance to ensure their security and bring the war to an end. The United States is stronger and safer when we stand with our partners in Europe, and we must continue to do so.”