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Category: Asia Pacific

  • Microsoft alerts businesses, governments to server software attack

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Microsoft has issued an alert about “active attacks” on server software used by government agencies and businesses to share documents within organizations, and recommended security updates that customers should apply immediately.

    The FBI said on Sunday it is aware of the attacks and is working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.

    In an alert issued on Saturday, Microsoft said the vulnerabilities apply only to SharePoint servers used within organizations. It said that SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, which is in the cloud, was not hit by the attacks.

    “We’ve been coordinating closely with CISA, DOD Cyber Defense Command and key cybersecurity partners globally throughout our response,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had issued security updates and urged customers to install them immediately.

    The Washington Post, which first reported the hacks, said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.

    The hack is known as a “zero day” attack because it targeted a previously unknown vulnerability, the newspaper said, quoting experts. Tens of thousands of servers were at risk.

    In the alert, Microsoft said that a vulnerability “allows an authorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.” It issued recommendations to stop the attackers from exploiting it.
    Microsoft has issued an alert about “active attacks” on server software used by government agencies and businesses to share documents within organizations, and recommended security updates that customers should apply immediately.

    The FBI said on Sunday it is aware of the attacks and is working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.

    In an alert issued on Saturday, Microsoft said the vulnerabilities apply only to SharePoint servers used within organizations. It said that SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, which is in the cloud, was not hit by the attacks.

    “We’ve been coordinating closely with CISA, DOD Cyber Defense Command and key cybersecurity partners globally throughout our response,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had issued security updates and urged customers to install them immediately.

    The Washington Post, which first reported the hacks, said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.

    The hack is known as a “zero day” attack because it targeted a previously unknown vulnerability, the newspaper said, quoting experts. Tens of thousands of servers were at risk.

    In the alert, Microsoft said that a vulnerability “allows an authorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.” It issued recommendations to stop the attackers from exploiting it.

    In a spoofing attack, an actor can manipulate financial markets or agencies by hiding the actor’s identity and appearing to be a trusted person, organization or website.

    Earlier, Microsoft said it is working on updates to 2016 and 2019 versions of SharePoint. If customers cannot enable recommended malware protection, they should disconnect their servers from the internet until a security update is available, it added.
    In a spoofing attack, an actor can manipulate financial markets or agencies by hiding the actor’s identity and appearing to be a trusted person, organization or website.

    Earlier, Microsoft said it is working on updates to 2016 and 2019 versions of SharePoint. If customers cannot enable recommended malware protection, they should disconnect their servers from the internet until a security update is available, it added.

  • Owen shines on debut as Australia beat Windies in first T20

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Mitchell Owen made an impressive debut as Australia beat West Indies by three wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Twenty20 International series in Jamaica on Sunday.

    Owen took a wicket with his medium pace bowling before returning to smash 50 off 27 balls as Australia chased down a 190-run target with seven balls to spare.

    West Indies, who lost the preceding test series 3-0, got off to a strong start after being put into bat at Sabina Park.

    Captain Shai Hope (55), Roston Chase (60) and Shimron Hetmyer (38) laid the platform for a 200-plus score but the late flourish they expected never materialised.

    Andre Russell, who will quit international cricket after the second T20 on Tuesday, made only eight.

    Australia’s Ben Dwarshuis (4-36) mowed down the middle and lower order as West Indies were forced to settle for a modest 189-8.

    While Australia lost both their openers, captain Mitchell Marsh and Jake Fraser-McGurk, inside the powerplay they were propped up by a breezy 80-run stand by Cameron Green (51) and Owen.

    Green belted five sixes in his 26-ball blitz, while Owen smacked six of them before holing out in the 17th over with Australia on the cusp of victory.

    (Reuters)

  • ECB to host next three World Test Championship finals till 2031, ICC says

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will continue to host the biennial final of the World Test Championship for the next three editions till 2031, global governing body ICC said on Sunday.

    The match, which crowns the world champions in the longest format of the sport, has been held in England since it was introduced, with Southampton hosting the first edition in 2021 and the two subsequent finals taking place in London.

    “We are absolutely delighted that England and Wales has been chosen to host the next three ICC World Test Championship finals,” the ECB chief executive Richard Gould said.

    “It’s a testament to the passion that fans in this country have for this treasured format of the game and the willingness of supporters from around the world to travel here for these games.”

    The 2025 final at Lord’s, where South Africa beat defending champions Australia, was attended by 109,227 people over four days and received 225 million digital views, the ICC said in a statement last month.

    “Hosting these finals is a privilege, and we look forward to working with the ICC to build on the success of the previous editions,” Gould added.

    (Reuters)

     

  • Youth Spiritual Summit concludes in Varanasi with launch of Kashi Declaration for Drug-Free India

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Youth Spiritual Summit, held under the theme Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat, concluded on Sunday at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre in Varanasi with the formal adoption of the Kashi Declaration — a visionary roadmap to drive a nationwide youth-led movement against drug addiction

    Organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the summit brought together over 600 youth leaders from more than 120 spiritual and socio-cultural organisations, along with academicians, experts, and government representatives. The event was a moment in India’s pursuit of a drug-free society by 2047, uniting spiritual strength with youthful resolve.

    Over the course of four thematic plenary sessions, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the psychological and social impacts of substance abuse, the complexities of drug trafficking and supply chains, grassroots awareness strategies, and the critical role of spiritual and cultural institutions in prevention and rehabilitation. These deliberations culminated in the Kashi Declaration, which outlines a multi-dimensional and collaborative approach to drug de-addiction, rooted in India’s civilisational ethos and driven by youth leadership.

    Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, described the declaration as a collective Sankalp (resolve) arising from the reflections and dialogue of the summit. He emphasized that the document is not just a vision statement, but a shared commitment to national transformation.

    The Kashi Declaration calls for treating substance abuse as a complex public health and societal challenge. It recommends a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, integrating efforts from spiritual, educational, technological, and cultural domains. The declaration proposes the formation of a Joint National Committee for coordination among ministries, annual progress reporting mechanisms, and a national platform to connect individuals affected by substance abuse with support services.

    Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the unique role of spiritual organisations in this campaign, stating that Bharat’s spiritual legacy must now lead the charge in creating a drug-free generation. “Spiritual institutions will serve as the backbone of this Maha Abhiyan,” he said, urging collective action through community engagement.

    Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, also addressed the summit, invoking the cultural sanctity of Kashi. He described the ancient city as the “cradle of Sanatan Chetna,” where discipline and values guide personal and national progress. He warned that a nation where 65% of the population is youth cannot afford to succumb to addiction, stressing that only a liberated and conscious youth can build a strong future.

    The concluding session saw the participation of several prominent leaders, including Virendra Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment; Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism; Anil Rajbhar, Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs; and Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports.

    The summit also marked a key step forward in the MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat) framework. Going forward, MY Bharat volunteers and affiliated youth clubs will spearhead pledge campaigns, awareness drives, and grassroots outreach across the country. The Kashi Declaration will act as a guiding document, and its progress will be reviewed at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, ensuring accountability and long-term impact.

  • Youth Spiritual Summit concludes in Varanasi with launch of Kashi Declaration for Drug-Free India

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Youth Spiritual Summit, held under the theme Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat, concluded on Sunday at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre in Varanasi with the formal adoption of the Kashi Declaration — a visionary roadmap to drive a nationwide youth-led movement against drug addiction

    Organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the summit brought together over 600 youth leaders from more than 120 spiritual and socio-cultural organisations, along with academicians, experts, and government representatives. The event was a moment in India’s pursuit of a drug-free society by 2047, uniting spiritual strength with youthful resolve.

    Over the course of four thematic plenary sessions, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the psychological and social impacts of substance abuse, the complexities of drug trafficking and supply chains, grassroots awareness strategies, and the critical role of spiritual and cultural institutions in prevention and rehabilitation. These deliberations culminated in the Kashi Declaration, which outlines a multi-dimensional and collaborative approach to drug de-addiction, rooted in India’s civilisational ethos and driven by youth leadership.

    Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, described the declaration as a collective Sankalp (resolve) arising from the reflections and dialogue of the summit. He emphasized that the document is not just a vision statement, but a shared commitment to national transformation.

