The South African Police Service (SAPS) Political Killings Task Team has made another breakthrough in the Sindiso Magaqa murder case, with the arrest of the former municipal manager of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality.
The former municipal manager is expected to appear before the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder today.
The 55-year-old suspect was rearrested today in Malvern, Durban.
He was previously arrested in 2018 alongside the late mayor of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, a businessman, two former police officers and a hitman.
The hitman, Sbusiso Ncengwa, was convicted to 25 years imprisonment on 7 July 2025.
Magaqa was an African National Congress Youth League Secretary General and municipal councilor. He was killed in September 2017 in KwaZulu-Natal. – SAnews.gov.za
A scholar transport accident has left approximately 20 learners injured, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said.
Confirming Monday’s incident, the department said the learners are from various Johannesburg schools.
“The incident took place at approximately 7am along West Park Road, near the West Park Cemetery in Johannesburg. According to preliminary reports, the vehicle was allegedly travelling at a high speed when the driver appeared to lose control, causing it to overturn along the bend near West Park Cemetery,” said the department in a statement on Tuesday.
The GDE said the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation and that authorities were on the scene shortly after the incident to assist learners who were on board and begin assessing the circumstances.
“According to information at our disposal, the overturned vehicle was allegedly transporting learners from Greenside High School, Parktown Girls’ High School and Roosevelt High School.
“[There were] reportedly 13 learners from Greenside High School, ranging from Grade 8 to Grade 11; four learners from Roosevelt High School in Grades 8, 9 and 12, while Parktown Girls’ High School had three learners in Grades 8, 10 and 11.”
Following the crash, learners were transported to various healthcare facilities, where they were assessed for injuries and received medical treatment.
“Fortunately, all learners were treated and discharged into the care of their families. A majority of learners have been booked off from attending school by medical practitioners for the remainder of this week.
“One learner from Greenside High School, however, remains hospitalised and is scheduled to undergo surgery,” the department explained.
Meanwhile, the department has arranged psychosocial support for all learners and their families to assist with recovery and trauma management. Additionally, departmental officials were dispatched to each school and hospital to verify the condition of all affected learners and also interact with all affected families.
“We are grateful that there were no fatalities, and we extend our gratitude to emergency personnel, respective school management teams and our officials who responded swiftly. We are continuing to engage with the relevant authorities to determine the cause of the accident and ensure accountability.
“We urge all scholar transport drivers, whether public or private, to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of our learners remains a top priority at all times. We wish all learners a speedy recovery,” Education MEC Matome Chiloane said. – SAnews.gov.za
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, will officially launch the newly reconstituted Fire Brigade Board (FBB) on Friday, 1 August 2025.
The launch will take place in the City of uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal.
The FBB is a statutory body established under the Fire Brigade Services Act, 1987 (Act No. 99 of 1987).
Its role is to advise the Minister on matters related to fire brigade services in the Republic of South Africa.
“Following an extensive institutional and policy review process, led by the National Disaster Management Centre, the FBB has been reconstituted to reflect modern governance principles, inclusivity, and alignment with the Fire Services 2030 Roadmap and the national disaster risk reduction agenda,” the advisory read.
The primary objective of the launch is to officially introduce the newly reconstituted FBB to the public and key stakeholders, affirming the board’s role as a national coordinating and advisory structure for fire services.
The event will also highlight government’s vision for a responsive, integrated and capable fire services sector that aligns with the Fire Services 2030 Roadmap. In addition, it aims to foster intergovernmental collaboration and support for fire service transformation, while positioning the City of uMhlathuze as a centre of local excellence in fire service delivery. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
New UK esports collaboration to boost digital and cyber skills
The new partnership with International Defence Esports Games will improve Armed Forces digital talent, while an annual summit will focus on education, recruitment and skills, including AI.
UK military personnel will improve their digital and cyber skills through a new esports collaboration, which will include a focus on AI and drone operation.
The Ministry of Defence has appointed the British Esports Federation to deliver a new first-of-its-kind defence and industry esports tournament through UK Strategic Command, soon to be Cyber and Specialist Operations Command.
Improving the digital skills of military personnel will help boost the country’s warfighting readiness, with the UK at the cutting edge of defence AI and technology, supporting the government’s Plan for Change. Lessons from Ukraine, including Ukrainian’s producing their own drone simulator games to improve hand-eye coordination, have shown how esports can be used to successfully train drone operators and cyber security specialists.
Through the Strategic Defence Review, defence is enhancing its warfighting capability by developing critical cyber skills, and Esports can provide an accessible environment to improve digital literacy and cyber understanding.
The International Defence Esports Games (IDEG) will help members of the Armed Forces develop cyber, digital and wider military skills. Initially open to service personnel, including reservists, IDEG will expand to eventually include cadets, veterans, civil servants and anyone working in the defence industry.
Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carns DSO OBE MC MP, said: [CLEARED]
Esports will help attract, develop, and retain top cyber and digital talent, while fostering this government’s Plan for Change. Our people must now be as adept with code, cybersecurity and a games controller as they are with traditional combat skills.
From drone operations to data analysis, modern defence and deterrence needs agile minds that can navigate both physical and digital battlegrounds.
The International Defence Esports Games is an exciting initiative that will help foster exactly these skills in a fun, collaborative way, and overcome many traditional boundaries between our international partners.
The inaugural IDEG finals – where competitions would be held – will be organised in partnership with British Esports and a leading esports production company, and be held in the UK in late 2026.
The event is being supported by Defence suppliers, including BAE Systems, as well as several smaller military technology companies.
Chester King, President, British Esports said:
Military esports has been steadily growing in recent years, and today we’re delighted to announce a first-of-its-kind tournament for military personnel around the world.
The UK’s armed forces have recognised video games as a positive activity that can improve personnel welfare and morale, foster digital and cyber skills, and strengthen relations across the armed forces and beyond.
We’re happy to announce the International Defence Esports Games and support the future of the military.
Recently the Royal Navy partnered with British Esports to launch an esports facility aboard UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, featuring gaming gear from the likes of Alienware, NVIDIA and Intel. Those in attendance included members of the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Esports Association (SGEA), the national body British Esports, and Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command, Lt Gen Sir Tom Copinger-Symes, who has been championing esports across UK Defence.
Lieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command said:
Esports and serious games can contribute to our warfighting readiness. As competition and conflict increasingly play out in cyberspace and the digital arena, these games equip our people to think, operate and innovate across both the physical and virtual worlds, developing team coordination and rapid decision-making under pressure.
We’ve learned from our Ukrainian partners about how esports can train drone operators and cyber security specialists. People are quickly grasping how esports can change perspectives and enhance skills, as well as reaching across borders with our international allies and partners.
For centuries we’ve used ball games like rugby and football to develop teamwork, hone mental and physical fitness and build resilience. Esports perfectly complement these games in preparing us for 21st Century security challenges.
To address additional needs for cyber security specialists in Defence, the Ministry of Defence announced the Cyber Direct Entry Scheme, a bespoke entry route for aspiring cyber professionals and those with existing digital skills, which will see new recruit basic training reduced from 10 weeks to around one month, after which recruits will undergo 3 months’ specialist training in the field.
The news comes just over a year after the MOD recognised esports as an official military sport, ensuring funding and opportunities for personnel to compete. Today’s announcement also represents a deepening relationship between British Esports and the MOD.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) — Yingkou City in northeast China’s Liaoning Province is stepping up exports of locally produced fruits to Central Asian countries. Thirteen tons of freshly picked Shine Muscat and Jufeng grapes recently passed quarantine inspection and were exported to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, under a special cold chain land transport route.
According to the website of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, the above-mentioned export was carried out under the supervision of customs officials of Bayuquan District, administratively subordinate to Dalian Customs. In addition, this is the first batch of grapes exported to Uzbekistan for Yingkou.
Yang Lansen, the person in charge of Yingkou Zhongxinwang Fresh Fruit Co., Ltd., said that in the process of developing new markets, the local customs not only helped their company strictly comply with the phytosanitary requirements of importing countries, but also provided timely professional advice on the standardization of orchard management and post-harvest processing technology, which provided strong support for the successful entry of our grapes into the Central Asian market.
At present, the area for growing high-quality grapes in Yingkou City has reached 11.7 hectares, and the annual production volume remains above 300 thousand tons.
With distinct four seasons and abundant sunshine, Yingkou has excellent conditions for growing plums and other specialty fruits.
Let us recall that in June this year, 38 tons of fresh plums were loaded onto trucks and sent to Kazakhstan. For Yingkou, this is the first batch of plums exported to Kazakhstan.
Local customs steadily ensure the smooth operation of the “green corridor” for inspection of export fruits at the place of production. At the same time, customs monitors harvesting schedules in orchards and plantations, packing plans in factories in real time, ensuring the principle of “application-inspection-export permit” for export fruits, achieving “zero waiting time” in customs clearance.
In the first half of 2025, 47.6 thousand tons of fruits worth 348 million yuan were exported under the supervision of customs officials in Bayuquan District, statistics showed. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ULAN BATOR, July 29 (Xinhua) — At least eight people were killed and 41 others injured in traffic accidents in Mongolia during the national Naadam festival, the National Police Agency said on Tuesday.
Between July 10 and 16, the main causes of accidents were speeding, illegal overtaking and driver fatigue, the department said in a statement.
According to the Traffic Police Department, a total of 21,485 traffic accidents were registered in Mongolia in 2024, resulting in 83 deaths and 1,528 injuries. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
URUMQI, July 29 (Xinhua) — More than 10,000 freight trains on China-Europe/China-Central Asia international freight train routes have passed through the Alashankou and Horgos railway checkpoints in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as of July 28 since the beginning of 2025, the Urumqi branch of China Railways Corporation (CRC) said.
According to the data, since the beginning of this year, the number of China-Europe freight trains passing through the two above-mentioned railway border crossings has amounted to more than 50 percent of the country’s total, which reliably ensures the stability and continuity of international supply chains.
In order to further improve the efficiency of passing through the checkpoint, the railway departments of the XUAR actively coordinated with the Kazakh side the work to optimize the process of translation and verification of documents, reducing the time for checking documents for each train by 15 minutes.
According to the data, during the reporting period, cargo turnover through the Alashankou checkpoint amounted to 9.778 million tons, an increase of 3.7 percent year-on-year, and the same figure through the Khorgos checkpoint amounted to 7.96 million tons, an increase of 20.3 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
At present, 124 China-Europe/China-Central Asia international railway freight transportation routes pass through Alashankou checkpoint, covering 21 countries including Germany and Poland. And 89 corresponding freight transportation routes pass through Khorgos checkpoint, covering 18 countries.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Have you ever injured yourself while surfing in France and needed stitches? Sprained your ankle while hiking the Alps? Needed to see a doctor because of your pre-existing diabetes while on holiday in Greece? Perhaps not, but in case something like this does happen while you’re abroad, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) has you covered.
The EHIC allows you to receive necessary and urgent medical care abroad, including for chronic or existing illnesses, as well as pregnancy and childbirth. It’s not an alternative to travel insurance, and it does not cover any private healthcare costs or planned medical treatments. EHIC is valid in any EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
By presenting the card, you can obtain healthcare services directly from a public or contracted provider under the same conditions and at the same costas people insured in the country you are visiting. Each country’s healthcare system is different, and services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country. You can claim reimbursement for the costs you incur from the national institution whilst still in the country and get reimbursement directly there or ask for reimbursement from your health insurer when you get home.
More than half of the EU population has the EHIC. Applying for one is easy and free – simply contact your health insurance institution before your trip. You’ll typically receive it by mail within a few days. If you’re going to travel before obtaining the card, you can apply for an EHIC replacement certificate.
Travel with peace of mind, knowing the EHIC is there to support your healthcare needs abroad.
Climate factor to protect Eurosystem against potential decline in value of collateral in event of adverse climate-related transition shocks
Measure to address forward-looking climate-related uncertainties, enhancing resilience of Eurosystem’s monetary policy implementation
Measure to apply to marketable assets issued by non-financial corporations, taking effect in second half of 2026
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to introduce a new measure within the collateral framework to better manage financial risks related to the climate crisis.
The value of collateral from counterparties in the Eurosystem’s refinancing operations is sensitive to climate change-related uncertainties. Since the Eurosystem’s refinancing operations are a key instrument in maintaining price stability, the Governing Council has decided to introduce a “climate factor” which could reduce the value assigned to eligible assets pledged as collateral, depending on the extent to which an asset can be impacted by these uncertainties. This acts as a buffer against the possible financial impact of uncertainties related to climate change. It will complement the Eurosystem’s existing risk management toolbox by considering forward-looking climate scenario analyses and therefore improve the resilience of the Eurosystem’s monetary policy implementation. The calibration of the measure will preserve adequate collateral availability.
The Governing Council has decided to introduce the climate factor focusing on marketable assets issued by non-financial corporations as well as their affiliated entities, and adverse events specifically associated with the green transition. The climate factor will apply to individual assets and its calibration will take into account sector-level data of non-financial corporation bonds in the 2024 climate stress test of the Eurosystem’s balance sheet[1], the issuer’s CSPP climate score and the asset’s residual maturity.
This measure is due to be implemented in the second half of 2026. It will be regularly reviewed by the Governing Council to reflect the increasing availability of data and models, as well as relevant regulatory developments and advances in risk assessment capabilities.
For media queries, please contact Clara Martín Marqués, tel.: +49 69 1344 17919.
Recognition confirms the software company’s commitment to creating an exceptional workplace culture
Ahrensburg/Germany, July 29, 2025 – xSuite Group, a global software provider specializing in automated business processes, has officially been recognized as a “Great Place to Work®.” The certification is awarded by the international research and consulting institute of the same name and is based on a validated process that assesses a company’s workplace culture.
To earn the certification, xSuite underwent a thorough review process that included anonymous feedback from employees and an evaluation of its HR practices and programs. The company, which provides innovative SaaS and software solutions—especially in the area of invoice processing within SAP—places strong emphasis on both customer-centric development and the personal and professional growth of its global team.
“We’re incredibly proud of this recognition—especially because it reflects the positive feedback of our employees both in Germany and abroad,” said Haiko van Lengen, CEO of xSuite Group. “It’s a testament to the strong team spirit that defines our company culture every single day.”
The survey results speak for themselves:
83% of employees rate xSuite as a “great place to work”
96% feel they have the resources and tools needed to succeed
92% of new hires report feeling welcomed
94% agree that their managers trust them to do a good job without micromanagement
“Expertise and experience form the foundation of our success,” van Lengen continued. “We strive to grow continuously as a team and to adopt the latest technologies so we can deliver innovative solutions to our customers. We’re particularly proud of our work in artificial intelligence and our ongoing efforts to remain at the forefront of SAP-related innovation.”
Evelyn Funke, Global Vice President of Human Resources, added: “At xSuite, every single employee plays a vital role in our success—whether through writing code or delivering customer solutions. We take responsibility for our clients’ business processes and the quality of our products. While the company is on a strong growth trajectory, we remain committed to maintaining a family-like atmosphere that encourages creativity and open collaboration. Our informal culture fosters a sense of belonging, allowing everyone to be themselves while contributing meaningfully to the larger mission.”
About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is a global authority on workplace culture, helping organizations develop strong employer brands and gain a competitive edge. Certification is based on a representative and anonymous employee survey and a cultural audit of the organization. The institute surveys over 20 million employees each year across 18,000 companies in 170 countries. The German branch, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Cologne, employs around 100 staff members. It was launched at the initiative of the European Commission as part of the Lisbon Strategy to provide a credible tool for promoting and recognizing effective workplace cultures. www.greatplacetowork.com/.
About xSuite Group
xSuite is a software manufacturer of applications for document-based processes and provides standardized, digital solutions worldwide that enable simple, secure, and fast work. We focus mainly on the automation of important work processes in conjunction with end-to-end document management. Our core competence lies in accounts payable (AP) automation in SAP (including e-invoicing), for leading companies worldwide, as well as for public clients.
This is supplemented by applications for purchasing and order processes as well as archiving – all delivered from a single source, including both software components and services. xSuite solutions operate in the cloud or in hybrid scenarios.
We take pride in the high-quality solutions we offer, as evidenced by the regular certifications we receive for our SAP solutions and deployment environments.” With over 300,000 users benefitting from our solutions, xSuite processes more than 80 million documents per year in over 60 countries.
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Ahrensburg, Germany, xSuite has around 300 staff across nine locations worldwide – in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Our company has an established information security management system that is certified in accordance with ISO 27001:2022.
Press Contact Headquarters: Barbara Wirtz xSuite Group GmbH Marketing & PR Tel. +49 (0)4102/88 38 36 barbara.wirtz@xsuite.com www.xsuite.com
SHENZHEN, China, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aurora Mobile Limited (NASDAQ: JG) (“Aurora Mobile” or the “Company”), a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China, today announced the official launch of new Multi-Agent collaboration capabilities within its GPTBots.ai platform at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2025) in Shanghai. The new functionality is designed to help enterprises flexibly build customized AI agents and overcome key challenges in AI implementation, such as data silos, rigid workflows, and lack of controllability. Aurora Mobile demonstrated practical use cases at WAIC 2025, including real estate sales and financial analysis, sparking strong interest from enterprises across industries including finance, e-commerce, and smart manufacturing.
GPTBots.ai’s Multi-Agent Capabilities Address Core AI Implementation Challenges
At the “AI for Business Applications” forum of WAIC 2025, Vice President of Aurora Mobile, Mr. Hao Yin, delivered a keynote speech addressing three critical pain points in traditional multi-agent solutions:
Data Silos: Closed architectures that cannot access core enterprise databases or business systems
Rigid Workflows: Predefined roles that fail to adapt to dynamic business needs
Lack of controllability: Opaque execution processes and non-customizable outputs
“GPTBots.ai is not a standardized black box, but an AI operations hub and command center for enterprises,” Mr. Yin emphasized. “We offer a scalable AI agent framework, similar to an orchestrated team of AI agents, flexible and scalable, to meet evolving business needs. This Multi-Agent collaboration model has already proven valuable in several core use cases, including intelligent marketing, competitive analysis & research reporting, and financial process automation.”
About Aurora Mobile Limited
Founded in 2011, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG) is a leading provider of customer engagement and marketing technology services in China. Since its inception, Aurora Mobile has focused on providing stable and efficient messaging services to enterprises and has grown to be a leading mobile messaging service provider with its first-mover advantage. With the increasing demand for customer reach and marketing growth, Aurora Mobile has developed forward-looking solutions such as Cloud Messaging and Cloud Marketing to help enterprises achieve omnichannel customer reach and interaction, as well as artificial intelligence and big data-driven marketing technology solutions to help enterprises’ digital transformation.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Among other things, the Business Outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Aurora Mobile’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Aurora Mobile may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Aurora Mobile’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Aurora Mobile’s strategies; Aurora Mobile’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Aurora Mobile’s ability to attract and retain customers; its ability to develop and effectively market data solutions, and penetrate the existing market for developer services; its ability to transition to the new advertising-driven SAAS business model; its ability to maintain or enhance its brand; the competition with current or future competitors; its ability to continue to gain access to mobile data in the future; the laws and regulations relating to data privacy and protection; general economic and business conditions globally and in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the press release, and Aurora Mobile undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
For more information, please contact:
Aurora Mobile Limited E-mail: ir@jiguang.cn
Christensen
In China Ms. Xiaoyan Su Phone: +86-10-5900-1548 E-mail: Xiaoyan.Su@christensencomms.com
In US Ms. Linda Bergkamp Phone: +1-480-614-3004 Email: linda.bergkamp@christensencomms.com
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Appointment of Bishop of Worcester: 29 July 2025
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Hugh Edmund Nelson, for election as Bishop of Worcester
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Suffragan Bishop of St Germans in the Diocese of Truro, for election as Bishop of Worcester, in succession to The Right Reverend John Geoffrey Inge, following his retirement.
Background
After a theology degree at Worcester College, Oxford, Hugh spent 13 years living and working with adults with learning disabilities in one of the L’Arche communities. He trained for ministry at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, was ordained Deacon in 2009 and Priest in 2010, serving his title at The Six group of Churches in the rural area around Sittingbourne in the Diocese of Canterbury. He was appointed Vicar of Goudhurst and Kilndown, also in the diocese of Canterbury, in 2012.
In 2020 Hugh took up his current role as Suffragan Bishop of St Germans in the Diocese of Truro and was in addition appointed Bishop to the Armed Forces in 2021. Since 2023 he also served as Acting Bishop of Truro until the installation of the Right Reverend David Williams on 17th May.
The hearse and accompanying vehicles will slowly make their way down Broad Street from 1pm to the Black Sabbath bridge and bench.
The hearse and accompanying vehicles will slowly make their way down Broad Street from 1pm to the Black Sabbath bridge and bench, where thousands of fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes in recent days. The cortege will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin’ Brass, bringing a final musical moment to honour the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne.
The event is expected to draw large crowds as fans gather to say goodbye to the man who helped shape the global heavy metal genre and who proudly carried the spirit of Birmingham throughout his career, whilst allowing his family a chance to see the many memories his loyal fans have left alongside flowers and tributes.
Ozzy and his fellow Black Sabbath band members were recently given the Freedom of the City on 28th June 2025.
The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, JP, said: “Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham. Having recently been awarded the Freedom of the City and following his celebrated appearance at the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park earlier this month, it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city is giving him the farewell he deserves.”
Birmingham City Council has worked at pace with its partners over the weekend to coordinate a respectful and safe public event in collaboration with the Osbourne family, who have kindly funded all of the associated costs. The Council would also like to thank businesses and residents in the Broad Street and wider city centre area for their co-operation, alongside support from West Midlands Metro and West Midlands Police, during this important time for the safety of gathered fans.
Public Information
The cortege will travel down Broad Street from approximately 1pm towards the Black Sabbath Bridge.
Broad Street will be closed to through traffic from 7am and buses and trams will be diverted during this time. Local access will be managed where possible but can not be guaranteed. Broad Street will re-open as soon as possible after the event.
Stewards will be on hand, and visitors are encouraged to arrive early, use public transport, and follow safety guidance on site.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Moscow Innovation Cluster with the support of Moscow Venture Fund opened recruitment for the fourth stream of the program “The Path to IPO”. Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs registered on the i.moscow platform can apply for participation. Applications are open until September 21. link. Training will begin in October of this year.
“The Path to IPO program is not just an educational course. It is a real chance for companies to enter the public market with comprehensive support from the city – from knowledge and mentoring to targeted financing,” she said.
Kristina Kostroma, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of the City of Moscow.
The Path to IPO program helps technology companies prepare for listing on the stock market, from training to raising funding. The fourth stream is being merged with the preferential targeted loans program. Moscow Venture Fundto enter the stock market. This will make it easier for participants to implement an IPO, pre-IPO or bond issue strategy.
What awaits program participants
The program consists of two training modules. At the theoretical stage, participants have access to online lectures by experts, as well as auxiliary materials, checklists and document templates. Students will learn about the requirements, procedures and regulatory aspects of the placement of securities.
As part of the practical module, representatives of the exchange, organizing banks and other experts share their experience of entering the public market. Together with mentors, participants will formulate strategies for bringing their companies to the securities market. The best projects will be able to receive a targeted loan of up to 100 million rubles from the Moscow Venture Fund. This will cover the costs of future issuers to prepare for the placement, including the development and registration of issue documents, consulting services, etc.
From training to implementation
The Moscow Innovation Cluster launched the program in June 2024 and managed to train three streams, in which more than 120 representatives of Moscow companies took part. In total, more than 320 applications were received. As a result of the training, to date, two companies have entered pre-IPO, one company has issued bonds, five are planning to enter pre-IPO within a year, and four are planning to enter IPO within two years.
The third stream of the “Path to IPO” program ended in early July this year. During the training, it was possible to compile a profile of the program participant. These are startup founders, business owners or top managers who are looking for investments for projects in the amount of 300 to 500 million rubles. Most companies are engaged in software development and scientific research. The preferred tool for attracting funds is the pre-IPO round.
Among the successful cases is the engineering company Reinnolts, which placed bonds on the Moscow Exchange during its last cohort of students. The company has been operating since 2012 and specializes in the production of heat exchange equipment and water treatment solutions.
Moscow Innovation Cluster promotes the creation of conditions for the development and implementation of new technologies, ensuring scientific, technical and industrial cooperation, and effective interaction between all participants in the ecosystem. The cluster includes organizations from Moscow and 86 other regions of Russia. On the Moscow Innovation Cluster platform, innovators are offered more than 50 digital services that help develop and implement products, attract investment, find partners and scale up a business. The project is supervised by the capital’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.
Moscow Venture Fund — an institute for innovative development. The fund supports entrepreneurs at all stages of development — from the initial seed stage to the active growth stage, providing the necessary financial resources for successful development. Three main support programs are currently being implemented: grants, preferential loans for project development, and targeted loans for preparation for an IPO. Over the course of its operation, the fund has supported more than 100 companies in the amount of 1.3 billion rubles and helped attract more than 3.5 billion in investments.
The Department implements three regional projects that are part of the national project “Small and Medium Entrepreneurship and Support for Individual Entrepreneurial Initiatives”. These are “Acceleration of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Entities”, “Creating Favorable Conditions for Self-Employed Citizens to Carry Out Activities” and “Creating Conditions for an Easy Start and Comfortable Running of a Business”, as well as the regional project “Systemic Measures for the Development of International Cooperation and Export”, which is part of the national project “International Cooperation and Export”.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Races, SUP festivals, free training and sports events within the project “Summer in Moscow” — in this warm season in the capital, everyone can find something to do to their liking. The festivals “Moscow Sports Day” and “Moscow Sports Night” gathered almost 365 thousand people, over 150 thousand city residents took part in the Big Running Festival, and almost 100 thousand residents of the capital joined the Moscow Training Marathon. The water festival “Two Rivers” interested 260 thousand fans of SUP boarding and other water sports, and almost 80 thousand people took part in the women’s sports festival.
How to spend the summer actively and what other sporting events have been prepared in the capital – in our article.
Triathlon, SUP boards and extreme sports
Until the end of the summer, the city will host festivals, races, training sessions and other active events. Fans of extreme sports will be interested in the “Moscow Extreme Games”, and for fans of SUP surfing, “YauzaFest” will be organized. The “Moscow Sports Night” festival will also be held twice.
In addition, a large program is being prepared for the Day of Physical Culture. It will be celebrated in the center of the capital and at the Moskvich stadium. And this summer, the Triathlon League competitions will be held
Sports events in Moscow are not only competitions. Active lifestyle enthusiasts attend training sessions and master classes, and fans watch professional athletes perform.
Thus, the capital hosts events of the projects “Chess Square”, “Summer. Beach. Moscow Sport” and “Street Basketball Tour – Moscow”. You can also visit festival of urban sports and family sports games. Also, the Moscow Sport grounds are open to visitors. There, anyone can train, participate in tournaments, and rent the necessary equipment.
Free training and GTO
City residents are also invited to participate in the year-round projects “Sports Weekend” and “My Sports District” of the capital. Department of Sports.
Within the framework “Sports weekend” Free classes in yoga, fitness, barre, fitrock, stretching and other areas are held for Muscovites. The trainings are held in person at more than 50 venues in the capital, as well as online. More than a million people have already joined the project.
In the project “My Sports District”Free training sessions in football, volleyball, basketball, running, wushu and other sports are held for Muscovites. In summer, classes are held at sports and festival venues, on the roofs of the district centers “Mesto Vstrechi” and in parks, and in winter – at skating rinks and ski slopes. This year, training sessions are held at more than 120 venues. They have already been visited by over 60 thousand people. Over the entire period of the project, more than 35 thousand training sessions have been held.
In addition, Muscovites can pass the standards of the All-Russian physical culture and sports complex “Ready for Labor and Defense”. For this purpose, the capital has an annual summer city project “GTO in parks”. With its help, you can pass standards or prepare for a test. More than 25 thousand people have already participated in the project.
Moscow is a leader in the development of sports infrastructure and physical education services for residents. Large-scale events and projects are being implemented in the capital that attract city residents to physical education and make an active lifestyle more popular.
Today, more than six million Muscovites regularly engage in sports. The number of amateur athletes is constantly growing due to improved infrastructure, increased accessibility of training, and improvement of digital services.
Project “Summer in Moscow” — the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. “Summer in Moscow” is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Orthodox icons created by a Japanese artist – at first glance, this seems surprising. After all, in order to paint icons, it is believed that it is not enough to simply know and follow the rules and canons – true faith is necessary. Hiroko Kozuki proves by her example that sacred art can exist outside of prejudices and strict religious beliefs. According to Mrs. Kozuki, the icon is the subject of her inspiration and the path to achieving happiness. When in Orthodox churches, she feels the serenity, spirituality and grandeur of these places. And her works are an example of universal spiritual search.
The Path to the Icon
Mrs. Hiroko Kozuki, the wife of the former Japanese ambassador to Russia, lived in our country for many years. An art historian by education, she first studied French medieval art in depth. Once in Russia, Mrs. Kozuki sincerely fell in love with the local culture and immersed herself in the world of icon painting tradition. Getting acquainted with the grandeur of ancient Russian monuments, she visited many museums, monasteries and churches. The starting point for her was the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. According to her recollections, upon seeing the monastery, she experienced awe comparable to the feelings of a true pilgrim.
“During the Soviet period, a large number of icons were lost, destroyed and sold to other countries. However, ordinary people continued to keep them at home and pray. This, at first glance, paradoxical situation made me want to learn more about the religion and art of Russian people. And that is why I began to paint icons,” recalls Hiroko Kozuki.
Fate brought her together with the icon painter Sergei Tarasyan, then she created her first icon – the image of the Archangel Michael. Later, Hiroko Kozuki met a member of the Union of Artists of Russia Elena Antonova and under her mentorship began to develop her skills. In more than twenty years, Mrs. Kozuki has reached incredible heights, and today her works are already in several monasteries and churches in Russia. Over these years, she has acquired a recognizable style, in which traditional canons of iconography are subtly intertwined with elements of Japanese aesthetics.
The artist emphasizes that her favorite icon painter is Andrei Rublev. For her, his works are the absolute perfection of beauty. One of the icons presented at the exhibition is “Holy Trinity”, the source of inspiration for the creation of which was, of course, Rublev’s famous “Trinity”. “I always wanted to paint the image of the Holy Trinity, inspired by the most perfect and elegant icon of all time. It reminds me of the captivating final scene of my favorite film by Andrei Tarkovsky “Andrei Rublev”, when the black and white picture suddenly changes to color and a full-screen image of the icon “Trinity” appears,” says Hiroko Kozuki.
Between religions
If you look at Kozuki’s icons from afar and know nothing about the author, it is difficult to even imagine that they were created by a person who grew up in a different culture. When you get closer, you begin to discern details, coloristic features and amazing fineness of lines, which reveal to the experienced eye a slight resemblance to Japanese engravings. Created in strict accordance with the Byzantine and Old Russian canons, Mrs. Kozuki’s icons not only demonstrate the highest mastery of technique, but also contain something elusive – additional depth and a sense of calm (probably that same slight response to Buddhist philosophy).
In Japan, where the artist was born and raised, the traditional religions are Buddhism and Shintoism. Thanks to a certain Japanese “liberalism” in matters of faith, Hiroko Kozuki did not have any serious religious contradictions with her passion: her attitude to Christianity is deeply sincere. She celebrates Christmas along with the New Year, can pray in front of an icon and believes in a guardian angel. She says: “The mission of a guardian angel is to protect a specific person, family, community or country… I am inspired by the idea of having my own icon of a guardian angel as my protector, who guides me in life.”
Space of spiritual unity
At the exhibition in the Alexei Mikhailovich Palace, the works of the Japanese artist are displayed together with 10 beautiful examples of Russian icon painting of the 17th–19th centuries from the collection of the museum-reserve. The curators pursued two goals: on the one hand, to show the sources of inspiration of Hiroko Kozuki, on the other, to create a dialogue between two cultures and demonstrate that spiritual heritage is not limited to one era or tradition. According to the curators, this is a meeting of two worlds, where respect for the canon becomes the basis for mutual enrichment, and beauty and harmony are part of the code of human unity.
The exhibition presents 23 works by the artist. Among them are icons of the Holy Trinity, the Nativity, the Transfiguration, the Annunciation, the Ascension, the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands, the images of the Virgin Mary “Throne”, “Kazan”, “Leaping of the Child”, St. Nicholas of Myra, Archangel Michael, as well as “The Miracle of the Great Martyr George and the Dragon”. They are supplemented with detailed explications, sometimes with comments by the artist herself, texts about religions in Japan, including Christianity, as well as photographs from Hiroko Kozuki’s travels to Orthodox monasteries and shrines. All this ensures complete immersion in the material and creates a special feeling of a capsule in the three small halls of the exhibition – a closed space of spirituality and beauty beyond time, linguistic, geographical and cultural boundaries.
The exhibition “Treasures of the Divine World: Japanese Icons by Hiroko Kozuki” at the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich will last until October 26. Tickets can be purchased using the service “Mosbilet”.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
NEW YORK/ROME – Gaza faces the grave risk of famine as food consumption and nutrition indicators have reached their worst levels since the conflict began, according to data shared in the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Alert.
The IPC Alert highlights that two out of the three famine thresholds have now been breached in parts of the territory, with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF warning that time is running out to mount a full-scale humanitarian response.
Relentless conflict, the collapse of essential services, and severe limitations on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance imposed on the UN have led to catastrophic food security conditions for hundreds of thousands of people across the Gaza Strip.
Food consumption – the first core famine indicator – has plummeted in Gaza since the last IPC Update in May 2025. Data shows that more than one in three people (39 per cent) are now going days at a time without eating. More than 500,000 people – nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population – are enduring famine-like conditions, while the remaining population is facing emergency levels of hunger.
Acute malnutrition – the second core famine indicator – inside Gaza has risen at an unprecedented rate. In Gaza City, malnutrition levels among children under five have quadrupled in two months, reaching 16.5 per cent. This signals a critical deterioration in nutritional status and a sharp rise in the risk of death from hunger and malnutrition.
Acute malnutrition and reports of starvation-related deaths – the third core famine indicator – are increasingly common but collecting robust data under current circumstances in Gaza remains very difficult as health systems, already decimated by nearly three years of conflict, are collapsing.
“The unbearable suffering of the people of Gaza is already clear for the world to see. Waiting for official confirmation of famine to provide life-saving food aid they desperately need is unconscionable,” said Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director. “We need to flood Gaza with large-scale food aid, immediately and without obstruction, and keep it flowing each and every day to prevent mass starvation. People are already dying of malnutrition and the longer we wait to act, the higher the death toll will rise.”
As of July 2025, over 320,000 children, the entire population under five in the Gaza Strip, are at risk of acute malnutrition, with thousands suffering from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of undernutrition. Essential nutrition services have collapsed with infants lacking access to safe water, breastmilk substitutes, and therapeutic feeding.
In June, 6,500 children were admitted for treatment for malnutrition, the highest number since the conflict began. July is tracking even higher, with 5,000 children admitted in just the first two weeks. With fewer than 15 percent of essential nutrition treatment services currently functional, the risk of malnutrition-related deaths among infants and young children is higher than ever before.
“Emaciated children and babies are dying from malnutrition in Gaza,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “We need immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza to scale up the delivery of life-saving food, nutrition, water and medicine. Without that, mothers and fathers will continue to face a parent’s worst nightmare, powerless to save a starving child from a condition we are able to prevent.”
Despite a partial reopening of crossings, humanitarian aid entering Gaza is barely a trickle of what a population of over two million people needs every month. Just to cover basic humanitarian food and nutrition assistance needs in Gaza, more than 62,000 tons of life-saving aid is required every month. Restarting commercial food imports are also critical to provide dietary diversity with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and proteins such as meat and fish.
Additionally, the lack of fuel, water and other vital aid continues to undermine efforts to prevent famine and deaths among children.
The agencies welcome the recent new commitments to improve the operating conditions for humanitarian organizations, including the implementation of humanitarian pauses and hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food and nutrition assistance to reach hungry people without further delays.
The UN agencies also reiterate their urgent calls for:
• An immediate and sustained ceasefire, to stop the killing, allow for the safe release of hostages and further enable lifesaving humanitarian operations.
• Sustained safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, for the mass influx of assistance via all available crossings, and to deliver food, nutrition supplies, critical water, fuel, and medical assistance to families in need across Gaza.
• Urgent need to get commercial traffic flowing into Gaza by reviving commercial supply chains to restore local markets. The protection of civilians and aid workers, alongside the restoration of essential services, in particular health, water and sewage infrastructures.
• Investment in the recovery of local food systems, including the revitalization of bakeries, markets and rehabilitation of agriculture.
*The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, Governments, UN Agencies, NGOs, civil society and other relevant actors, work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally-recognised scientific standards. Find out more here
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.
Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media @unicefmedia
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), of which WHO is a member, today issued a Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Alert for the Gaza Strip. The details are as noted below.
Key highlights
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has issued a stark warning today that the worst-case scenario of Famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip. Amid relentless conflict, mass displacement, severely restricted humanitarian access, and the collapse of essential services, including healthcare, the crisis has reached an alarming and deadly turning point.
Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths. Latest data indicates that Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City.
Recommended actions
End hostilities
Ensure humanitarian access
Protect civilians, aid workers, and civilian infrastructure
Restore life-saving and multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance safely and with dignity
Restore the flow of commercial goods and local production capacities.
About the IPC
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, governments, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations, civil society and other relevant actors work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally recognized scientific standards.
The main goal of the IPC is to provide decision-makers with a rigorous, evidence- and consensus-based analysis of food insecurity and acute malnutrition situations, to inform emergency responses as well as medium- and long-term policy and programming.
Mining and investment cooperation between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) intensified in 2025 with the signing of several agreements. As the world’s leading cobalt producer – responsible for over 70% of global output -, a leading tin producer and Africa’s top copper producer, the DRC’s mining value chain is presenting increasingly attractive and strategic investment opportunities for UAE investors.
As the DRC seeks to leverage UAE investments to unlock its $24 trillion-worth of mineral potential, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 will serve as a vital platform for strengthening UAE-DRC partnerships. The event will feature a dedicated Middle East-Africa Roundtable, featuring high-level panel discussions and project showcases, providing UAE investors the opportunity to connect with DRC policymakers and mining stakeholders.
With growing global demand for energy transition and fourth industrial revolution minerals, the UAE is actively expanding its footprint in the DRC to secure mineral supply chains.
UAE Investments in DRC Mining
Congolese mining company Buenassa partnered with UAE-based NG9 Holding to develop the DRC’s first integrated copper-cobalt refinery in mid-July. The facility is set to produce 30,000 tons of copper cathodes and 5,000 tons of cobalt sulphate annually, supporting the DRC’s push for local beneficiation and value addition in its mining sector.
In June 2025, Abu Dhabi’s International Resources Holding (IRH) announced a $366 million acquisition of a majority stake in mining firm Alphamin Resources. The deal provides IRH with access to the DRC’s Bisie Tin Complex – one of the world’s largest and highest-grade tin deposits, responsible for 6% of global supply. IRH’s investment in the project is expected to reinforce the DRC’s role in the global tin market, with demand projected to grow by 20% by 2035. At AMW, a panel titled Cobalt Opportunity: DRC’s Strategic Position in the EV Revolution, will connect UAE investors with opportunities in the DRC’s expanding critical mineral sector.
Beyond mining, UAE investments are also bolstering the DRC’s energy infrastructure. NG9 Holding also signed a deal with Congolese energy company Kipay Energy to develop a 46 MW hydropower facility in Haut-Katanga, which will contribute to a total of 166 MW of electricity – helping to secure stable power supply for mining operations in the region. As UAE interest in the DRC’s mining and energy sectors continues to grow, AMW will catalyze new partnerships, investments and deal signings that will further integrate the two nations’ strategic interests in mineral development.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
About African Mining Week: African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Feng Ying, director of the National Ballet of China, during an interview at the Urumqi Grand Theatre, Xinjiang, July 28, 2025. [Photo by Yang Chuanli/China.org.cn]
During an interview at the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival on July 28, Feng Ying, director of the National Ballet of China (NBC), stated: “The Xinjiang International Dance Festival is a platform we are familiar with and feel close to. Every time we come here, we can feel the audience’s enthusiasm for art.”
As an old friend of the dance festival, this is the third time that the NBC has appeared on this stage. This time, the NBC not only brought the original ballet “A Dream of Red Mansions,” which showcases the charm of the classic Chinese novel, but also performed “La Bayadère,” known as the touchstone of classical ballet. In the form of dialogue between Eastern and Western arts, it presented the diverse styles of ballet art to audiences in Xinjiang.
Performers from the National Ballet of China on stage in “A Dream of Red Mansions.” [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
Feng Ying admitted that the enthusiastic response to the performance exceeded their expectations: “The popularity of ‘A Dream of Red Mansions’ in Xinjiang is touching. The audience’s applause always falls precisely on the key plot points. This deep understanding and love have greatly encouraged us.”
Since first setting foot in Xinjiang in the 1970s, the NBC’s artistic connection with the region has lasted more than half a century. The performers not only feel the strong passion for singing and dancing among Xinjiang audiences, but also draw inspiration from exchanges with local art troupes. “The interaction with the Muqam Art Troupe of Xinjiang Art Theater has brought new inspiration to our creation, and cultural and art collision is of great value,” she said.
Performers from the National Ballet of China on stage in “La Bayadère.” [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
The ballet “La Bayadère” brought this time is a sincere work by the NBC to pay tribute to the world’s ballet tradition. This classic work, created by Marius Petipa, the “father of classical ballet,” is set in ancient India and tells the tragic story of love, honesty and freedom between the temple dancer (bayadère) Nikia and the warrior Solor. Feng Ying explained: “The charm of ‘La Bayadère’ lies in its concise narrative carrying profound themes, while demonstrating the overall level of the troupe with exquisite dancing skills.”
It is worth noting that while respecting the essence of the original, the NBC has breathed new vitality into classics. “Every generation interprets the roles with their own traits — even in the same court ball scene, different performers bring distinct artistic styles,” Feng noted.
The NBC’s performances in Xinjiang will run through the closing night of July 29, and Feng specifically highlighted that the troupe will feature its youngest dancer, Liu Yuanjin. This rising star, she added, will embody the NBC’s well-established artistic inheritance on the closing night — further proof of how the company nurtures new talent to keep classics alive with fresh energy.
With the opening of modern theaters such as the Urumqi Grand Theatre, more high-level artistic works can be presented here. Feng Ying said: “The fact that works like ‘La Bayadère,’ which have extremely high requirements in terms of the theater conditions, can be staged in Xinjiang confirms the leapfrog development of cultural facilities here.”
In her view, the Xinjiang International Dance Festival has become an important hub for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. “We hope that through classics like ‘La Bayadère,’ the audiences can feel the charm of world ballet, and at the same time, convey the profound heritage of Chinese culture through ‘A Dream of Red Mansions,’ and achieve cross-border artistic dialogue on the stage.”
Founded in 1959, the NBC has always placed a strong focus on innovation. While staging world classics such as “Swan Lake” and “La Bayadère,” it has also created original works such as “The Red Detachment of Women” and “A Dream of Red Mansions,” establishing a unique Chinese ballet aesthetic system.
The city of Birmingham is to pay its final respects to one of its most cherished cultural icons Ozzy Osbourne as his cortege and family visit Broad Street in the city that he loved.
The hearse and accompanying vehicles will slowly make their way down Broad Street from 1pm to the Black Sabbath bridge and bench, where thousands of fans have left heartfelt messages and floral tributes in recent days. The cortege will be accompanied by a live brass band performance by local musicians from Bostin’ Brass, bringing a final musical moment to honour the extraordinary life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne.
The event is expected to draw large crowds as fans gather to say goodbye to the man who helped shape the global heavy metal genre and who proudly carried the spirit of Birmingham throughout his career, whilst allowing his family a chance to see the many memories his loyal fans have left alongside flowers and tributes.
Ozzy and his fellow Black Sabbath band members were recently given the Freedom of the City on 28th June 2025.
The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, JP, said: “Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham. Having recently been awarded the Freedom of the City and following his celebrated appearance at the Back to the Beginning concert at Villa Park earlier this month, it was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city is giving him the farewell he deserves.”
Birmingham City Council has worked at pace with its partners over the weekend to coordinate a respectful and safe public event in collaboration with the Osbourne family, who have kindly funded all of the associated costs. The Council would also like to thank businesses and residents in the Broad Street and wider city centre area for their co-operation, alongside support from West Midlands Metro and West Midlands Police, during this important time for the safety of gathered fans.
Public Information
The cortege will travel down Broad Street from approximately 1pm towards the Black Sabbath Bridge.
Broad Street will be closed to through traffic from 7am and buses and trams will be diverted during this time. Local access will be managed where possible but can not be guaranteed. Broad Street will re-open as soon as possible after the event.
Stewards will be on hand, and visitors are encouraged to arrive early, use public transport, and follow safety guidance on site.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
“City of Ideas” presented an updated topic page in the form of an interactive map called “City of Ideas – City of Dreams”. It shows how Muscovites’ proposals are transforming the capital. Here, users get acquainted with key areas of city life and learn how to interact with the platform in a game format.
The theme page became available in October 2024 to celebrate the platform’s 10th anniversary.
New areas and games
Now new areas have appeared on the map – “Children’s Leisure” and “Sports”, which were opened this year to collect suggestions from city residents in the “Suggest an Idea” section. In the places where these areas are located on the landing page, users will find games. Thus, everyone has a chance to influence the development of the areas and contribute to the creation of a more comfortable urban environment.
New educational games have appeared on the page, each of which will help to understand how exactly Muscovites can influence the development of the capital and how their ideas are implemented. For example, in the game “Ideal Couple” the user will have to select for each idea a suitable city sphere within which the initiative can be implemented.
In the game “My Park” you need to collect combinations of various objects to get objects for the improvement of the virtual public space. For example, by choosing a metal pole and a light bulb, players can make a lantern.
The main task in the game “City Matches” is to connect identical cells with the image of spheres in rows. The variety of cells-spheres will show the wide range of topics that the platform covers “City of Ideas”.
The game “Feel like an expert”, in which participants evaluate the feasibility of implementing ideas, has a second level. Thus, players need to study the map and decide whether it is possible to install a parking lot for scooters next to the park, if across the road there is already one parking lot for such transport and another one for bicycles.
Interaction with new spheres and participation in new games is available to those users who successfully complete the first level games already on the page and reach the second.
Suggest ideas and earn points
Thanks to the thematic page “City of Ideas – City of Dreams”, everyone can feel involved in the capital’s changes and offer new ideas that can make Moscow more comfortable, beautiful and modern.
This can be done either by playing the game “Feel like an expert”, from where it is convenient to go to the form for submitting an idea on the relevant topic, or by clicking on the “City of ideas – city of dreams” logo in the upper left corner of the screen, selecting the area of interest in the “Suggest an idea” section.
For each successfully completed game on the second level, users will be awarded 100 points of the city loyalty program “A Million Prizes”. They can be used to obtain goods and services presented on the program website or donated to charity.
To participate in the games, the user must log in to the platform using Mos ID – an account on the mos.ru portal.
The City of Ideas platform has been operating since 2014. During this time, more than 623 thousand users have joined it. They share suggestions on how to make life in the capital more comfortable. More than 8.8 thousand suggestions have already been implemented. City residents participated in projects dedicated to electronic services, culture, entrepreneurship, healthcare, education, transport and other topics. The platform is being developed by the State Institution New Management Technologies andDepartment of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.
The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Five forgotten city traditions are re-entering the life of the modern capital thanks to the festival “Moscow Estates” project “Summer in Moscow”This season, city residents and tourists are offered to attend performances at the open-air summer theatre, learn to play croquet, try writing with a goose quill, create a flower arrangement in the style of the 18th century and attend a costume ball.
Open-air performances
The everyday life of the nobility was strictly regulated by the rules of etiquette – the display of violent emotions was considered indecent. But on the stage – be it a home performance or a production in an estate theater – one could give free rein to feelings: play passion, despair and even cruelty. For high society, bored in their own estates, it was the theater that became a real outlet.
Preparations for such home productions took weeks: plays were selected, roles were assigned, rehearsals took place, sets were made, and costumes were sewn. Although many amateur noblemen had extraordinary talent, the professional stage remained closed to them, because acting was considered an unworthy occupation in high society. However, home performances among family, neighbors, and friends were the order of the day. In wealthy estates, serfs were often involved in productions: gifted peasants played on par with their masters, and sometimes surpassed them in skill.
The Moscow Estates Festival continues the tradition of summer theaters and estate performances, turning them into unique walks that take viewers back to the 19th century. On August 16, the Bauman Garden of the Basmanny estate cluster will host a summer theatrical performance, Walk with the Heroes of the Great Russian Writers’ Novels. Participants will meet actors dressed as Alexander Pushkin, the heroes of the novel Eugene Onegin, and the merchant Stakheev. The latter will tell about the history of the Basmanny District estates. One of the shows will take place at night. Accompanied by professional actors, guests will walk through Moscow at night, and the light of an old lantern will show the way, reminding us of past eras.
History buffs will also be interested in the performance “Cultural and Social Life of the Arbat in the 19th Century.” The show will take place on August 30 on Arbat. The artist in the image of the legendary hussar Denis Davydov will tell about the meaning of the street’s name and its life two centuries ago. This excursion will also take place at night.
A colorful folk game that will captivate even modern youth is burners. The rules are simple: an odd number of players (more than 11) gather on the lawn, choose a driver (who will “burn”), and pair up. The players join hands and line up in pairs behind the burner. The participants sing “Burn, burn brightly, so that it doesn’t go out,” and as soon as they finish singing, the last pair unclasps their hands and runs along the column. When they reach the driver, the pair shouts to him: “One, two, don’t be a crow, run like fire!” and runs on. The main thing is to dodge the burner, stand in front of him and join hands again. If the burner tags a player, he and he form a new pair and stand in front of the column, and the participant who is left alone becomes the driver.
Another popular summer pastime is cerso, or flying ring game. This entertainment was invented in the early 19th century in France, and it was also popular in Russia in the century before last. Two players must throw a light hoop to each other and catch it on wooden swords. It is hard to imagine summer leisure in any noble estate without this game.
At the festival “Moscow Estates” visitors are told about the rules of various ancient games and offered to master them. From August 2 to September 14, guests are offered to play trinkets, croquet, badminton, gorodki in the N.E. Bauman Garden and Lianozovsky Park. Masters will not only tell about these amusements, but also help to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of noble leisure.
Noblewomen were masters of embroidery and miniature painting, often learning these arts from the best masters of their time. Beadwork was especially popular, becoming a kind of encyclopedia of aristocratic life. Russian embroidery reached an incredible level and could become a worthy gift even for a monarch. From an early age, children were taught needlework: they were presented with special boxes with needles, threads and other tools. By the way, men did not disdain handicrafts either.
Everyone is invited to try making something with their own hands at the festival venues. For example, in Lianozovsky Park on August 9, 17, 30 and September 7 there will be a master class “Noble accessories. Fans”. There will also be a master class “Noble accessories. Brooches” on August 2, 10, 23, 31 and September 13.
“Let them talk, but what business is it of ours? Under the mask all ranks are equal…” – perhaps these lines from Lermontov’s famous “Masquerade” best reflect the essence of the costume balls that the Russian nobility loved so much. For the upper class, a masquerade was not just entertainment, but a special game where the impossible became possible. For example, a countess could become a peasant, and an important dignitary could temporarily turn into a jester. The tradition of such balls was established by Peter I, and under Catherine II, masquerades became an integral part of the festivities both in the capital and in family estates.
The main rule of the masquerade was simple: a costume and a mask gave a person the right to enter the world of reincarnation. By trying on a different image, a guest of the ball seemed to be freed from conventions: a young lady could allow herself daring jokes, and an official – confessions unthinkable in ordinary life. Women especially valued this freedom, for whom the masquerade became a space for risky adventures.
For those who can no longer attend the old ball today, there are opportunities to feel the spirit of a bygone era and become a participant in the game of transformations. For example, from August 2 to September 14, a retro studio is open in Lianozovsky Park and the N.E. Bauman Garden: here, anyone can put on a historical costume of a 19th-century nobleman and take a photo in this image as a keepsake.
In the 19th century, post stations were important points of estate life: mailmen stopped here to exchange letters, travelers changed horses, and most importantly, correspondence was sent and received from here. The nobility treated the epistolary genre with reverence: letters were written on special paper with a coat of arms, sealed with sealing wax, and often dried flowers were specially left between the pages, covered in impeccable handwriting. They waited for a reply with trepidation, and took care of each envelope.
The atmosphere of the old post office was recreated at the Moscow Estates festival. Guests can learn to write with a quill pen, master the art of wax seals and even send a postcard in a vintage style. Until September 14, the post office is open at the Vasilchikov Estate (Military Uniform Museum) and the Khrushchev-Seleznev Estate (A.S. Pushkin State Museum). On August 2 and 3, you can send a letter at the Valuevo and Sviblovo estates, and on August 9 and 10, the postman is waiting for everyone at the Lopukhins-Stanitskaya Estate.
The festival “Moscow Estates” corresponds to the initiative “Tourist attractiveness of the country” of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” and helps residents and visitors to learn about the city’s cultural and historical heritage in a modern format.
Tourism Committee of Moscow forms a sustainable brand of the capital as one of the main tourist destinations in Russia. All year round, Mosturism creates events that unite residents and guests of the city, and replenishes the city’s program with new events. In winter and summer, Muscovites and tourists can immerse themselves in another era at the historical sites of the “Moscow Estates” festival, join the capital’s tea traditions at the “Moscow Tea Party,” or try the “Moscow Breakfast” dishes at one of the hundreds of restaurants participating in the project.
Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and the new season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (July 29) officiated at the 2025 youthfest@HK (festival) Kick-off Ceremony to unveil a series of exciting and diversified youth activities.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan remarked that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government released the Youth Development Blueprint in 2022, outlining the policy goals for the healthy growth and diversified development of young people. The Government continues to update the youth initiatives in view of the latest situation of society and young people. Since the release of the Blueprint, the Government has put forward about 250 specific actions and measures to nurture a new generation of young people with an affection for the country and Hong Kong, to equip them with global perspectives, an aspiring mindset and positive thinking.
The theme of the festival is “Nurture Positive Thinking, Promote Innovation and Inspire Creativity”. Mr Chan said that the festival offered a great opportunity for young people to develop their potential, enhance their knowledge, and share their experiences. Under the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community, the festival has organised more than 400 all-encompassing activities and attracted over 400 000 participants in the past two years. Special appreciation goes to the principal funder, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, for its support. Mr Chan encouraged young people to participate in this year’s various festival activities and appealed to all sectors of the community to support and take part in the festival.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory of Chinese people’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (80A). Mr Chan encouraged youth organisations to organise youth activities to commemorate the 80A as partner events of the festival with a view to deepening young people’s understanding about the historical events of the Mainland and Hong Kong, and foster their sense of patriotism.
Also officiating at the Kick-off Ceremony were the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Shirley Lam; the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung; the Commissioner for Youth, Mr Eric Chan; the Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission, Mr Kenneth Leung; the Convenor of the Action Group on Youth Festival, Youth Development Commission, Mr Victor Pang; and Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Lester Huang. Representatives from various festival participating organisations also attended the event.
Organisations may submit applications for partner events of youthfest@HK for inclusion of their events in the official event calendar and on the official webpage. For the latest updates of the events under the festival programme, please visit the HYAB homepage or the “HKYouth+” mobile application.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:
The Transport Complaints Unit (TCU) of the Transport Advisory Committee received 10 536 complaints and suggestions in the first quarter of 2025, with 188 being pure suggestions.
The complaints and suggestions received during the quarter were mostly related to public transport services (89 per cent), enforcement matters (6 per cent) and traffic conditions (5 per cent).
The number of cases on public transport services decreased from 11 316 in the previous quarter to 9 346 this quarter, while that on illegal parking and other enforcement matters increased from 605 to 632. The number of complaints and suggestions on traffic conditions decreased from 900 to 489 and those on road maintenance decreased from 30 to 25.
All the complaints and suggestions received by the TCU in the quarter were referred to the relevant government departments and public transport operators for follow-up action.
During the period under review, investigations into 11 061 cases were completed. Of these, 9 612 cases (87 per cent) were found to be substantiated, five cases (less than 1 per cent) were unsubstantiated, and the remaining 1 444 cases (13 per cent) could not be pursued due to a lack of evidence.
For the substantiated cases, the relevant government departments and public transport operators have taken steps to rectify the situation or are considering possible solutions to the problems identified. Among these cases, 16 drivers were summonsed by the Police.
During the quarter, the relevant government departments and public transport operators took on board 11 suggestions made by the public to enhance public transport services and improve traffic conditions. A summary of the cases is in the Appendix.
Members of the public may make their suggestions or complaints to the TCU by dialling the hotline 2889 9999 (voice mail service is available outside office hours), by fax to 2577 1858, by email to info@tcu.gov.hk or by filling in a form on the TCU website (www.tcu.gov.hk).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Police today (July 29) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sai Kung.
Yan Gan, aged 44, went missing after he was last seen at Pak Lap Wan on July 27 noon. Police received the report on the same day.
He is about 1.7 metres tall, 75 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured swimming suit with orange life jacket and blue cap.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau today (July 29) announced the application results of the 14th-round funding exercise of the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS). A total of 14 successful applications (two for Springboard Grant and 12 for Project Grant) will be funded, involving a total amount of around $38.93 million.
The successful applications of the 14th round are of a high standard, with a diverse representation covering arts education/appreciation/promotion, community arts, dance, media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, music and theatre. The successful applicants (categories and names of organisations in alphabetical order) are as follows:
Name of organisation
Title of proposal
Category
Springboard Grant
Hong Kong Open Printshop Limited
Beyond Ordinary – The Contemporary Book Art
Arts Education/Appreciation/ Promotion
The Hong Kong Virtuoso Chorus Limited
Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival 2026
Arts Education/Appreciation/ Promotion
Project Grant
The Conservancy Association x Fragrant Village Creative Limited (joint applicant)
Polishing the Pearl: Shen Zhen Hong Kong Rural Arts Renewal Project at Kat O
Community Arts
H.D. X International Festival Limited
Hong Kong Dance Exchange
Dance
HongkongDance-FLSH Limited
Dynamic Dance Dialogue 2026
Dance
Passoverdance Limited
Fleeting Moments – Stories of Cities and Bodies
Dance
Dimension Plus Limited
Unravelling A.I. Bias with Generative A.I. in Arts
Media Arts
No Discipline Limited
Whatever Wherever Expanded
Multi-disciplinary Arts
King’s Harmonica Quintet Limited
2nd Hong Kong International Chromatic Harmonica Competition
The 2nd edition of the Hong Kong International Shakespeare Festival
Theatre
The 14th-round funding exercise continues to implement the Incentive Matching Sum, an initiative introduced in the 13th round to encourage successful Project Grant applicants to seek non-government sponsorship and/or donations during project implementation, offering each successful applicant an extra matching sum up to a ceiling of $800,000.
Introduced by the Government in 2011, the ACDFS aims to provide funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to the objectives of capacity development of arts practitioners, arts groups, art forms and/or the arts sector; programme/content development; audience building and arts education. The funding scheme is administered on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development. Members of the Committee take part in the assessment of applications together with Expert Advisers. A total of 89 applications were assessed in the 14th-round funding exercise.
The financing will back investments from il.lumina, Iberdrola’s project to reconstruct and modernise the power distribution grid affected by devastating floods in 2024.
The project includes the implementation of resilience and digitalisation measures benefiting over 650 000 clients and improving electricity supply security.
The EIB financing is sourced from its own resources and the Regional Resilience Fund put in place by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed two €25 million loans with Iberdrola to finance the reconstruction, redesign, climate change adaptation and digitalisation work that the electricity company is carrying out on the power distribution grid damaged by the devastating floods that hit Valencia in October 2024.
These investments are part of Iberdrola’s il.lumina project to build the power grid of the future. Measures will include rebuilding damaged infrastructure, expanding facility automation, installing smart transformers to improve supply quality, moving overhead power lines underground, and raising and downsizing transformer substations.
These operations are expected to benefit more than 650 000 clients, according to the electric company, improving electricity supply security against a backdrop of extreme weather events and increasing integration of renewable energy production.
The project will strengthen the EIB’s role as the climate bank, one of the eight strategic priorities set out in the EIB Group’s Strategic Roadmap for 2024-2027. The operation is also part of the EIB action plan to support REPowerEU, the programme to increase energy security and speed up the energy transition by reducing the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuel imports.
The financing includes €25 million from EIB own resources and a further €25 million from the Regional Resilience Fund created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans under Spain’s recovery, transformation and resilience plan. The Regional Resilience Fund aims to drive investment and develop projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and small and medium companies. The fund is led by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, with the EIB Group as a strategic management partner.
EIB support for power grids
EIB support for energy security and power grids is one of its main priorities to accelerate the green transition, contribute to EU energy autonomy and ensure access to a more secure and sustainable energy supply for all Europeans. In 2024, the EIB Group directed €8.5 billion to financing power grid and storage projects in all of its operational areas, double the 2023 figure. In Spain alone, €1.5 billion went to grid and storage projects in 2024, again doubling 2023 investment. This financing is helping to expand, modernise and digitalise power grids, making them more resilient and enabling greater and better integration of renewable energy.
More information on EIB support for the energy sector is available here.
EIB commitment to those impacted by the DANA
Following the DANA, the EIB moved quickly to make a €1.4 billion package available to the regions impacted (Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha) to help finance reconstruction work and support the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. The EIB Group has also made contributions to NGOs operating in the area, such as Save the Children, SOS Aldeas Infantiles and Casa Caridad.
il-lumina, Iberdrola’s commitment to Valencia
This financing is part of Iberdrola’s strategy to promote a more robust electricity grid that is better prepared for extreme weather events, while reinforcing its commitment to the energy transition and green financing. With il·lumina, Iberdrola is not only responding to the damage, but also anticipating the future, committing to a safer, more efficient electricity infrastructure that is aligned with European climate objectives.
The il·lumina project involves the renovation of substations, transformer stations and the medium and low voltage network, with the aim of redesigning the electricity network affected by the DANA. The company has created a team of 35 people who are working exclusively on developing the construction plan for the electricity network of the future, coordinating the work of approximately 1,000 operators, most of whom are locally based.
Background information
EIB
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.
In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the country’s green and digital transition, economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for residents.
High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.
Regional Resilience Fund
The Regional Resilience Fund (RRF) was created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan for the autonomous communities, with the aim of boosting investments and developing projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and SMEs.
The fund is led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, which takes input from the autonomous communities and cities for investment decision-making and looks to the EIB Group as a strategic management partner
The initial phase of the RRF includes the activation of up to €3.4 billion in financing via:
a direct financing mechanism, to co-finance EIB-supported operations in sectors like renewable energy, clean transport and sustainable infrastructure;
an intermediated mechanism managed by financial intermediaries selected by the EIB, to support projects in urban development and sustainable tourism;
two instruments intermediated by the European Investment Fund that will facilitate SME financing for innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.
Iberdrola
With more than 100,000 million euros in capitalisation, Iberdrola is the largest electricity company in Europe and one of the two largest in the world. The Group serves more than 100 million people worldwide and has a workforce of more than 44,000 employees and assets of more than 160,000 million euros. In 2024, Iberdrola recorded revenues of almost 50,000 million euros, a net profit of 5,600 million euros. The company contributes nearly 10,300 million euros in tax contributions in the countries in which it operates and supports more than 500,000 jobs in its suppliers thanks to purchases that exceeded 18,000 million euros in 2024.
Since 2001, Iberdrola has invested more than 175,000 million euros in renewable energies, electricity grids and energy storage to contribute to the creation of an energy model based on electrification. The company has more than 57,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity worldwide, of which more than 45,000 MW are renewable.
AMENDMENTS 004-005 JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION pursuant to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of the Rules of Procedure replacing the following motions: B10-0335/2025 (Verts/ALE) B10-0344/2025 (Renew) B10-0345/2025 (ECR) B10-0346/2025 (PPE) B10-0347/2025 (S&D) on the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Syria following the recent terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus (2025/2798(RSP)) Sebastião Bugalho, Ingeborg Ter Laak, David McAllister, François-Xavier Bellamy, Andrzej Halicki, Wouter Beke, Željana Zovko, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Andrey Kovatchev, Tomas Tobé, Ioan-Rareş Bogdan, Tomáš Zdechovský, Davor Ivo Stier, Sander Smit, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Eleonora Meleti, Vangelis Meimarakis, Georgios Aftias, Dimitris Tsiodras, Emmanouil Kefalogiannis, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Matej Tonin, Massimiliano Salini, Łukasz Kohut, Loránt Vincze, Seán Kelly, Mirosława Nykiel, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Inese Vaidere, Michalis Hadjipantela, Miriam Lexmann on behalf of the PPE Group Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Marco Tarquinio, Hana Jalloul Muro, Evin Incir, Nikos Papandreou on behalf of the S&D Group Adam Bielan, Reinis Pozņaks, Alexandr Vondra, Veronika Vrecionová, Ondřej Krutílek, Guillaume Peltier, Marion Maréchal, Nicolas Bay, Laurence Trochu, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Aurelijus Veryga, Bogdan Rzońca, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Assita Kanko, Marlena Maląg, Carlo Fidanza, Alberico Gambino, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński on behalf of the ECR Group Nathalie Loiseau, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Engin Eroglu, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Urmas Paet, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar on behalf of the Renew Group Hannah Neumann on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group Nikolas Farantouris
Anthony Albanese will recall well when another Labor prime minister was feeling the heat over Palestinian status.
It was 2012 and then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced into a corner over the stand Australia should take on a motion to give Palestine observer status at the United Nations.
Gillard and her foreign minister, Bob Carr, clashed over the matter. Gillard wanted to oppose the motion, siding with the United States and Israel. Carr and others pushed back hard, and eventually Australia abstained.
In his book, Diary of a Foreign Minister, Carr records that in the cabinet debate earlier, “Albanese gave a no-holds-barred robust presentation of the case for voting ‘yes’ or abstaining”.
Now Albanese, in the wake of France having just declared it will recognise Palestine as a state, faces another, albeit different, iteration of the Palestinian status issue. The circumstances are much more direct and acute. On this occasion, he is arguing for time.
Carr is still out there advocating. But a more central voice is former minister Ed Husic (who was around in 2012, too, but still on the backbench). The Labor rank and file are strongly pro-Palestine. They are backed by the ALP platform, which calls for Palestine to be recognised as a state.
Even as a minister in the last parliamentary term, bound by cabinet solidarity, Husic pushed the boundaries when speaking out about the Middle East conflict. Having been dumped from the frontbench in factional manoeuvring after the election, he is free to say bluntly what he thinks. Now he is putting his shoulder to the wheel to advocate recognition.
In a Guardian article on Monday he reminded his Labor peers and betters “that our party has twice agreed at its highest decision-making forum – the National Conference of the Australian Labor party – to recognise the state of Palestine.
“The time to do so is absolutely right now.”
Albanese is caught between his party and his caution.
It is a fair assumption the prime minister, with his long history of being pro-Palestinian, would like to follow the lead of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Equally, however, he would want Australia to move in concert with like-minded countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Australia has previously banded with these countries in joint statements about the Middle East conflict.
Albanese said at the weekend Australian recognition of a Palestinian state wasn’t imminent – although last year Foreign Minister Penny Wong opened the way for possible recognition as part of a peace process (rather than only accorded at the end of it).
The prime minister put a context around recognition. “How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel? And so we don’t do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met.”
In caucus on Tuesday, Husic pressed his point, asking how long the preconditions for statehood could be expected to take. Albanese essentially went through what he’d said before.
Labor’s Friends of Palestine group is pressing for sanctions, as well as recognition.
The group’s spokesperson Peter Moss says: “Over the past 21 months, Labor members in branches and conferences have repeatedly urged the government to join 147 UN member states and now France in recognising Palestine.
“By making recognition contingent on a non-existent peace process, the government has effectively ruled out delivering on policy that has broad public support.
“We call on the Australian government to implement official platform policy and immediately and unconditionally recognise a Palestinian state on the pre-4 June 1967 borders.”
In recent weeks more than 80 Labor branches and other party units have passed a strong motion calling for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel.
In the last few days, the group wrote to Wong, seeking a meeting to discuss its calls for sanctions and for the Albanese government “to work with international partners to develop a practical plan for the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian State”. No meeting has yet been arranged.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.