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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Tribunal Continues Finding—Carbon steel welded pipe from Pakistan, Philippines, Türkiye and Vietnam

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today continued its finding made on February 15, 2019, in inquiry NQ-2018-003, concerning the dumping of carbon steel welded pipe from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Türkiye (excluding those goods exported by Erbosan Erciyas Boru Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S.) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

    Ottawa, Ontario, October 16, 2024—The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today continued its finding made on February 15, 2019, in inquiry NQ-2018-003, concerning the dumping of carbon steel welded pipe from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Türkiye (excluding those goods exported by Erbosan Erciyas Boru Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S.) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

    The Tribunal found that the expiry of the finding was likely to result in injury. As such, the Tribunal continued its finding. The Canada Border Services Agency will therefore continue to impose anti-dumping duties on this product.

    The Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance. It hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs and excise tax rulings. When requested by the federal government, the Tribunal also provides advice on other economic, trade and tariff matters.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Wildlife, climate and plastic: how three summits aim to repair a growing rift with nature

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    By the end of 2024, nearly 200 nations will have met at three conferences to address three problems: biodiversity loss, climate change and plastic pollution.

    Colombia will host talks next week to assess global progress in protecting 30% of all land and water by 2030. Hot on its heels is COP29 in Azerbaijan. Here, countries will revisit the pledge they made last year in Dubai to “transition away” from the fossil fuels driving climate breakdown. And in December, South Korea could see the first global agreement to tackle plastic waste.

    Don’t let these separate events fool you, though.

    “Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion are not isolated problems” say biologist Liette Vasseur (Brock University), political scientist Anders Hayden (Dalhousie University) and ecologist Mike Jones (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences).



    Read more:
    Humanity’s future depends on our ability to live in harmony with nature

    “They are part of an interconnected web of crises that demand urgent and comprehensive action.”

    Let’s start with the climate.


    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

    Earth’s fraying parasol

    “How hot is it going to get? This is one of the most important and difficult remaining questions about our changing climate,” say two scientists who study climate change, Seth Wynes and H. Damon Matthews at the University of Waterloo and Concordia University respectively.

    The answer depends on how sensitive the climate is to greenhouse gases like CO₂ and how much humanity ultimately emits, the pair say. When Wynes and Matthews asked 211 authors of past reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, their average best guess was 2.7°C by 2100.

    “We’ve already seen devastating consequences like more flooding, hotter heatwaves and larger wildfires, and we’re only at 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels — less than halfway to 2.7°C,” they say.



    Read more:
    New survey of IPCC authors reveals doubt, and hope, that world will achieve climate targets

    There is a third variable that is harder to predict but no less important: the capacity of forests, wetlands and the ocean to continue to offset warming by absorbing the carbon and heat our furnaces and factories have released.

    This blue and green carbon pump stalled in 2023, the hottest year on record, amid heatwaves, droughts and fires. The possibility of nature’s carbon storage suddenly collapsing is not priced into the computer models that simulate and project the future climate.

    Parched forests can emit more carbon than they soak up.
    Matthew James Ferguson/Shutterstock

    However, the ecosystems that buffer human-made warming are clearly struggling. A new report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed that the average size of monitored populations of vertebrate wildlife (animals with spinal columns – mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians) has shrunk by 73% since 1970.



    Read more:
    Wildlife loss is taking ecosystems nearer to collapse – new report

    Wildlife could become so scarce that ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest degenerate, according to the report.

    “More than 90% of tropical trees and shrubs depend on animals to disperse their seeds, for example,” says biodiversity scientist Alexander Lees (Manchester Metropolitan University).

    “These ‘biodiversity services’ are crucial.”



    Read more:
    Without birds, tropical forests won’t bounce back from deforestation

    The result could be less biodiverse and, importantly for the climate, less carbon-rich habitats.

    Plastic in a polar bear’s gut

    Threats to wildlife are numerous. One that is growing fast and still poorly understood is plastic.

    Bottles, bags, toothbrushes: a rising tide of plastic detritus is choking and snaring wild animals. These larger items eventually degrade into microplastics, tiny fragments which now suffuse the air, soil and water.

    “In short, microplastics are widespread, accumulating in the remotest parts of our planet. There is evidence of their toxic effects at every level of biological organisation, from tiny insects at the bottom of the food chain to apex predators,” says Karen Raubenheimer, a senior lecturer in plastic pollution at the University of Wollongong.



    Read more:
    Scientists reviewed 7,000 studies on microplastics. Their alarming conclusion puts humanity on notice

    Plastic is generally made from fossil fuels, the main agent of climate change. Activists and experts have seized on a similar demand to address both problems: turn off the taps.

    In fact, the diagnosis of Costas Velis, an expert in ocean litter at the University of Leeds, sounds similar to what climate scientists say about unrestricted fossil fuel burning:

    “Every year without production caps makes the necessary cut to plastic production in future steeper – and our need to use other measures to address the problem greater.”



    Read more:
    A global plastic treaty will only work if it caps production, modelling shows

    A production cap hasn’t made it into the negotiating text for a plastic treaty (yet). And while governments pledged to transition away from coal, oil and gas last year, a new report on the world’s energy use shows fossil fuel use declining more slowly than in earlier forecasts – and much more slowly than would be necessary to halt warming at internationally agreed limits. The effort to protect a third of earth’s surface has barely begun.

    Each summit is concerned with ameliorating the effects of modern societies on nature. Some experts argue for a more radical interpretation.

    “Even if 30% of Earth was protected, how effectively would it halt biodiversity loss?” ask political ecologists Bram Büscher (Wageningen University) and Rosaleen Duffy (University of Sheffield).



    Read more:
    Biodiversity treaty: UN deal fails to address the root causes of nature’s destruction

    “The proliferation of protected areas has happened at the same time as the extinction crisis has intensified. Perhaps, without these efforts, things could have been even worse for nature,” they say.

    “But an equally valid argument would be that area-based conservation has blinded many to the causes of Earth’s diminishing biodiversity: an expanding economic system that squeezes ecosystems by turning ever more habitat into urban sprawl or farmland, polluting the air and water with ever more toxins and heating the atmosphere with ever more greenhouse gas.”

    – ref. Wildlife, climate and plastic: how three summits aim to repair a growing rift with nature – https://theconversation.com/wildlife-climate-and-plastic-how-three-summits-aim-to-repair-a-growing-rift-with-nature-241419

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ChildFund – Celebrity Treasure Island win for kids in the Pacific

    Source: ChildFund New Zealand

    New Zealand Tongan actor JP Foliaki has won TVNZ’s Celebrity Treasure Island and done it for his home in South Auckland, and for children and young people in the Pacific.
    “As a charity, (ChildFund) provide fresh water to the Pacific. It’s one thing to be for your community here in New Zealand, but it’s another thing to look out for your people back home.”
    “All of us at ChildFund, from our teams in Auckland, to the teams in Tarawa and the islands of Kiribati and Honiara and Temotu Province in Solomon Islands thank JP with all our hearts for his win tonight,” says CEO of ChildFund, Josie Pagani.
    The $100k win will now go to ChildFund’s work in the Pacific, bringing clean water to children and their families who otherwise would not have easy access to drinking water.
    “It is unacceptable in 2024 that 1 in 10 deaths for children under 5 years in parts of the Pacific is linked to diarrhea, vomiting and dirty water. This is a problem that is fixable. So let’s fix it,” says CEO of ChildFund Josie Pagani.
    The Pacific has some of the highest rates of preventable deaths for children in the world, due largely to dirty water.
    ChildFund is bringing clean water to children in Kiribati and Solomon Islands, and will expand its programmes across the region over the next year.
    “The Pacific is our home and for many New Zealanders these children are our extended family. We can’t fix all the problems in the world but we can make a difference in the place we call home too.”
    “This is how we can help to power the Pacific’s future by making sure children and young people have a decent chance at learning skills and getting an education – rather than getting sick or worse, says Josie Pagani.
    Dirty water is linked to diarrhea and vomiting, and causes some of the highest numbers of preventable child deaths in the Pacific:
    – 1 in 10 deaths for children under 5 years in Kiribati
    – 1 in 14 deaths for children under 5 years in Solomon Islands
    – Only 16% of school children In Solomon Islands, have clean, safe water
    – Only 27% of households in Kiribati have access to clean, safe water
    JP’s win will help to complete the following projects:
    – Rebuild a water pipe and pump system that will provide water to 3,000 people in 18 communities as well as the local school the Temotu Province of Solomon Islands
    – Provide families in some of the 33 islands and atolls of Kiribati with 10 litre Solvatten units that use solar energy to purify water in just a few hours. Each unit can provide 6,000 litres of safe drinking water every year.
    – Install 75 litre solar powered distillation tanks at pre-schools, schools and community centres – giving children access to clean safe drinking water every day.
    – Build rainwater harvesting infrastructure (roofs and gutters) to capture precious, albeit infrequent rain.
    “We would also like to thank the teams and crew at Celebrity Treasure Island for making this possible, and all the New Zealanders who continue to support our work.”
    For every dollar donated, the New Zealand government provides an additional $4

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Crown LNG Announces Filing of First Half 2024 Financial Statements on Form 6-K

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crown LNG Holdings Limited (“Crown” or “Crown LNG” or the “Company”), a leading provider of LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal technologies for harsh weather locations, today announced that on October 16, 2024, Crown filed the unaudited financial statements of Crown LNG Holding AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Crown, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2024 on Form 6-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The filing is available online through the SEC’s website.

    Crown LNG continues to execute against its strategic priorities – moving its India and Scotland projects toward Final Investment Decision, pursuing revenue generating M&A, and exploring possibilities for liquefied natural gas export facility development. These priorities were laid out and discussed in the Crown’s Corporate Update, which is available on the Crown LNG Investor page here.

    About Crown LNG Holdings Limited
    Crown LNG is a leading provider of offshore LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal infrastructure solutions for harsh weather locations, which represent a significant addressable market for bottom-fixed, gravity based (“GBS”) liquefaction and floating storage regasification units, as well as associated green and blue hydrogen, ammonia and power projects. Through this approach, Crown aims to provide lower carbon sources of energy securely to under-served markets across the globe. Visit http://www.crownlng.com/investors for more information.

    Crown LNG Contacts

    Investors
    Caldwell Bailey
    ICR, Inc.
    CrownLNGIR@icrinc.com

    Media
    Zach Gorin
    ICR, Inc.
    CrownLNGPR@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Cooper Visits Yancey and Mitchell Counties to Survey Storm Damage as Federal, State, Local and Non-profit Partners Continue Unprecedented Response to Helene

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Cooper Visits Yancey and Mitchell Counties to Survey Storm Damage as Federal, State, Local and Non-profit Partners Continue Unprecedented Response to Helene

    Governor Cooper Visits Yancey and Mitchell Counties to Survey Storm Damage as Federal, State, Local and Non-profit Partners Continue Unprecedented Response to Helene
    mseets

    Today, Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Pensacola and Bakersville where he was joined by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, NCDPS Secretary Eddie Buffaloe and Commander of the State Highway Patrol Colonel Freddie Johnson to assess storm damage, witness relief operations and speak with those affected by Helene. In Pensacola, the Governor visited a supply distribution center operating at the Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department. In Bakersville, the Governor joined Mayor Charles Vines for a walking tour to see areas that sustained damage during the storm.

    “Today I was on the ground in Pensacola, Yancey County and Bakersville, Mitchell County, talking with folks affected by Helene and seeing how hard people are working to rebuild from this storm,” said Governor Cooper. “The people of Western North Carolina are strong, and we will keep working with them to surge resources and to recover and rebuild their communities.”

    The Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Cooper and granted by President Biden now includes the following North Carolina counties and designations which were added Tuesday night:

    • Cabarrus, Cherokee, Forsyth, Graham, Iredell, Lee, Nash, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union, and Yadkin counties for Individual Assistance,
    • Cabarrus, Cherokee, Forsyth, Graham, Iredell, Lee, Nash, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union and Yadkin counties for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.
    • Swain County for permanent work (already designated for Individual Assistance and assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program.

    The Major Disaster Declaration already includes 27 North Carolina counties (Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

    Also today, Governor Cooper issued an emergency Executive Order authorizing the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security, to increase the amount of weekly unemployment payments available to North Carolinians in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. As a result of this Order, weekly unemployment benefits will increase from a maximum of $350 a week to a maximum of $600 a week. Prior to the executive order, many low-income and part-time workers would have received less than the $350 weekly maximum. To ensure that these workers receive necessary benefits in the wake of Helene, the order will also increase benefits by $250 a week (up to the $600 cap) for all eligible workers. This order is tied to the State of Emergency for Hurricane Helene, and will remain in effect until the end of the Emergency or until it is rescinded.

    Law enforcement is working to ensure the safety of responders amid reports of threats and misinformation. FEMA officials remain in communities and are conducting operations to help people impacted by these storms recover as quickly as possible following reports of threats on the ground. Governor Cooper has directed the Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to identify specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure the safety and security of all involved as this recovery effort continues.

    North Carolina National Guard and Military Response

    Nearly 3,400 Soldiers and Airmen are working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard is made up of Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states, two different XVIII Airborne Corps units from Ft. Liberty, a unit from Ft. Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division, and numerous civilian entities are working side-by-side to get the much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina.

    National Guard and military personnel are operating 12 aviation assets and approximately 1,200 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.

    FEMA Assistance

    More than $102 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and approximately 181,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. More than 2,000 households are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

    Approximately 1,400 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

    North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

    Help from Other States

    More than 1,500 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 142 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

    Beware of Misinformation

    North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.

    Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout Western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

    Storm Damage Cleanup

    If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.

    Power Outages

    Across Western North Carolina, approximately 11,000 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

    Road Closures

    Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina’s economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.

    NCDOT currently has approximately 2,000 employees and 900 pieces of equipment working on approximately 7,000 damaged road sites.

    Fatalities

    Ninety-five storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This number is expected to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911.

    Volunteers and Donations

    If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.

    For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc

    Additional Assistance

    There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

    If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.

    For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

    If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.

    ###

    Oct 16, 2024

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Using Seniors Mobility and Enabling Fund for hearing aids

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    NOTICE PAPER NO. 3061
    NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
    FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 16 OCTOBER 2024
    Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
    Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong
    MP for Hougang 
    Question No. 6578
    To ask the Minister for Health in view of studies linking uncorrected hearing loss with dementia, whether the Ministry will consider allowing seniors to use MediSave for the purchase of their hearing aids.
    1     Seniors who require hearing aids can tap on the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, which provides eligible Singaporeans with means-tested subsidies of up to 90%. Those with severe hearing loss requiring hearing implants such as bone conduction hearing or cochlear implants, can tap on subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life. The Agency for Integrated Care can also provide additional support. While it is understandable that many Singaporeans wish to use more of their MediSave, we also need to ensure that Singaporeans have adequate MediSave balances to support their medical expenses for major health episodes, which tend to happen when they are in an advanced age.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Adjournment Motion on Enhancing the Well-Being of Women – A Gendered Informed Response to Menopause

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION, ON RESPONSE TO ADJOURNMENT MOTION ON “ENHANCING THE WELL-BEING OF WOMEN: A GENDERED INFORMED RESPONSE TO MENOPAUSE” ON 16 OCTOBER 2024

    1.     Sir, Assoc Prof Razwana spoke about enhancing the well-being of women going through perimenopause or menopause, and gave suggestions that the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Education (MOE) could consider to better support women through this critical phase in their lives. I thank her for her speech and suggestions. I agree with many of the points raised by Assoc Prof Razwana. She shared about the health impact of menopause on women and how we can address this impact with training of healthcare providers, research into contributing factors and management, public education and social support. I will now address her points in my speech.  

