NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • Over 2.34 lakh perform Amarnath Yatra, another batch of pilgrims leaves for Kashmir

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Another batch of 6,064 pilgrims departed from Jammu on Wednesday to undertake the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which has already seen over 2.34 lakh devotees perform darshan at the holy cave shrine in the past 13 days.

    According to officials, the 2025 Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, continues smoothly with strong participation. “Another batch of 6,064 yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu today in two escorted convoys headed for the Valley,” an official said.

    The first convoy, comprising 95 vehicles and carrying 2,471 pilgrims, departed at 3:30 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. The second convoy of 139 vehicles, with 3,593 pilgrims on board, left at 4:07 a.m. for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.

    The Meteorological Department has forecast widespread light to moderate rainfall across Jammu & Kashmir over the next 24 hours.

    Security arrangements have been significantly intensified this year following Pahalgam terror attack.

    This year’s Yatra spans 38 days, concluding on August 9, which coincides with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

    (IANS)

  • 1.4 lakh new PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts opened since July 1: Finance ministry

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Nearly 1.4 lakh new accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have been opened across the country since July 1, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) said on Tuesday. More than 5.4 lakh fresh enrollments under the three Jan Suraksha Schemes have also been recorded during this period.

    The DFS has rolled out a three-month nationwide campaign, which began on July 1 and will run till September 30, to expand the reach of its flagship financial inclusion schemes — PMJDY, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). The campaign aims to cover all Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies to ensure that every eligible citizen can access these schemes.

    “The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to last-mile financial empowerment and greater socio-economic inclusion,” the finance ministry said in a statement.

    In the first two weeks of the drive, 43,447 enrolment camps have been organised in various districts to register beneficiaries and promote financial literacy. Progress reports for 31,305 camps have been compiled so far.

    The outreach campaign will cover about 2.7 lakh Gram Panchayats and urban bodies by September-end.

    Additionally, the finance ministry clarified that the government has not issued any order to banks to close inactive PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts.

    “In connection with reports appearing in the media that the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, has asked banks to close inactive PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, the DFS has clarified that it has not asked banks to close inactive PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts,” the finance ministry said.

    So far, over 55.44 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in India, with women holding 56 per cent of them. Deposits in these accounts crossed Rs 2.5 lakh crore as of May 21 this year.

  • Sensex, Nifty open lower amid mixed global cues

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian benchmark indices opened on a flat note on Wednesday, reflecting weakness in Asian markets and investor caution ahead of corporate earnings releases and key global trade developments.

    At the start of the trading session, the BSE Sensex opened at 82,534.66, down 36.24 points, while the Nifty 50 at the National Stock Exchange (NSE) slipped 0.80 points to open at 25,196.60.

    In early trade, market breadth remained moderately positive, with 1,271 stocks advancing, 818 declining, and 171 remaining unchanged.

    On the NSE, SBI Life Insurance, Trent, Tech Mahindra, Hero MotoCorp, and Tata Consumer were among the top gainers. Meanwhile, Shriram Finance, Cipla, Hindalco, Reliance Industries, and TCS were notable laggards.

    Market analysts flagged concerns around US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of 200% tariffs on pharmaceuticals, expected to be implemented this month, much sooner than his earlier indication of a 12–18 month timeline. Additionally, the threat of secondary tariffs up to 100% on countries engaging in trade with Russia, particularly those importing crude oil, is creating unease among investors. The deadline for these potential sanctions is September 2.

    “India is awaiting clarity on a US tariff deal. Trump’s abrupt announcement regarding pharma tariffs and the looming deadline for secondary sanctions on Russian oil imports are creating uncertainty. Disengaging from a strategic partner like Russia is not a viable option for India, which adds to investor anxiety,” said Ajay Bagga, Market and Banking Expert.

    Investors are also closely monitoring corporate margin pressures, global demand outlooks, and forward guidance from companies as earnings season progresses.

    Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research at Axis Securities, noted: “The Nifty gained 113 points to close at 25,196 yesterday, marking its first rise in five sessions. Technically, a swing low has been confirmed at 25,000. A close above 25,245 today could fuel further optimism. However, for bullish momentum to return convincingly, we need a daily close above 25,340. Support is currently seen between 24,940 and 25,000. While Asian markets remain flat, US index futures are down about 0.2%.”

    Indian benchmark indices had snapped a four-day losing streak on Tuesday, driven by gains in the Auto and Banking & Financial Services (BFSI) sectors. Broader markets outperformed, with the Midcap and Smallcap indices rising 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively. Market breadth was robust, with a healthy 2:1 advance-to-decline ratio, according to SBI Securities.

    (ANI)

     

  • EAM Jaishankar slams terrorism at SCO meet, cites Pahalgam attack as example

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Tuesday stressed the importance of taking an uncompromising stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, which was condemned by the UN Security Council.

    The Minister was speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin.

    He highlighted three evils – terrorism, separatism and extremism, which often occur together, in his post on X. He said, “Recently, we in India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. It was deliberately conducted to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir while sowing a religious divide. The UN Security Council, of which some of us are currently members, issued a statement that condemned it in the strongest terms and ‘underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice’. We have since done exactly that and will continue doing so. It is imperative that the SCO, to remain true to its founding objectives, take an uncompromising position on this challenge.”

    He highlighted India’s commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and bringing them to justice.

    Jaishankar emphasised the need for SCO member states to work together to stabilise the global order, mitigate risks, and address longstanding challenges that threaten collective interests amid rising conflicts, competition, and economic instability.

    “In the last few years, we have seen more conflicts, competition and coercion. Economic instability is also visibly on the rise. The challenge before us is to stabilise the global order, de-risk various dimensions and, through it all, address longstanding challenges that threaten our collective interests,” the EAM posted on X.

    Jaishankar underscored the need for cooperation within the SCO to be based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, and adherence to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states. He also mentioned India’s initiatives in areas like startup innovation, traditional medicine, and digital public infrastructure.

    “India has taken several initiatives in the SCO in domains ranging from startup and innovation to traditional medicine and digital public infrastructure. We will continue to positively approach new ideas and proposals that are genuinely for our collective good. It is essential that such cooperation is based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and in accordance with the territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states,” said Jaishankar.

    Jaishankar emphasised the importance of addressing current issues, such as the lack of assured transit within the SCO space, to deepen collaboration and promote economic cooperation. He also highlighted the potential of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to boost regional connectivity.

    “Deepening collaboration within the SCO naturally requires more trade, investment and exchanges. For that to move to the next level, it is imperative that we address some current issues. One of them is the lack of assured transit within the SCO space. Its absence undermines the seriousness of advocating cooperation in economic areas. Another is to ensure the promotion of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC). We are confident that it will continue to gather momentum,” he added.

    Jaishankar stressed the need for the international community, particularly SCO members, to provide development assistance to Afghanistan, while ensuring regional stability and concern for the well-being of the Afghan people.

    “Afghanistan has been long on the SCO agenda. The compulsions of regional stability are buttressed by our longstanding concern for the well-being of the Afghan people. The international community, particularly SCO members, must therefore step up with development assistance. India, for its part, will certainly do so,” added Jaishankar.

    He noted the emergence of effective groupings like the SCO in a multipolar world and emphasised the importance of coming together on a shared agenda to contribute to shaping world affairs.

    “The world is today moving towards greater multipolarity. This is not just in terms of redistribution of national capacities, but also the emergence of effective groupings like SCO. Our ability to contribute to the shaping of world affairs will naturally depend on how well we come together on a shared agenda. That means taking everybody on board,” said Jaishankar.

    EAM Jaishankar held several high-level interactions on the sidelines of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

    He met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Tuesday.

    In a post on X, Russia’s Foreign Ministry shared, “Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of External Affairs of India @DrSJaishankar hold a meeting on the sidelines of the #SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.”

    He also met Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tianjin, China.

    Jaishankar shared the update on X. He wrote, “Good to catch up with FM @araghchi of Iran, this time on the sidelines of the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin.”

    Jaishankar is on an official visit to China to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. He arrived in Beijing after concluding his trip to Singapore. This is also his first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, which severely strained ties between the two countries.

    Earlier in the day, Jaishankar, along with other SCO foreign ministers, met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    His visit comes shortly after recent visits to China by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, both of whom attended SCO-related engagements in June.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also expected to visit India next month to meet NSA Ajit Doval. The meeting will be part of the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue mechanism, aimed at resolving the long-standing boundary dispute between the two countries. (ANI)

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rural News – Progress on rates reform – but only half the picture – Federated Farmers

    Source: Federated Farmers

    Federated Farmers is welcoming the Government’s moves to rein in soaring council rates but says key elements are missing from the reform bill announced yesterday.
    “The proposed legislation rightly refocuses councils on core services – roads, water, rubbish, and basic infrastructure – something we’ve long called for,” Federated Farmers local government spokesperson Sandra Faulkner says.
    “New financial performance measures, benchmarking and more regular public reporting should help drive greater transparency and accountability.”
    But Faulkner says while the Local Government (Systems Improvements) Amendment Bill also contains some regulatory relief tweaks, it fails to address a major pressure point: the constant loading of councils with new, unfunded mandates.
    There’s also no sign of ditching the 30% cap on uniform annual charges, or direction to councils they should use this tool more to distribute costs more fairly, instead of relying on property value-based rates that hit farmers hard.
    “Federated Farmers is in no doubt that many councils need to show more financial discipline.
    “Data shows the average dairy farmer’s rates in 2024/25 were $23,000, a 25% increase in the last five years. Rates for sheep and beef farms average $19,000, a 35% increase since 2020/21.
    “These are huge amounts to come out of farmers’ budgets year after year and our rural families are really feeling the pressure,” Faulkner says.
    Local Government Minister Simon Watt says the Government is working at pace to develop a rates cap model, expected later this year.
    “Federated Farmers supports the idea – but it has to be well-designed,” Faulkner says.
    “A lot of careful thought will be needed to get this right. There needs to be off-ramps for councils facing legitimate cost pressures for essential infrastructure like roads.
    “Councils still need to be well-funded in the interests of maintaining robust infrastructure.”
    She also warns a cap could affect Local Government Funding Authority credit ratings, potentially driving up borrowing costs for councils.
    “The last thing councils need are higher debt interest costs from LGFA, the principal lender at competitive rates to local authorities.”
    Faulkner says the bill and upcoming select committee hearings are a good chance to finally tackle bigger questions about council costs and funding.
    “Minister Watts has ruled out new taxes or revenue tools for councils, with the Government saying there’s still scope to get better value from current rates. But that ignores half the equation.
    “The bill acknowledges council rates rises are being driven by rising council costs, particularly for critical infrastructure.”
    The Federated Farmers ‘Restoring Confidence in Local Decision-Making’ blueprint calls for local road and bridge maintenance and renewal costs to be funded 90% from road user charges, rather than the current situation where ratepayers fork out just under 50% of these costs.
    “And we think there should be local referendums for any large council commercial projects – such as stadiums and conference centres – if they cost more than $500 per rateable property.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – New low-risk drinking guidelines challenge outdated advice

