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Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The municipal fleet has collected over 100 tons of garbage from the waters of Moscow since the start of navigation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The municipal fleet has collected more than 100 tons of garbage from the capital’s waters since the start of navigation in 2025. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

    “Communal vessels collect garbage from the water surface of the Moscow River and the navigable part of the Yauza on a daily basis, eliminate pollution, and remove silt sediment. In total, they have already collected over 100 tons of various garbage, most of which is sediment from the spring flood, including the remains of fallen trees and dead wood,” said Pyotr Biryukov.

    Since the opening of river navigation, the bulk of garbage collection vessels have been on duty in the upper reaches of the Moscow River near the locks to promptly remove the garbage that had accumulated over the winter. This has prevented it from getting into the central part of the city with intensive shipping.

    Thanks to the competent deployment of the fleet, the entire water area of the Moscow River and the navigable section of the Yauza within the Moscow Ring Road are under 24-hour control. Garbage collection vessels are engaged in cleaning, and small vessels are working in shallow waters. Floating cranes and non-self-propelled barges with tugs are engaged in extracting bottom sediments of sand and soil.

    The head of the city economy complex emphasized that the capital’s municipal fleet operates all year round, and includes 30 vessels: 18 self-propelled and 12 non-self-propelled. Last year, they collected about 600 tons of various garbage, eliminated almost 140 different types of pollution, and removed about 6.5 thousand tons of sand and soil from the seabed.

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

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

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

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155409073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Home and Youth Affairs Bureau launches second round of applications for 2025-26 HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Home and Youth Affairs Bureau launches second round of applications for 2025-26 HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland 
    Through the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Youth Development Commission (YDC) provide funding for NGOs to organise youth exchange projects on the Mainland for Hong Kong young people to enhance their awareness and understanding of the country’s development, foster exchanges with Mainland people and strengthen their sense of national identity. Launched last year, the Pilot Scheme on Subsidy to Grassroots Youth for Participating in Exchange Activities Outside Hong Kong will also continue to provide additional subsidies to grassroots youth with financial needs to participate in exchange projects under the 2025-26 funding scheme.
     
    Details of the second round and application forms are available on the YDC website (www.ydc.gov.hk/en/programmes/ep/ep_fundingscheme.htmlIssued at HKT 16:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Duma sends condolences after fatal bus-truck collision claims 10 Lives

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, has expressed his condolences to the families of ten passengers, who lost their lives in an accident involving a truck and a passenger bus on the R34 Matatani Road, between Vryheid and Ulundi.

    The crash, which occurred shortly after midnight, was reportedly transporting supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) who were returning from Umlazi, south of Durban, following a political event.

    Initial reports indicated that 12 people had died in the crash. However, following an official investigation, the provincial Transport Department confirmed that the death toll has been revised to 10, including seven men and three women.

    Duma, who visited the scene on Tuesday, confirmed that the crash occurred when a truck struck the side of the bus after an initial head-on collision.

    “Based on the report from the RTI [Road Traffic Inspectorate], after the head-on collision, the truck struck the side of the bus. Sadly, the sideswipe resulted in 10 passengers dying and they are being taken to Vryheid Mortuary,” Duma said.

    In addition to the fatalities, ten passengers sustained serious injuries and were transported to various nearby hospitals. A further 22 passengers suffered minor injuries, while six escaped unharmed.

    Both the truck and bus drivers survived the incident and are currently receiving medical treatment.

    Duma said 33 passengers were able to walk after the accident, with three sustaining moderate injuries and two reported to be in a critical condition.

    The MEC confirmed that the Department of Transport will collaborate with the Road Traffic Management Corporation and the South African Police Service in a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the crash. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eastern Cape revives agricultural shows to boost smallholder farmers market

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Wednesday, June 18, 2025

    The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture has revived its famous agricultural shows that have long served as a platform for celebrating excellence in farming, with a renewed focus on promoting market access for smallholder farmers.

    While traditionally the shows centred on product quality and category-based judging, the department announced that the agricultural model is being reimagined with a renewed focus of enabling market access and fostering commercial opportunities.

    Starting this year, four agricultural shows will be hosted annually – one per quarter across key regions.

    “These events will provide a platform for smallholder farmers to exhibit their produce, network with industry players, and gain critical insights into market trends, financial products, and modern agricultural technologies,” the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

    To achieve this goal, the department has partnered with the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) Fresh Produce Market, Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), and Amathole District Municipality.

    The department’s Amathole District, which encompasses BCM, will support 150 smallholder farmers representing diverse commodities to exhibit their produce at the agricultural show, scheduled to be held in the Bhisho Showgrounds.

    Major buyers from the BCM Fresh Produce Market have been invited to engage with participating smallholder farmers who will exhibiting in the agricultural show, to foster stronger commercial linkages and better understand the market needs.

    Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe is expected to officiate the celebration of farmers excellence in an event that will be held at Bhisho Showgrounds on Wednesday. – SAnews.gov.za
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mashatile arrives in Moscow to boost SA-Russia trade relations

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Deputy President Paul Mashatile has arrived in Moscow for a working visit aimed at strengthening economic and trade ties between South Africa and Russia. 

    The Deputy President was received at the airport by the Deputy Head of State Protocol, Andrei Milyaev, the Deputy Director of the African Department, Andrei Stolyarov, and South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes. 

    According to the Deputy President’s Office, the visit will focus on enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries in sectors such as agriculture, automotive, energy, and mining industries, as well as cooperation in science and technology. 

    “It will take place in two cities, namely Moscow and St. Petersburg, for high-level engagements as well as economic diplomacy activities,“ the Deputy President’s Office said in a statement. 

    In Moscow, Mashatile will meet with the Prime Minister of Russia, Mikhail Mishutin, and lay a wreath at the memorial site dedicated to South Africa’s liberation stalwarts, John Beaver (JB) Marks and Moses Kotane. 

    Following this, he will participate in the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF2025). This year’s forum will be held from 19 – 21 June under the theme: “Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World”.

    The Deputy President will participate in the plenary session of SPIEF2025 and has also received an invitation to speak at the Russia-Africa Business Dialogue.

    In addition, he is scheduled to deliver a public lecture at St. Petersburg State University on the topic: “South Africa’s G20 Presidency in a Rapidly Changing Geopolitical Environment”.

    He will also address attendees at the opening of the South African Trade and Investment Seminar.

    The St. Petersburg leg of the visit aims to enhance South Africa’s trade relationships and establish the country as a prime investment destination.

    According to the Deputy President’s Office, this trip is Mashatile’s first visit to Russia since he took office under the seventh administration. 

    He is accompanied by a delegation of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, who are part of the Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development Cabinet Cluster. 

    This includes the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande; Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina; Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau; Agriculture Deputy Minister Nokuzola Capa; Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala; Mineral and Petroleum Resources Deputy Minister, Phumzile Mgcina, and Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister,  Peace Mabe. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Full text of Xi’s keynote speech at second China-Central Asia Summit 2025-06-18 15:11:20 Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. The following is the full text of the speech:

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    ASTANA, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech Tuesday at the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

    The following is the full text of the speech:

    Championing the China-Central Asia Spirit For High-Quality Cooperation in the Region

    Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping

    President of the People’s Republic of China

    At the Second China-Central Asia Summit

    Astana, June 17, 2025

    Your Excellency President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    I am delighted to join you at the second China-Central Asia Summit in the beautiful city of Astana. I’d like to thank President Tokayev and the government of Kazakhstan for the gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangement.

    During our meeting in Xi’an two years ago, we jointly outlined the Xi’an Vision for China-Central Asia cooperation. The six pomegranate trees we planted together are in full bloom today, auguring the vitality of the cooperation among the six nations.

    Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have further deepened and substantiated Belt and Road cooperation. Our trade has grown by 35 percent, and we have made important progress in industrial investment, green mining, technological innovation, and other fields of cooperation. The package of projects with Chinese financial support are well underway. While more and more Chinese new energy vehicles and photovoltaic products are entering Central Asian markets, Central Asian agricultural products, including honey, fruits, wheat and poultry, are diversifying the dinner tables of Chinese families.

    Two years on, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project has been officially launched. We are making steady progress in planning for the third railway link between China and Kazakhstan, in phase-II restoration of the China-Tajikistan highway, and in China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation. Freight train services are connecting more and more Chinese cities to Central Asia. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has been upgraded and expanded. Green industries, digital economy, artificial intelligence, aviation and space are becoming new drivers of our cooperation. Cross-border e-commerce, online education, and other new business models are benefiting more and more people in China and Central Asia.

    Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have made progress in establishing cultural centers in each other as well as in opening branches of Chinese universities and Luban Workshops. China has made mutual visa-free arrangements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, facilitating more than 1.2 million travels between China and Kazakhstan alone in 2024. Tourism and culture years and art festivals of Central Asian countries are very popular in China. Chinese films and TV dramas, such as Min-Ning Town and To the Wonder, have become great hits in Central Asia. The China-Central Asia train services for cultural tourism have been successfully inaugurated. And today, we will witness the number of sister cities between China and Central Asia reach the milestone of 100 pairs.

    Two years on, we have launched 13 ministerial cooperation platforms under the China-Central Asia mechanism. The Secretariat is fully functioning, and the core framework of the mechanism is largely in place.

    I am pleased to see that our consensus at the first Summit has been implemented across the board — from the millennium-old Xi’an to Astana “the pearl of the steppe,” from the coast of the Yellow Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea, from the Tianshan Mountain Range to the Pamir Plateau. The path of our cooperation is steadily widening, and our friendship is blooming ever more brightly.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    Our cooperation is rooted in more than 2,000 years of friendly exchanges, cemented by solidarity and mutual trust cultivated through more than three decades of diplomatic ties, and taken forward via openness and win-win cooperation of the new era. Building on our collective efforts over the years, we have forged a China-Central Asia Spirit of “mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development.”

    — We practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals. All countries, big or small, are equal. We handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus.

    — We seek to deepen mutual trust and enhance mutual support. We firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity. We do not do anything harmful to the core interests of any party.

    — We pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and strive for common development. We view each other as priority partners, and share development opportunities together. We accommodate each other’s interests, and work to build a win-win and symbiotic relationship.

    — We help each other in time of need and stand together through thick and thin. We support each other in choosing development paths suitable to our respective national conditions and in taking domestic matters into our own hands. We work together to address various risks and challenges, and uphold regional security and stability.

    This China-Central Asia Spirit is an important guideline for our endeavor to carry forward friendship and cooperation from generation to generation. We should always uphold it and let it shine forever.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    Today, unprecedented changes are unfolding at a faster pace across the globe, thrusting the world into a new state of heightened turbulence and volatility. A strong belief in fairness and justice and an unyielding commitment to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the only way to maintain world peace and achieve common development. There is no winner in tariff wars or trade wars. Unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism will surely backfire while hurting others.

    I always maintain that history should move forward, not backward; and the world should be united, not divided. Humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle. Instead, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Three years ago, we announced together that we would build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, setting out the goal and direction of our six nations in building consensus, overcoming challenges and pursuing development. We should act on the China-Central Asia Spirit, enhance cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures, promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and forge ahead toward our goal of a community with a shared future for the region.

    First, we should stay committed to our fundamental goal of unity, and always trust and support each other. China consistently takes Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. With a firm belief in an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood as well as a strong dedication to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China interacts with Central Asian countries on the basis of equality and sincerity. We always wish our neighbors well.

    Today, we will sign together a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law. This is a new landmark in the history of the relations between our six countries and a pioneering initiative in China’s diplomatic engagement with its neighbors. It is a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow.

    Second, we should optimize our cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, more efficient, and more deeply integrated. We have agreed to designate 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation. We should focus our cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, and roll out more projects on the ground. We should do our best to get early harvests as soon as possible.

    China is ready to share with Central Asian countries development experience and latest technological advances, promote connectivity in digital infrastructure, enhance cooperation on artificial intelligence, and foster new quality productive forces.

    In order to promote relevant cooperation, China has decided to establish three cooperation centers, i.e. on poverty reduction, on education exchange, and on desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework. China will provide a grant of RMB 1.5 billion yuan to Central Asian countries this year to be used in livelihood and development projects high on their agenda. China will also provide 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries in the next two years.

    Third, we should develop a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity. We should step up regional security governance, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly prevent and thwart extreme ideologies, and resolutely fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, so as to maintain peace and stability in our region.

    China supports Central Asian countries in modernizing their national defense, law enforcement and security capacities. We will do our best to help Central Asian countries combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and safeguard cybersecurity and biosecurity. We will launch more Safe City projects, and conduct more joint exercises and joint training cooperation.

    Afghanistan is our close neighbor. We should strengthen coordination to help the country boost its development capacity and achieve peace, stability, reconstruction and development at an early date.

    Fourth, we should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between our peoples. China will enhance cooperation between legislatures, political parties, women, youth, media and think tanks with Central Asian countries, conduct in-depth exchange of governance experience, and share experience in green development, poverty reduction and anti-corruption.

    China is ready to set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia, and launch new majors in Central Asian languages in Chinese universities. We will continue to carry out effectively the “China-Central Asia technology and skills improvement scheme” to train more high-caliber talent for Central Asian countries.

    China supports deepening subnational cooperation with Central Asia. We will make good use of sister-city relations and people-to-people exchanges to nurture heart-to-heart connections at central and subnational levels, between official and non-governmental actors, and from adjacent to broader areas.

    I hope that the travel-facilitation measures we adopt today will be implemented as soon as possible to help our people visit each other more conveniently, efficiently and frequently like relatives, and in the course help them become ever closer to each other.

    Fifth, we should uphold a fair and equitable international order and an equal and orderly world structure. China supports Central Asian countries in playing a bigger role in international affairs. We stand ready to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the strenuous times of war, Chinese and Central Asian peoples supported each other through adversity, and jointly made important contributions to the cause of justice of humanity. We should promote the correct view of history, defend the fruits of the victory of World War II, uphold the UN-centered international system, and provide more stability and certainty for world peace and development.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain unwavering in opening up to the outside world, and embrace higher-quality cooperation with Central Asian countries to deepen the integration of interests and achieve common development.

    Distinguished Colleagues,

    Friends,

    Ancient Chinese philosophy advocates “mutual care and mutual benefit.” Similarly, a Central Asian proverb compares harmony and unity to happiness and wealth. China is ready to work with all parties to carry forward the China-Central Asia Spirit, pursue the goal of a community with a shared future, and strive for new progress in China-Central Asia cooperation.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi urges China, Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation 2025-06-18 15:08:08 Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge ahead toward the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future under the guidance of the China-Central Asia Spirit.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech during the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. The second China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana on Tuesday. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the summit. Xi, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    ASTANA, June 17 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on China and Central Asian countries to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and forge ahead toward the goal of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future under the guidance of the China-Central Asia Spirit.

    Xi made the remarks in his keynote speech at the second China-Central Asia Summit hosted by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also attended the summit.

    Xi pointed out that during their meeting in Xi’an two years ago, they jointly outlined the Xi’an Vision for China-Central Asia cooperation. Two years on, China and Central Asian countries have further deepened and substantiated Belt and Road cooperation, he said, recalling advanced cooperation in various fields.

    The core framework of the China-Central Asia mechanism is largely in place, and the consensus at the first Summit has been implemented across the board, Xi said, adding that the path of cooperation among the countries is steadily widening, and their friendship is blooming ever more brightly.

    Xi stressed that the cooperation between China and Central Asian countries is rooted in more than 2,000 years of friendly exchanges, cemented by solidarity and mutual trust cultivated through more than three decades of diplomatic ties, and taken forward via openness and win-win cooperation of the new era.

    Xi said building on their collective efforts over the years, the six countries have forged a China-Central Asia Spirit of “mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development.”

    The spirit connotes four aspects of practices. First, Xi said that China and Central Asian countries practice mutual respect and treat each other as equals, and all countries, big or small, are equal, adding that the six countries handle issues through consultation and make decisions by consensus.

    Second, he said that China and Central Asian countries seek to deepen mutual trust and enhance mutual support, firmly support each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and do not do anything harmful to the core interests of any party.

    Third, Xi said China and Central Asian countries pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and strive for common development, view each other as priority partners, and share development opportunities together, adding that they accommodate each other’s interests, and work to build a win-win and symbiotic relationship.

    Fourth, he said China and Central Asian countries help each other in time of need and stand together through thick and thin, supporting each other in choosing development paths suitable to respective national conditions and in taking domestic matters into their own hands, adding that the countries work together to address various risks and challenges, and uphold regional security and stability.

    This China-Central Asia Spirit is an important guideline for their endeavor to carry forward friendship and cooperation from generation to generation, and the six countries should always uphold it and let it shine forever, Xi noted.

    Today, unprecedented changes are unfolding at a faster pace across the globe, thrusting the world into a new state of heightened turbulence and volatility, Xi pointed out, noting that a strong belief in fairness and justice, and an unyielding commitment to mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the only way to maintain world peace and achieve common development.

    There is no winner in tariff wars or trade wars, and unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism will surely backfire while hurting others, he noted.

    Maintaining that history should move forward, not backward, and the world should be united, not divided, Xi said humanity must not regress to the law of the jungle, but should instead build a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Xi called on the six countries to act on the China-Central Asia Spirit, and enhance cooperation with renewed vigor and more practical measures.

    To achieve this, he made five points.

    First, China and Central Asian countries should stay committed to the fundamental goal of unity, and always trust and support each other, he said.

    China consistently takes Central Asia as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi noted, adding that with a firm belief in an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood as well as a strong dedication to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China interacts with Central Asian countries on the basis of equality and sincerity, and the six countries always wish their neighbors well.

    The six countries will sign together a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation to enshrine the principle of everlasting friendship in the form of law, he said, deeming it as a new landmark in the history of the relations of the six countries and a pioneering initiative in China’s diplomatic engagement with its neighbors, which constitutes a milestone for today and a foundation for tomorrow.

    Second, China and Central Asian countries should optimize the cooperation framework to make it more results-oriented, more efficient and more deeply integrated, Xi said.

    Recalling that the six countries have agreed to designate 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation, he said that all sides should focus the cooperation on smooth trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green mining, agricultural modernization and personnel exchanges, roll out more projects on the ground and foster new quality productive forces.

    He said China has decided to establish three cooperation centers, i.e. on poverty reduction, on education exchange, and on desertification prevention and control, as well as a cooperation platform on smooth trade under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework.

    China supports Central Asian countries in developing livelihood and development projects, Xi said, adding that China will provide 3,000 training opportunities to Central Asian countries in the next two years.

    Third, China and Central Asian countries should develop a security framework for peace, tranquility and solidarity, step up regional security governance, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly prevent and thwart extreme ideologies, and resolutely fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, so as to maintain peace and stability in the region, Xi said.

    China will do its best to help Central Asian countries combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and safeguard cybersecurity and biosecurity, he said.

    Fourth, China and Central Asian countries should cement the bonds of shared vision, mutual understanding and mutual affection between peoples, he noted, saying that China will enhance cooperation between legislatures, political parties, women, youth, media and think tanks with Central Asian countries, conduct in-depth exchange of governance experience, and is ready to set up more cultural centers, university branches and Luban Workshops in Central Asia to train more high-caliber talent for Central Asian countries.

    China supports deepening subnational cooperation with Central Asia, Xi said, adding that China and Central Asian countries should nurture heart-to-heart connections at central and subnational levels, between official and non-governmental actors, and from adjacent to broader areas.

    Fifth, China and Central Asian countries should uphold a fair and equitable international order and an equal and orderly world structure, stand ready to work with all parties to defend international fairness and justice, oppose hegemonism and power politics, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, Xi said.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, he said, recalling that in the strenuous times of war, Chinese and Central Asian peoples supported each other through adversity, and jointly made important contributions to the cause of justice of humanity.

    He also noted the need to promote the correct view of history, defend the fruits of the victory of World War II, uphold the UN-centered international system, and provide more stability and certainty for world peace and development.

    Xi pointed out that China is building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

    No matter how the international situation changes, China will remain unwavering in opening up to the outside world, he said, noting that China is ready to embrace higher-quality cooperation and deepen the integration of interests with Central Asian countries, so as to achieve common development and strive for new progress in China-Central Asia cooperation.

    Tokayev and the other four Central Asian leaders unanimously stated that the China-Central Asia mechanism has become an important platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation, as well as for advancing the economic and social development of Central Asian countries.

    In a world full of uncertainties, the strategic significance of the mechanism has become increasingly prominent, and China’s growing prosperity and strength are benefiting its neighboring countries, they said, noting that China is a strategic partner and a true friend that Central Asian countries can always count on.

    The Central Asian countries highly value the model of cooperation with China based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and look forward to deepening all-round cooperation with China and expanding trade and investment, the five leaders added.

