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Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ21: Fire safety of old buildings

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Following is a question by the Hon Vincent Cheng and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
     
    Question:
     
    It has been reported that a No. 3 alarm fire broke out at New Lucky House in Jordan in April last year, resulting in five deaths and 40 injuries of members of the public. This Council subsequently passed the Fire Safety (Buildings) (Amendment) Bill 2024 (the Bill) in December last year to enable the Government to carry out fire safety improvement works for target building owners who fail to comply with the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance, and to increase the penalties imposed on persons who fail to comply with Fire Safety Directions, etc., so as to enhance the fire safety standards of old buildings. However, it is learnt that at present, there are still cases with, among others, public passageways obstructed by miscellaneous articles and smoke stop doors not closed in individual composite buildings and factory buildings. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that the Hong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD) indicated in January this year that the authorities had inspected about 1 000 old buildings with higher risk and issued more than 8 600 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs), of the percentage of “three-nil buildings” among such buildings, the number of persons prosecuted and convicted, and the reasons why they were prosecuted, with a breakdown by the 18 districts across the territory;
     
    (2) given that the authorities issued FHANs to or took enforcement actions against the non-compliant buildings during the inspections of the buildings mentioned in (1), of the compliance rate of the buildings concerned so far; whether the authorities will further inspect the buildings concerned on a regular basis; if so, of the details;
     
    (3) of the number of old buildings which the authorities will proactively inspect in the coming year;
     
    (4) given that according to the paper submitted by the Government to the Panel on Security of this Council in December last year, the FSD will select 10 to 20 old buildings at the initial stage after the passage of the Bill for the Government to carry out defaulted works, of the number of buildings finally selected by the authorities, as well as their names, and the number of three-nil buildings among such buildings; the progress and estimated costs of the relevant works;
     
    (5) whether the authorities will consider increasing the number of buildings for which defaulted works will be carried out; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (6) as it is learnt that although the FSD is inviting some owners of old buildings to participate in the Pilot Scheme on the Internet of Things (IoT) fire detection system (the Scheme) which aims to make use of IoT technology by installing sensors inside flats or in the public areas of buildings, so that in the event of a fire, the sensors will transmit the relevant information directly to the FSD, thereby speeding up the efficiency of the authorities in carrying out fire-fighting operations, only a small number of buildings in each district are invited to participate in the Scheme, of the details of the Scheme and the criteria adopted by the authorities for inviting building owners to participate in the Scheme?

    Reply:

    President,

    Fire safety of buildings is a matter of great concern to the Government. A multi-pronged approach has been taken to improve the fire safety standards of old buildings.

    With regard to law enforcement, the Fire Services Department (FSD) handles fire hazards in buildings (including old buildings) in accordance with the Fire Services Ordinance (Cap. 95). Generally speaking, during the inspections of buildings in respect of fire safety or complaints, if it is discovered that the means of escape are obstructed or locked, the smoke stop doors are left open or defective, the fire service installations or equipment (FSIs) are not in efficient working order or have not undergone annual inspection, etc., the FSD will issue a Fire Hazard Abatement Notice (FHAN) or instigate prosecution against the relevant parties.
     
    Moreover, in respect of legislation, to enhance the fire safety standard of old buildings, the Government enacted the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572) (the Ordinance) which stipulates that composite and domestic buildings constructed in or before 1987 (target buildings) must be enhanced to meet modern fire protection requirements. Being the enforcement authorities (EAs), the FSD and the Buildings Department (BD) conduct joint inspections of target buildings across the territory in a systematic manner, and in light of the actual condition of the buildings and in accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance, issue Fire Safety Directions (Directions) to the owners or occupiers, specifying the required fire safety improvement works. There are about 14 000 target buildings regulated under the Ordinance. As of end-May 2025, about 11 430 target buildings have been inspected and over 400 000 Directions have been issued. Among those issued Directions, about 40 per cent of them have been complied with or discharged, with the remaining some 60 per cent are being followed-up on. Most of these target buildings are making positive progress in taking forward fire safety improvement works and some are in the early stages showing initial progress in complying with the requirements of the Ordinance. Some other buildings face genuine difficulties in co-ordinating efforts, e.g. some building owners being missing or untraceable, making it impossible to co-ordinate relevant works. For cases lacking progress without reasonable excuse, the EAs will progressively instigate prosecutions against relevant buildings.

    The Government has been proactively providing various kinds of support (including support on financial aspects, co-ordination among owners and technical aspects) to owners of old buildings, assisting them in carrying out fire safety improvement works. To further enhance the fire safety standards of target buildings, amendments were made to the Ordinance, with the relevant Amendment Ordinance came into effect on December 13, 2024, empowering the FSD and the BD to carry out fire safety improvement works for owners who have failed to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance ( defaulted works), and to recover the relevant fees from them upon completion of the works. In addition, the above-mentioned Amendment Ordinance has also introduced different measures with a view to driving owners’ compliance with the requirements of the Ordinance on their own initiative. The FSD and the BD, as the EAs, are proactively implementing the relevant targeted measures.
     
    My reply to the questions raised by the Hon Cheng is as follows:

    (1) In response to the tragic fire at New Lucky House occurred in April 2024, the FSD proactively conducted, under a risk-based principle, about 8 200 inspections against some 1 000 old composite buildings with relatively higher fire risk. A total of 8 661 FHANs were issued during the inspections. The number of FHANs issued to “three-nil buildings”, and the number of successful prosecutions and convictions, are tabulated by District Council districts distribution below –
     

    Districts Of the total of 8 661 FHANs issued by FSD
    The number of FHANs issued to “three-nil buildings” The number of successful prosecutions and convictions
    Islands 0 0
    Central & Western 71 6
    Wan Chai 23 21
    Eastern 101 1
    Southern 16 0
    Kowloon City 169 54
    Kwun Tong 98 14
    Wong Tai Sin 28 2
    Yau Tsim Mong 416 179
    Sham Shui Po 1 074 40
    Tsuen Wan 21 0
    Kwai Tsing 0 0
    Tuen Mun 0 0
    Sha Tin 0 0
    Sai Kung 0 0
    Tai Po 14 2
    North 0 0
    Yuen Long 81 5
    Total 2 112 324

    In respect of the reasons for instigating prosecution, a majority number of cases involved smoke stop door-related irregularities (involving 259 cases), followed by obstruction to means of escape (involving 42 cases) and FSI-related irregularities (involving 23 cases).

    (2) & (3) With respect to the proactive inspections mentioned in (1) above, a total of 8 661 FHANs were issued by the FSD. As of end-June 2025, over 90 per cent of them had been complied with.

    To further step up law enforcement actions against fire hazards in target buildings, the FSD has established the Building Improvement Special Duty Team (known as the Divisional Public Safety Team) in March 2025 in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories regions respectively to enhance district-based risk management efforts. In the coming year, the FSD will proactively carry out inspections of 1 800 old buildings, strengthening law enforcement and enhancing fire safety education.

    (4) As far as the implementation of the defaulted works mechanism is concerned, we have established a clear, objective and transparent mechanism to set a threshold and to prioritise defaulted works. During the initial stage of the defaulted works mechanism, a pilot scheme will be implemented by the EAs, under which 10 target buildings have been selected for the Government to carry out defaulted works, among which, more than half of them are “three-nil buildings”. The EAs plan to award works consultancy and contractor contracts in the third quarter of 2025, and it is expected that contractors may commence the works in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the defaulted works for the first building will be completed by mid-2026.  
     
    The EAs are in the procurement process for engaging works consultants and contractors. Therefore, cost of works is yet to be available. Following the completion of investigation and assessment on the defaulted works by the works consultants appointed by the EAs, the EAs may make available to the building owners concerned the initial proposal and preliminary total cost estimate for the defaulted works.
     
    　　As mentioned above, in addition to the introduction of defaulted works, we also introduced different measures in the legislative amendment exercise on the Ordinance, with a view to driving owners’ compliance with the requirements of the Ordinance on their own initiative. One of those measures introduced is on publishing information of Directions, etc. on the EAs’ websites, providing members of the public and prospective buyers with information about the compliance status of target buildings with the Ordinance, further driving owners to carry out fire safety improvement works. To this end, the FSD and the BD have respectively published on their websites (Note) information about Directions or Fire Safety Compliance Orders (FSCOs), etc. (i.e. the address of the building or part to which the Direction/FSCO relates, the serial number, date of issue and compliance status of the Direction and FSCO). This will allow members of the public (including the prospective buyers/tenants of target buildings units) to have better knowledge of the outstanding legal liabilities of the target buildings, thereby encouraging owners to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance.

    (5) When implementing the pilot scheme, the EAs will closely monitor the implementation and execution of the defaulted works mechanism, and maintain close co-ordination with relevant government departments, in order to ensure its effective operation in a sustainable manner. The EAs will decide on the number and schedule of defaulted works per annum after consolidating the experience, taking into account factors such as the industry’s capacity to undertake such works, and formulate long-term and holistic strategies for the mechanism, with a view to assisting owners with genuine difficulties in enhancing the fire protection of old buildings. The EAs expect that defaulted works can be carried out for around 20 to 60 target buildings each year.

    (6) The FSD has long moved with the times and made good use of innovative technologies to enhance operational efficiency and bring convenience and benefits to the public. Looking ahead, the FSD will explore the collaboration with telecommunication service providers to promote smart firefighting, accelerate digital transformation, and explore innovative application of technologies, such as 5G, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence in rescue, fire prevention and emergency management. This includes exploring the use of IoT technology to transmit data from fire detectors directly to the FSD’s system for early fire detection, etc., the purpose of which is to enhance the fire safety standard of buildings while holistically improving the level of intelligentisation and informatisation in firefighting. The FSD is currently undertaking preliminary preparatory work for implementing the relevant scheme (including considering a basket of factors, such as building age, number of building storeys, and whether it is a “three-nil building”, etc., in order to select suitable buildings for the pilot scheme). As in the cases of implementing other new measures, after exploring the application of the aforesaid technologies for the implementation of the pilot scheme, the FSD will consolidate relevant experience and review the effectiveness for considering the way forward of the relevant initiative.

    Note:
    FSD’s relevant website is at fsdns.hkfsd.gov.hk/en
    BD’s relevant website is at www.bd.gov.hk/en/resources/online-tools/search/index.html

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Diagonal crossings

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Following is a question by the Hon Dennis Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

    Question:

    Last year, the Government conducted trials of diagonal crossings at the two crossroads at the junction of Sha Kok Street and Yat Tai Street in Sha Tin and the junction of Carnarvon Road and Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Some Tseung Kwan O residents have relayed that as the pedestrian flows at the crossroads at the junction of Tong Chun Street and Po Yap Road in Tseung Kwan O (the Tseung Kwan O crossroads) during different periods are extremely high, they hope that diagonal crossings can be tried out and implemented at that crossroads, so as to facilitate the travelling of local residents to and from MTR Tseung Kwan O Station. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether it has assessed and prepared a report on the effectiveness of the two trials of diagonal crossings in Sha Tin and Tsim Sha Tsui; if so, of the contents of the report; if not, when it will conduct such an assessment;

    (2) whether it will include the Tseung Kwan O crossroads as a new trial location for diagonal crossings; if so, when the trial will be conducted; if not, of the reasons for that; and

    (3) as there are views that while the Tseung Kwan O crossroads has five to six carriageways on each side with a diagonal distance of as long as 40 to 50 metres, its traffic signal cycle time is similar to that of other crossroads, leaving insufficient time for pedestrians to cross the road diagonally, whether the Government will consider readjusting the traffic signal timings at that crossroads, so as to facilitate a trial of diagonal crossings?

