NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cape Town’s sewage treatment isn’t coping: scientists are worried about what the city is telling the public

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Green, Professor of Earth Politics and Director: Environmental Humanities South, University of Cape Town

    Urban water bodies – rivers, lakes and oceans – are in trouble globally. Large sewage volumes damage the open environment, and new chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds don’t break down on their own. When they are released into the open environment, they build up in living tissues all along the food chain, bringing with them multiple health risks.

    The city of Cape Town, South Africa, is no exception. It has 300km of coastline along two bays and a peninsula, as well as multiple rivers and wetlands. The city discharges more than 40 megalitres of raw sewage directly into the Atlantic Ocean every day. In addition, large volumes of poorly treated sewage and runoff from shack settlements enter rivers and from there into both the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.

    Over almost a decade, our multi-disciplinary team, and others, have studied contamination risks in Cape Town’s oceans, rivers, aquifers and lakes. Our goal has been to bring evidence of contaminants to the attention of officials responsible for a clean environment.

    Monitoring sewage levels in the city’s water bodies is essential because of the health risks posed by contaminated water to all citizens – farmers, surfers, and everybody eating fish and vegetables. Monitoring needs to be done scientifically and in a way that produces data that is trustworthy and not driven by vested interests. This is a challenge in cities where scientific findings are expected to support marketing of tourism or excellence of the political administration.

    Our research findings have been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. We have also communicated with the public through articles in the media, a website and a documentary.

    Cape Town’s official municipal responses to independent studies and reports, however, have been hostile. Our work has been unjustifiably denounced by top city officials and politicians. We have been subject to attacks by fake social media avatars. Laboratory studies have even received a demand for an apology from the political party in charge of the city.

    These extraordinary responses – and many others – reflect the extent to which independent scientific inquiry has been under attack.

    We set about tracking the different kinds of denial and attacks on independent contaminant science in Cape Town over 11 years. Our recently published study describes 18 different types of science communication that have minimised or denied the problem of contamination. It builds on similar studies elsewhere.

    Our findings show the extent to which contaminant science in Cape Town is at risk of producing not public knowledge but public ignorance, reflecting similar patterns internationally where science communication sometimes obfuscates more than it informs. To address this risk, we argue that institutionalised conflicts of interest should be removed. There should also be changes to how city-funded testing is done and when data is released to citizens. After all, it is citizens’ rates and taxes that have paid for that testing, and the South African constitution guarantees the right to information.

    We also propose that the city’s political leaders take the courageous step of accepting that the current water treatment infrastructure is unworkable for a city of over 5 million people. Accepting this would open the door to an overhaul of the city’s approach to wastewater treatment.

    The way forward

    We divided our study of contaminant communication events into four sub-categories:

    • non-disclosure of data

    • misinformation that gives a partial or misleading account of a scientific finding

    • using city-funded science to bolster political authority

    • relying on point data collected fortnightly to prove “the truth” of bodies of water as if it never moves or changes, when in reality, water bodies move every second of every day.

    We found evidence of multiple instances of miscommunication. On the basis of these, we make specific recommendations.

    First: municipalities should address conflicts of interest that are built into their organisational structure. These arise when the people responsible for ensuring that water bodies are healthy are simultaneously contracting consultants to conduct research on water contaminants. This is particularly important because over the last two decades large consultancies have established themselves as providers of scientific certification. But they are profit-making ventures, which calls into question the independence of their findings.

    Second: the issue of data release needs to be addressed. Two particular problems stand out:

    • Real-time information. Water quality results for beaches are usually released a week or more after samples have been taken. But because water moves all the time every day, people living in the city need real-time information. Best-practice water contamination measures use water current models to predict where contaminated water will be, given each day’s different winds and temperatures.

    • Poor and incomplete data. When ocean contaminant data is released as a 12-month rolling average, all the very high values are smoothed out. The end result is a figure that does not communicate the reality of risks under different conditions.

    Third: Politicians should be accountable for their public statements on science. Independent and authoritative scientific bodies, such as the Academy of Science of South Africa, should be empowered to audit municipal science communications.

    Fourth: Reputational harm to the science community must stop. Government officials claiming that they alone know a scientific truth and denouncing independent scientists with other data closes down the culture of scientific inquiry. And it silences others.

    Fifth: The integrity of scientific findings needs to be protected. Many cities, including Cape Town, rely on corporate brand management and political reputation management. Nevertheless, cities, by their very nature, have to deal with sewage, wastes and runoff. Public science communication that is based on marketing strategies prioritises advancing a brand (whether of a political party or a tourist destination). The risk is that city-funded science is turned into advertising and is presented as unquestionable.

    Finally, Cape Town needs political leaders who are courageous enough to confront two evident realities. Current science communications in the city are not serving the public well, and wastewater treatment systems that use rivers and oceans as open sewers are a solution designed a century ago. Both urgently need to be reconfigured.

    Next steps

    As a team of independent contaminant researchers we have worked alongside communities where health, ecology, livestock and recreation have been profoundly harmed by ongoing contamination. We have documented these effects, only to hear the evidence denied by officials.

    We recognise and value the beginnings of some new steps to data transparency in Cape Town’s mayoral office, like rescinding the 2021 by-law that banned independent scientific testing of open water bodies, almost all of which are classified as nature reserves.

    We would welcome a dialogue on building strong and credible public science communications.

    This study is dedicated to the memory of Mpharu Hloyi, head of Scientific Services in the City of Cape Town, in acknowledgement of her dedication to the health of urban bodies of water. Her untimely passing was a loss for all.

    This article also drew on Masters theses written by Melissa Zackon and Amy Beukes.

    Lesley Green has received funding from the Science for Africa Foundation; the Seed Box MISTRA Formas Environmental Humanities Collaboratory; and the Science For Africa Foundation’s DELTAS Africa II program (Del:22-010).

    Cecilia Yejide Ojemaye receives funding from the University of Cape Town Carnegie DEAL Sustainable Development Goals Research Fellowship and the National Research Foundation for the SanOcean grant from the South Africa‐Norway Cooperation on Ocean Research (UID 118754).

    Leslie Petrik received funding from National Research Foundation for the SanOcean grant from the South Africa‐Norway Cooperation on Ocean Research (UID 118754) for this study.

    Nikiwe Solomon received funding at different stages for PhD research from the Water Research Commission (WRC) and National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), in collaboration with the South African Humanities Deans Association (SAHUDA). Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the WRC, NIHSS and SAHUDA.

    Jo Barnes and Vanessa Farr do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Cape Town’s sewage treatment isn’t coping: scientists are worried about what the city is telling the public – https://theconversation.com/cape-towns-sewage-treatment-isnt-coping-scientists-are-worried-about-what-the-city-is-telling-the-public-260317

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Kumanjayi Walker inquest: racism and violence, but findings too little and too late

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney

    First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people.

    The inquest findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker are among the most anticipated in the history of deaths in custody.

    It is almost six years since Walker was shot point blank three times by former Northern Territory (NT) Police constable Zachary Rolfe. These events occurred on the evening of November 9 2019 in a family home of Walker, as Warlpiri people of the remote Central Australian community of Yuendumu listened in fear.

    In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Chief Minister Michael Gunner promised “consequences would flow”.

    In 2022, Rolfe was tried for murder and the alternate charges of manslaughter and violent act causing death. The first, non-lethal, shot was conceded by the prosecution to be in self-defence. The fatal second and third shots were the basis for the prosecution.

    The jury, with no Aboriginal representation, decided in March 2022 that self-defence also applied to the subsequent shots, and Rolfe was found not guilty.

    Legal experts have since contended that the first shot was not an act of self-defence, given Rolfe unlawfully ambushed Walker without permission to enter the home. They also maintain Rolfe’s history of racial violence and slurs against Aboriginal people should have been admissible evidence given their relevance to Rolfe’s conduct on the night of November 9.

    Following the trial, in September 2022 the inquest into Kumanjayi Walker’s death commenced. The coroner’s role is to determine the causes of Walker’s death.

    The issue of police racism, generally in the NT Police and specifically on the part of Rolfe, came within the scope of the inquest, along with Rolfe’s allegedly violent practices towards Aboriginal people, police relations with Aboriginal people in remote communities, and the use of police weapons, especially firearms.

    The inquest has been a litmus test for racism in police forces. The Yuendumu community has sought findings of racism and recommendations to redress this wicked problem, including disciplinary action for racist and violent police officers.

    Walker’s family has called for

    • funding from prisons and police to be reinvested in Aboriginal community-led supports
    • the disarming of police in remote communities
    • the banning of police force and discriminatory practices
    • respect for self-determination in Yuendumu.

    The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) also argued for independent and robust police accountability mechanisms.

    The inquest was originally due to conclude in December 2022, but was substantially delayed based on a number of applications and appeals from Rolfe.

    Rolfe requested for Coroner Armitage to remove herself from the inquest based on perceived bias against him. He also refused to give evidence to the inquest, on the basis that his evidence would implicate him. Multiple appeals to higher courts were unsuccessful but time-consuming.

    Walker’s family expressed concerns that the significant delays in the inquest have been detrimental to their plight.

    A fortnight before the inquest findings were due to be delivered, another young Warlpiri man, 24-year-old Kumanjayi White from Yuendumu, was killed by police in May 2024. This set back the findings and reopened wounds endured by the Yuendumu community. Once again, the community has had to remobilise to campaign for justice. It has added to the sentiment of the community, which was expressed by Kumanjayi White’s grandfather Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves: “we do not trust police”.

    What did the inquest reveal?

    This inquest, more than any other in recent history, has put into sharp relief the violence of the police force. It received evidence of text messages in which Rolfe described Aboriginal people as “neanderthals who drink too much alcohol” and referred to Aboriginal people as “coon”.

    Footage was shown of Rolfe’s use of violence towards Aboriginal people. Forty-six incidents of violence, including punching Aboriginal people and rendering them unconscious, had been recorded between 2016 and 2019. Some of these attacks were the subject of professional standards and legal complaints. The inquest heard of the failure of police and prosecutors to investigate.

    However, the racism was not confined to Rolfe. Evidence of a culture of racism disclosed that it was endemic up to the highest levels. There was “normalised” and widespread use of racist language towards Aboriginal people, including use of the “n-word”.

    Rolfe provided evidence of the police annual racist awards (“Coon of the Year”) and officers who would describe a pub that Aboriginal people attended as the “animal bar”.

    The fact a white police officer, Rolfe, disclosed the racism gave it a legitimacy and widespread coverage that the Yuendumu community was unable to garner.

    The inquest identified issues with the substantial recruitment of former Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to the NT Police. Rolfe, who served in Afghanistan, gave evidence he was trained by the ADF to dehumanise the “enemy”.

    The inquest also heard that NT police officers who had served in the ADF were twice as likely to draw a firearm than non-ADF police officers. This use of force raised important questions around police recruitment.

    Leanne Liddle, who at the time was director of the NT government’s Aboriginal Justice Unit and conducted consultations across remote communities on criminal justice, gave evidence to the inquest that racism in the police was “systemic”.

    Findings and recommendations

    The findings of the coroner have identified acts of racism but have not delivered a crushing blow to racial violence in the NT Police. The recommendations do not seek to transform the force’s practices or dilute its powers.

    The coroner’s starting point in her findings delivered at Yuendumu was that police should be able to “defend themselves” against “serious attacks”. Coroner Armitage acknowledged the “stress” endured by Rolfe and his family along with the trauma of Walker’s family.

    While evidence before the inquest identified Rolfe’s days of planning around Walker’s forceful arrest, the coroner first considered Walker’s conduct, upbringing and circumstances that led to his death. The coroner did not give attention to the privilege of Rolfe’s background and how this may have contributed to his treatment of Aboriginal people in central Australia, including Walker.

    The coroner made some key findings:

    • Racism was “normalised” in the Alice Springs police station, including on the part of Rolfe. Racism “could have” contributed to Rolfe’s shooting of Walker. The coroner stopped short of finding systemic racism in NT Police due to the “modest amount of evidence on racism” across the police force. Arguably this inquest heard the most substantial evidence of institutional police racism in the history of inquests into deaths in custody. She determined that a separate inquiry into systemic racism was required given that the NT Police force had “significant hallmarks of institutional racism”.

    • The coroner also noted Alice Springs police officers are on the “receiving end” of racist comments from Aboriginal people.

    • Police racism, according to the coroner, existed because the officers are overwhelmingly dealing with Aboriginal people on a “negative” basis.

    • Rolfe used excessive force in his career as a police officer, and due to his dehumanisation of Aboriginal arrestees, had created a dangerous situation on November 9.

    • Ultimately, Walker’s death in custody arose from Rolfe’s “flawed decisions”.

    • Since Walker’s death in custody, NT Police have undertaken “significant changes”.

    The coroner’s recommendations are:

    • NT Police should strengthen its anti-racism strategy and publicly report on compliance
    • Mutual respect agreements should be developed between NT Police and Yuendumu
    • The NT government should enhance support for the Yuendumu community night patrol, youth services, mediators, and diversion and rehabilitation programs
    • NT Police should engage directly with Yuendumu leadership groups to discuss concerns, including when it would be appropriate for police not to carry firearms.

    Where to from here?

    The almost six years since the shooting of Kumanjayi Walker have not delivered on Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s promise that “consequences would flow”.

    The inquest findings do not bring the community any closer to consequences. There was no disciplinary action recommended for any officer involved in Walker’s death. The coroner also did not recommend consequences for police with a history of using force against Aboriginal people, or those who have expressed racist attitudes or behaved in racist ways.

    To date, Rolfe, or Adam Erbel who was restraining Walker at the time of the shooting, have not apologised for Walker’s death.

    The coroner also did not set down recommendations that had consequence for NT Police. These might have included reconstituting the force to make it community-oriented, relying less on force and not carrying firearms in remote communities, or redirecting funds to NT Aboriginal remote community-controlled law and justice groups.

    Even the modest recommendations that were made may not see the light of day in government policy or police practice. There is no legally enforceable obligation for governments and agencies to implement coronial recommendations, despite the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommending governments routinely adopt inquest recommendations and report on their implementation.

    The NT government has stipulated that it decides which coronial recommendations to accept. The implementation of coronial recommendations in the NT has a sordid history.

    In a climate of expanding police numbers and powers in the NT, with an additional 200 police being recruited to add to the already highest police ratio in the country, Aboriginal deaths in custody will continue to happen. This was the clarion call of the royal commission: more police and police powers will result in more deaths in custody.

    Walker’s is one of the 598 deaths since the royal commission, and the brutal circumstances of his death show little has changed. The coronial recommendations fall short of calling for the structural overhaul demanded by Aboriginal families and advocates, to eradicate police racial violence from the lives of Aboriginal people in the NT.

    Thalia Anthony receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Eddie Cubillo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Kumanjayi Walker inquest: racism and violence, but findings too little and too late – https://theconversation.com/kumanjayi-walker-inquest-racism-and-violence-but-findings-too-little-and-too-late-257636

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Cape Town’s sewage treatment isn’t coping: scientists are worried about what the city is telling the public

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Lesley Green, Professor of Earth Politics and Director: Environmental Humanities South, University of Cape Town

    Urban water bodies – rivers, lakes and oceans – are in trouble globally. Large sewage volumes damage the open environment, and new chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds don’t break down on their own. When they are released into the open environment, they build up in living tissues all along the food chain, bringing with them multiple health risks.

    The city of Cape Town, South Africa, is no exception. It has 300km of coastline along two bays and a peninsula, as well as multiple rivers and wetlands. The city discharges more than 40 megalitres of raw sewage directly into the Atlantic Ocean every day. In addition, large volumes of poorly treated sewage and runoff from shack settlements enter rivers and from there into both the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.

    Over almost a decade, our multi-disciplinary team, and others, have studied contamination risks in Cape Town’s oceans, rivers, aquifers and lakes. Our goal has been to bring evidence of contaminants to the attention of officials responsible for a clean environment.

    Monitoring sewage levels in the city’s water bodies is essential because of the health risks posed by contaminated water to all citizens – farmers, surfers, and everybody eating fish and vegetables. Monitoring needs to be done scientifically and in a way that produces data that is trustworthy and not driven by vested interests. This is a challenge in cities where scientific findings are expected to support marketing of tourism or excellence of the political administration.

    Our research findings have been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. We have also communicated with the public through articles in the media, a website and a documentary.

    Cape Town’s official municipal responses to independent studies and reports, however, have been hostile. Our work has been unjustifiably denounced by top city officials and politicians. We have been subject to attacks by fake social media avatars. Laboratory studies have even received a demand for an apology from the political party in charge of the city.

    These extraordinary responses – and many others – reflect the extent to which independent scientific inquiry has been under attack.

