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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Import of poultry meat and products from Goleniów District of Zachodniopomorskie Region in Poland suspended

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Import of poultry meat and products from Goleniów District of Zachodniopomorskie Region in Poland suspended
    Import of poultry meat and products from Goleniów District of Zachodniopomorskie Region in Poland suspended
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         The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 27) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Goleniów District of Zachodniopomorskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 3 480 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland in the first nine months of last year.     “The CFS has contacted the Polish authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

     
    Ends/Monday, January 27, 2025Issued at HKT 15:25

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WSD’s Photo-taking Challenge on 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong starts tomorrow (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    WSD’s Photo-taking Challenge on 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong starts tomorrow (with photos)
    WSD’s Photo-taking Challenge on 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong starts tomorrow (with photos)
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         This year marks the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong. To commemorate this remarkable milestone with members of the public, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) is holding a Photo-taking Challenge on 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong from tomorrow (January 28) to May 18 with an aim to encourage members of the public to visit various related waterworks facilities to deepen their understanding of the Dongjiang water supply system, and also to learn from history and be grateful for the care rendered by the country. Participants who complete designated photo-taking tasks will have a chance to receive a limited edition souvenir. Members of the public are welcome to take part in the challenge.      The challenge covers six waterworks facilities, namely the Sheung Shui Dongjiang water main, the Plover Cove Reservoir, the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, the High Island Reservoir, the Tin Shui Wai H2OPE Centre and the Shenzhen Reservoir. A section of the Sheung Shui Dongjiang water main is decorated as a bamboo with cute pandas and a WSD mascot named Water Save Dave dressed in a panda costume attract the public to take photos.      To participate, members of the public only have to take photos at the abovementioned waterworks facilities, share the photos in a public post on their Facebook or Instagram accounts and add designated hashtags and tags, and then email the screenshot of the post with the original photo to dj60@wsd.gov.hk. The challenge comprises eight challenge periods. The first 250 participants in each period to complete the above photo-taking challenge steps will receive a limited edition Water Save Dave family blind box doll. A set of four cute Water Save Dave family blind box dolls has been specially designed and produced to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong, making the items exceptional collectibles. For details and rules of the challenge, please visit the event website.      Moreover, two special thematic guided tours of the Dongjiang water supply under the WSD’s “Excursion with Water Save Dave” visiting programme are being organised starting from October last year to March this year as one of the celebration activities for the 60th anniversary of the Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong. Participants completing the two guided tours are also eligible to redeem a limited edition Water Save Dave family blind box doll. With the public’s great support and participation, the two thematic tours with 4,400 spaces has been fully taken up.

     
    Ends/Monday, January 27, 2025Issued at HKT 15:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: DRC creates a reserve force to fight the M23 – why this may backfire

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Judith Verweijen, Assistant professor, Utrecht University

    After nearly three decades of warfare, armed conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seems only to intensify. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion has been at the centre of attention in recent years. However, eastern DRC is home to more than 100 other armed groups, which are a major source of instability too. The question of their demobilisation has haunted the country ever since the end of the Second Congo War in 2003.

    A new chapter in this long-standing conundrum seems to have started. In 2022, the government decided to form an alliance with armed groups to fight their common enemy, the M23 and its Rwandan backers. At around the same time, it launched an initiative to create an army reserve, known as the Reserve armée de la défense (RAD). This formalised the Congolese army’s established practice of using armed groups as auxiliaries.

    The creation of the reserve army allows the government to reward armed group allies with integration while bringing them under institutionalised control. But will this actually work?

    Our past and ongoing research on army integration and demobilisation in eastern DRC casts doubt on the plan, for three reasons.

    The first risk is that armed groups will boost their numbers to gain a stronger bargaining position once integration does occur.

    Secondly, reservist forces may compete with the army over territorial control and limited resources and turn against those who created them.

    Finally, merely absorbing armed groups into a reserve force does little to address the long-standing grievances that underlie conflict in the east.

    The Wazalendo: eastern DRC’s predatory patriots

    On 9 May 2022, in a secretive meeting in the town of Pinga in North Kivu, the Congolese armed forces and several Congolese armed groups agreed to cease hostilities against each other and instead form an alliance to fight their common enemy, the M23.

    As a result, these groups became quasi-official and increasingly presented themselves as defenders of Congo’s territorial integrity. They started to call themselves Wazalendo or patriots in Kiswahili. Fuelled by President Félix Tshisekedi’s supportive rhetoric, the Wazalendo became symbols of Congolese resistance against foreign aggression. This benefited the president’s 2023 electoral campaign.

    Across North and South Kivu provinces, armed groups have rebranded themselves Wazalendo, even when not part of the coalition fighting the M23.

    As the Congolese army’s attention is on the M23, these armed groups have benefited from the lull in operations against them. Most Wazalendo groups are allowed to roam around freely and have dramatically expanded their zones of influence and violent systems of revenue generation.

    This includes taxation at markets and rapidly proliferating roadblocks, but also ransom kidnappings and contract killings. There is also evidence that Wazalendo groups are engaged in torture, sexual violence and arbitrary arrests, and frequently recruit child soldiers.

    Chequered history of integration

    A few months after the Pinga meeting, Congo’s government launched a new national defence policy that mentioned the establishment of the reserve army. Though it was passed unanimously in parliament in April 2023, MPs voiced concerns that the new army reserve risked repeating mistakes of the past.

    The army is itself the product of the painstaking integration of former belligerents after the Second Congo War (1998-2003). But rebel-military integration became an open-ended process. Armed group officers alternately integrated into and deserted from the army in the hope of gaining higher ranks and positions in a next round of integration.

    Unending rebel integration also weakened the national army. It reinforced parallel command chains, facilitated intelligence leaks and created a lopsided hierarchy.

    The first iteration of the M23 rebellion in 2012 was the result of rebel integration gone wrong. In its aftermath, the Congolese government banned the wholesale negotiated integration of armed groups into the army.

    Hurdles to integration

    The reserve army risks unleashing the same dynamics of rewarding rebellion by doling out positions to armed group leaders and granting them impunity for past violence. In April 2024, the leaders of many Wazalendo groups were flown to Kinshasa where the army reserve leadership told them to start preparing lists of their combatants ahead of their integration.

    This has prompted numerous armed groups to step up recruitment.

    The prospect of integration has also triggered fierce competition for positions between Wazalendo commanders. This risks worsening animosities between groups.

    Other hurdles, some of which have been faced before, include:

    Unity of command. Forcing smaller armed groups into a hierarchical mould doesn’t always work. Most have deep local roots, with their recruitment and influence limited to a relatively small area. Used to calling the shots in their home areas, these commanders tend to be reluctant to take orders from higher-placed outsiders.

    Ethnic competition. Armed groups may resist full integration if they feel their rank and positions in the reserve army will be lower and that this will hamper their ability to protect members of their ethnic community. Such “local security dilemmas” have obstructed army integration and demobilisation efforts in the past.

    Resources. Armed groups currently enjoy substantial income, and considerable freedom in obtaining it. Will the reserve army command allow its members to engage in illegal taxation, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and ambushes? If not, how will it compensate for their lost opportunities? In addition, the reserve army is likely to compete with the army over revenue-generating opportunities. And some of its members may leak intelligence to fellow armed groups.

    Painkiller or cure?

    The army reserve may be read as the latest attempt at solving the decades-old problem of getting rid of the many armed groups in eastern DRC, this time by bringing them into the fold of the state yet not into the army.

    However, this solution does risk unleashing many of the same detrimental dynamics as army integration. It may fuel armed mobilisation and militarisation rather than contain it.

    Wazalendo groups are currently in a comfortable position and there are no repercussions for not integrating the reserve force. To contain them, both the DRC’s army and the military justice system would need to be professionalised.

    Even if the reserve army did not have negative ripple effects, it would be an unlikely cure for armed mobilisation. That requires comprehensive, bottom-up peace efforts that tackle deep-seated grievances related to past violence and conflict over belonging, territory and local authority. Barring such efforts, the reserve force will remain a painkiller at best.

    Michel Thill is a Senior Program Officer for swisspeace, a Basel University affiliated practice and research institute dedicated to advancing effective peacebuilding. swisspeace receives funding from research funding bodies, and bilateral and multilateral organizations. Michel is also a Fellow of the Rift Valley Institute.

    Judith Verweijen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. DRC creates a reserve force to fight the M23 – why this may backfire – https://theconversation.com/drc-creates-a-reserve-force-to-fight-the-m23-why-this-may-backfire-247476

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists have designed a stand for studying radiation aging of semiconductor photodetectors

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    A rig for studying the radiation aging of solid-state photomultipliers (SPMT) was created by scientists from Novosibirsk State University together with their colleagues from the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS. The rig they developed is designed to operate at the boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) facility, which is located at the INP SB RAS. It is integrated into the BNCT facility, expanding its capabilities. The rig is designed to study the radiation aging of SPMT. BNCT makes it possible to irradiate the devices under study with fast neutrons, and the rig, in turn, allows one to observe how this process affects their parameters. The first tests of the rig were conducted in November last year.

    Solid-state photomultiplier tubes (SSPMs) are a type of photodetector that are widely used in science. They can register single photons that result from the interaction of particles with the substance through which they pass. Since there are many such processes (scintillation, Cherenkov radiation, bremsstrahlung, etc.), the scope of application of SSPMs is very diverse. Almost every modern detector employs hundreds and thousands of SSPMs.

    — Under the influence of radiation — in our case, fast neutrons — the material is destroyed. In fact, neutrons destroy the structure of bonds in the semiconductor (usually silicon), from which the TFMTs are made. On the other hand, inside any detector operating at its collider, neutrons are also formed during the collision of counter beams of particles, and, therefore, along with the “useful” particles that the TFMTs are used to register, they undergo radiation aging. As a result, free charge carriers are formed, forming a dark current, and the TFMT at some point simply stops working. Therefore, it is necessary to know the permissible level of radiation at which they can be used. At the same time, the task of physicists is to make detectors such that their systems effectively register particles and at the same time are as little exposed to the harmful effects of radiation exposure as possible, — said the leading engineer of the interfaculty group of advanced developments of the Department of General Physics of the Physics Faculty of NSU, senior researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Physics named after G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS Viktor Bobrovnikov.

    In 2022, scientists from NSU and INP SB RAS spent a month at the BNCT facility studying the effect of radiation on the optical transparency of the fiber used in the calibration system of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Part of this fiber is located quite close to the collision site of hadron beams, so it begins to darken – “age” under the influence of radiation. Studies conducted by scientists from NSU and INP SB RAS showed that the transparency of the fiber degrades by 25-30% at a dose corresponding to 3 years of CMS operation per experiment. The CMS calorimeter calibration team was completely satisfied with the result obtained. In this experiment, the researchers used the equipment and measurement methodology proposed by foreign colleagues. The experience gained was used to create our stand for studying TFMTs.

    The TFMT research setup consists of three main elements. The first is the light distribution system from the source (laser) to the TFMTs under study. It is necessary because all equipment must be located in a radiation-protected area (control room) to prevent damage to the equipment, while the TFMTs are directly exposed to radiation. The second element is a heat and cold chamber. Sometimes it is called a “climate chamber”. It allows you to set a certain temperature for the TFMT from -20 to 55 degrees. Temperature in this case is an important parameter, since the previously mentioned TFMT dark current (or noise) depends on it. If this noise is high enough, it can completely drown out the useful TFMT signal. Also, a “climate chamber” is necessary for researchers because the ambient temperature is quite unstable, and for repeatability of experiments to study the TFMT response, it is necessary to work in one temperature mode under strictly identical conditions. In addition, researchers are interested in conducting research outside room temperature in order to better understand the capabilities of the TFMT. The third important component of the stand is the data collection system. It is needed for digitalization and subsequent recording of signals from the studied TFEU, laser parameters, microclimate parameters in the TFEU location, signals from sensors measuring the stability of the laser source and the transparency of the optical fiber, and so on.

    — The solutions implemented in the stand are already used to one degree or another in various installations. The uniqueness lies in the process of irradiating the TFEU itself. Along with the simultaneous measurement of the TFEU parameters, we can evaluate the level of radiation dose. This gives us a rare opportunity to thoroughly study the level of radiation exposure to the TFEU. Such an opportunity is completely absent when conducting similar studies on reactors; in the end, you will only receive an answer about the initial and final state of your device without understanding how its parameters changed during irradiation, — explained Viktor Bobrovnikov.

    The stand was tested in November last year. A significant amount of data was obtained, which is currently being processed, but scientists are already noting that the effect of radiation aging of the TFEU has become quite obvious and it remains to complete the analysis to fully understand the whole picture.

    — We plan to upgrade the stand taking into account the experimental experience gained. It is impossible to take everything into account at once — some of the features are revealed directly in the process of work. In the conducted irradiation session, we worked with rather old TFEMs, which are now practically not used, but are quite suitable for “testing” the measurement technique in real conditions. Now we have three types of TFEMs, currently used in real experiments. One of them is used in the electromagnetic calorimeter “shashlik” of the MPD detector of the NIKA experiment (Dubna, Moscow). We and our colleagues are interested in knowing the response of these TFEMs to irradiation. So, we have extensive plans, at least for the next 2-3 years, — said Viktor Bobrovnikov.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Spring Festival film pre-sales hit 600 mln-yuan in record time

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    With two days to go before the Spring Festival holiday, China’s box office pre-sales for the holiday have reached 600 million yuan (about 83.7 million U.S. dollars) as of Sunday, setting a new record for the fastest time to reach this milestone, according to data from box office trackers.

    Topping the pre-sale chart are domestic movies themed on wuxia (martial arts and chivalry), Chinese mythology and fantasy.

    The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important festival on the Chinese calendar for family reunions, falling on Jan. 29 this year. The Spring Festival holiday, extended by one day to eight days this year, is one of the most lucrative movie-going seasons in China.

    Observers believe that the figure reflects a strong expectation for quality films among Chinese audiences.

    U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts that, driven by quality releases and strong market demand, China’s total box office revenue for the holiday may reach a new record of 8.8 billion yuan, up 9 percent from a year ago.

    Besides, it is notable that all the six films set for debut on the Spring Festival are domestic productions.

    According to film data platform Beacon, “The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero,” an adaptation of a Chinese wuxia classic, is currently the biggest box-office draw in the pre-sales chart.

    “Ne Zha 2” and “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force,” both based on Chinese myths, rank second and fourth in the chart, respectively. The fantasy “Detective Chinatown 1900” claims the third spot.

    Xiang Kai, a playwright and director, noted that most of the releases are deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture, offering “the strongest portfolio in the same period ever” and demonstrating the rising confidence in Chinese culture among viewers in recent years.

    With improved quality, a wider range of genres, and a closer connection to local lifestyles, domestic films are likely to maintain their dominance in the Chinese film market, according to analysts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Classic Peking Opera still resonates on silver screen

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Peking Opera master performer Cheng Yanqiu and playwright Weng Ouhong once collaborated in the production of Suo Lin Nang, a bittersweet tale with a happy ending.

    The production premiered in 1940 and remains a showpiece of the Cheng style of Peking Opera to this day. Its morals still resonate with audiences today — lending a helping hand to those in need, kindness begets kindness, and girls help girls.

    In the story, Xue Xiangling, the daughter of a wealthy family, receives a purse filled with jewels from her mother before her wedding. On the way to the ceremony, a sudden downpour forces her to seek shelter in a pavilion where she meets another bride, Zhao Shouzhen, who is crying over her poverty, so Xue gifts Zhao the purse.

    Years later, a flood separates Xue from her family, and she has to work as a maid. She accidentally finds the purse in the house and realizes that the lady of the household is Zhao. Recognizing Xue as her benefactor, Zhao helps her reunite with her family.

    For more than three years, Shanghai Film Group, the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Shanghai Media Group and the Capital Jinghu Arts Research Association worked together to bring the production to the silver screen, along with Zhang Huoding, a renowned Peking Opera artist and representative performer of the Cheng opera style.

    The film Suo Lin Nang, or The Kylin Purse, made its Beijing premiere at the China National Film Museum on Dec 27.

    “This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Cheng Yanqiu. The Cheng-style influence is profound and the master’s thoughts and spirit continue to enlighten future generations,” Zhang, also a professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, said at the premiere.

    According to her, the film captures the classic stage production through visual storytelling, serving as a tribute to and remembrance of Peking Opera predecessors. “I sincerely hope that the Cheng style continues to thrive and the master’s art will endure,” she adds.

    At the premiere, director Teng Junjie, vice-president of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said that during the filmmaking process, he was moved by the professionalism and pursuit of excellence demonstrated by the Peking Opera artists.

    Teng recalls filming during the coldest winter months along the coast of Zhejiang province, but the artists, exemplified by Zhang, gritted their teeth and overcame the difficulties while working more than 10 hours a day.

    “Zhang insisted on canceling the trailer we booked for her to save our limited budget to improve the film’s quality,” Teng says.

    Another example of this camaraderie is that while some supporting actors had limited scenes, they insisted on staying on the set, offering to help in any way they could.

    “With 8K resolution, this film is presented to today’s audience with the clearest images, the most saturated colors, and the most precise combination of camera movement and structure,” Teng says.

    This film is made for today and the future, he adds.

    “With this film, we pay tribute to Cheng Yanqiu, our national treasure Peking Opera, and the excellent contemporary performers of the Cheng style who have been working hard to pass down the art form,” Teng says.

    In 2014, the film concept was included in the Peking Opera Film Project, initiated in 2011 to preserve outstanding stage productions through cinematic techniques. It later received support from the China National Arts Fund, which was approved by the State Council in late 2013.

    The completion of The Kylin Purse highlights that all 21 films listed in the project have been produced, with Shanghai Film Group having filmed and produced six.

    Last June, the film made its Shanghai premiere at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival.

    In November, it was screened at the 9th edition of the festival of traditional Chinese operas in Paris and won one of its top prizes.

    The China National Film Museum has entered all 21 films from the project into its archives and established a permanent exhibition themed on the project.

    “The Kylin Purse is a highly acclaimed classic in the Peking Opera scene,” says Huang Xiaowei, the museum’s curator.

    “Its script upholds long-standing values such as justice and gratitude. With the distinctive Cheng singing style, especially under the superb performance of Zhang Huoding, the production has remarkable artistic depth and appeal,”Huang adds.

    She stresses the vital role Peking Opera played in China’s cinematic history, as the first-ever Chinese film Dingjun Mountain, released in 1905, was a recording of veteran Peking Opera artist Tan Xinpei performing.

    “The exhibition themed on the Peking Opera Film Project has expanded and enriched our museum’s film collection. It has taken on an integral role in showcasing the achievements of Chinese cinema,”Huang adds.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Colombia announces tit-for-tat tariffs on US goods following Trump threat

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Sunday announced 25-percent tariffs on all goods from the United States in a tit-for-tat measure after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Colombia.

    Trump said he would impose 25 percent tariffs and various sanctions on Colombia after the South American country refused to allow the landing of two military aircraft carrying deported immigrants.

    “I order the Minister of Foreign Trade to raise tariffs on imports from the United States by 25 percent,” Petro posted on social media platform X. The president also said the government will assist in replacing those U.S. products with Colombian products.

    He said in another message that he would never allow Colombian immigrants to be transported in military aircraft handcuffed as if they were criminals.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Displaced Palestinians who want to be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza wait in al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on Jan. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Dozens of thousands of Palestinians on Monday began to return to their homes in the city of Gaza and the north of the coastal enclave after 15 months of being forcibly displaced.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Vietnamese PM meets Chinese ambassador on ties

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    This photo shows a view of the Chinese part of the China-Vietnam Detian-Ban Gioc Waterfall cross-border tourism cooperation zone in Chongzuo, south China’s Guangxi Province, Dec. 15, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has vowed to continuously solidify the foundation for building a Vietnam-China community of shared future.

    In a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei in the Vietnamese capital, Chinh said that the traditional friendship between Vietnam and China is time-honored and unbreakable.

    The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government have always regarded the development of relations with China as a strategic choice and top priority, Chinh stressed.

    The Vietnamese prime minister urged both sides to fully leverage the advantages of land and sea connectivity between the two countries and step up substantive cooperation and the implementation of significant and symbolic projects.

    For his part, He said China is willing to work with Vietnam to promote the steady and long-term development of China-Vietnam friendship and contribute to regional and world peace and prosperity.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Auction of personalised vehicle registration marks to be held on February 15

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Auction of personalised vehicle registration marks to be held on February 15
    Auction of personalised vehicle registration marks to be held on February 15
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         The Transport Department (TD) today (January 27) announced that an auction of personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be held on February 15 (Saturday) in Meeting Room S421, L4, Old Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.      “A total of 240 approved PVRMs will be put up for public auction. A list of the marks has been uploaded to the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html,” a department spokesman said.      The reserve price of each of these marks is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.      People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following points: (1) Bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after successful bidding: (i) the identity document of the successful bidder;(ii) the identity document of the purchaser (if the purchaser and the successful bidder are different persons);(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation (if the purchaser is a body corporate); and(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed. Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount in the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted. (2) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the Memorandum will not be permitted. (3) A PVRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate. (4) The display of a PVRM on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations. (5) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed. (6) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the PVRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the PVRM within 12 months, allocation of the PVRM will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.      “Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be sent to the TD for processing,” the spokesman added.      For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRM, which is available at the department’s licensing offices or can be downloaded from its website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_auction/index.html.

     
    Ends/Monday, January 27, 2025Issued at HKT 14:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hospital Authority announces service arrangements of general out-patient and Chinese medicine clinics during Lunar New Year holidays

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     District 
     18 CMCTRs 
     Address 
     Telephone number for booking 
     Service hours 

     Hong Kong Island 
     Tung Wah Group of Hospitals – The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Central & Western District) 
     1/F, Hawkins Wing and Yeo Wing, Tung Wah Hospital, 12 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan 
     2589 4700 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 13:00 14:00 – 18:00 

     Tung Wah Group of Hospitals – The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Eastern District) 
     Lower 4th Floor, West Wing, Specialist Out-patient Block, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, 3 Lok Man Road, Chai Wan 
     3197 2000 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:00 January 31, 202509:00 – 13:00 

     The Hong Kong Tuberculosis Association – The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Southern District) 
     2/F, Aberdeen Jockey Club Clinic, 10 Aberdeen Reservoir Road, Aberdeen 
     2580 8158 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 17:00   

     The Hong Kong Tuberculosis Association – The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Wan Chai District) 
     2/F, Tang Shiu Kin Hospital Community Ambulatory Care Centre, 282 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai 
     3553 3238 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 17:00   

     Kowloon 
     Pok Oi Hospital – Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Kowloon City District) 
     Unit 401-412, Po Man House, Oi Man Estate, Ho Man Tin 
     2193 7000 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 13:00 14:00 – 17:00 

     Christian Family Service Centre – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Kwun Tong District) 
     4/F, Ngau Tau Kok Jockey Club Clinic, 60 Ting On Street, Ngau Tau Kok 
     3583 4114 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 16:00   

     Yan Chai Hospital – Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Sham Shui Po District) 
     1/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po 
     2194 9911 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:00 January 31, 202509:00 – 13:00 

     The Hong Kong Buddhist Association – The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Wong Tai Sin District) 
     G/F & M/F, Block C, Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital, 10 Heng Lam Street, Lok Fu 
     2338 3103 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 17:00   

     Pok Oi Hospital – Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Yau Tsim Mong District) 
     9/F, Block R, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Jordan 
     2618 7200 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 13:0014:00 – 17:00   

     New Territories 
     Yan Oi Tong – The University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Islands District) 
     1/F, Block 2, Tung Chung Health Centre, No. 6 Fu Tung Street, Tung Chung, Lantau Island 
     3188 5383 
     January 31, 202508:00 – 13:0014:00 – 18:00 

     Yan Chai Hospital – Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Kwai Tsing District) 
     G/F, Ha Kwai Chung Polyclinic & Special Education Services Centre, 77 Lai Cho Road, Kwai Chung 
     2370 2216 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:00January 31, 202509:00 – 13:00 

     HKFTU Workers’ Medical Clinics – Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (North District) 
     7/F, Fanling Health Centre, 2 Pik Fung Road, Fanling 
     2670 2130 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 12:0013:00 – 17:00 

     Haven of Hope – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Sai Kung District) 
     6/F, Ambulatory Care Block, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, No 2 Po Ning Lane, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O 
     2701 1020 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 12:3014:00 – 17:30 

     Pok Oi Hospital – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Shatin District) 
     G/F, Sha Tin (Tai Wai) Clinic, 2 Man Lai Road, Tai Wai, Sha Tin 
     2479 2126 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:00January 31, 202509:00 – 13:0014:00 – 17:00 

     United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Tai Po District) 
     G/F, Block J, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, 11 Chuen On Road, Tai Po 
     2663 0004 
     January 31, 202509:00 – 13:0014:00 – 18:00  

     Yan Chai Hospital – Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Tsuen Wan District) 
     4/F, Block C, Yan Chai Hospital, 7-11 Yan Chai Street, Tsuen Wan 
     2416 0303 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:00January 31, 202509:00 – 13:00   

     Yan Oi Tong – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Tuen Mun District) 
     5/F, Yan Oi Polyclinic, 6 Tuen Lee Street, Tuen Mun 
     2430 1309 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:0014:00 – 18:00  

     Pok Oi Hospital – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre (Yuen Long District) 
     3/F, Madam Yung Fung Shee Health Centre, 26 Sai Ching Street, Yuen Long 
     2478 5769 
     January 30, 202509:00 – 13:00 January 31, 202509:00 – 13:0014:00 – 17:00 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News Update – Sunny Interlude Before Midweek Rain – MetService

    Source: MetService

    UPDATE: Covering period of Monday 27 – Thursday 30 January – MetService is forecasting a quieter weather day on Tuesday before another system sweeps across the South Island later in the day and into Wednesday, bringing rain and strong winds. Meanwhile, the North Island gets a reprieve from the muggy conditions of the past weekend, enjoying fresher air ahead of the next weather system later this week.

    Following the devastating tornado in Mangawhai early on Sunday morning, Monday brought yet another day of unsettled weather for parts of Aotearoa New Zealand. Showers and thunderstorms were widespread in the east, with unseasonable snow falling in elevated parts of Canterbury, driven by a cold front moving northward. For regions marking Auckland Anniversary Day in the northern half of the North Island, the day was brighter and more settled.

    This brighter weather extends across much of the country on Tuesday, thanks to a brief ridge of high pressure. MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane explains, “After an active couple of days weather-wise, many may welcome a bright and sunny summer day. However, the odd shower may still pop up in the western South Island and upper North Island. Later in the afternoon, the next weather system begins to make its presence felt.”

    From Tuesday afternoon, winds strengthen over the lower South Island as the approaching weather system brings the potential for Heavy Rain and Strong Winds. MetService has issued Strong Wind Watches from Fiordland to inland Canterbury for Tuesday late afternoon to Wednesday. Heavy Rain Watches are also in effect for Fiordland and the ranges of the Westland District, primarily overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday. In the eastern South Island, brief rain is expected on Wednesday as the weather system moves through, while conditions clear on Thursday, with lingering rain possible for Buller and Tasman. The rain reaches the lower North Island early Thursday, where it is expected to be for much of the day.

    In the North Island, the muggy conditions of recent days are replaced by cooler, fresher air. Single-digit temperatures may greet some areas in the central and lower North Island on Tuesday morning. “I imagine the cooler temperatures will make sleeping a lot easier for many compared to these last few nights,” adds Makgabutlane. However, warm overnight temperatures return to the lower North Island towards the end of the working week.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Name Release, Fatal crash, Winton Lorneville Highway

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can now confirm the name of the woman who died following a two-vehicle crash on Winton Lorneville Highway, Tuesday 21 January.

    She was Thachawalai Youngdaeng of Thailand.

    Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this difficult time.

    Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Detectives investigating a rape in Westminster release E-FIT of man they want to identify

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating a rape in Westminster have released an E-FIT image of a man they are working to identify.

    On Tuesday, 14 June 2022, a woman reported walking alone along Bradiston Road, W9, when a car, believed to be a dark coloured Audi A3, stopped at the junction ahead of her.

    An unknown man pushed the woman from behind into the vehicle, then drove away with her inside before raping her.

    After the assault the woman was pushed back out of the vehicle not far from where she’d been picked up.

    The incident happened at 21:00hrs one evening in March 2022.

    Detectives have released an e-fit of the man they urgently need to trace.

    He was described as speaking with a Jamaican accent and believed to be in his late 30s, tall with short dreadlocks, and a significant facial scar.

    Detective Constable, Leon Riley, from the policing team covering Westminster, said:

    “If you recognise the man in the image please contact us without delay.

    “We have been carrying out extensive enquiries since the incident and we continue to support the victim who, as far as possible, has been trying to live her life as normal since it happened.

    “It was a horrifying ordeal for her and we thank her for supporting the investigation to trace the man responsible for assaulting her, and now helping us build an e-fit of the suspect.

    “Women should be able to walk alone without fear and we are dedicated to protecting women and girls from predatory offenders such as this.

    “Anyone who recognises the man, or has information, please contact police on 101 quoting 6533840/22.

    “Or, to remain completely anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on January 25, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 0.00 – –
         I. Call Money 0.00 – –
         II. Triparty Repo 0.00 – –
         III. Market Repo 0.00 – –
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 0.00 – –
         II. Term Money@@ 0.00 – –
         III. Triparty Repo 0.00 – –
         IV. Market Repo 0.00 – –
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Sat, 25/01/2025 1 Sun, 26/01/2025 3,351.00 6.75
      Sat, 25/01/2025 2 Mon, 27/01/2025 0.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Sat, 25/01/2025 1 Sun, 26/01/2025 53,679.00 6.25
      Sat, 25/01/2025 2 Mon, 27/01/2025 52.00 6.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -50,380.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo Fri, 24/01/2025 14 Fri, 07/02/2025 1,62,096.00 6.51
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Fri, 24/01/2025 3 Mon, 27/01/2025 2,00,011.00 6.52
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Fri, 24/01/2025 2 Sun, 26/01/2025 0.00 6.75
      Fri, 24/01/2025 3 Mon, 27/01/2025 83.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Fri, 24/01/2025 2 Sun, 26/01/2025 52.00 6.25
      Fri, 24/01/2025 3 Mon, 27/01/2025 7,705.00 6.25
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       9,556.48  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     3,63,989.48  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     3,13,609.48  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on January 25, 2025 9,28,263.56  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending February 07, 2025 9,12,544.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ January 24, 2025 2,53,500.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on January 10, 2025 40,102.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2024-2025/2009

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on January 26, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India
    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)
      Volume
    (One Leg)    		 Weighted
    Average Rate    		 Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 0.00 – –
         I. Call Money 0.00 – –
         II. Triparty Repo 0.00 – –
         III. Market Repo 0.00 – –
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 0.00 – –
         II. Term Money@@ 0.00 – –
         III. Triparty Repo 0.00 – –
         IV. Market Repo 0.00 – –
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00 – –
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Sun, 26/01/2025 1 Mon, 27/01/2025 3,459.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Sun, 26/01/2025 1 Mon, 27/01/2025 54,345.00 6.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -50,886.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo Fri, 24/01/2025 14 Fri, 07/02/2025 1,62,096.00 6.51
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo Fri, 24/01/2025 3 Mon, 27/01/2025 2,00,011.00 6.52
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Sat, 25/01/2025 2 Mon, 27/01/2025 0.00 6.75
      Fri, 24/01/2025 3 Mon, 27/01/2025 83.00 6.75
    4. SDFΔ# Sat, 25/01/2025 2 Mon, 27/01/2025 52.00 6.25
      Fri, 24/01/2025 3 Mon, 27/01/2025 7,705.00 6.25
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       9,556.48  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     3,63,989.48  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     3,13,103.48  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on January 26, 2025 9,27,585.94  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending February 07, 2025 9,12,544.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ January 24, 2025 2,53,500.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on January 10, 2025 40,102.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2024-2025/2010

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s industrial profits up 11% in December 2024

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The combined profit of major industrial enterprises went up 11 percent year on year in December 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

    Profits of major industrial firms for last year went down 3.3 percent year on year, showed the data.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s non-manufacturing PMI at 50.2 in January

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s non-manufacturing sector came in at 50.2 in January, down from 52.2 in December, official data showed Monday.

    A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while below 50 reflects contraction.

    According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the service sector continued to expand, with its sub-index standing at 50.3 in January.

    Driven by the effects of the Spring Festival, business activity indices in sectors related to residents’ travel and consumption, including road transportation, accommodation, catering, ecological protection, and public facilities management, have risen into the expansion zone, showing strengthened market activities.

    Meanwhile, business activity indices in sectors such as air transport, postal services, telecommunications, radio, television, satellite transmission services, and monetary and financial services remained above the 55-mark, indicating a robust growth in overall business volume.

    In January, the construction sub-index came in at 49.3, according to NBS data.

    Monday’s data also showed that the country’s manufacturing PMI came in at 49.1 in January.

    Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 29 this year. It is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and an occasion for family reunions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s manufacturing PMI at 49.1 in January

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for China’s manufacturing sector came in at 49.1 in January, down from 50.1 in December, official data showed Monday.

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) statistician Zhao Qinghe said the PMI data in January were influenced by factors such as the approaching Spring Festival holiday and enterprise employees’ returning home for festival reunions.

    Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 29 this year. It is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and an occasion for family reunions.

    The NBS data showed that the sub-indices of production and new orders came in at 49.8 and 49.2, respectively.

    The PMI for the equipment manufacturing sector remained above 50 for a sixth straight month, with its January reading at 50.2, according to the NBS.

    A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Nicola Willis prioritises visitors over everyday Kiwis

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis.

    “The fact that Nicola Willis is offering benefits to visitors that she won’t even allow New Zealanders, shows exactly where her priorities lie,” Labour’s finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

    “I don’t have a problem with tweaks here and there so we can ensure we have good investment in New Zealand, but I do have a problem with Nicola Willis’ double standards.

    “National is choosing to prioritise visitors to New Zealand, instead of tackling the urgent challenges facing Kiwis today. Nicola Willis doesn’t even know how many people will benefit from these changes or have an estimate as to how much our economy would grow.

    “With rising rents, workforce shortages, and businesses crying out for more support, this announcement shows a lack of focus on the real issues affecting our economy.

    “With one hand she’s begging foreigners to come here to work from home, while implementing strict policies on Kiwi public servants to stop them from doing the same.

    “We need real long-term solutions for economic growth that provides the jobs of Kiwis, not a short-term sugar hit,” Barbara Edmonds said.

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Nike’s Q4 advertising strategy focuses on innovation, dedication, and inspiration to strengthen brand, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Nike’s Q4 advertising strategy focuses on innovation, dedication, and inspiration to strengthen brand, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    NIKE Inc’s (Nike) YouTube advertising campaigns spanning from October to December (Q4) of 2024 demonstrates a multifaceted approach to brand building, combining motivational storytelling, innovative product showcases, and cultural celebrations to engage a wide range of consumer segments. These campaigns, which feature themes of athletic dedication and playful nostalgic collaborations, emphasize Nike’s expertise in athletic apparel and footwear. By blending authentic, gritty visuals with compelling narratives, Nike strengthens its position in sports while highlighting its commitment to innovation, according to the Global Ads Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Sagar Kishor, Ads Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Nike’s advertising analysis highlights its strategic focus on creating campaigns that resonate deeply with both athletes and everyday consumers. By alternating between powerful messages of perseverance and showcasing cutting-edge product technology such as 3D-printing technology in Nike Air Max 1000, the company positions itself as both a source of inspiration and a provider of superior athletic gear. The brand’s strategic use of collaborations and endorsements further amplifies its reach, connecting with diverse communities through shared values of ambition, innovation, and cultural relevance.”

    Below are the key focus areas of Nike’s advertisements, revealed by GlobalData’s Global Ads Platform:

    Innovation and Technology: Nike showcases its commitment to cutting-edge design and technology in advertisements like the “Nike Air Max 1000: Behind the Design.” This ad provides a behind-the-scenes look at the 3D-printing technology used in the shoe’s creation, emphasizing the brand’s focus on pushing the boundaries of footwear innovation and providing superior comfort and responsiveness.

    Dedication and Perseverance: The “Winning Isn’t Comfortable” ad showcases everyday individuals pushing their limits, while the “It Only Takes Everything” ad featuring Rafael Nadal highlights the intense dedication of a top athlete, reinforcing Nike’s association with grit and determination. These campaigns inspire viewers by illustrating the sacrifices and efforts behind extraordinary achievements.

    Motivation and Inspiration: Nike’s campaigns inspire resilience and ambition, encouraging viewers to overcome challenges and push their limits. By emphasizing hard work, preparation, and perseverance, Nike reinforces its connection to self-belief, determination, and the pursuit of excellence in every aspect of life.

    Cultural Relevance and Nostalgia: Nike’s “Wu-Tang Forever | Dunk High” ad taps into cultural nostalgia by celebrating iconic hip-hop influences, specifically engaging Wu-Tang fans. Through playful imagery and exclusive appeal, it resonates with sneaker enthusiasts and music lovers, blending heritage with modern hype.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Result of the Daily Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction held on January 27, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Tenor 1-day
    Notified Amount (in ₹ crore) 2,00,000
    Total amount of bids received (in ₹ crore) 1,93,661
    Amount allotted (in ₹ crore) 1,93,661
    Cut off Rate (%) 6.51
    Weighted Average Rate (%) 6.52
    Partial Allotment Percentage of bids received at cut off rate (%) NA

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2008

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News – Sunny Interlude Before Midweek Rain – MetService

    Source: MetService

    Covering period of Monday 27 – Thursday 30 January – MetService is forecasting a quieter weather day on Tuesday before another system sweeps across the South Island later in the day and into Wednesday, bringing rain and strong winds. Meanwhile, the North Island gets a reprieve from the muggy conditions of the past weekend, enjoying fresher air ahead of the next weather system later this week.

    Following the devastating tornado in Mangawhai early on Sunday morning, Monday brought yet another day of unsettled weather for parts of Aotearoa New Zealand. Showers and thunderstorms were widespread in the east, with unseasonable snow falling in elevated parts of Canterbury, driven by a cold front moving northward. For regions marking Auckland Anniversary Day in the northern half of the North Island, the day was brighter and more settled.

    This brighter weather extends across much of the country on Tuesday, thanks to a brief ridge of high pressure. MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane explains, “After an active couple of days weather-wise, many may welcome a bright and sunny summer day. However, the odd shower may still pop up in the western South Island and upper North Island. Later in the afternoon, the next weather system begins to make its presence felt.”

    From Tuesday afternoon, winds strengthen over the lower South Island as the approaching weather system brings the potential for Heavy Rain and Strong Winds. MetService has issued Strong Wind Watches from Fiordland to inland Canterbury for Tuesday late afternoon to Wednesday. Heavy Rain Watches are also in effect for Fiordland and the ranges of the Westland District, primarily overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday. In the eastern South Island, brief rain is expected on Wednesday as the weather system moves through, while conditions clear on Thursday, with lingering rain possible for Buller and Tasman. The rain reaches the lower North Island early Thursday, where it is expected to be for much of the day.

    In the North Island, the muggy conditions of recent days are replaced by cooler, fresher air. Single-digit temperatures may greet some areas in the central and lower North Island on Tuesday morning. “I imagine the cooler temperatures will make sleeping a lot easier for many compared to these last few nights,” adds Makgabutlane. However, warm overnight temperatures return to the lower North Island towards the end of the working week.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: What color is solar plasma emission?

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    At the beginning of 2025, we are still at the peak of solar activity, which is beginning to decline. However, still at the peak and throughout 2025, “twists” of magnetic fields are possible at different levels of the Sun, starting from the polar regions to the regions of the Sun’s equator. These twists outside their level in turn generate areas of increased and decreased activity, which results in the emergence of areas of strong instability, and from these areas, as a rule, plasma emissions are “squeezed out”. They, breaking out from the surface of the compressed solar gas ball, fly apart into a huge inflated “fist” of ionized particles, which, reaching the ionospheric cap of the Earth, beats on it, causing in the best case the Northern Lights, and in the worst case – breakdowns of the earth’s infrastructure associated with electricity and magnetism.

    “The images from the EIT (Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) give scientists their usual weather maps of the Sun. Four different colours represent different wavelengths of ultraviolet light emitted by the Sun – invisible to our eyes but detected in stunning detail by the EIT. Each colour, or wavelength, is produced by hot gas at a different temperature: yellow shows gas at about 2 million degrees Celsius, green at 1.6 million degrees, blue at 1 million degrees and red at 80,000 degrees.” HTTPS: //VVV.Sa. Ent/ Scenes_exclotion/spasy_ Sculpt/liva_viev_Of_THE_SON_FROM_SOOO

    This excerpt from the text, accompanying daily photos of the Sun from the SOHO Solar Observatory. Photos for different areas of the spectrum, taken using special filters. It is clear from the text that COLOR = wavelength of radiation = the “fingerprint” of a certain chemical under certain conditions. No more and no less. Plasma containing neutral hydrogen has a color corresponding to a specific transition in the hydrogen atom. Transition from an ionized state to become a neutral hydrogen atom. Neutral hydrogen emits its bright red line = red color, which is designated as the H-alpha line in the spectrum of the hydrogen atom. The photo, which has been often featured in publications lately, was taken using a filter for the red H-alpha line. As a result, the radiation of neutral hydrogen, of which this plasma emission consists, is absorbed by this filter and we do not see this red color, which corresponds to one of the wavelengths of radiation of a neutral hydrogen atom (in total, atomic hydrogen emits 4 wavelengths in the visible range). As a result, we see only the contour of the plasma ejection, visible to us as a dark field inside the contour. Some call this phenomenon a “black” plasma emission, but from the explanation above we conclude that there is no such thing as a “black” plasma, since solar plasma consists mainly of atomic hydrogen, which emits different wavelengths: the visible spectrum is the Balmer series of 4 lines H-alpha, H-betta, H-delta, H-gamma, infrared spectrum – Paschen series; and ultraviolet spectrum – Lyman series.

    The H-alpha filter is present in all special telescopes for observing total solar eclipses, Coronado is one of such telescopes. It is the filter that allows us to clearly see what is happening on the Sun.

    Author: Alfiya Rashidovna Nesterenko, Head of the Educational Astrophysical Automated Complex, Leading Engineer of the Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy Department of General Physics Physics Department of NSU

    Photos taken by the SOHO Solar Observatory and taken from the website Ta europian saved agencies.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Curtain lifted on illegal cannabis operation

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Sergeant Adam Elder, Alexandra Police:

    A man is before the courts after the curtain was lifted on his cannabis growing operation in Roxburgh, Central Otago.

    On Friday 17 January Police executed a search warrant at a Roxburgh house, and inside Police located five indoor tents which housed 12 mature cannabis plants.

    Alongside the plants, a quantity of already dried-out cannabis was located packaged, which Police will allege was ready for distribution.

    Three high-powered air rifles were also located at the address and have since been seized, as he was not permitted to be in possession of them.

    A 55-year-old man has been charged with possession of cannabis for supply, cultivating cannabis, and possessing equipment to cultivate cannabis, and is due to reappear in the Alexandra District Court on Thursday 30 January.

    In another search on the same day, at a different property in Roxburgh, Police located a large amount of drug paraphernalia, including utensils believed to be used for smoking methamphetamine, in a house bus. Inquiries are ongoing.

    Police have been and will continue to work hard to identify and locate those involved in the illegal supply of drugs, and work with our community to address the underlying drivers of demand

    If you have any information that may assist Police in identifying those involved in the illegal supply of drugs please contact Police.

    You can contact us on 111 if it is happening now, or via 105 either online or over the phone.

    Alternatively you can report information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Press Statement on Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Amar Bendjama (Algeria):

    The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms ongoing advances by the M23 in North-Kivu, including the control of Masisi centre on 4 January 2025 and of Sake on 23 January 2025, and expressed serious concerns regarding imminent threats against Goma, which are putting hundreds of thousands of civilians at heightened risk. These advances represent a serious violation of the ceasefire, exacerbate the grave humanitarian and displacement crisis in the Eastern DRC and undermine efforts to reach a lasting peaceful and political solution to the conflict through the Luanda process. The members of the Security Council echoed the statement by the Secretary-General dated 26 January 2025 and demanded that the ongoing offensive and advances towards Goma immediately stop. They further called on the M23 to reverse its territorial expansion without delay.

    The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support to MONUSCO, which is acting within its mandate and doing essential work in the DRC, including near Goma, and expressed their strong commitment to the safety and security of its peacekeepers. They paid tribute to all peacekeepers who risk their lives. They expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the peacekeepers killed, as well as to South Africa, Malawi and Uruguay.  They also expressed their condolences to the United Nations. They wished a speedy and full recovery to the peacekeepers injured. They reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes. They stressed that involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against MONUSCO peacekeepers constitutes a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolutions.

    The members of the Security Council condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, including the unauthorized presence in the Eastern DRC of external Forces as reported by the Group of Experts and demanded that these forces withdraw immediately and that the M23 put an end to the establishment of parallel administrations in the DRC territory. They urged all parties to scrupulously abide by the ceasefire. They further reiterated their condemnation of the systematic illicit exploitation of the natural resources in eastern DRC, noting that these actions fuel the conflict. 

    They urged Rwanda and the DRC to return to diplomatic talks to achieve a lasting and peaceful resolution of the protracted conflict in the region including by addressing respective issues pertaining to the presence of Rwanda Defence Forces in the Eastern DRC and DRC support to the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) respectively, as reported by the Group of Experts. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their unwavering support for the ongoing mediation efforts between the DRC and Rwanda through the Luanda Process led by the AU -designated mediator President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola.

    The members of the Security Council are also deeply alarmed by continued occurrences of GPS jamming and spoofing activities in support of M23 operations in North Kivu, which represent imminent risk to civil aviation safety and negatively impact the delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations in need. They called for an end to reported GPS jamming and spoofing and deployment of Surface to Air Missiles, which threaten the safety and security of UN peacekeepers, and impede the implementation of their Protection of Civilians mandate.

    The members of the Security Council condemned persistent violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights in the eastern part of the DRC, including sexual and gender-based violence, the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and summary killings by armed groups. The members of the Security Council called for all perpetrators to be held accountable. They urged both parties to fully and rapidly implement their commitments agreed under the Luanda process, and to fully cooperate in good faith with Angola in order to accelerate the implementation of the harmonized plan for the neutralization of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the disengagement of Forces. Council members also stressed the importance of resuming consultations under the Nairobi Process under the guidance of former President Uhuru Kenyatta to address the protracted issue of armed groups, including the M23, operating in the DRC, and to identify pathways to peace and stability in the region.

    The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as all States in the region. They recalled resolution 2765 (2024) and expressed their full support to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Adjustment in ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations in February 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (January 27) announced an adjustment to the auto-LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations from February 1 to February 28, 2025, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contracts for dedicated LPG filling stations.
          
         A department spokesman said that the adjustment on February 1, 2025, would reflect the movement of the LPG international price in January 2025, and the average movement of the latest Composite Consumer Price Index and Nominal Wage Index. The overall adjusted auto-LPG ceiling prices for dedicated LPG filling stations would range from $3.71 to $4.63 per litre, amounting to a decrease of $0.01 to $0.04 per litre.
          
         The spokesman said that the auto-LPG ceiling prices were adjusted according to a pricing formula specified in the contracts. The formula comprises two elements – the LPG international price and the LPG operating price. The LPG international price refers to the LPG international price of the preceding month. The LPG operating price is adjusted on February 1 and June 1 annually according to the average movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index and the Nominal Wage Index. The latest year-on-year rates of change of the Composite Consumer Price Index and the Nominal Wage Index are +1.7% and +3.6% respectively.
          
         The auto-LPG ceiling prices for respective dedicated LPG filling stations in February 2025 are as follows:
     

    Location of
    Dedicated LPG Filling Station
    Auto-LPG
    Ceiling Price in
    February 2025 (HK$/litre)
    Auto-LPG
    Ceiling Price in
    January 2025 (HK$/litre)

    Kwai On Road, Kwai Chung
    3.71
    3.75

    Sham Mong Road, Mei Foo
    3.78
    3.81

    Wai Lok Street, Kwun Tong
    3.83
    3.86

    Cheung Yip Street, Kowloon Bay
    3.88
    3.91

    Ngo Cheung Road, West Kowloon
    3.89
    3.92

    Yuen Chau Tsai, Tai Po
    3.94
    3.97

    Tak Yip Street, Yuen Long
    4.05
    4.08

    Hang Yiu Street, Ma On Shan
    4.07
    4.10

    Marsh Road, Wan Chai
    4.08
    4.11

    Fung Mat Road, Sheung Wan 
    4.11
    4.13

    Yip Wong Road, Tuen Mun
    4.20
    4.23

    Fung Yip Street, Chai Wan 
    4.63
    4.64

     
         The spokesman said that the details of the LPG international price and the auto-LPG ceiling price for each dedicated LPG filling station had been uploaded to the EMSD website (www.emsd.gov.hk) and posted at dedicated LPG filling stations to enable the trades to monitor the price adjustment.
          
         Details of the pricing adjustment mechanism for dedicated LPG filling stations can also be viewed under the “What’s New” section of the department website at www.emsd.gov.hk/en/what_s_new/current/index.html.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government announces appointments to Chinese Medicine Development Committee and its subcommittees

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Government announced today (January 27) the appointments of 18 new non-official members and reappointments of seven incumbent non-official members to the Chinese Medicine Development Committee (CMDC). The Government also announced the appointments to the new term of the Chinese Medicine Practice Subcommittee (CMPSC) and the Chinese Medicines Industry Subcommittee (CMISC) under the CMDC.
     
         Professor Chan Wing-kwong and Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang are reappointed as the Chairmen of the CMPSC and the CMISC respectively. To provide young people with more opportunities to take part in public affairs, the newly appointed non-official members of the CMDC also include two young individuals recruited under the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (MSSY). The aforementioned appointments will take effect from February 1, 2025, for a term of two years.
     
         Moreover, the Government announced the appointment of the Hospital Chief Executive of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) (or representative) as an ex-officio member of the CMDC, and the appointment of the representative(s) from CMHHK as an ex-officio member of the three subcommittees (i.e. the CMPSC, the CMISC and the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint Subcommittee (CMDBSC)) under the CMDC, with a view to highlighting the hospital’s significant role in leading the development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong.
     
         The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, expressed gratitude to the outgoing members of the CMDC, the CMPSC and the CMISC for their contributions to the development of CM during their tenure, including the formulation of the framework of the Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint, and said he looked forward to working closely with the members of the new term to capitalise on the characteristics and strengths of CM in Hong Kong and promote the high-quality and high-standard development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts through concerted efforts, thereby developing Hong Kong into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM.
     
         Chaired by the Secretary for Health, the CMDC gives recommendations to the Government concerning the direction and long-term strategies for CM development in Hong Kong with regard to four key areas, namely the development of CM services, personnel training and professional development, scientific research and development, as well as development of the Chinese medicines industry. Since its establishment in 2013, the CMDC has been providing valuable advice to the Government on an array of important issues in relation to CM in Hong Kong, including the establishment of CMHHK, the development of integrated Chinese-Western medicine services, the implementation of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Project, the setting up of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute and the formulation of the Blueprint. The CMPSC and the CMISC are two standing subcommittees under the CMDC, focusing deliberation on various areas respectively. In order to gather a wider spectrum of views when formulating the Blueprint, the Government established the CMDBSC under the CMDC in September last year to make recommendations to the CMDC on concrete strategies for the overall development of CM, as well as the short, medium and long-term objectives and feasible initiatives for the long-term planning.
     
         The membership lists of the CMDC and its three subcommittees to be effective from February 1, 2025, are as follows:
     
    The CMDC
    ————–
     
    Chairman
    ———–
    Secretary for Health
     
    Non-official members
    —————————
    #Professor Dawn Au Ching-tung
    #Professor Chair Sek-ying
    *Professor Chan Wing-kwong
    #Dr Billy Chiu Chi-fai
    #Professor Amy Chow Yin-man
    #Professor Kenny Chung Kiu-lam
    *Professor Feng Yibin
    #Professor Huang Xianzhang
    *Dr Lam Pui-yan
    #Professor Li Min
    *Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang
    *Professor Lin Zhixiu
    #Dr Liong Ching
    *Ms Lui Kam-oi
    #Mrs Mak Tang Wai-man
    #@Ms Mok Hei-ting
    #@Mr Samuel Mok Kam-sum
    #Ms Winnie Ng Wing-mui
    #Professor Douglas So Cheung-tak
    *Mr Ting Wing-fai
    #Professor Hector Tsang Wing-hong
    #Dr Wong Hung-ngan
    #Mr Kenlay Wong Kong-hui
    #Professor Justin Wu Che-yuen
    #Professor Yeung Wing-fai
     
    Ex-officio members
    ————————
    Permanent Secretary for Health
    Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (or representative)
    Director of Health (or representative)
    Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (or representative)
    Hospital Chief Executive of CMHHK (or representative)
     
    The CMPSC
    —————
     
    Chairman
    ————
    *Professor Chan Wing-kwong
     
    Non-official members
    ————————–
    *Dr Au Cheuk-wing
    #Professor Chan Fong-yeung
    #Mr Chan Kai-yan
    *Mr Cheung Yi-chung
    *Mr William Cheung Yu-ho
    *Dr Kevin Chu Ka-wing
    *Dr Ho Yuen-shan
    #Dr Ku Ping-yui
    *Dr Lam Chun-pong
    *Ms Lam Wai-king
    *Dr Henry Lee Kai-ping
    *Ms Lin Wing-han
    *Ms Alma Ling
    *Mr Penny Ling Kwan-yee
    *Mr Eddie Lo Ting-yu
    #Dr Philip Ma Kei-chuen
    #Mr Gerry Ma Kwai-yung
    #Professor Shamay Ng Sheung-mei
    #Dr Su Jing
    *Dr Miranda Wong Tsz-yan
    #Dr Wong Yuet-ming
     
    Ex-officio members
    ————————
    Representative(s) from the Health Bureau
    Representative(s) from the Department of Health
    Representative(s) from the Hospital Authority
    Representative(s) from CMHHK
     
    The CMISC
    ————–
     
    Chairman
    ———–
    *Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang
     
    Non-official members
    ————————–
    *Ms Michelle Au Yeung Fung-ying
    *Dr Chan Kei-wai
    #Mr Chan Man-hon
    #Mr Eugene Chu Lap-shing
    *Dr Ho Chi-ming
    *Mr Kwok Tsz-ming
    #Mr Lam Chun-hong
    *Dr Lam Wing-ho
    #Professor Clara Lau Bik-san
    #Dr Grace Lau Sze-ngar
    #Ms Li Ka-yan
    #Mr Coty Lui Wai-keung
    *Professor Shen Jiangang
    #Mr Derek Sum Kwong-yip
    *Mr Nicholas Wong Lup-hoi
    *Ms Wong Sau-wan
    *Mr Edward William Yau Fook-wing
    *Mr Yip Yue-keung
    #Professor Joan Zuo Zhong
     
    Ex-officio members
    ————————
    Representative(s) from the Health Bureau
    Representative(s) from the Department of Health
    Representative(s) from the Innovation and Technology Commission
    Representative(s) from CMHHK
     
    The CMDBSC
    —————–
     
    Chairman
    ———–
    Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development (Dr Vincent Chung Chi-ho)
     
    Non-official members
    ————————–
    Chairman of the CMPSC (Professor Chan Wing-kwong)
    Chairman of the CMISC (Mr Tommy Li Ying-sang)
    ^Convener of the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Services (Dr Liong Ching)
    ^Convener of the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Industry and Cultural Popularisation (Professor Dawn Au Ching-tung)
    ^Convener of the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Profession and Talent Cultivation (Professor Kenny Chung Kiu-lam)
    Representative of the School of Chinese Medicine of the Hong Kong Baptist University (Professor Li Min)
    Representative of the School of Chinese Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Dr Sarah Chan Sze-nga)
    Representative of the School of Chinese Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (Professor Shen Jiangang)
    Professor Chair Sek-ying
    Mr Chan Lin-chuen
    Ms Jojo Chan Wing-yin
    Mr Abraham Chan Yu-ling
    Mr Chua Hoi-wai
    Mr Koo Hoi-lun
    Dr Kwok Tsz-kin
    Mr Lam Chun-hong
    Professor Cindy Lam Lo-kuen
    Professor Simon Lee Ming-yuen
    Professor Gilberto Leung Ka-kit
    Professor Hector Tsang Wing-hong
    Dr Wong Hung-ngan
    Mr Nicholas Wong Lup-hoi
     
    Ex-officio members
    ————————
    Representative(s) from the Health Bureau
    Representative(s) from the Department of Health
    Representative(s) from the Hospital Authority
    Representative(s) from CMHHK
     
    Note:
    # Newly appointed non-official members
    * Reappointed non-official members
    @ Joined under the MSSY
    ^ The Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Services, the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Industry and Cultural Popularisation, and the Working Group on the Development of Chinese Medicine Profession and Talent Cultivation are the working groups under the CMDBSC

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH enhances enforcement actions against illegal use of pharmacy logo and title with approach of Chinese New Year holidays

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    DH enhances enforcement actions against illegal use of pharmacy logo and title with approach of Chinese New Year holidays
    DH enhances enforcement actions against illegal use of pharmacy logo and title with approach of Chinese New Year holidays
    ******************************************************************************************

         With the Chinese New Year holidays approaching, the Department of Health (DH) today (January 27) reminded members of the public and travellers to verify the pharmacy logo in the prescribed form when purchasing medicines. The DH will continue to enhance enforcement actions against the illegal use of logos and titles of Authorized Sellers of Poisons (ASP) (commonly known as pharmacies) and carry out follow-up investigations of suspected violations.            Last year (2024), six limited companies and a proprietor of a retailer, which were not pharmacies, were convicted of displaying a logo, which so resembled the logo in the prescribed form of a pharmacy, at their premises, and were fined from $2,000 to $16,800.            According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) (the Ordinance), only persons authorised by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (the Board) as ASPs are allowed to conduct the relevant retail business of selling poisons at premises registered by the Board, including poisons listed in Part 1 and Part 2 of the Poisons List at Schedule 10 to the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A). Displaying a logo in the prescribed form of a pharmacy or a logo which so resembled the logo in the prescribed form at a premises other than the registered premises of a pharmacy, or using the Chinese term “藥房” or the terms such as “pharmacy”, “dispensary”, “drug-store” in connection with any business engaged in the retail sale of poisons commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.           The use of a pharmacy logo or its title as stipulated by the Ordinance is applicable to all retailers, including those that are not licensed by the Board. The DH has been collecting intelligence through different channels. If any retailer is suspected of illegally displaying a pharmacy logo in the prescribed form or pharmacy title, the DH will follow up and carry out an investigation immediately and conduct joint operation with relevant departments when necessary.           To enable the public to identify registered pharmacies, the DH has formulated a label (see Annex) for identification of ASPs, and the labels have been sent to each pharmacy for display in a conspicuous position in the pharmacy. Users can obtain information of the registered pharmacy by scanning the QR Code on the label displayed in the pharmacy.           Members of the public can also visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH for educational materials on “‘Pharmacies’ in Hong Kong”, and names and addresses of all licensees (including ASPs).

     
    Ends/Monday, January 27, 2025Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Names Forwarded for County Court Judge in the Fourth Judicial District

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Danner, Michael W. Jensen, Tamara T. Mosby, Patrick R. Runge, and David M. Wear, all of Omaha.

    The Fourth Judicial District consists of Douglas County. The vacancy is due to the resignation of Judge Darryl R. Lowe.

    MIL OSI USA News –