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Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: The medical humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain as urgent as ever

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • The strength of the Ukrainian healthcare system in the face of extreme violence is clear.
    • But as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the need for sustained medical and mental health support is greater than ever.
    • MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the frontlines and further afield, but more support is required.

    Kyiv – Three years after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, dramatically escalating an international armed conflict that began in 2014, people continue to bear the burden of the war’s devastation as seen through their lost lives, lost limbs, and lost homes. The resulting medical humanitarian needs are clearer than ever. The strain on Ukraine’s medical services has only increased, exacerbated by frequent attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical structures.

    Since 2022, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has seen more patients with war-related trauma in need of early rehabilitation, namely post-amputation physiotherapy. There is also an increase in the number of patients requiring treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. In areas close to the frontlines, daily shelling means that some of the most vulnerable, including older people and people with chronic conditions, have extremely limited access to medical care.

    Inna Didych, MSF physiotherapist, is working with Andrii, a 27-year-old patient who is preparing for prosthetics after sustaining injuries during fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine. Andrii lost his right arm, leg, and nearly all of his vision. Ukraine, October 2023.
    Pavlo Sukhodolskyi/Voice if America

    MSF runs an early rehabilitation project with centres in Cherkasy and Odesa, where people receive early post-operative physiotherapy, mental health support and nursing care following incidents of violent trauma. MSF treated 755 patients in 2023 and 2024. From one year to the next, there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of patients requiring post-operative care for leg amputations.

    In 2024, half of all patients in the project were diagnosed with either post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression. The need for mental health support in Ukraine is significant. In addition to the centres in Cherkasy and Odesa, MSF has established a project focused on post-traumatic stress disorder in Vinnytsia.

    “The ferocity of this war has not diminished, and the medical humanitarian needs have only grown more complex,” says Thomas Marchese, MSF’s head of programmes in Ukraine. “Even if the war were to end tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of people would require years of long-term physiotherapy, or counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder. Ensuring this care requires an ongoing humanitarian commitment.”

    Inessa Bondarenko attends group activities and sessions organised by MSF in Ndamyanka. She is from Kharkiv. Her husband stayed there but she fled. Her daughter is a refugee in Germany. She lives with two cats in a shelter in Ndamyanka, which MSF helped to build. Ukraine, October 2023.
    Nuria Lopez Torres

    Today, Ukraine’s healthcare system faces immense pressure, balancing emergency responses with the ongoing needs of patients affected by the war. For three years, drone and missile attacks have been a daily occurrence, in some cases striking cities more than 1,000 kilometres from the frontline. Medical facilities and systems have been forced to adapt to treating patients in bunkers or basements, as well as to frequent power cuts from attacks on energy infrastructure.

    In response to this, MSF operates ambulances, transferring patients from overburdened hospitals near the frontline to medical facilities in central and western Ukraine with greater capacity. Over the past three years, MSF ambulances have transferred more than 25,000 patients, more than half of whom had injuries caused by violent trauma.

    In 2024, MSF mobile clinic and ambulance teams working near the frontlines saw a significant increase in referrals for patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and cancer. In 2023, these cases accounted for 24 per cent of all referrals, rising to 33 per cent in 2024. However, regular shelling and strikes mean that the access of MSF’s teams is not guaranteed. Many of those living with chronic conditions are older, and less mobile, in some areas, people have begun living in their basements or in bunkers, due to the intense shelling.

    View of a destroyed hospital ward in Vysokopilla town, Kherson Oblast. Ukraine, January 2023.
    Colin Delfosse

    “For some of the most vulnerable people, relocating isn’t an option,” says Marchese. “Not everyone is able to leave their homes and start their life again, but the continued fighting means that these people are frequently cut off from medical care, just as MSF medical teams are sometimes unable to travel to certain areas due to ongoing shelling.”

    As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, MSF’s teams witness how the medical humanitarian crisis deepens every day. The strength of the Ukrainian health system in the face of extreme violence is clear, but the need for sustained medical care and mental health support is greater than ever.

    Even if the war were to end tomorrow, the long-term effects on people —physical and psychological— will linger for years to come. Ukraine’s infrastructure has also sustained staggering damage, with hospitals coming under direct attack. Hundreds of thousands of people will require ongoing care, rehabilitation, and therapy for trauma long after the last bomb falls. MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the frontlines and further afield, but more support is required.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: The Agents are here! What is Decentralized AI and how will it impact the world according to new research from Alpha Sigma Capital Research

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Tampa, FL, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alpha Sigma Capital Research has released an in-depth report entitled DeFAI Unleashed, highlighting the rise of AI agents in the crypto world, capturing headlines and fueling both excitement and skepticism.  

    Report highlights:

    • Examines the rise of DeFAI
    • Analyzes market trends and adoption challenges
    • Evaluates long-term impact of AI agents on crypto

    DeFAI transforms decentralized finance:

    • AI agents serve as intelligent facilitators
    • Utilize natural language processing for seamless on-chain transactions
    • Eliminates clunky interfaces and intimidating protocols
    • Provides frictionless access to DeFi

    Current market landscape:

    • Over 1,380 AI agent projects cataloged on platforms like Cookie.fun
    • Collective market cap: $8.29 billion
    • Recent market dip, but activity remains strong
    • Industry leaders view this as a foundational shift despite trader caution

    Future outlook:

    • AI agents gaining real use cases in DeFi
    • More than just a trend—marks the next phase of crypto’s evolution

    Access your complimentary copy of DeFAI Unleashed here.

    Stay connected with ASC Research on Substack. Subscribe at Alpha Sigma Capital Research | Substack.

    About Alpha Transform Holdings
    Alpha Transform Holdings (ATH) is a leading digital asset investment firm, combining strategic advisory, research, and capital investment to drive innovation in Web3 and blockchain.

    About Alpha Sigma Capital Research
    Active Investing in the Blockchain Economy.™
    Alpha Sigma Capital Research is provided by Alpha Sigma Capital Advisors, LLC, the Investment Manager for the Alpha Blockchain/Web3 Fund and Alpha Liquid Fund.  Alpha Sigma Capital (ASC) investment funds are focused on emerging blockchain companies that are successfully building their user-base, demonstrating real-world uses for their decentralized ecosystems, and moving blockchain technology towards mass-adoption. ASC is focused on companies leveraging blockchain technology to provide value-add in areas such as fintech, AI, supply chain, and healthcare. Apply to receive research at www.alphasigma.fund/research.

    DISCLAIMER
    This is for informational use only. This is not investment advice. Other than disclosures relating to Alpha Transform Holdings (ATH) and Alpha Sigma Capital (ASC) this information is based on current public information that we consider reliable, but we do not represent it as accurate or complete, and it should not be relied on as such. The information, opinions, estimates, and forecasts contained herein are as of the date hereof and are subject to change without prior notification. We seek to update our information as appropriate.

    Any forecasts contained herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be relied upon as advice or interpreted as a recommendation. The price of crypto assets may rise or fall because of changes in the broad market or changes in a company’s financial condition, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Past performance is not a guide to future performance, future returns are not guaranteed, and a loss of original capital may occur. Fluctuations in exchange rates could have adverse effects on the value or price of, or income derived from certain investments. We and our affiliates, officers, directors, and employees, excluding equity and credit analysts, will from time to time have long or short positions in, act as principal in, and buy or sell, the securities or derivatives, if any, referred to in this press release.

    The information on which the information is based has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable such as, for example, the company’s financial statements filed with a regulator, the company website, the company white paper, pitchbook, and any other sources. While Alpha Sigma Capital has obtained data, statistics, and information from sources it believes to be reliable, Alpha Sigma Capital does not perform an audit or seek independent verification of any of the data, statistics, and information it receives.
    Unless otherwise provided in a separate agreement, Alpha Sigma Capital does not represent that the contents meet all of the presentation and/or disclosure standards applicable in the jurisdiction the recipient is located. Alpha Sigma Capital and its officers, directors, and employees shall not be responsible or liable for any trading decisions, damages, or other losses resulting from, or related to, the information, data, analyses, or opinions within the report.

    Crypto and/or digital currencies involve substantial risk, are speculative in nature, and may not perform as expected. Many digital currency platforms are not subject to regulatory supervision, unlike regulated exchanges. Some platforms may commingle customer assets in shared accounts and provide inadequate custody, which may affect whether or how investors can withdraw their currency and/or subject them to money laundering. Digital currencies may be vulnerable to hacks and cyber fraud as well as significant volatility and price swings.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Onex Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    All amounts in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated

    TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onex Corporation (TSX: ONEX) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.

    “Our focus, every day, is growing long-term shareholder value,” said Bobby Le Blanc, CEO and President. “In private equity, we are investing in strategies and verticals that have the strongest potential for future risk-adjusted returns. Overall, the PE teams raised over $1.5 billion in 2024. Our Structured Credit platform had another active quarter and an outstanding year, having raised or extended more than $13 billion of fee-generating assets during 2024 while growing fee related earnings. Shareholders continue to benefit from our strong balance sheet and liquidity position, and most recently through our substantial issuer bid.”  

    Financial Results
    ($ millions except per share amounts)

    Quarter Ended Dec. 31

    Year Ended Dec. 31
      2024   2023   2024   2023  
    Net earnings (loss) $ (2 ) $ 373   $ 303   $ 529  
    Net earnings (loss) per diluted share $ (0.02 ) $ 4.81   $ 4.00   $ 6.65  
                     
    Investing segment net earnings $ 29   $ 326   $ 344   $ 815  
    Asset management segment net earnings   18     46     21     2  
    Total segment net earnings (1) $ 47   $ 372   $ 365   $ 817  
    Total segment net earnings per fully diluted share(2) $ 0.62   $ 4.80   $ 4.74   $ 10.23  
    Asset management fee-related earnings(3) $ 6   $ 3   $ 6   $ 12  
    Total fee-related earnings (loss)(4) $ (1 ) $ (2 ) $ (21 ) $ (14 )
    Distributable earnings(5) $ 231   $ 139   $ 617   $ 797  


    Highlights

    • Onex had approximately $8.3 billion of investing capital, or $113.70 (C$163.54) per fully diluted share(6) at December 31, 2024. Onex’ investing capital per fully diluted share returned 6% for the year ended December 31, 2024 or 15% in Canadian dollars. Over the last five years, investing capital per fully diluted share has had a compound annual return of 13%.
    • Onex’ private equity investments had net gains of $11 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 (Q4 2023: net gains of $250 million). Investments in Credit strategies generated net gains of $16 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 (Q4 2023: net gains of $66 million).
    • Onex raised approximately $2.8 billion in fee-generating capital across its Private Equity and Credit platforms in the fourth quarter and $8.8 billion in fiscal 2024.
    • The Onex Partners Opportunities Fund has raised aggregate commitments of approximately $1.2 billion, including affiliated vehicles and Onex’ commitment of $400 million. The Fund completed its second acquisition in December.
    • ONCAP V has reached aggregate commitments of approximately $1.1 billion, including Onex’ commitment of $250 million, with a final close expected at the end of Q1 2025. In December, ONCAP II and ONCAP III completed the sale of PURE Canadian Gaming.  
    • Collectively, our private equity teams returned approximately $3.0 billion of capital to Limited Partners in 2024, including approximately $1.0 billion to Onex.
    • Onex Credit raised or extended a total of $13.0 billion of fee-generating assets across its CLO platform in 2024. Fee-generating assets under management (FGAUM) within the Structured Credit platform increased 34% in 2024. Activity in Q4 includes closing of five new CLOs for approximately $2.6 billion in new fee-generating assets. The Credit platform contributed $27 million of fee-related earnings (FRE) in 2024, with year-end run-rate FRE of $40 million.
    • Onex repurchased 2,277,722 Subordinate Voting Shares (SVS) in the fourth quarter for a total cost of $185 million (C$266 million) or an average cost per share of $81.18 (C$116.82). Onex repurchased 5,693,741 SVS in 2024, capturing approximately $215 million of value for remaining shareholders.
    • Onex had $35.2 billion of FGAUM at December 31, 2024, a 17%(7) increase over the last 12 months. Run-rate management fees(8) increased to $195 million at December 31, 2024.
    • Unrealized carried interest from funds managed by Onex was $286 million at December 31, 2024.
    • Onex’ cash and near-cash(9) balance was $1.6 billion or 19% of Onex’ investing capital as of December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $1.5 billion or 17%).

    Dividend Declaration

    The Board of Directors has declared a first quarter dividend of C$0.10 per Subordinate Voting Share payable on April 30, 2025, to shareholders of record on April 10, 2025.

    Webcast

    Onex management will host a webcast to review Onex’ fourth quarter 2024 results on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The webcast will be available in listen-only mode from the Presentations and Events section of Onex’ website, https://www.onex.com/events-and-presentations. A 90-day on-line replay will be available shortly following the completion of the event.

    Additional Information

    Enclosed are supplementary financial schedules related to Onex’ consolidated net earnings, investing capital, fee-related earnings (loss), distributable earnings, and cash and near-cash changes for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2024. The financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of the results, are posted on Onex’ website, www.onex.com, and are also available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. A supplemental information package with additional information is available on Onex’ website, www.onex.com.

    About Onex

    Onex invests and manages capital on behalf of its shareholders and clients across the globe. Formed in 1984, we have a long track record of creating value for our clients and shareholders. Our investors include a broad range of global clients, including public and private pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, banks, insurance companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. In total, Onex has approximately $51.1 billion in assets under management, of which $8.3 billion is Onex’ own investing capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.

    Onex is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain, without limitation, statements concerning possible or assumed future operations, performance or results preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” and words of similar connotation, which would constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve significant and diverse risks and uncertainties that may cause actual operations, performance or results to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by Canadian securities law, Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein should material facts change due to new information, future events or other factors. These cautionary statements expressly qualify all forward-looking statements in this press release.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures which have been calculated using methodologies that are not in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards. The presentation of financial measures in this manner does not have a standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS Accounting Standards and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar financial measures presented by other companies. Onex management believes these financial measures provide useful information to investors. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to information contained in the consolidated financial statements have been presented where practical.

    For Further Information:

    Jill Homenuk
    Managing Director – Shareholder
    Relations and Communications
    Tel: +1 416.362.7711    		 Zev Korman
    Vice President, Shareholder
    Relations and Communications
    Tel: +1 416.362.7711


    Supplementary Financial Schedules

        Quarter ended December 31
        2024(i) 2023(i)
    		  
    ($ millions except per share amounts)   Investing     Asset Management     Total   Total
    		  
    Segment income $ 29   $ 70   $ 99   $ 435  
    Segment expenses   –     (52 )   (52 )   (63 )
    Segment net earnings $ 29   $ 18   $ 47   $ 372  
                     
    Stock-based compensation expense             (33 )   (33 )
    Amortization of property, equipment and intangible assets, excluding right-of-use assets (3 )   (4 )
    Restructuring expenses, net       (10 )   (6 )
    Unrealized carried interest included in segment net earnings – Credit   (5 )   (6 )
    Realized performance fees previously recognized in segment net earnings   2     5  
    Contingent consideration recovery   –     42  
    Impairment reversal of property and equipment   –     2  
    Integration expenses   –     (1 )
    Other   1     2  
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes   (1 )   373  
    Provision for income taxes   (1 )   –  
    Net earnings (loss)           $ (2 ) $ 373  
                     
    Segment net earnings per fully diluted share $ 0.38   $ 0.24   $ 0.62   $ 4.80  
    Net earnings (loss) per share                
    Basic           $ (0.02 ) $ 4.82  
    Diluted           $ (0.02 ) $ 4.81  

    (i) Refer to pages 27 and 28 of Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A for further details concerning the composition of segmented results.

        Year ended December 31
        2024(i) 2023(i)
    		  
    ($ millions except per share amounts)   Investing     Asset Management     Total   Total
    		  
    Segment income $ 344   $ 252   $ 596   $ 1,098  
    Segment expenses   –     (231 )   (231 )   (281 )
    Segment net earnings $ 344   $ 21   $ 365   $ 817  
                     
    Stock-based compensation expense             (36 )   (75 )
    Amortization of property, equipment and intangible assets, excluding right-of-use assets (15 )   (24 )
    Restructuring expenses, net       (21 )   (46 )
    Carried interest from Falcon Funds previously recognized in segment net earnings   25     –  
    Unrealized carried interest included in segment net earnings – Credit   (10 )   (17 )
    Unrealized performance fees included in segment net earnings   (3 )   –  
    Impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment   –     (162 )
    Contingent consideration recovery   –     42  
    Integration expenses   –     (4 )
    Other   –     1  
    Earnings before income taxes   305     532  
    Provision for income taxes   (2 )   (3 )
    Net earnings           $ 303   $ 529  
                     
    Segment net earnings per fully diluted share $ 4.45   $ 0.29   $ 4.74   $ 10.23  
    Net earnings per share                
    Basic           $ 4.01   $ 6.66  
    Diluted           $ 4.00   $ 6.65  

    (i) Refer to pages 27 and 29 of Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A for further details concerning the composition of segmented results.

    Investing Capital(i)

    ($ millions except per share amounts)

    		 December 31, 2024
    		   December 31, 2023
    		  
    Private Equity            
    Onex Partners Funds $ 4,072   $ 4,445  
    ONCAP Funds   795     929  
    Other Private Equity   587     407  
    Carried Interest   264     252  
        5,718     6,033  
    Private Credit          
    Investments   924     904  
    Carried Interest   22     29  
        946     933  
               
    Real Estate   –     18  
    Cash and Near-Cash   1,578     1,466  
    Other Net Assets (Liabilities)   31     (17 )
    Investing Capital $ 8,273   $ 8,433  
    Investing Capital per fully diluted share (U.S. dollars)(ii) $ 113.70   $ 107.82  
    Investing Capital per fully diluted share (Canadian dollars)(ii) $ 163.54   $ 142.61  

    (i) Refer to the glossary in Onex’ Q4 2024 Annual MD&A for further details concerning the composition of investing capital.

    (ii) Fully diluted shares for investing capital per share were 72.8 million at December 31, 2024.

    Fee-Related Earnings (Loss) and Distributable Earnings

    ($ millions) Quarter Ended
    December 31, 2024    		   Quarter Ended
    December 31, 2023    		  
    Private Equity
    Management and advisory fees

    $

    25

    		  

    $

    26

    		  
    Total fee-related revenues from Private Equity $ 25   $ 26  
    Compensation expense   (17 )   (24 )
    Support and other net expenses   (8 )   (10 )
    Net contribution $ –   $ (8 )
             
    Structured Credit        
    Management and advisory fees $ 21   $ 16  
    Total fee-related revenues from Structured Credit $ 21   $ 16  
    Compensation expense   (6 )   (5 )
    Support and other net expenses   (3 )   (1 )
    Net contribution $ 12   $ 10  
             
    Other Credit
    Management and advisory fees
    Performance fees    		 $ 4
    1    		   $ 15
    4    		  
    Total fee-related revenues from Other Credit $ 5   $ 19  
    Compensation expense   (6 )   (9 )
    Support and other net expenses   (5 )   (9 )
    Net contribution $ (6 ) $ 1  
             
    Asset management fee-related earnings $ 6   $ 3  
             
    Public Company and Onex Capital Investing        
    Compensation expense $ (3 ) $ (1 )
    Other net expenses   (4 )   (4 )
    Total expenses $ (7 ) $ (5 )
             
    Total fee-related earnings (loss) $ (1 ) $ (2 )
             
    Realized carried interest(i) $ 2   $ 7  
    Net realized gain on corporate investments   230     134  
    Distributable earnings $ 231   $ 139  

    (i) Includes realized carried interest from the Falcon Funds, when applicable.

    ($ millions) Year Ended
    December 31, 2024    		   Year Ended
    December 31, 2023    		  
    Private Equity
    Management and advisory fees    		 $ 93   $ 112  
    Total fee-related revenues from Private Equity $ 93   $ 112  
    Compensation expense   (76 )   (85 )
    Support and other net expenses   (38 )   (39 )
    Net contribution $ (21 ) $ (12 )
             
    Structured Credit
    Management and advisory fees
    Performance fees    		 $ 76
    4    		   $ 61
    –    		  
    Total fee-related revenues from Structured Credit $ 80   $ 61  
    Compensation expense   (24 )   (22 )
    Support and other net expenses   (12 )   (9 )
    Net contribution $ 44   $ 30  
             
    Other Credit
    Management and advisory fees
    Performance fees    		 $ 31
    4    		   $ 79
    13    		  
    Other income   2     2  
    Total fee-related revenues from Other Credit $ 37   $ 94  
    Compensation expense   (23 )   (48 )
    Support and other net expenses   (31 )   (52 )
    Net contribution $ (17 ) $ (6 )
             
    Asset management fee-related earnings $ 6   $ 12  
             
    Public Company and Onex Capital Investing        
    Compensation expense $ (13 ) $ (11 )
    Other net expenses   (14 )   (15 )
    Total expenses $ (27 ) $ (26 )
             
    Total fee-related earnings (loss) $ (21 ) $ (14 )
             
    Realized carried interest(i) $ 19   $ 16  
    Net realized gain on corporate investments   619     795  
    Distributable earnings $ 617   $ 797  

    (i) Includes realized carried interest from the Falcon Funds, when applicable.

    Fee-related earnings (loss) and distributable earnings are non-GAAP financial measures. The tables below provide reconciliations of Onex’ net earnings (loss) to fee-related earnings (loss) and distributable earnings during the quarters and years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

    ($ millions) Quarter Ended
    December 31, 2024    		   Quarter Ended
    December 31, 2023
    		  
    Net earnings (loss) $ (2 ) $ 373  
    Provision for income taxes   1     –  
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes   (1 )   373  
    Stock-based compensation expense   33     33  
    Amortization of property, equipment and intangible assets, excluding right-of-use assets 3     4  
    Restructuring expenses, net   10     6  
    Unrealized carried interest included in segment net earnings – Credit 5     6  
    Realized performance fees previously recognized in segment net earnings (2 )   (5 )
    Contingent consideration recovery –     (42 )
    Impairment reversal of property and equipment –     (2 )
    Integration expenses –     1  
    Other   (1 )   (2 )
    Total segment net earnings   47     372  
    Investing segment net earnings   (29 )   (326 )
    Net gain from carried interest(i)   (19 )   (48 )
    Total fee-related earnings (loss)   (1 )   (2 )
    Realized carried interest(i)   2     7  
    Realized gain on corporate investments   230     134  
    Total distributable earnings $ 231   $ 139  

    (i) Includes carried interest Onex is entitled to from the Falcon Funds.

    ($ millions) Year Ended
    December 31, 2024
    		   Year Ended
    December 31, 2023
    		  
    Net earnings $ 303   $ 529  
    Provision for income taxes   2     3  
    Earnings before income taxes   305     532  
    Stock-based compensation expense   36     75  
    Amortization of property, equipment and intangible assets, excluding right-of-use assets 15     24  
    Restructuring expenses, net   21     46  
    Carried interest from Falcon funds previously recognized in segment net earnings (25 )   –  
    Unrealized carried interest included in segment net earnings – Credit 10     17  
    Unrealized performance fees included in segment net earnings 3     –  
    Impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and property and equipment –     162  
    Contingent consideration recovery –     (42 )
    Integration expenses –     4  
    Other   –     (1 )
    Total segment net earnings   365     817  
    Investing segment net earnings   (344 )   (815 )
    Net gain from carried interest(i)   (42 )   (16 )
    Total fee-related earnings (loss)   (21 )   (14 )
    Realized carried interest(i)   19     16  
    Realized gain on corporate investments   619     795  
    Total distributable earnings $ 617   $ 797  

    (i) Includes carried interest Onex is entitled to from the Falcon Funds.

    Cash and Near-Cash

    The table below provides a breakdown of cash and near-cash at Onex as at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

    ($ millions) December 31, 2024
    		   December 31, 2023
    		  
    Cash and cash equivalents – Investing segment(i) $ 840   $ 142  
    Management fees and recoverable fund expenses receivable(ii)   464     615  
    Cash and cash equivalents within Investment Holding Companies(iii)   156     398  
    Treasury investments   83     –  
    Subscription financing and short-term loan receivable(iv)   35     114  
    Treasury investments within Investment Holding Companies   –     197  
    Cash and near-cash $ 1,578   $ 1,466  

    (i) Excludes cash and cash equivalents allocated to the asset management segment related to accrued incentive compensation ($89 million (December 31, 2023 – $108 million)). The December 31, 2023 balance also excludes $15 million of cash and cash equivalents allocated to the asset management segment concerning the contingent consideration related to the 2020 acquisition of Onex Falcon.

    (ii) Includes management fees and recoverable fund expenses receivable from certain funds which Onex has elected to defer cash receipt from.

    (iii) Cash and cash equivalents is reduced by Onex’ share of uncalled expenses payable by the Investment Holding Companies of $36 million (December 31, 2023 – $35 million) and $2 million payable by the Investment Holding Companies for Onex’ management incentive programs related to a private equity realization (December 31, 2023 – less than $1 million). The December 31, 2023 balance also includes $22 million of restricted cash and cash equivalents for which the Company can readily remove the external restriction or for which the restriction will be removed in the near term.

    (iv) Includes $35 million of subscription financing receivable, including interest receivable, attributable to third-party investors in Onex Partners V and ONCAP V Funds (December 31, 2023 – $77 million attributable to third-party investors in certain Credit Funds, Onex Partners V and ONCAP V Funds). The December 31, 2023 balance also includes $37 million related to a short-term loan receivable from an Onex Partners operating company, which was repaid during 2024.

    The table below provides a reconciliation of the change in cash and near-cash from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2024.

    ($ millions)    
    Cash and near-cash at December 31, 2023 $ 1,466  
    Private equity realizations and distributions   1,009  
    Private equity investments   (409 )
    Net private credit strategies investment activity   56  
    Repurchase of share capital of Onex Corporation (417 )
    Net stock-based compensation paid (60 )
    Cash dividends paid (23 )
    Reversal of Onex Falcon contingent consideration 15  
    Net other, including cash flows from asset management activities, operating costs and changes in working capital   (59 )
    Cash and near-cash at December 31, 2024 $ 1,578  

    (1) Refer to pages 27, 28 and 29 of Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A for further details concerning the composition of segment net earnings. A reconciliation of total segment net earnings to net earnings (loss) is provided in the supplementary financial schedules in this press release.
    (2) Refer to the glossary in Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A for details concerning the composition of fully diluted shares.
    (3) Asset management fee-related earnings excludes Onex’ public company expenses and other expenses associated with managing Onex’ investing capital and is a component of total fee-related earnings (loss).
    (4) Total fee-related earnings (loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed under International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS Accounting Standards”). Therefore, it may not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other companies. The most directly comparable financial measure under IFRS Accounting Standards to fee-related earnings (loss) is Onex’ net earnings (loss). Refer to the 2024 Results & Activity section of Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A and the supplementary financial schedules in this press release for further details concerning fee-related earnings (loss).
    (5) Distributable earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS Accounting Standards. Therefore, it may not be comparable to similar financial measures disclosed by other companies. The most directly comparable financial measure under IFRS Accounting Standards to distributable earnings is Onex’ net earnings (loss). Refer to the 2024 Results & Activity section of Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A and the supplementary financial schedules in this press release for further details concerning distributable earnings.
    (6) Refer to the glossary in Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A for details concerning the composition of investing capital per fully diluted share. The percentage changes in investing capital per share exclude the impact of capital deployed in Onex’ asset management segment, where applicable, and dividends paid by Onex.
    (7) Adjusted to exclude the impact from the transfer of Onex Falcon.
    (8) Refer to the glossary in Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A for details concerning the composition of run-rate management fees.
    (9) Cash and near-cash is a non-GAAP financial measure calculated using methodologies that are not in accordance with IFRS Accounting Standards. The presentation of this measure does not have a standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS Accounting Standards and therefore might not be comparable to similar financial measures presented by other companies. The most directly comparable financial measure under IFRS Accounting Standards to cash and near-cash is Onex’ consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance, which was $929 million at December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2023 – $265 million). Refer to the Cash and Near-Cash section of Onex’ 2024 Annual MD&A and the supplementary financial schedules in this press release for further details concerning Onex’ cash and near-cash.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Amnesty International responds to B.C. court ruling in Indigenous land defenders’ trial

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International will consider prisoner-of-conscience designations in the cases of three Indigenous land defenders in Canada whose convictions were upheld by a British Columbia court.

    Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), a Wing Chief (Cas Yikh house) of the Gidimt’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet’suwet’en family connections, and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko, a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), had asked the court to void their convictions on constitutional grounds. They argued that their arrests during – and detention after – a highly militarized November 2021 police raid on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory violated their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    On Tuesday, a British Columbia judge ruled that the conduct, including anti-Indigenous racist statements, of some Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)/Community Industry Response Group (C-IRG) members during the raid did indeed violate the defenders’ Charter rights. The ruling validates both the experiences of these land defenders and the broader experience of colonial violence that Indigenous Peoples have faced for more than 100 years from the RCMP. However, the judge refused to stay all charges against the defenders and said he would instead consider reduced sentences.

    Amnesty International is reviewing the implications of Tuesday’s decision. Should they receive a sentence that arbitrarily deprives them of their liberty, Amnesty will designate the affected land defenders as prisoners of conscience.

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests. Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed”

    -Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. “Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed. B.C. and Canada must take immediate steps to stop the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders in the first place. No one should be intimidated, harassed, or arrested, let alone convicted in a criminal court case, for exercising their constitutionally protected rights and protecting the natural environment we all share.

    France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone, declared: “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court.

    “The Court’s decision to uphold the convictions of the three land defenders is part of a broader context of shrinking civic space in Canada, where Indigenous land defenders, environmentalists, and human right defenders are frequently the victims of political or police repression,” she added. “It is disappointing that we must remind the country and its institutions of their obligations under international law since Canada prides itself on being a leader in human rights.”

    “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court”

    -France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone

    Amnesty International has vehemently condemned the criminalization of Wet’suwet’en and other land defenders opposed to the construction of Coastal GasLink (CGL) liquefied natural gas pipeline through the Nation’s unceded, ancestral territory. Construction on the 670-kilometre pipeline began without the free, prior and informed consent of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, on behalf of their clans. This violates Canadian and international human rights law and standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was legislated into Canadian law on June 21, 2021.

    Based in part on witness testimony of four large-scale RCMP raids on Wet’suwet’en territory, Amnesty’s 2023 report ‘Removed from our land for defending it’: Criminalization, Intimidation and Harassment of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders found that Wet’suwet’en land defenders and their supporters were arbitrarily detained for peacefully defending their land against the construction of the CGL pipeline and exercising their Indigenous rights and their right to peaceful assembly.

    In June and July 2022, the B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) charged 20 land defenders, including Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, with criminal contempt for disobeying an injunction order to stay away from pipeline construction sites, an order that unduly restricted the human rights of the land defenders and the Indigenous rights of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Seven of the 20 land defenders pleaded guilty because of restrictive bail conditions, as well as the familial, psychological and financial impacts that the criminal proceedings imposed on them. Five other defenders had their charges dropped, and five more are awaiting trial.

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah,” Sleydo’ said during a news conference after the decision was handed down on Tuesday afternoon. “The colonial courts are not where our ability to live out our laws and ways of life should be determined. And yet here we are, over three years later, in a showdown between Wet’suwet’en law and colonial law after years of police violence and repression by the C-IRG, with no accountability. I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people.

    “I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a good friend, and a leader. I am a singer, a hunter, a teacher, and a revolutionary. I am following the footsteps of my ancestors, and I carry their teachings with me in everything that I do.”

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah. (…) I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people”

    -Sleydo’

    If Amnesty International names Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko prisoners of conscience, it will be the second time the organization has applied that designation to a person held by Canada. In July 2024, Amnesty declared another Wet’suwet’en land defender – Likhts’amisyu Clan Wing Chief Dsta’hyl – a prisoner of conscience after the British Columbia court sentenced him to 60 days of house arrest. Like Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, Chief Dsta’hyl was charged and later convicted for allegedly violating the terms of the B.C. court injunction banning land-defence actions near the CGL pipeline, including in areas of the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territory.

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International. “Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work.”

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience. Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work”

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    The criminalization of Wet’suwet’en land defenders has sparked an international outcry and calls for Canada to respect Indigenous rights. Last year, Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko were a featured case in Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s annual global letter-writing campaign. Since the fall, thousands of people around the world have sent letters and signed petitions calling on Canada to drop the charges against the three defenders.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: npj Digital Medicine (Nature)

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    npj Digital Medicine considers research that explores all aspects of digital medicine including the clinical application and implementation of digital and mobile technologies, virtual healthcare, and innovative applications of artificial intelligence and informatics.

    The journal aims to guide the transformation of health and healthcare through the incorporation of novel digital and mobile technologies.

    The journal covers a broad range of topics including but not limited to:

    • Clinical application and efficacy of novel mobile applications, monitors, sensors, software, and wearables
    • Clinical application of novel and validated artificial intelligence and machine learning models
    • Clinical informatics and digital transformation of clinical practice
    • Clinical trials testing the efficacy and interoperability of digital tools and devices
    • Digital medicine ethics, governance, policy, regulation, and security
    • Digital twins
    • Validated digital biomarkers
    • Virtual models of care

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Passive House Accelerator

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    Passive House Accelerator LLC is a catalyst for zero carbon building. It cultivates a collaborative platform for sharing innovation and thought leadership in Passive House design and construction. It convenes practitioners, institutions, manufacturers, and anyone concerned about buildings and climate change to dive into the details of creating better buildings. Passive House Accelerator works to accelerate both solution-making and solution-makers in the zero carbon building movement.

    Passive House Accelerator was founded in 2019 by New York-based architect Michael Ingui. In fall 2019, Michael brought on Zack Semke as Passive House Accelerator’s Director. Shortly thereafter, Passive House Buildings Magazine merged with Passive House Accelerator, and Mary James became Passive House Accelerator’s Director of Publications.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to identify three men in connection with fatal stabbing in Hackney

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of 20-year-old Jason Romeo in Hackney have named and released images of three men they urgently need to speak to.

    Jason was stabbed to death outside an address in Bodney Street, E5 on Tuesday, 18 February at 17:59hrs.

    Following extensive enquiries, officers have named three men they need to trace in connection with his murder.

    They are Raynolph Asante, aged 22, Rhamyah Bailey-Edwards, 21, and Travis Mitchell, also 21. They are known to frequent the areas of Hackney, Walthamstow and Deptford.

    Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, leading the investigation, said:

    “Our team is working tirelessly to identity those responsible for Jason’s murder. We now need the public’s help to trace Asante, Bailey-Edwards and Mitchell. I would urge anybody with information about their whereabouts to contact us immediately by calling 999.

    “Once again I would like to thank the local community in Hackney for their support. Officers have conducted increased weapons searches, reassurance patrols and will carry out house-to-house enquires this weekend. This can be intrusive and disruptive, however it’s essential, and your patience is appreciated.”

    If anyone sees Asante, Bailey-Edwards or Mitchell please do not approach them. Instead, contact the police on 999 as soon as possible, quoting 5635/18Feb.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: AGF Investments Announces February 2025 Cash Distributions for AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund, AGF Total Return Bond Fund and AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AGF Investments Inc. (AGF Investments) today announced the February 2025 cash distributions for AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund*, AGF Total Return Bond Fund* and AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF, which pay monthly distributions. Unitholders of record on February 28, 2025 will receive cash distributions payable on March 6, 2025.

    Details regarding the final “per unit” distribution amounts are as follows:

    ETF Ticker Exchange  Cash Distribution Per Unit ($)
    AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund* AENU Cboe Canada Inc.  $0.141900
    AGF Total Return Bond Fund* ATRB Cboe Canada Inc.  $0.081000
    AGF Systematic Global Infrastructure ETF QIF Cboe Canada Inc.  $0.142787

    *AGF Enhanced U.S. Equity Income Fund and AGF Total Return Bond Fund are mutual funds with an ETF series option.

    Further information about the AGF ETFs can be found at AGF.com.

    This information is not intended to provide legal, accounting, tax, investment, financial, or other advice, and should not be relied upon for providing such advice. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

    AGF ETFs are ETFs offered by AGF Investments Inc. ETFs are listed and traded on organized Canadian exchanges and may only be bought and sold through licensed dealers.

    About AGF Management Limited

    Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is an independent and globally diverse asset management firm. Our companies deliver excellence in investing in the public and private markets through three business lines: AGF Investments, AGF Capital Partners and AGF Private Wealth.

    AGF brings a disciplined approach, focused on incorporating sound, responsible and sustainable corporate practices. The firm’s collective investment expertise, driven by its fundamental, quantitative and private investing capabilities, extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and their clients to high-net worth and institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America and Europe. With over $54 billion in total assets under management and fee-earning assets, AGF serves more than 815,000 investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

    About AGF Investments

    AGF Investments is a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of AGF Management Limited, a Canadian reporting issuer. The subsidiaries included in AGF Investments are AGF Investments Inc. (AGFI), AGF Investments America Inc. (AGFA), AGF Investments LLC (AGFUS) and AGF International Advisors Company Limited (AGFIA). The term AGF Investments may refer to one or more of these subsidiaries or to all of them jointly. This term is used for convenience and does not precisely describe any of the separate companies, each of which manages its own affairs.

    AGF Investments entities only provide investment advisory services or offers investment funds in the jurisdiction where such firm and/or product is registered or authorized to provide such services.

    AGF Investments Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGF Management Limited and conducts the management and advisory of mutual funds in Canada.

    Media Contact

    Amanda Marchment
    Director, Corporate Communications
    416-865-4160
    amanda.marchment@agf.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Solar power set to boost energy levels at city’s leisure centre

    Source: City of Norwich

    Work to install more than 600 solar panels over the car park and on the roof of Riverside Leisure Centre will begin on Monday 24 February, thanks to a project backed by Sport England.

    The initiative, which received planning permission last year, will enhance the centre’s long-term sustainability while minimising its environmental impact.

    By producing renewable energy on-site, the project is set to reduce the electricity bills of the building by 33 percent and cut 75 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. These financial and carbon savings will help secure the future of this venue, as well as supporting Norwich City Council’s efforts to reach net zero. New trees will also be planted in the carpark area to further boost these eco credentials.

    The venue, which has been run by Places Leisure on behalf of the city council since 2013, received 350,000 visits last year.

    As part of the project, the centre’s car park will be closed for six weeks to facilitate essential construction. While there will be some short-term disruption, these efforts are aimed at future-proofing the centre and significantly reducing its carbon footprint. Blue-badge spaces will be made available from Tuesday 25 February, so only unavailable for one day. Places Leisure have contacted members and customers directly.

    The new energy system is expected to start producing power from April, with full project completion anticipated by this summer. From April onwards, disruption should be minimal, ensuring that visitors and members can continue enjoying the facilities with ease.

    Funding of £520,000 has been secured from the government and Sport England’s £60m Swimming Pool Support Fund, while the remaining £375,000 is being paid for by the city council.

    At the time funding was awarded, Councillor Emma Hampton, cabinet member for climate change, said:

    “I’m delighted that we have been able to secure funding to install such a large solar array at Riverside Leisure Centre, future proofing the venue by reducing emissions and ensuring that we can continue to provide these much-loved community facilities for years to come.

    “By placing solar panels on the roof and in the car park, we’re putting that empty space to good use – something we should aim to do more and more across the city as we work towards a net zero Norwich by 2045.”

    This project underscores the city council’s dedication to sustainability, ensuring a more energy-efficient future. We appreciate the patience and support of both users of the centre and residents living nearby during this time.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Japan partnership rooted in brotherhood, democracy,culture and economic cooperation: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India Japan partnership rooted in brotherhood, democracy,culture and economic cooperation: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

    The partnership reflects a unique fusion of Sushi and Spices, distinct yet complementary: Shri Goyal

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 5:07PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal stated that India and Japan share a globally recognized strategic partnership rooted in brotherhood, democracy, culture, and economic cooperation. This was stated by the Minister at his keynote address at the India-Japan Economy and Investment Forum today.

    The Minister highlighted that the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan have origins in Indian tradition, underscoring the deep cultural ties between the two nations. He noted that the relationship between India and Japan reflected Sushi and spices, a fusion of distinct yet complementary elements, contributing to an extraordinary partnership. Japan has been a key ally in India’s economic growth, with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Japan exceeding $43 billion between 2000 and 2024, making it India’s fifth-largest source of foreign investment, added the Minister.

    The Minister highlighted that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2011 has significantly strengthened bilateral trade, with over 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India and 11 industrial townships across eight states hosting Japanese enterprises. He pointed out that major infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail and metro systems in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai reflect Japan’s active participation in India’s development. He expressed optimism about the commencement of the Shinkansen bullet train service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the near future.

    The Minister stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the ‘Make in India’ initiative launched in 2014 has provided a significant boost to India’s manufacturing sector. He stated that India and Japan are collaborating to build globally competitive brands, citing the example of Maruti exporting vehicles to various countries, including Japan. He reiterated the objective of increasing the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP to 25%, with Japan playing a crucial role in achieving this target.The Minister cited the Prime Minister, emphasizing that trade, technology, tourism, and investment will remain key pillars of India’s international economic strategy, with the partnership with Japan playing a crucial role in strengthening economic ties.

    He also noted India’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment, emphasizing that ease of doing business improvements are being implemented at both central and state levels. Infrastructure development, public-private partnerships in innovation, and a strengthened R&D ecosystem, supported by recent budget announcements, reflect the government’s strategic focus on economic growth. He underscored that India has the world’s largest number of STEM graduates, with women accounting for 43% of them, contributing to the country’s skilled workforce.

    The Minister pointed out five key drivers of India’s economic growth—decisive leadership, demographic dividend, democracy, diversity, and demand generated by 1.4 billion people—stating that these factors collectively shape India’s growing economy. He reiterated that large-scale investments will coexist in India with MSMEs to provide global solutions.

    Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi “ Today’s India inspires confidence in the world”, Shri Goyal added that  with a young and skilled workforce India today is a destination to invest and a destination to source goods and services.

    On quality standards, the Minister stated that Japan serves as a benchmark for excellence and that India seeks to adopt similar high standards in manufacturing. He noted that Indian manufacturers are being encouraged to embrace ‘Kaizen’ (continuous improvement) and Lean Six Sigma principles to enhance quality and efficiency. He further stated that efforts are being made to balance trade between India and Japan, with a focus on increasing Indian exports to ensure reciprocal benefits.The Minister invited participation in India’s growth story, particularly in green energy, renewable energy, high-tech manufacturing of semiconductors, electronic goods, and artificial intelligence. He emphasized that digital technologies will drive progress towards prosperity, reinforcing India’s commitment to innovation and sustainable development.

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2105293) Visitor Counter : 120

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minster Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the inaugural function of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi tomorrow

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minster Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the inaugural function of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi tomorrow

    The theme of the mela is Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minster of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 in New Delhi tomorrow. Shri Chouhan will be the Chief Guest of the inaugural function. Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela (PKVM) 2025 of Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) is going to be held during February 22-24, 2025. The theme of the mela is Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat. Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur and Shri Bhagirath Choudhary will be the Chief Guest of the Valedictory Session on 24th February 2025. Secretary DARE and Director General, ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak will preside over the inaugural and valedictory sessions.

    The main attractions of the PKVM this year will be:

    • Live demonstrations of the new varieties and technologies developed by IARI
    • Exhibitions on promising technologies, products and services of IARI as well as ICAR Institutes, Agricultural Universities, KVKs, FPOs, entrepreneurs, start-ups, public and private companies
    • Technical Sessions and Farmers-Scientists interactions on important issues like Climate Resilient Agriculture, Crop Diversification, Digital Agriculture; Entrepreneurship Development of Youth and Women; Agricultural Marketing, Farmers Organizations and Start-ups; and Farmers’ Innovation
    • Sale of Pusa Seeds of important varieties
    • On-Spot agro-advisories

    Realizing the growing significance of climatic risk and nutrition, the research program at IARI laid emphasis upon on developing climate-resilient crop varieties and bio-fortified cultivars with enhanced nutrient profile along with higher productivity. During 2024, a total of 27 crop cultivars in 10 different crops namely, 7 in bread wheat, 3 in rice, 8 maize hybrids, 1 pearl millet hybrid, 2 chickpea cultivars, 1 pigeon pea hybrid, 3 mung bean varieties, 1 lentil variety, 2 double zero mustard varieties and 1 soybean variety have been released. These include 16 varieties and 11 hybrids. IARI has been making stupendous contributions in Basmati rice production and trade through development of superior varieties. Basmati rice varieties including Pusa Basmati 1718, Pusa Basmati 1692, Pusa Basmati 1509 and the ones with resistance to both bacterial blight and blast diseases namely, PB 1847, PB 1885, and PB 1886 contribute to about 90% of the 5.2 million tons of Basmati rice exports earning of Rs. 48389 crores from India in 2023-2024. During April to November 2024, the export earnings from our Basmati rice stands at Rs 31,488 crores. Two short duration non-Basmati rice varieties namely, Pusa 1824 and Pusa 2090 have been released, which can help provide sufficient time for after-harvest operations. Pusa RH 60 is a high-yielding, short-duration, aromatic rice hybrid with long slender grains, best suited for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Pusa Narendra KN1 and Pusa CRD KN2 are improved Kalanamak varieties with better resistance and higher yield, recommended for Uttar Pradesh.

    Institute’s research program also laid focus upon nutritional security and developed eight biofortified cultivars. One bread wheat variety (HI 1665) and one durum wheat, HI 8840 was developed with high iron and zinc content, suitable for central zone. A multi-nutrient hybrid Pusa Biofortified maize Hybrid 5 has been developed, which is enriched with α-tocopherol (21.60 ppm) provitamin A (6.22 ppm), high lysine (4.93%) and tryptophan (1.01%). Pusa Biofortified Maize Hybrid-4 is biofortified with high provitamin A, lysine, and tryptophan. Pusa Popcorn Hybrid-1 and Hybrid-2 offer high popping percentage and butterfly-type popped flakes, ideal for NWPZ and PZ zones. Pusa HM4 Male Sterile Baby Corn-2 is a male sterile-based hybrid developed for NEPZ, PZ, and CWZ zones.

    Two double zero mustard varieties (Pusa Mustard 35 and Pusa Mustard 36) were released with low erucic acid and glucosinolates content; which  provide high yield under timely sown irrigated conditions in Zone-III (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan). Pearl Millet Pusa 1801 (MH 2417) is a dual-purpose variety (grain and fodder) biofortified with high iron (70 ppm) and zinc (57 ppm) content. It is resistant to multiple diseases and is best suited for the NCT of Delhi. Chickpea var Pusa Chickpea Vijay 10217 is a high-yielding variety resistant to Fusarium wilt, recommended for irrigated conditions in Uttar Pradesh. Chickpea var Pusa 3057 has high seed protein content (24.3%) and is resistant to multiple diseases, including Fusarium wilt, collar rot, and dry root rot. It is also moderately resistant to pod borer and has large seeds with excellent grain color and shape. Pigeon pea var Pusa Arhar Hybrid-5 is a high-yielding variety (23.35 q/ha on average, with a potential of 25.46 q/ha) resistant to SMD, Phytophthora stem blight, Macrophomina blight, and Alternaria leaf spot, making it suitable for Delhi and NCT.

     

    Striving towards attainment of goals of crop diversification for economic as well as ecological benefits, Institute has standardized Integrated Farming System Models (IFS).  Integrated farming system model of 1.0 ha area for small farmers involving crops, dairy, fishery, duckery, biogas plant, fruit trees and agro-forestry developed by ICAR-IARI has potential to generate the net returns up to Rs. 3,79,000/ha/year with an employment generation of 628 man-days. Similarly, Integrated Farming System Model of 0.4 ha area for marginal farm holders integrating polyhouse culture, mushroom cultivation along with crop and horticulture enterprises has the potential to generate the net income of Rs. 1,75,650/acre/year. 

    Horticulture-based crop diversification has been popular among farmers. Cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers has been profitable, while fruits and vegetable cultivation is also useful in promotion of nutritional security.  To promote vegetable cultivation, IARI has developed 268 improved vegetable varieties in 48 vegetable crops comprising of 41 hybrids and 227 varieties. IARI has developed nutritionally superior varieties in carrot (Pusa Prateek, Pusa Rudhira, Pusa Asita), okra (Pusa Lal Bhindi-1), Indian bean (Pusa Lal Sem), broccoli (Pusa Purple Broccoli-1) & Vitamin C rich spinach variety (Pusa Vilayati Palak) to address the issue of malnutrition. Yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV) resistant andEnation leaf curl virus ELCV tolerant okra varieties (Pusa Bhindi-5 and DOH-1) were released to minimize the application of pesticides use and reduction in cost of cultivation. Six varieties and one hybrid in brinjal, three varieties in onion, two varieties and one hybrid in cucumber, three varieties in Indian bean, three hybrids in bitter gourd, two varieties and one hybrid in musk melon were released for cultivation. Two soft-seeded guava varieties, Pusa Aarushi (red pulp) and Pusa Pratiksha (white pulp), have been developed along with a gynodioecious, semi-dwarf papaya variety, Pusa Peet. One marigold variety i.e. Pusa Bahar has been recommended for release. A mid-season gladiolus var. Pusa Sinduri has been released for West Bengal, Punjab, New Delhi and Rajasthan. The production of quality seeds has increased more than four times since 2018-19 (239.861 tons) to 975.478 tons in 2023-24. The nutritious food products developed by the Division of Biochemistry are Divine Dough which is pearl millet flour with richness of quality protein, resistant starch, fibre and micronutrients like Fe and Zn. Pearly Loaf is a gluten-free bread pre-mix made entirely from whole pearl millet, offering a nutritious alternative to wheat-based bread. With a low glycemic index (pGI 68-69%), it supports blood sugar management while being rich in fiber, essential minerals, and bioactive compounds.

    A rapid colorimetric test kit named ‘Speedy Seed viability kit’ has been developed by our institute to distinguish between viable and non-viable seeds within 1–4 hours, depending on the seed type. Pusa STFR Meter developed by ICAR-IARI is a low cost, user-friendly, digital instrument to analyses fourteen important soil parameters including secondary and micronutrients viz., soil pH, EC, organic carbon, available N (derived from organic carbon), P, K, S, B, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn as well as lime and gypsum requirement. Pusa Decomposer developed by ICAR-IARI is an eco-friendly and economically viable effective microbial solution for in-situ and ex-situ residue management. It has also been developed into ready to use powder formulation, which is completely dissolvable in water and can be used easily with mechanical sprayers. 500g per acre is recommended for decomposition of paddy straw in the field. The farm Sun Fridge developed by ICAR-IARI is an off-grid, battery-less solar refrigerated and evaporative cooled (SREC) structure. The objective of the technology is to have a solar cold store on farm fields. The cold store is used for storage of perishables. “PUSA MeFly KIT” and “PUSA CueFly KIT” are ready-to-use kits to manage fruit fly menace in a wide range of fruit and cucurbit vegetables, respectively. Point of care diagnostic kit and Easy PCR detection kit have been developed for rapid detection of chilli leaf curl virus and mung bean yellow mosaic virus, respectively. Pusa Dhan Bakanae parikshan kit has been developed for identifying pathogens causing bakanae disease in seed as well as in soil.

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    MG/RN

    (Release ID: 2105262) Visitor Counter : 62

    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government responds to provisional liquidation of Paul Y Engineering Group Limited

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         In response to the application for provisional liquidation by Paul Y Engineering Group Limited (Paul Y), a Government spokesman today (February 21) gave the following response:
          
         The Government noted that an application was made by Paul Y to the court recently to appoint a provisional liquidator for its five subsidiaries to handle debts and formulate a restructuring plan, and that the court held a hearing and approved the application today. Since it was a corporate decision of Paul Y to submit the application, and legal proceedings are underway, it is inappropriate for the Government to comment on the details.
          
         The Government spokesman said that any enterprise encountering financial difficulties has its own reasons, and the enterprise has to find a suitable solution based on its actual circumstances. As there have been market rumours and media reports of financial difficulties and layoffs at Paul Y for some time, the Government has been paying close attention to the situation and making preparations to reduce the impact on relevant works projects and subcontractors and to assist affected employees.
          
         Regarding public works projects, Paul Y’s subsidiaries are undertaking the construction of 13 public works contracts, among which 12 contracts are undertaken by Paul Y and other construction companies by way of joint venture. These contracts are managed by various government departments separately, including the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Highways Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Water Supplies Department and the Environmental Protection Department. As the majority of the contracts are undertaken by joint ventures, regardless of whether Paul Y is liquidated eventually, the other participants of the joint venture contracts must complete the remaining works in accordance with the contract requirements. The Development Bureau (DEVB) has assessed that the joint venture participants concerned are capable of undertaking the remaining works, and they have also expressed that they will continue to execute the contracts. The only project solely undertaken by Paul Y has largely entered the completion stage. Overall, the DEVB believes that the impact of the situation of Paul Y on relevant public works projects is manageable, and will closely monitor the situation.
          
         On the other hand, Paul Y has also undertaken works projects of other public organisations, some of which are undertaken by joint ventures. As aforementioned, it is believed that the impact is manageable. For other projects solely undertaken by Paul Y, the public sector owners have replaced the main contractor of most of the projects in accordance with the established mechanism to ensure the smooth completion of the projects. Owners of a few other projects are also carrying out such arrangements with a view to minimising the impact on the projects.
          
         As the majority of the Government and public sector projects will be undertaken by other participants of the joint ventures or have the main contractor replaced in accordance with the mechanism, if Paul Y is liquidated by the court eventually, the succeeding contractor will follow the request made by the Government and public sector owners to try to accommodate the situation of existing subcontractors and workers so that they can continue to work on the relevant projects for the sake of maintaining continuity.
          
         In respect of Paul Y’s debt matters, the affected subcontractors or suppliers can apply for claims through legal means. The Government, including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has been in contact with the construction industry and the banking sector. If subcontractors or suppliers face cash-flow pressure due to the Paul Y incident, the HKMA and the DEVB, together with the Construction Industry Council, will communicate with the Hong Kong Association of Banks so that banks can consider providing assistance on a case-by-case basis. Relevant enterprises can proactively contact lending banks and provide all relevant information so that the banks can understand the actual circumstances of the enterprises in a timely manner and provide flexible arrangements as far as feasible.
          
         In respect of employment rights and benefits, the Labour Department (LD) has all along been requiring Paul Y to pay wages and provide statutory rights to its employees in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (EO) and fulfil its obligations under the EO as a main contractor to pay the first two months’ unpaid wages of an employee who is employed by its subcontractors. The LD will continue to maintain contact with Paul Y, its subcontractors and relevant stakeholders to co-ordinate assistance for employees. Employees of Paul Y and its subcontractors who have enquiries on their employment rights and benefits may call the LD’s dedicated hotline at 3580 8721 or visit 10 branch offices of the Labour Relations Division in the territory.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected smuggled seafood worth about $1.39 million at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Hong Kong Customs yesterday (February 20) detected a suspected smuggling case involving a cross-boundary goods vehicle at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port. A batch of suspected smuggled seafood, including about 1 450 kilograms of oysters, 1 150kg of fish, 300kg of lobsters, with a total estimated market value of about $1.39 million, was seized.

         Based on risk assessment, Customs yesterday intercepted an outgoing goods vehicle at the HZMB Hong Kong Port. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the batch of unmanifested cargo items inside the vehicle.

         A 57-year-old male driver was arrested and was put on bail pending further investigation.

         Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

         Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. 

         Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drug into Tai Lam Centre for Women

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drug into Tai Lam Centre for Women
    Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drug into Tai Lam Centre for Women
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         Correctional officers at Tai Lam Centre for Women today (February 21) intercepted a female remand person in custody smuggling a suspected dangerous drug into the centre by concealing it inside her body.           The 25-year-old person in custody was remanded for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug on February 18. After undergoing X-ray body scanning, she was suspected to have swallowed the dangerous drug before admission. She was therefore separated and put under close monitoring.           At 2.36pm today, she discharged one pack of the suspected dangerous drug, which weighed about 12 grams and was wrapped in a plastic sheet. The case has been reported to the Police for follow-up.           A spokesman for the Correctional Services Department said, “The department takes every measure to stop the introduction of dangerous drugs or unauthorised articles into correctional institutions in order to maintain good order and discipline, and a drug-free environment for all persons in custody.”

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 18:15

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Novel technique unearthed to enhance next-generation lighting

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 5:32PM by PIB Delhi

    An innovative method to minimize anion migration in perovskite nanocrystals, thereby reducing their sensitivity to heat and moisture, as well as colour instability, paving the way for efficient, durable optoelectronic devices.

    Lighting consumes nearly 20% of global electricity, and advancements in lighting technology have significantly improved energy efficiency. From the incandescent and fluorescent lamps of the past to the invention of LEDs in the 1960s, lighting has come a long way.

    A pivotal breakthrough occurred in 1993 when Shuji Nakamura and his team members developed high-brightness blue LEDs, enabling energy-efficient white LEDs (WLEDs), a feat recognized with the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Today, LEDs lead the market in efficiency and lifespan.

    Currently, emerging light related technologies like OLEDs that offer vibrant colors, QLEDs that provide precise colour control and durability and micro/mini-LEDs that deliver high brightness and stability, are shaping the future of lighting.

    While thin and flexible OLEDs (Organic LEDs) are costly and have shorter lifespans, QLEDs (Quantum Dot LEDs) are toxic and their production is challenged by resource scarcity and Micro/Mini-LEDs are limited in their application due to high production costs.

    Perovskite (class of compounds which have the same type of crystal structure as CaTiO3 – Calcium Titanate) LEDs (PeLEDs) combine the advantages of OLEDs and QLEDs, positioning them as an excellent choice for next-generation lighting. However, their widespread application is limited by challenges such as sensitivity to heat and moisture, as well as colour instability caused by anion migration (which occurs when halide ions — chloride, bromide, or iodide move between quantum dots in mixed layers).

    To tackle this issue, researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed an innovative method to minimize anion migration in CsPbX₃ perovskite nanocrystals.

    The team, led by Dr. Pralay K. Santra, synthesized green light emitting cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr₃) perovskite nanocrystals using a hot injection method, where oleylamine serves as the passivating ligand. To enhance stability, they applied argon-oxygen (Ar-O₂) plasma treatment, which immobilizes the surface ligands by creating a cross-linked, hydrophobic layer. This approach effectively stabilizes the ligands and slows anion exchange, significantly improving colour stability by several orders.

    This breakthrough published in the journal Nanoscale, provides valuable insights into stabilizing perovskite nanocrystals, paving the way for efficient, durable optoelectronic devices.

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    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2105309) Visitor Counter : 17

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Mines classifies Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz as Major Minerals

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 1:14PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Mines vide gazette notification dated 20th February, 2025 has shifted minerals Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz from the list of minor minerals to the category of major minerals.

    This move follows the recent approval of the National Critical Mineral Mission by the Union Cabinet on 29th January, 2025. The Mission envisages exploration and mining of critical minerals within the country including recovery of these minerals from mines of other minerals, overburden and tailings.

    Quartz, Felspar and Mica are found in pegmatite rocks, which are an important source of many critical minerals such as Beryl, Lithium, Niobium, Tantalum, Molybdenum, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, etc. These minerals have vital role in various new technologies, in energy transition, spacecraft industries, healthcare sector, etc. When the leases of Quartz, Felspar and Mica are granted as minor mineral leases, the lease holders do not declare existence of critical minerals or extract the critical minerals associated with it such as Lithium, Beryl, etc. as their primary objective is to use these minerals as minor minerals for construction, glass / ceramic making, etc. Consequently, the critical minerals associated with these minerals are neither getting extracted nor reported.

    Similarly, Baryte has various industrial applications which is used for oil and gas drilling, electronics, TV screens, rubber, glass, ceramics, paint, radiation shielding and medical applications. Baryte is used to make high density concrete to block x-ray emissions in hospitals, power plants, and laboratories. Baryte often occurs as concretions and vein fillings in limestone and dolostone. It is found in association with ores of Antimony, Cobalt, Copper, Lead, Manganese and Silver. Baryte with iron ore occurs in pocket type of deposit which cannot be mined in isolation. While mining either of the minerals, the production of associated mineral is inevitable.

    In view of the importance of these minerals, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Mines & Minerals Sector constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog, recommended that these minerals be shifted from the list of minor minerals to the category of major minerals. Once categorised as major minerals, there would be an increase in exploration and scientific mining of these minerals which are an important source of many critical minerals.

    Reclassification of minerals Barytes, Felspar, Mica and Quartz will not adversely affect the lease period of the existing leases. As major minerals, the leases for these minerals will get extended to a period of 50 years from the date of grant or till the completion of renewal period, if any, whichever is later as per section 8A of the MMDR Act, 1957.These mines will gradually register with the Indian Bureau of Mines and will be regulated as major minerals. A transition time of four months, that is, up to 30th June, 2025 has been provided. The revenue from mines of these minerals will continue to accrue to the State Government as earlier.

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    Shuhaib T

    (Release ID: 2105215) Visitor Counter : 53

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NHRC, India organised a meeting of the Core Group on Women on the theme ‘Empowering ASHAs: Securing the right to work with dignity’

    Source: Government of India (2)

    NHRC, India organised a meeting of the Core Group on Women on the theme ‘Empowering ASHAs: Securing the right to work with dignity’

    NHRC, India Chairperson, Justice Shri V Ramasubramanian attributes a significant reduction in neonatal and infant mortality rates in the country to the services of ASHAs

    Calls for collaborative efforts between the Centre and State Governments to address the issues concerning ASHA workers’ welfare

    Member, Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi says, ASHAs’ voluntary role as the first line of medical care in far-flung areas needs to be better recognized

    Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal says, their issues related viz. workload and insufficient resources need to be addressed

    Among various suggestions, replacing an incentive-based payment structure with a fixed salary plus performance-based benefits underscored

    Providing ASHAs with health insurance, maternity benefits, and accident coverage also highlighted

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 11:54AM by PIB Delhi

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India organised a core group meeting in hybrid mode on women on the theme ‘Empowering Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs): Securing the right to work with dignity’ at its premises in New Delhi. It was chaired by the NHRC, India Chairperson, Justice Shri V. Ramasubramanian in the presence of Member, Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal, senior officers, experts, and ASHAs.

    Addressing the participants, Chairperson, Justice Shri V. Ramasubramanian highlighted the remarkable contributions made by ASHAs over the past 20 years towards improvements in the healthcare sector in the country. He emphasised that the significant impact of ASHAs has led to notable progress in reducing neonatal and infant mortality rates. They showed that individuals without formal education can still be trained to become skilled workers. He also noted that while there are many educated people today, the number of skilled workers is decreasing. This gap is being addressed by the ASHA scheme. However, he pointed out that ASHAs’ have been stating that their remuneration is not in proportion to their contribution to society. The irony is that at times, those who contribute the most often receive the least; those who care for the marginalized end up being marginalized themselves.

    Justice Ramasubramanian said that public health and fixing of minimum wages is a subject coming under the State. Population control and family planning fall under the Concurrent list. Hence, there should be a collaborative effort between the Centre and State Governments to address the issues concerning ASHAs’ welfare. He also called for a concrete policy and actionable measures for improving the working conditions and living standards of ASHAs.

    NHRC, India Member, Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi said that the ASHAs are the first responders to any distress related to pregnant women and children in the village areas before consultation with any doctors materializes. Therefore, their role as activists should be better recognized with adequate incentives, compensation, and security to ensure their right to life with dignity.

    Before this, while setting the agenda of the meeting and providing background, the Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal highlighted the theme of the three technical sessions. These included: ‘The Evolving Nature of Challenges faced by ASHA’, ‘Role of the Government in Protecting and Promoting the Rights of ASHAs’, and ‘Way Forward: Ensuring the Right to Work with Dignity for ASHAs.’ He said that the Government has come up with various schemes for women’s empowerment and given the contribution of ASHAs in primary healthcare, their issues such as low honorarium, excessive workload, and insufficient resources also need to be addressed. He highlighted their role during COVID-19 as frontline workers have been exemplary, which has also been acknowledged by the WHO.

    The speakers included Shri Saurabh Jain, Joint Secretary, MoHFW; Ms Pallavi Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development; Dr Shweta Khandelwal, Senior Advisor Jhpiego India; Ms Ruth Manorama, President, The National Alliance of Women (NAWO); Dr Sabiha Hussain, Professor and Director, Sarojini Naidu Center for Women’s Studies, Jamia Islamia University; Ms. Vaishali Barua, National Coordinator, UN Women India; Ms Dipa Sinha, Visiting Professor, Azim Premji University; Ms Surekha Secretary, ASHA Workers’ and Facilitators’ Federation of India (AWFFI); Ms Sunita, ASHA Worker, Haryana, NHRC, India DG (I), Shri R Prasad Meena, Registrar (Law), Joginder Singh, Director, Lt Col Virender Singh among others.

    Some of the suggestions that emanated from the discussion included;

    • Need to consider granting ASHAs formal worker status with fixed monthly emoluments, social security, pensions, paid leave, etc.;
    • Standardize honorarium/ wages across states, ensuring that honorariums align with minimum wage regulations;
    • Replace incentive-based payment structure with a fixed amount plus performance-based benefits;
    • Provide health insurance, maternity benefits, and accident coverage to ASHAs;
    • Ensure free personal protective equipment (PPE), transport allowances, and access to clean rest areas during field visits;
    • Enforce strict policies against harassment and violence, ensuring safe working conditions for ASHAs in all regions;
    • Utilize Rs 49,269 crore (As of 2022) of unspent funds from the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act for childcare, elderly care, and ASHA welfare;
    • Allocate Rs 70,051 crore health sector grants towards strengthening early childhood care and healthcare workers’ training;
    • Establish state-funded creches at primary health centres and community centres to support ASHAs who are also primary caregivers at home;
    • Develop structured career pathways for ASHAs to transition into higher-paying healthcare roles, such as nursing, midwifery, and public health administration;
    • Provide regular skill enhancement training in disease surveillance, mental health counseling, and emergency medical response;
    • Introduce bridge courses in collaboration with medical colleges and universities to certify ASHAs for formal healthcare roles;
    • Incentivize private sector investments in childcare and elderly care infrastructure, with tax benefits for employers offering workplace childcare solutions;
    • Promote cooperative models, like the SEWA model, to ensure ASHAs have decision-making power over wages and working conditions; and
    • Foster public-private partnerships to expand affordable community-based care services, creating decent job opportunities for ASHAs.

     

    The Commission will further deliberate on the suggestions, seek additional inputs and deliberate to take a view in the matter to ensure the welfare of ASHAs.

     

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    NSK

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR Government sets up Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk and “iAM Smart” self-registration kiosk in Dongguan (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    HKSAR Government sets up Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk and “iAM Smart” self-registration kiosk in Dongguan (with photos)
    HKSAR Government sets up Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk and “iAM Smart” self-registration kiosk in Dongguan (with photos)
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         ​To advance the development of a digital government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is collaborating with Guangdong Province to promote the Cross-boundary Public Services initiative. The Digital Policy Office (DPO) announced today (February 21) the setting up of a Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk in Dongguan to enable residents and enterprises in Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to access public services of Hong Kong without the need to travel to Hong Kong in person.      Starting today, the public can use the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk located on 2/F, Dongguan Citizen Service Center to access various public services of Hong Kong. The opening hours of the kiosk in the Center are 9am to noon and 1pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays on the Mainland). For details, please visit the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services thematic website at www.crossboundaryservices.gov.hk/en/home/index.html.      Following the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks that commenced operation earlier in Guangzhou, Qianhai and Futian in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Foshan as well as Huizhou, the Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosk in Dongguan also provides over 70 public services from 12 government bureaux and departments as well as related organisations, encompassing eight areas commonly used by enterprises and the public including taxation, company registration, property and vehicle enquiry and registration, application for personal identification documents and entry of talent, welfare and education, healthcare, immigration clearance, urgent assistance as well as culture and tourism. Members of the public can use the self-service kiosks to perform data entry, document scanning and result printing to enjoy one-stop access when applying for various public services.       An “iAM Smart” self-registration kiosk is also set up at the Dongguan location to enable Hong Kong residents working and living on the Mainland to register for “iAM Smart+” and directly use the “iAM Smart” mobile app for one-stop public services, covering more than 400 Hong Kong public services, such as renewal of a vehicle licence, enrolment for the Contactless e-Channel, and application for student grant. For details and registration requirements, please visit the “iAM Smart” thematic website at www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html.      A spokesman for the DPO expressed sincere gratitude to the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data for its strong support, and to the Center for its full co-operation. The DPO will continue to discuss with the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data to set up self-service and self-registration kiosks in more Mainland cities of the GBA to cope with the demands of residents and enterprises in the GBA for public services of Hong Kong.           To implement the State Council’s Guiding Opinions to all provincial governments on Cross-provincial Public Services and their comprehensive deployment, the HKSAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data jointly commenced work of the GBA Cross-boundary Public Services in 2021, and jointly introduced a dedicated service area/thematic website for Cross-boundary Public Services in November 2023. The initiative enables enterprises and the public in both regions to enjoy simple and convenient cross-boundary services, with a view to facilitating the provision of public services and investment in the GBA, and enhancing the satisfaction and sense of contentment of enterprises and the public in accessing services across the boundary.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 15:30

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

    Source: Government of India

    Day 2 #CTDDR2025: The 9th MahaKumbh for Drug Research

    Drug Resistance, Car T Cell Therapy, Parasitic, Viral disease and Natural Product Chemistry was the main theme of the Day

    Experts from different area shared their recent findings with the participants

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 11:35AM by PIB Delhi

    Today, on the second day of the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, observed important scientific deliberations by eminent scientists. Researchers and scholars presented their work through visually compelling posters, fostering discussions and knowledge exchange

    Pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates are major risk for life,

    novel beta-lactam enhancerwould be helpful to manage the Pan-drug resistant: Sachin S. Bhagwat

    In scientific session II on “Concept to point of care: Drugs pending submission/approval or recently approved,” Dr. Sachin S. Bhagwat from the Wockhardt Research Center, Aurangabad, India, delivered his talk on the discovery of a novel mechanism of action-based β-lactam + β-lactam enhancer combination, WCK 5222, with comprehensive coverage of pan-drug resistant Gram negatives. He highlighted AMR has rendered many existing antibiotics ineffective, posing a major global health crisis.The widespread prevalence of MDR, XDR, and PDR Gram-negative pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant strains, has rendered many last-line antibiotics ineffective. The ICMR data shows concerning carbapenem resistance rates: over 90% in Acinetobacter, 45% in P. aeruginosa, and 69% in Klebsiella. As a result, clinicians frequently use medications with diminished safety or unproven combinations. These infections are responsible for up to 8.85 lakh deaths annually, with an additional 9.6 lakh linked to sepsis. Further, he shared his research on the development of a novel β-lactam enhancer, Zidebactam, which, in combination with cefepime (WCK 5222), demonstrated potent activity against 35,000 global pan-drug-resistant Gram-negative isolates. He mentioned that WCK 5222 has saved over 45 lives under compassionate use and completed successful trials in severe documented meropenem-resistant infections and is expected to change the treatment paradigm for life-threatening Gram-negative infections.

    Dr. Sachin S. Bhagwat speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    CAR-T cell therapy is an emerging approach for cancer care: Prof. Rahul Purwar

    Prof. Rahul Purwar from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, shared the journey on First “Make in India” CAR-T cell therapy: from R&D to clinic to market. Cancer is a worldwide issue and India has the second-highest cancer mortality rate. The CAR-T cell therapy is an emerging approach for cancer care. However, this technology is extremely expensive (500,000 USD/patient) and not available in India. To ensure its accessibility to all, they developed a robust, safe and affordable technology platform and validated through Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. He further noted that, CD19 CAR-T is approved by CDSCO for commercial use in October 2023, and now over 300 patients are treated across the country.

    Prof. Rahul Purwar from IIT, Bombay speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    Mitochondrial translation can be targeted for new possibilities of new therapeutic development for Apicomplexan parasites borne diseases: Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre

    In her Plenary Lecture on Toxoplasma gondii Mitoribosome from highly fragmented rRNAs to a functional Machine, Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, shared her research on Toxoplasma gondii Mitoribosome. Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for severe human diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, and babesiosis. She said, these parasites, in addition to small mitochondrial genome, contain fragmented mitoribosomal rRNAs, which complicates our understanding of mitoribosome assembly. Using apicoplast-less T. gondii parasites, they have identified drugs that specifically target mitochondrial translation. This approach offers exciting new possibilities for therapeutic development.

    Prof. Dominique Soldati-Favre speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    HACK-indices provides a rational basis for selecting next-generation probiotics and live biotherapeutic products: Dr. Tarini Shankar Ghosh

    Dr. Tarini Shankar Ghosh from The Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, presented the efforts to identify the Health-Associated Core-Keystones (HACK) across population groups. The availability of HACK-indices provides a rational basis for selecting next-generation probiotics and live biotherapeutic products to promote general health. Through global meta-analysis of gut microbiomes from 127 studies, his group investigated 196 taxa for their association with three hallmark properties, i.e., prevalence/community-influence in non-diseased subjects, longitudinal stability and host health and integrated them into a single measure, the HACK-index. Using this HACK-index, they presented a ranking order of microbiome taxa based on their estimated contribution to both microbiome stability and host-health.

    Host-directed therapy for infectious diseases may be new hope for targeting antimicrobials: Prof. Christian Doerig

    Prof. Christian Doerig from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia, explained about the host-directed therapy that offers untapped targets limiting cross-resistance to existing antimicrobials and reduced susceptibility to de novo resistance. Using an antibody microarray directed against human signalling proteins, they identified potential antiviral targets as well as lead compounds. He further reported the identification of some erythrocytic kinases that are activated by infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Inhibitors targeting these kinases display high potency against parasite proliferation.

    Prof. Christian Doerig speaking at the 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” #CTDDR2025 at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow.

    Single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) as a game changer in the management of visceral leishmaniasis: Prof. Shyam Sundar

    Prof. Shyam Sundar from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, shared the journey of the epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), starting from its origin to elimination, in India. He emphasized single-dose liposomal amphotericin B (LAmB) as a game changer in the management of VL in India. He noted that the elimination target for VL needs to hold in 2025 to obtain the WHO certification.

    The open science discovery of DNDi-6510 led to an orally bioavailable SARS-CoV2 antiviral: Dr. Peter Sjö

     

    In Session IV today, Dr. Peter Sjö from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Switzerland, shared about the need for broad-spectrum oral antivirals. He reported the results of the COVID Moonshot, a fully open-science, crowd sourced, structure-enabled drug discovery campaign targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. He further discussed the lead series discovery and approaches to overcome ADMET issues which lead to the front runner preclinical candidate DNDI-6510 against SARS-CoV2.

    Novel antivirals to provide immediate therapeutic options against serious viral infections is need of the day: Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati

    Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati from the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad, also mentioned the need for the novel antivirals to provide immediate therapeutic options against serious viral infections. As the new viral pathogens are constantly emerging and posing a serious threat of imminent epidemics. He presented the background to the science of antiviral development with an example of a novel antiviral against Chikungunya virus, developed in his lab.

    New rapid antigen tests are being developed for dengue, zika and chikungunya: Prof. Gaurav Batra

    Prof. Gaurav Batra fromthe Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad delivered their novel findings on the diagnostics of Arboviral infections, which include, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. He presented the data on the development of ELISA and rapid NS1 tests with high sensitivity, serotype-independent performance, and significantly improved detection of secondary infections of dengue virus. They are also developing rapid antigen tests for Zika and chikungunya, with the goal of integrating them into a multiplex diagnostic platform. These advanced diagnostics could enhance clinical trial design, patient selection, and treatment evaluation, ultimately contributing to more effective therapeutic strategies and public health responses.

    The V Parallel Session of #CTDDR2025 was dedicated on Natural product chemistry for novel drugs.

    Prof. Inder Pal Singh from NIPER, SAS Nagar, shared his research on development of wound healing and anti-inflammatory formulations from Seabuckthorn plant Hippophae rhamnoides L. They developed a cost effective method for plant extraction leading to isolation of Seabuckthorn fruit oil (IPHRFH) which showed good wound healing activity and was developed into Cream and Gel formulation.

    Dr. Chandra Kant Katiyar from Emami Ltd, Gurgaon, shared his thoughts on new drug discovery from medicinal plants: Issues, challenges and way forward. His talk shared insights into the multifaceted approaches to developing plant-based drugs, covering forward pharmacology, where compounds are screened for biological activity, and reverse pharmacology, which builds on traditional knowledge to validate therapeutic claims. He emphasized that, by integrating traditional knowledge with technology guided by regulations, medicinal plants can continue to be a cornerstone in addressing unmet medical needs globally.

    Dr. Ashutosh Pandey from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, delivered a talk on “Engineering crops for value addition of health-beneficial natural products: From fundamentals to applications”. He presented insights into how plant metabolites regulate, interact with cellular signalling pathways, and modulate gene expression. Additionally, he discussed the regulatory roles of transcriptional factors and their interplay in fine-tuning flavonoid biosynthesis in agriculturally important crops like chickpea and banana. This knowledge can be leveraged for genetic manipulation to enhance the nutritional value of crops.

    In the Flash Talks & Poster Session Young Investigators presented their novel findings

    In the flash talk session, selected students and young faculty from different scientific fields, related to drug development, delivered their novel findings. In the Poster session today more than 180 posters were presented by the young investigators.

    ***

    NKR/PSM

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by the Prime Minister, Honourable Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on the occasion of the 185th Waitangi Day Reception hosted by the New Zealand High Commissioner, H.E Si’alei Van Toor

    Source: Government of Western Samoa

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    (Friday, 7 February 2025 at 6.30 – 9.00pm,Taumeasina Island Resort)

    Reverend Siaosi Salesulu

    Lau Afioga, Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Masiofo

    Members of the Council of Deputies

    Ministers of Cabinet,

    Chief Justice and Members of the Judiciary,

    Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

    Leader of the Opposition

    Members of Parliament,

    High Commissioner of New Zealand, Your Excellency, Si’alei Van Toor

    Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

    Distinguished Guests gathered here tonight,

    Talofa lava and Good evening to you all.

    It is a pleasure for me to join you all at the reception this evening to celebrate the 185th anniversary of the signing of New Zealand’s founding document, “Te Tiriti o Waitangi” the “Treaty of Waitangi”. On behalf of the Government and People of Samoa I convey through you, Excellency Si’alei Van Toor our warm congratulations and felicitations to the Government and the People of Aotearoa New Zealand on the celebration of your national day.

    This evening, we join in the celebration of the commemoration of Waitangi Day around New Zealand and other parts of the world in remembrance of the signing of the treaty. The occasion is an important marker in your country’s history and I understand that numerous events are held around the world and nationally to reflect the significance of the Treaty to national unity and the richness of New Zealand’s history and culture. I am told that the Kapa Haka Performers from Tauranga, the “Te Paringa Tai” are here and will perform for us this evening. Earlier on in the day, Te Paringa Tai had treated the Samoan public to another spectacular performance of songs and dances at the Matagialalua Friendship Park showcasing a bit of Aotearoa’s rich heritage and culture.

    This occasion is an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come in our partnerships towards the achievement of common goals, for people, peace and prosperity. Have they remained relevant and mutually beneficial?

    Samoa and New Zealand continue to enjoy a warm and close friendship underpinned by the foundation of our shared history and a unique “Treaty of Friendship”. There have been exchanges of high-level visits of Heads of State and Government, ministers and parliamentarians reflecting the prominence both countries accord to strengthening people-to-people links. The exchange of high-level visits signifies the maturity of our relations and the mutual respect we hold in high regard for each other. It is not unusual for us to ask ourselves how far the uniqueness of our Treaty of Friendship can go; particularly as we crave for facilitative short-term travel to visit families or explore business opportunities.

    Last October, we hosted leaders of the Commonwealth including New Zealand’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. We take this opportunity to again express the sincere appreciation of the Government of Samoa and its people to the Government of New Zealand and its people and Samoa’s other key partners, for the generous support and assistance provided, ensuring that Samoa and the Pacific successfully hosted the first meeting of Commonwealth leaders in our Blue Pacific region. A mammoth undertaking it was, but made possible through the generosity and magnanimity of our development partners including New Zealand and the commitment and dedication of many people. What we did not have the resources for, was provided, the capacity gaps were filled even if temporarily and the readiness to support was assured. The high standard and quality of the services provided left a legacy of Samoa’s enhanced ranking and capability to deliver high-quality logistical support for future international meetings.

    The close relations between our two countries is reaffirmed by the 2024 Statement of Partnership – O le Fogavaa e Tasi which identifies the priority areas of cooperation including partnerships, security, empowering communities, building climate resilience and inspiring growth which are in alignment with Samoa’s aspirations and priorities as outlined in the “Pathway for the Development of Samoa.” We also acknowledge with gratitude the confidence of the Government of New Zealand in the use of country systems reflected in the extension of budget support under the Joint Policy Action Matrix involving our other development partners as well.

    Samoa appreciates the continued commitment of the Government of New Zealand to diligently carry out the Operation Resolution for the HMNZS Manawanui working in tandem with the Samoan authorities and other development partners for the removal of fuel and pollutants from the site. Like our Pacific neighbours, the coastal and marine environment are significant for the sustenance of our local communities and we will continue to work in partnership with the Government of New Zealand and our other development partners to ensure the success of this Operation.

    Excellency,

    We look forward to the continuation of the excellent bilateral relations and partnership between Samoa and New Zealand for the benefit of our two countries and our peoples.

    To conclude, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I respectfully invite you all to join me in proposing a toast:

    “To the unity and prosperity of the Government and the People of New Zealand. Happy Waitangi Day!”

    SOIFUA

    Photo by the Government of Samoa (Leaosa Faaifo Faaifo)

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Toddler and paediatric formulation of JN.1 COVID-19 vaccines to be provided end of month

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced today (February 20) that starting from February 25, the JN.1 vaccine will be provided to infants and children aged 6 months to 11 years, replacing the XBB mRNA vaccine (XBB vaccine) currently in use. The CHP also urges those who have not received the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (including infants and children) to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Those at high risk (particularly the elderly and persons with underlying comorbidities) should receive a booster dose as soon as possible for effective prevention against COVID-19.
     
    Vaccine supply
    ———————
         Given that the predominant strains circulating in Hong Kong are JN.1 and its descendant lineages, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the CHP have recommended the use of JN.1 lineage COVID-19 vaccines earlier.

         In light of the above, the Government has been offering the JN.1 vaccine to persons aged 12 years or above under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme since November 19 last year and has actively procured the toddler and paediatric JN.1 formulation for infants and children aged 6 months to 11 years. 
         â€‹
         About 6 000 doses of Comirnaty JN.1 toddler and paediatric formulation (around 3 000 doses each) have recently arrived in Hong Kong. After stringent checks and inspections to ensure that the vaccine complies with product specifications and relevant cold-chain standards, Government staff have properly stored the vaccines in validated ultra-low temperature freezers at the temperature specified by the drug manufacturer. The Government will, taking into account future vaccine demand, procure COVID-19 vaccines from suppliers in a timely manner.
     
    Booking and vaccination arrangements
    ——————————————
         Under the Government COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, persons aged 6 months or above can receive free initial dose(s). High-risk priority groups can receive booster doses for free at least six months after the last dose or COVID-19 infection (whichever is later), regardless of the number of doses received previously.

         â€‹High-risk priority groups include:

    older adults aged 50 or above, including those living in residential care homes;
    persons aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities;
    persons with immunocompromising conditions aged 6 months and above;
    pregnant women; and
    healthcare workers.

     
         Eligible persons may schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment via the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme booking system.  Infants and children aged 6 months to 11 years who schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments on or after February 25 will receive the JN.1 vaccine. Infants and children may receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, designated Maternal and Child Health Centres, designated Student Health Service Centres under the DH and designated Private Clinic COVID-19 Community Vaccination Stations. For details of vaccination venues, please refer to the webpage. As mentioned above, the Government has been offering the JN.1 vaccine to persons aged 12 years or above participating in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme since November 19 last year.
     
         As persons who contract influenza and COVID-19 at the same time would be at a higher risk of severe complications and death, the CHP strongly recommends that high-risk individuals receive seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) and COVID-19 vaccination booster to reduce risks of serious illness and death. The WHO has also pointed out that high-risk persons should receive booster doses at appropriate times to lower risks of serious illness and death.
     
         For citizens who have not yet received SIV while receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, they can check with vaccination venues for arrangements for influenza vaccination. According to scientific evidence, COVID-19 vaccines and seasonal influenza vaccines can be administered at the same time to provide dual protection.

         Members of the public may visit the CHP’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and seasonal influenza webpage for more details.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: BCP clearance services, transportation and other arrangements for 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    BCP clearance services, transportation and other arrangements for 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event
    BCP clearance services, transportation and other arrangements for 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event
    ******************************************************************************************

         The 2025 Shenzhen-Hong Kong marathon and the 15th National Games (NG) athletics (marathon) test event will be held on Sunday (February 23). The entire track is 42.195 kilometres long, of which the section in Hong Kong is 21.841km. Setting off from the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, the races will enter Hong Kong via the Shenzhen Bay Port, run along the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Kong Sham Western Highway Viaduct, then turn back to the Shenzhen Bay Port through the same route, and finally end at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. The event comprises men’s and women’s races, with the women’s group to depart at 7am and the other to set off at 7.30am. The athletes will enter the Hong Kong section upon completion of approximately 2km of the race route. Both groups are expected to spend around two hours in the Hong Kong section.      To facilitate the smooth running of the race, clearance services of the Shenzhen Bay Port (including all passenger and cargo clearance services) will be suspended during part of the morning on the event day, while temporary control measures will be implemented on the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and other related roads that day. Members of the public and travellers should pay attention to the following key points:      Arrival and departure clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Port will be suspended from 2am to 11am on the event day, and passengers and vehicles will be prohibited from entering the port. In the meantime, temporary control measures will be implemented on Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway and Ha Tsuen Interchange. During the temporary control period, Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway and Ha Tsuen Interchange will be closed to all vehicular traffic from eastbound and westbound of Yuen Long Highway and Ha Tsuen Road.      Cross-boundary vehicles (including good vehicles, passenger vehicles and private cars) with valid closed road permits for the Shenzhen Bay Port may choose to use the Lok Ma Chau, Heung Yuen Wai and Man Kam To boundary control points (BCP) according to the operating hours of the relevant control points on the event day. The above special arrangement will cease upon the reopening of the Shenzhen Bay Port.      Cross-boundary coach services running between Hong Kong and the Mainland via the Shenzhen Bay Port as well as local public transport services serving the Shenzhen Bay Port, including franchised buses, green minibuses (GMB), urban and New Territories taxis, will be suspended during the implementation of the temporary control at the Shenzhen Bay Port on the day of event. The bus companies and GMB operators will display notices at termini and en-route stops of the affected routes to inform affected passengers. Travellers should choose other control points to Shenzhen.      During the suspension of the Shenzhen Bay Port departure service, the Transport Department (TD) expects that the roads leading to the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Station Public Transport Interchange, Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang, Man Kam To and Heung Yuen Wai BCPs, including San Tin Interchange, San Sham Road and Lok Ma Chau Road, will be busy with traffic. The full clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Port are expected to resume at around 11am that day, by then traffic will be expected to be relatively busy. Therefore, the TD appeals to travellers and drivers who plan to use all BCPs concerned on that day to plan their trips in advance. Cross-boundary private cars and other drivers are also advised to avoid driving to the above districts during the relevant hours unless necessary. Depending on the prevailing traffic conditions in the different areas, the Police will deploy appropriate manpower and implement corresponding crowd management measures or special traffic arrangements at the affected control points and relevant road sections.      For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements for the test event, please refer to the Transport Department Notice (www.td.gov.hk/en/traffic_notices/index_id_79334.html) and the Police’s press release on the special traffic arrangements for the test event (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202502/13/P2025021300398.htm).      The National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) has liaised with relevant government departments and organisations to disseminate information of the relevant BCP clearance services and transportation arrangements to be implemented for the event to the public, travellers and stakeholders through various channels.      The TD will liaise with public transport operators to suitably adjust the services to cater for passenger demand, and issue transport departmental notice of the traffic and transport arrangements for the test event and appeal for cross-boundary and local travellers and members of the public via various channels to take heed of arrangements for various public transport travelling to and from the Shenzhen Bay Port and plan their journeys early, including the HKeMobility mobile application, variable messages signs at strategic roads and tunnels, public announcement at MTR stations, Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk) as well as the social media platform of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.      The Marine Department has liaised with cross-boundary ferry operators, with a view to working out manpower and sailing schedule arrangements for ferry services to and from Shekou, Shenzhen, in advance.      The Home Affairs Department has disseminated the relevant message through the district network (including District Councils, Area Committees and District Committees, Youth Committees, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams). On the day of the test event, the Care Teams will deploy staff to inspect the districts of Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, and provide appropriate assistance to members of the public in need (e.g. responding to enquiries).      Hong Kong Customs has informed the transport trades of the traffic arrangements on that day and to use other land BCPs as far as possible for entry and exit. Customs has also posted notices at the clearance facilities of the Hong Kong Port and informed the public through its website (www.customs.gov.hk/en/home/index.html) and social media platform.      The Immigration Department (ImmD) will update the situation of the control points in real time through its mobile application on the event day. Travellers are advised to check the waiting time situation of the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and other land BCPs through the ImmD’s mobile application before travelling to make better planning for their itinerary and minimise waiting time.      The Police will also remind the public of the temporary traffic control arrangements through its social media platform (www.facebook.com/HongKongPoliceForce).      The Tourism Commission (TC) has informed the hotel sector through their trade associations to remind their guests of the special transportation arrangements. The TC has also informed licensed travel agents through the Travel Industry Authority and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong to avoid bringing tour groups across the Shenzhen Bay Bridge on the event day. The Hong Kong Tourism Board has also notified its trade partners and disseminated the relevant information on its website (www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/index.html) to facilitate visitors’ itinerary planning.      Shenzhen will broadcast the event online, while Hong Kong has also arranged for live webcast by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) (RTHK weblink: www.rthk.hk/nationalgames and RTHK YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/RTHK).      A spokesperson for the NGCO said as the NG is the country’s highest-level event, this marathon test event has to meet stringent requirements in terms of the selection of race course and the organisational arrangements to ensure the safety of athletes. Relevant departments will work together to facilitate the special traffic and transportation arrangements to minimise the impact on the public and travellers who usually use the Shenzhen Bay Port. The spokesperson thanked members of the public and travellers for their understanding, as well as the contributions of various organisations and departments to implementing the relevant arrangements.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 12:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Applications for Bun Scrambling Competition in Cheung Chau to close next Friday

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Applications for Bun Scrambling Competition in Cheung Chau to close next Friday
    Applications for Bun Scrambling Competition in Cheung Chau to close next Friday
    *******************************************************************************

         The e-ballot application period for joining the Bun Scrambling Competition, which is the finale of the 2025 Bun Carnival at Cheung Chau, will end next Friday (February 28). Physically fit climbers aged 18 or above who are interested in the competition should apply now.      The final selection exercise, to be held on April 13, will consist of two rounds. Twenty-four contestants recording the shortest time in the preliminary round (including no fewer than six female participants) will be eligible to enter the semi-final on the same day to compete for 12 finalist places (including no fewer than three female participants). The 12 finalists will enter the Bun Scrambling Final to be held from 11.30pm on May 5 to 12.45am on May 6. Trophies will be awarded to the champion as well as the first and second runners-up in the men’s division, and to the champion in the women’s division. The contestant who bags the highest number of buns within the time limit will be the prize winner of “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns”.      To acknowledge the outstanding achievements of the winners and enhance the appeal of the event, any male or female athlete who has been the champion for three times in the Bun Scrambling Competition since 2016 will be the “King of Kings” or the “Queen of Queens” of the competition and be awarded a trophy.      Persons interested in participating in the competition should complete SmartPLAY user registration and identity authentication, and submit their electronic ballot applications via the SmartPLAY website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/home), the mobile app (My SmartPLAY) or Smart Self-service Stations on or before February 28. To register as SmartPLAY users, please refer to the link (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/website/en/user-registration/how-to-register.html).      The maximum number of entrants for the Bun Scrambling Competition is 200. All places will be allocated by ballot via SmartPLAY. Applicants who live, work or study at Cheung Chau will be accorded priority in the ballot. All selected applicants are required to complete the safety training sessions on bun tower climbing and prevention of falls on April 6 to be eligible for the competition. Details are provided in the prospectus available at the SmartPLAY website, the mobile app (My SmartPLAY) and the 2025 Bun Carnival dedicated website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/bun/index.html).      The 2025 Bun Carnival is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Cheung Chau Bun Festival Committee and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Besides the Bun Scrambling Competition, the Bun Tower Climbing Team Relay will be held on the morning of April 27. Local tertiary institutions, Government Departments, public utilities and commercial and industrial organisations will be invited to take part in the relay. Members of the public are welcome to watch the game on-site and cheer for the contestants. At the Climbing Carnival to be held in the afternoon on the same day, there will be a bun tower climbing fun day, game stalls, handicrafts making and variety shows. A Wishing Bun Tower will also be set up and the winning entries of the Student Drawing Competitions will be displayed. Members of the public are welcome to attend the carnival.         For enquiries, please contact the Islands District Leisure Services Office of the LCSD at 2852 3220, or visit the 2025 Bun Carnival dedicated website.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 12:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by SCST at Sports Law Conference (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the Sports Law Conference today (February 21):
          
    President Roden Tong (President of the Law Society of Hong Kong), Mrs Regina Ip (Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council and Member of Legislative Council), Vivian, gold medal winner of Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Ms Vivian Kong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
          
         Good morning. It is my great honour to address you at today’s Sports Law Conference. First of all, I would like to thank the Law Society of Hong Kong for organising the first mega conference on sports law in Hong Kong. 
          
         Today, we gather here to discuss and explore the enormous opportunities that the sports industry may present to both the legal profession and the business community in Hong Kong. I am glad that we have such a big and distinguished group of speakers from the business sector, legal practitioners, and sports professionals, both local and from abroad, to share with us their valuable insights on various aspects of sports.
          
         Hong Kong has always been a city that is passionate about sports. Sports not only promote physical health and well-being but also foster social cohesion. The Government is committed to developing sports in the community, nurturing sports talent, hosting mega sports events, promoting professionalism and developing sports as an industry. Our commitment is evident in the increasing resources that we have devoted to this policy area. In 2024-25, we are spending about $7.9 billion, which is double of the annual spending of $3.9 billion 10 years ago.
          
         Our efforts in sports development have borne fruit as we take pride in our athletes’ achievements on the global stage. Last summer, Hong Kong athletes achieved remarkable results by capturing two gold and two bronze medals in fencing and swimming at the Paris Olympic Games, attaining the best results in the history of Hong Kong, China thus far. Vivian Kong is here with us today and deserves a big round of applause from us. Our para-athletes also won three gold, four silver, and one bronze medal at the Paralympic Games, setting our best results since 2012.
          
         Earlier this month, I attended with the Chief Executive of Hong Kong the Asian Winter Games at Harbin. I am still overwhelmed by the achievements of our Hong Kong, China team, which made a lot of breakthroughs. Participating in curling and alpine skiing at the Games for the first time, our men’s curling team historically made the fourth, and an alpine skier achieved a record 10th place out of a total of 58 participants. The men’s ice hockey team also reached the quarterfinals stage for the first time. Although our athletes could not make it to the podium just as yet, I am sure all of us in this room are proud of their success and in particular the sportsmanship, professionalism and sports ethics demonstrated.
          
         As we celebrate our athletes’ achievements, it is important to recognise that their success represents more than just their talents. It reflects also the values that sports can bring to our community. These values go beyond medals, records and scores and can bring a positive impact to the society of Hong Kong. Now, let’s take a look at how sports can unlock important values for the Hong Kong community.
          
         First of all, perseverance is the key in the sports world. Our athletes encounter challenges, including injuries, defeats, and intense competitions throughout their career. Only through years of perseverance could they finally reach the international sporting arena. Vivian will agree with me that many of our athletes had to cope with recurring injuries while they gave it their all in the Paris Olympic Games. Having gone through these hardships, our athletes deserve fully our cheers and appreciation. Their perseverance has become an inspiration to many, and the athletes are setting an important role model, encouraging our youths not to give up in the face of obstacles. This is the spirit that empowers us and makes our society more resilient.
          
         Secondly, we promote friendship through sports. Sports serve as a powerful medium for building friendship that transcends cultural, ethnical and geographical barriers. It is through sports that people from around the world come together to promote mutual respect, inclusivity and friendship.
              
         It is also through sports that we take pride in our country and foster a stronger sense of national identity and belonging. As our national athletes continue to excel on the international stage, more and more people in Hong Kong are rooting for them and sharing in their joy of achievements as they bring triumph to the entire nation. We were particularly excited about the Mainland Olympians’ visit to Hong Kong after the Paris Olympic Games, where we had the invaluable opportunity to appreciate their sporting skills up close. As the public celebrated our country’s achievements together, our national identity and sense of belonging to our country are fortified.
          
         Another important value that we recognise is the commercial opportunities that the sports industry presents. Investments in sports infrastructure, sponsorships, and merchandising contribute to the job creation and business development of Hong Kong. As we promote sports events and activities, we can attract local and international brands, fostering partnerships that add impetus to our economy.
          
         To encourage the commercialisation of sports events, the Government provides matching funds under the “M” Mark System to provide incentives for event organisers to seek sponsorship from commercial organisations. By making the best use of market resources, we believe that the quality of events can be further enhanced, which will help attract more commercial players to the sports ecosystem. This is also conducive to the sustainable development of the sports industry in the long run.
          
         Sports broadcasting is another important aspect in commercialising the sports industry. Given the rise of digital media, the broadcasting right of sports events has become even more valuable. The broadcasting of sports events does not only generate revenue and sponsorships but also increases the visibility of our athletes and the sports themselves. The Government’s purchase of the broadcasting right of the Paris Olympic Games and Paralympic Games last year enabled members of the public to enjoy the games on television free of charge and to cheer for the athletes. This undoubtedly has helped generate greater interest in sports in the community.
          
         Meanwhile, sports have played an increasingly important role in driving tourism in Hong Kong. Major sports events, such as the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens hosted every year, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, showcasing our city’s culture, hospitality, and vibrant spirit. By positioning Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, we strive to bring in high-level, high-profile sports competitions and support the invitation of star athletes to Hong Kong, which in turn promotes tourism by attracting families, event personnel and officials, as well as spectators from outside Hong Kong to participate in major sports events.
          
         I am sure that, like me, you are all looking forward to the formal opening of Kai Tak Sports Park, KTSP, on the 1st of March, that is, just a week away. And in fact, I just did two phone interviews about Kai Tak Sports Park this morning, on top of the one I gave yesterday. That is why I came a little bit late; I am very sorry about that. As Hong Kong’s largest sports infrastructure ever, KTSP will fully unleash the strengths and potential of Hong Kong in hosting high-profile mega sports events and entertainment programmes. Hong Kong sports teams will also have ample opportunities to compete at home turf. Additionally, KTSP will help develop peripheral products, including merchandise sales, venue management, refereeing, training, event co-ordination, etc. We will surely capitalise on the world-class facilities in KTSP in driving the sports development of Hong Kong.
          
         We recognise the importance of fostering sports exchanges and collaborations with the Mainland. This year, in November, Hong Kong will cohost the 15th National Games, and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games jointly with Guangdong Province and the Macao SAR (Special Administrative Region). Apart from attracting audiences from the Mainland and overseas to Hong Kong, the National Games series of events will allow Hong Kong citizens to participate in and support our team as home spectators. The preparation work of the Games is now in full swing. We will continue to leverage the opportunities to organise more sports exchanges with our Mainland counterparts.
          
         Sports are certainly an exciting area in Hong Kong full of different potential. As the sports industry continues to grow, there is a need to develop a robust legal system that supports fair play and resolves conflicts effectively, thereby promoting professionalism and accountability within the sector. The Chief Executive announced in 2024 Policy Address that the Government would support the industry to launch a pilot scheme on sports dispute resolution in Hong Kong. The availability of a sports dispute resolution mechanism would help preserve the integrity of sports and maintain a sustainable sporting environment. It is also essential to the advancement of sports development in Hong Kong, where a delay in handling of conflict may have a drastic impact on an athlete’s career. My bureau fully supports this initiative, and we look forward to your support and contribution to the pilot scheme.
          
         Ladies and gentlemen, sports have the potential to unlock a wide range of different values that enrich our community and contribute to the growth of Hong Kong. The potential for sports development is truly immense. My team will continue to work with the sports, legal and business sectors to ensure that the sports industry thrives. I am confident that through sports, we can build a stronger, healthier, and more united Hong Kong.
          
         Before I close, I would once again like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Roden and the Law Society of Hong Kong for organising this conference, and all speakers for sharing your insights, which are essential for creating a brighter future for the sports industry.
          
         I wish the conference a big success and your experience here truly rewarding. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Applications selected for 53rd personalised vehicle registration marks exercise

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Applications selected for 53rd personalised vehicle registration marks exercise
    Applications selected for 53rd personalised vehicle registration marks exercise
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    　　The Transport Department (TD) announced today (February 21) that the application numbers of the 1 500 personalised vehicle registration mark (PVRM) applications selected by lot for the 53rd exercise have been published on its website (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_application/index.html) and posted on the notice boards of the TD’s licensing offices. 　　”The applicants have already been sent an acknowledgement of receipt bearing an application number. They may check the list to see whether their applications have been selected. Applicants will also be notified of the ballot results by post in batches,” a department spokesman said. 　　The department will later check the proposed PVRMs selected against the basic combination requirements. If, among the selected applications, more than one applicant proposes the same PVRM, only the one on which the lot falls first out of those applications will be further processed. 　　If the selected PVRMs meet the basic requirements, the department will send notices by registered mail to the applicants in batches, requiring them to pay a deposit of $5,000 within the period specified in the notice. If an applicant fails to pay the deposit within that period, his or her application will be cancelled automatically and will not be further processed. 　　Upon receipt of the deposit, the Commissioner for Transport will determine, with the assistance of a vetting committee, whether an application should be approved or rejected. PVRMs approved in the 53rd exercise will be put up for auction in batches. Auction details will be published in newspapers and on the TD’s website in due course. 　　For enquiries, applicants can call the TD Hotline at 2804 2600.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 11:05

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Property owner fined and given suspended jail sentence for persistently not complying with removal order

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Property owner fined and given suspended jail sentence for persistently not complying with removal order
    Property owner fined and given suspended jail sentence for persistently not complying with removal order
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         A property owner was fined over $8,000 and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months upon conviction at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts earlier this month for persistently failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap 123).     The case involved an unauthorised structure with an area of about 28 square metres on the roof of a factory building at Ka Fu Close, Sheung Shui. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.     Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD in 2020 and was fined $6,040 upon conviction by the court. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal order, the BD instigated prosecution again in 2024. The owner subsequently completed the removal of the UBWs, and was convicted and fined $8,305 and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts on February 4.     A spokesman for the BD said today (February 21), “UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building safety.”     Failing to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year’s imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 11:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fatal traffic accident in Ma On Shan

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Fatal traffic accident in Ma On Shan
    Fatal traffic accident in Ma On Shan
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         Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Ma On Shan this morning (February 21) in which a man died.     At 6.45am, a school bus driven by a 78-year-old man was travelling along Kam Ying Road towards Wu Kai Sha. When the school bus was approaching near 9 Kam Ying Road, it reportedly went out of control and rammed into the railings.     Sustaining no superficial injury, the driver was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 7.31am.     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories South is under way.     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1346.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 10:54

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4458-4460: Winter Schminter

    Source: NASA

    Earth planning date: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
    During today’s unusual-for-MSL Tuesday planning day (because of the U.S. holiday on Monday), we planned activities under new winter heating constraints. Operating Curiosity on Mars requires attention to a number of factors — power, data volume, terrain roughness, temperature — that affect rover operability and safety. Winter means more heating to warm up the gears and mechanisms within the rover and the instruments, but energy that goes to heating means less energy for science observations. Nevertheless, we (and Curiosity) were up to the task of balancing heating and science, and planned enough observations to warm the science team’s hearts. 
    We fit in DRT, APXS, and MAHLI on two different bedrock targets, “Chumash Trail” and “Wheeler Gorge,” which have different fracturing and layering features. In the workspace, ChemCam targeted a clean vertical exposure of layered bedrock at “Sierra Madre” and a lumpy-looking patch of resistant nodules at “Chiquito Basin.” 
    The topography of the local terrain and our end-of-drive position after the weekend fortuitously lined up to give us a view of an exposure of the Marker Band, which we first explored on the other side of Gediz Vallis Ridge. Having a view of another exposure of this distinctive horizon helps give us further insight into its origin, so we included both RMI and Mastcam mosaics of the exposure. 
    Documenting a feature that, unlike the Marker Band, has been and will be in our sights for a long time — “Texoli” butte (pictured above) — was the goal of additional Mastcam and ChemCam imaging. Observations of potential sedimentary structures on the flank of Texoli motivated acquisition of an RMI mosaic, and a chance to capture structures along its southeast face inspired a Mastcam mosaic. Good exposures of additional nearby bedrock structures at “Mount Lukens” and “Chantry Flat” drew the eye of Mastcam, while another small mosaic focused on the kind of linear troughs in the sand we often see bordering bedrock slabs. Environmental observations included Navcam cloud and dust-devil movies, Mastcam observations of dust in the atmosphere, and REMS and RAD measurements spread across the three sols of the plan.
    Written by Michelle Minitti, Planetary Geologist at Framework

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Guiding Orion: Jorge Chong’s Mission to Advance Deep Space Exploration 

    Source: NASA

    Jorge Chong is helping shape the future of human spaceflight, one calculation at a time. As a project manager for TRON (Tracking and Ranging via Optical Navigation) and a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) test engineer in the Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division, he is leading efforts to ensure the Orion spacecraft can navigate deep space autonomously. 

    “GNC is like the brain of a spacecraft. It involves a suite of sensors that keep track of where the vehicle is in orbit so it can return home safely,” he said. “Getting to test the components of a GNC system makes you very familiar with how it all works together, and then to see it fly and help it operate successfully is immensely rewarding.” 
    His work is critical to the Artemis campaign, which aims to return humans to the Moon and pave the way for Mars. From developing optical navigation technology that allows Orion to determine its position using images of Earth and the Moon to testing docking cameras and Light Detection and Ranging systems that enable autonomous spacecraft rendezvous, Chong is pushing the limits of exploration. He also runs high-fidelity flight simulations at Lockheed Martin’s Orion Test Hardware facility in Houston, ensuring Orion’s software is ready for the demands of spaceflight. 
    Chong’s NASA career spans seven years as a full-time engineer, plus three years as a co-op student at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. In 2024, he began leading Project TRON, an optical navigation initiative funded by a $2 million Early Career Initiative award. The project aims to advance autonomous space navigation—an essential capability for missions beyond Earth’s orbit. 

    Thanks to Chong’s work, the Artemis Generation is one step closer to exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond. He supported optical navigation operations during Artemis I, is writing software that will fly on Artemis II, and leads optical testing for Orion’s docking cameras. But his path to NASA wasn’t always written in the stars. 
    “I found math difficult as a kid,” Chong admits. “I didn’t enjoy it at first, but my parents encouraged me patiently, and eventually it started to click and then became a strength and something I enjoyed. Now, it’s a core part of my career.” He emphasizes that perseverance is key, especially for students who may feel discouraged by challenging subjects. 
    Most of what Chong has learned, he says, came from working collaboratively on the job. “No matter how difficult something may seem, anything can be learned,” he said. “I could not have envisioned being involved in projects like these or working alongside such great teams before coming to Johnson.” 

    His career has also reinforced the importance of teamwork, especially when working with contractors, vendors, universities, and other NASA centers. “Coordinating across these dynamic teams and keeping the deliverables on track can be challenging, but it has helped to be able to lean on teammates for assistance and keep communication flowing,” said Chong.
    And soon, those systems will help Artemis astronauts explore places no human has gone before. Whether guiding Orion to the Moon or beyond, Chong’s work is helping NASA write the next chapter of space exploration. 
    “I thank God for the doors He has opened for me and the incredible mentors and coworkers who have helped me along the way,” he said. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 60 Years Ago: Ranger 8 Moon Photos Aid in Apollo Site Selection 

    Source: NASA

    Before Apollo astronauts set foot upon the Moon, much remained unknown about the lunar surface. While most scientists believed the Moon had a solid surface that would support astronauts and their landing craft, a few believed a deep layer of dust covered it that would swallow any visitors. Until 1964, no closeup photographs of the lunar surface existed, only those obtained by Earth-based telescopes. 
    NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, managed the Ranger program, a series of spacecraft designed to return closeup images before impacting on the Moon’s surface. Ranger 7 first accomplished that goal in July 1964. On Feb. 17, 1965, its successor Ranger 8 launched toward the Moon, and three days later returned images of the Moon. The mission’s success helped the country meet President John F. Kennedy’s goal of a human Moon landing before the end of the decade. 

    Ranger 8 lifted off from Cape Kennedy, now Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Feb. 17, 1965. The Atlas-Agena rocket first placed the spacecraft into Earth orbit before sending it on a lunar trajectory. The next day, the spacecraft carried out a mid-course correction, and on Feb. 20, Ranger 8 reached the Moon. The spacecraft’s six cameras turned on as planned, about eight minutes earlier than its predecessor to obtain images comparable in resolution to ground-based photographs for calibration purposes. Ranger 8 took its first photograph at an altitude of 1,560 miles, and during its final 23 minutes of flight, the spacecraft sent back 7,137 images of the lunar surface. The last image, taken at an altitude of 1,600 feet and 0.28 seconds before Ranger 8 impacted at 1.67 miles per second, had a resolution of about five feet. The spacecraft impacted 16 miles from its intended target in the Sea of Tranquility, ending a flight of 248,900 miles. Scientists had an interest in this area of the Moon as a possible landing zone for a future human landing, and indeed Apollo 11 landed 44 miles southeast of the Ranger 8 impact site in July 1969.  

    One more Ranger mission followed, Ranger 9, in March 1965. Television networks broadcast Ranger 9’s images of the Alphonsus crater and the surrounding area “live” as the spacecraft approached its impact site in the crater – letting millions of Americans see the Moon up-close as it happened. Based on the photographs returned by the last three Rangers, scientists felt confident to move on to the next phase of robotic lunar exploration, the Surveyor series of soft landers. The Ranger photographs provided confidence that the lunar surface could support a soft-landing and that the Sea of Tranquility presented a good site for the first human landing. A little more than four years after the final Ranger images, Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the Moon. 

    The impacts of the Ranger probes left visible craters on the lunar surface, later photographed by orbiting spacecraft. Lunar Orbiter 2 and Apollo 16 both imaged the Ranger 8 impact site at relatively low resolution in 1966 and 1972, respectively. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the crash site in greater detail in 2012. 
    Watch a brief video about the Ranger 8 impact on the Moon. 

    MIL OSI USA News –