Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Housing Bureau (HB) today (February 17) announced that the Light Public Housing (LPH) will be open for the Phase 2 application from February 24. The Phase 2 application will cover four projects, including Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak (Phase 1); Tsing Fuk Lane, Tuen Mun (i.e. Tuen Mun Area 3A); Shun On Road, Kwun Tong (renovated from school premises), and Choi Yuen Road, Sheung Shui (renovated from school premises), which will provide a total of about 5 060 units for gradual intake anticipated from the fourth quarter of this year onwards.
Eligible applicants will receive the application forms by post on or before February 24 sent by the HB in batches. Application forms submitted between February 24 and March 17 will be handled with priority. Those who have submitted an application form during the Phase 1 application do not need to submit another application.
A spokesman for the HB said, “The LPH Phase 1 application has received an overwhelming response, with about 14 200 applications received as of mid-February. Under the leadership of the HB, the operating organisations responsible for the operation and management of the LPH projects at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long and Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok have been taking forward the pre-management works, including publicity, conducting eligibility verification and preparing intake arrangements. We anticipate that the LPH project at Yau Pok Road will be the first to start intake by batches within March, and applicants who successfully pass the eligibility verification will gradually receive their offer letters.”
The spokesman added, “The Phase 2 LPH projects are located in various districts with different scales and merits. We believe that they can cater for the needs of different applicants. More importantly, the living environment, ancillary facilities and services of all LPH projects are far better than any inadequate housing, such as substandard sub-divided units. Additionally, the LPH projects offer a highly affordable rent, which is only about 90 per cent of that of traditional public rental housing (PRH) in the same district. There will also be a removal allowance on top of various services and supports offered to residents by the operating organisations.”
Details of the LPH Phase 2 application are as follows:
(1) Eligibility for priority application: General applicants who have been on the waiting list for traditional PRH for three years or more are eligible, with priority given to family applicants. Those meeting the eligibility criteria will receive by post the application forms sent by the HB in batches.
(2) Application period: Applicants who submit duly completed application forms between February 24 and March 17 will be handled with priority. From March 18 onwards, the HB will continue to accept applications.
(3) Submission methods: Interested applicants may submit their duly completed application forms by post to P.O. Box of the Dedicated Team on Light Public Housing of the Housing Bureau (P.O. Box 28222, Gloucester Road Post Office, Wan Chai, Hong Kong); or by depositing them into drop-in boxes during office hours (from 9am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, except Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) at the following locations:
Light Public Housing Information Counter at Podium Level 2, Hong Kong Housing Authority Customer Service Centre, 3 Wang Tau Hom South Road, Kowloon Office of the Dedicated Team on Light Public Housing at Room 801, 8/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
In addition, if the applicant and all family members have registered for “iAM Smart+”, they may opt to complete, sign and submit the e-Form by scanning the exclusive QR code pre-printed on the application form.
The HB will process the application forms received as soon as possible and make arrangements for the allocation. To give priority to those families in need to move into LPH, if the applicants are currently living in inadequate housing; having special medical conditions; or having minor children, newborn babies, elderly persons, etc, in the family, they will be given a higher priority for LPH allocation.
Information of the projects in the Phase 2 application is as follows:
(1) Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak (Phase 1): Providing about 2 970 units (including units for one to two persons, three to four persons and four to five persons), adjacent to Kai Tak MTR Station, and with a number of franchised bus and minibus routes in the vicinity travelling to/from various places in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. The estimated monthly rent ranges from about $1,310 to $2,990 (Note 1).
(2) Tsing Fuk Lane, Tuen Mun (i.e. Tuen Mun Area 3A): Providing about 1 850 units (including units for one to two persons, three to four persons and four to five persons), adjacent to the Light Rail Ching Chung Stop, with a number of franchised bus, MTR bus and minibus routes in the vicinity to/from various places in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. The estimated monthly rent ranges from about $860 to $1,990 (Note 1).
(3) Shun On Road, Kwun Tong (renovated from school premises) (Note 2): Providing about 130 units (including units for one to two persons, three to four persons and four to five persons), about a five-minute walk to the Shun Tin Bus Terminus, which provides a number of franchised bus and minibus routes to/from Choi Hung MTR Station and various places in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The estimated monthly rent ranges from about $1,360 to $3,270 (Note 1).
(4) Choi Yuen Road, Sheung Shui (renovated from school premises) (Note 2): Providing about 110 units (including units for one to two persons, three to four persons and four to five persons), adjacent to Sheung Shui MTR Station, about a 10 to 12-minute walk to different bus/minibus terminuses and San Wan Road Sheung Shui Bus-Bus Interchange, which provide a number of franchised bus and minibus routes to/from Fanling and various places in Hong Kong and Kowloon. The estimated monthly rent ranges from about $1,020 to $2,320 (Note 1).
For more information about the LPH Phase 2 application, please refer to the enclosed LPH Promotional Pamphlet, or browse the LPH website of the HB (www.hb.gov.hk/eng/lph). For enquiries, please call 3464 0700, or send email to lphapp@hb.gov.hk.
Note 1: Rents vary depending on the unit size and the district. The rental level is set at around 90 per cent of the rent of newly completed traditional PRH in the same district. Having regard to the biennial rent review of the traditional PRH, the rent of LPH will be adjusted accordingly.
Note 2: For the LPH converted from school premises, the internal floor area of some of the units may vary due to limitations posed by the existing structural partitioning.
Every success demands greater success, when we have phenomenal development, exponential economic upsurge, people get aspirational. Expectations soar high and every success therefore, brings in the wake a greater challenge to outperform oneself.
If we look into our historical past, India was known to be a land of knowledge and wisdom, particularly in science, astronomy and whatnot. Every aspect of human life finds reflection in our Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas. We are a nation that takes pride in having ancient institutions like Nalanda, Takshashila and the kind. Something happened around 11th or 12th century, and there was a digression. Marauders came, invaders came, and they were reckless in destroying our institutions, Nalanda being one of them. Our cultural centres, going to the extent of being so retributive, perversion of a very different kind, that over our religious centres they built their own. The nation faced it. Then came the British rule. Systematically, we got laws that were meant to serve them. We got education that destroyed ours and created not an ecosystem of full exploitation of our talent but then, the best part is, we are springing back.
The century belongs to Bharat. This is being doubted by no one except some in our country. My appeal to them, as an Indian, as a Bhartiya, our commitment to our nation, belief in the principle of the nation being first, and subscribing to the ideology that no interest—personal, political, or otherwise is higher than national interest. Being citizens of this country is our identity and we need to take pride, for a good reason. No country in the world can claim to have that kind of civilizational depth, that richness of culture. And what does it indicate? Inclusivity. People are misleading. India, in the world, is the nerve center, the epicenter of culture.
What is inclusivity is best defined in our life. Never ever in history of the civilization. Expansion has been a methodology of our ruling clans. We suffered invasion, never undertook any invasion. In that perspective that no nation in the world has grown so fast in last decade in terms of economic rise or impact of people centric policies as Bharat. Therefore, we are faced with a great challenge, a challenge before our scientists, a challenge before all institutions. The challenge is, we have the largest global population which is aspirational.
I looked at NABI, I immediately thought of नाभि, नाभि in the human body. And I take the two to be similar. In our religions, Nabi, a birth of rebirth, a center of universe, a symbol of life, connection and vitality, reminding the one taking birth, the source of it, a mark and remnant of the umbilical cord that connects us in the womb of the mother. Your role distinguished audience is no different. You have to nurture every policy that can blossom our motherland, Bharatma, or Bharat Maa ki Atma.
Most people must learn that while our economy is rising, fifth at the moment, shortly to be third globally. A developed nation would require, there must be an eightfold jump in our per capita income, eightfold that can be brought about only when larger population of this country participates.
In this perspective, I take it as a great privilege and honor to inaugurate the Advanced Entrepreneurship Skill Development Program. Focus on entrepreneurship and focus on skill development, according to me, is synonymous with focus on development, focus on economic growth.
This place must be North Star for the farm sector, for rural youth how to be in agro startups and you must be a lighthouse also, if they encounter some difficulties, which are natural. Our ethos of civilisation tell us there is nothing like failure. If an attempt fails, it is not failure. It is a step toward success.
There was time in ancient India when a village was self-sufficient. वहां खाद्य भी था, व्यवहार भी था, चमड़े का काम भी था सब था। Now, the cooperatives are embedded in the Constitution as an institution.
There must be evolution of a mechanism in a village or in a cluster of villages where you have micro industries at the farm that add value to the agro produce, that add value to the livestock produced, milk produced. This will help evolve a sustainable society and the nutritional food value will certainly go up. Right now, if you look around, milk is in the villages the only value addition I see is that दूध की छाछ बना देंगे, दही बना देंगे।
What stops us? From having entrepreneur skills getting into ice creams, paneer, sweets and the kind in a cluster. This is very important because it will generate employment. It will satisfy rural youth.
Startups are there in tier two and tier three cities. They have to trickle to villages now because agriculture produce is lifeline of economy, raw material for industry and when this takes place, close to the farmland in the rural firmament, evolving as a cluster, economy will take a jump, and people will believe in the farmland.
How best to earn money out of farm should not be limited only to the agriculture produced. It must extend to marketing, value addition and small industries.
All institutions in the country will have to pass the litmus test and the litmus test is what you are doing, is there some impact somewhere? In a positive sense, it should be like an earthquake, impact should be felt. A research for the sake of research, a research that is for the self, a research that is to be kept on the shelf, the research that comes out as a personal embellishment is not the research which the nation needs. Research is not giving a paper by scratching the surface. Research is not to impress the one who is ignorant of the subject. Research is to impress those who know the subject as much as you know or more than you know at a global benchmark and that research can’t be just abstract academics. The research has to have impact on what we are doing. I’m sure this is an area where you have enough scope.
I am son of a farmer, interest of the farmer is in my heart. I know the potential of farmers. I know the potential of the children in farm families. I know the kind of challenges they face right from the beginning. During my time the challenges were more, not any longer. We never imagined Indian household will have a toilet, a gas connection, an electricity connection, an internet connection, something like pipe water on the way, a road connectivity, health center close by. We never thought of that. Good education, it is happening now. Therefore, an ecosystem by transforming our education that brings about equality, labels all, and cuts into inequities is in place.
Technology transfer to the farm is essential. A farmer is by and large clinging to his tractor. He wants to use the tractor for as long as it can last. Ignorant that the technology of the tractor is undergoing big changes. It is becoming environment friendly, fuel efficient, multifunctional and highly subsidized. There has to be awareness campaign. There has to be awareness campaign to the farmer that you don’t need anybody’s help. You only have to know your inner strength to change your economy to a very high level. Form small groups, market your product at a price of your choice; you can.
But by and large, I see farm produce is sold when it is not farmers’ market, it is buyers’ market. The government provides facilities to hold on to the stock by massive warehousing and cooperative movement. I can tell you the farm policies of the government are so helping the farmer. The farmer has to know about it. You can play a great role because we cannot allow that our farmers get anything but the very best. No short-change for the farm sector, no short-change for the farmer that has to be our motto. Institutes like yours must have live connect with Krishi Vigyan Kendras, with Institutes of Indian Council of Agriculture Research.
We need to introspect also. We can feel proud that we are doing good but, like learning, which never stops, your goalpost must be shifting, shifting on one parameter. To what degree is our research, our involvement, making a difference in the life of the ordinary person? Such self-audit, self-assessment, self-introspection will lead to deep reflection. It will fire us with the zeal to serve the nation, and it will be a satisfying experience. The aspirations of our people have been propelled, as I said, by people-centric policies, reaching the ground. We cannot allow our youth to be restive now. They must know what opportunities they have. The son of the farmer, the daughter of the farmer, must get attracted to starting their ventures.
There were some districts where the district magistrates never wanted to go. Prime Minister Modi created them as aspirational districts with a definite mission, uplift them. The number of their aspirational districts is going down. But bureaucrats who seek to go to those districts, the queue is getting longer because anybody wants to contribute and transform. Prime Minister has now come to the second stage, aspirational blocks, that the district is by and large not aspirational because developed, but some blocks are there. Time for us to nurture aspirational agro zones across rural India
I am son of a farmer like there was a movie, Son of a Sardar. A son of the farmer will always commit himself to truth.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the video speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the South China Morning Post China Conference: Southeast Asia 2025 today (February 17):
Your Excellency Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz (Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia), officials and friends from ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and around the world, Ms Catherine So (Chief Executive Officer of South China Morning Post), Ms Tammy Tam (Editor-in-Chief of South China Morning Post), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I am pleased to join you today, virtually, at this remarkable conference in Kuala Lumpur.
For that, I am grateful to the South China Morning Post for organising the China Conference: Southeast Asia, and for putting a prime spotlight on the substantive roles played by China, our country, and Southeast Asia in shaping the global agenda, now and long down the road.
To that end, you have heard today from His Excellency Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as well as a wealth of senior governmental, business and financial leaders and decision-makers from Malaysia, throughout ASEAN and around the world.
For the next few minutes, allow me to speak about Hong Kong – about the role we play in working with our country and in connecting with member states of ASEAN and far beyond.
Long a “super connector”, Hong Kong takes pride in creating value for traditional and emerging markets. We are the natural bridge for ASEAN business looking to Mainland Chinese markets and opportunities. We are, as well, the conduit for Mainland businesses looking to explore overseas opportunities, whether in ASEAN, the Middle East or elsewhere.
Indeed, the Mainland and ASEAN are our two largest trade-in-goods partners, with total trade value reaching US$619 billion and US$165 billion respectively last year.
We are home to about 2 600 offices with parent companies on the Mainland, up 20 per cent over 2023 totals. Last year, too, some 730 offices with parent companies in ASEAN maintained an office in Hong Kong. That’s an increase of about 10 per cent year on year.
And I am confident of continuing growth in the coming years, given the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement and related Investment Agreement, as well as the recently signed amendment to the Agreement on Trade in Services of CEPA – the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement.
The new CEPA Agreement introduces service-sector liberalisation measures, making it easier for Hong Kong suppliers, and international companies with offices in Hong Kong, to do business on the Mainland.
As you know, CEPA is nationality neutral, so I encourage ASEAN companies to enjoy Hong Kong’s world-class professional services and, in doing so, make full use of CEPA in accessing the Mainland market.
Alongside strong business ties with ASEAN, our people-to-people bonds are long-standing and mutually rewarding.
Since assuming office, in July 2022, I have led high-profile Hong Kong delegations to seven of the 10 ASEAN countries. Nearly 90 co-operation agreements between Hong Kong and ASEAN countries have been signed over that period – and in so many areas, from economic and trade matters to innovation and technology, cultural exchange, education and more.
And I am committed to building on our gratifying ties.
We have relaxed the criteria for nationals of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam applying for multiple-entry visas to Hong Kong. We have, as well, extended their validity period from two to three years.
We will also provide self-service immigration clearance for invited ASEAN-country visitors participating in business, development and related activities in Hong Kong.
And for ASEAN and other non-Chinese residents working in Hong Kong and wishing to travel to the Mainland, the multiple-entry visas have been extended for up to five years, making Mainland entry from Hong Kong fast and efficient.
And to make our ASEAN friends feel at home in Hong Kong, we are compiling a list of restaurants offering halal food, while encouraging hotels and other establishments to provide appropriate worship services.
There’s more. We’re making it easier to communicate with ASEAN business. In addition to our Economic and Trade Offices in Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok, we are working with the Malaysian government to establish a trade office in Kuala Lumpur.
Allow me to thank ASEAN member states for their staunch support of our accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest free trade agreement. I count on leaders like your good selves to support Hong Kong’s accession bid.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all the best of business, health and well-being in this auspicious Chinese New Year – the Year of the Snake.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the seventh meeting of the Task Force on District Governance today (February 17) to follow up on the initiatives endorsed by the Steering Committee on District Governance. The meeting co-ordinated various departments in formulating specific implementation measures on issues of local concern and continuously reviewed the work progress and performance.
Mr Cheuk said, “The Task Force will continue to adhere fully to the overall strategies set by the Steering Committee and actively respond to community concerns about district issues by taking practical actions to improve the living environment, and to enhance people’s quality of life through cumulative results achieved, for building a better community together.”
The Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration formulated at its fourth meeting strategies on four more district issues to further enhance the community environment and facilities. The Task Force followed up at this meeting the implementation details and the progress of the relevant items, including:
1. Improving the waiting environment at public transport interchange to enhance travel experience
The Transport Department, in collaboration with the Highways Department (HyD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, has selected a covered public transport interchange in each of the 18 districts for enhancement works. These include upgrading the lighting, improving the ventilation system, refurbishing the walls and ceilings to provide a more comfortable waiting environment for passengers. These works have commenced this year with 11 for completion in 2025 and the remaining in 2026.
