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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by SJ at plenary session of 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the plenary session of the 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore today (October 29):Mr Chairman, Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,     To begin with, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Your Excellency Mr Lucien Wong, SC, for organising this year’s conference.Urgent call for co-operation in the fight against financial crimes     The theme of this year’s conference is “Fostering Co-operation on Combating Financial Crimes”. The definition of financial crimes is very wide. In Hong Kong, they cover a broad range of money-related criminal activities including money laundering, terrorists financing, fraud, theft, market misconduct as well as corruption and irregularities in the financial market. There is, however, very often a common element: that is they involve transboundary elements.     In recent years, we have witnessed an alarming rise in financial crimes. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that money laundered globally in one year is 2-5 per cent of global gross domestic product, that is approximately US$800 billion to $2 trillion. Hong Kong, which ranks No. 1 in the 2024 Economic Freedom of the World Report compiled by the Fraser Institute, is not immune to these challenges. According to the latest statistics released by the Hong Kong Police Force, over 19 000 cases of deception were registered in the first half of 2024, accounting for around 44 per cent of the total number of crimes and resulting in the loss of HK$4.48 billion.     There is, therefore, no wonder why there is consensus that international co-operation to combat financial crimes is both essential and imminent. In May this year, the Heads of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the UNODC and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issued an unprecedented joint call for actions to be taken across sectors and at the global level to target the huge illicit profits generated by transnational organised crimes that facilitate conflicts, fund terrorism and negatively impact vulnerable populations.     Hong Kong is committed to engaging in international co-operation to combat financial crimes proactively. This is both required and made possible by the principle of “one country, two systems”. In the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Article 109 gives Hong Kong the mandate to provide an appropriate economic and legal environment for the maintenance of the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. Under Articles 96 and 152 of the Basic Law respectively, Hong Kong may make appropriate arrangements with foreign states for reciprocal juridical assistance, and representatives of Hong Kong may participate in international organisations or conferences as members of delegations of the People’s Republic of China or in other appropriate capacity.     Hong Kong has been adopting a four-pronged approach in combating financial crimes with international elements: first, espousing international regulatory standards; second, establishing a collaborative network for effective prosecution and asset recovery; third, embracing technologies as our new tools; and, lastly, encouraging knowledge and experience sharing.Espousing international regulatory standards     Let me begin with espousing international regulatory standards. While different jurisdictions have diverse legal landscapes and different financial systems, it is essential to ensure that the local legal and regulatory frameworks would comply with international standards. I am proud to say that Hong Kong has so far successfully achieved this objective.     Owing to the fact that, in practice, it is very often difficult to identify, catch and bring participants of financial crimes to justice and that the loss and damage caused by such crimes are in many cases untraceable and irrecoverable, the Hong Kong law in this respect focus very much on effective prevention and early detection of suspicious transactions. Our Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) (AMLO) sets out the requirements on financial institutions regarding customer due diligence and record keeping; and other legislations impose statutory obligations for reporting suspicious transactions. Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in a landmark judgment known as Tam Sze Leung & Ors v Commissioner of Police (2024) 27 HKCFAR 288 upheld the validity of the “letters of no consent” scheme under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455), which aims at assisting financial institutions to consider how to deal with, or not to deal with, funds known or suspected to be proceeds of crime.     On the other hand, the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong publishes alert list to provide early warnings to investors on suspicious investment products and virtual asset trading platforms. Very recently in August this year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong Association of Banks, extended the coverage of the Suspicious Account Alert to physical branches and Internet banking transactions.     Hong Kong has been a member of the FATF, an intergovernmental organisation which sets global standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, since 1991. In the fourth round of FATF mutual evaluation in 2018-19, Hong Kong’s anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) system has been assessed to be compliant and effective overall, making it the first jurisdiction in the Asia-Pacific region to have achieved an overall compliant result. The FATF also adopted Hong Kong’s follow-up report and recognised Hong Kong’s efforts in strengthening its AML/CFT regulatory regimes last year.     That said, Hong Kong does not remain complacent. Hong Kong is also one of the founding members of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), an autonomous FATF-style regional anti-money laundering body, founded in 1997. The APG published annual reports to assist governments and other stakeholders to have a better understanding about the nature of existing and emerging threats. The 2023 report includes a chapter on threats and trends related to virtual assets and virtual asset service providers. Hong Kong took the initiative to introduce a licensing regime for virtual asset service providers under AMLO, which came into effect in June 2023. To further strengthen the virtual assets regulatory framework in Hong Kong, we consulted the public on a regulatory regime for stablecoins earlier this year and had received overall support.Establishing a collaborative network for effective prosecution and asset recovery     Let me turn to establishing a collaborative network across jurisdictions to enable effective prosecution of financial crimes and asset recovery.     Hong Kong has established a comprehensive co-operation regime for the mutual legal assistance and surrender of fugitives. The Department of Justice of Hong Kong published various practical step-by-step guidelines, such as “Guide to Asset Recovery in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” and “Guidelines for Making Applications under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance (Cap. 525)”, with a view to assisting our foreign counterparts in understanding the procedures in relation to international legal co-operation in criminal matters in Hong Kong and the wide range of legal assistance that may be provided by Hong Kong, such as taking of oral evidence, obtaining materials under production orders, enforcement of external confiscation orders and restraining of dealing in property which may be subject to external confiscation orders, etc.     Over the years, the Department of Justice has been providing effective and timely assistance to various foreign jurisdictions, including our ASEAN and Asia-Pacific partners. Let me share with you some examples. Recently, pursuant to a request made by an East Asian country, we have successfully obtained from the High Court a restraint order freezing assets in the form of cryptocurrencies of a total value of more than US$20 million, which are suspected to be proceeds of a massive fraudulent scheme. In another case regarding a request received from Indonesia, we have restrained over US$8 million worth of assets, representing proceeds of offences of fraud and money laundering, with a view to repatriating the confiscated funds back to the victim of crimes in Indonesia eventually. Singapore is one of our most valued and top legal co-operation partners. Thanks to the tireless effort of the Attorney General’s Chambers of Singapore, a fugitive was successfully surrendered back to Hong Kong earlier this month to face justice in court for offences relating to a securities fraud. In another case involving offences of money laundering and corruption, Hong Kong is working very closely with Singapore in our collaboration to repatriate US$13 million of proceeds of crime back to the victim in Mainland China. In yet another example, with the joint effort of Interpol and following extensive information sharing and joint investigations by the police from Singapore and Hong Kong, a transnational syndicate allegedly involved in laundering ill-gotten gains derived from tech support scams, including around HK$33 million from the victims in Singapore, has recently been crippled in August this year, resulting in the arrest of eight persons in Singapore and Hong Kong.     Another significant development in 2024 is that, on June 26, 2024, Hong Kong has officially joined the South East Asia Justice Network (SEAJust), which was established in 2020 with the support of the UNODC. This enables Hong Kong to make use of this important platform to facilitate co-operation in criminal matters with other members, including all my friends here today.     I feel obliged to take this opportunity to register my disappointment that, due to geopolitical reasons, some Western countries have unilaterally suspended their mutual legal co-operation arrangements with Hong Kong, which is plainly against common interests. Geopolitical considerations should not be allowed to hinder international co-operation in fighting financial crimes.Embracing technologies as our new arsenal of tools     Let me move on to embracing technologies as our tools. In this digital age, technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. It is unfortunate that it has been misused to enable financial crimes to transcend borders and get “bigger” in terms of quantity and complexity, and allow the culprits to hide their identities in the virtual world.     To counter such misuse, we should consider how to deploy technological advancements as our ally. In particular, we should proactively explore the possibilities of leveraging powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools for detecting and disrupting financial crimes at an early stage. For example, AI-powered systems may facilitate real-time online transaction monitoring and individual behavioural analysis, and alert unusual transaction patterns with speed and accuracy that human beings cannot duplicate. AI-assisted automation may also play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency of investigations. AI technology is able to analyse vast amounts of data at lightning speed. Automating some repetitive but essential tasks throughout the investigation process enables investigation officers to dedicate their time and energy to developing strategies in higher-impact cases.     On September 9, 2024, with a view to accelerating the use of AI in monitoring money laundering and terrorist financing risks, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority published a circular on “Use of Artificial Intelligence for Monitoring Suspicious Activities”. The HKMA observed that AI-powered systems take into account a broad range of contextual information focusing not only on individual transactions, but also the active risk profile and past transaction patterns of customers in determining whether the activity of a customer should be flagged for further investigation. These enhanced systems have proved to be more effective and efficient than conventional rules-based transaction monitoring systems.Encouraging knowledge and experience sharing     Lastly, let me say a few words on encouraging knowledge and experience sharing.     Last month, a dedicated team of prosecutors who specialise in prosecuting sophisticated and syndicated high-tech crimes in the Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice of Hong Kong paid a visit to Guangdong Provincial People’s Procuratorate, the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Internet Court. The sharing sessions with Mainland judges and procurators were greatly beneficial to deepening the mutual understanding of the latest trends of deception cases and the handling of cryptocurrency cases.     And, of course, international symposiums and conferences provide an excellent forum for free flow of ideas, which assist in gathering and accumulating a general pool of knowledge, and stimulating new and innovative ideas to combat financial crimes. This successful conference is, by itself, a perfect example.     In this aspect, I am very pleased to inform you that, next month between November 27 and 29, Hong Kong will organise the 11th Asia and Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) under the theme of “Effective Prosecution Service in the Technological Age”. I look forward to welcoming you to Hong Kong.     Lastly, I am also very pleased to inform you that the Department of Justice of Hong Kong will formally establish the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy very soon. The Academy will organise practical training courses, seminars, and international exchange programmes to promote exchanges among legal professionals coming from different jurisdictions. This may serve as an additional platform for capacity building and experience sharing in the area of international co-operation on combating financial crimes.Concluding remarks     To conclude, while the challenges we face in our fight against financial crimes are daunting and are likely to be ongoing, they are ones that we can and must overcome – together. In this war that we cannot afford losing, let us remain steadfast to our commitment to align with international regulatory standards, work closely via various collaborative networks, make better use of emerging technologies, and share knowledge and experience. In co-operation lies our strength, and in action lies the promise of a secure financial environment where trust and integrity flourish.     On this note, may I once again thank the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore for giving me and other members of the Hong Kong delegation such a fruitful experience at this successful conference, and to all the distinguished speakers and friends from the Mainland and ASEAN countries for their sharing of valuable insights and experiences. Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Public urged to lead active and healthy lifestyle in support of World Stroke Day