    We set about tracking the different kinds of denial and attacks on independent contaminant science in Cape Town over 11 years. Our recently published study describes 18 different types of science communication that have minimised or denied the problem of contamination. It builds on similar studies elsewhere.

    Our findings show the extent to which contaminant science in Cape Town is at risk of producing not public knowledge but public ignorance, reflecting similar patterns internationally where science communication sometimes obfuscates more than it informs. To address this risk, we argue that institutionalised conflicts of interest should be removed. There should also be changes to how city-funded testing is done and when data is released to citizens. After all, it is citizens’ rates and taxes that have paid for that testing, and the South African constitution guarantees the right to information.

    We also propose that the city’s political leaders take the courageous step of accepting that the current water treatment infrastructure is unworkable for a city of over 5 million people. Accepting this would open the door to an overhaul of the city’s approach to wastewater treatment.

    The way forward

    We divided our study of contaminant communication events into four sub-categories:

    • non-disclosure of data

    • misinformation that gives a partial or misleading account of a scientific finding

    • using city-funded science to bolster political authority

    • relying on point data collected fortnightly to prove “the truth” of bodies of water as if it never moves or changes, when in reality, water bodies move every second of every day.

    We found evidence of multiple instances of miscommunication. On the basis of these, we make specific recommendations.

    First: municipalities should address conflicts of interest that are built into their organisational structure. These arise when the people responsible for ensuring that water bodies are healthy are simultaneously contracting consultants to conduct research on water contaminants. This is particularly important because over the last two decades large consultancies have established themselves as providers of scientific certification. But they are profit-making ventures, which calls into question the independence of their findings.

    Second: the issue of data release needs to be addressed. Two particular problems stand out:

    • Real-time information. Water quality results for beaches are usually released a week or more after samples have been taken. But because water moves all the time every day, people living in the city need real-time information. Best-practice water contamination measures use water current models to predict where contaminated water will be, given each day’s different winds and temperatures.

    • Poor and incomplete data. When ocean contaminant data is released as a 12-month rolling average, all the very high values are smoothed out. The end result is a figure that does not communicate the reality of risks under different conditions.

    Third: Politicians should be accountable for their public statements on science. Independent and authoritative scientific bodies, such as the Academy of Science of South Africa, should be empowered to audit municipal science communications.

    Fourth: Reputational harm to the science community must stop. Government officials claiming that they alone know a scientific truth and denouncing independent scientists with other data closes down the culture of scientific inquiry. And it silences others.

    Fifth: The integrity of scientific findings needs to be protected. Many cities, including Cape Town, rely on corporate brand management and political reputation management. Nevertheless, cities, by their very nature, have to deal with sewage, wastes and runoff. Public science communication that is based on marketing strategies prioritises advancing a brand (whether of a political party or a tourist destination). The risk is that city-funded science is turned into advertising and is presented as unquestionable.

    Finally, Cape Town needs political leaders who are courageous enough to confront two evident realities. Current science communications in the city are not serving the public well, and wastewater treatment systems that use rivers and oceans as open sewers are a solution designed a century ago. Both urgently need to be reconfigured.

    Next steps

    As a team of independent contaminant researchers we have worked alongside communities where health, ecology, livestock and recreation have been profoundly harmed by ongoing contamination. We have documented these effects, only to hear the evidence denied by officials.

    We recognise and value the beginnings of some new steps to data transparency in Cape Town’s mayoral office, like rescinding the 2021 by-law that banned independent scientific testing of open water bodies, almost all of which are classified as nature reserves.

    We would welcome a dialogue on building strong and credible public science communications.

    This study is dedicated to the memory of Mpharu Hloyi, head of Scientific Services in the City of Cape Town, in acknowledgement of her dedication to the health of urban bodies of water. Her untimely passing was a loss for all.

    This article also drew on Masters theses written by Melissa Zackon and Amy Beukes.

    Lesley Green has received funding from the Science for Africa Foundation; the Seed Box MISTRA Formas Environmental Humanities Collaboratory; and the Science For Africa Foundation’s DELTAS Africa II program (Del:22-010).

    Cecilia Yejide Ojemaye receives funding from the University of Cape Town Carnegie DEAL Sustainable Development Goals Research Fellowship and the National Research Foundation for the SanOcean grant from the South Africa‐Norway Cooperation on Ocean Research (UID 118754).

    Leslie Petrik received funding from National Research Foundation for the SanOcean grant from the South Africa‐Norway Cooperation on Ocean Research (UID 118754) for this study.

    Nikiwe Solomon received funding at different stages for PhD research from the Water Research Commission (WRC) and National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), in collaboration with the South African Humanities Deans Association (SAHUDA). Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the WRC, NIHSS and SAHUDA.

    Jo Barnes and Vanessa Farr do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Cape Town’s sewage treatment isn’t coping: scientists are worried about what the city is telling the public – https://theconversation.com/cape-towns-sewage-treatment-isnt-coping-scientists-are-worried-about-what-the-city-is-telling-the-public-260317

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • India-Brazil ties in focus as PM Modi makes historic state visit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently attending the two-day BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, will travel to the Brazilian capital Brasília later on Monday.

    PM Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the visit.

    Briefing the media on Sunday, India’s Ambassador to Brazil, Dinesh Bhatia, said the two sides are expected to sign four agreements/MoUs. These include cooperation in renewable energy, counterterrorism, agricultural research between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Brazil’s Embrapa, and a pact on the exchange and mutual protection of confidential information.

    A relationship rooted in shared values

    India and Brazil share a multifaceted relationship which was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2006. The two countries also work closely in global and plurilateral forums such as BRICS, IBSA, G20, G-4, the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuel Alliance.

    The bilateral relationship is underpinned by a shared vision for a just global order, democratic values and the commitment to foster economic growth with social inclusion.

    Historically, the cultural exchanges between Brazil and India date back to the Portuguese colonial era. Indian cattle breeds like Gir and Kankrej, exported to Brazil in the early 20th century, have significantly contributed to Brazil’s dairy industry. The popularity of Brazilian television series such as Caminho das Indias has also enhanced India’s image in Brazilian popular culture.

    Diplomatic relations were formally established in 1948, with embassies opened in the same year. India’s embassy shifted from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia in 1971.

    Strengthening economic ties

    The trade relationship between India and Brazil remains robust. In 2024-25, bilateral trade reached USD 12.2 billion, with Indian exports accounting for USD 6.77 billion and imports from Brazil at USD 5.43 billion. Major Indian exports include petroleum products, agro-chemicals, pharmaceuticals and engineering goods. Brazilian exports to India primarily comprise crude oil, soya oil, gold, raw sugar and cotton.

    Indian investments in Brazil are estimated at over USD 6 billion, while Brazilian investments in India are around USD 1 billion. Prominent Indian firms operating in Brazil include Tata Motors, Mahindra Tractors, Infosys, Wipro and Sun Pharma, among others. Conversely, Brazilian companies such as Vale, Stefanini and WEG have a presence in India.

    High-level visits and parliamentary exchanges

    In recent years, high-level exchanges have imparted momentum to the relationship. President Jair Bolsonaro paid a state visit to India in January 2020 and was the Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day Parade. During the visit, an Action Plan was adopted to strengthen the Strategic Partnership, leading to the signing of 15 agreements across diverse sectors.

    Parliamentary engagement has also expanded. Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, led a delegation to attend the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Brasilia in June 2025 and held meetings with Brazilian parliamentary leaders. Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, participated in the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in November 2024.

    Recently, a multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Dr. Shashi Tharoor visited Brasilia to discuss cross-border terrorism following the Pahalgam attack. They met Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and senior Brazilian officials.

    Expanding frontiers: space, energy and health

    India and Brazil collaborate in space technology through agreements for peaceful use of outer space and satellite tracking. India notably launched Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite in 2021.

    In oil and gas, Brazil is India’s largest upstream investment destination in the Americas, with Indian PSUs investing over USD 3.5 billion. The nations are also co-founders of the Global Biofuel Alliance, launched at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi.

    Health and traditional medicine are other areas of cooperation. Ayurveda and Yoga are recognised under Brazil’s national policy of alternative medicine, and the two countries have agreed to collaborate on health surveillance, technology transfer and research.

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Second International Conference on Sister Cities Economic Cooperation was held in Shenyang

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 7 (Xinhua) — The Second International Conference on Sister Cities Economic Cooperation was held in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, on Thursday. Government officials, experts and entrepreneurs from member states, observer countries and dialogue partners of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathered to discuss sister city cooperation, economic development, youth innovation in science and technology, advanced manufacturing technology and peaceful development.