    Source: Alcohol Healthwatch

    We all want the most up-to-date information to help us make informed choices for ourselves and our families.
    This is why today Alcohol Healthwatch have just posted the most recent evidence-based low-risk drinking guidelines on their website.
    New Zealand’s drinking guidelines are out of date and do not align with research showing there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, particularly for cancer risk.
    Information obtained by RNZ shows the alcohol industry has worked to pause a review of the official low-risk drinking guidelines for New Zealand. These guidelines have not been updated since their release in 2011.
    ” Quality, evidence-based drinking guidelines are crucial to help people understand the risk from alcohol, and evidence shows risk is present even at low levels of alcohol consumption,” says Andrew Galloway, Executive Director of Alcohol Healthwatch.
    “Low-risk drinking guidelines are a tool for individuals but also for health practitioners, (like GPs and emergency department staff) to use these when discussing alcohol use with their patients.”
    Alcohol industry lobbyists were exposed by RNZ requesting that information about the review of the New Zealand low-risk drinking guidelines and links to other countries’ guidelines be removed from the Health NZ website.
    The alcohol industry has a track record of opposing effective health policies. As a recent Public Health Communication Centre briefing on the rising influence of big business in policy making states: “t he alcohol industry profits when they impede effective policies, while individuals, wh ānau / families and taxpayers bear the costs, which fall disproportionately on Māori and low-income communities.”
    A recent poll shows the majority of New Zealanders agree the alcohol industry should have no place in developing alcohol policy.
    “As the official New Zealand low-risk drinking guidelines are out of date, and a review of the guidelines has been paused, we thought we’d offer the New Zealand public the most recent, credible and evidence-based guidelines. People in Aotearoa New Zealand deserve to know the risks from alcohol, our nation’s most harmful drug .”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Memorials – Potential Christchurch sites for National Erebus Memorial shared with families

    Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

    “Potential National Erebus Memorial sites in Christchurch have been shared with Erebus families,” says Secretary for Culture and Heritage, Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae.
    The sites have been identified as possible locations for the memorial, which will honour the 257 people who lost their lives in 1979, when Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sight-seeing tour.
    “The potential sites we shared with Erebus families and members of Operation Overdue are Avon Riverbank in the central city, Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere and St James’ Church grounds in Harewood.”
    No decisions have been made about locating the memorial in Christchurch or which of the potential sites may be selected.
    The Ministry is currently seeking feedback from Erebus families on each of the potential sites.
    “We are grateful to Erebus families for their continued engagement. Sharing these potential sites is an important step and we will carefully consider their feedback.
    “We are committed to building this memorial – for the people who lost loved ones, for New Zealanders, and for those here and overseas impacted by the Erebus tragedy,” says Leauanae.
    Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger says the city is honoured to be considered as a possible location for the memorial.
    “On behalf of Christchurch, I extend a warm invitation to Erebus families to consider the city as a potential location for the memorial,” says Mayor Mauger.
    “As a city, we have experienced tragedy and understand the deep impact the Erebus disaster continues to have on people across Aotearoa.
    “Christchurch is long connected to Antarctica, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to honour the lives of your loved ones with great care and quiet dignity.”
    Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage continues to work closely with Erebus families, mana whenua and stakeholders to find a site for the National Erebus Memorial.
    More information
    For more information about the National Erebus Memorial, visit our website: www.mch.govt.nz/our-work/memorials-and-commemorations/national-erebus-memorial

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fresh air, better care: Allied health embraces nature-based therapy

    Source:

    16 July 2025

    Whether it’s a walk by the sea or a breath of fresh air in the park, spending time in nature is widely known to support good health and wellbeing.

    Now, new research from the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia shows that while nature-based therapy is strongly supported by allied health professionals, more needs to be done to embed it into routine care.

    In the first study of its kind – published in the journal  Health and Place – researchers found that 97% of allied health professionals believe that outdoor environments can help prevent and manage a wide range of physical, mental and social health conditions.

    Yet, significant barriers from carers, clients, and other health professionals can also prevent its use.

    Surveying 77 allied health professionals – including psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and exercise physiologists – the study found that more than 94% regularly recommend time outdoors to their clients.

    “Allied health professionals can play an important role in improving people’s access to and use of nature, to benefit their health and wellbeing,” says lead author and University of Adelaide Senior Research Fellow, Dr Jessica Stanhope.

    “Whether it’s persistent pain, high blood pressure, respiratory issues, or depression, allied health professionals recognise the therapeutic potential of time spent in nature.

    “But despite their support, barriers such as limited access to green spaces, mobility issues, patient safety concerns, and even scepticism from other professionals can prevent nature-based therapies from being used.”

    Other common challenges include professional resistance or lack of awareness about the evidence supporting nature-based approaches; environmental factors such as weather, infrastructure, and lack of inclusive design; and client concerns about motivation, ability, or perceived credibility of nature therapies.

    More than 70% of allied health professionals had advocated for providing and improving natural environments, with 55% directly involved in efforts to make outdoor spaces more accessible for therapy.

    “Even when patients can’t physically get outdoors, we know that exposure to nature – through images, sounds, scents, or simply viewing natural scenes – can still be beneficial,” Dr Stanhope says.

    “This is where community gardens, indoor green spaces in aged care facilities, and nature-based learning activities in schools and childcare settings are so valuable.

    “Through activities like walking outside, gardening, or even playing on a jungle gym, people are doing everyday skills, building their confidence, capacity and social connection.”

    Co-researcher Professor Mary Butler from UniSA says nature should be more fully integrated into the design and delivery of allied health.

    “We need to translate the research into practical strategies so that nature-based activities become part of standard care,” Prof Butler says.

    “That includes improving outdoor spaces through better paths, seating, shade, and fencing, and boosting awareness across the health sector and community about the benefits of nature for wellbeing.

    “With the right support, everyone – including older adults and people with disability – can access the outdoors and its health benefits.”

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview:
     Jessica Stanhope, the University of Adelaide. E: jessica.stanhope@adelaide.edu.au
    Media contacts: Annabel Mansfield, UniSA M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au
    Rhiannon Koch, the University of Adelaide. M: +61 481 619 997. E: rhiannon.koch@adelaide.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Red flag lowered at Silver Mine Bay Beach

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Attention TV/radio announcers:

    Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

         Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

         The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 16) that, since the water of Silver Mine Bay Beach in Islands District is now suitable for swimming, the red flag has been lowered.

         The red flag was hoisted at the beach earlier after a red tide was found.
     

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament

    By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist

    More than 400 candidates have put their hands up to contest the Bougainville general election in September, hoping to enter Parliament.

    Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is among the 404 people lining up to win a seat.

    Bougainville is involved in the process of achieving independence from Papua New Guinea — an issue expected to dominate campaigning, which lasts until the beginning of September.

    Voting is scheduled to start on September 2, finishing a week later, depending on the weather.

    Seven candidates — all men — are contesting the Bougainville presidency. This number is down from when 25 people stood, including two women.

    Toroama is seeking a second term and is being challenged by his former colleague in the leadership of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), Sam Kauona.

    Kauona is one of several contesting a second time, along with Thomas Raivet and a former holder of the Bougainville Regional Seat in the PNG Parliament, Joe Lera.

    There are 46 seats to be decided, including six new constituencies.

    Two seats will have 21 candidates: the northern seat of Peit and the Ex-Combatants constituency.

    Several other constituencies — Haku, Tsitalato, Taonita Tinputz, Taonita Teop, Rau, and Kokoda — also have high numbers of candidates.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • India reiterates call for accountability for crimes against UN peacekeepers

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India on Tuesday co-chaired a high-level meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, reaffirming its push for justice for peacekeepers facing violence in conflict zones.

    Addressing the meeting of the Group of Friends for Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers, Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, underlined the need for stronger protection mechanisms and swift action against perpetrators targeting UN personnel.

    “Glad to be part of the Group of Friends for Accountability of Crimes against Peacekeepers that met today to take forward the landmark Security Council Resolution 2589 (2021) that was championed by India. We remain committed to the pursuit of justice for peacekeepers,” Harish said in a post on X.

    Harish stressed that UN peacekeepers continue to work in dangerous environments, yet crimes against them often go unpunished. “This lack of accountability severely undermines international peace efforts by giving assailants more confidence,” he said.

    Calling accountability a “strategic necessity”, Harish said, “Ensuring responsibility for crimes against UN personnel is essential to the integrity and effectiveness of international peacekeeping efforts. Justice directly improves peacekeepers’ safety, allowing them to carry out their missions. It is our collective duty to uphold this commitment.”

    The Group of Friends for Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers was launched in December 2022 during India’s presidency of the UN Security Council, building on Resolution 2589. According to UN data, more than 1,000 peacekeepers have been killed in hostile acts since 1948.

    At the meeting, member states reiterated the need to tackle impunity for attacks on peacekeepers, stressing that accountability underpins the credibility and future of UN peace operations worldwide.

    India, one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN missions, has deployed over 300,000 peacekeepers in the last seven decades. So far, 182 Indian peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.

    IANS

  • Flag football to make primetime Olympic debut at LA28

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Flag football will take center stage during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, after organizers confirmed the sport’s medal matches will be held in primetime slots in its first-ever Olympic appearance.

    The International Federation of American Football (IFAF), in partnership with the National Football League (NFL), announced on Monday that the men’s and women’s medal games are scheduled for Friday evening, July 21, and Saturday afternoon, July 22, at BMO Stadium near downtown Los Angeles.

    The announcement comes as senior IFAF and NFL delegations visit Los Angeles for the first official meetings with Games organizers, marking exactly three years to the day before the LA28 Opening Ceremony.

    “Flag football will definitely be a hot ticket at the Games,” IFAF President Pierre Trochet told Reuters on Monday.

    “We’re going to be at a great stadium right in the heart of the city and we’re going to have fantastic players on the field with NFL players available.”

    Flag football is a non-contact variation of American football in which players wear flags attached to their waists. Instead of tackling, defensive players must remove a flag from the ball carrier to end a play. The sport is played on a smaller field with fewer players per side.

    The inclusion of flag football in LA28 follows a vote by NFL owners allowing NFL players to participate in the Olympic competition.

    Trochet said the primetime scheduling was a clear statement of a shared ambition to ensure flag football contributes a “defining element” of LA28’s success.

    Organizers hope to capture the excitement of “Friday Night Lights,” a cherished American tradition, and generate iconic moments for the sport’s Olympic launch.

    “We could not dream of a better setup to start our debut in the Olympic movement and Olympic journey,” he said.

    The IFAF delegation, including managing director Andy Fuller and senior NFL executives, is set to tour Exposition Park and other venues over a three-day visit.

    The group will also meet with key LA28 organizing committee members and attend the launch of a new NFL flag football brand campaign, which features Olympic gymnastics champion Jordan Chiles and flag football athletes from Australia and the U.S.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ18: Employment support services

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Ngan Man-yu and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
     
    Question:
     
         The Employment Information and Promotion Programme Office (EIPPO) of the Labour Department (LD) is responsible for promoting employment services, assisting job-seekers in finding jobs through the provision of employment information, and helping employers recruit suitable staff. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the details of EIPPO’s existing staffing establishment (including the number of posts, rank distribution and the ratio of full-time to contract staff); between 2022 and 2024, (i) the operating expenses of EIPPO, (ii) the number of job fairs organised, and (iii) the number of job vacancies processed, together with a breakdown by year and industry type (e.g. retail, construction and service);

    (2) of the number of successful placements referred by the EIPPO (“successful job matching”) between 2022 and 2024 and its percentage in the total number of job vacancies processed by the EIPPO, together with a breakdown by the age, sex, academic qualification and group (e.g. ethnic minorities or persons with disabilities) of job seekers, and the industry of the placement; whether it has laid down clear definitions and criteria for successful job matching (e.g. staying in employment for three months or more);

    (3) whether the LD has formulated performance indicators for the EIPPO’s work, such as participation rates at job fairs, vacancy filling rates or job seeker satisfaction levels; if so, of the details (including the key indicators and their attainment between 2022 and 2024); if not, the reasons for that;

    (4) whether it has plans to comprehensively review the effectiveness of the EIPPO’s services, so as to enhance the employment support measures for vulnerable workers (including low-skilled workers, women, ethnic minorities and middle-aged persons); if so, of the details (including the timetable, scope and objectives of the review); if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will conduct the relevant review;

    (5) whether it will consider strengthening co-operation with enterprises, social organisations and non-governmental organisations to establish an “employment support platform for vulnerable workers”, and encouraging enterprises to provide internships and long-term employment opportunities suitable for vulnerable workers; if so, of the details (including the content of the plan, the implementation timetable, the measures to provide subsidies or incentives to enterprises, as well as the expected effectiveness); if not, the reasons for that, and whether there are other alternative measures; and

    (6) whether it will, by drawing reference from LD’s practice of setting up industry-specific job centres (e.g. the Recruitment Centre for the Catering Industry, the Recruitment Centre for the Retail Industry and the Construction Industry Recruitment Centre), convert job centres in some districts into one-stop employment support centres specifically targeting women, the elderly and ethnic minorities, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of such centres?

    Reply:

    President,

         The Labour Department (LD) provides diversified and free employment services to job-seekers to encourage and assist them in entering the labour market. The Employment Information and Promotion Programme Office (EIPPO) under the Employment Information and Promotion Division of the LD is responsible for holding large-scale job fairs and organising publicity projects to promote the LD’s employment services and related information. The EIPPO also actively liaises with employers to canvass job vacancies from different industries with a view to assisting employers in recruiting employees and expediting the dissemination of employment information.

         The reply to the Member’s question is as follows:

    (1) The breakdown of the EIPPO’s staff establishment by grade from 2022-23 to 2024-25 is at Annex 1. The EIPPO’s annual operational expenses (excluding staff cost) during the same period was $5.02 million, $9.07 million and $8.94 million respectively. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some activities could not be organised in 2022, resulting in lower operational expenses for the year.

         From 2022 to 2024, the EIPPO organised 13, 17 and 18 large-scale job fairs each year, offering 23 594, 36 870 and 32 900 job vacancies respectively for job-seekers to submit job applications to employers on the spot. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of large-scale job fairs organised and job vacancies recorded in 2022 were lower. A breakdown of the relevant job vacancies by industry is at Annex 2. 

    (2) The LD organises large-scale job fairs to provide a convenient platform for employers and job seekers to meet face-to-face. In addition to applying for jobs and attending interviews on the spot, job seekers can learn directly from employers about trade development, company culture, job requirements, etc. At the same time, they can make use of the LD’s consultation services during job fairs and obtain information on various employment programmes.

         From 2022 to 2024, about 6 600, 26 500 and 32 600 job seekers attended the large-scale job fairs organised by the EIPPO each year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of job seekers visiting the large-scale job fairs was lower in 2022. Based on the questionnaire responses collected by the LD from employers after the job fairs, from 2022 to 2024, approximately 1 300, 1 900 and 2 000 job seekers were respectively employed within one month after the job fairs each year. The LD does not maintain breakdowns of the job fair visitors or individuals employed after the job fairs.

    (3) and (4) The LD from time to time organises large-scale job fairs across the territory and stages district-based thematic job fairs at its job centres, including inclusive job fairs for ethnic minorities, and part-time or thematic job fairs targeting elderly and middle-aged job seekers (including women).

         Overall, employers, job seekers and relevant stakeholders have strong demand for job fairs. Participating employers and job seekers respond very favourably to the events. As the number of job vacancies, success rate of recruitment, etc., may be affected by factors such as the economy, labour market situation and personal circumstances of job seekers, it is inappropriate to set Key Performance Indicators for the EIPPO or the large-scale job fairs it organises.

         The LD will continue to closely monitor changes in the economy and employment market, conduct timely review on the effectiveness of various employment services, and implement appropriate enhancement measures. 

    (5) and (6) The LD’s ten job centres provide integrated employment services to job seekers. Apart from job referral service, job seekers can also use the facilities of the job centres, including vacancy search terminals, computers with word processing function for preparing resume, employment information corners, etc. Employment officers of the centres may also meet with job seekers to provide them with personalised employment advisory service, and based on their needs and preferences, recommend them to join suitable employment programmes or to enroll in training/retraining courses so as to enhance their employability and employment opportunities. All job centres also provide dedicated services for elderly and middle-aged persons (including women), and ethnic minorities, such as priority employment services for those aged 50 or above, and arrangement of interpretation services for ethnic minority job seekers. 

         Additionally, the LD implements various employment programmes including Youth Employment and Training Programme, Re-employment Allowance Pilot Scheme, Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged and Racial Diversity Employment Programme to support and facilitate the employment of young people, elderly and middle-aged persons (including women) as well as ethnic minorities. The LD collaborates with relevant groups, including engaging non-governmental organisations to provide employment support to participants, etc., to jointly implement employment programmes.

         Apart from offering integrated employment services, job centres also collaborate with relevant groups in implementing employment programmes. Proven to be effective, this modus operandi can comprehensively and flexibly meet the needs of different groups of job seekers (including women, older persons and ethnic minorities, etc.). As such, the LD currently has no plan to set up other employment support platform, or new employment support centres for specific groups of job seekers. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Well done to Course 81

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Today’s 25 graduates from the South Australia Police (SAPOL) Academy all bring something unique to the table, from experience in competitive boxing, and retail management to truck logistics and swim coaching.

    Course 81 members include 13 men and 12 women, who range in age from 19 to 46.

    The new police officers bring diverse skills from a variety of employment backgrounds, including in security, education, hospitality, retail, corrections, the Navy, pharmaceutical and disability sectors, and as a flight attendant, truck driver, gymnastics coach, Department for Child Protection worker and Police Security Officer.

    Some have journeyed from overseas and interstate, including from Switzerland, India, Sydney, Victoria and Tasmania.

    Probationary Constable Bagus has an Indonesian/Australian background and lived in Bali for five years before moving to Adelaide in 2017.

    Prior to joining SAPOL, he worked as a barista and competed in amateur boxing.

    “Competing in boxing helped me to have better situational awareness. In boxing matches, I constantly had to read the opponent’s body language and stay alert,” Bagus said.

    “This translates well to policing, especially for dynamic or unpredictable situations. Competing in boxing also gave me the ability to stay calm and keep composure in high-stress situations.”

    Fellow graduate, and single mother Sarah previously worked in retail, aquaculture, hospitality and truck logistics, and was most recently a lead cook at her local country hospital/aged care facility.

    “I am a single mother to one, and love country life, 4×4 driving, opal mining, bush hiking, but most of all spending quality time with my son riding horses, playing backyard cricket and football,” she said.

    “Being a single parent has taught me to be resilient, adaptable, understanding, patient, kind, forgiving and assertive – all qualities that a police officer requires.”

    Similarly, Lauren has developed impressive time management skills to reach graduation day while also being a mother.

    “Prior to joining SAPOL, I lived for two years in North Carolina, United States, where I was a waterfront director and lifeguard, and then I moved to Finland for a year before coming back to Australia to have my daughter,” she said.

    “Before becoming a police officer, I was a mum to my one-year-old and worked causally in retail and swim coaching.”

    Bradley worked in retail for 7.5 years, managing teams in different departments while also playing cricket, football, golf, and the guitar.

    “I felt like working in a team environment helped me throughout the academy, through interactions with course mates,” he said.

    “The customer-service aspect will be important for how I interact when on the road and dealing with various types of people.”

    Eventually, Bagus would like to work in SAPOL’s Security Response Section (SRS) and later Special Tasks and Rescue (STAR), while Sarah hopes her career will lead to theDog Operations Unit. Lauren has her sights set on working in the Major Crime Investigations Branch or Child and Family Violence Investigation Section, while Bradley aims to work anywhere in Forensic Services.

    All four graduates encouraged anyone interested in a SAPOL career to “take the leap” and prepare early for what is expected.

    Course 81 members will be stationed to metropolitan and regional postings, including Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, and Berri.

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

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

    Sarah, Lauren, Bagus, and Bradley are among 25 new police officers to graduate today from the South Australia Police Academy.

    MIL OSI News –

  • Trump sets 19% tariff on Indonesia goods in latest deal, EU readies retaliation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. would impose a 19% tariff on goods from Indonesia under a new agreement with the Southeast Asian country and more deals were coming, while offering fresh details on planned duties on pharmaceuticals.

    Trump announced the pact with Indonesia, a relatively minor U.S. trading partner, as he continued to press for what he views as better terms with trading partners and ways to shrink a huge U.S. trade deficit. Letters setting tariff rates for dozens of smaller countries were also coming soon, he said on Tuesday.

    The deal with Indonesia is among the handful struck so far by the Trump administration ahead of an August 1 deadline when duties on most U.S. imports are due to rise again. The accord came as the top U.S. trading partner – the European Union – readied retaliatory measures should talks with Washington fail.

    As that deadline approached, negotiations were under way with other nations eager to avoid more U.S. levies beyond a baseline 10% on most goods that has been in place since April.

    Trump’s roll-out of the policies has often been chaotic. His moves have upended decades of negotiated reductions in global trade barriers, unsettling international financial markets and threatening a new wave of inflation.

    Based on Trump tariff announcements through Sunday, Yale Budget Lab estimated the U.S. effective average tariff rates will rise to 20.6% from between 2% and 3% before Trump’s return to the White House in January. Consumption shifts would bring the rate down to 19.7%, but it’s still the highest since 1933.

    Trump outlined an Indonesia deal similar to a preliminary pact struck recently with Vietnam, with a flat tariff on exports to the U.S. roughly double the current 10% and no levies on U.S. exports going there. It also included a penalty rate for so-called transhipments of goods from China via Indonesia and a commitment to buy some U.S. goods.

    “They are going to pay 19% and we are going to pay nothing … we will have full access into Indonesia, and we have a couple of those deals that are going to be announced,” Trump said outside the Oval Office. Trump later said on his Truth Social platform that Indonesia had agreed to buy $15 billion of U.S. energy products, $4.5 billion of American farm products and 50 Boeing BA.N jets, though no time frame was specified.

    He told reporters the deal with Vietnam was “pretty well set” but said it was not necessary to release details.

    TRUMP: INDIA TALKS MOVING SAME WAY

    Indonesia’s total trade with the U.S. – totalling just under $40 billion in 2024 – does not rank in the top 15, but it has been growing. U.S. exports to Indonesia rose 3.7% last year, while imports from there were up 4.8%, leaving the U.S. with a goods trade deficit of nearly $18 billion.

    The top U.S. import categories from Indonesia, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from the International Trade Centre’s TradeMap tool, last year were palm oil, electronics equipment including data routers and switches, footwear, car tires, natural rubber and frozen shrimp.

    Susiwijono Moegiarso, a senior official with Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, told Reuters in a text message: “We are preparing a joint statement between U.S. and Indonesia that will explain the size of reciprocal tariff for Indonesia including the tariff deal, non-tariff and commercial arrangements. We will inform (the public) soon.”

    Trump had threatened the country with a 32% tariff rate starting August 1 in a letter sent to its president last week. He sent similar letters to about two dozen trading partners this month, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, laying out tariff rates ranging from 20% to 50%, plus a 50% tariff on copper.

    Speaking in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Trump said he favored blanket tariffs over complicated negotiations, but his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were keen to land more trade agreements.

    Upon his arrival back in Washington, Trump told reporters that letters would be going out soon for many smaller countries, suggesting they would face a tariff of “a little over 10%.”

    He said his administration would also announce tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported into the United States, probably at the end of the month, starting with what he called a low tariff rate to give companies time to move manufacturing to the U.S. before imposing a “very high tariff” in a year or so.

    The August 1 deadline gives targeted countries time to negotiate about lower tariff rates. Some economists have also noted Trump’s pattern of backing off his tariff threats.

    Since launching his tariff policy, Trump has clinched only a few “framework” agreements, falling short of earlier promises to land “90 deals in 90 days.”

    So far, such deals have been reached with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and an interim deal has been struck with China to forestall the steepest of Trump’s tariffs while negotiations continue between Washington and Beijing.

    Trump said talks with India were moving “along that same line,” saying the agreement would give U.S. firms access to the large Indian market.

    EU READIES RETALIATION

    The breakthrough with Indonesia came as the European Commission, which oversees trade for the EU, prepared to target 72 billion euros ($84.1 billion) worth of U.S. goods – from Boeing BA.N aircraft and bourbon whiskey to cars – for possible tariffs if trade talks with Washington fail.

    Trump has threatened a 30% tariff on imports from the EU from August 1, a level European officials say is unacceptable and would end normal trade between two of the world’s largest markets.

    The list, sent to EU member states and seen by Reuters on Tuesday, pre-dated Trump’s move over the weekend to ramp up pressure on the 27-nation bloc and responded instead to U.S. duties on cars and car parts and a 10% baseline tariff.

    The package also covers chemicals, medical devices, electrical and precision equipment as well as agriculture and food products – a range of fruits and vegetables, along with wine, beer and spirits – valued at 6.35 billion euros.

    (Reuters)

  • India offers help to restore Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Bangladesh

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian government has expressed regret over the reported demolition of the ancestral house of iconic filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, and has offered its support for its restoration.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished.”

    The ministry confirmed India’s willingness to work with Bangladesh to repair and reconstruct the site, which is presently owned by the Bangladesh government and reportedly in a state of disrepair.

    Highlighting its cultural significance, India urged Bangladesh to reconsider any plans to demolish the building. “Given the building’s landmark status, symbolising the Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh,” the MEA added.

    Satyajit Ray, born in Kolkata on May 2, 1921, is regarded as one of India’s most influential filmmakers. His acclaimed works include The Apu Trilogy, Pather Panchali, Jalsaghar, Charulata, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, and Shatranj Ke Khiladi. Ray was also an accomplished screenwriter, essayist, illustrator, magazine editor, and composer.

    Throughout his illustrious career, he received numerous accolades, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, international honours at major film festivals, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. That same year, he was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

    (ANI)

  • ‘Severance,’ ‘The Penguin’ lead nominations for TV’s Emmy awards

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Psychological thriller “Severance” from Apple TV+ and HBO’s crime drama “The Penguin” stacked up the most nominations for Emmy Awards on Tuesday, outpacing “The Studio” and “The White Lotus” in the contest for television’s highest honors.

    “Severance” received a leading 27 nominations and was nominated for the top prize of best drama alongside Star Wars series “Andor,” “The Pitt,” “The White Lotus” and others.

    “The Penguin,” set in the DC Comics universe and starring Colin Farrell, earned 24 nominations and will compete for best limited series against Netflix NFLX.O hit “Adolescence,” among others.

    Hollywood satire “The Studio,” an Apple TV+ show featuring Seth Rogen as a nervous film executive, and HBO’s “The White Lotus,” about murder and misdeeds at a luxury resort in Thailand, received 23 each.

    “What the heck?!! We never thought this would happen,” Rogen said in a statement.

    Comedy nominees included defending champion “Hacks,” previous winner “The Bear,” “Nobody Wants This” and “Abbott Elementary.”

    The 23 nominations for “The Studio” tied the record for a comedy in a single season, set last year by Chicago restaurant tale “The Bear.”

    Winners of the Emmys will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony held in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS PARA.O on September 14. Comedian Nate Bargatze will host.

    The television industry is undergoing a contraction as media companies curtail the sky-high spending they shelled out to compete in the shift to streaming platforms led by Netflix.

    Longtime Emmy favorite HBO and the HBO Max streaming service topped all programmers with 142 nominations, a record for the network.

    Walt Disney DIS.N collected 137 nominations, including six for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” one of the few broadcast shows in the Emmy mix. “Andor,” on Disney+, received 14.

    Netflix garnered 120 nods and Apple scored 81, its highest total since launching its streaming service in 2019.

    “Severance” tells the story of office workers who undergo a procedure to make them forget their home life at work, and vice versa.

    “It’s distinctive in every way – in terms of its storytelling, in terms of style, in terms of its directing, its tone,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+.

    Star Adam Scott, a best actor nominee, said the cast had been unsure of how viewers would respond.

    “The fact that it’s resonated at all has been just such an incredible feeling,” Scott said. “We thought it was something that might be too weird.”

    WYLE, FORD IN THE RUNNING

    Noah Wyle received his first Emmy nomination since 1999 for his role as an emergency room doctor on “The Pitt.” Wyle was nominated five times for “ER” but never won.

    “I’m humbled and grateful,” Wyle said of the recognition for “The Pitt,” which received 13 total nominations.

    Harrison Ford, 83, earned his first Emmy nod, for playing a grumpy therapist on “Shrinking.”

    Ron Howard, the former “Happy Days” star turned Oscar-winning director, also landed his first acting nomination, a guest actor nod for playing himself on “The Studio.”

    “Who says nice guys finish last?!” Howard wrote on Instagram.

    He will compete with fellow director Martin Scorsese, another guest star on “The Studio.”

    Other notable acting nominees included Farrell and Cristin Milioti for “The Penguin,” “The Bear” actors Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, Kathy Bates for “Matlock,” “Hacks” stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, and Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey for “The Last of Us.”

    Eight “White Lotus” actors were recognized.

    “This is a bunch of cherries on the icing on the cake that was the gift of playing such a tortured and lonely human,” said Jason Isaacs, who portrayed a suicidal father facing financial ruin on the show.

    Beyonce also made the Emmys list. Her halftime performance during a National Football League game on Netflix was nominated for best live variety special.

    Missing from the field was Netflix’s popular Korean drama, “Squid Game,” while the final season of previous drama winner “The Handmaid’s Tale” received just one nod.

    Winners will be chosen by the roughly 26,000 performers, directors, producers and other members of the Television Academy.

    (Reuters)

  • US opens probe into University of Michigan’s foreign funding

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The U.S. Education Department said on Tuesday it opened a foreign funding investigation into the University of Michigan while alleging it found “inaccurate and incomplete disclosures” in a review of the university’s foreign reports.

    As part of the investigation, the department asked the university to share, within 30 days, tax records related to foreign funding, a list of foreign gifts, grants, and contracts with any foreign source, and other documents, the department said in a statement and in a letter to the university.

    The University of Michigan will cooperate fully with federal investigators and it takes its responsibility to comply with the law seriously, it said in a statement.

    “We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission,” the statement said.

    The Education Department said the university’s research laboratories were “vulnerable to sabotage,” citing charges brought by the U.S. Justice Department against two Chinese nationals allegedly involving a University of Michigan lab.

    In June, U.S. federal prosecutors accused two Chinese nationals of smuggling into the U.S. a dangerous biological pathogen that they said had the potential to be used as an agricultural “terrorism weapon”.

    Zunyong Liu, 34, a Chinese researcher, is alleged to have brought the pathogen into the U.S. while visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33, in July 2024, according to an FBI complaint.

    The complaint said he admitted to smuggling in a fungus so he could conduct research on it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked. However, experts have raised doubt about the FBI’s claim that the crop fungus smuggled was a threat.

    In its statement, the Education Department said the university has received $375 million in foreign funding since 2020 and was late in reporting $86 million of that amount. U.S. law requires universities to report donations from foreign sources exceeding $250,000 in a year.

    President Donald Trump’s administration has launched a widely condemned crackdown against top U.S. universities over a range of issues including pro-Palestinian campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, transgender rights, climate initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

    Similar foreign funding probes were opened earlier at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley.

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on July 15, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,06,180.02 5.32 3.00-6.25
         I. Call Money 16,248.43 5.38 4.75-5.50
         II. Triparty Repo 3,95,077.45 5.30 5.15-5.36
         III. Market Repo 1,92,544.59 5.37 3.00-5.65
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,309.55 5.49 5.46-6.25
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 169.50 5.31 5.05-5.45
         II. Term Money@@ 627.00 – 5.25-5.70
         III. Triparty Repo 1,465.00 5.32 5.30-5.40
         IV. Market Repo 340.12 5.21 3.25-5.50
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Tue, 15/07/2025 3 Fri, 18/07/2025 57,450.00 5.49
    3. MSF# Tue, 15/07/2025 1 Wed, 16/07/2025 869.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 15/07/2025 1 Wed, 16/07/2025 97,432.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -1,54,013.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Fri, 11/07/2025 7 Fri, 18/07/2025 1,51,633.00 5.49
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       5,880.78  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -1,45,752.22  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -2,99,765.22  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks          
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on July 15, 2025 9,94,173.57  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending July 25, 2025 9,63,288.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ July 15, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on June 27, 2025 5,79,904.00  

    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).

    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.

    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.

    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.

    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.

    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/720

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
     
    Question:
     
         The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has extended the Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems (the Pilot Programme) starting from mid-2022 and gradually installed smart recycling bins and gift redemption units in some Recycling Stations and Recycling Stores since the end of that year. Starting from March 2023, smart recycling bins have also been progressively set up in housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities, government venues, etc. The number of application points under the Pilot Programme has been increased from four locations in the initial phase to more than 800 locations at present. In addition, smart recycling bins support 24-hour operation and are equipped with sensors to enable recyclables collection service contractors (the contractors) to monitor the overflowing of recycling bins. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that some members of the public have relayed that they find from time to time that the smart recycling bins are overflowing, and despite their complaints, the follow-up actions taken by the authorities concerned have been slow, and they are often forced to take the recyclable items back home and thus reducing their incentives for recycling, of the respective numbers of such complaints received, number of cases with follow-up actions completed and average time taken to handle a complaint by the EPD in each month since March 2023;
     
    (2) whether the authorities have put in place a regular monitoring mechanism to assess and review the contractors’ handling of complaints about the overflowing of smart recycling bins as well as their general service performance, and require the contractors to make improvements within a specified period of time; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) with the gradual increase in the number of smart recycling bins application points under the Pilot Programme, whether the authorities will allocate additional resources at the same time to step up inspections and random checks, thereby ensuring that the smart recycling systems can serve their functions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) launched the Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling Systems (the Pilot Programme) in the fourth quarter of 2020, to test different smart recycling devices in phases, including smart recycling bins, smart balances and gift redemption units. As at end-June 2025, in addition to installing smart balances at all GREEN@COMMUNITY recycling facilities, the Pilot Programme has installed 159 sets of smart recycling bins at different locations across Hong Kong for testing, including GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities, public rental housing estates, private housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities and government venues, for providing self-service recycling.
     
         The reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok is as follows:
     
    (1) The property management companies or cleaning companies of the premises concerned are responsible for the clearance of the smart recycling bins set up at respective locations, as well as arranging recyclers for collection and recycling of recyclables.
     
    Smart recycling bins are equipped with weight sensors and fill level sensors, featuring a dual alert mechanism. When the collected recyclables approach 80 per cent of the bin capacity limit, the system will automatically send a message to the relevant site staff of the venue. When a bin reaches its full capacity, the system will remind the property management company and/or cleaning contractor again for immediate action. Property management companies usually clear the collected recyclables regularly or shortly after receiving alert messages. The EPD also monitors the situation through the big data platform for timely follow-up actions. Data shows that the time which smart recycling bins was temporarily suspended due to overfilled bins accounts for about 7 per cent of the overall operating time of smart recycling bins. In addition, most premises with smart recycling bins are equipped with conventional recycling bins at the same time, which allow the public to place recyclables in these bins when the smart recycling bins are full.
     
    From March 2023 to end-June 2025, the number of complaints received by the EPD regarding overfilled smart recycling bins are provided in the table below. Upon receipt of each complaint, the EPD would follow up immediately and request the concerned property management company or cleaning contractor to empty the smart recycling bin and resume its functions as soon as possible. The EPD will continue to monitor the operation of smart recycling bins at all locations, and liaise with the concerned property management companies as needed for timely adjustments to the arrangements for clearance of recyclables.
     

    Month No. of complaint cases on overfilled smart recycling bins
    2023 2024  2025
    January N/A 7 3
    February 1 1
    March 0 0 0
    April 1 2 2
    May 0 0 4
    June 0 1 2
    July 0 3 N/A
    August 4 1
    September 2 4
    October 3 2
    November 2 1
    December 3 0
    Total 15 22 12

    (2) As mentioned above, smart recycling bins are equipped with weight sensors and fill level sensors, featuring a dual alert mechanism. When the collected recyclables approach 80 per cent of the bin capacity limit, the system will automatically send a message to the relevant site staff of the venue, who should arrange clearance as soon as possible upon receiving the message. We will review the arrangements for clearance of smart recycling bins and explore ways to further enhance clearance efficiency. In addition, we are arranging to test the addition of a compression function in smart recycling bins to enhance the recycling capacity so as to reduce the frequency of clearance required and further reduce the downtime of the bins due to being full, thereby improving the service quality.
     
    (3) The EPD’s service contracts require the contractors of smart recycling bins to provide operational monitoring data and arrange staff to conduct regular inspections to ensure proper operation of the devices. The EPD will also continue to monitor the usage of smart recycling bins and conduct inspections and spot checks from time to time to ensure that the contractors’ services meet the contract requirements. We will review the contract requirements and strengthen the performance indicators on maintenance services in the new contracts to enhance efficiency. With the increase in the number of application points, the EPD will deploy resources to step up inspections based on the actual situation, so that the entire smart recycling system can operate at its optimal level.
     
         On the other hand, to further enhance the operation and services of smart recycling devices, the EPD is actively preparing for introducing a new feature on displaying the real-time recycling status of smart recycling bins in the GREEN$ mobile app and the Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website, with a view to facilitating the public to plan for their recycling activities. This new feature is expected to be launched by the end of 2025.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Trump says Zelenskiy should not target Moscow

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy should not target Moscow and that Russian President Vladimir Putin should agree to a ceasefire deal by a 50-day deadline or sanctions will kick in.

    His comments came after The Financial Times, citing people briefed on discussions, reported on Tuesday that Trump had privately encouraged Ukraine to step up deep strikes on Russia.

    The newspaper said that Trump asked Zelenskiy whether he could strike Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons.

    “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House when asked if Zelenskiy should attack the Russian capital.

    Trump on Monday announced a toughened stance against Russia for its three-year-old war in Ukraine, promising a fresh wave of missiles and other weaponry for Ukraine. He gave Moscow 50 days to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions.

    The announcement set off a scramble among European officials to figure out how to make Trump‘s plan work and ensure Ukraine gets the weapons it needs.

    Later on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that some of the Patriot missiles are already on their way to Ukraine.

    “They’re coming in from Germany,” he said.

    Trump said he had not yet spoken to Putin in the wake of his announcement, but said it might not take 50 days to make a deal.

    Asked earlier if he was now on the side of Ukraine, Trump said, “I am on nobody’s side,” and then declared he was on “humanity’s side” because “I want to stop the killing.”

    Trump defended the deadline he set for Russia to agree to a deal and head off tariffs and sanctions on countries that buy oil from Russia.

    He did not say whether any talks were planned to try to work out a deal with Russia.

    “At the end of the 50 days if we don’t have a deal, it’s going to be too bad,” he said.

    (Reuters)

  • AIDS program funding preserved ahead of US Senate vote on Trump cuts

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The U.S. Senate late on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump’s request to slash billions in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting previously approved by Congress, the latest test of Trump’s control over his fellow Republicans.

    However, PEPFAR, a global program to fight HIV/AIDS launched in 2003 by then-Republican President George W. Bush, is being exempted after objections from lawmakers in both parties, bringing the size of the package of cuts to $9 billion from $9.4 billion.

    Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters after lunch with Republican senators that Trump could accept a change in the measure to exempt PEPFAR.

    “There is a substitute amendment that does not include the PEPFAR rescission and we’re fine with that,” Vought said.

    In initial votes on Tuesday, Republicans narrowly fended off solid Democratic opposition and cleared the bill over two procedural hurdles. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break a 50-50 tie in each of those tallies.

    Further votes were expected this week.

    Congress has until Friday to pass the rescissions package, originally a request to claw back $8.3 billion in foreign aid funding and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. Otherwise, the request would expire and the White House will be required to adhere to spending plans passed by Congress.

    Three of the Senate’s 53 Republicans voted against moving the legislation closer to passage – Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine.

    “You don’t need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting,” Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska moderate, said in a Senate speech.

    She said the Trump administration also had not provided assurances that battles against diseases such as malaria and polio worldwide would be maintained, along with programs including family planning and pandemic prevention. But most of all, Murkowski said, Congress must assert its role in deciding how federal funds were spent.

    If the Senate passes the bill without the PEPFAR cuts, the measure must go back to the House of Representatives for a vote before it can be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, a Republican, said he expected the House would act quickly to pass the measure.

    The amounts at stake are extremely small in the context of the sprawling federal budget, which totaled $6.8 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30. Yet the proposed cuts have raised the hackles of Democrats and a handful of Republicans who saw an attempt to erode Congress’s constitutionally mandated authority over spending.

    They also represent only a tiny portion of all of the funds approved by Congress that the Trump administration has held up as it has pursued sweeping cuts to the federal government, including slashing thousands of jobs.

    As of mid-June, Trump was blocking $425 billion in such funds, according to Democratic lawmakers tracking frozen funding.

    LIFESAVING PROGRAMS

    The foreign aid initiatives in Trump’s request for cuts included lifesaving support for women and children’s health and the fight against HIV/AIDS that have long had strong bipartisan support. PEPFAR is credited with saving 26 million lives.

    The package also cuts funds supporting public broadcasting, which can be the main source of news and emergency information in rural parts of the U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, was concerned about funding cuts to Native American radio stations, but said on Tuesday he would support the rescissions package after the administration promised to fund some tribal broadcasters separately.

    Democrats also have said the U.S. withdrawal of “soft power” efforts from the international stage, such as limited emergency assistance after an earthquake in Myanmar, strengthens global adversaries like Russia and China.

    “It still leaves an enormous vacuum that China and Russia will fill,” Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the chamber’s Democratic leader, said.

    Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Appropriations Committee, had said she opposed Trump’s request to cut the PEPFAR funding. After the lunch meeting with Vought, she said she still wanted detailed information about the proposals.

    FUNDING POWER

    Standalone presidential rescissions packages have not passed in years, with lawmakers reluctant to cede their constitutionally mandated control of government spending. During Trump’s first term in 2018, Congress members rejected Trump’s request to revoke $15 billion in spending.

    Trump’s Republicans hold narrow majorities in the Senate and House. So far, they have shown little appetite for opposing his policies.

    The rescissions legislation passed the House by 214-212 last month. Four Republicans joined 208 Democrats in voting against it.

    These cuts would overturn bipartisan spending agreements most recently passed in a full-year stopgap funding bill in March. Democrats warn a partisan cut now could make it more difficult to negotiate government funding bills that must pass by September 30 to avoid a shutdown.

    Appropriations bills require 60 votes to move ahead in the Senate, but the rescissions package needs just 51, meaning Republicans can pass it without Democratic support.

    “We’re going to have to work our way through that issue,” Rounds said on Tuesday, adding he felt confident Trump’s budget office would follow funding guidelines to redirect dollars to tribal media stations.

    [REUTERS]

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ16: Mobile applications to assist with travel for persons with disabilities

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
     
    Question:
     
         Regarding mobile applications to assist with travel for persons with disabilities (PWDs), will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) which funded projects under the current government funding schemes for software and application development are related to assistance with barrier-free travel for PWDs (set out in a table);
     
    (2) of the Government’s plans (e.g. provision of funding support) in place to integrate, enhance and link up existing mobile applications that assist with barrier-free travel for PWDs, so as to optimise the use of resources and enable such applications to more effectively serve PWDs; and
     
    (3) given that since 2020 the Lands Department has been developing a set of 3D Digital Map with functions including provision of barrier-‍free route planning for people with different commuting needs, how the Government promotes the best use of such digital map among the public and private sectors and identifies access points in need of improvement, so as to lay down a foundation for future improvement and update of the relevant software and hardware (e.g. the relevant mobile applications and barrier-free facilities)?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Government is committed to providing appropriate support and assistance to persons with disabilities in need so as to facilitate their travel and help them fully integrate into the community. Having consulted the relevant bureaux, I set out below a consolidated reply to the Member’s question –
     
    (1) Both the Smart Traffic Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund set up by the Government have provided funding for projects that assist barrier-free travel for persons with disabilities. Information on the relevant projects is at Annexes 1 and 2 respectively.
     
    (2) Regarding the mobile applications developed by the Government, the Digital Policy Office has promulgated the “Practice Guide for Developing Mobile Apps”, requiring bureaux/departments (B/Ds) to conduct regular reviews after launching mobile applications, and to update and consolidate existing mobile applications in a cost-effective manner.
     
         For instance, in 2016, the Lands Department (LandsD) launched a mobile application “VoiceMapHK”, which is specifically designed for the visually impaired, providing audio output that reads out information about nearby locations on the map. The visually impaired can also make use of the voice function of their mobile phones to issue commands, and the application will respond by reading out the corresponding results. To optimise the use of resources, the LandsD plans to integrate the functionalities of the “VoiceMapHK” into the GeoInfo Map, another map application under its management. With the launch of the “iAM Smart” mini-program platform later this year, all B/Ds must consider to prioritise migrating their mobile applications or integrating the core functions into the “iAM Smart” platform, so that members of the public can easily access the required application services without the need to download additional applications, thereby enhancing the consolidation of Government mobile applications.
     
         In addition, in 2021, the Development Bureau (DEVB), with the support of various non-governmental organisations, the MTR Corporation Limited and some iconic shopping malls in Kowloon East, developed a “Smart Navigation Tool for The Visually Impaired/People in Need” Proof-of-Concept, providing barrier-free navigation experience. This tool utilises indoor maps to provide indoor and outdoor seamless navigation, which helps users easily navigate and interact with the environment, and increases their independence and mobility. In January 2023, this tool was incorporated into the “MyKE” mobile application as the “Walking Assistant” function. The DEVB will continue to explore scaling up this Proof-of-Concept to cover more areas, so as to enable those in need to commute more freely.
     
         In response to the recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission on enhancing the overall accessibility of Hong Kong, the Transport Department has also enhanced the function of accessible route option of the mobile application HKeMobility since April 2024 by expanding the accessible route option from walking mode to public transport mode. When members of the public choose to travel by public transport, the HKeMobility can plan routes with visual aids or mobility aids to enable the public to identify barrier-free accesses (such as locations of lifts, ramps and footbridges) along the way to transport stations, so that persons with disabilities can plan their journeys more efficiently and travel on their own.
     
         In addition, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has been actively pursuing web accessibility design over the years. The HKO’s in-house developed mobile application “MyObservatory” has already incorporated guidelines on accessibility features and functions, including screen reader compatibility, alternative texts for images and selectable font size, so as to facilitate all sectors of the community (including persons with disabilities) to browse the “MyObservatory” to get the latest weather conditions before traveling. The HKO will continue to incorporate accessibility features and functions in the mobile application, providing enhanced weather services.
     
    (3) The LandsD and the Spatial Data Office (SDO) of the DEVB have been promoting the application of 3D Digital Map to public and private organisations through various channels (such as public talks and workshops), to highlight the development opportunities it brings. As a key component of the 3D Digital Map, the 3D Pedestrian Network provides a wealth of useful information, such as road names, gradient and length of road sections, distribution of en-route obstacles and opening hours of public lifts, as well as wheelchair accessibility data at entrance to government facilities and public lifts. This enables barrier-free route planning for people with different commuting needs. The LandsD and the SDO of the DEVB will continue to engage with various stakeholders (including social welfare organisations and groups serving persons with disabilities), communicate with relevant public and private organisations based on stakeholder needs, promote cross-agency information exchange and collaboration, and jointly optimise the 3D Pedestrian Network to enhance the convenience of public mobility.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists create a new type of endoscopic system for diagnostics and destruction of cancer cells

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The results of the Russian Science Foundation mega-grant competition for fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research under the supervision of leading foreign scientists have been summed up. 230 projects from 127 scientific organizations from 35 subjects of the Russian Federation applied for RSF support. The projects submitted for the competition are being implemented under the supervision of leading scientists with citizenship from 40 countries, including China, India, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the USA, Italy, and France. According to the results of the examination, 14 projects were declared winners. For 5 years, they will receive from 20 to 50 million rubles annually. If necessary, it is envisaged to extend the grant support for another three years.

    Among the winners is the project of scientists from the Laboratory of Nonlinear Optics of Waveguide Systems of Novosibirsk State University “The Kerr Self-Cleaning Effect of Multimode Beams in Specialized Optical Fibers and Its Application for Biomedicine”. This laboratory was created in May 2017 as a result of the victory of the project “Spatio-temporal Nonlinear Optics of Multimode and Multi-Core Fiber Systems” in the fifth competition of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia for receiving grants from the Government of the Russian Federation for state support of scientific research conducted under the supervision of leading scientists. Its head is a recognized world expert in the theory of surface waves, as well as an expert in nonlinear effects in fiber-optic communication systems Stefan Wabnitz. His research activity for more than 30 years took place in leading academic and industrial institutions in Europe and the USA.

    — Our project is aimed at creating an innovative endoscopic device that combines optical biopsy and low-temperature plasma therapy technologies. Its goal is to develop a unified system that provides the ability to both diagnose and treat gastrointestinal diseases, including oncological diseases, in real time, which will eliminate the need for lengthy histopathology and increase the accuracy of examinations. This device will combine two functions at once — diagnostics (using machine learning) and therapy (laser/plasma), minimizing damage to healthy tissues, — said Denis Kharenko, senior researcher at the laboratory.

    In current medical practices, ex vivo histopathology is used for accurate cancer diagnostics, during which laboratory studies of living tissue transferred from the body to an artificial external environment are carried out. It involves taking tissue from the patient, which leads to delays in the start of therapy and requires complex laboratory procedures and practically does not allow observing the course of the disease in dynamics. NSU scientists propose to solve this problem by introducing in-vivo diagnostics, which allows examining the body without taking material using optical endoscopic methods. It is important that this diagnostic method will be associated with the possibility of therapeutic intervention, which will not only significantly increase the area under study and the volume of data obtained, but also accurately identify the affected area during repeated examination, minimizing time and economic costs, as well as the risks of errors associated with the analysis of samples outside the body.

    — The new type of endoscopic system we are creating, in addition to diagnostics, will be able to precisely affect tumor cells using temperature-controlled laser radiation and low-temperature plasma, causing their apoptosis without excessive heating — a process of programmed cell death, in which the cell self-destructs, disintegrating into individual fragments, which are then absorbed by other cells without causing negative consequences. This leads to minimal damage to healthy tissue. This feature will reduce side effects, avoid fibrosis and vascular damage, which is extremely important for improving the quality of life of patients. The project is a significant step forward in the field of “optical biopsy” and endoscopic therapy, — explained Denis Kharenko.

    One of the main scientific tasks of the scientists will be to optimize the process of diagnostics and treatment of cancer using a multimode optical fiber, which implements the Kerr self-cleaning effect, providing high resolution (up to 0.66 µm) and resistance to mechanical impacts during the propagation of laser radiation. The integration of multiphoton fluorescence and Raman scattering will further expand the diagnostic capabilities of the device, allowing for spectroscopic studies of tissues and the detection of biomarkers characteristic of different stages of the disease with microscopic accuracy. According to the project participants, this technology will make the device a universal tool for both diagnostics and subsequent treatment.

    The project involves several stages. First, the scientists will design and test multimode fibers and high-repetition-rate lasers for the endoscopic system. The next step will be to test the device on biological samples, including lab-created organoids and cancerous tissue.

    — We are confident that our experimental setup with the ability to precisely control low-temperature plasma will allow localized impact on the affected areas of organs and tissues, which will create the basis for the application of the technology in clinical practice. We intend to create a flexible and highly effective visualization and therapy system, which will subsequently become established as a standard in the field of diagnostics and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, including oncological diseases in the early stages, — said Denis Kharenko.

    Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ20: Preventing child abuse

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

    Question:

         It has been reported that Hong Kong has recently witnessed a series of shocking cases of child abuse, including a recent incident where a deliveryman repeatedly abused his biological daughter, leading to her death. The defendant was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, and he was sentenced to imprisonment of six years and five months for his child abuse offence. There are views that as the current maximum penalty of child abuse is only ten years, it fails to fully reflect its severity and effectively prevent child abuse from taking place, and, given that Hong Kong has seen cases of child abuse resulting in death in the past, it is imperative for the authorities to significantly increase the maximum penalty for child abuse offence, so as to enhance deterrence and protect children. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) of the following information regarding child abuse cases successfully prosecuted by the authorities last year: (i) number of cases, (ii) date of prosecution, (iii) date of sentence, (iv) whether the perpetrator was a direct relative of the victim, (v) whether the abuse resulted in the death of or grievous bodily harm to the child, and (vi) term of imprisonment in cases where imprisonment was imposed; and

    (2) whether it has plans to review relevant legislation to increase the maximum penalty for child abuse offence; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

         The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy to protect children from harm or abuse. Apart from identifying and intervening in child abuse cases at an early stage to protect children, the Government also supports families at risk of child abuse to prevent child abuse at source. The consolidated reply to the Member’s question, in consultation with Security Bureau, is as follows:

         At present, there are many pieces of legislation in place that protect children from harm and abuse, including the Offences against the Person Ordinance (Cap. 212), the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200), the Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance (Cap. 579) and the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213).

         Section 26 of the Offences against the Person Ordinance (Cap. 212) provides that any person who unlawfully abandons or exposes a child under the age of 2 years, whereby the life of such child is endangered, or the health of such child is or is likely to be permanently injured, shall be guilty of an offence; and section 27 provides that any person over the age of 16 years who wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons or exposes any child or young person under the age of 16 years under the person’s custody, charge or care in a manner likely to cause such child or young person unnecessary suffering or injury to his health shall be guilty of an offence. Among the cases concluded in 2024, the number of persons prosecuted and convicted under the two above-mentioned provisions, as well as the sentences for the persons convicted are at Annex. The Security Bureau does not maintain information about the relationship between the defendant and the victim, and the statistics of the death or severe bodily harm caused in the aforementioned cases.

         The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) will come into effect in January 2026. To strengthen early identification and intervention of child abuse cases, the Ordinance mandates specified professionals in the social welfare sector, education sector and healthcare sector to report serious child abuse cases, thereby creating a wide and effective protection web for children and sending a strong deterrent to potential perpetrators that their abuse behaviours will easily be exposed. To tie in with the commencement of the Ordinance, the Government launched the Child Protection Campaign in January this year to enhance the mandated reporters and the general public’s understanding of the Ordinance and raise their awareness of child protection. In addition, to strengthen prevention of child abuse from source, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) will convert four Children and Youth Centres into Community Parents and Children Centres on a pilot basis to promote parent-child interaction through play-based services and instil positive parenting skills in parents, render support for families with parenting needs, and refer families with other needs to appropriate government and community services. Through home visits and referrals from healthcare or welfare service units, the SWD will approach families of socio-economic deprivation and provide them with further support via in-depth casework and group work, including therapeutic counselling and systematic and tailor-made group programmes.

         The implementation of the mandatory reporting regime and the setting up of Community Parents and Children Centres mark an important milestone in child protection. The Government will continue to ensure that the various support measures are properly put in place, and will monitor the effectiveness of the above measures after their implementation to consider how to further enhance child protection work, including the need to increase the maximum penalties for child abuse offences.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – Sunrise with Monique Wright and Matt Shirvington

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    MONIQUE WRIGHT: Well, hundreds more families are living a nightmare this morning after police identified an additional four child care centres where alleged paedophile Joshua Dale Brown worked. It brings the total number of affected families to more than 3,000, with 2,000 children advised to undergo screening.

    MATT SHIRVINGTON: The devastating news comes almost two weeks after the Federal Education Minister promised to take action to make child care safer.

    [Excerpt starts]

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: The implementation of those reforms has taken too bloody long. But this is serious, and I’m determined to act.

    [Excerpt ends]

    SHIRVINGTON: And Education Minister Jason Clare joins us now this morning. First and foremost, a family man yourself. So, we need to talk about, obviously, the emotional side of this. More child care centres have been impacted by this, even overnight. Thousands now, families have been contacted. Thousands of kids are going and getting blood tests, toddlers, preschoolers, to see if they’ve got STIs. It is not ok. You were here two weeks ago. Tell me you have some answers for us?

    CLARE: You just used the word nightmare. That’s the right word. More parents are being put through the wringer. All the fear and anxiety that their kids might be sick, and all the trauma that kids have to go through. It’s not just blood tests, it’s urine tests as well. The company should have picked this up in the first place where this worker was. The Victorian Government and authorities are doing everything they can to track the details of where he worked. But this highlights an example of why you need a database or a register, so you know where all child care workers are and where they’re moving from centre to centre. That’s just one of the things that we need to do.

    Parliament starts again next week. I’ll introduce legislation next week that will cut off funding to child care centres that aren’t up to scratch, that aren’t meeting the sort of safety standards that parents expect and that our kids deserve.

    WRIGHT: Ok, let’s talk a little bit more about that legislation in a moment. But just in terms of this investigation, this is hugely cumbersome. They’ve had to get, police have had to get warrants to go into individual centres to just get handwritten rosters that are clearly wrong. The onus seems to be on the parents to get in contact with the Department and say, hang on, you said he worked here on these dates? I remember he was there at Halloween. He was there on all these other days. It feels like an absolute mess.

    CLARE: Absolutely. You should be able to press a button and know exactly where he was when he was working. This is a live investigation, so let’s park this individual case. We should have a system that tells us where all workers are, which centres they’re working at, whether they’re crossing individual borders.

    WRIGHT: What’s your Department telling you about the time frame on getting that centralised system?

    CLARE: What the Victorian Government has said is that they can set something like that up within the next couple of months. They can do that by expanding the existing register that exists for schoolteachers. And all states and territories have agreed that we need a national database like this and that we need to speed up the development of it. That work’s going on right now between the states, the territories and the Commonwealth.

    SHIRVINGTON: Yeah, absolutely. And of course, all of those brilliant child care workers that are out there that are doing the right thing as well, I think it’s going to cover them, too.

    CLARE: Can I just touch on that? Because everybody that’s about to take their kids to child care this morning knows how fantastic the workers at their centre that looks after their children are, and they trust their most precious people in the world with those carers. 99.9 per cent of the people who work in our centres are fantastic people who love our kids, care for our kids, educate our kids. One of the things we need to do here is help to arm them with mandatory child safety training so they can identify the bad 0.1 per cent that might be up to no good.

    SHIRVINGTON: That’s right. Let’s talk about this new legislation, because taking funding away is one thing. The problem is, though, 92 per cent, so you’re talking about around 18,000 child care centres across Australia, 92 per cent are either working towards standard or are at standard or above standard. OK. So, there’s 8 per cent, potentially 1500 almost, centres that are either have not been reviewed.

    CLARE: That are not meeting the standard, that’s right.

    SHIRVINGTON. So, that’s a lot of work for you. One, you’ve got to get the legislation through, then you’ve got to go through 1500 child care centres that are active right now.

    CLARE: There’s been great support by the Opposition. I think Sussan Ley was on the program a couple of days ago, and we’re working really constructively with the Opposition to get this legislation through, and I thank them for that. 

    If this legislation works the way we want it to work, it won’t mean shutting centres down, it’ll mean lifting standards up. The really big weapon that we have to wield here is money. We spend about $16 billion dollars of taxpayers’ money on running child care centres across the country. They can’t run without this funding. It represents about 70 per cent of the funding to operate a child care centre. So, the threat is, unless you get up to that standard, we cut the funding off. And I think if we get this right, what it means is that centres will quickly raise their standards to provide the sort of quality and safety that our kids need and deserve.

    WRIGHT: Ok, I’m wondering what else you have learnt that needs to change in the two weeks since we’ve had you on the program. So, one of them is that mandatory training for all child care workers, as you just detailed, so that they know what to look out for. Who pays for that?

    CLARE: I think the Commonwealth Government and states and territories are going to need to chip in, but potentially providers as well. It’s all hands on deck here.

    WRIGHT: Then there’s this centralised data system so that any potential threat, person, problem cannot keep going between centres. What else? What else have you learnt that needs to change so that this doesn’t happen again?

    CLARE: The other one’s CCTV, and we’ve seen some of the big providers, like Goodstart, already say that they’re going to roll that out. It can provide two things. One, deter bad people from acting badly in our centres, but also help police with their investigations when the worst happens.

    WRIGHT: Ok. And then there’s the phones as well for child care.

    CLARE: Yeah, we’ve already taken action. Yep, that’s right. But becomes mandatory in September. We did that for a reason. The paedophile that was arrested and convicted in Queensland was using his phone to take photographs of children in centres. One of the things we need to do here, if we’re serious, is get personal phones out of child care centres.

    SHIRVINGTON: Sounds like they almost need to wear body cams, which is, you know, we don’t even want to go down that road. I wanted to ask you, too. You spoke about the child care workers and sending a message to them, and parents dropping off kids. This morning, a lot of parents we’re hearing reported that they’re taking their kids out of centres with male carers. What do you say to the male carers in the system at the moment today who are going to care for these kids?

    CLARE: There’s a lot of men who work in our centres that feel like they’ve got a target on their back at the moment, and things are really tough for them. What I would say here is that just targeting blokes is not the solution. If we go back and have a look at examples of abuse and neglect in our centres, it’s not just men, it’s women as well. 

    We’ve had Royal Commissions. I’ve conducted a child safety review. All the recommendations here aren’t about targeting the blokes per se. It’s about the sort of things we’re talking about this morning, training up our workers to identify bad people in our centres. It’s about a national register to track people across the country and across the system. And it’s things like CCTV, but not just that. It’s also about making the penalties real when child care centres fail. They’re not serious at the moment, and also making sure that we give better information to parents. You should be able to walk into a centre today and there be a sign at the front door that tells you whether that centre is up to scratch or not.

    WRIGHT: Yeah. Look for anybody who has heard these allegations. It’s one of the worst things we’ve ever heard for anybody. And for a lot of people, they don’t have a choice. They need to send their kids to child care centres. But once you’ve got your children at a good centre, which is safe, the benefits are enormous for young kids.

    CLARE: I know that. You know, my little guy’s there five days a week. It’s an essential service for mums and dads. It helps you to be able to go back to work and earn a living, and put money on the table. But it’s good for our kids, to prepare our kids for school. If you ask your teacher at your local primary school, they’ll tell you. They can tell the kids that have been to child care and the ones that haven’t, because they’re ready to learn. 

    But number one, it’s got to be safe, and we’ve got more work to do on that. I’ve been pretty blunt. We’ve done some things. More needs to be done, and it needs to be done faster. 

    SHIRVINGTON: Keep fighting. I’m not going to, with respect, call you Minister today. I’m going to call you Jason. You’re a dad. Appreciate you coming on.

    CLARE: Thanks, mate.

    SHIRVINGTON: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Delivering new early childhood education service to Napranum

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    A community-run early childhood education and care service in Napranum is providing local families with greater flexibility and access to high quality early childhood education and care.

    Early education gives children the best start in life, and we want every to have access to quality early education and its transformative benefits.

    The Napranum Early Childhood Centre combined their former daycare and kindergarten services into an integrated centre on 23 June 2025.

    The integrated centre follows more than two years of dedicated work from the community, led by the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council and Napranum Early Childhood Centre, and supported by the Department of Education and SNAICC – National Voice for our Children.

    The Napranum Early Childhood Centre service was funded in 2021 as part of an almost $30 million expansion of the Australian Government’s Community Child Care Fund Restricted Program, which funds the establishment of sites run by mainly First Nations led organisations.

    This is another example of the Albanese Government’s commitment to the Closing the Gap National Agreement, in particular increasing the role of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.

    SNAICC, the national peak body for Indigenous children, is the community partner for these sites, supporting their establishment and the implementation of community-led and culturally safe early childhood education and care.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Senator Dr Jess Walsh:

    “The integrated Napranum Early Childhood Centre opening is a fantastic outcome for First Nations children and families in Napranum, providing greater access for children in the community who need it most.

    “Every child should benefit from access to quality and culturally safe early childhood education and care, including in remote regional communities in Queensland.

    “That’s why the Australian Government is investing in our regional and remote communities through programs like the Community Child Care Fund.

    “More families access to quality early childhood education and care in areas where it is needed most. And that’s why our Government is investing $500 million over four years to deliver just that.”

    Quotes attributable to Member for Leichardt, Matt Smith MP:

    “This is a great outcome for Napranum, being the only Early Childcare Centre in the community. This will not only save families from having to travel to Weipa to access childcare but also take pressure off the already long waiting list Weipa has. 
    We know the first five years of a child’s life if where they learn, develop and begin to shape their future so giving the children and families of Napranum the opportunity to access childcare, is fantastic for everyone.”
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Mozambique: Increasing violence is severely compromising access to healthcare in Cabo Delgado – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

    Pemba, 16 July 2025 – As Cabo Delgado experiences an alarming rise in violence, access to healthcare for communities in vulnerable circumstances is being severely compromised.

    Nearly eight years of conflict in northern Mozambique has already taken a huge toll on people living in the province, where more than 400,000 people are displaced. Fighting and insecurity have led to the forced reduction of medical activities and have limited the movements of health workers and the communities in the affected areas. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is calling for the protection of medical workers and health facilities from violence, and to ensure a coordinated humanitarian response in places experiencing a surge of needs due to the arrival of displaced people.

    To date in 2025, 43,000 people have been displaced following attacks and violent incidents. Over 134,000 people were affected by violence in May alone, according to an OCHA report. This is the most significant rise in violence since June 2022. Many of these recent violent incidents took place in the district of Macomia, Mocímboa da Praia, Muidumbe and Meluco, and even spread to neighbouring Niassa province.

    Macomia, a major town in central Cabo Delgado, was attacked by a non-state armed group in May 2024, forcing MSF, as well as other humanitarian organizations, to stop or suspend activities. We were gradually able to resume operations in April 2025. More than a year after the attack, only one health facility is operational in the district, compared to the seven health centers that were functional before.

    “With the increase in displacements, many people have come to seek refuge in Macomia, overwhelming the only functional health center,” says Dr. Emerson Finiose, an MSF medical doctor in Macomia. “We’re struggling to do medical referrals. We must prioritize the most severe cases, leaving a significant gap in care for the rest of the community.”

    The situation in Macomia illustrates the fragility of the health system in Cabo Delgado, a pattern repeated across the three other districts where MSF is present: Mocímboa da Praia, Mueda and Palma. Since the conflict began, more than fifty percent of the province’s health facilities have been completely or partially destroyed, according to official data. The situation got worse when Cyclone Chido struck southern parts of Cabo Delgado late last year.

    At the same time, many health facilities are non-functional due to the absence of health workers. Services are frequently suspended or reduced, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, and many of the functional facilities are under-resourced or located too far for many people to access safely.

    In 2025, MSF was forced to suspend outreach activities five times due to insecurity, for at least two weeks at a time, particularly in Macomia and Mocímboa da Praia. This left thousands of people without access to healthcare and jeopardized the continuity of care for patients.

    MSF teams provide basic healthcare, treatment for HIV and TB, sexual and reproductive health services, mental health support as well as maternity and pediatric care. We also carry out donations of medicines and medical supplies and provide water and sanitation services. Between January and May 2025, MSF carried out a monthly average of 18,000 medical consultations (both inpatient and outpatient), 30 referrals of patients in need of specialized care and 740 deliveries were assisted across the four districts where we operate.

    The limitations – and sometimes inability – to offer care due to this volatile context has a deep impact on the community. This is evident in our medical data: in April, our teams in Mocímboa da Praia carried out 12,236 outpatient consultations. In May, as incidents intensified, that number dropped drastically to 1,951.

    A crucial part of MSF’s response is carried out by health promotion teams and community health workers known as APEs (Agentes Polivalentes Elementares). They work with communities to share essential health information and promote healthy practices, such as handwashing and water treatment to prevent waterborne diseases. MSF trains some of these workers to identify and treat common diseases, such as malaria, a leading cause of death in the region, and to process the referral of patients in need of specialized care.

    “Sharing health information is very important in times of conflict, when many people are psychologically affected,” says Fatima Abudo Laíde, an MSF health promoter at the Malinde community, Mocímboa da Praia district.  “Sometimes a person is sick but can’t be open, because emotionally they’re not well. I help them seek treatment at the nearest health center, so they’re not isolated. I’ve faced difficult situations, like accompanying a woman in labor at three in the morning, even though I felt unsafe. But we’re here to support our community, to overcome fear, and to make sure no one is left without help.”

    In addition to suffering acute psychological distress and trauma, some patients are forced to interrupt their treatments. This is particularly concerning for pregnant women, older adults, people with disabilities, and people living with chronic conditions or HIV.

    “I remember a case in Mbau community where a pregnant woman went into labor late at night,” says Sunga Antônio, an MSF midwife at the Rural Hospital of Mocímboa da Praia. “The health promoter called us for help, but it was too late and risky to evacuate her. She gave birth in the community, and we could only take her to the hospital by morning. Sadly, she fell into a coma, likely from complications, as she was carrying twins. If the local health center had been functional, she could have received timely care and had a safe delivery.”

    Recent cuts in humanitarian aid have intensified the deteriorating situation in Cabo Delgado. These funding shortfalls illustrate the broader global issue: the collective ability to respond to people’s needs is collapsing across all sectors and organizations. “Cabo Delgado’s conflict has become a severe humanitarian crisis,” says Dr. Finiose. “It affects every aspect of life, especially healthcare and education, and it strips people of their dignity. We need safe access to communities in need and we need support from other actors so we can help them cope with the consequences of this crisis.”

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese premier calls on China, Australia to create stronger synergy for development

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

    Chinese premier calls on China, Australia to create stronger synergy for development

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the 8th China-Australia CEO Roundtable with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, July 15 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called on China and Australia to further strengthen cooperation, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and create a stronger synergy for development to effectively address uncertainties.

    Li made the remarks while attending the 8th China-Australia CEO Roundtable with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing.

    Around 30 representatives of business councils and enterprises from the two countries attended the roundtable.

    Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Li said over the past decade, China-Australia economic and trade cooperation has demonstrated considerable resilience and vitality.

    The economic structures of the two countries are highly complementary, and the foundations for industrial and market integration are solid, making China and Australia natural partners, Li said.

    Li said China’s vast market will continuously unleash immense consumption potential, creating more opportunities for enterprises from both countries. He called on the two sides to strengthen collaboration in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and life sciences to better empower the industries of both countries.

    By working together, enterprises from both countries can accelerate cooperation in clean energy, electric vehicles, and energy storage, ultimately building a world-class green industrial chain that is both resilient and competitive, he added.

    Li emphasized that both the government and enterprises should work together to better promote development. China will continue to advance high-level opening-up, treat domestic and foreign-funded enterprises equally, and legally protect the rights and interests of foreign companies and entrepreneurs in China, he said.

    It is hoped that Australia would treat Chinese enterprises fairly, addressing issues regarding market access and investment reviews, he added.

    Li urged Chinese and Australian companies to maintain openness, embrace cooperation, and deepen their efforts to promote market integration and industrial collaboration.

    When addressing the roundtable, Albanese said the current bilateral relations are steadily developing, with enthusiasm for cooperation soaring among the business communities of both countries.

    The Australian side is willing to enhance dialogue with the Chinese side, expand cooperation in various fields including trade, agriculture, industry, energy resources, and green development, address global challenges such as climate change and uphold international equity and free trade. 

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the 8th China-Australia CEO Roundtable with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Australia sign MoU to implement, review free trade agreement

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

    BEIJING, July 16 — China and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the implementation and review of China-Australia Free Trade Agreement on Tuesday, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

    The document was signed by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Australian Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Jan Adams, witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

    Since its entry into force in 2015, the free trade agreement has significantly boosted bilateral economic and trade relations, delivering substantial benefits to both sides, said the MOC.

    As 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the agreement, the two countries will maintain close cooperation, continue high-quality implementation of the agreement, and jointly conduct a review to identify areas for further improvement or expansion, the MOC said.

    This will enhance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, providing a higher level of institutional support for bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the MOC said.

    MIL OSI China News –