It’s a good day at the Kuajok prison—a baby has been born, and this tiny little life is emblematic of the positive impact prison reforms, particularly vocational training, has been having on the lives of inmates.
As a visiting team from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) traversed the prison corridors, male prisoners are singing popular songs. In a few minutes, they’ll be heading to a class in accounting.
Their female counterparts are engaged in tailoring lessons.
The Deputy Director of the prison, Joseph Akol Lual, says that these trainings, which were funded by the UN Peacekeeping mission in 2023, have greatly helped build morale and motivation among inmates.
“Our main purpose as a prison facility is to ensure that those incarcerated are treated with dignity and they have an opportunity to become productive members of society upon completion of their sentences,” he explains.
“By learning new skills, prisoners are becoming more confident in their ability to make a living once they are released. This feeling of being economically empowered fuels them every day.”
Mr Lual’s words resonate with those participating in this skills programme.
“I love designing clothes and making them. So, I pay great attention to my tailoring classes here. When I finish my time in prison, I’m confident that I can start my own small business and make women feel beautiful in my creations,” said a female inmate who prefers not to be named.
Women serving time in the Kuajok prison have been supported by the UN Peacekeeping mission in other ways as well, particularly through the construction of a perimeter wall separating male and female prison quarters.
“We were approached by prison authorities to help ensure that women inmates were not at risk of sexual violence and we funded the construction of a perimeter wall to give female prisoners privacy and safety through our Quick Impact Projects programme. We also trained women prisoners to contribute to the building of their own space,” says Precious Chinamasa, an UNMISS Corrections Officer, who facilitated the project.
Today, the women and men detained at this prison have compounds that are characterized by spaciousness and safety. Weather permitting, they also cultivate basic crops in case local vendors are unable to deliver essential food items, a common situation, especially during the rainy season.
Such sustainable steps to reform prisons go a long way to ensure that when it’s time for their release, prisoners can look forward to reintegrating fully into their families and communities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The 32nd Annual Meetings of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), also known as AAM2025, witnessed a flurry of deal signings with four project preparation transactions signed between the Bank and various entities that are expected to unlock investments valued at about US$ 1.0 billion.
In an agreement signed by Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, for Afreximbank, and Mrs. Temwani Simwaka, CEO, for NBS Bank Plc (NBS), Malawi, the two institutions executed a Joint Project Preparation Facility Framework Agreement under which they will pool resources to provide early project preparatory financing to progress projects in Malawi from pre-feasibility stage to bankability in a timely manner.
As set out in the agreement, Afreximbank and NBS will support public and private sector investors by availing financing and technical support services to de-risk projects in priority sectors, including energy, transport and logistics, logistical platforms (such as special economic zones and industrial parks), manufacturing, agro-processing, hospitality and tourism, extractives, solid minerals, and services (such as ICT, healthcare, and creative economy). Embedded in the framework agreement is a capacity building programme that will empower NBS staff to undertake project preparation activities in the medium term.
Afreximbank and NBS expect to bring onstream investments of about US$ 300 million in Malawi in the near term.
In another transaction, Afreximbank signed a US$ 4.4-million Project Preparation Facility Agreement in favour of Med Aditus Pharmaceutical Kenya Limited. The facility will be deployed to finance the preparation of feasibility and bankability studies towards the development of a state-of-the-art fill and finish pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, with a production capacity of at least two billion tablets and capsules per annum, located in Kibos, Kisumu County, Kenya.
The project will improve access to quality, affordable life-saving medicines across the Great Lakes region, contributing to better health outcomes in a region that contends with heavy loads of infectious and other diseases. The project will also facilitate medical and manufacturing blockchain technology transfer to Africa, supporting the long-term growth and strengthening the wider region’s health sector. The project preparation facility will bring onstream assets of about US$ 40 million.
Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, signed the agreement on behalf of Afreximbank while Dr. Dhiren Thakker, Founder and CEO of Med Aditus Pharma, signed for his company.
Afreximbank also signed a Heads of Terms agreement for a US$4.4-million project preparation facility in favour of Green Hybrid Power Private Limited. The facility will be deployed towards the preparation of bankability and feasibility studies and procurement of transaction advisors for a 1-Gigawatt (GW) hybrid floating solar photovoltaic power system on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
The project, to be implemented in two phases, includes a pilot phase targeting a generation capacity of 500 MW to be sold wholly to the Intensive Energy Users Group, a consortium of blue-chip industrial and mining energy users in Zimbabwe, under a “take-or-pay” 20-year power purchase agreement with a cost-reflective tariff. The project is expected to supply affordable and reliable power that will support value-addition and beneficiation of Zimbabwe’s minerals, thereby boosting the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
The project preparation facility will unlock an investment estimated at US$ 350 million.
Signing the agreement were Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, on behalf of Afreximbank, and Mr. Eddie Cross, Chairman, for Green Hybrid Power Private Limited.
Afreximbank, in addition, signed a Project Preparation Facility Heads of Terms Agreement of US$ 4.0 million in favour of Proton Energy Limited, a Nigerian independent power producer. The facility will be deployed towards financing the preparation of feasibility studies and procurement of transaction advisory services for the development of a grid-connected gas-fired power plant with a nameplate capacity of 500 MW in Sapele, Nigeria. The project will commence with an initial generation capacity of 150 MW.
The project will evacuate the electricity generated primarily to Eko Electricity Distribution Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement with a cost-reflective tariff.
The facility is expected to bring on stream assets estimated at US$ 300 million.
Signing the agreement were Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, on behalf of Afreximbank, and Mr. Oti Ikomi, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, for Proton Energy Limited.
AAM2025 took place from 25 to 28 June and attracted an estimated 8,000 participants, including presidents, prime ministers, ministers and business leaders, from across Africa, the Caribbean and beyond. It ended with the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders where Dr. George Elombi was appointed the next President of the Bank who succeeds Prof. Benedict Oramah whose tenure is ending after two five-year terms in the position.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
Media Contact: Vincent Musumba Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) Email: press@afreximbank.com
About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
URUMQI, July 21 (Xinhua) — Tianshan International Airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has expanded its international cargo air transportation network to 34 routes, linking 19 countries in Central and West Asia, Europe and Africa, airport operator Xinjiang Airport Group said Monday.
Following the commissioning of the new terminal on April 17, as of June the airport handled 46,000 tons of international cargo and mail, showing a 659 percent increase year-on-year and exceeding the figure for the whole of 2024.
Xinjiang Airport Group Chairman Tao Runwen emphasized the role of Tianshan Airport as one of the key air gateways of the Silk Road Economic Belt, noting that the rapid expansion of the international cargo route network is facilitated by the simultaneous development of both passenger and cargo transportation.
Key air routes served by the airport include a 10-hour flight to Zurich in Switzerland and a 7.5-hour direct flight to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on the African continent. These routes have significantly increased logistics efficiency.
According to Xinjiang Airport Group, Tianshan Airport’s innovative measures, such as the implementation of a 24-hour pre-application customs clearance mechanism with priority inspection, have ensured “zero delay” for cargo containing perishable goods and high-precision equipment, and improved customs efficiency by more than 40 percent.
Further expansion of the air cargo network is currently planned, including the opening of new routes to Madrid and Paris in late 2025. By the end of this year, the airport is expected to serve a total of 40 international cargo routes. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)
Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) led a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. The letter urges the Commerce Department to continue pursuing policies that will cement the United States as the world capital of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Specifically, the Members of Congress are advocating for Secretary Lutnick to pursue a well-balanced strategy that limits foreign adversaries’ ability to develop frontier AI and enables American companies to compete quickly in the global marketplace.
Reps. Jack Bergman, Andrew Garbarino, Diana Harshbarger, Robert Wittman, John McGuire, Ben Cline, and Vern Buchanan joined Congressman Alford in sending the letter to Secretary Lutnick.
Read the full letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnickhere.
Read key excerpts from the letter below:
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is shaping emerging technologies globally and positioned as the world capital of artificial intelligence (AI). The President’s cabinet is unshackling American energy, cutting burdensome red tape, and unwinding Biden’s bad policies. One important example of bolstering American prosperity was your decision to rescind and replace the Biden administration’s AI Diffusion Rule. This rule would have helped China win the AI race, and replacing this rule quickly will provide American innovators a stable environment to compete and win. …
“While we are currently ahead of Communist China in the AI race, we must continue to help our nation, companies, and innovators succeed. Failure to maintain our lead in AI development means that we could be at the mercy of Communist China for many critical industries. Examples include cryptography, next-generation pharmaceuticals, and advanced defense materials. President Trump has been at the forefront of securing investment during his recent successful trip to the Middle East. He closed deals promoting U.S. technology as the global standard and secured landmark investments in frontier AI development at home. We must continue to capitalize on this momentum by ensuring allies and partners building out their AI investments see the U.S. as the superior, most reliable partner.
“One crucial next step in this competition is providing American innovators, exporters, and nations around the world a stable exporting structure. Mr. Secretary, your testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee included key elements of an AI diffusion framework that would enable American AI diffusion around the world while also limiting China’s ability to develop frontier AI. The Trump administration should not return to Biden’s tiers and caps that confused close allies and partners. …
“We can only win the AI race with Communist China if we are wisely limiting our foreign adversary’s opportunities to develop frontier AI and enabling American companies to compete quickly in the global marketplace. Both prongs are important and the balance between them are crucial. America is winning the AI race, but the competition has been hard fought and will continue to be. Steps must be taken quickly since investments happening now will create the world’s tech ecosystem for decades to come. …”
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — China’s State Council announced on Monday new appointments to a number of ministries, departments and agencies.
Xie Yuansheng was appointed Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China. Lin Zhifeng was appointed Vice Minister of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China.
Liu Jianqiao has been appointed deputy head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
Zhao Jianheng has been appointed deputy director of the China Research Institute of Engineering Physics. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed a State Council regulation on issuing regulations for the high-quality development of the rental housing market to build a housing construction system that is favorable for both rental and purchase.
The new regulations, which will come into effect on September 15, emphasize the integration of the leading role of the market and the guiding role of the government in the development of the sector. They also encourage an increase in the supply of rental housing through multiple channels and promote the development of market-oriented professional rental housing enterprises.
The document sets out rules governing the rental business and the conduct of rental businesses and brokerage agencies. Rental brokerage agencies must verify and record information provided by authorized representatives, conduct on-site inspections of properties before listing them, and clearly state the prices for their services, the document states.
The document stresses the need to strengthen supervision and management of the rental housing sector. Local people’s governments at or above the city level with district divisions should establish a mechanism to monitor housing rents and regularly publish information on rental prices.
The document provides for strict legal liability for illegal actions of landlords, tenants, rental housing companies, brokerage agencies and employees of relevant government agencies. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, July 21 /Xinhua/ — The delegations of Russia and Ukraine at the talks on the Ukrainian settlement have a lot of diplomatic work ahead of them, since the memorandums on a ceasefire proposed by the countries are diametrically opposed, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
“There is our draft memorandum, there is a draft memorandum that was submitted by the Ukrainian side. There is an exchange of opinions and, in fact, negotiations on these two projects, which are currently absolutely diametrically opposed. Therefore, a lot of diplomatic work is ahead,” TASS quotes D. Peskov as saying.
Commenting on media reports that a new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place this week, he noted that the Kremlin would inform about this as soon as there is an understanding of the dates. “We are in favor of holding a third round. As soon as there is a final understanding of the dates, we will inform you immediately,” the Russian president’s press secretary assured. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Lucy Williams, left, and Dr Katrina McDonald in their GB Students kit ahead of the World University Games
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is set to play a key role in the GB Students’ medal charge at the World University Games, taking place in the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany.
ARU student and top-ranked British judoka Lucy Williams is part of the three-woman judo squad, which is being coached by ARU lecturer Dr Katrina McDonald, and the pair fly out to Germany today.
The World University Games is one of the largest multi-sports events to be staged this year, attracting around 8,500 student athletes and officials from over 150 countries.
Lucy has represented Great Britain at senior level and is currently ranked as Britain’s number one in the over 78kg category. She’s studying for a Masters in Physiotherapy at ARU’s Cambridge campus, having originally completed a BSc degree in Sport and Exercise Therapy at ARU.
Lucy won a bronze medal last summer at the European University Games in Hungary, and she’s joined in the GB Students women’s judo squad this week by Tatum Keen and Summer Shaw.
“I am super excited for the three athletes selected. Even though it’s a small team, the judoka are of excellent calibre, and all are looking to medal. It’s a high-level tournament with current Senior World Champions in the event.
“Keeping a high level of training whilst studying is commendable but in judo, as a combat sport, it is truly remarkable. The athletes have worked really hard for this opportunity, and I am delighted to be able to assist in this part of their judo journey.”
Dr Katrina McDonald, Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching at ARU and the squad’s coach
The World University Games have a long history – the first precursor event to the Games, the International Universities Championships, took place in Paris in 1923 – and the biennial event was last held in Chengdu, China in 2023.
Judo is one of 18 different sports being contested at the World University Games, and the judo competition begins in the city of Essen on Wednesday.
A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower in return for opaque assurances of security.
The peace deal, signed in June 2025, aims to end three decades of conflict between the DRC and Rwanda.
The peace that the June 2025 deal promises, therefore, hinges on chaining mineral supply to the US in exchange for Washington’s powerful – but vaguely formulated – military oversight.
The peace agreement further establishes a joint oversight committee – with representatives from the African Union, Qatar and the US – to receive complaints and resolve disputes between the DRC and Rwanda.
But beyond the joint oversight committee, the peace deal creates no specific security obligations for the US.
This latest peace deal introduces a resources-for-security arrangement. Such deals aren’t new in Africa. They first emerged in the early 2000s as resources-for-infrastructure transactions. Here, a foreign state would agree to build economic and social infrastructure (roads, ports, airports, hospitals) in an African state. In exchange, it would get a major stake in a government-owned mining company. Or gain preferential access to the host country’s minerals.
We have studied mineral law and governance in Africa for more than 20 years. The question that emerges now is whether a US-brokered resources-for-security agreement will help the DRC benefit from its resources.
This is because resources-for-security is the latest version of a resource-bartering approach that China and Russia pioneered in countries such as Angola, the Central African Republic and the DRC.
Resource bartering in Africa has eroded the sovereignty and bargaining power of mineral-rich nations such as the DRC and Angola.
Further, resources-for-security deals are less transparent and more complicated than prior resource bartering agreements.
DRC’s security gaps
The DRC is endowed with major deposits of critical minerals like cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum. These are the building blocks for 21st century technologies: artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, wind energy and military security hardware. Rwanda has less mineral wealth than its neighbour, but is the world’s third-largest producer of tantalum, used in electronics, aerospace and medical devices.
The DRC government has failed to extend security over its vast (2.3 million square kilometres) and diverse territory (109 million people, representing 250 ethnic groups). Limited resources, logistical challenges and corruption have weakened its armed forces.
This context makes the United States’ military backing enormously attractive. But our research shows there are traps.
What states risk losing
Resources-for-infrastructure and resources-for-security deals generally offer African nations short-term stability, financing or global goodwill. However, the costs are often long-term because of an erosion of sovereign control.
Here’s how this happens:
certain clauses in such contracts can freeze future regulatory reforms, limiting legislative autonomy
other clauses may lock in low prices for years, leaving resource-selling states unable to benefit when commodity prices surge
Examples of loss or near-loss of sovereignty from these sorts of deals abound in Africa.
For instance, Angola’s US$2 billion oil-backed loan from China Eximbank in 2004. This was repayable in monthly deliveries of oil, with revenues directed to Chinese-controlled accounts. The loan’s design deprived Angolan authorities of decision-making power over that income stream even before the oil was extracted.
These deals also fragment accountability. They often span multiple ministries (such as defence, mining and trade), avoiding robust oversight or accountability. Fragmentation makes resource sectors vulnerable to elite capture. Powerful insiders can manipulate agreements for private gain.
In the DRC, this has created a violent kleptocracy, where resource wealth is systematically diverted away from popular benefit.
Finally, there is the risk of re-entrenching extractive trauma. Communities displaced for mining and environmental degradation in many countries across Africa illustrate the long-standing harm to livelihoods, health and social cohesion.
These are not new problems. But where extraction is tied to security or infrastructure, such damage risks becoming permanent features, not temporary costs.
What needs to change
Critical minerals are “critical” because they’re hard to mine or substitute. Additionally, their supply chains are strategically vulnerable and politically exposed. Whoever controls these minerals controls the future. Africa must make sure it doesn’t trade that future away.
In a world being reshaped by global interests in critical minerals, African states must not underestimate the strategic value of their mineral resources. They hold considerable leverage.
But leverage only works if it is wielded strategically. This means:
investing in institutional strength and legal capacity to negotiate better deals
demanding local value creation and addition
requiring transparency and parliamentary oversight for minerals-related agreements
refusing deals that bypass human rights, environmental or sovereignty standards.
Africa has the resources. It must hold on to the power they wield.
Hanri Mostert receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. She is a member of the Expropriation Expert Group and a steering committee member of the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Academic Advisory Group (AAG) in the Sector for Energy, Environmental, Resources and Infrastructure Law (SEERIL).
Tracy-Lynn Field receives funding from the Claude Leon Foundation. She is a non-executive director of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hanri Mostert, SARChI Chair for Mineral Law in Africa, University of Cape Town
A US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda binds the two African nations to a worrying arrangement: one where a country signs away its mineral resources to a superpower in return for opaque assurances of security.
The peace deal, signed in June 2025, aims to end three decades of conflict between the DRC and Rwanda.
The peace that the June 2025 deal promises, therefore, hinges on chaining mineral supply to the US in exchange for Washington’s powerful – but vaguely formulated – military oversight.
The peace agreement further establishes a joint oversight committee – with representatives from the African Union, Qatar and the US – to receive complaints and resolve disputes between the DRC and Rwanda.
But beyond the joint oversight committee, the peace deal creates no specific security obligations for the US.
This latest peace deal introduces a resources-for-security arrangement. Such deals aren’t new in Africa. They first emerged in the early 2000s as resources-for-infrastructure transactions. Here, a foreign state would agree to build economic and social infrastructure (roads, ports, airports, hospitals) in an African state. In exchange, it would get a major stake in a government-owned mining company. Or gain preferential access to the host country’s minerals.
We have studied mineral law and governance in Africa for more than 20 years. The question that emerges now is whether a US-brokered resources-for-security agreement will help the DRC benefit from its resources.
This is because resources-for-security is the latest version of a resource-bartering approach that China and Russia pioneered in countries such as Angola, the Central African Republic and the DRC.
Resource bartering in Africa has eroded the sovereignty and bargaining power of mineral-rich nations such as the DRC and Angola.
Further, resources-for-security deals are less transparent and more complicated than prior resource bartering agreements.
DRC’s security gaps
The DRC is endowed with major deposits of critical minerals like cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and tantalum. These are the building blocks for 21st century technologies: artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, wind energy and military security hardware. Rwanda has less mineral wealth than its neighbour, but is the world’s third-largest producer of tantalum, used in electronics, aerospace and medical devices.
The DRC government has failed to extend security over its vast (2.3 million square kilometres) and diverse territory (109 million people, representing 250 ethnic groups). Limited resources, logistical challenges and corruption have weakened its armed forces.
This context makes the United States’ military backing enormously attractive. But our research shows there are traps.
What states risk losing
Resources-for-infrastructure and resources-for-security deals generally offer African nations short-term stability, financing or global goodwill. However, the costs are often long-term because of an erosion of sovereign control.
Here’s how this happens:
Examples of loss or near-loss of sovereignty from these sorts of deals abound in Africa.
For instance, Angola’s US$2 billion oil-backed loan from China Eximbank in 2004. This was repayable in monthly deliveries of oil, with revenues directed to Chinese-controlled accounts. The loan’s design deprived Angolan authorities of decision-making power over that income stream even before the oil was extracted.
These deals also fragment accountability. They often span multiple ministries (such as defence, mining and trade), avoiding robust oversight or accountability. Fragmentation makes resource sectors vulnerable to elite capture. Powerful insiders can manipulate agreements for private gain.
In the DRC, this has created a violent kleptocracy, where resource wealth is systematically diverted away from popular benefit.
Finally, there is the risk of re-entrenching extractive trauma. Communities displaced for mining and environmental degradation in many countries across Africa illustrate the long-standing harm to livelihoods, health and social cohesion.
These are not new problems. But where extraction is tied to security or infrastructure, such damage risks becoming permanent features, not temporary costs.
What needs to change
Critical minerals are “critical” because they’re hard to mine or substitute. Additionally, their supply chains are strategically vulnerable and politically exposed. Whoever controls these minerals controls the future. Africa must make sure it doesn’t trade that future away.
In a world being reshaped by global interests in critical minerals, African states must not underestimate the strategic value of their mineral resources. They hold considerable leverage.
But leverage only works if it is wielded strategically. This means:
investing in institutional strength and legal capacity to negotiate better deals
demanding local value creation and addition
requiring transparency and parliamentary oversight for minerals-related agreements
refusing deals that bypass human rights, environmental or sovereignty standards.
Africa has the resources. It must hold on to the power they wield.
– Africa’s minerals are being bartered for security: why it’s a bad idea – https://theconversation.com/africas-minerals-are-being-bartered-for-security-why-its-a-bad-idea-260594
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — A total of 2,139 freight trains passed through Manzhouli Port on China-Europe international freight routes in the first half of this year, the press service of the people’s government of the city of the same name in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region said Monday.
These trains transported about 228 thousand standard containers /twenty-foot equivalent unit, TEU/. In particular, 1,360 similar trains passed through this border crossing in the opposite direction, delivering more than 141 thousand TEU to China. Compared to the same period last year, both indicators increased by 7.4 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively.
As of last month, in terms of the volume of freight train transportation on return trips through the Manzhouli border crossing, this border crossing has been ranked first in the country for six months in a row.
The Manzhouli checkpoint is located on the border of China with the Zabaikalsky Krai of Russia. Currently, China-Europe freight trains entering China connect Manzhouli with more than 60 cities in the country, including Harbin, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The range of products imported to China through this checkpoint includes essential goods, electronics, cars, edible oil, lumber, etc. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — China has launched the sixth round of routine disciplinary inspections by the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee). As of Sunday, teams of inspectors had been dispatched to 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government, according to an official statement released Monday.
In addition, joint inspections will be carried out in 10 sub-provincial cities in cooperation with relevant inspection authorities at the provincial level.
According to the statement, the work under the new round of disciplinary inspections will focus on violations of political and organizational discipline, as well as discipline in following the principles of honesty and integrity, discipline in relation to the masses, labor and everyday discipline.
Teams of inspectors will be deployed to designated units for a period of approximately two and a half months. Access to duty telephone lines and mailboxes will be open to receive messages and complaints from the public until September 23 this year. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The final of Rosneft’s corporate creative festival “Energy of Talents” was held in Moscow at the Mosproducer conference center, in which employees of 44 of the Company’s enterprises from all over the country took part.
Rosneft has been holding annual creative festivals for its employees since 2011. In 2025, more than 7,000 people from 59 Group Companies applied to participate in the Energy of Talents selection round, which was held online. The jury members viewed hundreds of creative numbers in various nominations.
Participants who qualified for the final competed over two days in dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, original genre, fine art and photography. Winners in six nominations were selected by a professional jury, with voting in two nominations taking place online.
Between performances, participants and spectators had the opportunity to take master classes under the guidance of professional teachers in choreography, vocals, acting, public speaking and instrumental genres.
The company supports significant projects in Russian cultural life that are aimed at reviving and preserving spiritual and national values. With the support of the Company, the State Hermitage Museum has been holding various exhibitions and expositions since 2018. Thus, in 2024, the museum opened an updated permanent exhibition “Culture and Art of China”.
With the Company’s support, the Mariinsky Theatre artists under the direction of Valery Gergiev performed in Qatar with the production of “A Thousand and One Nights”; a concert dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Alexandra Pakhmutova was held in Volgograd; a number of exhibitions were organized at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow. In 2023-2024, Tatyana Navka’s ice shows “Evenings on a Farm” and “The Nutcracker” were held in Moscow, and the show “The Love Story of Scheherazade” toured in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Department of Information and AdvertisingPJSC NK RosneftJuly 21, 2025
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
“India is on the Moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the Moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed signified that this achievement wasn’t just a scientific one, but a cultural one.
India’s successful lunar landing prompted celebrations across the country, like this one in Mumbai. AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade
With more countries joining the evolving space economy, many of our colleagues in space strategy, policy ethics and law have celebrated the democratization of space: the hope that space is now more accessible for diverse participants.
Major players like the U.S., the European Union and China may once have dominated space and seen it as a place to try out new commercial and military ventures. Emerging new players in space, like other countries, commercial interests and nongovernmental organizations, may have other goals and rationales. Unexpected new initiatives from these newcomers could shift perceptions of space from something to dominate and possess to something more inclusive, equitable and democratic.
We address these emerging and historical tensions in a paper published in May 2025 in the journal Nature, in which we describe the difficulties and importance of including nontraditional actors and Indigenous peoples in the space industry.
Continuing inequalities among space players
Not all countries’ space agencies are equal. Newer agencies often don’t have the same resources behind them that large, established players do.
The U.S. and Chinese programs receive much more funding than those of any other country. Because they are most frequently sending up satellites and proposing new ideas puts them in the position to establish conventions for satellite systems, landing sites and resource extraction that everyone else may have to follow.
Sometimes, countries may have operated on the assumption that owning a satellite would give them the appearance of soft or hard geopolitical power as a space nation – and ultimately gain relevance.
Small satellites, called CubeSats, are becoming relatively affordable and easy to develop, allowing more players, from countries and companies to universities and student groups, to have a satellite in space. NASA/Butch Wilmore, CC BY-NC
In reality, student groups of today can develop small satellites, called CubeSats, autonomously, and recent scholarship has concluded that even successful space missions may negatively affect the international relationships between some countries and their partners. The respect a country expects to receive may not materialize, and the costs to keep up can outstrip gains in potential prestige.
Environmental protection and Indigenous perspectives
Usually, building the infrastructure necessary to test and launch rockets requires a remote area with established roads. In many cases, companies and space agencies have placed these facilities on lands where Indigenous peoples have strong claims, which can lead to land disputes, like in western Australia.
Many of these sites have already been subject to human-made changes, through mining and resource extraction in the past. Many sites have been ground zero for tensions with Indigenous peoples over land use. Within these contested spaces, disputes are rife.
Because of these tensions around land use, it is important to include Indigenous claims and perspectives. Doing so can help make sure that the goal of protecting the environments of outer space and Earth are not cast aside while building space infrastructure here on Earth.
Some efforts are driving this more inclusive approach to engagement in space, including initiatives like “Dark and Quiet Skies”, a movement that works to ensure that people can stargaze and engage with the stars without noise or sound pollution. This movement and other inclusive approaches operate on the principle of reciprocity: that more players getting involved with space can benefit all.
Researchers have recognized similar dynamics within the larger space industry. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that even though the space industry is “pay to play,” commitments to reciprocity can help ensure that players in space exploration who may not have the financial or infrastructural means to support individual efforts can still access broader structures of support.
The downside of more players entering space is that this expansion can make protecting the environment – both on Earth and beyond – even harder.
The more players there are, at both private and international levels, the more difficult sustainable space exploration could become. Even with good will and the best of intentions, it would be difficult to enforce uniform standards for the exploration and use of space resources that would protect the lunar surface, Mars and beyond.
It may also grow harder to police the launch of satellites and dedicated constellations. Limiting the number of satellites could prevent space junk, protect the satellites already in orbit and allow everyone to have a clear view of the night sky. However, this would have to compete with efforts to expand internet access to all.
The amount of space junk in orbit has increased dramatically since the 1960s.
What is space exploration for?
Before tackling these issues, we find it useful to think about the larger goal of space exploration, and what the different approaches are. One approach would be the fast and inclusive democratization of space – making it easier for more players to join in. Another would be a more conservative and slower “big player” approach, which would restrict who can go to space.
The conservative approach is liable to leave developing nations and Indigenous peoples firmly on the outside of a key process shaping humanity’s shared future.
But a faster and more inclusive approach to space would not be easy to run. More serious players means it would be harder to come to an agreement about regulations, as well as the larger goals for human expansion into space.
Narratives around emerging technologies, such as those required for space exploration, can change over time, as people begin to see them in action.
Technology that we take for granted today was once viewed as futuristic or fantastical, and sometimes with suspicion. For example, at the end of the 1940s, George Orwell imagined a world in which totalitarian systems used tele-screens and videoconferencing to control the masses.
Earlier in the same decade, Thomas J. Watson, then president of IBM, notoriously predicted that there would be a global market for about five computers. We as humans often fear or mistrust future technologies.
However, not all technological shifts are detrimental, and some technological changes can have clear benefits. In the future, robots may perform tasks too dangerous, too difficult or too dull and repetitive for humans. Biotechnology may make life healthier. Artificial intelligence can sift through vast amounts of data and turn it into reliable guesswork. Researchers can also see genuine downsides to each of these technologies.
Space exploration is harder to squeeze into one streamlined narrative about the anticipated benefits. The process is just too big and too transformative.
To return to the question if we should go to space, our team argues that it is not a question of whether or not we should go, but rather a question of why we do it, who benefits from space exploration and how we can democratize access to broader segments of society. Including a diversity of opinions and viewpoints can help find productive ways forward.
Ultimately, it is not necessary for everyone to land on one single narrative about the value of space exploration. Even our team of four researchers doesn’t share a single set of beliefs about its value. But bringing more nations, tribes and companies into discussions around its potential value can help create collaborative and worthwhile goals at an international scale.
Tony Milligan receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 856543).
Adam Fish, Deondre Smiles, and Timiebi Aganaba do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
“India is on the Moon,” S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the Moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed signified that this achievement wasn’t just a scientific one, but a cultural one.
India’s successful lunar landing prompted celebrations across the country, like this one in Mumbai. AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade
With more countries joining the evolving space economy, many of our colleagues in space strategy, policy ethics and law have celebrated the democratization of space: the hope that space is now more accessible for diverse participants.
Major players like the U.S., the European Union and China may once have dominated space and seen it as a place to try out new commercial and military ventures. Emerging new players in space, like other countries, commercial interests and nongovernmental organizations, may have other goals and rationales. Unexpected new initiatives from these newcomers could shift perceptions of space from something to dominate and possess to something more inclusive, equitable and democratic.
We address these emerging and historical tensions in a paper published in May 2025 in the journal Nature, in which we describe the difficulties and importance of including nontraditional actors and Indigenous peoples in the space industry.
Continuing inequalities among space players
Not all countries’ space agencies are equal. Newer agencies often don’t have the same resources behind them that large, established players do.
The U.S. and Chinese programs receive much more funding than those of any other country. Because they are most frequently sending up satellites and proposing new ideas puts them in the position to establish conventions for satellite systems, landing sites and resource extraction that everyone else may have to follow.
Sometimes, countries may have operated on the assumption that owning a satellite would give them the appearance of soft or hard geopolitical power as a space nation – and ultimately gain relevance.
Small satellites, called CubeSats, are becoming relatively affordable and easy to develop, allowing more players, from countries and companies to universities and student groups, to have a satellite in space. NASA/Butch Wilmore, CC BY-NC
In reality, student groups of today can develop small satellites, called CubeSats, autonomously, and recent scholarship has concluded that even successful space missions may negatively affect the international relationships between some countries and their partners. The respect a country expects to receive may not materialize, and the costs to keep up can outstrip gains in potential prestige.
Environmental protection and Indigenous perspectives
Usually, building the infrastructure necessary to test and launch rockets requires a remote area with established roads. In many cases, companies and space agencies have placed these facilities on lands where Indigenous peoples have strong claims, which can lead to land disputes, like in western Australia.
Many of these sites have already been subject to human-made changes, through mining and resource extraction in the past. Many sites have been ground zero for tensions with Indigenous peoples over land use. Within these contested spaces, disputes are rife.
Because of these tensions around land use, it is important to include Indigenous claims and perspectives. Doing so can help make sure that the goal of protecting the environments of outer space and Earth are not cast aside while building space infrastructure here on Earth.
Some efforts are driving this more inclusive approach to engagement in space, including initiatives like “Dark and Quiet Skies”, a movement that works to ensure that people can stargaze and engage with the stars without noise or sound pollution. This movement and other inclusive approaches operate on the principle of reciprocity: that more players getting involved with space can benefit all.
Researchers have recognized similar dynamics within the larger space industry. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that even though the space industry is “pay to play,” commitments to reciprocity can help ensure that players in space exploration who may not have the financial or infrastructural means to support individual efforts can still access broader structures of support.
The downside of more players entering space is that this expansion can make protecting the environment – both on Earth and beyond – even harder.
The more players there are, at both private and international levels, the more difficult sustainable space exploration could become. Even with good will and the best of intentions, it would be difficult to enforce uniform standards for the exploration and use of space resources that would protect the lunar surface, Mars and beyond.
It may also grow harder to police the launch of satellites and dedicated constellations. Limiting the number of satellites could prevent space junk, protect the satellites already in orbit and allow everyone to have a clear view of the night sky. However, this would have to compete with efforts to expand internet access to all.
The amount of space junk in orbit has increased dramatically since the 1960s.
What is space exploration for?
Before tackling these issues, we find it useful to think about the larger goal of space exploration, and what the different approaches are. One approach would be the fast and inclusive democratization of space – making it easier for more players to join in. Another would be a more conservative and slower “big player” approach, which would restrict who can go to space.
The conservative approach is liable to leave developing nations and Indigenous peoples firmly on the outside of a key process shaping humanity’s shared future.
But a faster and more inclusive approach to space would not be easy to run. More serious players means it would be harder to come to an agreement about regulations, as well as the larger goals for human expansion into space.
Narratives around emerging technologies, such as those required for space exploration, can change over time, as people begin to see them in action.
Technology that we take for granted today was once viewed as futuristic or fantastical, and sometimes with suspicion. For example, at the end of the 1940s, George Orwell imagined a world in which totalitarian systems used tele-screens and videoconferencing to control the masses.
Earlier in the same decade, Thomas J. Watson, then president of IBM, notoriously predicted that there would be a global market for about five computers. We as humans often fear or mistrust future technologies.
However, not all technological shifts are detrimental, and some technological changes can have clear benefits. In the future, robots may perform tasks too dangerous, too difficult or too dull and repetitive for humans. Biotechnology may make life healthier. Artificial intelligence can sift through vast amounts of data and turn it into reliable guesswork. Researchers can also see genuine downsides to each of these technologies.
Space exploration is harder to squeeze into one streamlined narrative about the anticipated benefits. The process is just too big and too transformative.
To return to the question if we should go to space, our team argues that it is not a question of whether or not we should go, but rather a question of why we do it, who benefits from space exploration and how we can democratize access to broader segments of society. Including a diversity of opinions and viewpoints can help find productive ways forward.
Ultimately, it is not necessary for everyone to land on one single narrative about the value of space exploration. Even our team of four researchers doesn’t share a single set of beliefs about its value. But bringing more nations, tribes and companies into discussions around its potential value can help create collaborative and worthwhile goals at an international scale.
Tony Milligan receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 856543).
Adam Fish, Deondre Smiles, and Timiebi Aganaba do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 — China’s State Council announced the appointment of several new officials on Monday.
Xie Yuansheng was appointed vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Ling Zhifeng was named vice minister of the Ministry of Public Security.
Liu Jianqiao was appointed deputy head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Zhao Jianheng was named vice president of the China Academy of Engineering Physics.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Farmers across China busy with agricultural production in farming season around Dashu
Updated: July 21, 2025 20:58Xinhua
An aerial drone photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows villagers driving transplanters to plant rice seedlings in Yuyao, east China’s Zhejiang Province. Farmers across the country are busy with agricultural production in the farming season around Dashu, or the Great Heat, the 12th of traditional Chinese 24 solar terms falling on July 22 this year. [Photo/Xinhua]Farmers harvest marigold flowers in Tengchong, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]Farmers transplant rice seedlings in Loudi, central China’s Hunan Province, July 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows a farmer carrying rice seedlings in Loudi, central China’s Hunan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]A drone photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows villagers transplanting rice seedlings in Hengyang, central China’s Hunan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 21, 2025 shows villagers transplanting rice seedlings in Hengyang, central China’s Hunan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 — China has released its first national standard specifically targeting school meal services, scheduled to take effect on Dec. 1 this year, the country’s State Administration for Market Regulation announced Monday.
The Guidelines for the Management of School Meal Service Enterprises will apply to enterprises that provide meal preparation and delivery services to primary and secondary schools and kindergartens.
China now has more than 460,000 primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, involving over 237 million students.
The guidelines stated that enterprises must designate full-time staff responsible for food safety management and inspection.
Enterprises are required to purchase major ingredients such as rice, flour and oil from designated suppliers, and retain testing reports for each batch of raw materials.
Meal preparation should be integrated into the internet-enabled transparent kitchen monitoring system, with key operational procedures publicly accessible to schools, parents and students, according to the guidelines.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Russian forces launched an overnight group strike on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and the infrastructure of military airfields, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
The raid involved long-range high-precision weapons launched from air, land and sea-based platforms, including “Kinzhal” air-launched hypersonic ballistic missiles and combat drones, the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Russia’s air defense intercepted 74 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 23 in the Moscow Region, it added.
Airports in Moscow introduced air restrictions in the early hours of Monday for flight safety reasons, which were subsequently lifted, according to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency.
Downed drone debris caused a fire on the roof of the railway station in the village of Kamenolomni in the Rostov Region, and more than 50 trains were delayed, said Russian Railways.
As roses fill gardens and hedgerows this season, there is a story, millions of years in the making, unfolding beneath their petals.
Analysis of rose genomes and floral structure is revealing how the stunning diversity we admire is rooted in the genes of these plants, offering new insight into how the beauty in our world is built at the molecular level.
Modern roses are a riot of colour. Some roses are showy and fragrant while others are modest and understated. Jude the Obscure is coloured in peach, Kew Gardens a soft white and Catherine’s Rose a coral pink.
Many people think of plants as nice-looking greens. Essential for clean air, yes, but simple organisms. A step change in research is shaking up the way scientists think about plants: they are far more complex and more like us than you might imagine. This blossoming field of science is too delightful to do it justice in one or two stories.
All modern roses, in one way or another, stem from a pool of ancient ancestors. The genus Rosa first appeared over 30 million years ago, while the more recent ancestral species that gave rise to today’s roses emerged around 6 million years ago. Diversifying over this time, all modern roses have come into being from these plants.
An April 2025 study by Chinese researchers suggests that the first Rosa flowers 30 million years ago were probably yellow. The researchers studied key traits of modern roses, like petal colour and the number of petals, and mapped them onto an evolutionary tree of roses. Tracing these traits through time allowed them to see how roses have changed over millions of years. For example, the next colours to appear in rose petals were pinks and reds. They also found the ancestor of modern roses alive 6 million years ago was probably pink.
The 2025 study’s evolutionary reconstruction of key rose traits suggests the first roses were simple in form, bearing a single layer of petals. Jude the Obscure and Catherine’s Rose are both double-flowered roses, meaning their blooms have extra petals. These extra petals originated through natural mutations, which were later selected for during rose breeding.
Scent is one of the main appeals of roses in our gardens. Jude the Obscure has a strong fruity fragrance, while Catherine’s Rose is said to have a subtle hint of mango. Yet, some roses are completely scentless.
Floral fragrances come from plant compounds. For instance, roses that emit a lemony aroma owe it to the compound citronellol. Scientists aren’t sure why some Rosa species produce these compounds, but they probably help attract specific pollinators or serve as part of the plant’s defence system.
A 2024 study found that fragrant roses have more genes involved in the production of scent compounds compared to their less fragrant cousins. These fragrant plants produce compounds in high abundance, their complex aromas attracting pollinators and our senses alike. This suggests that, over time, scent production became an advantageous strategy for some roses, because it costs energy to produce these genes.
After their origin over 30 million years ago, roses gradually evolved a remarkable range of forms, colours and fragrances. Today, there are more than 300 accepted species in the genus Rosa. Fossil evidence and genetic studies suggest that the ancestors of roses first evolved in central Asia, probably in modern-day China and the Himalayan foothills. Their natural diversity helped roses adapt to temperate climates, spreading throughout Asia. From there, they gradually expanded westward, reaching Europe around 15 to 25 million years ago.
In only the last couple of centuries, roses have undergone a second wave of diversification, this time driven by human hands. Modern rose breeders selected between eight and 20 wild rose species — particularly from Asia, such as Rosa chinensis and Rosa multiflora, as well as European species Rosa gallica and Rosa canina — to create all modern cultivated varieties. This process enhanced traits that appeal to our senses and produced flowers with more petals, deeper and more vibrant colours and stronger, more complex scents.
The origin of rose breeding: Rosa multiflora, Rosa canina and Rosa gallica Wikimedia
For example, genes involved in petal development have been selected to produce fuller, double-flowered blooms. Other genes associated with pigment production have been targeted to enhance deeper and more vibrant colours. Likewise, genes involved in the synthesis of scent compounds, such as one known as NUDX1, have been favoured to intensify rose fragrance.
Other characteristics flower breeders targeted include recurrent flowering, disease resistance and reduced prickle formation. Many wild rose species originally had far more prickles than modern garden varieties. Outside of our gardens, this may leave them more vulnerable to grazing animals.
This botanical experiment, guided by human hands, has shaped the stunning diversity we cherish today. This cultivation is what sets roses apart from their close relatives. Rubus, a closely related genus including blackberries and raspberries, has more than 800 species. There are over 300 Rosa species but it is estimated there are over 35,000 varieties of modern rose.
Beauties such as Jude the Obscure, Kew Gardens and Catherine’s Rose are the result of centuries of careful cultivation and scientific understanding. So, the next time you walk through a rose garden, take a moment to appreciate the deep history behind each bloom.
Alexander Bowles receives funding as a Glasstone Fellow at the University of Oxford.
For the uninitiated, fermented foods include anything that uses bacteria to break down organic matter into a new product. Look around an ordinary kitchen and you’ll almost certainly find something fermented: yoghurt (milk), beer and wine (grain/fruit) or vinegar (alcohol). Not all of these will give you the promised health boost, however, which comes from “live” ferments containing probiotic microbes, usually lactic acid bacteria. In alcohol and vinegar the fermenting bacteria die during the process.
The health benefits of fermented foods are widely promoted. Some advocates, like epidemiologist Tim Spector, suggest the gut microbiome is the key to our health, while others are more cautious: in essence, although kefir is certainly good for your gut, it isn’t a cure-all. Still, the research is ongoing and diversifying: one study has even suggested that probiotics could fight the less pleasant recent phenomenon of microplastics in our stomachs.
The future of fermented foods is definitely something to keep an eye on, but equally interesting is their long past and the different fermented food fashions we see over time.
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Garum eventually lost its popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages, but fermented fish made a comeback in the 18th century. In Asia fish sauces had continued strong, and colonialism brought the south Asian fish sauce kê-chiap to Europe, alongside soy sauce (fermented soybeans). Salt-fermenting oysters and anchovies in this style became popular in England and North America, and people eventually branched out to preserving tomatoes – giving us modern ketchup.
Cabbage cultures
No discussion of fermentation would be complete without pickled vegetables. Today, the most talked-about fermented vegetable is the cabbage, in the form of kimchi and sauerkraut, thanks to its strong probiotic and vitamin C content.
The historical origins of these dishes are unclear. Online articles might tell you that pickled cabbage was first eaten by the builders of the Great Wall of China 2,000 years ago and brought to Europe in Genghis Khan’s saddlebags. These kinds of apocryphal stories should be taken with more than a grain of salt.
An illustration of the cultivation of grapes and winemaking in Ming dynasty China (1368–1644). Wellcome Collection
Still, as Jan Davison, author of Pickles: A Global History, writes, literary evidence suggests that salt pickling in general does have a long precedence. Pickled gourds were eaten in Zhou dynasty China around 3,000 years ago.
It’s hard to say when sauerkraut became a common dish, but the term was in use by the 16th century and was associated with Germany by the 17th. As to Korean kimchi, research suggests this style of preservation was practised by the 13th century, only using turnips rather than cabbage.
The popularity of radish and cabbage kimchi only came about in the 16th century, alongside the use of chilli peppers. Now an iconic aspect of this bright-red dish, peppers were not part of “Old World” diets before the Columbian exchange.
History reveals our long relationship with fermented food. Our pickling ancestors were more interested in food preservation than in their bacterial microbiome – a very modern concept. Looking to past practices might even help us innovate fermentation technologies, as recent research from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels shows. I’m not sure about bringing back fermented fish guts, but more pickled turnips doesn’t sound half bad.
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Serin Quinn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Taiwan in Australia Amb. Douglas Yu-Tien Hsu and Taiwan in Sydney Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu were pleased to be invited by Australia-Taiwan Business Council Limited (ATBC)President John Toigo and CEO Ching-Mei Maddock to its 2025 Annual General Meeting Business Luncheon, catching up and reconnecting with Australian counterparts, business leaders and think tank experts. In his remarks, Amb. Hsu highlighted that Taiwan’s strengths in the semiconductor and AI industries make it a natural partner to support AU’s “Future Made in Australia” policy. This partnership adds new momentum into supply chain integration, not only between TW and AU, but across the broader region. He emphasized that the CPTPP serves as the best platform to facilitate such cooperation. Amb. Hsu thanked the ATBC and #ROCABC/CIECA for including TW’s CPTPP application on the agenda for the 38th Joint Conference in Taipei on Aug 21. He expressed the hope that AU would evaluate TW’s bid based on its economic performance and merits, free from external pressure, and that AU, as the current CPTPP chair, would play a constructive role in moving the initiative forward. We sincerely thank the Hon. Anoulack Chanthivong MP for his compelling keynote speech. He strongly acknowledged the achievements in TW–AU trade, economic, and scientific collaboration, as well as the great potential for future partnership. He underscored that trade is not a zero-sum game and reaffirmed the NSW Government’s commitment to open and diversified trade principles. We look forward to seeing TW and AU work hand in hand to expand markets and grow together.
In March 2025, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) offered the country’s critical mineral reserves to the United States and Europe in exchange for security and stability.
At the time, the March 23 (M23) militia insurgency was unleashing violence: killing civilians, committing sexual violence, displacing communities and looting mineral resources. Since 1996, eastern Congo has been engulfed in wars and armed conflicts driven by regional powers and more than 120 armed groups.
The U.S.-brokered peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC raises critical questions: Is this a genuine path to sustainable peace, or a continuation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy to secure access to critical minerals through coercive diplomacy?
The global shift toward renewable energy, digital infrastructure and military modernization has sparked a geopolitical scramble for critical and rare earth minerals.
The DRC’s offer must be viewed through this lens of global resource competition.
Congo’s critical mineral wealth
The DRC holds some of the world’s richest deposits of critical minerals and metals. A 2012 article estimated the value of Congo’s untapped mineral wealth at US$24 trillion, a figure nearing the U.S. first-quarter 2025 GDP of $29.962 trillion.
U.S. involvement in Congo stretches back to the Cold War, when it played a role in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first elected prime minister who sought economic sovereignty.
In 1996, the U.S. was accused of backing Rwanda and Uganda in the initial invasion of eastern Congo. A U.S. diplomat, “Mr. Hankins,” was quoted in Goma saying: “I am here …to represent American interests.”
In 2024, President Joe Biden met Tshisekedi to advance the Lobito Corridor, a strategic trade route to counter China’s dominance in the region. Chinese companies currently control around 80 per cent of Congo’s copper market.
When Trump signed the 2025 peace agreement, he openly stated the U.S. would gain “a lot of mineral rights … foreign trade and investment from the regional critical mineral supply chains.”
U.S.-brokered peace deal
The deal, however, prioritizes America’s access to minerals over the well-being of Congolese citizens. Historically, Congo’s mineral wealth has enriched elites and foreign powers while leaving its people impoverished and vulnerable. The new agreement could entrench existing inequalities and inflame tensions further.
The U.S. has also cut off aid for war survivors, including emergency medical kits and antiretrovirals for rape victims, undermining humanitarian efforts.
Crucially, the agreement overlooks:
The root causes and drivers of conflict at national, regional and international levels.
The role of Rwanda and Uganda, whose militaries and intelligence services have long been implicated in supporting groups like M23. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has referred to M23 as “our brothers” and threatened military action in Congo.
The voices of Congolese civil society, war survivors and the public, who were excluded from the negotiation process.
State fragility and institutional collapse — major enablers of protracted violence.
The grievances of Hutu and Tutsi communities in the DRC, deeply rooted in colonial and regional politics.
The presence of more than 120 armed groups, many of them proxies for foreign powers engaging in what some scholars call “geocriminality.”
Between January and February 2025 alone, more than 7,000 people were killed in the DRC. The United Nations and several human rights organizations have documented mass atrocities, including crimes of genocidal magnitude.
A path toward real peace
The peace agreement fails to demand justice for crimes committed against the Congolese people. Nobel Peace laureate Denis Mukwege condemned the deal for “rewarding aggression, legitimizing the plundering of Congo’s natural resources, and sacrificing justice for a fragile peace.”
It also ignores the roles of international mining corporations and external entities that have long profited from Congo’s instability.
True and lasting peace in the DRC cannot be imposed from the outside. U.S.-led mineral extraction without justice risks deepening the crisis. Since 1999, UN peacekeepers have been deployed in the Congo , yet violence continues.
Sustainable peace will require:
An end to impunity;
Thorough investigations into war crimes;
Regional truth-telling processes;
Justice and reparations for victims;
And most importantly, inclusion of Congolese voices in shaping their future.
Without these commitments, the U.S. risks replicating a long history of exploitation, trading in minerals while ignoring the human cost.
Evelyn Namakula Mayanja receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and from Carleton University
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Of the 190 States where the IAEA applied safeguards during 2024, 182 had CSAs in force, of which 137 also had APs in force. Of these 137 States, the IAEA concluded that “all nuclear material remained in peaceful activities” for 75 States. The IAEA drew this conclusion, also known as the ‘broader conclusion’, for the first time for Morocco. For 61 States, the IAEA was only able to conclude that declared nuclear material remained in peaceful activities as evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities remained ongoing.
For 31 States with a CSA but no AP in force, the IAEA was able to conclude that declared nuclear material remained in peaceful activities.
As of the end of 2024, three non-nuclear-weapon States party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) had yet to bring CSAs into force pursuant to Article III of the Treaty. For these States, the IAEA could not draw any safeguards conclusions.
For the three States in which the IAEA implemented safeguards pursuant to item-specific safeguards agreements (India, Israel and Pakistan), the IAEA concluded that “nuclear material, facilities or other items to which safeguards had been applied remained in peaceful activities”.
Safeguards were also implemented in the five nuclear-weapon States party to the NPT under their respective voluntary offer agreements. For these five States (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America), the IAEA concluded that “nuclear material in selected facilities to which safeguards had been applied remained in peaceful activities or had been withdrawn from safeguards as provided for in the agreements.”
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — A film based on the musical “Anna Karenina” was screened in Beijing on Sunday to open the 9th International Film and Opera Exhibition of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) of China, the NCPA said in a statement on social media.
The event will feature 16 films in various genres, including opera, play, dance drama and musical, presented by Chinese and overseas arts organizations.
After the opening ceremony of the film exhibition, a film in the genre of a musical performance staged by the Moscow Operetta Theatre based on one of the greatest works of L.N. Tolstoy was shown on the big screen at the Beijing Performing Arts Center belonging to the NCIA. The leading roles were played by Ekaterina Guseva and Sergey Li.
The film has received a warm response from Chinese viewers. “The stills from the film allow us to see more details. The strength and depth of Russian musicals are beautifully represented in this film,” one of them noted.
“Even though I read the original novel, the musical movie really blew me away. The music is so infectious and the performances from the two leads are worthy of an acting textbook!” exclaimed another.
“We aim to enable as many viewers as possible to experience the charm of performing arts, and to achieve mutual exchange and harmony between excellent Chinese traditional culture and world classical art,” said Ma Rongguo, deputy director of the National Center for Performing Arts.
The film exhibition, co-organized by the NCIA and the China Film Group (CFGC), will run until November 30. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — Mao Chengyue, a senior official at U.S. bank Wells Fargo, is currently unable to leave China due to her involvement in a criminal case being investigated by China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun announced at a regular press conference on Monday.
According to the Chinese diplomat, China’s law enforcement agencies have now taken measures to restrict Mao Chengyue’s travel in accordance with the law.
According to Chinese law, Mao Chengyue cannot leave China while the case is under investigation and is required to cooperate with the investigation, Guo Jiakun said.
“Whether Chinese or foreigners, everyone in China must abide by Chinese laws,” he continued, adding that during the investigation, the Chinese side will protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law.
“I would like to emphasize that this is an isolated case within the framework of the legal proceedings. China, as always, will welcome all those from all over the world who wish to travel and do business in China, and protect their rights and interests in accordance with the law,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman added. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
JERUSALEM/SANA, July 21 (Xinhua) — Israel has attacked Houthi military targets in the port of Hodeida in northwestern Yemen, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Monday.
The Israeli Air Force reportedly struck military targets, including engineering equipment, fuel containers and ships used in military operations against Israel, as well as ships in port waters.
According to the IDF, the port of Hodeida was used to transport weapons provided by the Iranian government.
Earlier in the day, the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV channel reported that Israel had launched a series of airstrikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeida. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The European Union is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats.
An increasing number of EU members, including Germany, are now considering using wide-ranging “anti-coercion” measures which would let the bloc target U.S. services and other sectors in the absence of a deal, diplomats say.
The European Commission, which negotiates trade agreements on behalf of the 27-member bloc, had appeared on course for a agreement in which the EU would still have faced a 10% U.S. tariff on most of its exports, with some concessions.
Such hopes now seem dashed after President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 30% tariff by August 1, and following talks between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and U.S. counterparts in Washington last week.
Sefcovic, who has said a 30% tariff would “practically prohibit” transatlantic trade, delivered a sober report on the current state of play to EU envoys on Friday, diplomats told Reuters.
U.S. counterparts had come up with diverging solutions during his meetings, including a baseline rate that could be well above 10%, the EU diplomats added.
“Each interlocutor seemed to have different ideas. No one can tell (Sefcovic) what would actually fly with Trump,” one diplomat said.
Prospects of easing or removing 50% U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium and 25% on cars and car parts appear limited.
‘NUCLEAR OPTION’
Washington has also rejected the EU’s demand for a “standstill” arrangement, whereby no further tariffs would be imposed after a deal is struck. The rationale, according to diplomats, is that Trump’s hands cannot be tied on national security, the basis of Section 232 trade investigations into pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and timber.
Accordingly, the mood has pivoted among EU countries, EU diplomats say, and they are more ready to react, even though a negotiated solution is their preferred option.
The EU has one package of tariffs on 21 billion euros ($24.5 billion) of U.S. goods that is currently suspended until August 6. The bloc must still decide on a further set of countermeasures on 72 billion euros of U.S. exports.
Discussions have also increased on using the EU’s wide-ranging “anti-coercion” instrument (ACI) that allows the bloc to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on member states to change their policies.
Brought in more with China in mind, it would allow the bloc to target U.S. services, limit U.S. companies’ access to public procurement or financial services markets or restrict U.S. investment.
France has consistently advocated using the ACI, but others have baulked at what some see as a nuclear option. Trump has warned he will retaliate if other countries take action against the United States.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a week ago that the ACI was created for extraordinary situations, adding: “We are not there yet.”
The Commission would need a qualified majority of 15 countries making up 65% of the EU population to invoke it. It would not do so unless it was confident of passing it, but there are now growing signs of support building, with Germany among the countries saying it should be considered, EU diplomats say.
The European Union is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the United States as prospects for an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats.
An increasing number of EU members, including Germany, are now considering using wide-ranging “anti-coercion” measures which would let the bloc target U.S. services and other sectors in the absence of a deal, diplomats say.
The European Commission, which negotiates trade agreements on behalf of the 27-member bloc, had appeared on course for a agreement in which the EU would still have faced a 10% U.S. tariff on most of its exports, with some concessions.
Such hopes now seem dashed after President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 30% tariff by August 1, and following talks between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and U.S. counterparts in Washington last week.
Sefcovic, who has said a 30% tariff would “practically prohibit” transatlantic trade, delivered a sober report on the current state of play to EU envoys on Friday, diplomats told Reuters.
U.S. counterparts had come up with diverging solutions during his meetings, including a baseline rate that could be well above 10%, the EU diplomats added.
“Each interlocutor seemed to have different ideas. No one can tell (Sefcovic) what would actually fly with Trump,” one diplomat said.
Prospects of easing or removing 50% U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium and 25% on cars and car parts appear limited.
‘NUCLEAR OPTION’
Washington has also rejected the EU’s demand for a “standstill” arrangement, whereby no further tariffs would be imposed after a deal is struck. The rationale, according to diplomats, is that Trump’s hands cannot be tied on national security, the basis of Section 232 trade investigations into pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and timber.
Accordingly, the mood has pivoted among EU countries, EU diplomats say, and they are more ready to react, even though a negotiated solution is their preferred option.
The EU has one package of tariffs on 21 billion euros ($24.5 billion) of U.S. goods that is currently suspended until August 6. The bloc must still decide on a further set of countermeasures on 72 billion euros of U.S. exports.
Discussions have also increased on using the EU’s wide-ranging “anti-coercion” instrument (ACI) that allows the bloc to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on member states to change their policies.
Brought in more with China in mind, it would allow the bloc to target U.S. services, limit U.S. companies’ access to public procurement or financial services markets or restrict U.S. investment.
France has consistently advocated using the ACI, but others have baulked at what some see as a nuclear option. Trump has warned he will retaliate if other countries take action against the United States.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a week ago that the ACI was created for extraordinary situations, adding: “We are not there yet.”
The Commission would need a qualified majority of 15 countries making up 65% of the EU population to invoke it. It would not do so unless it was confident of passing it, but there are now growing signs of support building, with Germany among the countries saying it should be considered, EU diplomats say.
