Expressing admiration for the deep cultural and civilisational ties between India and Thailand, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi witnessed an enriching performance of the Thai Ramayana, Ramakien today in Bangkok, Thailand.
In separate posts on X, he wrote:
“A cultural connect like no other!
Witnessed a captivating performance of the Thai Ramayana, Ramakien. It was a truly enriching experience that beautifully showcased the shared cultural and civilisational ties between India and Thailand.
The Ramayana truly continues to connect hearts and traditions across so many parts of Asia.”
A cultural connect like no other!
Witnessed a captivating performance of the Thai Ramayana, Ramakien. It was a truly enriching experience that beautifully showcased the shared cultural and civilisational ties between India and Thailand.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
eHealth App introduces new function for viewing radiology reports Users can generally view the radiology reports through the “Investigations” function of the App 14 days after the reports are released, and the App’s information centre will also issue relevant notifications. The HHB advises citizens to first enquire whether the HCPs can deposit examination records into their personal eHealth accounts when selecting private HCPs for radiological examinations, to enable the building of a comprehensive electronic health record (eHR).
Currently, all public HCPs and over 115 private HCPs with more than 550 service locations in total, including private hospitals, medical group practices and radiological examination centres, are technically ready. If citizens have given “sharing consent” to relevant private HCPs, their radiology reports can then be deposited in their eHealth accounts for access by the citizens and other authorised healthcare professionals. As at the end of February this year, a total of 40 private HCPs (involving nearly 100 service locations) have deposited radiology reports into the eHealth accounts of over 3.1 million citizens upon obtaining their authorisations.
A spokesman for the HHB said, “Under the eHealth+ five-year development plan, we are committed to building a personal lifelong eHR profile and a comprehensive personal medical record for every citizen, while creating a one-stop comprehensive health portal through the eHealth App to help citizens manage their health records, access health information, monitor personal health and establish a healthier lifestyle. With the further enhancement of the App’s function, radiology reports of citizens from both public and private HCPs, as well as those from various government-subsidised healthcare programmes (such as the Project on Enhancing Radiological Investigation Services through Collaboration with the Private Sector), are consolidated for citizens’ access at any time, eliminating the inconvenience of storing paper reports and saving costs on redundant tests. This also facilitates authorised HCPs in conducting analysis and comparison, thereby providing a seamless and personalised care journey for citizens.”
Since the launch of the eHealth App in 2021, the Government has progressively expanded the health records available for citizens’ viewing. Currently, eHealth users can access nine types of eHRs, namely, personal identification and demographic data, allergies and adverse drug reactions, encounters and appointments, immunisation records, medication records, laboratory and radiology reports, healthcare referrals, observation and lifestyle records, as well as medical certificates. In the future, the Government will gradually make more health records available for citizen’s viewing, including radiology images, Chinese medicine prescription records as well as dental check-ups records and dental conditions.
Raksha Mantri flags-off expeditions to Mt Everest & Mt Kangchenjunga 25 Indian Army climbers aim to summit Mt Everest; Joint team of Indian Army & Nepali Army set to scale Mt Kangchenjunga
10 NCC cadets aim to scale Mt Everest
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 1:25PM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh flagged-off expeditions to Mount Everest (8,848m) and Mount Kangchenjunga (8,586m) from South Block, New Delhi on April 03, 2025. The Indian Army’s Mount Everest expedition, comprising 34 climbers, will follow the traditional South Col Route, and will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi. The joint Indo-Nepal expedition, which aims to scale Mount Kangchenjunga, will feature 12 mountaineers from the Indian Army and six from the Nepali Army. It will be led by Colonel Sarfaraz Singh of the Indian Army.
Additionally, a joint NCC expedition to Mount Everest will be led by Colonel Amit Bisht. The team consists of five girl cadets, five boy cadets, four officers and 11 permanent instructors staff. Scheduled to commence this month, the teams aim to reach their respective summits by May 2025.
Raksha Mantri interacted with the mountaineers, and commended their courage, dedication & determination. He exuded confidence that these expeditions will inspire the youth, and underscore India’s leadership in high-altitude mountaineering.
The expeditions are designed to showcase the exceptional skills, resilience, and indomitable spirit of the Armed Forces, while setting new benchmarks in the field of high-altitude mountaineering. These are expected to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams with courage, determination, and the spirit of excellence.
The event, organised by the Indian Army, was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Nepal’s Ambassador to India Dr Shankar P Sharma, a delegation from Nepal, and other senior civil & military officials.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Special traffic and transport arrangements for triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts from this Friday to Sunday 1. Road closures 2. Public transport arrangements
To tie in with the road closure arrangements in the vicinity of Central Harbourfront, the departures of cross-harbour bus route nos. H1S and H2 heading to Central will be temporarily diverted to operate via Connaught Road Central in the following time periods until the closed road is reopened to traffic: During the road closure in Central Harbourfront, the bus stop on Man Yiu Street near Two International Finance Centre will be temporarily suspended.
Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. During the event, the TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. Members of the public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the “HKeMobility” mobile application.
For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 12:45
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) convened its Annual Convention for Deans and Heads of Departments (HoDs) from partner institutions focused on Environment and Ecology in Goa. During the two days’ convention; 45 delegates from 32 partner institutions, alongside senior BIS officials, delved into the theme “Sustainability through Standards.”
In his welcome address, Shri Praveen Khanna, Deputy Director General (Southern Region), underscored the pivotal role of academic institutions in developing national and international standards.
Shri Sanjay Pant, Deputy Director General (Standardization-II), highlighted the significance of standardization in addressing sustainability challenges. “Standardization is the foundation of sustainability. By collaborating with academia, we can develop research-driven standards that address environmental challenges and create a lasting impact for future generations,” said Shri Sanjay Pant.
He introduced the newly established Environment and Ecology Department (EED), consolidating various BIS standardization activities into a dedicated division. Since its inception, the EED has released nearly 100 standards through its nine specialized committees.
The convention included comprehensive technical sessions on ongoing initiatives within the Environment and Ecology Division Council (EEDC) where 8 expert panels are engaged in standardization across crucial areas, including Air Quality Management, Water Quality Management, Waste Management, Environmental Monitoring, Sustainable Habitat, Sustainable Agriculture, Circular Economy, and Biodiversity & Ecosystem
Featured speakers included Dr. Alok Sinha (IIT Dhanbad), Dr. Anju Singh (IIM Mumbai), and Ms. Shabnam Bassi (GRIHA Council), who emphasized the necessity of addressing gaps in existing standards to bolster national climate initiatives such as the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC).
Utilizing the ‘Know Your Standards’ feature on the BIS Care App, participants evaluated existing standards and pinpointed new areas for development. Key discussions included: Waste Management & Recycling; Water Quality & Management; Sustainable Construction & Materials; Environmental Monitoring & Pollution Control; Green Energy & Climate Change Mitigation; Health & Safety Standards and Campus & Industrial Sustainability
On the second day, delegates observed a live demonstration of BIS’s digital solutions, which included the Academic Dashboard, a platform enabling partner institutions to access standards, submit research projects, and contribute to technical committees. BIS also presented tools for downloading and commenting on draft standards, facilitating involvement in international standardization efforts.
A special session led by Shri Ritesh Baranwal (Director, Finance, BIS) concentrated on the role of standards in sustainability and sustainable finance. His presentation illustrated how financial frameworks can underpin sustainability initiatives through standardization.
The BIS Annual Convention reinforced the organization’s dedication to collaborating with academia to formulate standards that address vital environmental and ecological issues. BIS aims to establish robust, research-driven standards that contribute to a more sustainable future by fostering partnerships among experts, researchers, and policymakers.
The Army Commanders’ Conference, an apex level biannual event, is being held in New Delhi from 01st Apr to 04th April 2025. During the event, Indian Army’s apex leadership comprehensively deliberated upon all aspects of existing security scenarios, situation along the borders, in the hinterland and challenges for the present security apparatus. In addition, the conference also focused on issues pertaining to organisational restructuring, logistics, administration, human resource management, modernisation through indigenisation, induction of Niche technologies and assessment of impact of the various existing global situations. The main highlight of the third day of the conference was the address by the Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, to the senior leadership of the Indian Army, which was preceded by a brief on the “Year of Reforms”.
The Raksha Mantri reaffirmed the faith of the billion-plus citizens in the Indian Army as one of the most trusted and inspiring organisations in the country. He highlighted the commendable role played by the Army in guarding our borders and fighting terrorism apart from providing assistance to the civil administration in every need of hour. The Raksha Mantri also remarked “The Army is present in every domain from Security, HADR, Medical Assistance, to maintaining the stable internal situation in the country. The role of Indian Army isincomparablein Nation building as also in the overall national development”. He reiterated his happiness to be present in the Army Commander’s conference and complimented the Army leadership for successfully taking ahead the ‘Defence and Security’ vision of the Nation to new heights. He also complimented the Indian Army’s approach on the infusion and absorption of cutting edge technology.
The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri stressed upon the present Geo Strategic uncertainties and the complex world situation which effects everyone globally. He stressed upon that the present world is an inter connected world and such incidents whether happening in our neighbourhood or far off countries will effect everyone. He stated that “Unconventional and asymmetric warfare, including hybrid war will be part of the future conventional wars. Cyber, information, communication, trade and finance have all become an inseparable part of future conflicts. This necessitates that Armed Forces will have to keep all these facets in consideration while planning and formulating strategies”. Raksha Mantri stated that keeping in mind the present dynamic geo-strategic changes and the ongoing global security scenarios with the uncertainities the armed forces should prepare adynamic perspective planningaddressing both the long term and short term challenges. In the present global context the importance of Military Intelligence incoporating the modern technology cannot be stressed upon more.
On the current situation along the Northern borders, the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri expressed full confidence in the troops and complemented the Armed Forces for standing firm and vigil and the same should continue. The Raksha Mantri complimented the efforts of BRO, which has led to the quantum improvement of road communication in the borders both Western and Northern, while working under difficult conditions.
Referring to the situation along the Western borders, he complimented the Indian Army’s response to cross border terrorism, however the proxy war by the adversary continues. The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri said “I compliment the excellent synergy between the CAPF/ Police forces and the Army in tackling the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The synergised operations in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are contributing to increased stability in the region and the same should remain”.
The Raksha Mantri complimented the forces for the high standard of operational preparedness and capabilities which he has always been experiencing first hand during his visits to forward areas. He also paid tributes to all the bravehearts for making the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of the motherland. He complimented the significant contributions made by the Army in military diplomacy to further our national security interests by creating sustainable cooperative relationships with foreign Armies and also emphasised upon the important role of Defence Attaches in achieving the same. We must delibrate on the re-orintentation of role of the Defence Attaches in line with the organisational aim.
The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri stressed upon the technological advancement taking place in every sphere of our life and applauded the Armed Forces for aptly incorporating them. He appreciated the Army’s efforts to develop niche technologies in collaboration with civil industries, including premier educational institutions and thereby progressing towards the aim of ‘ Modernisation through Indigenisation’ or‘Atamnirbharta’. He emphasised that a regular interface of Armed Forces with the emerging technologies is a must. Raksha Mantri commended on the initiative of discussions being done with Niti Ayog on achieving the aim of‘Viksit Bharat’during this Army Commander Conference. He also remarked that the government is committed in every manner towards the welfare of the Veterans and the Next of Kin of all categories of Battle Casualties and the nation remains indebted to the sacrifices made by vallant soldiers and their family.
He concluded by saying that issues related to “Defence diplomacy, indigenisation, information warfare, defence infrastructure and force modernisation should always be deliberated upon in such a forum. Doctrinal changes whenever required should be made to make the Armed Forces future ready. The recommendation and suggestions made by the senior leadership in such like forum as Commanders Conference should be deliberated upon and be taken to a logical conclusion with midcourse review and modification if required. The Nation is proud of its Army and the Government is committed to facilitate the Army in their forward movement, on the road to reforms and capability modernisation”.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government gazetted today (April 3) the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2025 to regulate the safe use of hydrogen used or intended to be used as fuel.
The Bill aims to amend the Gas Safety Ordinance (Cap. 51) to establish a regulatory framework governing the importation, manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of hydrogen that is used or intended to be used as fuel.
A Government spokesperson said, “The Government has been actively promoting the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong. Establishing a comprehensive and holistic regulatory framework to regulate the use of hydrogen as fuel can enhance public confidence in hydrogen safety and create an environment conducive to the local development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong. The framework covers a range of safety aspects, including gas quality, safety of installations and facilities, personnel and emergency handling, etc.
“The Government promulgated the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong in June 2024, setting out the four major strategies of improving legislation, establishing standards, aligning with the market, and advancing with prudence to create an environment conducive to the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong, so that Hong Kong would be able to capitalise on the environmental and economic opportunities brought about by the recent development of hydrogen energy in different parts of the world, and in our country in particular. The Bill will provide a clear legal framework and stable regulatory environment for the local hydrogen energy industry, enabling both local and international investors to develop hydrogen-related businesses in Hong Kong with greater confidence,” the spokesperson supplemented.
The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading on April 16.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Fraudulent website and internet banking login screen related to Dah Sing Bank, Limited The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the website or login screen concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. Issued at HKT 16:28
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DH announces latest situation of dengue fever and reminds grave sweepers to take precautionary measures against mosquito-borne diseases DEET-containing insect repellents are effective and the public should take heed of the tips below: Issued at HKT 16:45
The US President issued an Executive Order on Reciprocal Tariffs imposing additional ad-valorem duties ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from all trading partners. The baseline duty of 10% will be effective from April 05, 2025 and the remaining country specific additional ad-valorem duty will be effective from April 09, 2025. The additional duty on India as per the Annex I of the Executive Order is 27%.
The Department of Commerce is carefully examining the implications of the various measures / announcements made by the President of the USA. Keeping in view the vision of Viksit Bharat, the Department is engaged with all stakeholders, including Indian industry and exporters, taking feedback of their assessment of the tariffs and assessing the situation. The Department is also studying the opportunities that may arise due to this new development in the US trade policy.
The Hon Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and the Hon President of USA, Mr. Donald Trump have announced on 13 February 2025 ‘Mission 500’ – aiming to more than double the bilateral trade to US $500 Billion by 2030. Accordingly, discussions are ongoing between Indian and US trade teams for the expeditious conclusion of a mutually beneficial, multi-sectoral Bilateral Trade Agreement. These cover a wide range of issues of mutual interest including deepening supply chain integration. The ongoing talks are focused on enabling both nations to grow trade, investments and technology transfers. We remain in touch with the Trump Administration on these issues and expect to take them forward in the coming days.
India values its Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the United States and is committed to working closely with the US to implement the India-US ‘Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology’ (COMPACT) for the 21st century to ensure that our trade ties remain a pillar of mutual prosperity and drive transformative change for the benefit of the people of India and the US.