NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Demystifying the Link Between Major Depression and Alzheimer’s Disease

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Over 7 million people in the United States live with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD). Some risk factors for ADRD, like genetics, can’t be controlled, but others can be treated. One of the most prevalent is depression (known clinically as major depressive disorder, or MDD). Between 11.1% and 14.7% of ADRD cases – affecting roughly one million individuals in the US – are attributable to MDD.  

    Now, researchers at the UConn Center on Aging have uncovered a variety of mechanisms linking these conditions, giving at-risk individuals and health care providers a greater understanding of how the disease may be prevented and mitigated. 

    “We’ve known for a long time that depression is one of the most relevant, potentially preventable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease,” says Breno Diniz, MD, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at UConn Health and the Center on Aging, who has devoted his research career to tackling this issue. “However, we didn’t know why.”  

    Diniz’s latest publication, in the journal Nature Mental Health, has uncovered two key factors linking these diseases: proteostasis, or how the body synthesizes and metabolizes proteins; and dysregulation of inflammatory responses.  

    “Depression is a disease that is bigger than a depressed mood,” Diniz says. “It has consequences that are silent, that may appear many years later.” 

    The Power in the Proteins

    Diniz’s research team identified a series of protein markers in the body that seemed to increase the risk of ADRD for everyone – patients both with and without a history of MDD. These markers are related to general processes in the body that tend to change with age, such as inflammation, cell division, and apoptosis (the destruction and removal of damaged cells from the body). 

    But in patients with MDD, the researchers found a unique change in the process of proteostasis. This change increased inflammation in the brain, which in turn increased the risk of developing ADRD. 

    “What we have here is a causal effect,” says Diniz, explaining that these two factors – changes in proteostasis and an increase in neuroinflammation – “seem to work together, synergistically, to increase the risk of dementia.” 

    Using this insight, the team developed a Proteomic Risk Score that can be used to assess the risk for an individual patient with depression developing ADRD. This unique tool evaluates multiple proteins and offers “a more concrete way of looking at the risk of dementia in these individuals,” says Diniz. 

    To the research team’s surprise, the newly developed tool was a better predictor of ADRD risk than any previous model. It was more effective than models which evaluate the classic risk factors for ADRD, both in the general population and among those with depression – signaling hope for early detection and prevention. 

    “It’s a very robust model,” says Diniz, “and it has concrete clinical applications.” 

    The Proteomic Risk Score tool will help clinicians and patients holistically examine their ADRD risk factors, and it may also enable researchers to better select human subjects for ADRD intervention and prevention efforts. 

    Breaking it Down

    In this study, Diniz and his co-authors used a combination of proteomic and genomic approaches to analyze data available from the United Kingdom Biobank, specifically tracking ADRD outcomes among middle-aged adults with depression.  

    Proteomics is the study of the proteins that are created by cells in the body. And genomics – the study of someone’s entire set of DNA – is a natural complement to proteomics, since DNA determines which proteins are produced by cells. Combining these two analytical approaches is called proteogenomics, and it can give researchers a deeper insight into complex biological processes and how they are related to different pathologies.  

    “Every molecular layer – from genes to epigenetics, RNA, and proteins – conveys different biological information, and they can have different roles in … creating prediction models,” explains Diniz. “Their combination makes the models more powerful, and brings them a step closer to precision geroscience.” This is a major goal of the UConn Pepper Center, led by the paper’s co-authors George Kuchel, MD, and Richard Fortinsky, Ph.D.

    To enable this multifaceted analysis, Diniz partnered with other researchers across departments at UConn and UConn Health, including Kuchel; Fortinsky; Zhiduo Chen, Ph.D.; David C. Steffens, MD; and Chia-Ling Kuo, Ph.D. The research team also included scientists from the University of Exeter (UK) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada. 

    Depression’s ‘Silent Consequences’

    This research emphasizes the profound interconnection between mind and body, especially the long-term health impacts of untreated mental illness. For those outside the scientific community, Diniz hopes this work will spur people to take their mental health just as seriously as their physical health. 

    “It’s extremely important to seek help,” Diniz urges. “Not only when you’re 50 or older – anytime in your life. Lots of studies in the past decade have shown that any depressive episode throughout the lifespan, even in your 20s, can increase the risk of dementia later on. So, it’s very important to seek help, and it’s very important to treat – and try to reach full remission of – the depressive episode.” 

    Fortunately, he notes, many of the lifestyle recommendations which have been shown to improve depressive symptoms – like exercise and not smoking – also improve other health outcomes, so treating depression does not need to occur in isolation. 

    Offering patients and health care providers tools like the Proteomic Risk Score and a more holistic understanding of health, this research joins a growing body of literature dedicated to preventing many cases of ADRD before it’s too late. 

    This work was supported by the NIA grant P30AG067988 (UConn Pepper Center, PIs: Kuchel and Fortinsky).  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MFA Acting Alum Makes Name for Himself as Cast Member on ‘The Chosen: Last Supper’

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When Tony N. King makes up his mind about something, he’s firm in his choice – you might call him a man of action.

    “Decision-making sends out this frequency that propels you in the direction you want to go further and faster,” he says. “The more resolute that you are in your decision-making, I think the world conspires around the idea.”

    That proved true early last year when King ’23 MFA decided to move from Atlanta, where he eventually settled after grad work at UConn, back to New York City, where he briefly landed after his undergrad and now was looking to return to make a go of it as an actor.

    Like dominos, everything fell into place.

    He called a friend to get permission to stay in his empty apartment for a month while he found his own. Then, three days before boarding the plane to head north, King booked three voiceover jobs.

    “It was serendipitous,” he says of getting that work. “Now I had to get to New York because I needed to be in the studio and that gave me momentum to keep things rolling.”

    About two weeks into the move, even before he’d found his own place, King came across an audition notice for a then-growing show he’d never heard of. It was work, so he sent in a self-tape and two days later he was sitting with casting to book the role.

    “It was insanely fast,” he says. “Once I was fed up selling luggage in Atlanta, then everything moved into place. It felt like prayers being answered.”

    Some might say quite literally.

    That then-growing show was the acclaimed Biblical series “The Chosen,” twice rated the No. 1 show on Prime Video this year – and King had just secured a role in Season 5, which was released in theaters in late March before making a streaming debut June 15.

    Resolving to Take Another Path

    While it isn’t his first big-screen appearance – viewers can find him as an extra standing beside Eddie Murphy in “Coming 2 America” – the role, which carries through into Season 6, means King finally can say he’s earning a living as an actor.

    “I had always been somewhat of an artsy, dramatic child,” he says of his upbringing in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I remember getting a karaoke machine and having a singing group in elementary school. But some level of realism smacked me in the face at some point, and I told myself I should probably consider being a doctor or a lawyer.”

    He instead settled on studying business at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and headed to New York after graduation to take a job in corporate finance and investment banking, a quick-lived position as he says he developed “an overwhelming feeling of, ‘I don’t want to die doing this forever,’ and I also didn’t want to leave this world saying, ‘I didn’t try because I was afraid.’”

    Once he resolved to quit, King says he headed home to North Carolina in search of a fully funded MFA acting program. The problem was he’d never taken an acting class, not a one, joking that the closest he got to creativity while working in corporate was designing a marketing flyer.

    He sought coaching from Andre Minkins at WSSU to prepare for the program URTA – that’s short for University Resident Theatre Association – which lets prospective MFA acting students audition and apply to hundreds of schools with one application. UConn’s dramatic arts department is among those schools, and brought King to Storrs.

    To prepare for his MFA, he booked a couple of children’s theater shows, rubbed elbows with Eddie Murphy, and started doing some voiceover work. After UConn came a bit more children’s theater and that job selling luggage in Atlanta, one might say another that caused him to wonder if this was it.

    Then, into King’s life came the role of “bird vendor.”

    Tony N. King ’23 (SFA) worked with “The Chosen” creator, director, co-writer, and executive producer Dallas Jenkins to bring to life the role of “bird vendor” in Season 5 of “The Chosen.” Jenkins asked King to return for Season 6, giving him a pivotal role in the series’ next installment about the crucifixion. (Contributed photo)

    A Bird in the Hand

    “That immediately told me that I may be handling birds, because in the script were these doves and pigeons,” he says. “I knew I was going to be passing and holding birds, so an actor prepares.”

    King says he found the most idyllic bird shop imaginable in Brooklyn, Pigeons on Broadway, with an owner who not only could catch pigeons midair but agreed to teach King how to master the same.

    “Being in ‘Coming 2 America’ and other various projects as an extra, I knew how quickly set moves. You need to be able to go when the director is ready for you, and I didn’t want to be flustered over holding birds,” he says. “And now I can quite literally grab a bird off the street and hold it like it’s a friend.”

    As “bird vendor,” King appears several times in episodes 2 and 3 of “The Chosen: Last Supper,” filmed on set in Utah in an area that replicated Jerusalem’s Court of the Gentiles to the nth detail. That’s the courtyard area outside the Jewish temple, where animal dealers sold livestock and birds for sacrifice.

    It’s also the location of the “cleansing of the temple” when Jesus tipped over tables and used a whip to drive, as he said, the merchants and moneymakers from his Father’s house. Each season of “The Chosen” covers a specific aspect of Jesus’ life, with Season 5 featuring the Last Supper and events leading up to it.

    “When we got on set, everything went super smooth,” King says. “Dallas Jenkins, the director, has a very specific and keen eye for what he wants. He grew this show from a crowdfunded, indie project into this masterpiece. We had a blast on set, and now people all over the world get to see Jesus flip the table over on me.”

    That’s a sentence King admits he never thought he’d say – and at the end of filming came words he’d only so far hoped would come.

    “In my first contract, it says in so many words that my role ‘may continue.’ So, I had an idea that I could be invited back, but I knew I needed to do well for that to happen. Once I wrapped last season, Dallas came up to me and in his very soothsayer way said, ‘There’s more to come.’ Sure enough, my character has developed into a spoiler for Season 6. Let’s just say, he’s a very pivotal character in the crucifixion,” he says.

    Filming for Season 6, at least the scenes that included King, wrapped this month in Italy, and now he’s in Paris celebrating his 30th birthday. Season 6 will depict Jesus’ crucifixion.

    ‘Grateful to be called to be a part of it’

    “What’s beautiful about portraying biblical characters is that you have these stories, although truth to some, that really represent metaphorically the pillars that we lean on: taking on the burdens of someone you never thought you could or would and really lending yourself to a stranger. I feel like we all can reason with that,” King says.

    Raised as a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, King says he’s always been a spiritual person and in tune with faith, but not overtly religious. For the last two years, though, as he’s prepared for the role, he’s versed himself in the Gospel, coming to study the role of the disciples, Jesus’ ministry and miracles, and eventual crucifixion.

    “I think the story of the Bible can be diluted and changed and misconstrued, but as long as we have good people retelling these stories with their hearts and sharing these universal truths, I think we’ll all be better off for it,” King says.

    In a way, he goes on to say, his character in Season 6 reflects his place today in the world of acting and as a cast member on “The Chosen.”

    “We’re both just grateful to be part of something bigger,” he says, adding, “You start to see the beauty and the magnificence that is Jesus and that is the people who he touched, and you’re just grateful that you were called to be a part of it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MFA Acting Alum Makes Name for Himself as Cast Member on ‘The Chosen: Last Supper’

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When Tony N. King makes up his mind about something, he’s firm in his choice – you might call him a man of action.

    “Decision-making sends out this frequency that propels you in the direction you want to go further and faster,” he says. “The more resolute that you are in your decision-making, I think the world conspires around the idea.”

    That proved true early last year when King ’23 MFA decided to move from Atlanta, where he eventually settled after grad work at UConn, back to New York City, where he briefly landed after his undergrad and now was looking to return to make a go of it as an actor.

    Like dominos, everything fell into place.

    He called a friend to get permission to stay in his empty apartment for a month while he found his own. Then, three days before boarding the plane to head north, King booked three voiceover jobs.

    “It was serendipitous,” he says of getting that work. “Now I had to get to New York because I needed to be in the studio and that gave me momentum to keep things rolling.”

    About two weeks into the move, even before he’d found his own place, King came across an audition notice for a then-growing show he’d never heard of. It was work, so he sent in a self-tape and two days later he was sitting with casting to book the role.

    “It was insanely fast,” he says. “Once I was fed up selling luggage in Atlanta, then everything moved into place. It felt like prayers being answered.”

    Some might say quite literally.

    That then-growing show was the acclaimed Biblical series “The Chosen,” twice rated the No. 1 show on Prime Video this year – and King had just secured a role in Season 5, which was released in theaters in late March before making a streaming debut June 15.

    Resolving to Take Another Path

    While it isn’t his first big-screen appearance – viewers can find him as an extra standing beside Eddie Murphy in “Coming 2 America” – the role, which carries through into Season 6, means King finally can say he’s earning a living as an actor.

    “I had always been somewhat of an artsy, dramatic child,” he says of his upbringing in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I remember getting a karaoke machine and having a singing group in elementary school. But some level of realism smacked me in the face at some point, and I told myself I should probably consider being a doctor or a lawyer.”

    He instead settled on studying business at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and headed to New York after graduation to take a job in corporate finance and investment banking, a quick-lived position as he says he developed “an overwhelming feeling of, ‘I don’t want to die doing this forever,’ and I also didn’t want to leave this world saying, ‘I didn’t try because I was afraid.’”

    Once he resolved to quit, King says he headed home to North Carolina in search of a fully funded MFA acting program. The problem was he’d never taken an acting class, not a one, joking that the closest he got to creativity while working in corporate was designing a marketing flyer.

    He sought coaching from Andre Minkins at WSSU to prepare for the program URTA – that’s short for University Resident Theatre Association – which lets prospective MFA acting students audition and apply to hundreds of schools with one application. UConn’s dramatic arts department is among those schools, and brought King to Storrs.

    To prepare for his MFA, he booked a couple of children’s theater shows, rubbed elbows with Eddie Murphy, and started doing some voiceover work. After UConn came a bit more children’s theater and that job selling luggage in Atlanta, one might say another that caused him to wonder if this was it.

    Then, into King’s life came the role of “bird vendor.”

    Tony N. King ’23 (SFA) worked with “The Chosen” creator, director, co-writer, and executive producer Dallas Jenkins to bring to life the role of “bird vendor” in Season 5 of “The Chosen.” Jenkins asked King to return for Season 6, giving him a pivotal role in the series’ next installment about the crucifixion. (Contributed photo)

    A Bird in the Hand

    “That immediately told me that I may be handling birds, because in the script were these doves and pigeons,” he says. “I knew I was going to be passing and holding birds, so an actor prepares.”

    King says he found the most idyllic bird shop imaginable in Brooklyn, Pigeons on Broadway, with an owner who not only could catch pigeons midair but agreed to teach King how to master the same.

    “Being in ‘Coming 2 America’ and other various projects as an extra, I knew how quickly set moves. You need to be able to go when the director is ready for you, and I didn’t want to be flustered over holding birds,” he says. “And now I can quite literally grab a bird off the street and hold it like it’s a friend.”

    As “bird vendor,” King appears several times in episodes 2 and 3 of “The Chosen: Last Supper,” filmed on set in Utah in an area that replicated Jerusalem’s Court of the Gentiles to the nth detail. That’s the courtyard area outside the Jewish temple, where animal dealers sold livestock and birds for sacrifice.

    It’s also the location of the “cleansing of the temple” when Jesus tipped over tables and used a whip to drive, as he said, the merchants and moneymakers from his Father’s house. Each season of “The Chosen” covers a specific aspect of Jesus’ life, with Season 5 featuring the Last Supper and events leading up to it.

    “When we got on set, everything went super smooth,” King says. “Dallas Jenkins, the director, has a very specific and keen eye for what he wants. He grew this show from a crowdfunded, indie project into this masterpiece. We had a blast on set, and now people all over the world get to see Jesus flip the table over on me.”

    That’s a sentence King admits he never thought he’d say – and at the end of filming came words he’d only so far hoped would come.

    “In my first contract, it says in so many words that my role ‘may continue.’ So, I had an idea that I could be invited back, but I knew I needed to do well for that to happen. Once I wrapped last season, Dallas came up to me and in his very soothsayer way said, ‘There’s more to come.’ Sure enough, my character has developed into a spoiler for Season 6. Let’s just say, he’s a very pivotal character in the crucifixion,” he says.

    Filming for Season 6, at least the scenes that included King, wrapped this month in Italy, and now he’s in Paris celebrating his 30th birthday. Season 6 will depict Jesus’ crucifixion.

    ‘Grateful to be called to be a part of it’

    “What’s beautiful about portraying biblical characters is that you have these stories, although truth to some, that really represent metaphorically the pillars that we lean on: taking on the burdens of someone you never thought you could or would and really lending yourself to a stranger. I feel like we all can reason with that,” King says.

    Raised as a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte, King says he’s always been a spiritual person and in tune with faith, but not overtly religious. For the last two years, though, as he’s prepared for the role, he’s versed himself in the Gospel, coming to study the role of the disciples, Jesus’ ministry and miracles, and eventual crucifixion.

    “I think the story of the Bible can be diluted and changed and misconstrued, but as long as we have good people retelling these stories with their hearts and sharing these universal truths, I think we’ll all be better off for it,” King says.

    In a way, he goes on to say, his character in Season 6 reflects his place today in the world of acting and as a cast member on “The Chosen.”

    “We’re both just grateful to be part of something bigger,” he says, adding, “You start to see the beauty and the magnificence that is Jesus and that is the people who he touched, and you’re just grateful that you were called to be a part of it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Third Asia+ Festival convenes stellar line-up of artists showcasing artistic gems around world

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Asia+ Festival, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is held annually from September to November with an aim to create a sustainable platform for arts and cultural exchange. Now in its third edition, the Asia+ Festival will feature over 100 performances and activities, with an encouraging growth in the number of participating countries and regions to more than 30 – an increase of nearly 50 per cent from its first edition. While focusing on Asia, the Festival also connects with Belt and Road countries and regions in Europe, Africa and the Americas, showcasing traditional and contemporary artistic gems and giving the public and tourists a taste of the diverse and vibrant cultures.

