NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview – ABC Adelaide

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    JULES SCHILLER: Well as you know, the Albanese government was overwhelmingly re-elected and Jason Clare has resumed his ministry. He is the Federal Education Minister. He joins us now. Jason Clare, welcome.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: G’day, guys. Good to be here.

    SCHILLER: Congratulations on your re-election and becoming Federal Education Minister again. Of course, one of the big ticket promises of your Government was to reduce the debts of HECS students by 20 per cent. When will they see that extra money in their pockets?

    CLARE: This year there’s two things that we’ve got to do: one, we’ve got to pass a law through the Parliament to make this happen. And then the second thing is the Tax Office have to lop this off everyone’s debt. You’re right – one of the biggest promises we made in the campaign was to cut everyone’s student debt by 20 per cent, and that’s 3 million Aussies that might have a debt from uni or TAFE or somewhere else. And it will be the first bill that we introduce into the Parliament when Parliament sits for the first time in the last week of July.

    What that legislation will do is cut everyone’s debt by 20 per cent and backdate that cut to this coming Saturday. And that’s important because every 1st of June in every year HECS debts or student debts get indexed. That 20 per cent cut will come into effect before that indexation effectively happens this Saturday, to make sure that we honour the promise we made, and we cut everyone’s debt by 20 per cent. Legislation, once that’s passed, getting the Tax Office to cut everyone’s debt by 20 per cent.

    RORY McLAREN: What is the cost to the budget of this decision, Minister?

    CLARE: The cost to the budget over the forward estimates, or the next four years, is about $700 million dollars. The cost over the longer term is around about $16 billion. We’re reducing the debt that’s owed by Australians to the Commonwealth over the next few decades by about $16 billion dollars. Now, what it means –

    McLAREN: That’s not small. That’s not a small change to the federal budget at all.

    CLARE: No, it’s not small. It’s not small. But when you think about the 3 million Australians – many of them in their 20s and 30s, they’ve just finished uni, they’re just moving out of home, they’ve got their first job, they want to buy a home, and they’ve got this big HECS debt that they’ve got to pay off. I think everyone listening will know somebody in this situation and perhaps will know that HECS debts are bigger today than they were when I went to uni, when many of us went to university – that by cutting this debt by 20 per cent, it’s going to help a lot of people get a good start in life, make it easier to get out there and buy their first home. The average debt today is about $27,000 and so what this will mean for someone in that situation is that their debt will be cut by about $5,500.

    SONYA FELDHOFF: And while I’m sure they will be thrilled about that, they will then get it indexed again. And a lot of people question how fair the indexation side of things is. Is there any option to look at that?

    CLARE: We’ve done that. One of the things that we did last year, because of rampant inflation, when inflation was raging around the world. It hit Australia and it hit HECS debts here in Australia. We saw HECS debts go up by 7 per cent in 2023. That wasn’t fair. Everybody with a HECS debt told us that, and so we passed legislation last year that said that HECS debts or student debts can’t go up by either the lowest of either inflation or wages.

    So that change happened last year, and it meant that in December last year, everyone with a HECS debt would have seen their debts drop. We cut HECS debts by about $3 billion dollars last year because of that. So that’s an important change. Indexation is important because it means that when the Australian taxpayer lends you a dollar, you get that dollar back in real terms. But we’ve changed the formula to make it fairer.

    SCHILLER: Jason Clare, can I ask you about the Job-ready Graduates Scheme? Now this was introduced by Dan Tehan, your predecessor, under the Morrison Government. It increased the contributions, HECS debts of arts students, society and culture degrees by around about 113 per cent. Considering a lot of these students are women who overwhelmingly voted for you in the federal election, it is seen as punitive because, you know, they’re earnings aren’t necessarily as much as STEM graduates. Will you reverse this decision?

    CLARE: It’s one of the things that we’re looking at right now. You’re right – it was introduced by the former Liberal Government and didn’t work. If the intention was to reduce the number of people doing arts degrees, then that hasn’t happened. There’re more people studying arts degrees today than when they implemented this reform. And that’s because people pick the courses that they love, that they’re passionate about, that they want to do, not based on the price tag attached to it.

    Fixing it is complex. What we have announced is that we’ll establish something called the Australian Tertiary Education Commission to help to drive long-term reform of our universities and our tertiary education system. It starts work on the 1st of July, so in just over a month’s time. And one of the tasks that we’ve asked them to look at is exactly this – to look at that Job-ready Graduates program and what change can happen.

    Can I mention just quickly two other things, because there’s been a lot of attention on the cut to HECS by 20 per cent, and that’s what that bill that I introduce will do. But the bill will do two other things as well: it will change the amount of money that you have to earn before you start paying your debt back. At the moment you have to start paying it back once you earn $54,000 a year. That will be increased to $67,000 a year. And it will also reduce your annual repayments. For somebody on an income of $70,000 a year it will reduce the amount that you have to repay back to the Government every year by about $1,300 a year. It means more money in your pocket. And they were recommendations by Bruce Chapman, the architect of HECS who designed it with John Dawkins back in the 80s.

    FELDHOFF: Just before we move on from the HECS debt, Federal Education Minister, I’ve got a question on the text line. I think you mentioned June 1st was the date that that would be backdated to?

    CLARE: Yep.

    FELDHOFF: So, I don’t think that applies to this person. What about those that just finished paying their HECS debt back? Do they get a refund? I guess hypothetically, what happens if you choose to pay the HECS debt, you know sometime after June 1st? Will they get the refund?

    CLARE: People that have got a HECS debt today and they have a HECS debt next week, they’ll see the benefit of this. Obviously if your HECS debt has already been paid off today then a 20 per cent cut to zero is still zero.

    FELDHOFF: But if you paid that off on June 2nd, for instance, you might get a refund?

    CLARE: I’ll have to have a look at that. But what we want to do is make sure that everybody that’s got a HECS debt, a student debt now, and there’s 3 million of them right across the country, get the benefit of this cut by 20 per cent.

    McLAREN: Minister, ahead of the federal election you managed to get a new funding agreement in place with states and territories for schools. It comes at a time when the latest NAPLAN results show one in three Australian school students is performing below literacy and numeracy benchmarks. How quickly can you turn that performance around in this term of government?

    CLARE: This agreement that we’ve struck not just with the South Australian Government but every Government across the country is crucial. It makes good on what Whitlam was talking about in the 50s about needs-based funding for schools and what Gonski built as a formula but has never been implemented before. It’s about funding our schools properly but also tying that funding to practical and real reforms that are going to address the sort of things you’re talking about.

    What NAPLAN really tells us is this – and it’s a test for students at school in year 3, year 5, year 7 and year 9 – and it tells us that about one in 10 children are below what we used to call the minimum standard, but it’s one in three children from poor families, from our outer suburbs, from our regions, Indigenous kids, who are below that minimum standard. And even more concerningly, what really concerns me, because there’s always going to be children who fall behind, what NAPLAN tells us is that 80 per cent of the children who are below the minimum standard in year 3 are still below the minimum standard when they’re 15 in year 9 – in other words, they’re not catching up.

    What this funding is tied to are things like phonics checks, literacy checks in year 1 that South Australia did first, and the rest of the nation has followed. But also, numeracy checks in year 1 to identify the maths skills of students when they first start school, and South Australia is going to roll that out next year along with Victoria and New South Wales. And then when you identify the children through those checks that are behind, investing in things like catch-up tutoring where, if a child needs more individualised support, they get it by being taken out of a classroom of 25 or 30 –

    McLAREN: But this is all going to take time, Minister, with respect. So how quickly are you hoping to see improvements in the results, as a result of the agreements you reached, including with Queensland back in March?

    CLARE: There’s two things I want to see improvements in. I want to see improvements in results through things like that catch-up tutoring. I want to stress this point, because it’s an example of the sort of practical reforms that I think are necessary. We know that if a child gets taken out of a big class into individualised support with one or two other children 40 minutes a day, four days a week, they can learn as much in six months as they’d normally learn in 12 months. In other words, they catch up, and the sooner a child who needs extra support gets it, the better chance they have of catching up occurs.

    But the other thing that we need to do is increase had number of kids finishing high school. 10 years ago, 83 per cent of young people at public high schools finished high school. Today it’s 73 per cent. It’s gone in the absolute wrong direction in public schools. We’ve got to turn that around. It’s more important to finish school today than it was when we were kids and then go on to TAFE or go on to uni, get the sort of skills for the jobs that are being created now and will be created in the future.

    If we get this right, if the funding is invested in the right things that help kids catch up, they’re more likely to finish school, particularly kids from poor backgrounds and from the outer suburbs. And so, this is all connected. It doesn’t mean that you can click your fingers, pass a bill and it all gets fixed straight away; that’s not the way this works. But you’ve got to invest now in the right things to see an impact in the years ahead.

    SCHILLER: You’re listening to Jason Clare, Federal Education Minister. It is 891 ABC Radio Adelaide’s Sonya, Jules and Rory for Breakfast at 13 minutes to 9. Jason Clare, can I ask you about civics in schools? I think we spoke to some people who literally voted – their basis of voting was who gave them a how-to-vote card first.

    FELDHOFF: Yeah.

    SCHILLER: Now, that’s not all –

    FELDHOFF: And we don’t learn civics in school to a great extent.

    SCHILLER: Yeah. That’s not all people, but the understanding of how local government, state government and federal government works you would have to say is not great at the moment. Do you think this is a discipline that needs to be more prominent in our education?

    CLARE: We do learn it at schools. One of the things that worries me is I often find that kids in primary school have got a better grasp on this than kids in high school. It’s a big part of the curriculum in year 5 and year 6, and when I visit primary schools and I ask children about the way the Parliament works, you get the right answers. If I go and see students in year 9 or year 10, they’ve sometimes forgotten it. It’s not just what you learn in the classroom, it’s the opportunity to visit Parliament House, whether it’s in Adelaide or whether it’s in Canberra as well. We’ve cut the cost of those visits to make it easier for people not just from Canberra to visit Parliament House but from South Australia as well. I think last year about 3,500 students visited Canberra, get to visit the War Memorial as well. People don’t just learn in the classroom. If you can see it with your own eyes, I think it has an impact. But all of the evidence we’re getting is that young people don’t understand the way that our system of Government works as well as you’d like them to. And it’s the sort of thing we need to look at.

    FELDHOFF: Yeah. So that will be a priority. Any others that you have over the next three years, given that it’s the first time we’ve spoken to you since you’re re-in the role?

    CLARE: A couple of things. Obviously top priority is doing what we promised, delivering on the things that we committed to. So that’s the legislation we’ve talked about this morning – cutting student debt by 20 per cent. In schools, it’s the rollout of this big agreement, the billion dollars in South Australia but $16.5 billion across the country and the reforms that are tied to it.

    I’m also responsible for early education as well. And so that includes the rollout of the 15 per cent pay rise for our early educators and building more early education centres in places where they don’t exist. We know that most of the brain develops before you even get to school and children who miss out start behind. And so those investments there are just as important.

    FELDHOFF: Thank you for your time today. The Federal Education Minister Jason Clare.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Gawler Belt

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash at Gawler Belt.

    Just before 2.30pm on Wednesday 28 May, police were called to the intersection of Horrocks Highway and Thiele Highway at Gawler Belt after reports a car and a motorbike collided.

    There will be road closures in place, motorists are asked to please avoid the area.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Horeke Homicide: Positive response to Police appeal

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Northland Police investigating the death of Horeke man Daniel Hepehi are continuing to build a picture about events that led up to an incident at his property.

    Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston, of Northland CIB, says the investigation team are working on fresh lines of enquiry following an appeal for information yesterday.

    “We have a motivated team building a picture of what happened to Mr Hepehi and we continue to ask people with information to come forward,” he says.

    Police are appealing for sightings of the 77-year-old, who was also known as Danny Whitson, on Wednesday, May 21.

    “We’d like to hear from anyone who saw or interacted with Mr Hepehi on May 21,” Detective Inspector Johnston says.

    “We know he shopped for groceries in Kaikohe around 10.30am last Wednesday.”

    Police are continuing an appeal for sightings of a green and gold 4-wheel-drive with the number plate LCP129 on May 21.

    “Police are investigating a connection between the vehicle and Daniel Hepehi,” Detective Inspector Johnston says.

    Anyone with information is asked to update Police online or call 105.

    Please quote the reference number 250522/0155. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pay parity back pedal a kick in the teeth for ECE kaiako

    Source: Green Party

    The Government’s latest move to unwind the ‘pay parity’ regime carefully negotiated between government and the sector is a kick in the teeth for already undervalued and underpaid kaiako.

    “Make no mistake, this is a move by the Government to ensure that pay increases for teachers stay low, while cutting costs to employers,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Early Childhood Education, Benjamin Doyle (they/them).

    “Today, the Ministry of Education announced that, following a decision by Minister Seymour, centres in the pay parity scheme don’t have to offer new teachers pay parity rates. So while they can’t cut the pay of their existing workers, they don’t have to maintain these rates for new employees – meaning reduction in wages over time. 

    “This is another blow to kaiako – already undervalued and let down by this government by the pay equity debacle. Slashing pay sends a clear message that teachers don’t matter.

    “Driving down wages means more teachers walking away, and it’s our tamariki and their whānau who will pay the price. We can’t gamble with their futures by short-changing the very people who shape them.

    “This news comes less than a fortnight after we learned the dire state of sector’s confidence in the direction the Government is taking ECE, with 82 per cent of those at the coalface saying it’s going in the wrong direction.

    “Every child in Aotearoa deserves the best start in life. That demands an ECE system that places tamariki at its core by supporting and valuing the important work of teachers and educators.

    “Our Green Budget has shown that we can pay every ECE teacher fairly—if we make the sector not-for-profit, public, and community-led.

    “Take out the corporate greed and put every dollar into tamariki and kaiako – that’s how we can lower costs for parents and pay teachers what they deserve,” says Benjamin Doyle.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • President of Paraguay to undertake first-ever state visit to India from June 2-4

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña Palacios, will pay a State Visit to India from the 2nd to the 4th of June. This marks President Peña’s first visit to India and only the second-ever visit by a Paraguayan head of state to the country.

    The visiting dignitary will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior government officials, and business representatives. In addition to engagements in the national capital, President Peña will also visit Mumbai before concluding his visit on June 4.

    During the visit, President Peña is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 2. The leaders will undertake a comprehensive review of the entire spectrum of bilateral relations. Prime Minister Modi is also expected to host a lunch in honour of the visiting President.

    President Peña will also call on the Hon’ble President of India, Droupadi Murmu, who will host a banquet in his honour. The Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and the External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar are also expected to meet the visiting leader during his stay in New Delhi.

    India and Paraguay share warm and friendly ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations on September 13, 1961. The bilateral partnership spans across a range of sectors including trade, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. Paraguay is considered an important trading partner for India in the Latin American region.

    Indian companies, particularly in the automobile and pharmaceutical sectors, have a growing presence in Paraguay. Similarly, Paraguayan firms — including those operating through joint ventures — have expanded their footprint in India, contributing positively to the economic engagement between the two nations.

    India and Paraguay also share converging views on a range of global issues, including United Nations reforms, climate change, promotion of renewable energy, and the fight against terrorism.

    During his visit to Mumbai, President Peña is scheduled to interact with state-level political leadership, business and industry representatives, startups, and leaders from the technology and innovation sectors.

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Paracetamol to poisoning: When medicines harm instead of heal

    Source:

    28 May 2025

    Medicine-related problems cause about 93 children to present at hospital each day

    Every day, nearly 100 children present to Australian emergency departments with suspected medicine poisoning. It’s a startling statistic, but a reality that could be avoided, according to new research from the University of South Australia. 

    Now, the latest Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Medicine Safety report – produced by UniSA – shows that many medicine-related problems among children and teenagers are not only foreseeable but, in most cases, preventable.

    The report reveals that most medicine harms are caused by unsafe off-label use, unexpected drug interactions, accidental poisoning, or overdoses from common household medicines like paracetamol.

    Specifically, it shows that:

    • Medicine-related problems cause about 93 children to present at hospital each day – half of these are preventable; additionally, about 40 of these children and teens are admitted, and half of these are also preventable.
    • About 120,000 children (aged under 14) experience a bad reaction to medicines over a six-month period – nearly a third of these are children aged four and under.
    • Accidental poisonings are common – every day, seven children attend the emergency department for medicine-related poisonings; three children are admitted.
    • Paracetamol and antidepressants are mostly responsible for poisoning admissions – Younger boys account for most poisonings in children under 10, while girls account for most poisonings among teens. In 2022-23, 7,332 children (aged 0-19) were admitted to hospital for medicine poisoning.
    • The cost of medicine-related harm in children is at least $130 million every year – related Emergency Department attendances accounting for $30 million, and an additional direct cost of medicine poisonings to the health system is estimated at $40 million per year.

    The National Health Survey shows that most children and teens have between one and four different medicines dispensed over the past six months; 50% have had at least one PBS medicine dispensed in the past six months; about 184,000 have had between five and nine medicines dispensed; and an estimated 11,500 have had 10 or more.

    Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Imaina Widagdo, says children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to medicine-related harm.

    “Medicine use among children and teenagers is common. Yet given that nearly 100 children present at hospitals each day for adverse reactions, it’s clear that more needs to be done to protect their health,” Dr Widagdo says.

    “Medicines are meant to help – and usually they do. But there are important things that parents and carers need to know. Firstly, unlike adults, children have developing bodies, which means they can respond to medicines differently than adults. Secondly, because medicines are rarely trialled with children, the doses, safety and efficacy of certain medicines may not be fully known or always accurate.

    “What this tells us is that we need to take much more care when prescribing and monitoring medicines for children and young people.”

    It’s a timely reminder to take extra care with children’s medicines, particularly following the recent Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) safety warnings on Risperidone dosing earlier this month, where accidental administering of more than the prescribed dose led to multiple children being hospitalised.

    “As we see greater incidences of chronic health conditions among children and teens, it’s important for parents and carers to prioritise the safe storage and careful administration of medicines at homes, schools, and childcare,” Dr Widagdo says.

    “Often, there are no child-specific preparations available, so extra care is needed when storing and dosing medicines.

    “Finally, we encourage parents and carers to report any suspected adverse medicine reactions to the TGA’s adverse drug reaction reporting system, which can help build more accurate medicine safety profiles.”

    Better education, safer prescribing, and more informed use at home could significantly reduce these risks.

    “We all have a responsibility to protect children and teenagers from the incorrect use or accidental consumption of medicines. Because when it comes to children’s safety, prevention is always better than cure.”

    If an overdose occurs, a medication error is made, or poisoning is suspected, immediately call 000 for an ambulance if there’s a medical emergency or call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice. 

    The full research team includes Dr Imaina Widagdo, Dr Renly Lim and Professor Libby Roughead.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview:  Dr Imaina Widagdo E: Imaina.Widagdo@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489  E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Four thousand schoolchildren from the capital took part in the demonstration exam

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Four thousand Moscow schoolchildren wrote a demonstration exam at the Moscow Palace of Pioneers. More than 500 children became winners and prize winners. They will receive additional points when entering leading universities. This was reported by the press service of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers. Department of Education and Science.

    “This year, more than 500 children became winners and prize winners of the demonstration exam, 40 of whom received the maximum score. Such results indicate that young Muscovites are actively mastering subjects outside the school curriculum. These subjects help them choose their future professional trajectory, immerse themselves in an environment of like-minded people, and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills,” the department’s press service reported.

    This year, the exam was conducted in 14 competencies, such as programming, application development, computer vision, web design, robotics, drone operation, prototyping, digital illustration, photography, media technology and video production.

    The exam traditionally took place in two stages. The qualifying stage was remote. Participants completed practice-oriented tasks on the educational platform Moodle. For example, in the prototyping exam, it was necessary to make 3D models of parts based on drawings and prepare a control program for printing.

    The best schoolchildren were invited to the final stage, which took place at the Moscow Palace of Pioneers and federal universities. The results were assessed by independent experts and observers — representatives of Moscow universities, including Lomonosov Moscow State University and Russian State University for the Humanities, as well as employers.

    “I took the robotics exam. Initially, it was my hobby, but now I want it to grow into a professional occupation. I would like to develop in the field of delivery robots. They can already be seen in the center of Moscow, but so far they cannot, say, fly or plan a route. One of the creative tasks in the exam was to present a prototype of such a robot. And this is exactly the development that I have always thought about. Therefore, for my work I received a high mark and additional points that will help me when entering the Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman,” shared Mikhail Kozychev, a student of the robotics club of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers, who scored 100 points.

    During the exam, the capital’s schoolchildren developed robotic systems, solved robotics problems, created electronic models and were engaged in prototyping. In addition, they demonstrated drone piloting skills in a simulator and created interactive applications using computer vision algorithms. For example, the participants developed an image processing program with a gesture recognition function in the Python programming language, completing a computer vision task.

    Artem Torlanov, a student at the Moscow Palace of Pioneers’ programming club, said that he had been preparing for this exam for a very long time. He proved to himself that he had mastered programming languages well, for which he received a high score from teachers at two leading Moscow universities, which he wanted to enroll in.

    The exam participants also showed their skills in design. They worked on layouts and multimedia projects, designed and laid out web pages, and developed the design of the device body based on the drawings of its main elements. For example, during the industrial design exam, the students developed a project for the body of an outdoor charging station for electric vehicles.

    In addition, the schoolchildren demonstrated their skills in photography and processing of footage, and creating videos. During the competition, the participants took photos of portraits in the interior, and also shot and edited a film on the topic of “Architecture and History of the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory.”

    Positive results of students in the demonstration exam are taken into account as an individual achievement by 19 leading Moscow universities. Among them are the National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”, the National Research University “Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology”, the National Research Nuclear University “Moscow Engineering Physics Institute”, the National Research Technological University “Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys”, the National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, the Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, the Russian State University named after A.N. Kosygin, the Russian Biotechnology University, the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation – Russian Technological University, the Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman, the Moscow Polytechnic University, the Moscow State Technological University “Stankin”, the Moscow Automobile and Road State Technical University and the Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University).

    The demonstration exam has been held since 2017 in additional education disciplines. During this time, more than 20 thousand Moscow schoolchildren have taken part in it. More than three thousand of them received benefits when entering the leading universities of the capital.

    Conducting intellectual events for schoolchildren helps develop children’s talents and develop skills that will be useful to them in their future profession, and is consistent with the objectives of the “Professionalism” and “All the Best for Children” projects of the national project “Youth and Children”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154399073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Several central streets and embankments of the capital will be closed to traffic on May 31

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In connection with the Green Marathon sports event in Moscow, traffic on the central embankments and streets will be temporarily closed. The main restrictions will be introduced on May 31.

    From 03:00 May 29 to 03:00 May 31 and from 18:00 May 31 to 09:00 June 1, it will be impossible to drive on one lane of Moskvoretskaya Street from Moskvoretskaya Embankment to Varvarki Street. And from 03:00 May 29 to 09:00 June 1, three lanes will be closed on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge from Varvarki Street to Bolotnaya Street.

    On May 31, from 03:00 to 13:00, Staraya Square (from Novaya Square to Kitaygorodsky Proezd) and Novaya Square (from Teatralny Proezd to Staraya Square) will also be closed to traffic. From 03:00 to 18:00, it will be impossible to drive along Moskvoretskaya Street from Moskvoretskaya Embankment to Varvarka Street, along Vasilievsky Spusk Square from Kremlevskaya Embankment to Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, and along Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge from Varvarka Street to Bolotnaya Street. During this period, there will be no traffic along Varvarka and Ilyinka Streets.

    Goncharnaya and Krasnokholmskaya embankments will be closed on Saturday from 07:00 to 11:00, Moskvoretskaya, Kremlevskaya, Prechistenskaya embankments and Kitaygorodsky proezd – from 07:00 to 13:00.

    From 07:00 to 13:00, it will be impossible to drive along Bolotnaya and Sadovnicheskaya streets, Sofiyskaya, Raushskaya, Kosmodamianskaya and Ustinskaya embankments, as well as in Faleevsky Lane and along the Bolshoi and Maly Ustinsky bridges. The side roads of the Bolshoi Ustinsky bridge will also be closed to traffic. From 07:30 to 12:30, traffic will be restricted on Kotelnicheskaya embankment.

    Traffic will be closed on Luzhnetskaya Embankment from 08:00 to 12:15, and on Frunzenskaya Embankment from 08:00 to 12:45.

    In addition, from 00:01 on May 31 until the end of the event, parking will be temporarily prohibited in areas with temporary traffic restrictions.

    Drivers are advised to plan their route in advance, taking into account changes on the roads. All detailed information is on the website Traffic Management Center.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154406073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 10 hectares of pond, lake and small river bottoms will be surveyed by Mosvodostok divers in 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Divers from the State Unitary Enterprise Mosvodostok have begun routine work to inspect city water bodies and the engineering structures located on them. This was reported by the city economy complex. In total, they will inspect more than 10 hectares of the bottom of ponds, lakes and small rivers, as well as 13 dams and five water outlets.

    Inspection of water bodies and drainage infrastructure is necessary to ensure the unimpeded flow of surface water during heavy rainfall and to maintain the sanitary condition of water bodies.

    Specialists pay special attention to household and natural waste, which can reduce the capacity of the drainage system. During the work, logs, branches, sand and silt deposits and household waste brought by water flows are removed.

    The survey is carried out both at depth and near the shore. The divers are equipped with everything necessary: breathing and communication equipment, various types of wetsuits, weights and hanging safety systems.

    There are 33 divers working in Mosvodostok. They are divided into teams of four: two are in the water, one provides insurance, and one maintains communications.

    In the winter of 2025, the company’s divers cleaned the lock chamber of the Syromyatnichesky hydroelectric complex, removing 400 cubic meters of silt deposits and debris at a depth of more than five meters. During the period of minimum water levels, specialists also examined large drainage collectors in which underground rivers flow, carried out repairs to the dam on the Yauza River, and replaced the sluice gates on the settling ponds of the Nishchenka River.

    270 capital ponds to be prepared for summer seasonThis year, 19 reservoirs will be put in order in Moscow

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154416073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A set of a 17th-century craftswoman was discovered by archaeologists in Zamoskvorechye

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A collection of women’s handicrafts found in Zamoskvorechye is being restored and prepared for transfer to a museum. Moscow archaeologists discovered 17th-century artifacts during work on Bolshaya Tatarskaya Street that presumably could have belonged to city craftswomen.

    “Among the artifacts found on the site in Zamoskvorechye are various items of women’s handicrafts. Cufflinks with enamel inserts, a thimble and hanging buttons made of non-ferrous metal are well preserved. Restorers have already managed to carry out the necessary conservation work. Such buttons were an indispensable attribute of the city’s costume of city dwellers. Of the jewelry, a girl’s ring was probably found, as well as various decorative figured overlays for accessories. After the restoration of the remaining artifacts found on this territory is completed, the set of the 17th-century Moscow craftswoman will be transferred to the museum fund as part of the collection,” said the head of the Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage.

    Alexey Emelyanov.

    Moscow archaeologists have explored the Zamoskvorechye area. The work was carried out at several excavations, and as a result, valuable historical data on the development of this area of Moscow was obtained.

    The collection, formed as a result of archaeological research, includes 1,203 artifacts. They are items of urban life from the 15th to 17th centuries, as well as the 18th to 19th centuries. A variety of pomade jars, which were intended for various creams and ointments, as well as confectionery jars, such as a glass jar from the capital’s confectionery factory of Yegor Fedorovich Savatyugin, belong to a later period. The set of decorative porcelain figurines found depicting people and animals is also diverse – a glass figurine of a dog in a collar stands out against their background.

    Bolshaya Tatarskaya Street got its name from the area that was previously located here, called Tatarskaya Sloboda. The first mentions of the Sloboda date back to the second half of the 17th century – it is mentioned in this charter, dated 1619.

    In total, over the last 14 years, Moscow archaeologists have discovered more than 120 thousand finds. Over 47 thousand items have been transferred to Moscow museums in five years.

    Quickly find out the main news of the capital in official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154442073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Traffic on a section of Sibiryakovskaya Street will become one-way

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    From May 30, the traffic pattern on the section of Sibiryakovskaya Street from Nansena Passage to Amundsen Street will change. This will improve traffic conditions and increase the safety of all participants.

    Drivers can currently drive through this section in both directions, but the limited width of the road creates difficulties with oncoming traffic, especially in the morning and evening hours. The curators of the Traffic Management Center have developed a new scheme: now it will only be possible to drive in one direction, from Nansen Passage towards Amundsen Street.

    To bypass, you can use the 3rd passage near boarding school No. 102 – this will increase travel time by no more than two minutes.

    Drivers are advised to study the updated diagram in advance and carefully follow road signs.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154405073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Trump administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the cable that the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants after a review is completed and advised consular sections to halt the scheduling of such visa appointments.

    The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda.

    Several hundred protesters, including Harvard University students and professors, demonstrated in support of foreign students at the Harvard campus on Tuesday, while also protesting Trump administration efforts to cut off funding to the university.

    In the cable, first reported by Politico, Rubio said appointments that have already been scheduled can proceed under the current guidelines, but available appointments not already taken should be pulled down.

    “The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants, and based on that review, plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants,” the cable said.

    A senior State Department official confirmed the accuracy of the cable.

    State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on reports of the cable, but said the U.S. will use “every tool” to vet anyone who wants to enter the United States.

    “We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce told reporters at a regular news briefing.

    The expanded social media vetting will require consular sections to modify their operations, processes and allocation of resources, according to the cable, which advises the sections going forward to take into consideration the workload and resource requirements of each case before scheduling them.

    The cable also advises consular sections to remain focused on services for U.S. citizens, immigrant visas and fraud prevention.

    Trump administration officials have said student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas.

    Trump’s critics have called the effort an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

    A Tufts University student from Turkey was held for over six weeks in an immigration detention center in Louisiana after co-writing an opinion piece criticizing her school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. She was released from custody after a federal judge granted her bail.

    Last week, the Trump administration moved to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. Those roughly 6,800 students make up about 27% of Harvard’s total enrollment.

    The Republican president’s administration has moved to undermine the financial stability and global standing of the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university after it pushed back on government demands for vast changes to its policies.

    (Reuters) 

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ7: Identifying calls from government departments and public organisations

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ7: Identifying calls from government departments and public organisations 
    Question:
     
         It has been reported that telephone frauds have occurred frequently in Hong Kong in recent years and to avoid being defrauded, quite a number of members of the public prefer not answering calls from non-traditional telephone numbers with prefixes of “3” or “5”, etc, telephone numbers not found in their phone contacts and without caller numbers. However, there are views pointing out that such calls may also include those from government departments and public organisations, such as public hospitals, the Police and Immigration Department, etc, and refusal to answer these calls may result in wastage and ineffective use of some public resources as well as affect the use of public services by members of the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the major prefixes of existing fixed-line telephone numbers of government departments, public organisations and public hospitals, and the respective percentages of telephone numbers with the relevant prefixes;
     
    (2) whether it has examined the actual situation of the effect of frequent occurrence of telephone fraud on the contact made by various government departments and public organisations with members of the public by phone, including the telephone number prefixes which were most affected, the five government departments and public organisations which were most affected, and the estimated number of members of the public who have not been successfully contacted;
     
    (3) regarding the failure of staff of government departments and public organisations to effectively contact members of the public by their office fixed-line telephones, whether follow-up mechanism and guidelines have currently been put in place, including the circumstances under which the responsible personnel are allowed to follow up using their private mobile phones; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will formulate the relevant mechanism and guidelines in the future; and
     
    (4) whether consideration will be given to reorganise and centralise the allocation of telephone numbers of government departments and public organisations with specified prefixes, so as to facilitate identification by members of the public and reduce the chance of refusal to answer calls?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has been devising and implementing a series of preventive measures from the perspective of telecommunications services to assist the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) in combating phone deception at the source. In response to the question raised by the Hon Duncan Chiu, having consulted OFCA and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, our consolidated reply is as follows:
     
         Government departments and public organisations will enter into commercial service contracts with telecommunications service providers respectively based on their own operational needs for suitable telephone services and obtain office phone numbers. In addition, OFCA has established a mechanism to provide designated telephone numbers for government departments or public organisations in need of hotline numbers or communication with the public. Examples include the Government’s one-stop service hotline 1823, the Police’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre hotline 18222, the Customs and Excise Department’s reporting hotline 1828080, the Immigration Department’s service hotline 1868, and the Home Affairs Department’s “Care Team” inquiry number 182111. The operational arrangements for these phone numbers and actual interface with the public will be determined by the respective government departments and public organisations in accordance with their mode of operation, service nature and needs for communicating with the public. OFCA does not centrally collect or maintain related data or information.
     
         Currently, government departments and public organisations involve hundreds of thousands of telephone numbers and users, with varying nature and requirements for phone services when communicating with the public. If all government departments and public organisations needed to restructure and be uniformly allocated with telephone numbers of designated prefixes, and massively revamp the existing telephone systems as well as hotline/office phone numbers, the whole process would be complex and time-consuming. In particular, there would be a need to put in place transitional arrangements, and all users should be informed of the updated phone numbers. It could instead cause confusion and inconvenience to the public during such a period. Therefore, the suggestion to uniformly allocate telephone numbers with designated prefixes for all government departments and public organisations may not be the most effective way to prevent phone deception. In fact, the tactics of phone deception are ever-changing. Criminals may use other means to impersonate government calls. In this connection, OFCA will continue to work with the telecommunications industry and the Police to mitigate the risk of phone deception on various fronts, including requiring telecommunications service operators to block/suspend suspected fraudulent phone numbers and websites, intercept suspicious calls starting with “+852”, send voice alerts or text messages to all mobile users for overseas calls prefixed with “+852”, and play voice alerts for newly activated prepaid SIM cards, so as to assist the public in guarding against suspicious calls and messages.

         To enhance the regulation and security of mobile device usage by government staff members and to effectively mitigate the risk of leaking sensitive government information, the Digital Policy Office has issued the “Practice Guide for Mobile Security” (Guide). Among others, the Guide requires government bureaux and departments, when considering the adoption of mobile devices in their operations, should first assess their needs for mobile devices and evaluate how mobile solutions can support their business operations. In addition, government bureaux and departments should establish a mobile security policy (including specifying the scope of mobile device use, business needs and security requirements) and formulate appropriate procedures to manage the use of such devices.
     
         For privately owned mobile devices, the Guide specifies that, considering the associated security risks and the risk of data leakage caused by device loss, government bureaux and departments should not use privately owned mobile devices for official business in the absence of appropriate protective measures.
    Issued at HKT 12:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weighing in on the new weigh station

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Work has begun on the next stage of installation of the weigh-in-motion scales for the new Taupō hi-tech weigh station.

    Five sites on the roads leading to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre at the State Highway 1/ State Highway 5 intersection are having in-road weighing technology installed. The affected lanes have been coned off for the past month while new asphalt cures. Work installing the communication systems continued in the meantime.

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says now the asphalt has hardened it can be cut for the scales to be installed.

    “While it may have looked like nothing was happening beyond the cones, it was essential to give the asphalt time to cure and be ready for cutting and carrying traffic,” says Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regional Manager for Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter.

    “We couldn’t remove the traffic management and run traffic over it because the soft asphalt would’ve resulted in an uneven compaction. The new asphalt either side of the scales has been laid to precise levels to allow the scales to read truck weights correctly.

    The scales are being installed on 5 of the roads heading towards the safety centre.

    The locations are:

    • SH1 north of the SH1/5 roundabout
    • SH1 south of the roundabout
    • SH5 east of the roundabout
    • Napier Road west of the roundabout
    • Nearby Crown Road

    Temporary lanes on the road shoulders allow traffic to pass around the work areas and minimise the use of stop/go or temporary detours.  Speed restrictions are in place.

    This work will run through to mid-to-late June when all traffic management can be removed.

    Cutting asphalt in preparation to install the in-road scale on Napier Road.

    The Taupō weigh station is one of 12 facilities NZTA is building on high-volume freight routes around the country for NZ Police to operate. The safety centres are part of the national Commercial Vehicle Safety Programme.

    This technology will screen passing traffic and number-plate recognition and electronic signage will direct any suspected non-compliant heavy vehicles into the safety centre. Police officers on site will check vehicle weights, road user charges, certificates of fitness, logbooks and driver impairment.

    Read more about the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centres:

    The Commercial Vehicle Safety Programme (CVSP)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Employee of Panasonic Automotive Systems appointed Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Employee of Panasonic Automotive Systems appointed Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist

    Yokohama, Japan, May 28, 2025 – Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; President: Masashi Nagayasu; hereinafter referred to as “PAS”) today announced that effective June 2025, Hiroyuki Ishii will be appointed as an evangelist in the Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist Program, specializing in the automotive sector.
    PAS pioneered the use of Linux and other open source software (“OSS”) in in-vehicle software development. As a Gold Member of the Linux Foundation (“LF”) and a Platinum Member of the Automotive Grade Linux (“AGL”) project, the company will continue to play a role in developing the OSS community and evolving in-vehicle OSS.
    Ishii was selected as an LF Japan Evangelist in recognition of his continued and dynamic contributions since his appointment to the AGL Steering Committee in 2021, including leading technology strategy discussions and establishing the AGL Open Source Program Office Expert Group. As a community leader for the region, he will support opportunities to play an active role in promoting global innovation from Japan by sharing his experiences and providing information. Additionally, he will promote the adoption and expansion of OSS in Japan by spearheading the following initiatives to address the region’s distinct culture and language.

    LF provides a neutral hub to promote collaboration on OSS, open hardware, open standards, and open data. LF Japan, its Japanese office, provides support to Japanese companies and communities to join, and expand and thrive together within the global open ecosystem.
    Launched in August 2024, the LF Japan Evangelist Program was introduced to foster a more community-driven approach to promoting LF projects in Japan. Evangelists are individuals with established reputations for exceptional leadership at the forefront of their areas of expertise. With an eye on enhancing initiatives in the automotive sector, Ishii has joined the five evangelists from the inaugural batch.

    Organize user meetings, conferences, and other meetups related to OSS
    Prepare and translate documents and training materials to encourage OSS adoption in Japan
    Encourage OSS adoption through various promotional activities, including delivering talks in Japan and internationally, and writing blog articles

    Comment from Hiroyuki Ishii, Linux Foundation Japan Evangelist

    I am extremely honored to be one of the LF Japan Evangelists. OSS is essential for driving sustainable growth and fostering innovation within the industry. I am committed to leveraging my experience as an in-vehicle software engineer and my passion for OSS to drive its adoption in Japan, foster a vibrant community, and promote the value of OSS through this program.

    PAS will also continue contributing to OSS to drive technological innovation and foster sustainable development in the automotive industry.

    Hiroyuki IshiiSenior Architect, Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.

    ＜Career highlights in OSS＞2013: Spearheaded the launch of the company’s first Linux-based software platform for in-vehicle infotainment. Following the platform’s launch, he continued to lead its evolution as an OSS and Linux expert, further expanding his knowledge and experience in OSS.2021: Became a member of the Steering Committee and System Architect Team for the AGL project.2024: Led AGL’s new strategy discussions and established the AGL Open Source Program Office Expert Group.

    Media Contact:

    Corporate Communication Office, Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.e-mail: press-pas@ml.jp.panasonic.com

    About Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
    Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd., (PAS) was launched on April 1, 2022 as an operating company responsible for the automotive systems business in line with the start of the Panasonic Group’s operating company system, and on December 2, 2024 the company moved to a management structure in which 80% of its shares are held by the funds managed by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, Inc. and 20% by Panasonic Holdings Corporation.Headquartered in Japan, PAS is a global company with subsidiaries in eight other countries and, as a Tier 1 company, it provides advanced proprietary technologies such as infotainment systems to automakers in Japan and overseas, helping to create comfortable, safe, and secure automobiles. PAS is committed to meeting the expectations of its customers around the world with technologies that stand by people in pursuit of its corporate vision of becoming the “Joy in Motion” design company. To learn more about our company, please visit https://automotive.panasonic.com/en

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Cantwell, Health Care Providers and Advocates Slam Republican Health Care Cuts Threatening to Kick Nearly 14 Million Americans Off Their Health Insurance—Including 274,000 People in WA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    At least 274,000 people in Washington state could lose their health insurance under the Republican plan through steep cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, according to nonpartisan estimates
    Parent of young Washington state resident on Medicaid: “It is absolutely devastating to think that a singular vote from a group of people who don’t know Nate, and don’t fully understand the terrifying impact losing Medicaid could have, could take this all away from him, all in the name of reducing waste.”
    *** VIDEO OF FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***
    ***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL FROM EVENT HERE***
    Seattle, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, held a press conference laying out how Republicans’ reconciliation bill that passed through the House this week will be devastating for Washington state’s health care system and the 1.95 million people across Washington state who rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and the 300,000+ Washingtonians who access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder).
    The legislation passed by House Republicans last week would cut nearly $1 trillion from America’s health care system and is the largest cut to Medicaid in history. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the legislation will lead to 13.7 million Americans getting kicked off their health insurance—between the drastic cuts to Medicaid and the sabotage of the Affordable Care Act and refusal to expand tax credits Democrats passed to lower health insurance premiums.
    At least 274,000 people in Washington state could lose their health insurance under the Republican plan, according to estimates based on the nonpartisan CBO’s analysis. That includes approximately 194,000 people in Washington state who will lose Medicaid coverage, and approximately 79,000 people who will lose ACA coverage. This figure doesn’t even account for the more sweeping health care cuts that House Republicans slotted in and passed at the last minute in the early morning of May 22nd. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed because of a wall of new paperwork. The Republican bill would also reduce the federal match rate by 10 percent for states like Washington that provide health care coverage to noncitizens—this would be a devastating $460 million annual loss in federal Medicaid funding for Washington state, or nearly a $2 billion loss over the next four years. Additionally, the Republican bill includes a provision to defund Planned Parenthood, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country. Planned Parenthood runs 26 health centers in Washington state. Republicans are advancing the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which only requires a simple majority to pass in both chambers of Congress.
    “The legislation Republicans are pushing through Congress is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history—let that sink in. In Washington state, we are looking at: at least 194,000 people losing their Apple Health coverage under this bill. And that number rises to a quarter of a million people in our state getting kicked off their health care if you include all the ways Republicans are sabotaging the ACA in this bill and letting important health care tax credits for middle class families expire. Under Republicans’ bill, Washington state would lose an estimated 2 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next four years—that’s catastrophic for our state’s budget,” said Senator Murray. “Altogether, the health care cuts in Republicans’ mega-bill will mean hospitals and nursing homes shutting down—especially in rural areas—millions of people getting kicked off Medicaid or their coverage under the Affordable Care Act, people blocked from accessing the benefits they are rightly eligible for because of a new wall of paperwork and red tape, Planned Parenthood health centers closing their doors, kids with disabilities losing out on the care they need, medical debt skyrocketing, and insurers leaving the Marketplace, leaving families and small business owners with little or no options for coverage. Needless to say—all of that means higher costs and less access to care for everyone, not just people on Medicaid.”
    “For the life of me I do not understand how some of the same Republicans who represent the areas of our state most reliant on Medicaid ever looked at this bill, looked at what it would do to the people they serve and said, ‘count me in!’ The fact of the matter is not complicated. Republicans want to pass a bill that will hurt the middle class and working families, to give a handout to some of the richest companies on the planet. Republicans know that is bad policy. They know that is massively unpopular—they know they are adding trillions to the national debt. That is why they are trying to jam this through with as little scrutiny as possible. Remember, we managed to stop Trump and Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act back in 2017. Public outcry matters—we have seen that even this administration is not totally immune from public pressure. We need to show Republicans that the American people are watching, and they will have to answer to their constituents,” Senator Murray continued.
    “The people here in Washington who have to deal with this issue — who know that their rural hospitals could go under, or their health clinics could be affected, or the cost of care could go up in their communities and make everything more expensive — they know that we also have to stop this legislation. We need to say to the President of the United States: He has to stop trying to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. He cannot propose ideas that literally will leave these providers without resources,” Senator Cantwell said. “We do not need to have Robin Hood in reverse. We do not need to steal from Medicaid the stability of our health care system and give a tax break to big corporations. We need to stop this effort as soon as possible. Senator Murray and I will be fighting every day on the Senate floor to convince our colleagues that this is not only a wrongheaded approach — it is going to cost the American people.”
    One in five adults, three in five nursing home residents, and three in eight people with disabilities in Washington are covered by Apple Health. Medicaid provides health care for over 800,000 children in Washington state—nearly half of children—and more than 45 percent of births in Washington state are covered by Medicaid—in rural Washington, that number goes up to more than 70 percent on births. Medicaid is also largest payer for opioid use disorder treatment in Washington state. Washington state spends approximately $21 billion on Medicaid annually—approximately $8 billion of that is paid for by the state, and approximately $13 billion is paid for by the federal government.
    “As a physician, I see firsthand how lack of health insurance leads to delayed care, resulting in more death, more advanced diseases that are significantly more expensive to treat, and more economic burden. Denying access to health insurance shifts the financial burden to emergency services and public systems, ultimately increasing overall healthcare costs for taxpayers,” said Dr. Jesus Iniguez, Medical Director at Sea Mar Community Health Centers.
    “Nurses are present at every level of care delivery. We are on the front line, and deal with the consequences when patients avoid care because of a lack of coverage. These cuts are not only cruel – they are harmful to the stability of our entire healthcare system and will not only impact those who are on Medicaid. We will all feel it. The ripple effect of something as monumental as the cuts they are currently proposing would send shock waves throughout the entire health care system, reducing access to care for millions,” said Edna Cortez, a pediatric nurse and member of the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).
    “If the bill that passed the US House last week becomes law, it will be one of the most devastating attacks on health care access in American history. By banning Planned Parenthood from seeing Medicaid patients, the bill targets our organization and the patients who rely on us for care every day. The people who passed this bill wish for Planned Parenthood health centers to close their doors, and for people to lose access to affordable health care – and for many, access to health care altogether. And if this bill becomes law, their unbelievably cruel wish will be granted. Health centers will close, maybe even here in Washington. Planned Parenthood Federation of America estimates that 200 health centers will close nationwide, 90 percent of which are located in states like Washington where abortion is still legal. As you’ve heard today, people will lose their insurance coverage through cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act,” said Brita Lund, Manager of Planned Parenthood Northgate Health Center. “Nearly 40 percent of our affiliate’s patients in Western Washington are Medicaid recipients. This is about much more than abortion, which already cannot be covered by federal Medicaid dollars. This money goes to birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing. All of which are now at risk. Every single day at the health center I manage in Northgate, we help people sign up for Apple Health and Medicaid. Not just help them access services – we ask them a few screening questions and then show them how to enroll in the program, because when they walked through the door, they did not have insurance – and many did not even know it was an option available to them. Our front desk receptionist is the longest tenured employee in our Planned Parenthood affiliate, and might be the longest tenured Planned Parenthood employee in the state. She estimates that she personally enrolls one to three people every single work day. Over her career of 36 years, that means she has likely enrolled more than 1800 people. And that’s just her. There are providers and staff like her at every Planned Parenthood health center in the country, and at places like Sea Mar, who help patients sign up for Medicaid. Because everyone deserves to get the care they need, no matter what. If this bill becomes law, hospitals will close. Clinics will close. Long term care facilities will close. And everyone, not just Medicaid recipients, will be punished.”
    “Nate is 20 years old and autistic. He has an intellectual disability and requires support throughout the day to ensure his needs are met, much of which he receives through Home and Community Based Waiver services. Nate has a job at our local neighborhood pizza shop, where he works four hours a week building pizza boxes and doing other odd jobs with the support of a job coach. He of course gets a paycheck for his work, but he also gets a free slice of pizza and a coke after every shift, which he loves. He adores his job and is so proud of the ways he contributes to his community. Building the life of his dreams, and filling his days with enrichment and social connection when school ends, will not be easy, but with the help of Medicaid services the way they are now, Medicaid services such as health insurance, employment support, personal care, and home and community based waiver services, we’re starting to see a pathway to making it a reality. It’s a steep one, but the pathway is there,” said Rachel Nemhauser, parent of Nate and the Director of Family Support Services at The Arc of King County. Nate is one of the almost 280,000 adults with disabilities on Medicaid in Washington state, and Rachel shared his story with his permission. “But if the proposed Medicaid cuts go through, this dream vanishes. It threatens to reduce or eliminate the job support he counts on, making it impossible for him to stay employed. It threatens to reduce his access to health care, making it harder for people with vulnerable health to stay healthy and continue to work. It threatens to create paperwork and administrative barriers so burdensome and complicated that it’s almost impossible not to make a mistake once in a while. It is absolutely devastating to think that a singular vote from a group of people who don’t know Nate, and don’t fully understand the terrifying impact losing Medicaid could have, could take this all away from him, all in the name of reducing waste.”
    Nationwide, nearly half of children in America are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicaid pays for nearly half of births in the U.S. Medicaid also pays for services for 2 in 3 nursing home residents and pays for home-based services for close to 2 million seniors—allowing them to age safely at home—as well as close to 3 million people with disabilities and other health conditions. Medicaid also covers 1 in 4 people with a mental health or substance use disorder, and serves as the largest payer for mental health and substance use services for communities nationwide amid an ongoing overdose and opioid epidemic made worse by an influx of fentanyl.
    Recent polling from KFF Health found 82 percent of adults think Medicaid funding should either increase or stay the same and large majorities of people across parties, those who voted for Trump in 2024, and adults living in rural areas say the program is “very important” for their local community. Polling from Hart Research found that 71 percent of voters who backed Trump said cutting Medicaid would be unacceptable, and voters overall were even more opposed to it.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks at today’s press conference are below:
    “Republicans are looking to make history of the absolute worst kind.
    “Last week, overnight, House Republicans passed the single largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in the history of our country.
    “Reading this bill, you realize pretty quickly why did this in the dead of night. At least 7.6 million people losing Medicaid coverage, millions more losing health coverage and seeing costs go up, students having their Pell Grants cut, not to mention the biggest cut to SNAP in history—all to help fuel up corporate jets and executive bonuses with tax cuts for billionaires.
    “But—bad news for Republicans—we are not going to let them keep the American people in the dark. We are going to put a bright and burning spotlight on this big, ugly, disaster of a bill. The legislation Republicans are pushing through Congress is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history—let that sink in.
    “In Washington state, we are looking at least 194,000 people losing their Apple Health coverage under this bill. And that number rises to a quarter of a million people in our state getting kicked off their health care if you include all the ways Republicans are sabotaging the ACA in this bill and letting important health care tax credits for middle class families expire.
    “Under Republicans’ bill, Washington state would lose an estimated 2 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next four years—that’s catastrophic for our state’s budget. And on top of all that Republicans’ bill would defund Planned Parenthood—a longtime goal of anti-abortion extremists that would be absolutely devastating for women’s health care in our state and across the country. Defunding Planned Parenthood would put 200 health centers at risk of closure across the country and put critical cancer screenings and birth control even further out of reach. And by the way, it would actually cost taxpayers money $300 million dollars over the next decade, according to nonpartisan estimates.
    “Altogether, the health care cuts in Republicans’ mega-bill will mean: hospitals and nursing homes shutting down—especially in rural areas; millions of people getting kicked off Medicaid or their coverage under the Affordable Care Act; people blocked from accessing the benefits they are rightly eligible for because of a new wall of paperwork and red tape; Planned Parenthood health centers closing their doors; kids with disabilities losing out on the care they need; medical debt skyrocketing; and insurers leaving the Marketplace, leaving families and small business owners with little or no options for coverage.
    “Needless to say, all of that means higher costs and less access to care for everyone, not just people on Medicaid. But I have to say, for the life of me, I do not understand how some of the same Republicans who represent the areas of our state most reliant on Medicaid—ever—looked at this bill, looked at what it would do to the people they serve, and said, “count me in!”
    “Now, it’s worth noting, House Republicans did make some last-minute changes, but not what you might expect. They made sure more people will lose their health care sooner. And they made sure it will be more expensive to get health coverage on the exchanges. Oh, and don’t forget they got rid of a tax on gun silencers. Seriously—of all things!?
    “The people at the top? The billionaires and biggest corporations? They are doing fine. You don’t need to shower them with money taken out of the pockets of struggling families.
    “And you know what? If you want to help American businesses, all you have to do is pass legislation to stop Trump’s trade war which is hurting businesses and driving up costs. Doesn’t that sound better than taking food from hungry kids to give Elon Musk another tax break? Doesn’t that make more sense than kicking seniors out of nursing homes? Doesn’t that seem a little more reasonable that cutting patients off from their health care?
    “The fact of the matter is not complicated. Republicans want to pass a bill that will hurt the middle class and working families, to give and handout to some of the richest companies on the planet. Republicans know that is bad policy. They know that is massively unpopular. They know they are adding trillions to the national debt. That is why they are trying to jam this through with as little scrutiny as possible.
    “But we are putting this heist on full blast and fighting back against it with everything we’ve got. Remember, we managed to stop Trump and Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act back in 2017.
    “So, my message to everyone is—now is the time to get loud, speak out, talk to your friends and family in Republican districts, call your Member of Congress. And remember, you are not powerless.
    “Public outcry matters—we have seen that even this administration is not totally immune from public pressure. We need to show Republicans that the American people are watching, and they will have to answer to their constituents.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • SpaceX’s Starship spins out of control after flying past points of previous failures

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    SpaceX’s Starship rocket roared into space from Texas on Tuesday but spun out of control about halfway through its flight without achieving some of its most important testing goals, bringing fresh engineering hurdles to CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly turbulent Mars rocket program.

    The 400-foot tall (122 meter) Starship rocket system, the core of Musk’s goal of sending humans to Mars, lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase, Texas, launch site, flying beyond the point of two previous explosive attempts earlier this year that sent debris streaking over Caribbean islands and forced dozens of airliners to divert course.

    For the latest launch, the ninth full test mission of Starship since the first attempt in April 2023, the upper-stage cruise vessel was lofted to space atop a previously flown booster – a first such demonstration of the booster’s reusability.

    But SpaceX lost contact with the 232-foot lower-stage booster during its descent before it plunged into the sea, rather than making the controlled splashdown the company had planned.

    Starship, meanwhile, continued into suborbital space but began to spin uncontrollably roughly 30 minutes into the mission. The errant spiraling came after SpaceX canceled a plan to deploy eight mock Starlink satellites into space – the rocket’s “Pez” candy dispenser-like mechanism failed to work as designed.

    “Not looking great with a lot of our on-orbit objectives for today,” SpaceX broadcaster Dan Huot said on a company livestream.

    Musk was scheduled to deliver an update on his space exploration ambitions in a speech from Starbase following the test flight, billed as a livestream presentation about “The Road to Making Life Multiplanetary.” Hours later, he had yet to give the speech and there was no sign that he intended to do so.

    In a post on X, Musk touted Starship’s scheduled shutdown of an engine in space, a step previous test flights achieved last year. He said a leak on Starship’s primary fuel tank led to its loss of control.

    “Lot of good data to review,” he said. “Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks.”

    SpaceX has said the Starship models that have flown this year bear significant design upgrades from previous prototypes, as thousands of company employees work to build a multi-purpose rocket capable of putting massive batches of satellites in space, carrying humans back to the moon and ultimately ferrying astronauts to Mars.

    RISK-TOLERANT

    The recent setbacks indicate SpaceX is struggling to overcome a complicated chapter of Starship’s multibillion-dollar development. But the company’s engineering culture, widely considered more risk-tolerant than many of the aerospace industry’s more established players, is built on a flight-testing strategy that pushes spacecraft to the point of failure, then fine-tunes improvements through frequent repetition.

    Starship’s planned trajectory for Tuesday included a nearly full orbit around Earth for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean to test new designs of its heat shield tiles and revised flaps for steering its blazing re-entry and descent through Earth’s atmosphere.

    But its early demise, appearing as a fireball streaking eastward through the night sky over southern Africa, puts another pause in Musk’s speedy development goals for a rocket bound to play a central role in the U.S. space program.

    NASA plans to use the rocket to land humans on the moon in 2027, though that moon program faces turmoil amid Musk’s Mars-focused influence over U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

    MISHAP PROBE

    Federal regulators had granted SpaceX a license for Starship’s latest flight attempt four days ago, capping a mishap investigation that had grounded Starship for nearly two months.

    The last two test flights – in January and March – were cut short moments after liftoff as the vehicles blew to pieces on ascent, raining debris over parts of the Caribbean and disrupting scores of commercial airline flights in the region.

    The Federal Aviation Administration expanded debris hazard zones around the ascent path for Tuesday’s launch.

    The previous back-to-back failures occurred in early test-flight phases that SpaceX had easily achieved before, in a striking setback to a program that Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who founded the rocket company in 2002, had sought to accelerate this year.

    Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual and a key supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, was especially eager for a success after vowing in recent days to refocus his attention on his various business ventures, including SpaceX, following a tumultuous foray into national politics and his attempts at cutting government bureaucracy.

    Closer to home, Musk also sees Starship as eventually replacing the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as the workhorse in the company’s commercial launch business, which already lofts most of the world’s satellites and other payloads to low-Earth orbit.

    (Reuters) 

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US suspends new student visa interviews

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    NEW YORK, May 27 (Xinhua) — The U.S. government has ordered U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to suspend scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants as it considers mandating social media verification for all international students applying to study in the U.S., local media cited a cable dated Tuesday and signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    “Effective immediately, in preparation for the expansion of mandatory screening and social media verification, consular sections should not add additional student or exchange visa appointment slots until further guidance is issued, which we expect in the coming days,” the cable said.

    The telegram does not directly indicate what exactly will be checked on social networks.

    The U.S. government has previously imposed some social media screening requirements, mostly aimed at returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. The new move is a significant expansion of previous such measures.

    The suspension of interviews could impact thousands of international students and could potentially contribute to a decline in the number of international students at U.S. higher education institutions, local media reported.

    The US government has used various regulations to target universities, particularly elite and liberal ones like Harvard University, and accuses them of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus. At the same time, it has carried out an immigration crackdown that has led to the arrest of a number of students. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH5 cleared following Tarawera crash

    Source: New Zealand Police

    State Highway 5, Tarawera has reopened following an earlier crash.

    The crash occurred at about 8.50am and had closed the road in both directions.

    The crash involves a car and a truck.

    The road reopened at around 3:45pm.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’

    Source: Press Release Service

    Headline: Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’

    Biochar Network New Zealand is delighted to be part of the Forestry Hub again at Fieldays 2025. In New Zealand and internationally, biochar made from forestry residues is used for a variety of regenerative agriculture applications, saving farmers money, and increasing productivity. BNNZ will be demonstrating the principles of pyrolysis & gasification for biochar production over the four days. The BNNZ team will also be presenting in the Forestry Hub main stage on biochar production and its applications to agriculture and the natural environment.

    The post Fieldays Forestry Hub: ‘Biochar fixes carbon’ first appeared on PR.co.nz.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement

    Source: Press Release Service

    Headline: Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement

    Invercargill City Council has requested a staff report on a proposal to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements, following a motion from local residents and the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. If adopted, Invercargill would join other New Zealand councils aligning with international law and UN Resolution 2334, aiming to ensure ratepayer funds are spent ethically. The council vote will be scheduled once the report is complete.

    The post Invercargill to Consider Ethical Procurement first appeared on PR.co.nz.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Acting SFST’s speech at HKVCA Greater China Private Equity Summit 2025 (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Acting SFST’s speech at HKVCA Greater China Private Equity Summit 2025 (English only) 
    Rebecca (Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives, Ms Rebecca Xu), Conrad (Founder and Chairman of Strategic Year Holdings, Mr Conrad Tsang), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     
         Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you at the HKVCA’s flagship event – the Greater China Private Equity Summit – a global gathering of professionals and industry leaders of the private equity and venture capital sector.
     
         Today, the global economy is confronted by geopolitical tensions and economic fragmentation, and threatened by the rise of unilateralism and protectionism. Against this backdrop, it is all the more necessary to have a stable and predictable “super connector” with an overall conducive business environment.
     
         This is exactly what Hong Kong stands to provide. Earlier this year, the International Monetary Fund has reaffirmed Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre and recognised Hong Kong’s resilient financial system, as supported by robust institutional frameworks, ample policy buffers, and the smooth functioning of the Linked Exchange Rate System. Indeed, Hong Kong ranked third in the world and first in Asia in the latest Global Financial Centers Index, whilst topping its “investment management” and “finance” matrix globally.
     
    China connectivity
     
         One unique advantage of Hong Kong is our preferential access to the Mainland China market. Last year (2024) marked the 10th anniversary of the mutual market access programmes between the Mainland and Hong Kong financial markets. Various mutual access programmes have been introduced one after another and have thrived over the past few years. The Connect Schemes allow international investors to conveniently invest in the Mainland China market through Hong Kong. At the same time, they enable Mainland investors to diversify their asset allocation through Hong Kong, facilitating the two-way flow of capital between the Mainland market and international markets, as well as the internationalisation of the Renminbi.
     
         The content and scope of mutual access have continued to deepen and expand, now encompassing a wide range of offerings, including stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, derivatives for risk management, and more. Real estate investment trusts will also soon be included in the Connect Schemes.
     
         Meanwhile, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is fast emerging as a young and massive consumer market that is increasingly affluent, and has a growing demand for quality financial products and services, and a need for diversified asset allocation. Home to 87 million people with a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita of US$40,000 on a purchasing power parity basis, the GBA presents immense potential in driving the synergistic development of Hong Kong and other GBA cities.
     
         Tapping into the potential of this market, the GBA Cross-boundary Wealth Management Connect (WMC) was launched in 2021 and enhanced in February last year. The WMC provides GBA residents with a formal, direct and convenient channel for cross-boundary investment in diversified wealth management products. As of the end of April this year, about 154 000 individual investors in the GBA participated in the WMC, and cross-boundary fund remittances totalled close to RMB112 billion.
     
         Another recent case of our continued endeavour to deepen the mutual access and strengthen financial market development is the enhancements to the Mainland-Hong Kong Mutual Recognition of Funds (MRF) arrangement in January this year. By relaxing sales restrictions and allowing Hong Kong funds to delegate investment management functions overseas, the measures significantly increased the diversity of fund products, enhanced the scale of funds, and brought a positive effect to the distribution of MRF funds.
     
    Asset and wealth management hub
     
         With the your staunch support, we are solidifying Hong Kong’s role as an international asset and wealth management centre. As at the end of 2023, the assets under management (AUM) of the Hong Kong’s asset and wealth management business reached about US$4 trillion, registering a growth of about 30 per cent over five years, and 64 per cent of the capital was sourced from non-Hong Kong investors, underscoring our city’s role as a trusted gateway for global capital seeking access to opportunities across Asia and beyond. Our leadership is further evidenced by our standing as Asia’s largest hedge fund hub and Asia’s largest cross-border wealth management centre.
     
         As of the end of April this year, there were 1 125 limited partnership funds registered in Hong Kong, representing a growth of over 30 per cent on a year-on-year basis. According to an industry report, as of the end of first quarter this year, the AUM of Hong Kong’s private equity business amounted to about US$230 billion, ranked second in Asia, just trailing the Mainland China market.
     
         To drive development on this front, we are welcoming alternative asset funds to list in Hong Kong. The Securities and Futures Commission has recently issued a circular to clarify the regulatory requirements for authorising closed-ended funds that invest mainly in private and less liquid assets, thereby encouraging sizeable alternative asset funds, including those investing in private equity, private credit, and infrastructure equity or debt, to list in Hong Kong.
     
         I am sure this is a move welcomed by the industry, with benefits to investors that are multifold. On one hand, investors have broadened investment choices for diversification. On the other hand, investors may tap into opportunities previously only available to institutional and professional investors. Those with a long-term investment horizon may potentially achieve higher returns and a more stable valuation.
     
         Another welcome move, I believe, is our proposal to enhance the tax incentives for funds, single family offices and carried interest. These proposals aim to expand the scope of qualifying funds to include vehicles such as pension and endowment funds, while also increasing the range of eligible asset classes for tax concessions including emerging instruments like carbon credits, emission derivatives, insurance-linked securities, private credit investments, and virtual assets. In addition, we plan to enhance the tax concession arrangement on the distribution of carried interest by private equity funds by removing the existing HKMA (The Hong Kong Monetary Authority)’s certification requirement and eliminating the reference to a hurdle rate. We have completed the industry consultation and we are now formulating the relevant enhancement measures with financial regulators based on the feedback received. We target to work out the details of the proposals this year and submit the legislative proposals to the Legislative Council for consideration next year. If approved, the relevant measures will take effect from the year of assessment 2025/26, which begins on April 1 this year.
     
         Another focus area of ours is the family office sector. The growth of family offices has been particularly noteworthy, with over 2 700 single family offices operating in Hong Kong as of the end of 2023. More than half of them are managing portfolios exceeding US$50 million, and in particular, over 30 percent are managing portfolios over US$100 million, reflecting Hong Kong’s appeal to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) and institutional investors alike. Backing this claim is a market report last year that ranked Hong Kong first in Asia and second in the world in terms of the population size of UHNWIs in 2023 among global cities. This is a testament to our city’s potential and capacity to attract and nurture wealth, further solidifying our position as a global wealth management and family office hub.
     
         Targeting this segment with promising growth potential, we have been implementing a series of policy measures to support the development of the family office business after we issued the Policy Statement on Developing Family Office Businesses in Hong Kong in 2023. Among others, we are fostering collaboration, networking and knowledge sharing across the family offices from around the world via the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy for the current and next generation of wealth owners.
     
         We also launched the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme in March 2024 where Limited Partnership Funds are included as Permissible Investment Assets. As of the end of April this year, 1 257 applications have been received, potentially bringing in an investment amount of over HK$37 billion to Hong Kong.
     
    Closing
     
         Ladies, and gentlemen, Hong Kong is well-positioned to maintain and enhance its status as a leading international financial centre, notable for our certainty, transparency, and predictability. Our ongoing efforts to establish new ties, attract new capital and foster innovation will ensure our continued strength as a “super connector” in an ever-changing world.
     
         As we continue to bridge global investors with opportunities in the international and Mainland markets, we look to the HKVCA and other professionals alike to foster industry development through leveraging on our distinct advantages.
     
         On this note, I would like to thank the HKVCA again for hosting today’s event and your continued contribution to the industry. I wish you all an enjoyable and rewarding summit today. Thank you.
    Issued at HKT 12:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Samoan PM Fiamē advises dissolution of parliament, calls for snap elections

    RNZ Pacific

    Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa has advised Samoa’s head of state that it is necessary to dissolve Parliament so the country can move to an election.

    This follows the bill for the budget not getting enough support for a first reading on yesterday, and Fiame announcing she would therefore seek an early election.

    Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II has accepted Fiame’s advice and a formal notice will be duly gazetted to confirm the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly.

    Parliament will go into caretaker mode, and the Cabinet will have the general direction and control of the existing government until the first session of the Legislative Assembly following dissolution.

    Fiame, who has led a minority government since being ousted from her former FAST party in January, finally conceded defeat on the floor of Parliament yesterday morning after her government’s 2025 Budget was voted down.

    MPs from both the opposition Human Rights Protection Party and Fiame’s former FAST party joined forces to defeat the budget with the final vote coming in 34 against, 16 in support and two abstentions.

    Defeated motions
    Tuesday was the Samoan Parliament’s first sitting since back-to-back no-confidence motions were moved — unsuccessfully — against prime minister Fiame.

    In January, Fiame removed her FAST Party chairman La’auli Leuatea Schmidt and several FAST ministers from her Cabinet.

    In turn, La’auli ejected her from the FAST Party, leaving her leading a minority government.

    Her former party had been pushing for an early election, including via legal action.

    The election is set to be held within three months.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: DOC starts local conversations on paid parking pilots

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  28 May 2025

    “We’ve begun formally sharing important information with local stakeholders on the paid parking pilots including our plans and timelines,” says Catherine Wilson – Director Visitor and Heritage.

    “We’re keen for people’s thoughts on how we can make these pilots a success and are asking for feedback by 19 June.”

    The paid parking pilots are expected to begin in October for the coming summer season.

    “Piloting paid parking will allow DOC to test if it’s an effective tool for establishing better management of visitor car parking at busy DOC sites, improving the customer experience and contributing toward the financial sustainability of DOC’s visitor network”, says Catherine.

    “Other countries use paid car parking to manage visitor numbers and contribute to the costs of national parks and popular tourism sites. Paid parking also allows visitors to give back to the popular places they enjoy.”

    In 2018, approximately 500,000 people visited the Pancake Rocks walkway at Punakaiki and over 780,000 people visited Franz Josef. Numbers dropped significantly during COVID but are now recovering to pre-COVID levels.

    The paid parking pilots are part of DOC’s work to better manage visitors and their impact while delivering fantastic nature experiences.

    For further information on paid parking pilots or to provide feedback, contact PaidCarParking@doc.govt.nz.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Full text: Remarks by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit

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

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday addressed the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    The following is the full text of his remarks at the summit:

    Remarks by H.E. Li Qiang

    Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    At the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit

    Kuala Lumpur, May 27, 2025

    Your Honorable Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim,

    Your Highness Crown Prince Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah,

    Colleagues,

    It gives me great pleasure to join you in Kuala Lumpur. First of all, the Chinese side would like to extend sincere appreciation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his vision in proposing the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit. We also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the Malaysian government for the dedicated efforts and thoughtful arrangements made for the summit.

    China, ASEAN and GCC countries have a long history of friendly interactions, with exchanges and cooperation between us spanning thousands of years from the ancient Silk Road to the Belt and Road Initiative. Today, against a volatile international landscape and sluggish global growth, the establishment of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit creates a platform for exchanges and a mechanism for cooperation. It is a groundbreaking initiative in regional economic cooperation that has carried forward the legacy of history, and more importantly, answered the call of the times. If we take a look at the world map and draw a line between China, ASEAN and the GCC, we will get a big triangle. As we know, triangle is the most stable structure. By enhancing connectivity and cooperation, we can pool our resources, production capacity and markets to foster a vibrant economic circle and growth pole. This is highly important both to our respective economic prosperity and to peace and development in Asia and the world. We should firmly seize this historic opportunity to enrich the trilateral cooperation, and set a fine example for global cooperation and development in this era.

    First, we should set a fine example of opening up across regions. Together, China, ASEAN and the GCC account for roughly a quarter of the world’s population and economic output. Our markets, if fully connected, will generate even greater space for development and more substantial economies of scale. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations have been fully concluded. It is hoped that the negotiations for the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement can also be concluded as early as possible to take trilateral trade to a higher level. We should firmly expand regional opening up, and develop a big market with more efficient mobility of resources, technologies and talents and enhanced trade and investment liberalization and facilitation to fully unlock the huge potential of open development.

    Second, we should set a fine example of cooperation across development stages. Countries of the three sides are at different stages of development, yet we should not let these differences stand in the way of our cooperation, but transform them into complementary strengths that we can harness. China is ready to, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, work with ASEAN and the GCC to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, increase macro policy coordination, and deepen collaboration on industrial specialization. We should make efforts to turn our respective strengths into collective strengths, and help each other tackle development challenges. We should create a new model of international industrial and economic cooperation, and strive for coordinated development where everyone does its level best, efficiency is multiplied, and benefits are shared.

    Third, we should set a fine example of inter-civilization integration. Countries of the three sides have diverse civilizations. At the same time, we all belong to the same Asian family and share the same Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness. We should deepen people-to-people exchanges to further consolidate the foundation for mutual trust. We should effectively manage differences in the spirit of mutual understanding, advance win-win cooperation through the exchange of ideas, and explore a new way for promoting the inclusiveness and common progress of different civilizations. China actively supports Prime Minister Anwar’s initiative on Islam-Confucianism dialogue. We are ready to work with ASEAN and the GCC to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and pool more consensus and strengths for peace and development.

    Today, we have established the trilateral cooperation mechanism and drawn up a promising vision of joint development. What’s more important now is for all sides to take concrete actions and advance substantive cooperation.

    Between our three sides, we should work together to promote cooperation in key areas and achieve more effective common development. China is ready to discuss with ASEAN and the GCC a trilateral action plan on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. We should enhance synergy and connectivity in infrastructure, market rules and payment systems, actively consider establishing a regional business council, deepen economic integration, and make development more resilient and efficient. While expanding cooperation in traditional areas such as energy and agriculture, we also need to step up cooperation in emerging areas such as AI, the digital economy, and green and low-carbon development to foster and cultivate new growth drivers. We should also respond to our people’s aspiration for enduring friendship, and deepen people-to-people exchanges. To promote travels and people-to-people bond between the three sides, China has decided to roll out an “ASEAN visa” for Southeast Asian countries offering five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible applicants for business and other purposes, and to extend unilateral visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain on a trial basis, which will effectively give visa-free status to all GCC countries.

    At the global level, we should always stand on the right side of history and add more positive energy to world peace and development. We should pursue equal, mutually beneficial, open, inclusive, practical and efficient cooperation, and, through our example, encourage the international community to uphold multilateralism and free trade and reject unilateralism and protectionism. China will work with ASEAN and GCC countries to step up communication and coordination in multilateral mechanisms including the United Nations, vigorously defend the common interests of developing countries, categorically oppose hegemonism and power politics, and make global governance more just and equitable.

    As President Xi Jinping noted, “For us to break through the mist and embrace a bright future, the biggest strength comes from cooperation, and the most effective way is through solidarity.” China will join ASEAN and the GCC in fostering synergies that multiply rather than simply add our individual strengths, and inject strong impetus into our common development and prosperity. I am confident that through our concerted efforts, trilateral cooperation will continue to produce positive results and deliver more benefits to our people, thereby making greater contributions to peace and development in Asia and the world.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Full Text: Speech by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum

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

    Full Text: Speech by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum

    KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council) Economic Forum 2025.

    The following is the full text of the speech:

    Speech by H.E. Li Qiang

    Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    At the Opening Ceremony of The ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum

    Kuala Lumpur, May 27, 2025

    Your Honorable Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim,

    Distinguished Guests,

    Business Leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    It gives me great pleasure to join you in Kuala Lumpur for the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum.

    The ASEAN-China-GCC Summit is successfully held today. We have agreed to strengthen our trilateral partnership and ushered in a new chapter of trilateral cooperation. The leaders of participating countries have had in-depth discussions under the theme of “Synergizing Economic Opportunities Toward Shared Prosperity.” It is widely agreed that profound and complex transformations are taking place in the global political and economic landscape, the common challenges countries face in their development are increasing, and the scarcity of development opportunities makes them all the more precious, increases the urgency of cooperation, and calls for more vision. In this context, our discussions are highly relevant and should involve all related sectors, particularly the business community, so as to pool wisdom and build consensus among more stakeholders. Let me take this opportunity to share with you three observations.

    First, given everything that is going on, opportunities can be created if we join hands to meet the challenges. At present, economic globalization is suffering heavy blows never seen before. The values we pursue all along, such as peace, development and win-win cooperation, are severely challenged. Properly addressing these issues will bring significant opportunities for the countries of our three sides. Amid heightened geopolitical conflict, rivalry and confrontation, we can create long-term strategic opportunities when we deepen mutual trust and strengthen solidarity. The rapid development of Asia in the past decades offers a profound lesson: Only solidarity, mutual trust, peace and stability can bring development and prosperity. All countries are part of a close-knit community with a shared future. In the absence of mutual trust, problems may be amplified and cooperation becomes impossible. Yet with solidarity and mutual trust, we can render each other strategic support and cultivate broader and more sustainable high-standard economic cooperation, thus ensuring long-term, steady development. Amid rising protectionism and unilateralism, we can unleash enormous market opportunities when we continue to open wider and remove barriers. Countries of our three sides have all benefited from economic globalization and gained great development opportunities from integration into the world market. Our markets, when connected, will form one of the world’s largest intra-regional markets and produce a multiplier effect. Building the big market will allow our countries to reap and share more benefits. Amid more decoupling practice, supply-chain disruptions and trade barriers, we can create opportunities for transformation and upgrading when we keep sharing resources and empowering one another. Countries vary in resource endowments and industrial structure. They bring different strengths to and gain from international industrial cooperation. This will maximize the use of resources, and boost industrial performance and sustained development for all who take part.

    Second, the friendly cooperation between China, ASEAN and GCC countries has a long history and a bright future. More than 2,000 years ago, the earliest camel caravan from China reached the Middle East, and the first Chinese fleet landed in Nanyang (Southeast Asia). Ever since then, trade and people-to-people exchanges have connected us throughout over 20 centuries, strengthening and flourishing over time. These rich historical links will ensure even more successes in our future cooperation. Together, we will find greater potential for development. We are about a quarter of the world’s population and the global economy, but only about 5 percent of global trade. A lot remains untapped. As we deepen our cooperation, our trade and investment will grow continuously and uplift our nations as well as our businesses. Together, our economies will work more efficiently. When factors of production move more easily between our countries and our industries are connected more closely, the cost of energy and other resources will go down, logistics will be faster, financial services will be more efficient, and more advanced technologies will give us strong impetus. The competitiveness and resilience of our economies will grow substantially, and our development will be more efficient and secure. Together, we will create more dynamic ecosystems of innovation. We are all outstanding innovators, each excelling in our own ways. Greater cooperation will enable our innovative talents to better learn from and complement one another, and provide first-class R&D support and rich application scenarios for innovation and creation to sow the seeds for more new industries and new forms of business. This will allow us all to stand taller in the global landscape of innovation.

    The future of our trilateral cooperation is boundless like the oceans. It is upon us to take real actions in order to steer and shape it. China stands ready to work with ASEAN and GCC countries to strengthen alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation on regional integration, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. At the same time, we must firmly uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, and stand for a stable and orderly global market environment. As the ongoing scientific revolution and industrial transformation unfold, let us join hands to seize the early opportunities, expand high-tech cooperation, safeguard the stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and keep breaking new ground in our common development.

    Third, with its high-quality development, China will consistently inject new impetus into the trilateral cooperation. In terms of development momentum, the Chinese economy has been growing steadily since the beginning of this year. With a year-on-year GDP growth of 5.4 percent in the first quarter, China is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. In the first four months of this year, we’ve seen strong development in the industrial sector, resilient export despite external pressure, and sustained expansion of new growth drivers. The figures speak for themselves: The added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 6.4 percent year-on-year; export increased by 7.5 percent compared with the same period last year; the added value of high-tech manufacturing and the investment in high-tech services went up by 9.8 percent and 11.3 percent year-on-year respectively; and production and sales of new energy vehicles both exceeded four million. Smart factories now cover more than 80 percent of the manufacturing sectors. These achievements speak volumes about the great stability of the Chinese economy. As President Xi Jinping said, the Chinese economy is not a pond, but an ocean. This vast ocean can withstand fierce winds and heavy rains. Each storm weathered only deepens its resilience and makes it more open and inclusive.

    In terms of macro policies, facing risks and challenges from the external environment, we made clear that more proactive and effective macro policies will be implemented and that a more proactive fiscal policy and an appropriately accommodative monetary policy will be adopted. Fiscal expenditures hit a record high and the regulation of monetary and financial aggregates has been significantly strengthened, providing a strong underpinning for the expansion of aggregate demand. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen counter-cyclical adjustments in light of the changing circumstances. Whatever challenges lie ahead in the future, we have the capability and confidence to maintain the steady and long-term development of the Chinese economy.

    In terms of strategic goals, China is a super-sized economy that enjoys the unique strength of major economies, i.e., domestic demand is the main driver and domestic circulation is possible. We are increasingly placing our strategic priority on expanding domestic demand and strengthening domestic circulation with a view to enhancing the internal driving force of the Chinese economy. We have accelerated efforts to implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand and have launched special initiatives to boost consumption. As more policy resources are given to consumption, a huge demand potential will be unleashed. We are also further deepening reform comprehensively and accelerating the high-end, smart and green industrial transformation, which will create new, additional demand. The Chinese economy is of great breadth and depth, which can provide a huge market for quality products from all over the world. We will stay committed to expanding high-standard opening up, take more measures to advance voluntary and unilateral opening up, and enable domestic and international circulations to reinforce each other, so that companies across the world, including those from ASEAN and GCC countries, can fully share in the opportunity of China’s development.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Friends,

    Cooperation is the only right way to overcome common challenges. China stands ready to work together with ASEAN and GCC countries to embrace greater openness and cooperation, promote steady economic growth, and join hands to synergize economic opportunities toward shared prosperity. Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: From wastelands to wonders: China revives abandoned mines for sustainable future

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

    Tianchi Lake at Baihu Mountain in east China’s Shandong Province features expansive water shimmering with rippling blue waves, and pale purple paulownia flowers blooming along its steep rocky shores.

    It’s hard to imagine that this tranquil and beautiful landscape was once a barren quarry pit. “Windstorms used to whip up dense dust clouds, obscuring the colors of leaves and flowers,” recalled 62-year-old villager Wang Yunhe in Hetaoyuan, a town with 22 mountains and an estimated 1.19 billion tonnes of rock reserves.

    As one of the world’s most mineral-rich nations, China contains over 150,000 mines occupying millions of hectares of land. Upholding the concept that clear waters and green mountains are valuable assets, the country has implemented multiple measures to advance the ecological rehabilitation of abandoned mines in recent years, aiming for win-win outcomes in terms of ecological, economic and social benefits.

    ECOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION

    According to Shang Baoling, a former local official, quarrying had become the dominant industry in Hetaoyuan since the 1990s. Nearly 50 lime kilns were built, with over 2,000 villagers relying on stone mining for their livelihoods.

    Rapacious mining boosted local economies temporarily, but later caused significant ecological damage. “These mountains, originally over 180 meters tall, were excavated to depths exceeding 40 meters below ground level — ultimately transforming verdant peaks into desolate quarries,” Shang said.

    In 2015, authorities of Juye County, which administers Hetaoyuan, enacted a comprehensive mining ban, shuttering all quarries and lime kilns. Years of dedicated reforestation have since transformed 18,000 mu (1,200 hectares) of mining wastelands and slopes into thriving ecosystems, where crabapple, cherry blossoms, paulownia flowers and other flora now bloom in seasonal cycles.

    Many greening workers employed in this effort were former miners from local villages. “Several villagers told me the changes have been tremendous,” Shang added.

    Tourists ride sightseeing boats in the Baihu Mountain scenic spot in Hetaoyuan Town of Heze, east China’s Shandong Province, May 16, 2025. (Photo by Zang Dongming/Xinhua)

    Such transformations are occurring across China. By the end of 2024, over 333,300 hectares of abandoned mines had been rehabilitated — including 26,200 hectares newly restored in 2024 alone.

    This year’s government work report said China will “accelerate the green and low-carbon transition,” listing “strengthening ecological conservation and restoration” as a key priority.

    AGRICULTURAL GOLDMINE

    Nationwide, abandoned mines with geographical and resource advantages are being repurposed for agricultural and other industrial development, creating new economic opportunities for local residents. Taobei Village in Shandong’s capital city of Jinan, for example, rehabilitated its abandoned quarry, a low-lying area littered with rubble, turning it into a medicinal herb cultivation base several years ago.

    “We have developed cultivation of over 10 medicinal herbs, including astragalus and Chinese sage, with an annual production capacity reaching 4 million plants,” said Tao Changguo, director of the village committee.

    Local authorities have also introduced specialized planting cooperatives, establishing processing workshops for medicinal herbs, and facilities for sorting, packaging and fresh storage. These initiatives have boosted local employment while generating more than 200,000 yuan (about 27,825.7 U.S. dollars) in additional annual income for the cooperatives.

    In 2008, as local environmental restoration efforts began, a long-abandoned mining pit in China’s eastern coastal city of Qingdao found new life as a vineyard and winemaking hub, thanks to its prime location on the same latitude as Bordeaux in France.

    “The barren yet well-draining soil here enhances grape acidity and phenolic content, while the scattered rocks in the earth contribute abundant organic minerals,” said Yan Zhigang, deputy general manager of a local wine company.

    According to Yan, the company’s vineyard spans approximately 3,000 mu of reclaimed mining land, where grapes are cultivated on former wasteland and abandoned pits have been repurposed into wine cellars. With an annual production volume of nearly 500,000 bottles, their wines are exported to multiple countries and regions including Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan.

    TOURISM BOOM

    After two decades of relentless efforts, Anji, a small county in east China’s Zhejiang Province, is now successfully transforming its ecological advantage into tangible wealth.

    Launched in 2022, Deep Blue Coffeehouse, located on a 300-mu disused mine near a natural lake in Hongmiao Village of Anji, has now become a social media sensation, drawing 600,000 visitors yearly and earning 20 million yuan in its first year.

    This aerial photo taken on April 7, 2023 shows the Deep Blue Coffeehouse located near an abandoned mine in Hongmiao Village of Anji County in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)

    This Scandinavian-style outdoor cafe made headlines in 2024 when it set a new national record for single-day sales at an independent coffee shop — serving an impressive 8,818 cups of coffee in just 24 hours.

    “It’s less about selling coffee and more about selling the scenery and leisure itself,” said Cheng Shuoqin, owner of the coffee shop.

    In recent years, with the deepening integration of ecological restoration and cultural tourism, an increasing number of once-barren industrial sites have been revitalized through scientific planning and innovative design. These transformed spaces now serve not only as eco-parks and tourist destinations but also feature diverse business models, such as countryside-style farm stays, thrilling amusement parks and immersive performance venues.

    At the Huaxia City Scenic Area, located in the city of Weihai in Shandong, Zhou Liming was driving tourists through lush forests and flower fields. A resident from a nearby village, Zhou currently works as a sightseeing vehicle operator in the area. According to Zhou, this area was once nothing but a quarry pockmarked with 44 mining pits of various sizes.

    Since 2003, Weihai has implemented a comprehensive initiative across abandoned mining zones as a strategy for sustainable development. Through reclaiming nearly 4,000 mu of devastated mountains, constructing 35 reservoirs and planting 12.27 million trees, this transformed landscape ultimately gave birth to a thriving tourist resort.

    An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Huaxia City Scenic Area in Weihai, east China’s Shandong Province, May 26, 2025. (Photo by Zhang Hao/Xinhua)

    In the scenic area, an abandoned mining ravine has been transformed, featuring masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy from successive dynasties carved into its towering cliff walls on both sides. A preserved mining village and pit relics remind visitors of the importance of ecological conservation. At a rehabilitated mining site, audiences can now watch an immersive live performance aboard a giant ship, with the actual mountains, water and sky forming a breathtaking natural backdrop.

    In 2024, the scenic area welcomed 2.04 million visitors, generating total revenue of 124 million yuan. During this year’s May Day holiday alone, it attracted 82,000 tourists with holiday earnings reaching 6.65 million yuan.

    “Now, driving a sightseeing vehicle in the scenic area earns me 60,000 yuan annually. This is the good life that our lush mountains and clear waters have brought us!” Zhou said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: GDS Announces Proposed Offering of US$450 Million Convertible Senior Notes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHANGHAI, China, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GDS Holdings Limited (“GDS Holdings”, “GDS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today announced the commencement of a proposed offering (the “Notes Offering”) of convertible senior notes in an aggregate principal amount of US$450 million due 2032 (the “Notes”), subject to market conditions and other factors, in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company expects to grant the initial purchasers in the Notes Offering an option to purchase up to an additional US$50 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, exercisable for settlement within a 13-day period, beginning on, and including, the first date on which the Notes are issued.

    The Company plans to use the net proceeds from the Notes Offering for working capital needs and the refinancing of its existing indebtedness, including potential future negotiated repurchases, or redemption upon exercise of the investor put right, of its convertible bonds due 2029.

    When issued, the Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of GDS. The Notes will mature on June 1, 2032, unless earlier redeemed, repurchased or converted in accordance with their terms prior to such date.

    Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding December 1, 2031, the Notes will be convertible only upon satisfaction of certain conditions and during certain periods. On or after December 1, 2031 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their Notes at their option at any time. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, the Company’s American depositary shares, each representing eight Class A ordinary shares (the “ADSs”), or a combination of cash and ADSs, at the Company’s election. Holders may also elect to receive Class A ordinary shares in lieu of any ADSs deliverable upon conversion, subject to certain procedures and conditions set forth in the terms of the Notes. The interest rate, initial conversion rate and other terms of the Notes will be determined at the time of pricing of the Notes.

    The Company may redeem for cash all but not part of the Notes (i) in the event of certain tax law changes (a “Tax Redemption”) and (ii) if less than 10% of the aggregate principal of amount of notes originally issued (for the avoidance of doubt, including the notes issued upon the exercise of the initial purchasers’ option to purchase additional notes) remains outstanding at such time (a “Cleanup Redemption”). The Notes will not be redeemable before June 6, 2029, except in connection with a Tax Redemption or Cleanup Redemption. On or after June 6, 2029 and on or prior to the 40th scheduled trading day immediately prior to the maturity date, the Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, for cash at the Company’s option at any time, and from time to time, if (x) the notes are “freely tradable” (as will be defined in the indenture for the Notes), and all accrued and unpaid additional interest, if any, has been paid in full, as of the date we send such notice and (y) the last reported sale price of the ADSs has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect on (i) each of at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period ending on, and including, the trading day immediately prior to the date the Company provides notice of redemption and (ii) the trading day immediately preceding the date the Company sends such notice (such redemption, an “Optional Redemption”). The redemption price in the case of a Tax Redemption, Cleanup Redemption or an Optional Redemption will equal 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the related redemption date.

    Holders of the Notes may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or part of their Notes on June 1, 2029. In addition, holders of the Notes have the option, subject to certain conditions, to require the Company to repurchase any Notes held in the event of a “fundamental change” (as will be defined in the indenture for the Notes). The repurchase price, in each case, will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the applicable repurchase date.

    The Company expects that certain purchasers of the Notes may establish a short position with respect to its ADSs by short selling its ADSs or by entering into short derivative positions with respect to its ADSs (including entering into derivatives with an affiliate of an initial purchaser in the Notes Offering), in each case, in connection with the Notes Offering. Any of the above market activities by purchasers of the Notes could increase (or reduce any decrease in) or decrease (or reduce any increase in) the market price of the Company’s ADSs or the Notes at that time, and the Company cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the price of the Notes or its ADSs.

    The Company also announced today by separate press release that the Company has commenced a separate registered public offering (the “Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs”) of a certain number of its ADSs (the “Borrowed ADSs”) that the Company will lend to an affiliate (the “ADS Borrower”) of an initial purchaser in the Notes Offering in order to facilitate privately negotiated derivative transactions by some holders of the Notes for purposes of hedging their investment in the Notes. The Company expects to enter into an ADS lending agreement (the “ADS Lending Agreement”) with the ADS Borrower pursuant to which the Company will lend the Borrowed ADSs to the ADS Borrower. The ADS Borrower or its affiliate will receive all of the proceeds from the sale of the Borrowed ADSs and the Company will not receive any of those proceeds, but the ADS Borrower will pay the Company a nominal lending fee for the use of those ADSs pursuant to the ADS Lending Agreement. The activity described above could affect the market price of the Company’s ADSs or the Notes otherwise prevailing at that time.

    The Company also announced today by separate press release that the Company has commenced a separate registered public offering (the “Primary ADSs Offering”) of 5,200,000 ADSs (the “Primary ADSs”), subject to market and other conditions. The underwriters in the Primary ADSs Offering will have a 30-day option to purchase up to 780,000 additional ADSs.

    Nothing contained herein shall constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, including the Notes, the Borrowed ADSs or the Primary ADSs, nor shall there be any offer or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs and the Primary ADSs Offering are being made only by means of separate prospectus supplements and accompanying prospectuses pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The closing of each of the Notes Offering, the Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs and the Primary ADSs Offering is conditioned upon the closing of each of the other offerings and vice versa. If the Notes Offering is not consummated, the concurrent Primary ADSs Offering will terminate, the ADS loan under the ADS Lending Agreement will terminate, and the concurrent Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs will terminate and all of the Borrowed ADSs (or ADSs fungible with the Borrowed ADSs or other substitute securities or property as provided for in the ADS Lending Agreement) must be returned to the Company.

    The Notes, the ADSs deliverable upon conversion of the Notes, if any, and the Class A ordinary shares represented thereby or deliverable upon conversion of Notes in lieu thereof, have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or any state securities laws, and are being offered and sold in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act.

    About GDS Holdings Limited

    GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GDS; HKEX: 9698) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China. The Company’s facilities are strategically located in and around primary economic hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company’s data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. GDS is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company offers co-location and a suite of value-added services, including managed hybrid cloud services through direct private connection to leading public clouds, managed network services, and, where required, the resale of public cloud services. The Company has a 24-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company’s customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations. The Company also holds a non-controlling 35.6% equity interest in DayOne Data Centers Limited which develops and operates data centers in International markets.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “is/are likely to,” “may,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “target,” “will,” and similar statements. Among other things, statements that are not historical facts, including statements about GDS Holdings’ beliefs and expectations regarding the Notes Offering, Delta Placement of Borrowed ADSs and the Primary ADSs Offering, the growth of its businesses and its revenue for the full fiscal year, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as GDS Holdings’ strategic and operational plans, are or contain forward-looking statements. GDS Holdings may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC on Forms 20-F and 6-K, in its current, interim and annual reports to shareholders, in announcements, circulars or other publications made on the website of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”), in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause GDS Holdings’ actual results or financial performance to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: GDS Holdings’ goals and strategies; GDS Holdings’ future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the market for high-performance data centers, data center solutions and related services in China and regions in which GDS’ major equity investees operate, such as South East Asia; GDS Holdings’ expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its high-performance data centers, data center solutions and related services; GDS Holdings’ expectations regarding building, strengthening and maintaining its relationships with new and existing customers; the results of operations, growth prospects, financial condition, regulatory environment, competitive landscape and other uncertainties associated with the business and operations of our significant equity investee DayOne; the continued adoption of cloud computing and cloud service providers in China and other major markets that may impact the results of our equity investees, such as South East Asia; risks and uncertainties associated with increased investments in GDS Holdings’ business and new data center initiatives; risks and uncertainties associated with strategic acquisitions and investments; GDS Holdings’ ability to maintain or grow its revenue or business; fluctuations in GDS Holdings’ operating results; changes in laws, regulations and regulatory environment that affect GDS Holdings’ business operations and those of its major equity investees; competition in GDS Holdings’ industry in China and in markets that affect the business of our major equity investees, such as South East Asia; security breaches; power outages; and fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and globally, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in GDS Holdings’ filings with the SEC, including its annual report on Form 20-F, and with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and are based on assumptions that GDS Holdings believes to be reasonable as of such date, and GDS Holdings does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    GDS Holdings Limited
    Laura Chen
    Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203
    Email: ir@gds-services.com

    Piacente Financial Communications
    Ross Warner
    Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    Brandi Piacente
    Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050
    Email: GDS@tpg-ir.com

    GDS Holdings Limited

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Brooge Energy Limited Announces Proposed Sale of BPGIC FZE and BPGIC Phase III FZE

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brooge Energy Limited, (“BEL“) (NASDAQ: BROG), a Cayman Islands-based infrastructure provider, which is engaged in Clean Petroleum Products and Biofuels and Crude Oil storage and related services, today announced entering into a conditional sale and purchase agreement (the “Acquisition Agreement“) for the proposed sale of 100% of the total issued share capital of each of Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investments Company FZE (“BPGIC FZE“) and Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investment Company Phase III FZE (“BPGIC Phase III FZE“, collectively with their subsidiaries referred to as the “BPGIC Group“), to Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC (“GulfNav“) (the “Transaction“).

    Key highlights:  This acquisition is part of GulfNav’s long-term vision to become a key player in the energy sector by expanding its storage and logistics capabilities with BPGIC Group’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, which includes advanced facilities for the storage of fuel oil, crude oil, and petroleum products. These assets will complement GulfNav’s existing operations and allow them to provide an integrated storage and transportation solution. The integration of the two businesses is expected to drive operational efficiencies, enhance service offerings, and create substantial value for stakeholders.

    BEL’s Board of Directors commented, “We are pleased to be nearing the closing of our strategic transaction with GulfNav. After careful diligence by both parties, we have outlined the proposed terms and conditions the Board believes is in the best interest of ensuring long-term value creation for our shareholders.”

    Principal Terms and Conditions of the Acquisition Agreement

    Consideration Structure  

    The total consideration (the “Consideration“) payable under the Transaction amounts to c. USD 884 million (AED 3,245,000,000). This Consideration will be satisfied through the following means:

    1. Cash Consideration: c. USD 125.3 million (AED 460,000,000) in cash, which will be paid as follows:
      1. c. USD 65 million (AED 239,650,000) will be paid into the Completion Escrow Account (subject to any deductions of transaction expenses and for known leakage (if any)); and
          1. c. USD 60 million (AED 220,350,000) will be paid into an escrow account for the benefit of ASMA Capital Partners B.S.C.(c) (“ASMA“) in connection with the settlement of certain outstanding liabilities of BPGIC Holdings Limited (under liquidation) to ASMA’s subsidiary, MENA Energy Services Holdings Limited, in order to facilitate the conclusion of the Transaction.
            1. Consideration Shares: The allotment and issue on completion of 358,841,476 ordinary shares in the share capital of GulfNav, credited as fully paid, at a price of USD 0.34 (AED 1.25) per share, with a total subscription price of c. USD 122 million (AED 449 million).    
            1. Mandatory Convertible Bonds: c. USD 636 million (AED 2,336 million) to be satisfied by the issue by GulfNav on completion of Mandatory Convertible Bonds, which will convert into ordinary shares in the share capital of GulfNav in accordance with the terms of such Mandatory Convertible Bonds. The Mandatory Convertible Bonds (upon their conversion into shares in GulfNav) will entitle the holder to the same economic benefits as the Consideration Shares.

            The Consideration Shares and any Mandatory Convertible Bonds which will convert into shares in the share capital of GulfNav will be subject to a 12-month lock-up period from their date of issuance or conversion, as the case may be.

            The Consideration is expected to be distributed by way of dividend at an appropriate time following completion.

            Conditions to completion of the Transaction

            Under the terms of the Acquisition Agreement, completion of the Transaction is conditional upon customary conditions, including:

            (a)                Shareholder Approval – GulfNav’s shareholders passing a special resolution to approve the amendment of its articles of association to remove any foreign ownership restrictions;

            (b)               Regulatory Approval – GulfNav obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals of the Transaction, including an mandatory tender offer waiver, issuance and transferability of the Mandatory Convertible Bonds and the admission of the Consideration Shares;

            (c)                GulfNav Consents – GulfNav obtaining written consent to the Transaction from certain third parties;

            (d)               First Mandatory Convertible Bond Offering – GulfNav successfully completing a capital raise (via the issuance of mandatory convertible bonds to existing shareholders) in order to fund the Cash Consideration element of the Consideration;

            (e)                BEL Consents – BEL obtaining written consent to the Transaction from certain third parties, including bondholders;

            (f)                Settlement of Claims – BEL entering into formal agreements for the full and final settlement of certain claims related to the BPGIC Group; and

            (g)               Commercial Registration – completion of the commercial registration process with the Fujairah Free Zone Authority to transfer the shares of the BPGIC Group by BEL to GulfNav.

            Other noteworthy terms

            BEL and GulfNav will each provide a customary set of warranties, as is typical in transactions of similar nature. 

            Completion is expected to occur within five Business Days after the satisfaction (or, if capable of waiver, waiver) of any applicable conditions in accordance with the terms of the Acquisition Agreement.

            BEL and GulfNav will endeavor to complete the Transaction as soon as practicable, and in any event prior to the Long Stop Date, being the date falling three months from the date of the Acquisition Agreement unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

            Following completion, each  party is expected to have pro-rata representation on the board of directors of GulfNav in accordance with applicable laws and regulations in the United Arab Emirates.

            BEL expects to provide further information regarding the distribution of the Consideration to BEL’s shareholders and other beneficiaries nearer the time of completion.  The Consideration Shares and Mandatory Convertible Bonds and other securities of GulfNav have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act“), and may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The issuer of the securities has not registered, and does not intend to register, any portion of the offering in the United States, and does not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States.

            About Brooge Energy Limited

            BEL is a Cayman Islands-based infrastructure provider which is engaged in Clean Petroleum Products and Biofuels and Crude Oil storage and related services. BEL conducts the business and operations through its subsidiary BPGIC FZE. BPGIC FZE is strategically located outside the Strait of Hormuz at the Port of Fujairah in the Emirate of Fujairah in the UAE. Its business differentiates itself from competitors by providing customers with fast order processing times, excellent customer service and high accuracy blending services with low product losses.

            About Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC

            GulfNav is a prominent maritime and shipping company based in Dubai, UAE. With a diverse fleet and comprehensive services, GulfNav is committed to delivering excellence in the maritime industry.

            Forward-Looking Statements

            This press release contains statements that are not historical facts and constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements reflect management’s current views based on certain assumptions, and they involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially from the forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors, and will be dependent upon a variety of factors, including risks described in public reports filed by BEL with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. BEL does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

            Investor Contact
            KCSA Strategic Communications
            Valter Pinto, Managing Director
            +1 212-896-1254
            BROG@kcsa.com

        The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Lee, colleagues applaud U.S. Sentencing Commission’s amendment on supervised release

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), along with Representative Barry Moore (R-Ala.), released the following statement to applaud the United States Sentencing Commission’s unanimously finalized recent amendment to the United States Sentencing Guidelines regarding federal supervised release:
    “This is an important step by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. This amendment regarding federal supervised release better aligns our system with parts of our Safer Supervision Act. It is a meaningful move to restore federal supervision to the system that Congress originally intended and focus supervision on those who need it most. This is an illustration of how we can work together to improve our justice system by promoting rehabilitation, fairness, and public safety. We look forward to continuing this effort and ensuring that the entire Safer Supervision Act becomes law.”
    Federal supervised release is a form of supervision after incarceration that was originally designed to be used “for those, and only those, who [need] it,” according to the U.S. Supreme Court. Currently, however, supervised release is imposed in nearly every case, resulting in an overburdened system with more than 110,000 people in supervision at any moment, and nearly 50,000 people cycling into it each year. The result is a system that does not provide appropriate supervision to the high-risk individuals who most need it, while creating counterproductive burdens on low-risk individuals that inhibit their ability to reintegrate. 
    On April 30, 2025, the United States Sentencing Commission transmitted to Congress an amendment to the Guidelines that encourages courts to impose supervised release on the basis of individualized circumstances, provides courts with factors to consider in assessing potential early termination, and increases courts’ discretion on how to address supervised release violations. These changes are aligned with certain portions of the Safer Supervision Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will ensure that supervision resources are directed in a way that best promotes rehabilitation and public safety. The Commission initially proposed this amendment in January, and the aforementioned members of Congress filed a comment in March in support of the Sentencing Commission’s proposal. The proposal received favorable comments at a public hearing in March from law enforcement and advocates across the political spectrum. The finalized amendment will go into effect on November 1, 2025.
    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus.

    MIL OSI USA News –