    Health Impact of Menopause on Women
    2.     Every woman’s experience during menopause is different. Some may experience significant impact to their health and well-being, beyond the more common symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, and insomnia. For example, cardiovascular health may be affected. This is because as the protective effects of oestrogen on the heart diminish, this can potentially lead to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Changes in metabolism during menopause can also result in weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, which may increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Assoc Prof Razwana also highlighted that women undergoing menopause can experience changes in mood, which can impact their mental well-being. 
    3.     It is important to note that while these health impacts are of concern, they can be managed. Regular check-ups, a healthy lifestyle, including exercise, eating well, and finding ways to relax can help. Simple things like using moisturisers for dryness and choosing appropriate clothing to manage hot flushes can also make a difference. For significant symptoms impacting quality of life, women should see their doctor to explore suitable interventions to manage the impact on both physical and mental health.
    The role of training and research for the healthcare system
    4.     We agree that educating our medical students and medical practitioners on menopause is important, and we have been doing so. In our three local medical schools, knowledge of symptoms, diagnosis and management of menstrual disorders, including menopause, is one of the core learning outcomes for the medical students. Postgraduate family medicine programmes such as the Family Medicine residency programme and the Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine include training on common women’s health conditions, including menopause, in the curriculum. Professional bodies such as the College of Family Physicians Singapore also run skills courses on a variety of topics relevant to primary care practice. 
    5.     These efforts enable our primary care doctors to be a source of support to women in managing the health issues that may arise during this life transition. Under Healthier SG, the relationship between the primary care doctor and enrolee is central. Women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms can inform their primary care doctor, who would be well-placed to assess the symptoms, the patient’s needs and make recommendations on further management. The member also mentioned KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and the KK Menopause Centre. This multi-specialty practice comprising gynaecology, family medicine, dermatology and mental health specialists, has been trained to support a range of needs of women with menopausal-related health issues. Mental health services are also available in various care settings to identify women who may be experiencing psychological symptoms and provide interventions when required.
    6.     Research into menopause would provide more insight into how it affects women’s overall health and well-being, and enable better ways to manage menopause symptoms and its impact. The National University Hospital currently conducts the Integrated Women’s Health Programme (IWHP) which is a cohort study looking at health issues experienced by Singaporean women. Issues studied include the associations between menopause and age-related health issues such as osteoporosis and sleep disturbances. The research team plans to conduct follow-up studies, and we look forward to further insights that the IWHP and other researchers can provide on women’s health in general, as well as menopause specifically.
    Empowering women through better support and awareness 
    7.     Women should not feel ashamed, misunderstood or embarrassed to speak openly about menopause. As a society, we should work to remove the stigma surrounding menopause, and we are already taking steps to educate the public. Reliable information on menopause can be found on HealthHub and the websites of our public healthcare institutions (PHIs). KKH has also launched the Women In all Stages Empowered (WISE) Health Guide, which highlights important health advice for women, including advice on menopause. Education about menopause is important to help women understand what to expect and how to manage the changes to their body. We will continue to empower women to approach menopause with confidence and make informed decisions about their health and well-being. 
    8.     To truly enhance women’s well-being during menopause, we must address not only the physical symptoms but also the psychological and social impacts. This includes combating stigma, promoting open dialogue, and ensuring that women have access to accurate information and supportive resources. Civil society and community organisations are well-placed to participate in this effort. They can play a critical role in providing support for women, and creating platforms for the public in general, to discuss and better understand issues surrounding menopause. MOH is supportive of such efforts.  
    9.     In addition, many women who are going through menopause are concurrently taking on caregiving responsibilities. We support caregivers to balance caregiving while pursuing their aspirations and caring for their own health. We are enhancing options to make childcare and eldercare more accessible, affordable and available, for example, by scaling up childcare and eldercare capacity, and providing multiple layers of financial support. These, in tandem with other moves to support women at work, will support women to better balance their responsibilities and their own health and well-being. 
    Educating the young and supporting women in the workforce  
    10.     Assoc Prof Razwana also spoke about suggestions for MOE and MOM, touching on educating people about menopause in schools, and workplace policies that better support women with menopause. 
    11.     In MOE’s Sexuality Education and Science curriculum, students learn about menstrual health in women. Primary 5 students learn about the physiological changes that occur during puberty, such as menstruation. Students are also educated on human reproduction and issues related to menstrual health in Lower Secondary Science and Upper Secondary Biology. In Upper Secondary Biology, students will also learn about changes to the menstrual cycle as a female ages, leading to menopause.
    12.     On workplace policies, women who experience severe menopausal symptoms can already seek subsidised medical treatment at PHIs, and take sick leave to rest and recover, just like any other medical need. There have been calls for menopause leave or reproductive leave in other countries. Most recently in the UK, the Government rejected a call by the Women and Equalities Committee to conduct a trial of menopause leave last year. Like the UK, our preferred approach is to support women to remain in the workforce and be well-supported at work. Introducing specific menopause leave may inadvertently negatively impact the employability of women in this age group rather than helping them, which we should be careful to avoid. 
    13.     In addition, flexible work arrangements (FWAs) can help employees with other medical conditions to balance the care needs for their condition with work responsibilities, including women experiencing perimenopause or menopause. The upcoming Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests, which will take effect on 1 December this year, aim to cultivate a norm where employees feel it is acceptable to request for and use FWAs. We encourage employers to use these Guidelines to engage their employees in conversations and find mutually beneficial arrangements.
    14.     The government will continue to work with Tripartite Partners to foster supportive workplaces so that all employees can participate fully at work while managing their own personal needs such as family responsibilities and medical conditions.
    Conclusion
    15.     In conclusion, supporting women through menopause is not just a medical issue, it is also about awareness and empowerment. The Government is committed to building a society where all Singaporeans have full and equal opportunities to flourish and achieve their aspirations. Civil society and community organisations have an important part to play as well. Together, by providing education and support, we hope to take a whole of society approach to enable women to navigate this transition with confidence, maintaining their well-being and full participation in all aspects of life. 
    16.     Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Upcoming measures addressing mental health issues among youth

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    NOTICE PAPER NO. 3126
    NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
    FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 16 OCTOBER 2024
    Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
    Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim
    Nominated MP
    Question No. 6649
    To ask the Minister for Health in light of the Ministry’s statement on 19 September 2024 that findings from the National Youth Mental Health Study affirmed the approach under the National Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy to tackling youth mental health issues and that many of the measures under the Strategy are already in place while others will be progressively rolled out across the next few years (a) what are the measures that are yet to be rolled out; and (b) what is timetable for their introduction.
    1     We will be designating first-stop touchpoints to enable individuals to receive support early and to facilitate access to higher-tier services when needed. For instance, a new national mental health helpline and text line service will be introduced in mid-2025 to offer psychological first-aid for those facing mental distress. Those who require additional support including crisis management will be referred to the relevant services. 
    2     Our other upcoming measures include The Positive Use Guide on Technology and Social Media which will be ready in the first half of 2025. It will guide healthy and positive uses of technology and social media, and provide recommendations to mitigate their potential negative impact. In addition, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and the Infocomm Development Authority are studying whether further requirements such as age assurance are needed to prevent children and youths from accessing age inappropriate content on relevant online communication services. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Career support for healthcare workers in public healthcare sector

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    NOTICE PAPER NO. 3129
    NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
    FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 16 OCTOBER 2024
    Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
    Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang
    MP for Nee Soon GRC
    Question No. 6660
    To ask the Minister for Health whether any schemes are available to encourage administrative and support healthcare workers to stay and build their careers in the public healthcare sector.
    The Ministry of Health (MOH) actively works with the public healthcare clusters and community care organisations to ensure that they are able to recruit and retain sufficient staff to meet their needs. This includes ensuring competitive salaries, career development opportunities and safe working environments.  
    2     For administrative and support healthcare workers, we pay special attention to redesign their roles and career pathways so that they have more development and career progression opportunities. MOH has worked with the clusters to develop the Care Support Associate and Patient Service Associate roles, which incorporates an expanded mix of patient caregiving, administrative and operations tasks. This is currently being rolled out, with training support available, to enable existing staff to take up the expanded roles.  

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australia-Vietnam Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Economic Partnership Meeting

    Source: Minister for Trade

    This week the Australian Government welcomes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, His Excellency Bui Thanh Son, and Minister of Planning and Investment of Vietnam, His Excellency Dr Nguyen Chi Dung to Adelaide.

    On Thursday, Minister Farrell and Minister Dung will hold the fourth Australia-Vietnam Economic Partnership Meeting to advance our shared goal of increasing two-way trade, tourism and investment, and deepening economic cooperation across Southeast Asia.

    On Friday, Minister Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Son will hold the sixth annual Australia-Vietnam Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to advance cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and address key regional challenges.

    Minister Farrell will also give a keynote address at the inaugural Australia Vietnam Policy Institute Conference on trade diversification opportunities in Southeast Asia.

    The meetings this week will deepen our partnership as we work together to implement our shared vision for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong:

    “The Australia-Vietnam relationship has never been stronger.

    “Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reflects the depth of cooperation and the ambition we hold for our future.

    “This meeting will build upon my visit to Hanoi last year, where we marked 50 years of diplomatic relations, underscoring the deep friendship and strategic trust between our countries.”

    Quotes attributable to the Trade & Tourism Minister, Don Farrell:

    “Trade between Australia and Vietnam is booming, which means more opportunities for our exporters, businesses, and workers.

    “Over the last three years, our two-way trade with Vietnam hit record highs of $79 billion, and Vietnam has become one of the fastest growing sources of international visitors to Australia since the pandemic.

    “Our Southeast Asia Economic Strategy is supporting Australian businesses to seize new opportunities in the region, and Vietnam is one of the many places right on our doorstep which holds a wealth of potential for our exporters.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New monitoring team for violations of UN sanctions on North Korea

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

    Australia is joining international partners to strengthen efforts to hold North Korea to account for violations and evasions of UN Security Resolution sanctions.

    Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States have committed to establishing a member state-led Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) to monitor and highlight North Korea’s sanctions non-compliance.

    This follows Russia’s March veto of the renewal of the mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) under the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718. The PoE was responsible for reporting on North Korea’s non-compliance with sanctions.

    Despite Russia’s obstruction, all North Korea-related UN Security Council resolutions remain in effect and all UN Member States are required to implement them.

    North Korea’s ongoing pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems undermines international non-proliferation efforts. Its actions are contrary to Australia’s interest in an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

    North Korea’s malicious cyber activities pose serious national security and economic risks and threaten the security and stability of the online environment.

    North Korea’s supply of arms and related materiel to Russia, in support of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

    Australia will continue to work with our partners to uphold international rules and norms and support global non-proliferation efforts to promote a safe and secure region and world.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Jokowi was once seen as Indonesia’s ‘new hope’. Instead, he leaves a legacy of democratic backsliding

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Aspinall, Professor in Southeast Asian Politics, Australian National University

    As Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) prepares to leave office, Indonesia is still routinely lauded as one of Asia’s most important democracies. Jokowi was first elected, in 2014, on the promise of breaking with the old Jakarta elite and making government more responsive to ordinary people.

    He was backed by many ardent supporters of Indonesia’s Reformasi movement. This movement had brought down the authoritarian leader, Suharto, in 1998 and pushed a transition to democracy in the years that followed.

    But Jokowi has overseen a serious period of democratic backsliding.

    Democratic decline

    Under his watch, the Indonesian government has hobbled democratic control institutions. This includes Indonesia’s once-lauded Corruption Eradication Commission, abbreviated as KPK.

    Security agencies such the army and the police have begun to resume a political role.

    The government has banned major Islamic organisations.

    Civil society groups speak of a dramatically narrowed civic space. They complain, for example, about the government’s increasing reliance on the Electronic Information and Transactions Law to prosecute critics of the government for defamation and its growing willingness to use violent means to respond to protests.

    Jokowi’s opponents in the political elite are routinely investigated for corruption and other alleged wrongdoing.

    In last February’s presidential election, there were widespread reports the police and other agencies were pressuring community leaders to mobilise the vote for Jokowi’s preferred candidate, Prabowo Subianto.

    How and why does Jokowi leave this legacy?

    How did a man who was once seen as a “new hope” for Indonesian democracy end up here?

    The answer is part of a global story that has become broadly familiar in recent years.

    These days, it is generally not unelected coup leaders who destroy democracy. Experiences like those of Thailand and Myanmar in recent years are, happily, no longer typical.

    Instead, elected populist leaders hollow democracy out from within. They do so by hobbling institutions, such as anti-corruption commissions, which are meant to check executive power.

    Jokowi has, in my view, followed this pattern.

    Unlike many populists, Jokowi never peppered his early speeches with angry denunciations of his opponents as traitors. He never tried to whip up vitriol against vulnerable minorities.

    Instead, he positioned himself as a leader who was uniquely able to understand and to embody the aspirations of ordinary people.

    His trademark campaign method was known as blusukan. He would drop by unexpectedly at a marketplace, for example, to chat with ordinary people about prices and other everyday matters.

    Jokowi has positioned himself as a man of the people.
    BahbahAconk/Shutterstock

    A former mayor, he was interested in the nitty gritty of governance, such as how to improve transport services or upgrade parks. He was less interested in “abstract” notions like human rights.

    The implications of this philosophy only became apparent after Jokowi was elected president.

    He retained his belief in his own unique ability to understand the aspirations of ordinary citizens, which had been long neglected by elite politicians.

    He maintained a single-minded focus on what ordinary Indonesians wanted – improved living standards and better social welfare. And he used polls to regularly monitor public opinion.

    For Jokowi, maintaining popular support and satisfying public demands was the essence of democracy. He was not interested in institutions that place limits on governmental power, which are arguably just as important to a functioning democratic system.

    For example, his government enacted legal amendments that significantly weakened the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

    Late last year, the Constitutional Court – headed by his brother-in-law – changed the the rules on candidate age limits to allow Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to stand for the vice presidency. Many Indonesians viewed this as a transparent – and successful – attempt to manipulate a key control institution for the purpose of maintaining Jokowi’s dynastic grip on power.

    Even so, as Jokowi leaves office, he does so a very popular politician.

    Prabowo as president

    Jokowi hands power to a man with an even more chequered democratic history.

    Prabowo Subianto is a former general with a record of alleged human rights abuses dating back to the late Suharto period. (Although, like other senior military officers accused of responsibility for the Suharto regime’s well-documented record of human rights abuses, he was never convicted of any crimes). Prabowo was close to the heart of that regime: indeed, he used to be Suharto’s son-in-law.

    Prabowo has promised he would provide the strong hand the country needed.
    Algi Febri Sugita/Shutterstock

    Prabowo has since reinvented himself as a fun-loving grandfather figure and Jokowi’s greatest fan, capitalising on the president’s own popularity.

    In fact, Prabowo used to be among Jokowi’s greatest rivals before becoming his defence minister in 2019.

    In previous elections, Prabowo presented himself as a firebrand populist who angrily denounced his opponents for allegedly selling Indonesia out to foreigners. He promised he would provide the strong hand the country needed to become truly great.

    We don’t know yet what kind of president Prabowo will be. His early political socialisation, as a leading elite figure close to the heart of the Suharto regime, suggests his instincts are likely to be deeply authoritarian.

