Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Pilot Study on Annual Survey of Services Sector Enterprises (ASSSE) to capture insights into the Incorporated Service Sector

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

The pilot study was carried out in two phases using a GSTN frame primarily with an objective to test the suitability of the GSTN database as sampling frame, verify and update selected frame information (in Phase-I) and to test the operational modalities such as, response of the enterprises, adequacy of the instruction, structure of the questionnaire, collectability of information, etc. (in Phase-II).

The pilot study covered those service sector enterprises from the GSTN database which are registered under Companies Act, 1956 or, Companies Act, 2013 or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008.

The pilot provides valuable operational insights and a foundation for launching a robust, full-scale annual survey of incorporated service sector enterprises from January 2026.

Objective of the Pilot Survey on ASSSE

The service sector is a key driver of India’s economy, contributing more than 50% to the country’s GDP and providing millions of jobs. Accurate and comprehensive data on this sector is crucial for informed policymaking, strategic planning, and investment decisions. While the unincorporated part of the service sector is covered in Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) conducted by National Statistics Office, there is a lack of granular data on the economic and operational characteristics, employment, and other related aspects of the incorporated service sector. This gap in data is primarily due to the absence of a regular national-level survey covering the various sub-sectors of the incorporated non-agricultural non-manufacturing sectors.
The main objective was to test operational processes – enterprise response, clarity of survey instructions, efficacy of the questionnaire and the availability of key data from official records such as books of accounts, profit and loss statements, and labour registers.

Requirement of Pilot Study before launching full-fledged ASSSE

To firm up the methodology, survey instruments and other operational aspects of conducting a full-fledged pan-India survey (ASSSE), there was a felt need to undertake a pilot. Accordingly, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has conducted the Pilot Study on ASSSE and releases its findings as a Technical Report in this press note.

This pilot marks a pioneering effort in the Indian official survey ecosystem, utilizing a GSTN-based enterprise frame for the first time comprising of incorporated enterprises across the Construction, Trade, and Other Services categories including transport, accommodation and food services, information and communication, health, education, real estate, etc. Technical Report available in the website of the MoSPI viz. https://www.mospi.gov.in.

Modalities of conducting the Pilot Study

The Pilot Study on ASSSE has been conducted using an ‘enterprise approach’ where the term ‘enterprise’ is referred to as a GSTN unit conducting operations in a particular state. As per GSTN nomenclature, the term enterprise is analogous to ‘principal place of business’ which may have one or more ‘additional place of business’ (establishments) in the state. Combined data of all the additional places of businesses have been collected from the principal place of business in this pilot study.

The two-phase pilot study, conducted through CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) on tablets, aimed to test the suitability of GSTN database as sampling frame, validate and update selected frame information, test operational processes, and assess data availability from business records including balance sheets, books of accounts and labour registers maintained by the enterprises for the financial year 2022–2023.

Phase I of the pilot was conducted during May 2024–August 2024 covering 10,005 enterprises primarily to verify and update address and activity information along with collecting some quantitative information such as gross sale value, employment, etc.

Phase-II of the Pilot Study on 5020 enterprises selected from the list of eligible enterprises of Phase-I took place during November 2024 to January 2025. Data for this phase were collected under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 (as amended in 2017), with notices issued in October 2024.

Major takeaway from the pilot study

Majority of the enterprises were found to be existent and operational.
Units with headquarters in other states required significant effort to collect the relevant data. Also, challenges were faced in bifurcating the GSTIN level information pertaining to the selected enterprises from Pan-India centralized records (often CIN based) maintained at headquarter level.
Majority of the responding units were found to be cooperative in furnishing information/data.
Barring a few blocks, the questionnaire was found to be reasonably easy to fill in.
The instructions were found to be mostly clear and unambiguous and easy to understand.

Key finding of the pilot study (based on unweighted i.e without applying any multiplier on sample observations):

Distribution of Enterprises by type of organization

In Figure 1, distribution of enterprises by type of organization is presented. It can be seen that majority of the corporate entities in the pilot study on ASSSE are Private Limited Companies (82.40% at overall level) during FY 2022-23 followed by Public Limited Company and Limited Liability Partnership (each having nearly 8% share). The same trend is noticeable for all the Broad Activity Categories (BAC) i.e., Construction, Trade and Other Services.

Figure 1: Distribution of enterprises by type of organization for each BAC

Percentage share of economic indicators by different size classes of output (FY 2022-23)

Size Class of Output (Rs.)	No. of enterprises surveyed	Indicator*
Size Class of Output (Rs.)	No. of enterprises surveyed	Fixed Assets	Net Fixed Capital Formation	Gross Fixed Capital Formation	Gross Value Added	Net Value Added	Total persons engaged	Total compensation
all-India
Less than 10 cr.	2720	2.64	2.19	2.44	1.19	1.07	9.28	3.17
10 cr. or more, but less than 100 cr.	927	9.58	6.00	8.32	9.45	9.38	20.03	11.43
100 cr. or more, but less than 500 cr.	326	25.00	29.08	26.96	19.90	19.33	33.73	22.24
500 cr. or more	113	62.77	62.73	62.28	69.47	70.21	36.96	63.17
All	4086	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00

The following Table presents the percentage share of different important indicators over different size-classes of output.

* generated based on sample data without using weights

The data reveals that larger enterprises with output Rupees 500 crores and above dominate in terms of asset ownership (62.77%), net fixed capital formation (62.73%), gross value added (69.47%) and total compensation (63.17%). Further, data also reveals that enterprises (having output below Rupees 500 crores) make up almost account for 63.03% of total employment and 36.84% of total compensation.

Fig. 2: Enterprises with additional places of businesses in the state for each Broad Activity Categories.

The above Figure (Figure 2) shows that overall, 28.5% of enterprises reported having additional places of business within the state. This percentage was observed to be the highest in the Trade sector with around 41.8% of enterprises belonging to this sector reported additional places of business in the state. As per GSTN nomenclature, the term enterprise is analogous to ‘principal place of business’ which may have one or more ‘additional place of business’ (establishments) in the state.

Way Forward

The pilot study on ASSSE represents a significant milestone in strengthening India’s statistical infrastructure for the service sector, a key contributor to both GDP and employment.
The findings from the pilot study provide a strong foundation for launching the full-scale annual survey starting in January 2026.
The pilot study confirmed the suitability of the GSTN database as a sampling frame for the survey.
It highlighted the importance of proper verification and validation of survey instruments, the collectability of data from records maintained by selected enterprises and the challenges encountered during data collection.
The pilot study offers valuable insights for planning and finalizing the sampling design, determining the sample size and refining the questionnaire for the full-fledged survey in consultation with major stakeholders.
The major indicators of the survey include percentage share of Fixed Assets, Net fixed Capital Formation, Gross Fixed Capital Formation, GVA, NVA, number of persons engaged and compensation etc. over different size-classes of output.

Important Caveat

The basic purpose of the pilot study was experience gathering on various aspects of the survey (as mentioned in previous paras) rather than generating estimates. Considering the small sample size of only 5020 units and the fact that a number of selected units were found to be non-existing and/or non-responding for various reasons, no design-based estimate (using sampling weights) has been attempted in this pilot study. Hence the estimates of any sector or Broad Activity Category (BAC) obtained by summing the estimates of all enterprises belonging to that sector/BAC tend to be skewed towards the estimates of large units present in that sector/BAC. Thus, the estimates are not indicative of or comparable to the overall actual aggregates of the sector/BAC.

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Samrat/ Allen

(Release ID: 2125454) Visitor Counter : 52

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance
Source: Government of India

Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance

19 states in the country to be benefitted

Under CSR initiative around Rs 12 crores sanctioned

It could bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth in the fields of space science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM)

Posted On: 30 APR 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

In a historic step Ministry of tribal affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) announced the setting up of “Space Labs” in 75 Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) across 19 states in the country.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India establishes EMRS to impart quality education to ST children thereby enabling them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get gainful employment in various sectors. EMRS in addition to imparting high quality education also takes care of their nutrition and overall health and development. As on date there are 470 functional EMRS across the country.

BPCL has announced that it will support the tribal affairs Ministry under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to set up the Space Labs and has sanctioned around Rs 12 crores towards the same.

Through this initiative, the Ministry seeks to bridge educational gaps and open new avenues for tribal youth in the fields of space science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). By providing exposure to space sciences at a young age, the ministry aims to lay the foundation for nurturing future scientists, technologists, and innovators from tribal communities. This project marks a significant step towards mainstreaming tribal students into India’s scientific advancement. It reflects the Government’s broader efforts under the NEP 2020 framework to create equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all sections of society.

The initiative will be technically supported by the Space tutor agencies recognized by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).Each such lab will have the advanced scientific equipment including the following components:
1. LVM3 Launch Vehicle and EO satellite demo model with all dub system details
2. Static model launch vehicles (PSLV, HRLV, IRNSS, GSAT)
3. Table Top demo models of solar System, lunar Eclipse, phases of the moon, day and nights, 4 seasons, globe and time indicator
4. Star tracker telescope 150/750mm and Cansat working model
5. Space, Science, and Maths Teaching Learning Material (TLM) kits
6. ISRO space bookand timelineexhibit
These labs are to be established in EMRS of 19 states in India and includesAndhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal. More than 50,000 tribal students shall benefit through this initiative.

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RN/PIB

(Release ID: 2125464) Visitor Counter : 34

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generation

Source: Government of India

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generation

Along with conservation, Jalaj aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts: Shri C R Patil

Union minister lauds the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasizes the need to scale up successful practices across other major river basins

Jalaj has empowered over 5,000 members of the boating community and supported more than 2,400 women in 42 districts across nine states

Posted On: 30 APR 2025 3:50PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil, chaired a review meeting to assess the progress of the Wildlife Institute of India’s livelihood-focused project JALAJ. The Jalaj program under the aegis of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), is a significant component of the Government’s Arth Ganga vision — linking people to rivers through sustainable economic activities. Along with livelihood focus, the project aims at creating societal awareness towards aquatic biodiversity conservation.

Highlighting its pivotal role, the Union Minister emphasized that along with conservation, JALAJ aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts. Jalaj has successfully connected river conservation with livelihood generation by promoting eco-tourism, sustainable farming, skill development, and artisanal production across the Ganga basin. The initiative aims at establish 75 Jalaj centers, with various models such as Dolphin Safaris, Homestays, Livelihood Centers, and Awareness & Sale Points etc. Jalaj has empowered over 5,000 members of the boating community and supported more than 2,400 women in 42 districts across nine states.

It emerged in the review that JALAJ aims at symbiotic linkage between river and communities and helps in educating people on values of conserved Ganga river. The review noted that Jalaj has conducted 263 training programs and mass outreach efforts through digital and print media, including YouTube channel. Shri C.R. Patil reviewed efforts to further enhance the livelihood potential of Jalaj and stressed its role as a bridge connecting communities to river ecosystems, making river conservation an economically rewarding endeavour. He appreciated the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasized the need to scale up successful practices across other major river basins like the Godavari, Periyar, Pampa and Barak whose ecological assessments were also reviewed in the meeting.

To further strengthen outreach and awareness, a dedicated Jalaj informative website was launched by Sh. C.R. Patil. The website serves as a comprehensive resource hub, offering detailed insights into various Jalaj models such as Homestays, Dolphin Safaris, Livelihood Training Centers, and Awareness and Sale Centers. It also showcases success stories on how the Jalaj initiative has empowered community members, particularly women, by linking them to marketing centers. The website displays a range of eco-friendly products crafted by Ganga Praharis and aims to create widespread awareness about threatened aquatic biodiversity, including the Ganga River Dolphin, crocodilians, freshwater turtles, and water birds.

Additionally, a Jalaj Products Catalogue was launched which has been developed, profiling sustainably produced goods prepared at Jalaj Production Centers, categorized into stationery items, home décor, apparels, body and skincare, and edibles. Furthermore, “SaanskritikLehren,” a special feature under Jalaj, was released by Sh. C.R. Patil which highlights the cultural ecosystem service value of the Ganga River, emphasizing its deep connection with India’s heritage, traditions, and the livelihoods of millions. Jalaj’s success has been widely recognized. The Hon’ble President of India lauded it during Gaj Utsav 2023, and Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi mentioned Jalaj as a model for freshwater conservation in his “Mann Ki Baat” address and at ICCON 2023, Mysore.

The Jalaj initiative, by linking conservation efforts with livelihood generation, stands today as a shining example of how environmental protection and socio-economic development can go hand-in-hand — truly realizing the vision of Arth Ganga.

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Dhanya Sanal K

Director

(Release ID: 2125460) Visitor Counter : 98

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Leasing arrangements announced for public market stalls in May

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (April 30) that open auctions for a total of 590 stalls in 45 public markets will be held in May. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be available to the public for renting at their upset prices on May 23 on a first-come, first-served basis.

(1) Open auctions

The types of stalls to be auctioned this time cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fresh fish, frozen (chilled) poultry, fruits, vegetables, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, service trades, siu mei and lo mei, mobile phones/mobile phone accessories/electronic products/electronic parts, pet goods and pet food, hardware/locksmith, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from June 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

The date and the number of stalls are as follows:

New Territories (1)
———————–
Auction date: May 7 (Wednesday) (am)
Number of stalls: 89

New Territories (2)
———————
Auction date: May 8 (Thursday) (am)
Number of stalls: 76

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (1)
———————————————-
Auction date: May 12 (Monday) (am)
Number of stalls: 119

Aberdeen Market
——————-
Auction date: May 12 (Monday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 20

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (2)
———————————————-
Auction date: May 13 (Tuesday) (am)
Number of stalls: 75

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (3)
———————————————-
Auction date: May 13 (Tuesday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 64

Kowloon (1)
—————
Auction date: May 14 (Wednesday) (am)
Number of stalls: 79

Lai Wan Market
——————–
Auction date: May 14 (Wednesday) (pm)
Number of stalls: two

Kowloon (2)
—————
Auction date: May 15 (Thursday) (am)
Number of stalls: 52

Kowloon (3)
—————
Auction date: May 15 (Thursday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 14

The open auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

(2) Renting at upset prices on first-come, first-served basis

The tenancy agreement of market stalls renting on a first-come, first-served basis is a three-year fixed term from July 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on their sizes, locations, vacancy periods and the reduced upset prices from the last open auction of the individual stalls. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website after the open auction.

Members of the public who are interested in renting a market stall at its upset price should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm on May 23:

Districts in which the market stalls are located	Venues for selection of market stalls
Hong Kong Island and Islands District	Hawkers and Markets Section (Hong Kong and Islands) Office, 8/F, Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building, 225 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Kowloon	Hawkers and Markets Section (Kowloon) Office, Room 301-302, 3/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Kwai Tsing District	Kwai Tsing District Environmental Hygiene Office, 9/F, Kwai Hing Government Offices, 166-174 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories
North District	North District Environmental Hygiene Office, 4/F, Shek Wu Hui Municipal Services Building, 13 Chi Cheong Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories
Sai Kung District	Sai Kung District Environmental Hygiene Office, 7/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories
Sha Tin District	Sha Tin District Environmental Hygiene Office, Units 1201-1207 and 1220-1221, 12/F, Tower 1, Grand Central Plaza, 138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, Sha Tin, New Territories
Tai Po District	Tai Po District Environmental Hygiene Office, 3/F, Tai Po Complex, 8 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, New Territories
Tsuen Wan District	Tsuen Wan District Environmental Hygiene Office, 3/F, Yeung Uk Road Municipal Services Building, 45 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
Tuen Mun District	Tuen Mun District Environmental Hygiene Office, 1/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices Building, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories
Yuen Long District	Yuen Long District Environmental Hygiene Office, 2/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories

A spokesman for the FEHD said, “Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current stall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement.”

â€‹Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Details on renting public market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis will be uploaded to the FEHD website after open auctions (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested bidders or applicants may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ9: Planning of Hong Kong Island clusters

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question of the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (April 30):

Question:

It has been reported that according to the population projections, the catchment population in the Hong Kong East Cluster and the Hong Kong West Cluster will be reduced to around one million in future, and that the authorities plan to merge the two clusters (the cluster merger) and will review afresh the second ten-year Hospital Development Plan (HDP), including the plan to expand the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) to provide 500 additional beds. In addition, the Secretary for Health indicated at the special meeting of the Panel on Health Services of this Council on February 21 this year that some specialty services would be adjusted after the cluster merger. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the specific details of the cluster merger, including the arrangements for resource allocation and healthcare services of various hospitals after the merger, as well as the specialty services to be adjusted or merged;

(2) as it is learnt that after the cluster merger, chest pain treatment services will be centralised at the chest pain centre of Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), whereas the travelling time from Eastern District to QMH is long, and the roads are congested from time to time, how the authorities will ensure that after the merger, patients with acute heart diseases in Eastern District can be transferred in time to the chest pain centre of QMH for treatment within the “golden treatment time”;

(3) whether it knows if the emergency medical services (e.g. treatment of acute stroke, head trauma, etc.) and obstetric services of PYNEH will be cancelled after the cluster merger; if such services will be cancelled, how the authorities will ensure that emergency patients and pregnant women originally at PYNEH can receive timely and appropriate treatment or services;

(4) of the expected completion time for the review of the second ten-year HDP; whether it will consider commencing the expansion project of PYNEH upon the cessation of the operation of Chai Wan Laundry at the end of this year; if so, of the timetable of the project; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) whether it will consult the staff of PYNEH and representatives of the residents in Eastern District on the detailed arrangements for the cluster merger; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip is as follows:

(1), (2) and (3) Clustering is an administrative arrangement for hospital management involving the delineation of medical facilities and clinical services according to their geographical locations to facilitate planning and service rationalisation. The HA plans to merge the Hong Kong East Cluster (HKEC) and Hong Kong West Cluster (HKWC) to achieve rationalisation of administration and management, streamlining of administrative procedures, sharing of resources for better cost-effectiveness and enhancement of operational and management efficiency. The plan also has the objectives of improving the overall quality of healthcare services, optimising treatment procedures, as well as enhancing the cost-effectiveness of the utilisation of resources through consolidating the governance structure and enhancing the complementary co-ordination of professional resources of the two clusters. After the merger, the existing acute and critical care hospitals, including the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH), the Ruttonjee Hospital, the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), the Grantham Hospital and the St. John Hospital will continue to provide acute and critical care services, with general healthcare services and facilities being available to local residents within a reasonable geographical distance to ensure accessibility and convenience, in order that patients may receive a continuum of treatment under the same geographical setting.

During the planning of services of varying complexity, the HA has all along followed the principle of “localising where possible, centralising where necessary” in designing the system and service networks inside and outside the clusters. It is anticipated that after the merger of the clusters, the majority of the existing patients will be able to continue receiving services in hospitals in the vicinity, including those using the Accident and Emergency services, the general out-patient services and general specialty services with high volume and relatively lower complexity (including medicine, geriatric, general surgery, orthopaedics and traumatology, paediatrics and allied health services) on the Hong Kong Island. Besides, the clusters have non-acute hospitals which render rehabilitation and convalescent in-patient services, psychiatric in-patient services, as well as day surgery services. Following the consolidation, the existing facilities of each hospital will continue to perform their current key functions and uphold their expertise while complementing the strengths of the other hospitals within the cluster, thereby providing comprehensive healthcare services in a more effective manner.

There are some specialty services with a relatively lower demand whose operation involves personnel with specialised clinical techniques and qualifications, or require sophisticated equipment and advanced technology (such as the organ transplant services and the first chest pain centre established in accordance with national accreditation standards at QMH, and the hyperbaric oxygen treatment at PYNEH). For these services, centralisation of specialists, specialised equipment and complicated cases for handling at designated hospitals will be arranged, with due consideration given to the accessibility of the designated hospitals. The teams of medical experts can accumulate techniques and experiences through an extensive period in treating different complex cases of the same disease, facilitating their acquisition of the most up-to-date medical knowledge to bring about the best treatment outcomes for patients and hence enhancing the clinical quality indicators and minimising the risk of complications. Currently, the major hospitals on the Hong Kong Island have their respective expertise in specialty services. The professional medical teams of the merged cluster will be able to further focus on developing the strengths of their respective specialty services. In addition, by collaborating with various service provision points of the relevant specialty services within the cluster, healthcare services with even better quality will be provided to those of complex medical cases which constitutes only a small number of the patients.

It is anticipated that the service consolidation will achieve comprehensive enhancement of the set-up of medical teams, strengthen the co-ordination and flexibility of deployment of manpower and other resources of clinical and non-clinical departments, as well as minimise duplication of resources. As a result, the quality of clinical services provided in the cluster will be enhanced in the long run, facilitating the development of specialist services and providing more opportunities for staff training and their accumulation of experiences. To dovetail with the consolidation of cluster services, the HA will, in accordance with the prevailing mechanism, consider and deliberate the major direction(s), work plans and targets of the cluster, through the formulation of the annual plan, with a view to allocating additional resources to services which are newly introduced and with pressing needs.

Regarding the emergency healthcare services provided by PYNEH, such services would not cease after the merger of the clusters. The hospital will, as mentioned above, continue to provide services to the acute and critical care services after the consolidation of the clusters. Acute and critically ill patients residing in the Eastern District will therefore continue to receive timely and appropriate treatments at the PYNEH which is in the vicinity.

On cardiology services, apart from the chest pain centre established in accordance with national accreditation standards, the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery (CTS) at QMH provides Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) and supports the treatment of severe complications related to acute coronary heart diseases. In collaboration with the Cardiology and Anesthesia departments, it forms a multidisciplinary heart team that manages complex cases and utilises advanced technology to deliver optimal treatment to patients. In addition, QMH and the Grantham Hospital also offer treatment for end-stage heart failure patients, including the implantation of ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation. The consolidation of HKEC and HKWC would further facilitate the development of the specialist strengths and provide patients with cardiology services of better quality.

(4) The Government announced under the 2018 Policy Address that it has invited the HA to commence planning for the Second Hospital Development Plan (HDP) to meet the expected service demand up to 2036. With the changes in the planning and development situation of Hong Kong, the Health Bureau (HHB) and the HA are currently reviewing the Second HDP. Amongst others, in view of the city-wide and regional planning and development strategies as announced by the Planning Department, including the “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” and the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, as well as the corresponding population projections of Hong Kong including the latest changes in overall population, its distribution and demographics, and the population policy and talent attraction initiatives of the Government, the HHB and the HA have to adopt a planning horizon of up to 2040 and beyond for the Second HDP, and to project healthcare services demand and consider the supply and conditions of the land required, for optimising the Second HDP. The Government also considers factors such as the needs for and cost-effectiveness of renovation, refurbishment, redevelopment or addition of facilities for individual hospitals, and the convenience of public access to healthcare services under various major transport infrastructure development plans for determining the distribution, scale and priority, etc. of various hospital development projects (including the expansion of PYNEH and the use of the Chai Wan Laundry site after its relocation). Upon completion of the review, the Government will announce the details of the Second HDP in due course.

(5) The HA commenced the preparatory and engagement work for the consolidation of the hospital cluster services on Hong Kong Island early this year. Such work include seven staff forums and three workshop sessions which aim at briefing HA employees on the considerations of the cluster services consolidation and the future development of service provision, as well as listening to employees’ views. The consolidation of services is currently still at the stage of planning and deliberation. Regarding clinical services consolidation, the HA will set up task forces for particular specialties, initially to review existing services on the basis of facilitating the development of specialties and strengthening the existing service delivery models, while the next step will be to consider how to enhance the treatment procedures of patients as well as the efficiency and quality of the healthcare services. After the review, the HA will continue to communicate with stakeholders and service users on the overall direction of the development of the consolidation.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 100 days of Trump: Starmer urged to cancel state visit

Source: Scottish Greens

30 Apr 2025 External Affairs

No state visit for Donald Trump.

More in External Affairs

The first 100 days of Donald Trump’s term in the White House have provided reason enough for Keir Starmer to cancel the planned state visit, says Scottish Green Co-leader Patrick Harvie.

Mr Harvie’s comments come as the convicted felon President has celebrated a 100 day period that has included arming and supporting genocide in Gaza, ripping up environmental standards, waging economic attacks on his ‘allies’ and cozying up to Putin.

Mr Harvie said:

“100 days is more than long enough for Keir Starmer to see what a disaster Trump is for people and planet. He is a racist, misogynistic and climate wrecking fraudster. Neither he nor his politics should have any place here.

“What message does it send if we are rolling out the red carpet for a man who has such a proven contempt for human rights and for our environment? There is no good that can come from it.

“With the far right on the march around Europe, it will be a PR coup for Trump and those who want to replicate him.

“A lot of people in the US and beyond are scared of what four more years of Donald Trump will mean for them. It is those people we need to stand with and not a White House that represents the most extreme and hateful politics.

“Keir Starmer should never have invited Donald Trump in the first place, and after 100 days of chaos it is time to put a halt to it.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Improvement works begin at the Serpentine Lake, Moor Park

Source: City of Preston

Work has officially commenced on the Serpentine Lake at Moor Park, marking the start of an important project to de-silt and extend the historic lake, as well as the reinstatement of the Serpentine Bridge and improvements to the Loggia alongside wider park enhancements to the play area and football pavilion.

Funded in part by the Government, this project forms a key element of a wider programme of improvements planned for Preston’s parks as part of the £20m Active Preston: Improving our Community Infrastructure programme.

The works around the Serpentine Lake will include the de-silting and extension of the water body, a process involving the careful removal of accumulated silt, mud and organic material from the lake bed to enhance water quality and biodiversity.

The lake will be extended to its original size as proposed by Edward Milner, the original designer of the park. In addition, footpaths and railings surrounding the lake will be upgraded, and the Serpentine Bridge will be reinstated.

Mark Taylor, Interim Director of Environment and Property at Preston City Council, said:

“We are pleased that works have commenced at Moor Park and on the Serpentine Lake. These essential measures are part of a significant effort to preserve the lake and protect the surrounding habitats.

“This important project will revitalise the park, enhancing it as a welcoming space for both the local community and wildlife to enjoy for years to come.”

Ahead of the de-silting process, a specialist fish rescue will be carried out to safely relocate the lake’s fish population, including species such as three-spined stickleback, roach, and koi carp, into aerated holding tanks for the duration of the works. Koi carp are a non-native invasive species and will not be returned to the lake but will be relocated appropriately.

Approximately 100 trees have already been removed from Serpentine Lake to allow the expansion of the lake and to restore it to its former glory. Two trees have already been removed at the southeastern entrance as they are causing damage to the stone entrance walls.

The walls and pillars are to be rebuilt and refurbished as part of the project. To mitigate the loss of tree cover, the multi-million-pound refurbishment includes a tree replacement programme, shrub and wildflower planting which will increase the biodiversity on the park by at least 10%.

The trees that have been removed were inspected for both bat and bird life. No bat or nesting birds were present however the Council take the removal of trees and its potential impact on the native wildlife very seriously and ecologist specialists have been present on site throughout the duration of the works, inspecting and monitoring for nesting birds in the area every 48 hours.

As the water level is dropped and the lake drained to enable the next phase of works, any ducks present will also be monitored, however there is no specific plan in place to relocate them as specialists believe that they will naturally find a new local watercourse of their own accord.

This project is part of the ongoing transformation of Moor Park, Preston’s largest and oldest park, which will also see future improvements to the football changing pavilion, and the main play area. These works are scheduled for completion by 2026.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Put healthy smile on your face with free toothbrushes and toothpaste

Source: City of Wolverhampton

They are being provided as part of a drive by the City of Wolverhampton Council and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to improve oral hygiene, particularly among youngsters.

Free toothbrushes and toothpaste are available from Graiseley Strengthening Families Hub, Pool Street, Blakenhall, from WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams, WV Active Central and WV Active Aldersley, and from Central, Wednesfield and Warstones libraries – simply call in during each location’s usual opening hours.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing said: “Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in England, yet it is largely preventable.

“Poor oral health impacts on school readiness and leads to missed days of school due to pain and infection. It affects children’s ability to eat, smile and socialise, negatively impacting their confidence and wellbeing, and it also increases demand on emergency dental care, with almost 90% of hospital tooth extractions among children aged up to five due to preventable tooth decay.

“We want to give every child the healthy smile they deserve and are delighted to be working with the NHS to make free toothbrushes and toothpaste available to families across the city, particularly those who are struggling with the rising cost of living.”

Meanwhile, the council and the NHS has teamed up to develop an online toolkit to help promote good oral health. Available at Oral Health Toolkit, it is aimed at a range of professionals working with children and young people in health and education settings.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: December Labour Market report published30 April 2025 Statistics Jersey have today published the December 2024 Labour Market report. This report is published every six months and covers key aspects of the job market for both the private and public sector.… Read more
Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

30 April 2025

Statistics Jersey have today published the December 2024 Labour Market report. This report is published every six months and covers key aspects of the job market for both the private and public sector.

Summary for the Labour Market Report in December 2024
The total number of jobs was 64,790. This was made up of 54,910 jobs in the private sector and 9,880 jobs in the public sector. The number of jobs, in both private and public sectors, were at their highest December value recorded to date.

There was an annual increase of 530 jobs (0.8%) since December 2023.

In the private sector there was an annual increase of 100 jobs (0.2%).

In the public sector there was an annual increase of 430 jobs (4.6%). This increase was driven by an increase of 410 in the number of Government of Jersey (GOJ) core jobs (permanent and fixed term employees). The departments with the largest annual increase in core staff were Health and Care Jersey (up 190) and Children, Young People, Education and Skills (up 170).
In the private sector at the sectoral level
Four sectors saw notable annual increases in jobs:

300 jobs in financial and legal activities (up 2%)

140 jobs in private education, health and other services (up 2%)

70 jobs in transport and storage (up 3%)

50 jobs in agriculture and fishing (up 6%)

Four sectors recorded notable annual decreases in jobs:

270 jobs in construction and quarrying (down 4%)

100 jobs in hotels, restaurants and bars (down 2%)

80 jobs in wholesale and retail (down 1%)

70 jobs in information and communication (down 4%)
Over the last five years (from December 2019 to December 2024)
There was an increase of 3,410 all sector jobs (up 5.6%) from December 2019.

The total number of private sector jobs increased over five years by 1,650 (up 3.1%).

Public sector jobs increased by 1,750 from December 2019 to December 2024 (up 21.5%), which has brought the proportion of workforce jobs in Government of Jersey core jobs (13.6%) above the average for the last two decades (12.2%). The departments with the largest changes over this period were Children, Young People, Education and Skills, up 680, and Health and Care Jersey, up 380.
Labour Market December 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Beat the blues and get into the swing at the City of Derry Jazz Festival

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Beat the blues and get into the swing at the City of Derry Jazz Festival

30 April 2025

Music is in the air in Derry so that can only mean one thing – the City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival is about to roll into town, with the first performers set to take to the stage tomorrow.

This year is the 24^th outing for the five day music extravaganza which runs from Thursday May 01 – Monday May 05 – perfect for anyone looking to get the most out of the bank holiday weekend.

With over 400 performances, most of them free, the festival takes over the entire city, with music on every stage and street corner. It all kicks off with the Live Launch event on Thursday in the Guildhall at 6pm, with a fabulous showcase of homegrown talent.

Over 100,000 music lovers are expected to jump, jive, swing and boogie woogie all weekend, as venues right across the city throw open their doors to jazz.

This year’s headline act is none other than music icon Billy Ocean, who will play two events at the Millennium Forum on Saturday and Sunday May 3^rd and 4^th featuring all his greatest hits.

He tops a vibrant programme featuring old jazz favourites, local legends and plenty of new talent, ready to deliver five days packed with entertainment, from jazz workshops to live concerts and drama performances.

Looking ahead to the festival, Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, said: “There is so much excitement building for this year’s festival, and we are really looking forward to welcoming visitors to our beautiful city. The summer vibes are already here and it’s the perfect time to experience our famous hospitality and warm welcome.

“I look forward to seeing everyone out and about soaking up the atmosphere, and I would call on all attending the festival to behave responsibly to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Festival Coordinator with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Aisling McCallion, said: “We have been working hard to make this year’s Jazz Festival bigger and better than ever and we can’t wait to see those first performers take to the stage tomorrow night. It’s going to be a phenomenal weekend, with so much entertainment to suit all ages. Check out the City of Derry Jazz Trail to plan your ideal jazz journey and keep an eye on our social media for all the latest updates over the weekend.”

The City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival is organised and funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council with support from Diageo and EY.

For regular updates follow the City of Derry Jazz Festival on Facebook Instagram and X @derryjazzfest.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Roadworks ahead for crossing improvements

Source: City of Leicester

WORK to improve road crossings at a busy junction in Leicester will get under way from next week.

The city council is planning to construct a new signal-controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing, and an additional zebra crossing, at the junction of Blackbird Road and Parker Drive, in northwest Leicester. Existing traffic lights at the junction will also be renewed.

Work is due to begin on Tuesday 6 May and is expected to take around two months to complete.

During the roadworks, traffic will be controlled by temporary lights. Some short-term road closures will also be required but these will be kept to a minimum and well-signposted diversions will be in place.

The £295,000 scheme is being paid for with Section 106 developer contributions linked to new housing at nearby Somerset Avenue.

A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: “This latest round of highway improvements will provide improved crossings in a busy residential area and help further extend the network of safe routes for walkers, wheelers and cyclists into local neighbourhoods.

“Every effort will be made to minimise disruption to traffic while works are carried out.”

The new signal-controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing will located on Blackbird Road, close to its junction with Parker Drive. A parallel zebra crossing will also be created on the left-turn slip-road from Blackbird Road to Parker Drive.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: An impeller was manufactured at the Polytechnic University using additive technologies

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

Scientists from the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have proposed a new approach to the production of centrifugal compressor wheels (impellers) using electric arc growing technology. Until now, no one in the world has used additive technologies to produce such large items. At the same time, the new method allows for the production of parts several times faster and cheaper than the traditional method.

Impellers are a whole class of products that can be part of a centrifugal compressor, pumping unit or pump. Such devices are necessary for many industries, but are especially relevant in the energy sector – for moving gas through main gas pipelines. The traditional method of manufacturing impellers – mechanical processing of metal blanks – is quite long and expensive.

The Polytechnic University proposed using electric arc growing from metal wire, which melts due to the energy of the electric arc, to manufacture the impeller. During the melting process, the metal is transferred layer by layer, forming the product blank. Its strength is affected by a verified combination of movement speed during growing, as well as the wire feed speed, arc power, wire metal composition, etc.

With the traditional manufacturing method, the mass of the workpiece is seven times greater than the mass of the final part. Engineers mechanically process the metal like an artist who carves a sculpture from a piece of marble. In this case, most of the metal (86% of the mass of the original workpiece) turns into shavings, this is a long and expensive process. Our technology allows us to obtain a workpiece that is only 15% greater in mass than the final product, i.e. the material utilization factor (MUF) is 0.86. With the traditional method, the MUF is 0.14. We significantly save expensive material, and at the same time speed up the process of manufacturing the impeller several times, – said Oleg Panchenko, Head of the Laboratory of Light Materials and Structures of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of SPbPU.

The sample manufactured in the Polytechnic laboratory successfully passed a series of bench tests, the conditions of which were similar to operational ones. The impeller was spun up to 18 thousand revolutions per minute.

After the tests, we scanned the impeller and compared it with the three-dimensional model that was used to prepare the control program for printing. The comparison did not reveal any deviations in the geometry of the tested impeller from the digital model. This means that the approach we proposed allows us to create a reliable product, explained Ivan Kladov, Lead Engineer at the Laboratory of Light Materials and Structures at IMMiT.

Experts note that the technology developed at the Polytechnic University can be used to manufacture impellers on existing Russian production lines and will not require their significant restructuring.

The study was conducted with the support of the Development Program of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University for 2025–2036 as part of the implementation of the Priority 2030 program (national project Youth and Children).

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians demonstrated flexible skills at the Soft Skills tournament

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The third annual Soft Skills tournament was held at the Polytechnic University. Students demonstrated soft skills by participating in board games.

At the current stage of transformation of the higher education system, the formation of flexible skills is an important component of training specialists capable of ensuring the achievement of technological leadership of our state, emphasized the Vice-Rector for Educational Activities of SPbPU Lyudmila Pankova.

The organizing committee and jury included university teachers and activists of the SPbPU Students’ Trade Union, as well as representatives of the organizations and companies “Russia – Country of Opportunities”, “TGK-1”, “Gazprom Gazifikatsiya”, “Gazprom Pitanie”, “Lengidroproekt”, “VNIIG im. B. E. Vedeneyev”. Support was provided by well-known board game publishers GaGa.ru and “Lavka Igr”, their game masters helped the participants and the jury understand the rules and taught them how to get out of difficult situations.

Seventeen student teams made it to the first round: six from the Institute of Power Engineering, five from the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, one team each from the Humanitarian Institute, the Civil Engineering Institute and the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, as well as three teams — IPMET, ISI, IKNK, IMMiT. A student from the St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation participated in the tournament for the first time.

The students spent a whole month preparing for the tournament stages and fighting for victory at the gaming table. In the end, four teams reached the final. The awards were presented by the chairman of the jury, director of the Higher School of Software Engineering Pavel Drobintsev.

In the team standings, the places were distributed as follows:

1st place — team “Ь” (soft sign) (IPMET); 2nd place — team “Burryashchie Brazgi” (team of IPMET, IMMIT, ISI, GUAP); 3rd place — team “Successors of Peter” (IMMIT).

The team “SOVpadenie” (IPMET) fell just short of victory and took 4th place.

In the individual competition the following were awarded:

1st place — Vlada Chernyaeva, IPMET; 2nd place — Alexander Shevchuk, ISI; 3rd place — Daniil Grevtsev, IMMIT.

The members of the jury and the organizing committee highly appreciated the organization of the tournament, noted the involvement and good level of development of the participants’ cross-professional competencies.

The Soft Skills tournament for students is a great tool for developing cross-professional competencies. During the game, the kids practice communication, learning to clearly express thoughts, formulate precise questions and negotiate with each other. They learn to analyze information, develop strategies and make decisions in conditions of limited resources. Team games improve both leadership qualities and the ability to work in partnership with other team members, because victory often depends on the coherence of actions and the distribution of roles. In addition, games create conditions for understanding one’s strengths and personal growth points. This training format is a safe environment for mistakes, live feedback from the environment and, most importantly, motivation to develop through pleasure. Young specialists get practice in a game form and can then transfer it to work, – noted the head of the Analytics and Diagnostic Tools Development Department of the Assessment and Methodology Department of ANO “Russia – Country of Opportunities” Ekaterina Stepashkina.

I was greatly impressed by the ease with which the participants understood the complex rules and their prompt response to changes that arose during the game. The speed of change in the modern world is only growing, and the ability to quickly accept them is one of the most important “soft skills”. I wish the participants to apply this in real life, which throws up many more surprises than any game, – said Evgeniya Tyupanova, Head of the Labor and Wages Department at Gazprom Gazifikatsiya, who took part in the tournament for the first time as a member of the organizing committee and jury.

Anna Lavrova, head of the personnel selection and assessment group at TGK-1, has been a permanent member of the jury since the tournament was founded. She emphasized that young specialists with the qualities that students demonstrate at the Soft Skills tournament will be in demand in any company, and confirmed that TGK-1 is always happy to welcome students from the Polytechnic University.

Leading specialists of the social development department of Gazprom Pitanie Ilya Khudov and Anna Konevskaya, as well as leading specialist of the personnel department of VNIIG im. B. E. Vedeneyev Alla Larchina noted that gaming technologies helped the children to reveal a whole range of soft skills and allowed them to see their potential.

The modern world requires not only professional knowledge, but also the ability to adapt, think critically and work in a team. The Soft Skills tournament is a mirror that reflects the future. Here, students learn to listen, make decisions in conditions of uncertainty and turn challenges into opportunities. I am amazed by their energy and willingness to grow. The participants did not just compete – they acquired skills that will become their superpower in their careers and lives, – says Ekaterina Toloshinova, chief specialist of Lenhydroproject.

All partners of the Polytechnic University Competence Center expressed their desire to participate in the tournament next year.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDIA – Bishop in Madhya Pradesh: “Pope Francis’ welcoming approach has improved interreligious coexistence”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

CBCI Matters india

Indore (Fides) – “What surprised us positively is like a surprise from the Holy Spirit: so many people, so many non-Christians, who spontaneously appreciate Pope Francis as a man of dialogue, welcome, and compassion, have somehow changed their attitude towards us Catholics. Many non-Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs came to offer their condolences and express their solidarity. Pope Francis’ approach has had a positive impact on our lives, in terms of coexistence with people of other faiths. And this is very important and a beautiful legacy in our diocese (18,000 Catholics out of a population of 8 million, ed. ) and in a state like Madhya Pradesh, where there are sometimes interreligious tensions, is very important and a beautiful legacy,” Bishop Thomas Mathew Kuttimackal of Indore, a diocese in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the second largest and fifth most populous state in India with over 72 million inhabitants, told Fides.The proportion of Christians in Madhya Pradesh is small: less than 0.3% compared to a national average of 2.3%. Catholics in the Diocese of Indore, as in other dioceses in the central Indian state, watched the funeral Mass for Pope Francis on television and celebrated memorial Masses in memory of the late Pope in their parishes. Bishop Kuttimackal remarked, “We remember him as a shepherd of dialogue and mercy: our Catholic communities feel a sense of gratitude, also because they see how the Pope’s words and gestures in recent years have touched hearts, even here in our area, which is so far from Rome and which Francis never visited in person.”Recently, tensions have also arisen in the state with radical Hindu groups accusing Christians and Muslims of “proselytism.” And the state government, led by the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has at times supported this narrative. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said in a public speech last March that he wanted to “introduce the death penalty to punish what he called ‘forced religious conversion of women.’”Radical Hindu groups sometimes accuse Muslims and Christians of converting members of tribal groups from lower castes using allegedly illicit means, such as money. In Madhya Pradesh, a so-called “anti-conversion law” has been in force since 2021, which provides for penalties of up to 10 years in prison for those who use violence or deception to persuade people to convert to another religion. In this context, according to the bishop, “the faithful of Indore are experiencing the Holy Year as ‘pilgrims of hope’, also with a view to improving the climate of interreligious coexistence.”The evangelical message proclaimed and lived by Pope Francis is also represented in Indore by the “Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace,” a network of Catholic religious communities of men and women who are particularly committed to humanitarian issues and the “care of our common home.” The religious are committed to implementing the “integral ecology” mentioned and described in the encyclical Laudato si’, starting from their closeness to the poorest and most marginalized communities, but also promoting respect for natural resources and the promotion and dissemination of sustainable lifestyles. (PA) ( Fides Agency 30/4/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man charged with terrorism offence after Israeli Embassy incident
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has been charged with a terrorism offence following an incident at the Embassy of Israel on Monday, 28 April.

Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33 (28.12.1991) of no fixed abode was charged on Wednesday, 30 April with the following offences:
- Preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to Section 5(1)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2006.
- Two counts of possession of a pointed or bladed article, contrary to Section 139(1) and (6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today (30 April).

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We remain in close contact with those based at the Embassy of Israel and we appreciate that these charges will be concerning to them.

“I would like to reassure the public, however, that from our enquiries so far, we are not seeking anyone else in connection with this matter and we do not believe there is any wider threat to the public.

“Although the man has now been charged, we continue with our investigation and would urge the public not to speculate further at this time.”

Background:

Shortly before 18:00hrs on Monday, 28 April, officers from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command became aware of a man attempting to gain unauthorised access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel in Kensington, W8.

Officers prevented the man from entering and arrested him on suspicion of a public order offence, trespassing on a designated site and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was taken to a London police station and after further enquiries were carried out he was further arrested on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Due to this, the investigation is being led by detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

He was subsequently charged as above.

MIL Security OSI –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Europeans celebrate 75 Years of unity and solidarity on Europe Day 2025

Source: European Parliament 3

The Schuman Declaration laid the foundations for the European Union and paved the way for an unprecedented era of prosperity, peace, democracy, solidarity and cooperation in Europe.

To mark the occasion, many events will take place in EU Member States and around the world, bringing together citizens from all walks of life. The EU institutions will open their doors and invite citizens to visit their premises, discover their work and engage in a wide range of educational and entertaining activities.

Landmark buildings and monuments across the globe will be illuminated in the EU colours, while a special Europe Day programme is planned for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

In times of global uncertainty, Europe remains an anchor of stability – a place of opportunity and protection for its citizens. The EU and its institutions are working towards the common goal of ensuring prosperity and competitiveness, guaranteeing our security and defence, while upholding the fundamental values Europeans care about.

European Parliament

On 4 May, citizens of all ages will be able to attend the official Europe Day opening ceremony and take a seat in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The ceremony will begin with a video message from President Roberta Metsola, followed by a speech from Vice-President Younous Omarjee, and a musical performance by the Voix de Stras’ ensemble. Through various exhibits and interactive activities, visitors will learn how the Parliament works, how laws are made, and why European politics matters. Visitors will also be able to visit the “Changemakers” exhibition. On 10 May, the public will once again be given the chance to discover European democracy in action at the Parliament’s hemicycle in Brussels, with day-long activities emphasising the importance of citizen participation. In Luxembourg, special activities will mark the first anniversary of the Visitors’ Centre on 9 May, including the recently inaugurated Europa Experience. The following day, a rich cultural programme is planned in the Echternach Abbey courtyard. Full programme and events organised in the 27 EU countries.

European Council/Council of the European Union

On 10 May, the Council of the European Union will also open its doors, granting citizens an opportunity to follow in EU leaders’ footsteps. Guided tours throughout the day will offer visitors a rare look at where important European decisions are made. Each of the 27 Member States will host a stand, showcasing their culture, traditions, culinary specialties and more. Younger visitors can also expect tailor-made activities, including a treasure hunt and a “fun fact” quest designed specifically for kids. In honour of the Council’s 50th anniversary, the public will even be able to travel back in time and take a selfie with the leaders of 1974.

European Commission

On 10 May, citizens will also have the opportunity to visit the Commission’s iconic Berlaymont building in Brussels. Here, they will have the chance to learn about the Commission’s role and priorities, engage in series of activities, and find out more about initiatives and concrete benefits for their daily lives. Among others, visitors will have an opportunity to learn about the Commission’s efforts to boost European competitiveness both, promote social cohesion, protect democracy and protect fundamental rights, at home and abroad.

European Central Bank

As part of its Europe Day celebrations on 10 May, the European Central Bank (ECB) will bring the vibrant spirit of Europe to its hometown, Frankfurt am Main, by participating in the city’s Europa-Fest. Visitors will find the ECB at the “European Marketplace” on the Römerberg plaza, alongside Frankfurt-based European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism. In such a special year, celebrating 40 years of Schengen and the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, many themed activities have been organised, with the ECB even planning a lightshow, to be projected onto the west wing of the city’s Grossmarkthalle. In Brussels, the ECB will also host its own stand at the Commission’s Europe Day event.

European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group will welcome visitors to its stand at the Council of the European Union’s Justus Lipsius building as part of its Open Day on 10 May in Brussels. EIB Group staff will inform visitors of how its financing and advisory services improve lives and advance EU policy goals. This includes anything from innovation, security and defence to social and territorial cohesion, and the transition towards a net-zero economy. The stand itself will be enhanced by various activities and media, such as quizzes, games and audiovisual material showcasing EIB-financed projects.

European Court of Auditors

On 10 May, as part of the Europe Day celebrations in Echternach, EU auditors will host a series of interactive and engaging activities at the European Court of Auditors’ premises. Among other things, visitors will have the chance to partake in an engaging quiz to test their audit skills. Families and people of all ages are welcome to discover how the European Court of Auditors, the guardian of the EU’s finances, helps protect EU citizens’ money.

European External Action Service

The European External Action Service (EEAS) will open its doors to the public on 10 May for its “Travel the World in a Day“. Travel the World in a Day” event. Visitors to the EU’s diplomatic headquarters in Brussels will be given an opportunity to learn about the work of the EEAS and its 144 delegations and offices worldwide. Through interactive exhibits and activities, visitors will discover the EU’s role as a global leader and reliable partner for prosperity, peace, security, multilateralism, democracy, and a rules-based order. The event will also include a digital booth to help explore the EU pavilion at Expo 2025 in Japan, as well as live dance performances, workshops and family-friendly activities that celebrate global diversity.

European Economic and Social Committee

This year, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will also host a special celebration of the Schuman Declaration’s 75th anniversary. To honour this seminal text, the EESC – the house of European organised civil society – is putting together a range of activities on its premises, through which it will inform and engage with citizens, while offering insights into its various Sections’ and Groups’ advisory work. The day itself will offer entertainment for all, with a real-time voting simulation allowing visitors to step into EESC members’ shoes and discover the process for themselves.

European Committee of the Regions

On 10 May, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) – ideally located between the European Parliament and Council in Brussels – will open its doors to the public as well, showcasing how it represents regions and cities in the EU, and everything that regional and local elected politicians do for citizens. Visitors will learn how their region voices its interests in the EU, and they will have the chance to meet local and regional elected politicians and discuss European issues in a direct, informal atmosphere. The traditional Festival of Regions and Cities will treat visitors to a showcase of their preferred tourist spots, traditional music and dance, and various culinary specialties.

Background

Europe Day held on 9 May every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the ‘Schuman declaration’, a historic proposal made by Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister, in 1950 that laid out the foundation of European cooperation. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.

In 2025, Europe Day is a special occasion, as we are celebrating 75 years since the Schuman declaration. To learn more about each institution’s programme, visit the Europe Day 2025 website.

MIL OSI Europe News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: INTERPOL targets stolen vehicle trafficking in West African police operation

Source: Interpol (news and events)

30 April 2025

More than 12,000 vehicles were inspected over two weeks, initiating new investigations and uncovering links with organized crime.

LYON, France: An international police operation targeting vehicle crime in West Africa has led to the detection of approximately 150 stolen vehicles and the seizure of more than 75 vehicles.

Coordinated by INTERPOL and carried out by national law enforcement agencies in 12 West African countries, the operation – codenamed ‘Safe Wheels’ – also initiated 18 new investigations and uncovered the involvement of two organized crime groups.

Most of the stolen vehicles detected through INTERPOL’s Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database were trafficked from Canada, while many had also been reported stolen in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

INTERPOL’s SMV database allows police in the Organization’s 196 member countries to run a check against a suspicious vehicle and find out instantly whether it has been reported as stolen.

In 2024, around 270,000 vehicles were identified as stolen globally through the SMV database.

David Caunter, Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, said:

“Each year, hundreds of thousands of vehicles are stolen around the world, yet the initial theft is often only the beginning of a vehicle’s journey into the global criminal underworld.

“Stolen vehicles are trafficked across the globe, traded for drugs and other illicit commodities, enriching organized crime groups and even terrorists.

“INTERPOL’s SMV database is the strongest tool we have to track stolen vehicles and identify the criminals involved in this global trade.”

Stolen Canadian cars in Nigeria

During the two-week operational phase (17-30 March), law enforcement in participating countries established an average of 46 checkpoints each day to inspect a total of 12,600 vehicles, checking their details against INTERPOL’s SMV database.

Out of the vehicles seized or flagged as stolen, Toyota models were the most represented, followed by Peugeot and Honda.

Both land and sea routes were used to traffic stolen vehicles detected during the operation.

In Lagos, during checks of freight containers purportedly from Canada, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officers discovered six vehicles – Toyota and Lexus models – four of which showed clear signs of break-in.

Checks against INTERPOL’s SMV database confirmed that all six vehicles were reported stolen in Canada in 2024. Investigative collaboration is ongoing between the NCS and Canada’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau.

Nine law enforcement officers and experts from INTERPOL’s SMV Task Force, including an expert examiner from Canada, were also deployed to the region – in Benin, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo – to support Operation Safe Wheels.

Operation Safe Wheels took place under the aegis of Project Drive Out – a new partnership between INTERPOL and the Government of Canada to target vehicle theft and the illegal trade of spare parts – and was made possible by Canadian funding.

INTERPOL member countries that participated in the operation were: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo.

MIL Security OSI –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit – March 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India

Data on sectoral deployment of bank credit for the month¹ of March 2025 collected from 41 select scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), accounting for about 95 per cent of the total non-food credit deployed by all SCBs, are set out in Statements I and II.

On a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, non-food bank credit² as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, grew³ by 12.0 per cent as compared to 16.3 per cent during the corresponding fortnight of the previous year (i.e., March 22, 2024).

Highlights of the sectoral deployment of bank credit³ are given below:

Credit to agriculture and allied activities registered a growth of 10.4 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025 (20.0 per cent in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year).
Credit to industry expanded by 8.0 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, same as in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year. Among major industries, outstanding credit to ‘petroleum, coal products and nuclear fuels’, ‘basic metal and metal products’, ‘all engineering’ and ‘construction’ recorded an accelerated y-o-y growth. However, credit growth in the infrastructure segment decelerated.
Credit to services sector increased by 13.4 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025 (20.8 per cent in the corresponding fortnight of the previous year), primarily due to decelerated growth in credit to ‘non-banking financial companies’ (NBFCs). Credit growth (y-o-y) to ‘professional services’ and ‘trade’ segments remained robust.
Credit to personal loans segment registered a growth of 14.0 per cent (y-o-y) as on the fortnight ended March 21, 2025, as compared with 17.6 per cent a year ago, largely due to decline in growth in ‘other personal loans’, ‘vehicle loans’ and ‘credit card outstanding’.

Ajit Prasad
Deputy General Manager
(Communications)

Press Release: 2025-2026/217

MIL OSI Economics –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Chief Executives appointed to lead TRA
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

New Chief Executives appointed to lead TRA

The UK Trade Remedies Authority has confirmed the appointment of Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez as Chief Executives in a jobshare arrangement.
The UK Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today confirmed the appointment of Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez as Chief Executives in a jobshare arrangement. They will take up the role from 2 June.

The Trade Remedies Authority is the UK’s independent public body responsible for investigating allegations of unfair trading practices and unforeseen surges in imports that cause injury to UK industry. It makes evidence-based recommendations to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

The TRA’s Chair Nick Baird recently met with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to agree how during the current global trade turmoil, the TRA will be stepping up its active data monitoring of emerging trade risks to help the Government spot and tackle the potential dumping of unfairly low-priced goods into the UK.

New leadership on trade remedies

Jessica and Carmen join the TRA from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and have held a number of senior roles both within and outside government, with a particular focus on trade, investment and regulation.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: 

“This Government is standing up for our national interest, and as part of our Plan for Change, creating a level playing field where UK businesses can thrive and grow.

The work of the TRA has never been more important in achieving this objective, and I’m delighted to welcome Jessica and Carmen to their new role. Their skills will be vital to ensure the TRA continues to protect British producers from unfairly low-priced imports.”

Jessica and Carmen have jobshared since 2017. Their senior roles together have included: leading the Department for Business’ (BEIS) analytical work on EU Exit and international trade; the coordination of the UK Government work on no-deal business readiness; Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) for the level playing field chapter of the UK/EU trade negotiations (including subsidy control and remedial measures); establishing the UK’s domestic subsidy control regime; leading on Brexit Opportunities and regulatory reform in Cabinet Office; and most recently, leading the delivery of local growth funds and Freeports in MHCLG.

Before joining the Civil Service, Jessica’s career featured 12 years working in Investment Banking, providing strategic and financial advice to CEOs and boards of directors on mergers, acquisitions and capital raisings in London, Singapore and Sydney. After joining the Civil Service in 2010, she led analytical work in BEIS’ Better Regulation Executive and then the Europe Directorate.

Carmen joined the Civil Service in 2017 from the Financial Conduct Authority, where she led on embedding competition in financial regulation. Previously, she worked at the Competition and Markets Authority and Office of Fair Trading. including as lead on a number of market studies and head of evaluation. Before these Civil Service roles, she was Chief Economist at the National Farmers Union of England and Wales.

TRA Chair Nick Baird said: ‘I am delighted that two leaders of Jessica and Carmen’s quality have joined us at this turbulent time in the international trade environment. They have exactly the skills and experience to lead the TRA through the changes that are needed to help UK business navigate this new world.’

New appointees Carmen and Jessica said: “We are thrilled to be joining the TRA and look forward to working with its Board, staff and stakeholders to ensure that trade remedies, particularly at this crucial time, are a cornerstone of the UK’s international standing and growth ambitions.”

Background Information

Trade remedy measures are a trade defence tool to protect domestic industries against injury caused by unfair trade practices or unforeseen increases in imports. They are a specific type of tariffs allowed under World Trade Organization rules when specific criteria are met (evidence of dumping, subsidy or a surge in imports). They usually take the form of an additional duty placed on imports of specific products, which are collected by HMRC prior to a good entering into free circulation.

The TRA has been led by Steve O’Donoghue as interim Chief Executive since March 2025, when the TRA’s previous Chief Executive Oliver Griffiths left to take up a new role – TRA announces interim CEO and confirms board leadership – GOV.UK.

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Published 30 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: From idea to tradition: the student physics olympiad was held at the Polytechnic for the tenth time

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

On the last Saturday of April, the Polytechnic University hosted the tenth anniversary student physics olympiad.

The idea of holding a physics olympiad at SPbPU arose in 2015. By that time, experience had been accumulated in participating in such competitions – since the early 2000s, Polytechnic students had participated in the inter-university physics olympiad. It was held in September, and preparations began in advance – teachers from the physics and technology faculty (now the physics department) worked specifically with the students. As a result, the Polytechnic students confidently performed at each olympiad, taking prizes.

Professor Yuri Mamaev, scientific director of the physics practical laboratory, associate professor Sergei Starovoitov, and associate professor Tatyana Vorobyeva made a great contribution to the Olympiad movement at the Physics Department, including the emergence of their own Olympiad at the Polytechnic University.

In 2015, together with Mikhail Voronov, a research fellow at the Physics and Technology Institute, the team of organizers began organizing the Olympiad at the Polytechnic, selecting tasks and criteria for their evaluation. The preparation of student participants was carried out at an optional club. The head of the department, Vadim Ivanov, helped with the audience, and also provided other organizational assistance.

And so, 10 years ago, on the last Saturday of April 2015, the first student Olympiad in Physics took place. More than a hundred people took part in the competition. The winners from the department were awarded books – dictionaries and encyclopedias on physics.

According to the rules, the participants of the competition could only use reference books on physics and mathematics. This tradition has been preserved to this day: the use of textbooks or notes is not allowed. Although this will not help the participants much, since solving the Olympiad problems requires systematic knowledge and understanding of physical laws. To the question: “Is it possible to cheat at the Olympiad?” Sergey Starovoytov answers with a smile: All Olympiad problems are author’s, so it is impossible to find their solution on the Internet.

The authors of the problems are a group of young teachers and postgraduate students of the Department of Physics, who develop unique problems from the physics course that require an original solution. A careful approach to the selection of tasks allows us to create conditions for equal and fair participation in the competition. A team is formed from among the SPbPU students who successfully performed at the Physics Olympiad for subsequent participation in the Interuniversity Physics Olympiad. It is prepared by a senior teacher of the Department of Physics Vadim Kozhevnikov.

The solution to each problem is presented by the authors-developers after the end of the Olympiad. Not only participants, but also anyone who wishes can attend the event with the analysis of the problems.

The Olympiad is open to everyone, so there is a special atmosphere here: not so much a rivalry as a celebration of knowledge and science! This idea is confirmed by the feedback from the participants of the tenth anniversary Olympiad.

Danil, 2nd year, Physics and Mechanics Institute, winner of the 2024 Physics Olympiad: I have attended various Physics Olympiads. This is not my first time participating in this Olympiad and I am very pleased! First of all, I feel joy from solving interesting problems.

Matvey, 1st year, Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications: For me, the Physics Olympiad is an opportunity to discover something new.

Daria, 1st year, Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications: I believe that you need to strive for something more than just solving problems, so I am participating in this Olympiad.

The results of the Olympiad will be announced very soon. Let us wish the participants great achievements. Could the teachers who were at the origins of the Olympiad have imagined that it would become a tradition of the Physics Department and would be held annually? However, that is exactly what happened! Students still wait for the last Saturday of April to test their knowledge of physics in a fair competition.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Axi Celebrates Axi Select’s Two $1M Funded Traders in Sydney, Australia

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SYDNEY, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading online FX and CFD broker Axi proudly announced a few months ago their first-ever Axi Select traders to have reached the Pro M stage of their capital allocation program, with each securing $1 million in funding.

To celebrate this major milestone and their remarkable achievement, the two traders, Francisco Quesada Godines and Daniel Gutiérrez Viñas, visited Axi’s headquarters in Sydney, Australia, where they were formally inducted into the Axi Pro Hall of Fame, and were presented with their $1M cheques, celebration trophies, and certificates of achievement. The visit also included a series of interviews where the traders reflected on their trading journey with Axi Select, their strategies to reaching the top milestone of the program, and the unique opportunities that the program provides.

Rajesh Yohannan, Chief Executive Officer of Axi, shared his excitement for the program’s success, noting “The value of Axi Select extends far beyond funding. Both Francisco and Daniel benefitted from an array of support features such as the EDGE score, our dashboard and leaderboard, our exclusive trading room, and our vast educational resources, each one designed to elevate traders’ edge in the markets.”

Following the incredible news of Axi Select’s first two $1,000,000 funded traders, 22-year-old Kayan Freitas also joined the ranks of Pro M traders, accessing the top funding amount. Reflecting on his success, the trader commented that “It’s a big responsibility”, but, at the same time, is confident in his skills and is ready to rise to the challenge.

Launched in 2023, Axi Select offers traders the opportunity to access capital funding up to $1,000,000 USD and earn up to 90% of their profits. Moreover, Axi Select traders benefit from $0 membership fees*, trading on a live account, unrestrictive trading conditions, an exclusive trading room, and more.

Watch video https://youtu.be/25ZOZBFUB3Y?si=QQuj4uDnxG-BJ8_g

The Axi Select programme is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available to AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service. * Standard trading fees and minimum deposit apply.

About Axi

Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading company, with thousands of customers in 100+ countries worldwide. Axi offers CFDs for several asset classes including Forex, Shares, Gold, Oil, Coffee, and more.

For more information or additional comments from Axi, please contact: mediaenquiries@axi.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af0cd73a-fe85-42d6-891a-4348cc3016d4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a6eebca-9de1-4c28-86c6-97a19edd13cd

The MIL Network –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: FrontFundr Shatters Records, Releases 2024 Community Capital Report
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FrontFundr, Canada’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, today unveiled its 2024 Community Capital Report, showcasing a groundbreaking year that signals a major shift in Canada’s private investing landscape. In 2024, the platform facilitated an impressive $68.3 million in capital across 66 successful campaigns, more than doubling the amount raised in 2023. This milestone marks a turning point in how Canadians are engaging with private markets and demonstrates the growing appeal of equity crowdfunding.

Since its launch in 2015 through December 31, 2024, FrontFundr facilitated over $258 million in capital through nearly 28,000 investments through its online platform, solidifying its leadership in Canada’s fast-growing equity crowdfunding sector. The platform now holds an impressive 93% market share under the National Instrument 45-110 Startup Crowdfunding (prospectus) Exemption, underscoring its pivotal role in democratizing access to capital for early-stage companies.

Noteworthy campaigns in 2024 include Blossom Social, which raised $1.35 million in just 3.5 days, and Edison Motors, which secured $2.4 million in 2024 alone—setting new benchmarks for crowdfunding success in Canada.

“Equity crowdfunding is no longer a niche alternative; it’s becoming a central component of how Canadians invest in the future they want to build,” said Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, Founder and CEO of FrontFundr. “Our growth reflects a broader movement toward the retailization of private markets, empowering the public to participate, providing emerging companies better access to capital, and creating a more inclusive financial system.”

Key highlights from the 2024 report include:
- Investor Growth: Women now represent 26% of investors; individuals aged 30–39 were the most active investors.
- Sector Leadership: Finance led with over $55 million raised, followed by strong growth in technology, cleantech manufacturing, and food & beverage.
- Regional Highlights: Ontario led with $35.6 million raised, followed by British Columbia and a resurgent Alberta, with notable growth across the Prairies.
- Strong Portfolio Performance: 87% of FrontFundr-funded companies remain active, with 13.7% achieving liquidity events—including notable 2024 exits from Hempalta and Liquid Wind.
- Platform Innovation: New features like a redesigned investment workflow, the launch of FrontFundr Elite Circle, and a partnership with StartEngine offering access to U.S. AI deals fueled a 17% increase in average investment size and a 97% increase in new investors.
Platform innovations—including a streamlined investment journey, the launch of FrontFundr Elite Circle, and a partnership with StartEngine to access U.S. Accredited Investor-only opportunities—helped boost average investment size by 17% and nearly double new investor sign-ups.

“This report captures a pivotal moment for Canada’s private markets,” said Trieste Reading, VP of Growth at FrontFundr. “2024 wasn’t just a breakout year for FrontFundr — it signaled a broader shift in how Canadians think about investing and ownership. Canadians are stepping up to back the businesses and causes they care about — and that’s changing the future of finance.”

The release of the 2024 Community Capital Report comes at a time of growing global momentum to expand access to private markets. This shift was underscored by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s 2025 annual letter, which called for democratizing private market opportunities so everyday investors—not just the wealthy—can benefit from the returns of economic growth. As FrontFundr approaches its 10th anniversary in 2025, the platform remains steadfast in its mission to open doors for all Canadians to invest in businesses that reflect their values and shape the future.

The full Community Capital Report 2024 is available at https://info.frontfundr.com/blog/community-capital-report-2024-from-slow-burn-to-a-breakout-year.

About FrontFundr
FrontFundr is Canada’s leading private markets investing platform, empowering startups and growth-stage companies to raise capital from their biggest supporters—everyday Canadians. Since 2015, FrontFundr has enabled thousands of investors to access vetted investment opportunities in private companies, from promising startups to established growth businesses. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or making your first-ever investment, FrontFundr makes it easy to participate in building the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in Canada. Learn more at www.frontfundr.com.

Media Contact:
Trieste Reading
VP of Growth, FrontFundr
Email: trieste@frontfundr.com
Phone: +1 (604) 910-5074
Website: www.frontfundr.com

The MIL Network –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI: Cority Launches Advanced Motion Capture Solution to Strengthen Industrial Ergonomics Programs
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cority, the global leader in enterprise Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and Sustainability software, today announced the release of its new AI-powered Motion Capture for Industrial Ergonomics solution. Built to complement Cority’s holistic CorityOne ecosystem, this innovative technology helps organizations proactively assess and address ergonomic risks in demanding, non-office environments — from manufacturing shop floors to oil and gas fields — where musculoskeletal injuries frequently occur. The financial cost of these non-fatal workplace injuries is significant. The National Safety Council (NSC) reported that work injuries cost U.S. businesses $167.0 billion in 2022 in wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative costs, and other related expenditures. While these types of injuries are most often non-fatal, they can be impactful to worker health and businesses operations in both the long and short term

Industrial ergonomics focuses on designing tasks, workspaces, and tools around employees performing physically demanding jobs., It addresses risk factors such as repetitive lifting, forceful exertions, awkward postures, and other high-impact movements that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of all non-fatal workplace injuries, nearly 550,000 out of more than 2.2 million recorded occupational injuries in 2021-22, stem from exposure to ergonomic risk factors, which can result in significant productivity, health, and financial burdens.

“Traditional manual ergonomic assessments can be extremely time-consuming and require significant expertise to perform,” says Kim Moull, CCPE at Cority. “By integrating motion capture technology into our industrial ergonomics solutions, we enable health & safety professionals and even non-specialists to quickly and accurately capture key ergonomic risk data by simply recording a video of a task. This data is then analyzed using best-practice ergonomics frameworks to generate risk scores and highlight areas requiring immediate attention or expert follow-up. The result is a more proactive ergonomics program that can help prevent injuries before they occur.”

AI-powered motion capture and analytics
At the core of this offering is an AI-driven motion capture technology delivered by Inseer, which uses patented computer vision driven algorithms and 3D modeling to assess ergonomic risk with a high degree of accuracy. Key features include:
- 3D precision and speed. Inseer’s proprietary algorithms analyze full-range motion in just minutes, allowing organizations to scale ergonomic assessments across many different jobs and locations
- Industry-recognized assessment tools. Motion capture data is automatically applied to recognized ergonomic scoring methods, such as RULA, REBA, Revised Strain Index, NIOSH’s Two-Handed Lifting Equation, and Liberty Mutual Push/Pull, offering a clear, quantitative view of ergonomic risk factors.
- Integration with CorityOne. All ergonomic data from Inseer flows into Cority’s centralized ecosystem, allowing organizations to unify health, safety, and environmental data for a single source of truth. Powerful analytics and dashboards enable data-driven decisions to prioritize high-risk tasks and allocate resources effectively.
Tackling limited resources and expertise
Many organizations lack the specialist resources needed to assess ergonomic risks at scale. This shortfall, combined with the fact that ergonomic injuries result from successive exposures to risk factors over time rather than manifesting from a single incident, has historically made prevention more challenging. Cority’s new solution allows even generalists to capture reliable risk data in minutes, freeing up certified ergonomists and safety professionals to spend their time and expertise where it’s needed most.

“Industrial ergonomics isn’t just about meeting regulations,” said Amanda Smith, Executive Vice President, Product Strategy at Cority. “It’s about doing right by your workforce. With Motion Capture for Industrial Ergonomics, we’re helping organizations move beyond reactive investigations toward a broader risk management mindset. This technology enables them to identify emerging issues and implement controls before injuries happen, ultimately protecting both employees and the bottom line.”

Cority’s Motion Capture for Industrial Ergonomics solution is now globally available through CorityOne, the company’s integrated software ecosystem. For more information, existing Cority clients can reach out to their Account Executive or Customer Success Manager, while other interested parties can visit www.cority.com to request a demo or speak to a representative.

About Cority
Cority gives every employee from the field to the boardroom the power to make a difference, reducing risks and creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world. For over 35 years, Cority’s people-first software solutions have been built by EHS and sustainability experts who know the pressures businesses face. Time-tested, scalable, and configurable, CorityOne is the responsible business ecosystem that combines datasets from across the organization to enable improved efficiencies, actionable insights, data-driven decisions, and more accurate reporting on performance. Trusted by over 1,500 organizations worldwide, Cority deeply cares about helping people work toward a better future for everyone. To learn more, visit www.cority.com

Media Contact

Natalie Rizk
RiotMind
natalier@theriotmind.agency

The MIL Network –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Secret documents and precursors of AI: students of the State University of Management visited the Cryptography Museum

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

Students of the Institute of Marketing of the State University of Management visited the Cryptography Museum. The event was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Cryptography is a science of information protection methods, the evolution of which the museum tells through the history of communications development. The museum space includes the path from the era of the birth of the idea of written communication between people through alphabetic systems and signs through the industrial era, when radio, telephone, television and telegraph were created, to the modern digital era and computers.

Under the guidance of Olga Vasilyeva, senior lecturer in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations, students became acquainted with a unique collection of encryption equipment and archival documents, most of which were declassified specifically for display in the museum.

The unique exhibition dedicated to encryption methods during the Great Patriotic War deserves special attention. The expression “intelligence enters the war first” exhaustively characterizes the role of intelligence agencies of any state in wars. The main task that the Soviet leadership set for foreign intelligence was to identify the military-political plans of Germany and its allies during the war. Another key task was the organization and use of special operational detachments in the enemy’s rear to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage activities, as well as to assist party and Soviet agencies in developing the partisan movement. Various means were used to solve intelligence and counterintelligence tasks, including radio games. In some periods, state security officers played up to seventy radio games with the enemy simultaneously.

Many of the groundbreaking papers in artificial intelligence were written by people who worked in cryptography and cryptanalysis during World War II. Random sequences of numbers are used as encryption keys for one-time pads, an unbreakable encryption system. The names of people whose work involves protecting state secrets often remain classified for years, sometimes decades. Cryptographers, cryptanalysts, and encryption developers are among them.

Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/30/2025

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Serious Traffic Offences – Darwin
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 35-year-old male yesterday in relation to serious traffic offences committed over the past month.

Between 27 March and 21 April 2025, the rider of a motorcycle displaying false plates committed a number of high-speed driving offences within the Greater Darwin region reaching speeds of up to 215 kilometres per hour.

Officers from the Territory Road Policing Division investigated the incidents, identifying the rider and motorcycle involved.

Yesterday morning, members executed a search warrant on the riders residence in Karama locating the motorcycle and alleged offender at the location.

The Motorcycle was seized and the 35-year-old male was arrested and conveyed to the Palmerston Watch House. He has since been charged with 54 offences including:
- Possess thing to administer dangerous drug;
- Posses schedule 1 dangerous drug – Less than traffickable quantity;
- Drive at a speed and manner dangerous;
- Driving at a dangerous speed more 45 kilometres over;
- Fail to comply with police direction;
- Possess plates calculated to deceive;
- Breach of bail;
- Drive a motor vehicle while unlicenced;
- Drive unregistered motor vehicle; and
- Drive unregistered motor vehicle.
He is remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court on 1 May 2025.

Sergeant Rowan Benson of the Territory Road Policing Division said “It is extremely disappointing that we are still seeing these dangerous offences being committed. The reckless actions of the person involved has created unjustifiable risk to so many members of the public and it is lucky that on this occasion nobody has been seriously injured or killed.

“The Northern Territory Police Force will continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute people that choose to put other Territorians in danger.”

Road users are encouraged to report traffic offending to police either by calling 131 444 or by submitting a report online at http://pfes.nt.gov.au/reportonline. You can make anonymous reports via Crime Stoppers online at https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

MIL OSI News –
April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Aggravated assault – Palmerston

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three females in relation to an aggravated assault that occurred outside a small shopping precinct in Palmerston yesterday afternoon.

About 3:15pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a female being assaulted by a group of four females. Police allege the female was struck to the head with a bottle and further hit with blunt objects before a male bystander tried to intervene and was also assaulted.

The group fled the scene before police arrival but were arrested nearby a short time later and conveyed to the Palmerston Watch House.

St John Ambulance attended and conveyed the female victim to Royal Darwin Hospital for medical assessment. The male was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Three females, aged 30, 58 and 59, are expected to be charged at a later date. One of the alleged offenders remains outstanding and Serious Crime detectives have carriage of the investigation.

Anyone with information in relation to the incident is urged to contact police on 131 444. Anonymous reports can be made via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

MIL OSI News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ19: Services and facilities provided by Government in new towns

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hok-fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (April 30):

Question:

There are views pointing out that the Government has proposed to construct the second government complex in Tseung Kwan O, a new town with a population of nearly 500 000, while it has no plan to provide any government complex in Tung Chung, even though there will be a population of almost 300 000 in Tung Chung upon completion of the expansion of Tung Chung East and Tung Chung West. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the criteria for providing government complexes in new towns (e.g. the population in and accessibility of the district, etc); whether it has plans to construct a government complex in Tung Chung Area 1; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) given that the proposed second government complex in Tseung Kwan O will provide medical and health facilities, day care centre for the elderly, government offices, a public vehicle park and other facilities, how the Government determines the services and facilities to be provided in the government complex, so as to realise the land use principle of “single site, multiple use”;

(3) given that some residents of Tung Chung have relayed to me that they need to go to the Immigration Department’s Regional Office in Tuen Mun for registration of persons and travel document applications, whether the Government will consider providing services in relation to registration of persons and travel document applications in Tung Chung; if so, of the implementation timetable;

(4) whether the Government had extensively promoted the use of electronic government services (e-government services) in Tung Chung in the past three years; if so, of the details; whether the Government has formulated any publicity plan for the coming year to promote the use of e-government services by more Tung Chung residents, so as to fill the service gap arising from the Government’s failure to provide a government complex in the district; and

(5) given that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department currently provides different types of leisure and cultural services facilities in Tung Chung (e.g. Tung Chung North Park, Tung Chung Road Soccer Pitch, Tung Chung Man Tung Road Sports Centre, Tung Chung Public Library, etc), whether the Government has plans to extensively cultivate iconic species of plants at such facilities, so as to create a scenic landscape comprising government facilities in Tung Chung; if so, of the details?

Reply:

President,

After consultation with the relevant policy bureaux and departments, the reply to the questions is as follows:

(1) When developing New Towns/New Development Areas, the Government reserves sufficient land for “Government, Institution or Community” uses so as to meet the daily needs of the public. In general, the Government will take into account the population density of the relevant area when determining the type and quantity of facilities to be provided. With reference to the actual needs of local users, the supply of land or space, and views from other relevant departments, the departments responsible for providing the relevant services would plan accordingly, including whether developing Joint-user Complexes (JUCs) is the suitable approach to provide the public services needed by the relevant community.

For the site of Tung Chung Area 1, nearby sits the Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, which is around 500 metres away. The building is near the MTR Tung Chung Station, within which there are various facilities such as a community hall, a public library, a sports centre, and elderly care facilities. In fact, within the public housing estates and private developments of the Tung Chung area, many community facilities have been provided, including health centres and post offices, etc, so as to serve the needs of Tung Chung residents. While there are currently no plans to develop JUCs at the site of Tung Chung Area 1, the Government will continue to take note of the view from the community on how this lot can be effectively utilised.

(2) When considering the mix of services and facilities to be provided in a JUC, the Government mainly considers factors including local demand for public services, the space requirements of departments for providing such public services and setting up offices, compatibility of different facilities, and cost effectiveness, etc.

(3) According to the Immigration Department (ImmD), there are currently seven Registration of Persons Offices and seven Immigration Branch Offices throughout Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, providing registration of persons and document services to members of the public in various districts. These offices are of high accessibility, located near MTR stations and Public Transport Interchanges. Since the ImmD has already set up offices serving the public in areas conveniently accessible to Tung Chung residents, the Government does not have plans to set up additional offices in Tung Chung at the moment. The ImmD will continue to review the service demand in each district to ensure the continuous provision of efficient and high-quality services to the public while making optimal use of resources.

In fact, to facilitate the public and align with the Government’s objective of full digitalisation of services, the ImmD has been proactively promoting electronic services. Members of the public can submit applications for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport through the Internet or the ImmD Mobile Application. In recent years, the ImmD has also launched various electronic services, obviating the need for residents to visit the offices in person and thus saving queuing and form-filling time. These online services include birth registration, death registration, and application for Certificate of Registered Particulars, where applicants may also choose to receive relevant certificates by mail. Starting from January 2025, applications for certain visas/entry permits and extensions of stay will only be accepted electronically, and applicants will not need to visit ImmD offices in person throughout the entire process.

(4) The Government has been striving to drive the full digitalisation of government services, and whether there is a JUC in a particular district has no bearing on the Government’s effort in this regard. According to the information provided by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), all licences and government services involving application and approval (about 1 480 items in total) and forms (over 3 800) have been digitalised since mid-2024, thereby enabling submission of application, payment and collection of documents by electronic means for relevant licences and services. If in-person submission or collection of documents is required by law or international practices, applicants will only need to visit the relevant government office no more than once.

The DPO will strengthen the promotion of “iAM Smart” and related online services, and work with Care Teams to assist citizens and elderly people in various districts in registering and using “iAM Smart”. Moreover, the DPO has set up community-based help desks in suitable locations across all districts to provide regular and fixed-point training and technical support, teaching elderly people to use various digital government service applications.

(5) The Development Bureau advocates the policy of “Right Plant, Right Place”, which involves taking into account planting space, adaptability, characteristics and matching of species, as well as compatibility with landscape designs and the surrounding environment. In this regard, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has been planting various conspicuous flowering or foliage plants in its recreational venues to beautify the environment. When pursuing recreational facility projects, the LCSD collaborates with works departments and design teams to select suitable plants based on factors including site condition, etc. When choosing plant species for open spaces in the Tung Chung area, the LCSD will make reference to the Greening Theme, Theme Plants, and Recommended Tree List for the Islands District in the Greening Master Plan drawn up by the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD).

Currently, over 30 Tabebuia chrysantha trees have been planted in Man Tung Road Park in Tung Chung, attracting many residents of the district during their spring blossom. In Tung Chung North Park, various themed trees have been planted, including nearly 50 Liquidambar formosana trees, the leaves colour of which changes through seasons. The red foliage in late autumn is particularly popular among visitors. For the Open Space Development in Tung Chung New Town Extension (East), the works of which will commence shortly, the LCSD plans to plant Pennisetum alopecuroides, Melastoma sanguineum, Cassia bakeriana, and other species, as well as install trellises adorned with distinctive climbers, to create a richly layered and vibrantly coloured landscape and greenery in Tung Chung. In addition to the above plants, in early 2023, the CEDD set up a trial nursery at the seafront of the newly reclaimed land in Tung Chung East to assess the growth performance of different tree species, with a view to selecting more suitable species for the Open Space Development in Tung Chung New Town Extension (East).

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special traffic and transport arrangements for Tam Kung Festival on Hong Kong Island

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Special traffic and transport arrangements for Tam Kung Festival on Hong Kong Island
Road closures

Road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented on roads in the vicinity of Shau Kei Wan Road, Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Tam Kung Temple Road from 6.30am to 6.30pm that day. Intermittent road closures will be implemented on roads in the vicinity of Tai Hang in Wan Chai District from 10.30am that day until crowds disperse and roads are reopened. Vehicular access to and from car parks within the affected areas may not be allowed during the period of road closures.

Public transport service arrangements
(ii) The public light bus stand, public light bus parking space and motorcycle parking spaces at Kam Wah Street between Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Mong Lung Street will be temporarily suspended from 8am on May 4 to 6.30pm the next day;

(iii) All on-street parking spaces within closed road sections in Shau Kei Wan (including metered parking, motorcycle parking and disabled parking spaces) will be temporarily suspended from 10pm on May 4 to 6.30pm the next day; and
The TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures when necessary. The public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or “HKeMobility”.
Issued at HKT 12:20

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CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ13: Allocation arrangements for public housing

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

(7) of the three most common reasons given by ordinary families waiting for PRH for refusing the units allocated to them; whether the Government has reviewed the savings in administrative costs in processing PRH applications with successful allocations on the first offer as compared to those requiring several offers before an allocation is successful?

Reply:

President,

The objective of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to provide public rental housing (PRH) to those who cannot afford private rental accommodation. With regard to the question raised by the Hon Tang Ka-piu, my reply is as follows:

(1) Given the limited PRH resources, it is the prevailing policy of the HA to accord priority to general applicants (i.e. family applicants and elderly-one person applicants) over non-elderly one-person applicants in the allocation of PRH flats. The relative priority of flat allocation to general applicants is determined according to the principle of rational allocation of PRH resources and strictly in accordance with the order of registration date/G-number Equivalent Date (Note) (if any) of applications. Apart from the general applicants, we have set another queue for non-elderly one-person applicants and the priority of flat allocation is determined by the Quota and Points System (QPS). Unlike that of general applicants, the order of the applications is not in accordance with the sequence of the date of registration, but is determined by the total points accumulated by such applicants under QPS.

To cater to the housing needs of the elderly, encourage younger families to take care of their elderly parents or dependent relatives, and provide incentives to families applicants to encourage childbearing, there are several allocation priority schemes under the HA, including “Elderly Persons Priority Scheme”, “Harmonious Families Priority Scheme”, “Single Elderly Persons Priority Scheme” and “Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme”. Eligible applications under individual priority schemes will generally be processed earlier than applications by ordinary families. For example, eligible applications under the “Harmonious Families Priority Scheme” and “Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme” will be processed earlier by six months and one year respectively, and will be assigned a G-number Equivalent Date. Details on the above-mentioned schemes and arrangement are set out at Annex.

(2) The progress of PRH allocation depends on various factors, including the applicants’ choice of district, the number of applications with same family size in individual districts, the supply of new and refurbished PRH flats in individual districts, the acceptance of flat offers by other applicants of higher priorities, the change of family particulars during the waiting period, etc. Therefore, the waiting time of applicants in individual districts may vary. For individual applicants, the latest allocation status of PRH applications in various districts can better enable them to estimate the waiting time required for them to be housed. In this regard, the Housing Department (HD) would publish in newspapers the latest allocation status of each district on a monthly basis, and would upload relevant information to the HA’s/HD’s website (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/flat-application/allocation-status/index.html
Moreover, general applicants can make reference to the future supply of PRH in different districts so as to estimate their waiting time. To this end, the Housing Bureau (HB) would update and publish the public housing production forecast for the next five years, and would upload the relevant public housing project information (including name of project, location, estimated number of flats, completion year, etc.) to the HB’s website (www.hb.gov.hk/eng/publications/housing/public/phpf/index.html
(3) The HA has enhanced the allocation mechanism since September 2023 by taking into account an applicant’s place of residence when allocating flats based on his/her choice of district. In processing individual application under the enhanced allocation mechanism, the computer system will allocate a PRH flat which is near to the applicant’s place of residence to the applicant, subject to the availability of public housing resources in the applicant’s chosen district, in order to increase the applicant’s chance of accepting the allocated PRH flat nearer to his/her current place of residence. Following the system enhancement, the proportion of applicants who are allocated with flats near their place of residence has increased by about 10 per cent, and the acceptance rate has increased by about 5 per cent accordingly.

Eligible applicants are entitled to three housing offers (one at a time). If applicants have special requests for PRH allocation (such as wishing to be accommodated to a specific area or a specific type of PRH flat in their choice of district) and have obtained the recommendation from government departments or organisations concerned (such as the Social Welfare Department or the Hospital Authority) supporting their special requests, the HD will, having regard to the applicants’ individual circumstances and subject to the availability of resources, arrange allocation of PRH flats to the applicants according to the area or type of flat recommended as far as practicable. If the applicant can furnish sufficient reasons that are acceptable by the HD for refusing the housing offer, the HD will arrange an extra flat offer for him/her according to his/her special need.

(4) In view of the supply and demand situation as well as the distribution of PRH flats, the HA had, on several occasions, reviewed and regrouped the geographical districts to speed up the allocation of suitable flats to applicants. Due to the different number of flats supply and distribution in all geographical districts, the choices available for applicants in different district may vary. Therefore, the smaller the district boundary, the chance for successful flat allocation will be lower. In order to improve the situation, the HA consolidated the number of PRH districts from fourteen to eight in 1993. This could expedite the allocation process and enable early allocation of suitable flats to applicants.

In tandem with urban development, the number of public transportation facilities connecting various districts is increasing, which greatly shortens the travelling time between districts. The HA further reduced the number of PRH districts from eight to four in 1998 in order to speed up the allocation work even more flexibly and further expedite the PRH allocation. The prevailing arrangement with four districts allows a more even distribution of supply of flats in each district and more effective allocation work. In fact, the Average Waiting Time (AWT) of general applications as at March 1998 was 6.6 years. Upon consolidating the PRH districts to four districts by the HA, and coupled with the increased supply of PRH, the AWT gradually reduced to around two years in 2000, proven that it is a good arrangement for consolidating the districts.

(5) Comparing with the 1990s, the infrastructure and transportation facilities in Tung Chung are well-developed today. The public transport links between districts are also very convenient. Reservation of some newly completed PRH flats in Tung Chung for special allocation arrangements would be unfair to other applicants who are waiting for allocation.

(6) Among the general applicants who were allocated PRH flats in the past three years (i.e. from 2022-23 to 2024-25), around 43 per cent of the applicants accepted the first offer, while around 27 per cent and 30 per cent of the applicants accepted the second and third offer respectively. If a flat is not accepted by an applicant, we will immediately allocate it to another applicant.

(7) Putting into consideration that each applicant has different housing needs for PRH flats, the HA will provide up to three housing offers to eligible applicants. Applicants can decide whether to accept the offers in accordance with their individual preferences and circumstances. Applicants may refuse to accept the housing offer for different reasons (not limited to a single reason). The HA does not maintain relevant statistical information.

Note: The HA will issue a registration date to the applicant upon registration of a PRH application. As the registration date cannot be changed, the HA will issue an adjusted registration date (i.e. G-number Equivalent Date) reflecting the adjusted waiting time due to implementation of PRH allocation policies (e.g. waiting time credit of one year will be given for “Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme”, waiting time will be frozen for one year if all members included in the application are currently living in PRH, etc). If there is a G-number equivalent date in the application, that date will be taken as the basis for future flat allocation and implementation of PRH application policies. When a G-number Equivalent Date is issued, the applicant will, at the same time, be issued with a corresponding range of application numbers which may be used as a reference for enquiring about the PRH application status.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ22: Treatment of waste lead-acid batteries

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCQ22: Treatment of waste lead-acid batteries
Question:

     Under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (the Convention), member countries (Parties) are expected to treat and dispose of wastes as close as possible to their place of generation and to prevent and minimise the generation of wastes at source, and waste lead-acid batteries are hazardous waste regulated under the Convention. China is a Party to the Convention, the Convention is therefore applicable to Hong Kong as well. It has been reported that at present, most of the waste lead-acid batteries in Hong Kong were exported to other places (including Korea) after treatment, and those recycled locally only accounted for a small portion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the quantity of waste lead-acid batteries generated in Hong Kong in each of the past three years, as well as the respective quantities of waste lead-acid batteries preliminarily processed locally, exported to overseas advanced facilities for recycling (with a breakdown by export areas) and recycled locally;

(2) of the respective maximum annual treatment capacities of the facilities for (i) preliminary treatment and (ii) recycling of waste lead-acid batteries in Hong Kong;

(3) of the details of projects relating to waste lead-acid batteries subsidised by the Recycling Fund in the past three years (including but not limited to the amount of subsidy granted for each project and the content of the subsidy);

(4) of the current progress of the implementation of the Producer Responsibility Scheme on waste lead-acid batteries, as well as the recovery target for local waste lead-acid batteries after the implementation of the Scheme; and

(5) whether the authorities have formulated a contingency plan to cope with the situation where the collection of treated waste lead-acid batteries exported from Hong Kong will be suspended in the event of policy adjustments by Korea or other places; if so, of the specific proposals; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Handling of waste lead-acid batteries is strictly regulated under the Waste Disposal Ordinance, and the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation including registration as chemical waste producers, applications for chemical waste collection and disposal licences, reporting the quantities of waste lead-acid batteries produced, collected and disposed of, and regulating the transboundary movements of waste lead-acid batteries according to the Basel Convention (the Convention).

    Any person intending to export waste lead-acid batteries for recycling should apply to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for an export permit. Prior to issuing the permit, the EPD will obtain written consent from the relevant authority of the concerned state of import to ensure that the waste lead-acid batteries will be transported to an approved recycling facility in the destination location for recycling in an environmentally sound manner.

     The Convention encourages the Parties of the Convention to dispose of controlled waste within the country of origin as far as possible, but it does not prohibit the import or export of such waste under certain conditions, including that the state of import needs the waste as a raw material for recycling or recovery use. Currently, the waste lead-acid batteries exported from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region comply with the above principles. Under the permit control system, approval from the competent authority of the concerned state of import must be obtained prior to the export of waste lead-acid batteries, which must be recycled in facilities equipped with processing capacity in waste lead-acid batteries.

     The EPD will continue to combat illegal collection and disposal of waste lead-acid batteries, and promote proper disposal of waste lead-acid batteries and the relevant legal requirements to the trade.

     The reply to the question raised by the Hon Judy Chan is as follows:

(1) and (2) Currently, there are approximately 700 000 fuel-powered or gas-powered vehicles in Hong Kong, amounting to an estimation of around 3 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries generated annually. In addition to other applications including uninterruptible power supply systems (e.g. data centres and emergency lighting), non-road mobile machineries (e.g. forklifts), vessels, and emergency generators in industrial and commercial buildings, an additional 3 500 to 4 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries are generated each year. Thus, it is estimated that a total of 6 500 to 7 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries are generated in Hong Kong annually. In recent years, the number of electric vehicles in Hong Kong has been steadily increasing. There were 110 014 electric vehicles in Hong Kong in 2024, representing about 12.2 per cent of the total number of vehicles. As newly launched electric vehicles no longer use lead-acid batteries, it is expected that the quantity of waste lead-acid batteries generated will gradually decline in the future.

     Currently, there are eight licensed disposal facilities for disposal of waste lead-acid batteries, seven of which conduct preliminary treatment such as sorting, insulation, and packaging before exporting the waste lead-acid batteries to overseas facilities for recycling. According to the capacity stipulated in their licences, these seven facilities can collectively process up to approximately 42 000 tonnes of waste lead-acid batteries annually. Another licensed facility located at the EcoPark in Tuen Mun processes waste lead-acid batteries into lead bullion by dismantling waste lead-acid batteries into lead grid and lead paste by means of high temperature smelting. The maximum annual disposal capacity (for lead bullion production) stipulated in its licence is about 8 000 tonnes.

     In the past three years, the quantities of waste lead-acid batteries treated locally and exported overseas are listed as follows:

Year
(3) Over the past three years (i.e. 2022 to 2024), the Recycling Fund approved a total subsidy of about $1.03 million for seven waste lead-acid batteries recyclers. The approved funding was to subsidise the purchase of equipment, such as packaging machine, scissor lift and electric pallet truck for enhancing their productivity, and provide a one-off subsidy to frontline recycling staff to help the recycling industry to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic.

(4) The Government has introduced the Promotion of Recycling and Proper Disposal of Products (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025 (Amendment Bill) to the Legislative Council on April 2 this year to establish a common legislative framework for the producer responsibility schemes (PRSs) applicable to different products. After the passage of the Amendment Bill, we will extend PRSs to more products (including lead-acid batteries) as and when appropriate by means of subsidiary legislation.

The EPD has conducted consultations on the proposed PRS on lead-acid batteries from June 2023 to April 2025. We hitherto have met with more than 40 companies or organisations including trade associations of automotive batteries and tyres industry, traders of automotive parts, suppliers of uninterrupted power supplies, medical devices and forklifts, as well as engineering contractors and recyclers, with a view to considering the trade’s opinions when drawing up the implementation details. We will maintain a close communication with the trades and take into account their views for the sake of fine-tuning the operational details of the scheme as appropriate, including setting appropriate recycling targets in light of the prevailing circumstances.

(5) After proper treatment of waste lead-acid batteries, valuable lead materials can be recovered, which have considerable value in the international recycling market. Therefore, there is a market for purchasing waste lead-acid batteries for recycling. Apart from Korea, many countries including Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, Mexico, Greece, and Canada, possess the capability to process waste lead-acid batteries and import them from other places for recycling purposes. The local recycling facility located at the EcoPark is also capable of treating locally generated waste lead-acid batteries. Therefore, even if certain places adjust their policies and cease importing treated waste lead-acid batteries, the market is still capable of handling them.
Issued at HKT 12:15

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 30, 2025

Category: Transport

Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance19 states in the country to be benefitted

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil reviews the Jalaj initiative and charts a new path for river conservation and livelihood generationAlong with conservation, Jalaj aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts: Shri C R Patil

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Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to Set Up 75 Space Labs in EMR Schools under ISRO’s Technical Guidance

19 states in the country to be benefitted