    According to the Liaoning Provincial Government website, Shenyang Mayor Lu Zhicheng said that Shenyang aims to build an international hub in Northeast Asia, rapidly transforming into a modern, green and international world-class metropolis.

    “Today’s Shenyang has significant market potential, a developed industrial base, a dynamic innovation environment and a high degree of openness, having established sister city relations and friendly cooperation relations with 107 cities from 48 countries,” he stressed.

    The mayor reaffirmed the city’s readiness to work with sister cities to follow the “Shanghai Spirit”, strengthen friendly exchanges and deepen practical cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science, education, culture and sports to build a sustainable future.

    Representatives from Azerbaijan, Russia, Uzbekistan and other countries put forward initiatives, discussing a wide range of issues – from tax incentives and logistics optimization to solutions in the field of ophthalmology and the exchange of technologies in the field of new energy. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Marks 88th Anniversary of National War Against Japanese Aggression

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 7 (Xinhua) — China held a ceremony on Monday to mark the 88th anniversary of the start of the All-National War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

    The opening of a thematic exhibition on the main theme “For National Liberation and World Peace” in honor of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War was timed to coincide with this event.

    The ceremony and exhibition opening took place at the Museum of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, located near the Lugou Bridge (also known as the Marco Polo Bridge). The incident that took place on this bridge near Beijing on July 7, 1937, is considered the beginning of the full-scale invasion of China by Japanese militarists and the beginning of the nationwide war against Japanese aggression.

    Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech at the commemorative event and announced the opening of the exhibition. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State Land Surveyors Help Lahaina Community

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    State Land Surveyors Help Lahaina Community

    Posted on Jul 5, 2025 in Main

    Survey Says: Determining Shoreline Boundary Can be Critical for Community Rebuilding

    HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) Land Survey Division is privileged to be a small part of helping the Lahaina community find normalcy, as residents and businesses rebuild after the tragic fires of 2023.

    Six surveyors work in the Land Survey Division. Their job is to officially notate where the boundaries are on a parcel of land. For oceanfront parcels, they determine where the state shoreline ends and where private land begins. Their measurements also help legally specify what the shoreline setback is for a structure, like a house or a condominium.

    This is all information a property owner needs when applying for a county permit to rebuild their house. The quicker the shoreline can be certified, the quicker the permits can be processed.

    The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is responsible for certifying the shoreline with the assistance of DAGS Land Survey Division.

    DAGS land surveyors’ work in Lahaina usually involves oceanfront lots, because that’s where private land meets state land. Dozens of those seaside lots were destroyed in the wildfire, including many of the survey stakes or property corner markers that indicate the legal borders of a plot of land. Property corner markers can be natural identifying structures, some of which could be burned in a fire.

    The Land Survey Division also has 154 years’ worth of government survey records, since the division was established in 1871. It is able to furnish historical records as needed to aid in Lahaina’s recovery management and disaster planning.

    “We are honored to play a small part in helping Lahaina residents and business owners rebuild. Our hearts go out to this community that has suffered so much. Certifying property boundaries seems like such an ordinary task, but knowing that it helps a homeowner get their long-awaited building permit makes it so worthwhile and fulfilling for our department in doing our jobs,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan.

    “DAGS conducts about 20 land surveys a year on Maui,” added division administrator Reid Siarot. “Since the 2023 wildfires, demand for surveyors in Lahaina has significantly increased. We’ve stepped up our travel to the Valley Isle to meet demand.”

    DAGS surveyors are scheduling earlier site visits to affected properties, accelerating application reviews and prioritizing certification recommendations. Further, they have been notifying Maui County before they conduct site inspections to reduce lag time between agency actions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Naval fleet led by Shandong aircraft carrier visit wins praise in Hong Kong 2025-07-06 17:43:03 A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong made its first visit to Hong Kong, a move widely seen as not only a demonstration of military strength but also a step toward deepening ties between Hong Kong and the mainland.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    People visit the Yuncheng missile frigate in Hong Kong, south China, July 5, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday morning, kicking off a five-day visit. The aircraft carrier and the Yan’an missile destroyer were anchored near the west end of the Victoria Harbor, while the Zhanjiang missile destroyer and the Yuncheng missile frigate docked at the PLA Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base in Stonecutters Island. This is the Shandong’s first visit to Hong Kong. From Friday to Sunday, the Shandong, the Zhanjiang and the Yuncheng will host open tours, lectures, drill demonstrations and other exchange activities. (Photo by Huang Qiantian/Xinhua)

    HONG KONG, July 5 (Xinhua) — A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong made its first visit to Hong Kong, a move widely seen as not only a demonstration of military strength but also a step toward deepening ties between Hong Kong and the mainland.

    The naval fleet, comprising the aircraft carrier Shandong, the Yan’an missile destroyer, the Zhanjiang missile destroyer, and the Yuncheng missile frigate, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday to begin a five-day visit.

    On the day the naval fleet arrived, hundreds — if not thousands — of Hong Kong residents gathered along the shore to watch. Local media rushed to cover the story.

    Chief executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said that both the steadfast presence of the PLA garrison in Hong Kong and the cordial visit by the modernized naval fleet have made the “Pearl of the Orient” shine brighter, reflecting the country’s ability and determination in safeguarding peace, while allowing Hong Kong, under “one country, two systems,” to continue to play its part in the nation’s development.

    Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government Chan Kwok-ki attended the deck reception on the Shandong aircraft carrier. He believed the visit by the naval fleet allowed the wider public in Hong Kong to witness the strength of the country’s military and would help enhance students’ sense of national identity and pride.

    Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government Cheuk Wing-hing shared on social media that he toured the ski-jump flight deck, arresting cables, carrier-based fighter jets, and helicopters aboard the Shandong.

    “The rapid progress of our country’s national defense is truly remarkable,” Cheuk said. “I am deeply moved and feel proud of our nation.”

    The Shandong aircraft carrier was open to the public for visits. Starry Lee, a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said that this allowed people to experience firsthand the remarkable achievements of the country’s naval modernization, and held significant meaning in fostering a stronger sense of patriotism in Hong Kong society.

    Friday was the first open day of the fleet’s visit to Hong Kong, with a focus on student visitors. More than 10,000 visits were made aboard the Shandong, Zhanjiang, and Yuncheng ships.

    “My ancestral home is Shandong. When I first stepped onto the deck, I couldn’t help but cry. Our country has truly become strong!” a lecturer at Hong Kong Metropolitan University surnamed Wong said.

    Some secondary school students from Macao were organized by their schools to travel to Hong Kong for the visit. They happily toured the ships while taking photos with their smartphones to share with classmates who missed the visit. They said that boarding the warships was more than just a visit; it allowed them to witness the long history of China and the country’s remarkable progress.

    Seeing the modern carrier-based fighter jets and the spirited, high-morale crew aboard the vessels left a deep impression on Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government.

    Chan said that the visit by the naval fleet fully reflected the country’s deep affection for Hong Kong. “A strong nation must have a strong military, and our country’s navy will only grow stronger,” he remarked.

    “Stepping aboard the domestically built aircraft carrier Shandong and standing on the deck of this steel giant filled me with excitement,” Jeffrey Lam, a member of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, said.

    Just as the Shandong sailed forward with strength and determination, Hong Kong, with the support of the country, will surely overcome all challenges and continue to enjoy prosperity and stability, Lam added.

    People visit the Zhanjiang missile destroyer in Hong Kong, south China, July 5, 2025.

    A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday morning, kicking off a five-day visit.

    The aircraft carrier and the Yan’an missile destroyer were anchored near the west end of the Victoria Harbor, while the Zhanjiang missile destroyer and the Yuncheng missile frigate docked at the PLA Hong Kong Garrison’s naval base in Stonecutters Island.

    This is the Shandong’s first visit to Hong Kong. From Friday to Sunday, the Shandong, the Zhanjiang and the Yuncheng will host open tours, lectures, drill demonstrations and other exchange activities. (Photo by Huang Qiantian/Xinhua)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China marks 88th anniversary of whole-nation resistance against Japanese aggression 2025-07-07 17:31:19 China on Monday held a ceremony in Beijing to mark the 88th anniversary of the start of the entire nation’s resistance against Japanese aggression.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — China on Monday held a ceremony in Beijing to mark the 88th anniversary of the start of the entire nation’s resistance against Japanese aggression.

    An exhibition themed “For National Liberation and World Peace” was also launched to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

    Both the ceremony and the exhibition were held at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, located near the Lugou Bridge — also known as the Marco Polo Bridge — where Japanese troops attacked Chinese forces on July 7, 1937.

    Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech at the event and announced the opening of the exhibition.

    When Japanese militarists staged the Lugou Bridge Incident and launched their full-scale invasion of China 88 years ago, the Chinese military and people rose up in resistance, initiating a whole-of-nation war effort that opened the main Eastern battlefield in the global war against fascism, said Cai.

    Cai stressed that the CPC fought bravely on the front lines of the resistance and set the direction of the national effort, serving as the pillar of the entire nation throughout the war.

    United in purpose, the Chinese people fought with unwavering resolve — for the country’s survival, national rejuvenation, and the cause of justice for all humanity, Cai said, adding that they eventually won the war and made a significant contribution to the victory in the global war against fascism.

    The exhibition presents a panoramic view of the glorious course of the Chinese people’s 14-year hard war of resistance, said Cai, who emphasized the need to carry forward the spirit of the resistance war, strengthen confidence and forge ahead to build China into a strong country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization.

    He also stressed the significance of making new and greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development for humanity.

    Cai and other leaders joined representatives from all walks of life to present flowers to martyrs of the resistance war. They also visited the exhibition. Around 600 people attended the events.

    The exhibition, divided into eight parts with a total area of 12,200 square meters, displays 1,525 photos and 3,237 artifacts.

    The Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was the first to break out and lasted the longest in the World Anti-Fascist War, resulting in over 35 million Chinese military and civilian casualties.

    In the main Eastern battlefield in the global fight against fascism, China’s resistance effort was decisive in defeating Japanese fascism and supporting other fronts in Europe and Asia, profoundly contributing to the final victory and world peace.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Remembering Lugou Bridge Incident, uncovering true history of Japan’s long-planned invasion of China

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

    Remembering Lugou Bridge Incident, uncovering true history of Japan’s long-planned invasion of China

    Monday marks the 88th anniversary of the beginning of China’s whole-nation resistance war against Japanese aggression. However, 88 years later, the truth of the historic Lugou Bridge Incident, which marked the start of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China, still has not been recorded in Japanese textbooks.

    “In July 1937, the Japanese and Chinese armies clashed at the Lugou Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing, and the Sino-Japanese War broke out.” This is the description of the historic Lugou Bridge Incident in some school textbooks currently published in Japan.

    Another one goes: “On July 7, 1937, the Japanese army was fired upon by unknown gunmen during a night exercise near the Lugou Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing. At dawn on the 8th, the Japanese army attacked the positions of the National Revolutionary Army, and the two sides fell into battle.”

    Historical materials, nevertheless, show that it was the Japanese soldiers who, on July 7, 1937, attacked Chinese forces at the bridge. The pivotal event is recognized as the start of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China and China’s whole-nation resistance against the Japanese invaders.

    “The Lugou Bridge Incident was an event staged and directed by the invading Japanese forces. This has long been made clear by the Japanese historian community through objective research. Despite this, the Japanese right wing still fabricates lies and attempts to shift the blame for the incident to the Chinese army,” said Japanese historian Atsushi Koketsu in a recent interview with Xinhua.

    “At present, this kind of historical revisionism that fabricates, distorts and denies the true history still prevails in Japan’s education and media circles. What lies behind this is Japan’s unwillingness to admit its aggression and reluctance to accept its ‘responsibility for harm,’” Koketsu said.

    “The Lugou Bridge Incident was deliberately schemed by the invading Japanese army,” said Zhang Sheng, professor at the School of History, Nanjing University. “This has already been ‘confessed’ by Takeo Imai, a senior Japanese intelligence officer who led ‘peace work’ in China, in his memoir.”

    In his memoir, Imai wrote: “At that time, before the July 7 incident, a rumor had already been circulating among the well-informed political figures in Tokyo: ‘On the night of Tanabata, an incident similar to that at Liutiaohu will occur in North China.’”

    The so-called Liutiaohu Incident is the September 18th Incident. On Sept. 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for the attack. Later that night, they bombarded barracks near Shenyang, marking the start of Japan’s 14-year invasion of China.

    “The Japanese Tanabata Festival takes place on July 7,” said Zhang, “therefore, this date had been set for a long time.”

    Luo Cunkang, curator of the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, pointed out that historical files show that from February to June 1936, “the China Garrison Army” dispatched by Japan to Beijing increased from 2,003 to 5,774 people. In just four months, the number more than doubled, which clearly demonstrates their intention to deliberately provoke conflicts.

    It has been 88 years since the outbreak of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China. True history should not be concealed, let alone distorted. Remembering true history is necessary to draw lessons from it and to cherish peace. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects two incoming passenger drug trafficking cases at airport (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 6) and today (July 7) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 15 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds and 2kg of suspected heroin with a total estimated market value of about $4.2 million.

    The first case involved a 27-year-old male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 15kg of suspected cannabis buds and a grinder containing traces of suspected cannabis buds concealed in his two check-in suitcases and carry-on rucksack. The man was subsequently arrested.

    In the second case, a 30-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found a batch of suspected heroin, weighing about 2kg, concealed inside some packaging of drink powder in her carry-on luggage. The woman was subsequently arrested. 

    After an investigation, the arrested man of the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of possession of a dangerous drug. The arrested woman of the second case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 8).

    Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

    Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities. 

    Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

    Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Health chairs 10th meeting of High Level Steering Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Secretary for Health chairs 10th meeting of High Level Steering Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance (with photo)      The Steering Committee will continue to make every effort to combat the threat of AMR through multi-sectoral collaboration. The progress achieved so far underscores the importance of implementing evidence-based strategies, strengthening surveillance and research, and enhancing public awareness. 

         For detailed information about AMR and the Action Plan, please visit the thematic websiteIssued at HKT 17:45

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 5G subsidy scheme launched

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today launched a subsidy scheme to help mobile network operators (MNOs) install radio base stations (RBSs) in country parks, outlying islands and other rural and remote areas.

    Under the Subsidy Scheme to Extend 5G Coverage in Rural & Remote Areas, participating MNOs will install approximately 50 new subsidised RBSs in these areas to enhance mobile network coverage and capacity.

    The OFCA anticipates that once the new RBSs are completed and activated, mobile network coverage of country parks in Hong Kong will increase to at least 90%, while coverage along major government hiking trails will reach 98% or above.

    It added that the subsidy scheme will enhance network coverage in the surrounding areas and benefit some 70 villages located in the vicinity of the proposed RBSs, enabling residents, citizens and tourists to enjoy higher-quality mobile network services, and also facilitating the development of smart tourism.

    Interested licensed MNOs are welcome to submit applications.

    Click here for details of the scheme. Call 2961 6333 for enquiries.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS to visit Seoul

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart for a visit to Seoul, Korea, tomorrow and return to Hong Kong on Thursday.

     

    While there, Mr Chan will hold meetings with representatives from institutional investors, financial institutions, the fund industry, the venture capital sector and the digital asset community.

     

    Additionally, he plans to attend a seminar on their respective capital markets to brief the Korean financial sector on the latest developments in Hong Kong’s capital market and promote deeper co-operation between the two places in related areas.

     

    While joining a business luncheon cohosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Tokyo and the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr Chan will highlight Hong Kong’s business advantages to Korea’s financial, industrial and commercial, innovation and technology sectors, etc.

     

    In particular, he will elaborate on Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, and how it can assist Korean businesses to expand into the Greater Bay Area, the Mainland and international markets.

     

    As part of his agenda, the Financial Secretary will also meet representatives of the Bank of Korea, which is the central bank of the country, and tour innovation and technology enterprises as well as innovative research and development institutions.

     

     During Mr Chan’s absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will be Acting Financial Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS to visit Seoul, Korea tomorrow

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart tomorrow morning (July 8) to visit Seoul, Korea.

         During his stay in Seoul, Mr Chan will hold multiple meetings with representatives from local institutional investors, financial institutions, fund industry, the venture capital sector and the digital asset community. He will also attend a seminar on the capital markets of Hong Kong and Korea, where he will brief the Korean financial sector on the latest developments in Hong Kong’s capital market and promote deeper co-operation between the two places in related areas.

         He will also join a business luncheon cohosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the event, Mr Chan will highlight Hong Kong’s business advantages to representatives from Korea’s financial, industrial and commercial, innovation and technology sectors, among others. In particular, he will expand on Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, and how it can help Korean businesses expand into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as the broader Mainland and international markets to explore new business opportunities.

         While in Seoul, Mr Chan will also pay visits to representatives of the Bank of Korea – the central bank of Korea, financial regulatory bodies and investment agencies. He will also visit local innovation and technology enterprises as well as innovative research and development institutions.

         Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong in the evening of July 10. During his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will be the Acting Financial Secretary.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Music Office’s Instrumental Music Training Scheme invites applications from beginners

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Instrumental Music Training Scheme, organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is now recruiting beginners for its 2025-26 Elementary Year 1 courses. Children and youths aged between 6 and 14 with no instrumental experience with the selected instruments are welcome to apply. The deadline for applications is August 4.
     
         The scheme provides training in almost 30 Chinese and Western musical instruments including erhu, pipa, suona, sheng, zhongruan, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trombone, euphonium, violin, viola, cello, double bass and others, with supplementary training in musicianship and theory for children and youths to develop their interest and potential in music.
     
         One-hour group lessons are conducted weekly in Cantonese at the Music Office’s five music centres in Wan Chai, Kwun Tong, Mong Kok, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan. An annual tuition fee of $2,394 for the first year and $2,926 for the second year are payable in four instalments. A fee remission scheme is available for trainees in need of financial assistance.
     
         Interested persons can visit the Music Office website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/training/instrumentalmusictrainingscheme.html) for more details and application submission. Course pamphlets and application forms are also available at all Music Office’s music centres. Applicants who meet the age requirement will be invited to attend a music aptitude test and an interview on August 24. They will be notified of the results in October and the training will commence in November.
     
         For enquiries, please call the Music Office’s music centres at 2802 0657 (Wan Chai), 2796 2893 (Kwun Tong), 2399 2200 (Mong Kok), 2158 6462 (Sha Tin) and 2417 6429 (Tsuen Wan).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government appoints Chairman and members to Advisory Committee on Post-service Employment of Civil Servants

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Government announced today (July 7) that the Chief Executive has reappointed Professor Wong Sze-chun as Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Post-service Employment of Civil Servants from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2027. Professor Wong has been serving as Chairman of the committee since September 1, 2021.

         The Chief Executive has also appointed Ms Jacqueline Ng Wai-kwan and Mr James Tong Wai-pong as new Committee members, and reappointed four existing members, Ms Eva Kwong Pui-han, Mr Victor Lam Wai-kiu, Miss Christine Leung Wan-chong and Dr James Wong Kong-tin, for a term of two years.

         The appointments of Miss Leung, Ms Ng and Mr Tong will be effective from July 14, 2025, to July 13, 2027, while the appointments of Ms Kwong and Dr Wong will be effective from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2027. As for the appointment of Mr Lam, it will be effective from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2027.

         The Government expresses its sincere appreciation to the outgoing members, Mr Cheng Yan-kee and Mrs Betty Yuen So Siu-mai, for their invaluable contributions to the work of the Committee. 

         The Advisory Committee advises the Government on matters relating to post-service employment of civil servants. Other serving members are Mr Chan Chun-ying and Ms Christina Maisenne Lee. Its secretariat support is provided by the Joint Secretariat for the Advisory Bodies on Civil Service and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secondary One places allocation results to be released tomorrow

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Education Bureau (EDB) today (July 7) reminded parents that the results for Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA) 2025 (including results at the discretionary places (DP) and central allocation (CA) stages) will be announced tomorrow (July 8).
     
    SSPA allocation results
    ————————————
     
         A total of 48 011 students participated in the SSPA System for this allocation cycle. Based on the total number of students allocated DP and the first three choices through CA, the overall satisfaction rate is 95 per cent. According to the number of students allocated DP and the first choice through CA, the satisfaction rate is 85 per cent.
     
         The respective satisfaction rates for DP and CA are:
     
    * Among the students allocated DP, 68 per cent were allocated the first choice; and
     
    * For students allocated through CA (including Part A for Unrestricted School Choices and Part B for Restricted School Choices), 91 per cent of students were allocated the first three choices and 74 per cent were allocated the first choice.
     
         The EDB hopes that parents and students accept the allocation results with a positive attitude. The learning effectiveness of students does not hinge merely on the schools to which they are allocated but rather on whether students have a proactive mindset in learning. It is important for parents to continue to support and encourage their children, and avoid burdening them with their own expectations.
     
    Announcement of allocation results
    ——————————————————
     
         All Primary Six students participating in this year’s SSPA System should return to their school tomorrow to collect the Allocation Slip and Admission Slip. Parents can obtain the allocation results by the following means:
     

    1. Parents who have registered as the SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) users with “iAM Smart” or “iAM Smart+” (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) may also view their children’s allocation results via the eSSPA starting from 10am on the same day; and
    2. Parents who have provided a mobile phone number on the Secondary One Choice of Schools Form to indicate their consent to receiving the result via the number will also receive the result regarding their children via SMS message starting from around 10am tomorrow.

     
         Please refer to the series of related videos and the Parent’s Guide on the bureau’s homepage (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/sspa_eplatform_parents_guide.html) for details on creating and logging into an eSSPA account, as well as viewing the allocation results via the eSSPA.
     
    Completion of registration procedure
    ———————————————————
     
         All students must report to the allocated secondary schools this Thursday or Friday (July 10 or 11) for registration. In case neither the students nor their parents or guardians are able to return to the school and collect the Allocation Slip and Admission Slip in person, the parents or guardians should authorise a representative in writing in advance to collect the documents and complete the registration procedure on their behalf.
     
         Should any parent or guardian have genuine difficulties in collecting the Admission Slip and registering with the allocated school personally or through an authorised representative, he or she should inform the schools concerned or the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB before the end of the registration period so that alternative arrangements for registration can be made. Failure to do so will be taken as giving up the place allocated.
     
    Arrangements under inclement weather
    ————————————————————
     
         In case of inclement weather or other special circumstances on the day for announcement of the allocation results or on the days for registration, all schools and parents should pay attention to announcements on radio or television for special arrangements for announcing the allocation results or registration.
     
    Enquiries
    —————
     
         For enquiries about the allocation results, students and parents may call the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB on 2832 7740 and 2832 7700 during office hours.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Invest Hong Kong surpasses Policy Address performance indicators, attracts over HK$160 billion in foreign direct investment (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (July 7) announced that it had assisted over 1 300 overseas and Mainland companies to set up or expand their business in Hong Kong from January 2023 to the first six months of 2025, bringing in foreign direct investment of more than HK$160 billion and creating over 19 000 jobs within the first year of operation or expansion, contributing to the local job market and reaffirming Hong Kong’s position as a leading business hub in Asia.

    These results demonstrate that InvestHK has achieved ahead of schedule its performance indicators as set out in the 2022 Policy Address. Details are as follows:
     

      KPIs
    (From 2023 to 2025)    		 InvestHK’s results
    (From January 2023 to the first half of 2025)
    No. of companies at least 1 130 companies 1 301 companies
    Direct investment at least HK$77 billion HK$168.4 billion
    Job opportunities at least 15 250 jobs 19,136 jobs

    The top five locations of origin among the companies assisted span markets in North America, Europe and Asia:
     

    Location of origin Number
    The Mainland 630
    Other countries 671
        – United States 113
        – United Kingdom 89
        – Singapore 68
        – Canada 38

    Among the companies assisted, the top five sectors were as follows:
     

    Sectors Number (percentage in total)
    Financial services and fintech 283 (22 per cent)
    Innovation and technology 275 (21 per cent)
    Family offices 179 (14 per cent)
    Tourism and hospitality 148 (11 per cent)
    Business and professional services 129 (10 per cent)

    In addition, under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES), InvestHK is responsible for its financial requirements assessment, while the Immigration Department is responsible for assessing applications for visa/entry permits, extensions of stay and unconditional stays pursuant to the Scheme. Since its launch in March 2024, the key numbers of New CIES as of June 2025 are as follows:
     

    Number of applications 1 548
    Number of approvals-in-principle granted (i.e. granting of 180-day visitor visas for making investments) 1 188
    Number of applications verified to have fulfilled the investment requirements 712
    Number of formal approvals granted 673
    Verified investment amount Over HK$ 21 billion
    Expected investment amount to be brought into Hong Kong Over HK$ 46 billion

    The Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said that amid the challenges from external factors such as the geopolitical situation, this will bring both risks and opportunities to Hong Kong. InvestHK will further build on this strong momentum to deepen mutual engagements between Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas markets. The department will continue to strengthen ties with traditional markets such as Europe, North America and North Asia while actively exploring emerging markets.

    Ms Lau said, “Our investment promotion efforts span various industries, aligning with policy directives and closely adhering to the key measures outlined in the Policy Addresses in recent years, such as the low-altitude economy, liquor trade, and the development of the Northern Metropolis. We also assist Mainland companies to go global via Hong Kong and further promote Hong Kong’s advantages as a regional trade and high-end logistics hub. We will continue to leverage Hong Kong’s role as a two-way springboard for Mainland and overseas companies to connect between our country and the rest of the world under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.”

    She continued, “Looking ahead, we will focus on four strategic sectors, namely financial services and fintech, innovation and technology, supply chain management and logistics, as well as sustainable development and the green economy. We are also committed to leveraging Hong Kong’s ‘perceptible and experiential’ soft power to promote cultural ties, showcasing the city’s charm to the world in order to attract foreign investment. This will lead to drive the development of relevant industries and assist enterprises in capital matching through Hong Kong’s stable capital market. We will actively promote Hong Kong as a two-way platform for both attracting investments into the city and helping businesses going global.”

    She added, “This year marks InvestHK’s 25th anniversary. Over the past quarter century, we have assisted over 7 700 overseas and Mainland companies from around the world to set up or expand their business in Hong Kong. These companies span a wide range of sectors, including finance, innovation and technology, professional services, and sustainable development, creating over 95 000 jobs and bringing in direct investment of more than HK$440 billion. Hong Kong has always been one of the preferred destinations for global capital. These choices made by investors from around the globe are the strongest vote of confidence in investing in Hong Kong.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Marine fish culture licences and deep sea cages in Mirs Bay (South) new fish culture zone open for applications

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    ​The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) announced today (July 7) that applications for marine fish culture licences and the use of government-provided deep sea cages in the new fish culture zone at Mirs Bay (South) are open for applications from today until September 6, to assist capture fishermen in switching to sustainable deep sea mariculture.

    A spokesman for the AFCD said, “Unlike the small-scale operations using traditional wooden fish rafts in the past, we aim to encourage the intensification of production for fishermen in the new fish culture zones while adopting a sustainable and environmentally friendly mode of operation, together with the use of steel truss cages or other types of deep sea cages that are resilient to strong wind and water current.” 

    To reduce the start-up cost for fishermen, the AFCD will set up two sets of steel truss deep sea cages and three sets of HDPE (high density polyethylene) deep sea cages equipped with modern aquaculture facilities in phases in the new fish culture zone at Mirs Bay (South) by the end of this year. These deep sea cages will be provided to local fishermen associations through licence agreements to help capture fishermen meet new challenges and assist the industry in switching to sustainable development or high-value-added aquaculture practices. 

    Applicants shall provide a detailed business plan, including an introduction to the proposed sustainable mariculture business, as well as a demonstration of their eligibility to use government cages and compliance with the relevant environmental protection and mitigation measures. 

    The spokesman added that those interested in operating in the new fish culture zone may consider applying for the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund to develop their mariculture businesses. However, the fund cannot be used to pay for the licence fees of government cages. 

    The AFCD has designated Wong Chuk Kok Hoi, Mirs Bay, Outer Tap Mun, and Po Toi (Southeast) as the four new fish culture zones, covering a total area equivalent to three times that of the original fish culture zones. Among these, the Wong Chuk Kok Hoi and Mirs Bay fish culture zones began accepting the first round of marine fish culture licence applications by the end of 2024. 

    The AFCD will hold a briefing session on July 17 to introduce the application process and licensing requirements of marine fish culture licences and the use of deep sea cages. Details of the application and the briefing session are available on the AFCD website: https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/fish_aqu/fish_aqu_mfco/newfczmfcl2025.html.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds worth about $1.3 million and suspected cocaine worth about $3 million at airport (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Hong Kong Customs detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (July 5) and seized a total of about 6.1 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.3 million and about 3.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $3 million.

    The first case involved a foreign male passenger, aged 27, arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 6.1kg of suspected cannabis buds inside his check-in suitcase. He was subsequently arrested.

    In the second case, a 50-year-old local female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France, yesterday. Customs officers seized about 3.7kg of suspected cocaine from her check-in suitcase during customs clearance. She was subsequently arrested.

    The arrested person in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (July 7).

    The second case is still under investigation.

    Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
     
    Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

    Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

    Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/en).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKCPEC held Model PECC-cum-Award Presentation Ceremony for HKCPEC Youth Programme (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation:

         The Model PECC-cum-Award Presentation Ceremony for the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (HKCPEC) Youth Programme (Youth Programme) 2024/2025 – “Model PECC – Innovating through Youth Voices”, co-organised by the HKCPEC and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) Leadership Institute, was successfully held today (July 6) at the HKFYG Leadership Institute in Fanling. The Chairman of the HKCPEC, Professor Tam Kar-yan, and the Director-General of Trade and Industry, Mr Aaron Liu, were the officiating guests at the Award Presentation Ceremony.

         In his opening remarks, Professor Tam depicted that this year marked the tenth edition of Youth Programme held by the HKCPEC. This year’s Programme enabled students to engage in discussions on issues related to economic development in the Asia-Pacific region in a model Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) meeting setting, as well as motivating them to think creatively and contribute meaningfully to regional economic co-operation dialogues. 

    In his speech, Mr Liu expressed his appreciation for HKCPEC to continue organising the Youth Programme this year, as youth development is one of the priorities of the current term Government. Against the backdrop of a complicated and ever-changing global economic landscape, the Programme provided an opportunity for the younger generation in Hong Kong to deepen their understanding on issues in regional economic co-operation. He also encouraged the students to seize the opportunity to participate in the activities relating to regional economic co-operation in preparation for their future development in the society.

         The theme of this year’s Youth Programme is “Model PECC – Innovating through Youth Voices”, which attracted over 190 secondary students in 74 teams from 46 secondary schools to take part. Participating secondary school students took part in a series of nurturing activities since March, including seminars, workshops and a 24-hour case study, to deepen their understanding on regional economic development and co-operation. In the Model PECC held yesterday (July 5) and today, each of the 11 shortlisted teams was assigned to represent one of the PECC Member Committees to conduct research and develop policy recommendations on a designated topic, and to present their findings and policy recommendations under a simulated setting of PECC Meeting.

    The team formed by Valerie Shek from the Independent Schools Foundation Academy, Adrian Wong and Nika Zhang from Hong Kong International School was awarded the Champion of the competition whereas team from SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School was the first runner-up. Two teams from Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section) and Pui Ching Middle School were awarded the second runners-up. Adrian Wong from Hong Kong International School, Ling Man Yin from Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section) and Yu Ka Yu from Wa Ying College were awarded the Best Speakers Awards.

         The HKCPEC Youth Programme aims at advancing young people’s understanding on regional economic development as well as the role and contributions of Hong Kong in economic and trade development in the Asia-Pacific region; and broadening their knowledge, developing their analytical skills and encouraging their strategic thinking in the process.

         The HKCPEC (www.hkcpec.org) was established in March 1990 to co-ordinate Hong Kong, China’s participation in the PECC. In line with the nature of the PECC, the composition of the HKCPEC is tripartite, comprising members from the Government, the business sector and academia.

         The PECC is a non-governmental organisation set up in 1980 to develop closer co-operation in trade and economic issues among economies in the region. Currently, the PECC has 24 member committees, of which 21 are full members. For details, please visit the PECC’s website at www.pecc.org.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Customs YES organises summer cultural and historical study tour to Beijing (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

        To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Customs YES organised a summer cultural and historical study tour to Beijing from July 2 to 6. Fifty members of the Foot Drill and Flag Party of the Customs Youth Leader Corps joined the tour to explore the country’s history, culture, development, and achievements.
     
        In the early morning of July 3, the Deputy Commissioner (Control and Enforcement) of Customs and Excise, Mr Mark Woo, along with members of the Executive Committee and the Honorary Presidents’ Association of Customs YES, led the delegation to witness the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square. They later interacted with the National Flag Guard Unit of People’s Liberation Army Ceremonial Escort Battalion to learn about professional ceremonial standards and flag-guarding etiquette.
     
        On the same day, the delegation visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China to understand the history of martyrs uniting against the enemy to protect the country. Afterwards, the members visited the Beijing Shichahai Sports School, where they interacted with national badminton athletes, Ms Huang Yaqiong and Mr Liu Yuchen.
     
        On July 4 and 5, the delegation visited the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology to learn about the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, and to discover the country’s achievements in fields such as manned spaceflight, lunar and mars exploration and unmanned aircraft system. In addition, they visited the Juyongguan Great Wall to learn about its significant military and historical value. At the Palace Museum and the China Customs Museum, the participants had the opportunity to study the country’s history and culture, as well as the development of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.
     
        On the last day of the trip (July 6), the delegation toured POP Land to gain insights into successful experiences in cultural and creative industries and the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.
     
        During the tour, the delegation explored several Beijing landmarks, including Qianmen Street, and the scenic avenue outside the Water Cube and the National Stadium.
     
        This study tour received partial funding from the Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Youth Development Commission. It is also one of the annual activities of the Tour to the Motherland for a Hundred Youth organised by Hong Kong Customs during the summer holiday. Looking ahead, Customs YES will organise more exchange activities to promote youth development and nurture a new generation with a sense of national identity and national pride.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: ASEAN Senior Officials Meet in Kuala Lumpur Ahead of Ministerial Meetings

    Source: ASEAN

    The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) convened today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to deliberate on key Chairmanship priorities under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, in preparation for the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings, including key engagements with ASEAN’s partners, scheduled in the coming days. The Meeting was attended by ASEAN SOM Leaders and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.

    The post ASEAN Senior Officials Meet in Kuala Lumpur Ahead of Ministerial Meetings appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • India’s auto retail sales rise 4.84 percent in June; EV share doubles

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s total automobile retail sales across segments rose 4.84 percent year-on-year in June 2025, crossing 20.03 lakh units, supported by demand during the festive and marriage seasons, the Federation of Automotive Dealers Associations (FADA) said on Monday.

    A standout performer was the electric vehicle (EV) segment, which recorded nearly twofold growth over June 2024.

    According to FADA, out of every 100 passenger vehicles sold in June 2025, nearly five were EVs, up from two in the same month last year. However, overall momentum in sales remained moderate.

    “Segment-wise, every category closed in the green with two-wheelers at 4.73 per cent, three-wheelers at 6.68 per cent, passenger vehicles at 2.45 per cent, commercial vehicles at 6.6 per cent, tractors at 8.68 per cent and construction equipment at 54.95 per cent,” said FADA president C.S. Vigneshwar.

    “While festival and marriage-season demand provided a boost, financing constraints and intermittent variant shortages moderated sales. Early monsoon rains and rising EV penetration also shaped buying patterns,” he said.

    “Overall, June demonstrated a resilient two-wheeler performance amid mixed market signals,” Vigneshwar added.

    Passenger vehicle retails slipped 1.49 per cent month-on-month yet delivered a 2.45 per cent year-on-year uplift. “Heavy rains and tight market liquidity weighed on footfall and conversion, even as elevated incentive schemes and fresh bookings lent selective support. Some dealers indicated that certain PV manufacturers have introduced compulsory billing procedures — such as automatic wholesale debits — to meet volume targets; inventory consequently stands at around 55 days. June thus painted a picture of modest but steadfast PV performance amid varied market cues,” said Vigneshwar.

    CV retails declined 2.97 per cent month-on-month while achieving a robust 6.6 per cent year-on-year expansion. Vigneshwar noted that early-month deliveries buoyed volumes before monsoon-induced slowdowns and constrained liquidity dampened enquiries and conversions.

    “Members pointed to the impact of new CV taxation and mandatory air-conditioned cabins, which have elevated ownership costs, alongside muted infrastructure demand. Overall, June reflected a resilient CV segment adeptly navigating cost pressures and a softening economy,” he explained.

    FADA said that July is likely to witness mixed fortunes driven by agrarian tailwinds and school reopenings, yet tempered by seasonal headwinds, elevated price points and liquidity constraints.

    “Dealer sentiment appears tilted towards slowdown-flat and de-growth expectations (42.8 per cent and 26.1 per cent) exceed growth forecasts (31.1 per cent).

    It noted that in the 2W segment, early monsoon showers and renewed rural activity have spurred interest, yet heavy rainfall, variant shortages, and price increases effective July are moderating conversions.

    PV faces high-base effects, limited new-model launches and tight financing, offset in part by festival planning and fresh incentive schemes. CV continues to grapple with muted infrastructure demand, higher ownership costs from new taxation and mandatory AC-cabin norms, even as extended order pipelines provide some relief.

    For its outlook ahead, FADA has adopted “a stance of cautious optimism-leveraging rural demand drivers and government capex while remaining agile to navigate monsoon-related disruptions, supply constraints and liquidity pressures.”

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Experts from China and Russia discussed cooperation in the field of wetland biodiversity protection

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 7 (Xinhua) — A China-Russia conference on the protection and research of biodiversity in transboundary wetlands of the Heilongjiang (Amur) River basin was held in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province recently, where experts from the two countries discussed a range of issues related to the protection of ecosystems and sustainable development of international wetlands, the Zhongxinshe News Agency reported.

    The event was held at the Honghe Nature Reserve, which covers an area of over 21,000 hectares. In 2022, it was listed as a “wetland of international importance” by the Ramsar Convention. It protects unique ecosystems and rare and endangered species of wildlife, such as the Oriental stork and the Japanese crane.

    During the event, experts presented reports on the protected natural reserves of the two countries. In addition, they familiarized themselves with the work of the wetland monitoring platform and visited the ecological museum located on the territory of the Honghe Nature Reserve.

    Zhu Baoguang, a representative of the Honghe Nature Reserve, noted that the event became a platform for combining the experience of Chinese and Russian experts in order to promote sustainable development focused on the protection and study of the biodiversity of wetland ecosystems.

    The conference aims to strengthen cooperation between China and Russia in the field of wetland biodiversity protection and further enhance joint protection of endangered birds in the Heilongjiang River Basin and along the East Asia-Australia flyway.

    It also aims to promote the sustainable development of global wetland biodiversity and the transboundary cooperative conservation of rare and endangered bird species. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Three killed in Indonesia landslides

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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

    JAKARTA, July 7 (Xinhua) — Three people were killed, one was missing and eight others were injured in landslides in Indonesia’s West Java province on Saturday, Hadi Rahmat Harjasasmitha, spokesman for the provincial disaster management agency, said on Sunday.

    Landslides triggered by heavy rains hit several areas in Bogor County at around 6 p.m. local time on Saturday, damaging about eight houses, he said.

    All the victims were taken to hospital for medical treatment. The missing person is believed to have been buried under rubble or swept into a nearby river by a mudslide, the spokesman 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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: TIR System Launches Road Freight Route from Yiwu to Central Asia

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 7 (Xinhua) — A truck fully loaded with export goods left Yiwu City, known as the “supermarket of the world”, for Tashkent on Saturday under the TIR (Transport International Road) system.

    This event marked the emergence of the Yiwu-Central Asia freight road route within the TIR system, Zhongxinshe news agency reports.

    TIR is an international system that simplifies the transportation of goods between countries. Within its framework, the goods are sealed at the starting point of the route and checked only upon arrival at the destination, and at intermediate border crossings, checkpoint officers only check the TIR carnet data and the customs stamp for the vehicle. This reduces the travel time and reduces possible risks associated with administrative customs control procedures and damage to the goods. China joined the TIR Convention in July 2016.

    It is reported that the goods carried in this shipment were declared under the Yiwu Market Procurement Scheme combined with the TIR system, which provides SMEs with a cost-effective and flexible solution for exporting a wide range of products in small batches.

    According to a responsible representative of International Landport Group, in the next stages, the company plans to attract more TIR-accredited shipping companies to Yiwu to actively help local logistics enterprises obtain TIR certificates, with the aim of continuously enhancing the city’s capacity to provide international logistics services. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN Convenes Meeting in Kuala Lumpur Ahead of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

    Source: ASEAN

    The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN convened its Meeting on 6 July 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, held back-to-back with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings. The Meeting, attended by the Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community, discussed final preparations for the 58th AMM and Related Meetings and exchanged views on key regional developments.

    The post The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN Convenes Meeting in Kuala Lumpur Ahead of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN Convenes Meeting in Kuala Lumpur Ahead of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

    Source: ASEAN

    The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN convened its Meeting on 6 July 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, held back-to-back with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings. The Meeting, attended by the Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community, discussed final preparations for the 58th AMM and Related Meetings and exchanged views on key regional developments.

    The post The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN Convenes Meeting in Kuala Lumpur Ahead of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –