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Category: Climate Change

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why has a bill to relax NZ foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?

    ANALYSIS: By Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process — this time for foreign investment in New Zealand.

    But it has had almost no public scrutiny.

    If the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill becomes law, it could have far-reaching consequences. Public submissions on the bill close tomorrow.

    A product of the ACT-National coalition agreement, the bill commits to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 “to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more timely”.

    There are valid concerns that piecemeal reforms to the current act have made it complex and unwieldy. But the new bill is equally convoluted and would significantly reduce effective scrutiny of foreign investments — especially in forestry.

    A three-step test
     Step one of a three-step process set out in the bill gives the regulator — the Overseas Investment Office which sits within Land Information NZ — 15 days to decide whether a proposed investment would be a risk to New Zealand’s “national interest”.

    If they don’t perceive a risk, or that initial assessment is not completed in time, the application is automatically approved.

    Transactions involving fisheries quotas and various land categories, or any other applications the regulator identifies, would require a “national interest” assessment under stage two.

    These would be assessed against a “ministerial letter” that sets out the government’s general policy and preferred approach to conducting the assessment, including any conditions on approvals.

    Other mandatory factors to be considered in the second stage include the act’s new “purpose” to increase economic opportunity through “timely consent” of less sensitive investments. The new test would allow scrutiny of the character and capability of the investor to be omitted altogether.

    If the regulator considers the national interest test is not met, or the transaction is “contrary to the national interest”, the minister of finance then makes a decision based on their assessment of those factors.

    Inadequate regulatory process
     Seymour has blamed the current screening regime for low volumes of foreign investment. But Treasury’s 2024 regulatory impact statement on the proposed changes to international investment screening acknowledges many other factors that influence investor decisions.

    Moreover, the Treasury statement acknowledges public views that foreign investment rules should “manage a wide range of risks” and “that there is inherent non-economic value in retaining domestic ownership of certain assets”.

    Treasury officials also recognised a range of other public concerns, including profits going offshore, loss of jobs, and foreign control of iconic businesses.

    The regulatory impact statement did not cover these factors because it was required to consider only the coalition commitment. The Treasury panel reported “notable limitations” on the bill’s quality assurance process.

    A fuller review was “infeasible” because it could not be completed in the time required, and would be broader than necessary to meet the coalition commitment to amend the act in the prescribed way.

    The requirement to implement the bill in this parliamentary term meant the options officials could consider, even within the scope of the coalition agreement, were further limited.

    Time constraints meant “users and key stakeholders have not been consulted”, according to the Treasury statement. Environmental and other risks would have to be managed through other regulations.

    There is no reference to te Tiriti o Waitangi or mana whenua engagement.

    Forestry ‘slash’ after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 . . . no need to consider foreign investors’ track records. Image: Getty/The Conversation

    No ‘benefit to NZ’ test
     While the bill largely retains a version of the current screening regime for residential and farm land, it removes existing forestry activities from that definition (but not new forestry on non-forest land). It also removes extraction of water for bottling, or other bulk extraction for human consumption, from special vetting.

    Where sensitive land (such as islands, coastal areas, conservation and wahi tapu land) is not residential or farm land, it would be removed from special screening rules currently applied for land.

    Repeal of the “special forestry test” — which in practice has seen most applications approved, albeit with conditions — means most forestry investments could be fast-tracked.

    There would no longer be a need to consider investors’ track records or apply a “benefit to New Zealand” test. Regulators may or may not be empowered to impose conditions such as replanting or cleaning up slash.

    The official documents don’t explain the rationale for this. But it looks like a win for Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, and was perhaps the price of NZ First’s support.

    It has potentially serious implications for forestry communities affected by climate-related disasters, however. Further weakening scrutiny and investment conditions risks intensifying the already devastating impacts of international forestry companies. Taxpayers and ratepayers pick up the costs while the companies can minimise their taxes and send profits offshore.

    Locked in forever?
     Finally, these changes could be locked in through New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Several such agreements say New Zealand’s investment regime cannot become more restrictive than the 2005 act and its regulations.

    A “ratchet clause” would lock in any further liberalisation through this bill, from which there is no going back.

    However, another annex in those free trade agreements could be interpreted as allowing some flexibility to alter the screening rules and criteria in the future. None of the official documents address this crucial question.

    As an academic expert in this area I am uncertain about the risk.

    But the lack of clarity underlines the problems exemplified in this bill. It is another example of coalition agreements bypassing democratic scrutiny and informed decision making. More public debate and broad analysis is needed on the bill and its implications.

    Dr Jane Kelsey is emeritus professor of law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why has a bill to relax NZ foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?

    ANALYSIS: By Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process — this time for foreign investment in New Zealand.

    But it has had almost no public scrutiny.

    If the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill becomes law, it could have far-reaching consequences. Public submissions on the bill close tomorrow.

    A product of the ACT-National coalition agreement, the bill commits to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 “to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more timely”.

    There are valid concerns that piecemeal reforms to the current act have made it complex and unwieldy. But the new bill is equally convoluted and would significantly reduce effective scrutiny of foreign investments — especially in forestry.

    A three-step test
     Step one of a three-step process set out in the bill gives the regulator — the Overseas Investment Office which sits within Land Information NZ — 15 days to decide whether a proposed investment would be a risk to New Zealand’s “national interest”.

    If they don’t perceive a risk, or that initial assessment is not completed in time, the application is automatically approved.

    Transactions involving fisheries quotas and various land categories, or any other applications the regulator identifies, would require a “national interest” assessment under stage two.

    These would be assessed against a “ministerial letter” that sets out the government’s general policy and preferred approach to conducting the assessment, including any conditions on approvals.

    Other mandatory factors to be considered in the second stage include the act’s new “purpose” to increase economic opportunity through “timely consent” of less sensitive investments. The new test would allow scrutiny of the character and capability of the investor to be omitted altogether.

    If the regulator considers the national interest test is not met, or the transaction is “contrary to the national interest”, the minister of finance then makes a decision based on their assessment of those factors.

    Inadequate regulatory process
     Seymour has blamed the current screening regime for low volumes of foreign investment. But Treasury’s 2024 regulatory impact statement on the proposed changes to international investment screening acknowledges many other factors that influence investor decisions.

    Moreover, the Treasury statement acknowledges public views that foreign investment rules should “manage a wide range of risks” and “that there is inherent non-economic value in retaining domestic ownership of certain assets”.

    Treasury officials also recognised a range of other public concerns, including profits going offshore, loss of jobs, and foreign control of iconic businesses.

    The regulatory impact statement did not cover these factors because it was required to consider only the coalition commitment. The Treasury panel reported “notable limitations” on the bill’s quality assurance process.

    A fuller review was “infeasible” because it could not be completed in the time required, and would be broader than necessary to meet the coalition commitment to amend the act in the prescribed way.

    The requirement to implement the bill in this parliamentary term meant the options officials could consider, even within the scope of the coalition agreement, were further limited.

    Time constraints meant “users and key stakeholders have not been consulted”, according to the Treasury statement. Environmental and other risks would have to be managed through other regulations.

    There is no reference to te Tiriti o Waitangi or mana whenua engagement.

    Forestry ‘slash’ after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 . . . no need to consider foreign investors’ track records. Image: Getty/The Conversation

    No ‘benefit to NZ’ test
     While the bill largely retains a version of the current screening regime for residential and farm land, it removes existing forestry activities from that definition (but not new forestry on non-forest land). It also removes extraction of water for bottling, or other bulk extraction for human consumption, from special vetting.

    Where sensitive land (such as islands, coastal areas, conservation and wahi tapu land) is not residential or farm land, it would be removed from special screening rules currently applied for land.

    Repeal of the “special forestry test” — which in practice has seen most applications approved, albeit with conditions — means most forestry investments could be fast-tracked.

    There would no longer be a need to consider investors’ track records or apply a “benefit to New Zealand” test. Regulators may or may not be empowered to impose conditions such as replanting or cleaning up slash.

    The official documents don’t explain the rationale for this. But it looks like a win for Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, and was perhaps the price of NZ First’s support.

    It has potentially serious implications for forestry communities affected by climate-related disasters, however. Further weakening scrutiny and investment conditions risks intensifying the already devastating impacts of international forestry companies. Taxpayers and ratepayers pick up the costs while the companies can minimise their taxes and send profits offshore.

    Locked in forever?
     Finally, these changes could be locked in through New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Several such agreements say New Zealand’s investment regime cannot become more restrictive than the 2005 act and its regulations.

    A “ratchet clause” would lock in any further liberalisation through this bill, from which there is no going back.

    However, another annex in those free trade agreements could be interpreted as allowing some flexibility to alter the screening rules and criteria in the future. None of the official documents address this crucial question.

    As an academic expert in this area I am uncertain about the risk.

    But the lack of clarity underlines the problems exemplified in this bill. It is another example of coalition agreements bypassing democratic scrutiny and informed decision making. More public debate and broad analysis is needed on the bill and its implications.

    Dr Jane Kelsey is emeritus professor of law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Strand Aldwych wins a Green Flag Award for transformation into vibrant urban green space | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    The Strand Aldwych project has earned a Green Flag Award, recognising its exceptional transformation from one of London’s busiest and most polluted streets into a thriving public green space in the heart of the capital.

    The Green Flag Award is an international recognition awarded to parks and green spaces with excellent management in the UK and around the world.

    The project has also been awarded the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, an acknowledgement of its outstanding conservation of historical and cultural significance alongside its environmental value.

    Strand Aldwych is the first pedestrianised green space to achieve either of these awards, setting a benchmark for urban transformation in the country.

    Launched in December 2022, the Strand Aldwych project transformed what was once a congested and polluted road system into a vibrant, car-free public space that celebrates the cultural and historic heritage of the area. 

    With an investment of £22 million from Westminster City Council, the project has created a new pedestrian zone the size of a football pitch, connecting the historic St Mary le Strand church with London’s leading cultural and educational institutions in the area, including King’s College London, the London School of Economics, Somerset House, and The Courtauld Institute. 

    The Strand and Aldwych areas now welcome 14 million visitors annually, and are home to 400 businesses employing over 20,000 people.

    Key features of the transformation include:

    • A safe, car-free zone with increased cycle parking, improved safety at junctions, and expanded footways on nearby roads to support pedestrian movement and cycling.
    • New seating areas offering a place for people to relax under the shade of trees.
    • A variety of trees and planting to support biodiversity, provide year-round colour, and contribute to a greener urban environment.
    • As a 7,000m² green space in one of the busiest areas of central London, the project has enhanced air quality, offered urban cooling and provided support for pollinators.
    • The space also serves as an accessible cultural platform, with rotating art installations around the year and connections to nearby cultural and educational institutions.

    Cllr Ryan Jude, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Ecology, Culture and Air Quality, said:

    “I’m proud to announce that Strand Aldwych has just earned a Green Flag Award for its outstanding urban transformation. This is a well-deserved recognition of the area as a world-class public green space connecting historic and cultural landmarks with the vibrant city life in central London. 

    “In response to our declaration of an ecological emergency in 2023, we developed our Greening and Biodiversity Strategy to make Westminster more resilient through improving and enhancing nature in the city. Our recently published Air Quality Action Plan also presents a bold and clear roadmap towards reducing air pollution and improving public health outcomes for residents.

    “The Strand Aldwych project is an excellent example of a public space that is welcoming, accessible and beneficial to the environment. All key to our commitment to creating a greener, fairer Westminster for all our residents and visitors.”

    Ruth Duston OBE OC, CEO of London Heritage Quarter, said: 

    “Creating calm, people-focused, places in urban spaces is an important priority for London Heritage Quarter. Strand Aldwych receiving a Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work of all involved, and the project is a great example of what collaborative work can achieve. By working closely with Westminster City Council and a wide range of partners and stakeholders including King’s College London, London School of Economics, Somerset House Trust, St Mary Le Strand and The Courtauld Institute, this greening scheme has delivered truly transformative results for this area of London that links the West End and the City.

    “It serves as a template on how the pedestrianisation of public spaces can transform pockets of urban cities into a destination where people want to be.”

    Miles Watson-Smyth, Chief Executive of Windowflowers Ltd, who plants and maintains the displays, said:

    “We are incredibly proud to have played a part in the transformation and ongoing care of the gardens in the Strand Aldwych area, working alongside Westminster City Council. To see this space recognised with both a Green Flag Award and Green Heritage Site Accreditation is a true honour. When we’re on site, members of the public regularly stop to tell us how much they enjoy the gardens and to thank us for our work — that kind of appreciation, along with these prestigious awards, makes all our efforts feel truly worthwhile.”

    Cannon Ivers, Director of LDA Design, said:

    “This is a special moment for Strand-Aldwych and for all those who worked so hard to transform what was a heavily trafficked and polluted road into a place for people and for nature, and for those who tirelessly support and maintain the space so well, with passion, knowledge, care, and commitment.

    “Strand has historically been about movement and transport. Now it’s a democratic, biodiverse space for everyone to enjoy with seating for up to 700 people, described as the best thing to happen to London in years. The fact that it is the first time a pedestrianised space has been awarded Green Flag status is fantastic recognition of Strand’s contribution to making London a healthier, calmer, and better place to be. Hopefully, this will embolden other towns and cities to reclaim streets for communities and for nature to thrive.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Three types of drought – and why there’s no such thing as a global water crisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Filippo Menga, Visiting Research Fellow, Professor of Geography, University of Reading

    Lithium fields in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Freedom_wanted/Shutterstock

    Hosepipe bans have been announced in parts of England this summer. Following the driest spring in over a century, the Environment Agency has issued a medium drought risk warning, and Yorkshire Water will introduce restrictions starting Friday, 11 July. It’s a familiar story: reduced rainfall, shrinking reservoirs and renewed calls for restraint: take shorter showers, avoid watering the lawn, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.

    These appeals to personal responsibility reflect a broader way of thinking about water: that everyone, everywhere, is facing the same crisis, and that small individual actions are a meaningful response. But what if this narrative, familiar as it is, obscures more than it reveals?

    In my new book, Thirst: The global quest to solve the water crisis, I argue that the phrase “global water crisis” may do more harm than good. It simplifies a complex global reality, collapsing vastly different situations into one seemingly shared emergency. While it evokes urgency, it conceals the very things that matter: the causes, politics and power dynamics that determine who gets water and who doesn’t.

    What we call a single crisis is, in fact, many distinct ones. To see this clearly, we must move beyond the rhetoric of global scarcity and look closely at how drought plays out in different places. Consider the UK, the Horn of Africa, and Chile: three regions facing water stress in radically different ways.

    UK: a crisis of infrastructure

    Drought in the UK is rarely the result of absolute water scarcity. The country receives relatively consistent rainfall throughout the year. Even when droughts occur, the underlying issue is how water is managed, distributed and maintained.

    Roughly a fifth of treated water is lost through leaking pipes, some of them over a century old. At the same time, privatised water companies have come under growing scrutiny for failing to invest in infrastructure while paying billions in dividends to shareholders. So calls for households to use less water often strike a dissonant note.

    The UK’s droughts are not just the product of climate variability. They are also shaped by policy decisions, regulatory failures and eroding public trust. Temporary scarcity becomes a recurring crisis due to the structures meant to manage it.

    Horn of Africa: survival and structural vulnerability

    In the Horn of Africa, drought is catastrophic. Since 2020, the region has endured five consecutive failed rainy seasons – the worst in four decades. More than 30 million people across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya face food insecurity. Livelihoods have collapsed and millions of people have been displaced.

    Climate change is a driver, but so is politics. Armed conflict, weak governance and decades of underinvestment have left communities dangerously exposed. These vulnerabilities are rooted in longer histories of colonial exploitation and, more recently, the privatisation of essential services.

    Adaptation refers to how communities try to cope with changing climate conditions using the resources they have. Local efforts to adapt to drought (such as digging new wells, planting drought-resistant crop or rationing limited supplies) are often informal or underfunded.

    When prolonged droughts strike in places already facing poverty, conflict or weak governance, these coping strategies are rarely enough. Framing climate-induced drought as just another chapter in a global water crisis erases the specific conditions that make it so deadly.

    Drought in Africa can be catastrophic.
    Dieter Telemans/Panos Pictures, CC BY-NC-ND

    Chile: extraction and exclusion

    Chile’s water crisis is often linked to drought. But the underlying issue is extraction. The country holds over half of the world’s lithium reserves, a metal critical to electric vehicles and energy storage.

    Lithium is mined through an intensely water-consuming process in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, often on Indigenous land. Communities have seen water tables drop and wetlands disappear while receiving little benefit.

    Chile’s water laws, introduced under the Pinochet regime, allow private companies to hold long-term rights regardless of environmental or social cost. Here, water scarcity is driven less by rainfall and more by law, ownership and global demand for renewable technologies. Framing Chile’s situation as just another example of a global water crisis overlooks the deeper political and economic forces that shape how water is managed – and who gets to benefit from it.

    No single crisis, no single solution

    While drought is intensifying, its causes and consequences vary. In the UK, it’s about infrastructure and governance. In the Horn of Africa, it’s about historical injustice and systemic neglect. In Chile, it’s about legal frameworks and resource extraction.

    Labelling this simply as a global water crisis oversimplifies the issue and steers attention away from the root causes. It promotes technical solutions while ignoring the political questions of who has access to water and who controls it.

    This approach often favours private companies and international organisations, sidelining local communities and institutions. Instead of holding power to account, it risks shifting responsibility without making meaningful changes to how power and resources are shared.

    In Thirst, I argue that the crisis of water is a cultural and political one. Who controls water, who profits from it, who bears the cost of its depletion: these are the defining questions of our time. And they cannot be answered with generalities. We don’t need one big solution. We need many small, just ones.

    This article features a reference to a book that has been included for editorial reasons. If you click on one of the links to bookshop.org and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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

    – ref. Three types of drought – and why there’s no such thing as a global water crisis – https://theconversation.com/three-types-of-drought-and-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-global-water-crisis-260723

    MIL OSI –

    July 22, 2025

  • Centre rolls out key strategies to ensure sustainability, competitiveness of coal sector

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The central government has outlined a set of measures aimed at making the coal sector more sustainable and competitive, while aligning with global climate commitments. Despite the growing push towards renewables like solar and wind, coal continues to play a dominant role in India’s energy mix, meeting 55% of the country’s energy needs. With the world’s fifth-largest coal reserves, India is adopting a multi-pronged strategy to modernise the sector, enhance environmental compliance, and reduce dependence on imports.

    Greening and efficiency initiatives

    To reduce the ecological footprint of coal mining, Coal and Lignite PSUs have intensified reclamation and afforestation efforts around operational mines. Under various greening initiatives, plantations and bio-reclamation work are being carried out across mining sites.

    Coal PSUs are also adopting energy efficiency measures — such as replacing conventional lighting with LED systems, deploying energy-efficient appliances, using electric vehicles, and introducing energy-saving technologies like super fans and auto timers in street lighting.

    In a significant sustainability push, mine water is being treated and reused for purposes ranging from irrigation and community water supply to firefighting, underground sprinkling, and fish farming. Several MoUs have also been signed with state governments to expand treated mine water supply to local communities.

    Additionally, coal companies are making productive use of overburden (OB) — the soil and rock removed during mining. By extracting sand from OB for construction, PSUs have commissioned nine plants, including four OB processing and five OB to M-Sand plants. This move not only curbs river sand mining but also aids groundwater recharge and reduces environmental degradation.

    Shift towards cleaner technologies

    To reduce pollution and fuel consumption, coal PSUs have been upgrading transportation infrastructure under the First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects. These projects focus on mechanized coal handling and transport systems, reducing reliance on diesel and cutting emissions.

    The sector is also deploying blast-free technologies such as Surface Miners, Continuous Miners, and Rippers to eliminate the need for drilling and blasting — significantly reducing dust and noise pollution.

    Meanwhile, coal companies are investing in clean energy alternatives, including renewable power projects and clean coal technologies like coal gasification and coal bed methane (CBM). Participation in the Green Credit Programme launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) further reflects the sector’s green commitment.

    Reducing coal iImports and boosting domestic production

    In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy said coal imports have declined from 264.5 million tonnes (MT) in 2023–24 to 243.6 MT in 2024–25. This reduction comes in the backdrop of efforts to increase domestic coal output and reduce reliance on imports.

    Key measures include faster allocation of coal blocks, encouraging private participation, and streamlining approval processes. Public sector undertakings are also adopting digital solutions and advanced mining technologies to ramp up production.

    An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has been formed to promote coal import substitution. The IMC is working with import-based power plants to assess and address their coal needs using domestic supply channels. Some of these plants have already indicated their preferred suppliers from Coal India Limited’s (CIL) subsidiaries.

    Coal evacuation and transportation are being improved with the construction of new railway lines and expanded FMC projects, aimed at enhancing supply chain efficiency.

    With these integrated measures, the government aims to maintain coal’s competitiveness in India’s energy mix while advancing sustainability and reducing environmental impact.

    July 21, 2025

  • IMD predicts week-long rain spree in southern, central India; Delhi-NCR to witness light showers till July 23

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over multiple regions in southern and central India across the country in the next few days. Western Himalayan Region and adjoining plains, eastern and central India regions are expected to receive intense precipitation.

    States including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are also expected to receive heavy rainfall over the next 3–4 days, while Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand are expected to witness similar conditions from July 23 to 27.

    Southern and western coastal regions – including Kerala, Karnataka, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Konkan & Goa, central Maharashtra, Vidarbha, and Chhattisgarh – are also bracing for heavy rains over the next 5–7 days.

    The IMD has issued specific alerts for very heavy rainfall on July 21 over Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to receive intense rainfall on July 21 and 22, while the Konkan region, Goa, and the ghat areas of Maharashtra are likely to see continued heavy showers until July 27.

    In the past 24 hours, isolated places in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Tripura recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall (ranging between 7–20 cm).

    Delhi-NCR Weather Update

    For Delhi-NCR, the IMD has predicted generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning from July 21 to 23. Maximum temperatures are expected to range between 31–34°C, slightly below normal. The capital may experience very light rain on July 24 with partly cloudy skies, and temperatures could rise slightly to 34–36°C.

    Winds in the region are expected to vary in direction and speed over the forecast period, predominantly from the southeast to southwest, with speeds ranging from 8 to 20 kmph during different times of the day.

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Relief funds available to farmers

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Local farmers who suffered serious losses caused by the recent Typhoon Wipha can register for assistance from an emergency relief fund from July 22 to 30.

    The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department made this announcement today and explained that its preliminary investigation had revealed that about 300 hectares of farmland in the New Territories were affected by Typhoon Wipha.

    An appropriate amount of the relief fund will be released to affected farmers according to established criteria, it added.

    Affected farmers who need to apply for the fund can register in person at the department’s Agricultural Extension Office at 5/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, or submit their applications online.

    Enquiries can be made by calling 2476 2424 during office hours.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Emergency relief fund for farmers affected by Typhoon Wipha

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Emergency relief fund for farmers affected by Typhoon Wipha 
         An AFCD spokesman said today (July 21) that an appropriate amount of the relief funding would be released to affected farmers according to established criteria.
     
         The department’s preliminary investigation has revealed that about 300 hectares of farmland in the New Territories were affected by Typhoon Wipha.
     
         “After each typhoon or natural disaster, AFCD staff will inspect farmland areas in the New Territories to assess the resultant damage. Depending on the extent of the damage, the department may launch an operation to provide some relief to affected farmers,” the spokesman said.
     
         Affected farmers who need to apply for the fund can submit their applications in person at the Agricultural Extension Office of the AFCD at 5/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, or submit their applications online (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/agriculture/agr_loan/agr_loan_erf/agr_loan_erf.htmlIssued at HKT 18:00

    NNNN

    CategoriesMIL-OSI

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Six Months of Keeping America Safe Under President Trump and Secretary Noem

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Six Months of Keeping America Safe Under President Trump and Secretary Noem

    lass=”text-align-center”>DHS has accomplished more in six months than most Administrations achieve in an entire term
    WASHINGTON – In just six months, President Trump and Secretary Noem have delivered the American people a long list of victories in their mission to secure the homeland and Make America Safe Again

     
    Under their leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has closed the southern border, removed violent criminal illegal aliens, restored law and order to our immigration system, supported Americans in times of crisis, revolutionized our Coast Guard to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, and kept Americans safe

     
    Secured the Southern Border 

    On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border

        
    President Trump immediately reinstated “Remain in Mexico” and ended catch-and-release

     
    Daily border encounters have plunged by 93% since President Trump took office

    Under President Trump’s leadership, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has located over 10,000 unaccompanied children

    Migrants are turning BACK before they even reach our border— migration through Panama’s Darien Gap is down 99%

    President Trump—with $46

    5 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill—is finishing the border wall

    DHS already has more than 85 miles either planned or under construction with funding from the prior year, in addition to hundreds of miles that are now planned to be funded by the bill

     President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill also includes over $5 billion for new technology and border surveillance

    With the Big Beautiful Bill, CBP will get the resources they need to keep America safe, including $4

    1 billion to hire additional personnel, including 5,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents

    In June, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had the lowest number of nationwide encounters in CBP history at 25,228

    The number of nationwide apprehensions in June was also a historic low of just 8,024

       
    Notably, on June 28, Border Patrol recorded only 136 apprehensions across the entire Southwest Border—the lowest single-day total in agency history

    And in both May and June, U

    S

    Border Patrol reported zero parole releases—reinforcing the Administration’s commitment to ending catch-and-release policies

    Removed the Worst of the Worst Illegal Aliens  

    The Trump Administration empowered our brave men and women in law enforcement to use common sense to do their jobs effectively

     
    DHS returned to using the term “illegal alien” which is the statutory language

    President Trump will not allow political correctness to hinder law enforcement

     
    The Trump administration has arrested more than 300,000 illegal aliens in 2025 alone

    70% of ICE arrests are criminal illegal aliens with criminal charges or convictions

         
    The Big Beautiful Bill will allow ICE to arrest and remove even more criminal aliens by providing $14

    4 billion for removals, 10,000 new ICE agents, 80,000 new ICE beds, and a $10,000 signing bonus for new ICE agents

    This will help ICE achieve as many as 1 million deportations per year

    As part of 287(g), DHS partnered with the State of Florida and opened Alligator Alcatraz, giving the Trump administration the capability to lock up some of the worst scumbags who entered the country illegally under the previous administration

    The new facility expands facility and bed space by the thousands

    Operation Tidal Wave, the first 287(g) enforcement operation coordinated with state and federal law enforcement partners, resulted in over 800 arrests

    President Trump and Secretary Noem are empowering state and local law enforcement to get these criminal illegal aliens off our streets

    DHS has secured more than 800 signed agreements with state and local partnerships under 287(g)

        
    At the direction of President Trump, CBP and ICE began widescale immigration enforcement operations in sanctuary city Los Angeles and southern California

    The month-long operation resulted in arresting some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens

    In July, federal law enforcement officers executed criminal warrant operations at marijuana grow sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo

    At least 14 migrant children have been rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking

    Federal officers also arrested at least 361 illegal aliens from both sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo

    After weeks of delays by activist judges, the Department of Homeland Security finally deported eight barbaric, violent criminal illegal aliens to South Sudan

    Delivering Justice for Victims of Illegal Immigration  

    President Trump and Secretary Noem reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office, which was shuttered by the Biden Administration

    President Trump and Secretary Noem are standing up for the victims of illegal alien crime and ensuring they have access to much needed resources and support they deserve

    Incentivizing Historic Self-Deportations 

    President Trump ended the CBP One app that allowed more than one million aliens to illegally enter the U

    S

    The Trump Administration replaced this disastrous program with the CBP Home app, which has a new self-deportation reporting feature for aliens illegally in the country

    President Trump launched Project Homecoming through a presidential EO

    The United States is also offering any illegal alien who uses the CBP Home App a stipend of $1,000 dollars, paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app

    So far, tens of thousands of illegal aliens have used the app to self-deport

     
    In addition to offering CBP Home, DHS announced illegal aliens who self-deport through the app will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart the United States

     DHS also made CBP Home more user friendly by eliminating certain steps and making it easier than ever for illegal aliens to self-deport

    DHS and DOJ are enforcing our immigration laws and fining illegal aliens who do not depart when they are supposed to

    So far, nearly 10,000 fine notices have been issued by ICE

    Restoring Common Sense to America’s Legal Immigration System 

    President Trump ended the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returned the program to a case-by-case basis

    As part of this effort, Secretary Noem terminated the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela parole programs

    Following victory at the U

    S

    Supreme Court, DHS began sending termination notices in June, informing the illegal aliens both their parole is terminated, and their parole-based employment authorization is revoked – effective immediately

    DHS has returned the Temporary Protected Status immigration program to its original status: temporary

    No longer will this program be abused and exploited by illegal aliens

    Secretary Noem rescinded the previous administration’s extension of Venezuelan, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Afghan TPS

    Secretary Noem terminated Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification—meaning Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status—for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party

    It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from higher tuition to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments

    Harvard University repeatedly abused this privilege and even stonewalled DHS’s request for information

    Initiating a Golden Age in American Air Travel 

    Secretary Noem terminated the politically motivated Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a single terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers $200 million a year

    The program, under the guise of “national security,” was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies

    TSA ended the “shoes-off” travel policy, allowing passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints

    This change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience

    The Trump administration fully implemented REAL ID enforcement measures nationwide—a law signed 20 years ago

    REAL ID helps ensure that travelers are who they say they are and prevents fraud by criminals, terrorists, and illegal aliens

    Most travelers have not even noticed a difference because nearly 94% of travelers are already REAL ID compliant

    Secretary Noem ended collective bargaining for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Transportation Security Officers, which constrained TSA’s chief mission to safeguard our transportation systems

    Fixing Disaster Relief for the 21st Century 

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency is now shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens

    The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades

    President Trump has established the FEMA Review Council to provide recommendations on how to best conduct disaster relief at the federal level

     
    Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the FEMA Review Council is developing a comprehensive plan for necessary change

    DHS has empowered state and local governments to lead disaster relief efforts without interference from the federal government

    Provided Rapid and Effective Support to Flood Victims in Texas 

    Within moments of the flooding in Texas, DHS assets, including the U

    S

    Coast Guard (USCG), CBP Border Search, CBP BORSTAR, and FEMA personnel surged into unprecedented action alongside Texas first responders for search and rescue operations

    FEMA deployed 311 staffers delivering critical intelligence, aerial imagery, and shelter for 171 survivors

    Combined state and federal rescue efforts evacuated and rescued over 1,500 people

    Getting CISA Back on Mission 

    Under the Biden Administration, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) censored free speech and targeted Americans

    Under President Trump’s direction, DHS closed CISA’s politically weaponized offices and fired those responsible for abusing their power

    CISA is now back on-mission: Protecting Americans and critical infrastructure from cyberthreats

    CISA is shifting away from an all-hazards approach to a risk-informed approach, prioritizing resilience and action over mere information sharing

     
    CISA personnel are deployed across 10 regions in support of all 56 states/territories

     
    CISA is also on the front lines of defending America from cyberattacks

     
    CISA partnered with the FBI and NSA to ensure state and local governments have information and resources necessary for protection

    CISA is also providing security support for next year’s FIFA World Cup

    Secretary Noem discontinued the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) as a part of the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14217, Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, and removed members of the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), which CISA oversees

    Revolutionizing the Coast Guard 

    When President Trump came back into office, the Coast Guard faced its greatest readiness crisis since World War II because the Biden Administration left it underfunded and neglected

    President Trump’s order to surge Coast Guard assets to our maritime border changed the game

    In the first few months of the Trump Administration, the Coast Guard seized more cocaine and other illegal drugs than during the entirety of 2024

    For the first time in years, the Coast Guard expects to exceed its recruiting goals

    In Fiscal Year 2025, the Coast Guard has brought in more than 4,250 recruits – 1,200 more than the same time last year

    That’s 108% over the goal

    Under Biden, the Coast Guard fell short of its recruiting goals four years straight

    Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the Coast Guard is unleashing “Force Design 2028,” a revolutionary new blueprint that will make the Coast Guard more agile, more capable, and more responsive than ever before

    Standing up for the American taxpayer 

    The United States Coast Guard (USCG) eliminated an ineffective information technology (IT) program, saving nearly $33 million, and is now focusing resources where they’re most needed to protect our homeland

     
    USCG partially terminated a wasteful Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG), which has been slow to deliver four OPCs, harming U

    S

    defense capabilities

    The Trump Administration stopped aliens on the Terror Watchlist from receiving Medicaid benefits

         
    Secretary Noem cancelled CISA’s expensive headquarters project, saving taxpayers over half a billion dollars

    To stop policies that were magnets for illegal immigration, DHS froze all funding to non-governmental organizations that facilitate illegal immigration and announced a partnership with the U

    S

    Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure taxpayer dollars do not go to housing illegal aliens

     
    ###  

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Development Bureau and relevant departments proactively follow up on relief work after passage of Typhoon Wipha

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    A spokesman for the Development Bureau today (July 20) said that its departments and relevant departments are making all-out efforts to carry out relief work after the passage of Typhoon Wipha, with a view to enabling the community to resume normalcy as soon as possible.
     
    As at 8pm today, the Government’s 1823 Call Centre and the Fire Services Department received 286 and 425 reports of fallen trees respectively. In order to remove fallen trees affecting carriageways and footpaths as early as possible, prior to the issuance of Strong Wind Signal No. 3 by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Highways Department has commenced inspections of carriageways across the territory to immediately remove fallen trees when necessary.
     
    During the passage of Typhoon Wipha, five reports of collapsed scaffolding were received as at 7pm. Among these, the Housing Department removed the scaffolding affecting Choi Hung Road at around 3pm and is making arrangement to dismantle the scaffolding collapsed on Wah King Street near Wah Fu Estate. The Architectural Services Department is striving to remove the scaffolding collapsed on Siu Sai Wan Road, with a view to resuming traffic soonest. There are two separate scaffoldings collapsed at private housing estates at Cloud View Road, North Point and Tin Hau Temple Road respectively. The former is affecting the outdoor carpark of the estate while the latter is affecting Tin Hau Temple Road. The Buildings Department (BD) is proactively following up with relevant owners’ corporations and the scaffolding affecting Tin Hau Temple Road will be removed as soon as possible.
     
    As at 6pm, the BD received 21 reports of building-related incidents, which mainly involve unstable windows. The BD is following up on 15 cases and has referred the remaining six cases to relevant departments for follow up.
     
    As at 8pm, the Drainage Services Department (DSD) has received seven confirmed cases of flooding at Lam Kam Road in Tai Po, Lung Cheung Road near Lung Cheung Mall, Lung Cheung Road near Ngau Chi Wan Village, Tai Hom Road in Wai Tai Sin, Clear Water Bay Road in Sai Kung, Chuk Yuen Road in Wong Tai Sin, and Ko Chiu Road in Yau Tong. The aforementioned cases have been resolved.
     
    As storm surge might lead to a rise in sea levels and increase the flooding risk in the area of Tai Po Market, the DSD made early preparation and implemented various flood prevention measures last night (July 19), including installing temporary water-filled flood barriers near Kwong Fuk Bridge along Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po, and placing water pumps in the vicinity of Tai Po Market and Sam Mun Tsai New Village. No report of flooding at the aforementioned locations has been received so far.
     
    Moreover, Typhoon Wipha did not result in any landslide incidents.
     
    The spokesman said the relevant departments have commenced a new round of special inspections after the issuance of Strong Wind Signal No. 3 by the Hong Kong Observatory to inspect roadside trees, structures (including external walls and signboards), slopes and construction sites, etc. to identity locations with potential risks after the passage of strong wind to ensure public safety. The Government urges members of the public to remain vigilant when going outdoors, and avoid staying under trees, signboards or structures with signs of concrete spalling, as well as in the vicinity of slopes. They may call the Government’s 1823 hotline to report dangerous trees, slopes and structures.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Typhoon Wipha roundup

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    As Typhoon Wipha is moving away from Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 7.40pm today (July 20). It replaced the No. 8 Southeast Gale or Storm Signal at 4.10pm today.
     
    As at 7pm today, the Home Affairs Department has opened 34 temporary shelters in various districts and 277 people have sought refuge at the shelters.
     