         â€‹This year’s Asia+ Festival offers an extraordinary line-up, from theatre production casting Korean stars and captivating dance and music performances by world-class artists, to a carnival highlighting distinctive cultural traditions. Some of the festival programmes include:

    Opening Programme: Theatre production “The Cherry Orchard” starring a stellar Korean cast
    ——————————————————————————————————–
         Directed by the internationally renowned director Simon Stone and starring Cannes Best Actress Jeon Do-yeon and globally recognised actor Haesoo Park from “Squid Game”, “The Cherry Orchard” brings striking originality to Russian master dramatist Anton Chekhov’s classic. Transposed from old Russia to modern-day Korea, the production captures the laughter and tears of a chaebol family swept up in the tides of change. The show saw all 30 performances of its Seoul premiere sold out amid soaring demand. The original cast is now on a world tour with Hong Kong as the first stop – an unmissable theatrical event.

    Diverse Stage: Taiko drumming, tango, cross-disciplinary contemporary dance
    —————————————————————————————-
         The legendary taiko ensemble YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan returns with its world-touring production “Hinotori – The Wings of Phoenix”, featuring 40 taiko and colourful stage design and costume that will rock the stage with thunderous rhythms and pulsating energy.

         International tango superstar and world champion Germán Cornejo, together with his dance troupe and a live band, will present “Tango After Dark” that captures the soulful allure of Buenos Aires nights.

         Another dance production “We wear our wheels with pride”, created by South African Olivier Award-winning choreographer Robyn Orlin and performed by Dancers of Moving Into Dance Mophatong and a South African electronic duo, will pay a high-energy and colourful tribute to the Zulu rickshaw drivers of the past.

         The Festival also presents the world premiere of “Strangely Familiar”, a collaboration between Singapore’s leading The Human Expression (T.H.E) Dance Company and artists from Hong Kong and Macao, to explore the connection and existence of technology and human beings.

    Great Music: Concert by world-class musicians
    —————————————————–
         This year the festival offers a sumptuous line-‍up of concerts by world-class musicians for classical music lovers, including piano recitals by Nikolai Lugansky from Russia and Dang Thai Son from Vietnam, and a duo recital by Latvian cellist Mischa Maisky and his daughter pianist Lily Maisky.

         In addition, Macedonian pianist Simon TrpÄ�eski with his fellow Macedonian musicians will present a folk concert “Makedonissimo”, in which local pop composer Johnny Yim, huqin player Chan Pik-sum and suona player Ma Wai-him will also join the ensemble for an East-meets-West musical crossover.

    Cultural Celebration for All: Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances+
    ————————————————————————
         The popular Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances+ outdoor carnival returns with the support of Consulates General in Hong Kong. It showcases the cultural diversity of nearly 30 Belt and Road countries and regions, featuring ethnic music and dance, along with booths and workshops that offer handicrafts, ethnic costumes and snacks. The “Vibrant Dance – National Costume Exhibition”, themed around traditional dance costumes, displays the unique beauty and rich traditions of different cultures.

         Other exciting programmes of the Festival include a puppetry musical “Jack and the Beanstalk” by Theater Company Hikosen from Japan; “Jongmyo Jeryeak, Ritual Music for Royal Ancestors” by National Gugak Center of Korea; musical “Let Me Fly” by PRO’S LAB; an el-Tanoura performance in “Borderless Stage” series by Egyptian master Raed Abdelghany; Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s “Silken Notes of the Pipa” and “2025 Hong Kong Drum Festival: Majestic Drums” concerts; Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Swire Proudly Sponsors: Belt and Road | Long Yu & Behzod Abduraimov” and “Kyohei Sorita Plays Tchaikovsky” concerts; Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s “Great Piano Concertos: Denis Kozhukhin Plays Rachmaninov No 3” and “Great Piano Concertos: Alexander Gadjiev Plays Rachmaninov No 2” concerts; and Hong Kong Dance Company’s grand dance drama “Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way”.

         The Asia+ Festival will also feature an exhibition “Rhythms of Childhood: Melodies of Time” and a series of workshops, a backstage tour, masterclasses, talks, and outreach performances, offering an all-round experience and appreciation of the diversity of art and cultures.

         Tickets of most of the programmes will be available from July 23 (Wednesday) at URBTIX counters, self-service ticketing kiosks, the Internet (www.urbtix.hk), the mobile ticketing app URBTIX, and telephone booking (hotline: 3166 1288). Early bird discounts of up to 30 percent discount are available until August 5 (Tuesday). For programme enquiries and other discount schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.asiaplus.gov.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Strengthening Immunity, One Dose at a Time: Malawi’s Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV2) Success Story

    Source: APO


    .

    In the heart of Southern Africa, Malawi has taken a bold step in the fight against polio. After reporting its first case of Wild Poliovirus Type 1 (WPV1) after 30 years in 2022, the country responded with urgency and resolve. By May 2024, thanks to multiple vaccination campaigns, vigilant surveillance and strengthened immunization systems, Malawi was declared polio-free once again. But the journey didn’t end there.

    With the looming threat of circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Type 2 (cVDPV2) from neighboring countries, Malawi recognized the need to boost its population’s immunity. Backed by GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance funding and guided by the Malawi Immunization Technical Advisory Group (MAITAG), the Ministry of Health introduced the second dose of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV2) into the national immunization schedule in December 2024.

    This milestone was more than a policy shift—it was a nationwide movement:

    • Over 187,348 eligible children better protected from Polio following vaccination with 2nd Dose of IPV as of April 2025

    • 17,000 health workers were trained across all districts.

    • IPV2 was rolled out in every health facility, including outreach posts in remote areas.

    • Community engagement efforts flourished, with local leaders and health workers leading sensitization campaigns.

    • Data management tools and systems were updated to incorporate the new vaccine

    In Karonga District, which borders Tanzania and faces high cross-border transmission risk, the rollout was seamless. Health workers reported no challenges, and community members welcomed the new dose with open arms. 

    Mr. Kayuni, an area supervisor with over 20 years of experience in immunization programming within the district, discussed the introduction of IPV2, which aims to enhance protection against the type 2 poliovirus. He noted that due to the anticipated benefits of IPV2, efforts had been increased in community awareness regarding the new dose to reduce vaccine hesitancy for improved coverage.

    At the Mlongoti outreach post, a structure built by the community demonstrates their support for the health system and immunization program. Suzgika Gondwe, a local mother, expressed her understanding that this dose reduces the risk of polio for her child. Another caregiver, Gift Ngofi, mentioned that she believed in the benefits of the additional dose because the information came from their community health workers. Temwa Kaula supported her community members’ opinions, noting no expected harm beyond typical vaccine side effects from the new dose. All three caregivers discussed the overall importance of vaccines, observing fewer illness episodes for their children, decreased hospital visits, and increased time for income-generating activities.

    This success story is not just about a new vaccine—it’s about resilience, trust, and community-driven health progress. With continued support and vigilance, Malawi is not only protecting its children today but also securing a polio-free future for generations to come.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Malawi.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Unlocking Opportunity: How India can Harness the Africa Corridor to Grow Merchandise Exports (By Shivank Goel)

    Source: APO


    .

    By Shivank Goel, an Indo-Africa Corridor Specialist at RMB (www.RMB.co.za)

    At GTR Africa 2025, a diverse panel of experts – including representatives from the Reserve Bank of India’s research wing, MSME chambers and leading financial institutions – explored the question of how India can double its export trade to reach the government’s target of $2 trillion by 2030. In 2024, India’s exports of goods and services were estimated at over $800 billion, up 5.6% year on year. Yet services continue to outpace goods, with an eight-percentage-point lead in growth.

    For India to achieve a more balanced export profile and reach its national targets, boosting merchandise exports is imperative. Africa stands out as a significant factor in helping India achieve its ambitious goals, particularly as a market for Indian merchandise exports. Financial institutions have a substantial role to play in supporting this trade and unlocking the opportunities within the India-Africa corridor.

    A growth market with strategic alignment 

    Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Across sectors such as infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, automotive components, agriculture, and consumer goods, Indian products are already gaining traction. Shared cultural and historical ties, a largely English-speaking business environment, and similar developmental goals in education, technology, healthcare, and infrastructure position the two regions as natural trade partners. 

    With the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa is poised to become more integrated with an addressable market of 1.2 billion people, $3.4 trillion in GDP, and reduced intra-continental tariffs. This transforms the way Indian exporters can approach the region, moving from fragmented country-specific strategies to viewing Africa as a unified, high-growth destination, not only for trade but also for embedding into the region as a way to participate in the global value chain.

    Financial and structural hurdles to overcome 

    Although this opportunity is promising, Indian exporters, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), face several challenges in navigating African markets. One of the most significant hurdles is logistical complexity, including infrastructure constraints in certain regions, which can disrupt supply chains and increase the cost and time of moving goods across borders.

    Another key concern is partner and counterparty risk. In many cases, assessing the creditworthiness of potential trading partners is difficult, and this uncertainty can deter Indian firms from entering new markets. Exporters must also contend with foreign exchange volatility and concerns about the timely and secure repatriation of funds, which can further complicate trade with certain African countries.

    In addition, many exporters – particularly newer or smaller firms – struggle to access the working capital and trade finance required to scale operations or explore new markets. These financing gaps can limit their ability to take advantage of the growing opportunities presented by Africa’s expanding consumer base and regional trade integration.

    Overcoming these barriers requires a holistic financial approach that combines a deep understanding of local markets with tailored credit solutions, risk mitigation tools, and long-term partnership models.

    Digitisation is a critical enabler of trade finance 

    As global trade becomes increasingly volatile due to shifting tariffs, regulatory uncertainty, and tightening cycles, efficiency and agility are critical. Digital transformation plays a pivotal role in reducing costs and improving access to finance.

    Innovations such as e-bills of lading, blockchain-based guarantees, and the use of machine learning and AI for document verification and compliance checks can reduce delays and human error in cross-border trade processes. While traditional trade finance cycles can take 60 to 90 days, digital solutions allow exporters to respond quickly to market changes and manage cash flow more effectively.

    Banks and financiers investing in African-led digitisation efforts are well placed to support Indian exporters entering or expanding in the region. By building digital platforms that align with local regulatory environments and business norms, financial partners can help unlock a new era of trade connectivity between the two regions. 

    Leveraging AfCFTA for regional and global value chains 

    One of the most powerful tools available to Indian exporters is the ability to use Africa not just as an end market but also as a base for regional and global value chain participation. With AfCFTA aiming to eliminate trade barriers between African nations, a company that invests or establishes operations in one country could potentially access the entire continent tariff-free. 

    This opens new opportunities to move up the value chain through manufacturing, technology transfer, and joint ventures that foster local capacity while increasing India’s global trade footprint. It also encourages long-term thinking and investment in the corridor, for shared prosperity, rather than short-term export opportunism. 

    The need for skills and inclusive innovation 

    Export growth cannot happen in a vacuum. Both India and Africa need to invest in upskilling and reskilling their workforces, particularly in fields like engineering, logistics, manufacturing, and infrastructure. Encouraging more people to pursue careers in these sectors is essential in building long-term trade resilience. 

    Technology must be made accessible and inclusive, with tools and training offered in local languages and tailored to diverse educational backgrounds. The goal is not to replace people with machines, but to empower people to work more effectively with technology, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and productivity, particularly in the areas of financing and trade compliance. 

    The role of diplomacy 

    India’s growing diplomatic and economic engagement with Africa is already yielding results. During its presidency of the G20 in 2023, India championed the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member, highlighting its ambition to serve as a voice for the Global South. 

    Today, India is collaborating with African nations on digital infrastructure, payment platforms, energy projects, naval cooperation, and more. From tech stack adoption in countries like Ghana and Angola, to partnerships between Indian public sector firms and African energy providers, the bilateral relationship is rapidly deepening. 

    To accelerate trade, policy frameworks on both sides must evolve to support openness, competition, and innovation. Incentives for exporters, joint R&D investments, streamlined customs procedures, and predictable regulations will all play a critical role. 

    Building a corridor for shared prosperity 

    The India–Africa trade corridor represents one of the most promising frontiers for growing Indian merchandise exports in the coming decade. The geopolitical environment is increasingly supportive, and there is significant scale and numerous synergies that can be leveraged for expansion.  

    By investing in digital transformation, financial access, skills development, and long-term policy alignment, stakeholders across the trade ecosystem, from governments and banks to MSMEs and large corporates, can build a corridor that delivers shared growth and resilience. Africa is not just a market to be tapped; it has the potential to become a strategic partner for India in shaping the future of global trade. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rand Merchant Bank.

    About the Author:
    Shivank Goel is an Indo-Africa Corridor Specialist at RMB. He was a panellist at GTR Africa 2025, contributing to the discussion on policy and finance strategies to accelerate India’s merchandise exports and strengthen the India–Africa trade corridor. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: World Health Organization (WHO) recommends injectable lenacapavir for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention

    Source: APO


    .

    The World Health Organization (WHO) released today new guidelines recommending the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention, in a landmark policy action that could help reshape the global HIV response. The guidelines are being issued at the 13th International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2025) on HIV Science, in Kigali, Rwanda.

    LEN, the first twice-yearly injectable PrEP product, offers a highly effective, long-acting alternative to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options. With just two doses per year, LEN is a transformative step forward in protecting people at risk of HIV – particularly those who face challenges with daily adherence, stigma, or access to health care.

    “While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “The launch of WHO’s new guidelines, alongside the FDA’s recent approval, marks a critical step forward in expanding access to this powerful tool. WHO is committed to working with countries and partners to ensure this innovation reaches communities as quickly and safely as possible.”

    The new guidelines come at a critical moment as HIV prevention efforts stagnate with 1.3 million new HIV infections occurring in 2024 – with disproportionate impact among key and priority populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs, people in prisons, and children and adolescents. WHO’s recommendation on LEN signals a decisive move to expand and diversify HIV prevention, giving people more options to take control over their health with choices that fit their lives.

    Simplified testing: a major barrier removed

    As part of these guidelines, WHO has recommended a public health approach to HIV testing using HIV rapid tests to support delivery of long-acting injectable PrEP, including LEN and cabotegravir (CAB-LA). The simplified testing recommendation removes a major access barrier by eliminating complex, costly procedures and enabling community-based delivery of long-acting PrEP through pharmacies, clinics, and tele-health.

    Next steps: call for implementation

    LEN joins other WHO-recommended PrEP options, including daily oral PrEP, injectable cabotegravir and the dapivirine vaginal ring, as part of a growing arsenal of tools to end the HIV epidemic. While access to LEN outside clinical trials remains limited at the moment, WHO urges governments, donors and global health partners to begin rolling out LEN immediately within national combination HIV prevention programmes – while collecting essential data on uptake, adherence and real-world impact.

    Additional WHO recommendations at IAS 2025

    For the first time, WHO’s treatment guidelines include a clear recommendation for the use of long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine (CAB/RPV) as an alternative switching option for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for adults and adolescents who have achieved full viral suppression on oral ART and do not have active hepatitis B infection. This approach is designed to support people living with HIV facing adherence challenges to oral regimens.

    Updated guidelines on service delivery integration include recommendations to integrate HIV services with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as mental health care for depression, anxiety and alcohol use disorders into HIV services, alongside interventions to support ART adherence. Additionally, new guidelines on management of asymptomatic STIs recommend screening of gonorrhoea and/or chlamydia in key and priority populations.

    For people living with HIV who have mpox and are either ART naive or have experienced prolonged ART interruption, rapid initiation of ART is strongly recommended. Additionally, early HIV testing is advised for individuals presenting with suspected or confirmed mpox infection. WHO’s standard operating procedures further emphasize HIV and syphilis testing for all individuals with suspected or confirmed mpox.

    In response to the broader challenges facing HIV programmes, WHO has also issued new operational guidance on sustaining priority HIV services in a changing funding landscape. The guidance aims to provide a stepwise framework to help countries prioritize services, assess risks, monitor disruptions, and adapt systems to protect health outcomes and preserve progress.

    “We have the tools and the knowledge to end AIDS as a public health problem,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes and incoming Director of Science, Research, Evidence and Quality for Health. “What we need now is bold implementation of these recommendations, grounded in equity and powered by communities.”

    HIV remains a major global public health issue. By the end of 2024, an estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV with an estimated 65% in the WHO African Region. Approximately 630 000 people died from HIV-related causes globally, and an estimated 1.3 million people acquired HIV, including 120 000 children. Access to ART continues to expand, with 31.6 million people receiving treatment in 2024, up from 30.3 million in 2023.

    At a time of reduced funding for HIV and health, WHO’s new and updated guidelines offer practical, evidence-based strategies to sustain momentum. By expanding prevention and treatment options, simplifying service delivery and promoting integration with broader health services, they support more efficient, equitable, and resilient HIV responses. Now is the moment for bold implementation to ensure these gains translate into real-world impact.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund 
    Foreign assets, representing the external assets of the Exchange Fund, increased during the month by HK$9.5 billion to HK$3,596.2 billion.
     
    The Monetary Base, comprising Certificates of Indebtedness, Government-issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the balance of the banking system and Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued, amounted to HK$2,120.2 billion.
     
    Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong amounted to HK$349.4 billion.
     
    Foreign liabilities amounted to HK$31.0 billion.
     
    The analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund are released in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and are referred to as the Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank under SDDS (Annex).
     
    *********************************************************
     
    At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund’s data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s SDDS. The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund’s Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA’s policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of July 2025, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
     

    July 7
    (Issued)(Hong Kong’s Latest Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures) (Analytical Accounts of the Exchange Fund) 
     Foreign Currency Liquidity Currency Board AccountIssued at HKT 19:14

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • Indian investors flock to silver as returns overtake those from gold

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian investors, traditionally obsessed with stockpiling gold, are increasingly turning to silver, which was trading near a 14-year high on Monday, as its returns this year outpaced those of gold.

    Imports fill most of the demand in the world’s largest consumer of silver, where domestic prices touched a record high of 114,875 rupees ($1,336) a kg as a production shortfall spurred investors’ hopes for a further rally.

    “Gold’s done pretty well for me over the last couple of years,” said Umesh Agarwal, a regular buyer of gold coins, who recently made his first purchase of a one-kilogram bar of silver.

    “Now I’m hoping silver follows the same path and gives similar returns.”

    Domestic prices of silver have risen 21% in the past three months, outstripping a rise of 5% in gold, as opposed to the scenario of the past year, when gold prices surged 34%, compared to a rise of 23% in silver.

    The appetite for silver is driven both by investment and industry needs in areas such as solar energy and electric vehicles, outpacing production, said Chirag Thakkar, chief executive of Amrapali Group Gujarat, a leading silver importer.

    “Usually, investors cash in when prices hit record highs, offloading coins and bars or pulling out of exchange-traded funds (ETFs),” he added.

    “However, this time, even at record highs, people are investing, rather than selling.”

    Silver ETFs attracted inflows of a record 20.04 billion rupees in June, up from 8.53 billion in May, data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India showed.

    In the June quarter, silver ETFs attracted inflows of 39.25 billion rupees, far outpacing the 23.67 billion flowing into gold ETFs.

    Such ETFs offer investors a convenient way to gain exposure to silver, which is heavy and costly to store and transport, said Vikram Dhawan, head of commodities and fund manager at Nippon India Mutual Fund, which manages metal ETFs.

    Volatility in equity markets following U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs has also pushed investors to diversify, said a Mumbai-based bullion dealer with a silver importing bank.

    Traditionally the choice of budget-conscious rural consumers, silver is increasingly attracting urban buyers as an investment, the dealer added.

    Indian retail investment demand rose 7% in the first half of 2025 on the year, fuelled by expectations of a price rally, the Silver Institute said this month.

    Silver imports jumped 431% in May on the year to 544.1 tons, while gold imports fell 25% to 30.5 tons, trade ministry data showed.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council targets blue badge misuse

    Source: City of York

    Checking Blue Badges

    Published Friday, 11 July 2025

    City of York Council is upholding its commitment to support Blue Badge holders with a new targeted exercise and investigations to stop misuse of the badge or illegal parking in designated spaces.

    A significant increase in Blue Badge usage on Toft Green was noted by the Council’s parking enforcement team which raised concerns about possible misuse. The street had recently changed from pay and display parking, to residents’ parking only (ResPark) where Blue Badge holders can park. On 10 July 2025, officers from Veritau (the council’s counter-fraud service provider) and the Council, conducted an operation to help protect legitimate badge holders’ access to accessible parking.

    Blue Badges used in cars parked on Toft Green were checked to ensure their use was valid, and no potential instances of misuse were identified.

    The council took part in a National Blue Badge Day of Action on 23 May 2025 with Veritau, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Middlesbrough Council. 75 badges were checked across several locations in York, three potential instances of misuse were identified which are now under investigation.

    Following a similar Day of Action on 4 December 2024, three fraud cases were opened and two formal warnings for misuse of a Blue Badge were issued.

    Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities, said:

    Blue Badge fraud undermines this scheme to offer disabled people easier access to the services and amenities they need. The badge is issued to a person, not a vehicle, and can only be used when the holder is travelling in the car, is being picked up or dropped off. So badge misuse reduces the availability of this parking and unfairly disadvantages those who need it.

    “Blue Badge misuse can take many forms: using someone else’s badge without them being present; using a badge that has expired, has been reported lost or stolen, or one that belonged to someone who has died. Offenders face possible prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.”

    The council will work with Veritau to carry out further planned and unannounced enforcement checks throughout the year.

    If you suspect fraud please report it to the council’s counter-fraud team, Veritau, immediately on 0800 9179 247 or counter.fraud@veritau.co.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • PMKVY trains 1.63 crore in 10 years, empowers workforce across traditional and emerging sectors

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    PMKVY has evolved from a large-scale training initiative into a dynamic tool for national development. After its initial pilot skilled almost 20 lakh candidates, PMKVY 2.0 expanded to strategically support the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ campaigns, training 1.10 crore candidates. PMKVY 3.0 focused on precision-targeted training, seamlessly aligning with the National Education Policy and rapidly equipping COVID-19 frontline workers to meet the nation’s most urgent needs. This phase integrated training modules such as the Customised Crash Course Programme for COVID Warriors (CCCP for CW) and the Skill Hub Initiative (SHI), which mainstreamed vocational training with general education as envisaged under the National Education Policy, 2020. Under PMKVY 4.0, over 25 lakh candidates have been trained in the last three years, bringing the total number of trained candidates to 1.63 crore. The training imparted under PMKVY makes candidates employable in diverse industries like manufacturing, construction, healthcare, IT, electronics, and retail.

    Since its inception in 2015, PMKVY has steadily evolved into a key pillar of the Skill India Mission (SIM), aiming to bridge the gap between youth aspirations and employability through structured, industry-aligned training. The programme has expanded far beyond short-term courses, now encompassing apprenticeships, entrepreneurship support, global workforce readiness, and traditional crafts preservation.

    As of July 11, over 25 lakh youth have been trained under PMKVY 4.0—the latest phase of the scheme—reflecting a significant leap toward preparing India’s youth for both domestic and international job markets. This version of the programme integrates cutting-edge features like digital tracking, AI-based analytics, credit portability through the Academic Bank of Credits, and links with the Skill India Digital Hub to provide a seamless experience connecting training, education, and employment.

    An Integrated Approach to Skill Development

    The broader Skill India Mission was restructured in 2022 to unify PMKVY, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS), and the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme under a single framework, enhancing operational efficiency and maximising outreach across both urban and rural areas.

    PMKVY began as a pilot in 2015–16, training nearly 20 lakh individuals. It scaled up significantly with PMKVY 2.0, aligning with national missions such as Make in India, Swachh Bharat, and Digital India. The subsequent version, PMKVY 3.0, responded to emerging challenges, launching initiatives like the Skill Hub (aligned with NEP 2020) and a crash course programme for frontline COVID-19 workers, training over 1.2 lakh health personnel.

    Inclusion and Innovation at the Core

    At the heart of PMKVY lies an unwavering focus on inclusion. Nearly 45% of the trained candidates are women, with strong representation from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The scheme also undertook region- and community-specific projects: training Bru-tribe youth in Tripura, vocational programmes for prison inmates in Assam and Manipur, and upskilling women in Jammu & Kashmir through Namda craft revival initiatives.

    PMKVY’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component has played a crucial role in certifying the skills of informal sector workers—especially artisans and weavers in J&K and Nagaland—without the need for extended training, boosting their mobility in the job market.

    Balancing Heritage with Future-Ready Skills

    One of PMKVY’s defining strengths has been its dual focus—preserving traditional skills while embracing future technologies. Beneficiaries are being equipped for careers in manufacturing, healthcare, electronics, retail, and IT, but increasingly also in emerging fields like drones, mechatronics, AI, and the Internet of Things.

    In this effort, Centres of Excellence launched at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad and Chennai in June 2025 are set to become national reference points for high-quality instructor training and specialised skilling.

    Complementary Schemes Expanding the Skilling Ecosystem

    The momentum created by PMKVY has been bolstered by several complementary schemes. The PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched in 2023, aims to support artisans from 18 traditional trades with training, toolkits, credit access, and marketing support. As of July 2025, over 2.7 crore applications have been received, with 29 lakh registrations completed.

    Meanwhile, the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), which targets rural youth, has trained nearly 17 lakh individuals since its launch in 2014, with over 11 lakh successfully placed in employment. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), operated in partnership with banks, have trained more than 56 lakh people this financial year alone, fostering entrepreneurship in rural India.

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stay safe this winter

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Our CBR is the ACT Government’s key channel to connect with Canberrans and keep you up-to-date with what’s happening in the city. Our CBR includes a monthly print edition, email newsletter and website.

    You can easily opt in or out of the newsletter subscription at any time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Government told NZ should not follow Australia’s lead to criminalise support for Palestine – PSNA

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

     

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand government NOT to follow Australia’s example with measures which would effectively criminalise the Palestine solidarity movement.

     

    The Australian government has announced plans to implement recommendations from its anti-semitism envoy which PSNA says creates a ‘hierarchy of racism’ with anti-semitism at the top, while Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism hardly feature.

     

    However we know at least some of the appalling anti-semitic attacks in Sydney have been bogus.

     

    PSNA Co-chair John Minto says PSNA has no tolerance for anti-semitism in Aotearoa New Zealand, or anywhere else.

     

    “But equally there should be no place for any other kind of racism, such as Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Our government must speak out against all forms of discrimination and support all communities when racism rears its ugly head.  Let’s not forget the murderous attacks on the Christchurch mosques.”

    Minto says the Australian measures will inevitably be used to criminalise the Palestinian solidarity movement across Australia.

     

    “We see it happening in the US, to attack and demonise support for Palestinian human rights by the Trump administration.  We see it orchestrated in the UK to shut down any speech which Prime Minister Starmer and the Israeli government don’t like.”

     

     PSNA agrees with the Jewish Council of Australia who have warned the Australian government adopting these measures could result in

     “undermining Australia’s democratic freedoms, inflaming community divisions, and entrenching selective approaches to racism that serve political agendas”

    Minto says the free speech restrictions in the US, UK and Australia have nothing to do with what people usually understand as anti-semitism.

     

    “The drive comes from the Israeli government.  They see making anti-semitism charges as the most effective means of preventing anyone publicly pointing to the genocide its armed forces are perpetrating in Gaza.”

     

    “The definition of anti-semitism, usually inserted into codes of ethics or legislation, is from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.  The IHRA definition includes eleven examples.  Seven of the examples are about criticising Israel.”

     

    “It’s quite clear the Israeli campaign is to distract the community from Israel’s horrendous war crimes, such as the round-the-clock mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, and deflect calls for sanctions against Israel.”

     

    “Already we can see in both the UK and US, that people have been arrested for saying things about Israel which would not have been declared illegal if they’d said it about other countries, including their own.”

     

    Minto says there are already worrying signs that the New Zealand government and New Zealand media and police are falling into the trap.

     

    “Just over the past few weeks, there has been an unusually wide-ranging mainstream media focus on anti-semitism;

     

    However, our politicians and media have been silent about;

     

    • An attack which knocked a young Palestinian woman to the ground when she was using a microphone to speak during an Auckland march
    • An attack where a Palestine supporter was kicked and knocked to the pavement outside the Israeli embassy in Wellington.  The accused was wearing an Israeli flag.  He was not held in custody and the Post newspaper has reported neither the arrest nor the resulting charge (this case is due in court 15 July)
    • An attack on a Palestine solidarity marshal in Christchurch who was punched in the face, in front of police, but no action taken.
    • An attack in Christchurch when a Destiny Church member kicked a solidarity marshal in the chest (no action taken by police)
    • Anti-Palestinian racist attacks on the home of a Palestine solidarity activist in New Plymouth.  One of our supporters has had their front fence spraypainted twice with pro-Israel graffiti and their car tyres slashed twice (4 tyres in total) and had vile defamatory material circulated in their neighbourhood. (The police say they cannot help)
    • The frequent condemnation of anti-semitism by the previous Chief Human Rights Commissioner, but his refusal to condemn the deep-seated anti-Palestinian racism of the New Zealand Jewish Council and Israel Institute of New Zealand.
    • The refusal of the Human Rights Commission to publicly correct false statements it published in the Post newspaper which claimed anti-semitism was increasing, when in fact the evidence it was using was that the rate of incidents had declined.

     

    Minto says in each of the cases above there would have been far more attention from politicians, the police and the media had the victims been Israeli supporters.

     

    “Meanwhile, both our government and the New Zealand Jewish Council have refused to condemn Israel’s blatant war crimes.  There is silence on the mass killing, mass starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.   The Jewish Council and our government stand together and refuse to hold Israel’s racist apartheid regime to account in just about any way.”

     

    “This refusal to condemn what genocide scholars, including several Israeli genocide academics, have labelled as a “text-book case of genocide’, brings shame on both the New Zealand Jewish Council and the New Zealand government.”

     

     “Adding to the clear perception of appalling bias on the part of our government, both the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, have met with New Zealand Jewish Council spokespeople over the war in Gaza.”

     

    “But both have refused to meet with representatives of Palestinian New Zealanders, or the huge number of Jewish supporters of the Palestine solidarity movement.”

     

    “New Zealand must stand up and be counted against genocide wherever it appears and no matter who the victims are.”

     

    John Minto

    Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advocacy – Government told NZ should not follow Australia’s lead to criminalise support for Palestine – PSNA

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

     

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand government NOT to follow Australia’s example with measures which would effectively criminalise the Palestine solidarity movement.

     

    The Australian government has announced plans to implement recommendations from its anti-semitism envoy which PSNA says creates a ‘hierarchy of racism’ with anti-semitism at the top, while Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism hardly feature.

     

    However we know at least some of the appalling anti-semitic attacks in Sydney have been bogus.

     

    PSNA Co-chair John Minto says PSNA has no tolerance for anti-semitism in Aotearoa New Zealand, or anywhere else.

     

    “But equally there should be no place for any other kind of racism, such as Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Our government must speak out against all forms of discrimination and support all communities when racism rears its ugly head.  Let’s not forget the murderous attacks on the Christchurch mosques.”

    Minto says the Australian measures will inevitably be used to criminalise the Palestinian solidarity movement across Australia.

     

    “We see it happening in the US, to attack and demonise support for Palestinian human rights by the Trump administration.  We see it orchestrated in the UK to shut down any speech which Prime Minister Starmer and the Israeli government don’t like.”

     

     PSNA agrees with the Jewish Council of Australia who have warned the Australian government adopting these measures could result in

     “undermining Australia’s democratic freedoms, inflaming community divisions, and entrenching selective approaches to racism that serve political agendas”

    Minto says the free speech restrictions in the US, UK and Australia have nothing to do with what people usually understand as anti-semitism.

     

    “The drive comes from the Israeli government.  They see making anti-semitism charges as the most effective means of preventing anyone publicly pointing to the genocide its armed forces are perpetrating in Gaza.”

     

    “The definition of anti-semitism, usually inserted into codes of ethics or legislation, is from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.  The IHRA definition includes eleven examples.  Seven of the examples are about criticising Israel.”

     

    “It’s quite clear the Israeli campaign is to distract the community from Israel’s horrendous war crimes, such as the round-the-clock mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, and deflect calls for sanctions against Israel.”

     

    “Already we can see in both the UK and US, that people have been arrested for saying things about Israel which would not have been declared illegal if they’d said it about other countries, including their own.”

     

    Minto says there are already worrying signs that the New Zealand government and New Zealand media and police are falling into the trap.

     

    “Just over the past few weeks, there has been an unusually wide-ranging mainstream media focus on anti-semitism;

     

    However, our politicians and media have been silent about;

     

    • An attack which knocked a young Palestinian woman to the ground when she was using a microphone to speak during an Auckland march
    • An attack where a Palestine supporter was kicked and knocked to the pavement outside the Israeli embassy in Wellington.  The accused was wearing an Israeli flag.  He was not held in custody and the Post newspaper has reported neither the arrest nor the resulting charge (this case is due in court 15 July)
    • An attack on a Palestine solidarity marshal in Christchurch who was punched in the face, in front of police, but no action taken.
    • An attack in Christchurch when a Destiny Church member kicked a solidarity marshal in the chest (no action taken by police)
    • Anti-Palestinian racist attacks on the home of a Palestine solidarity activist in New Plymouth.  One of our supporters has had their front fence spraypainted twice with pro-Israel graffiti and their car tyres slashed twice (4 tyres in total) and had vile defamatory material circulated in their neighbourhood. (The police say they cannot help)
    • The frequent condemnation of anti-semitism by the previous Chief Human Rights Commissioner, but his refusal to condemn the deep-seated anti-Palestinian racism of the New Zealand Jewish Council and Israel Institute of New Zealand.
    • The refusal of the Human Rights Commission to publicly correct false statements it published in the Post newspaper which claimed anti-semitism was increasing, when in fact the evidence it was using was that the rate of incidents had declined.

     

    Minto says in each of the cases above there would have been far more attention from politicians, the police and the media had the victims been Israeli supporters.

     

    “Meanwhile, both our government and the New Zealand Jewish Council have refused to condemn Israel’s blatant war crimes.  There is silence on the mass killing, mass starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.   The Jewish Council and our government stand together and refuse to hold Israel’s racist apartheid regime to account in just about any way.”

     

    “This refusal to condemn what genocide scholars, including several Israeli genocide academics, have labelled as a “text-book case of genocide’, brings shame on both the New Zealand Jewish Council and the New Zealand government.”

     

     “Adding to the clear perception of appalling bias on the part of our government, both the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, have met with New Zealand Jewish Council spokespeople over the war in Gaza.”

     

    “But both have refused to meet with representatives of Palestinian New Zealanders, or the huge number of Jewish supporters of the Palestine solidarity movement.”

     

    “New Zealand must stand up and be counted against genocide wherever it appears and no matter who the victims are.”

     

    John Minto

    Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • Bitcoin climbs to record $123,000 as US to debate crypto rules

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Bitcoin surpassed $120,000 for the first time on Monday, marking a milestone for the world’s largest cryptocurrency as investors bet on long-sought policy wins for the industry this week.

    Bitcoin scaled a record high of $123,153.22 before pulling back slightly to trade 2.4% higher around $122,000.

    Later in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives will debate a series of bills to provide the digital asset industry with the nation’s regulatory framework it has long demanded.

    Those demands have resonated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called himself the “crypto president” and urged policymakers to revamp rules in favour of the industry.

    “It’s riding a number of tailwinds at the moment,” said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore, citing strong institutional demand, expectations of further gains and support from Trump as reasons for the bullishness.

    “It’s been a very, very, strong move over the past six or seven days and it’s hard to see where it stops now. It looks like it can easily have a look at the $125,000 level,” he said.

    The surge in bitcoin, which is up 30% so far this year, has sparked a broader rally across other cryptocurrencies over the past few sessions even in the face of Trump’s chaotic tariff policies.

    Ether, the second-largest token, scaled a more than five-month peak of $3,059.60, while XRP and Solana gained about 3% each.

    The sector’s total market value has swelled to about $3.81 trillion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

    “What we find interesting and are watching closely are the signs that bitcoin is now being seen as a long-term reserve asset, not just by retail investors and institutions but even some central banks,” said Gracie Lin, crypto exchange OKX’s Singapore CEO.

    “We’re also seeing increasing participation from Asia-based investors, including family offices and wealth managers. These are strong signs of bitcoin’s role in the global financial system and the structural shift in how it is perceived, suggesting that this isn’t just another hype-driven rally,” Lin said.

    Earlier this month, Washington declared the week of July 14 as “crypto week,” during which members of Congress are set to vote on the Genius Act, the Clarity Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act.

    The most significant bill is the Genius Act, which would create federal rules for stable coins.

    Elsewhere, prices of crypto stocks and exchange traded funds advanced.

    In U.S. premarket trading, shares of crypto exchange Coinbase surged 1.7%, while bitcoin holder Strategy climbed 3.3%. Crypto miner Mara Holdings jumped 4.6%.

    Hong Kong listed spot bitcoin ETFs launched by China AMC, Harvest and Bosera all hit record highs.

    (Reuters)

  • Bitcoin climbs to record $123,000 as US to debate crypto rules

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Bitcoin surpassed $120,000 for the first time on Monday, marking a milestone for the world’s largest cryptocurrency as investors bet on long-sought policy wins for the industry this week.

    Bitcoin scaled a record high of $123,153.22 before pulling back slightly to trade 2.4% higher around $122,000.

    Later in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives will debate a series of bills to provide the digital asset industry with the nation’s regulatory framework it has long demanded.

    Those demands have resonated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called himself the “crypto president” and urged policymakers to revamp rules in favour of the industry.

    “It’s riding a number of tailwinds at the moment,” said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore, citing strong institutional demand, expectations of further gains and support from Trump as reasons for the bullishness.

    “It’s been a very, very, strong move over the past six or seven days and it’s hard to see where it stops now. It looks like it can easily have a look at the $125,000 level,” he said.

    The surge in bitcoin, which is up 30% so far this year, has sparked a broader rally across other cryptocurrencies over the past few sessions even in the face of Trump’s chaotic tariff policies.

    Ether, the second-largest token, scaled a more than five-month peak of $3,059.60, while XRP and Solana gained about 3% each.

    The sector’s total market value has swelled to about $3.81 trillion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

    “What we find interesting and are watching closely are the signs that bitcoin is now being seen as a long-term reserve asset, not just by retail investors and institutions but even some central banks,” said Gracie Lin, crypto exchange OKX’s Singapore CEO.

    “We’re also seeing increasing participation from Asia-based investors, including family offices and wealth managers. These are strong signs of bitcoin’s role in the global financial system and the structural shift in how it is perceived, suggesting that this isn’t just another hype-driven rally,” Lin said.

    Earlier this month, Washington declared the week of July 14 as “crypto week,” during which members of Congress are set to vote on the Genius Act, the Clarity Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act.

    The most significant bill is the Genius Act, which would create federal rules for stable coins.

    Elsewhere, prices of crypto stocks and exchange traded funds advanced.

    In U.S. premarket trading, shares of crypto exchange Coinbase surged 1.7%, while bitcoin holder Strategy climbed 3.3%. Crypto miner Mara Holdings jumped 4.6%.

    Hong Kong listed spot bitcoin ETFs launched by China AMC, Harvest and Bosera all hit record highs.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leicester Senior Coroner awarded national honour

    Source: City of Leicester

    Professor Catherine E. Mason, HM Senior Coroner for Leicester, has been honoured in the national Muslim Community Service Awards for Outstanding Achievement.

    The awards are an initiative of the Muslim Community Association, to recognise and celebrate individuals who have made a positive impact on Muslim communities.

    Professor Mason has championed the use of non-invasive virtual autopsies, using MRI and CT scanning to determine cause of death. This approach provides greater dignity for the deceased and significantly reduces distress for grieving families across Leicester.

    Her expertise and integrity, which won national recognition at the 2024 National Burial Council (NBC) Conference in Leicester, were central to this latest accolade.

    Suleman Nagdi MBE, Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire said: “This award could not be more richly deserved. Having had the privilege of working closely with Cathie since her appointment—through both my involvement with the Muslim Burial Council of Leicestershire and the NBC—I have been continually inspired by her extraordinary compassion and unwavering dedication to our communities when they need us most.

    “Her service has been nothing short of exceptional, and we in Leicester are truly fortunate to have benefited from her remarkable commitment.”

    Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “The award recognises Professor Mason’s exceptional dedication, innovation, and leadership in coronial services. Her pioneering work has set a national benchmark, driving significant advancements – most notably her efforts to reduce the need for invasive post-mortem examinations.”

    Professor Mason said: “I am deeply humbled and profoundly moved to receive this recognition. This award belongs not just to me, but to everyone who has walked alongside me on this remarkable journey. If my work has brought even a moment’s comfort to families during their darkest hours of grief, then every effort has been worthwhile”

    The awards ceremony took place on 9 July, at the Royal Regency Hotel in London.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Defense Ministry: China urges Japan to exercise military and security caution

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — China on Monday urged Japan to learn from history and be cautious in its military and security words and actions as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

    Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin made the statement in response to a reporter’s request to comment on Japanese government sources’ claims that Japan plans to export six Abukuma-class frigates to the Philippines. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: A state of emergency has been declared in the forests of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Territory

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    Moscow, July 14 /Xinhua/ – Due to hot weather and the threat of forest fires, a state of emergency has been declared in the forests of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Territory, TASS reported on Monday, citing a regional government decree.

    “In connection with the established dry and hot weather, high thunderstorm activity, which contributes to the occurrence of forest fires, in order to prevent and eliminate the emergency situation caused by forest fires, I decree: to introduce a state of emergency in the forests of Krasnoyarsk Krai,” the document says.

    Last week, the region experienced hot weather up to plus 30 degrees Celsius. As of Monday morning, there are 21 forest fires burning in Krasnoyarsk Krai covering a total area of 765.1 hectares. 303 people are involved in extinguishing the fires, and seven units of equipment are involved. –0–

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi Jinping’s Congratulatory Letter to the Plenary Session of the 14th Committee of the All-China Youth Federation and the 28th Congress of the All-China Students’ Federation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping sends congratulatory letter to the plenary session of the 14th All-China Youth Federation Committee and the 28th National Congress of the All-China Students’ Federation

    On the occasion of the opening of the plenary session of the 14th Committee of the All-China Youth Federation and the 28th Congress of the All-China Students’ Federation, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, I extend my congratulations! I extend greetings to young people of all nationalities and all walks of life in China, as well as to Chinese youth living abroad!

    Over the past five years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and with the support of the Communist Youth League of China, youth federations and student federations at all levels have conscientiously fulfilled their duties, taken active and effective actions, organized and mobilized the broad masses of youth and students to follow the Party, work hard and strive forward, contribute their youthful energy to the development of the country and demonstrate the life-affirming and purposeful spiritual character of Chinese youth in the new era.

    In the process of comprehensively promoting the great cause of building a powerful country and national rejuvenation through China’s modernization, truly limitless prospects and opportunities are opening up for the younger generation to realize their potential in various spheres of life. The broad masses of young people should consciously follow the call of the Party and the people, strengthen their ideals and convictions, cultivate deep patriotic feelings, and valiantly accept the historical mission entrusted to them. May their youth become a bright page in the annals, filled with dedication and a sense of high responsibility.

    Party organizations at all levels should strengthen their leadership in youth work, provide care and support to the work of youth federations and student federations, and create favorable conditions for the healthy development of the broad masses of youth and students and for them to achieve new achievements. Youth federations and student federations should, while firmly following the correct political line, deepen the reforms they are implementing and encourage innovative approaches in their work so as to more effectively unite the broad masses of youth and young students around the ideals of the Party and lead them on a new march to achieve new achievements under the banner of the Party. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Chinese-Russian festival “Student Voice 2025” was held in China’s Jilin Province

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — The China-Russia Student Voice Festival 2025 was held in Shulan City, northeast China’s Jilin Province on Saturday evening.

    The festival with the participation of Russian and Chinese youth took place simultaneously at two sites in the city – at Happiness Square and in the village of Nanyang. Numerous young singers from both countries were invited to the event’s stages.

    Nanyang Village, a subordinate city of Shulan, is built in the Russian style and is a symbol of Chinese-Russian friendship. There are many themed guest houses and shops selling Russian goods.

    As part of the festival, a series of events were held in Nanyang Village on Saturday afternoon, including the opening ceremony of the “Russian People’s Friendly Exchange Village”, a parade of flower floats, etc.

    According to Chen Xukun, deputy chairman of the Jilin Provincial General Chamber of Commerce in Russia, most of the villagers in Nanyang had been to Russia to do business, and then some of them returned to develop the traditional tourism and catering industries.

    As night fell, citizens and tourists gathered at the Happiness Square to enjoy the delightful performances of the festival. Popular songs such as “The Moon Represents My Heart,” “Return,” and many others were performed on stage.

    The Russian performers were very happy to have the opportunity to perform in China and expressed hope that this event would deepen the exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia. They also invited Chinese friends to come to Russia and sing together there.

    2024-2025 have been declared the Years of Culture of China and Russia. The main theme of the China-Russia Student Voice Festival 2025 was “Love and Peace”, and the festival has become a real platform for expressing the beautiful voices of the youth of the two countries, who are enthusiastic about the future and strive for deeper mutual acquaintance.

    The festival was held under the leadership of the State Administration of Radio and Television of the People’s Republic of China (SART), the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, and the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Jilin Province. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s economic and technological development zones will continue to promote the development of new-quality productive forces

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — National-level economic and technological development zones in China will continue to play an important role in developing new productive forces in line with local conditions, a guest speaker said at the latest edition of the China Economic Roundtable organized by Xinhua News Agency.

    Efforts will be aimed at strengthening integration and strengthening the relationship between scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, said Ji Xiaofeng, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Investment of the Ministry of Commerce of China.

    According to her, there are currently more than 700 state-level incubators and hackspaces operating in China’s state-level techno-economic development zones, as well as over 18 percent of the country’s total number of high-tech enterprises.

    “We will strive to build more industrial innovation platforms, while focusing on building the entire chain of product certification, large-scale production and testing, so as to strive to accelerate the transformation of technological innovation and industrial application of research results in national-level economic and technological development zones,” the official said.

    China will support national-level economic and technological development zones to carry out major technological transformation and upgrading, as well as large-scale equipment upgrades, to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, Ji Xiaofeng said.

    According to her, state-level economic and technological development zones will also develop emerging industries of strategic importance such as biomedicine, new energy, new materials and aerospace, and carry out long-term planning for future industries.

    China earlier this year unveiled a work plan encouraging national-level economic and technological development zones to develop new productive forces tailored to local conditions by building more industrial and scientific and technological innovation platforms and computing power infrastructure.

    In 1984, China established its first national-level economic development zone in the northeastern city of Dalian. By 2024, the number of such zones had reached 232, with a gross regional product of 16.9 trillion yuan (about $2.36 trillion). -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: 9 killed, 11 injured in road accident in southern India

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    NEW DELHI, July 14 (Xinhua) — At least nine people were killed and 11 others injured after a truck carrying mangoes overturned in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh state, police said on Monday.

    The accident occurred on Monday night, about 387 km southwest of Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.

    “The accident occurred when a truck lost control and overturned. The truck was carrying mangoes weighing about 40 tonnes and there were 20 workers sitting on top,” a police official said.

    When the truck overturned, crates of mangoes fell on workers, causing casualties and injuries, police said.

    After the accident, local residents and rescuers arrived at the scene to conduct a rescue operation and took the victims to the hospital.

    The cause of the accident is being investigated. Police suspect that overloading was the cause of the accident, but the driver who survived the accident said that he lost control while trying to avoid a collision with a car traveling in the opposite direction. –0–

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Senate Trump assassination report questions Secret Service discipline

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    NEW YORK, July 14 (Xinhua) — A U.S. Senate report on the assassination attempt on U.S. President Donald Trump last year found “numerous, unacceptable failures” in Secret Service discipline.

    The report comes a year after then-presidential candidate Trump was wounded when a 20-year-old gunman fired eight shots at him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    The gunman was later killed by a sniper. But the shooting, which left one protester dead and two wounded, showed the Secret Service was lax in its planning and response, the report said, calling for tougher discipline.

    “This was not an isolated lapse in judgment. This was a complete collapse of security at every level, fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act when there was a direct threat,” Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

    Noting that the Secret Service learned of a suspicious person “nearly 45 minutes before the shooting and took no action,” the report’s authors noted a series of errors that showed “a disturbing pattern of communication breakdowns and negligence that led to a preventable tragedy.”

    Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after the shooting, and six employees responsible for protecting Donald Trump at the Butler rally have been suspended for 10 to 42 days, the service said Thursday. –0–

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: China, US step up efforts to implement London trade talks: official

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — China and the United States are accelerating efforts to implement the results reached in the framework of the agreements reached during the trade and economic talks in London, Wang Lingjun, vice-director of the General Administration of Customs (GAC), said on Monday.

    Following positive progress in recent trade and economic talks in Geneva and London, trade volume between the two countries rebounded to over 350 billion yuan (about $49 billion) last month from less than 300 billion yuan in May, Wang Lingjun told a press conference.

    Wang Lingjun said that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature and reflects the irreversible historical trend of the globalization era, the objective requirement for deeper integration of industrial chains, as well as the practical need for innovation cooperation between enterprises of the two countries and improving the well-being of the peoples of the two countries.

    Describing the consensus reached in Geneva and the framework established in London as “hard-won,” he expressed hope that the U.S. would move toward meeting each other halfway with China to make cooperation the central theme of bilateral economic and trade ties, steer the global trading system back toward fairness and openness, and contribute to global economic recovery and growth. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: China to register record number of new energy vehicles in first half of 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — China registered 5.62 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) in the first half of 2025, up 27.86 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

    The number of new NEV registrations for the period from January to June this year has reached a new historical maximum in the country.

    As of the end of June this year, the total number of NEV vehicles in stock nationwide reached 36.89 million units, accounting for 10.27 percent of the total number of vehicles in the country.

    Battery electric vehicles remained the dominant force in China’s NEV market, with a total inventory of nearly 25.54 million units, or 69.23 percent of the total new energy vehicles. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Yuan-denominated loans grew by 12.92 trillion yuan in the first half of 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — China’s renminbi (yuan) loans increased by 12.92 trillion yuan (about 1.81 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first six months of 2025, data from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC, the central bank) showed Monday. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: /Roundtable on China’s Economy/ Economic and Technological Development Zones Play Key Role in Attracting Foreign Investment

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — Since their establishment more than 40 years ago, China’s national-level Economic and Technological Development Zones have prioritized opening up and served as the “first tier” in promoting foreign trade and attracting foreign investment, said Ji Xiaofeng, spokesperson for the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce.

    For four decades, these zones have made continuous efforts to improve themselves and have been committed to building a high-quality, law-based business environment, Ji Xiaofeng said, speaking at the latest edition of the China Economy Roundtable hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

    By the end of 2024, China had established 232 state-level economic and technological development zones, which together housed more than 60,000 foreign-invested companies.

    Among them, Japanese electronics giant Panasonic was one of the first foreign investors in the Chinese market. Today, it has three subsidiaries in the Suzhou Industrial Park in East China’s Jiangsu Province.

    Suzhou Industrial Park ranks first among all national-level economic and technological development zones in China in terms of development level as of the end of 2024, maintaining the top position for the ninth consecutive year, according to an annual ranking released by the Ministry of Commerce.

    “The industrial park’s location, industrial chain and policy support make it very attractive to us and will bring great benefits to our investment and development not only in Suzhou but also in China as a whole,” said Zhao Bindi, president of Panasonic China.

    In May, China’s Ministry of Commerce released a work plan to further deepen reform and innovation in state-level economic and technological development zones, marking the latest move by China to strengthen the zones’ role in promoting high-level opening-up.

    “We have been witnesses and beneficiaries of China’s reform and opening up. As the country moves toward high-quality development, we remain committed to our continued growth here,” Zhao Bingdi said. -0-

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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stats NZ information release: Electronic card transactions: June 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Columbaria applications to open

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Private Columbaria (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 came into force on May 30, 2025. The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today announced that eligible “pre-cut-off columbaria” intending to make new applications for exemption may apply to the Private Columbaria Licensing Board (PCLB) from September 1 to November 30.

    By obtaining an exemption, eligible “pre-cut-off columbaria” may keep the niches sold before the enactment date of the Private Columbaria Ordinance on June 30, 2017 and continue to operate at its current scale.

    Under the amendment ordinance, “pre-cut-off columbaria” making new applications for exemption must meet the new eligibility criteria and specified conditions to minimise their impact on the neighbourhood.

    The PCLB has uploaded the application guide to the FEHD’s dedicated website.

    The FEHD’s Private Columbaria Affairs Office will also contact the eligible “pre-cut-off columbaria” individually to explain the application details and assist them in submitting the application.

    For enquiries, call 2892 2731 or email rpc@fehd.gov.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –