NewzIntel.com

Category: Tourism

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Summer veranda season opens in Moscow

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Summer verandas have long been a calling card of Moscow. Today, the city’s accommodation scheme includes over four thousand seasonal facilities, more than 900 of which are ready to receive guests.

    The city helps restaurateurs open summer terraces. Residents and tourists meet there with friends, have lunch or dinner with family.

    Eating outdoors allows you to extend the feeling of a vacation in the summer and spend pleasant leisure time with a cup of hot coffee or cocoa in the winter. Many owners of establishments maintain a comfortable temperature on their verandas even in the cold season.

    This winter, seasonal structures were allowed to operate, provided that safety and comfort rules for visitors were observed. In addition, the authorities simplified the process of including a summer veranda in the placement scheme.

    From April 1, a notification procedure for installing certain types of summer verandas will come into effect. The list of mandatory conditions includes placing only umbrellas, tables, chairs and compact elements of flower arrangements on them. At the same time, the height of the umbrellas should not be higher than the first floor of the establishment, and the furniture must be used only from industrial production.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin announced that he would submit notification about the placement of such a veranda on the mos.ru portal. It is not necessary to coordinate the architectural and artistic solution project, which does not provide for the installation of structures and equipment. The new season will begin on April 1.

    Both in winter and in summer

    The installation and dismantling of verandas takes not only time but also revenue from restaurateurs, because the structure must be dismantled, assembled and stored, which sometimes costs a lot of money. That is why the city offered cafe owners to preserve these structures during the cold months and to operate them in the winter of 2024/25. More than 500 restaurateurs took advantage of this measure, and over 400 more completed the installation of verandas by April 1.

    More information about the activities of the Department of Trade and Services is available atofficial telegram channel.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152032073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Bay Area Lingding: World’s first deep-sea aquaculture vessel revealed

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

    The world’s first deep-sea aquaculture vessel with a pollution-free seawater exchange system has been officially named “Bay Area Lingding.” Scheduled for testing in April and delivery in June, the vessel is currently under construction in Zhuhai City, south China’s Guangdong Province. This groundbreaking large-scale far-sea aquaculture vessel, featuring natural water exchange functions, integrates smart aquaculture practices with energy conservation, environmental protection, and a combination of fishery and tourism.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hotel-like tourist train gearing up for April launch

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The customized tourist train featuring hotel-like services parks in a facility in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Friday. [Photo/China Daily]
    A new customized tourist train featuring hotel-like services rolled off the production line on Friday in Qingdao, Shandong province, ahead of its planned launch in mid-April.
    Developed by CRRC Sifang and China Railway Zhengzhou Group in Henan province, the train is themed around the Yellow River and will connect scenic destinations in Henan, including Luoyang, Anyang and Sanmenxia.
    “The upgraded train adopts the style design of electric multiple units and provides hotel-like accommodations in terms of infrastructure, cabin layout, sanitation facilities and special accessibility,” said Zhan Weipeng, a technical expert at CRRC Sifang.
    The train is managed with hotel-style service standards and offers gourmet meals by renowned chefs, interactive cultural activities and a multifunctional car with a tea lounge, game room and karaoke zone, Zhan said.
    Designed for comfort, particularly for elderly passengers, the train includes safety features such as fluorescent handrails, anti-slip flooring and stepladders. A dedicated medical area is equipped with emergency supplies and senior care items.
    The train consists of 14 soft sleeper cars with double, triple and quadruple bed compartments, a dining car, a multifunctional car and a personnel car. Each compartment has an independent dry-wet-separation bathroom with a temperature-regulated toilet, anti-pinch door handles and an SOS emergency call system.
    “In the double-bed compartments, the two single beds can be reconfigured as twin or king-size options, while quadruple-bed compartments feature privacy curtains. Triple and double-bed compartments both include multifunctional storage and minibars,” Zhan said.
    Advanced soundproofing ensures privacy, while double-decker windows maximize natural light, he said.
    The train’s exterior features wavelike patterns flowing dynamically along its body, inspired by ancient painted pottery techniques. The design captures the surging waves of the Yellow River, which flows through nine provinces and regions, including Henan and Shandong.
    Inside, the train’s decor incorporates cultural elements from Henan’s heritage, creating a mobile exhibition of the province’s history. Signs blending Chinese characters with modern visual elements provide intuitive guidance for passengers, offering a fresh cultural and tourism experience.
    The launch of the customized train underscores the railway sector’s role in driving regional economic and tourism growth.
    “With elevated service standards, the train is expected to boost the integration of railway and tourism, injecting new vitality into the industries,” China Railway Zhengzhou Group said in a statement.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Grand Canal stars in hit TV show

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    All the main characters reside in a neighborhood in Huajie (Flower Street) along the bank of a section of the Grand Canal. [Photo/China Daily]

    More than 700 years ago, Italian merchant and explorer Marco Polo trekked to China, leaving a deep impression of the Grand Canal — the country’s major waterway artery — and providing the detailed portrayal in the famous book, The Travels of Marco Polo, that stirred Europeans’ curiosity about the Eastern world.

    This also became the inspiration for writer Xu Zechen’s best-selling novel Northward, which won the 10th Mao Dun Literature Award thanks to its epic recounting of the canal and riverside people over a turbulent span of more than one century.

    In the novel, an Italian explorer who regards Polo as his idol ventures to China during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to search for his missing younger brother, embarking on a fate-intertwining journey with several Chinese individuals. Narrated in two parallel lines that switch between ancient and modern times, the skillfully structured tale also recounts the stories of their descendants.

    For director Yao Xiaofeng, a native of Jiangsu province — where 687 kilometers of the canal flow through eight cities — the novel captivated him in 2018. The veteran had previously spent years searching for a proper story about the water and people residing along its banks.

    With award-winning scriptwriter Zhao Dongling on board to pen the tale, the novel was adapted into a 38-episode, eponymous TV series that began airing on China Central Television’s CCTV-1 and streaming site iQiyi earlier last month.

    Starring actress Bai Lu and actor Ou Hao, the series — which is set between 2000 and 2014 — has attracted audiences, as evidenced by its related topics garnering 2.26 billion views on the social platform Weibo.

    Centering on six neighboring families residing near one section of the canal in Huai’an, Jiangsu province, the drama chronicles their ups and downs, following their children as they move to Beijing to seek education or startup opportunities, riding the wave of the country’s unprecedented internet business expansion.

    “It’s like a destined encounter that led me to helm this drama. The canal was part of my childhood memories. I was a self-taught swimmer, and many of the mischievous acts by the children in the drama are inspired by my own experiences,” Yao told China Daily during a telephone interview.

    In 2014, the Grand Canal was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, inspiring Yao to read several books and watch documentaries about the world’s longest artificial waterway.

    Delving deeper into Xu’s canal-centered novels, such as Stories of Beijing Western Suburbs and Jerusalem, Yao gained a profound understanding of how the canal — which stretches nearly 3,200 km and flows through 35 cities — serves as an economic and cultural artery for the country, influencing the livelihoods of numerous local residents.

    Captivated by the spiritual core of Xu’s tales, which depict themes of homesickness and destiny, Yao, alongside major creators, including screenwriter Zhao and chief producer Zhang Shuwei, took a road trip along the section of the canal in Jiangsu province. They collected firsthand information by interviewing nearly 100 boatmen who live and work on barges.

    “The journey took around half a month. Many boatmen’s families, consisting of parents and one or two children, live, sleep, and entertain themselves on their boats. They rarely go ashore, unless they need to purchase daily necessities from supermarkets,” Yao recalls.

    However, what has touched Yao the most is the boatmen who had to leave the water due to the fishing ban in certain sections to protect the local ecosystem. “On the boat, they are like fish in water. But when they are relocated to life on land, you can sense their deep sense of loss, even though their new life is more comfortable and stable,” Yao remarks.

    Having to leave the environment they know best due to societal changes, many boatmen struggle with feelings of uselessness and a loss of confidence. These experiences inspired the character played by actor Hu Jun — a once-successful barge operator who faces a personal crisis after the decline of his water transportation business.

    Zhang, the chief producer, tells China Daily that she also feels impressed by how boatmen take the boats as their “moving houses”.

    “The core of their lives revolves around boats, and when they discuss buying a boat, the gravity is akin to how we city dwellers talk about buying an apartment,” says Zhang.

    During their survey journey through cities such as Huai’an and Yangzhou, Zhao recalls meeting young people who had graduated from foreign colleges and returned to their hometowns to start small businesses, such as opening bookstores.

    “We heard many interesting stories and incorporated some of their elements into the drama,” Zhang adds.

    The series’ major scenes are set in Huajie (Flower Street), a riverside community home to 18 characters from six families. To find the perfect filming location, the crew surveyed multiple sites before selecting Bacheng Old Street in Kunshan — a 200-meter-long, narrow street lined with densely packed, gray-tiled houses.

    “Although filming on a sound-stage makes it easier to control lighting and the surrounding environment — such as avoiding onlookers — we chose to embrace the challenges of shooting on location and built the characters’ homes directly on the street,” says Zhang.

    This also makes the filming feel more authentic, and full of everyday life. In some long takes, the scenes capture lively children joyfully running from their own courtyards to their neighbors’, a bustling wonton stall opening for breakfast and residents sitting on small stools, enjoying their morning meals.

    Interestingly, the construction work was kept on to ensure that the props and room decorations updated according to economic and societal development of the times, especially as local families’ lives improved following the canal’s successful bid for UNESCO’s list, which has boosted local tourism and cultural businesses, according to Zhang.

    The drama also explores the theme of root-seeking, according to the director.

    Ma Siyi, one of six children living in Huajie, is a descendant of the Italian explorer’s brother and his Chinese wife. After years of struggling with her appearance and background, she embarks on a journey to Italy in one episode to trace her roots. Raised by her Chinese grandmother after losing her father at a young age, her story highlights the quest for identity.

    Similarly, in the final episodes, her five close friends, who mostly move to Beijing after growing up, return to their hometown, symbolizing their own journeys to reconnect with their roots.

    “It has been a timeless literary theme revolving around ‘who I am’ and ‘where I come from’. Until the end of the drama, the audience will see how all the characters’ fates are bound to their ancestors from over 100 years ago,” says Yao.

    “Personally, this is the most captivating part of the tale and the reason it has drawn me to adapt it into a TV drama,” he adds.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey and Moulton Reintroduce legislation to Redesignate the Salem Maritime National Historic Site as the Salem Maritime National Historical Park

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (March 31, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) have reintroduced legislation that would redesignate the Salem Maritime National Historic Site as the Salem Maritime National Historical Park. 
    Salem Maritime was established in 1938 as the first National Historic Site to be included in the National Park System. As Salem approaches the 400th anniversary of its founding, redesignating the site as a National Historical Park will help to attract more visitors to Salem and increase the preservation capacity of this storied city.
    “Redesignating Salem Maritime from a National Historic Site to a National Historical Park will reflect the growth of the nearly 9-acre district and its proper place in the Commonwealth’s—and our nation’s—­ history,” said Senator Markey. “The additional support garnered as a park will help Salem Maritime continue to preserve nearly 400 years of American history, including maritime history, American slavery, and the fight for freedom and justice. This redesignation will also help bring more visitors to Salem to learn from the city’s diverse past year-round, bolstering the local and regional economy and further enriching our cultural and historical understanding. This vital work of continuing to tell Salem’s full story, including uplifting Black history as a part of New England’s—and America’s—history, is needed now more than ever.”
    “Salem Maritime contains more than a single historical feature. In fact, the stories at Salem Maritime span more than four centuries of American History, with recent scholarship uncovering connections related to slavery, emancipation, Black activism, and entrepreneurship,” said Congressman Moulton. “Increasing visitation to Salem Maritime is important for supporting Salem’s tourism economy, especially since the historical themes of Salem Maritime encourage people to visit beyond just the month of October.”
    “This legislation is important because it will highlight the historic significance of Salem beyond the 1692 Witch Trials,” said Annie Harris, CEO of Essex Heritage, the regional nonprofit that partners with the National Park Service on programs and visitor services in Salem and Saugus. “And, it will help attract more visitors to the city during its 400th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026.”
    “As a former Mayor and proud daughter of a Navy veteran, I strongly support Senator Markey and Congressman Moulton’s efforts to redesignate Salem Maritime as a National Historical Park. This would be a testament to the sacrifice made by those who served our country and the legacy of leadership that has shaped our shores,” said Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I hope that we can reaffirm Salem’s legacy by preserving this land for future generations, and ensuring that the stories of courage, resilience and service remain etched in Massachusetts history.”
    Salem Maritime encompasses nine acres of land and twelve historic structures. Its downtown visitor center introduces thousands of visitors to Salem and to the Essex National Heritage Area. 
    The legislation would also require that the Secretary of the Interior conduct a Special Resourc Study of sites associated with maritime history, military history, and coastal defense in Salem and its vicinity. This would allow the National Park Service to assess worthy possible additions to the Historical Park.
    Last year, the bill received unanimous support from the House Natural Resources Committee, and it passed the Senate in December 2024. Unfortunately, the House didn’t have time to vote on it before the session of Congress ended.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Tajik, Kyrgyz and Uzbek presidents sign historical treaty to boost regional cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Tajik President Emomali Rahmon (C), Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (L) and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hold a trilateral meeting in Khujand, Tajikistan, March 31, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The presidents of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty on the junction point of their national borders in Khujand, Tajikistan’s second-largest city, on Monday.

    According to the Tajik presidential press service, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a trilateral meeting in Khujand to formalize the agreement.

    Rahmon called the treaty’s signing “a highly symbolic” event, highlighting its significance for the three countries. He said that Tajikistan deeply values its relations with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, which are founded on the principles of good neighborliness, equality, mutual respect and the consideration of each other’s interests. The comprehensive development of relations among the three countries is one of the priorities in Tajikistan’s foreign policy, according to a statement from the Tajik presidential office.

    The leaders discussed key issues related to regional cooperation, underscoring the need to strengthen neighborly relations, advance joint infrastructure and economic projects, and expand the region’s tourism potential, according to a statement from the Kyrgyz presidential office.

    Japarov said that regional integration is progressing well and that enhancing cooperation across various sectors will be critical to achieving sustainable development and prosperity in Central Asia.

    Mirziyoyev extended his congratulations to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan for successfully resolving border-related issues and signing the delimitation treaty. He said the agreement would foster regional stability, promote sustainable development, and raise the international standing of the entire region.

    In addition to the trilateral discussions, Rahmon and Mirziyoyev held a one-on-one meeting, during which they signed a protocol to exchange instruments of ratification for the treaty on allied relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

    The meeting, conducted in an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood, concluded with the exchange of these historic documents, officially bringing the treaty into force. The treaty was initially signed during a high-level bilateral summit in Dushanbe on April 18, 2023.

    Meanwhile, Rahmon and Japarov also signed a protocol to exchange the ratification instruments for the border treaty between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The two leaders engaged in comprehensive discussions on cooperation in trade, economy, energy, culture and humanitarian affairs, culminating in the signing of the protocol, which finalized the agreement.

    The border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan stretches approximately 970 km, and delimitation talks began in 2002. Since the autumn of 2022, the two countries have conducted intensive negotiations, successfully finalizing the border’s delineation in December 2024. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: BusinessNZ – Thrill seekers welcome: Health and safety reform unlocks the outdoors

    Source: BusinessNZ

    Further changes to health and safety laws should see more Kiwis exploring their own backyard and unlock further economic gains in the great outdoors.
    BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says clearer expectations around health and safety responsibilities for landowners will make agreeing to recreational activity simpler.
    “Landowners have been overly cautious when it comes to allowing access for fear of legal reprisal. In clarifying that health and safety is the responsibility of the organisation operating on site, the Government has made it easier for councils, farmers and Iwi to say ‘yes’ to more outdoor enterprise.
    “If New Zealand wants to retain its reputation as the world’s best in adventure tourism, then we need to allow thrill seekers a place to call home while accepting that there is inherent risk in some recreational activity.
    “These announced changes to health and safety laws aren’t about less responsibility – but rather setting clearer expectations around who is responsible.”
    The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Cambodia

    Source:

    Cambodian New Year (or Khmer New Year) celebrations will take place between 14 to16 April. Significant celebrations and cultural events often attract large crowds and may lead to increased petty crime and more serious threats, including those associated with large gatherings in tight spaces. There’s often higher alcohol consumption and traffic congestion, with a risk of accidents and road fatalities. Exercise reasonable care and precautions.

    You’ll need a valid visa to travel to Cambodia. If you remain in Cambodia beyond the date of your authorised stay, officials may stop you from leaving Cambodia. In cases of excessive overstays, you may be arrested and detained for violating immigration laws (see ‘Travel’). Gun crime and explosions have occurred, including at popular tourist destinations (see ‘Safety’). Laws in Cambodia, including those related to incitement and defamation, can be broadly defined and applied (see ‘Local Laws’).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Air China launches Beijing-Vladivostok route

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

    VLADIVOSTOK, April 1 — Air China has officially launched its new Beijing-Vladivostok round-trip flight service, marking the occasion with an inaugural flight celebration at Vladivostok International Airport.

    The maiden flight landed smoothly at 5:00 p.m. local time (0700 GMT) Monday and was greeted with a water salute upon arrival.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Wang Jun, Acting Consul General of China in Vladivostok, said that the launch of the Beijing-Vladivostok route by Air China will further promote in-depth and practical cooperation between China and Russia in trade, culture, and tourism, making a valuable contribution to the overall development of China-Russia relations.

    Denis Chmutov, General Manager of Vladivostok International Airport, said that Air China’s first scheduled flight between Vladivostok and Beijing will create the necessary conditions for strengthening regional business and tourism exchanges. With this route in operation, the total number of flights between Vladivostok and Beijing will exceed 20 per week.

    The Beijing-Vladivostok route operated by Air China is scheduled to run round-trip flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Definitions – Luxury car tax

    Source:

    Luxury car tax (LCT) definitions

    Term

    Definition

    Car

    A car, for luxury car tax purposes, is a motor-powered road vehicle designed to carry a load of less than 2 tonnes and fewer than 9 passengers.

    It doesn’t include motorcycles or similar vehicles.

    Commercial vehicle

    Commercial vehicles are designed for the principal purpose of carrying goods used for business or trade.

    They are not subject to LCT.

    Consideration

    Any payment made in return for the supply of a luxury car.

    Eligible vehicle – primary producer & tourism operator

    An eligible vehicle is a four wheel drive, or all-wheel drive, and is either:

    • a ‘passenger car’ with a ground clearance of at least 175mm
    • an ‘off road passenger vehicle’.

    Emergency vehicles

    The following vehicles are considered emergency vehicles:

    • a vehicle registered in a state or territory as an emergency vehicle
    • an ambulance
    • a mobile intensive care ambulance (MICA) or similar vehicle that is    
      • fitted with a siren and flashing warning lights
      • used to transport paramedics and equipment to the site of an accident
    • a fire-fighting vehicle  
      • designed, permanently fitted out and equipped for fighting and preventing fires
      • with external markings identifying it as a fire-fighting vehicle
    • a police vehicle equipped with a siren and flashing warning lights
    • an emergency-response or search-and-rescue vehicle  
      • designed and permanently fitted out for emergency-response or search-and-rescue operations
      • with external markings identifying it as a vehicle of that kind
    • a vehicle  
      • designed and permanently fitted out for responding to and dealing with an environmental emergency
      • with external markings that identify it as a vehicle of that kind
    • a vehicle purchased for immediate modification or conversion into a vehicle mentioned in one of the items above before its first use
    • an ambulance or similar vehicle specially equipped for carrying sick or wounded animals.

    Fuel-efficient cars

    From 1 July 2025, a fuel-efficient car is defined as a vehicle that has a fuel consumption that does not exceed 3.5 litres per 100 kilometres as a combined rating under the vehicle standards in force under section 12 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018.

    Prior to 1 July 2025, a fuel-efficient car was defined as a vehicle with a fuel consumption that doesn’t exceed 7 litres per 100 kilometres.

    However, the pre-1 July 2025 definition will apply to a car, if, before 1 July 2025:

    • an entity made a supply or importation of the car, and
    • the car was used in Australia for a purpose other than a purpose mentioned in subsection 9-5(1) of the LCT Act.

    Luxury car tax value

    The price of a vehicle excluding any luxury car tax (LCT) and any other Australian tax or Australian fee or charge other than GST and customs duty.

    If you supply a car to an associate or by hire/lease, the LCT value is the full GST market value of the car (excluding any LCT and any other Australian tax or Australian fee or charge other than GST and customs duty).

    Net amount

    Your ‘net amount’ is increased by the amount of LCT attributable to that tax period.

    It doesn’t include the amount of LCT payable for a taxable importation.

    Price

    The term ‘price’ for LCT purposes is generally the amount of money paid for the car.

    To the extent the payment for the supply is not in money, the price means the GST inclusive market value of the consideration supplied.

    For more information see:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Survey shows awareness of intellectual property rights protection remains high

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Survey shows awareness of intellectual property rights protection remains high 
         The Director of Intellectual Property, Mr David Wong, said, “The IP system has always been an important driving force for innovation and creativity. The survey results, which show that the awareness of IP rights protection remains high among the general public, notably the widespread public recognition of statutory protection of copyright, trade marks and patents, are encouraging.”    
     
         Similar to the results of the last survey, this survey showed that over 60 per cent of the respondents were of the view that with Hong Kong being a regional IP trading centre, the protection of IP rights could facilitate the development of local arts, culture and creative industries as well as local innovation and technology, promote IP-related professional services in Hong Kong, attract foreign investment and strengthen the competitiveness of Hong Kong. 
         The survey also showed that 90 per cent of the respondents had seldom or never bought pirated or counterfeit goods in the past year. The major reasons cited were “quality of genuine goods is guaranteed (38.8 per cent)”, “no need to buy or not interested in pirated or counterfeit goods” (36.9 per cent), and “respect and support IP rights/support genuine goods/immoral or wrong to infringe IP rights” (16.9 per cent).
        
         In terms of the attitude towards IP rights protection, over 80 per cent of the respondents agreed that “it is morally wrong to browse or use the content on unauthorised websites or mobile apps knowing that it is an infringement of IP rights” (83.0 per cent), and that “it is morally wrong to buy pirated or counterfeit goods knowing that it is an infringement of IP rights” (85.9 per cent). Both percentages are similar to the results of the last survey, indicating that the respondents maintain a very positive attitude towards IP rights protection.
     
         “Public education is crucial in promoting IP rights protection. The Government will continue to enhance public awareness of protecting and respecting IP rights, especially among the younger generation, through various educational and promotional activities,” Mr Wong said.
     
         To encourage the purchase of genuine goods, the “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme has been rolled out by the IPD alongside a number of retail and industry associations. “No Fakes” logos are displayed to help distinguish merchants that sell genuine goods. The survey revealed that 77.6 per cent of the respondents had heard of the Scheme, among which, most (75.0 per cent) considered the Scheme helpful in building confidence among consumers and tourists to shop in Hong Kong, and strengthening Hong Kong’s reputation as a “shopping paradise”.
     
         Similar surveys have been commissioned by the IPD regularly since 1999, with the previous round conducted in 2022. The report of the latest survey is available on the IPD’s websiteIssued at HKT 17:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Provisional statistics of retail sales for February 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (March 31).

         The value of total retail sales in February 2025, provisionally estimated at $29.4 billion, decreased by 13.0% compared with the same month in 2024. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in January 2025 decreased by 3.1% compared with a year earlier. For the first two months of 2025 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales decreased by 7.8% compared with the same period in 2024.

         Of the total retail sales value in February 2025, online sales accounted for 7.8%. The value of online retail sales in that month, provisionally estimated at $2.3 billion, decreased by 7.3% compared with the same month in 2024. The revised estimate of online retail sales in January 2025 increased by 2.8% compared with a year earlier.  For the first two months of 2025 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of online retail sales decreased by 2.4% compared with the same period in 2024.

         After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in February 2025 decreased by 15.0% compared with a year earlier. The revised estimate of the volume of total retail sales in January 2025 decreased by 5.1% compared with a year earlier. For the first two months of 2025 taken together, the provisional estimate of the total retail sales decreased by 9.9% in volume compared with the same period in 2024.

         In interpreting these figures, it should be noted that retail sales tend to show greater volatility in the first two months of a year due to the timing of the Chinese New Year. Consumer spending in the local market normally attains a seasonal high before the Festival. As the Chinese New Year fell on January 29 this year but on February 10 last year, it is more appropriate to analyse the retail sales figures for January and February taken together in making year-on-year comparison.

         Analysed by broad type of retail outlet in descending order of the provisional estimate of the value of sales and comparing the combined total sales for January and February 2025 with the same period a year earlier, the value of sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified decreased by 2.0%. This was followed by sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (-15.8% in value); commodities in supermarkets (-4.4%); wearing apparel (-5.4%); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (-5.3%); commodities in department stores (-9.9%); fuels (-8.5%); motor vehicles and parts (-49.9%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-12.3%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-10.9%); furniture and fixtures (-25.6%); Chinese drugs and herbs (-9.1%); and optical shops (-7.6%).

         On the other hand, the value of sales of food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco increased by 0.7% in the first two months of 2025 over the same period a year earlier.  This was followed by sales of medicines and cosmetics (+0.6% in value).

         Based on the seasonally adjusted series, the provisional estimate of the value of total retail sales decreased by 2.0% in the three months ending February 2025 compared with the preceding three-month period, while the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales decreased by 4.0%.

    Commentary

         A government spokesman said that the value of total retail sales increased further in February 2025 over the preceding month on a seasonally adjusted comparison. The year-on-year decline in the value of total retail sales in February 2025 widened, partly due to the earlier arrival of Chinese New Year in late January this year as compared to mid-February last year.  Taking the first two months of 2025 together to remove this effect, the value of total retail sales saw a narrower decline on a year-on-year basis than December 2024. 

         Looking ahead, the spokesman said that the various measures by the Central Government to boost the Mainland economy and benefit Hong Kong, the SAR Government’s proactive efforts to promote tourism and mega events, and the sustained increases in employment earnings in local labour market, would benefit the retail sector, though it would continue to face challenge from the change in consumption patterns of visitors and residents.

    Further information

         Table 1 presents the revised figures on value index and value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for January 2025 as well as the provisional figures for February 2025. The provisional figures on the value of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet as well as the corresponding year-on-year changes for the first two months of 2025 taken together are also shown.

         Table 2 presents the revised figures on value of online retail sales for January 2025 as well as the provisional figures for February 2025. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first two months of 2025 taken together are also shown.

         Table 3 presents the revised figures on volume index of retail sales for all retail outlets and by broad type of retail outlet for January 2025 as well as the provisional figures for February 2025. The provisional figures on year-on-year changes for the first two months of 2025 taken together are also shown.

         Table 4 shows the movements of the value and volume of total retail sales in terms of the year-on-year rate of change for a month compared with the same month in the preceding year based on the original series, and in terms of the rate of change for a three-month period compared with the preceding three-month period based on the seasonally adjusted series.

         The classification of retail establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.

         These retail sales statistics measure the sales receipts in respect of goods sold by local retail establishments and are primarily intended for gauging the short-term business performance of the local retail sector. Data on retail sales are collected from local retail establishments through the Monthly Survey of Retail Sales (MRS). Local retail establishments with and without physical shops are covered in MRS and their sales, both through conventional shops and online channels, are included in the retail sales statistics.

         The retail sales statistics cover consumer spending on goods but not on services (such as those on housing, catering, medical care and health services, transport and communication, financial services, education and entertainment) which account for over 50% of the overall consumer spending. Moreover, they include spending on goods in Hong Kong by visitors but exclude spending outside Hong Kong by Hong Kong residents.  Hence they should not be regarded as indicators for measuring overall consumer spending.

         Users interested in the trend of overall consumer spending should refer to the data series of private consumption expenditure (PCE), which is a major component of the Gross Domestic Product published at quarterly intervals. Compiled from a wide range of data sources, PCE covers consumer spending on both goods (including goods purchased from all channels) and services by Hong Kong residents whether locally or abroad. Please refer to the C&SD publication “Gross Domestic Product by Expenditure Component” for more details.

         More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Monthly Survey of Retail Sales”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080003&scode=530).

         Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Distribution Services Statistics Section of C&SD (Tel: 3903 7400; E-mail : mrs@censtatd.gov.hk).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: 20 EU projects to help transform cities across Europe

    Source: European Union 2

    The European Commission and the Hauts-de-France Region, as the Entrusted Entity for the European Urban Initiative (EUI), have announced the results of the third call for innovative actions. With €94 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), 20 selected projects from 13 EU Member States will test innovative solutions in real urban environments, supporting cities in their transition to a greener and more digital future. Projects include giving a second life to used EV batteries in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and repurposing vacant public buildings for the needs of the community in Košice, Slovakia. Each project will receive up to €5 million from ERDF, co-financing 80% of the eligible costs.

    Beyond their implementation in selected cities, these projects will serve as blueprints for other urban areas across Europe. A part of this funding will also support knowledge transfer and the replication of successful solutions tested by these projects in other EU cities, further amplifying their societal and economic impact.

    The full list of winners can be consulted on EUI website.

     

    Background

    In the 2021-2027 programming period, Cohesion policy has a strong urban dimension, and its support to sustainable urban development has been reinforced to help cities take active role in designing and implementing policy responses to their local challenges and needs.

    As a result, cohesion funds will invest over €100 billion in cities, with more than €24 billion directly managed by cities for designing and implementing investments under Cohesion policy programmes.

    The EUI is a key instrument of the European Union’s Cohesion policy, specifically targeting city authorities to strengthen urban innovation and capacity- and knowledge-building for sustainable urban development. The EUI allows cities to test innovative and creative solutions to address their specific urban challenges, ensuring that the solutions developed and tested are transferable and replicable across other EU cities. 

    The 20 projects selected today will join to the community of 36 ongoing  projects selected within the previous two calls: the first call (in 2022), which focused on the New European Bauhaus, and the second call (in 2023), which was dedicated to themes on greening cities, sustainable tourism, and harnessing talent in shrinking cities.

    With a budget of EUR 395 million, the EUI builds on the legacy of the Urban Innovative Actions, the Commission’s initiative implemented during the 2014-2020 programming period, but it has a stronger focus on innovation led by cities themselves and on sustainability of innovation as well as replicability in other cities. 

    Beyond innovation, the EUI supports the capacities of all urban areas across the EU. It provides evidence for policymaking and shares knowledge on sustainable urban development, including via the Urban Agenda for the EU and Portico, the European urban knowledge platform.

    The experience of the EUI implementation will also contribute to the preparation of a comprehensive EU Agenda for Cities in the course of 2025 that is aimed at taking stock of EU initiatives and instruments the European Commission has put in place over the years with a view to streamlining and simplifying the current support and making it accessible to all potential city beneficiaries. The Agenda also aims to examine how to enhance processes through which the concerns of cities could be stronger reflected in future EU policy making. The call for evidence concerning the content of the Agenda  targeted at the public at large will soon be opened at the Have your say portal of the European Commission.

    More information

    Selected projects

    European Urban Initiative

    Cohesion Data Platform

    Kohesio Projects Platform

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Feb retail sales down 13%

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The value of total retail sales for February, provisionally estimated at $29.4 billion, decreased 13% compared with the same month a year earlier, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

    After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate represents a 15% year-on-year decrease.

    Of the total retail sales value in February, online sales accounted for 7.8%. Provisionally estimated at $2.3 billion, the value of this segment dropped 7.3% from the same month a year earlier.

    Noting that retail sales tend to show greater volatility in the first two months of a year due to the timing of the Lunar New Year, the department said consumer spending in the local market normally attains a seasonal high before the festival.

    It added that as the Lunar New Year fell on January 29 this year but on February 10 last year, it is more appropriate to analyse the retail sales figures for January and February taken together in making a year-on-year comparison.

    For the first two months of 2025 taken together, it was provisionally estimated that the value of total retail sales decreased 7.8% year-on-year, while the value of online retail sales dropped 2.4% compared with the same period in 2024.

    The value of sales of other consumer goods not elsewhere classified dropped by 2% in the first two months of 2025 compared with a year earlier.

    This was followed by sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (down 15.8%); commodities in supermarkets ( down 4.4%); wearing apparel (down 5.4%); electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified (down 5.3%); commodities in department stores (down 9.9%); fuels (down 8.5%); motor vehicles and parts (down 49.9%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (down 12.3%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (down 10.9%); furniture and fixtures (down 25.6%); Chinese drugs and herbs (down 9.1%); and optical shops (down 7.6%).

    On the other hand, the value of sales of food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco increased by 0.7% in the first two months of 2025 over the same period a year earlier. This was followed by sales of medicines and cosmetics (up 0.6%).

    The Government commented that the year-on-year decline in the value of total retail sales in February widened, partly due to the earlier arrival of Lunar New Year in late January this year as compared to mid-February last year. 

    Taking the first two months of 2025 together to remove this effect, the value of total retail sales saw a narrower decline on a year-on-year basis than December 2024.

    Looking ahead, the Government said the various measures by the central government to boost the Mainland economy and benefit Hong Kong, together with the Special Administrative Region Government’s efforts to promote tourism and mega events and the sustained increases in employment earnings in local labour market, would benefit the retail sector.

    This is despite the continued challenge from the change in consumption patterns of visitors and residents, it added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, Associate professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

    Nigerian women make up a significant proportion of foreign women giving birth in several countries.

    A study done in Calgary in Canada found 24.5% of foreign women identified as having travelled abroad to give birth were from Nigeria.

    Research in Chicago in the US found the majority (88%) of those seeking obstetric care in a hospital were Nigerian citizens.

    In the UK, the phenomenon is labelled by some as the “Lagos Shuttle”, highlighting the high number of Nigerian women said to be so-called “birth tourists”.

    It is estimated that over 23% of pregnant Nigerian women would like to travel abroad to give birth.

    Why is this? As medical and legal scholars we asked women who had travelled overseas for the birth of their babies to share their experiences.

    Existing research has not done enough to capture their voices, which matter in framing service delivery and immigration policies.

    We reported findings from this first-of-its-kind study in PLOS Global Public Health.

    As there is no registry of foreign pregnant women who gave birth abroad, it is a challenge to find them. For our study, we used social media platforms to recruit 27 Nigerian women who had given birth to at least one child abroad and conducted in-depth interviews with them to understand their motivations and experiences.

    Why women do it

    Of all recruited, 23 gave birth to at least one child in the US, and four gave birth to at least one child in the UK. One woman each gave birth in Canada, Ireland and Zambia.

    All the women in the study had at least a university degree.

    We found that reasons for seeking childbirth abroad varied.

    Some women were motivated by both perceived and experienced gains of foreign citizenship, which they believed might give their children a good education, a better living environment, and easier access to jobs and loans.

    However, it was not all about citizenship. Another motivation was to benefit from “better healthcare”, especially for those who had either had bad experiences during previous births in Nigeria or were concerned because they were carrying what they called a “precious baby”, for example after years of infertility.

    Many women in the study also sought childbirth abroad because it is where they had loved ones to support them through pregnancy, childbirth and having a newborn – a motivation not previously reported.

    Indeed, the number of Nigerians living in the US has increased over time and as of 2023, over 760,000 Americans identify as being of Nigerian origin. Essentially, more than one in 10 African immigrants in the US are Nigerians.

    Some Nigerian women planned to give birth abroad long before they even got pregnant. Others were encouraged to do so by family, friends or colleagues.

    Some decided to seek childbirth abroad after their income increased.

    Mostly positive

    Childbirth abroad is mostly a positive experience, but some women reported feeling treated badly because they were “self-paying” patients, “black”, or not native to the country.

    While travel for many was mostly uneventful, some experienced life-threatening situations en route to their destination or upon arrival.

    They found the cost of care to be exorbitant, but many reported that they were able to pay it off in instalments, or negotiated rebates or discounts from hospitals. A separate study showed that four in five foreign pregnant women who gave birth in a Canadian hospital, including some from Nigeria, had no outstanding bill after discharge.

    In our study, those who struggled to pay said they incurred unexpected costs due to complications that resulted in caesarean sections or other surgical procedures.

    Support during childbirth abroad was considered crucial and included loved ones from Nigeria who would travel with the pregnant woman to their destination.

    Push and pull syndrome

    With an ongoing exodus of Nigerians out of the country due to push and pull factors, known locally as jàpa, it is more likely that there will be more Nigerian pregnant women who have their support system abroad.

    Countries like Nigeria should do more to improve the quality of care obtainable in their health systems.

    Clearly motivations vary, and it is not always about birthright citizenship. While most women have mostly positive experiences, some have negative experiences that require attention and safeguards. For example, care guidelines in host countries specifically assuring good quality care for all pregnant women, including women who have crossed the border to seek childbirth.

    The return of US president Donald Trump makes the need to install these safeguards particularly urgent. In his first term he ordered the United States Department of State to discontinue the approval of visas for pregnant women.

    In his second term he has focused on abolishing birthright citizenship altogether.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons – https://theconversation.com/nigerians-having-babies-abroad-women-explain-their-reasons-251067

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    02

    Strategies, governance and capacity-building

    Target E of the Sendai Framework calls for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies by 2020.

    Though a strategy is not the end goal, UNDRR has found that countries with national DRR strategies tend to have more robust DRR governance and a higher prevalence of EWS, demonstrating the value of investment in this fundamental DRR pillar.

    The Government of Jordan has developed its National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023–2030) in a participatory manner involving different governmental entities, ministries and municipalities, and the Public Security Directorate (Civil Defense), with support from UNDRR and the United Nations Development Programme country office. The strategy also integrates biological hazard risk reduction with the aim of building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within the framework of Jordan’s efforts to deal with increasing threats and risks, the National Centre for Security and Crises Management has played a major role in developing two integrated risk registers; the national risk register and the local register for governorates. Both registers aim to improve the kingdom’s capacity to respond to disasters through accurate identification of risks, and enhanced coordination between the local and national levels for improved risk governance.

    Through this effective coordination between the national and local risk registers, Jordan has made great strides in reducing risks and enhancing community resilience, making the kingdom a role model for disaster management and risk reduction at the regional level.

    Morocco, too, has taken concrete steps to strengthen its risk governance. It established the Directorate of Natural Risk Management under the Ministry of Interior as its national DRR coordination mechanism. Morocco also established the National Risk Observatory to collect, analyse and share data on natural hazard risk. Furthermore, Morocco established a National Risk Forecasting Centre for monitoring and alerting, and an Operational Risk Anticipation Centre for forecasting, alerting and risk management assistance systems. Another successful project comprised the generalization of coverage of the entire national territory using multiscale and multi-hazard risk maps (for natural hazards).

    Albania’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy demonstrates widespread integration of concerns related to climate change and triggers the engagement of new sectors, particularly tourism.

    The vision statement explicitly brings together DRR, climate change and sustainable development using the language of resilience, while the document includes a detailed plan of action for DRR implementation that integrates institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

    In particular, it articulates the implementation of the ALBAdapt project Climate Services for a Resilient Albania. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is identified as the lead institution for implementation of a set of activities that offer compounding co-benefits for both DRR and climate change adaptation, including the development of a people-centred MHEWS, the creation of a fully functional and well-resourced National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

    This integration is supported by articulations elsewhere in the country’s strategic profile, with the National Adaptation Plan 2019 including a priority area entitled “upgrading civil defence preparedness and DRR”. Elsewhere, the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Albania (2023–2028) addresses risks ranging from national security threats to climate change impacts, emphasizing resilience to disasters, while the National Strategy for Development and European Integration (NSDEI) 2022–2030 includes the integration of DRR and climate change adaptation planning among its priorities.

    National DRR strategies are the bedrock for multi-hazard risk governance and the achievement of Sendai Framework targets. These strategies help transform risk knowledge into actions and programmes that save lives and livelihoods. In addition, they serve as guides for mobilizing resources, delegating roles and responsibilities within government, and identifying entry points for non-governmental stakeholder engagement, all leading to more inclusive, sustainable development.

    With 131 countries now reporting having national DRR strategies, and 30 receiving technical support from UNDRR to develop them, this is just a snapshot of the progress being made globally in this important area.

    Under Brazil’s presidency, the Group of 20 (G20) recognized DRR as a critical component of economic resilience. Collaborating closely with UNDRR, Brazil facilitated the adoption of the first-ever G20 Ministerial Declaration on DRR. This landmark declaration emphasized the necessity of accelerating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’s implementation, aiming to reduce disaster losses by 2030, and called for the development of high-level principles for DRR financing. The work of the G20 DRR Working Group, with UNDRR as the lead knowledge partner, further reflected a comprehensive approach to integrating DRR into economic and social policies.

    UNDRR’s capacity-building continues to go from strength to strength, with nearly 10,000 DRR practitioners being trained in 2024, 77 per cent of whom reported having a better understanding of DRR as a result. At one such workshop in the Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a remarkable collaboration unfolded – a pioneering workshop uniting experts from UNDRR and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to empower government stakeholders from Mongolia and Bhutan to mobilize relevant partners and stakeholders and obtain funding for their DRR measures. This joint training begins a process of transforming the daunting challenges of climate change into opportunities for proactive DRR.

    Delegates were empowered by not only technical insights, but also the forging of lasting partnerships. The workshop’s training modules, co-designed by UNDRR and GCF specialists, delved deep into practical tools such as the EW4All Checklist for Gap Analysis, equipping participants to critically assess their national capacities and pinpoint vulnerabilities. “Early warning systems are important components for our national climate change adaptation strategy,” noted Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Mongolia, emphasizing how the training illuminated the next steps for their evolving EWS.

    This pilot UNDRR–GCF initiative is part of a broader strategy to replicate capacity-building endeavours in developing countries. Future workshops are planned for countries that are in very different geographic contexts yet face similar challenges (particularly those resulting from climate change), such as Somalia, Togo and the SIDS. These workshops aim to accelerate access to climate finance and enhance DRR measures worldwide.

    In a continuation of the Media Saving Lives programme, UNDRR and partners trained 520 journalists and media practitioners in DRR and risk communications, bringing the total to over 2,500 from 80 countries. Media are an integral part of the EWS delivery chain, and engaging them to build trust between government and communities can be the difference between life and death when disaster hits.

    The rise in global temperatures and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events are rapidly becoming central challenges for nations worldwide. Yet many Member States, cities and societies remain ill-prepared to address this escalating threat. The imperative for enhanced extreme heat risk reduction, governance and management is clear. Without urgent and coordinated action, extreme heat will continue to endanger billions of lives, amplify health risks and threaten the ecosystems upon which we depend.

    In response, the UNDRR/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience – together with the Global Heat Health Information Network, Duke University and WMO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience partners – has developed an extreme heat decision-support package for countries tackling this global threat. The package includes: international organization resource and ecosystem mapping, readiness reviews and profiles; national best practice analytics; evaluations of heat action plans; and materials for development of an extreme heat maturity index for self-assessment. These materials can enhance collaboration, integrated heat risk governance and policy responses to extreme heat.

    UNDRR’s work and that of United Nations system partners, coupled with increasing demands for assistance from Member States, prompted and informed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in July 2024, in which he emphasized the need for urgent action if a future characterized by even more devastating heat impacts on lives, economies and ecosystems is to be avoided.

    This work is in turn informing the development of a Common Framework for Heat Risk Governance, led by UNDRR with the Global Heat Health Information Network, and Member States, international organizations and stakeholders. The Framework will receive inputs from (and is designed to bring together) multiple sectors, domains and scales – from agriculture and food systems, to energy systems, transportation, construction materials and design, and urban cooling. It is expected to assist national and subnational decision makers in designing and resourcing integrated actions to reduce extreme heat risk to people, urban and rural ecosystems, and the environment, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR Annual Report 2024

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    02

    Strategies, governance and capacity-building

    Target E of the Sendai Framework calls for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies by 2020.

    Though a strategy is not the end goal, UNDRR has found that countries with national DRR strategies tend to have more robust DRR governance and a higher prevalence of EWS, demonstrating the value of investment in this fundamental DRR pillar.

    The Government of Jordan has developed its National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023–2030) in a participatory manner involving different governmental entities, ministries and municipalities, and the Public Security Directorate (Civil Defense), with support from UNDRR and the United Nations Development Programme country office. The strategy also integrates biological hazard risk reduction with the aim of building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within the framework of Jordan’s efforts to deal with increasing threats and risks, the National Centre for Security and Crises Management has played a major role in developing two integrated risk registers; the national risk register and the local register for governorates. Both registers aim to improve the kingdom’s capacity to respond to disasters through accurate identification of risks, and enhanced coordination between the local and national levels for improved risk governance.

    Through this effective coordination between the national and local risk registers, Jordan has made great strides in reducing risks and enhancing community resilience, making the kingdom a role model for disaster management and risk reduction at the regional level.

    Morocco, too, has taken concrete steps to strengthen its risk governance. It established the Directorate of Natural Risk Management under the Ministry of Interior as its national DRR coordination mechanism. Morocco also established the National Risk Observatory to collect, analyse and share data on natural hazard risk. Furthermore, Morocco established a National Risk Forecasting Centre for monitoring and alerting, and an Operational Risk Anticipation Centre for forecasting, alerting and risk management assistance systems. Another successful project comprised the generalization of coverage of the entire national territory using multiscale and multi-hazard risk maps (for natural hazards).

    Albania’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy demonstrates widespread integration of concerns related to climate change and triggers the engagement of new sectors, particularly tourism.

    The vision statement explicitly brings together DRR, climate change and sustainable development using the language of resilience, while the document includes a detailed plan of action for DRR implementation that integrates institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

    In particular, it articulates the implementation of the ALBAdapt project Climate Services for a Resilient Albania. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is identified as the lead institution for implementation of a set of activities that offer compounding co-benefits for both DRR and climate change adaptation, including the development of a people-centred MHEWS, the creation of a fully functional and well-resourced National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

    This integration is supported by articulations elsewhere in the country’s strategic profile, with the National Adaptation Plan 2019 including a priority area entitled “upgrading civil defence preparedness and DRR”. Elsewhere, the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Albania (2023–2028) addresses risks ranging from national security threats to climate change impacts, emphasizing resilience to disasters, while the National Strategy for Development and European Integration (NSDEI) 2022–2030 includes the integration of DRR and climate change adaptation planning among its priorities.

    National DRR strategies are the bedrock for multi-hazard risk governance and the achievement of Sendai Framework targets. These strategies help transform risk knowledge into actions and programmes that save lives and livelihoods. In addition, they serve as guides for mobilizing resources, delegating roles and responsibilities within government, and identifying entry points for non-governmental stakeholder engagement, all leading to more inclusive, sustainable development.

    With 131 countries now reporting having national DRR strategies, and 30 receiving technical support from UNDRR to develop them, this is just a snapshot of the progress being made globally in this important area.

    Under Brazil’s presidency, the Group of 20 (G20) recognized DRR as a critical component of economic resilience. Collaborating closely with UNDRR, Brazil facilitated the adoption of the first-ever G20 Ministerial Declaration on DRR. This landmark declaration emphasized the necessity of accelerating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’s implementation, aiming to reduce disaster losses by 2030, and called for the development of high-level principles for DRR financing. The work of the G20 DRR Working Group, with UNDRR as the lead knowledge partner, further reflected a comprehensive approach to integrating DRR into economic and social policies.

    UNDRR’s capacity-building continues to go from strength to strength, with nearly 10,000 DRR practitioners being trained in 2024, 77 per cent of whom reported having a better understanding of DRR as a result. At one such workshop in the Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a remarkable collaboration unfolded – a pioneering workshop uniting experts from UNDRR and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to empower government stakeholders from Mongolia and Bhutan to mobilize relevant partners and stakeholders and obtain funding for their DRR measures. This joint training begins a process of transforming the daunting challenges of climate change into opportunities for proactive DRR.

    Delegates were empowered by not only technical insights, but also the forging of lasting partnerships. The workshop’s training modules, co-designed by UNDRR and GCF specialists, delved deep into practical tools such as the EW4All Checklist for Gap Analysis, equipping participants to critically assess their national capacities and pinpoint vulnerabilities. “Early warning systems are important components for our national climate change adaptation strategy,” noted Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Mongolia, emphasizing how the training illuminated the next steps for their evolving EWS.

    This pilot UNDRR–GCF initiative is part of a broader strategy to replicate capacity-building endeavours in developing countries. Future workshops are planned for countries that are in very different geographic contexts yet face similar challenges (particularly those resulting from climate change), such as Somalia, Togo and the SIDS. These workshops aim to accelerate access to climate finance and enhance DRR measures worldwide.

    In a continuation of the Media Saving Lives programme, UNDRR and partners trained 520 journalists and media practitioners in DRR and risk communications, bringing the total to over 2,500 from 80 countries. Media are an integral part of the EWS delivery chain, and engaging them to build trust between government and communities can be the difference between life and death when disaster hits.

