NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • Indian stock market opens higher, IT stocks shine

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Wednesday amid positive global cues, with buying seen in the IT and auto sectors during early trade.

    At around 9:23 am, the Sensex was trading 225.5 points or 0.27 per cent higher at 83,922.79, while the Nifty added 58.75 points or 0.23 per cent to reach 25,600.55.

    According to analysts, after breaking out of the 24,500–25,000 range, the Nifty has moved into a new range of 25,200–25,800.

    Positive news about a possible trade deal between India and the US could help the index break the upper limit of this range, but sustaining the Nifty at higher levels may prove challenging, they added.

    Nifty Bank was down 45.20 points or 0.08 per cent at 57,414.25 in early trade. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 59,809.25 after gaining 59.20 points or 0.25 per cent. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 19,082.10 after rising 26.40 points or 0.14 per cent.

    “The charts of Bank Nifty indicate that it may find support at 57,300, followed by 57,000 and 56,800. If the index advances further, 57,650 would be the initial key resistance, followed by 57,800 and 58,000,” said Hardik Matalia, Derivatives Analyst at Choice Broking.

    In the Sensex pack, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, ICICI Bank, TCS, Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech and Adani Ports were the top gainers. Asian Paints, HDFC Bank, BEL and Eternal were among the top losers.

    Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their selling on July 1, offloading equities worth Rs 1,970.14 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued their buying, purchasing equities worth Rs 771.08 crore on the same day.

    In Asian markets, Bangkok, China, Japan, Seoul and Jakarta were trading in the red, while only Hong Kong was trading in the green.

    In the previous trading session, the Dow Jones in the US closed at 44,494.94, up 400.17 points or 0.91 per cent. The S&P 500 ended with a loss of 6.90 points or 0.11 per cent at 6,198.05, while the Nasdaq closed at 20,202.89, down 166.85 points or 0.82 per cent.

    –IANS

  • ‘Looking forward to interacting with world leaders’, PM Modi embarks on historic 5-nation tour

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister on Wednesday departed on a week-long visit to five countries — Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia — with an aim to deepen India’s ties across the Global South and expand partnerships in key sectors including trade, investment, energy and capacity building.

    In the first leg of the visit, the Prime Minister will be in Ghana from July 2 to 3 at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama. Describing Ghana as a valued partner in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Prime Minister said discussions would focus on strengthening historical ties and exploring new avenues of cooperation in investment, energy, health, security and development partnership. He will also address the Parliament of Ghana during the visit.

    On July 3-4, the Prime Minister will visit Trinidad & Tobago, marking a significant moment in India’s relations with the Caribbean nation. He will meet President Christine Carla Kangaloo, who was the Chief Guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who recently began her second term in office. Highlighting the shared cultural and historical bonds, the Prime Minister noted that the visit coincides with the 180th anniversary of the arrival of the first Indians in Trinidad & Tobago and would help rejuvenate the special ties of ancestry and kinship.

    The Prime Minister will then travel to Argentina, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the South American nation in 57 years. In Buenos Aires, he will hold talks with President Javier Milei. Discussions are expected to focus on expanding cooperation in agriculture, critical minerals, energy, trade, tourism, technology and investment. Argentina is one of India’s key partners in Latin America and an important collaborator in the G20.

    The Prime Minister will participate in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7. As a founding member, India remains committed to BRICS as a platform for strengthening cooperation among emerging economies. On the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders. He will subsequently travel to Brasilia for a bilateral State Visit — the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Brazil in nearly six decades — to hold discussions with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on advancing common priorities for the Global South.

    In the final leg of the tour, the Prime Minister will visit Namibia, underscoring the shared history of struggle against colonialism between the two nations. He will hold talks with President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to chart a new roadmap for cooperation in diverse areas. He is also scheduled to address the Joint Session of the Namibian Parliament to mark the enduring solidarity between India and Namibia.

    Expressing confidence ahead of his departure, the Prime Minister said the visit will reinforce India’s bonds of friendship across the Global South, strengthen partnerships across the Atlantic, and deepen engagement with multilateral forums such as BRICS, the African Union, ECOWAS and CARICOM.

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN receives President of ERIA

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received the President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Prof. Tetsuya Watanabe, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ ASEAN Secretariat, to discuss the continued ASEAN–ERIA collaboration in implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans.
     
    The meeting underscored the outcomes of the recent 18th ERIA Governing Board Meeting and ERIA’s contributions to ASEAN’s strategic priorities, particularly in areas such as supply chain resilience, digital transformation, and energy transition. Dr. Kao also acknowledged ERIA’s growing role in capacity-building efforts for the ASEAN Member States and noted the importance of continued support to sustain and deepen collaborative initiatives.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN receives President of ERIA appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • Quad ministerial meeting very productive, will strengthen Indo-Pacific stability: EAM Jaishankar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the Quad ministerial meeting on Tuesday was very productive and will strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

    After the meeting, he shared on X that they “discussed how to make Quad more focused and impactful on contemporary opportunities and challenges”.

    “Just finished a very productive meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers in Washington DC. Discussed how to make Quad more focused and impactful on contemporary opportunities and challenges. Today’s gathering will strengthen strategic stability in the Indo – Pacific and keep it free and open,” he said about the meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan, representing the major democracies in the region.

    Before the meeting, he said, “India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that”.

    Rubio, who hosted the meeting, said, “There are many global problems, but also problems that we face in our respective countries that can be solved by us cooperating together”.

    He said that he has met Jaishankar “a number of times now in just six months on the job”.

    “I was just telling how much he travels. I follow the news, and every time I see (he is) somewhere else in the world. So he’s been very busy,” he said.

    Rubio said the other Quad nations “are very important strategic partners and allies of the United States, and together, we have a lot of shared priorities, a lot of things we care about in the world”.

    The Quad is not only about security but also about economic development, he said.

    He said that he had “personally been very focused on diversifying the global supply chain of critical minerals, not just access to the raw material, but also access to the ability to process and refine it to usable material”.

    “Having a diverse and reliable global supply chain of these is just one example of many that we can focus on and build upon and achieve some real progress on,” he said. “So that’s the hope for this partnership”.

    Rubio said a challenge was to turn meetings “where we talk about ideas and concepts into a vehicle for action, into a vehicle for actually being able to take concrete actions”.

    “The next step in this great partnership is to actually begin to see concrete actions and steps being taken in conjunction with one another, in coordination with one another, in partnership with one another for the benefit of our respective countries, and ultimately of many other countries in the world,” he said.

    “There are many countries that are going to benefit from this partnership, even though they’re not members of it,” he added.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • Quad ministers demand bringing Pahalgam terrorists to justice, renew commitment to counterterrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Renewing their commitment to work together to fight terrorism, the Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday demanded that all those responsible for the “reprehensible” Pahalgam terror attack be immediately brought to justice and countries concerned cooperate with the authorities.

    In a joint statement after their meeting on Tuesday, they said, “We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs (Security Council Resolutions), to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.”

    “The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation,” the statement said.

    External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan representing the major democracies of the Indo-Pacific region met for their second ministerial meeting of the year.

    They said, “We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured.”

    The statement did not name any country while calling for bringing the perpetrators of the massacre to justice, but the nation was obvious because The Resistance Front, which carried out the attack, is an arm of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is sheltered by Pakistan.

    Before the ministers met, Jaishankar said, “India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right.”

    “We expect our quad partners to understand and appreciate that,” he emphasised.

    The top diplomats said they looked forward to the Quad summit to be hosted later this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be attended by US President Donald Trump and Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Shigeru Ishiba of Japan.

    The ministers said that they “plan to launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this year.”

    “To ensure the Quad’s enduring impact, we are pleased to announce today a new, ambitious, and strong agenda focused on four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. Through this renewed focus, we will sharpen the Quad’s ability to leverage our resources to address the region’s most pressing challenges,” the ministers added.

    The four areas are maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.

    While their joint statement repeatedly spoke of threats to countries in the region from the use of force and coercion by China, they did not name it.

    “We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea,” said the joint statement.

    While China was not mentioned, it had carried out all those actions against the Philippines, Vietnam, and South Korea, and it has been involved in disputes with Malaysia over offshore oil drilling.

    “These actions threaten peace and stability in the region”, they said. “We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features.”

    The ministers expressed concern over the disruptions to the supply chain, particularly of critical minerals and said it was important to diversify supplies.

    They announced a concrete measure to deal with this problem: “We are launching today the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, an ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains.”

    To strengthen the Quad’s ability to carry out relief in natural disasters – a mission that gave initial shape to the group – the ministers said they plan to host the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise this year.

    It aims “to strengthen shared airlift capacity and leverage our collective logistics strengths to respond to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently, providing support for regional partners,” the statement said.

    They condemned North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programmes and demanded that it follow United Nations Security Council resolutions and end them.

    They also expressed “grave concern over North Korea’s malicious cyber activity, including cryptocurrency theft and use of workers abroad to fund North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.”

    Pyongyang has sent its citizens to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine.

    Closer to home, the ministers said they were “deeply concerned by the worsening crisis in Myanmar and its impact on the region.”

    They called on the military regime and all groups involved “to implement, extend and broaden ceasefire measures.”

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ1: Sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Ng and a reply by the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, in the Legislative Council today (July 2):
     
    Question:
     
         There are views that the first Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Month held last month enabled members of the public and tourists to experience the vitality and charm of Hong Kong’s ICH, and that transmitting ICH skills and the economic benefits brought about by the related cultural and creative intellectual property rights (IP) are conducive to the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s ICH. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the number of participants or visitors to the various activities of the first Hong Kong ICH Month, and the proportion of travellers among them; whether an assessment has been conducted on the effectiveness of Hong Kong ICH Month;
     
    (2) as it has been reported that the Government will announce a system for designating Hong Kong ICH bearers this year, whether the system will cover designation for both categories of bearer and bearer organisation; whether a mechanism will be established to revoke the status of bearers, ensuring that ICH remains vibrant and relevant over time, as well as maintaining the vitality of the transmission system and the enthusiasm of bearers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) as it is learnt that the rapid development of IP of ICH in the Mainland has generated considerable economic benefits, of the mechanism put in place by the Government to regularly follow up on, incubate, support, protect and compile statistics on cultural and creative IP projects derived from Hong Kong’s ICH, so that they can sustainably create cultural value and economic benefits?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is an essential part of the fine traditional Chinese culture, and a lively witness to the continuous transmission of Chinese culture. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are committed to safeguarding, transmitting and promoting the ICH of Hong Kong, while actively supporting the national policies on furthering the safeguarding of ICH and implementing enhanced measures. Targeting ICH items across various domains, different aspects of work such as identification, documentation, research, preservation, promotion and transmission of ICH are strengthened to enhance the public’s understanding of ICH and engage the community in safeguarding ICH. The above work includes the ICH Funding Scheme of the LCSD, which supports eligible local organisations and individuals in implementing meaningful local ICH projects. In addition, the LCSD released in December 2024 the updated Representative List of the ICH of Hong Kong (Representative List), with an increase in its number of items from 20 to 24, and the updated ICH Inventory of Hong Kong, with an increase in its number of items from 480 to 507.
          
         The 2024 Policy Address proposed two measures to promote the safeguarding and transmission of ICH, whereby the LCSD will develop a mechanism and criteria in 2025 for recognising the bearers of the items on the Representative List, as well as organise the Hong Kong ICH Month in June every year.
          
         In response to the Hon Stanley Ng’s three-part question, my replies are as follows:
     
    (1) The inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month was successfully held from May 31 to July 1, 2025. Activities include over 80 ICH performances, 60 interactive experiential booths on ICH and 24 field trips under “ICH Highlight Tours”, covering more than 100 ICH items. By invitation of the LCSD, over 20 community organisations participated in organising activities during the Hong Kong ICH Month so as to expand the coverage of the event and extend its reach in the community. 
     
         With the attendance of the activities of the inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month already surpassing 85 000 as at June 21, 2025, the final total attendance of the event is estimated to be more than 100 000. Despite the unavailability of figures on the percentage of visitors, since the tourist-filled Piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui was chosen as the venue of the opening ceremony and the ensuing ICH carnival of the inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month, and both activities fell on the Mainland’s long weekend holiday in celebration of the Tuen Ng Festival, many visitors were attracted to the ICH carnival. Among others, around one-third of the “ICH Highlight Tours” quotas were given to visitors, and their feedback was very positive. The LCSD will continue to make efforts in this area in the future to enhance the integration of culture and tourism. A breakdown of the attendance of the Hong Kong ICH Month 2025 by activity is set out at Annex.
          
         The inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month successfully enriched the public’s understanding of the ICH items of both Hong Kong and the Mainland. Through the collaboration between the Government and community organisations, as well as the active participation of local and Mainland ICH organisations and practitioners, the public and visitors were provided with an experience of “ICH Around Town”.

    (2) The LCSD has studied the national guidelines for the recognition and management of ICH bearers. It has also completed its collection of and gained insight into relevant information on the planning, formulation and implementation of the mechanism for recognising ICH bearers or bearer organisations, the management system and the cancellation mechanism for the recognised ICH bearers or bearer organisations, etc in Guangdong Province, Macao and other neighbouring regions. Currently, the national guidelines include a cancellation mechanism, while Guangdong and Macao also have their own relevant cancellation mechanisms. The LCSD will take into account the aforementioned information and consider the current transmission of Hong Kong’s ICH to prepare a proposal that is in accord with the actual situation of Hong Kong. The proposal will cover the requirements for applicants for the status of ICH bearer or bearer organisation to follow, the mechanism and criteria for recognition, as well as a cancellation mechanism where applicable. The LCSD will consult the ICH Advisory Committee on the draft proposal to ensure that a set of stringent recognition mechanism and criteria suitable for Hong Kong is formulated to effectively recognise high-quality bearers or bearer organisations that are committed to transmitting ICH, thereby enhancing the protection and transmission of Hong Kong’s ICH. The mechanism and criteria are expected to be promulgated within this year.

    (3) As regards intellectual property based on ICH, the ICH Office has actively assisted cultural and creative industry brands in Hong Kong in launching creative cultural merchandise in recent years. For example, it has co-operated with a local fashion brand since 2024 to present Hong Kong’s ICH elements in a novel way to bring fashion lovers a series of new-style cheongsams that revitalise traditions, and clothing created with ICH elements. In addition to a publicity and promotional campaign launched in Hong Kong, fashion shows were organised in places outside of Hong Kong, such as London, Shanghai and Shenzhen, to showcase Hong Kong’s ICH. The ICH Office will continue to provide information on ICH for suitable cultural and creative industry brands to assist them in transforming ICH into value-‍added cultural and creative products through revitalisation.

         Furthermore, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the CSTB, through the CreateSmart Initiative, provides funding support and drives to foster cross-sectoral collaboration between local cultural and creative industries and ICH bearers, promote Hong Kong’s ICH at cultural and creative exhibitions and events staged in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, and support Hong Kong designers to create cultural and creative products themed on ICH. These collaborations promote the ICH of Hong Kong, as well as facilitate the development of cultural and creative sectors as industries. Examples include the “Palace Museum Collections x Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage” Exhibition held during the Shenzhen Reading Month in November 2024 and the Hong Kong Reading Week in April 2025, the Hong Kong Pavilion themed “Strolling through Hong Kong: Intangible Cultural Heritage and Urban Memories” set up at Beijing International Book Fair in June 2025, and the Hong Kong’s ICH-themed new art toys created by Hong Kong original art toy designers to be showcased in the “Hong Kong Art Toy Story 2025@Kuala Lumpur” in November 2025.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: Development of “Zero Waste Bay Area”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ22: Development of “Zero Waste Bay Area” 
    Question:
     
         It is learnt that the Government is exploring with other Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to take forward the development of “Zero Waste Bay Area”, and that Guangdong and Hong Kong will tackle waste management issues through regional strategies and enhance regional recycling of recyclable materials in the GBA by leveraging each other’s competitive advantages and complementing strengths. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the specific work directions and strategies of the Special Panel for Building “Zero Waste Bay Area” established by the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong in January this year, and the latest progress of its work;
     
    (2) given the opportunities arising from the “Zero Waste Bay Area”, how will the Government capitalise on Hong Kong’s advantage of connecting the country with the world to facilitate the development of green industries and a circular economy in the GBA, and whether it has assessed the difficulties and challenges that may arise in the process; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) whether the HKSAR Government has started to explore the arrangements for the cross-boundary transportation of waste to other Mainland cities in the GBA, such as the mode of transport (i.e. sea or land) and daily handling capacity; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,

    (1) According to the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Ecological Environmental Protection Plan” promulgated by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government continuously works with the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to develop a “Zero Waste Bay Area” and explore regional co-operation models for achieving “Zero Waste City”. The Special Panel for Building “Zero Waste Bay Area” (the Special Panel) was established by Guangdong and Hong Kong at the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change meeting held in January this year, serving as a standing mechanism for advancing solid waste management and resources circulation co-operation between the two places, thereby strengthening policy co-ordination, technical exchanges and project collaboration, as well as elevating the capability in jointly handling solid waste.
     
         The first meeting of the Special Panel, held on March 27 this year, was co-chaired by the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR Government and the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province. It mainly focused on exploring strategies leveraging on the complementary advantages of the region, to promote resources circulation of recyclable materials in the GBA and foster collaborative development of green industries and related facilities through deepening the collaboration by a joint “project-based” model. At present, the Special Panel has commenced initial discussions on topics such as regional co-operation in resources circulation and waste management policy, and is actively discussing how to promote the co-ordination of regulations and market integration between the two places.
     
    (2) and (3) The co-operation direction with the Mainland cities of the GBA is to promote resources circulation through the joint development of “Zero Waste City”, instead of transferring the municipal solid waste (MSW) to the Mainland cities of the GBA for treatment.
     
         Under the co-operation framework of the Special Panel, Hong Kong will fully capitalise on our distinctive advantage of having strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world to further deepen the co-operation with other Mainland cities of the GBA in areas such as developing a “Zero Waste City” and promoting resources circulation. Hong Kong will introduce advanced recycling technologies and large-scale industrial expertise from the Mainland on one hand; and integrate its international market environment with its mature environmental management system to jointly explore the development pathway of a regional circular economy on the other. For example, the paper pulping facility and the retired electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling facility currently under construction in EcoPark, Tuen Mun, both incorporate mature Mainland technologies to process local waste paper and retired EV batteries. This not only strengthens Hong Kong’s role in the regional green industry chain, but also fosters collaborative development of green technologies and mutually beneficial co-operation in the environmental industry of the GBA.
     
         As for the local treatment of MSW in Hong Kong, the HKSAR Government is pressing ahead with the development of a network of advanced and highly efficient modern waste-to-energy facilities. The first modern incineration facility for treating MSW currently under construction near Shek Kwu Chau, I∙PARK1, will commence operation within this year. In addition, the HKSAR Government is pushing forward the development of I∙PARK2 at full steam. The open tender for the project was invited in last December and will close on July 18 this year. We will seek funding from the Legislative Council for the project in a timely manner.
    Issued at HKT 12:25

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: UN report highlights urgent financing solutions to achieve the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific

    Source: United Nations – ESCAP

    A new report from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) offers over 40 innovative and actionable strategies for countries in the region to close the development financing gap. This comes as financial and geopolitical pressures across the region threaten to further derail progress on poverty reduction, climate action and economic recovery.

    Developing countries globally now face an annual shortfall of between US$2.5 trillion and US$4 trillion to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Without major improvements in the way development is financed, many countries in the region risk falling further behind.

    The sixth edition of ESCAP’s Financing for Development report points to longstanding weaknesses in public finance and private investment systems. Many governments in the region continue to face difficulties in raising domestic revenues at the scale needed. Tax structures remain inefficient, and opportunities to tap into wealth and real estate are often underused. At the same time, capital markets are underdeveloped, and private financing rarely reaches high-impact sectors such as clean energy, healthcare or affordable housing.

    “Nowhere is this challenge – and opportunity – more urgent than in Asia and the Pacific,” underscored Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. She added, “This is our chance to build a more resilient, equitable and sustainable economy for all. We aim to foster solutions that are regionally grounded, technically sound and financially viable. Unless Asia and the Pacific can lead boldly, the global transition will fall short of expectations.”

    Public debt distress has also become a growing concern. The report calls for more responsible borrowing, better transparency in how public funds are used, and stronger coordination among creditors to ensure fair and effective debt resolution.

    The report further recomm

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCST to visit France

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, will depart for France to visit Paris and Bordeaux in the early hours tomorrow (July 3) to enhance collaboration between Hong Kong and France in the areas of culture and tourism.
     
    During her stay in France, Miss Law will engage with French government officials and trade representatives of the wine industry to explore opportunities for co-operation and exchange. She will also visit museums and prominent tourist landmarks.
     
    Miss Law will depart for Hong Kong on July 9 (Wednesday). During her absence, the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, will be the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New Hope: Improving Livestock Business Models within and across Borders

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and New Hope Liuhe, a leading livestock enterprise in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), are working together to focused on sustainable agribusiness and environmental protection. The partnership promotes circular agriculture and improves the whole industrial chain. By expanding into new markets such as Viet Nam, New Hope has replicated innovations from the PRC to help preserve local workers’ and farmers’ livelihoods and strengthen food security.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Strengthening scam protection: Introducing Confirmation of Payee – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    In an important step towards enhancing protections against scams and fraud, most retail Australian banks are introducing a new security feature, Confirmation of Payee. This is how it will work alongside CommBank’s existing NameCheck capability, and what that means for CommBank customers, as well as other financial institutions who implement both.

    Key points:

    • This month, CommBank is launching Confirmation of Payee (CoP), an industry name-matching solution designed to help combat scams and mistaken payments.
    • CoP was developed by industry body Australian Payments Plus (AP+) and is being progressively rolled out by most Australian banks this year.
    • CommBank was the first Australian bank to previously introduce a capability on our digital banking platforms to provide an indication to retail and business customers if the payment details they enter on a first-time payment don’t look right.
    • CoP will work alongside CommBank’s security tool NameCheck and together, the two solutions will provide more information to CommBank customers to help them protect themselves against scams and mistaken payments.

    How it works

    CoP builds on New Payments Platform (NPP) infrastructure to match the name entered by the payee with the name held by the receiving bank, when sending a domestic payment via BSB and account number.

    Meanwhile, CommBank’s existing security tool NameCheck searches the account details customers have entered when making a first-time payment in NetBank, the CommBank app or CommBiz[1]. Based on CommBank’s available payment data, NameCheck will then indicate whether the account details look right, taking into account additional factors such as preferred names, nicknames, business trading names and risk activity indicators.

    NameCheck has already saved $650 million in prevented scams and mistaken payments for CommBank customers[2].

    Both NameCheck and CoP are designed to provide additional information to customers when making payments and, together, they help provide CommBank customers with additional protections against scams and mistaken payments.

    CBA will use NameCheck to enrich or augment CoP findings in some cases, for example where CoP data does not cover a given account but NameCheck does, or where NameCheck has well established name derivations that might enhance consumer experience.

    To bring to life how the two technologies will be stronger together, CommBank General Manager Payments Alison Chang used her dad, a Singaporean immigrant whose preferred name differs from his legal name, as the example.

    “My dad is a first-generation immigrant from Singapore. He goes by John*, but his legal name is very different. When someone transfers money into my dad’s account using his nickname rather than the legal name registered with CommBank as his financial institution, NameCheck will create a match based on available payment information and past transaction data, complementing CoP’s analysis of information captured under Know Your Customer obligations.”

    The combined technology will create safer yet seamless payment experiences and will use the same principle to provide information about payments being made to businesses.

    “Businesses often trade under names that vastly differ to those filed with the Australian Business Register. When CommBank retail and small business customers are paying an invoice via NetBank or CommBank app, CoP and NameCheck can help give them confidence that they have entered the BSB and account number correctly – making sure they send money to the right person.

    For CommBank customers, CoP and NameCheck are more powerful together, as NameCheck provides additional activity-based risk warnings, even if the account name matches.

    Why this matters

    Scam activity continues to present a significant threat to Australian consumers and businesses. According to Ms Chang, introducing CoP is part of a concerted effort by the banking sector to combating this threat.

    “Introducing Confirmation of Payee reflects CommBank’s active participation in an industry-wide push to make Australia less attractive to scammers. Over two years, CommBank has seen customer losses from scams drop by 70 per cent, however there is more work to do as scammers’ methods evolve”.

    “Our experience in supporting customers with NameCheck has allowed CBA to provide valuable insights during the industry discussions for the AP+ Confirmation of Payee solution. CommBank has an ongoing commitment to improving customer safety, and CoP will help empower customers to take greater control and help spot a scam before it happens,” Ms Chang added.

    As well as NameCheck, CoP complements CommBank’s other anti-scam measures, for example participation in the Australian Financial Crime Exchange (AFCX) Intelligence Loop and behavioural security technology.

    “We encourage customers to remain vigilant and take steps to protect themselves against scams by staying on top of scam tr

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ8: Safety and health at work in confined spaces

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Chau Siu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 2):
     
    Question:
     
         Regarding safety and health at work in confined spaces, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) given that the Code of Practice for Safety and Health at Work in Confined Spaces (CoP) was revised last year by adding, among others, the requirement for proprietors or contractors to record videos at the entrance and exit of the confined spaces throughout the entire work period, of the number of work sites involving confined space operations that have been inspected since the revision of the CoP, and whether any violations of the CoP by proprietors or contractors have been identified during the inspections; if so, of the main nature of such violations, and the numbers of written warnings, suspension notices, and improvement notices issued in response to such violations, as well as the number of prosecutions initiated; among these prosecutions, of the number of convictions and the penalties imposed;
     
    (2) given that the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) launches the “OSH Enhancement Scheme for SMEs for Safe Work at Confined Space 2.0” (Enhancement Scheme) to subsidise eligible small and medium enterprises for purchasing equipment such as gas detectors and man-down alarm devices, of the number of application quotas available under the Enhancement Scheme and the numbers of applications received, approved, and rejected by the OSHC in each of the past three years and this year to date, with a breakdown by nature of business of the enterprise (e.g. drainage services, construction, and mechanical and electrical engineering); of the average amount of subsidy for the approved applications (set out by new applicants and enterprises previously subsidised), and the main reasons for applications being rejected; 
    (4) of the progress of the investigation to identify the causes of the fatal industrial accident involving a manhole that occurred on Yuen Wo Road in Sha Tin on April 22 last year, and whether prosecution has been initiated against those held liable for the accident; if so, of the details;
     
    (5) as it is reported that the authorities indicated last year that they would study the possibility of including clauses in sewer cleaning contracts to stipulate that if workers who are originally not supposed to enter a manhole subsequently need to do so, the Drainage Services Department must be informed and its approval had to be obtained in advance, of the progress made in this regard;
     
    (6) given that according to a paper submitted by the Government to the Panel on Manpower of this Council in June 2022, the Labour Department (LD) has established a notification system with key government departments/statutory bodies responsible for drainage works (including the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the Housing Department, the Highways Department and the Drainage Services Department), under which these government departments/statutory bodies will notify the LD of the date and time of all their drainage works or underground pipeworks that require workers to enter confined spaces, so as to facilitate surprise inspections by the LD as appropriate according to a risk-based strategy, of the number of works notified by these government departments/statutory bodies in each year since the establishment of the notification system, and the number of these works that have been inspected by the LD, with a breakdown by the notifying government department/statutory body; during these inspections, whether there are any cases where contractors were found to have violated the CoP and/or relevant OSH legislation (including the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Confined Spaces) Regulation (Cap. 59AE), the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Cap. 59), and the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance (Cap. 509)); if so, of the details, including the number of cases and their nature, as well as the follow-up actions taken, with a breakdown by the notifying government department/statutory body; and
     
    (7) whether it will consider establishing a mandatory reporting mechanism for work in confined spaces, requiring contractors to report prior to commencing higher-risk work in confined space, so as to facilitate the authorities to arrange targeted inspections to enhance the safety of frontline workers? 
    President,
     
       Having consulted the Drainage Services Department (DSD), my consolidated reply to the Hon Chau Siu-chung’s question is as follows:

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on July 01, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,81,010.53 5.20 3.95-6.50
         I. Call Money 16,015.92 5.31 4.75-5.40
         II. Triparty Repo 4,61,298.45 5.19 4.50-5.30
         III. Market Repo 2,00,852.61 5.21 3.95-5.50
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,843.55 5.49 5.40-6.50
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 54.50 5.27 5.15-5.32
         II. Term Money@@ 1,110.50 – 5.60-6.00
         III. Triparty Repo 5,503.90 5.22 5.15-5.40
         IV. Market Repo 247.46 5.40 5.40-5.40
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Tue, 01/07/2025 1 Wed, 02/07/2025 1,233.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 01/07/2025 1 Wed, 02/07/2025 2,55,381.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -2,54,148.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Fri, 27/06/2025 7 Fri, 04/07/2025 84,975.00 5.49
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       7,247.29  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -77,727.71  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -3,31,875.71  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on July 01, 2025 10,06,563.07  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending July 11, 2025 9,52,318.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ July 01, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on June 13, 2025 5,62,116.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/640

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on July 01, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,81,010.53 5.20 3.95-6.50
         I. Call Money 16,015.92 5.31 4.75-5.40
         II. Triparty Repo 4,61,298.45 5.19 4.50-5.30
         III. Market Repo 2,00,852.61 5.21 3.95-5.50
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,843.55 5.49 5.40-6.50
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 54.50 5.27 5.15-5.32
         II. Term Money@@ 1,110.50 – 5.60-6.00
         III. Triparty Repo 5,503.90 5.22 5.15-5.40
         IV. Market Repo 247.46 5.40 5.40-5.40
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Tue, 01/07/2025 1 Wed, 02/07/2025 1,233.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Tue, 01/07/2025 1 Wed, 02/07/2025 2,55,381.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -2,54,148.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Fri, 27/06/2025 7 Fri, 04/07/2025 84,975.00 5.49
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       7,247.29  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -77,727.71  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -3,31,875.71  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on July 01, 2025 10,06,563.07  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending July 11, 2025 9,52,318.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ July 01, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on June 13, 2025 5,62,116.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/640

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • PM Modi sets off on landmark 5-nation tour, eager to engage with global leaders

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday embarked for Accra, Ghana, marking the first leg of his five-nation tour aimed at reinforcing India’s global partnerships, with a focus on strengthening bonds across the Global South and both sides of the Atlantic.

    The tour includes visits to Ghana, Trinidad &amp, Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia- nations that PM Modi described as vital partners in India’s evolving foreign policy architecture, spanning historical ties, cultural linkages, economic engagement and multilateral cooperation.

    In his departure statement, PM Modi said, “At the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama, I will visit Ghana on July 2-3. Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.”

    He expressed anticipation about deepening bilateral cooperation in areas, including investment, energy, health, security, and development partnership. “As fellow democracies, it will be an honour to speak at the Parliament of Ghana,” he said.

    The Prime Minister will then travel to Trinidad &amp, Tobago from July 3-4, a country he said shares “deep-rooted historical, cultural and people-to-people connect” with India.

    “I will meet President Christine Carla Kangaloo, who was the Chief Guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has recently assumed office for the second term,” he noted.

    Highlighting the longstanding diaspora bond, PM Modi recalled, “Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago 180 years ago. This visit will provide an opportunity to rejuvenate the special bonds of ancestry and kinship that unite us.”

    From Port of Spain, PM Modi will head to Buenos Aires, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Argentina in 57 years.

    Calling Argentina “a key economic partner in Latin America and a close collaborator in the G20,” he said, “I look forward to my discussions with President Javier Milei, whom I also had the pleasure of meeting last year. We will focus on advancing our mutually beneficial cooperation, including in the areas of agriculture, critical minerals, energy, trade, tourism, technology, and investment.”

    Following Argentina, the Prime Minister will participate in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7. Emphasising India’s foundational role in the bloc, he said, “As a founding member, India is committed to BRICS as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies. Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order.”

    PM Modi also confirmed he will meet with several world leaders on the sidelines of the summit. The visit to Brazil will continue with a bilateral state visit to Brasilia, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly six decades.

    “This visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen our close partnership with Brazil, and work with my friend, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on advancing the priorities of the Global South,” he said.

    The final leg of PM Modi’s tour will take him to Namibia, which he described as “a trusted partner with whom we share a common history of struggle against colonialism.” The Prime Minister said he is looking forward to meeting President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and “charting a new roadmap for cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, our regions and the wider Global South.” He will also address the Joint Session of the Namibian Parliament.

    PM Modi expressed optimism about the outcomes of his multi-nation tour, stating, “I am confident that my visits to the five countries will reinforce our bonds of friendship across the Global South, strengthen our partnerships on both sides of the Atlantic, and deepen engagements in the multilateral platforms such as BRICS, the African Union, ECOWAS and the CARICOM.” (IANS)

  • PM Modi sets off on landmark 5-nation tour, eager to engage with global leaders

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday embarked for Accra, Ghana, marking the first leg of his five-nation tour aimed at reinforcing India’s global partnerships, with a focus on strengthening bonds across the Global South and both sides of the Atlantic.

    The tour includes visits to Ghana, Trinidad &amp, Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia- nations that PM Modi described as vital partners in India’s evolving foreign policy architecture, spanning historical ties, cultural linkages, economic engagement and multilateral cooperation.

    In his departure statement, PM Modi said, “At the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama, I will visit Ghana on July 2-3. Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.”

    He expressed anticipation about deepening bilateral cooperation in areas, including investment, energy, health, security, and development partnership. “As fellow democracies, it will be an honour to speak at the Parliament of Ghana,” he said.

    The Prime Minister will then travel to Trinidad &amp, Tobago from July 3-4, a country he said shares “deep-rooted historical, cultural and people-to-people connect” with India.

    “I will meet President Christine Carla Kangaloo, who was the Chief Guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has recently assumed office for the second term,” he noted.

    Highlighting the longstanding diaspora bond, PM Modi recalled, “Indians first arrived in Trinidad and Tobago 180 years ago. This visit will provide an opportunity to rejuvenate the special bonds of ancestry and kinship that unite us.”

    From Port of Spain, PM Modi will head to Buenos Aires, marking the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Argentina in 57 years.

    Calling Argentina “a key economic partner in Latin America and a close collaborator in the G20,” he said, “I look forward to my discussions with President Javier Milei, whom I also had the pleasure of meeting last year. We will focus on advancing our mutually beneficial cooperation, including in the areas of agriculture, critical minerals, energy, trade, tourism, technology, and investment.”

    Following Argentina, the Prime Minister will participate in the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7. Emphasising India’s foundational role in the bloc, he said, “As a founding member, India is committed to BRICS as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies. Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order.”

    PM Modi also confirmed he will meet with several world leaders on the sidelines of the summit. The visit to Brazil will continue with a bilateral state visit to Brasilia, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly six decades.

    “This visit will provide an opportunity to strengthen our close partnership with Brazil, and work with my friend, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, on advancing the priorities of the Global South,” he said.

    The final leg of PM Modi’s tour will take him to Namibia, which he described as “a trusted partner with whom we share a common history of struggle against colonialism.” The Prime Minister said he is looking forward to meeting President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and “charting a new roadmap for cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, our regions and the wider Global South.” He will also address the Joint Session of the Namibian Parliament.

    PM Modi expressed optimism about the outcomes of his multi-nation tour, stating, “I am confident that my visits to the five countries will reinforce our bonds of friendship across the Global South, strengthen our partnerships on both sides of the Atlantic, and deepen engagements in the multilateral platforms such as BRICS, the African Union, ECOWAS and the CARICOM.” (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ13: Admission of sports professionals

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ13: Admission of sports professionals 
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that in recent years, several international and Mainland sports stars have come to Hong Kong for development or settlement one after another through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) or the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS). There are views that Hong Kong possesses the advantage of attracting sports talent, and the Government should further assist sports professionals coming to Hong Kong for development, so as to promote the development of Hong Kong’s sports industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the number of overseas and Mainland sports professionals who have applied over the past five years for coming to Hong Kong for development through QMAS and TTPS respectively, and among them, the number of applications approved, together with a breakdown by the sports disciplines in which the professionals are involved; whether it has compiled statistics on the employment status of professionals in Hong Kong in the approved cases;
     
    (2) when sports professionals have come to Hong Kong through QMAS or TTPS, how the Hong Kong Talent Engage will follow up on their development and needs in Hong Kong (including support services and development strategies (if any) provided to such professionals);
     
    (3) as it has been reported that several world-renowned billiard players have become Hong Kong residents one after another through QMAS over the past year, whether the authorities will consider launching further initiatives to assist these billiard players in promoting billiards or developing their careers in billiards in Hong Kong, such as opening billiard saloons or training programs, so as to help Hong Kong become an “international billiard hub”; and
     
    (4) whether it will consider optimising QMAS or TTPS, or providing incentives (such as providing tax concessions to international sports stars or sports professionals coming to Hong Kong on a short-term or long-term basis), so as to attract more international sports talent to come to Hong Kong for development?

    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         To build Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent, the Government has been implementing various talent admission schemes with different positioning to proactively trawl for talent with diversified backgrounds to come to Hong Kong to build a quality talent pool for meeting Hong Kong’s development needs.
     
         Among them, the Achievement-based Points Test (APT) under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) aims to attract individuals with exceptional talents or skills, as well as outstanding achievements, to come to Hong Kong for settlement. To be eligible for APT, the applicant must have received an award of exceptional achievement (e.g. Olympic medal, Nobel prize, national/international award) or can show that his/her work has been acknowledged by his/her peers or have contributed significantly to the development of his/her field (e.g. lifetime achievement award from industry). Successful applicants will normally be granted a stay of eight years upon first entry. In the past, the majority of international and Mainland sports celebrities who had won awards in major sports events and had come to Hong Kong for development were admitted through the above channel.
     
         Our reply to the Member’s questions, in consultation with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Immigration Department (ImmD), is as follows:
     
    (1) In the past five years (from 2020 to 2024), among the approved cases that have successfully passed the selection exercise under the QMAS, a total of 42 retired or serving athletes have been approved to come to Hong Kong under the APT, including Olympic medalists, Asian Games medalists, and winners of other international sports events.
     
         As the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) aims to attract individuals with high income or full-time bachelor’s degree from top universities/institutions around the world, the ImmD does not have the number of applications from retired/serving athletes.
     
         Persons admitted to Hong Kong under the QMAS or the TTPS are not required to have secured offers of employment before coming to Hong Kong. During the validity period of the first visa, the talent are not required to inform the ImmD when they are employed or have established/joined in business in Hong Kong. When applying for extension of stay, successful applicants under the TTPS are required to provide the ImmD with concrete supporting information and documents to prove that they have been employed or have established/joined in business in Hong Kong so that an extension of stay can be granted. The ImmD does not maintain statistics on the employment situation of successful applicants under the above two schemes when they first arrived in Hong Kong, as well as other statistical breakdowns mentioned in the question.
     
    (2) Since its establishment on October 30, 2023, Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) has been providing comprehensive one-stop support to talent coming to / staying in Hong Kong under the various talent admission schemes (including the TTPS and the QMAS) through both online and offline means. Apart from providing comprehensive information on living and working in Hong Kong as well as handling enquiries from outside talent through its online platform (www.hkengage.gov.hk 
         Earlier on, many internationally renowned sports professionals (such as Judd Trump, the world’s number one snooker player, and Stephon Marbury, former National Basketball Association (NBA) player) have settled in Hong Kong. HKTE has invited them to participate in promotional activities to give first-hand sharing of their reasons for coming to Hong Kong, thereby promoting Hong Kong’s unique strengths and development opportunities to attract more global talent with diverse backgrounds to pursue development in Hong Kong.
     
    (3) Several internationally renowned snooker players have settled in Hong Kong, drawing public attention and interest for the sport. The Government will actively promote the development of local billiard sports, maintain connections with top snooker players pursuing development in Hong Kong, and provide appropriate support when needed to foster the development of billiard sports in Hong Kong together.
     
         The Government is committed to sports development through the five policy objectives of promoting sports in the community, supporting elite sports, maintaining Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism, and developing sports as an industry. For the promotion of community sports, the Government organises various types of recreation and sports activities and encourages public participation to cultivate a strong sporting culture in the community, helping them develop a healthy lifestyle.
     
         The Government will continue to devote resources to expand the audience base of sports enthusiasts (including snooker fans) and support the organisation of major sports events through the “M” Mark System. The Major Sports Events Committee awarded the “M” Mark status to the World Snooker Grand Prix 2025 in March this year. It was the first time for the event to be held outside the United Kingdom. In addition to promoting the development of billiard sports in Hong Kong, the event also underlines Hong Kong’s status as the centre for major international sports events.Issued at HKT 11:22

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ningbo-Zhoushan Port shows major trade rebound

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

    Despite recent volatility in global trade policy, especially the swift changes in US-China tariff regulations since April, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port — the world’s third-largest in terms of container throughput volume in 2024 — has demonstrated remarkable resilience.

    By early June, container throughput volume to the United States had returned to pre-fluctuation levels, said port officials.

    Located on China’s eastern seaboard, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port serves as a vital artery in global logistics. With over 300 container shipping routes connecting to more than 600 ports, across 200 countries and regions, the port handles nearly 300 vessel movements daily. It has become a critical hub in supporting the dual circulation of domestic and international trade.

    In the face of external pressure, the port managed to expand its container throughput volume. From January to April, the port handled 13.568 million twenty-foot equivalent units, marking a 9.9 percent year-on-year increase, said Teng Yahui, deputy general manager of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co Ltd.

    Notably, full-container exports rose more than 10 percent, while volumes to emerging markets in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa surged over 20 percent, laying a robust foundation for sustained growth.

    From January to May, total container throughput volume exceeded 17 million TEUs — a year-on-year increase of more than 9 percent. Teng confirmed that US-bound container volumes had normalized by early June, reflecting a rebound in trans-Pacific trade following the May 12 joint announcement issued after China-US trade talks in Geneva.

    To meet growing market demand and improve global connectivity, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has launched a series of new shipping routes in recent months. These routes not only accommodate increased outbound cargo, but also provide exporters with faster, more diversified transport options, further consolidating the port’s global hub status.

    “Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has capitalized on the reorganization of global shipping alliances, strengthening cooperation with shipping lines and optimizing our route network,” said Zhu Miao, general manager of Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Investment & Operation Group.

    Zhu said: “We now operate 307 routes, including 255 international ones and 23 express shipping lines. Our port connectivity index has surpassed Singapore’s, ranking second globally.”

    During periods of reduced US-bound shipments, the port took proactive measures to stabilize services. “We worked closely with carriers to secure capacity and stabilize schedules, ensuring minimal disruptions. At the same time, we collaborated to explore new cargo sources and routes, reinforcing our role as a pivotal gateway,” Teng said.

    Ningbo-Zhoushan Port continues to enhance service quality by deploying tailored solutions. Its dedicated “logistics concierge” team designs optimized transportation plans for clients, with a strong focus on high-growth regions such as South America, the Middle East and Europe. In parallel, the port has accelerated the implementation of facilitation measures to improve operational efficiency. These include reducing vessel waiting times and streamlining Customs clearance — efforts that have significantly enhanced port productivity and competitiveness.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ cast roars into China for Shanghai premiere

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

    “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the latest installment in the dinosaur blockbuster franchise, is set to charge into Chinese theaters on July 2, with the director and cast generating excitement among fans at the film’s Shanghai premiere on June 29.

    (From left to right) Actors Rupert Friend, Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey stand with director Gareth Edwards as they wave to fans at the China premiere of “Jurassic World Rebirth” in Shanghai, June 29, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    Three years after the “Jurassic World” trilogy ended, the “Jurassic” series takes an inventive turn with a new film directed by Gareth Edwards from a script by original “Jurassic Park” (1993) screenwriter David Koepp and starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali.

    The story follows an extraction team that ventures to a dangerous island research facility from “Jurassic Park,” now inhabited by deadly dinosaurs. Their mission involves collecting DNA samples from three colossal prehistoric species on land, sea and air for a medical breakthrough.

    Director Edwards called making the film “a dream come true” at the premiere event packed with screaming fans. He appeared alongside Johansson, Bailey and Rupert Friend during the film’s China promotional tour. 

    “I think it is every director’s dream and also every director’s nightmare,” he said.

    Edwards grew up studying Steven Spielberg’s films in England, with “Jurassic Park” among the first movies he saw as a child. He said the film has inspired him ever since, though he believes no one can surpass Spielberg’s original work and never expected to do so. Edwards said he hopes “Jurassic World Rebirth” will feel like a forgotten sequel from the 1990s, capturing the original’s style.

    A still from “Jurassic World Rebirth.” [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    Spielberg has remained closely involved with the franchise, having directed the original “Jurassic Park” and its sequel, “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” and serving as executive producer on every subsequent film, including “Jurassic World Rebirth.” Since 1993, the franchise based on Michael Crichton’s novel has created a cinematic world of reborn dinosaurs and heroes, reinvented the blockbuster film, revolutionized special effects and launched two trilogies that have grossed over $6 billion worldwide, including 4.61 billion yuan ($644 million) from China.

    “We had Steven Spielberg guiding this whole film,” Edwards revealed. “He was watching everything we were filming every day, and as a filmmaker, that’s very nerve-racking. Sometimes we’d get a nice text, and I’d share it with the group when he said he loved what he’d seen, and that’s awesome.”

    Johansson said participating in “Jurassic World Rebirth” fulfilled “a childhood dream of mine.” She recalled that one of her earliest theater memories was watching “Jurassic Park” and that she had followed the franchise for 15 years, reaching out each time a new film was announced, though previous attempts had not worked out. The action superstar added that she told Spielberg she would accept any role in the “Jurassic” franchise — even playing what she called a “dinosnack” who gets eaten five minutes in.

    Standing alongside her colleagues, actor Scarlett Johansson speaks on stage at the China premiere of “Jurassic World Rebirth” in Shanghai, June 29, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    But this time, Johansson landed something far more substantial. Cast as Zora Bennett, she plays a covert operations expert contracted to lead a team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material. She and her team uncover a sinister discovery hidden for decades on the dinosaur island.

    To bring the story to life, the cast and crew went far beyond green screens, filming in natural locations across the U.K., Malta and Thailand. Along the way, they encountered wild animals from snakes and monkeys to poisonous insects.

    A still from “Jurassic World Rebirth.” [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    The director recalled going to a mangrove swamp in Thailand. Although everyone assured him it was safe, the crew still hired a snake wrangler just in case. Sure enough, the wrangler emerged with a giant yellow-and-black poisonous snake. “I said everybody has to make a promise right now that we’re not going to tell Scarlett Johansson until the film is finished,” Edwards said.

    Hearing this for the first time on stage, Johansson turned to the director and deadpanned, “I trusted you, Gareth, and I no longer trust you.”

    “The adventure of a lifetime!” Friend exclaimed.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ombudsman’s three strategic focuses deliver results and tangible benefits to community (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

         The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (July 2) presented the 2024-25 Annual Report of The Ombudsman to the public. The Office exceeded all its service targets in handling enquiries, complaints, reassessment and review of complaints in the reporting year. 

         Mr Chan said, “Since assuming office on April 1 last year, I have championed three strategic focuses: (1) enhancing mediation to effectively and swiftly resolve public complaints; (2) fostering interdepartmental collaboration to provide highly efficient and quality public services; and (3) cultivating a positive and proactive complaint culture within the community. These three initiatives are designed to improve the quality of public administration, deliver tangible benefits to our citizens, and encourage the Government and citizens to  foster a more stable, harmonious and progressive society for all.” 

         In the reporting year, the Office concluded an all-time high of 555 cases by mediation, nearly tripling the number of the previous year and accounting for 33.5 per cent of the cases pursued. Given that the average time taken to resolve a complaint by way of mediation was only 10.87 days, it significantly expedited the process of redressing grievances for the public.

         On the front of fostering interdepartmental collaboration, the Office completed three direct investigation operations and processed 141 complaint cases during the year in this connection.
     
         The Office has stepped up efforts to cultivate a positive complaint culture. In addition to the annual Ombudsman’s Awards Scheme, the Office issued 41 appreciation letters to 16 departments and organisations, and presented 19 appreciation certificates to complainants during the year, recognising their contribution to the enhancement of public administration. For the first time, the Office hosted seminars for universities and tertiary institutes, with a total of 13 seminars held at tertiary and secondary institutes throughout the year to promote a positive complaint culture. The Office is in active preparation for establishing the Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy to provide appropriate training for government departments and public organisations, enhance the professional capabilities of staff of the Office, and promote exchanges and co-operation between the Office and overseas ombudsman institutions.
     
         The Office completed eight direct investigation operations and 40 full investigations during the year, delivering a total of 254 recommendations, 37 per cent more compared to that of the previous year, for improvement of public administration. All the recommendations were accepted by the government departments or organisations concerned, including some having been pursued and implemented. From November 2024 onwards, the Office started making observations in cases concluded after inquiries to highlight the improvements that had been or could be put in place more speedily. As at March 31, 2025, 106 observations had been made and were well received by the government departments or public organisations concerned.

         In the reporting year, the Office received 4 402 complaints on various topics and completed 4 664 cases (including some carried over from the preceding year), of which 3 009 were assessed and closed and 1 655 pursued and concluded.

         The full text of the Annual Report can be viewed or downloaded from the Office’s website at www.ombudsman.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ18: Management of Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ18: Management of Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin 
    Question:
     
    There are views that the Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, being an important historical and cultural temple, has a profound history and extensive social influence. Regarding the management of the temple, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that according to the information provided by the Chinese Temples Committee, the annual surplus of the Che Kung Temple for the year ended March 31 last year exceeded $16 million, whether the Government knows the intended specific uses of the surplus, including whether it will be transferred to the General Chinese Charities Fund under the Chinese Temples Ordinance (Cap. 153) or used for community projects in Sha Tin District;
     
    (2) whether it knows, in respect of major decisions relating to the Che Kung Temple (e.g. the expansion project and the adjustment of fees for services provided in the temple), how the Committee seeks the views of worshippers or heritage conservation groups, and whether the Committee has held open meetings or kept records of such consultations on a regular basis; if the Committee has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) whether it knows if the Committee has formulated development strategies for the Che Kung Temple for the next 10 years, including coping with the growth in visitor flow, providing digitalised services (e.g. using a platform for electronic blessings) or implementing environmental protection measures (e.g. reducing the pollution caused by joss sticks); if the Committee has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:
     
    President,
    According to the Ordinance, all revenues from the administered temples under the Committee (including the Che Kung Temple) must first be transferred to the Chinese Temples Fund (CTF). The temple keepers of individual administered temples do not have the authority to determine the use of these revenues. The CTF is primarily used for the purposes of organising customary ceremonies and the maintenance of the temple buildings and temple properties and so on. For instance, the Committee has granted fundings under relevant funding schemes to the Ta Chiu Festival Committee of Kau Yeuk of the Sha Tin Rural Committee for organising the decennial Ta Chiu Festival in the Year of Yisi, and to the Sha Tin Rural Committee for organising the Che Kung worshipping event. Any surpluses from the CTF may be transferred to the General Chinese Charities Fund (GCCF), also managed by the Committee, for the purposes of any Chinese charity in Hong Kong. It includes grants to the Home Affairs Department for provision of emergency financial relief to needy persons of Chinese race who are affected by natural disasters or accidents, as well as the GCCF funding scheme supporting charitable activities and projects for the Chinese community in Hong Kong. The use of surpluses from the CTF is also governed by the Ordinance and is not subject to the discretion of the temple keepers of individual administered temples.Issued at HKT 11:10

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 2, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 2, 2025.

    Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Arlanda Harris, Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University Parents have been left reeling by news a male Melbourne childcare worker has been charged with 70 counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of young children in his care. The charges include sexual penetration

    We all have kangaroos hopping around our coin purse – and they’ve been on money since 1795
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Dyer, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Monash University The one tonne gold kangaroo coin at the Perth Mint. Shutterstock On the Australian one dollar coin, you will often find the famous representation of a mob of five kangaroos. But when did the kangaroo first appear on

    The Bradbury Group features Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal, Middle East report and political panel
    Asia Pacific Report In the new weekly political podcast, The Bradbury Group, last night presenter Martyn Bradbury talked with visiting Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal. They assess the current situation in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and what New Zealand should be doing. As Bradbury, publisher of The Daily Blog, notes, “Fourth Estate public broadcasting

    New laws to make it harder for large Australian and foreign companies to avoid paying tax
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, CC BY The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers. These documents,

    ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Lee, Senior Lecturer, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney David Gray / AFP / Getty Images Australian farms are at the forefront of a wave of technological change coming to agriculture. Over the past decade, more than US$200 billion (A$305 billion) has been invested globally

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission turns 2 – has it restored integrity to federal government?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A J Brown, Professor of Public Policy & Law, Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) opened its doors two years ago this week amid much fanfare and high expectations. Since then the body has attracted considerable criticism, overshadowing a solid,

    Gum disease, decay, missing teeth: why people with mental illness have poorer oral health
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bonnie Clough, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University mihailomilovanovic/Getty Images People with poor mental health face many challenges. One that’s perhaps lesser known is that they’re more likely than the overall population to have poor oral health. Research has shown people with serious mental illness

    Farming within Earth’s limits is still possible – but it will take a Herculean effort
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michalis Hadjikakou, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environment, Deakin University Patrick Pleul/Getty The way we currently produce and consume food takes a big toll on the environment. Worldwide, farming is responsible for more than 20%

    News laws to make it harder for large Australian and foreign companies to avoid paying tax
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, CC BY The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers. These documents,

    What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University minoandriani/Getty Images The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome,

    Memo to Shane Jones: what if NZ needs more regional government, not less?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Honorary Research Associate, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University If the headlines are anything to go by, New Zealand’s regional councils are on life support. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones recently wondered whether “there’s going to be a

    Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Doddridge, Senior Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania An icebreaker approaches Denman Glacier in March, when there was 70% less Antarctic sea ice than usual. Pete Harmsen AAD On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found

    Micronesian Summit in Majuro this week aims to be ‘one step ahead’
    By Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal/RNZ Pacific correspondent in Majuro The Micronesian Islands Forum cranks up with officials meetings this week in Majuro, with the official opening for top leadership from the islands tomorrow morning. Marshall Islands leaders are being joined at this summit by their counterparts from Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia,

    Distressed by all the bad news? Here’s how to stay informed but still look after yourself
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Reza Shabahang, Research Fellow in Human Cybersecurity, Monash University and Academic Researcher in Media Psychology, Flinders University KieferPix/Shutterstock If you’re feeling like the news is particularly bad at the moment, you’re not alone. But many of us can’t look away – and don’t want to. Engaging with

    What are police allowed to do at protests and who keeps them in check?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Hine, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of the Sunshine Coast Earlier this week, former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas was hospitalised with serious injuries after being arrested at a protest in Sydney. This incident sparked public outcry, raising questions about the limits of police power and what

    Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock Hopes are rising that Israel and Hamas could be inching closer to a ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza. US President Donald Trump is urging progress, taking to social media to demand: MAKE THE DEAL IN

    A new ‘prac payment’ has just kicked in. But it ignores many uni students
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Lambert, Associate Professor Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Wollongong Fly View Productions/ Getting Images On Tuesday, some Australian university students got access to a new payment. The Commonwealth Prac Payment is available to eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students. It will provide A$331.65 a

    ‘I’m going to send letters’: the deadline for Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ trade tariffs is looming
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on implementing so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on some 180 trading partners ends on

    2 polls have Tasmania headed for another hung parliament, but disagree on which party is ahead
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Two Tasmanian state polls imply another hung parliament at the July 19 election under Tasmania’s proportional system. In one of these polls, Labor leads the Liberals, while

    Preventive versus pre-emptive strikes.
    Headline: Preventive versus pre-emptive strikes. – 36th Parallel Assessments Photo credit: Reuters. Conceptual clarity is important in any context but especially when it comes to international relations, foreign policy and the initiation of conflict. Recent events in the Middle East have shown once again how clarity in the use of words is often deliberately obfuscated

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Consumption push promises summer tourism boom

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

    A high-speed train arrives at the Qianjiang Railway Station on the Chongqing section of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway, in Southwest China’s Chongqing, June 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Fueled by rising consumption and attractive packages offered by tourism authorities, this summer promises to be a bumper season for tourism, industry insiders said on Tuesday.

    According to the Ministry of Transport, the number of railway passenger trips between July 1 and Aug 31, the duration of the summer vacation for students, is expected to reach 953 million, which will mark a year-on-year increase of 5.8 percent.

    Qi Chunguang, vice-president of travel portal Tuniu, said the summer travel peak is expected much earlier this year. “In fact, our figures suggest it already started on June 28, instead of the usual second week of July,” he said.

    Group tour bookings on Tuniu have increased by more than 35 percent, Qi said. “The majority of them are long-duration domestic trips. Bookings for overseas destinations have surged 60 percent year-on-year,” he added.

    The growth has been spurred by the government’s consumption policy, coupons issued by local tourism bureaus and discount tickets for high school graduates, Qi noted.

    On Monday, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched a summer consumption program, which will promote around 39,000 activities, including drama appreciations, exhibitions and night tours, in July and August.

    To further invigorate the tourism market, the government will also give consumption subsidies of over 570 million yuan ($80 million) to the public in the form of coupons and discounted combined packages.

    Qi, from Tuniu, said that high school graduates, college students and families with children are major drivers of summer tourism consumption. A recent report by Tuniu mentioned that families with children account for over 40 percent of the current bookings made on the platform.

    According to travel portal Qunar, most Chinese travelers are looking for destinations with a temperate climate, so places with daytime temperatures lower than 25 C are recording a surge in bookings.

    The Bortala Mongolian autonomous prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Zhaotong and Chuxiong in Yunnan province and Ordos in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region are among the most popular domestic destinations to beat the heat, the travel portal said.

    Beijing, Shanghai, the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang, Qingdao in Shandong province and Chengdu in Sichuan province are also attracting bookings because of their strong cultural vibes, modern cityscapes and mouthwatering food, the portal added.

    Yue Meng, 48, a Beijing resident, said her daughter took the college entrance exam in June and the family planned a trip to Xinjiang to congratulate her.

    “We will spend a week in Xinjiang starting on July 15, and visit attractions such as Sayram Lake and Nalati scenic area,” Yue said, adding that her daughter is scheduled to join an educational tour group to Singapore in August.

    In addition to domestic tourism, outbound travel has also logged robust growth.

    According to travel agency Trip.com Group, visa applications on the platform have recorded double-digit growth.

    Overseas destinations with shorter flight durations, such as Japan and South Korea, remain top choices for Chinese travelers this summer, while some faraway countries in Europe have also seen remarkable growth in bookings, the agency said.

    Visa applications processed by Trip.com for Italy, Norway and Germany have increased by over 80 percent, it added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects, a promising future: FM spokesperson

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

    Citizens interact with cruising fishing vessels on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    With the firm support of the motherland, the protection of the “one country, two systems” policy, the dedication of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, and the concerted efforts of all sectors of society, Hong Kong has broad prospects and a promising future, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

    Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press briefing, noting that over the past five years since the promulgation and implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong’s legal framework has been strengthened, social stability and unity have improved, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law have been fully protected.

    Mao said that the baseless and malicious smears by certain Western politicians and anti-China organizations against the “one country, two systems,” along with their attacks on Hong Kong’s rule of law, fully expose their ill intent to undermine stability in Hong Kong.

    She noted that with a high level of security, Hong Kong is able to achieve high-quality development and the city’s GDP has grown for nine consecutive quarters. It has ranked among the top three international financial centers in the world, and has reclaimed a spot among the top three in global competitiveness rankings.

    As the world’s third-largest recipient of foreign direct investment, Hong Kong tops the world in terms of fundraising from IPOs since the beginning of this year, ranks first in the world in air cargo shipping and fourth in the International Shipping Center Development Index, and is among the top 10 in talent competitiveness, with many foreign chambers of commerce recommending increased investment in the city, Mao said.

    These data show that Hong Kong’s economy is highly resilient and vibrant, and its international appeal continues to grow, she added.

    “Today marks the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. We believe that with the steadfast support of the motherland, the safeguard of ‘one country, two systems,’ the dedication of the government of the HKSAR and the joint efforts of the whole society, Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects and a promising future,” Mao said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US ramps up trade pressure on multiple fronts as 90-day tariff deadline approaches

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

    Days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to halt trade talks and impose tariffs, Canada scrapped its planned digital services tax on Sunday. The White House praised the move, saying talks would resume immediately and declaring that Canada had “caved” to the United States.

    The United States is scrambling to wind up trade talks with a large number of trading partners as the self-imposed deadline of July 9 is approaching. Following Canada’s concession, Trump is continuing his efforts to press multiple trade partners.

    While the EU stood firm on protecting its digital sovereignty and rejected U.S. demands to include digital laws in trade talks, Trump moved on to Japan on Sunday, accusing it of refusing to buy American rice amid a shortage and threatening a formal trade complaint shortly after labeling U.S.-Japan trade “unfair.”

    U-turn on talks  

    Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Sunday that Canada will rescind its digital services tax as it prepares for a broader trade agreement with the United States.

    The tax, which was designed to take effect on Monday, would impose a 3 percent levy on the revenue of U.S. multinational companies like Amazon, Google and Meta earned from Canadian users.

    “It’s very simple: Canadian Prime Minister (Mark) Carney and Canada caved to President Trump and the United States of America,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday at a briefing.

    Leavitt’s comments followed remarks by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who said the United States will restart trade negotiations with Canada immediately.

    According to him, the White House is likely to push other countries to abandon their digital services taxes in future trade negotiations, building on Canada’s recent reversal.

    “My expectation is that the digital services taxes around the world will be taken off, and that that will be a key part of the … ongoing trade negotiations that we have,” Hassett was quoted by CNBC as saying.

    Hassett suggested that countries planning to maintain or introduce digital services taxes could face the “wrath” from U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer over what he called “unfair trade practices.”

    Ineffective strategy 

    Washington’s pressure tactics didn’t prove effective with the EU, where officials have firmly rejected including digital legislation in trade talks with the United States.

    “Our legislation will not be changed. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) are not on the table in the trade negotiations with the U.S.,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told a briefing Monday.

    Washington has repeatedly slammed the EU’s digital regulations, including the DMA and DSA, as unfair and called for looser oversight of American tech firms. In February, the White House warned it might retaliate if EU regulators targeted U.S. companies under those rules.

    Regnier emphasized that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that EU legislation is not up for negotiation, “and this also includes, of course, our digital legislation,” he said.

    “We’re not going to adjust the implementation of our legislation based on the actions of third countries. If we started to do that, then we would have to do it with numerous third countries,” Regnier added.

    Nevertheless, the spokesperson said that the Commission remains committed to reaching a trade deal with the United States by July 9.

    Trump had earlier said the talks were “going nowhere” and threatened a 50 percent tariff on all EU imports starting June 1. After a call with von der Leyen, he agreed to postpone the hike until July 9.

    European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic said on Monday that he would travel to Washington on Tuesday to try to avoid higher U.S. tariffs and reach a deal “fair for both sides.”

    Currently, the EU faces 50 percent U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and 25 percent on automobiles, alongside 10 percent baseline duties on most other exports.

    Next on list 

    In a Truth Social post on Monday afternoon, Trump claimed that the Japanese people and their government were “spoiled” because they wouldn’t buy American rice.

    “To show people how spoiled Countries have become with respect to the United States of America, and I have great respect for Japan, they won’t take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage,” Trump wrote. “In other words, we’ll just be sending them a letter.”

    Yet rice, like the EU’s digital regulations, is not on the Japanese menu for trade talks with the United States.

    On Tuesday, Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa, who is also the chief representative in tariff negotiations with the U.S. administration, said that his country will not sacrifice the agricultural sector as part of its tariff talks with the United States, adding that he would continue to negotiate with his U.S. counterparts to protect Japan’s national interests.

    “I have repeatedly stated that agriculture is the foundation of the nation,” he told a press conference.

    Trump’s rice complaint followed another swipe at Tokyo’s trade practices. In an interview aired on Fox News a day earlier, he slammed Japan for importing too few American cars, saying, “They won’t take our cars, and yet we take millions and millions of their cars into the United States. It’s not fair,” he said.

    “I could send one (letter) to Japan: ‘Dear Mr. Japan, here’s the story. You’re going to pay a 25 percent tariff on your cars,’” Trump said during the interview. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cope Angel 2025: U.S and Japan sharpen search and rescue skills

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 33rd and 31st Rescue Squadrons partnered with Japan Air Self-Defense Force members from the Naha Air Rescue Squadron for exercise Cope Angel 25-1, June 23-27, 2025 at Kadena and Naha Air Bases.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: System integration: Airmen and Marines collaborate to broaden air defense capabilities

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KADENA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 623rd Air Control Squadron partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Marines from the 12th Littoral Anti-Air Battalion to conduct a systems integration and joint air surveillance training, June 22–30, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tom Lee, Senior Lecturer, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney

    David Gray / AFP / Getty Images

    Australian farms are at the forefront of a wave of technological change coming to agriculture. Over the past decade, more than US$200 billion (A$305 billion) has been invested globally into the likes of pollination robots, smart soil sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) systems to help make decisions.

    What do the people working the land make of it all? We interviewed dozens of Australian farmers about AI and digital technology, and found they had a sophisticated understanding of their own needs and how technology might help – as well as a wariness of tech companies’ utopian promises.

    The future of farming

    The supposed revolution coming to agriculture goes by several names: “precision agriculture”, “smart farming”, and “agriculture 4.0” are some of the more common ones.

    These names all gesture towards a future in which the relationships between humans, computing and nature have been significantly reconfigured. Perhaps remote sensing technology will monitor ever more of a farm system, autonomous vehicles will patrol it, and AI will predict crop growth or cattle weight gain.

    But there’s another story to tell about the way technological change happens. It involves people and communities creating their own future, their own sense of important change from the past.

    AI, country style

    Our research team conducted more than 35 interviews with farmers, specifically livestock producers, from across Australia.

    The dominant themes of their responses were captured in two pithy quotes: “shit in, shit out” and “more automation, less features”.

    “Shit in, shit out” is an earthier version of the “garbage in, garbage out” adage in computer science. If the data going into a model is unreliable or overly abstract, then the outputs will be shaped by those errors.

    This captured a real concern for many farmers. They didn’t feel they could trust new technologies if they didn’t understand what knowledge and information they had been built with.

    A different kind of automation

    On the other hand, “more automation, less features” is what farmers want: technologies that may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but can reliably take a task off their hands.

    Australian farmers have a ready appetite for labour-saving technologies. When human bodies are scarce, as they often are in rural Australia, machines are created to fill the void.

    Windmills, wire fences, and even the iconic Australian sheepdog have been a crucial part of the technological narrative of settler colonial farming. These things are not “autonomous” in the same way as computer-powered vehicles and drones, but they offer similar advantages to farmers.

    What these classic farm technologies have in common is a simplicity that derives from a clarity of purpose. They are the opposite of the “everything apps” that fuel the dreams of many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

    “More automation, less features” is in this sense a farmer envisaging a digital product that fits with their image of a useful technology: transparent in its operations, and a reliable replacement for or an addition to human labour.

    The lesson of the Suzuki Sierra Stockman

    When speaking with one farmer about favoured technologies of her lifetime, she mentioned the Suzuki Sierra Stockman. These small, no-frills, four-wheel-drive vehicles became something of an icon on Australian sheep and cattle farms through the 1970s, ‘80s and ’90s.

    By the 1990s, the Suzuki Sierra Stockman had an iconic status among Australian farmers.
    Turbo_J / Flickr

    Reflecting on her memories of first using the vehicle, the farmer said:

    Once I learnt that I could actually draft cattle out with the Suzuki, that changed everything. You could do exactly what you did on a horse with a vehicle.

    It seems unlikely that Suzuki’s engineers in Japan envisaged their little jeep chasing cattle in the paddocks of Central West of NSW. The Suzuki was in a sense remade by farmers who found innovative uses for it.

    Future technology must be simple, adaptable and reliable

    The combustion engine was a key technological change on farms in the 20th century. Computers may play a similar role in the 21st.

    We are perhaps yet to see a digital product as iconic as wire fences, windmills, sheepdogs and the Suzuki Stockman. Computers are still largely technologies of the office, not the paddock.

    However, this is changing as computers get smaller and are wired into water tanks, soil monitors and in-paddock scales. More data input from these sensors means AI systems have more scope to help farmers make decisions.

    AI may well become a much-loved tool for farmers. But that journey to iconic status will depend as much on how farmers adapt the technology as on how the developers build it. And we can guess at what it will look like: simple, adaptable and reliable.

    This article is based on research conducted by the Foragecaster project, led by AgriWebb and supported by funding from Food Agility CRC Ltd, funded under the Commonwealth Government CRC Program. The CRC Program supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community. This project was also supported by funding from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

    – ref. ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced – https://theconversation.com/shit-in-shit-out-ai-is-coming-for-agriculture-but-farmers-arent-convinced-259997

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University

    minoandriani/Getty Images

    The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome, they often think of its sights and sounds. We know less, however, about the scents of ancient Rome.

    We cannot, of course, go back and sniff to find out. But the literary texts, physical remains of structures, objects, and environmental evidence (such as plants and animals) can offer clues.

    So what might ancient Rome have smelled like?

    Honestly, often pretty rank

    In describing the smells of plants, author and naturalist Pliny the Elder uses words such as iucundus (agreeable), acutus (pungent), vis (strong), or dilutus (weak).

    None of that language is particularly evocative in its power to transport us back in time, unfortunately.

    But we can probably safely assume that, in many areas, Rome was likely pretty dirty and rank-smelling. Property owners did not commonly connect their toilets to the sewers in large Roman towns and cities – perhaps fearing rodent incursions or odours.

    Roman sewers were more like storm drains, and served to take standing water away from public areas.

    Professionals collected faeces for fertiliser and urine for cloth processing from domestic and public latrines and cesspits. Chamber pots were also used, which could later be dumped in cesspits.

    This waste disposal process was just for those who could afford to live in houses; many lived in small, non-domestic spaces, barely furnished apartments, or on the streets.

    A common whiff in the Roman city would have come from the animals and the waste they created. Roman bakeries frequently used large lava stone mills (or “querns”) turned by mules or donkeys. Then there was the smell of pack animals and livestock being brought into town for slaughter or sale.

    Animals were part of life in the Roman empire.
    Marco_Piunti/Getty Images

    The large “stepping-stones” still seen in the streets of Pompeii were likely so people could cross streets and avoid the assorted feculence that covered the paving stones.

    Disposal of corpses (animals and human) was not formulaic. Depending on the class of the person who had died, people might well have been left out in the open without cremation or burial.

    Bodies, potentially decaying, were a more common sight in ancient Rome than now.

    Suetonius, writing in the first century CE, famously wrote of a dog carrying a severed human hand to the dining table of the Emperor Vespasian.

    Deodorants and toothpastes

    In a world devoid of today’s modern scented products – and daily bathing by most of the population – ancient Roman settlements would have smelt of body odour.

    Classical literature has some recipes for toothpaste and even deodorants.

    However, many of the deodorants were to be used orally (chewed or swallowed) to stop one’s armpits smelling.

    One was made by boiling golden thistle root in fine wine to induce urination (which was thought to flush out odour).

    The Roman baths would likely not have been as hygienic as they may appear to tourists visiting today. A small tub in a public bath could hold between eight and 12 bathers.

    The Romans had soap, but it wasn’t commonly used for personal hygiene. Olive oil (including scented oil) was preferred. It was scraped off the skin with a strigil (a bronze curved tool).

    This oil and skin combination was then discarded (maybe even slung at a wall). Baths had drains – but as oil and water don’t mix, it was likely pretty grimy.

    Scented perfumes

    The Romans did have perfumes and incense.

    The invention of glassblowing in the late first century BCE (likely in Roman-controlled Jerusalem) made glass readily available, and glass perfume bottles are a common archaeological find.

    Animal and plant fats were infused with scents – such as rose, cinnamon, iris, frankincense and saffron – and were mixed with medicinal ingredients and pigments.

    The roses of Paestum in Campania (southern Italy) were particularly prized, and a perfume shop has even been excavated in the city’s Roman forum.

    The trading power of the vast Roman empire meant spices could be sourced from India and the surrounding regions.

    There were warehouses for storing spices such as pepper, cinnamon and myrrh in the centre of Rome.

    In a recent Oxford Journal of Archaeology article, researcher Cecilie Brøns writes that even ancient statues could be perfumed with scented oils.

    Sources frequently do not describe the smell of perfumes used to anoint the statues, but a predominantly rose-based perfume is specifically mentioned for this purpose in inscriptions from the Greek city of Delos (at which archaeologists have also identified perfume workshops). Beeswax was likely added to perfumes as a stabiliser.

    Enhancing the scent of statues (particularly those of gods and goddesses) with perfumes and garlands was important in their veneration and worship.

    An olfactory onslaught

    The ancient city would have smelt like human waste, wood smoke, rotting and decay, cremating flesh, cooking food, perfumes and incense, and many other things.

    It sounds awful to a modern person, but it seems the Romans did not complain about the smell of the ancient city that much.

    Perhaps, as historian Neville Morley has suggested, to them these were the smells of home or even of the height of civilisation.

    Thomas J. Derrick 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. What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank – https://theconversation.com/what-did-ancient-rome-smell-like-honestly-often-pretty-rank-257111

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  • MIL-OSI Video: One Day, I Will: Hopes and Dreams of Children in Crisis | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (video statements)

    One Day, I Will is an ongoing series by photographer Vincent Tremeau, capturing children in crisis-affected settings as they dress up as who they want to become in the future.

    In 2025, one year after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day, Vincent brought the project to local schools, inviting children to share their dreams, fears, and hopes in the wake of disaster.

    These portraits and testimonies are more than dress-up — they reveal resilience, imagination, and the enduring strength of children who continue to dream, despite difficult circumstances. Each of them reminds us: hope can grow even from the most challenging places. “One Day I Will” is one of the exhibits in the UN Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai.

    The project was made available by OCHA (UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) with support from KUMON, a global after-school math and reading programme.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjoOiq9fK_s

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