    As at 8pm today, the Government’s 1823 Call Centre and the Fire Services Department received 286 reports and 425 reports of fallen trees respectively, while the Drainage Services Department has received seven confirmed flooding cases. In addition, no report of landslide has been received so far.
     
    According to the Hospital Authority, as at 7.40pm today, 33 people (18 men and 15 women) have been injured during the typhoon period and received medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency Department of public hospitals.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Typhoon Wipha situation report (6)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The Hurricane Signal No. 10 issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 9.20am today (July 20) remains in force.
     
    The Home Affairs Department has so far opened 34 temporary shelters in various districts and 242 people have sought refuge at the shelters.
     
    As at 2pm today, the Government’s 1823 Call Centre and the Fire Services Department received 117 reports and 246 reports of fallen trees respectively. No report of landslide or flooding has been received so far.
     
    According to the Hospital Authority, as at 2pm today, 13 males and eight females have sought medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency Departments at public hospitals so far during the typhoon period.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Typhoon Wipha situation report (5)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The Hurricane Signal No. 10 issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 9.20am today (July 20) remains in force.
     
    The Home Affairs Department has so far opened 34 temporary shelters in various districts and 234 people have sought refuge at the shelters.
     
    As at 12 noon today, the Government’s 1823 Call Centre and the Fire Services Department received 76 reports and 164 reports of fallen trees respectively. No report of landslide or flooding has been received so far.
     
    According to the Hospital Authority, as at 12 noon today, seven males and seven females have sought medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency Departments at public hospitals so far during the typhoon period.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hospital Authority service arrangement

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

    The Hospital Authority (HA) announces that as the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 has been issued, its general out-patient clinics will be closed today (July 20). Outpatients are advised to make a new appointment after the cancellation of the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8. The service of Accident & Emergency Department of public hospitals remains normal.
     
    The HA has made preparations to cope with the adverse weather conditions and established contingency plans for inclement weather. Drills have been conducted to ensure uninterrupted medical services across all public hospitals. Also, the HA has reminded all clusters to conduct a comprehensive review of their preparedness to effectively respond to adverse weather conditions.
     
    All clusters have allocated additional manpower, food and medical supplies to maintain normal hospital operations. Enhanced inspections have been carried out at various locations within public hospitals, including potential flood-prone areas, drainage systems and trees. Furthermore, contractors of HA construction sites have been instructed to implement proper reinforcement and safety precautionary measures against strong wind and heavy rain to minimise the impact of severe weather.
     
    The HA Major Incident Control Centre will closely monitor the operations of all hospitals and maintain close communication with relevant government departments to ensure public hospital services remain unaffected during adverse weather conditions.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Care centres, services units and SWD welfare units operating on Sundays and public holidays will not open

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

    Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:

    “The Social Welfare Department announces that as Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is now hoisted, all welfare services units of the department, services units providing after school care programmes for primary school children and elderly services centres will not open to the public. After the No. 8 signal is cancelled, those centres and units that normally operate on Sundays and public holidays will resume normal operation in two hours, if the weather and conditions permit.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Classes of all day schools are suspended today

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    As the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is now in force, classes of all day schools, including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens, and kindergarten-cum-child care centres, are suspended today (July 20). If classes of evening schools are required to be suspended tonight, the Education Bureau will make the announcement in due course.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LD urges employers and employees to make work arrangements in times of tropical cyclones and rainstorms

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (T8) will soon be in force, the Labour Department (LD) today (July 19) reminded employers to make work arrangements for employees during and after tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings and extreme conditions, including arrangements on reporting for duty, release from work, resumption of work and remote work (if applicable). 
          
         An LD spokesman said, “In drawing up and implementing the work arrangements, apart from factors such as operational needs of establishments, employers should give prime consideration to employees’ safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces. Employers should also give consideration as much as possible to the different situations faced by individual employees, such as their place of residence and the road and traffic conditions in the vicinity, and adopt a sympathetic and flexible approach with due regard to their actual difficulties and needs. For example, employers may permit employees who have difficulties in returning to workplaces to work remotely (if applicable) or allow more time for them to report for duty and resume work.”
          
         If the Government makes an extreme conditions announcement, apart from those required by employers to report for duty at workplaces, employees are advised to stay in the place they are currently in or in safe places when extreme conditions are in force, instead of heading for work. Employees who have already reported for duty at workplaces could continue to work as usual in a safe manner. If the workplaces are in danger, employers should release staff from work early under feasible conditions and in a safe manner, or make available a safe place as temporary shelter for employees. If the working time ends while extreme conditions are still in force, employers can release employees from workplaces in a safe manner or provide a suitable area as temporary shelter for those still at workplaces.
          
         If it is necessary for employees to report for duty at workplaces under adverse weather or extreme conditions, employers should work out arrangements for their transportation, safety, meals, rest places and more. If public transport services are suspended or limited when there is a T8 signal or higher, or extreme conditions are in force, employers should provide safe transport services for employees travelling to and from workplaces, or grant them an extra travelling allowance.
          
         The spokesman reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees’ Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.
          
         The LD has published the “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions’”, which provides the major principles, reference guidelines and information on relevant legislation on making work arrangements for the reference of employers and employees. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department’s webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf). 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IAC 2025: “Ace Agent’s Writing class” Parent-child Creative Workshop event cancelled

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Attention TV & Radio Announcers:

    The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced that the event IAC 2025: “Ace Agent’s Writing class” Parent-child Creative Workshop scheduled for tomorrow at Cultural Activities Hall, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre at 3pm has been postponed due to the issuance of Typhoon Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8.

     For enquiries, please call 2550 7309 (Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Service suspension of Children Community Vaccination Centre and Private Clinic COVID-19 Community Vaccination Stations tomorrow

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

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

         As the Hong Kong Observatory will issue Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 tomorrow (July 20), the Government announced that the Children Community Vaccination Centre (CCVC) and Private Clinic COVID-19 Vaccination Stations (PCVSs) under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme will remain closed tomorrow and their vaccination service will be suspended. 

         If the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 is cancelled before 1pm tomorrow, the CCVC and PCVSs will reopen and resume vaccination service two hours after the cancellation and they will operate until the normal closing time. 

         Affected persons can make a new vaccination appointment through the booking system on the website of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (booking.covidvaccine.gov.hk) after the scheduled time of the original booking.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Fujian Province Activates Emergency Response Over Typhoon Flood Threat

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    FUZHOU, July 21 (Xinhua) — East China’s Fujian Province issued a Level 4 emergency response at 8 a.m. Monday to address the flood threat posed by Typhoon Wipha, the provincial flood and drought relief headquarters said.

    Under the influence of the outer circulation of Typhoon Wipha, the sixth this year, heavy rains and downpours have been lashing coastal areas of Fujian Province since Sunday.

    According to meteorological services, heavy rains will continue in some areas of the province over the next three days.

    The Provincial Flood and Drought Management Headquarters calls for heightened vigilance against severe weather. All districts and agencies must quickly adopt or make necessary adjustments to emergency response measures, with increased emphasis on monitoring, early warning, and joint consultation to assess risks.

    It is necessary to carefully formulate and implement a large-scale strategy to mitigate the impact of heavy rainfall disasters and respond to secondary hazards such as flash floods in mountainous areas, floods in small and medium-sized rivers, geological disasters and urban flooding, the headquarters stressed.

    On Sunday at around 8:15 p.m., Vipha made landfall for the second time as a strong tropical storm near Hailing Island in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, southern China. Maximum sustained winds near its epicenter reached 25 meters per second.

    China has a four-tier emergency response system, with tier one being the most serious. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Fighting climate change with financial finesse

    Source: European Investment Bank

    The Central Bank of Kenya. Central Bank of Kenya

    Climate change knows no borders – as Kenya can tell you. The country is routinely hit by weather disasters.

    “Every five to ten years, the country experiences either very heavy rains that cause floods or persistent drought,” says Reuben Chepng’ar, the senior manager in the Banking Supervision Department at the Central Bank of Kenya.

    By the year 2030, Kenya aspires to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32%. This work is expected to cost $62 billion, but the government says it can raise only $8 billion. The investment shortfall of $54 billion is expected to come from the private sector and global development institutions, such as the European Investment Bank and the Internal Monetary Fund.

    The Central Bank of Kenya is trying to help commercial banks support more green projects, enhance their climate-related risk reporting and attract foreign investors. The Central Bank used technical assistance from the European Investment Bank to create new climate investing and reporting guidelines in the country.

    The European Investment Bank collaborated with Kenya’s Central Bank to develop two guidelines under a programme known as Greening Financial Systems technical assistance. EIB consultants worked with the Central Bank and local banks from 2023 to 2025 to develop regulations that commercial banks must follow for climate reporting and green investments.

    The EIB support to the Central Bank was financed through the IKI Fund, an EIB trust fund backed by Germany to help climate action initiatives in emerging countries. The IKI Fund highlights the importance of international cooperation and knowledge sharing. Since climate risks transcend borders, coordinated action among global institutions is essential to ensure that local financial systems are aligned with global sustainability objectives. The European Investment Bank oversees a group of trust funds that are financed by EU countries and the European Commission. These funds provide grants, technical assistance and loan guarantees around the world.

    Marjan Stojiljkovic was a team lead for the EIB technical assistance programme in Kenya. He is a climate finance consultant who offers training around the world to banks on sustainability reporting requirements and managing risks related to green lending.

    “One objective of this project was how to internalise and measure the impacts of climate risk on banking operations in Kenya, because climate risks are real and they have impacts on the financial sector,” Stojiljkovic says.

    After a series of meetings and workshops, the central bank created two sets of policy guidelines to help commercial banks improve climate risk reporting. One is the Kenya Green Finance Taxonomy and the other is the Climate Risk Management Framework. The green taxonomy is the fourth to be adopted in Africa, after South Africa, Rwanda and Ghana. The taxonomy is based on the EU green taxonomy that provides a clear classification system for sustainable economic activities and guidance on assessment and reporting. One aim is to prevent greenwashing, or the exaggeration of the benefits projects bring. Another aim is to increase sustainable investments, particularly by attracting foreign investment. The climate risk framework was designed to increase transparency in Kenya’s financial sector and encourage businesses to adopt more sustainable practices.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HAD’s emergency hotline stood down

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

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

         As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 has been cancelled, the Home Affairs Department’s emergency hotline 2572 8427 has ceased to operate.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Introducing the new ACT Climate Change Council

    Source: Australian National Party

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 21/07/2025

    A new Chair and general members have been appointed to the ACT Climate Change Council for a 3-year term following a recruitment process.

    The eight members of the Council are representatives of the Canberra community with a wide range of expertise, skills and experience. Their insights will be vital as the ACT builds a climate-resilient city and community and continues to work on new and innovative methods to achieve net zero by 2045.

    The new members work across a variety of areas in the ACT including energy innovation and the energy transition, public health, climate change adaptation and resilience, youth engagement, and social and economic sciences.

    Dr Arnagretta Hunter will Chair the Council through her second term on the committee after joining in 2022.

    The ACT Government has also appointed the first of 2 dedicated Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander positions, with Stephen Mudford formally joining the Council after participating previously as an Observer. Madison Barancewicz also joins as the Council’s first ever youth representative.

    The new appointments of the ACT Climate Change Council are:

    • Dr Arnagretta Hunter – (Chair)
    • Stephen Mudford (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Member)
    • Madison Barancewicz (General Member)
    • Dean Spaccavento (General Member)
    • Professor Jacki Schirmer (General Member)
    • Associate Professor Rebecca Colvin (General Member)
    • Dr Rosemary McFarlane (General Member)
    • Dr Heinz Schandl (General Member)

    The new Council will work with the Canberra community to ensure their views can be reflected in the advice provided to the Minister.

    Recruitment will be undertaken for a second dedicated Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander position, as outlined in the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act 2010. The government will continue working with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to fill this position.

    Find out more about the ACT Climate Change Council on the Everyday Climate Choices website.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Suzanne Orr:

    The ACT Climate Change Council provides valuable, independent expertise and advice to help guide and inform the development of government climate change and energy policy. The ACT has an ambitious target of becoming a zero-emissions territory by 2045.

    Whilst we are making progress towards achieving this goal, there is more work to be done and we need to shift to doing things differently. As a jurisdiction we’ve achieved a lot and we’re now arriving at an increasingly complex and challenging period of the transition.

    The diverse skills and expertise of the new ACT Climate Change Council will be important as we investigate further emissions reduction options for hard to abate and complex sectors, such as waste and transport.

    The new and diverse Climate Change Council seeks to better represent every corner of the Canberra community. The Council will play an important role in helping to shape the new ACT Climate Change Strategy, with a focus on changing and improving the way we reduce emissions and prepare and adapt for the impacts of climate change.

    I want to extend my gratitude to the outgoing members and the outgoing Chair, Professor Mark Howden, who have contributed significantly to the ACT’s nation-leading work on climate action.

    I look forward to working with the new Council to provide further benefits for the ACT community.

    Quotes attributable to Chair of the ACT Climate Change Council Dr Arnagretta Hunter:

    “It is an honour to accept another term with the ACT Climate Change Council and particularly to serve as its Chair. I’ve accepted this role because of the remarkable group that’s been assembled for this Council term. I’d like to thank our remarkable ACT community for their expertise and enthusiasm to be involved, and also congratulate the Minister on her work to achieve what will be a great Council.  With diverse skills, deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the changing climate, along with genuine community connection I believe the Council will continue to offer frank and fearless advice framed with compassion and engagement for the ACT today and into the future.

    “I’m particularly proud to do this work in Canberra. The ACT has been a global leader in climate change action and policy and, along with other significant challenges, climate change remains a focus and priority.  The past few years have offered us a glimpse of the challenges to come with increasing extreme weather events as the climate changes, we know that planning for our future is increasingly important.

    “This Council will balance our robust understanding of science and communities along with an imagination for our best future. Among other tasks, we will help frame the next iteration of the ACT Climate Change Strategy, offering what we hope is the best evidence and approach for our community”.

    – Statement ends –

    Suzanne Orr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No MDs are in effect as of Mon Jul 21 06:01:02 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Mesoscale DiscussionsUpdated:  Mon Jul 21 06:00:03 UTC 2025 No Mesoscale Discussions are currently in effect.

    Notice:  The responsibility for Heavy Rain Mesoscale Discussions has been transferred to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on April 9, 2013. Click here for the Service Change Notice.
    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: How are Australians adapting to climate change? Here are 729 ways

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tia Brullo, Research Fellow in Climate Change Adaptation, The University of Melbourne

    Australia’s climate is changing. To avoid catastrophic disruptions from successive supercharged disasters, society must adapt. But change takes time and it’s not always clear how much progress we’re making.

    We wanted to find out what Australia’s governments, industries and local groups are doing to adapt to climate change. Our work culminated in the Australian Adaptation Database, which captures more than 700 initiatives so far.

    Standout examples from this first national stocktake include Ramblers Reef in Victoria – an artificial reef of rocks and shells 500 metres offshore that has helped reduce coastal erosion. In Adelaide, urban cooling and greening projects are transforming the city and suburbs across 17 councils .

    Our project shows climate adaptation is happening in Australia, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. The more society can do now to prepare for change, the better off we’ll be in the long run.

    Urban greening is helping to cool the city of Adelaide.
    Ozitraveler, Shutterstock

    What does climate change adaptation in Australia look like?

    Australia is lagging behind many other nations when it comes to managing climate action. The federal government is yet to release its first national adaptation plan, while other countries are up to their third or fourth versions.

    Why track Australia’s progress in climate adaptation? First, it enables progress to be reported efficiently to governments and international bodies such as the United Nations.

    The database also helps people share knowledge. Anyone striving to improve their resilience to climate change can look to the database for ideas and inspiration.

    The data was mainly gathered from conversations we had with people in state and territory government departments, local government associations, not-for-profit organisations and private companies across Australia.

    On Wednesday, we will present the database at the opening of the national Climate Adaptation 2025 conference in Perth.

    The project shows the vast range of ways Australians are preparing for a warmer world. Examples include:

    • planting trees to cool cities such as Adelaide and rural towns such as Birchip in Victoria

    • building artificial reefs to protect the coastline on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong

    • changing land use on the Sunshine Coast and building levee banks to better manage flood risks in Roma, Queensland

    • restoring and rejuvenating the environment to reduce the impact of drought in Mulloon, New South Wales or flood risk in Brisbane

    • moving houses and businesses from hazardous locations such as Grantham in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley, and land swaps in South Murwillumbah.

    Anyone can explore and search the database. It’s not an exhaustive record of all climate adaptation in Australia, but provides more detail than ever before. It’s constantly being updated as new examples are added.

    But the database is only as good as the information we feed into it, so we need everyone to contribute. All you need to do is hit the “submit an entry” button on the homepage to get started.

    Artificial reefs such as Ramblers Reef help slow erosion (ABC News)

    The role of government: local, state and federal

    Much work to date in climate adaptation has involved laying the foundations for practical actions.

    For example, South Australia’s Climate Ready Coasts program aims to improve planning for coastal hazards. This joint effort between state and local governments make sense, given both have a role to play, and it helps ensure adaptation actions are efficient and coordinated.

    At the federal level, the Australian government has focused on funding for national disasters such as the Future Drought Fund. Another example, the Infrastructure Betterment Fund, involves making roads, rail, bridges and other infrastructure more resilient to climate change.

    Australia is yet to release its first National Adaptation Plan. This document is expected to clarify the federal role in climate adaptation.

    The private sector

    The private sector is beginning to adapt to climate change. Examples include:

    • relocating wine grape production to more suitable climates

    • creating new fireproof home designs

    • improving building standards, so properties are more resilient to extremes

    • preparing guidelines for the financial sector, to better manage the risk to investments

    • planning more climate-resilient property developments

    • adopting new farming technologies and supporting more regenerative agriculture.

    Knowledge sharing and capacity building

    We also found extensive efforts to communicate and share information about adapting to change.

    Such activities include knowledge building for organisations and communities through workshops, training sessions and simulation games.

    Examples include Western Australia’s “being waterwise in the home” tips, and Hobart’s Sparking Conversations, Igniting Action Program for bushfire preparedness. These activities help lay the groundwork for practical action.

    Change is hard, but Australia is finally making some progress in climate adaptation.
    Markus Spiske, Unsplash., CC BY

    What’s next?

    Our research shows the policy and governance mechanisms to drive adaptation are largely in place. The knowledge and networks to support meaningful action are gradually being developed.

    But the next “heavy lifting” phase – putting plans into action – is yet to begin in earnest.

    There’s a clear need to channel funding to those best placed to deliver frontline projects and programs, especially local governments and community organisations.

    The Australian Local Government Association is calling for a A$400 million climate adaptation fund to support Australian councils to deliver place-based adaptation actions.

    Last year, the Australian Council of Social Services called for a $2 billion investment in a national housing retrofit program to make Australia’s 670,000 low-income houses cooler in summer to reduce illness and death from extreme temperatures. Neither of these calls has been answered.

    Let’s get moving

    This research is part of a three-year project exploring how to encourage and promote best practice in adapting to climate change across Australia.

    The next step is to measure progress around climate adaptation, which is difficult and rarely done – even though it’s required under the Paris Agreement.

    The good news is Australia has made a start, but there is much more to do to ensure the wellbeing of our country through a changing climate.

    Tia Brullo receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub Project Number CS2.1

    Elissa Waters receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub Project Number CS2.1 and Australian Climate Service.

    Jon Barnett receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub Project Number CS2.1

    Sarah Boulter receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub.

    – ref. How are Australians adapting to climate change? Here are 729 ways – https://theconversation.com/how-are-australians-adapting-to-climate-change-here-are-729-ways-256446

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Roadmap to rebuild trust in water sector unveiled in major new report

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Roadmap to rebuild trust in water sector unveiled in major new report

    Sir Jon Cunliffe publishes final recommendations

    A new integrated regulator for water, stronger consumer advocacy and 9 new regional water authorities to deliver on local priorities are among the final recommendations set out today (21 July) by the Independent Water Commission.

    Chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, the Commission sets out 88 recommendations in its report to the UK and Welsh governments to transform the sector.

    The report covers how the system is regulated, how to manage the competing demands on water, how water companies are governed and how critical water infrastructure is kept resilient both now and in the future.

    It follows just under nine months of extensive engagement, analysis and research, including the 50,000+ responses submitted to the Commission’s Call for Evidence.

    Key recommendations include:

    1. Single integrated water regulators. The report recommends a single water regulator in England and a single water regulator in Wales. In England this would replace Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and water-environment related functions from the Environment Agency and Natural England. In Wales, Ofwat’s economic responsibilities would be integrated into Natural Resources Wales. Water is a complex sector responsible for the second-largest infrastructure programme in the UK. Water companies will spend £104 billion on investment and operation over the next 5 years. Climate change, population growth and economic development will put huge pressure on water systems over the coming decades. The current regulatory landscape is fragmented and overlapping and fully joined-up regulation is essential for the system to meet the demands of the future and ensure that private water companies act in the public as well as the private interest. A powerful, single regulator for water would simplify the system, reduce duplication, close regulatory gaps and ensure a much stronger “whole-firm” view of each company.* It would also improve investor confidence through a more stable regulatory regime. In making this recommendation, the Commission has looked closely at other regulatory models such as Ofcom.**

    2. Eight new regional water system planning authorities in England and one national authority in Wales. As part of a radical overhaul of water system planning, the report recommends devolving current planning responsibilities and transferring resources from the regulators to 9 new regional water authorities. These would be responsible for developing water investment plans that reflect local priorities and voices. They would streamline existing planning processes and be empowered to direct funding and ensure accountability from all sectors that impact water.  They would be independent and include representation from local councils, public health, environment, agriculture and consumers, among others.

    3. Greater consumer protection. The Commission sets out proposals to improve affordability and customer service. That includes upgrading the consumer body CCW into an Ombudsman for Water to give stronger protection to customers and a clearer route to resolving complaints. It then proposes transfer responsibility for consumer advocacy to Citizens Advice. The Commission also recommends the introduction of a national social tariff to provide consistent support for low-income customers who need support to pay their bills. This will help address the widely different levels of support currently in place, with caps on bills varying by £100s in different parts of the country.

    4. Stronger environmental regulation. The report recommends significant improvements to areas such as Operator Self-Monitoring through greater digitalisation, automation, third-party assurance and inspections. It proposes stronger regulation on abstraction, sludge, drinking water standards and water supply. After one of the driest springs on record, it recommends compulsory water metering, changes to wholesale tariffs for industrial users and greater water reuse and rainwater harvesting schemes. It also sets out where environmental legislation needs updating and why, including proposals for a new long-term and legally binding target for the water environment.

    5. Tighter oversight of water company ownership and governance. The Commission recommends new powers for the regulator to block changes in water company ownership – for example, where investors are not seen to be prioritising the long-term interests of the company and its customers – as well as potential new ‘public benefit’ clauses in water company licences. It recommends that the regulator set “minimum capital” requirements so that companies are less reliant on debt and more financially resilient. On investment, the report sets out proposals to improve investor confidence, including government direction to the regulator to support stability and predictability for long-term investors.  

    6. Public health reforms: The report covers legislative reforms to better manage public health risks in water, recognising the many people who swim, surf and enjoy other water-based activities. These include a) new public health objectives in water quality legislation b) senior public health representation on regional water planning authorities and c) legislative changes to address emerging pollutants such as PFAS, micropollutants and microplastics.

    7. Fundamental reset of economic regulation. More detail is set out on the Commission’s recommendation for a new ‘supervisory’ approach to economic regulation, supporting tailored decisions and earlier interventions in water company oversight. The report also makes recommendations on the Price Review process, including changes to ensure companies are investing in and maintaining assets and to help attract long-term, low-risk investment.

    8. Clear strategic direction. A new long-term National Water Strategy should be published by both the UK and Welsh governments. This should have a minimum horizon of 25 years, with interim milestones on a 5 and 10 year basis. It should be cross-sectoral, with a clear framework for managing the many demands on water. A set of ministerial priorities specifically for the water industry should also be issued to regulators every five years, replacing the current Strategic Policy Statement (SPS). A clear long-term strategy will help drive the right outcomes for consumers, growth and the environment and support long-term investment planning.

    9. Infrastructure & asset health reforms. The report sets out a marked step change in how water infrastructure is managed, monitored and delivered – essential for safeguarding the provision of water and wastewater management for future generations. That includes new requirements for companies to map and assess their assets and new resilience standards that are forward-looking and applied consistently across the industry.

    Sir Jon Cunliffe said:

    Restoring trust has been central to our work. Trust that bills are fair, that regulation is effective, that water companies will act in the public interest and that investors can get a fair return.

    Our recommendations to achieve this are significant. They include the management of the whole water system, regulation of the water industry, the governance and financial resilience of water companies and a stronger voice for local communities and water customers.

    In this report I have considered what is best for the long-term future of water.  This is a complex sector with a highly integrated system, responsible for the second-largest infrastructure programme in the UK.

    Resetting this sector and restoring pride in the future of our waterways matters to us all. In countless conversations in the last nine months I have been struck by the urgent need and passion for change. Doing this will require hard work, strong leadership and sustained commitment. But it can and must be done.

    I am grateful to all to all those who have contributed generously and constructively to our work with their time, expertise and challenge.

    The final report also shares recommendations on implementation, including which reforms can be delivered in the short-term and which require new primary legislation.

    As set out in the Terms of Reference, the Commission has operated independently of UK and Welsh Ministers.

    Sir Jon Cunliffe has been supported by an expert Advisory Group, with leading voices from areas including the environment, public health, consumers, economics and investment.

    Notes to editors

    • The full report is available here: Independent Water Commission final report
    • Sir Jon Cunliffe was appointed on 22 October 2024 to lead the Independent Water Commission. His Terms of Reference were published on gov.uk. 
    • The Commission launched an eight-week Call for Evidence on 27 February 2025. The Commission’s interim report was published on 3 June.
    • *The Commission has looked in detail at the challenges within the existing regulatory framework. The existing model of multiple regulators makes it difficult for the regulatory system to come to a clear, overall view of a water company’s performance and the challenges it faces. Enforcement action in some areas has been described as duplicative. Elsewhere, there are gaps in the oversight of asset health and monitoring water infrastructure delivery. There is an inherent complexity in the current system whereby the EA, NRW and the DWI set the requirements that determine much of water company costs, while Ofwat subsequently determines the revenues companies can receive from water bills to cover those costs. 
    • **Ofcom was established through combining five existing regulators into one. Further detail is covered in Chapter 4 of the final report. 
    • ***Social tariff variability: Evidence returned via the Commission’s Call for Evidence set out the differing levels of support a low-earner would receive under 2024/25 rates depending on where they lived. For example, a single parent with one child, working part-time and receiving Universal Credit with an income under £19,000 per year would have an annual water bill capped at £91.12 in Portsmouth, compared to £364 in Bradford.

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    Published 21 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China raises emergency response level for Typhoon Wipha in Guangdong, Hainan

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — China’s National Flood and Drought Control Headquarters on Sunday raised the flood and typhoon response in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan to Level 3 in response to Typhoon Wipha.

    The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region remains in a Level 4 emergency response mode due to the typhoon.

    According to meteorologists, heavy rains are likely in some areas of Hainan and Guangdong provinces from Sunday to Monday.

    Meanwhile, central authorities including the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the State Food and Material Administration have sent a batch of relief supplies to Guangdong and Hainan. The supplies include 33,000 items such as folding beds, blankets and lamps.

    China has a four-tier emergency response system, with tier one being the most serious. -0-

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why has a bill to relax foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process – this time for foreign investment in New Zealand. But it has had almost no public scrutiny.

    If the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill becomes law, it could have far-reaching consequences. Public submissions on the bill close on July 23.

    A product of the ACT-National coalition agreement, the bill commits to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 “to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more timely”.

    There are valid concerns that piecemeal reforms to the current act have made it complex and unwieldy. But the new bill is equally convoluted and would significantly reduce effective scrutiny of foreign investments – especially in forestry.

    A three-step test

    Step one of a three-step process set out in the bill gives the regulator – the Overseas Investment Office which sits within Land Information NZ – 15 days to decide whether a proposed investment would be a risk to New Zealand’s “national interest”.

    If they don’t perceive a risk, or that initial assessment is not completed in time, the application is automatically approved.

    Transactions involving fisheries quotas and various land categories, or any other applications the regulator identifies, will require a “national interest” assessment under stage two.

    These would be assessed against a “ministerial letter” that sets out the government’s general policy and preferred approach to conducting the assessment, including any conditions on approvals.

    Other mandatory factors to be considered in the second stage include the act’s new “purpose” to increase economic opportunity through “timely consent” of less sensitive investments. The new test would allow scrutiny of the character and capability of the investor to be omitted altogether.

    If the regulator considers the national interest test is not met, or the transaction is “contrary to the national interest”, the minister of finance then makes a decision based on their assessment of those factors.

    Inadequate regulatory process

    Seymour has blamed the current screening regime for low volumes of foreign investment. But Treasury’s 2024 regulatory impact statement on the proposed changes to international investment screening acknowledges many other factors that influence investor decisions.

    Moreover, the Treasury statement acknowledges public views that foreign investment rules should “manage a wide range of risks” and “that there is inherent non-economic value in retaining domestic ownership of certain assets”.

    Treasury officials also recognised a range of other public concerns, including profits going offshore, loss of jobs, and foreign control of iconic businesses.

    The regulatory impact statement did not cover these factors because it was required to consider only the coalition commitment. The Treasury panel reported “notable limitations” on the bill’s quality assurance process.

    A fuller review was “infeasible” because it could not be completed in the time required, and would be broader than necessary to meet the coalition commitment to amend the act in the prescribed way.

    The requirement to implement the bill in this parliamentary term meant the options officials could consider, even within the scope of the coalition agreement, were further limited.

    Time constraints meant “users and key stakeholders have not been consulted”, according to the Treasury statement. Environmental and other risks would have to be managed through other regulations. There is no reference to te Tiriti o Waitangi or mana whenua engagement.

    Forestry ‘slash’ after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023: no need to consider foreign investors’ track records.
    Getty Images

    No ‘benefit to NZ’ test

    While the bill largely retains a version of the current screening regime for residential and farm land, it removes existing forestry activities from that definition (but not new forestry on non-forest land). It also removes extraction of water for bottling, or other bulk extraction for human consumption, from special vetting.

    Where sensitive land (such as islands, coastal areas, conservation and wahi tapu land) is not residential or farm land, it would be removed from special screening rules currently applied for land.

    Repeal of the “special forestry test” – which in practice has seen most applications approved, albeit with conditions – means most forestry investments could be fast-tracked.

    There would no longer be a need to consider investors’ track records or apply a “benefit to New Zealand” test. Regulators may or may not be empowered to impose conditions such as replanting or cleaning up slash.

    The official documents don’t explain the rationale for this. But it looks like a win for Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, and was perhaps the price of NZ First’s support.

    It has potentially serious implications for forestry communities affected by climate-related disasters, however. Further weakening scrutiny and investment conditions risks intensifying the already devastating impacts of international forestry companies. Taxpayers and ratepayers pick up the costs while the companies can minimise their taxes and send profits offshore.

    Locked in forever?

    Finally, these changes could be locked in through New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Several such agreements say New Zealand’s investment regime cannot become more restrictive than the 2005 act and its regulations.

    A “ratchet clause” would lock in any further liberalisation through this bill, from which there is no going back.

    However, another annex in those free trade agreements could be interpreted as allowing some flexibility to alter the screening rules and criteria in the future. None of the official documents address this crucial question. As an academic expert in this area I am uncertain about the risk.

    But the lack of clarity underlines the problems exemplified in this bill. It is another example of coalition agreements bypassing democratic scrutiny and informed decision making. More public debate and broad analysis is needed on the bill and its implications.

    Jane Kelsey has received funding from the Marsden Fund for research related to New Zealand’s foreign investment regime and international agreements.

    – ref. Why has a bill to relax foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny? – https://theconversation.com/why-has-a-bill-to-relax-foreign-investment-rules-had-so-little-scrutiny-261370

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: China raises level of emergency response to Typhoon Wipha in Guangdong, Hainan

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

    China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday upgraded its emergency response for flood and typhoon control to Level III in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan in response to Typhoon Wipha.

    It maintained the Level IV emergency response to the typhoon in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    According to meteorological forecasts, Wipha is likely to bring rainstorms and heavy downpours to parts of Hainan and Guangdong from Sunday to Monday.

    Meanwhile, a batch of relief supplies had been dispatched to Guangdong and Hainan by central authorities including the office of the national commission for disaster prevention, reduction and relief, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration. These supplies comprise 33,000 items such as folding beds, quilts and lamps.

    China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Work begins soon to raise flood-prone area near Te Karaka, SH2

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Work begins soon on a major flood resilience project – Hakanui Straight (formerly Nesbitt’s Dip) – on State Highway 2 near Te Karaka.

    The upgrade will see an 850 metres long flood-prone section of the highway raised by 3 metres, new drainage installed, the main culvert for Hakanui Stream replaced and safety barriers installed. 

    The work is being delivered by Transport Rebuild East Coast (TREC) and local contractor crews, and is one of two projects which have been added to the recovery programme funded by savings found from other projects. The second project will involve flood resilience on SH35 at Rototahe.

    TREC project manager Richard Bayley says the work will keep communities connected and freight moving and ensure a stronger, safer and more reliable route.

    Mr Bayley says in the past this stretch of road had to close during heavy weather events because the area is prone to flooding.

    “These closures create disruption for communities and the flow of freight, as well as causing safety risks for emergency services.

    “To reduce the risk of future flooding, we’re raising the highway and upgrading drainage, making it stronger, safer, and more reliable for everyday travel and emergency response.

    “The Hakanui Straight project spans a vital link for freight between the Bay of Plenty and the East Coast, and ensuring its resilience is essential for businesses, residents, and regional connectivity,” says Mr Bayley.

    The improvements being made are particularly significant for Te Karaka residents, who faced severe flooding during Cyclone Gabrielle when water breached the stopbanks of the Waipaoa River. In the early hours of 14 February 2023, around 500 residents evacuated to surrounding hills, watching as the floodwaters overtook their homes, workplaces, and marae. 

    Kaitiaki of Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Pimia Wehi, says working with TREC throughout the design process has been crucial in ensuring the upgrade meets the community’s needs. 

    “This is a huge step forward for Te Karaka, Puha, and Whatatutu. The devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle is still fresh in our minds as families lost their homes, businesses were destroyed, and many of us were stranded without communication for more than a day,” says Pimia Wehi. 

    “Seeing this work begin is a relief. It means our people will have better access to emergency routes and won’t have to face being completely cut off again.” 

    Mr Bayley says early enabling work, such as the site office establishment, fencing and services relocation, is expected to begin this week, weather permitting.

    “Road users aren’t likely to notice too much activity until the physical work begins, which is expected next month.

    “At that stage, short traffic delays are expected while crews carry out the upgrades. Traffic will be managed by closing the road shoulder during early works, followed by one lane closures with stop/go to maintain two-way traffic during major works with reduced speed limits along the work site.

    “Please drive to the conditions and be aware of the increased truck movements and trucks crossing the road.”

    About the name Hakanui Straight

    The project name is ‘Hakanui Straight’ but was formerly Nesbitt’s Dip. This is a change requested by hapū and Iwi representatives as the name reflects the area’s cultural and historical significance. The Hakanui Stream was important for local food gathering, mahinga kai, and as a travel route for waka.

    With the road being elevated to ensure safer and quicker evacuations during floods, ‘Straight’ (rather than ‘Dip’), embodies strength, directness, and a clear path forward.

    What’s changing at Hakanui Straight?

    • An 850-metre section of SH2 will be raised by approximately three metres to reduce flood risks and keep the road open in severe weather. 
    • The Hakanui Stream culvert will be upgraded with a larger, 1.8-metre-diameter structure to handle higher water volumes, prevent highway flooding and allow safe fish passage to protect local aquatic life.

    For more updates, visit the SH2 Tairāwhiti recovery project page 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    July 21, 2025
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