2. Combating air-conditioner water dripping to improve community environment
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will strengthen inspections and enforcement actions against about 30 air-conditioner dripping blackspots from May to September this summer. The FEHD will also launch a publicity and public education campaign to appeal to residents to address the issue of air conditioners dripping water, in order to avoid affecting environmental hygiene in public places and causing a nuisance to citizens.
3. Cleaning pedestrian walkways to improve cityscape
Starting in February this year, the FEHD has deployed mini street-washing vehicles equipped with pressure washer surface cleaners and high-pressure hot water cleaners at about 80 blackspots across the territory on a regular basis to step up street scrubbing and remove stains or moss, with a view to continuously improving the walking environment and enhancing the cityscape.
4. Strengthening thematic plantings
The Development Bureau, along with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the HyD, the ArchSD, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and the Housing Department, will enhance thematic planting in selected development projects and venues, such as planting species with conspicuous flowers or thematically planting a single type of tree or shrub across a district to create impact, thereby beautifying the cityscape.
In addition to the four district issues above, the Task Force also followed up on the performance of the 1823 Enhanced Complaint Handling Mechanism and received reports from relevant departments on their work progress regarding the eight key issues identified at the first three meetings of the Steering Committee, including (1) expanding after-school care services and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; and (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion. Mr Cheuk urged all departments to continue advancing these initiatives and enhancing district governance efficacy, so that the Government can deliver district services more effectively, leading to a more comfortable and better life for citizens.
Moreover, Mr Cheuk thanked the departments for their efforts over the past two years in implementing the directives of the Steering Committee and the Task Force, which has brought significant achievements in combating hygiene blackspots for the benefit of the public. He added, “We should not permanently classify places that have seen long-term environmental improvements as blackspots. Relevant departments should critically review the situation of all 738 hygiene blackspots and continue to actively follow up on those requiring improvement while identifying others that are suitable for removal from the blacklist. If the conditions of a blackspot have not recurred after improving for two years, it should be removed from the blackspot list. The hygiene blackspot website will be updated in the first quarter this year to reflect the actual situation.”
A Son of the Farmer Will Always Commit Himself to Truth, Says Vice-President Marauders and Invaders Came, Recklessly Destroying Our Institutions, but We’re Springing Back, Says VP
Research That Is To Be Kept On the Shelf Is Not the Research the Nation Needs; Research Can’t Be Abstract Academics, says VP
No Short-Change For the Farm Sector, No Short-Change For the Farmer, That Has To Be Our Motto, Says VP
The Path to a Developed India Passes through Its Villages, Says VP
The Century Belongs To Bharat. This Is Being Doubted by Some in Our Country, Stresses VP
Startups Must Trickle To Villages, Says VP
Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 2:46PM by PIB Delhi
VP Inaugurates Advanced Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (A-ESDP) Campus at National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI)
The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said, “I am the son of a farmer. A son of the farmer will always commit himself to truth……He further added, “India’s soul resides in its villages, with the rural system serving as the backbone of the nation. The path to a developed India passes through its villages. A developed India is no longer just a dream; it is our goal,” emphasising his deep-rooted connection to agriculture.
There was time in ancient India when a village was self-sufficient. Now, the cooperatives are embedded in the Constitution as an institution.
There must be evolution of a mechanism in a village or in a cluster of villages where we have micro industries at the farm that add value… pic.twitter.com/6JyvY1WG2Y
Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of Advanced Entrepreneurship And Skill Development Programme (A-ESDP) Campus at National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI), Mohali, Shri Dhankhar further said, “If we look into our historical past, India was known to be a land of knowledge and wisdom, particularly in science, astronomy and what not. Every aspect of human life finds reflection in our Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas. And we are a nation that takes pride in having ancient institutions like Nalanda, Takshashila and the kind. Something happened around 11th or 12th century, and there was a digression. Marauders came, invaders came, and they were reckless in destroying our institutions, Nalanda being one of them. Our cultural centres, going to the extent of being so retributive, perversion of a very different kind over our religious centres they built their own. The nation faced it. Then came the British rule. Systematically, we got laws that were meant to subserve them. We got education that destroyed ours and created not an ecosystem of full exploitation of our talent. The best part is, we are springing back,” he noted.
Speaking on the significance of research, the Vice-President laid out a clear vision: “All institutions in the country will have to pass the litmus test. And the litmus test is—what impact is being created? In a positive sense, it should be like an earthquake, with the impact being felt. A research for the sake of research, a research that is for the self, a research that is to be kept on the shelf, the research that comes out as a personal embellishment is not the research which the nation needs. Research is not giving a paper by scratching the surface. Research is not to impress the one who is ignorant of the subject. Research is to impress those who know the subject as much as you know or more than you know at a global benchmark. And that research can’t be just abstract academics. The research has to have impact on what we are doing. And I’m sure this is an area where you have enough scope.” he noted.
Technology transfer to the farm is essential.
A farmer is by and large clinging to his tractor. He wants to use the tractor for as long as it can last, ignorant that the technology of the tractor is undergoing big changes- it is becoming environment friendly, fuel-efficient,… pic.twitter.com/cS0hp0IhQ7
Reiterating India’s civilizational strength, he stated, “The century belongs to Bharat. This is being doubted by no one except some in our country. My appeal to them, as an Indian, as a Bhartiya: our commitment to our nation, belief in the principle of the nation being first, and subscribing to the ideology that no interest—personal, political, or otherwise—is higher than national interest.”
Shri Dhankhar highlighted, “I see farm produce is sold when it is not farmers market, it is buyers market. The government provides facilities to hold on to the stock by massive warehousing and cooperative movement. I can tell you the farm policies of the government are so helping the farmer. The farmer has to know about it. You can play a great role. Because we cannot allow that our farmers get anything but the very best. No short change for the farm sector. No short change for the farmer. That has to be our motto. Institutes like yours must have live connect with Krishi Vigyan Kendras, with Institutes of Indian Council of Agriculture Research, he stated.
Shri Dhankhar called for the revitalization of rural economies through micro-industries that add value to agricultural and dairy products. “There must be evolution of a mechanism in a village or in a cluster of villages where you have micro industries at the farm that add value to the agro produce, that add value to the livestock produced, milk produced. This will help evolve a sustainable society and the nutritional food value will certainly go up. What stops us from having entrepreneurial skills to produce ice creams, paneer, sweets, and the like in village clusters? This is very important because it will generate employment and satisfy rural youth.”
He further emphasized that technology must be integrated into farming practices to improve efficiency and productivity saying, “Startups are there in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. They have to trickle to villages now because agriculture produce is lifeline of economy, raw material for industry. And when this takes place, close to the farmland in the rural firmament, evolving as a cluster, economy will take a jump, and people will believe in the farmland.
All institutions in the country will have to pass the litmus test, which is this: is there some impact of your activities?
In a positive sense, it should be like an earthquake: its impact should be felt.
Shri Dhankhar urged farmers to stay informed about advancements in technology and its potential benefits. “A farmer is by and large clinging to his tractor. He wants to use the tractor for as long as it can last, ignorant of the fact that new technology is becoming environment-friendly, fuel-efficient, multifunctional, and highly subsidized. There has to be an awareness campaign,” he emphasized.
He encouraged collective efforts, stating, “Form small groups, market your product at a price of your choice. You don’t need anybody’s help. You only have to know your inner strength to change your economy to a very high level.”
Shri Priyank Bharti, IAS, Administrative Secretary, Technology & Environment, Govt. of Punjab, Prof. Ashwani Pareek, Executive Director, BRIC-NABI, Ms. Ekta Vishnoi, IRS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected counterfeit goods worth about $5.8 million (with photo) Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected counterfeit goods worth about $5.8 million (with photo) ******************************************************************************************
Hong Kong Customs on January 28 conducted an operation against counterfeiting activities in Yuen Long and seized about 11 000 suspected counterfeit items, including scarves and clothing, with an estimated market value of about $5.8 million. Acting upon intelligence, Customs officers on that day inspected three batches of temporarily stored goods in two logistics warehouses in Yuen Long, uncovering the batch of suspected counterfeit goods. The case is still under investigation. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out. Customs will continue to step up inspections and conduct intelligence-led enforcement to vigorously combat counterfeit and infringing goods activities at different levels. Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting or infringing activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
February 2025 issue of “Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics” now available February 2025 issue of “Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics” now available ***************************************************************************************
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (February 17) the February 2025 issue of the “Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics” (HKMDS). Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains a feature article entitled “Road Traffic Accident Statistics in Hong Kong, 2014 to 2023”. Statistics presented in the “Road Traffic Accident Statistics in Hong Kong, 2014 to 2023” article are based on the data source from the Statistics Section of the Transport Department. “Road Traffic Accident Statistics in Hong Kong, 2014 to 2023” There were 17 189 road traffic accidents in Hong Kong in 2023, involving 22 269 casualties and 28 808 vehicles. This feature article analyses the road traffic accidents and the characteristics of casualties and vehicles involved in these accidents from 2014 to 2023. For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Statistics Section of the Transport Department (Tel: 3842 6067; email: rssd@td.gov.hk). Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460). Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the keynote speech by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, at the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) Annual Conference 2025 today (February 17):
Peter (Chief Executive Officer of the ASIFMA, Mr Peter Stein), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join the ASIFMA Annual Conference today, where global leaders, policymakers, and industry experts gather to explore new growth opportunities in the midst of an unprecedented transformation in the global environment.
Our financial market is characterised by deep liquidity, diverse financial products and services, strong emphasis on investor protection, a well-educated and highly efficient workforce, ease of entry for non-local professionals, and effective and transparent financial regulations aligned with international standards. These competitive advantages have been widely recognised by various international institutions. Hong Kong ranked first as Asia’s leading international financial hub in the latest Global Financial Centres Index. Recently, the International Monetary Fund also reaffirmed that our financial system remains resilient, supported by robust institutional frameworks, ample policy buffers, and the smooth functioning of the Linked Exchange Rate System.
And so far, we have made good progress in developing the stock market. Hong Kong’s stock market surged by some 18 per cent and the average daily turnover jumped by 26 per cent from a year earlier. We were also the world’s fourth-largest and Asia’s second-largest initial public offering (IPO) market, with IPO proceeds at about HK$80 billion last year, which is almost double that in the year before last. To strengthen the competitiveness of our market, we have implemented a range of measures including optimising the vetting procedures of listing applications, enhancing the listing regime for specialist technology companies, and enabling market trading under severe weather, to name just a few.
To further boost the efficiency and liquidity of our stock market, the Government, in collaboration with the regulators and HKEX (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited), is continuously exploring different market development measures to further enhance our listing regime and trading mechanism, with a view to strengthening overall market competitiveness and expanding our overseas networks. A consultation ongoing is the one concerning optimisation of our IPO price discovery and open market requirements. The consultation will last till March 19 and I am sure Peter will make sure that you are being heard.
The Hong Kong bond market has continued to grow in tandem with the Government’s active promotion. Hong Kong has been the largest centre for arranging bonds issued in the region by Asia-based entities for 16 consecutive years, with nine years being the leader internationally, capturing about a quarter of the market in 2023.
The Government and the regulators will continue to promote the advantages of our bond market to issuers and investors on the Mainland and overseas to deepen our bond market development. We will expand the issuance of Renminbi bonds and support the issuance of more green and sustainable offshore Renminbi bonds in Hong Kong by Mainland and international issuers.
We are expanding our mutual access programmes with the Mainland’s financial market, too. They include expanding the scope of eligible ETFs (exchange-traded funds) under Stock Connect, optimising the arrangements under Swap Connect, as well as the latest enhancement and expansion of Southbound trading of Bond Connect, improving transaction and settlement efficiency while broadening the investment channels for Mainland and offshore investors.
The Government, in collaboration with the regulators and HKEX, will continue to work closely with the Mainland to implement the measures supported by regulators in the two places, including the introduction of Mainland government bond futures in Hong Kong and inclusion of a Renminbi counter under Southbound trading of Stock Connect, and actively exploring further enhancement initiatives.
Building an international gold trading centre is a new growth point for Hong Kong to cement our status as an international financial centre. The Government will promote the development of world-class gold storage facilities and, building on the increased gold holding, scale up associated support and financial services and expand related derivative transactions, hence creating a comprehensive ecosystem in a progressive manner. We already set up a working group last year and we are now working at full steam to formulate a comprehensive implementation plan. Furthermore, we are committed to increasing the storage and delivery of commodities in Hong Kong, not only precious metals but also base metals, and providing better services to Mainland enterprises engaging in international commodity trade. To achieve this, we will facilitate the relevant international commodity exchange which is the London Metal Exchange (LME) to set up accredited warehouses in Hong Kong, enhance associated financial services, and also support the creation of a thriving commodity trading ecosystem.
If you may recall, the 2024 Policy Address announced that the Government will facilitate the opening of new distribution channels for private equity (PE) funds through HKEX’s listings. Alternate asset funds, including PE funds, as eligible collective investment schemes (CISs), may apply for listing in Hong Kong under Chapter 20 of our Listing Rules. The SFC (Securities and Futures Commission) has been engaging with HKEX, industry associations and interested fund managers to explain the relevant regulatory and requirements. On that front, the SFC plans to issue a circular very soon this month to clarify the requirements for authorising closed-end alternative funds for listing on HKEX. The SFC also plans to issue a discussion paper in the first quarter of this year to seek the industry’s views on the viability of allowing retail investors to invest in unlisted alternative funds without committing on any rule changes.
We will also attract more global capital to be managed in Hong Kong. Last March, we launched the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme. So far, around HK$6.5 billion has been invested. If you look at the amount of financial assets being invested through this HK$6.5 billion, most of them go to financial products, with 45 per cent going to CISs, 39 per cent going to equities and 15 per cent going to debt securities. From March this year, we will relax the net assessment and calculation requirements. We will also accept investments made through an applicant’s wholly owned eligible private company. In addition, we will enhance the profits tax exemption regimes for funds and single family offices. The Government will also put in place an inward company redomiciliation regime which provides a simple and straightforward route for non-Hong Kong incorporated companies to transfer their domicile to Hong Kong while ensuring business continuity. We are confident that these measures will help to bring in more of the world’s top companies and of course talent to our city.
We also strive to deepen our reforms and explore new growth areas using a new mindset amidst changing circumstances. A new growth opportunity is green and sustainable finance, a fast-developing area on the back of climate change. Hong Kong is a leading green and sustainable finance hub in Asia. The total green and sustainable debt, including both bonds and loans, issued in Hong Kong exceeded US$50 billion in 2023. Among which, the volume of green and sustainable bonds arranged in Hong Kong topped the Asian market, accounting for 37 per cent of the regional total.
To solidify the competitiveness of enterprises in Hong Kong to address the global demand for sustainability disclosure, we launched a roadmap on sustainability disclosure in Hong Kong. The roadmap provides a well-defined pathway for large publicly accountable entities (PAEs) to fully adopt the ISSB Standards (International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards) no later than 2028, leading Hong Kong to be among the first jurisdictions to align our local requirements with those of the ISSB Standards.
Fintech is a new growth area and also one of the new strategic areas. On this front, we issued a policy statement last year to set out the policy stance and approach for promoting the responsible application of artificial intelligence in the financial market. Regarding the sustainable development of virtual assets, we have enhanced the regulatory framework and introduced a bill last year on the regulation of fiat-referenced stablecoin issuers. In addition, the Government will put forward a proposed licensing regime for virtual asset custodian service providers.
And in fact, if you look at the calendar of key events this year, we will very soon have the conference Consensus Hong Kong 2025 which is a world-renowned Web3 global conference. This is the first time they will land in Asia and they have picked Hong Kong as their first stop.
Ladies and gentlemen, the opportunities in Hong Kong are immense despite the complex geopolitical and economic landscape. As we actively integrate into and embrace the opportunities presented by the national development strategies, Hong Kong will remain as an ideal gateway connecting the Mainland capital market with the rest of the world, and provide a prime location and platform for international businesses and investors to tap into the vast business potential and investment opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Mainland China and beyond, and of course include the Middle East, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and India as covered in this year’s conference in many more years to come.
As a leading global financial centre, we will continue to expand and enrich our dynamic capital markets and liquidity pool as well as diversify our product and services offerings to better serve both regional and international investors. We welcome you all to use Hong Kong as a platform to grab the opportunities and at the same time to give us more comments and also views in terms of how we can grow this market further. Thank you.
DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Space enthusiasts from around the world gathered virtually to witness a groundbreaking moment in space history, as Holiverse live-streamed a special event from the Kennedy Space Center, on Feb 8. The event celebrated a unique mission that sent a digital copy of the U.S. Constitution to the Moon by NASA, highlighting the role of private technology companies in expanding public engagement with space exploration. By leveraging its cutting-edge digital platform, Holiverse transformed this historic mission into an interactive global experience, allowing audiences to participate in real-time discussions with leading scientists and industry experts.