    The Kashi Declaration calls for treating substance abuse as a complex public health and societal challenge. It recommends a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, integrating efforts from spiritual, educational, technological, and cultural domains. The declaration proposes the formation of a Joint National Committee for coordination among ministries, annual progress reporting mechanisms, and a national platform to connect individuals affected by substance abuse with support services.

    Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the unique role of spiritual organisations in this campaign, stating that Bharat’s spiritual legacy must now lead the charge in creating a drug-free generation. “Spiritual institutions will serve as the backbone of this Maha Abhiyan,” he said, urging collective action through community engagement.

    Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, also addressed the summit, invoking the cultural sanctity of Kashi. He described the ancient city as the “cradle of Sanatan Chetna,” where discipline and values guide personal and national progress. He warned that a nation where 65% of the population is youth cannot afford to succumb to addiction, stressing that only a liberated and conscious youth can build a strong future.

    The concluding session saw the participation of several prominent leaders, including Virendra Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment; Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism; Anil Rajbhar, Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs; and Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports.

    The summit also marked a key step forward in the MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat) framework. Going forward, MY Bharat volunteers and affiliated youth clubs will spearhead pledge campaigns, awareness drives, and grassroots outreach across the country. The Kashi Declaration will act as a guiding document, and its progress will be reviewed at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, ensuring accountability and long-term impact.

  • Youth Spiritual Summit concludes in Varanasi with launch of Kashi Declaration for Drug-Free India

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Youth Spiritual Summit, held under the theme Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat, concluded on Sunday at the Rudraksh International Convention Centre in Varanasi with the formal adoption of the Kashi Declaration — a visionary roadmap to drive a nationwide youth-led movement against drug addiction

    Organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the summit brought together over 600 youth leaders from more than 120 spiritual and socio-cultural organisations, along with academicians, experts, and government representatives. The event was a moment in India’s pursuit of a drug-free society by 2047, uniting spiritual strength with youthful resolve.

    Over the course of four thematic plenary sessions, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the psychological and social impacts of substance abuse, the complexities of drug trafficking and supply chains, grassroots awareness strategies, and the critical role of spiritual and cultural institutions in prevention and rehabilitation. These deliberations culminated in the Kashi Declaration, which outlines a multi-dimensional and collaborative approach to drug de-addiction, rooted in India’s civilisational ethos and driven by youth leadership.

    Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, described the declaration as a collective Sankalp (resolve) arising from the reflections and dialogue of the summit. He emphasized that the document is not just a vision statement, but a shared commitment to national transformation.

    The Kashi Declaration calls for treating substance abuse as a complex public health and societal challenge. It recommends a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, integrating efforts from spiritual, educational, technological, and cultural domains. The declaration proposes the formation of a Joint National Committee for coordination among ministries, annual progress reporting mechanisms, and a national platform to connect individuals affected by substance abuse with support services.

    Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the unique role of spiritual organisations in this campaign, stating that Bharat’s spiritual legacy must now lead the charge in creating a drug-free generation. “Spiritual institutions will serve as the backbone of this Maha Abhiyan,” he said, urging collective action through community engagement.

    Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, also addressed the summit, invoking the cultural sanctity of Kashi. He described the ancient city as the “cradle of Sanatan Chetna,” where discipline and values guide personal and national progress. He warned that a nation where 65% of the population is youth cannot afford to succumb to addiction, stressing that only a liberated and conscious youth can build a strong future.

    The concluding session saw the participation of several prominent leaders, including Virendra Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment; Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism; Anil Rajbhar, Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs; and Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports.

    The summit also marked a key step forward in the MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat) framework. Going forward, MY Bharat volunteers and affiliated youth clubs will spearhead pledge campaigns, awareness drives, and grassroots outreach across the country. The Kashi Declaration will act as a guiding document, and its progress will be reviewed at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, ensuring accountability and long-term impact.

  • All decisions in this country, a sovereign nation, are taken by its leadership-VP

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    lign=”center”>There is no power on the planet to dictate India how to handle its affairs-VP
    We work in tandem, we have mutual respect, diplomatic dialogues. But at the end of the day, we are sovereign, we take our own decisions-VP
    Is it required to have wrestling sessions as to who said what?, VP expresses concern
    Our object is not to just simply grow our economy, Our object is to develop the people-VP
    Vice-President Addresses Officer Trainees of the Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) 2024 Batch

    Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that, “Don’t be guided by narratives outside. All decisions in this country, a sovereign nation, are taken by its leadership. There is no power on the planet to dictate India how to handle its affairs. We do live in a nation and nations that are a comity. We work in togetherness, we work in tandem. We have mutual respect, diplomatic dialogues. But at the end of the day, we are sovereign, we take our own decisions.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1946559722725007704

    He underlined, “Is it required to play every bad ball? Is it required to have wrestling sessions as to who said what? One who scores good runs on the cricket pitch always leaves bad balls. They are tempting, but not attempted. And those who attempt, you have safe gloves of the wicket keeper and someone in the gully.”

    “There will be challenges. Challenges will be to create divisiveness. For example, we have seen global conflagrations — two of them in particular, you know them. These have become open-ended. Look at the devastation of property, human lives, and their misery. And look at our calibration. We taught a lesson — taught it well. We chose Bahawalpur and Muridke, and then brought it to a temporary conclusion. ‘Operation Sindoor’ is not over — it continues. Some people ask the question — why was it stopped? We are a nation that believes in peace, nonviolence, a land of Buddha, Mahavira, and Gandhi. We do not wish to kill even living beings — how can we target human beings? The idea was to generate sanity, to generate a sense of humanity in the others”, he added.

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1946562875889463711

    Addressing the officer trainees of Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) 2024 batch at the Vice-President’s Enclave today, Shri Dhankhar stated, “ Our demographic dividend is a global envy. 65% of our population is below 35 years of age. The median age of this country is 28, whereas that of China and the U.S. is around 38–39, and Japan, 48. Now, you are the chosen ones. You’ve got the opportunity to serve Bharat, home to one-sixth of humanity. And look at the area of your working. If you commit yourself, keeping into view our civilizational ethos, we are a unique nation. No nation can boast or claim to be closer to us — five thousand years of heritage, culture, legacy, knowledge, wisdom, repository. In such a situation — eighteen lakh acres? If you engage — which you are engaging, your seniors are engaging — you can define to the entire country, how to manage the estates, how to manage ecology, how to manage the environment, how to raise herbal gardens, what is sustainable development, how to protect and how to use modern technology.”

    “One aspect about which I am slightly concerned. Development, civilian development, close to the proximity of your states, requires your sanction. That sanction often gets into the domain of discretion and suffers delay. I would urge — evolve a mechanism or a protocol. Let people know about it — what height they can have. Why should the system come into play? With the kind of technology we have, we should be fully aware. Why can’t we put it on one platform? This is the area — if your building is coming up here, height will be this. Yet agencies have to be hired. People have to pay for it. Delay takes place. Now you can take the lead. You will earn the goodwill of the people around”, he added.

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1946560846785917408

    Expressing his concern over rising coaching centres in the country he stated, “Coaching is needed for skill. Coaching is needed to make you self-dependent. If for a limited number of seats, all over the country there are coaching centers vying with one another for advertisement space in newspapers. Not one — one page, two pages, three pages, sometimes four pages in a row. And what a spectacle — putting you boys and girls in photographs. No, this is not Bharat. We can’t have commodification and commercialisation. We have to believe in Gurukul. You have to come out of — youth has to come out of the silos. You have to know the opportunities elsewhere. Those opportunities are also very necessary for the development of the nation….I am not against anyone, but why should coaching become an integral part of education? After more than three decades, the nation has been blessed after getting input from stakeholders in hundreds of thousands, National Education Policy. Why coaching? Coach has to improve your skill. We can’t have people cramming and then getting through. We want thinking minds to get in and go there. Always bear that in mind”. 