    Reply:

    President,

    Diagonal crossing is one of the pedestrian-friendly crossing facilities introduced by the Transport Department (TD). Such facilities at appropriate junctions give pedestrians the choice to cross directly to a diagonal corner with shorter walking distance and time, thereby improving the walking environment. After consulting the TD, my consolidated response to the questions raised by the Hon Dennis Leung is as follows:

    (1) To assess how road users navigate junctions and to evaluate the safety and detailed design of diagonal crossings, the TD has conducted trials at the junction of Sha Kok Street and Yat Tai Street in Sha Tin in the first half of 2024 and the junction of Carnarvon Road and Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui in the second half of 2024, which will help inform the development of design standards and guidelines for diagonal crossings that are appropriate for Hong Kong. As observed by the TD, the trial results have been positive so far. The trial junctions have been operating safely and smoothly, and reduced walking time for pedestrian crossing the junction diagonally. 

    (2) and (3) In assessing the suitability of diagonal crossing implementation at individual junctions, the TD has to address the needs of different road users, as well as carefully consider the traffic characteristics (including factors such as traffic flow, pedestrian flow and junction layout, etc.) of individual junctions, examine the vehicular capacity of the junctions and its impact on nearby traffic, and explore different engineering options to establish the feasibility. As regards the cross junction of Tong Chun Street and Po Yap Road in Tseung Kwan O, given the relatively long crossing distance and busy traffic flow of the junction, the implementation of diagonal crossing will require significant adjustments to traffic signal (such as reduction of traffic green time) so as to allow sufficient time for pedestrians to cross the road diagonally in a safe manner and this may affect the traffic at the junction and its vicinity. 

    In addition to the two trial junctions mentioned above, the TD is actively assessing the feasibility of diagonal crossing implementation at other signalised junctions, including locations suggested by the public and Legislative Council/District Council Members during the trial period, in order to further promote diagonal crossings. The TD anticipates that the assessment would be completed in the second half of this year with a view to selecting a new batch of suitable junctions for implementation. Thereafter, the TD will progressively plan and take forward the associated works in the light of the assessment results, the specific conditions of the sites and the complexity of the works involved.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ8: Measures to encourage childbirth

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         Following is a question by the Hon Shang Hailong and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

    Question:

         It has been reported that Hong Kong’s fertility rate has remained persistently low in recent years, with the total fertility rate for 2023 standing at only 0.8, which is significantly below the replacement level of 2.1 required to maintain the population level. This situation presents profound challenges to Hong Kong’s future economic development, public service demands and workforce structure. The latest report published by the United Nations Population Fund indicates that the primary cause of the global decline in fertility rates is insufficient “reproductive autonomy”, which includes structural barriers such as economic pressure, gender inequality, lack of partner support and want of comprehensive reproductive health services. There are views that Hong Kong’s current pro-natalist policies largely focus on providing short-term economic incentives (e.g. allowances and increased maternity leave) without formulating long-term strategies to address the aforementioned structural barriers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) whether it will conduct a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of the existing pro-natalist measures, and propose ground-breaking policies to address the current structural economic issues faced by citizens (such as high housing costs, intense educational competition, and job instability); 

    (2) given that a survey has reportedly indicated that only 22 per cent of enterprises offer family-friendly measures beyond those required by law, whether the authorities will consider implementing a “family-friendly workplace certification” programme, through which enhanced subsidies would be provided to enterprises to offer more flexible working arrangements and childrearing support; 

    (3)whether the authorities will consider drawing on overseas and the Mainland experiences to actively expand the childcare service network, such as by exploring the introduction of a “neighbourhood childcare voucher scheme”, subsidising parents to use qualified private childcare services within their communities, or making better use of idle government sites or community facilities in commercial areas to establish more childcare service centres; and 

    (4) whether the authorities will consider allowing “top talent”, “quality migrants” and “professionals” admitted under various talent admission schemes to apply for the Newborn Baby Bonus scheme, with a view to encouraging more talent to stay in Hong Kong and contribute to its development?

    Reply:

    President,

         The issue of childbearing straddles across a number of policy areas and bureaux, including the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office, the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Health Bureau and the Housing Bureau. A consolidated reply by relevant government bureaux and departments is as follows:

    (1) Childbearing is a major life decision which involves different considerations. Fertility cannot be boosted substantially by Government’s policies alone. Various government bureaux and departments have adopted a range of measures to encourage fertility.

         In respect of child care, the Government has been supporting parents who cannot take care of their children temporarily through subsidising NGOs to provide a variety of day child care services, including Child Care Centre (CCC) services for children aged from birth to under three, After School Care Programme and Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project (NSCCP). To strengthen support for working families in childbearing, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) is setting up 11 aided standalone CCCs in phases over the three years starting from 2024, doubling the total number of service places to reach around 2 000. The SWD is also extending the After School Care Programme for pre-primary children to cover all districts in phases, and increasing the number of service places under the NSCCP to 2 500 with the estimated number of beneficiaries increasing to 25 000. The Government has also launched the School-based After School Care Service Scheme to provide focused support for students in need (particularly those from single-parent families) to stay in school after school hours for care and learning support, thereby allowing their parents to take up jobs. Over 120 primary schools covering 18 districts across the territory participated in the scheme in the 2024/25 school year, providing about 6 000 places. We will encourage more schools to participate in the scheme in the 2025/26 school year without imposing any quota. Meanwhile, the Government reviews the Working Family Allowance (WFA) Scheme from time to time. The rates of the household and child allowances under the WFA Scheme have been increased by 15 per cent across the board with effect from April 2024, benefiting all households receiving the WFA. The WFA Scheme provides additional allowances for relevant childbearing families, and increasing the rates of the WFA helps further alleviate the burden of grassroots working families. Taking a four-person household with two eligible children as an example, the maximum monthly WFA they may receive have increased from the original amount of $4,200 to $4,830 at present.

    Hong Kong’s education system values equity and diversity. The government provides 12 years’ free primary and secondary education through public sector schools, and ensures the provision of sufficient public sector school places for students eligible for receiving education in Hong Kong. Regardless of students’ backgrounds, all are given access to quality education. Diversified support mechanisms are in place to cater to individual differences and promote whole-person development. Our competitive edge is clearly reflected in the excellent performance of Hong Kong students in international studies and assessments. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 results underscore Hong Kong’s outstanding performance in educational equity. Hong Kong ranked second among countries or economies with high academic achievements, indicating that the family socio-economic status of Hong Kong students, including occupation and education level of their parents, had minimal bearing on their performance. This demonstrates that, under our education system, schools are able to provide ample and appropriate education support services for students with different socio-economic backgrounds. The results reaffirmed the merits of the Hong Kong education system in providing all students with quality and equal education opportunities, thereby facilitating social mobility. Besides, the Government has launched the Kindergarten Education Scheme since the 2017/18 school year with the objectives of providing good quality and highly affordable kindergarten education, and enhancing the accessibility of students to different modes of services that suit their specific needs. About 90 per cent of half-day kindergartens are currently free of charge, while the school fees for whole-day kindergartens are maintained at a low level. Families with financial needs may apply for fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme (KCFRS). At present, parents can receive full level of fee remission under the KCFRS.

         The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) has been supporting the work of the Family Council (the Council) in promoting a culture of loving families to the general public through organising different publicity programmes and activities. In October 2024, the HYAB and the Council launched the five-year Funding Scheme on the Promotion of Family Education (the Scheme). With annual funding of $8 million, the Scheme subsidises non-profit-making community projects in promoting family education to meet the needs of different families. For the 2024-25 round of applications, a total of 12 projects have been approved. On the other hand, the Council has been encouraging the wider adoption of more diversified and flexible family-friendly employment practices (FFEPs) in the community. These measures will also help promote a childbearing-friendly environment. Since 2023-24, the Council has been launching promotional videos entitled “Family-friendly Workplace” featuring various FFEPs adopted by local companies with sharings by employers and employees. The FFEPs presented include breastfeeding-friendly arrangements, allowing employees to bring their children to work during summer vacation, work-from-home arrangement and flexible work hours, etc. The Council has also collaborated with the Radio Television Hong Kong to produce radio programmes to promulgate different FFEPs. The Council will continue the relevant promotion work.

         In terms of tax measures, the basic child allowance and the additional child allowance for each child born during the year of assessment (YA) have been raised to $130,000 starting from YA 2023/24. Moreover, starting from YA 2024/25, for taxpayers who live with their children born on or after October 25, 2023, and meet the prescribed conditions, the deduction ceiling for home loan interest or domestic rents may be raised from $100,000 to $120,000 for a maximum of 19 YAs. These measures help alleviate the financial burden of taxpayers from raising children.

         As regards healthcare services, the Government has been committed to supporting assisted reproductive (AR) services and promoting healthy fertility, to assist those who wish to have children. Currently, nine public hospitals under the Hospital Authority (HA) offer assisted reproductive services, among which Queen Mary Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital, and Kwong Wah Hospital provide in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services. The HA is gradually increasing the publicly subsidised service quotas of assisted reproductive services for IVF treatment starting from 2024-25, from the previous 1 100 per year to 1 800 per year in 2028-29, and in parallel enhancing the training for relevant professionals. Achievement of the relevant target is underway, where the HA provided 100 additional subsidised service quotas in 2024-25 as planned, and 300 more quotas will be in place in 2025-26, followed by an additional service quota of 100 places per year in the three years that follow. In addition, the HA repositioned seven AR drugs from self-financed items to special drugs in the HA Drug Formulary in late April this year, whereby patients are only required to pay standard fees if prescribed these seven drugs under specified clinical applications, reducing the financial burden on patients receiving the relevant AR drug therapies. Aside from public AR services, starting from the year of assessment 2024-25, the Government is providing tax deductions for expenses on AR services under salaries tax and personal assessment, to relieve the financial burden from the relevant expenditure and encourage couples faced with fertility difficulties to seek medical assistance as necessary. In the meantime, the Department of Health will also revamp maternal and child health and family planning services, providing new pre-pregnancy health services to reproductive age group women at the Maternal and Child Health Centres in phases, as well as review and adjust the scope of the subsidised family planning service currently provided by non-government organisations, to promote healthy fertility. Furthermore, the Council on Human Reproductive Technology plans to lift the statutory maximum storage periods of gametes and embryos for own use within this year, to allow the members of the public to make their own decisions on the storage duration of gametes and embryos depending on their health and other conditions, so as to better realise reproductive autonomy.

         In respect of housing, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has implemented the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme and the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme to encourage childbearing by giving incentives to family applicants of public rental housing (PRH) and subsidised sale flats (SSF) sale exercises. Regarding the allocation of PRH, the HA has implemented the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme since April 1, 2024. PRH family applications with babies born on or after October 25, 2023, and aged one or below are credited one year of waiting time. As at end-June 2025, about 5 000 PRH applications have been credited one year of waiting time under the scheme, of which about 420 families have already been successfully housed to PRH. As for SSF, starting from the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats 2024 (HOS 2024), the HA has implemented the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme which was announced in the 2023 Policy Address. A quota of about 40 per cent of the new flats for sale (i.e. 2 900 flats) under HOS 2024 were set aside for eligible applicants under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme and the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members for balloting and priority flat selection. Family applicants of HOS with babies born or after October 25, 2023, are eligible if their children are aged three or below on the closing day of the application. During the application period of HOS 2024, the HA received a total of around 106 000 applications. Among them, around 50 000 were family applicants, of which around 19 000 (i.e. about 40 per cent) applied under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members and Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme. Among these 19 000 applicants, 800 applicants have successfully purchased flats through the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme. If eligible families applying under the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme fail to purchase a flat under HOS 2024, they may still apply under the Scheme for priority flat selection as long as their children are aged three or below on the closing day of the application in subsequent SSF sale exercises.

    (2) Through publicity and promotional activities, the Labour Department (LD) motivates employers to adopt employee-oriented good human resources management measures and implement family-friendly employment practices, including allowing flexible work arrangements, granting special leave approval to cater for family needs of employees and providing relevant support to employees’ family life, etc. Implementing FFEPs enables employees to balance the needs of taking care of their family, and also helps employers recruit and retain staff. Considering the diverse circumstances of enterprises, it is more appropriate to adopt an approach that motivates and encourages enterprises to flexibly implement FFEPs. The LD will continue to take forward relevant work by launching publicity and promotion through various channels, including organising activities on the Good Employer Charter.

    (3) As regards the network of child care services, the SWD is setting up 11 aided standalone CCCs in phases over the three years starting from 2024. The SWD has been continuously reviewing the service planning for CCCs and would consider the overall situations of child care services and the characteristics of individual districts so as to take follow-up measures in a timely manner, including enhancing service promotion, and adjusting the planned provision of CCCs and the distribution of service places, etc., to better meet the service demand of the community.

         Regarding the planning for child care facilities, the Government has incorporated the population-based planning ratios into the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines in respect of aided standalone CCCs, with a view to reserving necessary sites and space for these facilities early in the planning process of new and redeveloped areas. The SWD has been maintaining close contact with relevant departments to identify suitable sites in various development or redevelopment of public housing estates and urban renewal projects for the provision of child care facilities. In addition, the SWD will make the best use of vacant government accommodation/premises and vacant non-domestic premises in public housing estates to explore whether they are suitable for the use of child care facilities. The SWD will also provide relevant information and assistance to private organisations applying for registration to operate CCCs, and encourage private organisations to provide child care support for their employees.

    (4) The Government announced in the 2023 Policy Address that a cash reward of $20,000 will be provided to eligible parents for each baby born from October 25, 2023, for a period of three years. Starting from October 25, 2023, parents can submit an application for the bonus at the same time when registering the birth of their baby and applying for a birth certificate. As of end-June 2025, a total of 49 567 qualified applications have been received, and the bonus has been distributed to 48 984 applicants, at a total amount of approximately $979 million. The Office of the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration is carrying out a review of the Newborn Baby Bonus Scheme. In the review, suggestions which have been raised in the community, including whether to cover families under different talent schemes, will be considered. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ICAC Complaints Committee annual report tabled in LegCo

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    The 2024 Annual Report of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Complaints Committee was tabled in the Legislative Council today (July 16). The report gives a summary of the Committee’s work in 2024.

    The Committee is tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the handling of non-criminal complaints against the ICAC and its officers. The Committee takes an independent view on the ICAC’s investigation findings on the complaints received, reviews the ICAC’s procedures which may lead to complaints, and makes recommendations for improvement.

    In 2024, the Committee received 13 complaints involving 53 allegations against the ICAC or its officers which required full investigations. Among the allegations registered in 2024, 92 per cent were related to neglect of duties by ICAC officers, 6 per cent to misconduct matters and 2 per cent to abuse of power.   

    The ICAC submits investigation reports to the Committee after conducting full investigations on complaint cases. During 2024, the Committee considered the investigation reports of 17 complaint cases including 13 cases received in 2024 and four cases received in 2023 for which the related investigation was completed in 2024. These complaints contained a total of 66 allegations in which one allegation involving one ICAC officer was found to be substantiated. In this year, the Committee also considered and endorsed six assessment reports submitted by the ICAC for complaints which did not warrant a full investigation. Preliminary assessments showed that the six cases were irrational complaints or had already been dealt with during the court trial with a decision made, and the Committee agreed that no further investigative actions should be taken.

    After a careful examination of the issues identified in the investigation reports considered during 2024, the ICAC has strengthened training programmes for frontline officers to enhance their vigilance and professionalism when discharging their duties.

    The annual report of the Committee is available on the Administration Wing’s website (www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/links/icac.htm) and also at the ICAC’s regional offices.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ2: Promoting safe and healthy development of low-altitude economy industries

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         Following is a question by the Hon Chan Siu-hung and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

    Question:

    The National Development and Reform Commission has earlier on emphasised the expansion of application scenarios for low-altitude economic activities in a well-classified and orderly manner, on the premise that risks be stringently controlled and safety be ensured. On promoting the safe and healthy development of the low-altitude economy industries, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) given that the establishment of a “visible and manageable” fully digitalised low-altitude airspace management system is a key element in managing and controlling the safe and orderly flights of a wide range of high-traffic-density and high-frequency aircrafts in the airspace, whether the Government has a timetable for the establishment of the system concerned; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2) as there are views pointing out that the data derived from the low-‍altitude economy have high economic values, and data security will have a direct impact on the efficiency and safety of the use of airspace, whether the Government will study the establishment of a data security system to promote standardised management and the safe and efficient use of low-altitude data, as well as to facilitate the transformation of data value; and

    (3) whether it will, by drawing reference from the development experience in the Mainland and other places around the world, conduct quantitative analysis on the economic benefits brought about by low-altitude infrastructure and the related industries, and formulate a plan for development of such facilities through a public-‍private partnership approach, so as to attract more infrastructure investments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

    Low-altitude economy (LAE) is a national strategic emerging industry and an example of developing new quality productive forces. For LAE to “fly far”, it must first “fly steady”. Therefore, safety is undoubtedly a prerequisite for LAE development.

    In consultation with the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Civil Aviation Department, the reply to the Hon Chan’s question is as follows:

    (1) Robust low-altitude infrastructure is a critical element in ensuring the safe and orderly operation of low-altitude flying activities. Given Hong Kong’s unique urban landscape characterised by dense high-rise buildings and varied terrain, the low-altitude operating environment is particularly challenging. The establishment of digitalised low-altitude infrastructure, particularly the Smart Low-altitude Traffic Management System, coupled with the formulation of a comprehensive data policy, is essential to ensuring the safe, efficient, and sustainable development of LAE.

    Building on the experience gathered from the Regulatory Sandbox (Sandbox) pilot projects, the Government will formulate the conceptual model and technical specifications for a Smart Low-altitude Traffic Management System. To implement these plans, the Government will commence a technical study within this year, drawing on the Mainland and international advanced practices to ensure that the technical parameters of low-altitude infrastructure, including the Smart Low-altitude Traffic Management System, are compatible with regional and international regulatory standards.

    (2) The development of LAE will generate significant volumes of data resources such as flight data collected during unmanned aircraft operations, the secure and efficient utilisation of which will directly affect the industry’s development potential. In respect of data management and data security of government systems, the relevant bureaux and departments (B/Ds) at present must comply with the Government IT Security Policy and Guidelines, which require for example encrypting data both in transit and at rest, prohibiting the storage of sensitive and personal data on public cloud platforms, and conducting regular security risk assessments and audits as well as privacy impact assessments for B/Ds’ information systems. These measures aim to ensure that data are kept secure and reliable and meet all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements, including requirements on privacy protection of personal data.

    Given the above and in accordance with the open data policy of the Government, data collected by LAE projects can, depending on the circumstances, be made available to the public via the existing digital infrastructures such as the Open Data Portal and the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure Portal (CSDI), thereby fostering more LAE-related applications and industry development. In fact, a considerable amount of data beneficial to the development of the LAE, e.g. maps, aerial photographs, 3D spatial data, building data, traffic data and weather data, etc, has already been shared with the industry through the aforementioned government data platforms, facilitating various sectors to explore more application scenarios of low-altitude flying activities and unlock the full potential of the data.

    Furthermore, the DEVB, the Lands Department and relevant departments will jointly explore the feasibility of sharing LAE-related data through a unified platform, and build a three-dimensional information hub dedicated to low-altitude flying activities as a pilot project to conduct a proof-of-concept for sharing data collected by unmanned aircraft. This hub will make reference to the data sharing model of the Mainland and closely connect with the CSDI developed by the DEVB to unify and integrate data from different sources, and be equipped with relevant data dashboards to enable thematic information sharing between the Government and relevant stakeholders relating to low-altitude flying activities.

    (3) The development of low-altitude infrastructure is a forward-looking systematic project. Through government guidance and cross-sector collaboration, it can accelerate industrial upgrading and drive the robust growth of LAE. In addition to the investment of government resources, we believe that private market participation is also an indispensable driving force, particularly in areas such as the construction of takeoff/landing sites and the planning of mobile radio communications network. Drawing reference from the experiences and various models adopted in the Mainland and other regions, we will proceed step-by-step in taking forward the relevant work on the development of LAE infrastructure. Throughout this process, the Government will, on the premises of safeguarding aviation and public safety, explore various operational models conducive to the development of LAE to foster long-term economic benefits.

    At present, the Government is testing different low-altitude flying application scenarios, technical and site requirements, and cross-departmental regulatory co-ordination through the Sandbox pilot projects. The aims are to gather data, accumulate experience, and examine the infrastructure, safety standards, and legislative and regulatory framework necessary for LAE development, thereby providing trial experience and evidence-based foundation of various application scenarios for the planning of LAE development, including the feasible models for the construction of LAE infrastructure. Our vision is that while the Government creates a favourable ecosystem through top-level design, standard-setting, and institutional innovation, the private sector will drive industrial advancement through technological breakthrough and business model innovation. This public-private collaboration model will pave the way for the sustainable development of LAE in Hong Kong.

    Thank you, President.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected scheduled rhino horns worth about $1 million (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

    Hong Kong Customs on July 11 seized about 2.7 kilograms of suspected scheduled rhino horns, with an estimated market value of about $1 million, at Hong Kong International Airport.
     
    Through risk assessment, Customs officers inspected two air postal packets declared to contain “ceramic ornament statues” imported from Spain. Upon inspection, the suspected scheduled endangered rhino horns were found mingled with ceramic products inside the cartons.
     
    After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers arrested two men, aged 40 and 33, suspected to be connected with the case.
     
    The two arrested men will be charged with illegal import of an Appendix I species. They will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 17).
     
    Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.
     
    Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – Afternoon Briefing with Patricia Karvelas

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    PATRICIA KARVELAS, HOST: Let’s get some immediate political reaction, not just to this story, but of course the broader child care crisis too and go straight to the Education Minister Jason Clare. 

    Jason Clare, lovely to have you on the show. 

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks, PK, great to be here. 

    KARVELAS: Two child care workers have been charged with assault of a toddler in Western Sydney. New South Wales Police have said the child sustained significant bruising and injuries. Of course, this is one case being handled now by the legal system, as it should be —

    CLARE: Yes. 

    KARVELAS: — but does this latest case show that we have a broader crisis? 

    CLARE: What it underlines is if you don’t care about our kids, you shouldn’t be there working in early education and care. 

    In that report you mentioned that those workers are no longer there, that’s a good thing. But we do need to put in place the sort of measures to help to weed people out that aren’t there for the right reasons, whether it’s the sort of penalties that you impose on centres that don’t act when this evidence comes to light, or naming and shaming centres, giving information to parents about the conditions that are in the centres where their children are, or putting in place things like CCTV. 

    I want to make the point if I can, PK, that 99.9 per cent of the people who care for our kids every single day in these centres love them, they care for them, they educate them, they’re great people that are doing really, really important work, and at the moment they’re as shocked and angry as everybody else in Australia. Their jobs are on TV for all of the wrong reasons. They want to make sure that we do everything we can to weed out the people that shouldn’t be there too. 

    KARVELAS: We also learnt today that the alleged Melbourne paedophile, Joshua Dale Brown, worked at an additional daycare centre that has not been listed by authorities online. That brings the total number of centres he’s worked at to 24. I mean, Minister, why – I know this a state issue in terms of the investigation, but why are we still finding out about child care centres several weeks after the first allegations? 

    CLARE: It’s a bloody good question. This is a nightmare for hundreds more parents, mums and dads who now have to go through the wringer of working out whether their kids are sick or not. And for their little kids, they’ve got to go through the trauma of testing – blood tests and urine tests – to find out whether they’ve got an infectious disease or not. 

    It strikes me when I saw this yesterday that this is another reason why we need an educator register, a database that tells us where people are working and where they have been working. The company responsible here should know this at the click of a button. But so should we. This shouldn’t be the sort of information that comes out in drip feed form, it should be information that’s easy to access quickly. 