    They also expressed the hope to jointly pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, promote cooperation in such fields as industry, agriculture, science and technology, infrastructure, new energy and connectivity, strengthen regional security collaboration, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges in fields like culture, education and tourism.

    The leaders of the five Central Asian countries expressed their intention to build the China-Central Asia mechanism into a model of regional cooperation, share development and prosperity, jointly promote peace and stability, and build a closer community with a shared future.

    The five parties highly appreciate China’s constructive role in international and regional affairs, and actively support the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi.

    They also expressed the willingness to closely coordinate and cooperate with China to firmly safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system, and jointly defend international equity and justice.

    During the summit, Xi and the heads of state of the Central Asian nations signed the Astana Declaration of the second China-Central Asia Summit, and a treaty on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation.

    The meeting also announced the signing of 12 cooperation agreements regarding the Belt and Road cooperation, facilitation of personnel exchanges, green mining, trade, connectivity, industry and customs.

    At the summit, China signed multiple sister city agreements with the five Central Asian countries, thus the pairs of sister cities between the two sides have exceeded 100.

    Xi and other leaders also witnessed the inauguration of three China-Central Asia cooperation centers and a trade platform, namely the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification prevention and control cooperation center, as well as the China-Central Asia smooth trade cooperation platform.

    All parties also agreed that China will host the third China-Central Asia Summit in 2027.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pose for a group photo in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. The second China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana on Tuesday. Tokayev chaired the summit. Xi, Japarov, Rahmon, Berdimuhamedov and Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

    Chinese President Xi Jinping walks into the venue of the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. The second China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana on Tuesday. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the summit. Xi, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

    Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. The second China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana on Tuesday. Tokayev chaired the summit. Xi, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

    Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech during the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. The second China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana on Tuesday. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the summit. Xi, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

    Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev witness inauguration of the China-Central Asia poverty reduction cooperation center, the China-Central Asia education exchange cooperation center, the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center and the China-Central Asia trade facilitation cooperation platform in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 17, 2025. The second China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana on Tuesday. Tokayev chaired the summit. Xi, Japarov, Rahmon, Berdimuhamedov and Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi leaves Astana after attending 2nd China-Central Asia Summit 2025-06-18 15:13:46 Chinese President Xi Jinping left Wednesday for Beijing after attending the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

      ASTANA, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping left Wednesday for Beijing after attending the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana.

      Upon Xi’s departure, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other senior officials saw him off at the airport.

      Kazakh Air Force fighter jets escorted Xi’s plane after it took off.

      On the way to the airport, representatives of Chinese enterprises and Chinese overseas students lined the streets, waving the national flags of China and Kazakhstan to warmly congratulate Xi on his successful attendance at the summit. 

    loading…

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Zelenskiy leaves G7 with no Trump meeting or fresh arms support from US

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy left the Group of Seven summit on Tuesday with new aid from host Canada for its war against Russia but said diplomacy is in “crisis” having missed the chance to press U.S. President Donald Trump for more weapons.

    The G7 wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington.

    A Canadian official initially said Ottawa had dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the war in Ukraine after resistance from the United States.

    Emily Williams, director of media relations for Prime Minister Mark Carney, later said no proposed statement on Ukraine had ever been planned.

    Carney had started the day by announcing Ottawa would provide C$2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions.

    Zelenskiy said he had told the G7 leaders that “diplomacy is now in a state of crisis” and said they need to continue calling on Trump “to use his real influence” to force an end to the war, in a post on his Telegram account.

    Although Canada is one of Ukraine’s most vocal defenders, its ability to help it is far outweighed by the United States, the largest arms supplier to Kyiv. Zelenskiy had said he hoped to talk to Trump about acquiring more weapons.

    After the summit in the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis concluded, Carney issued a chair statement summarizing deliberations.

    “G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” it said.

    “They recognized that Ukraine has committed to an unconditional ceasefire, and they agreed that Russia must do the same. G7 leaders are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions.”

    Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year. Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements.

    Trump did agree to a group statement published on Monday calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict.

    “We had a declaration given the exceptional, fast moving situation in Iran,” Carney told a closing news conference.

    A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle.

    Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a U.S. Senate bill drafted by Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything.

    “I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

    G7 leaders agreed on six other statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing.

    KREMLIN SAYS G7 LOOKS ‘RATHER USELESS’

    Trump said on Monday he needed to be back in Washington as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between Iran and Israel have raised risks of a broader regional conflict.

    A White House official on Tuesday said Trump explained that he returned to the U.S. because it is better to hold high-level National Security Council meetings in person, rather than over the phone.

    Upon arriving at the summit, Trump said that the then-Group of Eight had been wrong to expel Russia after Putin ordered the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

    The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Trump was right and said the G7 was no longer significant for Russia and looked “rather useless.”

    Many leaders had hoped to negotiate trade deals with Trump, but the only deal signed was the finalization of the U.S.-UK deal announced last month. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained at the summit after Trump left.

    Carney also invited non-G7 members Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, as he tries to shore up alliances elsewhere and diversify Canada’s exports away from the United States.

    Carney warmly welcomed Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday, after two years of tense relations between Canada and India.

    (Reuters)

  • Zelenskiy leaves G7 with no Trump meeting or fresh arms support from US

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy left the Group of Seven summit on Tuesday with new aid from host Canada for its war against Russia but said diplomacy is in “crisis” having missed the chance to press U.S. President Donald Trump for more weapons.

    The G7 wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington.

    A Canadian official initially said Ottawa had dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the war in Ukraine after resistance from the United States.

    Emily Williams, director of media relations for Prime Minister Mark Carney, later said no proposed statement on Ukraine had ever been planned.

    Carney had started the day by announcing Ottawa would provide C$2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions.

    Zelenskiy said he had told the G7 leaders that “diplomacy is now in a state of crisis” and said they need to continue calling on Trump “to use his real influence” to force an end to the war, in a post on his Telegram account.

    Although Canada is one of Ukraine’s most vocal defenders, its ability to help it is far outweighed by the United States, the largest arms supplier to Kyiv. Zelenskiy had said he hoped to talk to Trump about acquiring more weapons.

    After the summit in the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis concluded, Carney issued a chair statement summarizing deliberations.

    “G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” it said.

    “They recognized that Ukraine has committed to an unconditional ceasefire, and they agreed that Russia must do the same. G7 leaders are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions.”

    Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year. Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements.

    Trump did agree to a group statement published on Monday calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict.

    “We had a declaration given the exceptional, fast moving situation in Iran,” Carney told a closing news conference.

    A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle.

    Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a U.S. Senate bill drafted by Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything.

    “I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

    G7 leaders agreed on six other statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing.

    KREMLIN SAYS G7 LOOKS ‘RATHER USELESS’

    Trump said on Monday he needed to be back in Washington as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between Iran and Israel have raised risks of a broader regional conflict.

    A White House official on Tuesday said Trump explained that he returned to the U.S. because it is better to hold high-level National Security Council meetings in person, rather than over the phone.

    Upon arriving at the summit, Trump said that the then-Group of Eight had been wrong to expel Russia after Putin ordered the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

    The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Trump was right and said the G7 was no longer significant for Russia and looked “rather useless.”

    Many leaders had hoped to negotiate trade deals with Trump, but the only deal signed was the finalization of the U.S.-UK deal announced last month. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained at the summit after Trump left.

    Carney also invited non-G7 members Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea and Brazil, as he tries to shore up alliances elsewhere and diversify Canada’s exports away from the United States.

    Carney warmly welcomed Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday, after two years of tense relations between Canada and India.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi leaves Astana after attending 2nd China-Central Asia Summit

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

    ASTANA, June 18 — Chinese President Xi Jinping left Wednesday for Beijing after attending the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana.

    Upon Xi’s departure, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other senior officials saw him off at the airport.

    Kazakh Air Force fighter jets escorted Xi’s plane after it took off.

    On the way to the airport, representatives of Chinese enterprises and Chinese overseas students lined the streets, waving the national flags of China and Kazakhstan to warmly congratulate Xi on his successful attendance at the summit.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beyond blind boxes: What’s behind Labubu’s global craze?

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

    A resident takes photos of a Labubu toy at the Taipa exhibition area of “POP MART MACAO CITYWALK” in south China’s Macao, June 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    In the pre-dawn chill outside a New York mall, young fans camped overnight, eager to get their hands on a Labubu doll. In Paris, shoppers carrying Labubu shopping bags posed for photos in front of the Louvre. In Seoul’s Myeongdong shopping area, long queues formed not for K-pop stars, but for Labubu. Its theme song echoed in Spanish streets.

    At the center of this global craze is a small, sharp-eared figure with jagged teeth and an ambiguous expression — Labubu, a curious creation from China that is capturing the imagination of global youth.

    The frenzy surrounding Labubu has sparked long queues, thriving secondary markets, and rental services, with some transactions standing out due to their scale. A one-of-a-kind mint-green, human-sized Labubu sold for 1.08 million yuan (about 150,531 U.S. dollars) at a Beijing auction last week, setting a new record for the blind box toy as it transitions from pop craze to coveted collectible.

    From “world factory” to “global creative center”

    This nine-toothed, punk-cute creature from Pop Mart is more than just a toy. It has become a cultural and commercial force. In 2024, Pop Mart’s “The Monsters” series swept through global markets, generating over 3 billion yuan in revenue, a 726.6 percent increase from the previous year and the company’s most successful IP to date.

    It is rare for a comic or toy IP to break the culture wall and be embraced by both Asian cultures as well as mainstream Western pop stars and sports stars, according to Jessie Xu, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, which significantly raised its target price for Pop Mart shares on the strength of Labubu’s performance.

    Labubu’s rise marks more than a viral toy trend: it signals a broader shift in China’s role on the global stage. No longer just a manufacturing hub, China is emerging as a source of original cultural exports. “Labubu’s success marks China’s transition from ‘world factory’ to ‘global creative center’,” noted a recent commentary on the website of China’s Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reflecting on the nation’s economic evolution beyond low-cost production.

    What makes this spiky-toothed imp resonate from Seoul to Spain? Designed by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, Labubu defies the traditional traits that are associated with being cute. With large ears and a fixed grin featuring nine pointy teeth, its oddball charm resonates with a young generation that sees itself in its mischievous, soft-hearted persona.

    “Labubu’s image aligns closely with the way today’s consumers express themselves,” said Yu Yiqi, an associate researcher at Fudan University, adding that its blend of mild rebellion — defiant yet harmless — has made this unconventional IP more recognizable, accepted, and embraced by consumers.

    Pop Mart amplified Labubu’s appeal on a global scale. In Thailand, the furry doll was granted the title of “Amazing Thailand Experience Explorer” by tourism authority. In Singapore, a Merlion-themed edition sold out almost instantly. What began as a toy has evolved into a kind of cultural conduit, quietly connecting young people across borders.

    Toys themed on Labubu, a popular furry doll from Chinese toy company Pop Mart, are pictured during the opening ceremoy of a new offline store of Pop Mart in Bangkok, Thailand, July 5, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The long game of patience, precision 

    Labubu’s explosion wasn’t overnight.

    “In 2010, Beijing got its first Pop Mart store. I was 23,” 38-year-old Pop Mart’s CEO Wang Ning recalled. Early days were fraught. With little recognition, the startup struggled to secure collaborations with established IPs.

    Yet it developed a simple method to spot potential hits. At art fairs, artist booths with the longest lines were seen as a clear sign of consumer interest. By gathering strong creative talent early on, the little-known company quickly made a name for itself.

    As the youngest self-made founder on Forbes’ 2024 list of Best CEOs in China, Wang’s age has led many to view Pop Mart as a young company. In reality, it has been quietly building its presence in the designer toy space for 15 years. Since launching its international expansion in 2018, Pop Mart has steadily advanced its global strategy, with operations now spanning nearly 100 countries and regions.

    Labubu’s success would not have been possible without meticulous iteration. Pop Mart and Lung spent a considerable amount of time refining Labubu, from the initial “Forest Concert” series to the recently released “Big into Energy” series, gradually shaping its “punk-cute” identity into a distinct cultural symbol.

    The toymaker is not alone in embracing the long game. The animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 took five and a half years to complete, with more than 4,000 people involved and nearly 2,000 visual effects shots. The hit video game Black Myth: Wukong was developed for over six years, with its creators pouring vast artistic resources into delivering high-end visuals and performance for players.

    Precision matters. Wang fixated on the smallest details, from store layouts designed to guide browsing flow, to display case placement intended to catch the eye, and maintenance schedules aimed at enhancing the customer experience. “Innovation is the fundamental guarantee for enterprises to withstand storms and achieve sustainable development,” the Qiushi website commentary noted, underscoring the relentless focus behind Labubu’s success.

    Made in China, designed for the world 

    Labubu’s rise to becoming a globally coveted product is rooted in China’s vast manufacturing ecosystem. “As a global manufacturing powerhouse, China has a complete industrial chain and a mature industrial environment, offering significant comparative advantages,” Wang said.

    More than 70 percent of Pop Mart’s production comes from factories in Dongguan, south China’s Guangdong Province, the heart of China’s toy manufacturing industry. The city is home to some 4,000 toy companies and 1,500 supporting suppliers. It is responsible for producing a quarter of the world’s animation merchandise and 85 percent of China’s designer toys.

    When Labubu introduced an innovative blend of vinyl and plush materials, factories in Dongguan delivered with remarkable precision. They even created separate molds for each individual component. “If you can make Pop Mart, you can make any designer toy in the world,” a manufacturing partner said.

    As a leading arts hub in Asia and a regular host of Art Basel, Hong Kong provided the artistic foundation. It was here that Wang discovered talented illustrators like Lung. This model of collaboration between art and manufacturing has propelled China’s designer toy industry from contract production to value creation.

    Customers purchase products at a POP MART store in London, Britain, on May 21, 2025. The trendy toys recently launched by Chinese pop culture brand POP MART have drawn fans worldwide, which stands as a prime example of a new wave of innovative Chinese products, revolutionizing global perspectives on “Made in China” within the toy industry. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s pro-consumption policies have provided strong tailwinds for the designer toy industry. A national action plan released in March calls for cultivating “trendy domestic goods,” while the Ministry of Commerce has been promoting “IP plus consumption” by developing creative retail spaces and cultural landmarks. The country’s designer toy market, valued at roughly 60 billion yuan in 2023, is projected to reach 110.1 billion yuan by 2026, with annual growth rate exceeding 20 percent.

    Greater openness is also fueling the cultural exchange crucial to IP growth. China has expanded its unilateral visa-free access program, allowing travelers from 47 countries to stay for up to 30 days. This has drawn a growing number of international visitors seeking firsthand experiences of Chinese culture. The immersive contact not only deepens global understanding of China’s lifestyle, but also fosters an environment where homegrown IPs like Labubu can flourish and succeed on the international stage.

    Yet, white-hot demand breeds challenges. Frenzied queues in London reportedly led to scuffles, forcing Pop Mart to briefly suspend UK Labubu sales. Similar safety concerns prompted a temporary halt in the Republic of Korea.

    Pop Mart has publicly distanced itself from speculative frenzy in the second-hand market, reiterating that the company has never — and will never — participate in any form of resale activities involving collectible toys. It also urged consumers to approach purchases with rational expectations.

    Though often attributed to psychological triggers like unpredictable rewards and fear of missing out, the fascination with blind boxes, according to Wang, stems from something deeper.

    “What really matters is the designer toy, the IP, and the story behind blind boxes,” he said, noting that Pop Mart is in the business of trendy designer toys, not just surprise packaging. “It’s not the blind box that hooks people — it’s the characters inside, which represent some of China’s most attractive consumer IPs.”

    “Not every IP will become a hit,” said Yu. “What matters is that Pop Mart takes a systematic approach to selecting, managing, and supporting IPs, grounded in its role as a trendsetter. Trends rise and fall, but a company needs a steady pipeline to consistently deliver value and meet consumer demand.”

    From scouting more than 350 artists worldwide to growing 13 IPs with each’s annual revenue exceeding 100 million yuan, Pop Mart has a clear goal: to keep its IPs alive and constantly evolving. Once aspiring to be “Disney of China,” the company is now working to become “Pop Mart of the world.”

    “Labubu isn’t Pop Mart’s first red-hot IP,” Yu said. “Nor will it be the last.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • NCL to raise yoga awareness among 25,000 people in massive campaign ahead of International Yoga Day

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a Miniratna company under the Ministry of Coal, has launched a week-long campaign to promote yoga and its health benefits in the Singrauli region. The drive, running from June 15 to June 20, aims to connect nearly 25,000 people through various community-oriented programs in preparation for International Yoga Day (IDY) on June 21.

    This year’s IDY theme, “One Earth, One Health,” reflects the growing understanding of the deep connection between human health and the health of the planet. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, International Yoga Day has grown into a global movement fostering well-being, peace, and harmony worldwide through the ancient wisdom of yoga.

    NCL’s campaign is designed to inspire physical well-being, mental peace, and a strong bond with nature and community. The company also plans to integrate yoga as a sustainable practice within its workplace and promote ongoing health initiatives for employees, their families, and local stakeholders.

    The initiative includes yoga awareness rallies targeting all community members — employees, contractual workers, students, and residents of the surrounding areas. Creative competitions such as essay writing and poster making have been organized to encourage local youth to reflect on yoga’s role in health and well-being.

    Public yoga sessions adhering to the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) will be held for participants of all ages, from children to senior citizens. Additionally, workshops in schools and colleges aim to instill the habit of yoga in young learners.

    On June 21, over 10,000 people are expected to participate in coordinated yoga sessions across all NCL areas and units, making it a grand celebration of International Yoga Day.

  • Nearly 1.5 million tickets sold for Club World Cup, FIFA says

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Fans from over 130 countries have purchased nearly 1.5 million tickets for the Club World Cup that kicked off last weekend in its newly expanded format across the United States, FIFA said on Tuesday.

    A crowd of more than 60,000 turned up for the opener at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, which featured Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, while some 80,000 were in the Rose Bowl stands as Paris St Germain beat Atletico Madrid 4-0 on Sunday.

    Yet some matches have also been sparsely attended, as a 0-0 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense that kicked off midday on Tuesday played out to a half-empty MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

    While Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca described the atmosphere at his team’s game against Los Angeles FC as “a bit strange”, as a little over 22,000 spectators came to watch at the 71,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday.

    “This is exactly what the FIFA Club World Cup was created for: a world-class stage where new stories are told, new heroes emerge, and club football fans feel part of something bigger,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

    Designed as a glittering curtain-raiser for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA hopes to build enthusiasm for the quadrennial spectacle among often soccer-ambivalent fans in the U.S., which will co-host the tournament next year with Canada and Mexico.

    Concerns had been rampant, however, after a lacklustre Copa America in 2024 that played out on sub-par pitches to half-empty stadiums and ended with a fan security fiasco at the final in Miami.

    -REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI China: 2025 CISCE: Global businesses unite to strengthen supply chains

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

    The 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) has drawn exhibitors from 75 countries, regions, and international organizations. From multinational giants to Global South enterprises, the expo reflects the global business community’s strong commitment to keeping industrial and supply chains smooth and unimpeded.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China reports rapid growth in green electricity trading

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

    China’s green electricity trading volume surpassed 220 billion kilowatt-hours in the first five months of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of nearly 50 percent, according to industry data released at a forum on Wednesday.

    According to statistics from the China Electricity Council, with China’s new energy capacity and output steadily rising, new-sources power supply is now playing an increasingly active and competitive role in the electricity market.

    In 2024, the nationwide market-based trading volume of new energy electricity surpassed 1 trillion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 55 percent of the total new energy production, according to the council.

    China’s market-oriented electricity trading volume surged from 1.1 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2016 to 6.2 trillion in 2024, with its share in total electricity consumption rising from 17 percent to 63 percent, marking a significant shift in electricity resource allocation toward a market-driven system.

    Yang Kun, executive vice chairman of the China Electricity Council, said that in recent years, growing demand for green consumption in China has driven rapid expansion in green electricity trading, underscoring the environmental value of green energy.

    The council will continue its efforts in promoting the green and low-carbon transition in the energy and electricity sector, Yang added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ramos gives Inter a scare in Club World Cup stalemate

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

    UEFA Champions League runners-up Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Mexican champions Monterrey in Group E of the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday.

    Spanish defender Sergio Ramos gave Monterrey an early lead with a powerful header, before Lautaro Martinez leveled for Inter following a well-worked free-kick routine.

    The Nerazzurri controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, but Monterrey capitalized on their only real first-half chance. The 38-year-old Ramos rose high to meet Oliver Torres’ corner and sent a header into the bottom corner in the 25th minute, handing the Mexican side a surprise lead.

    Inter responded in the 42nd minute when Martinez finished easily from close range after Carlos Augusto squared the ball across the box, following a pinpoint overhead pass from Kristjan Asllani on a set piece.

    Both teams pushed for a winner after the break. Monterrey nearly regained the lead in the 64th minute, but Sergio Canales’ long-range strike hit the post. Martinez fired wide from distance in the 77th minute, and Nelson Deossa had one last chance in stoppage time, but his effort in the 93rd minute drifted just off target. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: River Plate cruise, Dortmund and Inter draw at Club World Cup

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

    European sides were left frustrated at the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday as Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan shared the points with Fluminense and Monterrey, respectively.

    South America’s River Plate claimed the day’s most emphatic victory with a 3-1 defeat of Urawa Red Diamonds while Mamelodi Sundowns edged Ulsan 1-0.

    Marcel Sabitzer (R) of Borussia Dortmund vies for the ball during the Group F match between Fluminense FC of Brazil and Borussia Dortmund of Germany at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in New Jersey, the United States, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

    In New Jersey, Brazil’s Fluminense was left to rue its profligacy in a goalless draw with Germany’s Borussia Dortmund.

    The Rio de Janeiro outfit looked more likely to score at MetLife Stadium but could not find a way past Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who made a series of fine saves.

    “We showed that we are a great club and that we are going to be difficult opponents for anyone,” Fluminense’s Colombian midfielder Jhon Arias told reporters.

    “We were aware of Borussia’s quality and the level of European football, but we were superior for most of the match. That gives us peace of mind and confidence to continue playing like we did today.”

    Argentina’s River Plate began its Group E campaign with a 3-1 victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle.

    The Buenos Aires club opened the scoring when Facundo Colidio timed his run to perfection to meet Marcos Acuna’s cross with a thumping header from the edge of the six-yard box.

    Sebastian Driussi doubled the advantage shortly after, nodding home following a defensive miscue.

    Urawa pulled a goal back through Yusuke Matsuo, who converted from the penalty spot after Takuro Kaneko was brought down by Acuna.

    Substitute Maximiliano Meza restored the two-goal cushion, rising to meet Acuna’s corner with a bullet header that beat goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa at his near post.

    “The most important thing was to win, but we know we have to improve,” River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo said.

    “We suffered from nerves, which is understandable. But our upcoming matches are going to be more demanding and we have to be ready.”

    In Orlando, a first-half goal from Iqraam Rayners gave South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns a 1-0 win over South Korean side Ulsan.

    Rayners ran onto Lucas Ribeiro’s inch-perfect pass before calmly toe-poking a right-footed shot into the far corner.

    “In this competition, it’s not easy to achieve victories,” Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso said. “Today, I think we released a lot of energy in the right way.”

    In the day’s late match at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Inter Milan was held to a 1-1 draw by Monterrey after Lautaro Martinez cancelled out an early Sergio Ramos goal.

    The Mexican side struck first when former Real Madrid defender Ramos rose highest to send a header past Argentine goalkeeper Esteban Andrada after Oliver Torres’ corner.

    Martinez leveled just before halftime, combining with Carlos Augusto to slot home from point-blank range.

    The Italian Serie A giants dominated possession after the break but were denied by Monterrey’s disciplined defensive block. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: IOC reviews achievements of Bach’s presidency

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

    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday released the latest edition of the Olympic Review, highlighting the achievements of the Olympic Agenda reforms under the leadership of President Thomas Bach.

    Bach is set to hand over the presidency to Kirsty Coventry on June 23, and Issue 124 of the Olympic Review also marks Coventry’s election as the IOC’s 10th president.

    President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach attends a ceremony marking one year until the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in Saint-Denis, near Paris, France on July 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

    In the Review, Bach reflects on the journey that began with Olympic Agenda 2020 and continued through Olympic Agenda 2020+5. “This edition offers a moment to look back on all that we have achieved together,” he writes. “From thoughtful reflections to personal tributes, this issue captures the essence of our collective efforts: staying true to our values, putting athletes first and opening our doors ever wider to the world.”

    Featured articles include a retrospective on Olympic Agenda, stories on sport and health partnerships, athlete-centered reforms, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, safeguarding in sport, and testimonials.

    “As the Olympic Movement looks ahead to Milano Cortina 2026 and beyond, this edition of Olympic Review is a testament to the power of unity in diversity and the enduring values of Olympism,” the IOC said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A million guests and thousands of excursions: what attracts visitors to the Smart City pavilion at VDNKh

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Pavilion “Smart City” at VDNKh has been introducing Muscovites and tourists to the city’s key digital projects for over eight years. Over the entire period, it has been visited by over a million people, Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    “This year, the pavilion receives an average of 20,000 visitors per month — a quarter more than in 2024. Many are happy to participate in online events: master classes, programming classes, and also attend in-person courses in 3D modeling, robotics, and other areas,” said Natalia Sergunina.

    The exhibition consists of eight thematic zones reflecting different spheres of life in the capital. The stands allow you to learn why Moscow needs a digital twin, how artificial intelligence helps doctors, and where navigators get information about traffic congestion from.

    One of the largest spaces is “Moscow is More Than a City”. It unites projects in such areas as culture, business and tourism. In another section, you can go on a virtual journey into the past – for example, see what the Northern River Terminal, Tverskaya Street and VDNKh were like.

    Last year, the pavilion hosted an exhibition “Digital Technologies of Moscow: for the 30th Anniversary of Runet”Children and adults are invited to study interactive timeline, dedicated to the history of the digitalization of the capital, to get to know modern city online services and services in more detail, and also to try your hand at computer games that were popular 30 years ago.

    As specified by the capital Department of Information Technology, the exhibition at VDNKh is regularly updated. Currently, the pavilion has 77 objects and stands. It is open from 10:00 to 20:00 from Tuesday to Sunday inclusive, admission is free. Since its opening, almost 11 thousand excursions have been held here.

    AI, VR and AR: what technologies introduce tourists to MoscowThe Whole Family at VDNKh: Which Museums Can Be Visited for Free at the Country’s Main Exhibition

    Provision of socially significant services in electronic form and development of e-government infrastructure correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State” and the Moscow regional project “Digital Public Administration”.

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

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

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155386073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From June 20, trains heading towards the center will temporarily not stop at the Pererva station of the MCD-2

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    From June 20, trains heading towards the center will temporarily not stop at the Pererva station of the second Moscow Central Diameter (MCD-2). This is necessary to create a modern city station. The work is being carried out by JSC Russian Railways together with the Moscow Government team.

    Passengers will be able to use alternative routes. Thus, in order to leave the Pererva platform towards the center of Moscow, it is necessary to go from the platform towards Podolsk to the Kuryanovo station and transfer to the oncoming train for free.

    To get to Pererva from Podolsk, you need to go to Depot station and also change to a train in the opposite direction. Both stations have one island platform, so to change you just need to cross from one side to the other. Trains in the direction of Podolsk will run as usual.

    In order for passengers to quickly get their bearings and plan their routes, posters with various travel options will be placed at MCD-2 stations.

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

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Premises in the Lanceray house have been put up for city auction

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Investors can buy four rooms in a historic building in the Krasnoselsky District. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “Investors can purchase four premises with a total area of about two thousand square meters in the Lanceray house on Milyutinsky Lane. The corresponding objects are already available for purchase on the investment portal. Another premises in this architectural monument are planned to be put up for auction in the near future. The building has the status of a cultural heritage site of regional significance. The new owners will have to carry out restoration and reconstruction work, as well as use the premises in accordance with the security obligation to ensure the protection of the architectural heritage of the capital,” Vladimir Efimov noted.

    The cultural heritage site is located at the address: Milyutinsky Lane, Building 20/2, Building 1. The building in the Gothic Art Nouveau style began to be built in 1915 under the direction of architect Valentin Dubovsky. After the October Revolution, the house was completed according to the design of architect Alexander Kalmykov.

    “The largest of the premises put up for auction has an area of over 1.7 thousand square meters and occupies the basement of an eight-story residential building. The sizes of the other three objects vary from 72.6 to 129.3 square meters. The building is located on the second line of the Boulevard Ring, a three-minute walk from the Turgenevskaya metro station. The area with developed public and business activity will be a good place to open a store, office or business in the restaurant and hotel industry,” she noted.

    Ekaterina Solovieva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of City Property.

    As the head of the Moscow City Department for Competition Policy said Kirill Purtov, the acceptance of applications for participation in electronic auctions for the purchase of four properties in Milyutinsky Lane will end on July 10, 14 and 16, depending on the lot. The auctions will take place on July 22, 23 and 25, respectively.

    All information about the premises put up for auction is presented on the capital’s investment portal. You can learn more about them, study the lot documentation and the rules for conducting auctions in the section “Property from the city”.

    The development of electronic services for entrepreneurs is carried out within the framework of the national project “Data Economy”.

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

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155377073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Muscovites are invited to listen to songs from the war years as part of “Summer in Moscow”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On June 18 and 22, two performances by students of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts – GITIS, dedicated to the anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, will take place in the center of Chistoprudny Boulevard. The productions will be shown in a rotunda with columns as part of the project “Summer in Moscow”.

    On June 18 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the audience will enjoy the musical and dramatic program “Help Two Lovers”. The unique format of the performance will feature both old romances and songs of the Soviet era – musical masterpieces of the 20th century created by Alexandra Pakhmutova, Georgy Portnov, Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy, Zinaida Levina and other outstanding composers. In addition, students will perform poetic masterpieces by Robert Rozhdestvensky, Mikhail Ancharov and Lev Oshanin.

    The play “Help Two Lovers” will allow you to immerse yourself in an atmosphere of spiritual openness and faith in goodness. Among the key ones are “Good Girls”, “Standing at the Half-Station”, “City of Lovers”, “Letter to the Front”, “Help Me” and other songs filled with warmth and bright nostalgia.

    On June 22, the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, at 6:00 p.m. the program “Sing for Russia” will begin. Young artists will use music to tell stories of heroism, love, and fortitude. Songs that have become musical symbols of the Great Patriotic War will be performed, including “Cranes”, “Blue Handkerchief”, “Landing Battalion”, “Zhenka’s Romance” from the opera “The Dawns Here Are Quiet”, “Ballad of the Mother”, “Spark”, “I Love You, Russia”, and “Hymn of Love”.

    Particular emphasis will be placed on live, emotional performance. Young actors and singers, future stars of musical theatres, will give familiar songs a new sound, while remaining respectful of their spirit and meaning.

    Performances on Chistoprudny Boulevard are not only musical events, but also an important symbol of memory addressed to all generations. The program involves third-year students of the musical theater department of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts — GITIS, the workshop of People’s Artist of Russia Professor Dmitry Bertman. Director — Galina Timakova, associate professor, honored cultural worker, teacher of directing and acting in the musical theater department of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts — GITIS.

    Musical events on Chistoprudny Boulevard are held as part of a large cultural program, part of which is the project “Street. Dances”.

    The Inspiration Arts Festival will be held at VDNKh in JulySergei Sobyanin: Forum-festival “Moscow 2030” will be held from August 1 to September 14

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season, uniting the brightest events of the capital. Every day in all districts of the city there are charity, cultural and sports events, most of which are free. The project “Summer in Moscow” is held for the second time, and the new season will be more intense: new festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones — original and colorful.

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

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    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155395073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ21: Resumption of public rental housing units and Well-off Tenants Policies

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Elizabeth Quat and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (June 18):
     
    Question:
     
         According to government information, 15 000-odd public rental housing (PRH) units were recovered by the Housing Department for various reasons in 2023, which was 55 per cent more than the annual number of about 10 000 units in the past. Regarding the recovery of PRH units and the Well-off Tenants Policies, will the Government inform this Council of the following information in the past five financial years:
     
    (1) the number of PRH units recovered each year for the following reasons:
    (i) death of principal tenants or principal tenants being admitted to residential care homes;
    (ii) principal tenants having purchased subsidised sale flats;
    (iii) tenants moving out due to breach of tenancy agreements (e.g. ‍accruing 16 points within two years under the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement or defaulting on rent payment);
    (iv) tenants moving out due to failure or refusal to return the declaration form on income and assets as required;
    (v) tenants moving out as their family income/total household net asset value exceeded the limits prescribed under the Well-off Tenants Policies;
    (vi) tenants were asked to move out as their household members owned domestic properties in Hong Kong;
    (vii) voluntary surrender of units by tenants (including moving to other regions/countries, moving to other residences, or for unknown reasons);
    (viii) tenants moving out upon application for transfer; and
    (ix) other reasons;
     
    (2) the number of recovered PRH units used for allocation to applicants on the PRH Waiting List each year;
     
    (3) the number of Notices-to-quit (NTQs) issued by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) to PRH tenants each year and, among them, the number of tenants who lodged appeals in this regard, together with a breakdown by the outcome of the appeals (e.g. ‍cancellation of NTQs, amendment of NTQs and setting of conditions for the tenants lodging appeals to rectify the violations, as well as unsuccessful appeals);
     
    (4) the number of cases received by the HA in which applications for granting of new tenancy agreements were made by authorised members of the units due to the death or moving out of the original principle tenants and, among such cases, the number of those which were approved and rejected; among the approved cases, the number of those in which the PRH units involved were granted approval for addition of household members to the tenancy in the past three years;
     
    (5) the number of PRH tenants who had successfully applied for deletion of household members from the tenancy each year and, among them, the number of those who were well-off tenants; and
     
    (6) the respective numbers of PRH tenants who were required under the Well-off Tenants Policies to pay (i) 1.5 times net rent plus rates and (ii) double net rent plus rates each year?
     
    Reply:

    President,
     
         In response to the questions raised by the Hon Elizabeth Quat, our reply is as follows:

    (1) In the past five financial years (i.e. 2020/21 to 2024/25), the numbers of public rental housing (PRH) units recovered by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), categorised by reasons for recovery, are listed in Annex 1.
     
    (2) Based on the established allocation policies and programmes, the HA allocates newly completed and refurbished recovered PRH units to meet the needs of applicants under various categories. We will allocate most of the units to PRH applicants and closely monitor the actual allocation figures of other categories (e.g. Compassionate Rehousing) to ensure that any units in excess of the estimated demand under other categories would be allocated to PRH applicants by the end of the year. In the past five financial years, the actual numbers of recovered PRH units allocated to PRH applicants and applicants under other categories are tabulated in Annex 2.
     
    (3) In the past five financial years, the numbers of Notices-to-quit issued by the HA, the numbers of appeal cases received by the Appeal Panel (Housing), and the numbers of appeal cases heard by the Appeal Panel (Housing) as well as the rulings are set out by category in Annex 3.
     
    (4) According to the HA’s existing Policy on Grant of New Tenancy (GNT), upon the death or moving out of the principal tenant of a PRH unit, the tenancy can be granted to his/her spouse who has been listed in the tenancy. If there is no surviving spouse listed in the tenancy, one of the authorised family members currently living in the unit can be granted a new tenancy, provided that the Comprehensive Means Test and Domestic Property Test set at the level of Well-off Tenants Policies are passed. In the past five financial years, there were approximately 32 000 GNT cases approved upon the death or moving out of the original principal tenant. The Housing Department (HD) does not keep statistics on the number of rejected applications for GNT and the number of approved GNT cases which involved addition of household members.
     
    (5) In the past five financial years, the HA approved an average of about 44 000 cases per year on the deletion of family members from PRH tenancies. Among these cases, around 16 700 cases arose from death or admission to elderly homes, while the remaining of about 27 300 cases resulted from moving out or other reasons. The HD does not keep statistics on the number of aforesaid cases which involved “well-off tenants”.
     
    (6) In the past five financial years, the numbers of PRH tenants under the HA required to pay 1.5 or double net rent plus rates are listed in Annex 4.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sciences Po and Its CIVICA Partners Stand for Academic Freedom & University Autonomy

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    In times of global uncertainty, CIVICA – a European alliance of ten leading universities in the social sciences – reaffirms its stance against political or financial interference in science and education. The alliance is concerned by attempts across the globe to restrict academic inquiry or reshape institutions for ideological ends. Such actions erode the autonomy of higher education institutions and undermine the quality of academic research and teaching.

    During a Presidents’ meeting at SGH Warsaw last week, the CIVICA partners decided on a joint statement to reaffirm the importance of academic freedom and institutional autonomy, as essential pillars of democratic and open societies.

    In keeping with the core values of their mission, CIVICA partners express their solidarity with institutions, scholars, and students facing pressure or discrimination. CIVICA remains committed to fostering free and open spaces for academic inquiry and critical debate, encouraging diversity of views and pluralism.

    CIVICA partners’ presidents and team at SGH Warsaw, June 2025. (credits: Piotr Potapowicz / SGH Warsaw)

    The joint statement is endorsed by:

    • Sciences Po,
    • Bocconi University,
    • Central European University,
    • European University Institute,
    • Hertie School,
    • National University of Political Studies and Public Administration,
    • SGH Warsaw School of Economics,
    • Stockholm School of Economics.

    Read the statement

     

    Following a report co-authored by Florence Haegel, Marie Mawad, and Jeremy Perelman, submitted to the President of Sciences Po, Sciences Po adopted its own doctrine on the same topics in March 2025.

    Sciences Po applies a general principle of institutional restraint. This refocusing ensures the pluralism of opinions within the human, intellectual, and academic community that is Sciences Po.

    This principle is distinct from that of “neutrality” and does not imply the institution’s disengagement from all public debate. Positions taken by Sciences Po are indeed considered legitimate if they are linked to the primary missions of the institution.

    Read the doctrine

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Euro area monthly balance of payments: April 2025

    Source: European Central Bank

    18 June 2025

    • Current account recorded €20 billion surplus in April 2025, down from €51 billion in previous month
    • Current account surplus amounted to €419 billion (2.8% of euro area GDP) in the 12 months to April 2025, up from €339 billion (2.3%) one year earlier
    • In financial account, euro area residents’ net acquisitions of non-euro area portfolio investment securities totalled €690 billion and non-residents’ net acquisitions of euro area portfolio investment securities also totalled €690 billion in the 12 months to April 2025

    Chart 1

    Euro area current account balance

    (EUR billions unless otherwise indicated; working day and seasonally adjusted data)

    Source: ECB.

    The current account of the euro area recorded a surplus of €20 billion in April 2025, a decrease of €31 billion from the previous month (Chart 1 and Table 1). Surpluses were recorded for goods (€30 billion) and services (€ 7 billion), while the primary income account was balanced (€0 billion). A deficit was recorded for secondary income (€16 billion).

    Table 1

    Current account of the euro area

    Source: ECB.

    Note: Discrepancies between totals and their components may be due to rounding.

    Data for the current account of the euro area

    In the 12 months to April 2025, the current account surplus widened to €419 billion (2.8% of euro area GDP), up from a surplus of €339 billion (2.3% of euro area GDP) one year earlier. This increase was mainly driven by larger surpluses for goods (up from €342 billion to €384 billion), services (up from €140 billion to €164 billion) and primary income (up from €25 billion to €48 billion). These developments were partly offset by a larger deficit for secondary income (up from €168 billion to €176 billion).

    Chart 2

    Selected items of the euro area financial account

    (EUR billions; 12-month cumulated data)

    Source: ECB.

    Notes: For assets, a positive (negative) number indicates net purchases (sales) of non-euro area instruments by euro area investors. For liabilities, a positive (negative) number indicates net sales (purchases) of euro area instruments by non-euro area investors.

    In direct investment, euro area residents made net investments of €134 billion in non-euro area assets in the 12 months to April 2025, following net disinvestments of €192 billion one year earlier (Chart 2 and Table 2). Non-residents disinvested €20 billion in net terms from euro area assets in the 12 months to April 2025, following net disinvestments of €334 billion one year earlier.

    In portfolio investment, euro area residents’ net purchases of non-euro area equity increased to €135 billion in the 12 months to April 2025, up from €69 billion one year earlier. Over the same period, net purchases of non-euro area debt securities by euro-area residents increased to €555 billion, up from €459 billion one year earlier. Non-residents’ net purchases of euro area equity increased to €365 billion in the 12 months to April 2025, up from €207 billion one year earlier. Over the same period, non-residents made net purchases of euro area debt securities amounting to €325 billion, declining from net purchases of €412 billion one year earlier.

    Table 2

    Financial account of the euro area

    (EUR billions unless otherwise indicated; transactions; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted data)

    Source: ECB.

    Notes: Decreases in assets and liabilities are shown with a minus sign. Net financial derivatives are reported under assets. “MFIs” stands for monetary financial institutions. Discrepancies between totals and their components may be due to rounding.

    Data for the financial account of the euro area

    In other investment, euro area residents recorded net acquisitions of non-euro area assets amounting to €403 billion in the 12 months to April 2025 (following net acquisitions of €163 billion one year earlier), while they recorded net incurrences of liabilities of €122 billion (following net disposals of €142 billion one year earlier).

    Chart 3

    Monetary presentation of the balance of payments

    (EUR billions; 12-month cumulated data)

    Source: ECB.

    Notes: “MFI net external assets (enhanced)” incorporates an adjustment to the MFI net external assets (as reported in the consolidated MFI balance sheet items statistics) based on information on MFI long-term liabilities held by non-residents, available in b.o.p. statistics. B.o.p. transactions refer only to transactions of non-MFI residents of the euro area. Financial transactions are shown as liabilities net of assets. “Other” includes financial derivatives and statistical discrepancies.

    The monetary presentation of the balance of payments (Chart 3) shows that the net external assets (enhanced) of euro area MFIs increased by €452 billion in the 12 months to April 2025. This increase was driven by the current and capital accounts surplus and, to a lesser extent, by euro area non-MFIs’ net inflows in portfolio investment equity and debt and in other investment. These developments were partly offset by euro area non-MFIs’ net outflows in direct investment.

    In April 2025 the Eurosystem’s stock of reserve assets decreased to €1,496.9 billion from €1,511 billion in the previous month (Table 3). This decrease was driven by negative exchange rate changes (€18.0 billion) and, to a lesser extent, by negative price changes (€ 1.2 billion). These were partly offset by net acquisitions of assets (€ 5.2 billion).

    Table 3

    Reserve assets of the euro area

    (EUR billions; amounts outstanding at the end of the period, flows during the period; non-working day and non-seasonally adjusted data)

    Source: ECB.

    Notes: “Other reserve assets” comprises currency and deposits, securities, financial derivatives (net) and other claims. Discrepancies between totals and their components may be due to rounding.

    Data for the reserve assets of the euro area

    Data revisions

    This press release does not incorporate revisions to previous periods.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Lufthansa baggage collection and Check-in service now also available in the greater Cologne area

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    Lufthansa is further expanding its innovative baggage collection and check-in service for its passengers. In cooperation with its technology partner ‘Airportr’, Lufthansa already offers this convenient service to all travelers departing from Frankfurt. As of today, the service is also available to passengers traveling to Frankfurt Airport by train from the Cologne and Siegburg/Bonn areas. In addition, travelers with Discover Airlines can now also enjoy this innovation – both in the Frankfurt and Cologne areas.

    The idea is simple and convenient: passengers can have their suitcases and luggage collected from their home or hotel. The luggage is sealed, brought securely to the airport and checked in there. Travelers receive real-time updates via a personalized tracking link and a digital baggage tag receipt. Passengers can travel to the airport conveniently and without heavy luggage and go straight to the security checkpoint – they only collect their checked baggage at their destination.

    The convenient premium service saves time, is comfortable and makes travel easier, especially by public transport.

    Interested guests can book the offer via https://www.lufthansa.com/de/de/prepare-for-your-trip/baggage  up to 36 hours before departure. The service has been available to customers from the greater Frankfurt, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Hanau, Aschaffenburg, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Darmstadt and Bensheim areas since February. With immediate effect, passengers at Lufthansa Express Rail locations in Cologne and Siegburg/Bonn can also take advantage of the service: the service region has been extended to include the greater Cologne, Bonn, Leverkusen, Hürth and Brühl areas. The baggage collection service is available from as little as 29 euros, with prices varying depending on location and collection time.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Environmental justice Fashion waste from top UK brands found polluting endangered turtles’ habitat in Ghana Discarded clothes from Next, Asda and M&S found in protected wetlands threatened by fast-growing waste dumps Clothes discarded by UK consumers and exported to Ghana have been found in a… by Stefano Gelmini June 18, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Discarded clothes from Next, Asda and M&S found in protected wetlands threatened by fast-growing waste dumps

    Clothes discarded by UK consumers and exported to Ghana have been found in a huge new dumpsite growing inside internationally protected wetlands, an Unearthed and Greenpeace Africa investigation reveals. 

    Stills and footage of the waste dumps and the UK-branded clothing available here.

    Unearthed reporters have found garments from UK high-street brands Next, George at Asda, and Marks & Spencer inside the protected nature site home to rare birds and three species of turtles.

    The clothes were located at or close to two open-air waste dumps that have recently appeared inside the wetlands. Clothing items from M&S, Zara, H&M, and Primark were also found at a sprawling third dump just on a riverbank just outside the nature reserve, from where fashion waste often floats downstream, polluting the wetlands.

    Scientists are concerned about the impact on local wildlife of the microplastics and chemicals released from textile waste. Locals complain that their fishing nets, waterways and beaches are clogged with synthetic fast fashion exported to Ghana from the UK and Europe.

    Ghana is the world’s largest importer of used clothing, with 15 million items of discarded garments arriving each week [1]. The UK sent more fashion waste to Ghana last year – 57,000 tonnes according to UN trade data – than to any other country except the UAE [2]. But local officials estimate about 40% of each bale is unusable – torn, stained, or unsuitable for the climate. 

    This overspill has overwhelmed Accra, resulting in new waste dumps appearing just outside the capital. Unearthed reporters found two fast-growing tips inside a critical biodiversity area, the Densu Delta, designated a “Ramsar site”: a wetland of “international importance” under the Convention on Wetlands. One of the dumps, Glefe, has been established for just four years, according to Google Earth historical images, and it already looms taller than a two-storey building in places. The second, Akkaway, is less than a year old but rapidly expanding.

    The protected nature site provides a habitat for birds such as rare roseate terns, which migrate from the UK, and curlew sandpipers, which visit from the Arctic tundra. The endangered leatherback and green turtles lay their eggs on the conservation area’s beach, as does the Olive Ridley turtle, known for nesting en masse on the same beach where it hatched [3]. 

    Local people rely on the ecosystem for fishing and salt production. Unearthed has spoken to local fishermen who describe hauling in textile waste in their nets and blame it for a decline in fish stocks.

    Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace UK’s plastic campaigner Laura Burley said:

    “It’s heartbreaking to see a protected nature site turning into a waste dump because of our addiction to fast fashion. A dress designed to be worn just once or twice before being thrown away could pose a threat to rare birds and marine turtles in these protected wetlands for decades to come, while also harming people’s livelihoods. And with the majority of these garments made of plastic fibres, our throwaway clothes are adding to the plastic pollution choking our oceans. The UK government should force fashion retailers to take some responsibility for the waste they create while backing strong targets to cut plastic production in the UN Global Plastics Treaty.”

    Dr Jones Quartey, a wetland ecologist at the University of Ghana, told Unearthed that disposing of textiles in wetlands could cause irreparable harm. “This is dangerous – more so when we don’t know what chemicals are in the textile waste,” he said. “The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in aquatic organisms and humans could pose risks such as physical damage, chemical exposure and disruption of biological processes.”

    When contacted by Unearthed, the fashion labels acknowledged that the industry faces challenges around processing textile waste. M&S, George, and Primark said they run “take-back” schemes to help address the issue. H&M, Zara, and George said they would support an extended producer responsibility framework to hold labels accountable for their products’ end-of-life impact.  

    Read the full investigation here.

    ENDS

    Contact: Greenpeace UK news team at press.uk@greenpeace.org and on 020 7865 8255

    Stills and footage of the waste dumps and UK-branded clothes, as well as interviews with local people, can be downloaded here.

    Notes

    1. From a Greenpeace Africa report: https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/56381/fast-fashion-slow-poison-new-report-exposes-toxic-impact-of-global-textile-waste-in-ghana/
    2. UN trade data:
      https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?Frequency=A&Flows=X&CommodityCodes=6309&Partners=all&Reporters=826&period=2024&AggregateBy=none&BreakdownMode=plu
    3. https://ghanawildlife.org/densu.html

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Hilton to Triple its Presence in Africa to More Than 160 Hotels

    • Hilton expects to open more than 100 hotels in the coming years in markets including Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Angola and Madagascar
    • Most recent hotel openings include Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof, Hampton by Hilton Sandton Grayston and DoubleTree by Hilton Addis Ababa Airport
    • Hilton to make its Ghana debut later this year with the opening of Hilton Accra Cantonments
    • Hilton is currently hiring for 600 new hospitality jobs in Africa and expects to create 18,000 new positions as it expands its portfolio.

    Coinciding with Future Hospitality Summit Africa 2025, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced plans to almost triple its presence in Africa to more than 160 hotels trading in the coming years. Across its portfolio of market-leading brands, Hilton expects to open more than 100 hotels on the continent, supporting Africa’s burgeoning hospitality sector and creating approximately 18,000 jobs for local people.

    Carlos Khneisser, chief development officer, Middle East & Africa, Hilton, said, “We are thrilled to announce several new hotel agreements which significantly expand our footprint in Africa, a continent brimming with potential and opportunity. Our development strategy underscores our commitment to supporting Africa’s hospitality sector as we partner with owners to grow our footprint, deliver exceptional stays for our customers and create jobs for local people. Africa offers incredible opportunity, from thriving business hubs to vibrant cultures, wildlife, and natural landscapes. We are excited to unveil a host of new destinations building on Hilton’s legacy of hospitality across Africa for over 65 years.”  

    Hilton Debuts in Angola

    Hilton has made its Angolan debut with the signing of three properties – two in the capital city of Luanda under its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand and affordable and upscale Hilton Garden Inn brand, as well as one in Cabinda with a property under its award-winning DoubleTree by Hilton brand.

    Hilton Luanda Hotel Godinho

    Hilton has signed Hilton Luanda Hotel Godinho in partnership with Servicab S.A. The hotel is expected to open in 2027 and will feature 220 guest rooms and suites. Stretched along an 11,250-square-metre beachfront with unobstructed views of the ocean, the property will feature multiple dining options and over 1,000 square metres of event space.

    Hilton Garden Inn Luanda Airport

    Hilton has signed Hilton Garden Inn Luanda Airport in partnership with Crestigo. Set to open in 2028, Hilton Garden Inn Luanda Airport will feature 200 guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant and terrace, flexible meeting rooms, a fitness centre, a pool, and a rooftop bar. The hotel’s proximity to Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport and corporate business hubs makes it an ideal choice for business travellers.

    DoubleTree by Hilton Cabinda Futila Residences

    Hilton has also signed an agreement with Prodoil S.A. to debut its DoubleTree by Hilton brand in Angola. The property is expected to open in 2026 and will provide 290 contemporary apartments, including studio rooms, two and three-bedroom suites, as well as 10 three-bedroom oceanfront villas. It will also feature a restaurant, a swimming pool, and a natural lake.

    Additional Hilton Market Debuts

    Hilton Cotonou

    In Benin, Hilton has signed an agreement to open Hilton Cotonou in partnership with the Republic of Benin, through the Société de Développement Hôtelier du Bénin (SDHB). This landmark project marks Hilton’s official entry into the Beninese market.

    Scheduled to open in 2028, Hilton Cotonou will be strategically located on the Boulevard de la Marina, next to the Congress Palace, key government offices, and several international embassies. The hotel will feature 233 contemporary guest rooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant, a signature destination bar and terrace, a pool bar, a spa, an outdoor pool, and flexible meeting spaces designed for both business and social events.

    The project is expected to generate several hundred direct and indirect jobs across hospitality and related sectors. It will also enhance Benin’s capacity to host international conferences and events, reinforcing the country’s ambition to become an African hub for business and high-end tourism.

    Hilton & Hilton Garden Inn Antananarivo 

    Hilton has signed agreements to open two properties in Madagascar, marking Hilton’s re-entry into the country. Located in the heart of Madagascar’s capital and expected to open in 2028, Hilton Antananarivo will feature 170 guest rooms, multiple dining options, a ballroom, six meeting rooms, a fitness centre, spa and outdoor pool. Further South, Hilton Garden Inn Antananarivo will be part of a mixed-use development with retail and office spaces, making it ideal for business and leisure travellers. Set to open in 2027, the 120-guest room hotel will offer a restaurant, bar, flexible meeting rooms, a fitness centre, and an outdoor pool.

    Hilton’s Nigeria Expansion

    The Wave Hotel Abuja Jabi, Curio Collection by Hilton

    Located in Jabi, one of the capital’s most popular districts, The Wave Hotel Abuja Jabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, will feature 93 stylishly appointed guest rooms, upscale dining venues, an outdoor pool, and a wellness centre. Developed in partnership with The Wave Hotel Limited (OpCo), the hotel is set to open in 2026 and benefits from being a short 10-minute drive from Abuja’s Commercial Business District. Each hotel in Curio Collection is hand-picked to immerse guests in one-of-a-kind moments in the world’s most sought-after destinations, evoking a bespoke story through distinctive architecture and design, world-class food and beverage, and curated experiences. 

    Hilton Lagos Ikeja

    Hilton has signed Hilton Lagos Ikeja in partnership with Cornfield Group. Located in Ikeja’s government and residential hub, the hotel is strategically situated near corporate and governmental offices and in proximity to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Slated to open in 2029, the hotel will feature 200 modern guest rooms and suites – and offers elevated dining options such as an all-day dining restaurant, a signature restaurant, a lobby bar, a pool bar & grill, and a destination bar. The hotel will also include a spacious ballroom, four meeting rooms, and a fully equipped fitness centre.

    Hilton Garden Inn in Kano

    Marking Kano’s first internationally branded hotel, Hilton Garden Inn in Kano is being developed in partnership with Akhim Plus Limited. The hotel will offer 100 guest rooms, flexible meeting rooms, an outdoor pool, and a fitness centre. Expected to open in 2029, the hotel’s location near key sites including the Government House, Emir’s Palace, National Museum, Kano Race Course, Kano Golf Club, and Meena Event Centre makes it an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

    West Africa and East Africa

    Hampton by Hilton Accra Airport

    Hilton has signed Hampton by Hilton Accra Airport with Amani International Hospitality Limited – bringing Hampton by Hilton’s award-winning hospitality to Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport. Opening in 2026, Hampton by Hilton Accra Airport will include 170 guest rooms, a fully equipped fitness centre, an outdoor pool, and meeting spaces. The hotel will also offer a dynamic open-concept social space and a round-the-clock snacks shop. It will be a part of Airport Area Accra, a mixed-use development featuring malls and corporate offices.

    In Ethiopia, Hilton recently announced agreements with Brighton Hotels and Business Plc. to open two properties – DoubleTree by Hilton Adama and DoubleTree by Hilton Dire Dawa (http://apo-opa.co/4lbtHv2) – marking the first internationally branded hotels in the cities. Opening in 2028, these hotels further reaffirm Hilton’s commitment to expanding its presence in Ethiopia, with plans to reach eight trading properties across the country in the coming years.

    Hilton has also announced its Tanzanian re-entry with the signing of Canopy by Hilton Zanzibar The Burj (http://apo-opa.co/3ST8aeB), in partnership with CPS Live Limited. Expected to open in 2027, the lifestyle hotel will feature 162 inviting and sophisticated guest rooms and suites, elevated dining spaces, and a wide array of facilities. Located in the heart of Fumba Town and part of a mixed-use development, ‘BURJ Zanzibar,’ the property will offer unique experiences tailored to guests seeking authentic local experiences.

    North Africa

    Hilton continues to grow across North Africa, with plans to triple its portfolio in Egypt (http://apo-opa.co/4l58VNw) to more than 40 trading hotels across the country in the coming years. In Morocco, Hilton is set to more than double its portfolio (http://apo-opa.co/3G2a75u), with plans to bolster its luxury presence and introduce new brands. Hilton also recently signed a new DoubleTree by Hilton property in Fes, an ancient city whose medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    DoubleTree by Hilton Fes Golf

    In partnership with Le Clos de l’Atlas, Hilton is set to open DoubleTree by Hilton Fes Golf in 2028. The 109-guest room property will be located next to a golf course and will offer easy access to Fes’s many cultural attractions. The hotel will also be in close proximity to Fes’s industrial quarter and an upcoming convention centre, making it ideal for business travellers as well.

    Recent & Upcoming Openings

    In South Africa, Hilton recently opened Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof (http://apo-opa.co/4l4zrXe) in partnership with Growthpoint Properties, marking the lifestyle brand’s debut in South Africa. Located in the vibrant Longkloof precinct, the hotel features 154 spacious and modern guest rooms. Each hotel room reflects the country’s cultural richness through bold local art and design and colourful prints throughout its interiors. Ideally situated in Cape Town’s City Bowl, the property offers easy access to Table Mountain, Camps Bay, and the V&A Waterfront. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s signature restaurant, Ongetem, led by renowned chef Bertus Basson, celebrating South African culinary heritage with bold, contemporary flair.

    Hilton also recently opened DoubleTree by Hilton Addis Ababa Airport (http://apo-opa.co/44lFtgD) in Ethiopia. Located just minutes from Bole Addis Ababa International Airport, the property offers a complimentary airport shuttle, a rooftop restaurant, and proximity to the various events at Millenium Hall. Last year, Hilton opened the first Hampton by Hilton in Africa in South Africa with Hampton by Hilton Sandton Grayston (http://apo-opa.co/4lfuafR), bringing the brand’s friendly and authentic service to Johannesburg’s financial and shopping district.

    Later this year, Hilton expects to open its first hotel in Ghana with Hilton Accra Cantonments in partnership with High Street Development Company. Located in Cantonments, an upscale suburb which is home to multiple embassies and high commissions, the hotel will feature 145 guest rooms and a range of dining options including an all-day dining restaurant, a lobby lounge and pool bar. The hotel will offer a gym, spa, and outdoor swimming pool, as well as more than 900 square metres of event space including a ballroom, seven meeting rooms and an executive boardroom.

    Hilton currently operates 63 hotels in Africa, with more than 100 under development. All hotels will be part of Hilton Honors, Hilton’s award-winning loyalty programme with over 218 million members globally. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Bench.

    Contact:
    Maya Chacko
    Hilton
    maya.chacko@hilton.com

    Connect with Hilton on: 
    Facebook: http://apo-opa.co/4lhOgGl
    X: http://apo-opa.co/40b5fSe
    LinkedIn: http://apo-opa.co/4lbh2Ij
    Instagram: http://apo-opa.co/40bQpeh  
    YouTube: http://apo-opa.co/3Ti1Uxf

    About Hilton:
    Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio (http://apo-opa.co/3G4U0nJ) of 24 world-class brands comprising more than 8,600 properties and nearly 1.3 million rooms, in 139 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 218 million Hilton Honors (http://apo-opa.co/3Ti1Q0t) members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy. With the free Hilton Honors app (http://apo-opa.co/4lf8yjz), guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit http://stories.Hilton.com for more information.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Copper Scramble: African Mining Week to Examine Merger & Acquisition (M&A) Deals


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    The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference (http://apo-opa.co/3I0IzOl) – scheduled for October 1–3, 2025, in Cape Town – will spotlight how Merger & Acquisition (M&A) deals are propelling the continent’s copper industry forward. A power chat will take place, titled The Copper Scramble: How Mergers are Reshaping the Global Supply Chain. The session is expected to unpack the impact M&A deals have had and will continue to play on Africa’s copper industry, highlighting recent deals and investment opportunities across the market.

    Driven by the global energy transition and the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, African countries are leveraging the surge in copper demand to boost investments across the value chain. Strengthened policies, underexplored mining acreage and emerging investment opportunities have enticed a string of M&A activity, particularly across major copper producers in Africa. The AMW 2025 session on copper will explore how recent mergers are driving production across select markets.

    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.

    Striving to produce three million tons of copper per annum by 2031, Zambia – the continent’s second-largest copper producer – has witnessed several impactful M&A deals recently. These include the $1.1 billion acquisition of the Mopani Mine in 2024 made by UAE-based International Resource Holdings (http://apo-opa.co/4jZBWJN), set to increase copper production to 300,000 tons within three years, and China’s JCHX Mining Management (http://apo-opa.co/3Ttgthj) acquisition of the Lubambe Mine, which will see $300 million injected to increase production. U.S.-based startup KoBold Metals has also committed over $2 billion following its acquisition of the Dumbwa and Konkola West projects, further accelerating Zambia’s copper output ambitions. Other international players, including Mercuria and Patriot Lithium, have also entered the Zambian market via M&A deals, aiming to tap into the mineral-rich Central African Copperbelt.

     In Botswana, recent M&A deals aim to unlock the potential of the Kalahari Copper Belt, which stretches into Namibia. Mining firm BHP secured stakes in Cobre Limited in March 2025, gaining access to Tier 1 copper assets in Botswana. The company plans to invest $25 million in exploration, including seismic surveys and deep diamond drilling, to assess resource potential. Additionally, China’s MMG Limited (http://apo-opa.co/4jYVNIZ) has announced a $700 million investment to double output at the Khoemacau Mine after acquiring it from Canada’s Cuprous Capital in 2024.

    As Africa continues to attract global investment and deepen strategic partnerships, AMW 2025 will serve as a vital platform to connect international investors with high-value M&A opportunities, reinforcing Africa’s position as a critical player in the global copper supply chain.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

    MIL OSI Africa –