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1946561334973460885

    Talking about ‘Viksit Bharat’ he stated, “ Our object is not to just simply grow our economy. Our object is to develop the people. Viksit Bharat is not our dream. It is not even our destination now. We are marching in that direction. Every day we are progressing towards that direction, and that’s a big challenge because 10 years of phenomenal development has given the people a taste of development. People of my generation never believed…there will be a toilet in the house, a gas connection in the house, internet connection, piped water, roads close by, school or health center, such world-class trains to travel. No. We never imagined. So the nation now has become globally the most aspirational nation in the world.”

    https://x.com/VPIndia/status/1946550260601606602

    Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary, Govt. of India, Shri S.N. Gupta, Director General, Defence Estates, Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Director, NIDEM and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

  • Sensex, Nifty open flat amid India-US trade deal uncertainty

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s benchmark indices opened on a cautious note Monday, as uncertainty surrounding the India-US trade deal weighed on investor sentiment and capped early gains.

    The Nifty rose 30.60 points, or 0.12 per cent, to open at 24,999, while the Sensex added 160.80 points, or 0.20 per cent, to start at 81,918.53. However, both indices quickly gave up their gains. By 9:20 am, the Sensex had slipped 50 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 81,714, and the Nifty was down 17 points, or 0.07 per cent, at 24,951.

    Analysts attribute the weak start to investor unease over the lack of progress in the fifth and latest round of India-US trade negotiations.

    “The failure to reach a breakthrough in the trade talks is pushing countries to pursue multilateral FTAs to reduce reliance on the US,” said Ajay Bagga, banking and market expert. “The final signing of the India-UK FTA this week will symbolize a broader shift towards multilateralism in a post-Pan-Americana world.”

    India and the UK had concluded negotiations on their FTA in May. Bagga stressed the need for India to deepen trade ties through new and existing FTAs, especially with ASEAN countries, where current terms favor imports over exports.

    Adding to the market pressure are concerns over a lackluster Q1 earnings season and ongoing uncertainty around US tariff policies. A potential US-India tariff deal is being closely watched as a possible trigger for market recovery.

    Another factor influencing sentiment is the flood of primary market activity. With several large IPOs and qualified institutional placements (QIPs) lined up, investors are diverting funds away from the secondary market. Promoters and private equity firms continue to dilute stakes, adding to the supply overhang.

    Meanwhile, a potentially positive development could emerge on the policy front. The NITI Aayog has reportedly recommended allowing automatic approvals for Chinese investments of up to 24 per cent in Indian companies, a move that could revive Chinese capital inflows and signal India’s openness to alternatives beyond the US.

    On the NSE, all major broad-market indices were under pressure. The Nifty 100 dropped 0.13 per cent, Nifty Midcap 100 slipped 0.10 per cent, and Nifty Smallcap 100 fell by 0.10 per cent.

    Sectorally, only Nifty Media, Nifty Metal, and Nifty Realty showed gains. The rest lagged, with Nifty Auto down 0.37 per cent, Nifty FMCG lower by 0.32 per cent, Nifty IT falling 0.67 per cent, and Nifty PSU Bank declining the most, by 0.70 per cent.

    “The Nifty 50 did not perform well last week, ending down by 181 points. Back-to-back bearish candles indicate that sellers are in control, which could push prices further down,” said Sunil Gurjar, SEBI-registered analyst and founder of Alphamojo Financial Services. “A breakdown below 25,250 would signal a strong downtrend. The 24,650 level could act as crucial support. If breached, it may confirm further downside. That said, prices remain above key moving averages, hinting at underlying strength.”

    (With inputs from ANI)
    @918920982302

  • Over three lakh perform Amarnath Yatra in 18 days

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over 300,000 yatris have undertaken the ongoing Amarnath Yatra in the 18 days since it began on July 3. With 20 days still left for the yatra’s conclusion on August 9, the figure is likely to exceed the official estimate of 3.5 lakh this year.

    Officials said that as of Sunday, 3.07 lakh pilgrims had ‘darshan’ inside the holy cave shrine.

    “Another batch of 3,791 yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas today for the Valley in two escorted convoys. The first convoy of 52 vehicles carrying 1,208 yatris to the Baltal base camp left at 3:33 a.m., while the second convoy of 96 vehicles carrying 2,583 yatris to the Pahalgam base camp left at 4:06 a.m.,” officials said.

    J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), visited the Baltal base camp on Sunday. The L-G chaired a meeting of officials to review the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the yatra. He had lunch with the yatris at one of the ‘Langars’ at Baltal and also interacted with them. The L-G expressed satisfaction with both the security and other arrangements made for the yatra.

    This year, the Bhumi Pujan of ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Mace) was performed at Pahalgam on July 10. The Chhari Mubarak was taken to Pahalgam by a group of seers led by its sole custodian, Mahant Swami Deependra Giri, from its seat at the Dashnami Akhara Building in Srinagar.

    In Pahalgam, the Chhari Mubarak was taken to the Gauri Shankar temple, where the Bhumi Pujan was held. It was then taken back to its seat at the Dashnami Akhara building. It will begin its final journey towards the cave shrine from the Dashnami Akhara temple in Srinagar on August 4 and will reach the holy cave shrine on August 9, marking the official conclusion of the yatra.

    Authorities have made extensive multi-tier security arrangements for this year’s Amarnath Yatra, as this takes place after the cowardly attack of April 22 in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians after segregating them based on faith in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam. An additional 180 companies of CAPFs have been brought in to augment the existing strength of the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB, and the local police. The Army has deployed over 8,000 specially trained commandos to secure the passage of the yatris.

    This year, the yatra started on July 3 and will end after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

    Yatris approach the holy cave shrine, situated 3,888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas, from either the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route. Those using the Pahalgam route pass through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni to reach the cave shrine, covering a distance of 46 km on foot over four days. Those using the shorter Baltal route trek 14 km to reach the shrine and can return to the base camp the same day after having darshan.

    No helicopter services are available to yatris this year due to security reasons.

    The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe the structure symbolizes the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

    (IANS) 

  • Calm reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus says truce holding

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Residents reported calm in Syria’s Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city and a U.S. envoy signalled that a deal to end days of fighting was being implemented.

    With hundreds reported killed, the Sweida bloodshed is a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, prompting Israel to launch airstrikes against government forces last week as it declared support for the Druze.Fighting continued on Saturday despite a ceasefire call.

    Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday that internal security forces had managed to calm the situation and enforce the ceasefire, “paving the way for a prisoner exchange and the gradual return of stability throughout the governorate”.

    Reuters images showed interior ministry forces near the city, blocking the road in front of members of tribes congregated there. The Interior Ministry said late on Saturday that Bedouin fighters had left the city.

    U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said the sides had “navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities”. “The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process,” he wrote on X.

    Kenan Azzam, a dentist, said there was an uneasy calm but the city’s residents were struggling with a lack of water and electricity. “The hospitals are a disaster and out of service, and there are still so many dead and wounded,” he said by phone.

    Another resident, Raed Khazaal, said aid was urgently needed. “Houses are destroyed … The smell of corpses is spread throughout the national hospital,” he said in a voice message to Reuters from Sweida.

    The Syrian state news agency said an aid convoy sent to the city by the government was refused entry while aid organised by the Syrian Red Crescent was let in. A source familiar with the situation said local factions in Sweida had turned back the government convoy.

    Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that Israel sent urgent medical aid to the Druze in Sweida and the step was coordinated with Washington and Syria. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Foreign Ministry and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Shi’ite Islam. Some hardline Sunnis deem their beliefs heretical.

    The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze.

    Residents of the predominantly Druze city said friends and neighbours were shot at close range in their homes or in the streets by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia.

    Sharaa on Thursday promised to protect the rights of Druze and to hold to account those who committed violations against “our Druze people”.

    He has blamed the violence on “outlaw groups”.

    While Sharaa has won U.S. backing since meeting President Donald Trump in May, the violence has underscored the challenge he faces stitching back together a country shattered by 14 years of conflict, and added to pressures on its mosaic of sectarian and ethnic groups.

    COASTAL VIOLENCE

    After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defence ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarisation of territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida.

    He also said Israel would protect the Druze.

    The United States however said it did not support the Israeli strikes. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area for two days.

    A Syrian security source told Reuters that internal security forces had taken up positions near Sweida, establishing checkpoints in western and eastern parts of the province where retreating tribal fighters had gathered.

    On Sunday, Sharaa received the report of an inquiry into violence in Syria’s coastal region in March, where Reuters reported in June that Syrian forces killed 1,500 members of the Alawite minority following attacks on security forces.

    The presidency said it would review the inquiry’s conclusions and ensure steps to “bring about justice” and prevent the recurrence of “such violations”. It called on the inquiry to hold a news conference on its findings – if appropriate – as soon as possible.

    The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on July 18 it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Sweida province since July 13. The preliminary toll included civilians, women, children, Bedouin fighters, members of local groups and members of the security forces, it said, and the dead included people killed in field executions by both sides.

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another monitoring group, has reported a death toll of at least 940 people.

    Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-Evening Report: In a world first, The Hague wants to arrest Taliban leaders over their treatment of women – what happens next?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria, Lecturer in Criminal Law and International Law, Curtin University

    Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan.

    The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II cited reasonable grounds for believing supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani were guilty of “ordering, inducing or soliciting the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds.”

    The warrants – the first ever on charges of gender persecution – are being hailed as an “important vindication and acknowledgement of the rights of Afghan women and girls”.

    But will they improve the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan, given the Taliban does not recognise the court or its jurisdiction?

    The signs are not good with the Taliban denying the allegations and condemning the warrants as a “clear act of hostility [and an] insult to the beliefs of Muslims around the world”.

    Erased from public life

    Strict rules and prohibitions have been imposed on the Afghan people since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

    Women and girls have been singled out for even worse treatment by reason of their gender.

    According the warrants, the Taliban has

    severely deprived, through decrees and edicts, girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion.

    Women are banned from public places and girls from attending school once they turn 12.

    Zahra Nader is the editor-in-chief of newsroom Zan Times which investigates human rights violations in Afghanistan. She says Afghan women and girls are being silenced, restricted and stripped of their basic human rights.

    It is this discriminatory system of control of woman and girls in Afghanistan that is at the core of the court’s prosecution.

    The warrants also accuse the Taliban of persecuting

    other persons who don’t conform with the Taliban’s ideological expectations of gender, gender identity or expression; and on political grounds against persons perceived as ‘allies of girls and women.

    This is the first time an international tribunal or court has confirmed crimes against humanity involving LGBTQIA+ victims. This marks an important milestone in the protection of sexual minorities under international law.

    Crimes against humanity

    International law clearly spells put the offences which constitute crimes against humanity.

    The aim is to protect civilians from serious and widespread attacks on their fundamental rights. Different definitions of crimes against humanity have been included in the statutes of a handful of international tribunals and courts.

    The definition under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the most comprehensive. It includes severe deprivation of personal liberty, murder, enslavement, rape, torture, forced deportation or apartheid.

    Specifically, the Taliban leaders are accused under Article 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute, which states:

    Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender […] or other grounds that are universally recognised as impermissible under international law.

    Physical and direct violence is not necessary for persecution on “gender […] grounds” to be established. Systemic and institutionalised forms of harm, which can be the imposition of discriminatory societal norms, are sufficient.

    Women and girls are often disproportionately affected by Taliban policies and rules. But proving gender-based crimes have occurred is not enough. Discriminatory intent must also be established.

    The Taliban has been open about its religious beliefs and interpretations, suggesting a clear intention to persecute on the grounds of gender.

    Not just symbolic

    As with other cases, the court relies on the cooperation of states to execute and surrender those accused.

    The interim government in Kabul which was formed after the US-led invasion in 2001 became a party to the Rome Statute in 2003. Afghanistan remains legally obligated to prosecute perpetrators of these crimes – it must accept the Court’s jurisdiction in the matter.

    The Purple Saturdays Movement, an Afghan women-led protest group, is warning the arrest warrants must be more than just symbolic. Any failure to prosecute would likely result in an escalation of human rights violations:

    The Taliban has historically responded to international pressure not with reform, but by intensifying such repressive policies.

    Hopeful step

    It is important to note the strict policies and widespread abuses targeting women and girls in Afghanistan are ongoing, despite the intervention by the International Criminal Court.

    The court’s Office of the Prosecutor is stressing its commitment to pursuing “effective legal pathways” to bring the Taliban leadership to account. The Afghan Women’s Movement in Exile wants an independent international judicial committee established to monitor and accelerate the legal process.

    It is not yet clear if the warrants will actually lead to arrest and prosecution in The Hague. But we know this is possible. A prime example being the the arrest earlier this year of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

    At the very least, the arrests warrants are a hopeful step towards accountability for the Taliban and justice for the women and girls of Afghanistan.

    Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria 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. In a world first, The Hague wants to arrest Taliban leaders over their treatment of women – what happens next? – https://theconversation.com/in-a-world-first-the-hague-wants-to-arrest-taliban-leaders-over-their-treatment-of-women-what-happens-next-261008

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: In a world first, The Hague wants to arrest Taliban leaders over their treatment of women – what happens next?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria, Lecturer in Criminal Law and International Law, Curtin University

    Earlier this month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan.

    The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II cited reasonable grounds for believing supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani were guilty of “ordering, inducing or soliciting the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds.”

    The warrants – the first ever on charges of gender persecution – are being hailed as an “important vindication and acknowledgement of the rights of Afghan women and girls”.

    But will they improve the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan, given the Taliban does not recognise the court or its jurisdiction?

    The signs are not good with the Taliban denying the allegations and condemning the warrants as a “clear act of hostility [and an] insult to the beliefs of Muslims around the world”.

    Erased from public life

    Strict rules and prohibitions have been imposed on the Afghan people since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

    Women and girls have been singled out for even worse treatment by reason of their gender.

    According the warrants, the Taliban has

    severely deprived, through decrees and edicts, girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion.

    Women are banned from public places and girls from attending school once they turn 12.

    Zahra Nader is the editor-in-chief of newsroom Zan Times which investigates human rights violations in Afghanistan. She says Afghan women and girls are being silenced, restricted and stripped of their basic human rights.

    It is this discriminatory system of control of woman and girls in Afghanistan that is at the core of the court’s prosecution.

    The warrants also accuse the Taliban of persecuting

    other persons who don’t conform with the Taliban’s ideological expectations of gender, gender identity or expression; and on political grounds against persons perceived as ‘allies of girls and women.

    This is the first time an international tribunal or court has confirmed crimes against humanity involving LGBTQIA+ victims. This marks an important milestone in the protection of sexual minorities under international law.

    Crimes against humanity

    International law clearly spells put the offences which constitute crimes against humanity.

    The aim is to protect civilians from serious and widespread attacks on their fundamental rights. Different definitions of crimes against humanity have been included in the statutes of a handful of international tribunals and courts.

    The definition under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the most comprehensive. It includes severe deprivation of personal liberty, murder, enslavement, rape, torture, forced deportation or apartheid.

    Specifically, the Taliban leaders are accused under Article 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute, which states:

    Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender […] or other grounds that are universally recognised as impermissible under international law.

    Physical and direct violence is not necessary for persecution on “gender […] grounds” to be established. Systemic and institutionalised forms of harm, which can be the imposition of discriminatory societal norms, are sufficient.

    Women and girls are often disproportionately affected by Taliban policies and rules. But proving gender-based crimes have occurred is not enough. Discriminatory intent must also be established.

    The Taliban has been open about its religious beliefs and interpretations, suggesting a clear intention to persecute on the grounds of gender.

    Not just symbolic

    As with other cases, the court relies on the cooperation of states to execute and surrender those accused.

    The interim government in Kabul which was formed after the US-led invasion in 2001 became a party to the Rome Statute in 2003. Afghanistan remains legally obligated to prosecute perpetrators of these crimes – it must accept the Court’s jurisdiction in the matter.

    The Purple Saturdays Movement, an Afghan women-led protest group, is warning the arrest warrants must be more than just symbolic. Any failure to prosecute would likely result in an escalation of human rights violations:

    The Taliban has historically responded to international pressure not with reform, but by intensifying such repressive policies.

    Hopeful step

    It is important to note the strict policies and widespread abuses targeting women and girls in Afghanistan are ongoing, despite the intervention by the International Criminal Court.

    The court’s Office of the Prosecutor is stressing its commitment to pursuing “effective legal pathways” to bring the Taliban leadership to account. The Afghan Women’s Movement in Exile wants an independent international judicial committee established to monitor and accelerate the legal process.

    It is not yet clear if the warrants will actually lead to arrest and prosecution in The Hague. But we know this is possible. A prime example being the the arrest earlier this year of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

    At the very least, the arrests warrants are a hopeful step towards accountability for the Taliban and justice for the women and girls of Afghanistan.

    Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria 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. In a world first, The Hague wants to arrest Taliban leaders over their treatment of women – what happens next? – https://theconversation.com/in-a-world-first-the-hague-wants-to-arrest-taliban-leaders-over-their-treatment-of-women-what-happens-next-261008

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Waikato medical school gets green light

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A new medical school will be established at the University of Waikato as part of the Government’s plan to build a stronger health workforce, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Universities Minister Dr Shane Reti say.

    “Cabinet has approved the business case for the new school, which will have a strong focus on primary care and rural health,” Mr Brown says.

    “With $82.85 million in Government funding and over $150 million from the University, supported by philanthropic investment, this is a substantial commitment to education and regional development in the Waikato.

    “Today’s decision will enable the University of Waikato to begin construction on new teaching facilities later this year and start planning for clinical placements, while giving more students the opportunity to study medicine in New Zealand.”

    The school will offer a graduate-entry programme, providing a flexible new pathway into medicine that helps attract a broader range of students and build a stronger, more diverse workforce.

    “It’s an innovative model that supports our focus on strengthening primary care, making it easier for people to see their doctor – helping Kiwis stay well and out of hospital.

    “It also builds on the University’s recent additions of nursing, pharmacy, and midwifery programmes, demonstrating a strong and growing commitment to developing New Zealand’s health workforce.”

    A full cost-benefit analysis was presented to Cabinet before any proposal was finalised, as part of the National – ACT coalition agreement.

    Mr Brown says the school builds on the Government’s record investment in the health system and workforce.

    “Today’s announcement adds 120 doctor training places each year, starting in 2028 – a significant boost to our long-term pipeline of homegrown medical workforce.

    “This is on top of the 100 additional medical training places that are being added over the term of this Government across the University of Auckland and University of Otago.”

    Dr Reti says the decision represents a significant step forward for both the University of Waikato and the wider region.

    “This is a major milestone for the University and a real boost for tertiary education in the Waikato. 

    “It strengthens the University’s position as a leader in education, training, and research, and creates new academic and economic opportunities for Hamilton, the Waikato, and rural communities.

    “By expanding access to medical training, we’re creating new opportunities for students from across the region and beyond, while also helping to future-proof the local workforce.

    “This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking initiative this Government wants to see from our universities – investing in regional growth, building local capability, and delivering on the needs of rural communities.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Defence Cuts – Govt wrong to cut another 255 civilian Defence jobs at time of rising risks

    Source: PSA

    – 255 civilian roles across NZDF to go
    – 10% of civilian workforce downsized in last year
    – Another 46 roles proposed to go
    The Government is fooling itself if cutting 10% of the civilian workforce is how you build a modern, combat ready defence force at a time of rising security risks.
    NZDF today confirmed final decisions that will see 255 roles cut across the force, making a total of one in ten roles axed in the last year (including voluntary redundancies). This is down from the original proposal of 347 roles in March. 46 further roles may go depending on the outcome of additional consultation.
    “This is incredibly shortsighted when a modern defence force needs a well-resourced civilian workforce to support our men and women in uniform,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    The cuts include roles in the army, air force, strategy, health and safety, Defence College, Joint Defence Services, Joint Support Group, financial, Chief of Staff office and Veterans Affairs.
    “This is all about saving money, not strengthening security. It doesn’t make any sense when tensions are rising across the Asia Pacific area and in Europe. It was only a few months ago that a warship from China was in the Tasman Sea.”
    NZDF told staff today it  was facing a tough fiscal environment which has forced it to make deep cuts in a number of areas to save money including:
    • “cancelling some training activities and major exercises”
    • “reducing flying hours, sea days and other training”
    • “pausing property maintenance”
    “The Government is investing in military equipment and technology which is a good thing but is blind to the fact that civilian defence workers, like engineers, IT specialists and many others are needed to support this.
    “All these cuts to jobs will do is increase already heavy workloads, leading to more stress and burnout, and forcing those in uniform to pick up the work of the civilian workers. That is not what they signed up to do and won’t help NZDF improve retention.
    “Civilian workers are the backbone of Defence, yet the Government continues to disrespect their vital role. It’s the wrong choice.”
    Previous statement
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • Japan’s shaky government loses upper house control

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Japan’s ruling coalition lost control of the upper house in an election on Sunday, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States.

    While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba’s administration will fall, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October.

    Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs.

    That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October’s lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba’s administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change.

    Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he “solemnly” accepted the “harsh result”.

    “We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States…we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests,” he later told TV Tokyo.

    Asked whether he intended to stay on as premier, he said “that’s right”.

    Japan, the world’s fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market.

    The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats.

    Meanwhile, the far-right Sanseito party announced its arrival in mainstream politics, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube a few years ago, the populist party found wider appeal with its ‘Japanese First’ campaign and warnings about a “silent invasion” of foreigners.

    ‘HAMMERED HOME’

    Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending struck a chord with voters, as rising consumer prices – particularly a jump in the cost of rice – have sowed frustration at the government’s response.

    “The LDP was largely playing defence in this election, being on the wrong side of a key voter issue,” said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group.

    “Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes. Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home.”

    The LDP has been urging fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan’s ability to refinance the world’s largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say.

    “The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the cooperation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand,” said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo.

    “Overseas investors’ evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh.”

    Sanseito, which first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, is among those advocating fiscal expansion.

    But it is its tough talk on immigration that has grabbed attention, dragging once-fringe political rhetoric into the mainstream.

    It remains to be seen whether the party can follow the path of other far-right parties with which it has drawn comparisons, such as Germany’s AfD and Reform UK.

    “I am attending graduate school but there are no Japanese around me. All of them are foreigners,” said Yu Nagai, a 25-year-old student who voted for Sanseito earlier on Sunday.

    “When I look at the way compensation and money are spent on foreigners, I think that Japanese people are a bit disrespected,” Nagai said after casting his ballot at a polling station in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward.

    Japan, the world’s fastest aging society, saw foreign-born residents hit a record of about 3.8 million last year.

    That is still just 3% of the total population, a much smaller fraction than in the United States and Europe, but comes amid a tourism boom that has made foreigners far more visible across the country.

    (Reuters)

  • Parliament’s Monsoon Session to begin today amid opposition heat over Operation Sindoor, electoral roll row

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to begin on Monday, marking the first sitting since Operation Sindoor, India’s precision airstrikes targeting terror camps in Pakistan in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address both Houses before proceedings officially commence.

    The session, running from July 21 to August 21, will include 21 sittings over 32 days. Both Houses will be adjourned from August 12 to August 17 for Independence Day celebrations and reconvene on August 18.

    This session is set against a tense political backdrop, with the Opposition demanding answers on several key national issues. Chief among them is Operation Sindoor, launched following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. The Opposition is pressing for a detailed statement from the Prime Minister and clarity on the operation’s strategic objectives and aftermath. Additionally, it has called on the government to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of mediating peace between India and Pakistan — a claim New Delhi has consistently denied.

    Another issue expected to dominate the debate is the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Opposition parties have raised concerns over the timing and transparency of the exercise, alleging that it is a politically motivated move to influence the upcoming state elections. The government has denied these allegations, stating that the revision is part of routine electoral procedures.

    Despite these contentious matters, the government is prepared to push ahead with an ambitious legislative agenda. Several key bills are slated for introduction, including legislation on GST reforms, amendments to taxation laws, public trust regulation, sports governance, ports and minerals management, and the preservation of geo-heritage sites. A parliamentary panel report on the proposed Income Tax Bill, 2025, is also scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha, signaling a possible overhaul of the country’s tax framework.

    Adding to the already weighty agenda, Parliament is also expected to take up a proposal concerning the removal of a judge, further heightening political sensitivities during the session.

    In a high-level all-party meeting held on Sunday, chaired by Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, 54 leaders from 40 political parties discussed the agenda and key concerns for the session. Rijiju reiterated the government’s commitment to discussing all issues of national importance, including Operation Sindoor, within the rules and conventions of Parliament.

    “We are very open to a discussion on important issues like Operation Sindoor. These are issues of great national importance. The government is not shying away and will never shy away, but is open to discussions within rules and conventions,” said Rijiju.

    (With agencies inputs)

  • Ceasefire Holds in Syria After Deadly Sectarian Clashes

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A tenuous ceasefire has taken hold in Syria’s Suwayda province after a week of sectarian violence between Druze fighters, Bedouin tribes, and government forces, which killed over 800 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Announced by President Ahmed al-Sharaa on July 19, the truce is holding, with security forces deployed to enforce peace and oversee the withdrawal of Bedouin fighters from Suwayda city. The conflict began on July 13, triggered by the abduction of a Druze merchant on the Damascus highway, escalating tensions in the Druze-majority province. Government forces, accused of siding with Bedouin fighters and committing abuses against Druze civilians, intensified the clashes. Israel responded with airstrikes on Syrian military targets, citing protection of the Druze minority.

    A US-brokered ceasefire between Syria and Israel on July 18, followed by al-Sharaa’s comprehensive truce, has shown progress. Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri endorsed the agreement, calling for safe passage for Bedouin fighters and humanitarian aid for civilians. While earlier ceasefires failed, the latest has seen Bedouin fighters leave Suwayda city, with security checkpoints established.

    Skepticism persists among some Druze leaders, wary of the government’s Sunni Islamist leanings. The UN and international actors, including the US and EU, welcomed the ceasefire but urged accountability for reported atrocities, including executions. The violence displaced many, with Suwayda’s hospitals overwhelmed, reporting over 300 casualties since last Monday.

    Israel targeted the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters and a site near the presidential palace, marking a rare escalation. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of ‘painful blows’ if Syrian forces did not withdraw from the south President al-Sharaa’s interim government, in power since ousting Bashar al-Assad in 2024, faces challenges in unifying Syria’s diverse groups. The ceasefire’s success depends on enforcing security and addressing sectarian grievances to prevent further unrest.

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Final register of voters released

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The 2025 final register of voters for Election Committee subsectors (ECSSs) was released today.

    The Registration & Electoral Office said the final register contains 3,310 individual voters and 5,567 corporate voters, adding up to a total of 8,877 voters.

    Registered voters in contested subsectors can vote in the 2025 ECSS By-elections on September 7 to elect Election Committee member(s) in their subsectors.

    Registered individual and corporate voters can check their own registration particulars through “iAM Smart” or the voter registration website.

    Relevant statistical information has been uploaded to the voter registration website.

    A notice on the inspection of the final register of voters for ECSSs was published in the Government Gazette today.

    Under the law, a copy of the final register containing entries relating to individual voters can only be shown in accordance with statutory requirements, and made available for inspection by specified persons only.

    A copy of the final register containing only corporate voters may be inspected by any member of the public.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on July 18, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 7,138.57 5.28 4.50-6.30
         I. Call Money 1,238.40 5.11 4.75-5.40
         II. Triparty Repo 3,345.50 5.22 5.00-5.30
         III. Market Repo 140.12 4.76 4.50-5.00
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,414.55 5.47 5.40-6.30
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 15,023.65 5.35 4.75-5.45
         II. Term Money@@ 596.00 – 5.35-5.70
         III. Triparty Repo 3,98,881.50 5.31 5.20-5.43
         IV. Market Repo 1,84,937.94 5.36 5.00-5.60
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Fri, 18/07/2025 7 Fri, 25/07/2025 2,00,027.00 5.49
    3. MSF# Fri, 18/07/2025 1 Sat, 19/07/2025 151.00 5.75
      Fri, 18/07/2025 2 Sun, 20/07/2025 0.00 5.75
      Fri, 18/07/2025 3 Mon, 21/07/2025 800.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Fri, 18/07/2025 1 Sat, 19/07/2025 1,13,210.00 5.25
      Fri, 18/07/2025 2 Sun, 20/07/2025 0.00 5.25
      Fri, 18/07/2025 3 Mon, 21/07/2025 3,380.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -3,15,666.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       6,150.48  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     6,150.48  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -3,09,515.52  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks          
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on July 18, 2025 9,91,739.51  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending July 25, 2025 9,63,288.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ July 18, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on June 27, 2025 5,79,904.00  

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

    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.

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

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

    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.

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

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/744

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Innovation and optimisation to improve medicines access

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has today announced more clear expectations for Pharmac to innovate and optimise to further build on expectations set last year; to deliver the medicines and medical technology that Kiwis need. 

    “Increasing medicines access is one of my greatest priorities. For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.  

    Since my last letter of expectations Pharmac has:

    • Improved overall consultation
    • Added additional consultation to the annual tender process
    • Changed funding criteria based on public feedback, such as the decision to fund two types of oestradiol patches
    • Appointed Natalie McMurtry as the incoming Chief Executive to cement positive change, and continue to move towards a more transparent, inclusive, and people-focused organisation
    • Conducted, and published a report on, the Consumer Engagement Workshop to help reset the Patient-Pharmac relationship
    • Appointed a Consumer Working Group to help reset the Patient-Pharmac relationship
    • Funded access to 66 additional medicines using the Government’s $604 million budget boost over four years which will benefit over 200,000 New Zealanders

    “This is a good start. My letter of expectations for this year makes it very clear that there is still more work to be done. I expect this positive culture shift to continue,” Mr Seymour says. 

    “Pharmac must modernise, or it will fall behind. It needs to adopt faster, smarter processes and explore the use of AI to lift performance.”

    My expectations for this year are that Pharmac should: 

    • Explore how it can optimise medicines assessment and procurement processes to make them more efficient
    • Explore ways to utilise AI to make their processes more efficient
    • Consider the fiscal impacts to the government of funding medicines and medical devices, including costs of societal impacts of funding or not funding a medicine or medical device
    • Be more proactive in engaging with stakeholders
    • Look for new and additional funding opportunities for medicines and medical devices
    • Publish measurable performance metrics and timely decisions to increase transparency
    • Continue to involve patients early in the process and engage with them meaningfully

    “We’re committed to ensuring that the regulatory system for pharmaceuticals is not unreasonably holding back access. It will lead to more Kiwis being able to access the medicines they need to live a fulfilling life,” Mr Seymour says. 

    “I am looking forward to continuing to work with Pharmac as we continue to ensure Kiwis get timely access to medicines and medical devices.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Traffic Arrangements On 23 July At Tuas Second Link Due To Singapore-Malaysia Chemical Spill Exercise

    Source: Government of Singapore

    Lane closures and traffic diversion from 5am to 2pm

    Singapore, 21 July 2025 – As part of the bilateral cooperation programme under the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE), the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore, and the Department of Environment (DOE), Malaysia, together with several other agencies, will be holding a chemical spill emergency response exercise on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, at the Tuas Second Link from 5.00am to 2.00pm.

    2               During the period of the exercise, all three lanes on the Singapore to Malaysia-bound carriageway on the Tuas Second Link will be closed to vehicular traffic. Motorists travelling towards Malaysia will be diverted to a lane on the opposite carriageway instead. Motorists should plan their journey in advance and closely follow the traffic marshals’ directions on site. Where possible, motorists are advised to avoid the Tuas Second Link when the exercise is ongoing and use the Woodlands Checkpoint during this period. Motorists are also advised to tune in to the Singapore radio stations for traffic updates.

    3               The exercise will simulate the emergency response to a multi-vehicle collision along the Tuas Second Link involving trucks carrying chemicals. The public is advised not to be alarmed.

     

    ~~ End ~~

     

    For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: L’Oréal debuts at China Intl Supply Chain Expo, signs cooperation deal

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

    L’Oréal participated as the only multinational beauty company at the third China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing last week, showcasing supply chain innovations under the theme “Connected with Beauty.”

