Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
Guided-missile destroyer Urumqi (Hull 118) attached to a naval flotilla under the Chinese PLA Northern Theater Command practices alongside replenishment-at-sea with comprehensive supply ship Taihu (Hull 889) in a multi-subject training exercise in January, 2025. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Taotao)
Assistant Foreign Minister Zhao Zhiyuan on Friday summoned Miguel Humberto Lecaro Barcenas, Panama’s ambassador to China, to lodge solemn representations over Panama’s decision to not renew the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Panama recently announced the termination of the Memorandum of Understanding on the BRI, to which the Chinese side expressed deep regret, Zhao said.
Under the framework of the BRI, pragmatic cooperation between China and Panama has rapidly developed across various sectors and achieved a series of fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to Panama and its people, Zhao noted.
More than 150 countries actively participate in the BRI, with achievements benefiting the people of various nations, including Panama, Zhao said. “Any attempts to reverse course on the BRI and go against the expectations of the Chinese and Panamanian peoples do not align with the vital interests of Panama.”
China respects Panama’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and advocates for equality among countries of all sizes, mutual respect, and credibility in commitments, Zhao stressed.
China firmly opposes the United States wantonly undermining China-Panama relations and discrediting and undermining cooperation under the BRI through pressure and threats, Zhao said.
China-Panama relations are never targeted at any third party and should not be disturbed by any third party, Zhao said, adding that it is hoped that Panama will exclude external interference and make the right decision based on the overall situation of bilateral relations and the long-term interests of the two peoples.
Lecaro said that Panama values its relationship with China and will promptly report to its government.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
Russian Science Day was established by decree of the President of the Russian Federation in 1999 in honor of the 275th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is a professional holiday for those who have dedicated their lives to research that is important for the country, who contribute to scientific and technical progress and strive to look into the future.
The focus of SPbGASU scientists is on such important topics as improving building materials, construction in permafrost conditions, improving labor safety, developing new methods for assessing the condition of historical buildings and their restoration, etc.
Let us list just some of the scientific works of the past year. Mikhail Zhavoronkov, associate professor of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology, developed a setup for testing fiber concrete for crack resistance. Egor Golov, associate professor of the Department of Transport Systems and Road and Bridge Construction, proposed fundamental solutions for creating a digital twin of the road and transport infrastructure to improve road safety. Anna Grishina, associate professor of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, created an antifungal modifier that protects building materials.
The laboratory of the Department of Construction Materials Technology and Metrology has completed studies of samples of plaster mortars and other finishing materials from the house of the architect Alexander Bryullov, which will help restore the building to its historical appearance. In the future, they will be used in the restoration of other objects.
The research topic of Andrey Boyarintsev, senior lecturer of the Department of Geotechnics, is composite piles. In 2024, the young scientist patented his fifth invention. Together with a graduate of the master’s program, Alexandra Zybtseva, he created a device for accurately measuring the temperature of the soil, which is very important for construction.
Yuri Zgoda, a postgraduate student at the Department of Information Systems and Technologies at SPbGASU, has developed a web application for high-performance computer modeling of thin-walled shell structures.
In 2024, the university’s teachers and postgraduate students defended one dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Science (Associate Professor of the Department of Information Systems and Technologies Alexey Semenov) and 16 dissertations for the degree of Candidate of Science.
Three patents for an invention, four for a utility model, 12 certificates of state registration of a computer program and two certificates of state registration of a database were received.
The scientific and technical peer-reviewed journal “Bulletin of Civil Engineers” has maintained its status and has been assigned to category 1 in the List of Russian peer-reviewed scientific journals.
The Startup Forsage project of the student scientific society won the competition for grants from the federal budget to support student scientific communities, organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia.
Significant events for the university include the scientific and technical conference for the 90th anniversary of the Department of Geotechnics, the international conference “Organization and Safety of Road Traffic in Large Cities”, the international scientific and practical conference “Information Modeling in Construction and Architecture”, and the international scientific and practical conference “Architecture. Construction. Transport. Economy”.
We wish the scientists of SPbGASU progress, creative energy and new discoveries!
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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged Jilin Province to further implement the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s strategic arrangements for the full revitalization of northeast China in the new era and to play a bigger role in advancing Chinese modernization.
Wan Yuan, 45, dips a knife into melted wax and makes a few strokes with it, resulting in a vivid butterfly pattern appearing on a piece of cloth.
This Miao ethnic craftsman from Qiaohai Village, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, watched his mother make batik when he was a child. Wan practiced and gradually mastered this craft.
Via his skilled hands, an ordinary piece of cloth is transformed into a unique blue-and-white batik work, following multiple processes including wax painting, dyeing, dewaxing, washing and drying.
Wan used to earn a living by working on construction sites and in factories far away from home. However, thanks to his strong interest and excellent skills, he was later able to focus on the batik industry and has now been involved in this field for more than 20 years.
In a stall measuring over 10 square meters at the intangible heritage market in the city of Kaili in Qiandongnan, his batik works are turned into products like clothes, bags and tea mats — which are welcomed by customers. In 2024, his creations generated sales worth 150,000 yuan (about 20,923 U.S. dollars).
The market in Kaili opened to the public in September 2023, featuring hundreds of stalls run by local craftspeople. Items on sale there cover nearly 10 categories, involving more than 6,000 kinds of handicrafts such as embroidery, batik and silver ornaments.
During the recent Spring Festival holiday, which ran from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, many craftspeople at the market welcomed an increased number of customers. According to Meituan Travel, a major online platform focused on tourism consumption in China, the search volume of “Spring Festival travel” has since January surged by 328 percent year on year, while that of “intangible cultural heritage” has increased by 174 percent compared with the same period in 2024.
The Spring Festival itself, a social practice of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, was added to its intangible cultural heritage list by UNESCO in December last year.
Pan Yuzhen, a 79-year-old embroiderer from Taijiang County, also part of Qiandongnan, opened her stall on the first day of the Chinese New Year. The highest daily sales value achieved by her stall during the holiday was 1,600 yuan.
Pan started learning embroidery from her mother at the age of five and has since been engaged in the industry. Thanks to her exquisite skills, Pan has been invited to five countries — including France, Britain and the United States. She has on many occasions worn her own embroidery costumes for catwalk shows on international stages, while her works have graced the stages of major global fashion weeks.
At her stall, Pan always patiently introduces the cultural implications of her chosen patterns. She hopes that what tourists take away is not only commodities, but also insights into such profound ethnic culture.
“The recognition and love of our handicrafts by domestic and foreign tourists has brought me great confidence,” said Pan.
For both craftspeople and tourists, this market is not merely a space for commodity trading. Instead, it serves as a stage for cultural exchanges — thereby allowing traditional crafts to be inherited and ethnic culture to shine brightly.
A 36-year-old fashion designer from the bustling southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, surnamed Fu, learned about this market online and without any hesitation decided to visit Kaili. She ended up strolling around the market for two days before the eve of the Spring Festival.
Fu shuttled among the stalls and bought handicrafts such as skirts and trousers featuring batik. “Here I can relax myself and learn traditional crafts, while I have gained a lot of design inspiration. It’s really a worthwhile trip,” she said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, Feb. 8 — The 2025 Global Developer Conference, scheduled from Feb. 21 to 23 in Shanghai, is expected to bring together approximately 100 developer communities from around the world, the organizer Shanghai AI Industry Association (SAIA) said Friday.
The conference will focus on cutting-edge technologies, including large models, computing power and software platforms. Participating developer communities will represent diverse fields such as hardware development, cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, blockchain and the metaverse.
Leading global communities such as Hugging Face, the Microsoft Developer Community, Alibaba’s ModelScope Community, and the Huawei Community will host a variety of engaging activities throughout the event.
The DeepSeek team, which has created a significant buzz recently, will also take part in the conference, according to SAIA.
The conference will offer interactive experiences and workshops, giving developers the chance to engage with industry experts and exchange ideas.
To keep pace with rapid technological advancements, the conference will transition from an annual to a biannual event starting this year, with the next session scheduled for autumn, according to Zhong Junhao, secretary general of SAIA.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Liupanshui City makes efforts to develop ice-and-snow economy
Updated: February 8, 2025 15:09Xinhua
Visitors experience skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. Liupanshui City has made efforts to unleash its advantage in ice-and-snow tourism resources to ramp up the development of ice-and-snow economy. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 7, 2025 shows visitors experiencing skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]A visitor experiences skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Visitors experience skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A visitor experiences skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Feb. 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 7, 2025 shows visitors experiencing skiing at a ski resort in Liupanshui City, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Foreign tourists venture off the beaten path to explore Spring Festival traditions
BEIJING, Feb. 8 — When Sabah El Badaoui from Morocco arrived in China on a business trip, she never expected to be immersed in the full spectacle of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year.
What started as a brief work visit quickly turned into what she called “an unforgettable cultural journey.” Traveling from Shanghai to Suzhou and Anhui in east China, she was captivated by the diverse traditions unique to each region.
“Even within the Yangtze River Delta, every place has its unique customs,” she said. “The smaller the town, the livelier the Chinese New Year festivities.”
Data shows that around 51 townships and villages across China welcomed foreign visitors for the first time, following the country’s expanded visa-free policies. As a result, lesser-known destinations are gaining traction among international tourists beyond major cities and famous landmarks.
Places like Quanzhou in east China’s Fujian Province, known for its traditional hairpin festival, Chaozhou in Guangdong with its dynamic Yingge folk dance, and Zigong in Sichuan famed for its lantern displays, are emerging as sought-after cultural hotspots.
For many foreign travelers, smaller cities and rural areas offer a more immersive cultural experience than China’s metropolitan centers.
In northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, foreign visitors were delighted to see the region’s unique fusion of winter sports and Chinese Lunar New Year festivities.
A Trip.com report revealed a 58 percent increase in international visitors to Xinjiang during the Spring Festival holiday, with the regional capital Urumqi ranking among the top three destinations for ice and snow tourism nationwide.
Foreign visitors can book scenic spot tickets with valid IDs, such as passports or foreign permanent residence cards, while improved payment options have enhanced convenience, said Ma Beitao of Altay Prefecture’s tourism bureau.
In Chibi, a county-level city in central China’s Hubei Province, this year’s Spring Festival saw a surge of visitors eager to experience its local cuisine, rich history and vibrant folk performances.
Most foreign visitors to Yangloudong, an ancient town in Chibi, come from Southeast Asian countries, drawn by their deep interest in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) and the region’s rich intangible cultural heritage, said Rao Jie, who works with a local tourism investment company.
According to Xu Ying, an associate professor at Renmin University of China, the universal themes of the Spring Festival such as family reunion, gratitude and renewal are key to its global resonance.
“These values transcend cultural and geographic boundaries,” she said. “When foreign visitors experience them firsthand, they gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture beyond just visual symbols.”
Amid booming inbound tourism, cities across China are rolling out services to accommodate international travelers better. From expanding digital payment solutions to providing multilingual assistance at major attractions, efforts are underway to enhance the visitor experience.
During the Spring Festival holiday, Hubei’s top tourist sites introduced online ticketing and seamless entry for foreign permanent residents, while over 1,000 new currency exchange points and foreign card-compatible POS machines were installed to better serve international visitors.
In Wuxi, a rising tourist destination in east China’s Jiangsu Province popular among visitors from the Republic of Korea (ROK) due to its proximity, authorities have streamlined entry procedures and enhanced mobile payment options.
“I saw pictures of Wuxi online and had to see it for myself,” said a visitor from the ROK. “It is even more beautiful than I expected.”
Song Rui, director of the tourism research center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that immersing in the celebrations allows foreign visitors to experience modern China and the festival’s deeper values firsthand.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Full text: China-Thailand joint statement on advancing comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership
BEIJING, Feb. 8 — The government of the People’s Republic of China and the government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Saturday issued a joint statement on advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity, and sustainability through a forward-looking and people-centered vision.
Please see the attachment for the full text of the statement.
Audience with participants in the study visit for young priests and monks of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, 06.02.2025
This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the study visit for young priests and monks of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
The following is the address prepared by the Pope for the occasion and handed to those present at the audience:
Prepared address
Dear Brothers,
“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” (Ps 133:1). With these words of the Psalmist, I offer you a warm welcome and I express my joy for this visit of young priests and monks of the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankara and Syrian Oriental Orthodox Churches. My fraternal greeting goes to Archbishop Khajag Barsamian and to Bishop Barnabas El-Soryani, who are accompanying you. Through you, I wish to greet my venerable and dear brothers, the heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
This is the fifth Study Visit for young Oriental Orthodox priests and monks organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Similar visits for Catholic priests have been prepared by the Armenian Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin and the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. I am most grateful for this “exchange of gifts” promoted by the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, because it enables the dialogue of charity to go hand in hand with the dialogue of truth.
Your visit has particular significance this year, as we celebrate the seventeenth centenary of the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical Council, which professed the Symbol of Faith shared by all Christians. I would like, then, to reflect with you on that term, “Symbol”, which in its threefold meaning has powerful ecumenical implications.
In the theological sense, a symbol sets forth the ensemble of the principal truths of the Christian faith, which harmoniously complement one another. In this sense, the Nicene Creed, which synthetically sets forth the mystery of our salvation, is exemplary and unparalleled.
The Symbol also has an ecclesiological significance. Not only does it unite truths, it also unites believers. In antiquity, the Greek word symbolon indicated half of a document broken in two, to be presented as a sign of identity. The Symbol thus serves as a sign of identity and communion between believers. Each individual possesses the faith as a “symbol”, which only finds its full unity together with others. We need one another in order to be able to confess the faith. That is why the Nicene Symbol, in its original version, uses the plural form, “We believe”. Carrying this image a step further, I would say that we Christians, still divided, are like “shards” who must recover unity in the confession of the one faith. For we hold the Symbol of our faith like a treasure in vessels of clay (cf. 2 Cor 4:7).
And so, we come to the third meaning of the Symbol, its spiritual significance. We must never forget that the Creed is above all a prayer of praise that unites us to God: union with God necessarily takes place through unity among us Christians who proclaim the same faith. Whereas the devil divides, the Symbol unites! How beautiful it would be if, each time we proclaim the Creed, we felt united with Christians of all traditions! The proclamation of our common faith, in fact, requires before all else that we love one another, as the Eastern liturgy exhorts us to do before the recitation of the Creed: “Let us love one another, that in unity of spirit we may profess our faith in the Father, in the Son and in the Holy Spirit”.
Dear brothers, I hope that your presence will become a “symbol” of our visible communion, as we persevere in pursuit of that full unity that the Lord Jesus so ardently desired (cf. Jn 17:21). I assure you of my prayer for each of you and for your Churches, and I count on your own prayers for me and for my ministry. May the Lord bless you and may the Mother of God protect you.
And now, I would propose that we proclaim together the Nicene Creed, each of us in his own language. [I believe…]
Two people have been rescued after a landslide occurred in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Saturday, local emergency management bureau said. The landslide took place at about 11:50 a.m. in Jinping Village, Junlian County in the city of Yibin, burying several houses and trapping people. Rescue forces have rushed to the scene and further information is being confirmed.
President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and journalists doing vital work into chaotic uncertainty — including in the Pacific.
In a statement published on its website, RSF has called for international public and private support to commit to the “sustainability of independent media”.
Since the new American president announced the freeze of US foreign aid on January 20, USAID (United States Agency for International Development) has been in turmoil — its website is inaccessible, its X account has been suspended, the agency’s headquarters was closed and employees told to stay home.
South African-born American billionaire Elon Musk, an unelected official, whom Trump chose to lead the quasi-official Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has called USAID a “criminal organisation” and declared: “We’re shutting [it] down.”
Later that day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he was named acting director of the agency, suggesting its operations were being moved to the State Department.
Almost immediately after the freeze went into effect, journalistic organisations around the world — including media groups in the Pacific — that receive American aid funding started reaching out to RSF expressing confusion, chaos, and uncertainty.
Large and smaller media NGOs affected The affected organisations include large international NGOs that support independent media like the International Fund for Public Interest Media and smaller, individual media outlets serving audiences living under repressive conditions in countries like Iran and Russia.
“The American aid funding freeze is sowing chaos around the world, including in journalism. The programmes that have been frozen provide vital support to projects that strengthen media, transparency, and democracy,” said Clayton Weimers, executive director of RSF USA.
President Donald Trump . . . “The American aid funding freeze is sowing chaos around the world, including in journalism,” says RSF. Image: RSF
“President Trump justified this order by charging — without evidence — that a so-called ‘foreign aid industry’ is not aligned with US interests.
“The tragic irony is that this measure will create a vacuum that plays into the hands of propagandists and authoritarian states. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appealing to the international public and private funders to commit to the sustainability of independent media.”
USAID programmes support independent media in more than 30 countries, but it is difficult to assess the full extent of the harm done to the global media.
Many organisations are hesitant to draw attention for fear of risking long-term funding or coming under political attacks.
According to a USAID fact sheet which has since been taken offline, in 2023 the agency funded training and support for 6200 journalists, assisted 707 non-state news outlets, and supported 279 media-sector civil society organisations dedicated to strengthening independent media.
The USAID website today . . . All USAID “direct hire” staff were reportedly put “on leave” on 7 February 2025. Image: USAID website screenshot APR
Activities halted overnight The 2025 foreign aid budget included $268,376,000 allocated by Congress to support “independent media and the free flow of information”.
All over the world, media outlets and organisations have had to halt some of their activities overnight.
“We have articles scheduled until the end of January, but after that, if we haven’t found solutions, we won’t be able to publish anymore,” explains a journalist from a Belarusian exiled media outlet who wished to remain anonymous.
In Cameroon, the funding freeze forced DataCameroon, a public interest media outlet based in the economic capital Douala, to put several projects on hold, including one focused on journalist safety and another covering the upcoming presidential election.
An exiled Iranian media outlet that preferred to remain anonymous was forced to suspend collaboration with its staff for three months and slash salaries to a bare minimum to survive.
An exiled Iranian journalist interviewed by RSF warns that the impact of the funding freeze could silence some of the last remaining free voices, creating a vacuum that Iranian state propaganda would inevitably fill.
“Shutting us off will mean that they’ll have more power,” she says.
USAID: the main donor for Ukrainian media In Ukraine, where 9 out of 10 outlets rely on subsidies and USAID is the primary donor, several local media have already announced the suspension of their activities and are searching for alternative solutions.
“At Slidstvo.Info, 80 percent of our budget is affected,” said Anna Babinets, CEO and co-founder of this independent investigative media outlet based in Kyiv.
The risk of this suspension is that it could open the door to other sources of funding that may seek to alter the editorial line and independence of these media.
“Some media might be shut down or bought by businessmen or oligarchs. I think Russian money will enter the market. And government propaganda will, of course, intensify,” Babinets said.
RSF has already witnessed the direct effects of such propaganda — a fabricated video, falsely branded with the organisation’s logo, claimed that RSF welcomed the suspension of USAID funding for Ukrainian media — a stance RSF has never endorsed.
This is not the first instance of such disinformation.
Finding alternatives quickly This situation highlights the financial fragility of the sector.
According to Oleh Dereniuha, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian local media outlet NikVesti, based in Mykolaiv, a city in southeast Ukraine, “The suspension of US funding is just the tip of the iceberg — a key case that illustrates the severity of the situation.”
Since 2024, independent Ukrainian media outlets have found securing financial sustainability nearly impossible due to the decline in donors.
As a result, even minor budget cuts could put these media outlets in a precarious position.
A recent RSF report stressed the need to focus on the economic recovery of the independent Ukrainian media landscape, weakened by the large-scale Russian invasion of February 24, 2022, which RSF’s study estimated to be at least $96 million over three years.
Moreover, beyond the decline in donor support in Ukraine, media outlets are also facing growing threats to their funding and economic models in other countries.
Georgia’s Transparency of Foreign Influence Law — modelled after Russia’s legislation — has put numerous media organisations at risk. The Georgian Prime Minister welcomed the US president’s decision with approval.
This suspension is officially expected to last only 90 days, according to the US government.
However, some, like Katerina Abramova, communications director for leading exiled Russian media outlet Meduza, fear that the reviews of funding contracts could take much longer.
Abramova is anticipating the risk that these funds may be permanently cut off.
“Exiled media are even in a more fragile position than others, as we can’t monetise our audience and the crowdfunding has its limits — especially when donating to Meduza is a crime in Russia,” Abramova stressed.
By abruptly suspending American aid, the United States has made many media outlets and journalists vulnerable, dealing a significant blow to press freedom.
For all the media outlets interviewed by RSF, the priority is to recover and urgently find alternative funding.
How Fijivillage News reported the USAID crackdown by the Trump administration. Image: Fijivillage News screenshot APR
Fiji, Pacific media, aid groups reel shocked by cuts In Suva, Fiji, as Pacific media groups have been reeling from the shock of the aid cuts, Fijivillage News reports that hundreds of local jobs and assistance to marginalised communities are being impacted because Fiji is an AUSAID hub.
According to an USAID staff member speaking on the condition of anonymity, Trump’s decision has affected hundreds of Fijian jobs due to USAID believing in building local capacity.
The staff member said millions of dollars in grants for strengthening climate resilience, the healthcare system, economic growth, and digital connectivity in rural communities were now on hold.
The staff member also said civil society organisations, especially grantees in rural areas that rely on their aid, were at risk.
Pacific Media Watch and Asia Pacific Report collaborate with Reporters Without Borders.
On January 13, the Bureau of Industrial Parks (BIP) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) held the “2025 Lunar New Year Security and Confidentiality Maintenance Coordination Meeting.” The meeting, chaired by Secretary-General Lin, Chian-Huey, gathered representatives from enterprises within the park and local branches to discuss security strategies for the holiday season. The primary goal was to ensure security during the holiday and further strengthen the protection of key national industrial assets. Secretary-General Lin, Chian-Huey stated that the BIP would continue building upon last year’s security achievements by enhancing patrols mechanisms and risk management. This includes strengthening inspections at financial institutions and high-risk construction sites to ensure the overall safety of the industrial parks during the holiday period. She urged enterprises within the park to collaborate to maintain stability and harmony. This meeting is one of the key projects of the BIP for the year. It focused on precise response strategies for safeguarding official confidential information and ensuring park security, reviewing the current state of protective facilities, and establishing an emergency response network. In addition, the meeting highlighted anti-fraud and anti-infiltration issues, with awareness campaigns aimed at enhancing vigilance and response capabilities among all attendees. Participants highly praised the BIP’s comprehensive security maintenance plan, recognizing that it not only enhances the sense of security within the park but also creates a safer operation environment for the new year. According to past data, the BIP implements a well-structured emergency response mechanism during the Lunar New Year, addressing security vulnerabilities and confidentiality protection to uphold stability in the industrial park. This year’s strategy has been further refined with digital management tools and streamlined communication networks, creating a stronger security foundation for the coming year. The meeting emphasized three key priorities: (1) a systematic security risk assessment covering core infrastructure within the park; (2) continuous improvements to emergency response mechanisms for faster and more efficient crisis handling; and (3) the promotion of fraud prevention and anti-infiltration education to provide multilayered protection against emerging security threats. Moving forward, the BIP is committed to further strengthening its security initiatives and exploring innovative technologies and strategies to protect enterprises and employees within the parks. This meeting also marks a strong start for security management during the Lunar New Year, fully demonstrating the professionalism and dedication of the BIP.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump Administration today brazenly installed Tom Krause, a Silicon Valley executive and associate of billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to oversee the U.S. Treasury Department’s critical payment systems that manage the cash and debt that finances the federal government. Mr. Krause’s new position gives him control over the Treasury payment system responsible for disbursing more than $5 trillion annually, including Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds and other payments. He also has control over auctions for U.S. Treasury securities, which is the most important financial market in the world and determines the benchmark rate for consumer credit. In 2024, Treasury held 440 auctions and issued $28.5 trillion in securities.
Mr. Krause takes on these enormous responsibilities to manage the Nation’s finances, despite having no background in government operations or in financial markets. The installation of Mr. Krause injects politics into processes that have always been conducted in a nonpartisan fashion.
Mr. Krause, who will reportedly continue to hold his private sector job at Cloud Software Group while taking on this critical full-time role at Treasury, replaces a longtime civil servant who resigned after objecting to Mr. Krause’s demands to stop certain payments — a measure the non-partisan Treasury official resisted as illegal.
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee, which oversees funding for Treasury, is calling for Mr. Krause’s immediate removal. Reed sent a third letter this week warning Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about this matter and stating: “At the very least, the American people deserve someone’s undivided attention for this job.”
Secretary Bessent wrote to Senator Reed on February 4 that Mr. Krause was merely “conducting an ongoing review of Treasury’s systems” and that “to allow him to perform this function, he has been “hired as an expert/consultant.” Only two days later, Mr. Krause is not simply reviewing Treasury’s systems—he in full operational control of them.
Full text of the letter follows:
February 7, 2025
?? ?
The Honorable Scott Bessent, Secretary
U.S. Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20220
Dear Secretary Bessent:
Earlier today, you appointed Tom Krause to perform the duties of the Fiscal Assistant Secretary. I urge you to immediately remove Mr. Krause from this position and appoint a nonpartisan career expert, as I requested in my letter dated February 3.
Mr. Krause, an unqualified partisan “special government employee,” was installed by Elon Musk in the Treasury Department earlier this year. Currently, he is the top government official responsible for paying the Nation’s bills on time, including Social Security, Medicare, and tax refunds. He is also responsible for managing the Nation’s finances to remain under the debt limit while the Treasury Department is using extraordinary measures to avoid a catastrophic breach. He is also in charge of the system for auctioning U.S. government bonds. As you know from your long career on Wall Street, Treasuries are the benchmark for how much money Americans are charged for a mortgage or a credit card. A seasoned and nonpolitical expert should be at the helm to ensure the fair, impartial, and responsible administration of public funds.
As a “special government employee,” Mr. Krause is reportedly performing his public duties while remaining in charge of his private company. According to a trade publication, he emailed employees at his company on February 5 that his Treasury post is “in addition to my duties as CEO of Cloud Software Group.” At the very least, the American people deserve someone’s undivided attention for this job.
Given your choice to give this job to a partisan who will apparently be working part time, the buck stops with you if there is any interruption to Treasury’s ability to pay Americans the money they are owed, make interest payments on the debt, or auction Treasury securities.
I request your commitment, no later than February 11, 2025, to remove Mr. Krause as the Fiscal Assistant Secretary and instead appoint a qualified individual who will work for the American people on a full-time basis. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John W. Brennan, Deputy Commander, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Rose Keravuori, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Africa Command, met with Libyan leaders, Feb. 4-6, to promote increased security cooperation between the United States and Libya.
The two generals and the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Libya Jeremy Berndt met with officials from both the Government of National Unity (GNU) and Libya National Army (LNA) in locations throughout Libya, to include Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sirte, a city where U.S. support to the fight against Da’ish in 2016 helped the people of Sirte and the surrounding region regain peace and stability.
While there, leaders from both the GNU and LNA expressed commitment to greater military unification and cooperation efforts through face-to-face engagements and training that benefits both sides, contributing to Libyan efforts to overcome divisions and foster unity.
“This week was a significant step in forwarding our efforts with Libya’s civilian and military leaders throughout the country,” said Brennan. “Brigadier General Keravuori and I were able to meet with leaders at various levels, to include tactical unit levels, to see where the United States can serve as a catalyst to bring about a unified country able to defeat malign actors who threaten North Africa and U.S. security interests.”
In Benghazi, Brennan, Keravuori and Chargé d’Affaires Berndt met with LNA Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and LNA Ground Forces Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Saddam Haftar. The leaders discussed U.S.-Libya cooperation supporting stability in the country and Libyan-led efforts to reunify military institutions.
The U.S. delegation spent time in Tripoli where they engaged with GNU Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Defense Abdul Hamid Dabaiba and Deputy Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Abdel Salam Zubi, discussing security cooperation, efforts to promote regional stability, and Libyan-led efforts to unify its military and security institutions.
Leaders also met with GNU Chief of Staff General Mohammed Haddad, Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Salah Namroush, and the Director of Military Intelligence and 444 Commander Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Hamza where topics of discussion included professional development of Libya’s military and opportunities to strengthen bilateral defense ties.
Finally, Brennan and Keravuori traveled to Sirte and met again with Lt. Gen. Saddam Haftar and visited several tactical units as well as the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) Headquarters. There they explored training and technical assistance opportunities to enhance cooperation among Libyan security forces throughout the country in accordance with recent United Nations Arms Embargo modifications granted by the U.N. Security Council.
“We thank our partners in the east and west for receiving us and continuing to engage with us on their important efforts to reunify the Libyan military,” said Chargé d’Affaires Berndt. “A strong and unified Libyan military will help Libya safeguard its sovereignty in the face of malign actors and regional instability.”
“On this trip we were able to witness a lot of positive reconstruction and efforts to increase military professionalism in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sirte. What we observed demonstrates Libyan resolve, resilience and desire for stability, economic development, and prosperity through cooperation with the U.S. government and private investment,” said Brennan. “A stronger and more unified Libya is better for the people of Libya and for regional security. We look forward to building on existing defense activities and investments that move toward our shared goals of a safe, secure, and prosperous Libya.”
U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent in order to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.
For more information, visit our website, Facebook and Twitter pages, or contact U.S. Africa Command Media Relations at africom-pao-media@mail.mil.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Washington D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement in response to Senate Republicans releasing their blueprint for a first budget reconciliation bill:
“Republicans are making clear with their budget blueprint that they are serious about eliminating the Department of Education, cutting Medicaid and Medicare, and increasing wait times for veterans by slashing the VA. The Senate Republican Budget shows they are blindly following the lead of Elon Musk rather than the needs of the American people. This started with illegal impoundments, and then Musk and DOGE ransacking and infiltrating federal agencies to make arbitrary cuts—and based on the nearly $1 trillion in unspecified spending cuts assumed for this year alone, Republicans are not just okay with Elon Musk running wild, but are encouraging him to target schools, health care, transportation, and other services people who aren’t billionaires rely on.
“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that these cuts are a precursor to Republicans giving massive tax cuts to billionaires while blowing up the deficit and grinding services Americans depend on—like Medicaid and SNAP—down to the bone.
“Prices are rising and families need help. People are right to be outraged that Republicans’ first instinct is to deliver massive giveaways for billionaires while putting a target on nutrition and health care. The single biggest driver of our national debt since 2001 has been Republican tax cuts—and America can’t afford another round. Democrats are ready to right-size our budget by simply asking giant corporations and billionaires to pay their fair share in taxes, while still investing in health care, our schools, environment, and more. I will be on the side of regular working people when I arrive at Wednesday’s Budget Committee markup—not billionaires like Elon Musk.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcing it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15%, creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country. This move will dismantle the biomedical research system, stifle the development of new cures for disease, and rip treatments away from patients in need. It won’t produce cost savings; it will just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference. Importantly, this action by the Trump administration is illegal. Congress’ bipartisan Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill prohibits modifications to NIH’s indirect costs.
“By proposing an illegal and arbitrary indirect cost rate, Trump and Elon are functionally forcing an indiscriminate funding cut for research institutions across the country that will be nothing short of catastrophic for so much of the lifesaving research patients and families are counting on. This will derail major breakthroughs by forcing research institutions—like the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington in my state—to now scramble to make up this massive shortfall, almost certainly forcing layoffs across the country. Sick kids may not get the treatment they need. Clinical trials may be shut down abruptly with dangerous consequences. Just because Elon Musk doesn’t understand indirect costs doesn’t mean Americans should have to pay the price with their lives.
“These resources go toward things like construction, utility costs, and lab operation—if NIH cuts off this support, the research will come to a halt. This funding helps produce breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, prepare us for pandemics and other health threats, and ensure the U.S. continues to be the global leader in biomedical research. After a global pandemic that brought the world economy to a grinding halt and cost more than one million American lives, it’s unthinkable that Trump and Musk want to pull funding that will force public and private labs across America to shutter. I refuse to abandon the millions of families who are fighting cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, substance use disorders, and so much more—I hope Americans everywhere will speak out to reverse this haphazard and dangerous funding cut.”
As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Over her years as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments.
Announcement on Open Market Operations No.24 [2025]
(Open Market Operations Office, February 8, 2025)
In order to keep liquidity adequate in the banking system, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB14 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on February 8, 2025.
China’s second-hand vehicle market recorded steady growth in 2024, with annual transactions climbing 6.52 percent year on year to over 19.61 million units, according to data released by the China Automobile Dealers Association on Saturday.
The total transaction value for the year reached approximately 1.29 trillion yuan (about 180 billion U.S. dollars), the association said.
In December alone, the sector saw robust performance, with sales exceeding 1.9 million units, up 14.4 percent from the same period in 2023 and marking a 6.42 percent increase from November. December transaction revenue stood at about 119.96 billion yuan.
China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) has urged efforts to expedite the development of standards for road and air collaboration in low-altitude transport and artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting these areas as key priorities for 2025.
The directive was issued during a meeting on Friday, where a task assignment plan to improve transport industry standards between 2024 and 2027 was approved, according to a statement by the MOT.
Measures must be taken to promote intelligent transport as part of the national pilot program for service standardization, aiming to make the country’s transport industry smarter and more digitalized, according to the ministry.
In recent years, China has actively advanced low-altitude transport and logistics, with drones playing a key role in short-haul, cross-region and city deliveries.
Data from the MOT shows that approximately 2.7 million parcels were delivered by drones across the country in 2024.
According to the China low-altitude logistics development report, released by the Linksum Institute of Digital Industry, the industry’s market size expanded from 27.18 billion yuan (about 3.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020 to 58.18 billion yuan in 2023. Projections indicate it could reach 120 to 150 billion yuan by 2025.
Barclays, British multinational universal bank, faced a severe 48-hour technical outage (31 January-2 February), disrupting payments and online banking for millions of UK customers. The incident underscores the persistent vulnerabilities of legacy banking systems, despite substantial ICT investments. As digital-native challengers redefine industry standards, traditional banks must accelerate transformation or risk losing relevance in an increasingly competitive financial landscape, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s report, “Barclays Plc – Digital Transformation Strategies,” reveals that the UK’s second-largest bank’s ICT budget in 2023 was estimated at over $1 billion. The duration and severity of last weekend’s technical issue will raise questions about the effectiveness of this significant investment.
Jonathan Vaughan Burleigh, Associate Analyst, Banking and Payments at GlobalData, comments: “The severity of this outage highlights the need for real transformation in digital operations. Simply spending over $1 billion per year on ICT is clearly not enough to guarantee reliability in a digital banking platform. Banks must begin to completely overhaul outdated systems to keep up with the consumer expectations in the modern banking landscape.”
Despite the funding allocated for Barclays’ digital transformation, data from GlobalData’s Financial Services Consumer Survey 2024* reveals that the bank’s customers rated their digital satisfaction below the market average. Barclays is not an outlier in this metric. Many of the largest traditional banking providers rank near the bottom, with Lloyds Bank being the only one of the top five largest banks rated above average.
Vaughan Burleigh continues: “Established ‘traditional’ banks are struggling to adapt their digital platforms to keep up with rapidly changing consumer preferences. It is no coincidence that digital-only banks such as Starling and Monzo rank far above the market average, while banks still operating on legacy technology perform poorly in digital satisfaction. Banks that are digitally native are far more agile. They can resolve issues more quickly, respond to customer preferences with new products, and provide a strong digital offering for their growing consumer bases.”
The need for traditional banks to abandon legacy technology and embrace a digital-first approach extends beyond avoiding technical issues and service outages. While this glitch will certainly damage Barclays’ reputation, the more pressing concern is future customer acquisition and retention.
According to GlobalData’s Competitor Benchmarking Analytics 2024, the key determinants of a bank’s NPS in the UK include personalized experiences, competitively priced products and services, the ability to resolve minor issues online, and the omnichannel nature of the bank’s services. Digital-native banks have become market leaders in these areas, developing new capabilities ahead of larger, traditional players.
Vaughan Burleigh concludes: “The banking landscape has shifted significantly since digital challengers gained popularity. Consumers now expect advanced online capabilities, such as personalized insights and financial education, as basic features of bank accounts. If historically dominant players like Barclays fail to revolutionize their online banking offerings immediately, digital only banks will not only capture the young consumers entering the market but also convince more mature users to abandon sluggish providers in favour of innovative and agile competitors.”
*GlobalData’s 2024 Financial Services Consumer Survey was conducted online in Q2 2024 and had 67,000 respondents across 41 countries, of which 5,003 are from the UK.
London, United Kingdom, 07 February 2025 – The Broadcast Awards 2025 celebrated its 30th anniversary on Wednesday night in a star-studded ceremony at JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London, where Channel 4 led the night with an impressive eight wins. The event was organised by Media Business Insight (MBI) Ltd, a GlobalData company.
Marking three decades of celebrating excellence in British television, the event gathered over 1,250 industry professionals to honour the best in TV programmes, talent, and channels.
In a special moment to commemorate the 30th anniversary, the iconic BBC series ‘Gavin & Stacey’ was awarded the prestigious Hall of Fame award, a new category introduced this year to celebrate enduring contributions to British television. James Corden accepted the award on behalf of the series, joined by industry luminaries and celebrity guests including Alan Carr, Vicky Pattison, Susanna Reid, Kate Garraway and Pete Wicks who celebrated the series’ legacy and impact.
Other notable highlights included:
ITV1 being crowned Channel of the Year
‘Traitors’ indie Studio Lambert landing Best Independent Production Company for the second year running and Best Entertainment Programme for Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ (co-produced by The Garden)
ITV’s gangbuster real-life drama ‘Mr Bates vs the Post Office’ winning both Special Recognition Award and the dock10 TV Moment of the Year
For a full list of the 2025 winners and highlights from the 30th anniversary celebration, visit: Broadcast Awards.
Comedian Sue Perkins returned to host the event, bringing her trademark wit and humour to a packed room of industry leaders for a brilliant evening of celebration.
Chris Curtis, Editor in Chief at Broadcast of MBI, comments: “It was fantastic to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Broadcast Awards by recognising the very best programming of the last 12 months. During a challenging period for the sector, British creative flair and production excellence have really come to the fore, and the awards night was a celebration of everything that is good about our industry.
‘Mr Bates vs the Post Office’ changed government policy, ‘Gavin & Stacey’ is one of the most beloved series of all time, and the hard work and brilliance of colleagues across the sector is ensuring that the next generation of programming will be just as groundbreaking.”
The awards are judged by a specially selected panel of the leading industry figures, celebrating a year of groundbreaking and inspiring content.
The Broadcast Awards 2025 were supported by Access Bookings, Barclays, BBC Studioworks, BMC TV, dock10, EMG/Gravity Media, ES Broadcast, Garden Studios, Iron Mountain Media & Archival Services, Maidstone Studios, Moments Lab, NEP, Pinewood TV Studios, Race Tech, Sargent-Disc, The Complete Camera Company and VERSA Studios.
MBI is the publisher of market-leading titles including Broadcast, Broadcast Sport, Broadcast Tech, KFTV, The Knowledge and Screen International.
By building up intelligence around suspects and working at pace, Met officers in Camden arrested a male and recovered 16 stolen phones which are being returned to their owners.
At around 08:00hrs on Thursday, 6 February, officers were alerted to a phone robbery in Euston. The police helicopter had tracked the suspect to the Belsize Park area of Camden, and utilising the intelligence picture built up by the Met, a nearby address was raided.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested at the location after around £1,000 in cash was found at the address along with a quantity of cannabis. 16 mobile phones were found nearby. A Surron electric motorcycle found outside the property was also seized. The boy has been bailed pending further enquiries.
Inspector John Wilde, one of the senior officers policing Camden, said: “This arrest shows what we are doing to deal with theft and robbery offences, including by offenders riding bikes, e-bikes and mopeds.
“We are constantly building intelligence, linking offences and working to establish who might be responsible. And we are responding to robberies at pace.
“These tactics, among others, are enabling us to get significant results like this, recovering stolen goods and drugs, and arresting those we suspect of committing offences.”
If you have been a victim of robbery, please call 999 or, if your phone has been stolen, ask someone nearby to call police urgently. If you have information about those committing robberies or selling stolen good, please call 101, message @MetCC or to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers.
Issued for WILMINGTON, MELROSE, NECTAR BROOK and MAMBRAY CREEK in the Mount Remarkable National Park in the Flinders Ranges.
Aircraft will continue to work during the day deploying fire retardant to lower the risk of spreading past control lines, and aerial bombing and observational aircraft are supporting them.
Firefighters on day and night shift will continue to closely monitor weather conditions in the coming days and carry out controlled burns when needed to limit the fire from spreading. Fire behaviour is expected to be low to moderate. During these burns, the community may notice more smoke, flames, and embers, especially at night.
Whilst there is still currently no threat to local communities, anyone in Wilmington, Melrose, Nectar Brook, and Mambray Creek is strongly encouraged to stay informed through multiple channels as the situation is continually changing.
Around 79 CFS and Department for Environment and Water firefighters are working on a scrub fire at Alligator Gorge in the Mount Remarkable National Park. They are supported by approximately 23 trucks, 30 Farm Fire Units, heavy machinery, and 6 aircraft, including firebombers and observational aircraft.
Due to the steep terrain with limited safe access for firefighters, the fire remains uncontained and is predicted to burn for the remainder of the week, if not longer. The fire has continued to grow to approximately 3850 ha and currently remains mostly within the national park boundaries, except for some small areas across the northern end.
Mount Remarkable National Park will remain closed until further notice. Emergency services may be working on and around roads in the wider area, and motorists are advised to stay away. If you need to travel on roads in the area, please take care and drive according to the local conditions.
Smoke impacting local communities may increase at different points over the coming days. Please take precautions for your health, and if driving through smoke, ensure you slow down and drive to conditions..
China’s National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Saturday renewed a yellow alert for strong winds and forecasted temperature drops in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, where the 9th Asian Winter Games is underway. From 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, strong winds are expected in parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hebei Province, Xizang Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province. Powerful winds are also expected in parts of the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, waters east of Taiwan Island, the Bashi Channel, and the South China Sea. The NMC announced the end of Friday’s blue alert for a cold wave but noted that temperatures are expected to drop in parts of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang Province from Saturday to Sunday, with some areas of Heilongjiang seeing declines of up to 10 degrees Celsius. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for strong winds, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.