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Public urged to lead active and healthy lifestyle in support of World Stroke Day
    Public urged to lead active and healthy lifestyle in support of World Stroke Day
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         ​In support of World Stroke Day, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 29) appealed to members of the public to lead an active and healthy lifestyle to guard against stroke.           World Stroke Day has been designated on October 29 each year by the World Stroke Organization to increase awareness and drive actions on strokes around the world.           A spokesman for the DH said that stroke is one of the major causes of ill health, long-term disability and death. Every year, strokes attack over 12 million people worldwide. In Hong Kong, stroke is the fourth commonest cause of death with 3 048* registered deaths in 2023.           A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, or when the blood vessel of the brain ruptures leading to a haemorrhage. High blood pressure (HT) is the largest single risk for stroke, followed by a high body mass index and high blood glucose.           “Physical activity can modify these common biomedical risk factors of stroke. Epidemiological studies support a beneficial effect of engaging in a sufficient amount of physical activities on stroke risk, whether it is simply walking at a faster pace, bicycling or leisure pursuits,” the spokesman added.           Stroke risk can be reduced by adhering to an active and healthy lifestyle. Members of the public are advised to engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or an equivalent amount and intensity of physical activity throughout the week, and limit the amount of time spent being sedentary and replace sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity including a light-intensity physical activity. To further reduce the risk of having a stroke, members of the public should also maintain an optimal body weight and waist circumference, reduce salt intake and eat a balanced diet, avoid smoking and refrain from alcohol drinking to guard against stroke.           With an aim to advocate members of the public to increase their physical activities, the DH launched the “10,000 Steps a Day” Campaign in 2022 to encourage adults to gradually increase their daily step goal to 10 000 based on their own physical conditions, abilities, pace and individual circumstances. The campaign has entered its third phase this year, and this year’s event coincides with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The Health Bureau and the DH will for the first time partner with Greater Bay Area (GBA) Mainland cities to jointly promote walking to mark the celebration. In Hong Kong, a walking challenge with the slogan of “Shall We Walk and Talk” will be held through the “e+Life Platform” on November 1 to inspire the public to walk with friends. Participants can use a step-counting mobile application to record their step counts during the challenge period and synchronise the data with the “e+Life Platform”. For details, please visit the event website of the Walking Challenge (www.10000stepsaday.hk/?lang=en) and the thematic website of “e+Life Platform” (app.ehealth.gov.hk/elife-overview).            The Primary Care Commission has established the District Health Centre (DHC)/DHC Express across 18 districts and has been proactively promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan. The DHC healthcare team would work hand in hand with Family Doctors to help clients to develop customised healthy living plans (including smoking cessation, balance diet, regular physical activity and weight management) based on individuals’ health needs at different stages of life, enhancing the public’s capability to take care of their own health and prevent strokes.              Apart from active and healthy living, early diagnosis and proper management of hypertension and diabetes is another key to lowering the risk of stroke. The Government launched the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) in November 2023, to subsidise Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of HT or diabetes (DM) to undergo HT and DM screening services in the private healthcare sector. They can then receive long-term follow-up care in the community provided by Family Doctors, DHC /DHC Express, and other healthcare services. For more details, members of the public may browse the dedicated website of the CDCC Pilot Scheme (www.primaryhealthcare.gov.hk/cdcc/en).           In addition to promoting stroke prevention measures, the Government is committed to enhancing services for stroke treatment. The Chief Executive announced in this year’s Policy Address that the Hospital Authority would set up the first stroke centre in accordance with the national accreditation standards at a public hospital of Hong Kong. Through cross-specialty and patient-centred integrated neuromedicine services, it aims to enhance the efficiency of diagnosing acute strokes, expedite treatment and improve patient care, thereby lowering mortality rates, hospital bed days and readmission rates as well as improving post-stroke rehabilitation.           The Government will continue to step up efforts in enhancing public awareness about the importance of active and healthy living in the area of stroke prevention and working in close partnership with community partners to build a health-enhancing environment. For details, please visit the thematic website at www.change4health.gov.hk/en/index.html. *Provisional figure

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 15:15

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA thanks countries that have publicly expressed concern over Taiwan Strait situation and stressed importance of cross-strait peace and stability in concerted effort to safeguard rules-based international order

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA thanks countries that have publicly expressed concern over Taiwan Strait situation and stressed importance of cross-strait peace and stability in concerted effort to safeguard rules-based international order

    Date：2024-10-19
    Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

    October 19, 2024  
    No. 359  

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely appreciates that the administrations and friendly members of parliament of more than 30 countries, as well as the European Union, have publicly expressed concern over the cross-strait situation or stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability after China once again recently launched military drills to intimidate Taiwan. Countries including Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Lithuania, and the Republic of Korea variously urged China to exercise restraint and stated that differences should be resolved through dialogue and not the threat of force or coercion. 
     
    The maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in the common interests of both sides of the strait and the international community. There is a high degree of consensus within global society over the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific. MOFA once again calls on China to face up to the reality of the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to respect the Taiwanese people’s choice of a free and democratic way of life, willingness to engage in international cooperation alongside China, and goodwill toward maintaining regional security and pursuing peace and shared prosperity. It urges China to stop using use military provocation or other means to threaten and suppress Taiwan and disrupt the regional status quo. Only this can facilitate the positive development of cross-strait relations and satisfy the expectations of the international community.
     
    MOFA calls on all nations to continue to voice concern over the cross-strait situation and support Taiwan. Taiwan will further work with its diplomatic allies and like-minded partners to safeguard the rules-based international order and jointly advance regional peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA welcomes European Parliament resolution on PRC’s misinterpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and continuous military provocations against Taiwan

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA welcomes European Parliament resolution on PRC’s misinterpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and continuous military provocations against Taiwan

    Date：2024-10-25
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    October 25, 2024No. 365The European Parliament (EP) on October 24 adopted a resolution concerning the misinterpretation of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan by an overwhelming majority of 432 votes in favor and 60 against. The EP resolution strongly opposes the PRC distorting UNGA Resolution 2758 to block Taiwan’s international participation and calls on the European Union and its member states to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international organizations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly affirms and sincerely appreciates this support. The EP resolution points out that UNGA Resolution 2758 addresses the status of the PRC but does not determine that the PRC enjoys sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it make any judgement on the future inclusion of Taiwan in the UN or any other international organization. It also states that Taiwan has never been part of the PRC. Stressing that UNGA Resolution 2758 takes no position on Taiwan, the EP resolution strongly rejects and refutes the PRC’s attempts to distort history and international rules and thereby block Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. It also strongly condemns the PRC’s continued military provocations and gray-zone activities against Taiwan and reiterates the EU’s firm rejection of any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.Pointing out that Taiwan is a key, like-minded partner of the EU in the Indo-Pacific, the EP resolution calls for the EU and its member states to further deepen cooperation and exchanges with Taiwan in such domains as the economy, investment, semiconductor and high-tech industrial supply chains, disaster management, civil protection, and countering disinformation and foreign interference. It also advocates continued support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other multilateral organizations. In addition, the EP welcomes closer official and people-to-people interactions and exchanges between Taiwan and the EU, including the recent visit of former President Tsai Ing-wen to the EP.Since the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China passed a model resolution concerning UNGA Resolution 2758 in July for its members’ reference, the Australian Senate and the Dutch House of Representatives have passed motions in support of Taiwan. The EP thus becomes the third parliament to approve a similar resolution. MOFA urges the global community to take concrete action to oppose China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and to refute China’s false claim that there is an international consensus on its so-called “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to enhance its substantive and comprehensive cooperation with the EU and other like-minded partners to jointly ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to joint declaration by G7 defence ministers expressing concern over China’s joint military exercise around Taiwan and reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to joint declaration by G7 defence ministers expressing concern over China’s joint military exercise around Taiwan and reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability

    October 20, 2024  

    The Group of Seven (G7) defense ministers held a meeting in Naples, Italy, from October 18 to 20. In a joint declaration issued on October 19, they expressed concern over China’s provocative actions, particularly the recent People’s Liberation Army military drills around Taiwan. They reaffirmed that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was indispensable to international security and prosperity and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs highly welcomes and sincerely appreciates the G7 member states’ staunch support for maintaining the peaceful status quo across the Taiwan Strait. 
     
    As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific community, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with G7 member countries and take concrete actions to uphold the core values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. It will work in solidarity with like-minded partners to safeguard the rules-based international order and promote prosperity and stability in the region and throughout the world.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to joint passage of US, Canadian warships through Taiwan Strait on October 20

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to joint passage of US, Canadian warships through Taiwan Strait on October 20

    October 21, 2024 

    The US Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins and the Canadian Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver conducted a routine transit of the Taiwan Strait on October 20. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and affirms the United States and Canada once again taking concrete action to emphasize the Taiwan Strait’s status in law as an international waterway and their firm stance on safeguarding freedom of navigation and regional stability.
     
    The US 7th Fleet and Canadian Joint Operations Command provided details of their joint mission in separate media statements and posts on the social media platform X. The US 7th Fleet statement noted that the transit had taken place through waters where high-seas freedom of navigation applied in accordance with international law. It said that the mission demonstrated the United States’ and Canada’s commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations and that the international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. It further stated that the United States rejected any assertion of sovereignty or jurisdiction that was inconsistent with freedoms of navigations, overflight, or other lawful uses of the sea and air. The Canadian Joint Operations Command post on X stated that its activities promoted peace, resilience, and security in the Indo-Pacific.
     
    This was the fourth joint transit of the Taiwan Strait by the United States and Canada in under two years, demonstrating democratic allies’ determination to take firm and concrete actions to safeguard Taiwan Strait peace. The government of Taiwan will continue to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, staunchly oppose authoritarian expansion, and deepen cooperation with like-minded nations so as to jointly defend the rules-based international order as well as peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US, ROK, and Japan national security advisors reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability and calling for peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to US, ROK, and Japan national security advisors reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability and calling for peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues

    Date：2024-10-26
    Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    October 26, 2024 

    US White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Japanese National Security Secretariat Secretary-General Takeo Akiba, and Republic of Korea National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik held a trilateral meeting in Washington, DC, on October 25. In a joint readout issued after the meeting, the three national security advisors reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, and expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the waters of the Indo-Pacific.
     
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanks the United States, Japan, and the ROK for continuing to jointly reiterate the importance of cross-strait peace and stability through high-level meetings of national security officials and diplomats, underscoring the high degree of international consensus on maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Taiwan will continue to work with the United States, Japan, the ROK, and other like-minded nations to preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and beyond.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: IDEX Biometrics interim report for the third quarter of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, Norway – 29 October 2024 – IDEX Biometrics ASA’s interim report for the third quarter is attached to this notice (link below). The interim report is also available on the IDEX Biometrics website: www.idexbiometrics.com/investors/interim-results/

    A webcast presentation of the interim report will be held by Catharina Eklof, Chief Executive Officer, today at 09:00 CET. The webcast presentation is attached to this notice (link below), and can be viewed at the following link:

    https://idexbiometrics.videosync.fi/q3-2024

    “Transitioning into the CEO role this quarter, my focus has been on executing our transformation program and implementing key initiatives to achieve the targeted cash quarterly operating expense run rate of $2.5 million. By the end of the third quarter, IDEX had executed on targeted reorganization initiatives, significantly reducing operating expenses. We have consolidated our technology and administrative teams into the UK and Europe, and optimized our entire workforce to capture the fast growing opportunity across the APAC region.” Said Catharina Eklof, Chief Executive Officer at IDEX Biometrics.

    Ms. Eklof added, “On the customer side, we continue to expand our manufacturing partners and solution integrators with our open software platforms and flexible operating system. Focus over the last quarters has been on supporting manufacturers from certification to industrialized production. As a result, KONA I has achieved Mastercard approval for the world first metal biometric card, based on the IDEX Pay platform. A first commercial program is now in the planning phase of being rolled out in Asia.”

    In September, IDEX demonstrated a successful live transaction on the India based RuPay network with IDEX Pay, together with our manufacturing partners. This is a leading indicator of the IDEX biometric platform readiness to bring trusted identity solutions to consumers around the world.

    Financials:

    • Revenues in the third quarter totaled $0.1M.
    • Net Income in Q3 was $1.4M with Adjusted Net Loss of $4.8M. Adjustments are related to the restructuring charges and the derivative value changes.
    • Operating expenses reduced to $4.1M, a reduction of $2.0M from last quarter.
    • Restructuring cost during Q3 were $0.4M including severance and other items.  Restructuring gain of $0.7M resulting from two lease cancellations.
    • On track to achieve a cash operating run-rate of $2.5M per quarter by the end of this year.
    • Recorded a gain of $5.5M from a change in the derivative value related to outstanding warrants and the favorable renegotiation of our outstanding convertible bond.

    For further information contact:
    Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations
    E-mail: ir@idexbiometrics.com
    Tel: + 47 67 83 91 19

    About IDEX Biometrics
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market. 

    For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

    TRADEMARK STATEMENT
    IDEX, TrustedBio, IDEX Biometrics and the IDEX logo are trademarks owned by IDEX Biometrics ASA. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: IDEX Biometrics appoints new Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Oslo, Norway – October 29, 2024 – IDEX Biometrics has appointed Kristian Flaten as Chief Financial Officer, effective November 1, 2024.

    Kristian Flaten brings over 25 years of financial leadership and experience with international business and financing, including from Asian growth markets, a strong focus for IDEX Biometrics. He has a proven track record in corporate finance, debt financing and business development in growth companies. 

    Kristian has a background as CFO with Quantafuel ASA, recycling plastic waste, and as VP Corporate Finance with BW Offshore, oilfield services. Additionally, he has experience from the financial sector with Export Finance Norway and Handelsbanken. 