    Lan Zhenzhen, president of public affairs for L’Oréal North Asia and China, speaks at the opening of the L’Oréal booth during the third China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, July 17, 2025. [Photo courtesy of L’Oréal]

    “A high-quality supply chain resembles a grand symphony that requires collective participation and multi-party collaboration to create perfect harmony,” said Lan Zhenzhen, president of public affairs for L’Oréal North Asia and China, on Thursday.

    Lan said supply chains create “bonds of empathy” and “shared success,” pointing to L’Oréal’s partnerships with more than 1,600 Chinese suppliers that drive employment, advance sustainability and bring Chinese innovations to global markets.

    During the expo, L’Oréal and the China Association for Bar Code Technology and Application announced a strategic partnership to collaborate on cosmetic QR code technology development, talent training and global digital transformation. The cooperation will advance industry-wide QR code standardization and promote China’s technical expertise globally, they said.

    Representatives from L’Oréal and the China Association for Bar Code Technology and Application sign an agreement at the L’Oréal booth during the third China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, July 17, 2025. [Photo courtesy of L’Oréal]

    Kong Hongliang, chairman of the China Association for Bar Code Technology and Application, said the collaboration will focus on improving and globally promoting the cosmetics QR code standard system, establishing a digital system covering the entire industrial chain to enhance supply chain efficiency and accelerating industry visualization to build a “one-code traceability” trust system.

    The partnership represents an upgraded collaboration following the organizations’ 2023 joint development and release of QR code representation standards for cosmetic retail units. Since publication, the standards have been widely adopted by companies implementing digital upgrades, the association said.

    “This partnership not only deepens standard co-development but marks a milestone in global cosmetic supply chain digital transformation,” Kong said.

    The L’Oréal booth at the third China International Supply Chain Expo. [Photo courtesy of L’Oréal]

    At its booth, L’Oréal displayed three sections showcasing its consumer-focused supply chain system, collaborative achievements with partners, and extensions of local partnerships to international markets.

    L’Oréal operates 32 beauty brands in China through two production centers, one operations hub, one research and development center, one packaging facility, and a logistics network spanning more than 20 regional distribution centers serving over 100 million consumers, the company said.

    L’Oréal China said every job it creates generates 20 additional positions across its value chain, including raw material procurement, logistics and beauty services.

    The company’s Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program has engaged more than 2,240 firms, while driving over 95% of its Chinese suppliers to participate in carbon disclosure and sustainability assessments.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Consumer and Patient Working Group to help Pharmac reset

    Source: PHARMAC

    Patient advocate, Dr Malcolm Mulholland, has been appointed Chair of the new Consumer and Patient Working Group that will help Pharmac reset how it works with consumers.

    Pharmac has committed to a 12-month reset programme to become a more outward-focussed and transparent organisation. This is in response to multiple external reviews over the last few years which sought transformational change in Pharmac.

    The new working group, made up of the consumer and patient community, will decide what Pharmac focuses on for the reset programme, taking a hands-on role in the delivery of the work to ensure it reflects consumers’ needs, values, and perspectives. 

    Acting Pharmac Chief Executive, Brendan Boyle, said Dr Mulholland was selected by the patient advocacy community to lead the group, and brings a lot of mana to the role. 

    “We are grateful that Malcolm, and the other nine members of the working group, have offered to partner with us to help us get the Pharmac reset work right.”

    Dr Mulholland said, “We’ve waited a long time for this opportunity.  The work that Pharmac does is vitally important for the health of patients and their families, and this is why getting Pharmac to work as well as it can, will be the focus of the working group.”

    The working group had their first meeting on Monday 21 July at the Pharmac offices in Wellington. They finalised the group’s terms of reference, confirmed the approach for the reset programme, and agreed the first set of actions to focus on.  

    The consumer and patient working group members are:

    • Dr Malcolm Mulholland MNZM – Patient Voice Aotearoa
    • Libby Burgess MNZM – Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition
    • Tim Edmonds – Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ 
    • Chris Higgins – Rare Disorders NZ 
    • Francesca Holloway – Arthritis NZ 
    • Trent Lash – Heartbeats Charitable Trust
    • Gerard Rushton – The Meningitis Foundation 
    • Rachel Smalley MNZM – The Medicine Gap
    • Tracy Tierney – Epilepsy NZ
    • Deon York – Haemophilia NZ

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pātea: A World-First Māori Gambling Harm Digital Platform Launches Across Aotearoa

    Source: Hapai Te Hauora

    Aotearoa is leading the world in gambling harm innovation with the launch of Pātea – a groundbreaking digital platform designed by Māori, for Māori, to help free whānau from the burdens of gambling harm.
    Pātea, meaning to be free or lifted of burden, is an indigenously designed, built, and operated digital platform, the first of its kind globally. It was co-designed with whānau who have lived experience of gambling harm, ensuring every part of the app feels supportive, culturally grounded, and whānau friendly.
    Morris Pita, CEO of the Māori-owned and operated software firm Tai Pari Mōhio Ltd, is excited by the impact of digital technology as a tool to reduce gambling harm.
    “It has been an incredible experience for our tech and data science team to take their unique blend of technical and cultural skills, and use these to build a state-of-the-art cloud platform and application – deploying agentic AI to deliver 24/7 online support to whānau suffering from the impact of gambling harm.”
    With the rapid rise of online gambling and digital casinos, whānau are being targeted like never before. Māori communities, already disproportionately affected by gambling harm, are particularly at risk.
    “We see the harm gambling has every day in our communities,” says Jason Alexander, Chief Operating Officer at Hāpai Te Hauora. “The environment is changing fast, and we need new tools that meet whānau where they’re at. Pātea is one of those tools. A safe, judgement free space to pause, reflect, and find support.”
    Pātea was created by three Māori-led organisations – Hāpai Te Hauora, Whare Tiaki Hauora, and Tai Pari Mōhio – combining over 60 years of expertise in public health, mental health, digital innovation, and whānau-led service design.
    Pātea offers features like:
    • 24/7 generative AI chatbot – providing instant, culturally safe support
    • Online counselling sessions – available for gamblers and their whānau
    • Whānau testimonial videos – real voices sharing hope and strategies
    • Self and whānau assessment tools – to identify when help is needed
    • Links to local services and app-blocking tools
    • Accessible, easy-to-read information on gambling harm
    “This isn’t just another platform. It’s a digital extension of kaupapa Māori care, designed with the people we serve, not just for them,” says Alexander.
    Pātea is free to use now at: www.patea.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Water Standards – ‘Only a matter of time’ before a baby is harmed due to nitrate contamination, warns Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace Aotearoa says that the news that the Gore water supply had exceeded the Government’s maximum allowable value of nitrate in drinking water raises concerns over potential harm to infants.
    This is the second town to make headlines by exceeding nitrate levels in the town water supply in the last year, with Canterbury’s Glenavy township exceeding the MAV (maximum allowable value) in December last year. The MAV was set in the 1960s to prevent methemoglobinemia, or Blue Baby Syndrome, which can be fatal.
    Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says “It’s only a matter of time before we see a baby harmed in New Zealand due to consuming formula mixed with nitrate contaminated water. It is absolutely unacceptable that rural communities are unable to drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap – and this is happening more and more frequently.”
    “The main source of this contamination is the intensive dairy industry – in particular, the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. To avoid the risk to life that is posed by nitrate contamination, we need to stop the pollution at the source, and that means implementing a sinking cap on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.
    “However, the Luxon Government is doing the opposite. Rather than changing our laws to protect freshwater, Chris Bishop is implementing a freshwater pollution plan. He is weakening the national direction on freshwater, and removing the cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use.
    “We know that the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is causing nitrate contamination, and already towns in rural areas like Canterbury and Southland are facing the consequences of this, with undrinkable water. Removing limits on fertiliser use will worsen the drinking water crisis – and it’s only a matter of time before it proves to be dangerous.”
    There are several health risks associated with nitrate levels much lower than the current maximum allowable value of 11.3 mg/L. Long term exposure to nitrate contaminated water above 1 mg/L has been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. At levels above 5 mg/L, the New Zealand College of Midwives recomm

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Medical Team Conducts Health Engagements in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga [Image 1 of 7]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 24, 2025) U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Foley, center, Critical Care Physician with Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), and U.S. Navy Lt. Brittany Debow, left, Critical Care Nurse with PP-25, assist Dr. Richard Taumoepeau, a local physician, right, during an ultrasound-guided thoracentesis on a local patient at Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 24, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Courtesy Asset/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.24.2025
    Date Posted: 07.20.2025 23:23
    Photo ID: 9191484
    VIRIN: 250624-N-NO900-1001
    Resolution: 1086×724
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    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Medical Team Conducts Health Engagements in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga [Image 2 of 7]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 24, 2025) U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Foley, right, Critical Care Physician with Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), and U.S. Navy Lt. Brittany Debow, left, Critical Care Nurse with PP-25, assist Dr. Richard Taumoepeau, a local physician, center, during an ultrasound-guided thoracentesis on a local patient at Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 24, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Courtesy Asset/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.24.2025
    Date Posted: 07.20.2025 23:23
    Photo ID: 9191485
    VIRIN: 250624-N-NO900-1002
    Resolution: 1086×724
    Size: 191.44 KB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
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  • MIL-OSI Security: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Alumni Support Pacific Partnership 2025

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga — During their stop in the Kingdom of Tonga, the Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25) medical team, consisting of U.S. Navy, Army, Public Health Service and Tongan Ministry of Health personnel, conducted over 30 community health engagements in the fields of One Health, cardiology, critical care medicine, endocrinology, optometry, clinical pharmacy, veterinary medicine, public health, nursing, prenatal care and nutrition between June 18 and June 28, 2025.

    The PP-25 medical team also featured several professors, students, and alumni from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS), located in Bethesda, Maryland, who worked together to engage in multiple health engagements and training workshops as part of the PP-25 mission.

    USUHS Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) Professor and Alumni U.S. Navy Cmdr. Samantha Jennings, stationed at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Bremerton, utilized her skills as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) to support the PP-25 Tonga mission stop to train and assist local health care workers at Vaiola Hospital and Mu’a Health Centre in delivering health consultations to numerous patients from across the island. Jennings also served as faculty supervisor to Army Maj. Tiffany Wilson, a dual track nursing student.

    While deployed in support of the PP-25 Tonga mission as a dual track USUHS FNP/WHNP student, Wilson worked as part of a team with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Cheryl Castro, midwife with PP-25, and Hospitalman Nicole Abreu, to deliver prenatal health care to local patients at the Vaiola Hospital and alongside Jennings at Mu’a Health Centre to issue several health consultations to local patients with diverse needs. While garnering experience in delivering health care to patients in resource limited environments, Wilson’s efforts also alleviated the operational strain of sourcing a FNP at the Military Treatment Facility level.

    Additionally, Lt. Cmdr. Sean Foley, USUHS School of Medicine assistant professor applied his knowledge and teaching expertise as a deployed critical care physician with PP-25, to assist and guide multiple Tongan registrar physicians at Vaiola Hospital on medical procedures. Foley worked closely with Dr. Richard Taumoepeau, a Tongan physician, in performing ultrasound-guided thoracenteses, a procedure designed to remove fluid buildup in the lungs to restore their normal function, on six local patients.

    Lt. William Douthitt, a USUHS dual master’s degree holder in School of Medicine and Public Health, applied his expertise and skills as a preventive medicine physician to lead a multidisciplinary foodborne illness tabletop exercise at Vaiola Hospital. Douthitt’s tabletop exercise trained eight local health care officials in strengthening and building upon current public health & communicable disease infrastructure to better respond to disease outbreaks.

    USUHS alumnus, Lt. Louis Pingotti, Doctor of Nursing Practice, medical lead for the PP-25 Tonga mission, oversaw the planning and execution of all medical operations. It was through Pingotti’s consolidated efforts that his fellow USUHS alumni and peers were able to administer a successful conclusion to the PP-25 Tonga mission stop.

    Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

    Date Taken: 06.23.2025
    Date Posted: 07.20.2025 23:28
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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Mui Wo Swimming Pool reopened

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Attention TV/radio announcers:

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

    Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

         The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 21) that Mui Wo Swimming Pool in Island District, which was closed earlier due to urgent clearance work after the typhoon, has been reopened.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Opinion piece: Going further together in times of uncertainty

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    At times of global uncertainty, resilience doesn’t come from retreating inward – it comes from reaching outward.

    That’s the lesson of past economic shocks, and it’s one we must heed again as we confront the fourth major economic disruption in just 2 decades.

    It’s also the principle guiding Australia and Indonesia’s engagement at this week’s G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in South Africa.

    We’re neighbours by geography, but partners by choice – and by the shared actions we take on the world stage.

    Last year, we marked 75 years of diplomatic ties, 50 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first dialogue partner, and 25 years of cooperation in the G20.

    Since then, we’ve modernised the ASEAN‑Australia‑New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and celebrated 5 years since IA‑CEPA was signed – a partnership that’s already seen our 2‑way trade double to $35 billion.

    To build on this momentum, Indonesia and Australia have agreed to review the IA‑CEPA, so we can generate broader and deeper economic integration.

    This review will also help ensure that the agreement remains relevant and continues to deliver value for our 2 economies.

    This is just one example of how we’re deepening our economic relationship even further.

    Subject to market conditions, Indonesia will also issue its first‑ever AUD‑denominated ‘Kangaroo bond’ in August – a vote of confidence and meaningful step forward, reflecting our deep bilateral ties.

    This will open new pathways for Australian investors to find quality investment products, support Indonesia’s growth and strengthen financial integration.

    It’s a practical example of the ambition that underpins our economic partnership – and the shared belief that resilience is built through cooperation, reform, and openness.

    Together, Australia and Indonesia are helping lead this effort within the G20 – just as we have for a quarter of a century, since the Asian Financial Crisis first brought finance ministers and central bankers around the same table.

    This year, our cooperation is more critical than ever.

    Around the world, growth is softening, inflation has been sticky, and global trade is under pressure from fragmentation and rising geopolitical risk.

    These challenges make our partnership – and our collective work in international forums – even more important.

    Both Australia and Indonesia have shown remarkable resilience.

    In Australia, inflation has moderated in a substantial and sustained way. Unemployment remains close to historic lows, real wages are growing again and we’ve delivered the first back‑to‑back budget surpluses in nearly 2 decades – alongside the biggest nominal budget turnaround in our history.

    Indonesia, too, has performed strongly – recording one of the highest growth rates in the G20, with inflation and unemployment consistently at the lowest rates since 1998, supported by a rapid fiscal consolidation after the pandemic and the creation of more than 3.5 million new jobs in the past year alone.

    This strength gives us momentum – but it doesn’t make us immune.

    We need to stay focused on the long‑term foundations of growth: productivity, fiscal sustainability, and resilience.

    Productivity, in particular, sits at the heart of both our national economic agendas – because it’s what drives better wages, better jobs, and stronger, more inclusive growth.

    For Indonesia, lifting productivity will be vital to reaching high‑income status by 2045. In Australia, it’s central to building a more modern, more adaptable, more inclusive economy.

    That means upskilling our workforces, attracting productive capital, and unlocking innovation – individually and together.

    And we both recognise the importance of fiscal sustainability, having pushed down our debt to GDP ratios to pre pandemic levels.

    Strong, responsible public finances are not just a fiscal shield – they’re a platform for long‑term investment, resilience and reform.

    At this week’s G20, Australia and Indonesia are standing together to supports sustainable, inclusive growth and open, fair and transparent trade in the spirit of multilateralism.

    Because in a world of churn and change, the right response is not retreat – it’s resolve.

    You see that in our collaboration on IA‑CEPA. You see it through Australia’s Southeast Asia economic strategy. You see it in Indonesia’s new Kangaroo bond. And you see it in our shared ambition to build a more integrated and more prosperous Indo‑Pacific.

    We’ve been close partners for decades. But in this moment of global challenge, we’re choosing to go further – and faster – together.

    MIL OSI News –