The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed a contribution of 23,268 metric tons of rice from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea, valued at US$18 million, to support the food needs of refugees in Kenya.
This contribution – the largest from the Republic of Korea since it began supporting refugees in Kenya in 2018 – will support the food needs of 720,000 refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps and Kalobeyei settlement for six months.
“This generous contribution is vital as we work to respond to the needs of an increasing number of refugees in Kenya, while the resources available to support them are decreasing,” said Baimankay Sankoh, WFP’s Deputy Country Director in Kenya. “Most refugees are unable to work or return home and are entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. This generous rice contribution from the Republic of Korea is more vital than ever for WFP to continue supporting the food needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees. And we sincerely hope that this expanded rice contribution will continue in the future.”
Over the past five years, the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya has increased by over 70 percent – from around 500,000 to 843,000 – as people have fled conflict in neighbouring countries like Somalia and South Sudan. But, despite the generous support from many donors, funding shortfalls have forced WFP to reduce food rations for refugees to one-third of a ration.
Korean rice is known for its high quality, while the reliable delivery from the Republic of Korea on a fixed annual schedule, allows WFP to plan effectively and respond flexibly to shifting needs on the ground. This predictable support contributes to safeguarding the dignity of refugees by ensuring access to sufficient and nutritious food.
“The Republic of Korea is proud to stand alongside other nations in responding to the rising hunger crisis and providing hope to thousands of families in the eastern Africa region,” said H.E. Kang Hyung-shik, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Kenya. “Our history is deeply rooted in global solidarity, and we remain committed to standing with those in need.”
The Republic of Korea is a significant donor to WFP in Kenya, providing annual rice contributions that help WFP maintain consistent humanitarian operations. Between 2018 and 2025, WFP has received rice contributions to the value of US$ 88 million through MAFRA in support of refugees.
Joint Security Council Stakeout on Sudan and South Sudan by Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone and Ambassador Sandra Jensen Landi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Denmark, and accompanied by Representatives from France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, United Kingdom.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released a statement on announced plans by the State Department to terminate personnel.
“As the U.S. retreats, our adversaries—like the People’s Republic of China—are expanding their diplomatic reach, making Americans less safe and less prosperous. If this administration is serious about putting ‘America first,’ it must invest in our diplomatic corps and national security experts—not erode the institutions that protect our interests, promote U.S. values and keep Americans abroad safe.??
“The Administration’s decision to fire hundreds of members of the Civil Service and Foreign Service at the Department of State undermines our national security. While there are targeted reforms that our government can pursue to maximize the impact of every tax dollar, that’s not what this is. Blanket and indiscriminate cuts—the legacy from Elon Musk’s failed DOGE effort—weaken our government’s ability to deliver for the American people in a cost-effective manner. There are active conflicts and humanitarian crises in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, Haiti and Myanmar—to name a few. Now is the time to strengthen our diplomatic hand, not weaken it. From pursuing peaceful resolutions to out-competing China diplomatically and economically, we can’t afford to not have experienced diplomats at the table.
“We will continue to fight on behalf of the public servants and their families who now face job loss after careers spent advancing America’s interests and values in challenging and often high-risk environments. We call on Secretary Rubio to ensure that any proposed reorganization, including reductions in force, is carried out transparently and in full accordance with U.S. law.”
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.
Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.
According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.
A dedicated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid with over 50 systems and electronic warfare assets has been put in place to tackle possible drone threats. Continuous UAV surveillance missions and live monitoring of Yatra routes and the holy cave are also being carried out.
Engineer units have been tasked with building and repairing bridges, widening tracks and undertaking disaster mitigation work. Medical arrangements include over 150 medical personnel, two advanced dressing stations, nine aid posts, a 100-bed hospital and 26 oxygen booths stocked with two lakh litres of oxygen, the Army said.
Signal companies have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted communication, while bomb detection and disposal squads remain on standby. The Army has also kept helicopters ready for any emergencies.
Other arrangements include emergency rations for over 25,000 people, Quick Reaction Teams, tent cities, water points and essential equipment such as bulldozers and excavators.
High-resolution PTZ cameras and live drone feeds are being used to track convoys between Jammu and the cave shrine to enable early threat detection and swift response.
The Army said Operation SHIVA 2025 reflects its commitment to securing the annual pilgrimage and ensuring a safe and uninterrupted passage for devotees.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with Malaysia to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said at a meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan here on Thursday.
Wang Yi called on the two countries to fully implement the plans to jointly build the Belt and Road and strengthen cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment and connectivity. Key projects such as the Malaysian East Coast Railway and the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” should be steadily promoted, he said.
The Foreign Minister also called for in-depth cooperation in new and advanced sectors to jointly establish a regional cooperation center in the field of new quality productive forces.
The Minister stressed the need for further efforts in dialogue between Confucian and Islamic civilizations and the implementation of the soon-to-come agreement on mutual visa-free regime to intensify mutual travel and strengthen the social foundation of bilateral relations.
China is willing to work with Malaysia to enhance political mutual trust, deepen integration of interests, strengthen strategic coordination and develop traditional friendship so as to implement the roadmap drawn up by the leaders of the two countries, Wang said.
According to the minister, China and ASEAN are good neighbors, friends and partners. The two sides have fully concluded negotiations on the Free Trade Area 3.0, demonstrating through concrete actions their commitment to expanding the common market and protecting free trade.
Wang Yi said the US’s imposition of high tariffs on ASEAN members is a typical act of bullying and unilateralism that no country supports. China’s decisive countermeasures are aimed at protecting not only its own interests but also the common interests of all countries, including ASEAN members, he stressed.
China is willing to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN, uphold the multilateral trading system, ensure the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and promote inclusive economic globalization, the foreign minister said.
In turn, M. Hasan said that relations between Malaysia and China are experiencing the best period in history. In the context of growing uncertainty in the world, it is time to strengthen cooperation between Malaysia and China, as well as within the ASEAN, he noted. Malaysia highly values the friendship between the two countries and firmly adheres to the one-China policy, the minister added.
Malaysia supports the three global initiatives put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping and is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure, digital economy and green development, Hasan said.
“In the current circumstances, we can clearly see who the real friends are. When faced with issues like tariffs, Malaysia will not only consider its own interests and will not sacrifice the interests of third parties, ASEAN does not do that,” he stressed. –0–
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.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
OSAKA, Japan, July 11 (Xinhua) — Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China He Lifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the China National Pavilion Day at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka on Friday and delivered a speech.
He stressed that the EXPO serves as an important platform for promoting mutual learning among civilizations, advancing social progress and strengthening friendship among peoples.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the country’s participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka, the vice premier said, noting that the national pavilion demonstrates China’s activities in the field of ecological civilization and promotes a development philosophy based on respecting, protecting and adapting to nature.
Through exciting exhibitions, interactive displays and diverse cultural activities, visitors from all over the world will be able to see the authentic, attractive and respectable face of China, He Lifeng said.
“China stands ready to work with Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and jointly advance strategic and mutually beneficial ties so as to build constructive and stable China-Japan relations that meet the needs of the new era,” he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister visited the China and Japan pavilions at the EXPO and held friendly talks with Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Hiroshi Moriyama and representatives of economic organizations based in Kansai. –0–
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.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) — A Japanese fishing boat has been sent away after illegally entering territorial waters near China’s Chiweiyu islet in the Diaoyu Islands, China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesman Liu Dejun said Friday.