    Kristian holds a Master of Science from NHH (Norwegian School of Economics), with majors in Finance and Strategy. He will be based at IDEX Biometrics headquarters in Oslo.

    “We are most pleased to welcome Kristian to our executive team,” says Catharina Eklof, Chief Executive Officer of IDEX Biometrics. “Bringing on Kristian is an important step in the business transformation of IDEX. Kristian comes with critical experience from growth companies and his proven track record will be key as we continue to evolve IDEX, and drive innovation in biometric platform and software solution expansion to key markets.” 

    “I am excited to join IDEX Biometrics at this pivotal time of the company’s growth journey,” comments Kristian Flaten. “I look forward to working with the talented team to support the company’s strategic initiatives.” 

    Kristian Flaten is succeeding John Kurtzweil, who will continue to support the company in an advisory role. The company extends its warm gratitude to John for his excellent contributions during his tenure and for ensuring a smooth transition to Kristian.

    For further information contact:

    Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations
    Email: ir@idexbiometrics.com
    Tel: + 47 67 83 91 19

    About IDEX Biometrics
    IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. Our solutions bring convenience, security, peace of mind and seamless user experiences to the world. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, our biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry-enabler we partner with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring our solutions to market.
    For more information, visit www.idexbiometrics.com

    Trademark Statement
    IDEX, IDEX Biometrics and the IDEX logo are trademarks owned by IDEX Biometrics ASA. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.

    About this notice:
    This notice was issued by Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations, on 29 October 2024 at 08:10 on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA thanks countries that have publicly expressed concern over Taiwan Strait situation and stressed importance of cross-strait peace and stability in concerted effort to safeguard rules-based international order

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA thanks countries that have publicly expressed concern over Taiwan Strait situation and stressed importance of cross-strait peace and stability in concerted effort to safeguard rules-based international order

    • Date：2024-10-19
    • Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

    October 19, 2024  

    No. 359  

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely appreciates that the administrations and friendly members of parliament of more than 30 countries, as well as the European Union, have publicly expressed concern over the cross-strait situation or stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability after China once again recently launched military drills to intimidate Taiwan. Countries including Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Lithuania, and the Republic of Korea variously urged China to exercise restraint and stated that differences should be resolved through dialogue and not the threat of force or coercion. 

     

    The maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in the common interests of both sides of the strait and the international community. There is a high degree of consensus within global society over the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific. MOFA once again calls on China to face up to the reality of the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to respect the Taiwanese people’s choice of a free and democratic way of life, willingness to engage in international cooperation alongside China, and goodwill toward maintaining regional security and pursuing peace and shared prosperity. It urges China to stop using use military provocation or other means to threaten and suppress Taiwan and disrupt the regional status quo. Only this can facilitate the positive development of cross-strait relations and satisfy the expectations of the international community.

     

    MOFA calls on all nations to continue to voice concern over the cross-strait situation and support Taiwan. Taiwan will further work with its diplomatic allies and like-minded partners to safeguard the rules-based international order and jointly advance regional peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to US, ROK, and Japan national security advisors reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability and calling for peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to US, ROK, and Japan national security advisors reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability and calling for peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues

    • Date：2024-10-26
    • Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    October 26, 2024 

    US White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Japanese National Security Secretariat Secretary-General Takeo Akiba, and Republic of Korea National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik held a trilateral meeting in Washington, DC, on October 25. In a joint readout issued after the meeting, the three national security advisors reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, and expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the waters of the Indo-Pacific.

     

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanks the United States, Japan, and the ROK for continuing to jointly reiterate the importance of cross-strait peace and stability through high-level meetings of national security officials and diplomats, underscoring the high degree of international consensus on maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Taiwan will continue to work with the United States, Japan, the ROK, and other like-minded nations to preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and beyond.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint Subcommittee holds first meeting today (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint Subcommittee holds first meeting today (with photos)
    Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint Subcommittee holds first meeting today (with photos)
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         The Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development (C for CMD) of the Health Bureau (HHB), Dr Vincent Chung, chaired the first meeting of the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint Subcommittee (CMDBSC) today (October 29), and discussed with members the major areas to be covered in the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint in order to harness collective wisdom and insights.     Hong Kong embraces a healthcare system that incorporates both Chinese and Western medicine on a dual-track basis. The application of pure traditional Chinese medicine (CM) theories and methods for prevention and treatment of diseases is a distinctive advantage of CM in Hong Kong. The development of CM in Hong Kong has been progressing steadily over the past two decades or so. Complemented by the successive implementation of various policy initiatives, CM has emerged as an integral part of the city’s healthcare system. On this basis, the members were of the view that it is now an opportune time for Hong Kong to further strengthen the role of CM in the overall healthcare system. A framework should also be set up in a proactive manner to enable collaboration among the CM sector and other healthcare professions, with a view to providing more comprehensive Chinese and Western medical services to members of the public.     During the meeting, the members engaged in in-depth discussions and offered constructive suggestions on multiple major areas to be covered in the Blueprint, including establishing a comprehensive governance framework and service system for CM, upgrading CM education and professional training standards, constructing a professional development system for CM personnel, reviewing the prevailing regulatory framework and legislation for CM, cultivating interdisciplinary collaboration networks among CM practitioners, making good use of medical data to promote service development and support policy formulation, driving scientific research and innovation, facilitating the CM industry in levelling up and assisting high-quality CM products to go global, as well as fostering cultural inheritance and promotion of CM. The relevant suggestions, having regard to their nature, will be relayed to the three working groups under the CMDBSC, namely the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Services, the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Industry and Cultural Popularisation, and the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Profession and Talent Cultivation, for focused study and exploration to formulate a preliminary plan of the Blueprint and relevant strategies.     Dr Chung expressed gratitude to members for being keen to engage in the discussions and expression of views. He said, “The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Government will make use of Hong Kong’s advantages in its healthcare system, regulatory regime, standard-setting, clinical research and trade, and other areas to develop Hong Kong into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM, and publish the Blueprint next year. The Chinese Medicine Unit of the HHB will work towards these goals by pressing ahead with the consultation on the Blueprint and maintaining close liaison with local, Mainland and international stakeholders through different platforms and means to forge consensus, with a view to mapping out and formulating the vision and strategies for the future development of the CM sector in Hong Kong through concerted efforts.”     To gather a wider spectrum of views, the Government established the CMDBSC under the Chinese Medicine Development Committee (CMDC) on September 1 this year. Chaired by the C for CMD of the HHB, the CMDBSC comprises ex-officio members, Chairmen of the Chinese Medicine Practice Subcommittee and the Chinese Medicines Industry Subcommittee under the CMDC, representatives from the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the schools of CM of three local universities, and persons from the fields of CM practice, CM drugs, other healthcare professions, testing, research and development, social services, education, etc. The CMDBSC is tasked to make recommendations to the CMDC on concrete strategies for the overall development of CM, as well as the short, medium and long-term objectives and respective feasible initiatives for the long-term planning.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 15:43

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “SME ReachOut: FUND Fair plus Tech Sourcing 2024” to be held today and tomorrow (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         With support from the Trade and Industry Department, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is holding “SME ReachOut: FUND Fair plus Tech Sourcing 2024” (the Fair) for two consecutive days starting today (October 29). The Fair seeks to provide information on government funding schemes and assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in undertaking digital transformation, with a view to bringing new impetus to SMEs’ sustainable development.

         Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that supporting SMEs in developing new markets and pursuing new growth areas, and assisting SMEs in digitalisation and green transformation have long been the priority tasks of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Trade and Industry Department. This year’s Policy Address announced a number of initiatives, such as injecting $1 billion into the BUD Fund (Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales), expanding the geographical coverage of E-commerce Easy to the 10 ASEAN countries, and providing more targeted funding support for enterprises to implement green transformation projects. He encouraged the trade to make good use of the various support measures to expand their business and embrace changes.

         The Fair, a leading annual event organised by “SME ReachOut”, contains five thematic zones, covering topics including government funding schemes, digital transformation, e-commerce, business expansion and ESG (environmental, social and governance). The Fair also features 10 thematic seminars, where experts will share information related to government funding schemes, digital transformation and e-commerce, enabling SMEs to understand the latest market trends and seek opportunities for co-operation and suitable solutions.

         Operated by the HKPC under the support of the Government, “SME ReachOut” has been in service since January 2020 to assist SMEs in identifying suitable government funding schemes and answer questions related to applications. The enhanced services of “SME ReachOut” rolled out in October 2023 have strengthened the support to SMEs on government funding applications and provided capacity building services for SMEs, including one-on-one technology/business know-how consultation meetings with SMEs and networking events for SMEs, as well as annual large-scale events, such as the Fair.

         Details of “SME ReachOut: FUND Fair plus Tech Sourcing 2024” are available at u.hkpc.org/fund_tech2024_en. For details of “SME ReachOut”, please visit smereachout.hkpc.org/en.

         For enquiries, please contact “SME ReachOut” (Tel: 2788 6868).            

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Film Archive to screen 17 Hong Kong films inspired by literary works (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present screening programme “Dancing Between Words and Images – Hong Kong Film and Literature” from December 1 to February 23, 2025, screening 17 Hong Kong films adapted from or inspired by literary works at the Cinema of the HKFA to show the intricate ties between film arts and literature.
     
         The screening programme is divided into five sections. The first section, “Adaptations from Classic Literature”, consists of five films adapted from literary classics, namely “A Reborn Romantic” (1948), which reinterprets the plots in literary giant Leo Tolstoy’s final novel “Resurrection”, highlighting the struggles that women face in a traditional society; “Modern ‘Red Chamber Dream’” (1952), which transposes the story of Chinese classical novel “Dream of the Red Chamber” to the 1940s; “A Beautiful Corpse Comes to Life” (1956), adapted from “The Peony Pavilion” from the Ming dynasty, with Cheung Wood-yau and Pak Yin in lead roles; “Sunrise” (1956), which is adapted from a play of the same title by modern Chinese playwright Cao Yu; and “Red Rose White Rose” (1994), adapted from a short story by Eileen Chang, directed by Stanley Kwan and scripted by Edward Lam.
     
         The second section, “Her Stories in the City”, covers three films focusing on the psychological journeys of women in an urban setting. “The Rich House” (1942) is a tragic love story between a handsome writer, played by Cheung Wood-yau, and a waitress. “The Tender Age” (1957) reveals the hypocrisy of the upper class through the story of a young girl being ensnared into a life of prostitution. “Her Tender Heart” (1959) depicts the suppression and suffering of a woman, who has given up her family for love and dreams.
     
    　　In the third section, “Reflections of Time”, there are three films that explore the changes in social values from the perspective of humanistic concerns. In order to give her husband a male heir, a wife in “The Long Lane” (1956) is burdened by guilt in her deathbed for abandoning her own daughter and adopting a son, played by King Hu, who has grown up to be a disappointment. In “A Widow’s Tears” (1956), a recently widowed woman, played by Hsia Moon, after being blamed by her mother-in-law for accepting comforts from her best male friend, decides to leave her husband’s family. Through the story, the film illustrates the idea that women should take courage to pursue their own autonomy. “The Seaman and the Dancing Girl” (1961) highlights the darker side of a bustling city with the protagonist working as a nightclub hostess to provide for her family.
     
         The fourth section, “Tales of Love and Romance”, features three tender and passionate stories from different periods of time. Renowned actor Patrick Tse played a suave thief targeting wealthy women in “The Heart-Stealer” (1958), who decides to reform himself after falling for a mysterious woman. The story of “Diary of Monita” (1968) begins with the abrupt end of the romance between a rich girl and a poor student. As the girl’s family plunges into poverty, the girl’s life becomes a series of misadventures. Adapted by Erica Li from her novel, “77 Heartbreaks” (2017) skilfully depicts a romantic relationship from passionate love to its unravelling and how people nowadays navigate their love lives.
     
         Three films adapted from literary works from the period around the turn of the millennium comprise the fifth section, “Made in Hong Kong”, which showcases the continuing local creative prowess. The films are “Reincarnation of Golden Lotus” (1989), which is a story of lust and desire told from a woman’s perspective and adapted from a novel by the author Lilian Lee herself; “The Mad Phoenix” (1997), adapted from a critically acclaimed stage play by its playwright Raymond To; and “The Midnight After” (2014), which is based on an online serial sci-fi novel written by Kong Ho-yan under the pseudonym “Mr. Pizza” and directed by Fruit Chan.
     
         Most of the screenings will be accompanied by post-screening talks, hosted by scholars Professor Yung Sai-shing, Professor Mary Wong, Professor Wong Nim-yan, Dr Lo Wai-luk, and Dr Kenny Ng; directors Yim Ho and Fruit Chan; screenwriters Raymond To, Kong Ho-yan, and Chan Fai-hung; writer Peter Dunn; film critics Sam Ho, Shu Kei, Eric Tsang and more. The post-screening talk for “Red Rose White Rose” will be attended by director Stanley Kwan and screenwriter Edward Lam, and the talk will be livestreamed online simultaneously. For details, please refer to the programme webpage mentioned below.
     
         “Modern ‘Red Chamber Dream’”, “Her Tender Heart”, “The Long Lane”, “The Seaman and the Dancing Girl”, and “Diary of Monita” are in Mandarin, while the others are in Cantonese or dubbed in Cantonese.
     
         Tickets priced at $55 will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from Friday (November 1). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please visit the HKFA website (www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/2024/literature/pe-event-2024-literature.html) or call 2739 2139.                                                

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $10 million (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $10 million (with photos)
    Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $10 million (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Hong Kong International Airport, Fanling and Tai Po on October 27 and yesterday (October 28) and seized a total of about 8 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 20kg of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $10 million. Three persons suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.     The first case involved one male passenger and one female passenger, aged 64 and 59, who arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France, on October 27. During customs clearance, Customs officers seized a total of about 8kg of suspected cocaine concealed in their check-in suitcases. The two persons were subsequently arrested.     In the second case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in the vicinity of Fanling yesterday afternoon, Customs intercepted a 28-year-old man and found about 1.5kg of suspected cannabis buds inside two recycle bags carried by him. He was then arrested. Customs officers later further seized about 15kg of suspected cannabis buds from his private vehicle parked nearby. Upon a follow-up investigation, the man was brought to a village house rented by him in Tai Po for a search, and about 3.5kg of suspected cannabis buds and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia were uncovered. About 20kg of suspected cannabis buds in total were seized in the operation.     All arrestees in the two cases claimed to be unemployed. The arrested man and woman in the first case have been jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (October 30), while the man arrested in the second case has been charged with three counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow.     Customs reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.      Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 1828080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 16:45

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Decarbonizing Value Chains in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Economies

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The brief explores how CAREC members could collaborate to support the movement of goods and people in the region in ways that contribute toward climate objectives. Actions could include digitalizing trade processes, promoting climate-smart transportation, improving governance and decarbonization in the mining sector, harmonizing policies and green standards, and developing a regional approach to climate financing.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Handbook on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Explaining how energy efficient construction can help reduce costs, lower emissions, and improve affordability, the handbook offers practical guidance and tools, covers key project cycle stages, and delves into sustainable heating and cooling strategies. It details ways to improve procurement, supervise, and rate energy efficiency for the emissions intensive industry while underscoring the need for governments and the private sector to work together to help transition toward a zero-carbon building stock.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: To the participants and organizers of the 30th International Industrial Exhibition “Metal-Expo”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The exhibition will be held from October 29 to November 1 in Moscow.

    Dear colleagues!

    I am pleased to welcome the participants and organizers of the 30th anniversary International Industrial Exhibition “Metal-Expo”.

    Over three decades, it has become an important platform for exchanging experience and holding negotiations between leading steel companies and consumers of their products, equipment manufacturers and technological innovators. This year, about a thousand enterprises from the CIS and far abroad countries, including China, India, Iran, Turkey and the European Union, are represented here.

    Today, the domestic metallurgical industry, having successfully adapted to the sanctions pressure, is implementing large-scale plans and is actively developing. According to the results of last year, its growth exceeded 3 percent. High demand for products is largely due to housing and road construction, modernization of public infrastructure and utility networks. This year, the Moscow-St. Petersburg high-speed railway project was launched, the expansion of the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway, the federal highway M-12 “East” continues, dozens of river and sea vessels for various purposes are being built at shipyards across the country. The restoration of automobile production is gaining momentum – from January to June, the output of trucks increased by 21 percent, cars – three times more. And this is an additional hundreds of thousands of tons of various types of rolled and cast products.

    In many ways, these results were facilitated by the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of the Metallurgical Industry until 2030, prepared on the instructions of the head of state. Work is being carried out in three main areas – deepening processing and mastering high value added processes, providing critical raw materials and stimulating domestic demand, as well as reorienting exports to the markets of friendly countries.

    The President emphasized that the industry is becoming more and more high-tech year after year. Advanced engineering and production solutions are being actively implemented, and unique alloys are being developed that allow for the creation of materials with special properties. All this opens up new and broad opportunities in various fields – from aviation and cosmonautics to electronics and medicine.

    I am confident that the exhibition and the professional competitions, conferences and seminars planned within its framework will allow us to find answers to the most difficult questions, discuss new challenges and opening prospects.

    I wish all participants and organizers constructive discussions and success.

    M. Mishustin

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic arrangements for Halloween at Lan Kwai Fong

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Special traffic arrangements for Halloween at Lan Kwai Fong
    Special traffic arrangements for Halloween at Lan Kwai Fong
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         Police will implement special traffic arrangements at Lan Kwai Fong, Central from October 31 (Thursday) to November 1 (Friday) to facilitate the public celebrating Halloween.Road closure————–      The following roads will be closed from 2pm on October 31 to 5am on November 1:- D’Aguilar Street between Wyndham Street and Wellington Street;- Lan Kwai Fong;- Wing Wah Lane;- Wo On Lane;- Wellington Street between Wyndham Street and D’Aguilar Street; and- On Lan Street.     Depending on the crowd situation, the following roads may be closed:- Stanley Street between D’Aguilar Street and Cochrane Street;- Wyndham Street between Glenealy and Queen’s Road Central;- D’Aguilar Street between Queen’s Road Central and Wellington Street;- Wellington Street between D’Aguilar Street and Cochrane Street;- Cochrane Street between Wellington Street and Stanley Street;- Lyndhurst Terrace; and- Queen’s Road Central between Pedder Street and Pottinger Street.     After completion of traffic diversion, crowds will be directed to queue up along Queen’s Road Central, D’Aguilar Street, Stanley Street, Cochrane Street and Wellington Street. The whole section of D’Aguilar Street will be closed.Suspension of parking spaces——————————-     All parking spaces and motorcycle parking spaces on the following streets will be suspended from 1pm on October 31 to 5am on November 1:- Stanley Street near D’Aguilar Street;- On Lan Street; and- Wyndham Street between Arbuthnot Road and D’Aguilar Street.     All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.       Actual implementation of traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 17:19

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SJ attends 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SJ attends 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore (with photos)
    SJ attends 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore (with photos)
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         The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, attended the 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore today (October 29) and delivered a speech at the plenary session.     The conference, organised by the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore, brought together officials, prosecutors and legal experts from 13 delegations to share their views on the conference’s theme – “Fostering Co-operation on Combating Financial Crimes”.      Addressing the plenary session of the conference, Mr Lam elaborated that Hong Kong has been adopting a multipronged approach in combating financial crimes with international elements, including adopting international regulatory standards, establishing a collaborative network for effective prosecution and asset recovery, making better use of emerging technologies and encouraging knowledge and experience sharing, in order to build a trustworthy and secure financial environment. He also mentioned that Hong Kong has established a comprehensive co-operation regime for the mutual legal assistance and surrender of fugitives, and that geopolitical considerations should not be allowed to hinder international co-operation in fighting financial crimes. The fight against financial crimes with international elements is a daunting and ongoing challenge. He expressed hope that Hong Kong and all other jurisdictions will continue to strengthen collaboration to jointly combat related crimes.     At the closing session of the conference, Mr Lam remarked that the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference will be held in Hong Kong next year.     During his visit to Singapore, Mr Lam attended other related activities. As a member of the Chinese delegation, he attended bilateral meetings between the delegation and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, namely Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brunei, Laos and Thailand, to exchange views with them on issues of mutual interest. He also attended a lecture given yesterday (October 28) by the Prosecutor-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Mr Ying Yong, on “The Chinese Prosecutorial System in the Process of Comprehensive Implementation of the Rule of Law”.     Mr Lam will conclude his visit to Singapore tomorrow morning (October 30) and return to Hong Kong.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 17:42

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE leads delegation to visit Shanghai and attend seventh China International Import Expo

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CE leads delegation to visit Shanghai and attend seventh China International Import Expo
    CE leads delegation to visit Shanghai and attend seventh China International Import Expo
    ****************************************************************************************

         The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government delegation to visit Shanghai on November 4 and will attend the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE).               Members of the HKSAR Government delegation include the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip; the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Ms Salina Yan; and the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Ms Maggie Wong.           On November 5, Mr Lee will attend the opening ceremony of the CIIE and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum and visit the booths of Hong Kong enterprises at the Hong Kong exhibition area to show support. In addition, the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council will hold a high-level event, namely the 2024 Hong Kong Investment Promotion Conference – Shanghai Forum, during the CIIE, where Mr Lee and Mr Chan will deliver speeches to promote Hong Kong’s advantages and its role as a connecting platform under the national dual circulation strategy to Mainland and overseas enterprises.     “The CIIE is an important economic diplomatic event held after the victorious conclusion of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, providing vast business opportunities for Hong Kong enterprises to tap into the domestic market. Hong Kong has always actively participated in and supported the CIIE. In addition to senior government officials attending, over 300 Hong Kong enterprises are taking part in the exposition this year, jointly promoting Hong Kong’s advantages and development opportunities in different areas and telling Hong Kong’s good stories,” Mr Lee said.     During his visit to Shanghai, Mr Lee will meet with leaders of Shanghai to deepen Hong Kong-Shanghai cooperation. He will also exchange views with Hong Kong people and representatives of Hong Kong enterprises in Shanghai.           Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong on November 6. During his absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will be the Acting Chief Executive. During the absence of Mr Paul Chan, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will be the Acting Financial Secretary. During the absence of Mr Yau, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 17:48

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Closing remarks by SJ at 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following are the closing remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore today (October 29):Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,     It gives me great pleasure to speak to all of you again at the Closing Session of the 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference. We all have a very long and fruitful day, and I am sure that you are all very eager to get prepared for the Gala Dinner, and perhaps to do some rehearsal for our performances.     That said, I must once again thank Your Excellency Mr Lucien Wong, SC, Attorney-General of the Republic of Singapore, for the generous hospitality and assistance that have been provided to us throughout this conference, without which this conference could not be so successful.     China and ASEAN have come a long way over the past decades, working hand in hand towards common progress and prosperity. But it is sheer common sense and simple logic that progress and prosperity can only be achieved if criminal activities, including criminal activities conducted internationally, can be suppressed effectively. No doubt, the fight against crime on the international front will not be easy, and it certainly cannot be fought by one jurisdiction alone. It is only by working together and learning from each other’s practices and experiences that we can collectively move ahead to tackle novel criminal trends head-on. The speeches that we have heard today demonstrated that, notwithstanding the differences in our legal systems, we share a lot of common grounds, and we adopt very similar principles and methods to combat international commercial crimes.     There is no doubt that the annual China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference, which started 20 years ago back in 2004, has been established to be an essential and indispensable platform, and component of our joint efforts, to foster co-operation and collaboration in considering and handling international criminal issues. Today’s successful 14th conference serves as the best example.The 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference     To enable continued exchanges between China and ASEAN member states via this crucial platform, China will host the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference next year in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. May I sincerely extend my gratitude to all ASEAN member states as well as China, the host country and motherland of Hong Kong, for giving Hong Kong this valuable opportunity, and for their continued and unwavering support. Hong Kong is truly honoured to be given the privilege of organising this important and meaningful conference.     I am sure that the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference will provide fertile ground for China and ASEAN member states to exchange best practices and ideas, share insights and experiences, and foster professional connections to further our collective efforts in building an international front against crime. The hosting of the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference also represents a clear and unequivocal commitment and determination on the part of Hong Kong, as a special administrative region of China and under the principle of “one country, two systems”, to work together with members of ASEAN in this important aspect.     But I wish to emphasise that Hong Kong is indeed very eager to foster closer ties with all member states of ASEAN in other areas of common interests. An important fact that should be borne in mind is that, apart from Mainland China, ASEAN is the second largest trading partner of Hong Kong. Our Chief Executive visited Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in late July. And as the Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong, I visited Singapore in July, a couple of months ago, and I went to Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia last month. And I hope that I will be able to visit all other members of ASEAN in the near future to explore opportunities for co-operation and collaboration.     The success of this conference organised by our Singaporean friends certainly sets a very high standard that we shall strive to match. And, as I mentioned this morning, in about a month’s time, Hong Kong will be hosting the 11th Asia and Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors, to discuss pertinent topics related to the theme “Effective Prosecution Service in the Technological Age”. I look forward to seeing some of you to Hong Kong then. We shall of course make use of the experiences to be gained from organising that conference in planning the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference next year.     On this happy occasion, I wish to give you my solemn undertaking on behalf of Hong Kong that we will do our best and make our best endeavours to make the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference next year yet another success.Concluding remarks     Details of the upcoming conference, including its theme, will be announced and invitations will be sent in due course. I look forward to welcoming you all to Hong Kong next year at the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference, if not earlier.     And on this note, I wish to thank all of you again, in particular our host, the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore, and Mr Ying Yong, the Prosecutor-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China, for giving Hong Kong the opportunity to host the Conference next year. I hope you all have a very enjoyable evening. Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SED leads Mainland study tour for students of senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development to visit Jiangxi (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SED leads Mainland study tour for students of senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development to visit Jiangxi (with photos)
    SED leads Mainland study tour for students of senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development to visit Jiangxi (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, together with more than 100 students and teachers from Kowloon True Light School joining the first Mainland study tour of the senior secondary subject of Citizenship and Social Development (CS) to Jiangxi, today (October 29) attended the kick-off ceremony of the tour at Ganzhou Middle School and visited a number of spots in Jiangxi.     Addressing the ceremony, Dr Choi said that Mainland study tours form an integral part of the CS curriculum that enables students to understand the latest developments and achievements of the country in person. The Education Bureau (EDB) has arranged for over 90 000 students to visit different places on the Mainland since last year and received very positive comments from students and teachers. To provide students with a more diversified learning experience, the number of routes has increased to 28 in this academic year, with 10 routes outside Guangdong Province for four to five days.     Dr Choi expressed gratitude to the Fourth Bureau of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Department of Education of Jiangxi Province for their care for Hong Kong students, and the Ganzhou Municipal Education Bureau for its thoughtful arrangements, facilitating the smooth implementation of the study tour.     She said that the EDB will continue leading students to undertake study tours on themes such as history and culture, aerospace technology, rural revitalisation, economic development and environmental conservation to further enrich their learning experience. She hoped that students will treasure these precious learning opportunities to integrate reading with travelling, delve into the history, culture and national affairs of the country, and strengthen their affection for and sense of belonging to the nation.     Following the ceremony, Dr Choi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on education co-operation between Jiangxi and Hong Kong with a representative from the Department of Education of Jiangxi Province. She also witnessed the pairing up of Kowloon True Light School and Ganzhou Middle School as sister schools. Subsequently, she and the delegation visited the memorial garden for the Long March Starting Point of the Central Red Army and the departure place of the first ferry of the Long March to learn about the Long March Spirit.     The four-day study tour began yesterday (October 28). Dr Choi led members of the tour to visit Sanbai Mountain in Anyuan County, where the origin of Dongjiang is located. They attended an activity in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong to pay tribute to the country for its effort in protecting the source of drinking water. After that, the delegation visited the national education base for Hong Kong youths and the museum on the origin of Dongjiang water to learn about the history of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong.     Dr Choi will depart for Beijing tomorrow (October 30) to continue her visit. The delegation will continue to tour locations in Jiangxi to learn about the local history, culture and enterprise development.

     
    Ends/Tuesday, October 29, 2024Issued at HKT 18:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference – Bendigo

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    Attorney-General
    Cabinet Secretary
    The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP

    Member for Bendigo
    Lisa Chesters MP

    Joint transcript

    E&OE

    Subjects: U 25-GO Blue Light funding; Chinese military video; AUKUS

    LISA CHESTERS, MEMBER FOR BENDIGO: I’m really proud to be standing next to my friend and colleague, the Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, who is here today with a significant funding announcement for our local Blue Light Program. The Bendigo Blue Light chapter has been running for over a decade now, and almost for as long as I’ve been a Federal Member, and since my very first engagement with them, I was just impressed at the way they want to help young people break free, change their life, change their pathway. Many of the people involved in Bendigo Blue Light are serving officers, police officers, and their passion that they have for young people in Bendigo is extraordinary. And the young people involved in this program, their bravery to make a difference and to change their pathway is fantastic. Quite often people write them off. People in media, people in politics, will write these young people off, but they didn’t write themselves off. Neither did Anglicare, neither did the partners involved in this program, and neither did our government, and that is why I’m so proud that that the Attorney-General is here to make an announcement today for the future of this program. So welcome back to Bendigo, Mark.

    ATTORNEY-GENERAL MARK DREYFUS: Thank you very much, Lisa and I am delighted to be here with my friend and colleague Lisa Chesters as the Member for Bendigo to announce funding as part of a Federal Government program U25-GO, which is going to be $13.5 million for nine organisations across the country, police, youth, citizens clubs and Blue Light organisations right across Australia. But right here in Bendigo, we’re announcing $2 million as part of this program for Blue Light Victoria which is going to be providing programs to youth across the Bendigo region, the La Trobe region and the Melbourne region. And this is really useful programs. They’re tailored programs for young people from 10 to 17, and depending on the particular needs of the young person, it’s very often one on one counselling, but it’s also working with families, different groups of selected young people, and it’s a wonderful demonstration of the commitment that the Albanese Labor Government has to supporting young people in our country. We need to look at ways to keep people out of the criminal justice system. We need to look at ways to pick up young people who’ve been in the criminal justice system, to make sure they don’t return to the criminal justice system. We know these programs work. We’ve seen from the Blue Light organisation. We heard from Lily and Jaykob here earlier today about how good the program has been for them, and I know from previous contact with the Blue Light organisation just how useful the work that they do is. We’re aiming to keep on supporting that work, because we know how good it can be. Thanks very much.

    REPORTER: Can I just ask one quick question on today’s announcement in regional areas, obviously here Bendigo and La Trobe as well, for these young people to have an opportunity to seek out a program like this in regional areas, specifically where we know services can be few and far between, services like this. So, what was the business case that these guys put forward that we thought, yep, okay, this is something we want to fund.

    ATTORNEY-GENERAL: The business case that Blue Light Victoria put forward is, we’ve been doing this for quite some time, and we know it works. That’s a great business case. We like to work with organisations that are established. We like to work with organisations that have got connections in the community. We like to work with organisations that have got established group of volunteers. Blue Light Victoria ticks every single one of those boxes.

    REPORTER: I’ve just got two unrelated questions for you Attorney-General. Have you seen the Chinese military video of a dangerous intercept of Australian aircraft over the South China Sea, and what’s your response?

    ATTORNEY-GENERAL: We’ve seen some unverified videos this morning that came on social media. They remain unverified, but I can assure everyone that all operations of the Australian Defence Forces, all operations of the RAAF in the South China Sea and in other parts of South East Asia are conducted in accordance with international law.

    REPORTER: One more question for you on AUKUS, does including high tech countries like Japan and Korea send a clear signal to China of our strength and capabilities, and is it enough to counter Beijing’s influence?

    ATTORNEY-GENERAL: This is a partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States. Of course, as has been reported, there are some other discussions going on, but clearly, this is a very, very important arrangement. It’s going to provide submarine technology to Australia. It’s going to give access to Australia for technology in the future. We’re looking forward in coming years to AUKUS developing.

    REPORTER: First and foremost, you’re sharing millions of dollars worth of funding for the really critical programs that Blue Light runs. Tell me what’s your reaction to today’s announcement?

    ELISSA SCOTT, CEO BLUE LIGHT VICTORIA: We are so grateful and very excited about the opportunity to now deliver more services and more programs to young people across the state. This funding will allow an additional 1200 young people to benefit from our program. So it’s a great news story for us today.

    REPORTER: Can you tell us a bit about these programs, how, I guess, how they’re designed to help participants?

    SCOTT: They are early intervention and prevention programs. So, Blue Light’s aim is to really get in early and act early before issues arise. So we have three different types of programs that this funding will now allow us to roll out our one to one mentoring program, so like we’ve seen here today in Bendigo, with young people who have been really disengaged, and we look at getting mentors involved with them from across police and emergency services. And then we’ve got two other schools based programs, our Blue Edge program, and also a new program called CoRE, which will really be around connecting young people back into community and actually undertaking some community projects. So it’s around their contribution back as well.

    REPORTER: Have you seen the lives change for the better of these participants? Can you tell us a bit about how going through an early intervention or prevention program, as you just outlined can, you know, keep these kids on the right track, or put them on the right track?

    SCOTT: Often young people come to us when they’re really disengaged, they’re really disconnected. And what we know about young people is that, in terms of protective factors, they need connection, they need engagement, and they need someone to actually walk alongside them and trust in the fact that they can make some really positive and healthy and safe choices. That’s what Blue Light does. We get in there at the earliest opportunity, and we provide initiatives that will allow young people just to thrive and grow and reach their full potential.

    REPORTER: That 1200 is not just Bendigo?

    SCOTT: That’s across the state.

    REPORTER: Further to Katie’s question there, can you describe to us the backgrounds that some of these kids are coming from, that they actually end up in this funnel, they end up on Blue Light’s radar?

    SCOTT: As you would know, being a teenager, there’s lots of complexities and lots of challenges that you have to work through. Some of our young people have come from families where there has been violence, where there has been other forms of trauma. Sometimes they have just started to use substances in a really not so great way. They might have come to the attention of police and might have had their first interaction with the justice system, or they might just be a bit disengaged from school and not really sure about what life holds for them. A number of our young people have complex mental health issues. So really, for us, it’s around we want to really assist a whole lot of diverse young people coming to our programs and receive an opportunity to thrive and grow and to learn new skills so that they can make some really safe and wise decisions in the future.

    REPORTER: It was mentioned before that a lot of the people who work with Blue Light are either serving or former police officers. Do you think that it’s important that these young people see and engage with police, not just in a judicial sense, in, you know, basically getting the handcuffs slapped on them and ending up in front of court?

    SCOTT: Look definitely. Blue Light certainly has a huge volunteer base. We have volunteers from police, but also volunteers from emergency services as well. And the reason that we work with police and emergency services is because they are generally positive community role models, and that is fantastic for young people like we’ve seen today, for Lily and Jaykob to actually get to know a police officer as a person and to have that deeper understanding about why that is so important in the community, and then to learn from them. It’s really fantastic opportunity for young people to break down some of these barriers and to get someone also to invest in them and to care about what they’re doing and what they might do into the future.

    [ENDS]

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: UP Fintech Announces Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option in Follow-on Public Offering of American Depositary Shares

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UP Fintech Holding Limited (Nasdaq: TIGR) (“UP Fintech” or the “Company”), a leading online brokerage firm focusing on global investors, today announced that the underwriters of the Company’s follow-on public offering have fully exercised their option to purchase an aggregate of 2,250,000 additional American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each representing 15 Class A ordinary shares of the Company, from the Company at the public offering price of US$6.25 per ADS.

    Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch, China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited and US Tiger Securities, Inc. acted as the joint bookrunners for the ADS offering.

    The ADS offering has been made pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form F-3 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The ADS offering has been made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying prospectus included in the Form F-3. The Form F-3 and the prospectus supplement are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.  The final prospectus supplement has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s website at: http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained by contacting Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch, Level 60, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong; China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited 29/F, One International Finance Centre, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong; or, US Tiger Securities, Inc., 437 Madison Avenue, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10022, United States of America.

    This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, the securities described herein, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About UP Fintech Holding Limited

    UP Fintech Holding Limited is a leading online brokerage firm focusing on global investors. The Company’s proprietary mobile and online trading platform enables investors to trade in equities and other financial instruments on multiple exchanges around the world. The Company offers innovative products and services as well as a superior user experience to customers through its “mobile first” strategy, which enables it to better serve and retain current customers as well as attract new ones. The Company offers customers comprehensive brokerage and value-added services, including trade order placement and execution, margin financing, IPO subscription, ESOP management, investor education, community discussion and customer support. The Company’s proprietary infrastructure and advanced technology are able to support trades across multiple currencies, multiple markets, multiple products, multiple execution venues and multiple clearinghouses.

    For more information on the Company, please visit: https://ir.itigerup.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “aim,” “likely to,” “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements or expressions. Among other statements, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, the Company’s strategic and operational plans and expectations regarding growth and expansion of its business lines, and the Company’s plans for future financing of its business contain forward-looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 20−F and 6−K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties, including the earnings conference call. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s ability to effectively implement its growth strategies; trends and competition in global financial markets; changes in the Company’s revenues and certain cost or expense accounting policies; and governmental policies and regulations affecting the Company’s industry and general economic conditions in China, Singapore and other countries. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on April 22, 2024. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC.

    For investor and media inquiries please contact:

    Investor Relations Contact
    UP Fintech Holding Limited
    Email: ir@itiger.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Check Point Software Reports 2024 Third Quarter Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    Third Quarter 2024:

    • Total Revenues: $635 million, a 7 percent increase year over year
    • Security Subscriptions Revenues: $277 million, a 12 percent increase year over year
    • GAAP Operating Income: $218 million, representing 34 percent of revenues
    • Non-GAAP Operating Income: $274 million, representing 43 percent of revenues
    • GAAP EPS: $1.83, a 4 percent increase year over year
    • Non-GAAP EPS: $2.25, a 9 percent increase year over year

    “Check Point delivered great third quarter financial results that were bolstered by double-digit Infinity Platform growth. This success is underscored by double-digit revenue growth in Harmony Email and Infinity Global Services,” said Gil Shwed, Check Point founder and CEO. “We expanded our offerings into the Security Operation Center (SOC) market with the Cyberint acquisition that delivers proactive, AI powered threat intelligence and exposure management. We’re looking forward to continued success with our Infinity Platform and the broader adoption of our technologies as we close out the year.”

    Financial Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2024:

    • Total Revenues: $635 million compared to $596 million in the third quarter of 2023, a 7 percent increase year over year.
    • GAAP Operating Income: $218 million compared to $226 million in the third quarter of 2023, representing 34 percent and 38 percent of total revenues in the third quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    • Non-GAAP Operating Income: $274 million compared to $269 million in the third quarter of 2023, representing 43 percent and 45 percent of total revenues in the third quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively
    • GAAP Taxes on Income: $37 million compared to $39 million in the third quarter of 2023.
    • GAAP Net Income: $207 million compared to $205 million in the third quarter of 2023.
    • Non-GAAP Net Income: $255 million compared to $242 million in the third quarter of 2023.
    • GAAP Earnings per Diluted share: $1.83 compared to $1.75 in the third quarter of 2023, a 4 percent increase year over year.
    • Non-GAAP Earnings per Diluted share: $2.25 compared to $2.07 in the third quarter of 2023, a 9 percent increase year over year.
    • Deferred Revenues: As of September 30, 2024, deferred revenues were $1,745 million compared to $1,709 million as of September 30, 2023, a 2 percent increase year over year.
    • Cash Balances, Marketable Securities and Short-Term Deposits: $2,873 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $2,989 million as of September 30, 2023.
    • Cash Flow: During the quarter we acquired Cyberint Ltd, a pioneering provider of External Risk Management solutions, for $186 million net cash consideration. Cash flow from operations was $249 million, and acquisition-related costs for the current quarter were insignificant. This compares to $222 million in the third quarter of 2023, which included $22 million in costs related to acquisitions.
    • Share Repurchase Program: During the third quarter of 2024, we repurchased approximately 1.79 million shares at a total cost of approximately $325 million.

    For information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this release, as well as a reconciliation of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, please see “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information” and “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information.”

    Video Conference Information
    Check Point will host a video conference with the investment community on October 29, 2024, at 8:30 AM ET/5:30 AM PT. To listen to the live video cast or replay, please visit the website: www.checkpoint.com/ir.

    Fourth Quarter Investor Conference Participation Schedule:    

    • Morgan Stanley 23rdAnnual Asia Pacific Summit
      November 20-21, 2024, Singapore
    • 2024 UBS Global Technology Conference
      December 2-3, 2024, Scottsdale, AZ – 1×1’s
    • Wells Fargo TMT Summit
      December 4, 2024, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA – 1×1’s
    • FBN Virtual Silicon Valley Tech Tour
      December 6, 2024, Virtual
    • Nasdaq 50thInvestor Conference
      December 10, 2024, London, UK

    Members of Check Point’s management team anticipate attending these conferences and events to discuss the latest company strategies and initiatives. Check Point’s conference presentations, if applicable, will be available via webcast on the company’s web site. To hear these presentations and access the most updated information please visit the company’s web site at www.checkpoint.com/ir. The schedule is subject to change.

    To follow this and other Check Point news visit:

    About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
    Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com) is a leading AI-powered, cloud-delivered cyber security platform provider protecting over 100,000 organizations worldwide. Check Point leverages the power of AI everywhere to enhance cyber security efficiency and accuracy through its Infinity Platform, with industry-leading catch rates enabling proactive threat anticipation and smarter, faster response times. The comprehensive platform includes cloud-delivered technologies consisting of Check Point Harmony to secure the workspace, Check Point CloudGuard to secure the cloud, Check Point Quantum to secure the network, and Check Point Infinity Core Services for collaborative security operations and services.

    Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding our products and solutions, and our participation in investor conferences and events during the fourth quarter of 2024. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results or events in the future are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those projected. These risks include our ability to continue to develop platform capabilities and solutions; customer acceptance and purchase of our existing solutions and new solutions; the market for IT security continuing to develop; competition from other products and services; the appointment of our new CEO, the transition of our CEO into the role of Executive Chairman; and general market, political, economic, and business conditions, including acts of terrorism or war. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, 2024. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Check Point as of the date hereof, and Check Point disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

    Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
    In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, Check Point uses non-GAAP measures of operating income, net income, and earnings per diluted share, which are adjustments from results based on GAAP to exclude, as applicable, stock-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses and the related tax affects. Check Point’s management believes the non-GAAP financial information provided in this release is useful to investors’ understanding and assessment of Check Point’s ongoing core operations and prospects for the future. Historically, Check Point has also publicly presented these supplemental non-GAAP financial measures to assist the investment community in visualizing the Company “through the eyes of management,” and thereby enhance understanding of its operating performance. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is included with the financial statements contained in this press release. Management uses both GAAP and non-GAAP information in evaluating and operating the business internally and has determined that it is important to provide this information to investors.

    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME

    (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)
      Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
        2024     2023     2024     2023
    Revenues:                              
    Products and licenses $ 118.9   $ 114.2   $ 337.3   $ 339.1
    Security subscriptions   276.9     248.3     812.0     715.4
    Total revenues from products and security subscriptions   395.8     362.5     1,149.3     1,054.5
    Software updates and maintenance   239.3     233.8     712.0     696.7
    Total revenues   635.1     596.3     1,861.3     1,751.2
                   
    Operating expenses:              
    Cost of products and licenses   24.3     22.5     68.2     71.3
    Cost of security subscriptions   19.6     13.9     52.9     39.8
    Total cost of products and security subscriptions   43.9     36.4     121.1     111.1
    Cost of Software updates and
    Maintenance    		   30.2     27.7     90.5     81.8
    Amortization of technology   5.8     3.0     17.4     8.2
    Total cost of revenues   79.9     67.1     229.0     201.1
                    
    Research and development   97.5     90.0     293.8     268.9
    Selling and marketing   208.9     183.3     630.8     546.6
    General and administrative   30.3     29.8     86.0     87.3
    Total operating expenses   416.6     370.2     1,239.6     1,103.9
                   
    Operating income   218.5     226.1     621.7     647.3
    Financial income, net   25.3     17.7     71.6     58.1
    Income before taxes on income   243.8     243.8     693.3     705.4
    Taxes on income   36.9     38.8     105.1     114.3
    Net income $ 206.9   $ 205.0   $ 588.2   $ 591.1
     

    Basic earnings per share

    		  

    $

    		  

    1.87

    		    

    $

    		  

    1.77

    		    

    $

    		  

    5.28

    		    

    $

    		  

    5.01
    Number of shares used in computing basic earnings per share   110.5     116.0     111.4     117.9
    Diluted earnings per share $ 1.83   $ 1.75   $ 5.16   $  4.96
    Number of shares used in computing diluted earnings per share    113.4     117.3     114.1     119.2
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    SELECTED FINANCIAL METRICS
    (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)
      Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
        2024     2023     2024     2023
                   
    Revenues $ 635.1   $ 596.3   $ 1,861.3   $ 1,751.2
    Non-GAAP operating income   274.0     269.0     791.1     770.5
    Non-GAAP net income   255.4     242.4     735.9     698.6
    Diluted Non-GAAP Earnings per share $ 2.25   $ 2.07   $ 6.45   $ 5.86
    Number of shares used in computing diluted Non-GAAP earnings per share   113.4     117.3     114.1     119.2
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION

    (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts)
      Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
                   
    GAAP operating income $ 218.5     $ 226.1     $ 621.7     $ 647.3  
    Stock-based compensation (1)   39.0                 36.5       119.9       105.4  
    Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses (2)   16.5       6.4       49.5       17.8  
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 274.0     $ 269.0     $ 791.1     $ 770.5  
                   
    GAAP net income $ 206.9     $ 205.0     $ 588.2     $ 591.1  
    Stock-based compensation (1)   39.0                       36.5       119.9                105.4  
    Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses (2)   16.5       6.4       49.5                   17.8  
    Taxes on the above items (3)   (7.0 )     (5.5 )     (21.7 )     (15.7 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 255.4     $ 242.4     $ 735.9     $ 698.6  
                   
    Diluted GAAP Earnings per share $ 1.83     $ 1.75     $ 5.16     $ 4.96  
    Stock-based compensation (1)   0.34       0.31       1.04       0.88  
    Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses (2)   0.14       0.06       0.44       0.15  
    Taxes on the above items (3)   (0.06 )     (0.05 )     (0.19 )     (0.13 )
    Diluted Non-GAAP Earnings per share $ 2.25     $ 2.07     $ 6.45     $ 5.86  
                   
    Number of shares used in computing diluted
    Non-GAAP earnings per share    		   113.4       117.3       114.1       119.2  
                   
    (1) Stock-based compensation:              
    Cost of products and licenses $ 0.1     $ 0.1     $ 0.3     $ 0.3  
    Cost of software updates and maintenance   1.8       1.9       6.2       4.9  
    Research and development   14.0       12.1       42.3                   34.5  
    Selling and marketing   15.4       15.0       46.2                41.1  
    General and administrative   7.7       7.4       24.9                24.6  
        39.0       36.5       119.9       105.4  
                   
    (2) Amortization of intangible assets and acquisition related expenses:              
    Amortization of technology-cost of revenues   5.8       3.0       17.4                      8.2  
    Research and development   1.6       1.1       4.8       5.0  
    Selling and marketing   9.1       2.3       27.3       4.6  
        16.5       6.4       49.5       17.8  
    (3) Taxes on the above items   (7.0 )     (5.5 )                  (21.7 )                  (15.7 )
     Total, net $ 48.5     $ 37.4     $ 147.7     $ 107.5  
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA
    (In millions)
    ASSETS
      September 30,   December 31,
      2024
    (Unaudited)    		   2023
    (Audited)
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 543.8   $ 537.7
    Marketable securities and short-term deposits   925.6     992.3
    Trade receivables, net   391.9     657.7
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   90.9     70.0
    Total current assets   1,952.2     2,257.7
           
    Long-term assets:      
    Marketable securities   1,403.4     1,429.7
    Property and equipment, net   80.6     80.4
    Deferred tax asset, net   76.5     81.8
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net   1,900.4     1,748.5
    Other assets   99.5     97.4
    Total long-term assets   3,560.4     3,437.8
           
    Total assets $            5,512.6   $ 5,695.5
    LIABILITIES AND
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:      
    Deferred revenues $ 1,270.2     $ 1,413.8  
    Trade payables and other accrued liabilities   446.0       502.3  
    Total current liabilities   1,716.2       1,916.1  
           
    Long-term liabilities:      
    Long-term deferred revenues   474.8       493.9  
    Income tax accrual   457.8       436.1  
    Other long-term liabilities   35.2       28.4  
        967.8       958.4  
           
    Total liabilities   2,684.0       2,874.5  
           
    Shareholders’ equity:      
    Share capital   0.8       0.8  
    Additional paid-in capital   3,019.4       2,732.5  
    Treasury shares at cost   (13,946.7 )     (13,041.2 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (1.2 )     (39.2 )
    Retained earnings   13,756.3       13,168.1  
    Total shareholders’ equity   2,828.6       2,821.0  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 5,512.6     $ 5,695.5  
    Total cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and short-term deposits $ 2,872.8     $ 2,959.7  
    CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    SELECTED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW DATA

     (Unaudited, in millions)
      Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Cash flow from operating activities:              
    Net income $ 206.9     $ 205.0     $ 588.2     $ 591.1  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:              
    Depreciation of property and equipment   5.2       5.2       17.7       17.4  
    Amortization of intangible assets   13.4       4.6       40.4       10.8  
    Stock-based compensation   39.0       36.5       119.9       105.4  
    Realized loss on marketable securities   *)       6.0       *)       6.7  
    Decrease in trade and other receivables, net   67.8       38.1       258.2       263.3  
    Decrease in deferred revenues, trade payables and other accrued liabilities   (91.6 )     (75.8 )     (213.3 )     (205.1 )
    Deferred income taxes, net   8.2       2.7       (1.3 )     9.3  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   248.9       222.3       809.8       798.9  
                   
    Cash flow from investing activities:              
    Payment in conjunction with acquisitions, net of acquired cash   (185.8 )     (455.0 )     (185.8 )     (455.0 )
    Investment in property and equipment   (4.8 )     (6.1 )     (17.7 )     (13.9 )
    Net cash used in investing activities   (190.6 )     (461.1 )     (203.5 )     (468.9 )
                   
    Cash flow from financing activities:              
    Proceeds from issuance of shares upon exercise of options   45.4       32.6       249.6       117.7  
    Purchase of treasury shares   (325.0 )     (324.6 )     (975.0 )     (974.4 )
    Payments related to shares withheld for taxes   (3.9 )     (2.1 )     (17.1 )     (9.8 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (283.5 )     (294.1 )     (742.5 )     (866.5 )
                   
    Unrealized gain on marketable securities, net   40.1       6.1       49.3       22.0  
                   
    Decrease in cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and short term deposits   (185.1 )     (526.8 )      (86.9 )      (514.5 )
                   
    Cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and short term deposits at the beginning of the period    3,057.9        3,515.5       2,959.7       3,503.2  
                   
    Cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and short term deposits at the end of the period $ 2,872.8     $ 2,988.7     $ 2,872.8     $ 2,988.7  

    *) represents an amount lower than 0.1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PM to visit Gujarat on 30-31 October

    Source: Government of India

    PM to visit Gujarat on 30-31 October

    PM to participate in Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations

    PM to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various infrastructural and development projects worth over Rs 280 crore in Ekta Nagar

    PM to address the Officer Trainees of the 99th Common Foundation Course in Aarambh 6.0

    Posted On: 29 OCT 2024 3:35PM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on 30-31 October. On 30th October, he will travel to Ekta Nagar, Kevadia and at around 5:30 PM, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various infrastructural and development projects worth over Rs 280 crore in Ekta Nagar. Thereafter, at around 6 PM, he will address the Officer Trainees of the 99th Common Foundation Course in Aarambh 6.0. On 31st October, at around 7:15 AM, Prime Minister will offer floral tribute at the Statue of Unity, which will be followed by Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations.

    Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various infrastructural and development projects in Ekta Nagar. These projects aim to enhance the tourist experience, improve accessibility and support sustainability initiatives in the area.

    Prime Minister will address the Officer Trainees of the 99th Common Foundation Course on the eve of the Rastriya Ekta Diwas in Aarambh 6.0. The theme for this year’s programme is “Roadmap for Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.” The 99th Common Foundation Course – Aarambh 6.0 – includes 653 Officer Trainees from across 16 civil services of India and 3 civil services of Bhutan.

    On 31st October, Prime Minister will participate in the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations and offer floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He will administer the Ekta Diwas pledge and witness Ekta Diwas Parade which will comprise of 16 marching contingents from 9 States and 1 UT Police, 4 Central Armed Police Forces, NCC and a marching band. Special attractions include Hell March contingent of NSG, daredevil show by BSF and CRPF women and men bikers, a show on combination of Indian Martial Arts by BSF, piped band show by school children, ‘Surya Kiran’ flypast by Indian Air Force, among others.

     

    ***

    MJPS

    (Release ID: 2069191) Visitor Counter : 8

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Rajasthan village marches towards zero-waste through green technology interventions

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 29 OCT 2024 3:11PM by PIB Delhi

    Aandhi, a tiny village in the district of Jaipur, and about 43 Km from Rajasthan’s capital city of Jaipur is transforming itself to a zero-waste model with the help of green technology interventions.

    Food waste, agro waste, waste water, hospital waste coming from various village sources including institutions like schools, agricultural fields, community health centres could now be converted to resources with the help of a package of technology interventions that have been recently installed in the village.

    The package of technology interventions consisting of Organic Waste Bio-Methanation Plant, Vermifiltration Technology, Constructed Wetlands, resource recovery centre, stands as a unique and socially relevant initiative, creating a zero-waste model through the integration of innovative technologies.  

    Recently, the demonstration plants were inaugurated at three identified locations—a government school, a community health centre, and the constructed wetland at the main pond. It was graced by Dr. Anita Gupta, Head of the Climate, Energy, and Sustainable Technology (CEST) Division, along with Dr. G.V Raghunath Reddy, the Programme Officer.

    The Organic Waste Bio-Methanation Plant at Government School (100 Kg Capacity) converts organic waste, such as food scraps and agricultural residues, into biogas through anaerobic digestion. Equipped with a 5 KW solar energy system. It provides clean energy for cooking and electricity generation, reducing reliance on traditional fuels and promoting renewable energy, cleaner air, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

    Utilizing earthworms to filter and treat wastewater, the Vermifiltration Technology at the Community Health Center (10 KLD Capacity) makes it suitable for purifying greywater and sewage. The treated water can be reused for agricultural irrigation or landscape watering. Solar energy integration in this patented technology ensures an eco-friendly and energy-efficient wastewater management process, contributing to sustainable water reuse and environmental conservation.

    The Constructed Wetlands at the Main Pond in Aandhi Village (20 KLD Capacity) replicate natural wetland processes to treat wastewater and restore ecosystems. This system will help manage village wastewater while enhancing biodiversity, supporting local flora and fauna, and improving the overall health of the pond ecosystem.

    Partnerships have been established with recycling agencies for the collection and segregation of recyclable waste from the Resource Recovery Center (RRC), ensuring its proper disposal and recycling. Vermicomposting units have also been developed, and the techniques have been disseminated among the villagers for their utilization.

    These initiatives demonstrate the transformative power of green technology in rural communities, showcasing DST’s commitment to promoting innovation and environmental stewardship. The project aligns closely with India’s broader goals of achieving environmental sustainability, mitigating climate change, and promoting waste-to-wealth models that uplift local communities.

    By leveraging advanced green technologies, the project aims to create a self-sustaining model of zero-waste management that can be replicated in other rural areas across the country, contributing to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for all.

    Such interventions could potentially offer a good prospect to be replicated across various villages creating a new pathway for India to march towards a development led inclusive and sustainable net Zero nation.

     

     

    ***

    NKR/KS/AG

    (Release ID: 2069178) Visitor Counter : 56

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches, inaugurates and lays the foundation stone of multiple projects related to health sector worth over Rs 12,850 crore

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches, inaugurates and lays the foundation stone of multiple projects related to health sector worth over Rs 12,850 crore

    Augmenting the healthcare infrastructure is our priority, Initiatives relating to the sector launched today will make top-quality and affordable facilities available to the citizens:PM

    It is a matter of happiness for all of us that today Ayurveda Day is being celebrated in more than 150 countries: PM

    Government has set five pillars of health policy:PM

    Now every senior citizen of the country above the age of 70 years will get free treatment in the hospital,Such elderly people will be given Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card:PM

    Government is running Mission Indradhanush campaign to prevent deadly diseases: PM

    Our government is saving the money of the countrymen by making maximum use of technology in the health sector: PM

    Posted On: 29 OCT 2024 3:09PM by PIB Delhi

    On the occasion of Dhanvantari Jayanti and 9th Ayurveda Day, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today launched, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple projects related to the health sector worth around Rs 12,850 crore at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi.

    Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted the occasion of Dhanvantari Jayanti and Dhanteras and conveyed his best wishes on the occasion. He conveyed his wishes to all business owners of the country as most people tend to buy something new for their homes, and also extended advanced greetings for Diwali.

    The Prime Minister underlined that this Diwali is a historic one as Lord Shri Ram’s temple in Ayodhya will be lit up with thousands of diyas, making the celebrations unprecedented. “Lord Ram has once again returned to his abode in this year’s Diwali”, the Prime Minister remarked, adding that this wait is finally over not after 14 but 500 years. 

    Shri Modi said that it is no coincidence that this year’s festival of Dhanteras is an amalgamation of prosperity and health but a symbol of India’s culture and philosophy of life. Quoting sages and saints, the Prime Minister explained that health is considered supreme wealth and this ancient notion is finding acceptance across the world in the form of Yoga. Shri Modi expressed happiness that Ayurveda Diwas is being celebrated in more than 150 countries today and said that it is proof of the growing attraction towards Ayurveda, and India’s contribution to the world from its ancient past. 

    The Prime Minister underscored that in the past decade, the country had witnessed the beginning of a new chapter in the health sector with the amalgamation of knowledge of  Ayurveda with Modern medicine. He added that All India Institute of Ayurveda had been a focal point of this chapter. Shri Modi remarked that seven years ago on Ayurveda day, he was fortunate to dedicate the first phase of the institute to the country and today with the blessings of Lord Dhanvantri, he was inaugurating the second phase of the institute. He noted that it would be possible to see the  ancient techniques like Panchakarma infused with modern technology in this institute along with advanced research studies in the fields of Ayurveda and medical science. Shri Modi congratulated the citizens of India for this advancement. 

    Noting that the progress of a nation is directly proportional to the health of its citizens, the Prime Minister highlighted the government’s priority to the health of its citizens and outlined the five pillars of health policy. He listed the five pillars as preventive healthcare, early detection of ailments, free and low-cost treatment and medicines, availability of doctors in small towns and lastly expansion of technology in health services. “India is looking at the health sector as holistic health”, Shri Modi said, adding that the projects of today provide a glimpse of these five pillars. Touching upon the inauguration and foundation stone laying of projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, the Prime Minister mentioned creation of 4 centers of excellence under Ayush Health scheme, expansion of health services with the use of drones, helicopter service in AIIMS, Rishikesh, new infrastructure in AIIMS, New Delhi and AIIMS, Bilaspur, expansion of services in five other AIIMS in the country, establishment of medical colleges, bhoomi pujan of nursing colleges and other projects related to the health sector.The Prime Minister expressed happiness with several hospitals being established for the treatment of shramiks and said that it would become a center of treatment for shramiks. He also touched upon the inauguration of pharma units that would play a key role in manufacturing of advanced medicine and high quality stents and implants and further India’s growth. 

    The Prime Minister noted that most of us come from a background where illness meant a lightning strike on the entire family and especially in a poor household if a person is down with serious ailment, every member of the family was deeply affected. He added that there was a time when people would sell their houses, lands, jewelry, everything for treatment and be unable to bear the huge out-of-pocket expenditure while poor people had to make a choice between healthcare and other priorities of family. Shri Modi underlined that to overcome the despair of the poor, our Government introduced the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, where the government would bear the cost of hospitalization of the poor up to Rs. 5 lakh. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that about 4 crore poor people in the country have benefited from the Ayushman Yojana by getting treated without having to pay a single rupee. Shri Modi remarked that when he meets the beneficiaries of Ayushman Yojana in different states of the country, he feels satisfied that the scheme was a blessing for every person associated with it, be it a doctor or a paramedical staff. 

    Expressing satisfaction on the expansion of Ayushman Yojana, Shri Modi said that every elderly person was looking forward to it and the poll guarantee, if elected for the third term, of bringing all the elderly above 70 years of age under the ambit of Ayushman Yojana was being fulfilled. He added that every elderly person above 70 years of age in the country will get free treatment in the hospital by a Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card. Shri Modi highlighted that the card was universal and there was no restriction on income, be it poor or middle class or upper class. Informing that the scheme would prove to be a milestone for its universal applicability, Shri Modi remarked that with a Ayushman Vaya Vandana card for an elderly in the house, the Out-of-Pocket expenditure will be reduced to a great extent. He congratulated all the countrymen for this scheme and also informed that the scheme was not implemented in Delhi and West Bengal.

    Reiterating the government’s priority to reduce the cost of treatment, be it the poor or middle class, the Prime Minister mentioned the launch of more than 14,000 PM Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country where medicines are available at 80 percent discount. He informed that the poor and middle class have managed to save Rs 30,000 crore due to availability of cheap medicines. He further added that prices of devices like stents and knee implants have been reduced, therefore, preventing a loss of more than Rs 80,000 crores rupees by the common citizens. He also mentioned the free dialysis scheme and Mission Indradhanush campaign to prevent fatal diseases and saving the lives of pregnant women and newborn babies. The Prime Minister assured that he will not rest until the poor and middle class of the country are free from the burden of expensive treatment. 

    The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of timely diagnosis in reducing the risks and inconveniences associated with illnesses. He highlighted that over two lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across the country to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. He said that these Arogya Mandirs enable crores of citizens to easily check for diseases like cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. He said that timely diagnosis leads to prompt treatment, ultimately saving costs for patients. The Prime Minister explained that the government is leveraging technology to enhance healthcare and save citizens’ money under the e-Sanjeevani scheme where over 30 crore people have consulted doctors online. “Free and accurate consultations from doctors have significantly reduced healthcare expenses”, he added. Shri Modi announced the launch of the U-win platform which will provide India with a technologically advanced interface in the health sector. “The world witnessed the success of our Co-win platform during the pandemic, and the success of the UPI payment system has become a global story,” he said, adding that India aims to replicate this success in the healthcare sector through Digital Public Infrastructure. 

    The Prime Minister highlighted the unprecedented progress made in India’s healthcare sector over the past decade, contrasting it with the limited achievements in the previous six to seven decades and said, “In the last 10 years, we have seen a record number of new AIIMS and medical colleges being established”. Referring to today’s occasion, the Prime Minister said that hospitals were inaugurated in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. He also mentioned the foundation stone laying for new medical colleges in Narsapur and Bommasandra in Karnataka, Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh, Achitapuram in Andhra Pradesh, and Faridabad in Haryana. “Additionally, work has begun on the new ESIC Hospital in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and a new hospital was inaugurated in Indore”, he added. The Prime Minister emphasized that the increasing number of hospitals reflects a proportional rise in medical seats. He affirmed that no poor child’s dream of becoming a doctor would be shattered, and no middle-class student would be forced to study abroad due to lack of options in India. Shri Modi informed that nearly 1 lakh new MBBS and MD seats have been added over the past 10 years and reiterated the commitment to announcing another 75,000 seats in the next five years. 

    The Prime Minister informed that 7.5 lakh registered AYUSH practitioners are already contributing to the nation’s healthcare. He stressed on increasing this number further and highlighted the growing demand for medical and wellness tourism in India. He stressed the need for the youth and AYUSH practitioners to prepare for expanding fields such as preventive cardiology, Ayurvedic orthopedics, and Ayurvedic rehabilitation centers, both in India and abroad. “Immense opportunities are being created for AYUSH practitioners. Our youth will not only progress themselves through these opportunities but will also render a great service to humanity”, he added. 

    PM Modi noted the rapid progress in medicine during the 21st century, with breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases. He said, “As the world places importance on wellness along with treatment, India has thousands of years of knowledge in this area.” The Prime Minister announced the launch of the Prakriti Parikshan Abhiyan aimed at designing ideal lifestyles and risk analysis for individuals using Ayurveda principles. He emphasized that this initiative can redefine the healthcare sector globally and provide a new perspective for the entire world. 

    Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of validating traditional herbs like Ashwagandha, turmeric, and black pepper through high-impact scientific studies. “Lab validation of our traditional healthcare systems will not only increase the value of these herbs but also create a significant market”, he remarked, pointing to the rising demand for Ashwagandha, which is projected to reach $2.5 billion by the end of this decade. 

    Underlining that the success of AYUSH is transforming not only the health sector but also the economy, the Prime Minister informed that the AYUSH manufacturing sector has grown from $3 billion in 2014 to nearly $24 billion today, an 8-fold increase in just 10 years. He added that over 900 AYUSH start-ups are now operational in India, creating new opportunities for the youth. The Prime Minister highlighted the global export of AYUSH products to 150 countries, benefiting Indian farmers by turning local herbs and superfoods into global commodities. He also pointed out initiatives like the Namami Gange project, which promotes natural farming and herb cultivation along the Ganga river.

    Reflecting on India’s commitment to health and well-being, Shri Modi said that it is the soul of India’s national character and social fabric. He emphasized that the government in the last 10 years has aligned the nation’s policies with the philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’ “In the next 25 years, these efforts will lay a strong foundation for a developed and healthy India”, Shri Modi concluded. 

    Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare & Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri J P Nadda, and Minister of Labour and Employment & Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya were present on the occasion among others.

    Background

    As a major addition to the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the Prime Minister launched expansion of health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above. This will help provide health coverage to all senior citizens regardless of their income.

    It has been the constant endeavor of the Prime Minister to provide quality healthcare services all across the country. In a major boost to healthcare infrastructure, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple healthcare institutions.

    The Prime Minister inaugurated Phase II of India’s First All India Institute of Ayurveda. It includes a Panchakarma hospital, an Ayurvedic pharmacy for drug manufacturing, a sports medicine unit, a central library, an IT and start-ups incubation center and a 500-seat auditorium among others. He also inaugurated three medical colleges at Mandsaur, Neemuch and Seoni in Madhya Pradesh. Further, he inaugurated facility and service extensions at various AIIMS in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, Kalyani in West Bengal, Patna in Bihar, Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Guwahati in Assam and in New Delhi, which will also include a Jan Aushadhi Kendra. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a Super Speciality Block in Government Medical College at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and a Critical Care Block in Bargarh, Odisha.

    The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of five Nursing Colleges in Shivpuri, Ratlam, Khandwa, Rajgarh and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh; 21 Critical Care Blocks at Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan under Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) and several facilities and service extensions at AIIMS in New Delhi and in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

    The Prime Minister also inaugurated an ESIC Hospital at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, and lay the foundation stone for ESIC hospitals at Faridabad in Haryana, Bommasandra and Narasapur in Karnataka, Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and Atchutapuram in Andhra Pradesh. These projects will bring healthcare benefits to around 55 lakh ESI beneficiaries.

    The Prime Minister has been a strong proponent of expanding the usage of technology to enhance service delivery across sectors. In an innovative usage of drone technology to enhance service delivery to make healthcare more accessible, the Prime Minister launched drone services at 11 Tertiary Healthcare Institutions. These are AIIMS Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, AIIMS Bibinagar in Telangana, AIIMS Guwahati in Assam, AIIMS Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, AIIMS Jodhpur in Rajasthan, AIIMS Patna in Bihar, AIIMS Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh, AIIMS Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, AIIMS Raipur in Chhattisgarh, AIIMS Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh and RIMS Imphal in Manipur. He will also launch Helicopter Emergency Medical Services from AIIMS Rishikesh, which will help deliver speedy medical care.

    The Prime Minister launched the U-WIN portal. It will benefit pregnant women and infants by fully digitalizing the vaccination process. It will ensure timely administration of life-saving vaccines to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years) against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases. Further, the Prime Minister also launched a portal for allied and healthcare professionals and institutes. It will act as a centralized database of existing healthcare professionals and institutes.

    The Prime Minister launched several initiatives to strengthen the R&D and testing infrastructure to improve the healthcare ecosystem in the country. The Prime Minister inaugurated a Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Gothapatna in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

    He laid the foundation stone of two Central Research Institutes in Yoga and Naturopathy at Khordha in Odisha, Raipur in Chhattisgarh. He also laid the foundation stone of four Centres of Excellence at NIPER Ahmedabad in Gujarat for medical devices, NIPER Hyderabad in Telangana for bulk drugs, NIPER Guwahati in Assam for phytopharmaceuticals, and NIPER Mohali in Punjab for anti-bacterial anti-viral drug discovery and development.

    The Prime Minister launched four Ayush Centres of Excellence, namely Centre of Excellence for diabetes and metabolic disorders at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Centre of Excellence in sustainable Ayush for advanced technological solutions, start-up support and net zero sustainable solutions for Rasaushadhies at IIT Delhi; Centre of Excellence for fundamental and translational research in Ayurveda at Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow; and Centre of Excellence on Ayurveda and Systems Medicine at JNU, New Delhi.

    In a major boost to Make in India initiative in the healthcare sector, Prime Minister inaugurated five projects under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices and bulk drugs at Vapi in Gujarat, Hyderabad in Telangana, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and Nalagarh in Himachal Pradesh. These units will manufacture high-end medical devices, such as body implants and critical care equipment, along with important bulk drugs.

    The Prime Minister also launched a nationwide campaign, “Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan Abhiyan,” that aims to raise health awareness among the citizens. He also launched the State specific Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health for each state and UT which will lay out adaptation strategies towards developing climate resilient healthcare services.

     

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Magic recipes to create hydrogels from viral protein fragments can improve drug delivery

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 29 OCT 2024 3:03PM by PIB Delhi

    A new way discovered to create hydrogels using tiny protein fragments of just five amino acids from the SARS-CoV-1 virus, could help improve targeted drug delivery & reduce side effects

    Due to the increase in chronic and infectious diseases, researchers are for ever on the lookout for new methods of drug delivery to improve the effectivity of treatments. Hydrogels are known to be suitable for drug delivery because of their swelling behaviour, mechanical strength and biocompatibility.

    Short peptide-based hydrogels hold enormous potential for a wide range of applications. However, researchers have found the gelation of these systems very challenging to control. Minor changes in the peptide sequence can significantly influence the self-assembly mechanism and thereby the gelation propensity.

    Following the involvement of SARS CoV E protein in the assembly and release of the virus suggested to researchers from Bose Institute an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in Kolkata that it may have inherent self-assembling properties that can contribute to the development of hydrogels.

    Professor Anirban Bhunia and his team at the Department of Chemical Sciences in Bose Institute, explored this possibility and discovered a new way to create useful gel materials.

    In a paper recently published in the prestigious journal Small (Wiley), Prof. Bhunia and his collaborators from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA and Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata showed that by rearranging just five amino acids of the SARS-CoV-1 virus, one can make gels made up of pentapeptides with unique properties. Some of them gel when heated, others at room temperature.

    This unique discovery could lead to significant medical advancements like customizable hydrogels that can improve targeted drug delivery enhancing treatment efficacy while reducing side effects.

    These materials could revolutionize tissue engineering, potentially aiding in organ regeneration. These gels might also advance wound healing treatments and enable more accurate disease modelling for research.          

     

     

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