PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
N/A
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
ADVANCED MEDICAL SOLUTIONS GROUP PLC
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
N/A
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
23 APRIL 2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
N/A
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
5p ORDINARY
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
11,862,193
5.4394
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
11,862,193
5.4394
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
5p ORDINARY
PURCHASE
1,400
186.7507p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
24 APRIL 2025
Contact name:
MARK ELLIOTT
Telephone number:
01253 376539
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launches development works worth over Rs 13,480 crore in Madhubani, Bihar marking National Panchayati Raj Day In the last decade, several measures have been taken to empower Panchayats, Panchayats have been strengthened through technology: PM
The rural economy has gained new momentum in the last decade: PM
The past decade has been the decade of India’s infrastructure: PM
Makhana is a superfood for the country and the world today, but in Mithila it is a part of the culture,source for prosperity here: PM
The willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the back of the perpetrators of terror: PM
Terrorism will not go unpunished, Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done, The entire nation is firm in this resolve: PM
Posted On: 24 APR 2025 2:11PM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 13,480 crore in Madhubani, Bihar today on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day. The Prime Minister appealed to everyone at the event to observe silence and pray for the departed souls in the Pahalgam attacks on 22 April 2025. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he said that on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day, the entire nation is connected with Mithila and Bihar. He remarked that projects worth thousands of crores of rupees, aimed at Bihar’s development, have been inaugurated and foundations laid for, emphasising that these initiatives in electricity, railways, and infrastructure will create new employment opportunities in Bihar. He paid tributes to the great poet and national icon, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Ji, on his death anniversary.
Remarking that Bihar is the land where Mahatma Gandhi expanded the mantra of Satyagraha, Shri Modi highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s firm belief that India’s rapid development is only possible when its villages are strong. He emphasized that the concept of Panchayati Raj was rooted in this sentiment. “Over the past decade, continuous steps have been taken to empower Panchayats. Technology has played a significant role in strengthening Panchayats, with over 2 lakh Gram Panchayats connected to the internet in the last decade”, he added. Shri Modi pointed out that more than 5.5 lakh Common Service Centers have been established in villages, underlining that the digitalization of Panchayats has brought additional benefits, such as easy access to documents like birth and death certificates, and landholding certificates. He remarked that while the nation received a new Parliament building after decades of independence, 30,000 new Panchayat Bhawans have also been constructed across the country. He also highlighted that ensuring adequate funds for Panchayats has been a priority for the government. “Over the past decade, Panchayats have received more than ₹2 lakh crore, all of which has been utilized for the development of villages”, he said.
Highlighting that one of the major issues faced by Gram Panchayats has been related to land disputes, the Prime Minister mentioned the frequent disagreements over which land is residential, agricultural, Panchayat-owned, or government-owned. He emphasized that to address this issue, the digitization of land records is being undertaken, which has helped resolve unnecessary disputes effectively.
Shri Modi underscored that Panchayats have strengthened social participation, remarking that Bihar was the first state in the country to provide 50% reservation for women in Panchayats. He emphasized that today, a significant number of women from economically weaker sections, Dalits, Mahadalits, backward, and extremely backward communities are serving as public representatives in Bihar, describing it as true social justice and genuine social participation. He underlined that democracy thrives and becomes stronger with greater participation. Reflecting this vision, Shri Modi noted that a law providing 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies has also been enacted. He remarked that this will benefit women across all states, giving our sisters and daughters greater representation.
Emphasising that the government is working in mission mode to increase women’s income and create new opportunities for employment and self-employment, Shri Modi highlighted the transformative impact of the ‘Jeevika Didi’ program in Bihar, which has changed the lives of many women. He remarked that today, self-help groups of women in Bihar have been provided financial assistance of approximately ₹1,000 crore, noting that this will further strengthen the economic empowerment of women and contribute to the goal of creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis across the country. He highlighted that the rural economy has gained new momentum over the past decade. He pointed out that villages have seen the construction of houses for the poor, roads, gas connections, water connections, and toilets, bringing lakhs of crores of rupees to rural areas. The Prime Minister remarked that new employment opportunities have been created, benefiting laborers, farmers, vehicle operators, and shopkeepers, providing them with new avenues for income. He emphasized that this has particularly benefited communities that have been deprived for generations. He cited the example of the PM Awas Yojana, which aims to ensure that no family in the country remains homeless and that everyone has a permanent roof over their heads. He noted that over the past decade, more than 4 crore permanent houses have been constructed under this scheme. He highlighted that in Bihar alone, 57 lakh poor families have received permanent houses. He remarked that these houses have been provided to families from economically weaker sections, Dalits, and backward and extremely backward communities like Pasmanda families. Shri Modi announced that in the coming years, 3 crore more permanent houses will be provided to the poor. He noted that today, approximately 1.5 lakh families in Bihar are moving into their new permanent homes. He said that across the country, 15 lakh poor families have been issued approval letters for the construction of new houses, including 3.5 lakh beneficiaries from Bihar. He highlighted that today, financial assistance has been sent to approximately 10 lakh poor families for their permanent houses, including 80,000 rural families and 1 lakh urban families from Bihar.
“The past decade has been a decade of infrastructure development for India”, said the Prime Minister, highlighting that this modern infrastructure is strengthening the foundation of a developed India. He noted that for the first time, over 12 crore rural families have received tap water connections in their homes, underlining that more than 2.5 crore households have been electrified, and those who never imagined cooking on gas stoves have now received gas cylinders. “Even in challenging regions like Ladakh and Siachen, where providing basic facilities is difficult, 4G and 5G mobile connections have now been established, reflecting the nation’s current priorities”, he pointed out. The Prime Minister highlighted advancements in healthcare, noting that institutions like AIIMS were once limited to major cities like Delhi. He announced that AIIMS is now being established in Darbhanga, and the number of medical colleges in the country has nearly doubled in the past decade and mentioned the construction of a new medical college in Jhanjharpur. He emphasized that to ensure quality healthcare in villages, over 1.5 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across the country, including more than 10,000 in Bihar. He remarked that Jan Aushadhi Kendras have become a significant relief for the poor and middle class, offering medicines at an 80% discount. He noted that Bihar now has over 800 Jan Aushadhi Kendras, saving its people ₹2,000 crore in medical expenses. The Prime Minister highlighted that under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, lakhs of families in Bihar have received free treatment, resulting in savings of thousands of crores of rupees for these families.
“India is rapidly advancing its connectivity through infrastructure like railways, roads, and airports”, highlighted Shri Modi, noting that metro projects are underway in Patna, and over two dozen cities across the country are now connected with metro facilities. He announced the launch of the ‘Namo Bharat Rapid Rail’ service between Patna and Jaynagar, which will significantly reduce travel time between the two locations, and emphasized that this development will benefit lakhs of people from Samastipur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, and Begusarai.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the inauguration and launch of multiple new railway lines in Bihar, highlighting the commencement of the modern Amrit Bharat train service between Saharsa and Mumbai, which will greatly benefit the labor families. He remarked that the government is modernizing several railway stations in Bihar, including Madhubani and Jhanjharpur. He emphasized that air connectivity in Mithila and Bihar has improved significantly with Darbhanga Airport, and the expansion of Patna Airport is underway. “These development projects are creating new employment opportunities in Bihar”, he added.
“Farmers are the backbone of the rural economy, the stronger this backbone, the stronger the villages, and consequently, the nation”, said Shri Modi. He highlighted the persistent challenges of floods in the Mithila and Kosi regions, noting that the government is set to invest ₹11,000 crore to mitigate the impact of floods in Bihar. He said that this investment will facilitate the construction of dams on rivers such as Bagmati, Dhar, Budhi Gandak, and Kosi, adding that canals will be developed, ensuring irrigation arrangements through river water. “This initiative will not only reduce flood-related issues but will also ensure adequate water supply reaches every farmer’s field”, he added.
“Makhana, a cultural staple of Mithila, has now gained global recognition as a superfood”, highlighted Shri Modi, mentioning that makhana has been granted a GI tag, officially certifying it as a product of this region. He added that the Makhana Research Centre has been accorded national status. He also highlighted the Budget announcement of the Makhana Board, which is expected to transform the fortunes of makhana farmers, emphasising that Bihar’s makhana will now reach international markets as a superfood. He noted that the National Institute of Food Technology and Management is being established in Bihar, which will support the youth in setting up small enterprises related to food processing. He further emphasized that Bihar is making consistent progress in fisheries along with agriculture, highlighting that fishermen now have access to the benefits of the Kisan Credit Card, providing advantages to numerous families involved in fisheries. He remarked that under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, projects worth hundreds of crores have been executed in Bihar.
Expressing deep sorrow over the brutal killing of innocent civilians by terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, Shri Modi remarked that the entire nation is distressed and stands in solidarity with the grieving families. He assured that every effort is being made by the government to ensure the speedy recovery of those undergoing treatment. He highlighted the profound loss suffered by families, where some lost their sons, brothers, or life partners, noting that the victims came from diverse linguistic and regional backgrounds—some spoke Bengali, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, and some were from Bihar. Underlining that from Kargil to Kanyakumari, the grief and outrage over this attack are shared equally across the nation, Shri Modi remarked that this attack was not just on unarmed tourists but was a brazen assault on the soul of India. “The terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination”, he declared in unequivocal terms, asserting that the time has come to eliminate the remaining strongholds of terrorism. “The willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror”, he stressed.
The Prime Minister declared from the soil of Bihar that India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist, their handlers, and their backers, emphasising that India will pursue them to the ends of the earth. “India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism and terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure justice is served and the entire nation is firm in this resolve against terrorism”, he stressed. He further stated that everyone who believes in humanity stands with India during these times. He expressed his gratitude to the people and leaders of various countries who have supported India in these moments.
“Peace and security are the most critical prerequisites for rapid development”, said Shri Modi, remarking that a developed Bihar is essential for a developed India. He concluded by highlighting that efforts are being made to ensure development in Bihar and to extend the benefits of progress to every section and every region of the state. He expressed gratitude to everyone for joining the program on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day.
The Governor of Bihar, Shri Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar, Union Ministers Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Shri Jitan Ram Manji, Shri Giriraj Singh, Shri Chirag Paswan, Shri Nityanand Rai, Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary were present among other dignitaries at the event.
Background
Prime Minister participated in the National Panchayati Raj Day programme in Madhubani, Bihar. He also presented National Panchayat Awards, recognizing and incentivizing best-performing Panchayats on the occasion.
Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of an LPG bottling plant with rail unloading facility at Hathua in Gopalganj District of Bihar worth around Rs 340 crore. This will help in streamlining the supply chain and improving efficiency of bulk LPG transportation.
Boosting power infrastructure in the region, Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 1,170 crore and also inaugurated multiple projects worth over Rs 5,030 crore in the power sector in Bihar under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.
In line with his commitment to boost rail connectivity across the nation, Prime Minister flagged off Amrit Bharat express between Saharsa and Mumbai, Namo Bharat Rapid rail between Jaynagar and Patna and trains between Pipra and Saharsa and Saharsa and Samastipur. He also inaugurated the Supaul Pipra rail line, Hasanpur Bithan Rail line and two 2-lane Rail over bridges at Chapra and Bagaha. He dedicated to the nation the Khagaria-Alauli Rail line. These projects will improve connectivity and lead to overall socio-economic development of the region.
Prime Minister distributed benefits of around Rs 930 crore under Community Investment Fund to over 2 lakh SHGs from Bihar under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NRLM).
Prime Minister handed over sanction letters to 15 lakh new beneficiaries of PMAY-Gramin and released instalments to 10 lakh PMAY-G beneficiaries from across the country. He also handed over keys to some beneficiaries marking the Grih Pravesh of 1 lakh PMAY-G and 54,000 PMAY-U houses in Bihar.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Transport Department (TD) today (April 24) announced that the auction of vehicle registration marks will be held on May 10 (Saturday) at Meeting Room S421, L4, Old Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) unveiled 18 breakthrough R&D achievements today at the “TARC Pavilion” during 2025 E-Mobility Taiwan Exhibition. In collaboration with 28 industry partners, the showcased technologies spotlight Taiwan’s advancements in AI integration and electrification for smart mobility. The initiative emphasizes not only research excellence but also real-world industrial applications-demonstrating Taiwan’s growing influence in the global smart vehicle ecosystem.
With AI technology rapidly reshaping mobility, this year’s TARC Pavilion focuses on autonomous driving innovations. A highlight of the showcase is the “Level 3 AI self-driving and cybersecurity Integration” developed by the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC), which brings together the expertise of local leaders including Elan, oToBrite, ASUS, DFI, Arcadyan, Chimei Automotive, and Rotatech. This system combines AI-enabled smart driving, intelligent cockpit monitoring, and cybersecurity, and has powered the world’s first Level 3 autonomous electric bus certified under UN R157 regulation-marking a significant step toward safer, smarter mobility.
The integrated system enables advanced features such as self-navigation, lane changing, and obstacle avoidance. It also includes real-time driver monitoring using facial and posture recognition. If a driver becomes unresponsive, the vehicle safely pulls over and alerts backend operators. With OTA (over-the-air) update capabilities and robust cybersecurity, the system is positioned to lead Taiwan’s smart vehicle supply chain onto the international stage.
Another highlight is the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s (ITRI) “Smart Charging Management and Dispatch System,”which has revolutionized electric bus charging methods. Representing a global first in applying fleet charging and dispatch to smart city energy management, this AI-powered solution optimizes power usage and spatial efficiency at depots, as successfully demonstrated in collaboration with Chung Hsing Bus Company and applied at Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park Depot, Taiwan’s largest electric bus operation center. It enables flexible charging schedules based on each vehicle’s battery level, route, and timetable-significantly reducing electricity contract demand, saving approximately 30% in manpower and operating costs, and extending battery lifespan. The system also features AI-based remote monitoring to prevent risks like overheating or short circuits, thereby boosting overall fleet efficiency.
Both technologies received 2025 Edison Awards, a testament to Taiwan’s innovation prowess in the global smart mobility arena.
In addition, CMC (China Motor Corporation) presented the ET35, Taiwan’s first mass-produced 3.5-ton intelligent electric commercial vehicle. Designed and manufactured entirely with components sourced from local suppliers-with a localization rate of over 90%-the ET35 features domestically developed ADAS Level 2, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and cloud-based data integration. This all-in-one solution supports enterprise-level decarbonization and smart logistics, and is slated for mass production in Q3 2025.
The TARC Pavilion will run through April 26 on the 4th floor of Hall 1, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. Visitors from industry, government, and academia are welcome to explore the forefront of Taiwan’s smart mobility innovation at E-Mobility Taiwan.
Coventry City Council joins BCIMO as its Main Event Partner for its upcoming Family Day, offering local families and rail enthusiasts the chance to ride the Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR).
The partnership between BCIMO and Coventry City Council has been fundamental to forming the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley. This centre was established to support the development of the emerging Very Light Rail industry and innovation across the wider rail sectors. As part of this collaboration, Coventry City Council secured Government funding to help prepare the centre for its role in enabling the research and development of the CVLR vehicle.
Since 2022, the CVLR demonstrator, a battery-operated, zero-emission transport system capable of carrying up to 60 passengers (20 seated), has been tested at BCIMO’s Rail Development & Test Site. The system offers an alternative way to travel, complementing existing public transport. It is sustainable, cost-effective, and will help improve air quality while reducing congestion. It will be a hop-on-hop-off urban transport system with no overhead cables and potentially driverless in the future.
As the leading event partner, Coventry City Council will give visitors to Family Day a unique experience: ride the CVLR demonstrator along BCIMO’s whole test track, through the iconic Dudley Railway Tunnel, and around the loop. The vehicle can accommodate up to 20 passengers on this day. This will be the only time people can ride the vehicle at the Dudley site before it relocates to Coventry to run on a 220-metre section of VLR track in May and June.
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration, and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, said: Very Light Rail is the beginning of our plans to revolutionise transport in Coventry. The Family Day in Dudley provides the first opportunity for the public to experience a ride ahead of it moving to Coventry for on-road testing. CVLR can potentially change how people move around smaller cities and towns. It’s green, has the potential to provide a hop-on, hop-off service, and it’s a fraction of the price of conventional tram systems, thanks to our very clever track. It’s great that people can ride on it and experience it in Dudley, where it has been shuttling up and down as part of testing and soon in our city centre.
Neil Fulton, CEO of BCIMO, added: We are incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with Coventry City Council. Their early support was crucial in helping us develop the facilities that have enabled the programme team to test and advance their Very Light Rail system. As the Main Event Partner for Family Day, we’re excited to offer the public this exclusive opportunity to experience the CVLR demonstrator firsthand, showcasing the exciting potential of sustainable transport for the future.
To learn more about the event, buy tickets, or get involved in other ways, please visit the BCIMO Family Day website page.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 24, 2025/APO Group/ —
African Mining Week (AMW) – taking place from October 1–3, 2025, in Cape Town – will connect global investors with high-impact opportunities across Africa’s mining sector, spotlighting the strategies fueling the continent’s mineral industrialization.
A key highlight of the event will be a high-level panel, The Investor Perspective: Financing Africa’s Mineral Industrialization. The session will explore the evolving investment landscape and examine diverse financing mechanisms – including bank loans, private equity, venture capital and impact investing – that are mobilizing capital into African mining.
DFIs Drive Infrastructure Investments
Attracted by strong returns and Africa’s long-term growth potential, development finance institutions (DFIs) are ramping up investments into the continent’s mining infrastructure. In March 2025, the African Development Bank approved a $150 million loan to Mauritania’s state-owned mining company SNIM and committed $500 million to the Lobito Corridor – a strategic railway project linking Angola, the DRC and Zambia to international markets. Meanwhile, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is backing several critical mineral projects, including Nyanza Light Metals’ $780 million PGMs facility in South Africa, Gecamines’ expansion in the DRC, Giyani Metals’ manganese development in Botswana and FG Gold’s project in Sierra Leone. Between 2014 and 2024, AFC invested over $1 billion into Africa’s mining sector. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is also deepening its commitment, providing more than $750 million toward the Lobito Corridor, $34 million for Pensana’s Longonjo rare earths project in Angola and $3.2 million to Chillerton’s green copper development in Zambia.
Geopolitics and African Prospects
Geopolitical shifts are intensifying the global race for Africa’s critical minerals, vital for the energy transition and digital economy. From 2019 to 2023, companies from the United Arab Emirates committed over $110 billion to African projects. In early 2025, UAE-based Ambrosia Investment Holding acquired a 50% stake in Allied Gold’s projects in Ethiopia and Mali, investing $375 million to scale up gold production. Canadian mining investment on the continent has now surpassed $37 billion, with companies like Ivanhoe Mines, Fortuna Silver, Pioneer Lithium and Trigon Metals leading expansion efforts. Similarly, Australia’s mining footprint in Africa reached $60 billion in asset value in 2024, supported by firms such as Sovereign Metals, Cazaly Resources and Atlantic Lithium.
Private Placements
Private placements are emerging as a preferred capital-raising vehicle for mining ventures across Africa. Companies including Zanaga Iron Ore, Moab Minerals, Global Atomic Corporation, Premier African Minerals and Trigon Metals are leveraging this mechanism to fast-track project development and attract investor interest. As ESG criteria take center stage in investment decision-making, AMW will serve as a platform for financiers and project developers to engage on sustainability metrics, transparency and responsible investing.
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Employees of Rosneft subsidiaries operating in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Tyumen Oblast organized a motor rally in honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory. Cars decorated with the Victory Banner covered 1,418 km – this distance corresponds to the number of days that the Great Patriotic War lasted.
The patriotic action started in Novy Urengoy (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area), the gas capital of Russia, where one of the key gas assets of the ROSPAN INTERNATIONAL Company is based. At the Memory Square, participants laid flowers at the Eternal Flame and unfurled a huge St. George ribbon. Participants of the Energy of Talents festival and students of Rosneft classes performed the legendary song Katyusha. Then a column of domestic cars headed to the city of Gubkinsky, starting the rally.
In Gubkinsky (YaNAO), RN-Purneftegaz, which built the settlement, and SevKomNeftegaz, carry out their production activities. Together with the participants of the motor rally, employees of these Societies, students of Rosneft-classes, as well as representatives of the Movement of the First and the public organization Veteran walked along the central street to the Eternal Flame, where they honored the memory of the heroes with a minute of silence.
The third city on the rally route was Nefteyugansk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), where Rosneft’s largest production asset, RN-Yuganskneftegaz, operates. The rally participants brought the Victory Banner to the Liberator Warrior Monument, one of the oldest memorials in the city, where flowers were laid.
Having overcome the final stage of the route, the motor rally ended in the capital of the Tyumen region. Accompanied by songs of the war years, a motorcade drove through the streets of Tyumen, led by retro cars and motorcycles decorated with symbols of the 80th anniversary of the Victory. The participants of the event were met at the Memory Square by veterans, as well as employees of Tyumenneftegaz, Kharampurneftegaz, RN-Uvatneftegaz and the corporate scientific institute. Those gathered honored the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War with a minute of silence and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft April 24, 2025
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews have contained a large fire in an Auckland recycling plant to the building.
The officer in charge, Assistant Commander Barry Thomas says crews are now continuing to work on extinguishing the fire within the building.
“Sixteen fire trucks, four ladder trucks, four specialist appliances and twelve support vehicles from across Auckland and from Hamilton, plus around 90 personnel are responding.” he says.
“There are lithium-ion batteries in the fire inside the plant and the fire continues to produce toxic smoke.
“We sent out an emergency message alert around six thirty this evening with instructions for nearby public,” Barry Thomas says.
“We continue to urge people living nearby to stay inside and keep their windows closed. There is no immediate need to evacuate unless advised to do so.
“Roads remain closed in the area. Please stay away so our crews can get on with the job of extinguishing the fire.”
Russia’s missile attacks against Ukrainian civilians over Easter demonstrate its attitude towards peace: UK statement to the OSCE
Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s missile attacks against civilians in Sumy and Kharkiv over Easter and President Putin’s transparently cynical attempts to portray Russia as the party of peace.
Thank you, Mister Chair. The United Kingdom is grateful to Finland for convening this Special Permanent Council. It was only 16 days ago that you were last compelled to call an extraordinary meeting of the Council after a Russian missile killed 20 people, including nine children, in Kryvyi Rih. It was the largest number of children killed in a single strike since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to the UN.
Last week was one of major religious festivals where communities around the globe came together in the spirit of peace and goodwill. But while Christians around the world were marking the beginning of Holy Week, a Russian ballistic missile struck the centre of Sumy. 34 people were killed, including two children. A further 117 were injured. Some of the victims were heading to church for a Palm Sunday service.
On Good Friday another Russian ballistic missile struck Kharkiv using a cluster munition. One person was killed and at least 60 were injured. On the same day, a drone attack on Sumy killed another civilian and destroyed a bakery preparing traditional Easter ‘paska’ bread.
Mister Chair, our thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones at this tragic time.
Russia’s response to the widespread condemnation in this Council – and at the UN – following their attack on Sumy was to resort to their familiar playbook of disinformation and distortion in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable. We can expect to see a similar tactic on this occasion.
Through these barbaric attacks, Russia has shown that its cruelty knows no bounds and that it is not serious about peace. President Putin’s so-called “Easter truce” was a stunt, violated repeatedly by his own forces. A day later – Easter Monday – a further five civilians reportedly lost their lives following Russian attacks, laying bare the Kremlin’s transparently cynical attempt to portray themselves as the party of peace. Similar attacks have continued since, including yesterday against Kyiv, in which nine civilians were reportedly killed, and 70 more injured.
If Russia was serious about peace, it would agree to an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire, just as Ukraine did, more than 40 days ago. If it was serious about peace, it would stop these senseless attacks on civilians. If it was serious about peace, it would honour the commitments it has made.
Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine are another stark reminder that President Putin has not abandoned his goal of subjugating Ukraine. For this reason, the UK, alongside our partners and allies, will continue to provide Ukraine with the military support it needs to defend its citizens. And we stand ready to apply further pressure on Russia to hinder its ability to wage this war of aggression.
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
23 April 2025 – Flash Quote by Franz Luef, Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Emergency Coordinator in Gaza:
“Palestinians in Gaza are enduring one of the darkest chapters of the war since its onset in October 2023. With hostilities reigniting on March 18th, Israeli forces have intensified their military operations across the Strip, while forcibly displacing people en masse with evacuation orders, and attacks and killings of medical and humanitarian workers. These actions, combined with the ongoing full siege of the Gaza Strip for over 50 days, are not isolated—they represent a systematic effort to dismantle its health system and any effective and principled humanitarian response.
MSF, like most humanitarian actors operating inside Gaza, faces daily operational dilemmas in a very volatile and unpredictable context. Do we move our teams from one place to another without receiving acknowledgement from Israeli forces after we notified them? Do we continue to operate in medical facilities that are being continuously attacked? How do we scale up our activities with no supplies or fuel entering the Strip and critical equipment and infrastructure being bombed?
The situation for Palestinians and those trying to help them in Gaza has become hell. With no end in sight, we are rushing towards the abyss. Israeli strikes are also targeting utility and construction vehicles, including bulldozers, water tankers, and sewage trucks. Without access to such essential tools, we cannot ensure minimum access to clean water and sanitation and prevent further health risks for the population in Gaza.
Since the war started, Israeli forces imposed imperfect mechanisms to protect civilians and humanitarian workers. But they have been nothing more than smoke and mirrors, with over 50,000 Palestinians killed according to the Ministry of health and at least 409 aid workers killed, according to the UN. Today, even these nominal systems are no longer in place. Evacuation orders by Israeli forces are forcibly transferring Palestinians into densely packed, makeshift zones, and humanitarians have no safety guarantees.
The Israeli authorities’ use of aid as a political weapon, coupled with the imposition of arbitrary restrictions on international humanitarian actors, while maintaining the illusion of humanitarian access, is coercing humanitarian and medical actors to compromise on their safety and their principles.”
One of the most common and devastating forms of lone-actor violence involves driving into crowds. In 2016, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel used this method to kill 86 people in Nice. In 2011, Anders Breivik detonated a bomb in central Oslo before carrying out a mass shooting on the island of Utøya, leaving 77 dead. Not all lone-actor attacks are as deadly or indiscriminate as these. Some target specific people, as seen in the assassinations of German politician Walter Lübcke in 2019 and British MP David Amess in 2021.
Lone-actor terrorism – also known as lone-wolf terrorism – poses a unique challenge for European states. Traditional counterterrorism tools designed for organised groups like al-Qaeda, Islamic State, or Eta are far less effective against people acting alone. While lone-actor plots are typically less complex, they can still cause significant harm.
We’ve also seen that lone-actor attacks can trigger far-reaching ripple effects. The resulting public outrage can intensify debates on contentious issues like immigration, and ultimately boost support for extremist parties.
Copycat or reactionary attacks are another consequence of lone-actor terrorism. A striking example is the mass shootings carried out by Brenton Tarrant in New Zealand in 2019. He cited the actions of Breivik and others as direct inspiration. According to Tarrant’s own manifesto, a key trigger for his radicalisation was the 2017 Islamist attack in Stockholm, where Rakhmat Akilov, an asylum seeker from Uzbekistan, drove a truck into a crowd, killing five people, including an 11-year-old child.
Why lone-actor attacks are so difficult to prevent
Because lone actors operate independently and rarely communicate their intentions, their identities often remain unknown until after an attack. Their goals and ideologies are frequently ambiguous, making it hard to predict behaviour or select likely targets. Even correctly identifying an incident as lone-actor terrorism can be challenging.
The case of Axel Rudakubana illustrates this difficulty. Rudakubana killed three young girls in Southport, northern England, in 2024 after breaking into their Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. Despite the discovery of an Al-Qaeda training manual in his possession, prosecutors found no substantial evidence of political motivation and labelled the incident a “mass killing” rather than terrorism.
It is very difficult – if not impossible – to determine the exact number of lone-actor terrorist attacks that have taken place in Europe with certainty. The absence of a universally accepted definition of terrorism is part of the problem. It’s also possible that acts of mass violence are being classified as terrorism when they are actually ideologically neutral. Equally, it can be difficult to determine whether an actor truly acted alone, especially in an age of internet radicalisation.
What is clear is that independent terrorist attacks became more frequent in the early 2010s. By 2013, such incidents spiked, with Europe seeing six to seven Islamist and far-right attacks per year (up from fewer than one annually before 2010). These figures refer strictly to cases where perpetrators acted independently, excluding those with evidence of external support. For example, Anis Amri’s 2016 truck attack in Berlin and Taimour al-Abdaly’s 2010 suicide attempt in Stockholm were initially seen as lone-actor events, but later investigations revealed ties to Islamist cells.
Lone-actor terrorism appears less common among far-left and ethno-nationalist groups, though exceptions do exist.
Lone-actor terrorist attacks in Europe
Lone-actor attacks in the 2010s. D muro, O Craciunas, CC BY-ND
This shift towards lone-actor attacks is likely a result of evolving counterterrorism strategies implemented after major attacks like the 2004 Madrid train bombings and the 2005 London bombings. It became harder to carry out large-scale plots so groups like Al-Qaeda and later Islamic State switched to encouraging or organising attacks by loosely affiliated individuals acting independently but on their behalf.
The struggle between terrorist groups and governments is one of constant adaptation. By 2018, Europol data indicated that all the Islamist attacks that had been seen through to completion in Europe during that year had been carried out by lone actors.
Lone-actor attacks have an even longer history within far-right terrorism. The term “lone-wolf terrorist” was first popularised in American white supremacist propaganda in the early 1990s – well before the more neutral term “lone-actor terrorist” was adopted by researchers. As counterterrorism efforts increasingly targeted white supremacist groups, many within the movement came to see independent action as the most effective way to evade detection and maintain operational secrecy.
Addressing the threat
Fortunately, we now understand more about lone-actor crimes. We’ve come to understand that these attacks stem from complex psychological and environmental factors.
While perpetrators shouldn’t be dismissed as simply “crazy,” mental health can play a role in radicalisation, especially when combined with personal grievances, failed aspirations, and perceived injustices. Influences from family, peers and online spaces also shape this process. While no two radicalisation pathways are identical, certain patterns can be observed – and recognising them early may help reduce the threat.
The idea of “self-radicalisation” also merits caution. Lone actors rarely radicalise in isolation; their manifestos often echo broader ideological themes, shaped by conspiracy theories or charismatic figures. These actors often assign symbolic meaning to their actions. Raising awareness of the impact of violent public discourse is key – though this must be done without infringing on free speech. History shows that providing “pressure valves” for controversial ideas is more constructive than censorship.
Lone-actor attacks are, in part, difficult to prevent precisely because they are not a systemic threat in the way that coordinated, group-based terrorism can be. Its danger lies in isolated bursts of violence rather than in sustained campaigns. But there are patterns worth following that could help prevent future incidents.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Netherlands will host a NATO Summit in The Hague on 24-25 June 2025. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General and will take place at the World Forum, Churchillplein 10, 2517 JW The Hague, Netherlands.
Media accreditation for the event is now open. See details below.
An international Media Centre, designated for the accredited media, will operate at the Summit venue from the 23 to 26 June 2025. Media representatives will access the premises through the Accreditation Office.
MEDIA ACCREDITATION IS OPEN
Media representatives wishing to cover the Summit in person (including those with an annual accreditation with NATO) will need to register here.
The deadline to register and apply for media accreditation is 6 June 2025, 23h59 CEST.
Media representatives need to apply as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for processing their requests. Due to high demand, late applications will not be considered.
NATO will confirm the accreditation by email, via the email address used to register, together with details about how media representatives can pick up their badges.
Due to high demand and space limitations, NATO recommends media organisations to limit their physical presence on site.
Media representatives will pick up their badge in-person in the Accreditation Office. It is mandatory to bring:
the same ID document that you used to apply for accreditation online
the same proof of media status (press card and/or Letter from your Editor) used for the registration
and confirmation email (with QR code) in order to receive your pass.
In accordance with NATO media accreditation procedures, NATO reserves the right to deny or withdraw accreditation of media representatives from media organisations who abuse their privileges, put the accreditation to improper use, or act in a way not consistent with the principles of the Organization.
ACCESS
The Accreditation Office will be the only point of entry and exit for the NATO Summit Media Centre.
The Accreditation Office will be located at Stadhouderslaan 15, The Hague. It will be accessible by city public transport (tram/bus), taxi, car or bike. There are no parking facilities nearby the venue. A passenger drop-off point and bicycle racks will be available.
OPENING HOURS
Times and dates are subject to change
Accreditation Office
International Media Centre
Saturday 21 June
Open
Closed
Sunday 22 June
Open (PM)
Open (PM) for broadcasters only
Monday 23 June
Open
Open
Tuesday 24 June
Open
Open
Wednesday 25 June
Open
Open 24h
Thursday 26 June
Closed
Open until 2h00 a.m.
MEDIA PROGRAMME
The media programme will be available online at a later stage. To help with media travel plans, the Summit’s formal opening is on 24 June 2025, and its end in the afternoon on 25 June 2025.
Details about the programme and media logistics will be available in mid-June. Please check the NATO website and X accounts (@NATOPress and @NATO) for updates.
All summit media events will be transmitted live by the Summit Host TV to the media centre, online and via satellite. Bilateral events between delegations are not a part of the official Summit programme. Details of these bilateral events should be sought from the delegations concerned.
POOLS
Visual media will be able to cover the main summit events based on a pool system. More details about pool opportunities will be provided together with the media programme.
Journalists accepting a NATO pool position must share immediately all information and material collected while in the pool with any accredited media that request it, at no charge and with no restriction on the use of the material for news purposes. Media organisations that want pooled images should first contact the wire service / photo agency of which they are a client. Media representatives and news organisations must identify that it is pooled material every time it is used. Pooled material can only be used for legitimate news purposes and it cannot be sold.
MEDIA CENTRE – FACILITIES
The Media Centre will offer:
A press working area, including CCTV, Wi-Fi as well as wired internet connection.
A limited number of TV and radio editing booths.
A press conference area with informal media huddle positions and briefing rooms of different sizes.
An information desk and access to the NATO and Dutch media teams.
Catering area.
A limited number of outdoor and indoor stand-up positions.
Limited area for satellite and TV van parking.
Live video feed distribution (HDSDI 1080/50i BNC terminal)
A fully equipped TV studio wired for live transmission (only for the leaders’ engagements).
Limited space available for broadcasters wishing to set up their own area for live TV.
Working space in the Media Centre’s general working area does not need to be pre-booked and can be used on a first come-first-served basis.
The TV and radio editing booths, the indoor and outdoor stand-up positions as well as space for dedicated TV studios need to be booked in advance. Look for more details in the Broadcasting chapter bellow.
BROADCAST
NEP Groep/Wirtz Film will act as Host TV for the NATO Summit. All Summit events open to the media will be covered by the Host TV and will be available via satellite (on world feed), in the International Media Centre and on the NATO website.
Transcripts of the Secretary General’s public remarks, as well as pictures taken by NATO photographers will be available on the NATO website.
The Media Centre will include a limited number of bookable editing booths for television and radio. Requests for booking should be addressed to broadcastoperations@mfasummits.nl before 6 June 2025.
The following complimentary amenities will be available in the editing booths:
Desks and working space for 2 people;
Light, electricity (230v on 2-pin distribution boards), lockable door;
Wi-Fi and cabled internet;
Access to the (main) video feed based on HDSDI1080i50 with 8ch embedded audio
Outdoor stand-up positions will be situated near the International Media Centre, with a view on the Summit venue. The indoor stand-up positions will have a view on the press filing area. All positions will be equipped with electrical power, internet connection, and have Summit branding elements. Outdoor positions will have a canopy in case of inclement weather.
Broadcasters who plan for continuous live coverage can book a dedicated stand-up position at broadcastoperations@mfasummits.nl before 6 June 2025.
A fully equipped TV studio wired for live transmission will also be available only for the engagements with leaders and will be open for booking by national delegations.
Limited space is available for broadcasters who wish to set up their area for continuous live coverage. Basic amenities will be available (backdrop, basic furniture, access to electricity and internet). For bookings and further details please contact broadcastoperations@mfasummits.nl before 6 June 2025.
There is very limited parking place available for broadcasters to park their satellite or TV vans near the Media Centre in the secure area. For reservations, send an e-mail to broadcastoperations@mfasummits.nl. Broadcasters will be contacted separately with access information. Due to security restrictions, satellite trucks will be required to remain parked for the duration of the Summit. Access is possible on 22 or 23 of June 2025.
Distances from the SNG / TV vans compound to:
Outdoor Stand-up positions: 600 m
Indoor Stand-up positions: 450 m
Workspaces/Editbooths: 550 m
Indoor live TV areas (mentioned in para 29): 550 m For OB-trucks add another 170 m
Satellite and TV vans will have access to electrical power (380V/50Hz/5 pins CEE) and wired internet (50 Mb up/down). Broadcasters should bring their own cables to connect to the electric network. Pool feeds will be available at the SNG Compound (HD-SDI 1080i50)
Limited fibre connection from the editing booths area and interior stand-up positions will be available to the satellite and tv vans parking (for video HDSDI1080i50 or analogue line level audio). Specific requirements and technical questions can be sent to broadcastoperations@mfasummits.nl.
Media representatives can bring their bulky equipment and satellite and tv vans to the Media Centre on 22 June 2025, upon appointment. Please send a request to broadcastoperations@mfasummits.nl before 13 June 2025. Media representatives will receive more detailed information of the procedure after sending an e-mail.
All wireless device usage at the NATO Summit must be pre-approved and registered with RDI. Due to the high demand for radio spectrum, special licensing, testing and tagging protocols will be enforced. To apply for a license, submit a request form to RDI with details of your equipment and intended use. Licenses are issued based on availability and priority.
Tea, coffee, water and snacks will be available free of charge during the opening hours of Media Centre. Hot meals will be available at set times, also free of charge.
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND DEFENCE INDUSTRY EVENTS
There will be a flagship public diplomacy event, the NATO Public Forum, taking place on the Summit site on 24 and 25 June. The Forum is organised by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, together with the host nation and three Dutch-based international think tanks – the Atlantic Commission, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) and the Netherlands Institute for International Relations Clingendael. The event will be livestreamed on NATO YouTube. A number of Heads of State and Government, Ministers and high-level international security policy experts are expected to speak. The agenda will be available closer to the Summit on natopublicforum.org.
NATO, the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Defence, and VNO-NCW, the largest employers’ organisation in the Netherlands, will organise the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum at the Summit venue, to facilitate high-level engagements of NATO, Allied Ministers and governments officials with executives from defence and non-defence industry, including from small and medium-size enterprises and start-ups. Details will be provided in due course.
Media representatives accredited to the Summit will have opportunities for direct coverage; details will be specified in the media program.
ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORTATION
Media representatives are invited to book accommodation in or close (Delft/Leiden) to The Hague by contacting the hotels directly. If useful, The Hague & Partners is well placed to provide guidance for accommodation.
TRAVELLING TO THE HAGUE FOR THE NATO SUMMIT – VISAS
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Moscow is actively developing environmentally friendly and comfortable ground electric transport. Electric buses are being introduced to the routes instead of buses, which makes trips around the city even more comfortable and improves the ecology of the capital. Infrastructure for servicing innovative vehicles is also being created. Thus, the Novokosino park has become the sixth site that services only electric buses. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry Maxim Liksutov.
Currently, more than 500 drivers work here, providing operation of 30 electric bus routes.
“We are modernizing Mosgortrans operational sites for a complete transition to electric transport on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin. Today, more than 280 innovative electric buses operate in Novokosino. Russian vehicles provide comfortable and safe trips in 30 districts of Moscow and in three urban districts of the Moscow region,” added Maxim Liksutov.
At the site, specialists check the serviceability of all electric bus systems, wash the vehicles and inspect their interiors for foreign objects, and charge the batteries. In addition, representatives of the manufacturer conduct scheduled inspections and maintenance of the equipment here.
Since 2022, improved equipment has been delivered to the capital. Such vehicles have adaptive interior lighting, which changes from a cold shade to a warm one at 2 p.m. for passenger comfort. The front route indicator, increased by 18 percent, allows you to see the number from afar. The interior is heated by an electric heater, which does not affect the environment and maintains an optimal temperature. The power reserve has increased from 40-50 to 80 kilometers. At the same time, the weight of the vehicle remains the same. In 2024, KAMAZ and LiAZ trucks with an updated design entered service.
Innovative transport is serviced at 12 Mosgortrans sites. Moscow was the first in Russia to start building modern electric bus parks. In 2022, the first in Russia and the largest in Europe electric bus park “Krasnaya Pakhra” opened in TiNAO. Eco-friendly vehicles went on routes in TiNAO. A year later, the “Mitino” park was built in the northwest. At the end of 2023, the third innovative park, “Saltykovka”, was launched. It is intended for electric buses running in the east of the city.
Electric buses are serviced under life cycle contracts. For 15 years after the transfer of vehicles to the Mosgortrans fleet, manufacturers independently ensure the proper operation of equipment on routes. With new deliveries and the development of charging infrastructure, even more electric buses will replace buses. They will make travel more comfortable for Muscovites and visitors to the capital. The impact on the environment will also be reduced.
In 2023, Moscow signed contracts with PJSC KAMAZ and LLC LiAZ for the supply of 1.2 thousand electric buses. This is the largest purchase of this type of transport in Europe. Under an additional agreement with PJSC KAMAZ, another 100 modern vehicles arrived in Moscow.
Since 2023, 1.3 thousand innovative electric buses have already been delivered to the capital. Eco-friendly transport operates on more than 20 percent of the city’s routes. In total, Moscow has purchased over 2,350 electric buses since 2018.
Quickly find out the main news of the capital in the official telegram channel the city of Moscow.
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Attribute to Road Policing Manager Inspector Angela Hallett
Police are investigating a serious crash involving an off-road bike in Hastings this afternoon.
About 2pm, a motorcycle crashed on Canning Road, between Hapia Street and Orchard Road. As the bike skidded along the ground it hit a nurse outside a café, causing her moderate injuries.
One of the two juvenile on the bike received critical injuries, while the second received serious injuries. Police have established the rider was a 14-year-old, carrying a 17-year-old passenger.
We are still piecing together the events, but initial indications suggest the bike was one of two travelling at speed along Canning Road and may have been attempting to undertake a turning vehicle when the crash happened.
Both bikes are believed to have been the subject of complaints a short time earlier, though were not being pursued at the time of the crash.
I want to commend the swift actions of medical staff who rushed to assist the injured parties, and the professionalism of Police staff. Officers at the scene were forced to form a barrier between the first responders and a number of people who arrived on scene and became abusive at the people who were trying to help.
Police also arrested one man for breaching bail, after he drove a car onto the footpath at the crash scene.
The investigation into the crash is in its early stages and no charges have yet been laid. We are speaking to a number of people and will be making follow up enquiries over the coming days.
The road was closed for a time while a scene examination was carried out but has since reopened.
Police are seeking photos of a Russian stuntman who went missing in 2002, in the hope the image can help identify partial remains located at Motutere earlier this year.
Artour Melikov was 36 when he was reported missing on 10 September 2002. Turangi Police located his vehicle at the Jellicoe Reserve, 400 metres north of Bulli Point at Lake Taupo. The car key was left inside the vehicle, along with Artour’s throwing knives, clothing, passport and other important documentation.
Despite extensive search efforts, there was no sign of Artour and Police established he hadn’t been seen since he left Auckland two days prior.
On 9 January this year, Police were called to a holiday park at Motutere, where several bones were located near a walking track.
Senior Constable Barry Shepherd QSM, of the Taupo Area Search and Rescue Squad, said Police believed the remains were those of Artour, but extensive enquiries have been unable to lead to a positive identification.
“We’ve been unable to contact his next of kin, so hope there is a colleague or friend who may be able to help us.
“Artour was a stuntman for the likes of Xena: Warrior Princess during his time in New Zealand, and we hope there is someone who worked with him who may have high-quality photos of his face, and especially his teeth.”
Artour had gold teeth in his upper jaw, that would have been distinctive, Senior Constable Shepherd said.
“We know 22 years is a long time, but I urge anyone who may have worked with Artour, to please review any images you may have and contact us if you can help.”
If you have any information that could assist the investigation, please make a report via 105, using the reference number 250110/2158.
To be attributed to Detective Inspector Marty James, District Manager Criminal Investigations:
Eastern District Police have today been issued a Gang Conflict Warrant, following several incidents stemming from ongoing tensions between Mongrel Mob and Black Power.
At around 10:45pm on Tuesday night, shots were fired at houses in Wairoa associated with both gangs, and a Napier house connected to one of the gangs was targeted this morning.
We’re also aware of a number of alleged gang-related incidents in Wairoa that have not been reported to us, including assaults, vehicle rammings, other damage to cars, and threatening behaviour.
A significant operation is under way across Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay in response to this senseless violence between the two gangs, and the Gang Conflict Warrant issued today gives us valuable additional powers to draw on.
The Gang Conflict Warrant is issued under the Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act and gives us special powers to search vehicles of suspected gang members, and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles.
The violence we are seeing from these two gangs – particularly those incidents where firearms are involved – is absolutely unacceptable in our communities.
The residents of our communities have the right to be able to go about their daily lives without fearing for their safety from gang-related violence. They’ve had enough and so have we.
As part of our investigation into the recent offending, officers in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will be stopping vehicles with links to gang members and searching gang-related addresses.
Officers will also be maintaining a highly visible presence in our communities to provide reassurance.
We are determined to hold those responsible for the recent offending to account and gang members should be on notice that we will not tolerate this ongoing violence.
Today we arrested two men in relation to the incident in Wairoa on Tuesday night. The two men – aged 18 and 35 – have been charged with aggravated burglary and possession of offensive weapons. Further arrests are likely in the coming days.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, April 24 — The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Thursday announced opportunities for international cooperation on the Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission, inviting global partners to jointly advance Mars exploration and research, thereby expanding humanity’s understanding of the red planet.
The Tianwen-3 mission, a significant part of China’s planetary exploration program, is scheduled for launch around 2028, according to CNSA.
At a ceremony for Space Day of China held in Shanghai, CNSA announced that the Tianwen-3 spacecraft will allocate 20 kilograms of resources for international collaboration.
The Tianwen-3 spacecraft comprises a lander, an ascent vehicle, a service module, an orbiter and a return module, and it is equipped with six scientific payloads.
The orbiter will operate in a circular Martian orbit at an altitude of about 350 kilometers, and has a designed lifespan of no less than five years. The service module will operate in a highly elliptical orbit, conducting in-orbit exploration for approximately two Martian years with a designed lifespan of no less than five years.
For this mission, the CNSA is offering international cooperation payload resources including no more than 15 kilograms on the orbiter and up to 5 kilograms on the service module. Detailed technical specifications are available on the official CNSA website.
It will take two launches to carry out the Mars sample-return mission due to the limited carrying capacities of the current rockets. Two Long March-5 carrier rockets will be used for the mission, Liu Jizhong, chief designer of China’s Mars sample-return mission, said in an earlier interview.
The primary scientific goal of the mission will be to search for signs of life. Other exploration subjects will include the Martian climate and its evolution, Martian geology and the planet’s internal processes.
The retrieval of samples from Mars is the most technically challenging space exploration mission since the Apollo program, and no such retrieval has ever been accomplished, Liu said.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Summer navigation on the Moscow River begins on April 24, says Sergei Sobyanin in his blog.
“In honor of the opening of the navigation season on the Moscow River, we will hold a parade of ships. More than 20 pleasure boats operating in the capital, as well as an electric vessel and a crew of water transport of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia will proceed from the Nagatinsky backwater to the Neskuchny Sad pier in the Central Administrative District. The nearest festive activities at the Northern and Southern river terminals in honor of the start of navigation are planned for April 27,” the Mayor of Moscow noted.
By the opening of the season, city services washed the embankments, parapets and fences, tidied up the piers and approaches to the water where necessary, repaired granite and concrete foundations, replaced rubber bumpers, and updated the markings of the boundary lines and signs for boarding and disembarking.
With the help of 500 outdoor surveillance cameras, the River Situation Center monitors the safety of the Moscow River water area around the clock. The Moscow River Police monitors order in the water area. Its employees patrol a section with a total length of 670 kilometers on water transport. During the navigation season, a special water patrol is also on duty. Passengers at the berths are assisted by employees of the TsODD passenger service, and the crews are assisted by shore sailors.
Thanks to high-quality infrastructure and service, the popularity of river cruises and walks is growing every year.
“Last season, the number of arrivals and departures of cruise ships from the berths of the Northern and Southern river terminals increased by 10 percent, and the number of passengers by 15 percent. This year, we expect growth of 15 percent – more than 2.5 thousand moorings,” said Sergei Sobyanin.
The first cruise ship “Rus Velikaya” will depart from the Northern River Terminal to Tver. In total, this season the river service will cover dozens of cities, including St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Perm, Plyos, Kostroma, Samara and others.
One of the most famous routes, the Golden Ring of Rivers, will pass through the center of Moscow and along the Kremlin and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Two modern comfort-class ships, the Golden Ring and Aurum, will begin their route from the Northern River Terminal and end at the Southern.
The river terminals themselves, after their renovation, have become not only key objects of Moscow’s transport infrastructure, but also popular public spaces. Citywide and local festivals are held here, and major holidays are celebrated.
Since the beginning of 2025, the stations have welcomed more than 400 thousand guests and held 260 events: sports training, performances by artists, creative workshops, lectures, film screenings and others.
The new season will feature a cruise on the new motor ship Nikolay Zharkov from the Vodohod company, launched in 2025. The comfortable five-deck vessel, over 130 meters long, takes on board almost 180 guests, who are served by about 100 crew members. The motor ship was named after the famous shipbuilder Nikolay Zharkov, under whose leadership more than 400 ships were built, including 24 submarines with nuclear power plants and 20 deep-sea rescue vehicles.
A regular route to Khimki and a ferry to the Zakharkovo pier have resumed operation from the Northern River Terminal. This is a convenient way to travel for residents of five Moscow districts and Khimki near Moscow. Last year, the ships Moskva-1 and 850 Years of Moscow carried more than 260,000 passengers.
Regular electric transport runs along the Moscow River all year round and in any weather. Since the opening of the service, there has not been a single day when electric vessels have stopped running along the Moscow River. During their operation, more than 1.7 million trips have been made along the Kyiv – Fili Park and ZIL – Pechatniki routes.
Testing of the first unmanned surface boat is also beginning. It should become a universal assistant to the transport police: it will automatically record violations in the water area and help rescue people who find themselves in the water.
The unmanned boat is equipped with a camera, lidar and modern navigation tools, and its movement is controlled by artificial intelligence. The equipment operates reliably and safely in all weather conditions.
The technology for controlling the boat was created by specialists from the Center for Research and Development of Unmanned Transport of the State Unitary Enterprise Moscow Metro, and the project itself is the result of joint work between the Main Directorate for Transport of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the team from the Center for Advanced Development of Moscow Transport, which opened in May last year.
“This season, we plan to launch the third regular river route Novospassky – ZIL, which will connect four districts: Danilovsky, Tagansky, Yuzhnoportovy and Zamoskvorechye. There will be four new berths on the route: Simonovsky, Torpedo, Derbenevskaya Embankment and Novospassky. The fleet of innovative river transport will be replenished with 10 new electric vessels. Some will go on the third route, and the rest will strengthen the first two routes,” the Moscow Mayor added.
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If elected, the Coalition has pledged to end Labor’s substantial tax break for new zero- or low-emissions vehicles.
This, combined with an earlier promise to roll back new fuel efficiency standards, would successfully slow the transition to hybrid and battery electric vehicles (EVs).
The Albanese government pitched these tax breaks as a way to make EVs cheaper to buy and more competitive with internal combustion engine cars. Since the tax break came in, EV popularity has surged. Almost 100,000 people have taken out a novated lease on an EV between mid-2022, when the scheme began, and February 2025.
The Coalition has been consistently critical of the tax breaks on cost grounds. The scheme has been far more popular than government forecasts envisaged, leading to concerns about a cost blowout. Rather than the A$55 million forecast for 2024-25, the scheme has cost ten times that – $560 million. EV buyers are much more likely to be wealthy, meaning the tax break has been snapped up by people who need it less. The policy is, however, encouraging car suppliers to import more affordable EVs.
These concerns don’t mean Labor’s policy is bad. Far from it – this tax break is currently the only policy working to drive down transport emissions, now the second-largest source of emissions in Australia. The Coalition has given no indication it would replace the EV tax break with other ways to cut transport emissions.
Electric vehicles still cost more than their internal combustion engine counterparts. meowKa/Shutterstock
What is this tax break – and did it work?
In mid-2022, the Albanese government introduced a tax break to encourage uptake of electric vehicles. The measure initially covered hydrogen fuel-cell, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, but plug-in hybrids are no longer eligible as of April 1.
The tax break works by giving EV buyers who are current employees a fringe benefits tax exemption for low- or zero-emissions vehicles both held and used for private use. The fringe benefits tax is a flat tax of 47% levied on the car benefit provided by the employer. For the exemption to apply, the retail price of the car has to be under the threshold for the luxury car tax of $91,387.
People in high incomes brackets often like to negotiate with their employer to have a car included as part of their salary package so they can reduce their taxable income. The fringe benefits tax is levied on these types of benefits.
The scheme works by exempting purchasers of new EVs from fringe benefits tax. A battery electric Hyundai Kona retailed for around $60,000 last year – 32% more in price than its internal combustion engine equivalent. The fringe benefits tax of around $11,700 annually ends up being larger because of the EV’s high sale price. Without this exemption, the tax acts as a major disincentive for the uptake of EVs.
By and large, electric vehicles cost significantly more than their traditional counterparts. This price gap is dropping as new manufacturers enter the market, but it’s still there. While EVs have lower fuel costs, the higher upfront cost has put off many prospective buyers. This is the issue Labor’s tax exemption was intended to fix.
Has the scheme worked? Overall, yes. In 2022, EVs accounted for just 3.3% of all new cars sold in Australia. By 2023, almost two-thirds of battery electric, vehicles were sold to private buyers, a 145% increase. And in 2024, the figure had almost tripled to 9.6%. Without this tax incentive, Australia’s uptake of EVs would most likely be much lower.
If a future Coalition government ended the tax break, Australia would return to the pre-2022 era, where fringe benefits tax acted as a significant disincentive for EVs.
The tax break isn’t perfect – but it’s better than nothing
Australia’s main power grid now runs on an average of 40% clean energy. As a result, emissions have been tracking downward in these sectors. But transport emissions are still rising. Transport is now Australia’s second-largest source of emissions – almost 100 million tonnes (Mt) out of our total emissions of 434 Mt. By 2030, transport is projected to be the largest source of domestic emissions.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations agreed at least 20% of light vehicles on their roads would be low- or zero-emissions by 2030. But Australia is lagging well behind the pack on the shift to cleaner transport.
At present, just 1% of Australia’s car fleet is electric. Even EVs make up close to 10% of new sales, changing the makeup of the entire fleet (16.8 million) will take years.
By contrast, almost 90% of new cars sold in Norway are electric, according to a 2024 report from the International Energy Agency. In China it’s just under 60%, Sweden it’s 60%, Netherlands 30%, the UK 25% and the United States 10%.
These countries have used a combination of tax incentives and fuel efficiency regulations to drive rapid uptake. While Labor has moved to introduce both of these, progress hasn’t been as fast.
Back to the fuel guzzlers?
Australians rely heavily on cars. But the long lack of fuel efficiency standards mean many models sold here emit much more than in other OECD countries – 150 grams per kilometre versus 107 across 29 European Union nations as of 2023. Put another way, a new car in Australia uses 40% more fuel than its equivalent in the EU. Many drivers prefer big cars, such as the top-selling Ford Ranger.
If the Coalition ends the tax break and pulls the teeth of new emissions standards, it would bring recent modest progress to a halt.
The Coalition has rightly pointed out the inequity of the tax break as it stands. My research has shown this could be fixed. Throwing the scheme out without proposing another way to cut transport emissions is disheartening.
Anna Mortimore receives funding from Reliable Affordable Clean Energy Cooperative Research Centre for 2030 (RACE for 2030).
Please attribute to Inspector Renée Perkins, Area Commander, Kāpiti-Mana:
Porirua Police and Māori Wardens are increasing patrols after several incidents of damage and theft at local schools.
On Monday evening, 21 April, buildings and vehicles at two schools in Porirua East suffered over $32,000 worth of damage.
Agencies, along with the wider community have come together in support, repairs are under way and security guards will be in place across the long weekend.
I want to thank the community for offering their support as this Police investigation continues.
Police believe this happened between 9pm and 11:30pm on Monday, and while we have good lines of inquiry as to who was responsible, we are still looking for information from the public which could help.
We urge anyone with information to contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105 and quoting file number 250422/8244.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
XIONG’AN, Hebei Province, April 24 — At the end of March, a new sports center with a seating capacity of over 40,000 opened in Xiong’an New Area in northern China’s Hebei Province, filling a key gap in the region’s capacity to host large-scale sports and cultural events.
The Xiong’an New Area, located about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, was established on April 1, 2017. It aims to relieve Beijing of non-essential functions related to its status as the nation’s capital, while also advancing the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The process explores a new model of development in densely populated areas.
According to Chinese authorities, Xiong’an has entered a pivotal stage, where large-scale infrastructure projects are advancing in tandem with accelerated relocation efforts. The focus has now shifted toward promoting high-quality development, high-standard management, and coordinated, efficient resettlement. As the much-anticipated “city of the future,” Xiong’an is taking shape at remarkable speed.
MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS
At the end of 2021, Jia Mengshuang relocated from Beijing to Xiong’an for work. Her company is based in an internet industry park in the new area, which now accommodates more than 600 on-site employees.
From the terrace of Jia’s office building, the view offers a striking glimpse of Xiong’an’s remarkable transformation. Just next door, the headquarters of China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. (CSCN) — the first centrally-administered state-owned enterprise (SOE) to establish a presence in the new area — officially began operations late last year. Meanwhile, the gleaming facades of two other centrally-administered SOEs’ nearly completed headquarters now rise prominently on the emerging skyline.
As more SOEs establish a presence in Xiong’an, a series of emerging industrial clusters are driving the development of this futuristic city. Having lived and worked in Xiong’an for over half a year, Li Maofan, an employee at CSCN, is increasingly convinced that “dreams can be realized here.”
Leveraging the presence of the satellite company and an innovation alliance for aerospace information and satellite internet, Xiong’an is developing an industrial ecosystem that spans satellite internet, spatiotemporal information, aerospace vehicles, and the intelligent manufacturing of commercial satellites. So far, it has attracted around 60 enterprises in the aerospace information sector.
Driven by its commitment to becoming an innovation hub, the new area is also rapidly consolidating scientific and technological resources across industries such as next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and new materials.
Since its establishment, Xiong’an has seen the successful implementation of a series of landmark relocation projects. Four headquarters of centrally-administered SOEs, including CSCN, have already settled in the new area. Four others, including China Datang Corporation Ltd., are set to begin construction this year.
Currently, over 4,000 Beijing-based enterprises have established operations in Xiong’an, and centrally-administered SOEs have opened over 300 branches and subsidiaries in the area.
Supportive projects in education and healthcare are also progressing rapidly in the new area. Construction is accelerating on campus buildings for four Beijing-based universities, as well as the site for Peking University People’s Hospital, one of Beijing’s leading hospitals. Meanwhile, the Xiong’an branch of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, one of China’s most prestigious medical institutions, is set to begin construction soon.
According to the reform and development bureau of Xiong’an, total completed investments in the new area had surpassed 860 billion yuan (about 119.25 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of February. Liu Jia, deputy director of the bureau, said that the implementation of the second batch of relocation projects is being expedited.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Xiong’an is focusing not only on rapid development but also on prioritizing people in its approach to modernization, ensuring that ecological sustainability is integrated throughout the entire process.
Huang Yuqiang, general manager of a tech firm, relocated his company from Beijing to Xiong’an four years ago. Huang’s company — now a national high-tech enterprise — has secured several invention patents. Its autonomous UAV inspection platform has been applied to various scenarios, including road defect inspections and park security.
Benefiting from the local government’s robust talent attraction initiatives, Huang now enjoys a refreshingly carefree life after work. Not only did he move into a subsidized rental apartment at a 30-percent discount, but he also received a “Xiong’an talent card,” which grants him benefits related to business ventures, household registration, transportation, healthcare and children’s education.
Content with the present and optimistic about the future, Huang transferred his family’s household registration to Xiong’an, where they now live. “We feel extremely comfortable, and our sense of happiness has greatly improved,” he said.
Huang’s story reflects Xiong’an’s remarkable population growth. Since 2017, the new area has seen a consistent influx of residents, with its permanent population reaching 1.36 million by 2024, highlighting its increasing appeal as a hub for talent and opportunities.
Much like Huang, Jia has gradually relocated her family to Xiong’an over two years. “Every morning, it’s just a five-minute walk to drop my child off at the kindergarten near home, followed by another 10-minute walk to the office,” said Jia, noting that it’s a simple pleasure she could never have imagined during her years in Beijing.
Spanning an area of 1,770 square kilometers, the new area aims to create favorable living conditions for residents, with parks, recreational facilities, schools and convenience stores all within a 15-minute walk. The plan is to dedicate only 30 percent of the city’s space to urban development, leaving the rest for water and greenery, an exceptionally rare approach in China’s urban development history.
Since 2017, Xiong’an has added a total of 481,000 mu (about 32,067 hectares) of trees, raising its forest coverage rate from 11 to 35 percent. Notably, the local country park, with a total area of approximately 18 square kilometers, is about five times the size of New York City’s Central Park.
Baiyangdian Lake, one of northern China’s major wetlands, has undergone its largest systematic ecological restoration in history, with water quality reaching the highest level since monitoring began in 1988 after water replenishment. The lake is now home to 295 wild bird species, an increase of 89 species compared to the period before the new area was established.
Designed to be smart, sustainable and free from “urban ills,” Xiong’an is China’s first city to achieve the synchronized development of both its digital and physical urban spaces on a citywide scale.
One feature that consistently impresses nearly all visitors to Xiong’an is its cutting-edge smart mobility solutions. It has developed 153 kilometers of digital roads equipped with smart lampposts that integrate traffic lights and various sensors. By analyzing real-time traffic flow data, the intelligent system automatically adjusts signal timing to minimize red-light stops, significantly enhancing traffic efficiency, explained Song Laiqiang, product manager at China Telecom Digital City Technology Co., Ltd.
Smart technology is also being used to tackle common urban challenges. According to Wang Kun, deputy director of the Rongdong administrative committee’s urban operations center, over 1,000 AI-equipped cameras across roads and neighborhoods in Rongdong district of Xiong’an can automatically detect 19 types of municipal issues, from overflowing trash bins to illegal parking. The center’s management platform then reports these issues to community workers, who resolve them promptly.
At the heart of these smart systems is the Xiong’an urban computing center, often referred to as the city’s “brain,” which drives the construction and management of this smart city. “It integrates technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, AI and cloud computing to enable real-time, refined and intelligent urban management,” said Li Nan, a supervisor at Xiong’an Cloud Network Technology Co., Ltd.
“All these innovations have enabled residents to enjoy a higher quality of life in a smarter city,” Li added.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University
Australian strategic thinking has long struggled to move beyond a narrow view of defence that focuses solely on protecting our shores. However, in today’s world, our economy could be crippled without an enemy boot stepping foot on Australian soil.
It is not a strategy in itself, but a structural pivot: a recognition that our vital interests lie far beyond the coastline, and that defending them requires Australia to project its maritime power.
Protecting our vital sea lanes
Over a century ago, US naval officer Alfred Thayer Mahan observed that “wars are won by the economic strangulation of the enemy from the sea”.
While not universally true, this maxim is directly relevant to an island nation like Australia – 99% of our international trade moves by sea.
But not just any trade – our critical supplies of fuel, fertiliser and ammunition all come by sea. Australia’s economy and defences would be crippled if these things were stopped at sea.
These vulnerabilities are compounded by our growing dependence on undersea cables for communications.
Strategic concepts that rely on making Australia’s territory a hard target, such as the “strategic defensive”, fail to grapple with this reality, perpetuating a flawed understanding of how to defend Australia.
Viewing Australia’s interests solely through the lens of avoiding or defeating a territorial attack overlooks the reality that an adversary could cripple the nation far more easily through the maritime, space or cyber domains.
The ability to project power in the seas and oceans far from Australia’s shores is critical to protecting these seaborne supply lines and sustaining the national economy. This is where AUKUS comes in – the endurance and range of nuclear-powered submarines are a key element.
Developing a future maritime strategy
Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines would make adversary naval task groups vulnerable if they threatened our maritime trade routes.
Much more is needed, however, to deliver a coherent maritime strategy. This includes:
expanding our surface combatant fleet
addressing the vulnerability of Australia’s limited number of resupply, mine warfare and hydrographic vessels
and resolving longstanding issues around our strategic fleet (commercial ships that could be requisitioned in a time of crisis).
We must also expand our flagged merchant shipping fleet by reforming the Australian International Shipping Register. And we must strengthen our domestic maritime security through the establishment of a national coastguard.
But AUKUS, as the centrepiece of our future undersea capability, is a good start.
AUKUS’ critics
AUKUS has attracted plenty of criticism — particularly following the new Trump administration’s moves away from the US’ traditional allies in Europe.
Like any complex defence acquisition, it carries risks. These risks include the continued political will to keep the deal on track, as well as the workforce, delivery schedule and cost pressures that come with building the submarines.
But the relevant question is not whether risks exist — if that were the test, most defence programs wouldn’t proceed. The question is whether the risks around AUKUS are being effectively mitigated.
And as the three phases of the AUKUS deal progress, these risks will continue to evolve. Australia must remain focussed on addressing them.
Political will is firm
The political risk has been most salient recently, given the Trump administration’s actions on Europe, Ukraine, foreign aid and tariffs. But while these disruptions are significant, they were largely foreshadowed.
By contrast, the political signals coming out of Washington around AUKUS have been overwhelmingly positive. This is because AUKUS is in the US’ strategic interests as much as it is in Australia’s interests.
Importantly, the political commitment to AUKUS in Canberra, Washington and London has already been demonstrated.
The “optimal pathway” to guide the agreement into the 2030s was signed within 18 months of AUKUS’ launch in September 2021. And the AUKUS treaty that enables the US and UK to transfer nuclear submarine technology and equipment to Australia has since been signed and entered into force among all three partners.
In Australia, bipartisan support has held for over three years, with no sign of weakening.
Australia’s importance to the US
Many critics have also focused on the risks posed by the US submarine industrial base and its ability to build nuclear-powered submarines quickly enough.
The US would need to increase its production rate to two Virginia-class submarines per year by 2028 – and subsequently to 2.33 submarines per year – in order to reach the target US fleet of 66 submarines by 2054.
But this does not preclude the sale of three Virginia-class submarines to Australia in the early 2030s. Australia is not just a recipient of submarines from the US — it will help enable the US’ undersea operations in the region.
Our role as a rotational hub for US submarines and the longstanding support we can offer the US fleet through facilities such as the Harold E. Holt submarine communications station makes our contribution far more valuable than the notional loss of three submarines on paper.
Could this change in the future? Like all international arrangements, of course it could. But there is no indication at present that it will.
The defence of Australia is not simply about protecting our continent from attack — it is about safeguarding vital national interests. For an island nation, that means securing maritime trade routes and undersea infrastructure.
Even for those concerned about the extremely unlikely prospect of invasion, a robust maritime strategy also enables threats to be defeated well before they reach our shores.
Through its emphasis on maritime power projection, AUKUS reflects a fundamental shift in how we think about defending Australia in the decades ahead.
This is the final part of a series on the future of defence in Australia. Read the other stories here.
Jennifer Parker is a 20-year veteran of the Royal Australian Navy.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Agricultural trade between China and ASEAN countries strengthened
Updated: April 24, 2025 09:12Xinhua
A staff member checks imported seafood at Dongxing port in Dongxing, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 18, 2025. Over the years, along with the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the export and import of agricultural products between China and Southeast Asia countries have been continuously strengthened. Agricultural products from both sides won great popularity among buyers. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2025 shows trucks loaded with agricultural products from China and ASEAN countries waiting for customs clearance at Dongxing port in Dongxing, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]Villagers pack tangerines for export in Baohe Village of Changshou District, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, March 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members process imported shrimp at a food company in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on March 21, 2025 shows trucks loaded with agricultural products from China and ASEAN countries at the port of the Friendship Pass in Pingxiang, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]Customs officers inspect imported fruits at the port of the Friendship Pass in Pingxiang, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A customer purchases imported fruits at a market near the Dongxing port in Dongxing, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members check fresh young coconuts imported from Thailand at a fruit company at Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A villager carries newly-picked tangerines for export in Heyan Village of Changshou District, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, March 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A staff member labels selected lemons for export to Vietnam at a fruit company in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Staff members process imported shrimp at a food company in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 19, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]A staff member loads packed lemons for export onto a truck at a fruit company in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on March 21, 2025 shows trucks loaded with fruits from ASEAN countries waiting for customs clearance at the port of the Friendship Pass in Pingxiang, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Granite Bay, California man was arrested and appeared in federal court Tuesday after he was indicted in Oregon for cyberstalking his ex-girlfriend and posting sexually explicit photos online.
Jason David Campos, 42, has been charged with stalking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2023, Campos is alleged to have stalked and harassed the victim, a former intimate partner, by posting sexually explicit images and personal information online using social media platforms and public forum websites.
In May 2007, while still in the relationship, Campos told the victim that the laptop containing the sexually explicit images had been stolen from his vehicle. Campos and the victim ended their relationship in 2008.
The following year, the victim searched her name online and discovered that sexually explicit images, taken by Campos during their relationship, had been posted to Facebook, Craigslist, Classmates.com, in sex ads, and a Swedish website, without the victim’s consent. Campos used the victim’s name, including her maiden name, to create accounts on several social media platforms and public forum websites. Over the next 14 years, Campos used these accounts to publish sexually explicit images of the victim online. In numerous instances, Campos asked viewers to contact the victim directly and shared her personal information in order to further harass the victim.
On July 16, 2021, Campos is further alleged to have created an email account using the victim’s name, which he used to contact the victim’s attorney in Oregon. Posing as the victim, Campos requested the client file which contained personal information including the victim’s address and information about a child. After obtaining the file, Campos contacted the victim directly.
On January 23, 2022, the victim received an email from an account later linked to Campos, in which he referred to the child by name and asked if the victim was the child’s mother. Additionally, Campos used the email account to post several sexually explicit images of the victim to an online message board. He asked viewers to print the images and post them around a neighborhood in Oregon that the victim was residing in at the time.
Campos was arrested in Granite Bay and made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Sacramento, California. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
If convicted, Campos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for wire fraud, a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for stalking, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Gregory R. Nyhus and Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant used status as truck driver to disguise border trips to facilitate smuggling
Seattle – A Santa Rosa, California resident, who is a citizen of India, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five months in prison for Conspiracy to Bring in and Transport Certain Aliens for Profit, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Rajat Rajat, 27, and three others were indicted in connection with a scheme to smuggle non-citizens across the northern border for profit. The group was connected to two smuggling episodes in November and December 2023. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin noted that Rajat played a critical role in the smuggling conspiracy arranging travel and paying coconspirators. Judge Lin said that as someone who had been smuggled into the country, Mr. Rajat perpetuated the cycle of exploitation inherent in the smuggling process.
“Mr. Rajat was a mid-level manager of this smuggling scheme, directing noncitizens where and how to cross the border, and even fronting some travel costs for them and for coconspirators,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the illegal border crossings that undermine U.S. security.”
According to records filed in the case, the two smuggling events described in this case involved eight different citizens of India. On November 27, 2023, surveillance technology caught multiple people jumping a fence near the Boundary Village Apartments in Blaine, Washington. The fence is a quarter mile east of Peace Arch Park. Border Patrol agents near the apartments saw five people run to a white minivan. The vehicle was stopped by Border Patrol. Five citizens of India were in the van with California resident Bobby Joe Green, 68, as the driver.
When questioned, three of the non-citizens told U.S. Border Patrol agents that they saw defendant Sushil Kumar at Peace Arch Park prior to crossing the border illegally. The investigation revealed that Kumar and Rajat Rajat, who was employed as a truck driver, directed the non-citizens on where and how to cross the border. Rajat paid Green to transport the non-citizens from the border. Rajat asked for monetary payments from the non-citizens for being smuggled into the U.S.
Similarly, in December 2023, Rajat met three citizens of India in Peace Arch Park and allegedly directed them how to cross through the park and get into a car parked near the border. The car was stopped, and the non-citizens were interviewed. They indicated they had promised to make monetary payments to be smuggled into the U.S. Rajat was picked up near the border.
In asking for a prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “This was an organized, coordinated, transnational scheme that operated repeatedly, over an extended period of time. Mr. Rajat’s role in the organization was not one that can be considered minor. Rather, he was essential to its function. Mr. Rajat acted as a middle-level manager in the smuggling organization, paying his co-conspirators for their involvement, and directing their roles. Mr. Rajat actively promoted the scheme by purchasing flights for his “customers” and communicating directly with them, advising noncitizens on how and when to clandestinely enter the United States.”
Judge Lin ordered Rajat to serve three years of supervised release following prison, however she noted that he will likely be deported following his prison term.
In March 2025, Sushil Kumar, 36, of Santa Rosa was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bobby Joe Green was sentenced to four months in prison and three years of supervised release. The fourth defendant Sneha, 20, a citizen of India who is in the U.S. on a student visa and goes by just her last name, is scheduled to go to trial in January 2026.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment of Sneha are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Kim and Mike Dion and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.
Source: The White House
class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Background. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the modern world, driving innovation across industries, enhancing productivity, and reshaping the way we live and work. To ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution, we must provide our Nation’s youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology. By fostering AI competency, we will equip our students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasingly digital society. Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators to propel our Nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement.To achieve this vision, we must also invest in our educators and equip them with the tools and knowledge to not only train students about AI, but also to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes. Professional development programs focused on AI education will empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field. Educators, industry leaders, and employers who rely on an AI-skilled workforce should partner to create educational programs that equip students with essential AI skills and competencies across all learning pathways. While AI education in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) is critical, our Nation must also make resources available for lifelong learners to develop new skills for a changing workforce. By establishing a strong framework that integrates early student exposure with comprehensive teacher training and other resources for workforce development, we can ensure that every American has the opportunity to learn about AI from the earliest stages of their educational journey through postsecondary education, fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking that will solidify our Nation’s leadership in the AI-driven future.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans by promoting the appropriate integration of AI into education, providing comprehensive AI training for educators, and fostering early exposure to AI concepts and technology to develop an AI-ready workforce and the next generation of American AI innovators.
Sec. 3. Definition. For the purposes of this order, “artificial intelligence” or “AI” has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).
Sec. 4. Establishing an Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force. (a) There is hereby established the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education (Task Force).(b) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall be the Chair of the Task Force.(c) The Task Force membership shall consist of the following members:(i) the Secretary of Agriculture;(ii) the Secretary of Labor;(iii) the Secretary of Energy;(iv) the Secretary of Education;(v) the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF);(vi) the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy;(vii) the Special Advisor for AI & Crypto; (viii) the Assistant to the President for Policy; and(ix) the heads of other such executive departments and agencies (agencies) and offices that the Chair may designate or invite to participate.(d) The Task Force shall be responsible for implementing the policy stated in section 2 of this order and coordinating Federal efforts related to AI education, including the actions outlined in this order.
Sec. 5. Establishing the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge. (a) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall establish plans for a Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge (Challenge), and the agencies represented on the Task Force shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, implement the plans by holding the Challenge no later than 12 months from the submission of the plan. The Challenge shall encourage and highlight student and educator achievements in AI, promote wide geographic adoption of technological advancement, and foster collaboration between government, academia, philanthropy, and industry to address national challenges with AI solutions.(b) The Challenge shall feature multiple age categories, distinct geographic regions for competition, and a variety of topical themes of competition to reflect the breadth of AI applications, encouraging interdisciplinary exploration. (c) The Task Force and, as appropriate, agencies represented on the Task Force shall collaborate with relevant agencies and private sector entities to provide technical expertise, resources, and promotional support for implementing the Challenge, including through existing funding vehicles.
Sec. 6. Improving Education Through Artificial Intelligence. (a) To provide resources for K-12 AI education, agencies represented on the Task Force shall seek to establish public-private partnerships with leading AI industry organizations, academic institutions, nonprofit entities, and other organizations with expertise in AI and computer science education to collaboratively develop online resources focused on teaching K-12 students foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills. The Task Force shall promptly announce such public-private partnerships on a rolling basis as they are formed.(i) The Task Force shall seek to utilize industry commitments and identify any Federal funding mechanisms, including discretionary grants, that can be used to provide resources for K-12 AI education. To the extent practicable and as consistent with applicable law, agencies shall prioritize funding for such purposes when it would further the aims of the program for which funding is available.(ii) The Task Force shall work to ensure the resources funded as described in subsection (i) of this section are ready for use in K-12 instruction within 180 days following the Task Force’s formal announcement of the first slate of public-private partnerships.(b) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall identify existing Federal AI resources on which agencies may rely, such as the NSF- and Department of Agriculture-sponsored National AI Research Institutes, to support partnerships with State and local educational agencies to improve AI education.(c) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance regarding the use of formula and discretionary grant funds to improve education outcomes using AI, including but not limited to AI-based high-quality instructional resources; high-impact tutoring; and college and career pathway exploration, advising, and navigation.(d) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall identify and implement ways to utilize existing research programs to assist State and local efforts to use AI for improved student achievement, attainment, and mobility.
Sec. 7. Enhancing Training for Educators on Artificial Intelligence. (a) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall take steps to prioritize the use of AI in discretionary grant programs for teacher training authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-10), as amended, and Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-329), as amended, including for:(i) reducing time-intensive administrative tasks;(ii) improving teacher training and evaluation; (iii) providing professional development for all educators, so they can integrate the fundamentals of AI into all subject areas; and(iv) providing professional development in foundational computer science and AI, preparing educators to effectively teach AI in stand-alone computer science and other relevant courses.(b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Director of the NSF shall take steps to prioritize research on the use of AI in education. The Director of the NSF shall also utilize existing programs to create teacher training opportunities that help educators effectively integrate AI-based tools and modalities in classrooms. (c) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take steps to prioritize research, extension, and education on the use of AI in formal and non-formal education through 4-H and the Cooperative Extension System. The Secretary of Agriculture shall also utilize existing programs to create teacher and educator training opportunities that help effectively integrate AI-based tools and modalities into classrooms and curriculum.
Sec. 8. Promoting Registered Apprenticeships. (a) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall seek to increase participation in AI-related Registered Apprenticeships, including by:(i) Prioritizing the development and growth of Registered Apprenticeships in AI-related occupations. The Secretary of Labor shall establish specific goals for growing Registered Apprenticeships in AI-related occupations across industries; and(ii) Using apprenticeship intermediary contracts and allocating existing discretionary funds, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to engage industry organizations and employers and facilitate the development of Registered Apprenticeship programs in AI-related occupations. In doing so, the Secretary of Labor shall support the creation of industry-developed program standards to be registered on a nationwide basis, enabling individual employers to adopt the standards without requiring individual registry.(b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall encourage States and grantees to use funding provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Public Law 113-128), as amended, to develop AI skills and support work-based learning opportunities within occupations utilizing AI by:(i) issuing guidance to State and local workforce development boards encouraging the use of WIOA youth formula funds to help youth develop AI skills;(ii) clarifying that States can use Governor set-asides to integrate AI learning opportunities into youth programs across the State; and(iii) consistent with applicable law, establishing AI skills training and work-based learning as a grant priority in all Employment and Training Administration youth-focused discretionary grant programs.(c) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor, through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, and in collaboration with the Director of the NSF, shall engage with relevant State and local workforce development boards, industry organizations, education and training providers, and employers to identify and promote high-quality AI skills education coursework and certifications across the country. Through such engagement, the Secretary of Labor shall:(i) identify applicable funding opportunities to expand access to high-quality AI coursework and certifications;(ii) set performance targets for youth participation through any grants awarded for this purpose; and(iii) utilize industry and philanthropic partnerships to the extent practicable.(d) Within 120 days of the date of this order, and in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Director of the NSF, the Secretary of Labor shall support the creation of opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs by giving priority consideration in awarding grants as appropriate and consistent with applicable law to providers that commit to use funds to develop or expand AI courses and certification programs. The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall encourage recipients to build partnerships with States and local school districts to encourage those entities to consider offering high school students dual enrollment opportunities to take courses to earn postsecondary credentials and industry-recognized AI credentials concurrent with high school education.(e) Within 120 days of the date of this order, all agencies that provide educational grants shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider AI as a priority area within existing Federal fellowship and scholarship for service programs.
Sec. 9. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE, April 23, 2025.
Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Chapell Dain Cissell, 31, to ten years in federal prison for possession of several firearms and a large amount of ammunition. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the evidence presented in court, in March 2021, several deputies with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department responded to Fast Eddie’s Bar in Dresden, Tennessee, after receiving a report of an assault in progress. Upon arrival, the deputies spoke with the victims who said that an individual, later identified as Cissell, drove a black SUV into the parking lot of the bar wearing a “bullet proof vest” and holding an assault rifle firearm. Cissell pointed the firearm at the three victims, threatened to kill them, and fled the parking lot.
Deputies later found Cissell wearing a ballistic vest while sitting inside a pickup truck, preparing to leave his residence. The deputies observed a wooden handle of a revolver sticking out of the top of the vest. Deputies also found three firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition either on Cissell or in the vehicle he was occupying. Cissell admitted that there were additional firearms in his residence. Three additional firearms and over two thousand rounds of various caliber ammunition were discovered after a search of Cissell’s residence.
On April 11, 2025, United States District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Cissell to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release, the maximum term of imprisonment, after Cissell pled guilty to six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam Davis prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebookor on Xat @WDTNNews for office news and updates
Four youths allegedly responsible for a burglary at a Mount Wellington dairy have been apprehended.
At about 2.50am, Police were called to the shop on Commissariat Road following a report of a vehicle being used to enter the premises.
Auckland City East Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Rachel Dolheguy, says the same four people then allegedly broke into another store next door and took a number of items before leaving in a different vehicle.
“A short time later a Police unit spotted a vehicle travelling at high speed on Ireland Road.
“The vehicle then crashed into a fence in Panmure and three occupants have fled on foot.”
Inspector Dolheguy says it was lucky no one was injured.
“The driver was taken into custody and other Police Units were able to quickly locate the other three people, two hiding in a playground and a third nearby.
“Our community deserves to conduct their business without the threat of being a victim of crime and we will continue to respond and hold these offenders to account.
“However we cannot do this alone, if you witness any suspicious or unlawful activity, please contact Police with as much information as possible.”
You can contact us on 111, or for non-emergencies through 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Make a Report” or call 105.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.
All four, aged 14 and 15, have been referred to Youth Aid Services.