According to him, the BOC ships took necessary control measures in accordance with the law, issued warnings and forced the Japanese vessel to leave China’s territorial waters after it illegally entered the aforementioned waters on Wednesday.
Stressing that Diaoyu and its adjacent islands are China’s original territory, Liu Dejun called on the Japanese side to immediately stop all illegal activities in these waters.
“The BOC will continue to carry out law enforcement activities in the territorial waters under China’s jurisdiction to protect the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” Liu Dejun added. -0-
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.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DEMS attends 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail The Congress, under the theme “High Speed Rail: Innovation and Development for a Better Life”, was co-hosted by International Union of Railways and China State Railway Group Co. Ltd. The opening ceremony was officiated by Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Zhang Guoqing, together with other distinguished guests. The Congress invited over 2 000 participants, including world-leading railway experts, business leaders, government officials, and representatives of international organisations. The event aimed to strengthen the collaboration and development of the high speed railway (HSR) industry in the world.
By participating the Congress, the EMSD delegation enhanced the professional knowledge sharing and exchange with national and international railway stakeholders. Through the technical visit of the China Academy of Railway Sciences, the EMSD delegation kept abreast of the latest development in design and construction technology of the two types of “Fuxing” CR450AF and CR450BF Mainland HSR trains with maximum speed at 450 km/hr, and also witnessed China’s HSR remarkable achievements in safety, speed, innovation and technology.
Mr Poon took this opportunity to invite the stakeholders to attend the International Railway Safety Council 2025 conference, which will be held in Hong Kong from November 25 to 30. The Conference, under the theme “Advancing Railway Safety through Innovations and Collaborations”, will be jointly organised by the National Railway Administration, the EMSD and the MTR Corporation. The delegates around the world will carry out in-depth exchanges on the issue of global railway safety development and appreciate the China’s railway rapid development as well as the innovative accomplishment in recent years through technical visit. Issued at HKT 21:40
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Burundi as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the eighth country in WHO’s African Region to reach this important milestone. Trachoma is also the first neglected tropical disease (NTD) to be eliminated in the country.
“Eliminating a disease like trachoma is a major public health achievement that requires sustained effort and dedication,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I congratulate the government and the people of Burundi and commend them for their hard work and commitment. It is great to see Burundi join the growing group of countries that have eliminated at least one NTD”.
Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through personal contact, contaminated surfaces and by flies that have been in contact with eye or nose discharge. Repeated infections can lead to scarring, in-turning of the eyelids, and ultimately blindness. Globally, the disease remains endemic in many vulnerable communities where access to clean water and sanitation is limited.
“This validation marks a major milestone in our commitment to health equity”, said Dr Lydwine Baradahana, Minister of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS, Burundi. “It is a collective victory made possible by nearly 20 years of national mobilization and international solidarity. I thank all the partners, community actors and institutions in Burundi and beyond who made this historic achievement possible”.
Burundi’s progress
Before 2007, with no reported cases or epidemiological studies, the extent of trachoma endemicity in Burundi was largely unknown. That year, the country launched an initiative to tackle NTDs, which included integrated mapping of soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and trachoma. Following the mapping, the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS conducted further investigations. Baseline surveys carried out in 2009–2010 confirmed that trachoma was endemic in parts of the country. This prompted introduction of interventions based on the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy for 2.5 million people who needed them across 12 health districts.
Burundi’s trachoma elimination programme was supported technically and financially by CBM Christoffel Blindenmission, the END Fund, Geneva Global and WHO. The International Trachoma Initiative at the Task Force for Global Health donated azithromycin (Zithromax, Pfizer, New York NY, USA). WHO continues to support support the country’s health authorities to monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease.
This achievement reflects the government’s resolve to protect its most vulnerable populations. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight Against AIDS, and with the dedication of community health workers, support from key partners, and WHO’s technical guidance, this success was made possible” said Dr Xavier Crespin, WHO Representative in Burundi. “This win inspires us to press forward with the same determination to eliminate all remaining neglected tropical diseases.”
Disease prevalence
Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East.
The African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the global trachoma burden. Significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% reduction.
There are currently 20 countries in WHO’s African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. These include: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The seven countries in the region previously validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem are Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania and Togo. A further 4 countries in the WHO African Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Senegal) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination.
Global progress
With today’s announcement, a total of 57 countries have now eliminated at least one NTD. Of these, 24— (including Burundi)—have successfully eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Other countries that have reached this milestone include Benin, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China and the United States should work together to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed his hope that the U.S. side would view China with an objective, rational and pragmatic attitude.
Wang made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Malaysian capital.
Noting that the U.S. policy towards China should be based on the goal of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Wang said the United States should treat China in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China and the United States should work together to find the right way to get along with each other in the new era, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed his hope that the U.S. side would view China with an objective, rational and pragmatic attitude.
Wang made the remarks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Malaysian capital.
Noting that the U.S. policy towards China should be based on the goal of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Wang said the United States should treat China in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner.
(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn today announced that the Government will put up for tender a residential site in Tsuen Wan that can provide about 780 flats.
Unveiling the Land Sale Programme for the second quarter of this financial year, Ms Linn said the site is situated in a mature neighbourhood with comprehensive surrounding facilities and traffic network.
“It is relatively still small in scale and located in a mature urban area with good transport connections. So we think this kind of site will be of interest to the developers in the current climate of the property market.”
Additionally, residential land supply will stem from private development and redevelopment projects requiring lease modification, of which six cases are expected to complete the land administration procedures in the second quarter, providing a total supply of around 4,170 flats.
“Regarding the overall supply for the second quarter, taking into account this Tsuen Wan site, together with six other cases involving lease modifications, we should be able to turn out land capable of supplying (about) 4,950 units in this quarter.”
She pointed out that one is a land exchange case at Hung Shui Kiu Area 34B in an area of high development potential in the Northern Metropolis and would foster the development of the area along with the planning of Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area.
The development chief also said that taking into account the supply from the first quarter, the total private housing land supply of the first half of this financial year will reach about 6,000 units, which is around 45% of the annual supply target.
“I think it suggests that we are moving in a stable manner towards our annual target,” Ms Linn added.
Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Refinery Capacity Report and Petroleum Supply Monthly Note:Refinery Capacity Report data are reported as of January 1 of each year, so changes in capacity that take place during a given year are represented in the newly reported total capacity number for the start of the following year.
California is set to lose 17% of its oil refinery capacity over the next 12 months because of two planned refinery closures. If realized, the closure of the facilities is likely to contribute to increases in fuel price volatility on the West Coast.
Phillips 66 announced plans last October to close its 139,000-barrel-per-day (b/d) Wilmington refinery in the Los Angeles area later this year. Valero submitted a notice in April to end refining operations at its 145,000-b/d Benicia refinery in the Bay Area by the end of April 2026. The refinery closures continue a trend of decreasing refinery capacity on the West Coast, following the end of petroleum refining operations at Phillips 66’s Rodeo refinery early last year and the closure of Marathon’s Martinez refinery in 2020.
California usually has higher retail gasoline prices compared with the national average. One reason is the relative lack of logistical connectivity on the West Coast to other refinery hubs in the United States, such as the Gulf Coast. Although the Los Angeles and Benicia refineries make up less than 2% of current U.S. refining capacity, they account for 17% of California refinery capacity and 11% of West Coast (PADD 5) capacity. The supply shortfall left by their exit is therefore likely to have an outsized impact on the region because it cannot be easily filled by other refineries elsewhere in the country.
Given the limited connectivity to other U.S refining hubs, the most likely source of replacement fuels will be imports from Asia, particularly imports of jet fuel and gasoline. California’s unique specification gasoline blendstock, known as CARBOB, can only be manufactured by properly equipped refineries. Phillips 66 is planning to produce some California-grade gasoline at its refinery in Washington, and some refineries in India and South Korea can meet these specifications. Arizona, which also has a unique gasoline blend, and Nevada receive fuel shipments from California refiners and are also likely to be affected by the reduced regional supply.
Data for late May 2025 showed total gasoline imports (including finished gasoline and blend components) into the West Coast above 210,000 b/d, setting a record on a four-week average basis. Although these imports have since come down in June, summer imports are likely to further increase next year after the two California refineries come offline.
Importing petroleum products presents certain risks for fuel supplies on the West Coast. Shipments of petroleum products across the Pacific Ocean will take longer to respond to market demands, meaning that unexpected shortfalls could contribute to temporary price increases or heightened volatility. Last year, the California state government instituted a new minimum inventory law, which could reduce the risk of potential shortfalls in gasoline supplies.
In our July Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast a small increase in West Coast retail gasoline prices next year in response to the capacity closures, in contrast to price decreases elsewhere in the country. We expect lower crude oil prices, which account for around half of the price of gasoline, in 2026 to counteract some of the effect of the refinery closures on retail gasoline prices in the near term.
Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau arrived in Nanjing this afternoon to meet Commissioner of the Jiangsu Commission of Health Tan Ying and visit the Simcere Pharmaceutical Group.
Prof Lo introduced Ms Tan to the efforts made by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in promoting the international inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine, and the high-quality development of public hospitals.
He noted that Jiangsu and Hong Kong have established a solid foundation in Chinese medicine academic inheritance and talent exchange.
Prof Lo highlighted that by the end of this year, two flagship projects – the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the permanent building for the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute – will provide services in phases.
This will further strengthen the co-operation between the two places in the areas of Chinese medicine services, talent development and testing research, he added.
On the high-quality development of public hospitals, Prof Lo emphasised that the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to promote the accreditation of more public hospitals under “China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version)”, with a view to maintaining the high standard of hospital management and services in Hong Kong while aligning with the national healthcare service system.
Both sides also explored ways to further encourage more hospitals in the two places to pursue accreditation under the relevant standards to amplify the impact of national standards.
At the Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, which is headquartered in Nanjing, Prof Lo briefed the company’s senior management on the Hong Kong SAR Government’s initiatives in developing the city into an international health and medical innovation hub.
Such initiatives include strengthening the approval regimes for drugs and medical devices as well as promoting the clinical trial industry’s development.
The health chief welcomed Mainland pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical trials in Hong Kong, fully leveraging the multiple unique advantages of the Hong Kong SAR to facilitate the translation and clinical application of advanced biomedical technologies.
The SWIFT constellation, shown not to scale in this illustration, will fly farther than its predecessors to improve space weather warning time. Steve Alvey
The burgeoning space industry and the technologies society increasingly relies on – electric grids, aviation and telecommunications – are all vulnerable to the same threat: space weather.
These ejections are bundles of magnetic fields and particles that originate from the Sun. They can travel at speeds up to 1,242 miles per second (2,000 kilometers per second) and may cause geomagnetic storms.
They create beautiful aurora displays – like the northern lights you can sometimes see in the skies – but can also disrupt satellite operations, shut down the electric grid and expose astronauts aboard future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars to lethal doses of radiation.
An animation shows coronal mass ejection erupting from the Sun.
Space is also a critical domain for military operations. Satellites provide essential capabilities for military communication, surveillance, navigation and intelligence.
As countries such as the U.S. grow to depend on infrastructure in space, extreme space weather events pose a greater threat. Today, space weather threatens up to US$2.7 trillion in assets globally.
In September 1859, the most powerful recorded space weather event, known as the Carrington event, caused fires in North America and Europe by supercharging telegraph lines. In August 1972, another Carrington-like event nearly struck the astronauts orbiting the Moon. The radiation dose could have been fatal. More recently, in February 2022, SpaceX lost 39 of its 49 newly launched Starlink satellites because of a moderate space weather event.
Today’s space weather monitors
Space weather services heavily rely on satellites that monitor the solar wind, which is made up of magnetic field lines and particles coming from the Sun, and communicate their observations back to Earth. Scientists can then compare those observations with historical records to predict space weather and explore how the Earth may respond to the observed changes in the solar wind.
Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects living things and Earth-orbiting satellites from most adverse effects of space weather. However, extreme space weather events may compress – or in some cases, peel back – the Earth’s magnetic shield.
This process allows solar wind particles to make it into our protected environment – the magnetosphere – exposing satellites and astronauts onboard space stations to harsh conditions.
At these distances, the satellites remain within Earth’s protective magnetic shield and can reliably measure the planet’s response to space weather conditions. However, to more directly study incoming solar wind, researchers use additional satellites located farther upstream – hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth.
The U.S., the European Space Agency and India all operate space weather monitoring satellites positioned around the L1 Lagrange point – nearly 900,000 miles (1,450,000 km) from Earth – where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth balance. From this vantage point, space weather monitors can provide up to 40 minutes of advance warning for incoming solar events.
The Lagrange points are equilibrium points for smaller objects, like the Earth, that orbit around a larger object, like the Sun. The L1 point is between the Earth and the Sun, where the gravitational pulls of the two objects balance out. Since the Sun’s pull is so much stronger than the Earth’s, the point is much closer to Earth. Xander89/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Advance warning for space weather
Increasing the warning time beyond 40 minutes – the current warning time – would help satellite operators, electric grid planners, flight directors, astronauts and Space Force officers better prepare for extreme space weather events.
For instance, during geomagnetic storms, the atmosphere heats up and expands, increasing drag on satellites in low Earth orbit. With enough advance warning, operators can update their drag calculations to prevent satellites from descending and burning up during these events. With the updated drag calculations, satellite operators could use the satellites’ propulsion systems to maneuver them higher up in orbit.
Airlines could change their routes to avoid exposing passengers and staff to high radiation doses during geomagnetic storms. And future astronauts on the way to or working on the Moon or Mars, which lack protection from these particles, could be alerted in advance to take cover.
Aurora lovers would also appreciate having more time to get to their favorite viewing destinations.
The Space Weather Investigation Frontier
My team and I have been developing a new space weather satellite constellation, named the Space Weather Investigation Frontier. SWIFT will, for the first time, place a space weather monitor beyond the L1 point, at 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) from Earth. This distance would allow scientists to inform decision-makers of any Earth-bound space weather events up to nearly 60 minutes before arrival.
Satellites with traditional chemical and electric propulsion systems cannot maintain an orbit at that location – farther from Earth and closer to the Sun – for long. This is because they would need to continuously burn fuel to counteract the Sun’s gravitational pull.
To address this issue, our team has spent decades designing and developing a new propulsion system. Our solution is designed to affordably reach a distance that is closer to the Sun than the traditional L1 point, and to operate there reliably for more than a decade by harnessing an abundant and reliable resource – sunlight.
SWIFT would use a fuelless propulsion system called a solar sail to reach its orbit. A solar sail is a hair-thin reflective surface – simulating a very thin mirror – that spans about a third of a football field. It balances the force of light particles coming from the Sun, which pushes it away, with the Sun’s gravity, which pulls it inward.
While a sailboat harnesses the lift created by wind flowing over its curved sails to move across water, a solar sail uses the momentum of photons from sunlight, reflected off its large, shiny sail, to propel a spacecraft through space. Both the sailboat and solar sail exploit the transfer of energy from their respective environments to drive motion without relying on traditional propellants.
A solar sail could enable SWIFT to enter an otherwise unstable sub-L1 orbit without the risk of running out of fuel.
NASA successfully launched its first solar sail in 2010. This in-space demonstration, named NanoSail-D2, featured a 107-square-foot (10 m2 ) sail and was placed in low Earth orbit. That same year, the Japanese Space Agency launched a larger solar sail mission, IKAROS, which deployed a 2,110 ft2 (196 m2 ) sail in the solar wind and successfully orbited Venus.
An illustration of the solar sail used on the IKAROS space probe. These sails use light particles as propulsion. Andrzej Mirecki, CC BY-SA
The Planetary Society and NASA followed up by launching two sails in low Earth orbit: LightSail, with an area of 344 ft2 (32 m2 ), and the advanced composite solar sail system, with an area of 860 ft2 (80 m2 ).
The SWIFT team’s solar sail demonstration mission, Solar Cruiser, will be equipped with a much larger sail – it will have area of 17,793 ft2 (1,653 m2 ) and launch as early as 2029. We successfully deployed a quadrant of the sail on Earth early last year.
If successful, the Solar Cruiser mission will pave the way for a small satellite constellation that will monitor the solar wind.
To transport it to space, the team will meticulously fold and tightly pack the sail inside a small canister. The biggest challenge to overcome will be deploying the sail once in space and using it to guide the satellite along its orbital path.
If successful, Solar Cruiser will pave the way for SWIFT’s constellation of four satellites. The constellation would include one satellite equipped with sail propulsion, set to be placed in an orbit beyond L1, and three smaller satellites with chemical propulsion in orbit at the L1 Lagrange point.
The satellites will be indefinitely parked at and beyond L1, collecting data in the solar wind without interruption. Each of the four satellites can observe the solar wind from different locations, helping scientists better predict how it may evolve before reaching Earth.
As modern life depends more on space infrastructure, continuing to invest in space weather prediction can protect both space- and ground-based technologies.
Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti receives funding from NASA. He is the Principal Investigator of Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT).
“Managers or upper management have looked down upon taking time off.”
“People think that maybe you’re not as invested in the job, that you’re shirking your duties or something.”
These are just a few of the responses to questions I asked during a study I conducted on vacation guilt among American workers.
More than 88% of full-time, private sector workers in the U.S. receive paid time off. This benefit is ostensibly in place to improve employee morale and well-being.
Yet a 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half of American workers don’t take all the vacation days they’ve been allotted. And many of them feel as if they’re discouraged from using their time off. Ironically, what’s supposed to be a source of relaxation and restoration morphs into a stressor: As vacations approach, feelings of doubt and guilt creep in.
I’m from Singapore. Upon moving to the U.S. in 2016, I was surprised at how pervasive vacation guilt appeared to be.
Compared with many of the other countries where I’ve lived or worked, American culture seems to prioritize mental healthand wellness. I assumed these attitudes extended to the American workplace.
Surprisingly, though, I noticed that many of my American friends felt guilty about taking time off that they’d earned. So as a scholar of tourism and hospitality, I wanted to understand how and why this happened.
Vacation guilt
To carry out the study, I collaborated with tourism scholar Robert Li. We interviewed 15 workers who had experienced feelings of guilt over taking time off. We also administered an online survey to 860 full-time employees who received paid time off from their employers.
We wanted to know whether employees felt less respected or believed that their bosses and colleagues saw them in a worse light for taking time off. Maybe they feared being seen as slackers or, worse, replaceable.
We found that 1 in 5 respondents to our survey experienced vacation guilt, and these concerns made them think twice about following through with their vacation plans. For those who eventually did take a vacation, they often tried to ease their guilt by going for fewer days. They might also apologize for taking a vacation or avoid talking about their vacation plans at work.
Some of the people we interviewed had pushed through their hesitation and taken their vacation as planned. Yet all of these employees believed that they’d been penalized for taking time off and that it led to poor performance reviews, despite the fact that their paid vacation days had been a clearly articulated, earned benefit.
Meanwhile, the law in other advanced economies entitles employees to a minimum amount of annual paid leave. The EU, for example, mandates at least 20 days per year on top of paid public holidays, such as Christmas and New Year’s Day, with a number of EU member countries requiring more than 20 days of paid vacation for full-time employees. Even in Japan, which is notorious for its workaholic culture, employees are entitled to a minimum of 10 days of paid leave every year.
Throughout much of the U.S., whether paid vacation time is offered at all depends on an employer’s generosity, while many employees face a “use-it-or-lose-it” situation, meaning unused vacation days don’t roll over from one year to the next.
For paid time off to serve its purpose, I think employers need to provide more than vacation days. They also need to have a supportive culture that readily encourages employees to use this benefit without having to worry about repercussions.
The journal publication on which this article was based was supported by the inaugural Seed Funding Forum, Fox
School of Business, Temple University, USA.
Myitkyina (Agenzia Fides) – In the face of terrible events such as the bloody civil war and the earthquake that devastated central Myanmar, the three bishops of the Burmese dioceses of Myitkyina, Banmaw, and Lashio (in north-central Myanmar) address the faithful in a joint pastoral letter: “The Lord Jesus told us: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me!’ (John 14:1). And further: ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Mt 16:24).” The pastoral letter, sent to Fides, is signed by the three bishops: Msgr. John Mung-ngawn La Sam, M.F., of the diocese of Myitkyina; Msgr. Raymond Sumlut Gam, of the Diocese of Banmaw; and Msgr. Lucas Dau Ze Jeimphaung, SDB, of the Diocese of Lashio, all three often forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere due to insecurity and fighting in their territories.”Over the past four years,” the bishops lament, “the fighting has led to the destruction of lives, families, farms, and land, as well as the displacement of thousands of people to refugee camps.” People are “worried about their safety and their children’s education.” The wounds of war were aggravated by the powerful earthquake that “once again shook central Myanmar, collapsing houses, and injuring and killing many people.”In this situation of uncertainty and distress, the bishops wish to assist the faithful and write: “No matter how difficult our situation may be, if we pray to God every day with faith and love, we will be able to endure all difficulties and become bearers of the Cross with Jesus Christ, receiving his grace of consolation and encouragement.”In this context, the bishops recall the sufferings and tribulations of many saints who, in their experience, accepted suffering out of love for Christ and lived the spirit described by St. Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians, which the bishops cite and apply today to the Burmese people: “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8-9).The bishops remind the faithful that other peoples of the world are also experiencing the same situation of extreme hardship, which is why they should feel united in this trial: “Many countries in the world are suffering from natural disasters, terrorism, wars, death, illness, and infirmity,” and everyone is called to live this situation in faith and not to lose hope and charity. “Therefore, dear faithful, let us, without becoming discouraged, pray for a lasting peace and implore peace from God with all our heart, mind, and strength,” the three bishops conclude. “Let us pray, encourage, console, and help one another in this Holy Year, which, despite everything, is full of hope.” “May God bless you with physical, mental, and spiritual health and grant you His grace and the strength of the Holy Spirit.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 11/7/2025)
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Myitkyina (Agenzia Fides) – In the face of terrible events such as the bloody civil war and the earthquake that devastated central Myanmar, the three bishops of the Burmese dioceses of Myitkyina, Banmaw, and Lashio (in north-central Myanmar) address the faithful in a joint pastoral letter: “The Lord Jesus told us: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me!’ (John 14:1). And further: ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Mt 16:24).” The pastoral letter, sent to Fides, is signed by the three bishops: Msgr. John Mung-ngawn La Sam, M.F., of the diocese of Myitkyina; Msgr. Raymond Sumlut Gam, of the Diocese of Banmaw; and Msgr. Lucas Dau Ze Jeimphaung, SDB, of the Diocese of Lashio, all three often forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere due to insecurity and fighting in their territories.”Over the past four years,” the bishops lament, “the fighting has led to the destruction of lives, families, farms, and land, as well as the displacement of thousands of people to refugee camps.” People are “worried about their safety and their children’s education.” The wounds of war were aggravated by the powerful earthquake that “once again shook central Myanmar, collapsing houses, and injuring and killing many people.”In this situation of uncertainty and distress, the bishops wish to assist the faithful and write: “No matter how difficult our situation may be, if we pray to God every day with faith and love, we will be able to endure all difficulties and become bearers of the Cross with Jesus Christ, receiving his grace of consolation and encouragement.”In this context, the bishops recall the sufferings and tribulations of many saints who, in their experience, accepted suffering out of love for Christ and lived the spirit described by St. Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians, which the bishops cite and apply today to the Burmese people: “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8-9).The bishops remind the faithful that other peoples of the world are also experiencing the same situation of extreme hardship, which is why they should feel united in this trial: “Many countries in the world are suffering from natural disasters, terrorism, wars, death, illness, and infirmity,” and everyone is called to live this situation in faith and not to lose hope and charity. “Therefore, dear faithful, let us, without becoming discouraged, pray for a lasting peace and implore peace from God with all our heart, mind, and strength,” the three bishops conclude. “Let us pray, encourage, console, and help one another in this Holy Year, which, despite everything, is full of hope.” “May God bless you with physical, mental, and spiritual health and grant you His grace and the strength of the Holy Spirit.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 11/7/2025)
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lign=”center”>The Strength Of A Nation Lies In The Originality Of Its Thought And The Timelessness Of Its Values, urges VP India Is A Civilizational Continuum—A Flowing River Of Consciousness, Inquiry, And Learning, says VP Indigenous Insights Were Dismissed As Relics Of The Primitive Past; Selective Remembrance Continued Even After Independence, Highlights VP Western Constructs Were Paraded As Universal Truths. There Was An Architecture Of Erasure And Decimation, says VP Colonization Produced Clerks And Yeomen Instead of Thinkers; Grades Replaced Critical Thinking, highlights VP A Genuine Indian Knowledge System Ecosystem Must Honour Both Text And Lived Experience, Emphasises VP Vice-President Addresses The Inaugural Annual Conference On The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) In New Delhi
The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said, “India’s rise as a global power must be accompanied by the rise of its intellectual and cultural gravitas. This is very significant as the rise without this is not lasting, and the rise without this is not in harmony with our traditions. The strength of a nation lies in the originality of its thought, the timelessness of its values, and the resilience of its intellectual traditions. That is the kind of soft power that endures, and soft power is potent in the world we live in”, he said.
Reaffirming India’s identity beyond the confines of post-colonial constructs, the Vice-President observed, “India is not just a political construct formed in the mid-20th century. It is a civilizational continuum—a flowing river of consciousness, inquiry, and learning that has endured.”
Critiquing the historical sidelining of indigenous wisdom, he said, “While indigenous insights were dismissed as relics of the primitive past, it was not an error of interpretation. It was an architecture of erasure, destruction, and decimation. What is more tragic is that the selective remembrance continued even after independence. Western constructs were paraded as universal truths. To put it more bluntly, untruth was camouflaged as truth.”
“What should have been our fundamental priority was not even on the radar. How can you not be cognizant of your core values?” he questioned.
Reflecting on the historical ruptures in India’s intellectual journey, the Vice-President remarked, “The Islamic invasion of India caused the first interlude in the glorious journey of Bharatiya Vidya Parampara (भारतीय विद्या परंपरा). Instead of embrace and assimilation, there was contempt and destruction. The British colonization brought forth the second interlude, when the Indian Knowledge System was stunted, stymied, and subverted. Centers of learning changed their motives. The compass was moderated. The North Star was changed. From bearing Sages and Savants, it started producing clerks and yeomen. The needs of the East India Company to have brown babus replaced the need of the nation to have thinkers.”
“We stopped thinking, contemplating, writing, and philosophizing. We started cramming, regurgitating, and swallowing. Grades, unfortunately, replaced critical thinking. The great Bharatiya Vidya Parampara (भारतीय विद्या परंपरा) and its allied institutions were systematically drained, destroyed, and decimated.”, he mentioned.
Addressing the inaugural Annual Conference on the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in New Delhi as the Chief Guest today, Shri Dhankhar said, “Long before the Universities of Europe came into being, Bharat’s universities had already established themselves as thriving centers of learning. Our ancient land was home to luminous centres of intellectual life—Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Vallabhi, and Odantapuri. These were the towering citadels of knowledge. Their libraries were vast oceans of wisdom, housing tens of thousands of manuscripts.”
He added, “These were global universities, where seekers came from lands near and far, such as Korea, China, Tibet, and Persia. These were the spaces where the intellect of the world embraced the spirit of Bharat.”
Calling for a more holistic understanding of knowledge, the Vice-President said, “Knowledge resides beyond manuscripts. It lives in communities, in embodied practices, in the intergenerational transmission of wisdom.”
He emphasised that, “A genuine Indian Knowledge Systems research ecosystem must honour both the written word and the lived experience—recognizing that insight emerges as much from context as it does from text.”
Calling for focused action to strengthen Indian Knowledge Systems, the Vice-President remarked, “Let us therefore turn our attention to tangible action because that is the need of the hour. The creation of digitized repositories of classical Indian texts is an urgent priority covering all classical languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, and Prakrit, to name just a few.”
He added, “These repositories should be made widely accessible, enabling scholars in India and researchers around the world to engage meaningfully with these sources. Equally essential is the development of training programs that empower young scholars with robust methodological tools, blending philosophy, computational analysis, ethnography, and comparative inquiry to deepen their engagement with the Indian knowledge system.”
Quoting renowned scholar Max Müller, the Vice-President said, “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant—I should point to India.”
“Friends, it was nothing but the articulation of eternal truth,” the Vice-President said.
Touching upon the dynamic relationship between tradition and innovation, the Vice-President stated, “The wisdom of the past does not obstruct innovation—rather it inspires it. The metaphysical can speak to the material. Spiritual insight can coexist with scientific precision, but then you have to know what spiritual insight is.”
He continued, “The Rigveda’s hymns to the cosmos can find new relevance in the age of astrophysics. The Charaka Samhita can be read alongside global debates on public health ethics.”
“As we navigate a fractured world, we are stunned by global conflagration. So we are faced with a fractured world. Knowledge systems that have long reflected on the interplay between mind and matter, the individual and the cosmos, duty and consequence, become relevant and vital to shaping thoughtful, enduring responses.”, he concluded.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof. M. S. Chaitra, Director- IKSHA, Akhil Bharatiye Toli Sadasya, Prajna Pravah, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
lign=”center”>The Strength Of A Nation Lies In The Originality Of Its Thought And The Timelessness Of Its Values, urges VP India Is A Civilizational Continuum—A Flowing River Of Consciousness, Inquiry, And Learning, says VP Indigenous Insights Were Dismissed As Relics Of The Primitive Past; Selective Remembrance Continued Even After Independence, Highlights VP Western Constructs Were Paraded As Universal Truths. There Was An Architecture Of Erasure And Decimation, says VP Colonization Produced Clerks And Yeomen Instead of Thinkers; Grades Replaced Critical Thinking, highlights VP A Genuine Indian Knowledge System Ecosystem Must Honour Both Text And Lived Experience, Emphasises VP Vice-President Addresses The Inaugural Annual Conference On The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) In New Delhi
The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, today said, “India’s rise as a global power must be accompanied by the rise of its intellectual and cultural gravitas. This is very significant as the rise without this is not lasting, and the rise without this is not in harmony with our traditions. The strength of a nation lies in the originality of its thought, the timelessness of its values, and the resilience of its intellectual traditions. That is the kind of soft power that endures, and soft power is potent in the world we live in”, he said.
Reaffirming India’s identity beyond the confines of post-colonial constructs, the Vice-President observed, “India is not just a political construct formed in the mid-20th century. It is a civilizational continuum—a flowing river of consciousness, inquiry, and learning that has endured.”
Critiquing the historical sidelining of indigenous wisdom, he said, “While indigenous insights were dismissed as relics of the primitive past, it was not an error of interpretation. It was an architecture of erasure, destruction, and decimation. What is more tragic is that the selective remembrance continued even after independence. Western constructs were paraded as universal truths. To put it more bluntly, untruth was camouflaged as truth.”
“What should have been our fundamental priority was not even on the radar. How can you not be cognizant of your core values?” he questioned.
Reflecting on the historical ruptures in India’s intellectual journey, the Vice-President remarked, “The Islamic invasion of India caused the first interlude in the glorious journey of Bharatiya Vidya Parampara (भारतीय विद्या परंपरा). Instead of embrace and assimilation, there was contempt and destruction. The British colonization brought forth the second interlude, when the Indian Knowledge System was stunted, stymied, and subverted. Centers of learning changed their motives. The compass was moderated. The North Star was changed. From bearing Sages and Savants, it started producing clerks and yeomen. The needs of the East India Company to have brown babus replaced the need of the nation to have thinkers.”
“We stopped thinking, contemplating, writing, and philosophizing. We started cramming, regurgitating, and swallowing. Grades, unfortunately, replaced critical thinking. The great Bharatiya Vidya Parampara (भारतीय विद्या परंपरा) and its allied institutions were systematically drained, destroyed, and decimated.”, he mentioned.
Addressing the inaugural Annual Conference on the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) in New Delhi as the Chief Guest today, Shri Dhankhar said, “Long before the Universities of Europe came into being, Bharat’s universities had already established themselves as thriving centers of learning. Our ancient land was home to luminous centres of intellectual life—Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Vallabhi, and Odantapuri. These were the towering citadels of knowledge. Their libraries were vast oceans of wisdom, housing tens of thousands of manuscripts.”
He added, “These were global universities, where seekers came from lands near and far, such as Korea, China, Tibet, and Persia. These were the spaces where the intellect of the world embraced the spirit of Bharat.”
Calling for a more holistic understanding of knowledge, the Vice-President said, “Knowledge resides beyond manuscripts. It lives in communities, in embodied practices, in the intergenerational transmission of wisdom.”
He emphasised that, “A genuine Indian Knowledge Systems research ecosystem must honour both the written word and the lived experience—recognizing that insight emerges as much from context as it does from text.”
Calling for focused action to strengthen Indian Knowledge Systems, the Vice-President remarked, “Let us therefore turn our attention to tangible action because that is the need of the hour. The creation of digitized repositories of classical Indian texts is an urgent priority covering all classical languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, and Prakrit, to name just a few.”
He added, “These repositories should be made widely accessible, enabling scholars in India and researchers around the world to engage meaningfully with these sources. Equally essential is the development of training programs that empower young scholars with robust methodological tools, blending philosophy, computational analysis, ethnography, and comparative inquiry to deepen their engagement with the Indian knowledge system.”
Quoting renowned scholar Max Müller, the Vice-President said, “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant—I should point to India.”
“Friends, it was nothing but the articulation of eternal truth,” the Vice-President said.
Touching upon the dynamic relationship between tradition and innovation, the Vice-President stated, “The wisdom of the past does not obstruct innovation—rather it inspires it. The metaphysical can speak to the material. Spiritual insight can coexist with scientific precision, but then you have to know what spiritual insight is.”
He continued, “The Rigveda’s hymns to the cosmos can find new relevance in the age of astrophysics. The Charaka Samhita can be read alongside global debates on public health ethics.”
“As we navigate a fractured world, we are stunned by global conflagration. So we are faced with a fractured world. Knowledge systems that have long reflected on the interplay between mind and matter, the individual and the cosmos, duty and consequence, become relevant and vital to shaping thoughtful, enduring responses.”, he concluded.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Govt. of India, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Prof. M. S. Chaitra, Director- IKSHA, Akhil Bharatiye Toli Sadasya, Prajna Pravah, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
The following is a guest post by Foreign Law Specialist Sayuri Umeda, and the following foreign law interns who work with Sayuri: Raksmei Dara, Inseol Hong, Nguyet Le, and Panicha (Yuri) Rattanaboonsen.
As lawyers from Japan, Cambodia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, we were curious about the different rules and regulations for voting in public elections for each of the countries we represent, and decided to compare the voting methods of these countries. To our surprise, we found that each country had a different voting method.
The following three questions were asked:
What is the voting age;
What is the right of convicted criminals to vote, and
What is the method of voting (national elections only, excluding proportional representation elections if that is not the only electoral system)?
Question 1 – What is the voting age in the countries above?
All countries have a voting age of 18. Voters must be 18 years of age or older on election day.
Question 2 – Do convicted criminals have the right to vote?
In all countries, those who are imprisoned are denied the right to vote.
In South Korea, such restrictions are limited to those who are serving sentences of one year or more. Those awaiting execution of a sentence of one year or more are also ineligible to vote. (Public Official Election Act, infra, art. 18) In Japan and Korea, individuals convicted of certain electoral and corruption offenses are barred from voting for several years after the completion of their sentence. (Korea: id.; Japan, Public Offices Election Act, infra, art. 11.) In Thailand, those who are detained by legal order and those who have been deprived of the right to vote, with or without a final sentence, cannot vote. (Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives, infra, sec. 32.)
Even though outside the scope of the question, we were surprised to learn that in Thailand, the constitution does not give monks, novices, or clergy the right to vote. (Constitution, B.E. 2560, sec. 96.)
Question 3 – What is the method of voting in each country?
Cambodia
In the Cambodian national election, voters do not vote for an individual candidate, but for a party. (Law on the Election of Members of the National Assembly, art. 5.) The long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party has won landslide victories in elections since the 2003 general election. A voter places a single tick mark inside one of the square boxes next to their chosen political party on the ballot paper. (Id. art. 105.) Before exiting the ballot casting room, the voter must dip a finger in indelible purple ink and mark their name on the voter’s list to confirm that they have voted.
Japan
Voters must write the name of one candidate on the ballot. (Public Offices Election Act, Act No. 100 of 1950, as amended, art. 46, para. 1.) Some complain that writing the names of candidates is not easy for people with disabilities or injuries. Marking the name of the candidate of choice would be easier and reduce mistakes. However, this is not permitted in national elections. The Kobe Newspaper explains that when using the marking system, the names of all candidates must be written on the ballot, so the ballots cannot be printed until the candidates have been decided, which takes time to prepare.
South Korea
The election is conducted by marking a ballot. (Public Official Election Act, Act No. 20902, as amended April 1, 2025, art. 146, para. 1.) Marking is done by using a stamp that is placed in a box next to the candidate chosen by the voter. The stamps are prepared by the Election Commission. This stamp has an interesting history. In the 1940s and 1950s, voters had to bring objects to stamp their ballots, such as bullet casings or small bamboo sticks. Today, the stamp imprints “ト”. This character shape has an advantage that the marked candidate cannot be mistaken when an imprint is smeared. The ballot paper must be folded before being put in the box.
Thailand
Voting is done by marking a cross in the box beside the candidate’s number on the ballot paper. In cases where the eligible voters wish to vote for none of the candidates, they shall mark a cross in the checkbox for “not to vote for any candidate”. (Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives B.E. 2561 (2018), § 91.) Please see the examples of acceptable and unacceptable crosses in the image at the top of this blog post.
Vietnam
Voters cross out the names of candidates they do not choose on their ballot. (Circular 01/2021/TT-BNV dated January 11, 2021, to guide the Voting Procedure for National Assembly’s Representatives term 2021-2026 based on Law on Voting for Representatives of National Assembly and People’s Council dated June 25, 2015, art. 10 para. 3.c, 3.d, 4b.)
What other interesting voting procedures have you encountered? What other countries would you like to hear about? Let us know in the comments.
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The following is a guest post by Foreign Law Specialist Sayuri Umeda, and the following foreign law interns who work with Sayuri: Raksmei Dara, Inseol Hong, Nguyet Le, and Panicha (Yuri) Rattanaboonsen.
As lawyers from Japan, Cambodia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, we were curious about the different rules and regulations for voting in public elections for each of the countries we represent, and decided to compare the voting methods of these countries. To our surprise, we found that each country had a different voting method.
The following three questions were asked:
What is the voting age;
What is the right of convicted criminals to vote, and
What is the method of voting (national elections only, excluding proportional representation elections if that is not the only electoral system)?
Question 1 – What is the voting age in the countries above?
All countries have a voting age of 18. Voters must be 18 years of age or older on election day.
Question 2 – Do convicted criminals have the right to vote?
In all countries, those who are imprisoned are denied the right to vote.
In South Korea, such restrictions are limited to those who are serving sentences of one year or more. Those awaiting execution of a sentence of one year or more are also ineligible to vote. (Public Official Election Act, infra, art. 18) In Japan and Korea, individuals convicted of certain electoral and corruption offenses are barred from voting for several years after the completion of their sentence. (Korea: id.; Japan, Public Offices Election Act, infra, art. 11.) In Thailand, those who are detained by legal order and those who have been deprived of the right to vote, with or without a final sentence, cannot vote. (Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives, infra, sec. 32.)
Even though outside the scope of the question, we were surprised to learn that in Thailand, the constitution does not give monks, novices, or clergy the right to vote. (Constitution, B.E. 2560, sec. 96.)
Question 3 – What is the method of voting in each country?
Cambodia
In the Cambodian national election, voters do not vote for an individual candidate, but for a party. (Law on the Election of Members of the National Assembly, art. 5.) The long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party has won landslide victories in elections since the 2003 general election. A voter places a single tick mark inside one of the square boxes next to their chosen political party on the ballot paper. (Id. art. 105.) Before exiting the ballot casting room, the voter must dip a finger in indelible purple ink and mark their name on the voter’s list to confirm that they have voted.
Japan
Voters must write the name of one candidate on the ballot. (Public Offices Election Act, Act No. 100 of 1950, as amended, art. 46, para. 1.) Some complain that writing the names of candidates is not easy for people with disabilities or injuries. Marking the name of the candidate of choice would be easier and reduce mistakes. However, this is not permitted in national elections. The Kobe Newspaper explains that when using the marking system, the names of all candidates must be written on the ballot, so the ballots cannot be printed until the candidates have been decided, which takes time to prepare.
South Korea
The election is conducted by marking a ballot. (Public Official Election Act, Act No. 20902, as amended April 1, 2025, art. 146, para. 1.) Marking is done by using a stamp that is placed in a box next to the candidate chosen by the voter. The stamps are prepared by the Election Commission. This stamp has an interesting history. In the 1940s and 1950s, voters had to bring objects to stamp their ballots, such as bullet casings or small bamboo sticks. Today, the stamp imprints “ト”. This character shape has an advantage that the marked candidate cannot be mistaken when an imprint is smeared. The ballot paper must be folded before being put in the box.
Thailand
Voting is done by marking a cross in the box beside the candidate’s number on the ballot paper. In cases where the eligible voters wish to vote for none of the candidates, they shall mark a cross in the checkbox for “not to vote for any candidate”. (Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives B.E. 2561 (2018), § 91.) Please see the examples of acceptable and unacceptable crosses in the image at the top of this blog post.
Vietnam
Voters cross out the names of candidates they do not choose on their ballot. (Circular 01/2021/TT-BNV dated January 11, 2021, to guide the Voting Procedure for National Assembly’s Representatives term 2021-2026 based on Law on Voting for Representatives of National Assembly and People’s Council dated June 25, 2015, art. 10 para. 3.c, 3.d, 4b.)
What other interesting voting procedures have you encountered? What other countries would you like to hear about? Let us know in the comments.
Subscribeto In Custodia Legis – it is free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.
Expenditures by foreign direct investors to acquire, establish, or expand U.S. businesses totaled $151.0 billion in 2024, according to preliminary statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Expenditures decreased $24.9 billion, or 14.2 percent, from $176.0 billion (revised) in 2023 and were below the annual average of $277.2 billion for 2014–2023. As in previous years, acquisitions of existing U.S. businesses accounted for most of the expenditures.
Expenditures in 2024 for acquisitions were $143.0 billion, expenditures to establish new U.S. businesses were $6.3 billion, and expenditures to expand existing foreign-owned businesses were $1.8 billion. Planned total expenditures, which include both first-year and planned future expenditures, were $157.0 billion.
Employment in 2024 at newly acquired, established, or expanded foreign-owned businesses in the United States was 204,200 employees.
Expenditures by industry, country, and state
By industry, expenditures for new direct investment were largest in the manufacturing sector at $67.7 billion, which accounted for 44.9 percent of total expenditures. Within manufacturing, expenditures were largest in chemical manufacturing ($23.7 billion). There were also notable expenditures in the finance and insurance sector ($23.2 billion) and utilities ($16.0 billion).
The country with the largest investment was Ireland ($30.1 billion), followed by Canada ($23.9 billion).1 By region, Europe contributed the most new investment, $96.7 billion, or 64.0 percent of all new investment in 2024. Asia and Pacific was the second-largest investing region, with $23.2 billion in expenditures.
By state, Texas received the most investment in 2024, with $22.8 billion in investment expenditures. Other states with significant investment expenditures included Georgia ($16.3 billion) and California ($12.9 billion).
Greenfield expenditures
Greenfield investment expenditures—expenditures to establish a new U.S. business or to expand an existing foreign-owned U.S. business—were $8.1 billion in 2024. By industry, greenfield expenditures were largest in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, totaling $2.8 billion, led by management, scientific, and technical consulting ($1.6 billion). By region, Europe ($3.8 billion), Latin America and Other Western Hemisphere ($1.4 billion), and Asia and Pacific ($1.2 billion) had the largest greenfield expenditures. Wyoming ($2.0 billion) and New Mexico ($1.4 billion) received the highest levels of greenfield investment by state.
Planned total expenditures for greenfield investment initiated in 2024, which include both first-year and planned future expenditures, were $14.1 billion.
Employment by industry, country, and state
In 2024, current employment of acquired enterprises was 203,600. Total planned employment, which includes the current employment of acquired enterprises, the planned employment of newly established business enterprises when fully operational, and the planned employment associated with expansions, was 213,200.
By industry, the manufacturing sector accounted for the largest number of current employees (73,600). Ireland (43,100) and Canada (37,500) accounted for the largest number of current employees by country. Florida (32,700) was the state with the largest current employment resulting from new investment, followed by Texas (18,200) and New York (14,200).
Updates to 2023 Expenditures for New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States Billions of dollars
Previously Published
Revised
First-year expenditures
148.8
176.0
U.S. businesses acquired
136.5
158.7
U.S. businesses established
7.4
9.0
U.S. businesses expanded
5.0
8.3
Planned total expenditures
175.9
218.8
U.S. businesses acquired
136.5
158.7
U.S. businesses established
23.5
26.3
U.S. businesses expanded
16.0
33.8
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Related Data Tables
Starting with this release, BEA is not including tables in the body of the news release. For the 2024 new foreign direct investment statistics highlighted in this release, as well as estimates for earlier years, see the below data tables in BEA’s Interactive Data Application and Supplemental Data Tables.
First-year and planned total expenditures First-Year and Planned Total Expenditures, Industry of Affiliate by Type of Investment First-Year and Planned Total Expenditures, Country of UBO by Type of Investment First-Year and Planned Total Expenditures, State by Type of Investment
First-Year and Planned Total Expenditures, Industry of UBO by Type of Investment First-Year and Planned Total Expenditures, by Industry of Affiliate (All Industries) First-Year and Planned Total Expenditures, by Country of UBO (All Countries)
First-Year Expenditures, Country of UBO by Industry of Affiliate First-Year Expenditures, Country of Foreign Parent and UBO Planned Total Expenditures for Establishments and Expansions, by Type of Expenditure
Greenfield investments (expenditures for U.S. businesses established and expanded) Planned Expenditures for Greenfield Investments, Type of Investment by Year Planned Expenditures for Greenfield Investments, Industry of Affiliate by Year Planned Expenditures for Greenfield Investments, Country of UBO by Year Planned Expenditures for Greenfield Investments, State by Year Expenditures for Greenfield Investments, Year of Investment Expenditure by Year Investment Was Initiated
Number of investments by size (supplemental data tables) Number of Investments Initiated, Distribution of Planned Total Expenditures, Size by Type of Investment
Employment Current and Planned Employment, Industry of Affiliate by Type of Investment Current and Planned Employment, Country of UBO by Type of Investment Current and Planned Employment, State by Type of Investment
Discontinued tables Some data tables previously produced alongside this news release have been discontinued as of July 11, 2025. Data tables on sales, net income, and balance sheets of new affiliates were discontinued and have been archived. These tables have never been part of the data tables included in the body of the news releases.
Note. With the release of 2025 new foreign direct investment statistics in July 2026, the 2024 data will be superseded and can then be accessed in BEA’s Data Archive.
Next release: July 2026 New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 2025
1 As measured by country of ultimate beneficial owner (UBO; see “Additional Information” for a description).
SAN ANTONIO — A Honduran national unlawfully residing in the United States was sentenced July 9 for his leadership role in a massive alien smuggling conspiracy that spanned three years and involved thousands of aliens from over 11 different countries. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Del Rio and various federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas conducted the investigation.
A federal judge sentenced Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, also known as Chino, 34, of Olancho, Honduras, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in smuggling thousands of aliens into the U.S. for financial gain. He was also ordered to pay a $4,500 fine. Mejia-Zuniga pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing an alien to the U.S. for financial gain and aiding and abetting.
Co-defendants Monica Hernandez-Palma, 33, of Mexico, and Allyson Elsires Alvarez-Zuniga, 26, of Honduras, entered guilty pleas on April 7 and Aug. 21, 2023, respectively, and are awaiting sentencing. Co-defendant Genyi Arguenta-Flores, 32, of Comayagua, Honduras, was sentenced to five years in prison on May 12. A final co-defendant is in custody in Mexico pending an extradition request from the U.S.
“This sentence sends a clear message to those who exploit our immigration system for personal profit,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “For more than three years, these individuals operated a transnational smuggling ring driven by greed, moving illegal aliens from 11 countries in blatant disregard of the law. The sentencing in this case is a testament to HSI’s commitment to upholding national security. Human smuggling undermines the security of our borders and disrupts lawful immigration processes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to protect our national security.”
“Mejia-Zuniga and his co-conspirators made millions of dollars off the backs of thousands of people whom they smuggled into the U.S,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case represents the epitome of the ruthless and sophisticated criminal organizations that exploit our borders for personal financial gain. The Criminal Division will not stop investigating these cases until all human smuggling organizations are eradicated and the criminals who operate them are prosecuted.”
“In an effort to satisfy his greed, Mejia-Zuniga facilitated the illegal movement of thousands of Middle Easterners into the U.S,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons. “His actions put our national security at risk. However, thanks to our many federal law enforcement partners, Mejia-Zuniga will no longer be allowed to enrich himself to the detriment of this country.”
“U.S Border Patrol’s Intelligence and Information Task Force played a critical role in supporting Operation Red Tide through extensive research and analysis,” said Chief Scott Good of the Border Patrol’s Law Enforcement Operations directorate. “Our team’s exploitation of subpoena returns and identification of key financial patterns helped bring these smugglers to justice. The USBP will continue working with law enforcement agencies at home and abroad to dismantle criminal networks and secure our nation’s borders.”
According to court documents, from November 2020 through March 2023, the Mejia-Zuniga alien smuggling organization smuggled aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan and Colombia through Eagle Pass. Aliens primarily contracted with a Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil to be transported to the U.S. In turn, the Brazil-based smuggler worked with Mejia-Zuniga, who was based in San Antonio, to facilitate the aliens’ travel from South America to the U.S. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations of the ASO and paid drivers, armed “coyotes” and stash house operators.
Mejia-Zuniga admitted to smuggling between 2,500 and 3,000 aliens into the U.S in just two years. The organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien. Mejia-Zuniga admitted that he made $30,000 for every 10 illegal aliens who made it to the Rio Grande River and another $30,000 if those 10 illegal aliens made it to San Antonio.
One of the smuggled aliens reported paying the organization $20,000 to be brought illegally into the U.S with his brother. The Mejia-Zuniga alien smuggling organization directed that alien to a stash house in Monterrey, Mexico, where it housed him with 10 other aliens. The organization later moved the same alien to a stash house in Piedras Negras, Mexico, with another 20 to 25 aliens. Ultimately, an armed coyote guided the group of aliens across the Rio Grande River. Once across the Rio Grande, the Mejia-Zuniga ASO transported the aliens to a hotel in San Antonio.
In addition to witness statements, other evidence gathered during the investigation included wire transfers, customer ledgers, foreign identification documents and photographs of members of the Mejia-Zuniga alien smuggling organization with firearms.
HSI Del Rio engaged in an extensive, yearslong investigation in Operation Red Tide, which led to the development of this case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector, HSI Monterrey, HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center’s International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Matt Kass are prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing the online tip form.
For more information about HSI San Antonio and its public safety efforts in Central and South Texas, follow HSI San Antonio on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.