The mission itself took flight on January 15, 2025, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. The digital document, now in lunar orbit, represents a step toward preserving human heritage beyond Earth. In addition to broadcasting this milestone, Holiverse announced plans to document the next phase of the project—a future mission that will place a physical copy of the U.S. Constitution on the Moon, housed in a specially designed container to endure the harsh lunar environment for millions of years.
Just weeks after this milestone, a special dinner event was held at the Kennedy Space Center to highlight the mission’s significance and unveil the next phase of the project. With Holiverse providing an immersive broadcast experience, audiences worldwide had a front-row seat to discussions led by leading scientists, astronauts, and industry experts. The event also featured the presentation of a physical copy of the U.S. Constitution, which is planned for a future lunar mission. Unlike the digital version already in orbit, this tangible document will be housed in a specially designed container capable of withstanding the Moon’s harsh environment for millions of years.
Holiverse’s broadcast transformed the exclusive NASA gathering into a global experience, removing physical barriers to participation and making space exploration more accessible than ever. The platform’s high-quality visuals and expert production ensured that remote viewers could fully engage with the event, absorbing insights from key speakers and learning about upcoming missions. Holiverse’s commitment to interactivity was a defining feature of the broadcast, allowing virtual attendees to ask questions, participate in discussions, and share their thoughts in real time. This approach fostered a sense of inclusion, giving audiences the opportunity to not only witness history but also engage with the conversation surrounding it.
For many viewers, the event served as both an educational opportunity and a moment of inspiration. Families gathered at home to watch the broadcast, students followed along with curiosity, and space enthusiasts around the world united in celebration of a historic achievement. The success of this virtual event underscores a broader trend – digital experiences can be just as impactful as physical ones, and in many ways, they are even more accessible. Holiverse, already a leader in the digital event industry, has proven this by producing interactive broadcasts for business summits, scientific conferences, film festivals, and now, groundbreaking space missions.
Beyond the spectacle of the event itself, the broader implications of this mission highlight the evolving role of technology in cultural preservation and space exploration. The decision to send a copy of the U.S. Constitution to the Moon is not just symbolic – it reflects a growing recognition of the need to safeguard humanity’s intellectual and historical achievements in a rapidly advancing technological landscape. As nations and private enterprises expand their reach beyond Earth, the question of how to preserve cultural heritage in space is becoming increasingly relevant. Holiverse continues to explore new ways to make such historical moments accessible and meaningful to people worldwide.
A physical copy of the Constitution is planned to be delivered to the Moon in the near future. The document, designed to withstand the extreme conditions of space, will serve as a lasting artifact for future explorers who may one day set foot on the lunar surface. This initiative is part of a broader movement toward preserving historical documents and cultural artifacts beyond Earth, ensuring that humanity’s legacy endures even as civilization expands into the cosmos.
Holiverse has already committed to broadcasting this next chapter of the mission, continuing its role in bringing groundbreaking scientific events to a global audience. The company’s dedication to innovation in digital experiences has positioned it as a key player in the intersection of technology, education, and public engagement. As Holiverse looks ahead, it is preparing to launch a new philanthropic initiative through its platform, focusing on education, healthcare, and improving quality of life in developing countries. This commitment to social impact underscores the company’s belief that technology should not only connect people to historic moments but also contribute to a better future.
This event demonstrates how modern digital platforms can revolutionize public access to space exploration. By streaming exclusive events like the Kennedy Space Center dinner, Holiverse has allowed thousands of people around the world to become active participants in the unfolding story of humanity’s journey beyond Earth. This mission is more than just a technical achievement – it is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the enduring significance of our shared cultural heritage.
As the next phase of this historic mission approaches, one thing is clear: the future of space exploration is not limited to astronauts and scientists alone.
AboutHoliverse
Holiverse is developing a metaverse that integrates various products, business strategies, and game mechanics. Metaverse is your starting point in the journey through the Holiverse ecosystem. Through digital technology, anyone with an internet connection can witness history, engage with experts, and be part of humanity’s next great adventure. And with Holiverse leading the way, the boundaries between physical and virtual experiences continue to blur – bringing the wonders of space closer to us all. Know more, please contact us on X or Telegra, or visit our office at Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd, Dubai, UAE.
Liverpool residents will once again be able to recycle their garden waste, with green bin collections restarting from Monday 24 February.
The service runs from the last week of February until the last week of November each year. Those who sign up for green bin collections can have their grass cuttings, dead plants, leaves, and small branches taken away. Collections are carried out on a fortnightly basis.
As well as clearing up excess garden material, the service puts unwanted green waste to good use and avoids inefficient incineration. Once collected, the waste gets taken away to be broken down at a dedicated recycling site and turned into compost.
The annual fee for the year ahead will remain at £50, which works out at £2.50 per collection. People who pay for multiple bins are entitled to a discount, with each household able to secure up to five bins.
Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Communities and Streetscene said: “Our green waste collection service continues to be good value for residents. It is convenient and can save multiple trips to recycling centres.
“Recycling garden waste properly is a great way to make a huge difference to the environment. Not only does it contribute to the sustainability efforts in our City, but it also has a much wider positive impact on reducing our carbon footprint nationally and even worldwide.
“As well as using our green waste service, residents have the option to buy and use home composters for the majority of their garden waste, which can then be used as a healthy fertiliser for plants at home.”
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
With the support of RN-Uvatneftegaz (part of the Rosneft oil production complex), a festival of the culture of the indigenous peoples of the North, “The Wealth of the Uvat Taiga,” was held in the regional center of Uvat.
The festival was held for the third time. Every year it attracts more and more participants and this year it was the most numerous – about 1,500 guests from all taiga settlements of the Uvatsky district visited it. The winter festival originated as a fair of folk crafts, but with the support of oil workers it acquired the format of a cultural festival.
The cultural program of the festival included national vocal and dance performances. Guests of the festival took part in master classes on making national Khanty amulets and dolls, painting plates with traditional northern ornaments with images of animal symbols of the Uvatsky district. The building of the district House of Culture housed an exhibition of paintings “Beliefs of the Khanty People”.
During the sports program, the participants competed in national sports – throwing a tynzyan on a khorey (a lasso on a pole used to drive deer), archery, jumping over sleds, pulling a stick, etc. The sports and hunting tournament, a competition for agility in overcoming an obstacle course, was especially spectacular. An entertainment and development program was organized for the young guests.
The fair stalls offered traditional crafts to the guests of the festival: fresh-frozen and smoked fish, meat, berries, pine nuts, fur and bead products. In addition, visitors could try national cuisine: northern fish soup and tea made from taiga herbs and berries.
Preservation of the national culture of the indigenous peoples of the North and their traditional way of life is one of the significant areas of Rosneft’s social policy. The Company’s enterprises implement many social projects in the regions of their operations, develop the infrastructure of northern villages, help reindeer herder families, improve the material and technical base of educational institutions, social and medical facilities in the areas of original residence of indigenous peoples.
RN-Uvatneftegaz supports representatives of the Khanty, Mansi and Evenki of the Tyumen Region. Oil workers together with the administration of the Uvatsky municipal district presented the indigenous people with equipment for traditional trades – snowmobiles, boat motors, gasoline generators of electricity, as well as motor oil from Rosneft for engines. In total, in recent years, the company has handed over more than 160 units of equipment to Khanty families.
The company also provides access to winter roads and ice crossings, which it builds for production needs, and organizes fuel supplies at the deposits closest to the camps.
In addition, with the participation of RN-Uvatneftegaz, the ethnographic cultural center “Uvas Mir Khot” has been created and is developing in the vicinity of Tyumen, which in translation from Khanty means “House of Northern People”. National ritual holidays, cultural events, concerts, interactive excursions, lessons in local history and native language, and master classes are held on the territory of the center all year round.
Reference:
RN-Uvatneftegaz, a subsidiary of Rosneft, is exploring and developing a group of fields located in the Uvatsky District of the Tyumen Region. The Uvatsky project includes 19 licensed areas with a total area of over 25 thousand km2.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft February 17, 2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The City of Wolverhampton Council’s annual I Awards, held at Grand Station, saw children and young people receive awards in recognition of their achievements in 3 categories – individual, intellectual and independence. There were also special awards for an inspirational child in care and inspirational care leaver who really showcase children and young people’s talents and potential.
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “The I Awards is one of the most important events of the year, allowing the council as their corporate parent to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our children and young people in care, and care leavers.
“We are extremely proud of each and every one of them. Many have not had the easiest start in life, and the I Awards are a great way of encouraging our children and young people to aim high, and reward them for their hard work.
“We heard some very uplifting stories of achievement which, coupled with the invaluable support from their foster parents, has enabled our children and young people to achieve in many different ways.
“We are very lucky to have so many dedicated individuals and families who have opened their homes to our children and young people as foster parents, and the I Awards was our chance to say thank you to them, too.”
The event, attended by over 300 people including Director of Children’s Services Alison Hinds and the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Linda Leach, also featured a djembe drum performance by young people from Wolverhampton Music Service and the Virtual School, a range of attractions including a chocolate fountain, sweet cart, face paints, photo booth and a balloon stall, and culminated with a disco.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a foster parent is invited to visit Fostering for Wolverhampton or call the Fostering for Wolverhampton team on 01902 551133 to find out more.
Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” rounded out the top five at the North American box office on its opening weekend, making it the biggest opening weekend for any Chinese production in recent years.
Data from measurement firm Comscore showed on Sunday that the highly-anticipated film has generated an estimated three-day cume of 7.2 million U.S. dollars in North America through Sunday.
The animated epic fantasy film’s North American pre-sale box office alone has exceeded the opening weekend box office record in North America for any Chinese-language film in the past 20 years.
Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” debuted atop the North American box office this weekend with an estimated 88.5 million dollars in 4,105 theaters.
“Ne Zha 2” is being released by CMC Pictures in Mandarin with English subtitles in about 750 selected theaters in North American cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Toronto, Vancouver and a few other cities with a large overseas Chinese population, according to the company.
Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, noted that “Ne Zha 2” is a “global box office juggernaut.”
“The widely reported global box office success and amazing reviews of this incredible and beautifully presented animated film has put it high on the must-see list for movie fans in the North American market and that was reflected in the solid numbers this weekend,” he told Xinhua.
A lady, who gave her name as Emily Li, told Xinhua that she brought her two children to watch the movie.
“Kids love the story. They even watched the original Ne Zha film online in advance for the plot,” she added.
“Ne Zha 2” is a sequel to the 2019 animated blockbuster “Ne Zha.” Both films were inspired by China’s 16th-century classic novel “The Investiture of the Gods.”
The animated film has captivated Chinese audiences with its exquisite animation production, grand visual imagination and rich cultural expression. After opening on Jan. 29, the film swiftly smashed box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time in China.
As the film continues its record-breaking run, it has grossed an astounding 11.9 billion yuan (about 1.64 billion U.S. dollars) through Sunday. It has become the first non-Hollywood production to break into the top 20 highest-grossing films ever worldwide.
Industry insiders believe the Chinese movie is on track to becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally. So far, the highest-grossing animated film of all time is Disney’s 2024 film “Inside Out 2,” which earned 1.699 billion dollars worldwide.
The success of “Ne Zha 2” has attracted widespread attention from the international media.
CNN reported that “An unruly Chinese boy who battles dragons and defies destiny has made his way to Western cinema screens after smashing box office records in China.”
“For decades, China’s movie market had been dominated by Hollywood blockbusters. But in recent years, homegrown titles — in genres from action and sci-fi to romance and animation — have increasingly outpaced Western films, a pivot fueled by rising cultural pride, more sophisticated storytelling and rapid technological progress,” the news outlet said.
Details 2025-02-11 President Lai meets Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla of the Kingdom of Eswatini On the afternoon of February 11, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla of the Kingdom of Eswatini. In remarks, President Lai thanked Eswatini for continuing to support Taiwan’s international participation at international venues. The president stated that Taiwan and Eswatini work closely in such areas as agriculture, the economy and trade, education, and healthcare, and expressed hope that the two countries will continue to support each other on the international stage and strive together for the well-being of both peoples. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome our distinguished guests to the Presidential Office. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla previously visited Taiwan while serving as minister of foreign affairs. This is her first time leading a delegation here as deputy prime minister. I want to extend my sincerest welcome. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla has earned a high degree of recognition and trust from His Majesty King Mswati III. She was not only Eswatini’s first woman foreign minister, but is also the second woman to have held her current key position. She shows an active interest in people’s welfare, and has a reputation for being deeply devoted to her compatriots. I have great admiration for this. I am truly delighted to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Dladla today. I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my gratitude to His Majesty the King for leading a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao last year. This demonstrated the close diplomatic ties between our countries. I also want to thank Eswatini for continuing to support Taiwan’s international participation at international venues. I would ask that when Deputy Prime Minister Dladla returns to Eswatini, she conveys Taiwan’s greetings and gratitude to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala. Diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Eswatini have endured for over half a century. Our two nations have continued to work closely in such areas as agriculture, the economy and trade, education, and healthcare. Our largest collaboration to date has been assisting Eswatini in the construction of a strategic oil reserve facility. We will continue to push forward with this project, and look forward to achieving even greater results in all areas. I understand that Deputy Prime Minister Dladla is very concerned about issues regarding gender equality and women’s empowerment. During her term as foreign minister, she facilitated bilateral cooperation in those areas. Now, as deputy prime minister, she is actively attending to the disadvantaged and advancing social welfare. These policies are very much in line with the priorities of my administration. I look forward to strengthening cooperation with Deputy Prime Minister Dladla for the benefit of both our societies. Taiwan and Eswatini are peace-loving nations. Faced with a constantly changing international landscape and the growing threat posed by authoritarianism, we hope that our two countries will continue to support each other on the international stage and strive together for the well-being of both our peoples. In closing, I wish Deputy Prime Minister Dladla and our distinguished guests a pleasant and successful visit. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla then delivered remarks, first greeting President Lai on behalf of the King, the Queen Mother, and the people of Eswatini, and extending gratitude for the warm reception afforded to her and her delegation, which underscores the strong bonds of friendship between our two nations. The deputy prime minister stated that, in reflecting on the fruits of our partnership, the evidence of Taiwan’s commitment to Eswatini is all around us. The strategic oil reserve project launching in April, she indicated, will redefine Eswatini’s energy security, and the Central Bank complex and electrification project stand as monuments of Taiwan’s vision for Eswatini’s progress and indicate that our partnerships are very strong. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla pointed out that education is the foundation of any nation’s progress, and that Taiwan’s contribution to Eswatini’s education sector cannot be overstated. Through Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarship programs, she said, Eswatini has sent numerous students to Taiwan, where they’ve received world-class education in various disciplines, including engineering, business, and medicine. In turn, she said, these graduates are now contributing to the development of Eswatini. The deputy prime minister stated that Taiwan has also strengthened Eswatini’s industrial and technological sectors, with collaborations and partnerships that create new opportunities for employment and innovation, and that Taiwan’s technical and medical assistance has strengthened Eswatini’s healthcare systems and uplifted the expertise of its professionals. Deputy Prime Minister Dladla also congratulated President Lai once again on his presidency, which she stated will lead Taiwan to new heights, adding that His Majesty coming to Taiwan personally for the inauguration was a resounding declaration of Eswatini’s enduring support for Taiwan’s sovereignty, stability, and rightful place on the world stage. She emphasized that Eswatini stands with Taiwan always and unwaveringly. In conclusion, the deputy prime minister stated that Eswatini fully agrees with Taiwan that we must all safeguard our national sovereignty and protect the lives and property of our people. She said that our common enemy will always be poverty and natural disasters, but against all odds, we will stand united, and we shall remain united and be one. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Eswatini Ambassador Promise Sithembiso Msibi.
Details 2025-02-11 Presidential Office thanks US and Japan for joint leaders’ statement On February 7 (US EST), President Donald Trump of the United States and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru of Japan issued a joint leaders’ statement reiterating “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community.” In the statement, the two leaders also “encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion” and “expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.” Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on February 8 expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the Presidential Office to the leaders of both countries for taking concrete action to demonstrate their firm support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for Taiwan’s international participation. Spokesperson Kuo pointed out that there is already a strong international consensus on the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The spokesperson emphasized that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, is capable and willing to work together with the international community and will continue strengthening its self-defense capabilities as it deepens its trilateral security partnership with the US and Japan and works alongside like-minded countries to uphold the rules-based international order. The spokesperson said that Taiwan will work toward ensuring a free and open Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region, as well as global peace, stability, and prosperity, as it continues to act as a force for good in the world.
Details 2025-02-11 President Lai’s response to Pope Francis’s 2025 World Day of Peace message President Lai Ching-te recently sent a letter to Pope Francis of the Catholic Church in response to his message marking the 58th World Day of Peace. The following is the full text of the president’s letter to the pope: Your Holiness, In your message for the 2025 World Day of Peace entitled Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace, you called for a cultural change that would bring an end to the governance of interpersonal and international relations by a logic of exploitation and oppression and herald true and lasting peace. I wholeheartedly admire and identify with your point of view. Since transitioning from a medical career to politics, I have remained true to my original intentions in the sense that, while a doctor can help only one person at a time, a public servant can simultaneously assist many people in resolving the difficulties affecting their lives. In my inaugural address in May 2024, I pledged that every day of my term, I would strive to act justly, show mercy, and be humble, which accord with the teachings of the Bible. I promised to treat the Taiwanese people as family and prove myself worthy of their trust and expectations. With an unwavering heart, I have accepted the people’s trust and taken on the solemn responsibility of leading the nation forward and building a democratic, peaceful, and prosperous new Taiwan. In this new year, the changing international landscape continues to present many grave challenges to democratic nations around the world. As the Russia-Ukraine war persists, the steady convergence of authoritarian regimes, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, threatens the rules-based international order and severely impacts peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and the world at large. Your Holiness has stated that war is a defeat for everyone. I, too, firmly believe that peace is priceless and that war has no winners. A high level of consensus has formed in the international community on upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese people also maintain an unyielding commitment to safeguarding a way of life that encompasses freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights. Taiwan will continue to spare no effort in preserving regional peace and stability and serving as a pilot for global peace. In your World Day of Peace message, you urged prosperous countries to assist poorer ones. This compassion is truly touching. Taiwan is proactively implementing values-based diplomacy and, under the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, enhancing allies’ development through a range of initiatives. Over many years, Taiwan has accumulated abundant and unique experience of providing foreign assistance. Seeking to foster self-reliance among disadvantaged countries, we have extended genuine support to help alleviate poverty through such avenues as strengthening basic infrastructure, transferring technology, and cultivating talent. In your message, you reminded countries worldwide that assistance should not be merely an isolated act of charity and pointed to the need to devise a new global financial framework so that food crises, climate change, and other challenges could be jointly addressed. I hold this view in high regard. I therefore earnestly hope that international organizations will stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons. Taiwan is willing to shoulder its international responsibilities so that it can contribute and share its valuable experience through many global platforms. On behalf of the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I again express our interest in collaborating with the Holy See to advance world peace through concrete action. We also aspire to demonstrate Taiwanese values and the Taiwanese spirit and work together with the Holy See to uphold the core values of justice, democracy, freedom, and peace. Please accept, Your Holiness, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration, as well as my best wishes for your good health and the continued growth of the Catholic Church.
Details 2025-02-11 President Lai meets former US Vice President Mike Pence On the afternoon of January 17, President Lai Ching-te met with former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence. In remarks, President Lai thanked former Vice President Pence for his contributions to the deepening of Taiwan-US relations, noting that he actively helped to strengthen Taiwan-US cooperation and facilitate the normalization of military sales to Taiwan, and did his utmost to deepen the Taiwan-US economic partnership. The president indicated that former Vice President Pence also spoke up for Taiwan on numerous occasions at international venues, backing Taiwan’s international participation. President Lai expressed hope for a stronger Taiwan-US partnership to maintain peace and stability throughout the world, and that the two sides can advance bilateral exchanges in such areas as the economy, trade, and industry. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to welcome former Vice President Pence and Mrs. Karen Pence to the Presidential Office. Former Vice President Pence is not only an outstanding political leader in the US, but also a staunch supporter of Taiwan on the international stage. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest gratitude to former Vice President Pence for his contributions to the deepening of Taiwan-US relations. Thanks to former Vice President Pence’s strong backing, ties between Taiwan and the US rose to unprecedented heights during President Donald Trump’s first administration. Former Vice President Pence actively helped to strengthen Taiwan-US security cooperation and facilitate the normalization of military sales to Taiwan, helping Taiwan reinforce its self-defense capabilities. He also did his utmost to deepen the Taiwan-US economic partnership. Former Vice President Pence also paid close attention to the military threats and diplomatic isolation faced by Taiwan. He spoke up for Taiwan on numerous occasions at international venues, taking concrete action to back Taiwan’s international participation. We were truly grateful for this. As we speak, China’s political and military intimidation against Taiwan persist. China and other authoritarian regimes, such as Russia, North Korea, and Iran, are continuing to converge and present serious challenges to democracies around the globe. At this moment, free and democratic nations must come together to bolster cooperation. I believe that a stronger Taiwan-US partnership can be an even more powerful force in maintaining peace and stability throughout the world. Former Vice President Pence has previously supported the signing of a trade agreement between Taiwan and the US. Taiwan looks forward to continuing to work with the new US administration and Congress to advance bilateral exchanges in such areas as the economy, trade, and industry. This is the first time that former Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence are visiting Taiwan, and their visit is significantly meaningful for Taiwan-US exchanges. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to extend a warm welcome. Moving forward, I hope we will jointly realize even more fruitful achievements through Taiwan-US cooperation. Former Vice President Pence then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for his hospitality on his and his wife’s first visit to Taiwan, saying that it is an honor to be here to reaffirm the bonds of friendship between the people of America and the people of Taiwan, which are strong and longstanding. The former vice president indicated that the American people admire the people of Taiwan and all that has been accomplished in a few short decades for Taiwan to rise to one of the world’s preeminent economic powers and free societies. He said that he is grateful for President Lai’s courageous and bold leadership of Taiwan, and grateful to be able to express the support of the overwhelming majority of the American people for this alliance. Former Vice President Pence indicated that the values shared by Taiwan and the US, including freedom, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, bind us together in a partnership that transcends geographic boundaries and cultures. He then assured President Lai that China’s increasingly aggressive posture in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific, for the values and interests that both sides share, is deeply concerning to the American people. Former Vice President Pence stated that America is a Pacific nation, and is committed to the status quo, adding that they recognize it is China that wants to change the status quo that America, Taiwan, and other allies in the region want to preserve, which has created an environment of extraordinary growth and prosperity. The former vice president concluded by once again thanking President Lai and his team for their gracious hospitality and conveying best wishes to him and the people of Taiwan. Former Vice President Pence then assured President Lai that just as Taiwan will never surrender its freedom, he will continue to be a voice for a strong US-Taiwan relationship in the defense and the benefit of Taiwan, the US, and the free world. Later that day, Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao hosted a banquet for former Vice President Pence and his delegation at Taipei Guest House to thank him for his longstanding friendship and staunch support for Taiwan-US ties.
Details 2025-02-11 President Lai meets delegation to 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of US president and vice president On the morning of January 16, President Lai Ching-te met with Taiwan’s delegation to the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the United States. In remarks, President Lai stated that democratic Taiwan stands united, working hard to deepen Taiwan-US ties together. He then entrusted the delegation with three missions: to convey best wishes from the people of Taiwan, convey our firm commitment to democracy, and help Taiwan-US relations reach a new milestone. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: The 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the US will be held on January 20. I want to thank Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), president of the Legislative Yuan, for accepting my invitation to lead our nation’s representative delegation to the event. I also thank Legislative Yuan Members Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), Ko Ju-chun (葛如鈞), Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀), Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), Kuo Yu-ching (郭昱晴), and Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) for joining this visit to the US to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. We have gathered together today despite differences in party affiliation because in democratic Taiwan, while parties may compete domestically, when it comes to engagement externally, they stand united and share responsibility, working hard to deepen Taiwan-US ties and strive for the best interests of the nation. We share the value of defending freedom and democracy, and we share the goal of advancing peace and prosperity. Today, we engage with the world together as those from the same country – the Republic of China (Taiwan). In this complex and volatile new international landscape, and as the nation faces difficulties and challenges, I want to stress that in Formosa, there is no hostility that cannot be let go, and no hardship that cannot be overcome. Unity is the most important, and I hope that Taiwan can stand united, because there is true strength in unity. Democratic Taiwan must stand united in engaging with the world and initiate exchanges with confidence. On that ground, I am entrusting this delegation with three key missions. First, convey best wishes from the people of Taiwan. Just last year, Taiwan and the US celebrated the 45th anniversary of the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act. And on May 20, the US sent a senior bipartisan delegation to congratulate me and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao on our inauguration. As the leader of this cross-party delegation, Speaker Han must clearly convey the well-wishes of the people of Taiwan, congratulate President Trump and Vice President Vance on their inauguration, and wish success to the new administration and prosperity to the US. Second, clearly convey the firm commitment of the people of Taiwan to democracy. The theme of these inaugural ceremonies is “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise.” Taiwan and the US share the universal value of democracy and are staunch allies. I hope that the delegation can faithfully convey the firm commitment to democracy that the people of Taiwan have, which will not change even in the face of authoritarian threats. Taiwan is willing to stand side by side with the US and other members of the democratic community to defend the sustainable development of global democracy and prevent the expansion of authoritarianism. Third, help Taiwan-US relations reach a new milestone. In recent years, Taiwan-US relations have continued to grow, with the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st Century Trade having formally taken effect last month. This morning, the House of Representatives also passed the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act. I hope that the delegation can help Taiwan-US relations reach a new milestone through these exchanges so that our relations continue to grow, our cooperation expands even more, and so that we can achieve even greater success after the new administration takes office. Four years ago, Taiwan’s representative to the US inaugural ceremonies was Vice President Hsiao, who was then our representative to the US. Everyone has a lot to learn from her. I have specially invited everyone here to converse so that you can draw from Vice President Hsiao’s experience and ensure an even smoother visit. Washington, DC was also hit by a rare blizzard recently, and the weather has been very cold, so make sure to stay warm. I am sending everyone off with hand warmers and thermoses so that you can bring some warmth from Taiwan with you on your journey. And I ask that Speaker Han exercise his wisdom to help generate some warmth between the ruling and opposition parties through cooperation, which they can then bring back to Taiwan. Let us unite to give our all for diplomacy so that we can unite to give our all for Taiwan. I wish the delegation a smooth and safe trip, and hope your missions can be carried out successfully. Speaker Han then delivered remarks, stating that it was an honor to be invited by President Lai to organize a delegation to represent our nation at the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and Vice President of the US in Washington, DC, and express the Republic of China’s sincere and cordial best wishes. The Legislative Yuan’s president has assumed this important task numerous times in the past, he said, not only to represent the government of the Republic of China, but also to take on the mission of conveying the voices of 23 million people. He went on to say that he is honored to take up the baton, lead eight legislators to the US to attend this celebration that will attract global attention, and express sincere best wishes to newly elected President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the new administration’s team. As enjoined by President Lai, he hopes the delegation’s trip will help open a new chapter in Taiwan-US exchanges. Speaker Han stated that the US is the most free and democratic country in the world. He noted that in 1776 in the US Declaration of Independence, founding father Thomas Jefferson propounded the concept of “unalienable rights,” and emphasized that the people have a right to freedom and the pursuit of happiness, democratic ideas that have long been rooted in the people’s hearts. Today, he said, democracy is also embedded in the DNA of Taiwan’s 23 million people, and this hard-won democratic achievement is a result of the concerted efforts of our pioneering predecessors, thinkers, and activists over the past 100 years. Speaker Han stated that during this visit, the Legislative Yuan delegation hopes to convey the voice of Taiwan as a democratic country. Taiwan’s security, he said, is like the four legs of a table: The first leg is defending the Republic of China, the second is defending freedom and democracy, the third is maintaining Taiwan-US relations, and the fourth is maintaining cross-strait peace. The delegation will travel to the US amidst severe cold weather to show that we value our relationship with the US, and our citizens have great hopes and expectations. Speaker Han stated that this will be a cross-party delegation of eight legislators, all of whom have a strong sense of mission. He hopes that all democratic nations will acknowledge Taiwan’s importance, and pay attention to Taiwan’s 23 million people. The delegation, he said, will do its utmost to convey the goodwill and warmth that the people of Taiwan give to each and every one of our good friends.
Details 2025-02-14 President Lai holds press conference following high-level national security meeting On the morning of February 14, President Lai Ching-te convened the first high-level national security meeting of the year, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai announced that in this new year, the government will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that Taiwan’s defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. He stated that the government will also continue to reform national defense, reform our legal framework for national security, and advance our economic and trade strategy of being rooted in Taiwan while expanding globally. The president also proposed clear-cut national strategies for Taiwan-US relations, semiconductor industry development, and cross-strait relations. President Lai indicated that he instructed the national security and administrative teams to take swift action and deliver results, working within a stable strategic framework and according to the various policies and approaches outlined. He also instructed them to keep a close watch on changes in the international situation, seize opportunities whenever they arise, and address the concerns and hope of the citizens with concrete actions. He expressed hope that as long as citizens remain steadfast in their convictions, are willing to work hand in hand, stand firm amidst uncertainty, and look for ways to win within changing circumstances, Taiwan is certain to prevail in the test of time yet again. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to convey my condolences for the tragic incident which occurred at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung, which resulted in numerous casualties. I have instructed Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) to lead the relevant central government agencies in assisting Taichung’s municipal government with actively resolving various issues regarding the incident. It is my hope that these issues can be resolved efficiently. Earlier today, I convened this year’s first high-level national security meeting. I will now report on the discussions from the meeting to all citizens. 2025 is a year full of challenges, but also a year full of hope. In today’s global landscape, the democratic world faces common threats posed by the convergence of authoritarian regimes, while dumping and unfair competition from China undermine the global economic order. A new United States administration was formed at the beginning of the year, adopting all-new strategies and policies to address challenges both domestic and from overseas. Every nation worldwide, including ours, is facing a new phase of changes and challenges. In face of such changes, ensuring national security, ensuring Taiwan’s indispensability in global supply chains, and ensuring that our nation continues to make progress amidst challenges are our top priorities this year. They are also why we convened a high-level national security meeting today. At the meeting, the national security team, the administrative team led by Premier Cho, and I held an in-depth discussion based on the overall state of affairs at home and abroad and the strategies the teams had prepared in response. We summed up the following points as an overall strategy for the next stage of advancing national security and development. First, for overall national security, so that we can ensure the freedom, democracy, and human rights of the Taiwanese people, as well as the progress and development of the nation as we face various threats from authoritarian regimes, Taiwan must resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen self-sufficiency in national defense, and consolidate national defense. Taiwan must enhance economic resilience, maintain economic autonomy, and stand firm with other democracies as we deepen our strategic partnerships with like-minded countries. As I have said, “As authoritarianism consolidates, democratic nations must come closer in solidarity!” And so, in this new year, we will focus on the following three priorities: First, to demonstrate our resolve for national defense, we will continue to reform national defense, implement whole-of-society defense resilience, and prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. Second, to counter the threats to our national security from China’s united front tactics, attempts at infiltration, and cognitive warfare, we will continue with the reform of our legal framework for national security and expand the national security framework to boost societal resilience and foster unity within. Third, to seize opportunities in the restructuring of global supply chains and realignment of the economic order, we will continue advancing our economic and trade strategy of being rooted in Taiwan while expanding globally, strengthening protections for high-tech, and collaborating with our friends and allies to build supply chains for global democracies. Everyone shares concern regarding Taiwan-US relations, semiconductor industry development, and cross-strait relations. For these issues, I am proposing clear-cut national strategies. First, I will touch on Taiwan-US relations. Taiwan and the US have shared ideals and values, and are staunch partners within the democratic, free community. We are very grateful to President Donald Trump’s administration for their continued support for Taiwan after taking office. We are especially grateful for the US and Japan’s joint leaders’ statement reiterating “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community,” as well as their high level of concern regarding China’s threat to regional security. In fact, the Democratic Progressive Party government has worked very closely with President Trump ever since his first term in office, and has remained an international partner. The procurement of numerous key advanced arms, freedom of navigation critical for security and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and many assisted breakthroughs in international diplomacy were made possible during this time. Positioned in the first island chain and on the democratic world’s frontline countering authoritarianism, Taiwan is willing and will continue to work with the US at all levels as we pursue regional stability and prosperity, helping realize our vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Although changes in policy may occur these next few years, the mutual trust and close cooperation between Taiwan and Washington will steadfastly endure. On that, our citizens can rest assured. In accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, the US announced a total of 48 military sales to Taiwan over the past eight years amounting to US$26.265 billion. During President Trump’s first term, 22 sales were announced totaling US$18.763 billion. This greatly supported Taiwan’s defensive capabilities. On the foundation of our close cooperation with the past eight years’ two US administrations, Taiwan will continue to demonstrate our determination for self-defense, accelerate the bolstering of our national defense, and keep enhancing the depth and breadth of Taiwan-US security cooperation, along with all manner of institutional cooperation. In terms of bilateral economic cooperation, Taiwan has always been one of the US’s most reliable trade partners, as well as one of the most important cooperative partners of US companies in the global semiconductor industry. In the past few years, Taiwan has greatly increased both direct and indirect investment in the US. By 2024, investment surpassed US$100 billion, creating nearly 400,000 job opportunities. In 2023 and 2024, investment in the US accounted for over 40 percent of Taiwan’s overall foreign investment, far surpassing our investment in China. In fact, in 2023 and 2024, Taiwanese investment in China fell to 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively. The US is now Taiwan’s biggest investment target. Our government is now launching relevant plans in accordance with national development needs and the need to establish secure supply systems, and the Executive Yuan is taking comprehensive inventory of opportunities for Taiwan-US economic and trade cooperation. Moving forward, close bilateral cooperation will allow us to expand US investment and procurement, facilitating balanced trade. Our government will also strengthen guidance and support for Taiwanese enterprises on increasing US investment, and promote the global expansion and growth of Taiwan’s industries. We will also boost Taiwan-US cooperation in tech development and manufacturing for AI and advanced semiconductors, and work together to maintain order in the semiconductor market, shaping a new era for our strategic economic partnership. Second, the development of our semiconductor industry. I want to emphasize that Taiwan, as one of the world’s most capable semiconductor manufacturing nations, is both willing and able to address new situations. With respect to President Trump’s concerns about our semiconductor industry, the government will act prudently, strengthen communications between Taiwan and the US, and promote greater mutual understanding. We will pay attention to the challenges arising from the situation and assist businesses in navigating them. In addition, we will introduce an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies. We are willing to collaborate with the US and our other democratic partners to develop more resilient and diversified semiconductor supply chains. Leveraging our strengths in cutting-edge semiconductors, we will form a global alliance for the AI chip industry and establish democratic supply chains for industries connected to high-end chips. Through international cooperation, we will open up an entirely new era of growth in the semiconductor industry. As we face the various new policies of the Trump administration, we will continue to uphold a spirit of mutual benefit, and we will continue to communicate and negotiate closely with the US government. This will help the new administration’s team to better understand how Taiwan is an indispensable partner in the process of rebuilding American manufacturing and consolidating its leadership in high-tech, and that Taiwan-US cooperation will benefit us both. Third, cross-strait relations. Regarding the regional and cross-strait situation, Taiwan-US relations, US-China relations, and interactions among Taiwan, the US, and China are a focus of global attention. As a member of the international democratic community and a responsible member of the region, Taiwan hopes to see Taiwan-US relations continue to strengthen and, alongside US-China relations, form a virtuous cycle rather than a zero-sum game where one side’s gain is another side’s loss. In facing China, Taiwan will always be a responsible actor. We will neither yield nor provoke. We will remain resilient and composed, maintaining our consistent position on cross-strait relations: Our determination to safeguard our national sovereignty and protect our free and democratic way of life remains unchanged. Our efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as well as our willingness to work alongside China in the pursuit of peace and mutual prosperity across the strait, remain unchanged. Our commitment to promoting healthy and orderly exchanges across the strait, choosing dialogue over confrontation, and advancing well-being for the peoples on both sides of the strait, under the principles of parity and dignity, remains unchanged. Regarding the matters I reported to the public today, I have instructed our national security and administrative teams to take swift action and deliver results, working within a stable strategic framework and according to the various policies and approaches I just outlined. I have also instructed them to keep a close watch on changes in the international situation, seize opportunities whenever they arise, and address the concerns and hope of the citizens with concrete actions. My fellow citizens, over the past several years, Taiwan has weathered a global pandemic and faced global challenges, both political and economic, arising from the US-China trade war and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Through it all, Taiwan has persevered; we have continued to develop our economy, bolster our national strength, and raise our international profile while garnering more support – all unprecedented achievements. This is all because Taiwan’s fate has never been decided by the external environment, but by the unity of the Taiwanese people and the resolve to never give up. A one-of-a-kind global situation is creating new strategic opportunities for our one-of-a-kind Taiwanese people, bringing new hope. Taiwan’s foundation is solid; its strength is great. So as long as everyone remains steadfast in their convictions, is willing to work hand in hand, stands firm amidst uncertainty, and looks for ways to win within changing circumstances, Taiwan is certain to prevail in the test of our time yet again, for I am confident that there are no difficulties that Taiwan cannot overcome. Thank you.
An EP survey of EU citizens aged 16-30 shows social media is their main information source, and that the majority are also aware of the risks of online disinformation.
Rising prices and the cost of living are a concern for 40% of the 16-30 year-olds who took part in the latest Eurobarometer Youth Survey published on Monday. One third of respondents said they believed the EU should focus its attention on the environment and climate change over the next five years, while 31% believe the economic situation and job creation should be a priority.
Almost three in ten (29%) want the EU to prioritise social protection, welfare and access to healthcare. More than one in five respondents highlighted education and training (27%), housing (23%) and the EU’s defence and security (21%) as important priorities for the EU. European defence is of particular concern for young people in Czechia (36%), Poland (33%), and Estonia (32%).
Roberta Metsola said: “Listening to young Europeans and their concerns is vital for politicians, policy-makers and European democracy. Young people today are worried about rising prices, climate change, security and their chances of finding a good job. These are concerns that we must address in every decision we take and every law that we pass. Otherwise, we risk losing a generation to disillusionment.”
Social media outrun TV as main source of information
Social media is the top source of information on political and social issues for 42% of respondents aged 16-30, with television being the second most-popular source (39%). The preference for TV is particularly noticeable among those aged 25-30. This age bracket is also more likely to use online news platforms and radio than 16-18 year-olds. Younger participants (16-18) rely more on social media (45%) than 25-30 year-olds (39%), and trust friends, family or colleagues for information (29% compared to 23%).
“The information landscape is rapidly changing. With most young people predominantly getting their news from social media, politicians and social media platforms have a particular responsibility to fight increasing disinformation,” President Metsola added.
TV also remains the leading source of information for young people in Portugal (53%), Italy (52%), Slovenia (45%), and France (43%). Online press and/or news platforms and radio are sources of information for 26% of the younger participants and 16% of their older counterparts. In the 2021 edition of the survey, the main sources of news were social media and news websites (each of which was mentioned by 41% of respondents).
Instagram and TikTok are the most used social media for news
Instagram is the top platform for obtaining political and social news among young people (47%), followed by TikTok (39%). X (formerly Twitter) is only used by 21% of young people, the survey shows.
Young people are aware of their exposure to disinformation
A significant majority (76%) of young people believed they had previously been exposed to disinformation and fake news.
In nine EU countries, more than half of respondents report having been exposed to disinformation ‘often’ or ‘very often’, with the highest proportions from Malta (59%), Hungary (58%), Greece (57%), Luxembourg (55%), and Belgium (54%). By contrast, the share of those who believe they have never been exposed to disinformation and fake news is the highest in Romania (19%) followed by Bulgaria (11%).
70% of the participants in the survey were confident they could recognise disinformation. Respondents from Malta and Croatia were the most confident in their ability to recognise disinformation, while those from Austria, Germany and Slovenia felt the least confident.
Background
The Eurobarometer Youth Survey was carried out by Ipsos between 25 September and 3 October 2024 in all 27 EU member states. A total of 25,863 young people aged 16-30 were surveyed via Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) using online panels. The results were weighted according to the proportion of this age group within each EU country.
Insights from the Eurobarometer Youth Survey provide a detailed understanding of the political participation of young Europeans and their needs and concerns. These findings will help ensure that Parliament’s flagship youth event,EYE2025, addresses topics that matter most to the EU’s young generation.
Registration for EYE2025 is open until 21 February. From 13-14 June 2025, the EYE will bring together thousands of young people from across the EU and beyond to debate, exchange views, and contribute to shaping Europe’s future in Parliament’s Strasbourg premises.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The funding is the latest step in the Plan for Change to deliver economic growth across the country
£15 million confirmed for Wales cultural projects in the latest step to deliver economic growth across the country.
Growth in jobs, tourism and regional regeneration to be ushered in by funding for major cultural projects in Wales
Welsh projects part of several across UK set to receive millions in funding to help kickstart decade of national renewal
Funding is the latest step in the Plan for Change to deliver economic growth across the country
Regional growth regeneration will get a much-needed boost as two major culture projects across Wales will receive £15 million funding to help boost growth and spark regional regeneration, the government confirmed today (17 February).
Funding will be ‘critical’ in showcasing the UK as a world-leader in culture and bring in visitors from across the globe.
Just as importantly this will help drive growth in all parts of the country – a key element of the government’s Plan for Change – by creating jobs and in some cases building new homes.
Projects in Wales receiving funding include:
£10 million for Venue Cymru in Conwy, Wales, will upgrade the largest Welsh arts centre outside Cardiff and deliver a step-change in the use of the building, including the relocation of the existing library and Tourist Information Centre to create a modern and innovative cultural hub.
£5 million for Newport Transporter Bridge, Wales, that will fund vital repair and maintenance works to Newport Transporter Bridge, which plays a crucial role in the tourism economy as a visitor attraction in South Wales.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:
Every corner of the UK has something unique to offer, and our rich creative capital must not be underestimated.
Our Plan for Change promises growth for every region and I’ve seen first-hand how these projects are igniting growth in their communities.
Through investing in these critical cultural projects we can empower both local leaders and people to really tap into their potential and celebrate everything their home town has to offer. This means more tourism, more growth and more money in people’s pockets.”
Alex Norris, Minster for Local Growth said:
The benefits of these fantastic projects go far beyond community and county borders, they are key to unlocking a regional and nationwide celebration of UK culture and creativity as well as driving growth and regeneration.
This investment marks a huge step forward in our decade of national renewal as committed to in our Plan for Change – creating jobs and boosting tourism and regeneration in our regions is the type of long-term, sustainable growth the government is prioritising to ultimately put more money in people’s pockets.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
Venue Cymru and the Newport Transporter Bridge are iconic landmarks in their local communities, and I am delighted that this UK Government funding will be used to boost Wales’ already world-leading tourism and culture sectors.
Our investment in these two fantastic projects is an example of how our Plan for Change will lead to a decade of national renewal for people the length and breadth of Wales. This is a UK Government that is delivering regeneration and economic growth for every community.”
These projects will celebrate and raise awareness of the unique social value and cultural history of Wales while also supporting crucial economic growth through creating local jobs and attracting tourism on a national scale.
Projects that are most advanced and will see benefits spread beyond regional borders and attract investment have been prioritised to maximise public spending and deliver long-term growth.
A report on Coventry City Council’s budget plans for April 2025 to March 2026 will recommend that fewer savings are needed than first feared.
Councillors will hear that the Local Authority has received a better than expected funding package from the government and that, coupled with the Council’s rigorous and careful approach to its financial planning, means not all of the cutbacks consulted on will be needed.
There will also be £2.2m of one-off investment to boost services covering highways, street cleansing, community safety and community events.
However, financial challenges are still there as the Council tries to deal with the impact of chronic historical underfunding.
Cllr Richard Brown, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said: “I have always said that we should hope for the best but prepare for the worst and the settlement from the government is better than expected.
“We have always been very careful with our financial management, and ongoing work has put us in a better financial position than many other local councils. It means that many of the savings identified won’t be needed, which I’m really pleased about.
“We’ve listened to the consultation feedback from the public and stakeholders and have identified areas that we are recommending should not now be included in the budget setting process.
“At the same time, looking at the years ahead, the same challenges are still here. A combination of higher demand on services, inflation, and historical underfunding leaves us still well below the national average of government funding compared to other councils.”
Savings proposals that are no longer needed include:
Voluntary Sector Review in adult social care
Reductions in funding of street cleaning
Plans to increase War Memorial Car Park charges
Changes to The Council Tax Support Scheme
Reductions in funding to parks and open spaces
Despite the improved financial position, the Council will still be forced to announce an increase in Council Tax.
Cllr Brown added: “We still have to increase Council Tax to achieve a balanced budget, and this is an expectation that the government places on all local authorities. In future years I hope that reforms to the Council Tax system can be introduced that reduce the burden on local residents.
“The additional money we are receiving is welcome and it is good to know that the new government is listening to what we have been saying and the lobbying we have been doing on a fairer funding deal for local authorities for the last two years is being heard.
“That work will continue because if the city received the national average, then we’d have an additional £17m for our services for the residents in the city and we would be talking about investment in services rather than savings.
“We are not asking for special treatment but just that funding more accurately reflects the levels of need, demand and deprivation the city has overall.”
The Council is already investing £10m in new, LED streetlights that more efficient than the lights they will replace. It means that eventually lights will be kept on overnight through the savings made.
The Council is also proposing setting aside more than £2m in additional one-off funding to improve services. It includes £700,000 extra for road and pavement defects and £500,000 for tackling fly-tipping – two of the issues highlighted by residents during the recent consultation.
The Council report will be considered at its full Council meeting by all Council members on Tuesday 25 February before a final decision is made.
Financial pressures facing the Council include:
Approximately 83 per cent of the Council’s net budget is spent on three areas – homelessness, adult social care and children’s social care – up from just over 50 per cent in 2010. It leaves less than 17 per cent to pay for hundreds of other services the Council delivers every year.
This year the Council is already having to make £30m savings, on top of savings in previous years.
In the past 14 years there have been significant reductions in staff employed by the Council from 10,000 to 5,000, yet the city’s population has grown by 18 per cent in that time.
Over the past 14 years, Coventry’s core spending power has fallen in real terms by £1.6bn. That’s more than £100m (one average) every year.
In real terms, Coventry’s core spending power has fallen on average by over £100m every year or, in other words, we have £653 less to spend on every Coventry household.
Coventry’s spending power is also one of the lowest funding per head at £46 less per head compared to other councils nationally. The equivalent of £17m of a year.
A spontaneous memorial of flowers in St Petersburg, Russia, on the day of Alexei Navalny’s death, February 16 2024.Aleksey Dushutin/Shutterstock
This is the best day of the past five months for me … This is my home … I am not afraid of anything and I urge you not to be afraid of anything either.
These were Alexei Navalny’s words after landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on January 17 2021. Russia’s leading opposition figure had spent the past months recovering in Germany from an attempt on his life by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Minutes after making his comments, Navalny was detained at border control. And he would remain behind bars until his death on February 16 2024, in the remote “Polar Wolf” penal colony within the Arctic Circle.
“Why did he return to Russia?” That’s the question I’m asked about Navalny most frequently. Wasn’t it a mistake to return to certain imprisonment, when he could have maintained his opposition to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, from abroad?
But Navalny’s decision to return didn’t surprise me. I’ve researched and written about him extensively, including co-authoring Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future?, the first English-language, book-length account of his life and political activities. Defying the Kremlin by returning was a signature move, reflecting both his obstinacy and bravery. He wanted to make sure his supporters and activists in Russia did not feel abandoned, risking their lives while he lived a cushy life in exile.
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Besides, Navalny wasn’t returning to certain imprisonment. A close ally of his, Vladimir Ashurkov, told me in May 2022 that his “incarceration in Russia was not a certainty. It was a probability, a scenario – but it wasn’t like he was walking into a certain long-term prison term.”
Also, Navalny hadn’t chosen to leave Russia in the first place. He was unconscious when taken by plane from Omsk to Berlin for treatment following his poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok in August 2020. Navalny had been consistent in saying he was a Russian politician who needed to remain in Russia to be effective.
In a subsequent interview, conducted in a forest on the outskirts of the German capital as he slowly recovered, Navalny said: “In people’s minds, if you leave the country, that means you’ve surrendered.”
Video: ACF.
Outrage, detention and death
Two days after Navalny’s final return to Russia, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF) – the organisation he established in 2011 – published its biggest ever investigation. The YouTube video exploring “Putin’s palace” on the Black Sea coast achieved an extraordinary 100 million views within ten days. By the start of February 2021, polling suggested it had been watched by more than a quarter of all adults in Russia.
Outrage at Navalny’s detention, combined with this Putin investigation, got people on to the streets. On January 23 2021, 160,000 people turned out across Russia in events that did not have prior approval from the authorities. More than 40% of the participants said they were taking part in a protest for the first time.
But the Russian authorities were determined to also make it their last time. Law enforcement mounted an awesome display of strength, detaining protesters and sometimes beating them. The number of participants at protests on January 31 and February 2 declined sharply as a result.
Between Navalny’s return to Russia in January 2021 and his death in February 2024, aged 47, he faced criminal case after criminal case, adding years and years to his time in prison and increasing the severity of his detention. By the time of his death, he was in the harshest type of prison in the Russian penitentiary system – a “special regime” colony – and was frequently sent to a punishment cell.
The obvious intent was to demoralise Navalny, his team and supporters – making an example of him to spread fear among anyone else who might consider mounting a challenge to the Kremlin. But Navalny fought back, as described in his posthumously published memoir, Patriot. He made legal challenges against his jailers. He went on hunger strike. And he formed a union for his fellow prisoners.
He also used his court appearances to make clear his political views, including following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, declaring: “I am against this war. I consider it immoral, fratricidal, and criminal.”
Navalny’s final public appearance was via video link. He was in good spirits, with his trademark optimism and humour still on display. Tongue firmly in cheek, he asked the judge for financial help:
Your Honour, I will send you my personal account number so that you can use your huge salary as a federal judge to ‘warm up’ my personal account, because I am running out of money.
Navalny died the following day. According to the prison authorities, he collapsed after a short walk and lost consciousness. Although the Russian authorities claimed he had died of natural causes, documents published in September 2024 by The Insider – a Russia-focused, Latvia-based independent investigative website – suggest Navalny may have been poisoned.
A mourner adds her tribute to Alexei Navalny’s grave in Moscow after his burial on March 1 2024. Aleksey Dushutin/Shutterstock
Whether or not Putin directly ordered his death, Russia’s president bears responsibility – for leading a system that tried to assassinate Navalny in August 2020, and for allowing his imprisonment following Navalny’s return to Russia in conditions designed to crush him.
Commenting in March 2024, Putin stated that, just days before Navalny’s death, he had agreed for his most vocal opponent to be included in a prisoner swap – on condition the opposition figure never returned to Russia. “But, unfortunately,” Putin added, “what happened, happened.”
‘No one will forget’
Putin is afraid of Alexei, even after he killed him.
Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife, wrote these words on January 10 2025 after reading a curious letter. His mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, had written to Rosfinmonitoring – a Russian state body – with a request for her son’s name to be removed from their list of “extremists and terrorists” now he was no longer alive.
The official response was straight from Kafka. Navalny’s name could not be removed as it had been added following the initiation of a criminal case against him. Even though he was dead, Rosfinmonitoring had not been informed about a termination of the case “in accordance with the procedure established by law”, so his name would have to remain.
This appears to be yet another instance of the Russian state exercising cruelty behind the veil of bureaucratic legality – such as when the prison authorities initially refused to release Navalny’s body to his mother after his death.
“Putin is doing this to scare you,” Yulia continued. “He wants you to be afraid to even mention Alexei, and gradually to forget his name. But no one will forget.”
Alexei Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, at a protest rally in Moscow, May 2012. Dmitry Laudin/Shutterstock
Today, Navalny’s family and team continue his work outside of Russia – and are fighting to keep his name alive back home. But the odds are against them. Polling suggests the share of Russians who say they know nothing about Navalny or his activities roughly doubled to 30% between his return in January 2021 and his death three years later.
Navalny fought against an autocratic system – and paid the price with his life. Given the very real fears Russians may have of voicing support for a man still labelled an extremist by the Putin regime, it’s not easy to assess what people there really think of him and his legacy. But we will also never know how popular Navalny would have been in the “normal” political system he fought for.
What made Navalny the force he was?
Navalny didn’t mean for the humble yellow rubber duck to become such a potent symbol of resistance.
In March 2017, the ACF published its latest investigation into elite corruption, this time focusing on then-prime minister (and former president), Dmitry Medvedev. Navalny’s team members had become masters of producing slick videos that enabled their message to reach a broad audience. A week after posting, the film had racked up over 7 million views on YouTube – an extraordinary number at that time.
The film included shocking details of Medvedev’s alleged avarice, including yachts and luxury properties. In the centre of a large pond in one of these properties was a duck house, footage of which was captured by the ACF using a drone.
Video: ACF.
Such luxuries jarred with many people’s view of Medvedev as being a bit different to Putin and his cronies. As Navalny wrote in his memoir, Medvedev had previously seemed “harmless and incongruous”. (At the time, Medvedev’s spokeswoman said it was “pointless” to comment on the ACF investigation, suggesting the report was a “propaganda attack from an opposition figure and a convict”.)
But people were angry, and the report triggered mass street protests across Russia. They carried yellow ducks and trainers, a second unintended symbol from the film given Medvedev’s penchant for them.
Another reason why so many people came out to protest on March 26 2017 was the organising work carried out by Navalny’s movement.
The previous December, Navalny had announced his intention to run in the 2018 presidential election. As part of the campaign, he and his team created a network of regional headquarters to bring together supporters and train activists across Russia. Although the authorities had rejected Navalny’s efforts to register an official political party, this regional network functioned in much the same way, gathering like-minded people in support of an electoral candidate. And this infrastructure helped get people out on the streets.
The Kremlin saw this as a clear threat. According to a December 2020 investigation by Bellingcat, CNN, Der Spiegel and The Insider, the FSB assassination squad implicated in the Novichok poisoning of Navalny had started trailing him in January 2017 – one month after he announced his run for the presidency.
At the protests against Medvedev, the authorities’ growing intolerance of Navalny was also on display – he was detained, fined and sentenced to 15 days’ imprisonment.
The Medvedev investigation was far from the beginning of Navalny’s story as a thorn in the Kremlin’s side. But this episode brings together all of the elements that made Navalny the force he was: anti-corruption activism, protest mobilisation, attempts to run as a “normal” politician in a system rigged against him, and savvy use of social media to raise his profile in all of these domains.
Courting controversy
In Patriot, Navalny writes that he always “felt sure a broad coalition was needed to fight Putin”. Yet over the years, his attempts to form that coalition led to some of the most controversial points of his political career.
In a 2007 video, Navalny referred to himself as a “certified nationalist”, advocating for the deportation of illegal immigrants, albeit without using violence and distancing himself from neo-Nazism. In the video, he says: “We have the right to be Russians in Russia, and we’ll defend that right.”
Although alienating some, Navalny was attempting to present a more acceptable face of nationalism, and he hoped to build a bridge between nationalists and liberals in taking on the Kremlin’s burgeoning authoritarianism.
But the prominence of nationalism in Navalny’s political identity varied markedly over time, probably reflecting his shifting estimations of which platform could attract the largest support within Russia. By the time of his thwarted run in the 2018 presidential election, nationalist talking points were all but absent from his rhetoric.
However, some of these former comments and positions continue to influence how people view him. For example, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Navalny tried to take a pragmatic stance. While acknowledging Russia’s flouting of international law, he said that Crimea was “now part of the Russian Federation” and would “never become part of Ukraine in the foreseeable future”.
Many Ukrainians take this as clear evidence that Navalny was a Russian imperialist. Though he later revised his position, saying Crimea should be returned to Ukraine, some saw this as too little, too late. But others were willing to look past the more controversial parts of his biography, recognising that Navalny represented the most effective domestic challenge to Putin.
Another key attempt to build a broad political coalition was Navalny’s Smart Voting initiative. This was a tactical voting project in which Navalny’s team encouraged voters to back the individual thought best-placed to defeat the ruling United Russia candidate, regardless of the challenger’s ideological position.
The project wasn’t met with universal approval. Some opposition figures and voters baulked at, or flatly refused to consider, the idea of voting for people whose ideological positions they found repugnant – or whom they viewed as being “fake” opposition figures, entirely in bed with the authorities. (This makes clear that Navalny was never the leader of the political opposition in Russia; he was, rather, the leading figure of a fractious constellation of individuals and groups.)
But others relished the opportunity to make rigged elections work in their favour. And there is evidence that Smart Voting did sometimes work, including in the September 2020 regional and local elections, for which Navalny had been campaigning when he was poisoned with Novichok.
In an astonishing moment captured on film during his recovery in Germany, Navalny speaks to an alleged member of the FSB squad sent to kill him. Pretending to be the aide to a senior FSB official, Navalny finds out that the nerve agent had been placed in his underpants.
How do Russians feel about Navalny now?
It’s like a member of the family has died.
This is what one Russian friend told me after hearing of Navalny’s death a year ago. Soon afterwards, the Levada Center – an independent Russian polling organisation – conducted a nationally representative survey to gauge the public’s reaction to the news.
The poll found that Navalny’s death was the second-most mentioned event by Russian people that month, after the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka by Russian troops. But when asked how they felt about his death, 69% of respondents said they had “no particular feelings” either way – while only 17% said they felt “sympathy” or “pity”.
And that broadly fits with Navalny’s approval ratings in Russia. After his poisoning in 2020, 20% of Russians said they approved of his activities – but this was down to 11% by February 2024.
Video: BBC.
Of course, these numbers must be taken for what they are: polling in an authoritarian state regarding a figure vilified and imprisoned by the regime, during a time of war and amid draconian restrictions on free speech. To what extent the drop in support for Navalny was real, rather than reflecting the increased fear people had in voicing their approval for an anti-regime figure, is hard to say with certainty.
When asked why they liked Navalny, 31% of those who approved of his activities said he spoke “the truth”, “honestly” or “directly”. For those who did not approve of his activities, 22% said he was “paid by the west”, “represented” the west’s interests, that he was a “foreign agent”, a “traitor” or a “puppet”.
The Kremlin had long tried to discredit Navalny as a western-backed traitor. After Navalny’s 2020 poisoning, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that “experts from the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency are working with him”. The Russian state claimed that, rather than a patriot exposing official malfeasance with a view to strengthening his country, Navalny was a CIA stooge intent on destroying Russia.
Peskov provided no evidence to back up this claim – and the official propaganda wasn’t believed by all. Thousands of Russians defied the authorities by coming out to pay their respects at Navalny’s funeral on March 1 2024. Many, if not all, knew this was a significant risk. Police employed video footage to track down members of the funeral crowd, including by using facial recognition technology.
The first person to be detained was a Muscovite the police claimed they heard shouting “Glory to the heroes!” – a traditional Ukrainian response to the declaration “Glory to Ukraine!”, but this time referencing Navalny. She spent a night in a police station before being fined for “displaying a banned symbol”.
Putin always avoided mentioning Navalny’s name in public while he was alive – instead referring to him as “this gentleman”, “the character you mentioned”, or the “Berlin patient”. (The only recorded instance of Putin using Navalny’s name in public when he was alive was in 2013.)
However, having been re-elected president in 2024 and with Navalny dead, Putin finally broke his long-held practice, saying: “As for Navalny, yes he passed away – this is always a sad event.” It was as if the death of his nemesis diminished the potency of his name – and the challenge that Navalny had long presented to Putin.
Nobody can become another Navalny
Someone else will rise up and take my place. I haven’t done anything unique or difficult. Anyone could do what I’ve done.
So wrote Navalny in the memoir published after his death. But that hasn’t happened: no Navalny 2.0 has yet emerged. And it’s no real surprise. The Kremlin has taken clear steps to ensure nobody can become another Navalny within Russia.
In 2021, the authorities made a clear decision to destroy Navalny’s organisations within Russia, including the ACF and his regional network. Without the organisational infrastructure and legal ability to function in Russia, no figure has been able to take his place directly.
More broadly, the fate of Navalny and his movement has had a chilling effect on the opposition landscape. So too have other steps taken by the authorities.
Russia has become markedly more repressive since the start of its war on Ukraine. The human rights NGO First Department looked into the number of cases relating to “treason”, “espionage” and “confidential cooperation with a foreign state” since Russia introduced the current version of its criminal code in 1997. Of the more than 1,000 cases, 792 – the vast majority – were initiated following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian law enforcement has also used nebulous anti-extremism and anti-terrorism legislation to crack down on dissenting voices. Three of Navalny’s lawyers were sentenced in January 2025 for participating in an “extremist organisation”, as the ACF was designated by a Moscow court in June 2021. The Russian legislature has also passed a barrage of legislation relating to so-called “foreign agents”, to tarnish the work of those the regime regards as foreign-backed “fifth columnists”.
Mass street protests are largely a thing of the past in Russia. Restrictions were placed on public gatherings during the COVID pandemic – but these rules were applied selectively, with opposition individuals and groups being targeted. And opportunities for collective action were further reduced following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Freedom of speech has also come under assault. Article 29, point five of the Russian constitution states: “Censorship shall be prohibited.” But in September 2024, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said: “In the state of war that we are in, restrictions are justified, and censorship is justified.”
Legislation passed very soon after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine made it illegal to comment on the Russian military’s activities truthfully – and even to call the war a war.
YouTube – the platform so central to Navalny’s ability to spread his message – has been targeted. Without banning it outright – perhaps afraid of the public backlash this might cause – the Russian state media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has slowed down internet traffic to the site within Russia. The result has been a move of users to other websites supporting video content, including VKontakte – a Russian social media platform.
In short, conditions in Russia are very different now compared to when Navalny first emerged. The relative freedom of the 2000s and 2010s gave him the space to challenge the corruption and authoritarianism of an evolving system headed by Putin. But this space has shrunk over time, to the point where no room remains for a figure like him within Russia.
In 2019, Navalny told Ivan Zhdanov, who is now director of the ACF: “We changed the regime, but not in the way we wanted.” So, did Navalny and his team push the Kremlin to become more authoritarian – making it not only intolerant of him but also any possible successor?
There may be some truth in this. And yet, the drastic steps taken by the regime following the start of the war on Ukraine suggest there were other, even more significant factors that have laid bare the violent nature of Putin’s personal autocracy – and the president’s disdain for dissenters.
Plenty for Russians to be angry about
How can we win the war when dedushka [grandpa] is a moron?
In June 2023, Evgeny Prigozhin – a long-time associate of Putin and head of the private military Wagner Group – staged an armed rebellion, marching his forces on the Russian capital. This was not a full-blown political movement against Putin. But the target of Prigozhin’s invective against Russia’s military leadership had become increasingly blurry, testing the taboo of direct criticism of the president – who is sometimes referred to, disparagingly, as “grandpa” in Russia.
And Prigozhin paid the price. In August 2023, he was killed when the private jet he was flying in crashed after an explosion on board. Afterwards, Putin referred to Prigozhin as a “talented person” who “made serious mistakes in life”.
In the west, opposition to the Kremlin is often associated with more liberal figures like Navalny. Yet the most consequential domestic challenge to Putin’s rule came from a very different part of the ideological spectrum – a figure in Prigozhin leading a segment of Russian society that wanted the Kremlin to prosecute its war on Ukraine even more aggressively.
Video: BBC.
Today, there is plenty for Russians to be angry about, and Putin knows it. He recently acknowledged an “overheating of the economy”. This has resulted in high inflation, in part due to all the resources being channelled into supporting the war effort. Such cost-of-living concerns weigh more heavily than the war on the minds of most Russians.
A favourite talking point of the Kremlin is how Putin imposed order in Russia following the “wild 1990s” – characterised by economic turbulence and symbolised by then-president Boris Yeltsin’s public drunkenness. Many Russians attribute the stability and rise in living standards they experienced in the 2000s with Putin’s rule – and thank him for it by providing support for his continued leadership.
The current economic problems are an acute worry for the Kremlin because they jeopardise this basic social contract struck with the Russian people. In fact, one way the Kremlin tried to discredit Navalny was by comparing him with Yeltsin, suggesting he posed the same threats as a failed reformer. In his memoir, Navalny concedes that “few things get under my skin more”.
Although originally a fan of Yeltsin, Navalny became an ardent critic. His argument was that Yeltsin and those around him squandered the opportunity to make Russia a “normal” European country.
Navalny also wanted Russians to feel entitled to more. Rather than be content with their relative living standards compared with the early post-Soviet period, he encouraged them to imagine the level of wealth citizens could enjoy based on Russia’s extraordinary resources – but with the rule of law, less corruption, and real democratic processes.
‘Think of other possible Russias’
When looking at forms of criticism and dissent in Russia today, we need to distinguish between anti-war, anti-government, and anti-Putin activities.
Despite the risk of harsh consequences, there are daily forms of anti-war resistance, including arson attacks on military enlistment offices. Some are orchestrated from Ukraine, with Russians blackmailed into acting. But other cases are likely to be forms of domestic resistance.
Criticism of the government is still sometimes possible, largely because Russia has a “dual executive” system, consisting of a prime minister and presidency. This allows the much more powerful presidency to deflect blame to the government when things go wrong.
There are nominal opposition parties in Russia – sometimes referred to as the “systemic opposition”, because they are loyal to the Kremlin and therefore tolerated by the system. Within the State Duma, these parties often criticise particular government ministries for apparent failings. But they rarely, if ever, now dare criticise Putin directly.
Nothing anywhere close to the challenge presented by Navalny appears on the horizon in Russia – at either end of the political spectrum. But the presence of clear popular grievances, and the existence of organisations (albeit not Navalny’s) that could channel this anger should the Kremlin’s grip loosen, mean we cannot write off all opposition in Russia.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has vowed to continue her husband’s work. And his team in exile maintain focus on elite corruption in Russia, now from their base in Vilnius, Lithuania. The ACF’s most recent investigation is on Igor Sechin, CEO of the oil company Rosneft.
But some have argued this work is no longer as relevant as it was. Sam Greene, professor in Russian politics at King’s College London, captured this doubt in a recent Substack post:
[T]here is a palpable sense that these sorts of investigations may not be relevant to as many people as they used to be, given everything that has transpired since the mid-2010s, when they were the bread and butter of the Anti-Corruption Foundation. Some … have gone as far as to suggest that they have become effectively meaningless … and thus that Team Navalny should move on.
Navalny’s team are understandably irritated by suggestions they’re no longer as effective as they once were. But it’s important to note that this criticism has often been sharpest within Russia’s liberal opposition. The ACF has been rocked, for example, by recent accusations from Maxim Katz, one such liberal opposition figure, that the organisation helped “launder the reputations” of two former bank owners. In their response, posted on YouTube, the ACF referred to Katz’s accusations as “lies” – but this continued squabbling has left some Russians feeling “disillusioned and unrepresented”.
So, what will Navalny’s long-term legacy be? Patriot includes a revealing section on Mikhail Gorbachev – the last leader of the Soviet Union, whom Navalny describes as “unpopular in Russia, and also in our family”. He continues:
Usually, when you tell foreigners this, they are very surprised, because Gorbachev is thought of as the person who gave Eastern Europe back its freedom and thanks to whom Germany was reunited. Of course, that is true … but within Russia and the USSR he was not particularly liked.
At the moment, there is a similar split in perceptions of Navalny. Internationally, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament, and a documentary about him won an Oscar.
But there are also those outside of Russia who remain critical: “Navalny’s life has brought no benefit to the Ukrainian victory; instead, he has caused considerable harm,” wrote one Ukrainian academic. “He fuelled the illusion in the west that democracy in Russia is possible.”
Trailer for the Oscar-winning documentary Navalny.
Inside Russia, according to Levada Center polling shortly after his death, 53% of Russians thought Navalny played “no special role” in the history of the country, while 19% said he played a “rather negative” role. Revealingly, when commenting on Navalny’s death, one man in Moscow told RFE/RL’s Russian Service: “I think that everyone who is against Russia is guilty, even if they are right.”
But, for a small minority in Russia, Navalny will go down as a messiah-like figure who miraculously cheated death in 2020, then made the ultimate sacrifice in his battle of good and evil with the Kremlin. This view may have been reinforced by Navalny’s increasing openness about his Christian faith.
Ultimately, Navalny’s long-term status in Russia will depend on the nature of the political system after Putin has gone. Since it seems likely that authoritarianism will outlast Putin, a more favourable official story about Navalny is unlikely to emerge any time soon. However, how any post-Putin regime tries to make sense of Navalny’s legacy will tell us a lot about that regime.
While he was alive, Navalny stood for the freer Russia in which he had emerged as a leading opposition figure – and also what he called the “Beautiful Russia of the Future”. Perhaps, after his death, his lasting legacy in Russia remains the ability for some to think – if only in private – of other possible Russias.
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Ben Noble has previously received funding from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust. He is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House.
A report will go before Cabinet on Wednesday (19 February) with councillors recommended to approve the proposed increase to help sustain the adult social care market.
The hourly rate paid to home care providers, for reablement and home based respite, nursing and residential care providers supporting under 65s, older people and older people with dementia, supported living services, Shared Lives and providers of day care services will rise by 6.6% if the proposals are agreed.
Meanwhile, the agency rate for Direct Payments for adults, carers and children will increase by 6.6%, while the rate for employed personal assistants will rise by 9.91% and self employed personal assistants by 9.33%.
If the proposals are approved, the new fee structure will be introduced on 7 April, 2025.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “Our city’s adult social care providers have a vital role to play in supporting our most vulnerable residents, and we are determined to do all we can to support the sector.
“We know that, like other employers, adult care and support providers are continuing to face a perfect storm of rising costs – compounded by inflation and changes to the National Living Wage and National Insurance – along with recruitment issues and so we are pleased to be able to propose these above inflation increases, despite the well documented pressures the council is also facing at this time.
“These proposed increases of between 6.6% and 9.91% for the next financial year follow on from the significant increase in rates we announced for 2023 to 2024 of between 7.45% and 9.79% and 11.85% and 20.36% the year before, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to local adult social care providers.”
She added: “Quality of provision across all adult social care sectors has been factored when considering the proposed care fee increases, and this will be monitored through our improved quality assurance processes to ensure we are delivering high quality services across the city, while delivering value for money for taxpayers.”
Leeds City Council has today welcomed confirmation of £15m in central government funding for two major cultural projects.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has committed £10m to help breathe fresh life into Holbeck’s historic Temple Works building, paving the way for it to become the home of a new British Library North.
A further £5m in funding has been confirmed in support of plans to create a National Poetry Centre at the landmark Trinity St David’s Church on Woodhouse Lane.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“The British Library North project aims to create a world-class space for learning, research, exhibitions and events that would unlock the huge potential of Temple Works and boost the ongoing regeneration of the wider Holbeck and South Bank areas.
“It is therefore really welcome news that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed that, following a consultation, this £10m of funding is now in place to support the process of bringing the Temple Works building into public ownership and back into use.
“We have worked hard in recent months with partners, including the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Homes England and the British Library itself, to make the case for this funding.
“Together we were able to emphasise the importance of the scheme and the economic and social benefits it would bring to Leeds, West Yorkshire and the North, not least through engagement and connections with local communities.
“We were very pleased to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to Temple Works last week so she could see first-hand what this remarkable heritage asset is all about.
“We will now continue to work alongside partners on detailed plans for the full funding, design and development of a project that remains a complex and challenging undertaking, but one that offers a major regeneration opportunity for both Temple Works and the surrounding area.
“The council also welcomes today’s confirmation that £5m in funding for Leeds’s proposed National Poetry Centre is now in place.
“We were pleased to have the opportunity, during the MHCLG consultation, to add our voice to the widespread support for this project, which is being led by the National Poetry Centre Charitable Trust with the University of Leeds and poet laureate Simon Armitage.”
Chinese animated powerhouse “Ne Zha 2” has surpassed Disney’s 2019 “The Lion King” to claim a spot among the 10 highest-grossing films of all time, with global earnings, including presales, exceeding 12.05 billion yuan (about 1.67 billion U.S. dollars), according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan as of Monday afternoon.
This achievement comes on the 20th day since the film’s release during the Chinese New Year on Jan. 29.
It adds to a growing list of records for the film, which became the first to gross 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to join the coveted billion-dollar club.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The Polytechnic University is hosting another collection of humanitarian aid for military personnel and children from social institutions of the DPR and LPR, residents of the Kursk and Belgorod regions as part of the regional Headquarters campaign
Every polytechnician can join this campaign. Fleece blankets, thermal socks, balaclavas, thermoses, thermal underwear, tools, electric power extension cord on a reel from 25 m, batteries, tonometers, tactical first aid kits, T-shirts, long sleeves, tactical backpacks, sleeping bags, hunting matches, reinforced tape, three-in-one coffee, portioned sugar, tea bags, canned meat, fish factory-made, condensed milk, towels, wide water-repellent plasters, large sterile wipes, large hemostatic sponges, wide and sterile bandages, Esmarch tourniquets or tourniquets, absorbent diapers for adults, tactical medical pouches, etc. are accepted.
Humanitarian aid can be delivered on weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 to the following addresses:
Room 206 of the Main Cultural Institution of SPbPU (Volunteer Projects Center “Harmony” (Dobro.Center SPbPU); Polytechnic Tower; Building 6, room 1 (Humanities Institute Directorate); Building 9, room 324; Student Club (on the territory of the Lepota coworking space).
Activists of the SPbPU Dobro.Center “Harmony” conduct master classes on weaving tactical bracelets and making talismans of goodness, organize art exhibitions and perform in hospitals, help in warehouses of humanitarian aid. The guys meet children from evacuated territories, accompany wounded servicemen during examinations in hospitals, bring things, fruits and sweets to hospital wards. Excursions to the Polytechnic University of military personnel are planned in the near future.
For more information, please contact the group VKontakte or bymail.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The CMA has found that Topps Tiles’ acquisition of CTD Tiles could reduce competitive deals and product choice for customers and businesses in parts of England and Scotland.
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that Topps Tiles’ £9 million purchase of 30 CTD Tiles stores raises competition concerns in 4 areas of the United Kingdom.
Topps Tiles is the biggest specialist tile retailer in the UK. Before entering administration in August 2024, CTD was the second largest specialist tile retailer in the UK. As part of the deal Topps Tiles acquired 30 stores, as well as supporting infrastructure such as stock and all related intellectual property for CTD Tiles, CTD Architectural, and CTD Housebuilders .
Following completion of the deal the CMA received several complaints, which included concerns relating to how the deal impacted businesses and retail customers in specific areas of the country. Following a Phase 1 investigation, the CMA found that a small number of sites in Dorking, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen created competition concerns in the supply of tiles to retail customers and business customers.
The investigation found both companies compete closely for retail and business customers. After reviewing the deal, including internal documents and evidence from customers and competitors, the CMA concluded that in most areas there are sufficient remaining competitors but that in a small number of areas, the deal could lead to worse deals and service for customers.
Joel Bamford, Executive Director for Mergers at the CMA, said:
Having looked at the evidence, we’re concerned Topps Tiles’ purchase of CTD Tiles may >reduce competition in Dorking, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen.
This loss of competition could lead to worse deals and service in those areas. Whether you’re retiling your own home or a business that provides renovation services, the merger could make such projects more expensive.
Topps Tiles now has the opportunity to offer solutions to our concerns, otherwise this case will proceed to a more in-depth investigation.
Topps Tiles has until Monday 24 February to submit proposals which resolve the CMA’s concerns.
Topps Tiles Plc (Topps) is a UK-wide tile retailer for both businesses and consumers based in Enderby, Leicestershire. It is the largest tile specialist in the UK with over 300 stores (and serves customers through direct sales teams and websites). The business is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Topps acquired certain assets of Tildist Realisations Limited (formerly CTD Tiles Limited), including 30 of its stores, intellectual property such as branding and customer lists, and business divisions that supply tiles to architectural and housebuilder customers as part of a pre-pack administration deal.
For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office on 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk
Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a provisional (P)Aa2 long-term rating to the mortgage covered bonds issued by Coop Pank AS (Coop Pank).
The international credit ratings agency Moody’s has analysed the planned issue of covered bonds by Coop Pank and considered, inter alia, the high credit quality of the assets backing the covered bonds, the support provided by the Estonian legal framework, which provides for the issuer’s regulation and supervision, but also exposure to market risks and the increased uncertainty of the current economic environment. The long-term rating (P)Aa2 indicates high quality obligations that are subject to low credit risk.
According to Paavo Truu, CFO of Coop Pank, obtaining a credit rating is an important step to continue the preparations for the bond issue as planned and although the final date is subject to the market situation, we plan to issue the covered bonds in the first half of 2025. According to Paavo Truu the covered bonds offer an opportunity to further diversify funding and reduce costs.
Coop Pank is planning to offer covered bonds to European institutional investors. Covered bonds are expected to provide a new resilient source of funding for Coop Pank.
Coop Pank, based on Estonian capital, is one of the five universal banks operating in Estonia. The number of clients using Coop Pank for their daily banking reached 209,500. Coop Pank aims to put the synergy generated by the interaction of retail business and banking to good use and to bring everyday banking services closer to people’s homes. The strategic shareholder of the bank is the domestic retail chain Coop Eesti, comprising of 320 stores.
This interim management statement covers the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024. Investment performance measures contained in this report are calculated on a pence per share basis and include realised and unrealised gains and losses.
Overview
Once again, we have endured a difficult start to the financial year, albeit for very different reasons. The 2024 Autumn budget, preceded by some unhelpfully stark messaging, has weighed on economic activity. GDP, employment reports and PMI surveys all highlight a notable softening in the UK economy through the second half of (cal.) 2024.
Measures of UK consumer and business confidence dipped, suggesting that households and companies were becoming increasingly cautious. Although a very significant increase in public spending is expected to support economic activity pickup in 2025, there is clear evidence that The Office for Budget Responsibility forecast for GDP to increase from 1.1% in 2024 to 2.0% in 2025 is likely to be revised lower when next updated.
UK fiscal policy is seen as being negative to growth and positive for inflation. In the round, this adds up to fewer rate cuts in 2025. With higher inflation and lower growth undermining the case for lending to the UK Government, UK Gilt yields broke out to the upside and Sterling to the downside. The move higher in borrowing costs was exacerbated by higher yields in the US Treasuries market. The Government is on the back foot and will need to respond before the 2025 Autumn budget.
None of this has been helpful for investor interest in UK equities with outflows increasing again after a period of improving sentiment through the early Summer. This was particularly acute for AIM and, more broadly, the IA UK Small Cap sector.
Reflecting this, the FTSE AIM All-Share Index was noticeably weak ahead of and subsequent to the budget, with the index steadily declining for 7 months through to 31 December 2024. Within the period, the AIM All-Share index returned -2.32% in the three months to 31 December 2024, lagging the FTSE All Share Index (-0.35%). We continue to believe that many small companies trading on AIM offer exceptional value.
Performance
In the three months to 31 December 2024, the unaudited NAV per share decreased by 0.40 pence from 40.55 pence (cum-dividend) to 40.15 pence, giving a total return of -0.99%.
The qualifying investments fell by 0.09 pence per share whilst the non-qualifying investments made a loss of 0.25 pence per share. The adjusting balance was the net of running costs and investment income.
Qualifying Investments
Aquis Exchange (+93.1%, +£1.66m) received a takeover offer from its larger Swiss peer SIX Exchange at 727p. This was a 120% premium to the previous closing price, a 45% premium to the average share price over the prior 12 months and slightly above the 2021 share price high of 720p. This equates to an exit multiple of 4.7x for the VCT. The transaction was approved on 18 December 2024 and is expected to complete in Q2 2025.
PCI-PAL (+30.3%, +£1.09m) reported good FY24 results with revenues +20% to £18.0m and positive EBITDA of £0.9m. The company also reported strong SAAS metrics with ARR growing by 23%, Net Retention Rate at 102% and low churn. Following a £3.3m fundraise in March 2024, the balance sheet is strong with £4.3m cash. Positive news flow continued subsequently with a key contract renewal and in-line AGM trading update. Post period end, the company reported strong trading for the 6m to 31 December 2025 and re-iterated guidance for FY25.
Cohort (+15.0%, +£0.65m) announced strong interim results for the 6m to 31 October 2024 with revenues increasing by 25% and a record order book of £541m. The company confirmed it remains on track to achieve market forecasts for FY25. Separately, Cohort announced the £74m acquisition of Australian-based satellite communications company EM Solutions. The acquisition was partly funded through existing cash & debt facilities, combined with a £40m fundraise at 875p.
Following weak financial performance in FY24, Equipmake (-40.0%, -£0.93m) raised £3m in October 2024. The additional capital, when combined with cost action, has extended the company’s cash runway to March 2025. This was followed by the subsequent launch of a strategic review and a formal sale process.
Fadel (-42.9%, -£0.72m) saw customer implementation delays and an unsuccessful new business tender. Revenue forecasts for FY24 were reduced by 12% from $14.8m to $13m. The high drop through of revenues to profits meant that projected FY24 EBITDA losses increased from $2.3m to $4m. The company has adopted a more disciplined approach to cost that has yielded an improved outlook for losses and cash performance in 2025.
Team Internet (-27.7%, -£0.43m) shares fell sharply in Q4 2024 as the company announced that revenues at a recently acquired online marketing business Shinez would fall short of expectations. More recently the shares have begun to recover as the company announced it had received a preliminary takeover proposal.
Non-Qualifying Investments
The IFSL Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth Fund (+0.6%, +£0.06m) and IFSL Marlborough Special Situations Fund (-1.3%, -£0.13m) were broadly flat over the period. Within the non-qualifying portfolio, the weaker outlook for the UK economy following the Autumn budget impacted WH Smith, Wickes and Hollywood Bowl. Chemring also fell as earnings forecasts were impacted by rising national insurance costs and the curtailment of the company’s share buy-back in favour of preserving funds for organic investment.
Portfolio structure
The VCT is comfortably above the HMRC defined investment test and ended the period at 87.5% invested as measured by the HMRC investment test. By market value, the weighting to qualifying investments increased from 56.0% to 56.9%.
The market remains very subdued with just two VCT qualifying IPOs within the last 12 months. There were two new equity investments into companies listed on AIM and one CLN into an existing portfolio company listed on AIM. We remain hopeful that improving market conditions will help drive an increase in deal flow during 2025.
The new qualifying investments included a following on (CLN) investment into Rosslyn Data Technologies and new equity investments into Feedback and Ixico. There were no material disposals in the quarter. We sold two legacy tail investments (Gfinity and Surface Transforms) and trimmed our investment in Cohort following a period of strong share price performance.
There were no substantial changes to the allocation to the two IFSL Marlborough Funds, non-qualifying equities, fixed income, ETFs or cash which respectively represented 13.4%, 6.8%, 12.9%, 0.4% and 9.6% of net assets.
The HMRC investment tests are set out in Chapter 3 of Part 6 Income Tax Act 2007, which should be read in conjunction with this interim management statement. Funds raised by VCTs are first included in the investment tests from the start of the accounting period containing the third anniversary of the date on which the funds were raised. Therefore, the allocation of qualifying investments as defined by the legislation can be different to the portfolio weighting as measured by market value relative to the net assets of the VCT.
Share Buy Backs & Discount
3.9 million shares were acquired in the quarter at an average price of 38.27 pence per share. The share price decreased from 39.00p to 38.40p and on 31 December 2024 traded at a discount of 4.74% to the last published NAV per share (as at 27 December 2024, published on 31 December 2024).
Post Period End
The unaudited NAV per share increased from 40.15 pence to 40.22 pence (cum div) as at 7 February 2025, an increase of 0.17%. The FTSE AIM All-Share index increased by 0.09%.
END
For further information please contact:
Oliver Bedford, Canaccord Genuity Asset Management
A moviegoer walks past film posters at a cinema in Jiaxing City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Jin Peng/Xinhua)
“Ne Zha 2,” a Chinese animated blockbuster, has become a testament to the fast progress of China’s animation with its state-of-the-art technology, world-class visuals and compelling storytelling.
The film, which was released during the Chinese New Year, has shattered multiple box office records, becoming the first film to cross 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to join the coveted billion-dollar club.
As its box office continues to climb, the film’s stunning visual effects and animation are nothing short of monumental.
State-of-the-art technology
With around 2,000 special effects shots, three times the number of characters in its predecessor “Ne Zha”, and a team of more than 4,000 creators, the film “Ne Zha 2” has redefined what animation can achieve.
One of the key technologies used in the film is the self-developed dynamic ink-wash rendering engine, which brings traditional Chinese ink-wash painting to life.
In one notable scene, as Ao Bing swings his weapon across the screen, the ink flows and blends, all in a fleeting 0.8 seconds. This scene, though brief, took the film’s production team an astounding nine months to perfect.
For years, animators have been struggling to capture the fluidity and essence of ink-wash painting in the digital realm. This breakthrough, however, solved that challenge. It allows real-time simulations of ink spreading on rice paper, authentically reproducing its dynamic, ever-changing beauty.
With this technique, even the most subtle details — from characters’ skin texture to the flow of their clothing and hair — are imbued with the ink-wash effect. Take Ne Zha, for example. The movements of his iconic weapons, Huntian Cloth and Fire-tip Spear, are enhanced by the ink-wash effects, creating a balance of both power and grace.
World-class visuals
“Our goal was to create something that audiences had never seen before, something that would deliver a strong visual impact and offer a fresh artistic expression. This is the kind of work we believe is truly worth doing,” said Yang Yu, director of “Ne Zha 2,” who goes by the nickname Jiaozi.
According to Shi Chaoqun, the film’s visual effects supervisor, the scale of the film required extensive collaboration among multiple teams. Nearly 140 domestic animation companies contributed to the project, handling everything from animation production to 3D assets and effects composition.
These companies range from established media giants and specialized animation companies to smaller and lesser-known studios.
Huang Gong, the film’s technical development director, likened the project to an “Olympic Village” that attracted the best animation talents from across China, according to a media report.
This collaboration highlights the growing strength of China’s animation ecosystem, showcasing its capacity to manage large-scale, complex productions.
Compelling storytelling
“Ne Zha 2” and its predecessor the 2019 blockbuster “Ne Zha” were both inspired by the classic 16th-century novel “The Investiture of the Gods.”
Set after the events of the first film, the sequel follows Ne Zha and Ao Bing as their souls are saved but their physical forms face dissolution. With the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren, who uses the Seven-Colored Lotus to reconstruct their bodies, the two heroes must face numerous challenges.
The film, with a rich narrative rooted in traditional folklore, takes audiences on an emotional journey that blends action, humor, and heart.
Before the success of “Ne Zha 2”, “Monkey King: Hero is Back”, “Legend of Deification” and “White Snake: Afloat”, which are also inspired by Chinese mythologies, raised expectations for home-grown animated films.
“Chinese traditional culture is a huge treasure trove for animated films”, Jiaozi noted, “Animation needs to combine China’s excellent traditional culture with a youthful, contemporary expression.”
To this end, “Ne Zha 2” incorporates numerous elements of Chinese aesthetics: its visual style draws inspiration from Dunhuang murals; its narrative structure is influenced by the myths of the ancient text “Shan Hai Jing” (Classic of Mountains and Seas); while its soundtracks blend the features of both the Peking Opera and electronic music.
Hollywood producer Robert King praised the film’s quality and scale after watching the premiere, saying that Chinese films have made significant strides in storytelling in recent years.
By pushing the boundaries of both traditional Chinese aesthetics and modern animation techniques, “Ne Zha 2” sets a new standard. This breakthrough is not just an artistic triumph. It marks a critical transition in the Chinese animation industry, from “outsourcing” to developing original, world-class technology.
Despite the perceived outrage at Khaled Sabsabi’s depiction of Hassan Nasrallah in his 2007 work You, Australian art has long made subjects of outlaws and questionable figures. And it is all the richer for it.
Why is the Albanese government allowing a person who highlights a terrorist leader in his artwork to represent Australia on the international stage at the Venice Biennale?
I agree with you that any glorification of the Hezbollah leader Nasrallah is inappropriate.
This was followed by disapproval from Arts Minister Tony Burke. Within 24 hours, Creative Australia’s board announced Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino, the nominated artistic team for the Australian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, had been scratched.
The news sparked shock resignations at Creative Australia, private funding retractions and widespread outrage across the Australian and international arts sectors.
The work in question, You, isn’t related to Sabsabi’s proposed 2026 Biennale work. It is an experimental video artwork which engages with the complexities of the 2006 Lebanon War and how Sabsabi, who was born in Tripoli and migrated to Australia in 1978, may have experienced this war remotely via newsfeed.
The work features images of now-deceased Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. It should be noted the work was made in 2007, 14 years before Australia determined Hezbollah to be a terrorist organisation. It resides in the prestigious collection of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art.
A double standard
Prior to Sabsabi, a number of prominent Australian artists have depicted outlaws and controversial figures in their work. So how were those works received?
Let’s look at Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series as an example. These 27 famous paintings depict the notorious bushranger Edward (Ned) Kelly’s final days in 1880. Nolan painted the series between 1946 and 1947, in the aftermath of the catastrophic second world war.
The works can be understood as an effort to investigate homegrown violence in Australia’s history, wherein the outlaw is a metaphor used to explore conflicting migrant/settler cultures among the bright and dusty central Victorian landscape.
Similarly, late Australian painter and 2000 Archibald Prize winner Adam Cullen did not meet much controversy when his 2002 portrait of convicted violent criminal Mark “Chopper” Read was installed in the Art Gallery of NSW. That same year, Cullen illustrated Mark Read’s children’s book, Hooky the Cripple.
An acclaimed artist, Cullen is revered for depicting violence and darkness in Australian culture. His works reside in most state and national collections.
Art thrives through diverse perspectives
Marri Ngarr artist Ryan Presley’s 2018 series Blood Money revises Australian banknotes to feature historical First Nations figures, and forms part of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s art collection.
Works in the series include First Nations colonial resistance fighters and outlaws Jandamarra (1873–97), Woloa (1800-31), Pemulwuy (1750-1802) and Dundalli (circa 1820-55).
These individuals waged violence against the Crown and were classified as enemy combatants in their time. Yet it’s fair to say they make compelling and appropriate subjects for Presley’s art, which helps us better understand Australia’s complex and violent history.
Iranian-born Australian photographer Hoda Afshar’s Agonistes (2020), an award-winning portrait series with accompanying video, features various Australian whistleblowers, including Witness K Lawyer Bernard Collaery and the incarcerated Afghan Files whistleblower David McBride.
Each figure depicted in Afshar’s portraits has faced punishment and persecution by local authorities, in part due to Australia’s weak whistleblower protection laws.
Khaled Sabsabi is a distinguished Australian artist whose Biennale proposal won a rigorous open tender to be exhibited in Venice 2026. Spanning 30 years, his work examines spiritualism, optimism and the intricate beauty of a migrant Australian experience that’s particularly unique to the global microcosm of Western Sydney.
If artists are to be cancelled for making works that spark “divisive debate”, as Creative Australia has called it, there won’t be much art left to see.
Ella Barclay has previously received funding from Creative Australia.
Humans have been poisoning rodents for centuries. But fast-breeding rats and mice have evolved resistance to earlier poisons. In response, manufacturers have produced second generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as bromadiolone, widely used in Australian households.
Unfortunately, these potent poisons do not magically disappear after the rodent is dead. For example, it’s well known owls who eat poisoned rodents suffer the same slow death from internal bleeding.
Our new research shows the problem is much bigger than owls. We found Australia’s five largest marsupial predators – the four quoll species and the Tasmanian devil – are getting hit by these poisons too.
Half of the 52 animals we tested had these poisons in their bodies. Some had died from it. These species are already threatened by foxes and feral cats. Rat poison is yet another threat – and one they may not be able to survive. Other countries have moved to ban these poisons. But in Australia, they’re widely available.
How does rat poison end up in a Tasmanian devil?
Quolls and Tasmanian devils are carnivores. They eat mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, finding food by hunting – or by scavenging dead bodies, including rats and mice. But do they eat enough poisoned rats and mice to be at risk?
To find out, we analysed liver samples from all four of Australia’s quoll species as well as the iconic Tasmanian devil. The samples came from dead animals from a range of sources, including animals dying in veterinary care, found as roadkill, or simply found dead.
Each of these species is endangered or vulnerable. Together, they represent the largest remaining Australian carnivorous marsupials – native animals at the top of their food chains.
We tested samples from 52 animals. Half of these were positive for second generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Of these, 21% tested positive for more than one rodenticide.
Unfortunately, many animals we tested had consumed doses high enough to kill. Around 15% of the Tasmanian devils, 20% of the eastern quolls, 22% of chuditch (western quolls) and 20% of the spotted-tailed quolls tested were very likely to die either from the poison itself or a related cause such as longer-term sickening.
Tasmanian devils often scavenge from carcasses – exposing them to poisoned rats. Vaclav Matous/Shutterstock
We found one chuditch from a Perth suburb had been exposed to three different second-generation rodenticides. It had levels of one poison, brodifacoum, at 1.6 milligrams per kilo, far above the rate presumed to be lethal to mammals. This is likely the highest recorded exposure rate in an Australian marsupial.
Some 5% of Tasmanian devils had also been exposed to lethal levels of these second-generation poisons and a further 10% were exposed to potentially lethal levels.
Even when these poisons don’t directly kill the quoll or devil, they can leave it worse off.
All five species are threatened, meaning their populations are a fraction of what they used to be. Even small changes to populations can trigger more rapid decline.
Our analysis indicates an increase in deaths of just 2–4% of the chuditch population could increase extinction risk by 75%. This figure is dwarfed by how many chuditch are at risk from rat poisons, which we estimate at 22% of any given population in each generation, based on the exposure rates here.
So, exposure to rat poison alone is likely enough to tip the species towards extinction – even without other threats such as being killed by foxes and cats.
The release of an eastern quoll during a translocation. Rat poisons may pose a real risk to the species. Judy Dunlop, CC BY-NC-ND
Can poisons be too potent?
After the poison kills a mouse or rat, it remains lethal for some time.
The poisons we examined take several months to halve in toxicity, meaning during this time they can kill owls, reptiles, frogs and small and medium-sized mammals such as possums.
In Australia and around the world, evidence is mounting that these second-generation rodenticides are killing many more animals than those targeted. The poisons are hitting a wide range of carnivores including otters, wolves, foxes and raccoons. Even the famous Californian condor is threatened by rodenticides.
Efforts to use thousands of litres of bromadiolone to stop a mouse plague in New South Wales triggered strong criticism. But to date, criticism has done little to curb their use in Australia.
Second generation anticoagulant poisons are extremely effective at killing rats and mice – but the poison doesn’t stop there. speedshutter Photography/Shutterstock
Australia is an outlier on this issue. In European and North American nations, these products are restricted to use by licensed pest controllers and banned for home use. Some nations have gone further and banned these poisons altogether. But here, you can buy them at Bunnings, Coles or Woolworths.
Last year, a delegation of Australian researchers lobbied politicians to do more to regulate the use of these poisons.
The institution responsible for ensuring poisons are safe is the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority. At present, the authority is weighing a decision on whether to introduce restrictions on these second-generation poisons, expected in April.
In the absence of regulation, you can make a difference at home. Don’t use second-generation poisons which rely on brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum or flocoumafen. Get rid of your mouse or rat problem with first-generation poisons containing warfarin, coumatetralyl or other chemicals.
Taking a moment to consider these alternatives could save Australia’s most threatened native predators from an agonising death.
Acknowledgements: Michael Lohr (Birdlife Australia) was the lead author on the research behind this article. Cheryl Lohr (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia) contributed to the research.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Headline: Disaster support for Hilltops after severe storm
Published: 17 February 2025
Released by: Minister for Emergency Services
The Albanese and Minns Governments are activating disaster recovery support for communities in the Hilltops Local Government Area (LGA) following a severe storm on 10 February 2025.
Assistance measures that may be provided to communities through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) include:
Support for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation.
Grants for low income, uninsured residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain a basic standard of living.
Grants for low income, uninsured residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a safe and habitable condition.
Support for affected local councils and other agencies to help with the costs of cleaning up, keeping the community safe and restoring damaged essential public assets.
Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, and nonprofit organisations and grants to sporting and recreation clubs to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.
Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said the funding will help the community clean up sooner and recover faster.
“Right now communities right across Australia are preparing for, or cleaning up from, the impacts of wild weather, and we are there supporting the,” Minister McAllister said. “In NSW, we are working with the Minns Government to ensure communities across Hilltops get the support they need to clean up and recover.”
NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said the hail storm left significant damage and the SES have been on the ground assisting the community with the cleanup.
“The NSW SES and emergency services have been helping the people of Harden get back to their daily lives as soon as possible. Emergency services have been assisting the community to make their homes and businesses safe, ensuring they can access groceries and essential supplies, and supporting Council in the cleanup and restoration of essential public assets.” Minister Dib said.
“As a result of this storm there has been a high number of calls to the NSW SES and emergency responders for help, and I would like to thank our volunteers and emergency workers who provided critical support to the community during this time.”
“I am also pleased that NSW Reconstruction Authority staff are on the ground, providing information, advice and referrals to local services so that people get the support they need.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at the New York State Association Of Black & Puerto Rican Legislators annual scholarship gala.
VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).
AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.
PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
You can do better than that. You’re a little tired, aren’t you? Okay. Okay. All right. I feel the love from you, I truly do.
It’s been a long weekend, but what a weekend of conversation and engagement and commitment to re-engaging the fight. And this organization is the powerhouse that not just the State needs to take the fight to Washington, but the whole country is counting on us here in the State of New York.
The genesis of the Civil Rights Movement; the founding of the Niagara Movement, gave us the NAACP; the Women’s Rights Movement started right here; the LGBTQ+ movement started right here; the environmental justice movement started right here. I will tell you, in Stonewall, what they’re doing to our trans community, making them feel like a “T” does not matter on websites and in our museums and places of history — this is what I’m talking about, my friends. We’ve been down a road like this before. We’ve had to fight back injustice, discrimination, hatred, but we are ready for the fight.
And I want to thank the leaders of this organization. Senator Latrice Walker, thank you so much for bringing us to this point, you’ve done amazing. It’s so great to see you in action. I want to thank our Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Speaker Carl Heastie; our Attorney General, Tish James; our Senator Chuck Schumer is right behind me, you’re going to hear from him in a couple minutes.
But here’s my one message, my friends, we will not sit on the sidelines during this fight. We will be engaged. We’ll be ready. Just like we’ve had to fight things in our own state, we must take on the fight for America. We’ve done a lot here. We passed Clean Slate to give people a second chance at life. We have a reparations commission to say, “We must undo the injustices of the past.” We’ve doubled the amount of investment in higher education and TAP programs. You know what we’re going to do next? Free community college for people 25 to 55 going into specific careers, because they should have another shot at the American dream. And we’re going to put $5,000 back in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers because they’re so sick and tired of getting beaten down when they’re trying to pay their utility bills and pay the grocery bill at the end of the day.
We’re there for them, and that is the message that Democrats, and all of us in the elected office, must deliver. We are the fighters. We’re the ones who are going to stand up. And whatever Washington sends our way, we are ready on the front lines to kick back and fight back hard. It’s coming from here. You’re part of the team. Let’s get it done. Thank you, everybody.
