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Barnama
31-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
13MP: Malaysia Targets Ninth Spot On Global Peace Index By 2030
To achieve this goal, the document outlines four key strategies: enhancing public security and order, safeguarding national sovereignty, improving the well-being of security personnel, and strengthening the management and rehabilitation of criminal offenders. According to the 13MP (2026–2030) document released by the Ministry of Economy today, Malaysia had already reached 13th place on the GPI in 2025, up from 19th place in 2023, positioning the country among the safest in the region. KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- The government has set a target to place Malaysia in the ninth position on the Global Peace Index (GPI) by 2030, as outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). 'The role of the National Scam Response Centre as a one-stop centre will be enhanced to address online financial scams more effectively. Crisis management will also be improved through updated policies, enhanced standard operating procedures, and capacity-building via joint training by security agencies and better asset management,' the document states. Under the strategy to enhance public security and order, efforts include strengthening strategic collaboration among various enforcement agencies, implementing education programmes, advocacy initiatives, and public awareness campaigns on crime risks, as well as improving cybercrime protection measures. Under the strategy of safeguarding national sovereignty, border control will be intensified by strengthening security posts in the northern Peninsular region, Sabah and Sarawak and by ensuring the full operation of the Border Control and Protection Agency at the country's entry points. 'Immigration processes will be improved through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), while the roles of all enforcement agencies will be streamlined to enhance effectiveness in combating smuggling, human trafficking and maritime security threats,' the document states. It also notes that the defence industry ecosystem will continue to be developed, driven by the National Defence Industry Policy, to promote the creation of ''Made by Malaysia" defence products and enhance the country's competitiveness and self-reliance in the sector. Illegal immigrant control will also be strengthened, including through increased enforcement operations, deportations, and widespread use of monitoring technologies, while the existing integrated immigration system will continue to be enhanced. Under the strategy to improve the well-being of security personnel, the government will provide better housing, healthcare and social support for both serving and retired personnel. -- MORE 13MP-SECURITY 3 KUALA LUMPUR According to the document, the guidelines for government quarters will be reviewed to reduce the cost per unit without compromising quality or quantity. Vacant quarters from other public services will also be offered to security personnel to optimise resources. 'In addition, the One Member One House programme will be expanded to increase homeownership opportunities, including allocating 15 per cent of the housing quota to retired military personnel. Social support programmes will also be improved to ensure the welfare of veterans and their families, including skills training under TVET, entrepreneurship and modern agriculture.' In terms of criminal offender management and rehabilitation, initiatives will focus on instilling spiritual values, human development aspects and giving inmates a second chance to reintegrate into society. To support this, the government will upgrade basic infrastructure by building new prisons and modernising existing facilities. It will also expand the use of alternative sentencing, such as community service and community-based rehabilitation programmes, supported by modern technology like electronic monitoring devices. 'Immigration detention depots will be upgraded to reduce overcrowding. Deportation programmes for undocumented migrants will be intensified to cut operating costs. Drug and substance abuse issues will be addressed through improved prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes, as well as enforcement. -- MORE 13MP-SECURITY 4 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR 'The rehabilitation support system for addicts will also be strengthened to provide a meaningful chance for full recovery, enabling them to return and contribute positively to society,' the document adds. Meanwhile, under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), efforts to bolster national security and defence focused on strengthening legislation, modernising assets, and enhancing preparedness and welfare of security personnel. 'The Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency Act 2024 has been passed to establish the agency as the sole enforcement body at national entry points. 'To enhance border security, RM1.2 billion has been allocated to various agencies to implement programmes and projects in border areas. This includes the procurement of strategic assets such as Light Combat Aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Littoral Mission Ships, which have been or are being implemented,' the document states. -- BERNAMA TAGS: 13MP, security, defence, border, GPI, crime index MFMS NAM BYY BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
Filipino Times
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Palace downplays China's study abroad alert
Malacañang sought to allay concerns over the Philippines' security situation after China issued a study abroad alert, warning its citizens of alleged rising crimes targeting Chinese nationals in the country. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Marcos administration remains committed to maintaining peace and order. 'As far as the government is concerned, we know that crime rates in the Philippines are improving and declining. This is due to the directive of the President,' Castro said on Friday. The statement came after China's Ministry of Education cautioned Chinese students planning to study in the Philippines, claiming the country has been in a 'state of insecurity' with reported crimes involving Chinese nationals. The ministry urged students to assess risks carefully and remain vigilant. While the Palace respects China's prerogative to issue travel advisories, Castro said the Philippines continues to be a safe destination for foreigners. She also cited the country's improved ranking in the 2025 Global Peace Index, where the Philippines moved up six notches to 105th out of 163 countries. Castro emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring the safety of all nationals in the country, regardless of citizenship. She also clarified that the Chinese nationals who were recently deported had been involved in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs). 'Whether Filipino or foreigner, regardless of nationality, everyone is guaranteed protection,' she said, adding that recent deportations of Chinese nationals involved individuals engaged in illegal offshore gaming activities. In April, the Palace also denied claims of harassment against foreigners in the Philippines, following a similar travel warning from Beijing.
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
India lags in Global Life-Work Balance Index, New Zealand tops for 3rd year
New Zealand has been ranked first among countries in doing the best at helping people strike a healthy balance between work and personal life, according to the 2025 Global Life-Work Balance Index released by Remote. Ireland and Belgium followed New Zealand, with significantly high scores of 81.17 and 75.91 respectively.(Pixabay/representational) New Zealand has secured the top position for the third consecutive year, with a whopping high score of 86.87 out of 100, followed by Ireland and Belgium, with significantly high scores of 81.17 and 75.91, respectively. Workers of the country enjoy 32 days of statutory annual leave, up to 100% wage coverage for sick days, and 26 weeks of paid maternity leave at full pay. The country's shorter working hours across sectors, strong public policies and improved minimum wages played a major role in helping it secure the first place in the index. How was the survey conducted? Remote selected the top 60 GDP countries of the world as a global sample. The survey aimed to discover which global player offers employees the best life-work balance, with several parameters taken into consideration. The study reviewed multiple indicators including statutory annual leave (total days of paid leave, including public holidays), minimum statutory sick pay, statutory maternity leave, statutory maternity leave payment rate, minimum wage (USD per hour), healthcare status, happiness index score, average working hours per week per employed person, LGBTQ+ inclusivity and safety, according to the Global Peace Index. Where does India stand in the index? With a score of 45.81, India has been ranked 42nd out of 60 countries in the index. Although Indian employees are entitled to 35 days of statutory annual leave, issues like poor healthcare access, sick pay typically covering less than 60% of wages and longer working hours have pushed it back in the line, snatching its position among the top forty countries in the index. Where is the USA in the index? The United States of America secured the second last spot in the index with measly low rank of 59, scoring 31.17 out of 100. The exceptionally poor score appears to be largely due to limited paid leave and unfavourable working conditions reported by employees in the country. Who is ranked last in the index? Nigeria was placed at the bottom of the index with a score as low as 29.67. According to a report by Lloyd's Bank, the general working hours in a week in Nigeria are 40 hours, with all workers entitled to two to four weeks of annual leave, overtime and paid leave. Here's the complete list of countries and their ranking in index: 1. New Zealand - 86.87 2. Ireland - 81.17 3. Belgium - 75.91 4. Germany - 74.65 5. Norway - 74.20 6. Denmark - 73.76 7. Canada - 73.46 8. Australia - 72.10 9. Spain - 71.94 10. Finland - 70.86 11. United Kingdom - 69.68 12. Netherlands - 68.97 13. Portugal - 68.65 14. Argentina - 68.35 15. Austria - 68.01 16. France - 67.62 17. Poland - 65.33 18. Hungary - 63.38 19. Czech Republic - 63.06 20. Sweden - 62.92 21. Greece - 62.84 22. Italy - 60.52 23. Switzerland - 60.32 24. Chile - 58.02 25. Singapore - 57.85 26. Romania - 57.49 27. Malaysia - 57.03 28. Brazil - 56.63 29. Japan - 56.54 30. Taiwan - 54.61 31. South Korea - 53.42 - 53.38 33. South Africa - 52.17 34. Indonesia - 52. 07 35. Saudi Arabia - 50.79 36. Israel - 49.79 37. Ukraine - 49.77 38. Peru - 49.18 39. Vietnam - 47.08 40. United Arab Emirates - 47.01 41. Thailand - 45.86 42. India - 45.81 43. Russia - 45.29 44. Hong Kong - 45.72 45. Phillipenes - 44.62 46. Kazakhstan - 44.57 47. Mexico - 44.04 48. Algeria - 43.63 49. Iran - 43.11 50. Turkey - 43.06 51. Morocco - 41.59 52. China - 38.68 53. Qatar - 38.33 54. Pakistan - 38.27 55. Iraq - 37.66 56. Ethiopia - 37.61 57. Bangladesh - 36.91 58. Egypt - 35.77 59. United States - 31.17 60. Nigeria - 26.67 (Remote pulled and analysed the data in April 2025)
India Today
09-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
New Zealand sees 34% rise in Indian student enrolments in just one year. Here's why
Indian students are increasingly choosing New Zealand as their study destination, as the country offers a combination of world-class education, post-study opportunities, and a high quality of to Education New Zealand (ENZ), student enrolments from India rose by 34% between January and August 2024, reaching 10,640, up from 7,930 in the full year of 2023. New Zealand, with its English-speaking environment and progressive policies, has rapidly emerged as a strong are the reasons why more Indian students are choosing New Zealand for overseas education:1. QUALITY EDUCATION AND GLOBAL RANKINGS New Zealand is home to eight universities, all of which are ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2026 Top these, the University of Auckland ranks #65, followed by other leading institutions such as the University of Otago (#197), Massey University (#230), and Victoria University of Wellington (#240).The country offers strong academic and research opportunities across a wide range of disciplines, including Data Science, Engineering, Fintech, Nursing, Business Analytics, Hospitality, and Education.2. SAFETY, WELL-BEING AND AFFORDABILITYNew Zealand ranks highly on international safety and quality-of-life indices. It placed #12 in Global Finance's 2025 Happiest Countries list, is #3 on the Global Peace Index, and topped Remote's Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025 for the third year terms of cost, international students typically spend between NZD 20,000 to 40,000 annually on education, making it a more affordable choice than the US or UK, and comparable to Australia and Canada. According to Education New Zealand (ENZ), student enrolments from India rose by 34% between January and August 2024, reaching 10,640, up from 7,930 in the full year of 2023. 3. STRONG EMPHASIS ON PRACTICAL LEARNINGNew Zealand's education system is known for its practical, hands-on learning approach. Universities often collaborate closely with industries to ensure that course content is aligned with real-world skills and market Indian students seeking job-ready education and internships that lead directly to employment, this industry relevance is a major attraction.4. SIMPLIFIED DEPENDENT VISA OPTIONSFor Indian students who are married or have families, New Zealand offers a relatively student-friendly dependent visa policy. Spouses of postgraduate students can apply for open work visas, and children can access local holistic approach to international student life makes the transition easier for those who plan to move with their STRONG SUPPORT SERVICESNew Zealand universities offer robust international student support services—from dedicated advisors and academic counselling to mental health support and career high level of personalised attention makes Indian students feel supported throughout their journey, both inside and outside the classroom. New Zealand is home to eight universities, all of which are ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2026 Top 500. 6. EXPANDED POST-STUDY WORK RIGHTSOne of New Zealand's biggest draws is its flexible post-study work visa (PSW) policy. Students who complete at least 30 weeks of Master's or Doctoral-level study can stay and work in the country for up to three 2024, the policy was expanded to include stackable qualifications. This allows students to complete a 30-week Postgraduate Diploma (Level 8) and then pursue a shorter Master's, still qualifying for the full PSW of March 2025, the unemployment rate in New Zealand stands at 5.1%, adding to the appeal for graduates seeking job STRONG TIES WITH INDIAIndians now make up 11% of international university students in New Zealand, making them the second-largest international student group after the enrolment of Indian female students in New Zealand universities has doubled between 2023 and 2024, according to IDP Zealand has also been investing in educational partnerships with India. In 2024, Education New Zealand signed collaboration agreements with key Indian institutions including GIFT City, IIM Ahmedabad, and the Karnataka State Higher Education Council, aiming to strengthen academic and strategic Zealand has fast become a preferred destination for Indian students, offering world-class education, flexible work opportunities, and strong cultural growing enrolment, strategic partnerships, and supportive policies, it presents a safe, affordable, and rewarding pathway for Indian students seeking global academic and career success.- Ends
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
What will be the effect of rising military spending?
The story so far: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in June pledged to increase military spending to 5% of the member nations' GDP (specifically 'core defence requirements as well as defence and security-related spending by 2035'). The previous spending target was 2%. Such a move is symptomatic of the sharp increase in global military spending in the last few years. What has been the historical trajectory of military expenditures? According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which produces the most comprehensive database on military spending, global military spending was $2,718 billion in 2024. The year saw a 9.4% increase, which was the highest year-on-year increase since 1988, with the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Gaza conflict contributing to it. In 2025, the world saw two big additional conflicts, between India and Pakistan, and Israel and Iran. This, combined with the NATO pledge, will see further increases in global military spending in the coming years. Historically, the Cold War period saw the highest amounts of global military spending. It was 6.1% of the world's GDP in 1960. In the last year of the Cold War, it was at 3%. It reached its lowest levels in 1998 at 2.1% (a total expenditure of around $1,100 billion). In 2024, it reached 2.5% (from 2.3% in 2015). Who are the biggest military spenders? The United States is the biggest military spender in the world with $997 billion, followed by China at $314 billion, Russia at $149 billion, Germany at $88.5 billion and India at $86.1 billion — these nations are the top five military spenders. Almost 80% of the total worldwide military spending is spent by the top 15 military spenders. All of the NATO members (32) combined spent $1,506 billion, which makes it around 55% of global military spending. Thus, there is a concentration of spending in a few countries. In terms of GDP percentage, among the top 20 spenders (excluding countries at war such as Russia, Ukraine and Israel), the highest spenders include Saudi Arabia (7.3%), Poland (4.2%) and the U.S. (3.4%). The rest fall in the range of 2.6% to 1.3%. What about the expenditure on other public goods? The present wave of remilitarisation threatens to eliminate the gains made from declining military expenditures after the end of the Cold War. According to the Global Peace Index, in 2023, militarisation increased in 108 countries and the year saw the highest number of conflicts since World War II. Of course, military spending, driven by the military-industrial complex, can benefit certain sectors of the economy. Yet, as studies show (for example, by Masako Ikegami and Zijian Wang, based on 116 countries), there is a significant crowding-out effect that increased military spending has on domestic government health spending, the effects of which are borne more by middle- and low-income countries. But even high-income countries are not immune. Spain, which spends only 1.24% of GDP on defence, asserted its sovereignty and opted out of the new NATO target citing that it is 'unreasonable' and that the extra burden of 300 billion euros will cut welfare spending. It should be noted that nine NATO members failed to meet even the 2% target by 2024 despite it being proposed first in 2002. What about the UN? The present military spending of $2.7 trillion and its scale can be understood only by placing it in the context of other critical global expenditures. The latest budget of the United Nations is only $44 billion — with which it should fund development, humanitarian aid, and peacekeeping operations. But the UN, in six months, has only received $6 billion, and as a result, is seeking to reduce the budget to $29 billion. In the 12-day Israel-Iran war, the U.S. is estimated to have spent nearly $1 billion on missile interceptors alone. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, seeking to cut foreign aid is the major cause of the UN funding crisis. While Mr. Trump wants to be known as a peace-making President, he has pushed NATO to adopt the 5% military spending target and has closed down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided annual assistance to the tune of $50-60 billion worldwide in the few years until the Russian-Ukraine war. A Lancet study found that USAID assistance in healthcare, nutrition, etc., prevented 91 million deaths in low- and middle-income countries in the past two decades, and that Mr. Trump's decision could potentially cause a staggering 14 million additional deaths by 2030, a third of them being children. It demonstrates that peace is not just the absence of war, but also the material conditions for the healthy sustenance of life. Additionally, increased defence spending is upending the progress of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is estimated that ending extreme poverty and absolute monetary poverty globally by 2030 would need $70 billion and $325 billion respectively per year. It constitutes only 0.1% and 0.6% of the gross national income of high-income countries. The UN estimates that in 2021, around 4.5 billion people did not have full coverage of essential health services, and, that even spending just $1 per person yearly on preventing non-communicable diseases could save nearly seven million lives by 2030. Increased military spending has deleterious effects on another SDG as well — combating climate change. According to a study by the Conflict and Environment Observatory, if NATO's defence spending reached 3.5% of GDP, greenhouse gas emissions would increase 200 million tonnes annually. When the world is seeing unprecedented heatwaves, and with 2024 being the hottest year on record, increased military spending will only divert scarce resources from climate mitigation, and other pressing public goods. How is India affected by increased military spending? Close to home, after Operation Sindoor, ₹50,000 crore was additionally sanctioned (to supplement the annual budget of ₹6.81 lakh crore) for emergency defence purchases to replenish used weaponry. To put it in perspective, funds allocated by the centre for Ayushman Bharat health insurance which covers 58 crore people was ₹7,200 crore for 2023-24. India spends 2.3% of GDP on the military whereas the public expenditure on health, despite increasing in recent years, is very low. It is 1.84% of the GDP, less than the 2.5% target of the National Health Policy, and much less than the 10% mark of most developed countries. In the light of heightened tensions and public sentiment being in favour of militarisation, spending on other public goods might suffer. Military conflicts and spending can be ruinous for middle- and low-income countries. Lebanon spent 29% of its GDP, and Ukraine 34%, on military spending last year. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that 'We must spend more, to prevent war.' The present proposed increase is, according to NATO, mainly to counter Russia. Scholars note of the huge disparity between Russia and NATO: Russia's economy is 25 times smaller and military spending, 10 times lesser. This shows how fear-mongering can be used by leadership to militarise society further. If the NATO pledge does indeed become a reality, the consequences for human well-being will be enormous. Nissim Mannathukkaren is a professor with Dalhousie University, Canada, and he is on X @nmannathukkaren.