    He inherits from Jokowi a country in which democratic institutions have already been seriously undermined, and a series of lessons in how to weaken them further.

    Edward Aspinall has received funding from the ARC and DFAT.

    – ref. Jokowi was once seen as Indonesia’s ‘new hope’. Instead, he leaves a legacy of democratic backsliding – https://theconversation.com/jokowi-was-once-seen-as-indonesias-new-hope-instead-he-leaves-a-legacy-of-democratic-backsliding-237319

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government accepts MediShield Life Council’s recommendations to enhance MediShield Life scheme, Government support more than offsets premium increases

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

             The Government has accepted the MediShield Life Council’s recommendations for the MediShield Life 2024 review. The recommendations will enhance the MediShield Life scheme, to better protect Singaporeans against major health episodes that result in large medical bills. They will also enable Singaporeans to afford new types of care. The changes will be implemented progressively from April 2025.

    2.     To support the enhancements to MediShield Life, premiums will need to increase, starting from April 2025 upon policy renewal. The total premium increases will amount to $1.8 billion over the next review cycle of three years. To help Singaporeans manage the premium increases, the Government will provide an additional $4.1 billion in support measures, comprising $3.4 billion in MediSave top-ups and $0.7 billion in premium subsidies for the next three years. 

    3.     For the great majority of Singaporeans – more than nine in ten – the additional MediSave top-ups, and premium subsidies and support, will more than offset the premium increases over the next three years.

    MediShield Life Council’s recommendations

    4.     There are a few key considerations in this review. First, as a national health insurance scheme, MediShield Life was designed to fully cover nine in ten subsidised bills in public healthcare institutions, with the deductible and co-insurance covered by patients’ MediSave. However, rising medical bills have eroded the coverage of the existing claim limits, and MediShield Life currently fully covers just under eight in ten subsidised bills. 

    5.     Second, there has been an increased shift in healthcare delivery from hospitals to the outpatient, community and home settings, which MediShield Life mostly does not cover. Finally, advances in medical technologies have resulted in new, potentially life-saving therapies, such as Cell, Tissue, and Gene Therapy Products (CTGTPs), which MediShield Life also does not cover.

    Enhancements to benefits and revisions to scheme parameters

    6.     With these factors in mind, the MediShield Life Council has recommended the following changes to the scheme, after considering both the need for better coverage and the impact on premiums. 

    a. Increase claim limits and refresh scheme parameters. This comprises:

    i. Increase in existing inpatient and day surgery claim limits to fully cover nine in ten subsidised bills. For example, the daily claim limits for the first two days of a normal ward stay will go up from $1,000 to $1,630. The daily claim limits for Intensive Care Unit ward stays will more than double, from $2,200 to $5,140. 

    ii. Increase in the policy year claim limit from $150,000 to $200,000, to provide greater assurance for patients with exceptionally large bills. 

    iii. Increase in the inpatient deductible by up to $1,500, to keep coverage focused on larger bills and moderate the extent to which premiums need to increase.

    iv. Revision of the pro-ration factors for private unsubsidised bills, to prevent cross-subsidisation of private bills by subsidised bills. 

    b. Enhance outpatient coverage significantly. This comprises:

    i. Refresh of outpatient claim limits to fully cover nine in ten subsidised bills. For example, the claim limits for kidney dialysis will increase from $1,100 per month to $1,750 per month.

    ii. Expansion of coverage to new outpatient treatments and home-based medical care, to enable access to more convenient care options beyond the traditional hospital setting. One such treatment is the repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation used to treat depression.

    iii. Introduction of a new outpatient deductible of $500 per year, to keep coverage focused on larger bills and moderate premium impact.

    iv. Decrease in co-insurance for outpatient treatments – from a flat 10% to a tiered structure ranging from 3% to 10% – to be consistent with how co-insurance is computed for inpatient bills and make larger outpatient bills more affordable.

    c. Expand coverage to high-cost treatments that are clinically effective and cost-effective, to improve affordability and access. This covers two areas: 

    i. CTGTPs that have demonstrated the potential to treat cancers and serious diseases effectively. 

    ii. High-cost drugs for blood conditions and conditions with childhood onset. 

    Adjustment to premiums

    7.     With higher claims and expansion of coverage, premiums will need to increase. The Council has worked with the scheme’s actuaries to determine the premium adjustments needed to ensure the scheme remains sustainable. Older Singaporeans in particular, will see larger increases. Hence the Council has recommended several measures to cushion the premium increases: 

    a. Cap the total premium increase at 35%, and phase in the increases evenly over three years, from April 2025 to March 2028. With this, premiums will increase by an average of 22% per policyholder by the end of the third year. This can be funded through a one-off release of capital from the MediShield Life Fund. Due to the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s adoption of the Risk-Based Capital Framework 2, there is a change in the MediShield Life Fund’s risk model which will enable some excess capital to be released, so as to cap the total premium increase at 35% and phase it in evenly. The Fund will remain in a healthy position after this release of capital. 

    b. For the Government to consider:

    i. Enhancing existing premium subsidies to provide more assistance to the lower- and middle-income groups. 

    ii. Providing MediSave top-ups to support Singaporeans through the Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and Majulah Packages. This will be especially helpful to Singaporeans with low MediSave balances, such as homemakers and informal workers. 

    iii. Providing premium discounts to policyholders who lead healthy lifestyles, such as exercising regularly and going for recommended health screenings. 

    Government accepts the recommendations, adjusts MediSave withdrawal limits accordingly 

    8.     The Government has reviewed the Council’s recommendations on the MediShield Life scheme and agrees that these will ensure that MediShield Life continues to provide adequate and meaningful protection to Singaporeans. 

    9.     The Government will also adjust the MediSave withdrawal limits so that patients can use MediSave to cover the co-insurance and the revised deductibles. 

    10.     The revised MediShield Life benefits and MediSave limits will be implemented progressively from 1 April 2025, together with the first phase of the increase in inpatient deductible. The outpatient deductible will be introduced on 1 January 2026, followed by the second phase of the increase in inpatient deductible on 1 April 2027. All other changes will be made progressively from 1 April 2025 onwards. Please refer to Annex A for details of changes to MediShield Life claim limits and MediSave withdrawal limits, and Annex B for bill examples that reflect the changes to the MediShield Life scheme.

    Government provides premium subsidies and MediSave top-ups, which will more than offset premium increases

    11.     The Government accepts the Council’s recommendation to release capital from the MediShield Life Fund to cap and phase in the premium increases. This will require a release of around $600 million from the Fund, and will not affect the scheme’s ability to meet its claim obligations. 

    12.     In addition, over the next three years, the Government will provide an additional $4.1 billion in premium support measures, which will more than offset the cumulative $1.8 billion increase in additional premiums over the next three years. The offset package comprises:

    a. Increases in premium subsidies, including enhancements to means-tested premium subsidies amounting to $ 0.7 billion. The Government will increase premium subsidies by five to ten percentage points for lower-income and middle-income Singaporeans in older age groups. From 1 April 2025, they will be able to receive premium subsidies of up to 60%, from up to 50% today.

    b. Additional MediSave top-ups of $ 3.4 billion. The Government will:

    i. Increase annual MediSave top-ups for the Pioneer Generation. The Government will increase this annual top-up by up to $300, bringing the maximum annual top-up to $1,200. Under the Pioneer Generation Package, those who are above the age of 90 in 2025 will continue to have their MediShield Life premiums fully covered by these annual MediSave top-ups and their existing special subsidies, while younger Pioneer Generation seniors will continue to see about two-thirds of their premiums covered. 

    ii. Enhance the one-time Majulah Package MediSave Bonus. The Majulah Package was announced in August 2023 to provide greater assurance over healthcare costs for seniors, including Young Seniors in their 50s and early 60s. Under the Majulah Package, the Government announced that Singaporeans born in 1973 or earlier will receive a one-time MediSave Bonus of up to $1,500. This MediSave Bonus will be enhanced by $500. The MediSave Bonus will be paid in December 2024. 

    iii. Provide an additional MediSave Bonus for Young Seniors and the Merdeka Generation with lower MediSave balances. Recognising that some Young Seniors and Merdeka Generation seniors born between 1950 and 1973 (inclusive) may not have been able to accumulate enough savings in their MediSave account, the Government will give a further MediSave Bonus of $500 in 2025 to help cover the rise in premiums for those with low MediSave balances. 

    iv. Enhance the one-time Budget 2024 MediSave Bonus. At Budget 2024, the Government announced that Singaporeans born between 1974 and 2003 (inclusive) will receive a one-time MediSave Bonus of up to $300. This MediSave Bonus will be enhanced by $200, and will be paid in December 2024. 

    v. Increase MediSave Grant for Newborns. From 1 April 2025, the Government will increase this grant from $4,000 to $5,000. With the increase, a Singapore Citizen newborn’s MediShield Life premiums will continue to be fully covered up till age 21.

    c. Expansion of Additional Premium Support amounting to $80 million. Additional Premium Support is for Singaporeans who are unable to afford their MediShield Life premiums after premium subsidies, and have limited family support. The Government will expand the eligibility criteria to cover more lower-income Singaporeans.

    13.     The package will offset the cumulative increase in MediShield Life premiums over the next three years for almost all ages and income levels.

    14.     No one will be denied coverage due to an inability to pay their premiums. Please refer to Annex C for details of the Government’s premium support measures, Annex D for details of the revised premiums, and Annex E for household archetypes and worked examples.

    Redemption of premium discounts using Healthpoints

    15.     The Government also agrees with the Council’s recommendations to offer premium discounts for those who lead a healthier lifestyle. This can be done through the Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) Healthy 365 programme, which already awards Healthpoints in exchange for rewards.

    16.     In support of Healthier SG, policyholders aged 40 and above may redeem MediShield Life premium discounts via HPB’s Healthy 365 app, at a conversion rate of 150 Healthpoints to $2, higher than the regular conversion rate of 150 Healthpoints to $1. To earn Healthpoints, they can participate in healthy lifestyle programmes and challenges on the Healthy 365 app, or enrol with a Healthier SG clinic and complete the first Health Plan consultation. For instance, an individual who, on average, does 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity almost daily for the entire year, could redeem $80 worth of discounts off his or her MediShield Life premiums.

    17.     This programme will commence in the third quarter of 2025, and will run as a pilot for three years. The Government will review the outcomes of the pilot before deciding whether to make it a permanent feature of MediShield Life. 

    Pilot financing framework for CTGTPs

    18.     While CTGTPs have the potential to transform healthcare and treat serious diseases, they have high upfront costs. Without financing support, patients may not be able to access these potentially effective treatments.

    19.     However, such financing must also be designed in a sustainable manner given the high cost of CTGTPs and uncertainty around their longer-term effectiveness. Hence the Government has introduced a pilot financing framework to focus support only on CTGTPs that have been assessed to be both clinically effective and cost-effective. The first CTGTP to be listed on the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) CTGTP list is tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Over time, more CTGTPs will be added to the list.

    20.     Since 1 August 2024, eligible patients who require the use of CTGTPs that are included on MOH’s CTGTP List have been able to receive means-tested subsidies of up to 75%, capped at $150,000 per treatment course, at public healthcare institutions. 

    21.     From October 2025, the Government will also extend MediShield Life and MediSave coverage to CTGTPs on MOH’s CTGTP List. Given the high costs of CTGTPs, MediShield Life and MediSave limits will be sized to fully cover two in three subsidised patients initially. Please refer to Annex F for details. 

    22.     The Government thanks the MediShield Life Council for the significant time and effort they have committed to review MediShield Life. We note that the Council has carefully considered all aspects of the scheme, and engaged many Singaporeans and stakeholders for their input along the way. The Council’s recommendations strike a good balance between providing greater protection for Singaporeans against large medical bills and keeping premiums affordable and sustainable. 

    MINISTRY OF HEALTH 

    15 OCTOBER 2024

     

    Annex A

    Changes to MediShield Life Claim Limits and MediSave Withdrawal Limits 

    Table A-1: Revised MediShield Life claim limits and MediSave withdrawal limits for treatments currently covered by MediShield Life

     

    Table A-2: MediShield Life claim limits and MediSave withdrawal limits for
    new treatments to be covered by MediShield Life 

     

    Annex B

    Bill Examples Incorporating MediShield Life Scheme Changes

    Illustration 1: Higher payouts for subsidised patients seeking inpatient care

    Illustration 2: Higher payout for subsidised patient seeking dialysis treatment

     

    Annex C

    Details of the MediShield Life 2024 Review Premium Support Measures

     

    Table C-1: Summary of the Premium Support Measures

     

    Table C-2: Enhanced Means-Tested Premium Subsidies for Singapore Citizens

     

    Table C-3: Additional Merdeka Generation Subsidies

     

    Table C-4: Pioneer Generation Special Subsidies and MediSave Top-Ups

    Table C-5: Revised Majulah Package MediSave Bonus

     

    Table C-6: Additional MediSave Bonus

     

    Table C-7: Revised Budget 2024 MediSave Bonus

     

    Table C-8: MediSave Grant for Newborns 

     

    Annex D

    Revised MediShield Life Premiums

    Table D-1: MediShield Life Premium Schedule for Singapore Citizens in 2025
    After Phased Increase

    Table D-2: MediShield Life Premium Schedule for Singapore Citizens in 2027
    After Increase Has Been Fully Phased In

    Annex E

    Household Archetypes and Worked Examples

    The following figures illustrate the premium impact on various groups.

    Illustration 1: Mr A 

    • Single Merdeka Generation (MG) senior, 67 years old 

    • 2-room HDB 

    • Per capita household income of $1,000 monthly 

     

    Mr A would enjoy means-tested subsidies of 40%, additional MG subsidies of 5%, and support to phase the increase evenly over the next three years. 

    Note: Figures in brackets refer to the increase in premiums using 2024 as the base year. Cumulative increase over 2025 to 2027 refers to the sum of the figures in brackets. 

    After subsidies and phasing, Mr A’s cumulative net premium increase over 2025 to 2027 of $109 will be fully offset with the enhanced MediSave Bonus of $1,250 under the Majulah Package. 

    If he has a low MediSave balance, he may also be eligible for the additional MediSave Bonus of $500 in 2025 which could further help him pay his annual premiums and other healthcare expenses. 

     

    Illustration 2: Mrs B

    • Single Pioneer Generation (PG) senior, 87 years old

    • 2-room HDB

    • No household income

    Mrs B would enjoy special PG subsidies of 59% and an annual PG MediSave top-up of $700. She would also receive support to phase in the increase evenly over the next three years. As a younger PG, she will continue to see at least two-thirds of her premium covered. 

    Note: Figures in brackets refer to the increase in premiums using 2024 as the base year. Cumulative increase over 2025 to 2027 refers to the sum of the figures in brackets.

    After subsidies and phasing, Mrs B’s cumulative net premium increase of $574 will be fully offset with the enhanced MediSave Bonus of $1,250 under the Majulah Package. 

    Any remainder could be used to further help her pay her annual premiums and other healthcare expenses.

     

    Illustration 3: Mr and Mrs C 

    • MG senior couple, 67 years old

    • Private residential property

    • Per capita household income of more than $3,600

    Mr and Mrs C would enjoy MG subsidies of 5% and support to phase in the increase evenly over the next three years. 

    Note: Figures in brackets refer to the increase in premiums using 2024 as the base year. Cumulative increase over 2025 to 2027 refers to the sum of the figures in brackets.

     

    After subsidies and phasing, Mr and Mrs C’s cumulative net premium increase of $758 will be fully offset with the enhanced MediSave Bonus of $2,500 (i.e. $1,250 each) under the Majulah Package which they will both receive. 

    Any remainder could be used to pay for their annual premiums and other healthcare expenses. 

    Illustration 4: The D family 

    • Grandfather and grandmother (both 67-year-old MGs) 

    • Husband and wife, 42 years old, both working

    • Primary school-going daughter and son

    • 5-room HDB 

    • Per capita household income of $2,500 monthly

    The D family would benefit from means-tested subsidies of up to 35%, additional MG subsidies of 5%, and support to phase in the increase evenly over three years. 

    Note: Figures in brackets refer to the increase in premiums using 2024 as the base year. Cumulative increase over 2025 to 2027 refers to the sum of the figures in brackets.

    After subsidies and phasing, this family’s cumulative net premium increase of $722 will be fully offset with the enhanced MediSave Bonus of $3,500 which the grandparents (i.e. $1,250 each) and parents (i.e. $500 each) will receive, and the MediSave Grant for Newborns which the children had received previously. 

    Any remainder could further help the D family to pay their annual premiums and other healthcare expenses.

     

    Annex F

    Details of CTGTP Pilot Financing Framework

    Illustration 1: Reduced out-of-pocket cash payment for subsidised patient

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DOORSTOP INTERVIEW BY MR ONG YE KUNG, MINISTER FOR HEALTH, AT THE MEDISHIELD LIFE 2024 REVIEW, 11 OCTOBER 2024

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

    Appreciation to Council
             I want to first thank the MediShield Life Council for working so hard. I think they did a very thorough analysis and came up with very comprehensive recommendations. I want to thank Mrs Fang Ai Lian and the team for their contributions. Also not forgetting the Secretariat, who has been working very hard for over one year to support the Council. 
    2.     Let me just go through some salient points of this package of measures, which I think is quite a significant one.
    Package of Measures in a Glance
    3.     Number one is to recognise the rising healthcare costs. In particular we are most concerned about unexpected health episodes that require you to stay in hospital for a long time, maybe even in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Some unfortunate things happen, and you chalk up a big bill that is unexpected. And that bill is rising and therefore we are increasing the claim limits for such bills. 
    4.     It is quite a significant increase. For two-day normal ward charges, the claim limits have gone up from $1,000 to about $1,600 – a 50 percent increase. The increase for ICU is significant. It does not happen very often but should it be needed, daily claims have gone up from $2,200 to over $5,000 or more than double. So it is a very good safety net and peace of mind. 
    5.     The second salient point is outpatient treatment. That is also rising, and I think it is hurting the pockets of patients, so we are also raising the claim limits for outpatients. In particular, one area we are quite concerned about is kidney dialysis. The costs have been going up. If nothing is done, it is only a matter of time before kidney dialysis patients have to pay cash out of their own pockets for dialysis. So we are increasing the claim limits from $1,100 per month to about $1,700 per month.
    6.     Third area is out-of-hospital bills. One major trend in healthcare is that more and more treatments are done outside the hospital, in the community and home settings. We are increasing coverage for such treatments, such as wound dressing, and treatment for depression. This is being done for the first time and some of the services that are done in home settings are now also covered.
    7.     Number four is technological advances. New and novel drugs, such as cell, tissue, gene therapy products (CTGTP), can be very expensive, but they are breakthroughs. They are one-time expensive treatments that promise to cure severe diseases like cancer. If we do nothing, chances are, in time only the rich can access these treatments. So we need to bring some of them into both our subsidy as well as MediShield Life framework. 
    8.     We have done so for subsidies, provided they are proven to be clinically effective and cost-effective. So just very few drugs but it is a starting point. Today we agree with the recommendations of the Council to also bring these same drugs into the MediShield Life framework. That way, at least for these drugs, all Singaporeans can access them.
    9.     Number five is that we are increasing the deductibles. I think it is necessary to do that because that way, we focus the resources and help on the bigger bills which is what we are most concerned about. Your smaller bills will rise a little bit, deductibles will go up, but you can pay for it with MediSave. 
    10.     And finally, the Council recommended that with all these changes, strengthening of the claim system and the safety net, premiums will have to go up by quite a significant number. But we should have a comprehensive package of measures to support these increases so that the great majority of Singaporeans can continue to pay for these increases using their MediSave and they do not have to come up with cash from their own pocket. 
    11.     We agree with that, and we are doing so. If we take the cumulative increase in premiums across the population, it is $1.8 billion. We have come up with a package that costs $4.1 billion over the next review cycle, which is about three years. So the package far exceeds the increase in premiums. Therefore, in other words, we are taking this opportunity to also build up the MediSave balances for Singaporeans. 
    Support Package 
    12.     What is this package? Let me elaborate. There are two parts to this. 
    13.     Out of this $4.1 billion, $700 million or $0.7 billion, is to increase MediShield Life premium subsidies. Another $3.4 billion is for MediSave top-ups. So added together, it is $4.1 billion.
    14.     First on the $700 million of MediShield Life premium subsidies. This will be focused especially on those who are older. The increase is about 5 to 10 percentage points. In the past, the maximum subsidy was 50%, meaning 50% of premiums is subsidised, paid for by the government. That will now increase to 60%, so it will help many people and cost us $700 million.
    15.     The MediSave top-ups are much more complicated. What we have done, actually is quite a long exercise. Essentially, we identified every single MediSave Life top-up initiative and tried to strengthen every one of them. Why did we do it that way? I think by so doing, we try to cover as many age groups as possible, practically all age groups. So what are they? 
    16.     Let me start with the oldest which is Pioneer Generation (PG). As you know, PG can get MediSave top-ups every year throughout their life. For the older PG who are 90 years this year, born in 1934 or earlier, they will have top-ups that will basically offset all the premium increases. Their top-ups are enough for them to pay their MediShield premiums throughout their lives. For the younger PG, their top-ups will be sufficient to cover two-thirds of the premium increases. 
    17.     At last year’s National Day Rally, then-Prime Minister Lee announced the Majulah Package. Basically for all those born in 1973 or earlier – that means it covers PG, Merdeka Generation (MG), as well as the new term, Young Seniors who are in their 50s and 60s – will receive MediSave top-ups. For this whole group, the MediSave top-ups will be enhanced by $500. In the past, the MediSave top-up was $1,500 maximum. Now, the maximum goes up to $2,000.
    18.     Third, within a subset of this group, there is a group which is born between 1950 and 1973. These are the MG, as well as the young seniors. They, unlike the PG, do not have any more MediSave top-ups. So, some of them, because of their work history, do not have sufficient MediSave balances. So, for this group we will do something extra for them – an extra $500 per person.
    19.     Number four, at Budget 2024 this year, Finance Minister and current Prime Minister announced that a younger group born between 1974 and 2003 will get MediSave top-ups. We will enhance their MediSave top-ups by another $200. For this group, their premiums are not as high because they are relatively younger, so their top-ups are less.
    20.     Finally, newborns get a newborn grant of $4,000. The newborn grant will be enhanced to $5,000, so this is sufficient to pay for their MediShield Life premiums up to the age of 21. 
    21.     So, this is the package that we are putting out – $4.1 billion over the next few years. 
    Encouraging Healthier Lifestyles
    22.     The Council has always recommended that we should encourage Singaporeans to lead healthier lifestyles. This year, they went a bit further. Since we have Healthier SG, they asked why not link the two together.
    23.     It makes a lot of sense, because adopting a healthier lifestyle is something we can choose to do. We can do more exercises, eat healthy, sleep better, quit smoking, sign up for Healthier SG and go for regular screenings. All these are within our control, and if we do them, we get a discount on our MediShield Life premiums.
    24.     We decided to try this out. After all, many Singaporeans have already joined the Health Promotion Board’s Healthy 365 programme to collect Healthpoints.
    25.     From the third quarter of 2025, we will start to allow Singaporeans 40 and above to use their Healthpoints and convert them to discounts or deductions in MediShield Life premiums. 
    26.     We will work in a fairly favourable conversion rate. All in all, this means that if you are someone who is quite active, who exercises for about 30 minutes every day, you should have enough Healthpoints to receive a discount of about $80 per year off your annual MediShield Life premium. For a young person, this discount is slightly less than or almost half of their premium. So this is the whole package. 
    Multiple Layers of Safety Net
    27.     It has been many months in the making. Late last month, I announced the change in our effective date of the change in our subsidy system.
    28.     Essentially we are changing the per capita household income (PCHI) thresholds, such that more Singaporeans are eligible for higher subsidies. 1.1 million Singaporeans will benefit. 
    29.      Today, we are strengthening our MediShield Life system as well as the MediSave system. This is our classic S+2M framework. We are strengthening both and it is very important that these two safety nets work hand in hand.
    30.     There are many countries that focus a lot on subsidies. When you focus a lot on subsidies, it is funded by taxation. When funded by taxation, things tend to be cheap or free and this causes excess demand, so waiting time becomes very long in the hospitals and the clinics. While it is very affordable, it is not very accessible. 
    31.     Then there are other countries who focus a lot on insurance. Insurance has much less of a problem of excess demand, because when you fall sick, you have to file a claim, and there is a certain discipline in the application process around it. It is accessible, but, if you do not have insurance, it is not affordable. So all countries, in the end, realise you have to have both subsidy and insurance. 
    32.     That is what we have done. S+2M has worked well for us and we will continue to improve our system. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: EBC Financial Group Expands Asset Management Capabilities with Second Australian Financial Services Licence

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SYDNEY, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a significant move toward expanding its global asset management footprint, EBC Financial Group (EBC) has successfully obtained an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) for Asset Management from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). This acquisition strengthens EBC’s ability to provide sophisticated investment solutions to institutional investors, professional investors, and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) worldwide. By securing the AFSL, EBC is not only deepening its presence in Australia but also enhancing its capacity to serve clients across global markets, aligning with its broader strategy to offer diversified and regulated asset management services on a global scale.

    The new licence, issued to EBC Asset Management Pty Ltd, strengthens the group’s existing offerings. It complements EBC’s existing AFSL for General Financial Advice, enhancing the group’s ability to deliver a comprehensive range of investment strategies across asset classes such as real estate, fixed income, equities, and alternative investments, including private equity and venture capital funds. This marks a key milestone in EBC’s continued effort to expand its global financial ecosystem.

    Global Strategy: Addressing an Evolving Investment Landscape
    As global economic uncertainties and market volatility increase, more HNWIs and institutional investors are seeking stable asset management solutions. EBC’s acquisition of the AFSL for Asset Management is a strategic response to these changing dynamics, enabling the company to offer flexible investment options and enhanced market access. By securing this licence, EBC is well-positioned to address the growing demand for reliable, diversified investment strategies, not just in Australia but across global markets, ensuring clients worldwide can benefit from EBC’s expertise in regulated and transparent environments like Australia’s.

    Previously, under the AFSL for General Financial Advice, EBC provided a wide range of financial products and services to both retail and wholesale clients. The new licence empowers EBC to offer specialised services exclusively for wholesale clients globally. These services include general financial product advice on managed investment plans (excluding investor-directed portfolio services) and securities. Additionally, EBC is now authorised to facilitate financial product transactions, including issuing, applying for, acquiring, varying, or disposing of interests in managed investment schemes and securities. This also extends to offering custodial services that provide enhanced protection and transparency for client assets.

    Kris Wang, Country Head of EBC Financial Group in Australia, stated, “The acquisition of this licence reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest regulatory standards while broadening our asset management capabilities. We are dedicated to delivering a diversified and robust investment portfolio designed to meet the varied requirements of high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors.”

    Strategic Expansion into Australia’s High-Net-Worth Market
    Australia is home to a substantial number of HNWIs, with approximately 400,000 individuals whose assets exceed USD 1 million. By obtaining the AFSL for Asset Management, EBC is positioned to capitalise on this market, offering investment strategies that cater specifically to the wealth management needs of Australia’s growing high-net-worth population, including family office solutions and international investment products. EBC’s global experience will also help clients navigate regulatory complexities and optimise cross-border investments.

    “We see immense potential in Australia’s growing high-net-worth segment,” added Wang. “Our goal is to leverage our global expertise to help investors optimise their portfolios through diversified and innovative investment strategies. We also plan to expand our services to include family office management and other global investment products in the near future.”

    Custody and Family Office Services: Core to Future Growth
    Custody services, which are a core component of EBC’s long-term strategy, are a vital addition to EBC’s Australian service offerings. Through custodial services, EBC ensures the segregation of client funds, enhancing asset transparency and compliance. EBC’s planned family office services will offer bespoke wealth management support to HNWIs and institutional clients, addressing complex cross-asset and cross-border wealth management needs, including tax optimisation and wealth inheritance, further strengthening EBC’s ability to serve clients worldwide.

    With the new asset management licence, EBC Financial Group continues to solidify its global presence, offering premium financial services to wholesale clients in both developed and emerging markets. This strategic move aligns with EBC’s broader mission of delivering sophisticated investment solutions that meet the evolving demands of investors worldwide.

    About EBC Financial Group
    Founded in the esteemed financial district of London, EBC Financial Group (EBC) is renowned for its comprehensive suite of services that includes financial brokerage, asset management, and comprehensive investment solutions. EBC has quickly established its position as a global brokerage firm, with an extensive presence in key financial hubs such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, the Cayman Islands, and across emerging markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and India. EBC caters to a diverse clientele of retail, professional, and institutional investors worldwide.

    Recognised by multiple awards, EBC prides itself on adhering to the leading levels of ethical standards and international regulation. EBC Financial Group’s subsidiaries are regulated and licensed in their local jurisdictions. EBC Financial Group (UK) Limited is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), EBC Financial Group (Cayman) Limited is regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), EBC Financial Group (Australia) Pty Ltd, and EBC Asset Management Pty Ltd are regulated by Australia’s Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

    At the core of EBC Group are seasoned professionals with over 30 years of profound experience in major financial institutions, having adeptly navigated through significant economic cycles from the Plaza Accord to the 2015 Swiss franc crisis. EBC champions a culture where integrity, respect, and client asset security are paramount, ensuring that every investor engagement is treated with the utmost seriousness it deserves.

    EBC is the Official Foreign Exchange Partner of FC Barcelona, offering specialised services in regions such as Asia, LATAM, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. EBC is also a partner of United to Beat Malaria, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation, aiming to improve global health outcomes. Starting February 2024, EBC supports the ‘What Economists Really Do’ public engagement series by Oxford University’s Department of Economics, demystifying economics, and its application to major societal challenges to enhance public understanding and dialogue.

    https://www.ebc.com/

    Media Contact:
    Susindhraseghar Chandrasekar
    Global Public Relations (APAC, LATAM)
    susindhra.c@ebc.com

    Chyna Elvina
    Global Public Relations Manager (APAC, LATAM)
    chyna.elvina@ebc.com

    Douglas Chew
    Global Public Relations Lead
    douglas.chew@ebc.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ef43b93-2ecf-4d4c-a6ca-8c91ff2aa721

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Joint doorstop interview, Brisbane

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    JIM CHALMERS:

    Welcome to the most important electorate in Australia, the People’s Republic of Rankin. Welcome to the PM, Clare, Meaghan, this is our home patch. Cameron Dick and I and Shannon Fentiman, we’re really proud to represent this part of South East Queensland. We’ve got really 2 fantastic announcements to be making today.

    The first one which Clare will elaborate on is that we are announcing more money for this part of the world for more housing. More housing for Meadowbrook, more housing for South East Queensland, more housing for middle Australia, and most importantly, more housing for essential workers and social housing tenants near where the jobs and essential services are being provided. The wonderful thing about this part of South East Queensland – we’ve got a university there, a hospital and a TAFE there, a retail centre there, 2 motorways, a train station – and this is all about making sure that we build more homes for Australians where the jobs and essential services are. And so it’s a really important day to be making this announcement. This kind of funding is at risk with the worst combination of David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton and we make that clear as well today.

    More homes for our local community. Our highest priorities are housing and the cost of living and the Albanese Labor government, the Miles Labor government, we work together really closely to do whatever we can to build more homes and to ease the cost of living for more people. And a really important part of what we’re announcing today are our efforts to crack down on excessive charges when it comes to using credit cards and debit cards and tapping your phone. Too many Australians are paying too much when they tap their phone or use their credit cards. Too many Australians are paying too much when it comes to excessive fees on debit cards, in particular. We are cracking down on excessive fees for debit cards and we are funding the ACCC to do their important work in this regard as well. We are prepared to ban surcharges on debit cards subject to the important work that the RBA is doing, and also making sure that there aren’t unintended consequences for small businesses and for consumers. This is all about a better deal for consumers and small businesses. People are paying surcharges which are too high just to use their own money, and we want to see what we can do to crack down on that. We are prepared to ban the surcharges on debit cards subject to making sure that consumers and small businesses are the beneficiaries of any change. This is a really complex system. There are a number of fees at play in this system. It’s why the RBA’s work is so important, and it’s why it’s so important that this Albanese Labor government is taking action to crack down on excessive fees. While this work is being undertaken, we will provide $2.1 million to the ACCC for their education and monitoring and to make sure that businesses are doing the right thing when it comes to the charging of these fees and surcharges. We are making it really clear today. This Albanese Labor government is about easing the cost of living and building more homes. Whether it’s excessive surcharges using debit cards, whether it’s building more homes in communities, just like the Miles government, we are focused on the main game for middle Australia and that’s why we’re here today. I’ll throw you over to the Deputy Premier and Treasurer of Queensland, Cameron Dick.

    CAMERON DICK:

    Well, thanks, Jim. It is terrific to have the Prime Minister, Jim, Clare and Meaghan in Logan here today to announce more homes for Queenslanders. And this is what happens when you have a State Labor government and a Federal Labor government working together to deliver for the people of Queensland. This isn’t something you get from the Greens and it is certainly something you would never get from the LNP. It’s also great to have 2 Queensland based institutions, the Australian Retirement Fund and the Brisbane Housing Company, collaborating together to deliver on this project. We’ve already got homes through that collaboration coming out of the ground in Redcliffe, Chermside and Southport and now we will see more homes right here in Logan for hardworking Queenslanders. And so we very much welcome this announcement today and we thank the Prime Minister and his federal team for supporting Queensland.

    I just wanted to say something briefly before I hand over to the Prime Minister on David Crisafulli and the LNP’s election commitments, their costings and of course, their plan for cuts. Yesterday, David Crisafulli said he wouldn’t borrow for the operational costs of government. That would mean David would have to cut $3 billion as soon as he took office in October. It means David Crisafulli would have to cut $10 million a day, each and every day until the 30th of June next year to deliver on his promise. That means there are 17,000 Queenslanders whose jobs are now on the line under David Crisafulli and the LNP. And that is before he even finds one cent to pay for the $18 billion in election commitments that are unfunded and that he has already announced in this campaign. David Crisafulli won’t even tell Queenslanders the total of the election commitments he’s made in this campaign so far. That’s because he would have to tell Queenslanders what he would have to cut to deliver on those promises.

    I’ll hand over to the Prime Minister and thank him again for coming to Queensland and making this important announcement for the people of our state.

    ANTHONY ALBANESE:

    Well, thanks very much, Treasurer. And it’s great to be here with 2 treasurers and 2 housing ministers and I think 3 local members here in Logan. It’s fantastic to be, particularly to be in my friend, the Treasurer’s electorate of Rankin, and to show what happens when good Labor governments work together. This is about 1,100 new homes for Queenslanders – 1,100 new homes that will be built, including right here on this site, but throughout South East Queensland as well. It comes on top of, just a couple of weeks ago, the announcement we made in Cairns with about 500 new affordable and social homes being built there. This is about increasing housing supply, which is what our commitment is to do.

    It’s also about easing the cost of living and the measures that the Treasurer spoke about before in outlawing debit card surcharges, having a real crack at making sure that people, when they use their own money, there shouldn’t be surcharges on them using their money. And that’s why we are providing additional funds – $2.1 million for the ACCC – but also the Reserve Bank doing their inquiry to make sure that the details of this are got right, that small businesses looked after on the way through. This is my government’s priority, looking after the cost of living whilst also delivering on housing supply in partnership with state and territory governments. And it stands in stark contrast to our opponents. Be it David Crisafulli, who doesn’t seem to have too many policies I’ve got to say, at the Queensland election, and certainly no costed ones, and the Federal Opposition that today Michael Sukkar was out there once again just being opposed to our investment in new housing. They said they’ll get rid of the Housing Australia Future Fund. They’ve said they’re against the targets that we’ve set in partnership with state and territory governments, with those financial incentives for better planning for state and territory governments to make sure that we increase the supply. This project here as well is about our support for infrastructure in order so that homes can be built. It’s one of the missing pieces in the puzzle of housing supply that we are addressing. Making sure that energy, sewerage, water can all be connected so that new homes can be built. Something that we are providing that was never provided under the former government that didn’t for a while even bother to have a Housing Minister. I’ll turn to Clare and then we’re happy to take questions.

    CLARE O’NEIL:

    Thank you, PM and Treasurer, can I thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful electorate. We all know a bit about Jim Chalmers and one way to get the guy talking is to ask him about his community here in Rankin and you won’t hear the end of it. He is a huge advocate for this local area, he’s very proud of where he comes from, and it’s fantastic to be here. This is a really big and important announcement for South East Queensland where the Albanese government and the Miles Labor government here are announcing 1,100 new homes for Queenslanders. Five hundred will be constructed on this site here in Meadowbrook and 600 others will be scattered around some of the nearby suburbs. This is a reflection of what gets done when state and federal governments identify something that matters hugely to our constituents and that’s housing, and then works together to make a difference to that problem. We are, without question, one of the boldest and most ambitious Commonwealth governments on housing that we have seen for a generation in this country. We came from a standing start. The Prime Minister here mentioned that for most of the time the Coalition were in power, they didn’t even have a Housing Minister. Didn’t even have a Housing Minister. That’s how tapped out they were on this critical problem. Well, we have changed all that. Our country, led as it is by a Prime Minister whose access to housing in his childhood totally transformed the rest of his life. So, what are we doing? We’re building more homes. An ambitious target to build 1.2 million homes around the country over the coming 5 years. We’re helping renters through the work we’re doing with National Cabinet and lifts to the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment. And we’re making sure that more Australians can own their own homes. We’ve helped 120,000 citizens get into home ownership in the time we’ve been in government. And we would be able to do more if other parties in the Parliament would come together and work with us. Now, we’ve got boldness and we’ve got ambition. But what do I see when I look at other parties in the Parliament? Well, I see the Greens who say some of the right things about housing. But when it comes time to make real progress for real people, instead of helping childcare workers and aged care workers get into housing, they instead try to play politics and stand in their path. And then I see the Liberals who have not a shred of credibility when it comes to housing. We heard this morning the Shadow Housing Minister, Michael Sukkar, make extraordinary admissions in a radio interview where, firstly, he said that the government is being too ambitious about housing. He says that if the Liberals are elected federally, they will scrap having a housing target altogether. Well, it’s that kind of low ambition that got us to where we are right now. And that is in a housing crisis where this is affecting the lives of millions of people in our country and the Liberals want us to lower our ambitions. The second thing he told us is that they want to make more cuts to states and territories in the funding that we’re giving them to make housing possible. Well, this is where we are right here. 1,100 new homes that’s made through that partnership that we’ve worked through with National Cabinet and we know with the Liberals we’ll get what we always get. That is cuts, cuts, cuts that hurt real people.

    ALBANESE:

    Happy to take questions.

    JOURNALIST:

    PM, on the banking surcharge, it’s been welcomed by some, but others are saying that a few cents here and there might not save people that much in a cost living crisis. I guess, how do you expect it to assist people if they’re only saving small amounts on these surcharges?

    ALBANESE:

    We think it’ll make a difference. And when people go and they see a price up on the board at the business where they’re making a purchase – that should be the purchase price. There shouldn’t be hidden charges and surcharges there when people are using their own money. Bear this in mind – a debit card is taking money directly from people’s accounts. It is their money and there shouldn’t be surcharges on it.

    JOURNALIST:

    Prime Minister, this is a housing announcement, do you think it’s a good look to be buying a $4.2 million home during a cost‑of‑living crisis?

    ALBANESE:

    Well, Jodie and I are getting married, as is known, and I’m pleased about that. And Jodie’s a Coastie. She’s a proud Coastie. She’s as proud of being a Coastie as Jim is here, of being a Logan lifelong resident. There are 3 generations of Haydons on the coast there. And when your relationship changes, your life changes and you make decisions. But what I’m focused on is making sure that everyone can get a roof over their head. I’m focused on increased public housing and social housing investment. That’s why we have our Housing Australia Future Fund. We’re focused on increased rentals, which is why we have our Build to Rent scheme. And we’re focused, in addition to that, in getting more housing supply, such as the 1,100 homes for Queenslanders that we’re announcing right here.

    JOURNALIST:

    PM, buying a $4 million dollar home is very different to buying a modest family home or living on a block like this. Do you think it’s a good look?

    ALBANESE:

    I have – of course, I am much better off as Prime Minister. I earn a good income. I understand that. I understand that I’ve been fortunate, but I also know what it’s like to struggle. My mum lived in the one public housing that she was born in for all of her 65 years. And I know what it’s like, which is why I want to help all Australians into a home, whether it be public homes or private rentals or home ownership.

    JOURNALIST:

    PM, it’s been reported that Australia is seeking an assurance from PNG it won’t sign new security agreements with China in return for the $600 million assistance package for its NRL bid. Can you confirm if there is a security element in this agreement and what exactly it says?

    ALBANESE:

    This is a relationship between friends and what we don’t do is have our security arrangements out there in public. What we do is to work with our friends and partners. Papua New Guinea has made it very clear that Australia is their security partner of choice.

    JOURNALIST:

    PM, do you plan to retire at that house on the New South Wales Central Coast?

    ALBANESE:

    Sorry?

    JOURNALIST:

    Are you planning to retire there?

    ALBANESE:

    I’m planning to be in my current job for a very long period of time.

    JOURNALIST:

    Are you going to rent it out in the meantime?

    ALBANESE:

    I’m planning to be in my current – I haven’t bought it yet. To be clear, it hasn’t settled yet, these arrangements, I’m very transparent. I declare everything. I’ve declared, some time ago, if you followed the story that I was selling a house in the Inner West that will make a contribution towards this.

    JOURNALIST:

    There’s been a lot of commentary around the hope from Federal Labor that some of the frustration may be taken out on October 26 and then maybe go easy at the federal election. What do you make of this and are you concerned about support for Labor in Queensland?

    ALBANESE:

    I want people to vote Labor in Queensland and to return Steven Miles as the Premier and this bloke here as the Deputy Premier, because I want a government that actually cares about Queenslanders. It’s a government that’s committed to increasing housing supply, that’s committed to dealing with cost‑of‑living pressures, including the 50 cent fares. I had the privilege of going on Gold Coast Light Rail yesterday. It’s committed to the free school lunches to make sure that people are looked after. This is a government that is getting things done and is worthy of re‑election and I’m very pleased to campaign with them.

    JOURNALIST:

    PM, Canada has expelled 6 Indian diplomats, accusing them of being part of a criminal network targeting the Sikh diaspora. Have you spoken, or do you plan to speak with Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau about this?

    ALBANESE:

    I speak with the Prime Minister of Canada all the time.

    JOURNALIST:

    Does Australia –

    ALBANESE:

    I speak with the Prime Minister of Canada all the time. And what I do in my relationships with international leaders is I have proper discussions with them and that’s how we get things done. And that’s why – one of the reasons why my government has been so effective in international diplomacy.

    JOURNALIST:

    On the Bruce Highway, why won’t you match Peter Dutton’s commitment for an 80/20 split.

    ALBANESE:

    He hasn’t done anything. His commitment? He was part of a government that didn’t fund things, that was good at media releases. I’ll give you the big clue. You can’t drive on a media release. What you can drive on is a road. And to build a road, you need money. So, Rockhampton Ring Road, for example, was $700 million short in terms of its funding. The former government made announcements with $0 attached to it, from time to time. When we came into government last time, we put record funding into the Bruce Highway. $1.3 billion under the Howard government, $7.6 billion under us, and we have $10 billion in our plan for the Bruce Highway, including additional money that we put in in the last Budget.

    JOURNALIST:

    So, those accusations are credible that we were talking about just before?

    ALBANESE:

    I’ve answered your question.

    JOURNALIST:

    Queensland has – you took a 50 cent fare yesterday. Obviously it’s a fair bit more expensive in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, to take a light rail, in Canberra. Should it not be? I mean, it’s increased our patronage in Queensland and would not do the same thing elsewhere?

    ALBANESE:

    Well, it’s a matter for state and territory governments. But I say this, that the Queensland government – and Cameron or Meaghan might want to comment on this as well – it’s been a huge success. Increasing patronage gets cars off the road, saves people money and also it’s good for people’s health. It’s good for a range of reasons to increase public transport patronage and from a Commonwealth government perspective, I make this point, when it comes to infrastructure. Gold Coast Light Rail, $365 million in the 2009 budget from the government when I was the Infrastructure Minister and now stage 3 underway, will be completed next year. It was opposed by the LNP – state and federal. You had federal LNP members like Steve Ciobo collecting petitions against Gold Coast Light Rail. Cross River Rail, major project to increase the whole capacity of the network was funded $715 million from the Commonwealth with an availability payment going forward each year in partnership with what was the Queensland LNP government then, originally started under the Labor government. Tony Abbott got elected, the whole thing crashed, and then they came up with this ridiculous plan that didn’t go anywhere. Cross River Rail would be open today if Labor governments had kept being elected. That’s why we believe in this. That’s why we’re funding Sunshine Coast Rail as well.

    JOURNALIST:

    Question for Mr Dick, please.

    ALBANESE:

    Sure.

    JOURNALIST:

    Credit rating agency S&P Global has warned Queensland’s AA+ credit rating is in danger of being downgraded due to your spending. How concerning is that?

    DICK:

    Well, S&P Global and Moody’s went through the Queensland Budget books top to bottom, left to right, up and down after our Budget, and they reaffirmed our AA+ credit rating. And when you look at our competitor states, our comparative states in New South Wales and Victoria, we are streets ahead of them when it comes to budget management and fiscal management in this state. Just a week ago, I announced the unaudited financial results for Queensland. Our net debt for last financial year has been halved from $12 billion to just under $6 billion. Our surplus went up from $600 million to $1.7 billion. And let’s put that in comparison to New South Wales and Victoria. So, our net debt at the end of last financial year was $5.7 billion. In New South Wales , it was $97 billion. In Victoria it was $136 billion. So, that means New South Wales debt is 16 times higher than Queensland and Victoria’s debt is 22 times higher. And so we are in a really strong position to make commitments and deliver on them because our commitments are fully funded. And the question for David Crisafulli and David Janetzki, who did 2 train wreck interviews today, the Shadow Treasurer who’s been in an LNP witness protection program, has not been seen with the Leader on the campaign trail for 2 weeks. And that is disrespectful to train wrecks because a train needs momentum and forward movement before it can run off the rails. We haven’t seen or heard from that bloke. And when he came out today, he didn’t say to Queenslanders – he couldn’t even tell Queenslanders what the total cost of their commitments would be, nor how they would pay for them. Now, their election commitments in this campaign are twice as high as ours. The LNP election commitments in this campaign now total $18 billion, twice as high as Labor. We’ve been upfront about how we’re paying for that. The only way that David Crisafulli can deliver on his promise of not borrowing for operational costs of government, by spending more, reducing taxation, lowering debt, delivering balanced budgets, not having a fiscal deficit, having a fiscal surplus. He has promised all of those things in this campaign. The only way he can deliver that is by cutting and that is what he is going to do. And that should put a shiver down the spine of every Queenslander, because the last LNP leader who offered to the community that he would look after the money of the people of Queensland, the last LNP leader who said that he would deliver a fiscal surplus was Campbell Newman. And 14,000 Queenslanders paid for that promise with their jobs. They built nothing for 3 years. So, they cut operating expenditure and they cut infrastructure expenditure. And the hide of David Crisafulli to say to Queenslanders that he respects money. The hide of David Crisafulli. David Crisafulli doesn’t respect public or private money. This is a man who was responsible for a training company that collapsed under $3 million of debt and owed the Australian Taxation Office $750,000. That’s not a man who respects money. That’s a man who disregards every single creditor of that company, including creditors that came from this community. And so we are fighting hard for the future of Queensland. Fully costed, fully funded plans, our promises will be delivered within the budget envelope and the funding envelope we’ve set aside. You cannot say the same for David Crisafulli.

    JOURNALIST:

    He wouldn’t have said what they’d said if they didn’t have concerns, though, surely?

    DICK:

    Well, let’s see what happens when I do – if I have that privilege – when I do the Budget update in December and when I do the Budget next year. Because there are 2 aspects to budgets, one’s expenditure and one’s revenue. And so you have to look at the budget position in total before we go to the ratings agencies and before they look at us. And so we’ll continue to deliver as we’ve delivered for every budget, except my first one, we’ve beaten our debt projections in every budget that I’ve delivered as Treasurer and we’ll continue to work hard to maintain that AA+ credit rating. We are the only state of the big 3 states that didn’t have a credit rating downgrade during or subsequent to COVID. That was because of our effective and appropriate financial and budgetary management and we’re going to continue on that path and people can trust us to deliver on our promises. The only thing you can trust David Crisafulli to do if he’s elected Premier is to cut. Anything else?

    JOURNALIST:

    Mr Janetzki was on radio this morning that he would release his costings once they make their final announcement. Is that the typical convention? Are you aware of that? And do you think it’s good enough considering voters already going to the polls?

    DICK:

    Look, this is all just a smokescreen for David Crisafulli to hide his plan for cuts. Our Party, Queensland Labor, has been the most transparent of any political party in any election in history. We put our costings live 2 weeks ago. We said upfront what we would do and how we would pay for it. And I released a budget economic and tax plan 2 weeks ago. Two years ago, David Crisafulli promised to release a tax and debt plan for Queensland. It is now 11 days until the election. David Crisafulli has been the Leader of the LNP now for more than 1,200 days and he still won’t be honest with the people of Queensland. And look, it’s just obvious the reason they won’t tell Queenslanders the total of their election commitments is because they would have to reveal to Queenslanders what they need to cut to deliver those election commitments. Which is why they’re hiding their costings, hiding their funding sources, because their single biggest funding source is to cut. And that’s why they’re not being honest with you.

    JOURNALIST:

    Amy McMahon from the Greens reckons you’re a hypocrite for recommending a preference for the Katter Australia Party in North Queensland. Are you not assisting an anti‑abortion party here by putting them above the Liberal Party?

    DICK:

    I don’t take political advice from the Queensland Greens Political Party. I never have and I never will. Anything else?

    JOURNALIST:

    What have you made of voter sentiment on the ground?

    CHALMERS:

    I don’t like being called the other Treasurer, but sure, you go ahead.

    JOURNALIST:

    What have you made of voter sentiment around the area? How closely will you be watching the result, particularly around this area?

    CHALMERS:

    Oh, look, Queenslanders right around our state desperately need a re‑elected Miles Labor government. You know, I was listening to Cameron and to the PM a moment ago. You know, Cameron is running one of the strongest budgets in the Commonwealth and that’s because we have a couple of things in common. You know, we are all about responsible economic management so that we can afford to provide cost‑of‑living relief for people who really need it, whether it’s in our community right around Queensland or indeed right around Australia. So, we have that in common and we want to work with the Miles Labor government after the election in a couple of weeks’ time. Now, as Cameron rightfully pointed out a moment ago, David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton have got something in common as well. Neither of them will come clean on their secret cuts. And those cuts that Peter Dutton and David Crisafulli won’t tell us about will make Queenslanders and Australians personally financially worse off. They’ll come after wages, they’ll come after housing, they’ll come after health. They will absolutely gut the joint. And we know this because Peter Dutton did that last time with Medicare when he was the Health Minister. And we know this because David Crisafulli is essentially Campbell Newman 2.0. And that was devastating for our local community. That has been a real low point for this part of the world seeing the way that Campbell Newman slashed and hacked at the essential services that local people desperately need. You asked a moment ago about our surcharging change and what it will mean for the cost of living. Now, that’s an important step that we are taking to help ease the cost of living, but it’s not the only step. Tax cuts for every taxpayer, Energy Bill Relief for every household, cheaper medicines, Rent Assistance, cheaper early childhood education, getting wages moving again. And here we have an enthusiastic and willing partner in the Miles Labor government. Cheaper fares for these communities in the outer suburbs are absolutely transformational. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that people have come up to me and said, ‘if you run into Cameron, or if you run into Steven, can you tell him how much we value those 50 cent fares?’ So, I’ll do that in front of all of our friends now, Cam. People appreciate the Energy Bill Relief that we’re working together with Steven and Cameron and Meaghan to provide. And so we desperately need a Miles Labor government re‑elected. We love working with these guys, not because we always have an identical view about every single issue, but because we’ve got a heart for local people. And that shows when it comes to housing, when it comes to health, and when it comes to cost of living.

    JOURNALIST:

    Sorry, just on the sentiment, you pick up anything on the ground around you?

    CHALMERS:

    Yeah, well, in our communities, people are desperately relying on the cost‑of‑living help that the Miles government and the Albanese government are providing. Now, we know that people are under pressure. You know, we know that people are doing it tough, but more than acknowledge that, we’re doing something about it. In all of the ways that I ran through a moment ago. And today, in addition, when it comes to surcharging on people’s debit cards, people shouldn’t be paying huge fees to use their own money. The Prime Minister has made that clear and we’ve made that clear today. So, in these local communities, we take no votes for granted. We don’t take any outcome for granted in this election. But I know I’ve seen what it’s like to have mostly state LNP members around here. I’ve seen what it’s like to have mostly Labor state members around here. We desperately need Labor members in this part of the world to look after the interests of the people and to work with Albo and I to make sure we’re rolling out that cost‑of‑living help.

    JOURNALIST:

    So, Queensland has – the Liberal National Party in Queensland has 21 of the federal seats in Queensland. Do you think that a plebiscite on nuclear power might change that?

    CHALMERS:

    Oh, we need to do better federally in Queensland. We’ve made that clear. You know, Anthony is an honorary Queenslander. You know, he spends a lot of time here in Queensland and I think Queenslanders understand because he is a practical, pragmatic leader and we are practical and pragmatic people in Queensland. And so, we need to do better, we’ve acknowledged that. Queensland is front and centre when it comes to our efforts as a Federal Labor government, including in the upcoming federal campaign. But first, we’ve got to re‑elect these guys because 2 Labor governments working together are better for local communities like this one.

    JOURNALIST:

    Queensland Labor has announced help for GP clinics that bulk bill. Isn’t that a tacit admission that Federal Labor hasn’t done enough to stop the gap, the Medicare gap, which has led to this?

    CHALMERS:

    No, I think it’s a tacit admission that both Labor governments are investing, in our case, billions and billions of dollars in strengthening Medicare. Now, there’s an Urgent Care Clinic down the road in Browns Plains which is making a major difference, taking the pressure off Logan Hospital, which is just next door. These are the investments that Labor governments make in local communities in getting out of pocket health costs down. And we welcome the contribution that the Miles Labor government comes to the table with when it comes to providing more money for health, so that we can get out of pocket costs down, so we can get the waiting times down, so that we can take pressure off local hospitals. But most importantly, make sure that we’re providing the healthcare that local families and pensioners need.

    JOURNALIST:

    When you were in Opposition, how many days before the election did you announce your costings?

    CHALMERS:

    Well, we did, unfortunately, we had a couple of goes at it when we were in Opposition and the timing of that varied. The difference was, you know, we didn’t have a big agenda for secret cuts like David Crisafulli does, and like Peter Dutton has. You know, Peter Dutton and Angus Taylor say that there’s $315 billion of spending in the Commonwealth Budget that they don’t support. That includes pension indexation, that includes Medicare funding, that includes funding for veterans, it includes funding for housing. And David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton are joined at the hip when it comes to their secret plans for cuts. I don’t think Queenslanders are asking too much when they say to David Crisafulli, ‘come clean in time for us to make an informed decision.’ And when they do, and if they do, they will understand that the Miles Labor government is providing cost‑of‑living relief, investing in housing and health, and David Crisafulli will cut all of those things as sure as night follows day.

    JOURNALIST:

    Why upgrade the travel advice to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories?

    ALBANESE:

    It’s a dangerous place at the moment. We know that that’s the case. So, what we do is we take advice from our security agencies and the government then implements that advice. We know that travelling into an area where there is conflict is a dangerous thing to do and it’s appropriate that the federal government make announcements in accordance with that advice from the security agencies. Can I just make one further point before we wrap up, which is that I was noticing – Clare probably noticed as well this morning – Michael Sukkar actually speak about the delay in implementing the Housing Australia Future Fund roll out and Help to Buy scheme that’s stuck in the Senate. Well, Labor are the builders, they’re the blockers. Between the LNP and the Greens, they blocked the Housing Australia Future Fund and now they’re still blocking the Help to Buy scheme. They could vote for it tomorrow or the next day that Parliament sits, but they don’t. So, they vote against it, block it and then complain that there’s a delay in its implementation. That says it all about how hopeless the Opposition are when it comes to policies that will actually deliver more housing supply. Thanks very much.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta Presents Paulding County Veteran with Overdue Bronze Star

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) today presented Paulding County Veteran William Young with a Bronze Star for his meritorious service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Young served as one of the members of the ‘B’ Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, Military Police Brigade.

    This Bronze Star awarded to Young is part of a larger effort by Latta’s office, spearheaded by a group of the members of the ‘B’ Company in their appeal to obtain the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) to recognize their service during the Vietnam War. After Latta worked alongside the veterans, the Department of the Army concluded the men of ‘B’ Company performed actions essential to the success of the entire 720th MP Battalion during the Vietnam War, and they were recognized with Bronze Stars for their service. 

    Last year, Latta held a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol for 35 Vietnam Veterans to receive their Bronze Stars. To date, 74 Bronze Stars have been awarded to the men of ‘B’ Company. 

    “It was a true honor to present a Bronze Star to Mr. William Young, a Paulding County resident, who honorably served our great nation in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War,” Latta said. “Mr. Young was trained to be a Military Policeman (MP) but when he arrived in Vietnam, his unit became part of the Bushwhackers whose duties included heading into the jungle to interdict North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. And since they were MPs, the Army would not issue them the Combat Infantry Badge. I was pleased to work with the veterans to make sure they received the recognition they deserve – the Bronze Star. We are forever grateful and indebted to our servicemembers for serving and sacrificing for our people and country.”

    Additional background on the Bronze Stars:

    Three years ago, Latta received a copy of a book written by Robert Bogison, entitled Up Close & Personal, that detailed the service and history of ‘B’ Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade during the Vietnam War.

    The book came with a letter appealing for assistance with their effort to obtain the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) to recognize their unique service during the Vietnam War. While they were classified as Military Police during their service, the Battalion unofficially performed infantry missions on the front lines.

    After contacting the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of the Army to inquire as to the possibility of the group receiving the CIB recognition, officials within the Defense Department undertook an extensive search at multiple personnel records facilities to locate official documentation that could back up claims that the company performed infantry actions. The veterans group also provided documentation for the Army to consider.

    After the Department of the Army concluded ‘B’ Company performed actions essential to the success of the entire 720th MP Battalion during the Vietnam War, it was announced these individuals would be recognized with Bronze Stars for their service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    Source: United States Air Force

    Headline: USAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi are participating in an international Air Force Forum hosted by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Tokyo Oct. 14-16.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    Source: United States Air Force

    U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi are participating in an international Air Force Forum hosted by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Tokyo Oct. 14-16.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to work with Tajikistan to tap cooperation potential: Premier Li

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda on the sidelines of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Islamabad, Pakistan, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Tuesday that China is ready to work with Tajikistan, focusing on the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, to tap the potential of cooperation in various fields and expand cooperation in emerging industries in a bid to inject more impetus into common development.

    Li made the remarks during his meeting with Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda on the sidelines of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    Li said that in July, President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Tajikistan, during which the two heads of state jointly announced the decision to elevate China-Tajikistan relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, and to build the China-Tajikistan community with a shared future at a higher level, drawing a new blueprint for the development of China-Tajikistan relations and cooperation.

    China is ready to work with Tajikistan to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, carry forward traditional friendship, deepen mutual political trust, firmly support each other on core interests, lift China-Tajikistan all-round cooperation to a new level, and bring more benefits to the two peoples, he said.

    China is going to work with Tajikistan to strengthen the synergy of development strategies. Guided by the vision of the China-Tajikistan community with a shared future and focusing on the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, China stands ready to tap the potential of bilateral cooperation in various fields, advance cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, mining and agriculture, as well as in emerging industries including new energy and digital economy, promote connectivity, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in culture, education and tourism, in a bid to inject more impetus into common development, he said.

    China will work with Tajikistan to implement the outcomes of the first China-Central Asia Summit, strengthen multilateral cooperation, jointly carry out the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, practice true multilateralism, and uphold international fairness and justice, Li said.

    Rasulzoda said that the traditional friendship between Tajikistan and China is profound, mutual political trust is solid, and bilateral relations are at the highest level in history.

    Tajikistan congratulates the People’s Republic of China on its remarkable development achievements since its founding 75 years ago, and thanks China for its long-term valuable support for Tajikistan’s development, he said, noting that President Xi paid a successful state visit to Tajikistan not long ago, which strongly promoted the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Tajikistan and China to a higher level.

    Tajikistan is willing to work with China to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state of China and Tajikistan, strengthen exchanges at various levels, promote the Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, e-commerce, energy, industry, transportation and agriculture, expand cooperation in emerging fields like digital economy and green economy, and deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges to better benefit the two peoples, he said.

    Noting that Tajikistan supports the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the three global initiatives proposed by President Xi, Rasulzoda said Tajikistan expects to work with China to promote cooperation between Central Asian countries and China, deepen cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and the SCO, and jointly uphold regional and global peace, stability and development. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China eyes further fruitful partnership with Australia: Chinese VP

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines in Beijing on Tuesday, noting that China is willing to work with Australia to build a more fruitful bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

    Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, Han said consolidating and developing bilateral ties serves the common interests of the two countries and is conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity, as both China and Australia are important countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Han said China is ready to work with Australia to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to peace and development in the region and the world.

    Lines said she has felt the vitality and achievements of China’s development during this visit, adding that the close cooperation between Australia and China benefits the people.

    The Australian Senate is committed to promoting the sustained and steady development of Australia-China ties and the two countries being equal partners, Lines said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: S. Korean military ‘main culprit’ of drone intrusion into Pyongyang: DPRK official

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A senior official of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday accused the South Korean military of being the “main culprit” of the drone intrusion into the airspace of Pyongyang, state media reported.

    Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), issued a press statement saying the DPRK has “secured clear evidence” showing that the South Korean military is “the main culprit” of the hostile provocation of violating the DPRK sovereignty by intruding into the sky over its capital city of Pyongyang, the DPRK’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

    “The provocateurs will have to pay a dear price,” the senior DPRK official was quoted by the KCNA as saying.

    A day earlier, Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the WPK and president of the state affairs of the DPRK, convened a consultative meeting on national defense and security in the latest move by the country to address the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the KCNA said in an earlier report on Tuesday.

    The DPRK Foreign Ministry issued a statement last Friday evening, accusing South Korea of sending drones over Pyongyang. South Korea’s military denied the accusation on the same day, saying that “it did not send drones into North Korea.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade Minister to attend G20 meeting in Brazil

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Trade Minister Todd McClay will attend the Group of Twenty (G20) Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Brasilia next week. 

    “As an exporting nation reliant on trade, this is a significant opportunity to boost our interests with some of the world’s largest economies and many of our most important trading partners,” Mr McClay says.

    “New Zealand was invited to attend following our success in negotiating the E-Commerce agreement at this year’s WTO Ministerial Trade negotiation in Abu Dhabi, and our inaugural attendance at the G7 Trade Ministers meeting in Reggio Calabria.”

    Minister McClay will represent New Zealand alongside G20 members to discuss sustainable development, investment, global food security, reducing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and strengthening of the Multilateral system to grow trade. 

    In addition to G20 meetings, Mr McClay will look to engage directly with counterparts including from Brazil, Canada, Chile, the European Union, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    While in the region, the Minister will also lead a business delegation to São Paulo to boost New Zealand’s $242 million exported to Brazil and supporting the 40 Kiwi businesses already operating in the region.

    The delegation includes 13 organisations: Aroa Biosurgery, Auckland Council, Foot Science International, Framecad, Gallagher Animal Management, Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE), Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC), Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), Loadscan, Mindhive Global, New Zealand Brazil Business Chamber (NZBBC), Seequent, and Tait Communications.

    “We are committed to ensuring New Zealand remains competitive on the world stage and that our high-quality, safe and sustainable exports gain the recognition they deserve.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB to Support Green and Low-Carbon Urban Development in Chongqing, PRC

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    MANILA, PHILIPPINES (16 October 2024) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million equivalent loan to help build and implement green, low-carbon, climate-resilient, and cross-sector urban development measures in Chongqing Gaoxin District in Chongqing Municipality, the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

    “Chongqing has ambitious climate change targets, as well as a strong commitment to evolving Chongqing Gaoxin District into a low-carbon, nature-based, and climate-resilient city. But a holistic and integrated approach is critical to long-term success,” said ADB Country Director for the PRC Safdar Parvez. “This results-based lending program will foster collaboration among stakeholders and benefit almost a million residents.”

    Chongqing experiences severe climate events, such as high temperatures, mountain fires, heavy rain, and droughts. The city’s rapid urban and industrial development has also degraded environmental quality, with Chongqing Gaoxin District facing frequent flooding, subpar infrastructure, and poor river water quality.

    The Chongqing Gaoxin District Green and Low-Carbon Urban Development Program will support green and low-carbon infrastructure and services, including improved domestic wastewater management, green buildings, and renewable-energy-powered district heating and cooling supply. It will also support the development of a green eco-district—which applies sustainable urban practices like efficient resource usage and lowered carbon emissions into design and operation—and application of nature-based solutions, including enhanced flood mitigation capacity and urban green spaces.

    The program will also strengthen institutional capacity and human capital to build and implement green and low-carbon initiatives, as well as train students, especially females, for roles toward climate-resilient urban development.

    ADB’s climate finance for the program is $124 million, with an estimated $72.75 million in mitigation costs and $51.25 million in adaptation costs. The total program cost is $841.9 million equivalent. It is expected to be completed in 2030.

    ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why China now wants to put some limits on its ‘no limits’ friendship with Russia

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guangyi Pan, Teaching fellow, international politics, UNSW Sydney

    Just before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China announced to much fanfare a “no-limits friendship” with Russia, suggesting a future of close collaboration in trade, energy and, perhaps most importantly, security.

    Now, more than two years into the war, the meaning and interpretation of this “no-limits” commitment has evolved.

    There has been much debate in Chinese society in recent months about Beijing’s alignment with Moscow. While some have advocated for a more formal alliance with Russia, others have taken a more cautious stance.

    In sharp contrast to 2022, China’s growing wariness is increasingly being discussed in the open, even among those who were previously censored. In early 2022, for instance, a joint letter by six Chinese emeritus historians opposing Russia’s invasion was censored by the government. The scholars were also warned.

    Now, however, it appears the government is seeking to balance its relationships with both Russia and the West. Beijing may not want to be seen as a “decisive enabler” of the war.

    For example, the once-prominent “no-limits” friendship language quietly vanished from a Sino-Russian joint statement in May.

    And Beijing’s response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit that month was notably subdued. Putin ingratiated himself with Xi, saying they were “as close as brothers”. Xi’s response was more perfunctory – he called Putin a “good friend and a good neighbour”.

    Scholars are also articulating their concerns about China’s political and economic investments in Russia, both publicly and privately.

    Shen Dingli, a leading scholar of Chinese security strategy at Fudan University in Shanghai, said China doesn’t want to be seen as collaborating with Russia against Ukraine or any other country.

    He also quoted Fu Cong, China’s former ambassador to the European Union, who said last year the “no-limits” [friendship] is “nothing but rhetoric”.

    And in August, after Putin referred to China as an “ally” during a visit to far-eastern Russia, Chinese scholars promptly sought to clarify this statement to prevent any misunderstanding China wants a formal alliance with Russia.

    These statements carry weight. In many respects, leading Chinese scholars at the government-affiliated universities act as propagandists to convey and justify the government’s stance on issues. As a result, subtle shifts in their commentary provide insights into the strategic mindset in Beijing.

    Why China is rethinking its ‘no-limits’ friendship?

    There are three elements driving this re-evaluation of the Russia-China alignment.

    First, there is growing scepticism of Russia’s state capacities. The mutiny by the Wagner Group last year and Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region have prompted critical reassessments in Beijing of Russia’s political stability and military preparedness, as well as the growing anti-war sentiment in Russia.

    As Feng Yujun, director of Fudan University’s Russia and Central Asia Study Centre, argued, the Wagner rebellion was a reflection of Russia’s internal conflicts and domestic security challenges. He noted every time Russia has faced both internal and external crises in history, its regimes have become less stable.

    More recently, Feng has been even bolder, predicting Russian defeat in Ukraine. He argued China should keep its distance from Moscow and resume a policy of “non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-partisanship”.

    Second, China’s sluggish economy and its underwhelming trade with Russia have further exposed how dependent both countries are on the West.

    While Russia-China trade reached a record US$240 billion (A$360 billion) in 2023, it has slowed so far this year, as Chinese financial institutions have sought to limit connections with Russia.

    The relationship still heavily favours Beijing. Russia accounts for only 4% of China’s trade, while China accounts for nearly 22% of Russia’s trade.

    Many Chinese experts are now warning against an over-dependence on Russia, instead calling for more cooperation with neighbouring countries. This echoes a recent concern Russia has been using its natural resources as a bargaining chip to extract greater benefits from China.

    Russia’s value as a military ally

    Finally, there are rising Chinese concerns its international outlook does not align with Russia’s.

    Zhao Long, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of International Relations, says there is an important difference in how they view the world:

    Russia wants to destroy the current international system to build a new one. China wants to transform the current system by taking a more prominent place in it.

    Shi Yinhong, a strategist at Renmin University in Beijing, has highlighted an unbridgeable gap preventing a stronger China-Russia alliance. He says there’s a deep mutual mistrust on regional security. Russia has never promised support for China in the event of a conflict over Taiwan, just as China has avoided involvement in the war in Ukraine.

    As Russia’s war in Ukraine reaches a stalemate, its value as a military ally is increasingly being questioned in China.

    Recently, Feng Yujun warned China risks being led by the nose by Russia, despite being the stronger economic partner. He says every time China has attempted an alliance with Russia in history, it has had negative consequences for China.

    Consequently, it is crucial for China to maintain its long-term partnership with Russia without undermining its constructive relationship with the West.

    Russia has arguably benefited from the current competition between the US and China, as it has sought to exploit the rivalry for its own benefit. But this has also led to uncertainty in the China-Russia relationship.

    As another analyst, Ji Zhiye, argues, relying too heavily on Russia will leave China isolated and vulnerable. And this is not a position China wants to be in.

    Guangyi Pan 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. Why China now wants to put some limits on its ‘no limits’ friendship with Russia – https://theconversation.com/why-china-now-wants-to-put-some-limits-on-its-no-limits-friendship-with-russia-238436

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NAMRU INDO PACIFIC Grows Partnership in Malaysia

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  –  

    Capt. Andrew Letizia, science director of Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) INDO PACIFIC, has described the command’s collaborations with partner nations as the lifeblood of Navy Medicine’s OCONUS research and development.

    “The best part of my job is sitting down with excellent researchers from a host nation, putting our goals and concepts on paper, designing a project, and then watching the project help meet the needs of the partners as it comes to life,” Letizia explained. “Since I first started playing with Legos many years ago, I have enjoyed building things. Watching NAMRU INDO PACIFIC build new partnerships and strengthen the previous ones brings back that same joy I felt as a kid, making all of the pieces fit together correctly to make a great creation.”

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC partners with 10 different countries within the area of responsibility (AOR). This network of collaborators continues to grow as the scope of Navy Medicine research expands to meet the ever-evolving needs of U.S. service members. Malaysia, home to many of the U.S. Navy’s partners, is the latest of these countries to see an expansion in collaboration.

    KUALA LUMPUR
    Like many Sailors, Lt. Cmdr. Dawn Weir wakes up early to make her way to the office. Unlike other Sailors, Weir’s walk to work takes her through the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. From her office at the U.S. Embassy, she oversees research projects in Malaysia for NAMRU INDO PACIFIC, one of Navy Medicine’s three OCONUS research commands.

    Weir, a microbiologist, is the first person to fill this brand-new billet. NAMRU INDO PACIFIC has been building partnerships within Malaysia for almost 15 years, and Weir is the first active-duty U.S. Sailor stationed in-country.

    “The best part of my job is working with our Malaysian partners,” Weir said, “to foster and strengthen existing collaborative research endeavors, as well as to expand and create new efforts to achieve both their and our research needs and objectives. I also enjoy sharing space and working with my Office of Defense Cooperation and other U.S. Embassy colleagues to support various medical lines of effort and other global health security initiatives.”

    In 2007 NAMRU INDO PACIFIC, then known as NAMRU-2, initiated a partnership with the University of Malaysia. In the years since, the partnership has grown into a much bigger relationship, spanning multiple projects and interoperability.

    “We have been working with [NAMRU INDO PACIFIC] for the past 16 years,” explained Dr. Sazaly Abu Bakar, professor and executive director of the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC) at the University of Malaysia, “and this relationship has really grown over the years. We are now at a transition point that is going to take this relationship to the next level.”

    Part of that next level involves Weir as an active-duty researcher and in-country liaison.

    “We used to have just a few projects,” added Abu Bakar. “Now we have more activities, focused on biomedical research. This shows how the relationship between the two has grown over the years.”

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC also partners with the National Defense University of Malaysia. Brig. Gen. Mohd Arshil Moideen, dean of the university’s medical facility and defense health division, spoke highly of the partnership.

    “The collaboration includes capacity building in our research, specifically in diagnostic laboratory capabilities,” Moideen explained. “We are currently running a few major research collaborations with tropical disease, as well as entomology studies. Lt. Cmdr. Weir is here specifically for this research cooperation, and this has never happened before. This means that Malaysia is now a significant partner in term of research collaboration.”

    “A permanent NAMRU presence within Malaysia will not only enhance our ability to achieve our mission, but also demonstrates to our Malaysian partners our commitment to continue to work together to enhance health security in the region for years to come,” said Weir. “In my experience thus far, the biggest challenges have been overcoming various administrative challenges often outside of our control that impede the progress of our collaborative research goals and objectives.”

    BORNEO
    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC is also partnering on research in collaboration with The University of Malaysia Sabah, located in the Malaysian state Sabah, which lies on the island of Borneo.

    Borneo is an island east of Kuala Lumpur, and the third largest in the world. It is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, with native flora and fauna that includes the world’s biggest flower and world’s smallest elephant. Borneo is also one of the few places where orangutans live in the wild.

    Borneo is also home to East Malaysia, comprised of 2 states and 1 federal territory, the country of Brunei and 5 provinces of Indonesia. The university has over 100 lecturers and more than 500 students, as well as a medical and nursing school.

    “We have a lot of diseases in Sabah,” explained Dr. Yosof Ibrahim, dean of UMS. “The number of research that has been done is limited, because of manpower and expertise. There are a lot more diseases that need to be discovered, identified and to be explored. Sabah has many different ethnicities. We have 32 different ethnicities. This is a challenge. Topography is a challenge. Dialect is a challenge. The way we [in Sabah] live and look at things are very different.

    “This collaboration is beneficial,” Ibrahim added, “not only to NAMRU, but to us. In a way, it opens an avenue for us to expand our research and design what our protective measures should be for rural people. 70 percent of our people are in a rural area. There is a difficulty in access to medical facilities.”

    “Malaysia is rich in culture,” said Weir, “with Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities. This diversity fosters a vibrant social scene and a diverse and unique culinary experience! Malaysia is also home to diverse and beautiful landscapes perfect for outdoor activities like hiking, diving, and exploring national parks. I personally love the year-round warm tropical environment. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit or work in Malaysia should not pass it up.”

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC plays an important role in the heath of those in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) AOR. One of the most culturally, socially, economically and geopolitically diverse regions, the Asia-Pacific region is home to 38 nations and 60% of the world’s population. More than one-third of these nations are smaller, island nations, where many tropical diseases are prevalent.

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC collaborates with partners in Singapore, Mongolia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the U.S. to conduct research efforts throughout the USINDOPACOM area.

    The command’s “hub and spoke” model of operations from its headquarters in Singapore, its wide array partners in the INDOPACOM AOR and the over 375,000 U.S service members stationed in the Pacific allow the NAMRU INDO PACIFIC scientific portfolio to shift, as needed, to align with host nation and sponsor priorities while maintaining focus and efforts on U.S. health security objectives.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Concludes Visit to Cambodia for Defense Policy Dialogue

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Department of Defense spokesperson John Supple provided the following readout:

    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for South and Southeast Asia Laura Updegrove concluded her visit to Cambodia today for the first U.S.-Cambodia Defense Policy Dialogue since 2019 and for meetings with Cambodian defense and foreign policy officials. DASD Updegrove’s trip follows Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to Cambodia on June 4, 2024.

    DASD Updegrove co-chaired the U.S.-Cambodia Defense Policy Dialogue, marking the third time the Dialogue has been held since its inception in 2011. The two sides discussed opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship, including through the resumption of military training exchanges on disaster assistance, United Nations Peacekeeping and de-mining and unexploded ordnance clearance, as well as Cambodia’s participation in U.S. professional military education (PME). The two sides also exchanged views on the regional security environment and reaffirmed their commitment to continued dialogue.

    On the margins of the dialogue, DASD Updegrove met with Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha and Prime Minister Hun Manet’s Foreign Policy Advisor Eat Sophea to discuss advancing bilateral defense cooperation in support of regional peace and security.

    During her visit DASD Updegrove also met with Cambodian graduates of U.S. PME programs, where she highlighted the longstanding defense training ties between the United States and Cambodia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Frankfurt Book Fair 2024 kicks off

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Frankfurt Book Fair officially opened on Tuesday, highlighting a variety of genres and topics, including the “New Adult” category – romantic novels targeting young adults – alongside children’s and young adult literature, comics, streaming services, and educational and academic publishing.

    One of the most anticipated discussions at the fair is the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the publishing industry.

    At a press conference, Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, Chairwoman of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association, acknowledged that while AI offers many opportunities for publishers, bookstores, and the logistics sector, it has yet to produce the kind of surprising, thought-provoking, or emotionally resonant works that come from human creativity.

    She also expressed concern about the ethical implications of AI, warning that its capabilities rely on “the largest-scale data theft in history.” She pointed out that massive amounts of text and images, many protected by copyright, have been used to train AI systems without proper consent or compensation for the original creators.

    Chinese publishers are making a significant impact at this year’s fair, showcasing more than 3,500 books, including 1,500 in foreign languages. In addition to new book releases, Chinese publishers are holding numerous premieres and signing ceremonies for copyright agreements, with up to 1,000 books available for copyright trade. The fair will also feature a promotional event for the 2025 Beijing International Book Fair and a session on copyright trade between China and Europe.

    Juergen Boos, Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, noted the growing presence of Chinese publishers at the event, saying that they have evolved from being primarily copyright importers to becoming major copyright sellers. Boos also announced the introduction of an “Asian Stage” at the fair for the first time, which will foster dialogue between authors from China, other Asian countries, and Germany. Topics such as continuing education and training will be discussed to promote mutual learning between Chinese and German authors.

    This year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, which runs for five days, will feature thousands of exhibitors from around 100 countries.

    First held in 1949, the fair has since grown into the largest book fair in the world. Italy is the guest of honor for this year’s event.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Paintings explore odyssey of vision

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Gazing at the paintings of Chang Shuhong (1904-94), founding director of the Dunhuang Academy, people can still feel the fundamental draw of the Mogao Caves that brought him back from France in the 1930s, leaving behind a prospect of an emerging classical oil painter.

    The following five decades saw him immerse in the charm of the treasure trove of Buddhist murals and painted sculptures as a wholehearted protector of the grottoes in the Gobi Desert of Northwest China.

    His later works, therefore, were largely influenced by murals in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, Gansu province — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and a more down-to-earth, local artistic expression of China popular at that time, says Zhang Yiqing, research librarian at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou, Chang’s hometown.

    In commemoration of the 120th anniversary of Chang’s birth, some of his oil paintings, watercolors and sketches are on show at the museum through to Sunday.

    The exhibits also include Chang’s copies of the murals in the Mogao Caves, as well as zhongcai (heavy-color) paintings, an important genre of Chinese painting with fine, precise delimitation and the layering of pigmented hues.

    Through Chang’s own depiction, the exhibition gives a display of early conservation efforts of the Dunhuang Academy, while tracing Chang’s artistic exploration and achievements before and after he went back from France.

    Chang was born in Hangzhou, a warm, wet and picturesque city along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. In his early 20s, he went to France to study oil painting and fabric pattern design.

    His graduation work at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, Portrait of Madame G, ranked top among his peer graduates. He later entered the prestigious Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris with a scholarship funded by the city of Lyon.

    In France, Chang was active in salons, official art exhibitions sponsored by the French government. Having received several awards, some of his works were included among the collections of French cultural and artistic institutions, such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

    An encounter on the bank of the Seine changed his life.

    From a bookseller Chang got to read French explorer and Sinologist Paul Pelliot’s photo catalog, the six-volume Les Grottes de Touen-Houang (The Grottoes of Dunhuang). He then visited the Guimet Museum, or the National Museum of Asian Arts, to see the relics of Dunhuang taken by Pelliot.

    Chang marveled at the beauty and profoundness of the caves, first built more than 1,600 years ago, while mourning the loss of or damage to the cultural relics.

    He then made up his mind to go back to his home country and devote his life to the preservation of the grottoes and the promotion of Dunhuang studies.

    Chang came back in 1936. Amid the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), he managed to arrive in Dunhuang after a month’s arduous journey in 1943 and prepared for the establishment of what is known today as the Dunhuang Academy.

    This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the academy, which currently oversees the Mogao Caves and several other relics sites in Gansu.

    In the late 1990s, Chang’s second wife Li Chengxian (1924-2003) and their children donated more than 200 paintings of Chang to the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, a small part of which are displayed at the museum’s permanent Chang Shuhong Gallery.

    Zhang, who is also curator of the ongoing temporary exhibition, says its more than 80 paintings serve as a larger presentation of Chang’s works housed at the museum, alongside the collection of Shanghai-based Long Museum and the private collection of Chang Jiahuang, Chang Shuhong’s second son.

    Sincere creativity

    With his subtle brush, Chang Shuhong recorded the Mogao Caves and the Dunhuang city in different seasons: the trees and blossoms in spring; the frozen Daquan River in front of the caves during winter, children playing on ice, a white stupa in the distance; and birds in snow against the backdrop of the landmark timber-structured nine-floor building that houses the tallest statue of Maitreya Buddha, or the Buddha of the Future, at the Mogao Caves.

    Upon his arrival, Chang Shuhong and colleagues pioneered a systematic conservation of the relics, planting trees and building protective walls, reinforcing the cliffs, constructing pathways, cleaning up the caves buried in sand, investigating and numbering them. Many of his paintings feature these efforts carried out at the windy and sandy Gobi Desert.

    He also depicted several times the bustling temple fair in front of the caves, falling annually around the eighth day of the fourth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, in celebration of the birthday of Siddhartha Gautama (better known as the Buddha).

    During the nine years in France, Chang Shuhong focused mainly on classical realistic oil painting, constantly exploring what could possibly become a “Chinese style of oil painting” and integrating it with his generation of artists’ reflection of life and concern about society.

    Hence, the art of Dunhuang particularly resonated with Chang Shuhong, as it was, in his own words, “created by ordinary people and for the ordinary people”. He saw in it exuberant, sincere creativity that he realized would have a significant impact on the creation of art in the coming decades, Zhang says.

    Two paintings of fresh produce Chang Shuhong created in different periods exemplify his transformation in artistic style. One was painted in 1933 in Paris, displayed at the Chang Shuhong Gallery, and the other in 1976, on show at the temporary exhibition.

    The earlier painting, conforming to the classical style, is overall of a gray tone with low saturation, whereas in the latter one, the painter used bold and clear lines, large red and green blocks to create striking contrast, though like before, the fish glisten in subtle light.

    Zhang adds that such transformation reflects the influence of the art of Dunhuang.

    Highlights of the exhibition also include one of Chang Shuhong’s facsimiles of a mural from Cave 254, dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), depicting a well-known piece of the Jataka tales, narratives of former incarnations of the Buddha. In his lifetime, Chang Shuhong copied this mural many times.

    He once wrote, the creators of this mural, featuring Prince Sattva sacrificing himself to feed a hungry tigress, so cleverly and skillfully combined different scenes of different times in the space of a single picture — his trip to the jungles, his offering of his own blood and flesh to the tigress, as well as his two brothers’ discovery of his remains, their grief, and how they bury their sibling and build a stupa for him.

    A solemn and heavy atmosphere is strengthened with the lines and colors, the contours and content, as well as the deep brown hue, he added.

    Chang Shuhong wrote in 1948 that conservation of the caves required detailed, accurate and systematic facsimile of the murals with a faithful attitude, which is a matter of patience and sacrifice of one’s own style and personality. His devotion to protecting the Mogao Caves largely cut down the time and effort paid to his own painting.

    In 1951, staff members of the academy co-authored an article introducing their facsimile project, which said that over the past four decades, many of the murals presented in Pelliot’s photo catalog had been destroyed or faded. With limited scientific knowledge and facilities, facsimile had become their priority and urgency.

    According to Chang Jiahuang, since the 1950s, his father had been frequently inviting art majors from across the country to copy the murals and sculptures of the Mogao Caves, while learning the traditional arts of Dunhuang.

    In 1979, he also replicated the mural featuring Prince Sattva of Cave 254, when he and a dozen classmates at the Lanzhou-based Academy of Fine Art and Design of Northwest Normal University joined this program under the strict supervision of his father, who, nevertheless, would sometimes visit them without notice late at night in the caves where they were working, bringing pears he himself grew.

    Chang Jiahuang says: “It was only after a long time that I learned from my father’s memoir why he had such an attachment to this mural and why he wanted me to copy it.

    “During his most difficult times, this painting inspired him, generating courage for him to persevere. In those three months, I deeply felt the dedication of ancient painters of Dunhuang and my own parents.”

    This year also marks the 100th anniversary of his mother’s birth, who joined in the research and conservation of the Mogao Caves in 1947. In April, the son donated their family’s 1,500 boxes of belongings to Zhejiang University, his father’s alma mater, for research and digitalization.

    Embracing technology

    As early as in the 1980s, Chang Shuhong had foreseen the potential of digitalization in cultural relics conservation.

    Pan Yunhe, academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former principal of Zhejiang University, who joined the initial digitalization exploration of the Mogao Caves, recalls his first meeting with Chang Shuhong in 1982.

    At that time, Chang Shuhong was among the jury of Pan’s first academic program, which pioneered in generating patterns with artificial intelligence. Chang Shuhong expressed interest in preserving the murals of Dunhuang with a digital approach, visiting Pan’s laboratory and discussing the feasibility.

    “He was open-minded and very sensitive to new things. Ahead of his time, he could always absorb new things into his own creation,” Pan says, adding that Chang Shuhong was very kind and gentle to young people like him, who was at that time in his 30s.

    In 1998, the Dunhuang Academy and Zhejiang University launched an academic program led by Pan and sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China to explore preservation, research and utilization of the Mogao Caves on a digital basis.

    Pan says, the launch of the program resulted from years of endeavor with the Chang family — the parents, firstborn daughter Chang Shana, who was director of what is now Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, and Chang Jiahuang — as well as Fan Jinshi, who took charge as director of the Dunhuang Academy that year.

    “Chang Shuhong was well-established in oil painting. It’s a pity he painted so little in the latter part of his life,” Pan said while visiting the exhibition at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum on Sept 29.

    That day, Chang Jiahuang said at the exhibition’s opening ceremony that as his parents’ student, secretary and assistant, he witnessed their twists and turns, their creation and research, and experienced their art and spirits, following which he grew to become introspective, modest and rigorous.

    According to him, the ongoing exhibition is the largest display of Chang Shuhong’s paintings since 1990 and a good presentation of the master’s spirits conveyed through his works.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marines Complete Typhoon Krathon Humanitarian Assistance Efforts

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MANILA, Philippines  –  

    U.S. Marines across multiple forward-deployed commands concluded six days of foreign disaster relief efforts in the Philippines Oct. 10, 2024, supporting the U.S. Agency for International Development’s humanitarian response to Typhoon Krathon (locally known as Julian) at the request of the Philippine government.

    Marines and Sailors from Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA); 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW); III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF); and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) delivered nearly 96,000 pounds of foreign disaster relief supplies to Batan Island, a remote island in the Batanes Province and one of the locations most impacted by Krathon.

    Typhoon Krathon originated 155 miles southwest of Okinawa before moving northwest, reaching peak intensity Oct. 1, with sustained winds of 195 kph (120 mph). Krathon heavily battered the northern islands of the Philippines, leading to evacuations, infrastructure damage, and food supply insecurity in affected communities.

    At the request of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to support USAID’s relief efforts due to the unique capabilities and high state of readiness of forward-deployed U.S. Marine Corps forces.

    MRF-SEA first arrived in the Philippines in late September to participate in upcoming training exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Operating out of Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, MRF-SEA immediately began coordination with the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the AFP, and other U.S. Marine Corps units to plan support for the relief effort. Two teams of Marines and Sailors from MRF-SEA integrated with USAID and AFP personnel in Manila and Laoag to plan and prepare for the arrival of KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft from 1st MAW in Okinawa, Japan, and personnel from 3rd Marine Logistics Group.

    “Before Marine Corps aircraft ever touched down in the Philippines, Marines and Sailors with MRF-SEA were integrated with our partners in the U.S. and Philippine governments, on site at Villamor Air Base and Laoag International Airport, with the manpower and heavy equipment needed to package and move aid material,” said Col. Stuart Glenn, commanding officer, MRF-SEA. “Forward-deployed Marine Corps forces allow us to quickly respond to humanitarian missions because we’re already in the region. I am extremely proud that our team was able to set the necessary conditions to quickly provide relief to the Philippine people.”

    After arriving on Oct. 5, the cargo planes were loaded with supplies at Villamor Air Base and flown to Laoag International Airport in northern Luzon for staging and preparation to move the supplies to their final destination on Batan Island. The KC-130 crews conducted 26.2 hours of flight operations, successfully transported all aid materials to Laoag.

    As U.S. and Philippine personnel worked to move supplies north, the 15th MEU arrived aboard USS Boxer and began flight operations to support relief efforts on Oct. 8. MV-22B Ospreys, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced), landed in Laoag, and combined teams from the 15th MEU, MRF-SEA, and Philippine Marines spent the next three days loading Ospreys, the Marine Corps’ medium-lift tiltrotor V/STOL platform, with disaster relief supplies for the final leg of the movement to the Basco Airport on Batan Island. Pilots and aircrews from VMM-165 (Rein.) conducted more than 55 flights and successfully delivered the final disaster relief material on Thursday, Oct. 10.

    “The primary focus of our mission is helping the people of the Philippines recover as quickly and safely as possible,” said Col. Sean Dynan, commanding officer, 15th MEU. “Humanitarian assistance in an expeditionary environment is what we train to do, and it is one of the reasons we are forward-deployed as an amphibious force.”

    The forward presence and ready posture of U.S. Marine forces in the Indo-Pacific region was pivotal to the rapid and effective response to Typhoon Krathon, demonstrating the U.S.’s commitment to its allies and partners during times of need.

    POINT OF CONTACT:
    Capt. Mark McDonough
    Communication Strategy & Operations Director
    Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia
    +1 (760) 799-4590
    mark.mcdonough@usmc.mil

    MIL Security OSI –