    KARVELAS: It seems that there might be more centres. I mean, have you been briefed about whether there are even potentially more that we might find out about? 

    CLARE: No, I haven’t. The Victorian Police would be briefing the Victorian Government specifically on that. But I just make the general point, this is the sort of information that police should have at their fingertips, it’s the sort of information that we should have right now. We don’t have it, but we should do. 

    KARVELAS: Is your legislation on child care changes that you’ve been talking about ready to table into the Parliament and have you briefed the Opposition? 

    CLARE: Yeah, the legislation is almost finalised. I’ll introduce that legislation into the Parliament next week, and we held our first briefing with the Opposition on the legislation today. I want to take this opportunity to thank Sussan Ley, the Opposition Leader, and Jonno Duniam, the Shadow Minister, for the really constructive way in which they’re working with us on this legislation to make sure we get it right. You know, it’s not always the case that Labor and Liberal work together the way we should. We are here, and that’s really important with legislation like this. 

    So, as I said, I’ll introduce the legislation next week. What the bill will do is give us the power to cut off funding to child care centres where they’re not up to scratch when it comes to safety. 

    At the moment a state regulator can shut a centre down tomorrow if they think there’s an imminent threat to safety. But where they’ve identified centres that aren’t meeting the standard and repeatedly they’re not meeting that standard, this will give us the power to issue a condition to that centre, and say that if you don’t meet the standards that we’ve set for you as a nation over the course of, it might be a couple of months, then we will suspend your child care funding or we’ll cancel it. 

    And there’s nothing more important in running a child care centre than the taxpayer funding that runs it – it’s about 70 per cent of the funding that runs a child care centre, it can’t run without it. This is the biggest stick that the Commonwealth has to wield here, and putting a condition on a centre that we would provide publicly, so parents know about it, I think is the sort of thing that hopefully will lift standards to where they need to be. 

    If we get this legislation right, it won’t mean that we’re shutting centres down, it will mean that we’re lifting standards up where centres aren’t meeting the standards at the moment. 

    KARVELAS: Okay, that’s really interesting. So, you’ll issue essentially a warning that will then be publicly shared, would that be like on a central website where people can look to see ‑‑ 

    CLARE: That’s right. 

    KARVELAS: ‑‑ if this has been – and what’s the timeframe? ‘Cause that must be all articulated, it has to be in the legislation, for which they have to respond ‑‑

    CLARE: Yeah. 

    KARVELAS: ‑‑ before that money is suspended?  

    CLARE: The legislation won’t set out the specific timeframe. There will be discretion provided to the Secretary of my Department, but we’re anticipating, depending on circumstances, you’re talking about a couple of months. 

    But let me just make the point again, if we’ve identified a centre where there’s a threat to kids right now, state regulators can shut it down. This is about centres where over a period of time they’re just not meeting the National Quality Framework standard to say, unless you get there soon, the centre is not going to be funded by the taxpayer. 

    KARVELAS: So, at the moment “Working Towards,” as you know, is a rating given to a centre that doesn’t meet quality rating standards. I’m just confused about how that will work still. These centres, are they allowed to keep operating? For how long will you be able to keep operating if you’re just “Working Towards”? 

    CLARE: At first instance what we’re intending to do if we get this legislation passed is to work with the state governments and the state regulators on the centres that they’re most concerned about, that are under that category that you’ve just described where they’re concerned that they’re repeatedly not working hard enough to get to the standard they need to be under the National Quality Framework. 

    So we’ll work with states and territories on the centres that we think need to be the subject of this legislation first and set those conditions for them, set a timeframe for them, and if they don’t meet those conditions within that timeframe, then suspend the child care subsidy payment that helps that centre to operate or cancel it altogether. 

    KARVELAS: And you said this is about lifting standards rather than shutting child care centres down. Of course that would always want to have that aim, because you need children in care —

    CLARE: Indeed. 

    KARVELAS: — or the system would collapse, right? 

    CLARE: That’s right. 

    KARVELAS: But do you envisage that inevitably some child care centres will have to close down? You would think that would have to be an inevitability of a tough system.  

    CLARE: It is a tough system, and that may very well happen. We’re not putting this legislation into the Parliament as an idle threat. But these centres run – 70 per cent of the funding is based on the child care subsidy that the taxpayer provides to help child care centres run. This is the biggest stick we have to wield, to say to centres that if you want to continue to receive this support from the Australian taxpayer, then you have to meet that standard, and if you don’t, then funding will be suspended or cancelled. 

    And what I’m hoping is that that threat is going to be strong enough to get the boards of these companies or the investors in these companies to sit up and listen and realise that we’re serious here and if you don’t meet the standard, then the funding will be cut off. 

    KARVELAS: Spot checks by your Department is another issue that you’ve raised. Are they only going to be deployed for fraud, or will it be child safety as well? 

    CLARE: Principally fraud but not exclusively fraud. At the moment I’ve got a team of investigators in the Department of Education that can do checks on child care centres for fraud. Unfortunately it’s the case that this exists, that child care centres might claim a child is there for three days but they’re only there for two days, and they’re claiming funding from the taxpayer for three days. This legislation will give my officers the power to be able to go in without a warrant or without the AFP to do those checks. 

    But while they’re there, they’ll be able to also examine the safety of centres and share that information with state regulators that do the lion’s share of this work. 

    The Federal Government sets the standards, the state governments do the lion’s share of the work in terms of regulating the system and making sure that it’s safe. 

    KARVELAS: Should there be a national regulator though? Because that’s part of the issue, isn’t it, that we’ve got state-based regulation, it’s quite inconsistent across states. Is there an option for a national regulation? 

    CLARE: There’s a national authority at the moment, ACECQA, that helps to set that standard, and they work closely with the states and territories in the work that they do. 

    There’s a separate question that’s posed by the Productivity Commission’s report last year about whether we set up an Early Education and Care Commission that would look at how we reform the system over the next decade and beyond. That recommendation wasn’t principally about safety; it wanted government to look at a steward for the system to make it more accessible and more affordable. I’ve got an open mind to that recommendation, Patricia, it’s something that we’ll look at over the medium term. It wasn’t intended to be something specifically about safety, but that’s something that it could potentially include.

    KARVELAS: Oh, that’s really interesting. So, you think you could take the Productivity Commission’s recommendation and sort of morph it into something broader?  

    CLARE: Potentially. It’s the sort of thing it’s my job as a Minister to sit down with smart people and pick their brains about how this would work best in practice, people like Georgie Dent at The Parenthood I spoke to the other day about this. 

    I want to make sure that we get this right, I want to make sure that our system is affordable for mums and dads, that it’s accessible everywhere around the country, but most importantly that it’s safe. That’s what this legislation is fundamentally about. But it’s not the only thing that we need to do. 

    The other things that have got to be on the table here are this register so we can track people across the system, identify when people are moving from centre to centre to centre and whether that should be a red flag that something is wrong here, that people are just moving people on rather than reporting them to a regulator or to the police. Proper mandatory child safety training for everybody who works in our centres. 

    I said a moment ago that 99.9 per cent of people who work in our centres are fantastic people. We’ve got to equip them with the skills they need to identify the bad person that might be up to the most horrific of crimes in our centres. And then CCTV as well, which can potentially play a role in deterring somebody from getting up to no good but also help police with their investigations as well. 

    KARVELAS: Minister, if I could just ask you about the Antisemitism Envoy’s report, which of course has been handed to the government. You’ve been talking about this as well. As you know ‑‑ 

    CLARE: Yeah. 

    KARVELAS: ‑‑ your colleague Ed Husic is critical of some parts – not all – but some parts of the report, including the very definition of antisemitism that it’s using. Are you troubled by this definition? 

    CLARE: No, I’m not. I had a quick look at what Ed had to say. I think Ed was fundamentally making the point that any definition of antisemitism shouldn’t stop somebody from criticising the Government of Israel, and I think he’s right in that respect. I don’t think the definition does, by the way.

    But I’ve been critical of the Government of Israel. I think as long as you can make that point very, very clear, you’re on pretty good ground.

    KARVELAS: But it does actually, and I’m just looking at the words here, it does actually refer to the State of Israel by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavour. Do you think that’s antisemitic? 

    CLARE: No, I think what Ed was saying is it’s a little bit different to then be called an antisemite for criticising the Government of Israel. That’s the fundamental point I think ‑‑ 

    KARVELAS: The existence of Israel is really at the heart of the question, isn’t it? That’s what some people criticise. 

    CLARE: You know my view, the view of the Government, the view I think of the overwhelming majority of people watching the tele today is that we want two countries in the Middle East that sit side by side, one’s called Israel, one’s called Palestine, and they can live together in peace and security behind secure borders and have the sort of safe life that we take for granted here in Australia and in many other parts of the world. 

    KARVELAS: How did the part of the report – this is something that Ed Husic definitely mentioned in relation to younger Australians holding views that are antisemitic. Do you think that – are you witnessing that younger Australians have higher rates of antisemitism? 

    CLARE: I was asked this question today. I said certainly social media plays a role here, and I’m hoping that the ban on access to social media for young people under 16, when that comes into force later this year, is going to have a positive impact on that, but also the mental health and wellbeing of younger Australians. 

    I was also asked about the recommendations in the report about universities. We’re considering those at the moment. We’re not making any announcements about that at the moment. But antisemitism is real, it’s a poison that we’ve seen infect parts of the community. There’s no place for it in our universities, there’s no place for it anywhere in Australia, but it’s just one type of the sort of racism that we see in our community and in our universities. 

    I made the point today that we’ve established a Student Ombudsman that provides a vehicle for students to make complaints, whether it’s about antisemitism, Islamophobia or sexual assaults, or any concerns that they’ve got about the way their university has dealt with them. 

    TEQSA, which is the federal regulator of our universities, has certain powers to intervene here and works closely with universities on this. It has the power to put conditions on universities or to go to court and issue fines. I think there’s an open question there about whether TEQSA needs more powers in this area. 

    And I also made the point today that we will shortly receive a report from the Special Envoy Combating Islamophobia, and we want to see their report as well, as well as the report that we received a few weeks ago. 

    KARVELAS: So, will they be considered together? 

    CLARE: I think that’s the way in which we should consider it, that’s probably the best way to go about this. I’ll also receive a report in a couple of months’ time from the Race Discrimination Commissioner about racism in all its ugly forms in our universities, and I’m sure there’s Indigenous Australians and Asian Australians and international students watching today that are saying, “Don’t forget about me, this affects me too”.

    We don’t necessarily need to wait for that report before we take action. You can do this step‑by‑step. But I just flag, I want to see that report from the Special Envoy on Islamophobia, and there’s also a piece of work that I’ve commissioned around the governance, improving the governance of our universities, that I’ll receive too. And I also want to think about what more powers we should properly give TEQSA, the Tertiary Education Regulator here. 

    KARVELAS: That’s really interesting. Jason Clare, Minister, it’s been great to speak to you. Thanks for joining us. 

    CLARE: Thanks PK.

    MIL OSI News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Allies agree NATO’s 2026-2030 Common Funding Resource Plan

    Source: NATO

    On Wednesday 16 July, the North Atlantic Council approved the 2026-2030 Common Funding Resource Plan. This newest Resource Plan gives an overview of the resource demands over the next five years and allocates the necessary common funds to reflect NATO’s increased level of ambition. In approving this Resource Plan, the Council agreed the 2026 ceilings for the common‑funded Military and Civil Budgets, as well as for NATO’s Security Investment Programme, allocating in total EUR 5.3 billion.

    NATO common funding contributes to strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence, providing core military capabilities, fulfilling responsibilities in Alliance operations and missions, and enabling NATO’s consultation and command and control processes. It also provides resources for priority activities in support of Ukraine, such as for the NATO Security Assistance and Training to Ukraine and the NATO Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Quest Unveils AI to Cut Identity Threat Response Without Deep AD Skills

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AUSTIN, Texas, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quest Software, a global leader in securing critical IT infrastructure, modernising Microsoft and database environments, and driving data readiness for AI, today announced the global release of Security Guardian Intelligence, a generative AI enhancement to its Security Guardian identity threat detection and response (ITDR) platform. Built specifically for hybrid Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID environments, the update helps organizations reduce investigation time and act faster on identity threats—even without specialized AD expertise.

    “Security Guardian Intelligence doesn’t just detect identity threats—it explains them with business or board-level context,” said Heath Thompson, President, and Chief Product Officer at Quest. “It gives teams a faster way to prioritize real risk and take action, without needing to interpret every technical detail manually.”

    Why It Matters: Identity Threats Are a Top Risk

    Security and IT teams are under pressure. Identity based attacks are growing fast, and downtime from Active Directory issues can cost over $730,000 per hour. But teams are still slowed down by alert overload, disconnected tools, and a shortage of AD specialists.

    The longer it takes to contain identity threats, the higher the impact. A successful ransomware attack can shut systems down for an average of 23 days, crippling operations and extending recovery timelines.

    Security Guardian Intelligence (SGI) closes that gap with three high-impact capabilities:

    • Plain-language threat summaries: Turn raw AD findings into readable insights anyone can understand
    • Mapped attacker behavior: Tied to MITRE ATT&CK tactics and real-world breach scenarios
    • Built-in remediation: Follow step-by-step resolution guidance with no scripting or escalation required

    “We support customers across industries who are drowning in identity alerts but lack the in-house expertise to act on them,” said Eric Aslaksen, General Manager of Security and CISO at ivision. “Security Guardian already gives visibility – SGI adds the context and speed they’ve been missing. By helping surface what matters and guiding the response, it’s shaping up to be a valuable tool in our identity security toolkit.”

    Legacy Platforms Can’t Keep Up

    Unlike legacy platforms still anchored in on-premises architectures and now retrofitting AI features, Quest built Security Guardian for the cloud from day one, ready for modern identity environments and real-time use of Generative AI.

    Where traditional on-prem tools often struggle to operationalize large language models (LLMs) due to performance and infrastructure limitations, Quest’s architecture enables secure, real-time application of LLMs across live identity telemetry, without workarounds or bolt-ons. The result is faster insights, better context, and more scalable threat response.

    Cloud-Native by Design. AI-Ready from the Start

    SGI is embedded directly into Quest’s cloud-native platform and purpose-built for Active Directory and Entra ID environments. It uses a click-to-context model that takes users from an identity alert to the business impact and recommended fix in a single step. SGI doesn’t just summarize log data, it analyzes live signals, maps them to real-world attacker behavior, and delivers clear guidance to act—even without a senior identity specialist on the team.

    Built-In at No Extra Cost.

    Security Guardian Intelligence is now available to all existing Security Guardian customers at no additional cost.

    It also integrates seamlessly with other Quest solutions across its Cybersecurity & Resilience portfolio, including enterprise backup and disaster recovery, endpoint protection, and 24/7 incident response, making it easier to protect most critical assets at every stage of the attack lifecycle.

    Learn More or See a Demo

    Want to see how SGI handles real-world AD threats?

    About Quest Software 
    Quest Software creates technology and solutions that build the foundation for enterprise AI. Focused on data management and governance, cybersecurity and platform modernization, Quest helps organizations address their most pressing challenges and make the promise of AI a reality.  Around the globe, more than 45,000 companies including over 90% of the Fortune 500 count on Quest Software.  For more information, visit www.quest.com or follow Quest Software on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. 

    Media contact:
    Slava Balykov
    PR Manager
    slava.balykov@quest.com

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Perth and Kinross Apprentice Awards open for nominations

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    The Perth and Kinross Apprentice Awards 2025, developed in partnership by Perth and Kinross Council, Skills Development Scotland (opens new window), Developing the Young Workforce Tay Cities (opens new window), Perthshire Chamber of Commerce (opens new window) and UHI Perth (opens new window), opened for entries on Monday 14 July and will close on Friday 8 August 2025.

    The awards aim to highlight the value of apprenticeships to individuals, businesses and the wider economy, and to encourage more local nominations for the national Scottish Apprenticeship Awards later this year.

    Award categories include:

    • Foundation Apprentice of the Year
    • Modern Apprentice (SCQF Level 5) of the Year
    • Modern Apprentice (SCQF Level 6+) of the Year
    • Graduate Apprentice of the Year
    • Apprenticeship Employer of the Year

    Winners will be announced at a celebration event in early September, ahead of the national awards.

    As of 31 March 2025, there were 981 Modern Apprentices in training across Perth and Kinross. In the past year alone, 654 new apprenticeships were supported by Skills Development Scotland, with nearly 60% of those aged 16-24. The local Modern Apprenticeship achievement rate stands at an impressive 84.1%.

    Thomas Glen, Chief Executive of Perth and Kinross, said: “The Perth and Kinross Apprenticeship Awards are a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the achievements of our local apprentices and the employers who support them. Apprenticeships offer young people a valuable route into rewarding careers, and these awards allow us to celebrate that success and the positive impact apprenticeships have on individuals, businesses and our wider community.”

    A spokesperson for Skills Development Scotland said: “Apprenticeships support individuals, employers and Perthshire’s economy offering high quality opportunities for people to gain valuable skills that support them throughout their career and meet local industry demands now and for the future.”

    Vicki Unite, Chief Executive of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Apprenticeships are a powerful force for growth – for individuals, for businesses, and for our region as a whole. These new awards are a brilliant opportunity to shine a spotlight on the talent, dedication and potential that exists right here in Perth and Kinross. We’re proud to be part of a partnership that’s committed to celebrating the achievements of our apprentices and the employers who support them.”

    Lesley English, Regional Lead, Developing the Young Workforce Tay Cities, said: “Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), is delighted to be a key partner in driving these awards forward. DYW’s continued commitment to connecting young people with meaningful career opportunities is integral to the event’s mission: to recognise and reward those making a difference across the apprenticeship landscape. This event is about more than just awards, it’s about celebrating the impact apprenticeships have—not just on individuals, but on the businesses and communities they serve. We’re proud to support the next generation of skilled professionals.”

    Sarah-Jane Urquhart, National Training Programmes Manager, UHI Perth, said: ”UHI Perth is proud to be part of the strong partnership supporting the Perth and Kinross Apprenticeship Awards, celebrating the achievements of apprentices and their employers across the region. This partnership reflects our commitment to skills development and lifelong learning, and we are excited to help shine a light on the value of apprenticeships. These awards highlight how apprenticeships not only equip individuals with practical, career ready skills but also strengthen local businesses and communities.”

    To enter the awards complete the simple online nomination form:

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Don’t lose your vote – residents in Highland and Western Isles urged to check voter registration details

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Issued on behalf of the Electoral Registration Officer for Highland and Western Isles

    Highland and Western Isles residents are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.

    The Electoral Registration Officer will be getting in touch with every household to check that the electoral register is up to date, and to identify any residents who should be registered but are currently missing.

    Frank Finlayson, Electoral Registration Officer for Highland and Western Isles, said: “Keep an eye out for important updates from the Highland & Western Isles Electoral Registration office. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.

    “If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send. If you want to register, the easiest way is online.”

    Electoral Commission research shows that as many as 1 million people in Scotland are missing from the register or incorrectly registered at their current address.

    Sarah Mackie, Head of the Electoral Commission in Scotland, said: “It’s really important that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so, especially ahead of the Scottish Parliament election next year. We urge people to check for updates from their Electoral Registration Officer on this year’s canvass. You might receive an email, a letter, or a phone call, or someone might knock on your door.

    If you are not registered to vote, make sure you provide the necessary information to your Electoral Registration Officer when asked and register to vote online.”

    Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

    Residents with questions about their registration status can contact their local electoral registration office by calling 0800 393 783.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Global Net Lease Announces Release Date for Second Quarter 2025 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GNL) (“GNL” or the “Company”) announced today that it will release its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

    The Company will host a conference call and audio webcast on Thursday, August 7, 2025, beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET, to discuss the second quarter results and provide commentary on business performance. The results will be released before the call which will be conducted by GNL’s management team. A question-and-answer session will follow the prepared remarks.

    Dial-in instructions for the conference call and the replay are outlined below. This conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed by all interested parties through the GNL website, www.globalnetlease.com, in the “Investor Relations” section. To listen to the live call, please go to the “Investor Relations” section of the Company’s website at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register and download any necessary audio software. For those who are not able to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call on the GNL website.

    Conference Call Details

    Live Call
    Dial-In (Toll Free): 1-833-816-1441
    International Dial-In: 1-412-317-0533

    Conference Replay*
    Domestic Dial-In (Toll Free): 1-844-512-2921
    International Dial-In: 1-412-317-6671
    Conference Replay Number: 10201018

    *Available from 2:00 p.m. ET on August 7, 2025 through November 7, 2025.

    About Global Net Lease, Inc.

    Global Net Lease, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE, which focuses on acquiring and managing a global portfolio of income producing net lease assets across the United States, United Kingdom, and Western and Northern Europe. Additional information about GNL can be found on its website at www.globalnetlease.com.

    Important Notice

    The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the outcome to be materially different. The words such as “may,” “will,” “seeks,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential,” “predicts,” “plans,” “intends,” “would,” “could,” “should” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the risks that any potential future acquisition or disposition by the Company is subject to market conditions, capital availability and timing considerations and may not be identified or completed on favorable terms, or at all. Some of the risks and uncertainties, although not all risks and uncertainties, that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those presented in the Company’s forward-looking statements are set forth in the “Risk Factors” and “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” sections in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and all of its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as such risks, uncertainties and other important factors may be updated from time to time in the Company’s subsequent reports. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time, unless required by law.

    Contacts:
    Investor Relations
    Email: investorrelations@globalnetlease.com
    Phone: (332) 265-2020

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Jena Acquisition Corporation II Announces the Separate Trading of its Class A Ordinary Shares and Rights, Commencing July 21, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jena Acquisition Corporation II (NYSE: JENA.U) (the “Company”) announced today that, commencing July 21, 2025, holders of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering may elect to separately trade the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and rights included in the units. The Class A ordinary shares and rights that are separated will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols “JENA” and “JENA.R,” respectively. Those units not separated will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “JENA.U.”

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

    About Jena Acquisition Corporation II

    The Company is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue a business combination in any business or industry, it intends to capitalize on the ability of its management team and initially focus its search on identifying a prospective target business that can benefit from its co-founder and Chairman William P. Foley, II’s and its co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Richard N. Massey’s historical areas of business expertise.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may include, “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Company Contact

    Jena Acquisition Corporation II
    Richard N. Massey, CEO
    jenaacquisition.com 

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Cority Continues to Be a Leader in the Sustainability Software Market, According to Prominent Industry Analyst Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cority, the sustainable performance software company, has been named a leader in the 2025 Verdantix Green Quadrant for ESG & Sustainability Reporting Software. The report highlights Cority’s ability to provide a unified platform for EHS+ and sustainability, which enables organizations to move beyond compliance reporting to data-driven sustainability performance management.

    As demand for trustworthy, auditable sustainability data accelerates, Cority’s unified platform stands apart. Verdantix highlighted Cority’s strength in unifying compliance, risk, and operational performance data with sustainability metrics. Cority’s integrated approach enables organizations to consolidate this data within a single system, ensuring consistent, high-quality data flows that support forecasting, target-tracking, and regulatory reporting, according to Verdantix.

    The report reinforces Cority’s long-held belief that sustainability performance can’t be managed in isolation. It must be integrated with the full scope of operational and EHS data to drive real results—particularly in moderate to risk-heavy industries such as manufacturing, energy, chemicals, and industrial operations.

    “Cority is uniquely positioned to help organizations not only meet their sustainability reporting obligations, but also to operationalize their data and drive real-time improvements,” said       Alex Hardwick, director of sustainability planning & enablement at Cority. “This recognition by Verdantix underscores the value of our integrated platform for enterprises navigating complex, fast-moving sustainability requirements.”

    Meeting the Market’s Moment

    The sustainability software market is maturing fast, driven by evolving regulations such as the EU’s Omnibus proposal reshaping the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and California’s Climate disclosure laws, along with voluntary reporting frameworks often aligned with the ISSB standards and rising investor scrutiny. According to the Verdantix report, nearly 60% of firms now use software for ESG and sustainability reporting—a sharp rise from 40% just three years ago.

    Organizations are increasingly seeking platforms that unify operational, risk, finance, and sustainability data to meet these growing demands. Verdantix highlights this shift:

    “The demand for more performance monitoring may also be the impetus for various software tools, such as sustainability reporting, EHS, and carbon management, to come together in one platform.”

    Cority is the only enterprise-grade solution recognized for this integrated approach in the 2025 Green Quadrant. Its converged EHS+ platform, CorityOne enables global firms to not only report on sustainability performance but also to trace sustainability metrics back to source operations, allowing proactive adjustments that improve outcomes across the value chain.

    Key Highlights from the Report:

    • Top Scores: Cority received top scores for Data Acquisition & Architecture, Data Management, Organizational Structure, User Interface, and Customer Success.
    • Data Integrity & Scale: Cority earned high marks for scalable, high-integrity data management, essential for large, multinational organizations.
    • Advanced Functionality: The platform’s ability to integrate ESG and EHS data in a single environment supports forecasting, compliance, and operational decision-making.
    • Market Position: Positioned among the leading providers, Cority stands apart from most competitors with clear separation from the pack.

    Verdantix also specifically cited Cority’s acquisition strategy and expanding functionality across key solution areas as strengths. The report also noted Cority’s partnerships with firms like Arcadia to streamline AI-powered data ingestion—further reducing manual data burdens.

    The Verdantix Green Quadrant is one of the industry’s most comprehensive, evidence-based
    assessments of ESG and sustainability reporting software. The 2025 edition evaluates 21 of the most prominent providers based on rigorous functional and market momentum criteria.

    The complete report can be downloaded at https://www.cority.com/reports/green-quadrant-esg-reporting-and-data-management-software/

    About Cority
    Cority is the sustainable performance software company, helping customers transform operating risks into a performance advantage. Our flagship platform, CorityOne, merges deep industry expertise with intelligent software so customers can engage their workforce to see and prevent risks that impact people, the environment, and performance. For 40 years, Cority has been the trusted solution for thousands of organizations in a range of operationally complex industries worldwide, including oil & gas, chemicals, food & beverage, utilities, manufacturing, and healthcare. To learn more, visit www.cority.com

    Media Contact
    Natalie Rizk
    RiotMind
    natalier@theriotmind.agency

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Hylite Launches with Great Wolf Lodge Nationwide to Bring Real-Time Employee Recognition to Over 13,000 Employees

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Great Wolf Lodge, North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts, has partnered with Hylite, a leading web-based platform for frontline employee recognition, to relaunch the High Paws Recognition Program as a fully digital employee engagement program. Now live across all 22 U.S. resort locations and the corporate support center, the program empowers over 13,000 employees, affectionately known as Pack Members, to feel valued and rewarded for their hard work.

    Hylite is web-based, with no app to download or logins to create, making it easy for guests and Pack Members to recognize meaningful moments, like entertaining a child with a magic trick or remembering a family’s drink order from the day before. Each recognition prompts a real-time text or email, keeping appreciation specific and timely.

    In the dynamic hospitality setting, where non-desk teams span across shifts, departments, and locations, this immediacy ensures that great work never goes unnoticed. Recognition brings a greater sense of purpose and connection to the job and, in turn, helps Great Wolf Lodge deliver its mission of Bringing Joy to Families. 

    “Our Pack goes above and beyond to bring joy to families every single day, and it was important for us to offer a way for our guests and fellow Pack Members to share recognition when special moments are being created,” said Rachel O’Connell, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Great Wolf Resorts, “Partnering with Hylite gives us a best-in-class tool that captures those everyday moments of excellence and ensures that gratitude reaches the Pack Members who make the magic happen.”

    In 2024, two pilot locations generated approximately 10,000 guest reviews, recognizing nearly 70% of all team members. Since the peer-to-peer recognition feature launched in March 2025, Pack Members have sent more than 40,000 employee Hylites, roughly translating to one recognition per employee per month.

    Through Hylite’s easy-to-use platform, guests also have the option to instantly copy their message to Google Reviews. For May 2025, Hylite is credited with 20% of 5-star reviews across all 22 national locations.

    “Great Wolf Lodge is known for adopting technology that enhances both the guest and pack experience,” said Marissa Fetter Hochster, CEO of Hylite. “Hylite fit right into that strategy. It was also a natural extension of their existing ‘High Paws’ program, which had previously been paper-based and internal. By moving it online and inviting guest participation, Great Wolf Lodge is setting a new standard for frontline recognition.”

    As a result of the rollout, Pack Members feel appreciated, and Great Wolf Lodge guests experience exceptional service. High Paws is now live across all Great Wolf Lodge resorts nationwide, as well as the corporate support center.

    About Hylite
    Hylite is a tech-forward employee recognition platform built for the frontline. With tools that connect guests, peers, and leaders in real-time, Hylite helps organizations celebrate great work, strengthen team culture, and drive business outcomes through authentic appreciation. For more information, visit https://www.hylitepeople.com/

    About Great Wolf Lodge
    Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts and a leader in family entertainment. With locations across the United States and Canada, Great Wolf Lodge provides families with unforgettable experiences through themed suites, expansive water parks, and year-round adventures. For more information, visit https://www.greatwolf.com/

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Dragonica Origin Official Launching in Southeast Asia on July 16, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Seoul, South Korea, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GRAVITY Co., Ltd. (NasdaqGM: GRVY) (“Gravity” or “Company”), a developer and publisher of online and mobile games, announced that PT Gravity Game Link, Gravity’s Indonesia subsidiary, has officially launched Dragonica Origin, an MMORPG PC game, in 10 regions of Southeast Asia on July 16, 2025.

    Dragonica Origin is set in a fantasy world filled with dragons and magic, featuring dynamic side-scrolling combat and class-specific comic skill that define its unique play style. It is available for playing by downloading the PC version client from the official website.

    Gravity stated, “Dragonica Origin combines the nostalgic charm of classic online games with thrilling side-scrolling action, offering players a fresh and engaging experience. We are confident that those seeking for a retro-style game will find great satisfaction. We invite everyone to join the various events we have prepared to celebrate the official launch.”

    [Gravity Official Website]
    http://www.gravity.co.kr

    [Dragonica Origin Official Website]
    https://Dragonicaorigin.com

    [Dragonica Origin Facebook Page]
    https://www.facebook.com/draconicaorigin/

    [Dragonica Origin Discord Community]
    https://discord.com/invite/3mDJ7GjPBU

    About GRAVITY Co., Ltd. —————————————————

    Gravity is a developer and publisher of online and mobile games. Gravity’s principal product, Ragnarok Online, is a popular online game in many markets, including Japan and Taiwan, and is currently commercially offered in 91 regions. For more information about Gravity, please visit http://www.gravity.co.kr.

    Contact:

    Mr. Heung Gon Kim
    Chief Financial Officer
    Gravity Co., Ltd.
    Email: kheung@gravity.co.kr

    Ms. Jin Lee
    Ms. Yujin Oh
    IR Unit
    Gravity Co., Ltd.
    Email: ir@gravity.co.kr
    Telephone: +82-2-2132-7801

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Rolls Out Web3 Young Learners’ Encyclopedia to Schools, Libraries, and Beyond

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the release of Web3 Young Learners’ Encyclopedia, marking a key milestone in its #Blockchain4Youth global education initiative. The print edition will be distributed across schools, libraries, and community centers to promote blockchain literacy among young learners, while the digital version will be available through CoinGecko, the leading independent crypto data aggregator.

    Structured as an A-to-Z guide, the encyclopedia introduces young readers to the world of blockchain through easy-to-understand terms, think “A is for Altcoin” and “Z is for Zero-Knowledge Proofs.” Each letter features clear definitions and playful illustrations that break down complex ideas into bite-sized, beginner-friendly explanations. It’s a fun, approachable way to spark curiosity about digital finance and help kids grasp the building blocks of Web3 from an early age.

    “To me, education remains the most effective entry point to the future of blockchain,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “The encyclopedia is designed to bridge the knowledge gap by meeting young learners where they are with clear language and relevant examples, in a format that makes blockchain approachable.”

    The development of the encyclopedia was undertaken in collaboration with Cryptita Plays, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to empowering youth through blockchain education and outreach programs. Drawing from its experience working directly with students and educators in underserved communities, Cryptita Plays provided valuable on-the-ground insights that helped shape the content and approach of the encyclopedia. This partnership reinforces the shared goal of both organizations—to make blockchain education more approachable, inclusive, and impactful for young learners worldwide.

    “Our aim has always been to make blockchain meaningful to the next generation—not as a distant concept, but as something they can see, touch, and understand,” said Arshelene Lingao, founder of Cryptita Plays. “This encyclopedia is a tool to help bring those ideas to life and beyond the classroom.”

    The print rollout will commence in areas where internet access is limited or inconsistent, allowing for offline education in underserved regions. The printed edition complements the online version of the encyclopedia, which remains accessible to learners worldwide, encouraging learning and multilingual adaptation. The online encyclopedia can be found here. To extend its reach, the digital edition will also be hosted on CoinGecko, making the encyclopedia more accessible to young learners, educators, and blockchain newcomers globally. CoinGecko users can redeem the encyclopedia through the Candy Rewards program using Candies earned from daily check-ins. View the CoinGecko page here.

    “Blockchain is often framed as the future, but its impact already shapes lives today. The goal is to ensure young people, regardless of geography or background, have the tools to participate in that future,” said Vugar Usi Zade, COO of Bitget. “This encyclopedia is one way of turning abstract concepts into real plans. It’s a small start, but an important one.”

    The encyclopedia is part of Bitget’s broader Blockchain4Youth initiative, a global education effort aimed at equipping the next generation with foundational knowledge of blockchain and digital assets. Designed to be both accessible and engaging, the initiative delivers learning resources through physical publications like the encyclopedia, as well as digital content and in-person programming. By introducing key Web3 concepts in formats that are age-appropriate and widely accessible, Blockchain4Youth aims to make blockchain literacy a practical reality for students worldwide, particularly in regions where access to emerging technology education is limited.

    To learn more about the encyclopedia, visit here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist), and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87f81256-cc72-4690-b851-d57be60236ac

    The MIL Network –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: Civil society seminar: Digital euro – ensuring European autonomy and resilience

    Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

    Evelien Witlox, Programme Manager of the digital euro project, European Central Bank
    Barbora Kalmaityte, offline expert in the digital euro project, European Central Bank
    Fabian Geuther, Communication specialist digital euro project, European Central Bank

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYsbN5cKhDQ

    MIL OSI Video –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA’s G20 Presidency aims for sustainable economic growth, job creation

    Source: Government of South Africa

    As the Chair of the Group of 20 (G20), South Africa’s goal is to promote mutually beneficial economic growth, create jobs and advance sustainable development for its partner nations, says Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

    Mashatile was speaking during the opening ceremony of the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing on Wednesday. The event showcases the latest developments in supply chain management.

    The Deputy President told the attendees that South Africa firmly believes that the establishment of enduring business relationships must occur within the framework of a fair, inclusive, and rules-based global economic order. 

    “This order should prioritise industrialisation, investment in green technologies, and digital infrastructure as key components of sustainable development, especially for developing economies.”

    These priorities, according to the country’s second-in-command, are reflected in the overall CISCE programme, which closely aligns with areas of potential cooperation between South Africa and China. 

    “We, therefore, invite our Chinese counterparts to support and participate in the key pillars of our G20 agenda by investing in green industrial projects, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and regional manufacturing initiatives in South Africa and across the African continent.

    “Through such collaboration, we can deepen our strategic partnership and ensure that the outcomes of South Africa’s G20 Presidency reflect the shared aspirations of the Global South,” he said. 

    WATCH | Deputy President in Beijing

    [embedded content]

    The Deputy President said South Africa looks forward to hosting Chinese and other international buyers, importers and distributors in a tailored procurement mission that will be arranged on the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2025. 

    “We urge all stakeholders to seize these opportunities, foster partnerships, share best practices, and collectively shape the future of supply chain management to build a more connected, resilient, and prosperous world.” 

    READ | Rise in e-commerce activity boosts SA’s supply chain sector

    The G20 consists of 19 member countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It also includes two regional organisations, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU).

    The G20 members include the world’s major economies, representing 85% of global gross domestic product (GDP), over 75% of international trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South Africans are safe, security cluster solid – Minister Ntshavheni

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has assured South Africans that the country is secure and the security cluster remains solid and functional.

    The Minister made these remarks during a media briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday, where she released the redacted version of the National Security Strategy (NSS) and the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) for the sixth administration. 

    Responding to questions from the media regarding current risks to national security, Ntshavheni revealed that government had identified, among others, the threat of a coup d’état but emphasised that no such attempt had materialised.

    “We have listed the risks and remember a risk does not necessarily materialise…You need to identify it and mitigate against it. One of the risks is the risk of coup d’état. We have identified it and put measures to mitigate against it.

    “That’s why we say to South Africans, there’s not been anyone attempting to do a coup in South Africa. In the last few days or in the last few weeks, there’s not been anyone. Not that there are not people planning, they are – but we continuously monitoring them and making sure that we deal with those,” the Minister said.

    Reinforcing this message, Minister Ntshavheni added that the security cluster is solid and well able to do its work. 

    “The security cluster is solid, it is able to do its work. There are men and women in various capacities, who continue to work as patriots for the protection of this country and there are men and women in the intelligence services or intelligence community who continue to work to make sure this country is safe. There are men and women in the defence and police services who work for the greater benefit of this country,” she said. 

    The Minister said government is taking a transparent and proactive approach to national security, noting that the release of the NSS and NIE would allow public engagement and strengthen accountability. 

    “So, any matters or challenges that confront us, we are a resilient nation, we’ve always found solutions, we’ve always been able to deal with challenges and we’ve addressed them,” the Minister said.

    She said the President has taken decisive action by establishing a commission of inquiry with expedited timelines and a clear mandate to report findings to Parliament and the judiciary – further underscoring government’s commitment to transparency and swift action.

    “That must give South Africans the comfort that their security is a priority for this government,” the Minister said.

    Read I Mkhwanazi allegations: What the judicial commission of inquiry will probe

    Ntshavheni emphasised that releasing the public version of the National Security Strategy would further empower citizens to understand government’s policy and strategic focus.

    “So other countries release the strategies, it will help South Africans to understand, what are we focusing on at the policy and strategy level and how they can also help. We have not given you the full strategy. We have given you what we call the public version of the strategy, because the others that are sensitive are for our implementation and other agencies that we work with. But it’s important that South Africans understand our mandate and what we are focusing on,” she said. 

    This strategy, she explained, guides the work of the State Security Agency and the broader intelligence community.

    “You must hold us accountable – to say what you have set yourself as the pillars of the strategy, what is the progress you are making, including what we call the national intelligence estimates and priorities,” the Minister said. 

    She further indicated that the Department is open to discussions about national security progress and challenges – both at domestic and foreign levels.

    No threats to G20 delegates

    Addressing concerns around the safety of G20 delegates as South Africa prepares to host key events ahead of the G20 summit later this year, Minister Ntshavheni assured that there is no single threat to delegates. 

    “We do threats assessments for all meetings, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Sherpa meeting or a Ministerial meeting. We do threat assessments in time and we mitigate. There has not been any threats coming out in South Africa. The safety and security of the delegates of the G20 is guaranteed,” she said.

    The Minister referenced South Africa’s successful hosting of other high-level events in the past, including the BRICS Summit, to affirm the country’s capability to provide secure environments for global engagements.

    “It is not the first important meeting that this country has hosted. We have hosted the BRICS Summit with high profile delegates who are mostly at risk, and everybody was safe in this country,” Minister Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

    July 16, 2025

  • Crush at Gaza aid site kills at least 20, GHF blames armed agitators

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    At least 20 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday at an aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in what the U.S.-backed group said was a crowd surge instigated by armed agitators.

    The GHF, which is supported by Israel, said 19 people were trampled and one fatally stabbed during the crush at one of its centres in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

    “We have credible reason to believe that elements within the crowd – armed and affiliated with Hamas – deliberately fomented the unrest,” GHF said in a statement.

    There has been no immediate comment from Hamas.

    Palestinian heath officials told Reuters 21 people had died of suffocation at the site. One medic said lots of people had been crammed into a small space and had been crushed.

    On Tuesday, the U.N. rights office in Geneva said it had recorded at least 875 killings within the past six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in Gaza – the majority of them close to GHF distribution points.

    Most of those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military. The military has acknowledged that Palestinian civilians were harmed near aid distribution centres, saying that Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with “lessons learned”.

    The GHF uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a U.N.-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the accusation.

    The U.N. has called the GHF’s model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards – an allegation GHF has denied.

    Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network, accused the GHF on Wednesday of gross mismanagement, saying its lack of crowd control and failure to uphold humanitarian principles had led to chaos and death among desperate civilians.

    “People who flock in their thousands (to GHF sites) are hungry and exhausted, and they get squeezed into narrow places, amid shortages of aid and the absence of organization and discipline by the GHF,” he told Reuters.

    The war in Gaza, triggered in October 2023 by a deadly Hamas attack on Israel, has devastated large swathes of the coastal enclave, displaced almost all of the territory’s population and led to widespread hunger and privation.

    ISRAELI ARMY ROAD

    Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had finished paving a new road in southern Gaza separating several towns east of Khan Younis from the rest of the territory in an effort to disrupt Hamas operations.

    Palestinians see the road, which extends Israeli control, as a way to pressure on Hamas in ongoing ceasefire talks, which started on July 6 and are being brokered by Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar with the backing of the United States.

    Palestinian sources close to the negotiations said a breakthrough had not yet been reached on any of the main issues under discussion.

    Hamas said Israel wanted to keep at least 40% of the Gaza Strip under its control as part of any deal, which the group rejected. Hamas has also demanded the dismantlement of the GHF and the reinstatement of a U.N.-led aid delivery mechanism.

    Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the road showed Israel was not serious about reaching a ceasefire deal.

    “It confirms the occupation’s long-term intentions and plans to remain inside the Strip, not to withdraw, and not to end the war. This contradicts everything it claims at the negotiating table or communicates to mediators,” Naim said in a post on his Facebook page.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas is disarmed and removed from Gaza.

    Gaza local health authorities said Israeli military strikes have killed at least 17 people across the enclave on Wednesday.

    Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

    Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. An estimated 50 Israelis and foreign nationals remain captive in Gaza, including 28 hostages who have been declared dead and whose bodies are being withheld.

    (Reuters)

    July 16, 2025

  • India’s EV sales projected to cross 7% market share by FY28: CareEdge report

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s electric car sales are projected to cross a 7 per cent market share by FY28, provided supply chain challenges around rare earth elements (REEs) are addressed in time, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

    The report by CareEdge Advisory highlighted that India’s electric car market has witnessed robust growth over the past three years, expanding from just over 5,000 units in FY21 to more than 1.07 lakh units in FY25 — a 21-fold increase.

    While electric four-wheelers currently form a small part of India’s overall EV sales — which are led by two- and three-wheelers — the segment is expected to see rapid expansion in the coming years, driven by fresh model launches, strengthening public policy support and growing private sector participation.

    The Indian government has set a target of achieving 30 per cent EV penetration by FY30 and is rolling out multiple initiatives to boost adoption.

    Schemes such as FAME III, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for advanced chemistry cell (ACC) batteries, and customs duty exemptions for critical battery minerals are expected to lower production costs and enhance domestic supply chains.

    “India’s electric car sales penetration is likely to cross 7 per cent by FY28, provided rare earth disruption is resolved in a timely manner. With a robust pipeline of new models, expanding charging infrastructure and battery localisation under the PLI scheme, India is well-positioned to accelerate EV adoption,” said Tanvi Shah, Senior Director and Head, CareEdge Advisory & Research.

    The report underlined that charging infrastructure, historically seen as a major hurdle in EV adoption, is witnessing rapid expansion.

    The number of Public EV Charging Stations (EVPCS) in India has grown nearly fivefold in the past three years, from 5,151 in 2022 to over 26,000 by early FY25 — recording a compound annual growth rate of more than 72 per cent.

    The FAME III scheme includes dedicated support for charging infrastructure, while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat have introduced targeted incentives, including land subsidies and capital expenditure support for setting up new stations.

    Urban local bodies are also implementing policies mandating EV-ready parking in new residential and commercial buildings, aiming to reduce range anxiety for potential buyers.

    Private charge point operators are expanding networks rapidly, often in partnership with local municipal corporations and power distribution companies. Efforts are also underway to standardise charging protocols to ensure interoperability and ease of use for consumers.

    In addition, the Union Budget for FY26 introduced zero basic customs duty on 16 key minerals used in battery manufacturing. This is expected to reduce India’s reliance on imports and lower production costs.

    CareEdge estimates that India’s dependence on lithium-ion cell imports could drop to 20 per cent by FY27, compared to nearly 100 per cent in FY22, supported by new investments in integrated battery manufacturing facilities.

    The report comes as global EV leader Tesla begins its operations in India, signalling further momentum for the country’s electric mobility landscape.

    (IANS)

    July 16, 2025

  • India’s EV sales projected to cross 7% market share by FY28: CareEdge report

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s electric car sales are projected to cross a 7 per cent market share by FY28, provided supply chain challenges around rare earth elements (REEs) are addressed in time, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

    The report by CareEdge Advisory highlighted that India’s electric car market has witnessed robust growth over the past three years, expanding from just over 5,000 units in FY21 to more than 1.07 lakh units in FY25 — a 21-fold increase.

    While electric four-wheelers currently form a small part of India’s overall EV sales — which are led by two- and three-wheelers — the segment is expected to see rapid expansion in the coming years, driven by fresh model launches, strengthening public policy support and growing private sector participation.

    The Indian government has set a target of achieving 30 per cent EV penetration by FY30 and is rolling out multiple initiatives to boost adoption.

    Schemes such as FAME III, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for advanced chemistry cell (ACC) batteries, and customs duty exemptions for critical battery minerals are expected to lower production costs and enhance domestic supply chains.

    “India’s electric car sales penetration is likely to cross 7 per cent by FY28, provided rare earth disruption is resolved in a timely manner. With a robust pipeline of new models, expanding charging infrastructure and battery localisation under the PLI scheme, India is well-positioned to accelerate EV adoption,” said Tanvi Shah, Senior Director and Head, CareEdge Advisory & Research.

    The report underlined that charging infrastructure, historically seen as a major hurdle in EV adoption, is witnessing rapid expansion.

    The number of Public EV Charging Stations (EVPCS) in India has grown nearly fivefold in the past three years, from 5,151 in 2022 to over 26,000 by early FY25 — recording a compound annual growth rate of more than 72 per cent.

    The FAME III scheme includes dedicated support for charging infrastructure, while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat have introduced targeted incentives, including land subsidies and capital expenditure support for setting up new stations.

    Urban local bodies are also implementing policies mandating EV-ready parking in new residential and commercial buildings, aiming to reduce range anxiety for potential buyers.

    Private charge point operators are expanding networks rapidly, often in partnership with local municipal corporations and power distribution companies. Efforts are also underway to standardise charging protocols to ensure interoperability and ease of use for consumers.

    In addition, the Union Budget for FY26 introduced zero basic customs duty on 16 key minerals used in battery manufacturing. This is expected to reduce India’s reliance on imports and lower production costs.

    CareEdge estimates that India’s dependence on lithium-ion cell imports could drop to 20 per cent by FY27, compared to nearly 100 per cent in FY22, supported by new investments in integrated battery manufacturing facilities.

    The report comes as global EV leader Tesla begins its operations in India, signalling further momentum for the country’s electric mobility landscape.

    (IANS)

    July 16, 2025

  • UK lifts ban on Pakistani airlines after five years

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Britain has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing them to apply to resume UK flights just as Islamabad steps up efforts to privatise its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines. 

    The ban was imposed in 2020, days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilot licences issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people.

    The British High Commission said on Wednesday the lifting of the ban followed safety improvements by Pakistani authorities. The decision comes just months after the European Union took similar steps.

    While several private Pakistani airlines operate domestically and on regional routes, primarily to the Middle East, PIA has historically been the only carrier to operate long-haul flights to Britain and the European Union.

    PIA had previously estimated an annual revenue loss of around 40 billion rupees ($144 million) due to the ban. The airline has long considered UK routes, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, among its most profitable, and holds sought-after landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport that could become active again.

    PIA’s spokesperson said the airline was finalising preparations to resume UK flights “in the shortest possible time” and had submitted its proposed schedule.

    Flights would resume with the Islamabad-Manchester route, with three weekly flights planned initially pending schedule approval, the spokesperson added.

    Earlier this month, Pakistan approved four groups to bid for a 51-100% stake in PIA. Final bids are expected later this year.

    The government is hoping that recent reforms, which led to the airline’s first operating profit in 21 years – will help attract buyers under a broader IMF-backed privatisation push.

    Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told a press conference on Wednesday that the resumption of all routes would improve PIA’s value ahead of the privatisation. He also said there were plans to restart flights to New York.

    (Reuters)

    July 16, 2025

  • UK lifts ban on Pakistani airlines after five years

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Britain has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing them to apply to resume UK flights just as Islamabad steps up efforts to privatise its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines. 

    The ban was imposed in 2020, days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilot licences issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people.

    The British High Commission said on Wednesday the lifting of the ban followed safety improvements by Pakistani authorities. The decision comes just months after the European Union took similar steps.

    While several private Pakistani airlines operate domestically and on regional routes, primarily to the Middle East, PIA has historically been the only carrier to operate long-haul flights to Britain and the European Union.

    PIA had previously estimated an annual revenue loss of around 40 billion rupees ($144 million) due to the ban. The airline has long considered UK routes, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, among its most profitable, and holds sought-after landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport that could become active again.

    PIA’s spokesperson said the airline was finalising preparations to resume UK flights “in the shortest possible time” and had submitted its proposed schedule.

    Flights would resume with the Islamabad-Manchester route, with three weekly flights planned initially pending schedule approval, the spokesperson added.

    Earlier this month, Pakistan approved four groups to bid for a 51-100% stake in PIA. Final bids are expected later this year.

    The government is hoping that recent reforms, which led to the airline’s first operating profit in 21 years – will help attract buyers under a broader IMF-backed privatisation push.

    Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told a press conference on Wednesday that the resumption of all routes would improve PIA’s value ahead of the privatisation. He also said there were plans to restart flights to New York.

    (Reuters)

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Isle of Wight coastal defence schemes get new webpages

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Isle of Wight coastal defence schemes get new webpages

    The new webpages for Yaverland, Shanklin and Ventnor make it easier for communities to stay informed about vital coastal protection work.

    Updates on coastal defence schemes for Ventnor, Shanklin and Yaverland will now be available online

    New webpages filled with information about the coastal defence schemes in Shanklin, Yaverland, and Ventnor have launched.

    These webpages provide easy access to up-to-date information about the schemes, including background details, key documents, engagement updates, and next steps.

    Facilitated by the Environment Agency and Isle of Wight Council, the new webpages make it easier for residents, businesses, and stakeholders to stay informed and involved in the coastal defence planning process by posting their questions and ideas. 

    Earlier this year, a series of community engagement events were held in February and April at locations in Ventnor, Shanklin, and Yaverland.

    Together, these activities captured local views on the urgent need to address coastal risks and gathered ideas for improving the seafronts for residents, businesses, and visitors. 

    More than 400 people attended the in-person events, and over 200 contributed feedback. Key themes in the report include:  

    • A strong community desire for coastal protection that is accessible, attractive, and resilient.  

    • Support for placemaking features such as improved seating, planting, signage, and public art.  

    • Clear interest in staying informed and involved as the scheme progresses.  

    Natasha Dix, service director of Waste, Environment and Planning at the Isle of Wight Council, said:   

    This feedback reflects the deep connection local people have with Ventnor’s coastline, and their clear vision for protection that enhances rather than detracts from what makes this area special.

    Residents have shown they want coastal defences that are not just functional but contribute to the character and accessibility of their seafront.

    David Gaskell, senior project officer for Ventnor at the Environment Agency, said:  

    We’re grateful for the open conversations and creative suggestions shared, and we’re committed to building on this as we move into the next phase of design and planning.

    Moving forwards, the projects are also planning to engage schools to hear from the younger generation who will benefit from the schemes over the next 50 years. 

    You can find the new online information pages here:   

    Ventnor Coastal Defence Scheme

    Shanklin Coastal Defence Scheme 

    Yaverland Coastal Defence Scheme 

    For further information, or to request printed copies or accessible formats, email lottie.begg@environment-agency.gov.uk or call 07880 162137. 

    Background

    • The Isle of Wight coastal defence schemes are a joint initiative between the Environment Agency and Isle of Wight Council. 

    • Community engagement events were held at Shanklin at the Shanklin and Sandown rowing club, in February 2025; at Yaverland, within the Brown’s Golf course venue, in February 2025; and in Ventnor, within Ventnor Exchange, in April 2025. 

    • The aim of the schemes are to mitigate flood and coastal erosion risk, while protecting homes, businesses, infrastructure, and public spaces. 

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    Updates to this page

    Published 16 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NUKES: Funding for military gimmicks insult to the people of Scotland say Greens

    Source: Scottish Greens

    16 Jul 2025 External Affairs

    More in External Affairs

    A new £250 million investment from the UK Government into the Faslane nuclear weapons base is an ‘insult’ to local families in poverty, says the area’s Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer.

    The United Kingdom’s nuclear weapons are housed on the River Clyde at HMNB Clyde, encompassing the Faslane and Coulport sites only 20 miles from Glasgow.

    In recent years, the cost for these weapons of mass slaughter has skyrocketed, with a report in 2023 uncovering “costs increased by £38.2 billion to £99.5 billion” a 62% increase for the Defence Nuclear Organisation.

    UK Labour Ministers Ian Murray and Maria Eagle will visit HMNB Clyde (Faslane) today to announce the funding for new nuclear infrastructure at the same time as their Government refused to lift thousands of children out of poverty by scrapping the Tories’ cruel two-child benefit cap and its associated ‘rape clause’.

    Reacting to the visit Scottish Greens MSP for West Scotland, Ross Greer said:

    “Pouring hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money into military gimmicks won’t make us any safer. It will only take money away from the urgent work needed to lift children out of poverty and tackle the climate emergency. The only winners here are the arms companies who will make a fortune.

    “The UK Government continues to use Scotland as a dumping ground for their weapons of mass slaughter. This new funding isn’t going to reduce the risk of living near Faslane nor the totally unacceptable risk of transporting nuclear and explosive materials by road through Scotland’s towns and cities.

    “Even if these weapons had no cost implications, they would still be totally immoral and a huge risk to the people of Scotland. There can never be justification for weapons which are only capable of indiscriminate mass killing. The terrible legacy of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is all the warning we need from history in that regard.

    “Our communities in the West of Scotland need sustainable, safe jobs and a decent safety net in the social security system. This money could have been used for that, but instead it will go straight to some of the world’s biggest arms manufacturers.

    “Faslane could be a conventional naval base, meeting our defensive needs on the west coast for a fraction of the cost of this nuclear arsenal, with the rest of that money used to make this a fairer and greener country. But yet again, it will instead be thrown into the bottomless pit of money that is the Trident nuclear weapon programme.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump says to slap 10% tariffs on smaller countries

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he planned to place over 10 percent tariffs on smaller countries, not least those in Africa and the Caribbean.

    “We’ll probably set one tariff for all of them,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. It could be “a little over 10 percent tariff” on goods from at least 100 nations, he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

    Trump had just announced a deal with Indonesia earlier in the day. Under the deal, Indonesia will pay a 19 percent tariff on all goods exported to the United States, while U.S. exports to Indonesia are to be free of tariff- and non-tariff barriers.

    The president had recently sent letters to leaders of several countries, including some major trading partners of the United States, announcing tariffs of 20-50 percent to be introduced starting Aug. 1.

    Trump also said he would “probably” announce tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs at the “end of the month.”

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Pentagon orders half of National Guard to leave Los Angeles

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

    The U.S. Department of Defense on Tuesday ordered 2,000 of the roughly 4,000 California National Guard members deployed in the Los Angeles area to return to their home commands.

    “Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding,” said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement, announcing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to scale back the deployment.

    The “federal protection mission” had achieved its immediate goals, the statement said.

    It was not specified how soon the service members would leave, while some officials said units would redeploy “in an orderly manner”. The California National Guard confirmed it had begun contacting commanders to arrange transportation for soldiers whose assignments are ending.

    The Trump administration federalized around 4,000 California National Guard members and dispatched about 700 active-duty Marines to the Los Angeles area in June after large-scale protests erupted over immigration enforcement raids in the area.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sharply criticized the deployment, arguing that the heavy military presence aggravated tensions rather than restored calm. Both officials reiterated on Tuesday that complete control of public-safety operations should be returned to state and local agencies at once.

    “Thousands of members are still federalized in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state,” Newsom said in a post on X. “End this theater and send everyone home.”

    At a press conference Tuesday evening, Bass said the troops were “deployed unnecessarily” and “used as props” by the Trump administration. “I am hoping that this is the beginning of a complete withdrawal,” she said as quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

    Even after the drawdown, some 2,000 Guard troops and all 700 Marines will remain in the Los Angeles area. Their responsibilities include protecting federal buildings and assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their operations.

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 16, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia rejects Trump’s ultimatum on Ukraine

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

    Russia on Tuesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum to agree to an Ukraine ceasefire, dismissing the threat of “severe tariffs” as unacceptable.

    Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized that Moscow favors a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict and is ready to negotiate.

    “However, if this is not met with a proper response, if we cannot reach our set goals through diplomacy, then the special military operation will go on,” he continued.

    He said Moscow’s position is unshakable. “We expect Washington and NATO to take this seriously.”

    Trump on Tuesday denied earlier allegations that he encouraged Kiev to strike deep into Russian territory, saying that he isn’t taking sides in the conflict and advised Ukraine “shouldn’t target Moscow” with long-range weapons.

    Just one day before the clarification, Trump said at the Oval Office that the United States will send weapons to Ukraine through NATO, and threatened “severe tariffs” targeting Russia if a ceasefire deal is not reached in 50 days.

    He said some of the first Patriot missile systems could arrive in Ukraine “within days.”

    The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the weapon deliveries as evidence that NATO countries are not interested in peace.

    U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Trump’s reference to 100 percent secondary tariffs meant “economic sanctions.”

    Meanwhile, Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday voted to extend the country’s wartime status and military mobilization for another 90 days, through Nov. 5. Lawmakers also approved a temporary withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty that prohibits the use of anti-personnel landmines.

    MIL OSI China News –

    July 16, 2025
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