    The rise in global temperatures and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events are rapidly becoming central challenges for nations worldwide. Yet many Member States, cities and societies remain ill-prepared to address this escalating threat. The imperative for enhanced extreme heat risk reduction, governance and management is clear. Without urgent and coordinated action, extreme heat will continue to endanger billions of lives, amplify health risks and threaten the ecosystems upon which we depend.

    In response, the UNDRR/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience – together with the Global Heat Health Information Network, Duke University and WMO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience partners – has developed an extreme heat decision-support package for countries tackling this global threat. The package includes: international organization resource and ecosystem mapping, readiness reviews and profiles; national best practice analytics; evaluations of heat action plans; and materials for development of an extreme heat maturity index for self-assessment. These materials can enhance collaboration, integrated heat risk governance and policy responses to extreme heat.

    UNDRR’s work and that of United Nations system partners, coupled with increasing demands for assistance from Member States, prompted and informed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in July 2024, in which he emphasized the need for urgent action if a future characterized by even more devastating heat impacts on lives, economies and ecosystems is to be avoided.

    This work is in turn informing the development of a Common Framework for Heat Risk Governance, led by UNDRR with the Global Heat Health Information Network, and Member States, international organizations and stakeholders. The Framework will receive inputs from (and is designed to bring together) multiple sectors, domains and scales – from agriculture and food systems, to energy systems, transportation, construction materials and design, and urban cooling. It is expected to assist national and subnational decision makers in designing and resourcing integrated actions to reduce extreme heat risk to people, urban and rural ecosystems, and the environment, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hosting the UN climate summit is far from ‘madness’ – here’s how Australia stands to benefit

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would withdraw Australia’s bid to co-host next year’s global climate summit if the Coalition wins the federal election.

    Australia has lobbied hard for the right to host the talks, known as COP31, in conjunction with Pacific nations. Australia has emerged as a leading contender, and has the backing of most countries in its United Nations grouping, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand.

    However, Dutton on Sunday described the idea of hosting the UN climate conference as “not something we are supporting — it is madness”. He also falsely claimed it would cost Australia “tens of billions” of dollars to host the event.

    Australia would reap big benefits by hosting the high-profile global talks. It would likely attract considerable investment in renewables and clean energy export industries, and strengthen Australia’s national security during a time of increasing geo-strategic competition in the Pacific. To pull out now would be a costly move.

    Decison deferred until June

    The decision on who will host COP31 in 2026 was expected at last year’s summit in Azerbaijan. But it was deferred until June this year – after Australia’s next federal election.

    Hosting rights are shared between five UN country groupings on a rotational basis. The final decision is made by consensus.

    Australia’s bid to host with Pacific nations has considerable support. But Turkey, the only other country in the running to host COP31, has so far resisted lobbying efforts to persuade it to drop out.

    An economic boost for Australia

    Hosting the UN climate talks is a massive economic opportunity for Australia.

    COP31 would be one of the biggest diplomatic summits Australia has ever hosted. Tens of thousands of people could be expected for a fortnight of negotiations, with satellite events held across the nation and the Pacific.

    Adelaide is in the box seat to play host. The South Australian government estimated hosting the UN talks could generate more than A$500 million for the state. But economic benefits would be much wider, and longer-lasting, than tourism receipts from those attending. The talks are a chance to attract investment for Australia’s energy transition and for clean energy industries of the future, including critical minerals and green iron.

    The UK government’s assessment of the value of hosting the UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 found the net economic benefit was double that spent – around A$1 billion. That includes benefits from trade deals and foreign investment. With abundant critical minerals, and excellent wind and solar resources, Australia has even more to gain.

    Hosting the world’s largest climate summit is a chance to attract the investment needed to replace ageing and unreliable coal-fired power stations. According to the Clean Energy Investor Group, which represents the capital behind large-scale renewables, more than 70% of the investment in clean energy comes from international sources.

    Dutton says he plans to replace coal with nuclear power (and to rely on gas until nuclear plants are built decades from now). The Coalition’s nuclear plan would require hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer support.

    Securing our place in the Pacific

    Working with Pacific nations to address climate change is key to Australian national security.

    Australia aims to be the security partner of choice for Pacific island countries. And Pacific island countries are crystal clear: climate change is their “single greatest threat”.

    In 2022, Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China, which raised the prospect of a potential Chinese naval base in Australia’s maritime approaches. Foreign Minister Penny Wong – who was in opposition at the time – described it as the worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of WWII.

    The Albanese government has looked to cement Australia’s place in the Pacific by working with island nations to address climate change. In July 2022, Albanese joined Pacific leaders to declare a Pacific climate emergency and launched bid to co-host a UN climate summit with Pacific nations. In 2023, Australia signed a climate migration deal with Tuvalu that also prevents Tuvalu from pursuing a security deal with China.

    Pacific leaders have welcomed Australia’s plans to host the UN climate talks and have agreed to work together to advocate for the joint bid. Walking away now could do real damage to Australian strategy in the region.

    Embracing our clean energy future

    Hosting COP31 is a chance to set up Australia’s economy of tomorrow, signalling the shift from fossil fuel heavyweight to clean energy superpower.

    Australia is leading the clean energy transition. This is a story to tell the world. One in three households have rooftop solar. Already 40% of the main national power grid is powered by wind, solar and storage. We are on track for 80% renewables by 2030.

    South Australia is moving even faster, set for 100% clean electricity by 2027. Hosting COP31 in the state is also a chance to showcase clean energy export industries, especially plans to produce green iron and green steel at the Whyalla steelworks.

    Australia is the world’s largest exporter of raw iron ore, but is well positioned to export more-valuable, and lower-polluting, green iron to major economies in our region. The potential export value of green iron is estimated to be $295 billion a year, or three times the current value of iron ore exports.

    More broadly, our clean energy exports – including green metals, green fertilisers and green fuels – could be worth six to eight times more than our fossil fuel exports.

    Walking away from the chance to host the world and showcase our clean energy future would be costly indeed.

    Wesley Morgan is a fellow with the Climate Council of Australia

    – ref. Hosting the UN climate summit is far from ‘madness’ – here’s how Australia stands to benefit – https://theconversation.com/hosting-the-un-climate-summit-is-far-from-madness-heres-how-australia-stands-to-benefit-253423

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dutton says it would cost too much to host UN climate summit, but pulling out would cost Australia even more

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would withdraw Australia’s bid to co-host next year’s global climate summit if the Coalition wins the federal election.

    Australia has lobbied hard for the right to host the talks, known as COP31, in conjunction with Pacific nations. Australia has emerged as a leading contender, and has the backing of most countries in its United Nations grouping, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand.

    However, Dutton on Sunday described the idea of hosting the UN climate conference as “not something we are supporting — it is madness”. He also falsely claimed it would cost Australia “tens of billions” of dollars to host the event.

    Australia would reap big benefits by hosting the high-profile global talks. It would likely attract considerable investment in renewables and clean energy export industries, and strengthen Australia’s national security during a time of increasing geo-strategic competition in the Pacific. To pull out now would be a costly move.

    Decison deferred until June

    The decision on who will host COP31 in 2026 was expected at last year’s summit in Azerbaijan. But it was deferred until June this year – after Australia’s next federal election.

    Hosting rights are shared between five UN country groupings on a rotational basis. The final decision is made by consensus.

    Australia’s bid to host with Pacific nations has considerable support. But Turkey, the only other country in the running to host COP31, has so far resisted lobbying efforts to persuade it to drop out.

    An economic boost for Australia

    Hosting the UN climate talks is a massive economic opportunity for Australia.

    COP31 would be one of the biggest diplomatic summits Australia has ever hosted. Tens of thousands of people could be expected for a fortnight of negotiations, with satellite events held across the nation and the Pacific.

    Adelaide is in the box seat to play host. The South Australian government estimated hosting the UN talks could generate more than A$500 million for the state. But economic benefits would be much wider, and longer-lasting, than tourism receipts from those attending. The talks are a chance to attract investment for Australia’s energy transition and for clean energy industries of the future, including critical minerals and green iron.

    The UK government’s assessment of the value of hosting the UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 found the net economic benefit was double that spent – around A$1 billion. That includes benefits from trade deals and foreign investment. With abundant critical minerals, and excellent wind and solar resources, Australia has even more to gain.

    Hosting the world’s largest climate summit is a chance to attract the investment needed to replace ageing and unreliable coal-fired power stations. According to the Clean Energy Investor Group, which represents the capital behind large-scale renewables, more than 70% of the investment in clean energy comes from international sources.

    Dutton says he plans to replace coal with nuclear power (and to rely on gas until nuclear plants are built decades from now). The Coalition’s nuclear plan would require hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer support.

    Securing our place in the Pacific

    Working with Pacific nations to address climate change is key to Australian national security.

    Australia aims to be the security partner of choice for Pacific island countries. And Pacific island countries are crystal clear: climate change is their “single greatest threat”.

    In 2022, Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China, which raised the prospect of a potential Chinese naval base in Australia’s maritime approaches. Foreign Minister Penny Wong – who was in opposition at the time – described it as the worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific since the end of WWII.

    The Albanese government has looked to cement Australia’s place in the Pacific by working with island nations to address climate change. In July 2022, Albanese joined Pacific leaders to declare a Pacific climate emergency and launched bid to co-host a UN climate summit with Pacific nations. In 2023, Australia signed a climate migration deal with Tuvalu that also prevents Tuvalu from pursuing a security deal with China.

    Pacific leaders have welcomed Australia’s plans to host the UN climate talks and have agreed to work together to advocate for the joint bid. Walking away now could do real damage to Australian strategy in the region.

    Embracing our clean energy future

    Hosting COP31 is a chance to set up Australia’s economy of tomorrow, signalling the shift from fossil fuel heavyweight to clean energy superpower.

    Australia is leading the clean energy transition. This is a story to tell the world. One in three households have rooftop solar. Already 40% of the main national power grid is powered by wind, solar and storage. We are on track for 80% renewables by 2030.

    South Australia is moving even faster, set for 100% clean electricity by 2027. Hosting COP31 in the state is also a chance to showcase clean energy export industries, especially plans to produce green iron and green steel at the Whyalla steelworks.

    Australia is the world’s largest exporter of raw iron ore, but is well positioned to export more-valuable, and lower-polluting, green iron to major economies in our region. The potential export value of green iron is estimated to be $295 billion a year, or three times the current value of iron ore exports.

    More broadly, our clean energy exports – including green metals, green fertilisers and green fuels – could be worth six to eight times more than our fossil fuel exports.

    Walking away from the chance to host the world and showcase our clean energy future would be costly indeed.

    Wesley Morgan is a fellow with the Climate Council of Australia

    – ref. Dutton says it would cost too much to host UN climate summit, but pulling out would cost Australia even more – https://theconversation.com/dutton-says-it-would-cost-too-much-to-host-un-climate-summit-but-pulling-out-would-cost-australia-even-more-253423

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s address in the 120th Episode of ‘Mann ki Baat’ on 30.03.2025

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 30 MAR 2025 11:41AM by PIB Delhi

    My dear countrymen, Namaskar. Today, on a very auspicious day, I have got the opportunity to talk to you through ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Today is the Pratipada Tithi of the Shukla Paksha of the Chaitra month. Chaitra Navratri is beginning from today. The Indian New Year is also commencing from this day. This is also the start of Vikram Samvat 2082. At the moment, I have many of your letters in front of me. Some are from Bihar, some from Bengal, some from Tamil Nadu & some from Gujarat. In these, people have expressed their inner most thoughts in a very interesting way. Many letters also comprise good wishes and congratulatory messages. But today I feel like sharing some messages with you –

    Prime Minister (Sarvarigu Yugadi Habbadaa Shubhaashegadu) – Happy Ugadi festival to all

     

    The next message is –

    Prime Minister (Andariki Ugadi Shubhaakaankshalu) – Happy Ugadi festival to all

    Now in another letter it is written –

    Prime Minister (Saunsaar Paadvyaachi Parbi) – Greetings on Saunsaar Padwa

    Inscribed in the next message is –

    Prime Minister (Gudipaadwya Nimitta Haardik Shubhechhaa) – Heartiest greetings on the occasion of Gudi Padwa

    One of our friends has written –

    Prime Minister (Illaavarakkum Vishu Aashamshagal) – Happy Vishu festival to all

    Another message is –

    Prime Minister (Inniy Puttaand Nalla Vaazhathukkal) – Happy New Year to all

    Friends, you must have understood that the messages have been sent in different languages. But do you know the reason behind this? This exactly is the special thing that I want to share with you today. New Year is starting today and during the next few days in different states of our country. And all these messages are of greetings for New Year and various festivals. That is why people have sent me greetings in different languages.

    Friends, today the festival of Ugadi is being celebrated with great fervour in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana. Today itself, Gudi Padwa is being celebrated in Maharashtra. In our country full of diversity, during the next few days, in different states, ‘Rongali Bihu’ will be celebrated in Assam, ‘Poila Boishakh’ in Bengal, ‘Navreh’ in Kashmir. Similarly, between 13th and 15th April, there will be joyous celebration of festivals in different parts of the country. There is an atmosphere of excitement about this too and the festival of Eid is also there. That means this whole month is of festivals; of festivities. I extend my greetings to the people of the country on these festivals. These festivals of ours may be in different regions, but they show how unity is woven into the diversity of India. We have to keep reinforcing this spirit of unity, on our way ahead.

    Friends, at the advent of exams, I have a discussion, ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, with young friends. Now the exams are over. In many schools, preparations are on to resume the classes. After this, summer vacations are also round the corner. Children eagerly await this time of the year. I am reminded of my childhood days when my friends and I used to play one prank or the other all day long. But simultaneously, we used to do something constructive and learn too. Summer days are long and children have a lot to do during the time. This is the time to inculcate a new hobby as well as hone your skills. Today, there is no dearth of platforms for children where they can learn a lot.

    For example, if an organization is running a technology camp, children can learn about open-source software along with developing apps. Be it environment, be it theatre or be it leadership, courses on various subjects are being conducted… they can join them as well. There are many schools that teach speech or drama, which are very useful for children. Apart from all this, you also have the opportunity to join volunteer activities and service endeavours going on at many places during these holidays. I specially urge you regarding such programs… If any organisation, school or social institution or science centre is organising such summer activities, do share it with #MyHolidays. This will help children and their parents from across the country to get information about these easily.

    My young friends, today I would also like to discuss with you the special calendar of MY-Bharat, which has been prepared for this summer vacation. At the moment, copy of this calendar is kept in front of me. I want to share some unique efforts through this calendar. For example, in the study tour of MY-Bharat, you can know how our ‘Jan Aushadhi Kendras’ function. You can undergo a unique experience in the border villages by becoming a part of the vibrant village campaign. Along with this, you can definitely become a part of the cultural and sports activities there. At the same time, by participating in the padyatra on Ambedkar Jayanti, you can also spread awareness about the values ​​of the Constitution.

    I specially urge children and their parents as well to share their holiday experiences with #HolidayMemories. I will try to include your experiences in the upcoming ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

    My dear countrymen, as soon as the summer season approaches, preparations for saving water begin in many cities and villages. In many states, works related to water harvesting and water conservation have gained new momentum. The Ministry of Jal Shakti and numerous NGOs are working in that direction. Thousands of artificial ponds, check dams, borewell recharge and community soak pits are being constructed in the country. Like every year, this time too, preparations have been made on a war footing for the ‘catch the rain’ campaign. This campaign too, is not of the government… but of the society, of the Janata-Janaardan; the people. Jal Sanchay-Jan Bhagidari Abhiyan is also being run to connect more and more people with water conservation. The endeavour is to safely pass on the natural resources that we have, to the next generation.

    Friends, by conserving raindrops, we can save a lot of water from getting wasted. Over the last few years, under this campaign, unprecedented tasks related to water conservation have been undertaken in many parts of the country. I will give you an interesting figure. During the last 7-8 years, over 11 billion cubic metres of water has been conserved through newly built tanks, ponds and other water recharge structures. You must now be wondering how much 11 billion cubic metres of water is?

    Friends, you must have seen the pictures of the water that gets accumulated in the Bhakra Nangal dam. This water forms the Govind Sagar lake. The length of this lake is more than 90 kilometres. Even in this lake, not more than 9-10 billion cubic metres of water can be conserved. Only 9-10 billion cubic metres! And the countrymen, through their tiny efforts, have managed to conserve 11 billion cubic meters of water in different parts of the country – isn’t that a great effort!

    Friends, in this direction, the people of Gadag district of Karnataka have also set an example. A few years ago, the lakes of two villages dried up completely. There came a time when there was no water left even for the animals to drink. Gradually, the lake got covered with weeds and bushes. But some villagers decided to revive the lake and started working on it. And as they say, ‘where there is a will there is a way’. Noticing the efforts of the villagers, the social organizations in the vicinity also joined them. All of them, together cleaned the garbage and mud and after some time the lake area became completely clean. Now people are waiting for the rainy season. Indeed, this is a great example of the ‘catch the rain’ campaign. Friends, you can also join such efforts at the community level. You must make a plan from now on to take this mass movement forward, and you have to remember one more thing. If possible, keep cold water in an earthen pot in front of your house during summers. Keep water for birds on the roof of the house or even in the verandah. See how blessed you will feel after doing this punya karma (pious deed).

    Friends, in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ we will now talk about adding wings to your zeal… About displaying passion despite challenges. In the Khelo India Para Games that concluded a few days ago, the players surprised everyone with their dedication and talent, once again. This time more players participated in these games than earlier. This shows how popular Para Sports is becoming. I congratulate all the players participating in the Khelo India Para Games for their sterling efforts. My best wishes for the players of Haryana, Tamil Nadu and UP for securing the first, second and third positions, respectively. During these games, our divyang players also set 18 national records. Out of which 12 were in the name of our women players. Arm wrestler Joby Mathew who won a Gold Medal in this year’s Khelo India Para Games has written a letter to me. I would like to read out an excerpt of his letter. He has written-

    “Winning a medal is very special, but our struggle is not limited to just standing on the podium. We fight a battle every day. Life tests us in many ways… very few people understand our struggle. Despite this, we move forward with courage. We work towards fulfilling our dreams. We believe that we are no less than anyone else.”

    Great! Joby Mathew, you have written an amazing, wonderful letter. I thank you for this letter. I want to tell Joby Mathew and all our Divyang friends that your efforts are a great inspiration for us.

    Friends, another grand event in Delhi has inspired people a lot; filled them with enthusiasm. Fit India Carnival was organized for the first time as an innovative idea. About 25 thousand people from different fields participated in it. All of them had the same goal – to stay fit and spread awareness about fitness. People involved in this event got information related to their health as well as nutrition. I urge you to organize such carnivals in your area as well. MY-Bharat can be of great help to you in this initiative.

    Friends, our indigenous games are now becoming a part of popular culture. You all must be knowing the famous rapper Hanumankind. His new song “Run It Up” is becoming quite famous these days. Our traditional Martial Arts like Kalaripayattu, Gatka and Thang-Ta have been included in it. I congratulate Hanumankind that due to his efforts people of the world are getting to know about our traditional Martial Arts.

    My dear countrymen, every month I get a lot of messages from you on MyGov and NaMo App. Many messages touch my heart, while others fill me with pride. Many a time, these messages provide unique information about our culture and traditions. This time, I want to share with you the message that caught my attention.

    Atharva Kapoor from Varanasi, Aaryash Leekha and Atrey Maan from Mumbai have written about their feelings on my recent visit to Mauritius. They have written that they greatly enjoyed the performance of “Geet Gawai” during this visit. I have felt similar sentiments in many letters received from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. What I felt during the wonderful performance of Geet Gawai in Mauritius was truly amazing.

    Friends, when we stay connected to our roots, no matter how big the storm, it cannot uproot us. Just imagine, about 200 years ago, many people from India went to Mauritius as indentured labourers. Nobody knew what would happen next. But with the passage of time, they settled there. They carved a niche identity for themselves in Mauritius. They preserved their heritage and remained connected to their roots. Mauritius is not the only such example. Last year when I went to Guyana, the Chowtaal performance there impressed me a lot.

    Friends, let me now play an audio for you.

    #(Clip)#

    You must be wondering that this must be about some part of our country. But you will be surprised to know that it is related to Fiji. This is the very popular ‘Phagwa Chowtaal’ of Fiji. This song and music fills everyone with fervour. Let me play another audio for you.

    #(Clip)#

    This audio is the ‘Chowtaal’ of Suriname. The countrymen watching this program on TV can see the President of Suriname and my friend Chan Santokhi Ji enjoying it. This tradition of coming together & singing is also very popular in Trinidad and Tobago. In all these countries, people read Ramayan a lot. Phagwa is very popular here and all Indian festivals are celebrated with full enthusiasm. Many of their songs are in Bhojpuri, Awadhi or mixed language; at times Braj and Maithili are also used. All those who preserve our traditions in these countries deserve appreciation.

    Friends, there are many such organizations in the world, which have been working to conserve Indian culture for years. One such organization is – ‘Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society’. This organization, engaged in preserving Indian dance, music and culture, has completed its glorious 75 years. In the program related to this occasion, the President of Singapore, Shriman Tharman Shanmugaratnam Ji was the Guest of Honour. He praised the efforts of this organization. I extend my best wishes to this team.

    Friends, in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, along with the achievements of the countrymen, we often raise social issues as well. Many a time, challenges are also discussed. This time in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I want to talk about a challenge that is directly related to all of us. This challenge is of ‘textile waste’. You must be wondering, what is this new problem of textile waste?

    Actually, textile waste has become a major cause of worry for the whole world. Nowadays, the trend of getting rid of old clothes as soon as possible and buying new ones is increasing all over the world. Have you ever thought what happens to the old clothes that you stop wearing? This becomes textile waste. A lot of global research is being done on this subject. It has come to light in a research that only less than one percent of textile waste is recycled into new clothes… less than even one percent. India is the third country in the world where the maximum textile waste is generated. This means that we also face a huge challenge. But I am happy that many commendable efforts are being undertaken in our country to deal with this challenge. Many Indian start-ups have started working on textile recovery facilities.

    There are many such teams that are also working for the empowerment of our ragpicker brothers and sisters. Many young friends are involved in the efforts towards sustainable fashion. They recycle old clothes and footwear and distribute them to the needy. Many items like decorative pieces, handbags, stationery and toys are being made from textile waste. Many organizations are engaged in popularizing the ‘circular fashion brands’ these days. New rental platforms are also coming up, where designer clothes are available on rent. Some organizations collect old clothes, make them reusable and distribute them to the poor.

    Friends, some cities are also carving a new identity for themselves in dealing with textile waste. Panipat in Haryana is emerging as a global hub for textile recycling. Bengaluru is also creating a distinct identity for itself with innovative tech solutions. More than half of the textile waste is collected here, which is an example for our other cities as well. Similarly, Tirupur in Tamil Nadu is engaged in textile waste management through wastewater treatment and renewable energy.

    My dear countrymen, today along with fitness, count is also playing a big role. Count of the number of steps taken in a day, count of the number of calories eaten in a day, count of the number of calories burnt… amidst all these counts, another countdown is about to begin. The countdown to the International Yoga Day. Now less than 100 days are left for Yoga Day. If you have not yet included yoga in your life, do it now… it is not too late yet. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated 10 years ago on the 21st of June, 2015. Now this day has taken the shape of a grand festival of yoga. This is such a priceless gift from India to humanity, which is going to be very useful for future generation. The theme of Yoga Day 2025 has been kept as ‘Yoga for One Earth One Health’. That is, we wish to make the whole world healthy through yoga.

    Friends, it is a matter of pride for all of us that today the curiosity about our yoga and traditional medicine is rising, all over the world. A large number of youths are adopting yoga and Ayurveda as an excellent medium for wellness.

    For example, there is a South American country, Chile. Ayurveda is rapidly becoming popular there. Last year, during my visit to Brazil, I met the President of Chile. We had a lot of discussions about the popularity of Ayurveda. I have come to know about a team named ‘Somos India’. In Spanish, it means – ‘We are India’. This team has been promoting yoga and Ayurveda for almost a decade. Their focus is on treatment as well as educational programmes. They are also getting information related to Yog and Ayurveda translated into the Spanish language. If we talk about last year alone, about 9 thousand people participated in their myriad events and courses. I congratulate all the people associated with this team for their efforts.

    My dear countrymen, now an interesting yet strange question in ‘Mann Ki Baat’! Have you ever wondered about the journey of flowers? Some flowers that bloom on trees and plants travel to temples. Some flowers beautify the house, some dissolve in perfume and spread fragrance everywhere. But today I will tell you about another journey of flowers. You certainly must have heard about Mahua flowers. People of our villages and especially the tribal community know very well about its importance. The journey of Mahua flowers in many parts of the country has now embarked upon a new path. Cookies are being made from Mahua flowers in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. These cookies are becoming very popular due to the efforts of four sisters of Rajakhoh village.

    Observing the passion of these women, a big company trained them to work in a factory. Inspired by them, many women of the village have joined them. The demand for Mahua cookies made by them is increasing rapidly. In the Adilabad district of Telangana also, two sisters have carried out a new experiment with Mahua flowers. They make various types of dishes with them, which people like very much. There is also the sweetness of tribal culture in their dishes.

    Friends, I want to tell you about another wonderful flower and its name is ‘Krishna Kamal’. Have you visited the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat? You will see these Krishna Kamal in large numbers around the Statue of Unity. These flowers captivate the tourists. These Krishna Kamal have become the centre of attraction in Arogya Van, Ekta Nursery, Vishwa Van and Miyawaki forest of Ekta Nagar. Lakhs of Krishna Kamal plants have been planted here in a planned manner. If you look around you, you will notice interesting journeys of flowers. Do write to me about such unique journeys of flowers in your area.

    My dear friends, keep sharing your thoughts, experiences and information with me as always. It is possible that something may be happening around you which may seem normal, but for others that topic might be very interesting and new. We will meet again next month and discuss those things of countrymen which fill us with inspiration. Thank you very much to all of you, Namaskar.

    **********

    MJPS/ST/RT

    (Release ID: 2116715) Visitor Counter : 307

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong’s mega-event March sees over 3.4M visitors

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Hong Kong recorded more than 3.4 million visitors in March as of Friday, up about 12 percent year-on-year, including around 960,000 non-Chinese mainland tourists, boosted by a slew of mega events held in Hong Kong this month, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, has said.

    In a blog post on Sunday, Chan highlighted the Hong Kong Sevens, a major rugby event concluding on Sunday, which has elevated the festive atmosphere to new heights. The Kai Tak Sports Park, freshly opened in March, offers a larger venue with world-class facilities for the matches, with expected attendance reaching a record 140,000. All 60-plus corporate boxes at the venue were sold out well in advance, he said.

    Chan shared his personal experience at the Art Basel Hong Kong exhibition held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. He said that the five-day event is projected to attract more attendees than last year’s turnout of 75,000. Earlier this month, the international trendy cultural event ComplexCon also saw success, drawing 35,000 visitors, a 16 percent increase from the previous year, with total sales exceeding 87 million Hong Kong dollars (11.18 million U.S. dollars) over three days, he added.

    In recent weeks, several major conferences have taken place, including the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit 2025, hosted by the HKSAR government, along with various meetings organized by financial, academic, media, and international institutions.

    Chan noted that international guests frequently observed that Hong Kong has regained its vibrancy and energy. The financial market has shown notable improvement this year, with rising stock markets and significant increases in trading volume. New stock financing activities have also become more active.

    Coupled with breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and developments in the cultural and creative industries, international investors are reassessing the financial markets in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, increasing their investment allocations in the region. They also hope to explore more investment opportunities in the Chinese mainland and surrounding areas through Hong Kong as a platform, Chan said.

    Looking ahead, Chan stated that the HKSAR government would continue to promote the mega-event economy and would work alongside the industry to encourage and support businesses in developing more unique products and services, continually enhancing customer experiences to create a bustling and prosperous environment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Help shape the future of farm plastics recycling

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is encouraging New Zealanders, particularly in rural areas, to share their views on proposed regulations to improve the management of farm plastic waste, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says.

    “The proposal – an industry-led initiative – would bring the existing Agrecovery and Plasback programmes into a single national recycling system, making services simpler and more accessible for all users of regulated farm plastics,” Ms Simmonds says.

    The proposed regulations would support a nationally consistent product stewardship scheme for agrichemicals, their containers, and farm plastics, helping farmers and growers reduce their environmental impact while maintaining productivity.

    “Plastic products are vital to New Zealand’s world-leading agri-economy, but rural communities know that waste like agrichemical containers and bale wrap can quickly pile up,” Ms Simmonds says. 

    “These regulations will provide a unified system where producers, sellers, and users take responsibility for the entire product lifecycle, from design to disposal.”

    Public consultation, opening today, will focus on regulations supporting the new product stewardship scheme, provisionally named Green-farms. In addition to farmers and growers, industries such as forestry, manufacturing, hospitality, and tourism, as well as local authorities and households, would have access to national take-back services.

    “The scheme offers a practical solution for a wide range of consumers, including households needing proper disposal options for pest and weed control product containers,” Ms Simmonds says.

    The programme will ensure farmers have access to free-to-use drop-off sites and collection services while working alongside regulations for producers and importers.

    “Key industry stakeholders back the scheme, which offers a better alternative to burning or burying plastic waste on farms. Rural communities want a simple, effective system, and we welcome feedback to refine the proposed regulations,” Ms Simmonds says.

    Consultation on the new regulations will run until 1 June 2025.

    Information and submission forms are now available: Proposed product stewardship regulations: Agrichemicals, their containers, and farm plastics – Discussion document | Ministry for the Environment

    Further information:

    Agrichemicals and their containers, and farm plastics are one of six priority products for which stewardship schemes must be implemented under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008: Priority product stewardship | Ministry for the Environment

    Read more about the scheme: Agrecovery’s Green-farms Product Stewardship Scheme accredited to create more recycling opportunities for farmers – Agrecovery

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Sci-fi industry total revenue hits 108.96B yuan in 2024

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    This photo taken on Oct. 14, 2024 shows the sci-fi-themed mural painted on the outer wall of the Niangziguan Power Plant, where Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin used to work as an engineer, in Yangquan, northern China’s Shanxi province.  [Photo/Xinhua]

    The total revenue of China’s science fiction industry in 2024 amounted to 108.96 billion yuan (about $15 billion), according to a report released by China Science Fiction Research Center on Friday.

    Notable originality was evident in the literature, derivative products and themed tourism sectors, said the center at the China Science Fiction Convention 2025.

    The report covered five core sectors of the sci-fi industry — literature, films and TV shows, video games, derivative products and themed tourism — highlighting the annual development trends and future trajectories of China’s sci-fi industry.

    It indicated that sci-fi literature has maintained a growth trend from 2017 to 2024. In 2024, the total revenue of this section reached 3.51 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.7%.

    In 2024, the total revenue of sci-fi films and TV shows reached 6.71 billion yuan, with micro-series and mid-to-short videos showing strong growth.

    Sci-fi video games earned a total revenue of 71.81 billion yuan in 2024, with a significant improvement in production quality, according to the report.

    The total revenue of the derivative products recorded 2.53 billion yuan last year, with a year-on-year increase of 11%.

    Themed tourism generated 24.4 billion yuan in 2024, with domestic sci-fi theme parks seeing an increased revenue proportion compared to the previous year.

    The report noted that China’s sci-fi industry has become an important growth point in the global landscape.

    Founded in 2020, the China Science Fiction Research Center focuses on industry policy consultation and academic research.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China Science Fiction Convention 2025 opens in Beijing with futuristic spectacle

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The China Science Fiction Convention 2025 (CSFC 2025) opened in Beijing on Friday, showcasing cutting-edge technologies alongside a report revealing that the country’s sci-fi industry generated 108.96 billion yuan ($15 billion) in revenue last year.

    A futuristic clip plays on a large LED screen during the opening ceremony of the China Science Fiction Convention 2025 in Beijing, March 28, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    More than 1,000 representatives from China’s technology, literary and industrial sectors attended the opening ceremony on Friday at Beijing’s Shougang Park, which was held as a parallel event of the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum.

    The ceremony featured an immersive extended reality experience with glasses-free 3D displays and high-definition spatial projections, blending virtual and real elements. A bipedal robot named Huanhuan headlined the event, showcasing advanced humanoid technology from Chinese robotics company Unitree. The robot engaged in AI-powered dialogue and demonstrated fluid movements.

    “The Science Fiction Convention has become an important platform where technology and humanities intertwine, and science fiction converges with economic development,” said He Junke, chief executive secretary of the Secretariat of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in his speech. He emphasized sci-fi’s role in popularizing science, stating it should inspire, forecast and critically examine technological advances.

    He emphasized sci-fi’s potential to drive technological breakthroughs, inspire young people to explore science and promote mutual learning among civilizations to build consensus on a shared future for mankind.

    Beijing Mayor Yin Yong said the city prioritizes sci-fi industry development, attracting over 800 sci-fi enterprises with a local industry output of 48 billion yuan. He noted that emerging sci-fi clusters like Shougang Park are taking shape.

    “Beijing will leverage its strengths in science, technology and culture to support original sci-fi content, enhance technological capabilities, improve structure, foster industry ecosystems and promote high-quality industry growth,” he said.

    Officials, organizers and guests, including sci-fi writer Liu Cixin, launch the Beijing Science Fiction Carnival 2025 during the opening of the China Science Fiction Convention in Beijing, March 28, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    Beijing’s Shijingshan district now hosts 60% of China’s sci-fi film and television resources, with preparation for the sci-fi epic “The Wandering Earth 3” currently underway at Shougang Park.

    Sci-fi author Liu Cixin said China’s rapid technological advances provide unique inspiration for sci-fi. He noted that the country’s breakthroughs in manned spaceflight, quantum communications and AI can all inspire sci-fi stories.

    “Science fiction is like a key that opens the door to science and technology,” he said.

    At the opening ceremony, the China Science Fiction Research Center released a report highlighting the industry’s role as a key global market driver. The study showed strong growth and creative advancements in five sectors: literature, films and TV shows, video games, merchandise and themed tourism. It noted particular originality in literature, merchandise and tourism.

    According to the report, sci-fi literature continued its growth trend last year, generating 3.51 billion yuan, up 10.7% from the previous year. The film and TV sector earned 6.71 billion yuan in revenue. While theatrical returns declined, the sector saw growth in short-form content and film festivals.

    Video games led the industry with 71.81 billion yuan in revenue, showing quality improvements. Merchandise sales increased 11% to 2.53 billion yuan. Themed tourism brought in 24.4 billion yuan, with domestic theme parks gaining market share.

    The report noted a trend toward premium content development and upscale operations in sci-fi stage productions and scripted entertainment experiences.

    Visitors experience an immersive exhibition at the China Science Fiction Convention 2025 in Beijing, March 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    During the opening event, organizers announced several achievements, including China’s first space documentary film, “Shenzhou 13,” shot entirely in outer space by the Shenzhou-13 crew, and the launch of a pilot zone for future digital space innovation in Beijing. 

    CAST and the Beijing government signed a strategic cooperation agreement to promote Beijing’s sci-fi industry development. The Science Fiction Planet Competition has also joined the convention for the first time, with winners to be announced March 30 and a total prize pool of 6.65 million yuan.

    CSFC 2025, themed “Science Dream, Creating the Future,” runs from March 28 to 31, jointly hosted by CAST and the Beijing government. It features over 30 events, including AI ethics debates, sci-fi exhibitions, a sci-fi market, space mission showcases and robot performances.

    New this year are industry matchmaking events, tech debut showcases and an international sci-fi forum. The event will host 11 high-level forums with over 40 international academics and hundreds of Chinese sci-fi experts and industry representatives. The Beijing Science Fiction Carnival 2025 will run concurrently.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: In pics: Ethnic charm of young dancer glows on stage of Pamir Plateau

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Amangul Wapik (R) and her brother prepare milk tea for guests in Sarijilga Village of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 21, 2025.

    The cultural performance troupe of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is renowned for its efforts in preserving local culture, creating and performing art, and facilitating cultural exchange and cooperation. Aside from giving art performances during important festivals and conducting regular performances for tourists, the troupe also engages in artistic exchanges in rural areas and communities, enriching the cultural lives of local residents.

    Amangul Wapik, a 25-year-old dancer, joined the troupe in 2019. “Dancing is my passion. I particularly enjoy the joyful and carefree feelings on stage,” Amangul said.

    With assistance from the troupe, she has gradually developed her own performance style, blending modern and traditional dance elements through extensive training and practical performances.

    From March to October each year, the troupe primarily focuses on tourism-related performances due to the rapid development of the local tourism industry. Amangul and her colleagues always give passionate performances, showcasing the rich cultural traditions of their hometown. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Indonesia

    Source:

    Before entering Indonesia, ensure you understand your visa conditions and entry and exit requirements. Indonesian authorities have strict standards for damaged passports, and travellers have been refused entry into Indonesia with a damaged passport. Water damage, minor tears or rips to the pages can be considered damaged (see ‘Travel’).

    If you’re travelling to Bali, read the Bali Provincial Government’s ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ advice for foreign tourists before you travel (See ‘Local Laws’). Offensive behaviour that fails to respect local culture, religion, places of worship, and traditional ceremonies can lead to criminal penalties and/or deportation.

    Drinks may be spiked or mixed with toxic substances. Be alert to the potential risks around drink spiking and methanol poisoning through consuming alcoholic drinks. Don’t leave food or drinks unattended. Cases of methanol poisoning in drinks have previously been reported in Bali and Lombok (see ‘Safety’).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, Associate professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

    Nigerian women make up a significant proportion of foreign women giving birth in several countries.

    A study done in Calgary in Canada found 24.5% of foreign women identified as having travelled abroad to give birth were from Nigeria.

    Research in Chicago in the US found the majority (88%) of those seeking obstetric care in a hospital were Nigerian citizens.

    In the UK, the phenomenon is labelled by some as the “Lagos Shuttle”, highlighting the high number of Nigerian women said to be so-called “birth tourists”.

    It is estimated that over 23% of pregnant Nigerian women would like to travel abroad to give birth.

    Why is this? As medical and legal scholars we asked women who had travelled overseas for the birth of their babies to share their experiences.

    Existing research has not done enough to capture their voices, which matter in framing service delivery and immigration policies.

    We reported findings from this first-of-its-kind study in PLOS Global Public Health.

    As there is no registry of foreign pregnant women who gave birth abroad, it is a challenge to find them. For our study, we used social media platforms to recruit 27 Nigerian women who had given birth to at least one child abroad and conducted in-depth interviews with them to understand their motivations and experiences.

    Why women do it

    Of all recruited, 23 gave birth to at least one child in the US, and four gave birth to at least one child in the UK. One woman each gave birth in Canada, Ireland and Zambia.

    All the women in the study had at least a university degree.

    We found that reasons for seeking childbirth abroad varied.

    Some women were motivated by both perceived and experienced gains of foreign citizenship, which they believed might give their children a good education, a better living environment, and easier access to jobs and loans.

    However, it was not all about citizenship. Another motivation was to benefit from “better healthcare”, especially for those who had either had bad experiences during previous births in Nigeria or were concerned because they were carrying what they called a “precious baby”, for example after years of infertility.

    Many women in the study also sought childbirth abroad because it is where they had loved ones to support them through pregnancy, childbirth and having a newborn – a motivation not previously reported.

    Indeed, the number of Nigerians living in the US has increased over time and as of 2023, over 760,000 Americans identify as being of Nigerian origin. Essentially, more than one in 10 African immigrants in the US are Nigerians.

    Some Nigerian women planned to give birth abroad long before they even got pregnant. Others were encouraged to do so by family, friends or colleagues.

    Some decided to seek childbirth abroad after their income increased.

    Mostly positive

    Childbirth abroad is mostly a positive experience, but some women reported feeling treated badly because they were “self-paying” patients, “black”, or not native to the country.

    While travel for many was mostly uneventful, some experienced life-threatening situations en route to their destination or upon arrival.

    They found the cost of care to be exorbitant, but many reported that they were able to pay it off in instalments, or negotiated rebates or discounts from hospitals. A separate study showed that four in five foreign pregnant women who gave birth in a Canadian hospital, including some from Nigeria, had no outstanding bill after discharge.

    In our study, those who struggled to pay said they incurred unexpected costs due to complications that resulted in caesarean sections or other surgical procedures.

    Support during childbirth abroad was considered crucial and included loved ones from Nigeria who would travel with the pregnant woman to their destination.

    Push and pull syndrome

    With an ongoing exodus of Nigerians out of the country due to push and pull factors, known locally as jàpa, it is more likely that there will be more Nigerian pregnant women who have their support system abroad.

    Countries like Nigeria should do more to improve the quality of care obtainable in their health systems.

    Clearly motivations vary, and it is not always about birthright citizenship. While most women have mostly positive experiences, some have negative experiences that require attention and safeguards. For example, care guidelines in host countries specifically assuring good quality care for all pregnant women, including women who have crossed the border to seek childbirth.

    The return of US president Donald Trump makes the need to install these safeguards particularly urgent. In his first term he ordered the United States Department of State to discontinue the approval of visas for pregnant women.

    In his second term he has focused on abolishing birthright citizenship altogether.

    – Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons
    – https://theconversation.com/nigerians-having-babies-abroad-women-explain-their-reasons-251067

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cambodia-China economic, trade cooperation provides mutual benefit, win-win results: official

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

    Cambodia-China economic, trade cooperation provides mutual benefit, win-win results: official

    PHNOM PENH, March 30 — Cambodia-China economic and trade cooperation has provided tremendous benefits and win-win results, a senior commerce official said on Friday.

    The Cambodian Ministry of Commerce’s Secretary of State and spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said key achievements under this cooperation included the Sihanoukville Special Economy Zone, the Phnom Penh Sihanoukville Expressway, and the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport.

    “These mega-projects are prime examples of practical cooperation in economics and trade between Cambodia and China and are also the fruits of cooperation between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative,” he told Xinhua.

    “These projects have importantly contributed to boosting Cambodia’s economy, trade, manufacturing industry, connectivity infrastructure, tourism, and logistics,” he added.

    Sovicheat said that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and the Techo International Airport, which is scheduled to open to commercial operations in July 2025, will play a vital role in handling the remarkably growing number of tourists.

    “Moreover, the simultaneous entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement on Jan. 1, 2022, have also laid a strong foundation for Cambodia and China to enhance their trade and investment relations,” Sovicheat said.

    Under these trade pacts, a number of Cambodian products, especially high-quality agricultural produce such as milled rice, yellow bananas, mangoes, longans, and peppercorn, as well as some wild aquatic products have been exported to China with preferential tariffs, he added.

    The spokesperson said China is a huge market for made-in-Cambodia products and the two countries enjoy steady and positive trade growth every year.

    He said both countries have also enjoyed good cooperation in e-commerce as many types of made-in-Cambodia products have been put up for sale on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba.

    “China is a trustworthy partner for Cambodia,” he said. “Looking forward, our two-way trade volume will continue to rise, undoubtedly.”

    Sovicheat said since 2023, the two countries have also worked together to develop an “Industrial Development Corridor” and a “Fish and Rice Corridor.”

    “The Industrial Development Corridor is crucial to support the transformation of coastal Sihanoukville into a model multipurpose special economic zone, while the Fish and Rice Corridor is vital to develop modern ecological agriculture near the Tonle Sap Lake,” he said.

    In conclusion, he said, all these cooperation mechanisms will inject stronger momentum into broadening bilateral economic, trade, and investment relations for mutual greater benefits towards building a high-quality, high-level, and high-standard Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA and Ministry of Agriculture to form new smart agriculture advisory team to promote Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    March 24, 2025No. 082In a cross-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on March 24, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih decided to form a new smart agriculture advisory team. The team will bring together public and private resources from the government, industry, academia, research institutions, the agricultural industry, and other sectors. In the spirit of integrated diplomacy, the new group will jointly implement a smart agriculture flagship plan under the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. Through coordination with diplomatic allies and friendly countries, the plan will enhance AI and digital technology applications in precision agriculture and other areas. Taiwan will work with partner countries to develop new smart agriculture, promote an agricultural Taiwan+n model (where n refers to a growing number of partners), and help the Taiwanese agricultural industry expand globally. Collaboration between Taiwan, partner countries, and friendly nations will also strengthen global food security, improve agricultural sustainability and resilience, and deliver a concerted response to the challenges of climate change.During the meeting at MOA, Minister Lin, Minister Chen, and their staff discussed how to expand agricultural cooperation projects with allies and friendly countries and create reciprocal and mutually beneficial business opportunities. They explored ways to assist countries in upgrading and transforming their farming sectors, increasing productivity and competitiveness, and achieving sustainable development. Potential avenues included technical cooperation, professional training, the establishment of demonstration sites, and business and investment matchmaking. The officials also discussed how to train young farmers and specialists in new smart agriculture both in Taiwan and target countries to give them a competitive edge.Meanwhile, the ministers deliberated on three key projects—expanding agricultural cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines under the Executive Yuan’s economic diplomacy task force, further promoting smart aquacultural cooperation with Palau to develop its tourism industry, and exploring the possibility of cooperation to establish a seedling center in the Caribbean. They also exchanged views on organizing an agricultural trade goodwill mission to the United States in September.The agricultural industry is the bedrock of Taiwan’s economy and food security. President Lai Ching-te’s National Project of Hope includes the promotion of agricultural transformation and advancement to achieve sustainable resilience. The Executive Yuan’s Smart Taiwan 2.0 initiative also develops creative applications across various sectors. Under these policies and based on the new agriculture section of the Five Plus Two Industrial Innovation program, Minister Lin has launched a raft of new initiatives. These include promoting the concept of new smart agriculture; expanding applications of AI and smart solutions in agricultural production, management, and marketing; collaborating with MOA’s smart agriculture alliances; transforming agriculture to become smarter and more sustainable; and creating an international fleet focused on Taiwan’s new smart agriculture.Looking ahead, MOFA and MOA will continue working with partners from various sectors to assist diplomatic allies and friendly countries in adopting smart agricultural technology to enhance food security, realize sustainable development, and create shared prosperity and mutual benefits. In line with President Lai’s vision for sustainable resilience, the ministries will further contribute to global agricultural development and food security. MOFA and MOA will jointly support the efforts of Taiwanese agricultural businesses to expand their presence in the international market and ensure that Taiwan remains a thriving global economic powerhouse. (E) 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Members meet with members of Shatin and Southern District Councils (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
     
         Legislative Council (LegCo) Members met with Shatin District Council (DC) and Southern DC members at the LegCo Complex today (March 28). They held in-depth discussions and exchanged views on issues related to community development and people’s concern.
     
         During the meeting with Shatin DC, LegCo Members discussed and exchanged views with DC members on various issues, including minimization of feral pigeon nuisance to Shatin residents, such as the environmental hygiene problems caused by pigeon droppings; revitalization works of Tai Wai Nullah, its flood discharge capacity, water quality, hygiene and greening; as well as enhancement and modification works of Shatin Park and surrounding facilities, for example studying the feasibility of providing pedal-driven boat facilities, so as to tie in with the concept of “tourism is everywhere” in Hong Kong.
     
         The meeting was convened by Ms Elizabeth Quat. A total of 23 Members attended the meeting including Mr Tommy Cheung, Dr Starry Lee, Mr Chan Hak-kan, Mr Steven Ho, Mr Martin Liao, Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Holden Chow, Ms Yung Hoi-yan, Mr Luk Chung-hung, Ms Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, Mr Stanley Li, Mr Dominic Lee, Mr Lee Chun-keung, Ms Lam So-wai, Ms Nixie Lam, Ms Chan Yuet-ming, Mr Chan Siu-hung, Ms Chan Hoi-yan, Mr Benson Luk, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, Ms Carmen Kan and Professor Chan Wing-kwong.
     
         During the meeting with Southern DC, LegCo Members discussed and exchanged views with DC members on various issues, including expediting the commencement of South Island Line (West) construction project; the progress of public housing developments in Pok Fu Lam South and the redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate, including the relevant timetables and rehousing arrangements for tenants; as well as the progress of various projects to improve the environment of the Southern District, the latest development of the Round-the-Island Trail, as well as the planning of the expansion of the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter under the Invigorating Island South initiative.
     
         The meeting was convened by Mr Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung. A total of 20 Members attended the meeting including Dr Starry Lee, Mr Chan Kin-por, Mrs Regina Ip, Mr Kwok Wai-keung, Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Jimmy Ng, Mr Shiu Ka-fai, Dr Hoey Simon Lee, Mr Lee Chun-keung, Mr Lam Chun-sing, Ms Nixie Lam, Mr Yiu Pak-leung, Ms Chan Yuet-ming, Ms Judy Chan, Mr Chan Hok-fung, Mr Benson Luk Hon-man, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, Mr Kenneth Fok Kai-kong and Professor William Wong.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –