NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – 02 June – 05 June: Committee week

    Source: European Parliament

    In the week of 2 June, a large part of Members’ work this week will be in Parliamentary Committees. A string of important votes, debates, public herrings and presentations will take place. Committee on Budgets will host Commissioner Sreafin’s presentation of Draft Budget 2026, ECON will vote on EIB annual report 2024, Employment and Social Affairs committee will hold a public hearing on Artificial intelligence at the workplace, ITRE committee will hold a debate with Executive Vice-President Séjourné, the committee Transport and Tourism will debate the implementation of Connecting Europe Facility – Transport, the committee on Agriculture and Rural Development will vote welfare of dogs and cats, and on CAP strategic plans, the Committee on Legal Affairs is organising an Interparliamentary Committee Meeting, and the committee on European Democracy Shield will hold a joint debate with Verkhovna Rada. Follow the links below to discover this week’s highlights.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Update of the Commission’s 2020 study projecting the net fiscal impact of immigration in the EU – E-002052/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002052/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marieke Ehlers (PfE), Sebastiaan Stöteler (PfE), Ton Diepeveen (PfE), Rachel Blom (PfE), Auke Zijlstra (PfE), Sebastian Kruis (PfE)

    In November 2020, the Commission published a comprehensive study on the net fiscal impact of immigration in the EU[1]. This study shows that non-EU immigration has a negative net benefit in almost all countries, even under the assumption of ‘perfect integration’.

    The data is consistent with 2023[2] and 2024[3] studies, which show that immigrants migrating for other purposes than work, such as study, family reunification and asylum, all bring negative net contributions, ranging between EUR 200 000 for family migrants and EUR 400 000 for asylum seekers. The negative contribution is particularly large in the case of African and Middle Eastern asylum seekers.

    The studies find evidence for a strong relationship between average net contributions by country and cultural distance, even after controlling for average education and the cito distribution-effect. The cultural distance to African-Islamic countries is large, and their emigrants bring large net fiscal costs, while the distance to Confucian countries is modest and their emigrants on average bring the largest net benefits.

    • 1.When will the Commission publish an updated version of its 2020 study? If not, why not?
    • 2.Will the Commission use the same methodology as the cited studies, differentiating immigrants by motive, source and generation? If not, why not?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/232517/1/GLO-DP-0814.pdf.
    • [2] Beek, Jan & Roodenburg, Hans & Hartog, Joop & Kreffer, Gerrit. (2023). Borderless Welfare State – The Consequences of Immigration for Public Finances.
    • [3] Beek, Jan & Roodenburg, Hans & Hartog, Joop & Kreffer, Gerrit. (2024), The Long-Term Fiscal Impact of Immigrants in the Netherlands, Differentiated by Motive, Source Region and Generation.
    Last updated: 2 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Experts and policymakers discuss confidence-building measures and norms in cyberspace at OSCE workshop in Mongolia

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: Experts and policymakers discuss confidence-building measures and norms in cyberspace at OSCE workshop in Mongolia

    Participants at an OSCE workshop on cyber norms and confidence-building measures held in Ulaanbaatar, 27 May 2025. (OSCE) Photo details

    Cybersecurity experts and policymakers from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus and Mongolia explored cyber norms and confidence-building measures (CBMs) at a workshop in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department on 27 and 28 May.
    The 21 workshop participants discussed the use of and nexus between CBMs — a key element of how states build transparency, co-operation and trust in cyberspace — and cyber norms, which set standards for responsible state conduct.
    “The OSCE is the first regional organization to develop and adopt CBMs for cyberspace, providing practical steps and voluntary actions designed to increase transparency, foster communication and build trust. This workshop has been designed with a cross-regional perspective, particularly seeking to highlight good practices from the ASEAN region. I am pleased that we have many expert speakers from ASEAN and the OSCE contributing their valuable insight,” said Alena Kupchyna, OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, in her opening remarks.
    Through expert-led discussions, the workshop explored national and regional strategies and challenges, highlighting areas for possible future joint efforts. It also facilitated an inter-regional exchange of good practices with experts from Southeast Asia and provided a platform for closer co-operation.
    “Mongolia attaches great importance to international collaboration, mutual trust, and the exchange of best practices, which are more vital than ever in safeguarding the integrity and resilience of our shared cyberspace. We have been a steadfast supporter and active participant in confidence-building measures led by the United Nations, the OSCE, and the ASEAN Regional Forum, contributing to regional peace, trust, and security,” said P. Altan-Od, State Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Communications of Mongolia.
    During an exercise involving a fictitious cyber incident, participants put their theoretical knowledge to the test. They explored how to use international norms and CBMs during an incident and the role of national preparedness and regional co-operation in responding to cyber threats.
    “Cyber confidence-building measures are not just diplomatic niceties — they are essential instruments of peace and security in the digital age. As the cyber domain continues to grow in importance, the need for structured, co-operative approaches to prevent conflict and enhance collective resilience is urgent,” said Marius Stucki, Counsellor, Deputy Head of the Political Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in the People’s Republic of China.
    The workshop was delivered as part of the OSCE extrabudgetary project, “Activities and customized support for the implementation of OSCE cyber/ICT security confidence-building measures”, with financial support from Switzerland.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Yulia Navalnaya and leading members of Russia’s opposition to address MEPs

    Source: European Parliament

    The guest speakers expected to address MEPs are political activist Yulia Navalnaya, wife of murdered Sakharov Prize laureate Alexei Navalny, Russian-British political activist, journalist and former political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza, and opposition politician Ilya Yashin. All the guests will attend the meeting in person.

    The exchange of views is being organised by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Human Rights and Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.

    WHEN: Thursday 5 June, 09:00-10:00 CEST.

    WHERE: Room 4Q2 in the European Parliament’s ANTALL building in Brussels.

    You can watch the meeting live here.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Protecting circular steel production by adopting a legal definition of green steel and amending CBAM – E-002051/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002051/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Flavio Tosi (PPE), Massimiliano Salini (PPE), Letizia Moratti (PPE)

    Presented in March 2025, the EU steel action plan aims to make the European steel industry more competitive, but does not provide a clear definition of the term ‘green steel’. The absence of objective criteria for production processes (their carbon footprint, the type of energy and raw materials they use) makes it impossible to introduce a labelling system that incentivises low-emission processes.

    This legal vacuum is also reflected in the current design of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which does not guarantee a level playing field between EU producers and importers. Basing CBAM on the Emissions Trading System’s (ETS) free allocation benchmarks – which unfortunately take into account the process used rather than the product’s actual carbon footprint – will grant seamless access to the European market to third country steel products made using gas and virgin raw materials (DRI-EAF). Such a state of affairs would put the companies that use recycled scrap and renewable energies – which have to buy ETS credits for all their emissions – at a disadvantage.

    In the light of the above:

    • 1.Will the Commission provide a legal basis for green steel that is based on a product’s actual carbon footprint?
    • 2.Will it amend CBAM to prevent any distortions that will harm circular steelmaking processes for flat and long products?
    • 3.How will the Commission push for decarbonised steel to be included in industrial policies and public tenders?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    Last updated: 2 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Earthquakes in Greece – E-002091/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002091/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR)

    Greece, as one of the most seismically active areas in the EU, faces intense and continuous seismic activity due to the presence of many fault lines inside the country as well as in the wider region.

    The earthquake in Santorini did not cause damage but had an impact on tourism. Then, in Evia, serious damage was recorded in over 50 houses and structures, with some buildings deemed possibly unfit for habitation.

    The morphology of the soil in Evia complicates inspections and interventions, making them slower and more expensive.

    Despite the fact that the earthquakes are of moderate intensity (below five on the Richter scale), their frequency causes significant damage and hardship to citizens.

    This state of affairs, in addition to causing uncertainty and anxiety among citizens, often has human victims.

    It is noted that some 30 % of schools are not designed to be earthquake-proof, while a further 30 % comply with an obsolete regulation from 1959.

    At the same time, there is a clear impact on the economic climate, especially in the tourism sector.

    • 1.Greece can make use of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) whenever necessary to monitor the effects of and coordinate actions with regard to an earthquake. Are the corresponding national services aware of how they can benefit from the service, if necessary?
    • 2.Have there been requests from Greece for monitoring land deformation or drawing up evacuation plans for a future incident?
    • 3.Does the Commission consider that seismicity is sufficiently taken into account in the preparation of cohesion policies?

    Submitted: 23.5.2025

    Last updated: 2 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Brilliant victory of GUU students at the IV National “Far Eastern Logistics Olympiad”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    At the IV National “Far Eastern Logistics Olympiad” that ended last week, students from the State University of Management won a brilliant victory.

    The Olympiad is a significant competition for identifying talents and future leaders in the field of logistics. This year, the Olympiad was held at the Vladivostok State University in conditions of the highest competition, bringing together the best students from the country’s leading universities in an online format:

    State University of Management; Vladivostok State University; Saint Petersburg State University of Economics; Siberian State University of Science and Technology named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev; Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev; Maritime State University named after Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy; Far Eastern Federal University.

    The Olympiad is not just a competition. It is an important stage in the professional development of future logisticians. Participants were asked to solve complex problems that require deep knowledge, analytical skills, a creative approach and the ability to work in a team. The Olympiad provided an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and exchange experiences with colleagues from other universities. The tasks covered a wide range of topics, including logistics chain optimization, inventory management, demand forecasting and development of transport routes.

    We are proud to announce that 1st year student of SUM Ksenia Kudryavtseva became the winner of the Far Eastern Olympiad in Logistics! Ksenia demonstrated an outstanding level of knowledge, analytical thinking and the ability to find optimal solutions in difficult situations. Her success is a well-deserved result of hard work and talent, which we at SUM are very proud of.

    Results by round: Round 1 (Testing): 1st place – GUU, Ksenia Kudryavtseva; Round 2 (Quest, team competition): 1st place – team #1, GUU, Georgy Ermoshin; Round 3 (Case solution, team competition): 1st place – team #4, GUU, Ksenia Kudryavtseva.

    To learn more about Ksenia Kudryavtseva’s path to victory and impressions, we took a short interview with her:

    How did you learn about the Olympiad and what motivated you to take part?— I learned about the Olympiad from my academic advisor, who suggested that I try my hand. I was motivated by the desire to test my knowledge, gain new experience and meet like-minded people who are passionate about logistics.

    Which stages of the Olympiad were the most difficult for you and why? — The third round was the most difficult – team execution of the case, because it required not only deep knowledge, but also coordinated teamwork, a creative approach and the ability to make quick decisions – only 24 hours were given for execution. For example, we had to develop an optimal logistics scheme for cargo delivery taking into account various restrictions and factors, such as seasonality of demand, transportation costs and delivery time requirements.

    Which tasks did you find most interesting? – I liked the testing the most – it had quite interesting questions that allowed me to assess my level of theoretical knowledge in logistics.

    Did you have mentors or a support team? How did they help? – My scientific supervisor, Dmitry Olegovich Rogov, supported me a lot. He helped me understand complex issues, gave useful advice and shared his experience. My family and friends also supported me, which was very important.

    Why did you choose logistics? What attracts you to it? – Logistics is a dynamic and multifaceted field where analytical thinking, the ability to optimize processes and see the system as a whole are important. I am attracted by its practical significance and impact on business efficiency.

    What areas of logistics are you most interested in? – I am especially interested in supply chain management and transport logistics, as they require a strategic approach and work with large volumes of data.

    What emotions did you experience when you found out you were the winner? – Surprise and joy – the Olympiad was difficult, and I did not immediately believe in my result. But it gave me confidence in my abilities.

    Do you plan to participate in other logistics Olympiads? – Yes, definitely! This is a great way to develop, find new ideas and expand your professional horizons.

    We sincerely congratulate Ksenia Kudryavtseva and her supervisor, assistant of the Department of Transport Complex Management Dmitry Rogov on their well-deserved victory! We also congratulate Georgy Ermoshin and his supervisor, senior lecturer Denis Pustokhin on their victory in the team competition! GUU is proud of its students and teachers who demonstrate high results and aspiration for professional growth. We wish you all further success, new achievements and implementation of the most ambitious plans in the field of logistics.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Hard work clearly visible: PM Modi hails India’s athletics champions

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Indian athletes for their stellar performance at the recently concluded 2025 Asian Athletics Championships, stating that their “hard work and determination were clearly visible” throughout the tournament.

    India secured a total of 24 medals — eight gold, 10 silver, and six bronze — at the continental meet held in Gumi, South Korea, finishing second in the final medal tally behind China.

    “India is proud of our contingent for their stupendous performance at the recently held 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea. The hard work and determination of every athlete were clearly visible throughout the tournament. Best wishes to the athletes for their future endeavours,” PM Modi posted on X.

    More than 60 Indian athletes participated in the competition, held from May 27 to 31. The 26th edition of the championships featured over 2,000 athletes, with Indians competing across 30 medal events — 15 for men, 14 for women, and one mixed team event — during the five-day event.

    Servin Sebastian opened India’s medal tally with a bronze in the men’s 20km race walk on Day 1.

    Gulveer Singh clinched India’s first gold medal in the men’s 10,000m and followed it up with another gold in the 5,000m event. Rupal Chaudhary became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the championships with a silver in the 400m race.

    The Indian 4x400m mixed relay team successfully defended their title, while the women’s 4x400m relay team also claimed gold.

    Jyothi Yarraji retained her women’s 100m hurdles crown with a strong finish, while Avinash Sable became the first Indian man in 36 years to win a steeplechase gold at the Asian Athletics Championships.

    Animesh Kujur (200m) and Parul Chaudhary (3000m steeplechase) set new national records in their respective events.

    Tejaswin Shankar made history by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in the decathlon at the Asian Athletics Championships. He scored 7,618 points to earn silver, adding to his bronze from the 2023 edition.

    In the women’s long jump, Ancy Sojan (6.33m) and Shaili Singh (6.30m) secured silver and bronze, respectively.

    -IANS

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: International Arts Carnival opens in July with martial arts theatre performance “Soul of Shaolin” (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    International Arts Carnival opens in July with martial arts theatre performance “Soul of Shaolin”  
         “Soul of Shaolin”, featuring more than 30 kung fu masters, will showcase breathtaking martial arts scenes consisting of boxing, weaponry and qigong to demonstrate the harmony between the spiritual wisdom and physical strength of Chinese kung fu. The theatre production has earned both Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations since its Broadway debut in 2009. After more than two decades of world touring, it is finally coming to Hong Kong and is not to be missed.
     
         The story revolves around young Huiguang, who has mastered kung fu skills at the famous Shaolin Temple. He has been working hard on his martial arts training and practicing kindness, but has always missed his long-lost mother. Unexpectedly, a woman he saves from danger is his mother, who he has been searching for all along.
     
         The Henan Provincial Shaolin Wushu Center was established in 1988 and is affiliated with the Culture and Tourism Department of Henan Province. Its performing troupe consists of over 200 kung fu masters, has performed in more than 80 countries and regions, and is gaining popularity among audiences both domestically and internationally.
     
         “Soul of Shaolin” will be held at 7.30pm on July 11 and 12, and 3pm on July 12 and 13 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Tickets priced at $250, $350, $450 and $520 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk 
         The matinee at 3pm on July 12 is an accessible performance with audio descriptions in Cantonese. A touch tour will be provided prior to the performance for people with visual impairment and their companions. A meet-the-artist session, conducted in Putonghua with Cantonese interpretation, will also be held after this performance.
     
         The programme contains loud sound effects and action scenes. Performers have been professionally trained, and the audience is advised not to imitate their acts. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit     www.hkiac.gov.hk 
         This year’s IAC will run from July 11 to August 17, featuring a wide array of fun-filled educational programmes by overseas, Mainland and local art groups and artists. In addition to martial arts, acrobatics, dance, music, theatre and multimedia, the IAC will also offer film screenings, parent-child workshops, an online programme, an outreach performance and an exhibition.
     
         “Soul of Shaolin” is also one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Festival 2025.
    Issued at HKT 18:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Celebrating World Milk Day

    Source: Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ)

    Milk continues to prove the vital part it plays in the health of New Zealanders and of billions of people around the world, says the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
    Today is World Milk Day, which is celebrated around the world to mark the contribution of dairy to the global food system.
    DCANZ Executive Director Kimberly Crewther says milk’s contribution to health is well worth celebrating.
    “As a nutrient-dense food it’s an important part of a healthy, balanced diet, not just for Kiwis of all ages, but also for people globally, including those in the more than 120 countries New Zealand exports dairy products to.”
    Milk is a nutritional powerhouse with over 10 essential nutrients. Just one glass of milk delivers 35% of daily calcium, 40% of vitamin B2, and 37% of vitamin B12 requirements, along with high-quality protein.
    Together, these nutrients support healthy bones, teeth, muscle function, skin, eyes, nervous system, and overall healthy growth and aging.
    “That’s a massive amount of goodness in such a small – and tasty – serve.
    “New Zealand’s most recent nutritional survey showed that in Kiwi diets, milk is the No 1 contributor of calcium, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12, and is the No 2 source of protein.
    “Globally, milk contributes 49% of dietary calcium supply, 24% of vitamin B2, and 12% of protein, and is overall a top 5 source for 23 nutrients.
    This nutrient density means milk and dairy products have an important role to play in the global fight against malnutrition.”
    “Despite the impacts of strong global demand on dairy prices, at current prices, Kiwis can consume a serving of milk, cheese, and yoghurt for as little as $2 a day and in doing so receive more than a third of the recommended protein and more than three-quarters of recommended calcium needs.
    “That works out at an impressive nutritional outcome for the investment of just 15% of the average weekly food bill of $475 for a family of 5, as reported in the latest [2023] Household Expenditure Statistics survey”
    Also, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), dairy consumption reduces the risk of all-cause mortality, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, obesity, and osteoporosis in adults.
    A 2018 study of children aged 1-12 years across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam also found the prevalence of stunting is significantly less in those who consume dairy every day compared to those who do not consume it at all.
    Recognition of dairy’s nutritional goodness is fuelling demand growth globally and adding significantly to the industry’s economic contribution to New Zealand.
    “The value of dairy exports increased by $3.5 billion in the year to April 2025, to $26.8 billion. That equalled one-in-every-three dollars New Zealand earnt from all goods trade, with the economic benefits flowing through the economy as farmers and dairy companies purchase goods and services from thousands of other companies.
    “DCANZ thanks the thousands of people throughout New Zealand who support and contribute to this positive contribution.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fire and Emergency King’s Birthday honours recipients congratulated

    Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

    Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board Chair Rebecca Keoghan has congratulated four Fire and Emergency personnel from Oxford, Fox Glacier, Matatā and Taihape who have been recognised in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List released today.
    “These awards recognise the outstanding contributions that our people have made to Fire and Emergency, Search and Rescue and their local communities over many years,” Rebecca Keoghan says.
    The recipients are:
    • Ronald (Ron) Ealam (Oxford) – Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Search and Rescue
    • Marius Bron (Fox Glacier) – King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Search and Rescue and the community
    • Gavin Dennis (Matatā) – King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
    • Alan (Curly) Troon (Taihape) – King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
    ‘We are all incredibly proud of this fantastic achievement,” Rebecca Keoghan says. 
    “On behalf of Fire and Emergency, thank you for your ongoing dedication to our organisation and your communities.”
    Additional information:
    Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)
    Ronald Bruce (Ron) Ealam
    Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Search and Rescue
    Mr Ron Ealam has been contributing to Land Search and Rescue for more than 50 years.
    Mr Ealam has been a member of the Oxford Fire Brigade since 1996. He has contributed 25 years of service to the New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Dogs, helping train dogs. He has been a qualified national trainer and assessor for Search Dogs for more than ten years, specialising in border collies, attending several annual dog training camps each year. He helped develop the official New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Search Dogs Training Pathway and Assessments in 2009, which forms the basis of the Search Dogs pathways today. He has been a member of the Oxford Land Search and Rescue, contributing to local search and rescue meetings and training nights, and training dogs, which takes at least two years before they become operational. During the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, he was part of the initial response in the first three days in the Redcliff area and helped with welfare and house checks. He has been the elected Group Chair for Oxford Land Search and Rescue for more than 10 years. Mr Ealam received the New Zealand Search and Rescue Excellence award in 2023 for his contributions.
    King’s Service Medal (KSM)
    Marius Jean Bron
    King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Search and Rescue and the community
    Mr Marius Bron has served the Fox Glacier community in various volunteer emergency service roles since 1999.
    On a voluntary basis Mr Bron leads the local branches of South Westland Land Search and Rescue Group, the Civil Defence service and the Community Committee. He also volunteers for the Department of Conservation, assisting in the management of alpine huts in the area. He works to ensure these huts are fit for use by both domestic and international visitors. He is also a local volunteer firefighter for Fire and Emergency New Zealand and a St John Ambulance first responder. The skills he has gained from these various roles make him a central figure in the Fox Glacier community. He and his team have received national recognition for their search and rescue efforts, including the successful rescue of two climbers on Mt Rolleston and the successful overnight rescue of an injured person on a glacier. He was involved in the creation of important facilities for the Fox Glacier community, including the Emergency Services Centre and the Community Centre. His efforts included driving the concept stage, fundraising and project managing. In addition to his volunteer work, Mr Bron is Operations Manager at Fox Glacier Guiding, which brings tourist business to the community.
    Gavin Lloyd Dennis, JP
    King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community
    Mr Gavin Dennis has served the Matatā community for close to 40 years.
    Mr Dennis is currently Chief Fire Officer of the Matatā Volunteer Fire Brigade, having held various ranks since joining in 1987. While Deputy Chief Fire Officer, he played a key role in the response to major flood events in 2005, with the town cut off for several days. He instigated the Matatā Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Cadet Programme in 2014, for young people aged 15 to 16 to join the brigade to gain experience and life skills. The programme has been successful in recruiting these young people as volunteer recruit firefighters when eligible, forming a large part of the brigade’s membership over the past 10 years. He was a member of the Rangitaiki Community Board from 2007 to 2019, serving four years as Deputy Chairperson, and helped oversee the town’s recovery efforts following the 2017 Edgecumbe flood event. He has served on the Boards of Trustees of Matatā Public School and Trident High School, including holding several offices across the period 1993 to 2010. He has chaired the Matatā Residents Association and the Matatā Community Resource Centre. Mr Dennis was elected to the Whakatāne District Council in 2019.
    Alan Rex (Curly) Troon
    King’s Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand
    Mr Alan “Curly” Troon is a Life Member of the Taihape Volunteer Fire Brigade and has helped to promote Taihape through gumboot throwing.
    Mr Troon joined the Taihape Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1991 and has been Chief Fire Officer since 2009, being awarded Life Membership in 2022. He oversaw the rebuild of the new Taihape Fire Station which opened in 2022. He has worked for Rangitikei County Council and has held many volunteer roles within the community, including past President of the Taihape Tennis Association and Taihape Kindergarten Committee and is the current President of the New Zealand Boot Throwing Association (NZBTA). In the mid-1980s, he became a champion thrower in Taihape’s annual Gumboot Day and has since promoted the sport with his wife. They have taken Taihape to world competitions. In 2021 he won the Toyota Lifetime Legacy Award from NZBTA as part of the Norwood Rural Sports Award. He is a past member of the Taihape St John Area Committee and has driven the Taihape ambulance when the team is short staffed. Mr Troon has been coaching young people at the Taihape Badminton Club since 2023.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – From Today Eligible People with Stage III Melanoma Can Access Funded KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab)

    Source: Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand)

    Auckland, New Zealand, 1 June 2025 – MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK) is delighted to announce that from today, Pharmac will widen the funding of the immunotherapy cancer medicine KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) to include the treatment of eligible people with stage III melanoma. 1  

    Vanessa Gascoigne, Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand) Limited (MSD) Director, expressed her excitement, stating; “Funded access to KEYTRUDA has been available in New Zealand for certain people with advanced melanoma since 2016. 2

    “We are thrilled that Pharmac has widened its funding of KEYTRUDA from today, to include eligible people with stage III melanoma. 1

    “This marks the first time KEYTRUDA will be funded by Pharmac for the treatment of a cancer before it has progressed to an advanced stage. 1,3

    “Thanks to the Government’s increase in the medicines budget last year, and National’s Cancer Policy, additional people living with cancer will now receive funded access to KEYTRUDA.” 1, 4, 5

    New Zealand has one of the highest melanoma rates in the world; therefore preventing, and detecting melanoma early, must be absolute priorities. 6

    KEYTRUDA is an immunotherapy cancer medicine registered for 31 indications and is now publicly funded for 12 of these indications.7,1 MSD will continue to work with the funding agency Pharmac, to try and obtain funded access for more people with cancer.

    Ms Gascoigne says, “Faster funded access to cancer treatment may benefit people across New Zealand and we believe patients should have access to KEYTRUDA where clinical evidence exists, ensuring fair and equitable access.”  

    KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) is available as a 100 mg/4 mL concentrate for solution for infusion.

    The KEYTRUDA Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is available at www.medsafe.govt.nz.

    KEYTRUDA is a Prescription Medicine and may be used in adults:

    · After surgery to remove melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer or renal cell carcinoma to help prevent the cancer from coming back

    · Before surgery to treat triple-negative breast cancer and then continued after surgery to help prevent the cancer from coming back

    · To treat bladder cancer which has not spread to nearby tissues but is at high-risk of spreading and where bladder removal is not preferred

    · To treat certain patients with the following types of advanced cancers:

    o Melanoma

    o Non-small cell lung cancer

    o Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM)

    o Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL)

    o Urothelial carcinoma

    o Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

    o Renal cell carcinoma

    o Gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

    o Oesophageal carcinoma

    o Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

    o Cervical cancer

    o Endometrial carcinoma

    o Triple-negative breast cancer

    o A kind of cancer that can occur in any part of the body and is shown by a laboratory test to be microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR)

    o Colon or rectal cancer that is shown by a laboratory test to be MSI-H or dMMR

    o Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC)

    o Biliary tract carcinoma

    KEYTRUDA may be used in children with MPM, cHL, MCC, MSI-H or dMMR cancer, or after surgery to remove melanoma. It is not known if KEYTRUDA is safe and effective in children with MSI-H or dMMR cancer of the brain or spinal cord (central nervous system cancers).

    You should not be given KEYTRUDA if you are allergic to pembrolizumab or to any of the other ingredients listed at the end of the CMI.

    KEYTRUDA can cause harm or death to unborn babies. Talk to your doctor if you are a woman who could become pregnant and use effective contraception while you are being treated with KEYTRUDA and for at least 4 months after the last dose of KEYTRUDA. Do not breastfeed while taking KEYTRUDA.

    Serious immune-mediated side effects have occurred affecting the lungs, intestines, liver, kidneys, hormone glands, blood sugar levels, skin, other organs and in transplant recipients. Some of these side effects can sometimes become life-threatening and can lead to death. These side effects may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended and you may experience more than one side effect at the same time. Serious infusion reactions have also occurred.

    Very common side effects with KEYTRUDA alone include diarrhoea, nausea, itching, rash, joint pain, back pain, feeling tired, cough, patches of discoloured skin, stomach pain, decreased levels of sodium in blood and low levels of thyroid hormone.

    When KEYTRUDA was given in combination with chemotherapy, hair loss, vomiting, decreased white-blood cell count, mouth sores, fever, decreased appetite, decreased number of red blood cells, decreased number of platelets in the blood and swelling of the lining of the digestive system (for example mouth, intestines) were also commonly reported.

    When KEYTRUDA was given in combination with axitinib, high blood pressure, fatigue, low levels of thyroid hormone, decreased appetite, blisters or rash on palms of your hands and soles of your feet, increased liver enzyme levels, hoarseness, and constipation were also commonly reported.

    When KEYTRUDA was given in combination with lenvatinib, high blood pressure, decreased appetite, low levels of thyroid hormone, vomiting, weight loss, headache, constipation, hoarseness, urinary tract infection, stomach-area (abdominal pain), blisters or rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet, protein in your urine, increased liver enzyme levels and feeling weak were also commonly reported.

    The most common side effects when KEYTRUDA is given alone to children include fever, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, decreased number of red blood cells, cough, and constipation. (v56)

    KEYTRUDA has risks and benefits. Talk to your doctor to see if KEYTRUDA is right for you. If symptoms continue or you have side effects, tell your doctor.

    KEYTRUDA is funded to treat certain patients with the following types of advanced cancers: melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma. KEYTRUDA is also funded for certain patients with Stage IIIB-D melanoma. Patients must meet specific criteria for funding.

    KEYTRUDA is not funded for the treatment of all other cancers , which means you will need to pay for the full cost of the medicine and its administration. Ask your doctor about the cost of the medicine and any other medical fees that may apply.

    Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand) Limited. Level 3, 123 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket, Auckland.

    Copyright © 2025 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

    About MSD

    At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.msd.com

    Copyright © 2025 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
    Merck Sharp & Dohme (New Zealand) Limited. Level 3, 123 Carlton Gore Road, Newmarket, Auckland. NZ-NZ-KEY-00984 V1.0 NP22833 June 2025

    References

    1. Pharmac Community Schedule: Pembrolizumab Special Authority Form SA2491 June 2025. Available at   https://schedule.pharmac.govt.nz/2025/06/01/SA2491.pdf Accessed May 2025

    2. Pharmac. News and resources. Decision regarding funding of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab (Opdivo), posaconazole (Noxafil) and raltegravir (Isentress) Available at:

    https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/news-and-resources/consultations-and-decisions/decision-regarding-funding-of-pembrolizumab-keytruda-nivolumab-opdivo-posaconazole-noxafil-and-raltegravir-isentress?keyword=KEYTRUDA&type=all&page=1 Accessed May 2025

    3. Pharmac Community Schedule: Pembrolizumab Special Authority Form SA2386 May2025. Accessed May 2025

    4. Pharmac. News and resources. Update on new medicines funding after the budget uplift. Available at:

    https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/news-and-resources/news/update-on-new-medicines-funding-after-the-budget-uplift  Accessed May 2025

    5. National Party. Policies. Helping More Kiwis Fight Cancer. Available at:

    https://assets.national.org.nz/Plan_Helping_More_Kiwis_Fight_Cancer.pdf  Accessed May 2025

    6. MelNet: Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Strategy 2024 – 2028. Available athttps://strategy.melnet.org.nz/ Accessed May 2025

    7.KEYTRUDA Data Sheet. Available at: https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/k/Keytruda.pdf   Accessed May 2025

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Materials and technologies of the oil and gas industry were discussed at the Polytechnic University

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The V international industry conference “Materials and Technologies in the Oil and Gas Industry” was held at the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” (AES SPbPU). Leading experts in the field of materials and technologies, corrosion, metal science, mechanical engineering, additive technologies, digitalization, and the oil and gas industry discussed current issues in the industry. The Scientific and Technological Complex (STC) “New Technologies and Materials” of AES SPbPU organized the event. Partners were Gazprom 335 and VNIKTIneftekhimoborudovanie.

    This year, the business program included an expanded list of areas, including digital materials science, polymer composite materials for the oil and gas industry, hydrogen energy, issues of construction and industrial safety of oil and gas infrastructure, personnel training, and others. More than a hundred reports were presented at 15 thematic sections and round tables. Experts demonstrated developments in the field of materials and technologies as part of the exhibition.

    The event was attended by industry leaders and high-tech companies such as Gazprom, Gazpromneft NTC, Gazpromneft, Gazprom VNIIGAZ, Gazprom 335, Gazpromneft – Service Technologies, Rosneft, Lukoil, Transneft, Irkutsk Oil Company, Tatneft-Presskomposit, Sibir, RN-BashNIPIneft, Sibur Holding, Severstal, VNIKTIneftekhimoborudovanie, IC TMK, Kolskaya GMK, OMK, UMATEX, PM-Composite and others.

    Representatives of scientific centers and leading technical universities of the country spoke in thematic discussions. At the plenary session “Materials and technologies in the oil and gas industry – paths to technological leadership” scientists, government officials and heads of high-tech enterprises in the metallurgy and oil and gas sector presented reports.

    This is our fifth conference, we are celebrating a small anniversary. This year, more than 334 participants have registered, representing 150 organizations. I am sure that we will have fruitful work, which is divided into 15 sections and round tables. You will be able to share experiences, discuss current issues on the scientific and technological agenda and find useful business contacts, – Alexey Borovkov, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU, greeted the participants.

    Alexey Borovkov spoke about the competencies of the SPbPU PISh in solving the problems of technological leadership, noted the extensive project activities in the interests of the industrial partners of the SPbPU PISh at a unique Digital platform for the development and application of digital twins CML-Bench®Alexey Ivanovich presented the main provisions of digital twin technology and emphasized its advantages as a driver for the development of industries, which contributes to the digitalization of production and the revision of traditional practices of product design and testing.

    Gazprom Neft Science Director Mars Khasanov emphasized the importance of engineering artificial intelligence for the application and development of digital engineering technologies. He noted the importance of integrated modeling, complex processing of large volumes of data, reduction of timeframes and success of modeling. Mars Khasanov spoke about the role of artificial intelligence in decision generation, multivariate modeling and impact analysis.

    All intelligent agents that make up engineering artificial intelligence solve certain engineering problems that are common to system engineering, and neurosymbolic technologies are used. The best environment for implementing engineering artificial intelligence is what Alexey Borovkov talked about. This is model-oriented system engineering, approaches and this entire huge system that was created, for example, at SPbPU. I think it would be great to implement all elements of engineering artificial intelligence into this system, Mars Khasanov emphasized.

    Ayar Suleimanov, Chief Operating Officer of Gazpromneft — Service Technologies, shared his experience in implementing new approaches to integrity and reliability management. He noted the development of projects on predictive failure analytics, online corrosion monitoring, and the development of self-cleaning devices for oil wells. They are aimed at ensuring technological independence, digitalization, and sustainable development of the enterprise. Ayar Suleimanov concluded that the implemented measures have significantly improved efficiency and reduced accidents. In the near future, it is planned to reduce diagnostic costs by 40-50%.

    The strategic session “Modern Materials in Equipment and Technologies for the Development of Oil and Gas Resources on the Russian Continental Shelf” was attended by Grigory Kuropatkin, Head of the Gazprom Department, Kirill Frolov, Chief Engineer and Deputy General Director of Gazprom 335, Yaroslav Kosmatsky, Deputy General Director for Research at the TMK Research Center, and Andrey Drinberg, Professor at the Hero of the Russian Federation, General of the Army E. N. Zinichev, St. Petersburg University of the State Fire Service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. The moderator was Maxim Korobchuk, Chief Specialist of the Scientific and Technical Directorate of Gazprom 335.

    The experts discussed the prospects for developing offshore deposits in the Russian Arctic zone, the achievements and current challenges of creating domestic equipment for underwater production, problems in materials science, training professional personnel for the emerging new industry, and the possibilities of using modern digital technologies and artificial intelligence.

    The issues raised at the strategic session were examined in more detail by the participants at the relevant thematic sessions:

    “RF SHELF: Steels and alloys for equipment of underwater hydrocarbon production systems”; “RF SHELF: Modern polymeric materials in equipment and technology of underwater hydrocarbon production”; “RF SHELF: Protective and functional coatings for equipment of underwater production complexes of offshore hydrocarbon fields”.

    At the section “Corrosion Management in Oil Refining and Petrochemical Industries”, participants discussed the problems and achievements of oil refining and petrochemical enterprises, as well as specialized institutes and organizations in combating and controlling corrosion of process equipment. Experts considered the causes of equipment and pipeline failures due to corrosion, assessed various mechanisms of corrosion wear and corrosion monitoring, and also conducted a risk assessment in this area.

    Materials and technologies for hydrogen energy were discussed at the round table of the same name. The discussion was moderated by Yuri Aristovich, an expert of the Scientific and Educational Center for Digital Engineering of the Main Equipment of Chemical-Engineering Systems at the St. Petersburg Polytechnical School, Viktor Bolobov, a professor at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University, and Gleb Semernin, head of the department for the development of new product categories at the United Metallurgical Company.

    Hydrogen energy is not a short-term trend, but a conscious choice in favor of the future, where environmental safety and economic efficiency go hand in hand. This is an opportunity to diversify energy sources, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and create new jobs in high-tech industries. Hydrogen energy can become a catalyst for technological progress, stimulating the development of related industries, such as mechanical engineering, chemical industry, energy and transport. This is a chance for Russia to take a leading position in the global market of hydrogen technologies, exporting not only raw materials, but also advanced solutions. For the successful development of this area, comprehensive government support is needed, including the creation of a favorable investment climate, the development of a regulatory framework, stimulating demand for hydrogen and supporting scientific research, – noted Yuri Aristovich.

    Timofey Sokolov, an engineer at the Digital Engineering of the Main Equipment of Chemical-Engineering Systems Research and Education Center at the SPbPU PIS, presented a report on the analysis and development prospects of modern burner devices as a new industry standard. His colleague Andrey Efremov spoke about a critical analysis of the characteristics of internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cells. Anton Tsvetkov, a senior lecturer at the Higher School of Advanced Digital Technologies at the SPbPU PIS, presented the results of a study on the resistance of steel to hydrogen in aqueous and gaseous environments. Sergey Dagayev, a research engineer at the testing laboratory at the SPbPU PIS, spoke about hydrogen embrittlement of pipeline steels in a high-pressure hydrogen gas environment. The participants of the round table developed optimal solutions in terms of the emerging regulatory framework and the introduction of materials and technologies for hydrogen energy.

    Director of the Higher School of Advanced Digital Technologies PISH SPbPU Valery Leventsov presented the educational model of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” and approaches to organizing the educational process, in which representatives of industrial partners, along with the school’s teachers, act as mentors for master’s students.

    Director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education of the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School Sergey Salkutsan spoke about the experience of developing and implementing training programs for managers and engineering personnel of high-tech companies on the topic of organizing advanced production. Students of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, engineers of the Scientific and Technical Complex “New Technologies and Materials” of the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School Ksenia Grigorieva and Rodion Ermolaev demonstrated tools and approaches that help future engineers maintain efficiency, involvement and sustainability in the educational and professional environment.

    Read more about the conference on the website.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Listening for hydrothermal activity (and more!) in Yellowstone

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

    Dr. Jamie Farrell, seismologist from the University of Utah, installs an infrasound microphone at Norris Geyser Basin on September 6, 2023.  The microphone is located in the white pipe at the base of the tree. The sensor is installed in at treed area to reduce noise from wind.  Work done under Yellowstone National Park research permit YELL-2023-SCI-0114.  U.S. Geological Survey photograph by Mike Poland.

    Infrasound refers to low frequency acoustic energy.  For the audio enthusiasts out there, the specific frequency range of interest is 0.1–20 Hz, which is below the range of human hearing (typically 20–20,000 Hz).  Even though infrasound is not something humans can hear; this sound energy can be important for monitoring processes that occur within Earth’s atmosphere.

    Infrasound travels efficiently through the atmosphere, experiencing very little atmospheric absorption or scattering compared to higher-frequency energy.  This means that infrasound can travel great distances and still be detectable.  As a result, infrasound is an important component of the International Monitoring System (IMS), which is intended to detect nuclear tests.  Nuclear explosions, even underground, create significant low-frequency sound waves that can be detected even thousands of miles away from the explosion source.

    If infrasound is great at detecting nuclear explosions, you might expect that it is also exceptional for detecting volcanic explosions.  And you would be correct!  Infrasound monitoring is widely used to monitor volcanoes.  Because infrasound energy travels easily through the atmosphere, monitoring systems don’t have to be right at the volcano of interest.  In fact, in Alaska there are just a few infrasound monitoring stations that track activity along the entire chain of volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands, which stretches about 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers) across the North Pacific!

    Ideally, infrasound monitoring is done by arrays of 3 or more instruments that are located in close proximity to one another.  By installing at least three instruments in a triangle-shaped array, it is possible to measure the direction from which infrasound signals originate.  This is because sound waves travel at a relatively slow speed of 761 miles (1225 kilometers) per hour.  That might seem fast, but compare that to seismic waves, which travel through the Earth at up to 3–5 miles (5–8 kilometers) per second! At these slower speeds, infrasound waves arrive at each station in an array at slightly different times.  By comparing the arrival times between stations, it is possible to tell the direction from which the sound originated. If the infrasound energy is recorded on more than one array, the actual location of the sound’s source can be triangulated.

    Prior to 2023, infrasound recordings in Yellowstone were either temporary deployments designed to study specific geysers or were single microphones that could not measure the direction from which the sound originated.  In September 2023, however, the first continuous, permanent, 3-sensor infrasound array was installed in Yellowstone—in Norris Geyser Basin, specifically.  The station paid immediate dividends, tracking activity at Steamboat Geyser.  Infrasound energy from those eruptions is detectable continuously for several hours, indicating a very energetic source.

    Infrasound-array processing for the newly installed station YNB, at Norris Geyser Basin. Top panel shows the pressure waveform from one of the three elements that comprise the array, filtered between 1 and 15 Hz. Bottom panel shows the backazimuth from the station to the source. The direction from the station to Steamboat Geyser is indicated by the black horizontal dashed line. The colors represent how well the 3 elements in the array agree (Median Cross-Correlation Maxima, MdCCM), where values closer to 1.0 (red) indicate highly correlated and strong signals.

    The new infrasound station also recorded a powerful “boom” sound that lasted nearly 1 minute on the afternoon of April 15, 2024.  This event was associated with a small hydrothermal explosion in the area between Porcelain Basin and Nuphar Lake.  The explosion was unwitnessed, but it left a small crater about 10 feet (about 3 meters) across surrounded by an area of warped and disturbed ground.  Infrasound therefore provides a powerful means of detecting hydrothermal explosions that might otherwise go unnoticed; this is why the technique is an important component to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s monitoring plan for the Yellowstone region.

    The Norris infrasound station did not detect any sound from the impressive hydrothermal explosion at Biscuit Basin on July 23, 2024, which was 18 miles (29 kilometers) from the station.  The sound from this event seems to have been muted, indicating that in Yellowstone we can’t count on just one or two infrasound stations to cover the entire region.  Instead, multiple infrasound arrays might be needed to track activity across the numerous geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park, including those in remote backcountry areas.

    Geyser eruptions and hydrothermal explosions aren’t the only signals that produce infrasound in the Yellowstone region.  On the evening of May 3, 2025, people in Canada, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming observed a bright fireball in the sky, and those in the Yellowstone region reported a loud booming sound.  This bolide, as such meteors that explode in the atmosphere are sometimes called, was filmed by several witnesses in the region.  And as you might expect, the infrasound station at Norris Geyser Basin clearly detected the event!

    Even though infrasound is below the frequency of human hearing, the data can be “sonified”—meaning that data are converted to audible sound.  By doing that to the May 3 bolide signal, you can “hear” the explosion (or, at least, the infrasound associated with the explosion) even if you weren’t in Yellowstone that night!

    The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory hopes to deploy additional infrasound stations in the region in the coming years.  Stay tuned as we make use of this monitoring technique to better “hear” geyser eruptions, hydrothermal explosions, and the occasional exploding meteor!

    This audio clip is the infrasound recorded during 1 minute on May 3, 2025, at 9:33 p.m. MDT.  The audio is the “sonified” (data converted to sound) version of the infrasound, which is a frequency below that detectable by humans.  Time is sped up by a factor of 10.  The “boom” that occurs at about the 34-second mark is a bolide—a meteor that exploded in the atmosphere.  The video that corresponds to the audio is the infrasound waveform recorded by a station in Norris Geyser Basin over that minute.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Centre notifies guidelines for electric passenger vehicle manufacturing scheme

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Centre on Monday issued detailed guidelines for a new scheme aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing of electric passenger vehicles, marking a key step in its broader push for green mobility and sustainable industrial development. The “Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India” (SPMEPCI), notified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), is intended to attract global investments in India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector while strengthening the country’s position as a global automotive manufacturing hub.

    Announced in March 2024, the scheme aligns with India’s climate goals, including its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. The initiative also supports the government’s vision of fostering economic growth, job creation, and environmental sustainability through strategic policy interventions in the EV ecosystem.

    Speaking at a press conference, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H.D. Kumaraswamy, described the scheme as a forward-looking and transformative step. He noted that the scheme is designed not only to bring cutting-edge EV technologies into the Indian market but also to build indigenous manufacturing capabilities through a clear framework of domestic value addition (DVA) targets.

    Under the scheme, approved companies will be allowed to import a limited number of completely built electric four-wheelers (e-4W) at a reduced customs duty rate of 15 per cent for a period of five years. These imports must meet a minimum cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of USD 35,000 per unit. The concession is capped at 8,000 units per year, with the flexibility to carry forward unused quotas. However, the total duty foregone will be limited to either Rs 6,484 crore or the actual investment made by the applicant, whichever is lower.

    To qualify for these benefits, applicants must commit to a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore within three years of receiving approval. They must also establish manufacturing facilities and commence production within this period. The guidelines stipulate that a minimum of 25 per cent domestic value addition should be achieved within three years, rising to 50 per cent within five years. The DVA assessment will follow the existing Standard Operating Procedure of the PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components, with certifications to be carried out by MHI-approved testing agencies.

    While there is no cap on maximum investment, only specific categories of expenditure—such as new plant and machinery, engineering research and development, and essential buildings—will be counted towards the investment threshold. Notably, expenditure on land is excluded, while spending on charging infrastructure will be considered up to a limit of five per cent of the total committed investment.

    Applicants will be required to furnish a bank guarantee equivalent to the higher of the duty foregone or Rs 4,150 crore, valid for the entire duration of the scheme. The application window, expected to open soon, will remain active for a minimum of 120 days, with the government retaining the option to reopen it until March 2026. A non-refundable application fee of Rs 5 lakh will be applicable.

    Eligibility is restricted to companies or global groups with an automotive manufacturing revenue of at least Rs 10,000 crore and fixed asset investments of not less than Rs 3,000 crore, based on their latest audited financial statements.

    The Ministry of Heavy Industries said the scheme would catalyse the development of a competitive and self-reliant EV manufacturing ecosystem in India, contributing to the larger goals of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives. The effort is also expected to generate high-quality employment, accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies, and position India as a preferred destination for global automotive innovation.

  • India to create 7.29 million green jobs by FY28, 35 million by 2047: Report

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s green economy is growing rapidly and is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion by 2030, and a staggering $15 trillion by 2070, a new report said on Monday.

    With this massive growth, India is also set to create a huge number of green jobs – around 7.29 million by the financial year 2027-28 and 35 million by the year 2047, according to a NLB Services report.

    NLB Services CEO Sachin Alug said: “In the past 4–5 years, we’ve seen green jobs evolve from niche roles to mainstream opportunities across renewable energy, EVs, and sustainable infrastructure. What’s changed pragmatically is the skillsets.”

    “Today’s green workforce needs both sustainability know-how and digital fluency, and the increased integration of AI, IoT, blockchain, GIS, and data-driven tools are laying the foundation for progressive, new-age green careers,” Alug mentioned.

    As the green sector expands, industries are not just investing in green technology and renewable energy, but also focusing on building a skilled workforce to meet the rising demand.

    This shift is driving companies to change their hiring strategies. Rather than relying only on traditional degrees, employers are now giving more importance to practical green skills and hands-on experience.

    Many companies are also working closely with colleges and universities to equip young people with sustainability-related skills, while also investing in inclusive hiring and re-skilling programmes, the report stated.

    The new employment outlook is stronger than earlier predictions. In 2024, the green sector was expected to grow at a pace of 15–20 per cent annually in terms of job demand.

    However, new estimates show an even faster increase, especially in fields like renewable energy, electric vehicles, green construction, waste management, and sustainable textiles.

    Most green jobs are still based in big cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. But smaller cities such as Jaipur, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, and Ahmedabad are also becoming key green job hubs.

    Tier II and Tier III cities are expected to create 35-40 per cent of the projected 7.29 million jobs by FY28, helped by the growth in sustainable agriculture, logistics, and warehousing, as per the report.

    Green job roles are also becoming more diverse. Demand for professionals in areas such as ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) analytics, climate data analysis, and green technology is growing fast, with a projected 20–30 per cent yearly rise.

    (IANS)

  • RBI may opt for 50 bps jumbo rate cut to counter uncertainty: SBI report

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may implement a 50-basis point rate cut in its June Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting to revive the credit cycle and mitigate economic uncertainty, according to a report by the State Bank of India (SBI) released on Monday.
     
    The cumulative rate cut during the ongoing cycle could total 100 basis points, said Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser at SBI.
     
    “Domestic liquidity and financial stability concerns have eased. Inflation is expected to remain within the tolerance band. Preserving domestic growth momentum should be the primary policy objective, justifying a jumbo rate cut,” he noted.
     
    With liquidity in sustained surplus, banks are repricing liabilities more rapidly amid the rate-easing cycle. Savings account interest rates have already been reduced to a floor rate of 2.70 per cent.
     
    Fixed deposit (FD) rates have also been cut by 30 to 70 basis points since February 2025. SBI anticipates a strong transmission to deposit rates in the coming quarters.
     
    India’s economy expanded by 7.4 per cent in Q4 FY25, down from 8.4 per cent in the same quarter last year. This growth was largely driven by a sharp rise in capital formation, which registered a 9.4 per cent year-on-year increase.
     
    An above-normal monsoon forecast by the IMD, robust crop arrivals, and declining crude oil prices have led SBI to revise its CPI inflation estimate downward to 3.5 per cent for FY26.
     
    Based on the latest RBI Annual Report, SBI expects higher household savings, adequate to support economic growth without creating demand-driven inflationary pressures in FY26.
     
    The report also highlighted the strong performance of Indian banks, particularly public sector banks (PSBs), which recorded a 26 per cent year-on-year rise in profits. In comparison, private banks saw a 5.8 per cent increase.
     
    System liquidity turned positive, standing at ₹1.2 lakh crore as of March 31. Factoring in the recent ₹2.68 lakh crore RBI dividend to the government, SBI projects core liquidity to reach ₹5.3 lakh crore by the end of June. Durable liquidity is likely to remain in surplus throughout FY26.
     
    Against this backdrop, the report suggests that the RBI will need to strike a balance between managing contained inflation and preventing a slowdown in domestic growth.
     
    “We expect that the RBI will proceed with a 50 bps rate cut to support growth,” the report concluded.
     
    -IANS

  • India, Oman close to finalizing free trade agreement: Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India is nearing the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Oman, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal indicating that an announcement could be made soon. The move is expected to significantly boost bilateral trade and investment flows between the two countries.

    “I think you will see some good news very soon on the Oman FTA,” Goyal told journalists during his ongoing official visit to France, where he is promoting Indian trade and investment interests. He is also scheduled to attend a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday.

    Negotiations for the proposed India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) began in November 2023. Goyal’s visit to Oman in late January 2025, where he co-chaired the 11th session of the India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting with Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Oman’s Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, marked a key step in advancing the talks.

    During the high-level meeting, both ministers reviewed bilateral relations and held in-depth discussions on cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, technology, food security, and renewable energy. They agreed to accelerate negotiations for the CEPA, with the aim of signing the agreement at the earliest.

    Describing the CEPA as a potential milestone in India-Oman relations, officials said the pact could significantly expand two-way trade and investments.

    Oman is India’s third-largest export destination among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. In 2024-25, bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately USD 10.5 billion, with Indian exports worth USD 4 billion and imports valued at USD 6.54 billion.

    (With IANS inputs)

  • MIL-Evening Report: Will surging sea levels kill the Great Barrier Reef? Ancient coral fossils may hold the answer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jody Webster, Professor of Marine Geoscience, University of Sydney

    marcobriviophoto.com

    In the 20th century, global sea level rose faster than at any other time in the past 3,000 years. It’s expected to rise even further by 2100, as human-induced climate change intensifies. In fact, some studies predict a rise of up to 1.6 metres and possibly more due to the rapid melting of the Antarctic ice sheets.

    These changes will have huge impacts on coastal ecosystems around the world, including coral reefs. To understand these future impacts, it can be useful to understand similar events from history.

    Our new research, published today in Nature Communications, does just that. It reveals how the Great Barrier Reef in northern Australia responded to a dramatic rise in sea level some 13,000 to 10,000 years ago.

    A hotly debated event

    Several “meltwater pulse events” have been documented in the past. These occur when ice sheets disintegrate in a catastrophic fashion, resulting in a rapid surge in global sea levels.

    One of these events, known as “meltwater pulse 1B”, remains hotly debated. It occurred roughly 11,500 years ago.

    Early evidence from reef cores in Barbados suggested a sharp sea-level rise of approximately 14 metres between 11,450 and 11,100 years ago, with rates of roughly 40 millimetres per year.

    Remarkably, this rate is about ten times faster than the current global rise.

    However, this record conflicts with others, including from Tahiti and now from the Great Barrier Reef, which suggests a more gradual rise in sea levels.

    Learning from geological archives

    Somewhat paradoxically shallow-water reef systems can “drown” because corals, and other reef organisms, depend on light for photosynthesis. If the water gets too deep too fast, the reef will no longer keep up with the rise and it will drown.

    But drowning can also occur due to other factors, such as increased temperature, sediment and nutrients, which can also add extra environmental stress to the reef – again making it more difficult to grow vertically and keep up with sea level rise.

    Cores gathered from drowned fossil coral reefs preserved along the continental shelf edge of the Great Barrier Reef contain crucial information about historic corals, coralline algae and microbial reef structures known as microbialites. They offer a unique geologic time machine to better understand how past periods of rapid global sea level rise affected reef growth.

    These geological archives also provide important clues about how ice sheets behaved in response to rapid global warming.

    In 2010, an expedition of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program used a geotechnical drill ship to sample below the seafloor and reconstruct the growth and demise of the Great Barrier Reef over the past roughly 30,000 years. Five distinct stages were identified in response to major global climatic and oceanographic disturbances.

    In this new study, we focused on a key reef stage called Reef 4. It formed between 13,000 and 10,000 years ago, just prior to the start of the modern reef as we know it.

    We refer to this reef as the “proto-Great Barrier Reef”. Once a shallow-water barrier reef system, it now exists in a fossilised form at roughly 50 metres water depth and is now the home to deeper reef communtites in the mesophotic zone 30 to 150 metres below the surface.

    The RV Great Ship Maya was used to recover fossil reef samples from the Great Barrier Reef in 2010.
    G.Tulloch/European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling/Integrated Ocean Drilling Program

    An impressive ability to keep pace

    Our study shows the Great Barrier Reef didn’t drown during meltwater pulse 1B. In fact, it continued to thrive with clear evidence of healthy, shallow-water reef assemblages (living in waters less than ten metres deep) persisting right through the rise in sea levels.

    The reef not only survived but continued to grow upwards at rates between 4–6 millimetres per year. This rate of growth is comparable to modern healthy reef growth rates, demonstrating an impressive ability to keep pace.

    We also calculated that the maximum possible sea-level rise during meltwater pulse 1B was between 7.7 and 10.2 metres over roughly 350 years. This equates to between 23 and 30 millimetres per year, but was likely less.

    This is less than the Barbados estimate, and more consistent with observations from Tahiti where no sharp sea-level jump was found.

    Importantly, this indicates that even the upper sea level rise bounds are within the survival limits of resilient reef systems such as the Great Barrier Reef – especially when environmental stressors, such as ocean warming, ocean acidification and sedimentation are low.

    UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee recently expressed utmost concern about the current state of the Great Barrier Reef.
    Darkydoors/Shutterstock

    Limits to a reef’s resilience

    Although the Great Barrier Reef survived sea level rise roughly 11,000 years ago, the world was very different back then.

    Coral reefs faced less stress from human impacts. And ocean temperatures were rising more slowly.

    But today’s reefs are already struggling, with UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee recently expressing “utmost concern” about the state of the Great Barrier Reef in particular.

    This is due to warming, acidification and pollution. And these additional challenges decrease reefs’ ability to cope with rapid sea-level rise.

    Our findings suggest abrupt sea-level jumps of more than 11 metres are unlikely to occur without major instabilities in ice sheets. The fact that such collapses likely didn’t happen during meltwater pulse 1B offers some reassurance. But we’re in uncharted territory now, particularly with the Antarctic ice sheet displaying early signs of instability.

    Our study also shows the Great Barrier Reef has been remarkably resilient, adapting to changing sea levels and continuing to grow even as the ocean rose rapidly. This resilience, however, had limits. Ultimately, the reef we examined drowned roughly 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of environmental stressors, including increased sediment flux. At this time the shallow water reef ecosystem migrated landward to form the modern Great Barrier, leaving behind only deeper, mesophotic reef communities.

    The lessons from the past are clear: reefs can adapt to environmental changes but there are limits.

    Protecting modern reefs will require more than understanding their past. It means reducing emissions and limiting other environmental stresses such as sediment and nutrient runoff where possible.

    Jody Webster receives funding from the Australian Research Council and ANZIC IODP.

    Juan Carlos Braga receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Spanish Government.

    Marc Humblet receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

    Stewart Fallon receives funding from the Australian Research Council and ANZIC IODP.

    Yusuke Yokoyama receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Japan Science and Technology Agency.

    – ref. Will surging sea levels kill the Great Barrier Reef? Ancient coral fossils may hold the answer – https://theconversation.com/will-surging-sea-levels-kill-the-great-barrier-reef-ancient-coral-fossils-may-hold-the-answer-257830

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appeal for information on missing man in Ngau Tau Kok (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appeal for information on missing man in Ngau Tau Kok (with photo) 
    Yan Wai-man, aged 73, went missing after he left his residence on Shing Fung Road on May 27 afternoon. His family made a report to Police in Kwun Tong on May 28.
     
    He is about 1.85 metres tall, around 68 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured long-sleeved jacket, a blue and white polo shirt, brown trousers and black leather shoes.
     
    Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0316 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
    Issued at HKT 13:22

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE meets new Liaison Office Director (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CE meets new Liaison Office Director  
    Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the Central Government for its continued support to and care for Hong Kong, driving and supporting Hong Kong’s transition from stability to prosperity. He extended his warm welcome to Mr Zhou on his new appointment. Mr Zhou had extensive experience in local governance and policy-making from a macroscopic perspective, having previously held such positions as Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Member of the Standing Committee and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Governor of the Henan Provincial Government.
     
    Since taking office in July 2023 as the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zhou has been participating in taking forward Hong Kong’s work under national development strategies. He is well acquainted with the national policies on Hong Kong and actively promoted the implementation of the Central Government’s policies benefitting Hong Kong. Last year, Mr Zhou led a delegation to visit Hong Kong and gain better insights into its economic development, providing his important views to the formulation of measures benefitting Hong Kong. He has also undertaken solid efforts to ensure the measures achieve optimal results.
     
    Mr Lee said he is confident to work with Mr Zhou in actively aligning with national development strategies, as well as in implementing fully, faithfully and resolutely the principles of “one country, two systems” and “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” with a high degree of autonomy, maintaining the constitutional order of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Constitution and the Basic Law, implementing the “executive-led” structure and implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”, with a view to ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, the steadfast and successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, and jointly expediting the development of Hong Kong from stability to prosperity.
     
    During the session, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is currently undergoing an economic transformation, and that the HKSAR Government will uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground, endeavour to take forward reforms, and continue to lead all sectors of Hong Kong society to embrace changes and strive for innovation, actively exploring new areas of development and growth.
     
    Mr Lee said he believes that under the leadership of Mr Zhou, the LOCPG will continue to support the HKSAR Government’s governance in accordance with the law. Noting that Mr Zhou is well acquainted with Hong Kong affairs, Mr Lee said that this will help Hong Kong better contribute to and benefit from its integration into national development, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt and Road Initiative. The session was conducted in a cordial and productive atmosphere, with both Mr Lee and Mr Zhou sharing the common goal of expediting Hong Kong’s rise from stability to prosperity.
    Issued at HKT 20:03

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 15th National Games Fencing test event concludes

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) said today (June 1) that the 15th National Games (NG) Fencing test event held at Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park on May 31 and June 1 has concluded.
     
         The two-day test event, which was also the Challenge Cups Fencing Championships, consisted of men’s and women’s épée, foil and sabre competitions featuring the open and veteran divisions. Over 500 athletes competed in all six event categories.
     
         The test event covered a wide array of testing areas, including event operations and procedures, competition organisation, venue setup, sports and prize presentations, information systems, medical services, volunteer services and broadcast arrangements.
     
    The Head of the NGCO, Mr Yeung Tak-keung, said that this test event is the first fencing event ever held in the Kai Tak Sports Park. Both venue facilities and competition arrangements have achieved the expected results. Since last November, Hong Kong has completed test events for all eight NG competition events. The General Administration of Sport of China has recently announced the competition schedule for the 15th NG, and the competition events in Hong Kong will be held from October 31 to November 20. The NGCO is making thorough preparations for the events. Mr Yeung also expressed gratitude to all related government departments and organisations for their assistance and support.
     
         For information on the 15th NG, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games in Hong Kong, please visit the thematic website (www.2025nationalgames.gov.hk/en/index.html), as well as the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/2025nationalgames.hk) and Instagram page (www.instagram.com/2025nationalgames.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: April retail sales drop 2.3%

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The value of total retail sales in April, provisionally estimated at $28.9 billion, was down 2.3% compared with the same month in 2024, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

    After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate for the month was 3.3% lower year-on-year.

    Of the total retail sales figure for the month, online sales accounted for 8.1%. Provisionally estimated at $2.3 billion, the value of online retail sales decreased 3.5% compared with a year earlier.

    Meanwhile, the value of sales of commodities in supermarkets decreased 2.4% compared with a year earlier.

    There were also declines in the value of sales in the following categories: jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (-1.7%); apparel (-5.6%); motor vehicles and parts (-53.4%); fuels (-12.5%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-5.1%); furniture and fixtures (-16.7%); and optical items (-0.2%).

    By contrast, the value of sales of “other consumer goods not elsewhere classified” increased by 13.4% for the period. Also up were sales of medicines and cosmetics (+7.2%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+3%); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (+1.6%); commodities in department stores (+2.1%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (+11.7%); and Chinese drugs and herbs (+3.8%).

    The Government said its proactive promotion of tourism and mega events, increased employment earnings and sustained steady growth in the Mainland economy will support the retail sector.

    However, it cautioned that ongoing changes in consumption patterns and competition among businesses, amid an uncertain macroeconomic environment, will continue to pose challenges for the sector.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme invites new round of applications

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme invites new round of applicationsIssued at HKT 16:00

    The Main Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications for project proposals starting today (June 1) from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes.

    PASS, with a total allocation of $200 million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong’s professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong’s professional services.

    The maximum grant for each approved project under the Main Programme of PASS is $3 million or 90 per cent of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services, such as accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, are eligible for the Main Programme. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project, such as manpower costs, venue and set-up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team and active participants’ travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong are typically eligible for funding support under the Scheme. Funding support may also be provided for travel and accommodation costs incurred by participants of relatively longer professional internships or attachment programmes outside Hong Kong which are funded by the Main Programme.

    Up to early May 2025, more than 120 projects had been funded under the Main Programme, including project deliverables in and outside Hong Kong. The deliverables include capacity-building programmes for enhancing the standards of local professionals, such as training programmes, workshops and study tours; outreach and promotional activities for showcasing the strengths of Hong Kong’s professional services, such as roadshows, promotional seminars and participation in exhibitions outside Hong Kong; exchange activities for deepening interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts, such as visits to other economies and international conferences and seminars held in Hong Kong; and research projects on potential external markets for Hong Kong professional services and development of best practice guidelines and manuals for professionals. Details about the Main Programme and its funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/main/en/home.

    Furthermore, with a view to stepping up the promotion of Hong Kong’s competitive edges and professional services to the Mainland and overseas markets, $50 million has been set aside for the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme (PSP) under PASS to subsidise Hong Kong major professional bodies to participate in relevant activities organised by the Government (such as Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council after the pandemic situation has stabilised. Details of the PSP and its list of activities are available at www.pass.gov.hk/psp. Hong Kong professionals from the eligible professional sectors under PASS may make use of the PSP subsidy to join the relevant activities.

    The Main Programme and the PSP receive applications for project and activity proposals all year round and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is August 31, 2025. A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for the PASS funding. One-on-one consultations are also available upon request for discussing preliminary project ideas or projects in the planning stage. To register for the briefing session, schedule a consultation, or for other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 3655 5418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk.

    Ends/Sunday, June 1, 2025
    Issued at HKT 16:00

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appeal for information on missing boy in Wong Tai Sin (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appeal for information on missing boy in Wong Tai Sin Issued at HKT 15:19

    Police today (June 2) appealed to the public for information on a boy who went missing in Wong Tai Sin.

    Cho Tik-laam, Ambrose, aged 17, went missing after he was last seen on Luk Hop Street yesterday (June 1) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.

    He is about 1.7 metres tall, around 52 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, green camouflage shorts, blue shoes and carrying a pink rucksack.

    Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing boy or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176 or 5562 1342 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station

    Ends/Monday, June 2, 2025
    Issued at HKT 15:19

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCMA unveils Greater Bay Area Aircraft (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SCMA unveils Greater Bay Area Aircraft  
         Following its earlier promotional efforts to reach out to the community through means of transportation such as buses, trams and ferries, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office (GBA Office) of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau is using an aircraft for the first time as a mobile display platform to further promote the Greater Bay Area to a global audience.
     
         Mr Tsang said, “The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is the best entry point for Hong Kong to actively integrate into the overall national development. Hong Kong possesses the unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, and a business environment that is highly market-oriented and internationalised, underpinned by the rule of law, free flow of capital, a comprehensive financial regulatory system, a simple and low tax regime, and a pool of global professional talent. All these have enabled Hong Kong to become a ‘super connector’, connecting the Mainland with the world, and leveraging its dual roles in going global and attracting foreign investment for the GBA.”
     
         Mr Tsang expressed his hope that the aircraft would serve as an “ambassador in the sky” to promote the Greater Bay Area, raising awareness of the latest developments of the GBA and Hong Kong’s role in connecting the Mainland with the world. He encouraged all sectors to capitalise on Hong Kong’s distinctive strengths to seize the enormous opportunities brought about by GBA development, thereby promoting the high-quality development of the GBA.
     
         The Greater Bay Area Aircraft mainly travels between Hong Kong and various destinations on the Mainland and in Asia. The airline’s unique positioning of being rooted in Hong Kong and radiating to the GBA, together with its main routes that closely connect the GBA and the international market, fully demonstrates Hong Kong’s role as the international gateway to the GBA.
     
         The Chief Executive Officer of Greater Bay Airlines, Ms Liza Ng, expressed her wholehearted support for this meaningful activity of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Through daily flights to and from different cities, the vision of the GBA is promoted overseas, enabling more people to gain a deeper understanding and actively participate in the GBA’s development. The airline has been established in support of the national strategy of developing the GBA, and makes its contributions as Hong Kong fully leverages its distinctive advantages of having strong support from the motherland and enjoying close connections with the world as well as its status as an international aviation hub to integrate into the overall national development.
     
         Hong Kong residents, together with people and enterprises from the Mainland and abroad, will be able to catch a glimpse of the Greater Bay Area Aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport or when travelling on Greater Bay Airlines’ flights. The GBA Office will continue to disseminate the stories of the GBA through diversified channels, and encourage all sectors to actively seize the good opportunities that GBA development presents to develop the region into an international first-class bay area.
    Issued at HKT 18:06

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-Chairs’ Statement on the Passing of Gerry Connolly

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA), and Andy Barr (R-KY), co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, issued the following statement on the passing of co-chair Congressman Gerry Connolly:

    “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Congressman Gerry Connolly, a dedicated public servant and a fierce champion of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Gerry brought unmatched conviction, vision, and leadership to the forefront of U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

    “Congressman Connolly was instrumental in advancing critical legislation that strengthened Taiwan’s international standing and deepened our economic ties. He led the introduction of the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, a firm response to efforts by the People’s Republic of China to distort United Nations Resolution 2758 and marginalize Taiwan on the global stage. His work made clear that Taiwan’s future must be determined by the people of Taiwan—not imposed through coercion or misrepresentation. 

    “He also spearheaded the Taiwan Tax Agreement Act, an important step toward eliminating double taxation and facilitating greater U.S.-Taiwan cross-border investment and innovation. This bipartisan legislation exemplified his understanding that economic cooperation is a core pillar of a strong, secure, and mutually beneficial partnership. 

    “Beyond legislation, Congressman Connolly was a steadfast advocate for democracy, human rights, and the values that unite the people of the United States and Taiwan. He visited Taiwan nearly two dozen times during his time working in the private sector and serving in Congress. He approached his work on the U.S.-Taiwan relationship with passion, principle, and a deep respect for the people of Taiwan. 

    “His absence will be deeply felt within the Congressional Taiwan Caucus and across Congress. We honor his legacy by continuing the work to which he dedicated so much of his life. 

    “Our thoughts are with his family, staff, and constituents during this time of profound loss.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Díaz-Balart Applauds Passage of President Trump’s One, Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Vice Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s “One, Big Beautiful bill”:

    “Once again, House Republicans are delivering on the mandate we promised to the American people under the leadership of President Trump by passing the ‘One, Big Beautiful Bill.’ This legislation responsibly reduces excess spending while protecting vital programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare benefits, for eligible Americans in need.

    It also provides taxpayers in Florida’s 26thCongressional District with historic tax relief by making President Trump’s highly successful 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanent. Had the TCJA been allowed to expire on December 31, 2025, the average taxpayer in FL-26 would have seen a 24% tax hike. Instead, they are guaranteed deductions and get to keep more of their hard-earned money.

    Additionally, this bill will permanently secure the border and stop the deadly flow of fentanyl into our communities by making major investments in our border patrol agents. It also includes pro-family initiatives, such as expanding the child tax credit, which helps working families keep more of their earnings. Finally, it will unleash American energy and lower costs by reversing the Biden Administration’s burdensome energy policies.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sharpened Purpose, Stronger Future: FY26 State Department Priorities for Security and Diplomacy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) focused on efforts to advance American national security and diplomacy to ensure a stronger future during remarks at a Fiscal Year 2026 hearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    Subcommittee Chairman Díaz-Balart said, “I firmly believe there is no one better who could serve as our Secretary of State at this critical time. Your steadfast leadership, devotion to country and to freedom, and your focus on national security are exactly why you have my full confidence in advancing President Trump’s foreign policy… Now, it’s time to work together on the FY26 budget to determine the appropriate funding levels going forward for the people and programs needed to advance our national security.

    “From ensuring our key allies and partners around the world have the military assistance required to defend themselves, to preventing deadly infectious diseases from reaching our shores, to investments that lay the groundwork for American businesses abroad, to supporting those suffering under tyranny by standing in solidarity against oppressive – and often dangerously anti-American – dictatorships. That is American leadership – something President Trump has shown and that has been sorely lacking for the last four years.”

    Full remarks as prepared for delivery are available here.

    Chairman Cole said, “We are leading with sharpened purpose to ensure Americans are safer at home and abroad. The work of the State Department is core to this mission and the cause of freedom – and every action and investment we make should protect and promote U.S. security, prosperity, and values. Secretary Rubio, we know your commitment to that duty – and it’s an honor to have you with us this afternoon. From day one, you’ve acted as a force multiplier for the President, and we deeply appreciate your service to our country.

    “As you know, Mr. Secretary, peace through strength isn’t a matter of chance. It is the result of effective policy, national focus, and marshaling resources to where they drive maximum impact. The America First agenda – which has been mandated by the people – advances that critical doctrine. It’s not about retreating from the world stage – but resetting our guiding principles.” 

    Full remarks as prepared for delivery are available here.

    Secretary of State Rubio said, “Today, America is back. Secure borders, safe communities and zero tolerance for criminal cartels are once again the guiding principles of our foreign policy… We are working with law enforcement to revoke the status of foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality, threaten our citizens, and express support for this nation’s enemies. The Department has taken President Trump’s policy message across Europe, securing the NATO Secretary General’s commitment to increased defense spending, recalibrating transatlantic political and economic relations to better serve American interests… 

    “As Secretary, I have the honor of leading the world’s most talented diplomatic workforce. They deserve better. They deserve clear responsibilities and chains of command. They deserve a State Department that unleashes their full potential from the ground up, harnessing the capacities of every embassy, consulate, and bureau to set a course for a new American century. One where the power and prestige of the United States are unequaled by any other force in the world.”

    Full remarks as prepared for delivery are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Díaz-Balart’s Legislation to Create a Unique ZIP Code for the Town of Miami Lakes Approved by House Committee

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement following the House Oversight Committee’s approval of the proposed legislation to create a unique ZIP code for the Town of Miami Lakes.

    “I am pleased that for the third time, my bill to establish a unique ZIP code for the Town of Miami Lakes has been approved by the House Oversight Committee. The next step is to bring it to the House floor for a vote,” said Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart. “I will continue advocating for the people of Miami Lakes who have waited over 20 years to create a stand-alone ZIP code, and I’m confident this legislation will pass the House chamber.”

    The Senate Companion bill was introduced by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA).

    Background:

    In 2016, Díaz-Balart successfully included a provision in H.R. 6303 that would have authorized USPS to establish a dedicated ZIP code for Miami Lakes and several other municipalities. This bill passed the U.S. House and was sent to the U.S. Senate for further consideration. Similarly, in 2018, Diaz-Balart introduced a bill to designate a unique ZIP code for Miami Lakes, which also passed the House and was sent to the U.S. Senate for further consideration. Additionally, in 2019, 2021, and 2023 Rep. Díaz-Balart introduced similar legislation to address this issue.

    MIL OSI USA News –