NewzIntel.com

Category: China

  • MIL-OSI Africa: United Nations (UN) calls on to stress more control over grain traders

    Source: APO

    The trend towards monopolization of grain trade that exists in the global market today requires the BRICS countries to cooperate in the field of antitrust policy and antitrust legislation. Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre at the Higher School of Economics (www.BRICSCompetition.org), said at the 9th UN Conference on Competition and Consumer Protection in Geneva. 

    “Global companies from the food sector should receive the closest attention from antitrust authorities. We emphasize the importance of ensuring food security and nutrition and mitigating the impacts of acute food price volatility, as well as as abrupt supply crises, including fertilizers shortages. The authority of grain traders is highly similar to that of the organizers of digital ecosystems, the digital giants that have already come under scrutiny by antitrust authorities around the world. Under exceptional circumstances of supply shortages or acute food price spikes affecting a BRICS member, we recognize that cooperation initiatives can facilitate emergency responses and natural disaster management, guided by national priorities and consistent with the World Trade Organization rules. None of these measures should lead to unfair trade practices or violations of international trade norms, as their sole purpose is to support food security and nutrition, including through international solidarity.”, – Ivanov emphasized. 

    “A very telling event has recently taken place – the merger of two major grain traders, Bunge and Viterra. This merger was approved just last week by 31 competition authorities around the world. At the same time, no measures were proposed to limit the influence of these companies on the global value chain – the power that has a huge influence on the global market and the organization of grain trade,” Ivanov said. 

    He noted that regulators in Brazil and China have already raised concerns, such as the issue of price shifting from global to national markets, but no commitments have been established to address these concerns. 

    Anastasia Nesvetailova, Head, Macroeconomic and Development Policies Branch, UNCTAD, emphasized the growing influence of financialization on global food markets. Of particular concern, she noted, is the dominance of the so-called ABCD group — ADM, Bunge, Cargill, and Louis Dreyfus — which effectively controls global agricultural trading. Three of these companies do not disclose sufficient information, rendering the sector highly opaque and poorly regulated. 

    According to Nesvetailova, 70% of transactions on U.S. and European commodity markets today are speculative in nature and disconnected from the real economy. The financial power of commodity traders is increasing, as they evolve into non-bank financial institutions with systemic influence not only on commodity markets but also on global financial stability. Meanwhile, oversight of their operations remains fragmented and ineffective. 

    “The last time such practices had a systemically destructive impact was in 2007, when an expanding web of debt-driven financial obligations operated largely outside regulatory oversight, ultimately leading to the collapse of the banking system in the U.S. and beyond. A similar scenario could unfold again — this time in the commodity trading sector,” warned Nesvetailova. 

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre.

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Alice Mak meets officials in Beijing

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    On the second day of a visit to Beijing, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak today called on State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) Executive Deputy Director Xu Qifang and other officials.

     

    Miss Mak briefed Mr Xu on the work of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), including ongoing initiatives on district governance, youth development and women’s affairs. She also thanked the HKMAO for its support and guidance.

     

    Miss Mak also called on Communist Party of China Central Committee Society Work Department Vice Minister He Zhiliang to exchange views on grassroots governance.

     

    The HYAB highlighted that district governance in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has entered a new phase, with executive-led governance being fully implemented. It said that the District Councils, “the three district committees” and Care Teams form a troika, co-operating to serve citizens, under the leadership of District Officers.

     

    The HYAB and the Home Affairs Department also conduct training to enhance District Council (DC) members’ capabilities in discharging their duties. Last year, this included arranging visits to Shanghai and Zhejiang for them to learn about grassroots governance on the Mainland.

     

    Miss Mak said the HYAB will continue to unite district forces and enhance service efficiency to increase the public’s happiness and contentment.

     

    She then met State Administration for Religious Affairs Vice Minister Wang Zhigang to exchange views on religious affairs.

     

    Stressing that the Hong Kong SAR Government maintains close communication with religious groups in Hong Kong, she described the harmonious relationships between different religious groups, adding that in addition delivering teachings they provide education, medical and welfare services, making significant contributions to the community.

     

    In the afternoon, Miss Mak attended an inauguration ceremony for a Youth Internship Programme at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

     

    She highlighted that the six-week programme is an important co-operation project co-organised by the HYAB and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and gives Hong Kong youth high-end scientific research internship opportunities during the summer vacation every year.

     

    Miss Mak congratulated the 20 young Hongkongers who made it through a highly competitive selection process.

     

    Speaking at the ceremony, she commented the National 14th Five-Year Plan has driven Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology centre.

     

    She also outlined that the Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to nurturing scientific research talent.

     

    Miss Mak expressed her hope that the programme will nurture students’ passion for scientific research and serve as the starting point for their contributions to Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development and to the country.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lightning strikes kill 21 in India

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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

    NEW DELHI, July 15 (Xinhua) — At least 21 people were killed and many others injured by lightning strikes in India’s eastern states of Jharkhand and Bihar in the past 48 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

    Most of the victims were reported to be working in their fields when the lightning struck. Jharkhand reported 12 deaths, while neighbouring Bihar reported nine.

    “At least 12 people have been killed and seven others seriously injured due to lightning strikes in various parts of Jharkhand in the last 48 hours,” the official said.

    “At least nine people have been killed and several injured in lightning strikes in Bihar,” state broadcaster All India Radio reported. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges US to lift blockade and sanctions against Cuba

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

    China firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Cuba and interference in Cuba’s internal affairs under the guise of so-called “human rights”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

    China urges the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Cuba, the spokesperson added.

    Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Cuban officials.

    Lin said that the United States has imposed a comprehensive blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, inflicting profound suffering on the Cuban people. “Sanctions should be lifted immediately instead of being intensified.”

    Lin said that China firmly supports Cuba in taking a development path that suits its national conditions and firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.

    “We urge the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove it from the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’” he added.

    “If the U.S. side truly cares about human rights, it should reflect on its own record of human rights violations in Guantanamo, Cuba and around the world over the years,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges US to lift blockade and sanctions against Cuba

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

    China firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral sanctions against Cuba and interference in Cuba’s internal affairs under the guise of so-called “human rights”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

    China urges the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Cuba, the spokesperson added.

    Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a query about U.S. sanctions imposed on senior Cuban officials.

    Lin said that the United States has imposed a comprehensive blockade and illegal sanctions on Cuba for over 60 years, inflicting profound suffering on the Cuban people. “Sanctions should be lifted immediately instead of being intensified.”

    Lin said that China firmly supports Cuba in taking a development path that suits its national conditions and firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its sovereignty and dignity.

    “We urge the United States to immediately lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba and remove it from the list of ‘state sponsors of terrorism,’” he added.

    “If the U.S. side truly cares about human rights, it should reflect on its own record of human rights violations in Guantanamo, Cuba and around the world over the years,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump voices disappointment with Putin, grows impatient

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be losing patience with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, voicing disappointment on Monday just hours after threatening “severe tariffs” against Russia.

    “I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him. But I’m disappointed in him,” Trump told BBC in an interview.

    A few hours earlier, during a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump warned, “We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs” if a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

    U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified later that Trump actually meant “economic sanctions” when he threatened “secondary tariffs” against Russia, The Washington Times reported.

    Trump also told Rutte that the United States would supply weapons to Ukraine through NATO, including Patriot missile systems, with deliveries starting soon.

    In a post on X following a phone call with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for Trump’s “willingness to support Ukraine” and hailed their strong relationship.

    This is not the first time Trump has expressed disappointment with Putin over the Ukraine crisis, despite claiming he has a good relationship with the Russian leader. In early July, after a phone conversation with Putin, Trump told reporters, “I didn’t make any progress with him today at all,” adding, “I’m not happy about that.”

    Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours, has held several conversations with Putin since taking office. However, his efforts to pressure the Russian leader have yet to yield a ceasefire. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Shandong Province Launches Integrated Warehouse-Transportation-Trade Service for China-Europe Rail Freight Transportation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 15 (Xinhua) — Two special trains on the China-Europe international rail freight route arrived one after another at the Multimodal Transport Center of the China-SCO Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as the China-SCO Demonstration Zone), delivering more than 3,100 tons of feed wheat flour from Kazakhstan to Shandong Province, east China. After unloading, the goods were stored in a warehouse in the national logistics hub park for China-Europe trains in Qingdao, east China, marking the official opening of the warehouse-shipment-trade integrated service for goods transported along the aforementioned China-Europe routes.

    According to the Qingdao Daily newspaper, the “warehouse-transportation-trade” format in the context of international China-Europe rail freight transportation implies the close integration of three links – warehousing, transportation and trade – into a single, highly efficient and coordinated trade and logistics ecosystem within the framework of the operation of the aforementioned trains. Such an integrated service allows for the optimization of resource allocation, reduction of intermediate links and significant improvement of overall operational efficiency.

    According to a representative of Shandong Hi-Speed Group, the company has currently developed a comprehensive solution for the entire process in the format of “warehouse-transportation-trade” for a customer of feed wheat flour from Kazakhstan, taking into account customer needs.

    Zang Yuanqi, an official with the China-SCO Demonstration Zone Management Committee, said the zone will give full play to its public good character, accelerate the construction of the Qingdao hub, and develop and strengthen new business models such as the integration of transportation and trade to accurately and efficiently serve the country’s foreign trade enterprises. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-SCO Interregional Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum to be held in Qingdao

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 15 (Xinhua) — The China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on Interregional Economic and Trade Cooperation will be held in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on July 17-18, according to the Commerce Department of East China’s Shandong Province.

    The event, hosted by the Shandong Provincial Government and supported by the Qingdao City Government, is held under the theme of “Jointly Seeking Regional Cooperation, Together for Innovative Development.” Its aim is to strengthen the platform for economic and trade cooperation between Shandong and the regions of the SCO countries.

    As it became known, four dialogue meetings on international cooperation in the areas of logistics and transport, new energy, mechanical engineering technologies and digital economy are planned within the framework of the forum. These platforms are designed to ensure practical interaction between the participants.

    At present, the SCO Secretary General and the heads of 9 regions/provinces, regions, cities/countries of the organization have confirmed their participation in the forum. Minsk/Belarus/ will act as the main guest region and will hold a special presentation within the framework of the event. In addition, the forum will be attended by heads of ministries and state committees of the PRC, representatives of leading Chinese enterprises and research institutes.

    As part of the business program, the Shandong Provincial Commerce Department and the Qingdao Government will jointly organize a series of related events, including the 4th SCO International Trade and Investment Fair.

    The holding of this forum will contribute to deepening cooperation between Shandong and the SCO countries in the economic, trade and industrial spheres, giving new impetus to the economic development of the region. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-SCO Interregional Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum to be held in Qingdao

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 15 (Xinhua) — The China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on Interregional Economic and Trade Cooperation will be held in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on July 17-18, according to the Commerce Department of East China’s Shandong Province.

    The event, hosted by the Shandong Provincial Government and supported by the Qingdao City Government, is held under the theme of “Jointly Seeking Regional Cooperation, Together for Innovative Development.” Its aim is to strengthen the platform for economic and trade cooperation between Shandong and the regions of the SCO countries.

    As it became known, four dialogue meetings on international cooperation in the areas of logistics and transport, new energy, mechanical engineering technologies and digital economy are planned within the framework of the forum. These platforms are designed to ensure practical interaction between the participants.

    At present, the SCO Secretary General and the heads of 9 regions/provinces, regions, cities/countries of the organization have confirmed their participation in the forum. Minsk/Belarus/ will act as the main guest region and will hold a special presentation within the framework of the event. In addition, the forum will be attended by heads of ministries and state committees of the PRC, representatives of leading Chinese enterprises and research institutes.

    As part of the business program, the Shandong Provincial Commerce Department and the Qingdao Government will jointly organize a series of related events, including the 4th SCO International Trade and Investment Fair.

    The holding of this forum will contribute to deepening cooperation between Shandong and the SCO countries in the economic, trade and industrial spheres, giving new impetus to the economic development of the region. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: D. Trump expressed disappointment with V. Putin

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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

    WASHINGTON, July 15 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to be losing patience with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, expressing frustration on Monday just hours after threatening to impose “harsh tariffs” on Russia.

    “I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him. But I’m disappointed in him,” Trump said in an interview with the BBC.

    Hours earlier, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, the US president warned that the US would impose very tough tariffs if a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine was not reached within 50 days.

    US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later clarified that Trump actually meant “economic sanctions” when he threatened “secondary tariffs” against Russia, The Washington Times reports.

    After a telephone conversation with D. Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to the US President on the X social network for his “willingness to support Ukraine” and welcomed their strong relations. –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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: Syrian authorities declare ceasefire in As-Suwayda after days of bloody standoff

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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

    DAMASCUS, July 15 (Xinhua) — Syrian authorities on Tuesday declared a complete ceasefire in the southern province of As-Suwayda after days of deadly clashes between local Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and forces loyal to the Damascus regime, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said. –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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Syrian authorities have declared a ceasefire in As-Suwayda after several days of bloody clashes.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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

    DAMASCUS, July 15 (Xinhua) — Syrian authorities on Tuesday declared a complete ceasefire in the southern province of As-Suwayda after days of deadly clashes between local Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and forces loyal to the Damascus regime, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said.

    In a statement published on the X social network, M. Abu Kasra said: “We have ordered a complete ceasefire for all units operating in the city of As-Suwayda after reaching an agreement with local elders and senior officials.”

    He said Damascus-controlled forces would only respond to active sources of fire, adding that strict instructions had been given to protect civilians, maintain public order and protect public and private property.

    The events come amid a sharp rise in violence over the weekend. At least 99 people have been killed and nearly 200 wounded in the past two days, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The dead include 60 Druze civilians, including two women and two children, 18 Bedouins, 14 soldiers loyal to the regime in Damascus and seven unidentified men in military uniform. –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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

    When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

    The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

    A sustainability conundrum

    Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

    Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

    Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
    AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

    Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

    This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

    A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

    Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

    In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

    When climate promises become greenwashing

    The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

    Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

    However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

    For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

    Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
    Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

    Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

    Finding practical solutions

    Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

    These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

    Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

    Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

    There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

    Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:

    • Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.

    • While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.

    • Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.

    • Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.

    • You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.

    Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

    In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

    Brian P. McCullough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-like-fifa-world-cup-expand-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Michigan

    Lionel Messi celebrates with fans after Argentina won the FIFA World Cup championship in 2022 in Qatar. Michael Regan-FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

    When the FIFA World Cup hits North America in June 2026, 48 teams and millions of soccer fans will be traveling to and from venues spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

    It’s a dramatic expansion – 16 more teams will be playing than in recent years, with a jump from 64 to 104 matches. The tournament is projected to bring in over US$10 billion in revenue. But the expansion will also mean a lot more travel and other activities that contribute to climate change.

    The environmental impacts of giant sporting events like the World Cup create a complex paradox for an industry grappling with its future in a warming world.

    A sustainability conundrum

    Sports are undeniably experiencing the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures are putting athletes’ health at risk during summer heat waves and shortening winter sports seasons. Many of the 2026 World Cup venues often see heat waves in June and early July, when the tournament is scheduled.

    There is a divide over how sports should respond.

    Some athletes are speaking out for more sustainable choices and have called on lawmakers to take steps to limit climate-warming emissions. At the same time, the sport industry is growing and facing a constant push to increase revenue. The NCAA is also considering expanding its March Madness basketball tournaments from 68 teams currently to as many as 76.

    Park Yong-woo of team Al Ain from Abu Dhabi tries to cool off during a Club World Cup match on June 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which was in the midst of a heat wave. Some players have raised concerns about likely high temperatures during the 2026 World Cup, with matches scheduled June 11 to July 19.
    AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

    Estimates for the 2026 World Cup show what large tournament expansions can mean for the climate. A report from Scientists for Global Responsibility estimates that the expanded World Cup could generate over 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly double the average of the past four World Cups.

    This massive increase – and the increase that would come if the NCAA basketball tournaments also expand – would primarily be driven by air travel as fans and players fly among event cities that are thousands of miles apart.

    A lot of money is at stake, but so is the climate

    Sports are big business, and adding more matches to events like the World Cup and NCAA tournaments will likely lead to larger media rights contracts and greater gate receipts from more fans attending the events, boosting revenues. These are powerful financial incentives.

    In the NCAA’s case, there is another reason to consider a larger tournament: The House v. NCAA settlement opened the door for college athletic departments to share revenue with athletes, which will significantly increase costs for many college programs. More teams would mean more television revenue and, crucially, more revenue to be distributed to member NCAA institutions and their athletic conferences.

    When climate promises become greenwashing

    The inherent conflict between maximizing profit through growth and minimizing environmental footprint presents a dilemma for sports.

    Several sport organizations have promised to reduce their impact on the climate, including signing up for initiatives like the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework.

    However, as sports tournaments and exhibition games expand, it can become increasingly hard for sports organizations to meet their climate commitments. In some cases, groups making sustainability commitments have been accused of greenwashing, suggesting the goals are more about public relations than making genuine, measurable changes.

    For example, FIFA’s early claims that it would hold a “fully carbon-neutral” World Cup in Qatar in 2022 were challenged by a group of European countries that accused soccer’s world governing body of underestimating emissions. The Swiss Fairness Commission, which monitors fairness in advertising, considered the complaints and determined that FIFA’s claims could not be substantiated.

    Alessandro Bastoni, of Inter Milan and Italy’s national team, prepares to board a flight from Milan to Rome with his team.
    Mattia Ozbot-Inter/Inter via Getty Images

    Aviation is often the biggest driver of emissions. A study that colleagues and I conducted on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament found about 80% of its emissions were connected to travel. And that was after the NCAA began using the pod system, which is designed to keep teams closer to home for the first and second rounds.

    Finding practical solutions

    Some academics, observing the rising emissions trend, have called for radical solutions like the end of commercialized sports or drastically limiting who can attend sporting events, with a focus on fans from the region.

    These solutions are frankly not practical, in my view, nor do they align with other positive developments. The growing popularity of women’s sports shows the challenge in limiting sports events – more games expands participation but adds to the industry’s overall footprint.

    Further compounding the challenges of reducing environmental impact is the amount of fan travel, which is outside the direct control of the sports organization or event organizers.

    Many fans will follow their teams long distances, especially for mega-events like the World Cup or the NCAA tournament. During the men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018, more than 840,000 fans traveled from other countries. The top countries by number of fans, after Russia, were China, the U.S., Mexico and Argentina.

    There is an argument that distributed sporting events like March Madness or the World Cup can be better in some ways for local environments because they don’t overwhelm a single city. However, merely spreading the impact does not necessarily reduce it, particularly when considering the effects on climate change.

    How fans can cut their environmental footprint

    Sport organizations and event planners can take steps to be more sustainable and also encourage more sustainable choices among fans. Fans can reduce their environmental impact in a variety of ways. For example:

    • Avoid taking airplanes for shorter distances, such as between FIFA venues in Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and carpool or take Amtrak instead. Planes can be more efficient for long distances, but air travel is still a major contributing factor to emissions.

    • While in a host city, use mass transit or rent electric vehicles or bicycles for local travel.

    • Consider sustainable accommodations, such as short-term rentals that might have a smaller environmental footprint than a hotel. Or stay at a certified green hotel that makes an effort to be more efficient in its use of water and energy.

    • Engage in sustainable pregame and postgame activities, such as choosing local, sustainable food options, and minimize waste.

    • You can also pay to offset carbon emissions for attending different sporting events, much like concertgoers do when they attend musical festivals. While critics question offsets’ true environmental benefit, they do represent people’s growing awareness of their environmental footprint.

    Through all these options, it’s clear that sports face a significant challenge in addressing their environmental impacts and encouraging fans to be more sustainable, while simultaneously trying to meet ambitious business and environmental targets.

    In my view, a sustainable path forward will require strategic, yet genuine, commitment by the sports industry and its fans, and a willingness to prioritize long-term planetary health alongside economic gains – balancing the sport and sustainability.

    Brian P. McCullough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. When big sports events like FIFA World Cup expand, their climate footprint expands too – https://theconversation.com/when-big-sports-events-like-fifa-world-cup-expand-their-climate-footprint-expands-too-259437

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New air route to Russia launched in China’s Yantai

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 15 (Xinhua) — Two tourist charters from Khabarovsk and Vladivostok landed safely in Yantai City, east China’s Shandong Province, on July 12.

    According to the Yantai City Culture and Tourism Administration, after the planes landed at Penglai International Airport, a welcoming ceremony was held for the Russian tourists who had planned to spend their summer vacation in the Chinese city.

    The new Vladivostok-Yantai charter route is the second direct tourist airline with Russia opened by the city after the launch of the Khabarovsk-Yantai flight in 2024.

    It is reported that 20 inbound tourism charter flights are planned between Khabarovsk/Vladivostok and Yantai from July 12 to September 13, 2025, which will not only provide Russian tourists with more convenient transportation options, but also give new impetus to the Yantai inbound tourism market, deepening cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia.

    The launch of the airlines has become an important achievement for Yantai in using the visa-free transit policy and actively expanding the international tourism market. The new charter flights not only provide Russian guests with a rich holiday on the Chinese coast, but also create new opportunities to improve Yantai’s global rating and promote high-quality development of the local cultural and tourism industry. -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.

    .

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/CHINA – “Wedding without a dowry”: the Chinese Catholic community promotes the gratuitousness of married life in a secularized society

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 15 July 2025

    xinde.org

    Taiyuan (Agenzia Fides) – Archbishop Meng Ningyou of Taiyuan, in the Chinese province of Shanxi, recommended in his homily at a church wedding last Sunday, July 13, that marriage, in the spirit of faith, be seen as a gift characterized by gratuitousness. He invited everyone to free themselves from the custom of demanding a “dowry” for marriage, which is still widespread in large parts of society.In the current social context, especially in rural areas, the practice of dowry (the assets in the form of money, real estate, jewelry, or cars that families of origin must provide to future spouses at the time of marriage) continues to be a burden for young future spouses and their families of origin, causing the union to break up for many young couples. Families often go into debt to comply with the custom.Bishop Meng praised the Honggou parish, the home parish of the two young couples, and also the newlyweds’ courage, who have testified that the Christian faith can free lives and hearts from unnecessary burdens and lead to true happiness.In his homily, Bishop Paul Meng recalled the sacrament of marriage as a union of free, mutual self-giving blessed by God and called on spouses to accept one another, support each other in the Christian upbringing of their children, and care for one another, following the example of the Good Samaritan, whose figure was the focus of Sunday’s Gospel.In China, too, various economic, cultural, and psychological factors are hindering the desire of young couples to start families and bring children into the world.Meanwhile, Chinese Catholic communities are offering Christian marriage preparation courses that take this situation into account and attempt to address these new challenges.The Cathedral of the Diocese of Beijing recently opened registration for the third 2025 Marriage Preparation Course, which begins next Sunday, July 20. Every Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., young people planning to marry will participate in meetings covering topics such as “the Christian family” and “the sacrament of marriage.” The courses generally begin six months before the planned wedding date and include discussions with priests. The courses are also open to non-Christian couples, who can attend as listeners. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How 1860s Mexico offered an alternative vision for a liberal international order

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Long, Professor of International Relations, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick

    The Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, June 19, 1867 Edouard ManetWikimedia Commons

    In 1867, the world’s most powerful statesmen, including Austria’s Emperor Franz Josef, France’s Napoleon III and US secretary of state, William H. Seward, petitioned the Mexican government to spare the life of a condemned man.

    Mexico’s ragtag army and militias had just humbled France, then Europe’s preeminent land power. The costly six-year campaign drained the French treasury and eroded Napoleon III’s domestic support. Napoleon’s ambition to transform Mexico into a client empire under a Vienna-born, Habsburg archduke, crowned Maximilian I, ended in spectacular failure.

    After his defeat, Maximilian was brought before a Mexican military tribunal. European monarchs regarded the prisoner as their peer, but Mexican liberals convicted him as a piratical invader, usurper and traitor. Despite indignant appeals from European courts, President Benito Juárez refused to commute his sentence. The would-be emperor was executed by firing squad.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The controversy went beyond one monarch’s fate. It crystallised a clash between opposed visions of global order — as Peru’s president Ramón Castilla said at the time, it was a “war of the crowns against liberty caps”.

    Today, world politics are in flux. The so-called liberal international order, nominally grounded in multilateralism, open markets, human rights and the rule of law, is facing its gravest crisis since the second world war. Former advocates such as the United States now openly flout international law and undermine the very norms they once championed. China remains ambivalent, while Russia unabashedly hastens the order’s unravelling.

    More broadly, the old post-second world war order appears out of step with the global south and with widespread anger over double standards exposed by the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran.
    Amid today’s crises, a world order arranged for and by the great powers looks both insufficient and doomed to lack legitimacy. Reordering will require support from diverse actors, including states across the global south.

    1860s: a turbulent decade

    The 1860s were a turbulent, although often overlooked, moment of global reordering. Technological shifts – the telegraph, electricity, steamships and railways – appeared as disruptive then as AI does today. Combined with shifting power dynamics, these transformations accelerated imperial expansion. Yet the rules of the emerging order remained uncertain, even among the imperial powers themselves.

    In Europe, networks of dynastic rule still carried weight in international politics. Under growing pressure, the ancien régime sought to reinvent and reassert itself. The old empires often justified their expansion by promising to bring order and progress to supposedly backward peoples. But that “civilising mission” clashed with a worldview emerging from Spanish America – where countries had thrown off colonial rule to establish independent republics.

    As we wrote in a recent article in American Political Science Review, Spanish American diplomats articulated a republican vision of international order centred on the protection of weaker states from domination by great powers.

    Fending off Europe’s empires

    Divided by civil conflict, Mexico became an easy target for European empires. Mexico’s Liberal party had regained power but faced internal dissent and crippling foreign debt. Britain, France and Spain formed a coalition to invade and demand repayment. France, however, had more ambitious designs.

    Exploiting the distraction of the US civil war, Napoleon III dreamed of transforming Mexico into a Latin stronghold against Yankee expansion. Best of all, Napoleon thought the scheme would turn a profit. A stable Mexican empire could repay the costs of the intervention – with interest – by increasing production from the country’s famed silver mines. Meanwhile, France would gain a receptive market for its exports and a grateful geopolitical subordinate.

    Maximilian, a young Austrian prince of the house of Hapsburg, somewhat naively accepted the offer to rule a distant and unfamiliar land. He dreamed of regenerating Mexico through a liberal monarchy while reviving his family’s declining dynasty.

    Led by Juárez, Mexico’s liberals fiercely resisted Maximilian’s rule. While militarily Juárez was consistently on the defensive, he remained diplomatically proactive. The Juaristas encouraged US sympathies that proved decisive after the end of the civil war. They also enjoyed solidarity – though limited material support – from other Spanish American republics. Although the monarchies of Europe all recognised Maximilian as Mexican emperor, Juárez’s defiance became a rallying point for liberals and republicans in Europe.

    Hero to the liberals: a monument to Juárez in central Mexico City.
    Hajor~commonswiki, CC BY-ND

    Vision of a new order

    Beyond stoking sympathies, Juárez and his followers offered trenchant critiques of unequal international rules and practices cloaked in liberal guise.

    First, the “republican internationalism” of Mexico’s Juaristas stood in direct opposition to European liberals’ “civilising mission”. Latin American republicans rejected the notion that progress could be imposed on their countries from abroad – though some echoed civilising rhetoric toward their own non-white populations, who like in the US were subject to campaigns of violence and dispossession that stretched from northern Mexico to the Patagonia. Many Latin American liberals likewise remained silent about empire elsewhere.

    Second, the Juarista vision placed popular sovereignty, not dynastic ties, at the heart of legitimate statehood. These ideas drew on Mexico’s independence tradition and the principles enshrined in the 1857 constitution. European intervention, in this view, aimed to suppress popular rule in the Americas and extend the reaction against the failed revolutions of 1848, which had seriously threatened the old order when they raged across Europe.

    Third, popular sovereign states were equal under international law, regardless of power, wealth, or internal disorder. Sovereign equality also underpinned Latin America’s strong commitment to non-intervention. Liberal writer and diplomat Francisco Zarco, a close confidante of Juárez, condemned frequent European economic justifications for intervention as the work of “smugglers and profiteers who wrap themselves in the flags of powerful nations”.

    Finally, Mexican liberals called for an international system premised on republican fraternity, drawing on aspirations for cooperation that went back to liberator Simón Bolívar. The independence leader and committed republican convened a conference in 1826, hoping that a confederation of the newly independent Spanish American states would “be the shield of our new destiny”.

    Similar arguments for an international order that advances non-domination still resonate in the global south today. The Mexican experience also underscores that the architects of international order have never come exclusively from the global north – and those who shape its future will not either.

    Tom Long receives support from UK Arts and Humanities Research Council grant AH/V006622/1, Latin America and the peripheral origins of the 19th-century international order.

    Carsten-Andreas Schulz receives support from UK Arts and Humanities Research Council grant AH/V006622/1, Latin America and the peripheral origins of the 19th-century international order.

    – ref. How 1860s Mexico offered an alternative vision for a liberal international order – https://theconversation.com/how-1860s-mexico-offered-an-alternative-vision-for-a-liberal-international-order-260228

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Over 500,000 spectators visited Teatralny Boulevard in 1.5 months

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    More than 500 thousand spectators visited the International Open Festival “Theater Boulevard – 2025” during the first half of the project.

    “The festival started with a full house, and even now empty seats at the venues remain a rarity. In total, more than 500 thousand spectators visited it during the first half of the project, and about 1.6 thousand hours of the program have already been held on the five main stages. Thanks to the festival, the theater season in Moscow actually lasts the entire year, without a break for the summer holidays, and an equally rich program awaits guests ahead: performances by foreign artists and high-profile productions on the festival stages,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Culture

    Alexey Fursin.

    The festival includes classical dramatic productions, musical performances, circus shows, and experimental formats such as the theatre of taste and plastic theatre. There are also special programmes dedicated to memorable dates – Russia Day, A.S. Pushkin’s birthday, the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, and Youth Day.

    This year, Theatre Boulevard is attended by groups from 40 regions of Russia, from the Kaliningrad Region to the Altai Territory, including the State Drama Theatre on Vasilievsky Island (St. Petersburg), the Perm Academic Theatre-Theatre (Perm), and the F. Volkov Drama Theatre (Yaroslavl).

    Andrey Merzlikin and Darya Moroz, Kristina Babushkina, Anton Shagin, Yulia Peresild, Konstantin Raikin, Igor Mirkurbanov, Alexandra Rebenok, Anna Chipovskaya performed their projects at the festival venues. The parade of stars will continue in the second half of the festival.

    Particular attention is paid to children’s and family events. Now they are held on the main stages of the festival. Thus, in July, the “Family Conversations” section was opened, where the stories of theatrical dynasties were presented in a unique format. Among the heroes are Konstantin and Polina Raikin, Yulia and Anna Peresild, Igor and Grigory Vernik.

    The second half of the festival will be more diverse. High-profile premieres, immersive productions and master classes by leading directors are planned, as well as performances by artists from Serbia, Uruguay, Argentina, Iran, China, Italy and other countries.

    The Theatre Boulevard Festival is organized by the capital’s Department of Culture as part of Sergei Sobyanin’s Summer in Moscow project. https://leto.mos.ru/ It will last a record 92 days. More than 600 performances will be shown at 14 venues across the city, and three thousand artists from Russia and other countries will perform. In addition to theatrical productions, each venue will host creative workshops, patriotic programs with favorite actors, and interactive zones, including for children.

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

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

    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.

    .

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-Russia Intangible Cultural Heritage Fair Held in Border City of Heihe

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 15 (Xinhua) — The China-Russia Intangible Cultural Heritage Fair was held in Heihe, Heilongjiang Province, from July 12 to 14, showcasing the rich folk arts of the two countries, according to the city’s Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism.

    On the Chinese side, the event was attended by heirs of 11 intangible cultural heritage sites of various levels, while the fair brought together 24 artists engaged in decorative and applied arts from 12 regions of the Russian Federation, including Moscow, Kamchatka Krai, Magadan Oblast, the Republic of Buryatia and Amur Oblast.

    At the exhibition within the framework of the fair, visitors saw paintings made of fish skin, various birch bark products, stone microminiatures, etc., the manufacturing technique of which is related to the intangible cultural heritage in China. Meanwhile, Russian artisans presented unique wooden dolls, wood and stone carvings, ceramic dishes, sculpture, etc.

    At the fair, Russian artists opened several master classes, during which visitors were able to try making traditional Yakut amulets, textile folk dolls, etc. with their own hands.

    In addition, the heirs of intangible cultural heritage and invited guests from both countries conducted an in-depth exchange of experiences and organized a dialogue on the topic of preserving, inheriting and innovative development of traditional handicrafts.

    The three-day event, which aimed to promote intangible cultural heritage exchanges between China and Russia, attracted thousands of local residents as well as domestic and foreign tourists, promoting the sale of arts and crafts, the department said in a statement. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 17 people survive after boat capsizes off Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, another remains missing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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

    JAKARTA, July 15 (Xinhua) — A rescue team in Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands said on Tuesday that 17 people were found alive after a speedboat capsized in the Sipora Strait in West Sumatra province on Monday.

    According to preliminary reports, the speedboat, which was carrying 18 passengers, including several children, departed from Sikakap Island at around 08:00 local time and capsized around 11:00 while en route to Sipora Island in difficult weather conditions.

    Eleven people were initially reported missing after the crash. As of Tuesday morning, 10 of them had been found safe.

    Rudy Ihu, head of the Mentawai Islands Search and Rescue Agency, told Xinhua that most of the survivors managed to swim to the shores of nearby islands.

    “Currents, waves and winds helped them reach the coast,” he said.

    He noted that, judging by preliminary data and the words of survivors, the capsizing was caused by extreme weather conditions, when large waves hit the boat.

    Rescuers continue searching for missing person. –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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Senegal joins growing list of countries that have eliminated trachoma

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Senegal as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Senegal becomes the ninth country in WHO’s African Region to have achieved this feat.

    “I commend Senegal for freeing its population from this disease”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This milestone is yet another sign of the remarkable progress being made against neglected tropical diseases globally, and offers hope to other countries still working to eliminate trachoma.”

    Trachoma has been known in Senegal since the early 1900s and was confirmed as a major cause of blindness through surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. Senegal joined the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma in 1998, conducted its first national survey in 2000, and completed full disease mapping by 2017 with support from the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and Tropical Data. Trachoma control was consistently integrated into national eye health programmed, first under the National Program for Blindness Prevention (PNLC) and later through the National Program for the Promotion of Eye Health (PNPSO) – maintaining its commitment to trachoma elimination.

    “Today we celebrate our victory against trachoma, 21 years after the one against dracunculiasis” said Dr Ibrahima Sy, Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action. “This new milestone reminds us that our overarching goal remains a Senegal free from neglected tropical diseases. We are fully committed to this, and we are making good progress, notably against human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and onchocerciasis”.

    Senegal implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma with the support of partners, reaching 2.8 million people who needed them across 24 districts. These activities included provision of surgery to treat the late blinding stage of the disease, conducting antibiotic mass drug administration of azithromycin donated by Pfizer through the International Trachoma Initiative, carrying out public awareness campaigns to promote facial cleanliness, and improvement in access to water supply and sanitation.

    Trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Senegal. In 2004, the country was certified free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission. Globally, Senegal joins 24 other countries that have been validated by WHO for having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. These are Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Gambia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ghana, India, Iraq, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam. These countries are part of a wider of group of 57 countries that have eliminated one or more neglected tropical diseases.

    WHO is supporting Senegal’s health authorities to closely monitor communities in which trachoma was previously endemic to ensure there is no resurgence of the disease.

    “Trachoma has cast a shadow over communities in Senegal for more than a century. This long-awaited validation is not only a milestone for public health but a powerful tribute to the tireless dedication of frontline health workers, communities, government leaders, and partners who never gave up,” said Dr Jean-Marie Vianny Yameogo, WHO Representative in Senegal. “Today, we close a chapter that began over a hundred years ago, united with pride, gratitude and resolve. WHO remains committed to supporting Senegal as the country continues to lead in sustaining this hard-earned achievement.”

    Disease prevalence

    Trachoma remains a public health problem in 32 countries, with an estimated 103 million people living in areas requiring interventions against the disease. Trachoma is found mainly in the poorest and most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East. WHO’s African Region is disproportionately affected by trachoma, with 93 million people living in at-risk areas in April 2024, representing 90% of the global trachoma burden.

    Significant progress has been made in the fight against trachoma over the past few years and the number of people requiring antibiotic treatment for trachoma in the African Region fell by 96 million from 189 million in 2014 to 93 million as of April 2024, representing a 51% reduction.

    There are currently 20 countries (Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in WHO’s African Region that are known to require intervention for trachoma elimination. A further 3 countries in the Region (Botswana, Guinea-Bissau and Namibia) claim to have achieved the prevalence targets for elimination.

    – on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: A New Chapter Begins! CMS Achieves Secondary Listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board Today

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, CHINA, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On the morning of 15 July 2025, China Medical System Holdings Limited (“CMS” or the “Group”) rang the ceremonial bell to mark its official listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board (Stock Abbreviation: CMS, Stock Code: 8A8).

    Nearly one hundred representatives from global professional institutions, shareholders, business partners and employees gathered to witness this strategic moment. Following its successful IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board in September 2010 , CMS advances with formidable momentum onto the international capital platform, which will attract funds focusing on Asia-Pacific investments and local capital in Southeast Asia to optimize the shareholder structure. This listing also marks a significant milestone for the Group to deepen roots in emerging markets and advance industrial internationalization strategy.

    At the listing ceremony, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of CMS, Mr. Lam Kong stated: “The secondary listing in Singapore represents a crucial step in implementing CMS’s Asia-Pacific strategy, demonstrating our commitment to extending China’s market advantages across the entire APAC region while strengthening our presence in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This move not only facilitates CMS’s comprehensive and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific markets, but also enhances our international influence and competitiveness, enabling us to serve broader patient populations with high-quality and affordable medication options.”

    New CMS  New Ascent
    Over the 33-year journey, CMS has continuously challenged and surpassed itself through three strategic transformations to adapt to the external ecosystem: evolving from “China’s largest CSO” (1992-2010), to “transition from CSO to Pharma” (2010-2018), and since 2018, gradually establishing three core strategies of “Innovation-driven, Specialty Breakthroughs and Industrial Internationalization” to promote the upgrading and iteration of “New CMS”, accumulating momentum for takeoff.

    CMS has established a comprehensive pharmaceutical product lifecycle management system, covering every stage from target identification to clinical development, product registration and commercialization. The Group focuses on FIC (First-in-Class) and BIC (Best-in-Class)  innovative products, and has meticulously built a pipeline of approximately 40 innovative products with differentiated advantages, among which 5 innovative drugs have been approved and successfully commercialized in China. With the impact of VBP (Volume-Based Procurement) mostly cleared, CMS has entered a new cycle of high-quality and sustainable development driven by exclusive and innovative drugs.

    In specialty fields, the Group focuses on cardio-cerebrovascular, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and skin health, continuously deepening product portfolios and expert networks. Notably, the Group’s skin health business “DERMAVON” has emerged as a leader in its sector and is proposed for an independent listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

    A Pioneer in Industrial Internationalization  Synergized Development Across the Entire “R&D, Manufacturing and Commercialization” Value Chain
    Since 2022, CMS has initiated its “Industrial Internationalization” strategy by extending the Group’s advantages and resources from the Chinese market to emerging markets. Utilizing Singapore as the strategic pivot, the Group has established a localized cluster comprising CMS R&D, PharmaGend, and Rxilient, achieving synergized development across the entire pharmaceutical value chain from R&D to production and commercialization, driving deeper and broader market expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.

    Internationalization of the Commercialization System: Rxilient serves as a platform for drug introduction, R&D and commercialization, operated by a professional and experienced localized team. Headquartered in Singapore, its business has expanded to 14 countries and regions including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Middle East, helping partners from China, the US, and Europe bring innovative drugs to emerging markets while introducing more high-quality and affordable treatment options to local markets. As of now, Rxilient has cumulatively submitted marketing applications for nearly 20 drugs and medical devices across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, covering therapeutic areas such as dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, autoimmune, and central nervous system.

    Internationalization of the Production System: PharmaGend, as an international CDMO platform based in Singapore, has a site spanning 30,000 square meters and is capable of manufacturing dosage forms such as tablets and capsules, with plans to expand production lines for injections, ointments, and nasal sprays. The factory has been certified by international authorities such as the FDA and the HSA, demonstrating its high-standard pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for global export .

    Structural factors including large population bases, healthcare insurance expansion and rising chronic disease burdens are transforming Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets into new growth engines for the global pharmaceutical industry. Leveraging its integrated ecosystem, CMS is forming a novel model for Chinese pharmaceutical globalization – not only enabling incremental market conversion for its own products in emerging markets, but also providing global partners with a reliable one-stop solution, thereby generating additional growth momentum for the Group.

    Looking ahead, CMS will continue advancing its three core strategies to build the long-term value system of “New CMS”. By persistently enhancing accessibility to pharmaceutical innovation, CMS aims to benefit more patients, achieve sustainable healthy development, and deliver substantial value returns to investors.

    CMS Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release is not intended to promote any products to you and is not for advertising purposes. This press release does not recommend any drugs, medical devices and/or indications. If you want to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, please follow the opinions or guidance of your doctor or other medical and health professionals. Any treatment-related decisions made by healthcare professionals should be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and in accordance with the drug package insert.

    This press release which has been prepared by CMS does not constitute any offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and shall not form the basis for or be relied on in connection with any contract or binding commitment whatsoever. This press release has been prepared by CMS based on information and data which it considers reliable, but CMS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, whatsoever, and no reliance shall be placed on, the truth, accuracy, completeness, fairness and reasonableness of the contents of this press release. Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements regarding the Group’s market opportunity and business prospects that are individually and collectively forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Any forward-looking statements and projections made by third parties included in this press release are not adopted by the Group and the Company is not responsible for such third-party statements and projections.

    Media Contact

    Brand: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    Contact: CMS Investor Relations

    Email: ir@cms.net.cn

    Website: https://web.cms.net.cn/en/home/

    Source: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: A New Chapter Begins! CMS Achieves Secondary Listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board Today

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHENZHEN, CHINA, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On the morning of 15 July 2025, China Medical System Holdings Limited (“CMS” or the “Group”) rang the ceremonial bell to mark its official listing on the Singapore Exchange Main Board (Stock Abbreviation: CMS, Stock Code: 8A8).

    Nearly one hundred representatives from global professional institutions, shareholders, business partners and employees gathered to witness this strategic moment. Following its successful IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board in September 2010 , CMS advances with formidable momentum onto the international capital platform, which will attract funds focusing on Asia-Pacific investments and local capital in Southeast Asia to optimize the shareholder structure. This listing also marks a significant milestone for the Group to deepen roots in emerging markets and advance industrial internationalization strategy.

    At the listing ceremony, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of CMS, Mr. Lam Kong stated: “The secondary listing in Singapore represents a crucial step in implementing CMS’s Asia-Pacific strategy, demonstrating our commitment to extending China’s market advantages across the entire APAC region while strengthening our presence in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This move not only facilitates CMS’s comprehensive and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific markets, but also enhances our international influence and competitiveness, enabling us to serve broader patient populations with high-quality and affordable medication options.”

    New CMS  New Ascent
    Over the 33-year journey, CMS has continuously challenged and surpassed itself through three strategic transformations to adapt to the external ecosystem: evolving from “China’s largest CSO” (1992-2010), to “transition from CSO to Pharma” (2010-2018), and since 2018, gradually establishing three core strategies of “Innovation-driven, Specialty Breakthroughs and Industrial Internationalization” to promote the upgrading and iteration of “New CMS”, accumulating momentum for takeoff.

    CMS has established a comprehensive pharmaceutical product lifecycle management system, covering every stage from target identification to clinical development, product registration and commercialization. The Group focuses on FIC (First-in-Class) and BIC (Best-in-Class)  innovative products, and has meticulously built a pipeline of approximately 40 innovative products with differentiated advantages, among which 5 innovative drugs have been approved and successfully commercialized in China. With the impact of VBP (Volume-Based Procurement) mostly cleared, CMS has entered a new cycle of high-quality and sustainable development driven by exclusive and innovative drugs.

    In specialty fields, the Group focuses on cardio-cerebrovascular, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and skin health, continuously deepening product portfolios and expert networks. Notably, the Group’s skin health business “DERMAVON” has emerged as a leader in its sector and is proposed for an independent listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

    A Pioneer in Industrial Internationalization  Synergized Development Across the Entire “R&D, Manufacturing and Commercialization” Value Chain
    Since 2022, CMS has initiated its “Industrial Internationalization” strategy by extending the Group’s advantages and resources from the Chinese market to emerging markets. Utilizing Singapore as the strategic pivot, the Group has established a localized cluster comprising CMS R&D, PharmaGend, and Rxilient, achieving synergized development across the entire pharmaceutical value chain from R&D to production and commercialization, driving deeper and broader market expansion across the Asia-Pacific region.

    Internationalization of the Commercialization System: Rxilient serves as a platform for drug introduction, R&D and commercialization, operated by a professional and experienced localized team. Headquartered in Singapore, its business has expanded to 14 countries and regions including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Middle East, helping partners from China, the US, and Europe bring innovative drugs to emerging markets while introducing more high-quality and affordable treatment options to local markets. As of now, Rxilient has cumulatively submitted marketing applications for nearly 20 drugs and medical devices across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, covering therapeutic areas such as dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, autoimmune, and central nervous system.

    Internationalization of the Production System: PharmaGend, as an international CDMO platform based in Singapore, has a site spanning 30,000 square meters and is capable of manufacturing dosage forms such as tablets and capsules, with plans to expand production lines for injections, ointments, and nasal sprays. The factory has been certified by international authorities such as the FDA and the HSA, demonstrating its high-standard pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for global export .

    Structural factors including large population bases, healthcare insurance expansion and rising chronic disease burdens are transforming Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other emerging markets into new growth engines for the global pharmaceutical industry. Leveraging its integrated ecosystem, CMS is forming a novel model for Chinese pharmaceutical globalization – not only enabling incremental market conversion for its own products in emerging markets, but also providing global partners with a reliable one-stop solution, thereby generating additional growth momentum for the Group.

    Looking ahead, CMS will continue advancing its three core strategies to build the long-term value system of “New CMS”. By persistently enhancing accessibility to pharmaceutical innovation, CMS aims to benefit more patients, achieve sustainable healthy development, and deliver substantial value returns to investors.

    CMS Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release is not intended to promote any products to you and is not for advertising purposes. This press release does not recommend any drugs, medical devices and/or indications. If you want to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases, please follow the opinions or guidance of your doctor or other medical and health professionals. Any treatment-related decisions made by healthcare professionals should be based on the patient’s specific circumstances and in accordance with the drug package insert.

    This press release which has been prepared by CMS does not constitute any offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and shall not form the basis for or be relied on in connection with any contract or binding commitment whatsoever. This press release has been prepared by CMS based on information and data which it considers reliable, but CMS makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, whatsoever, and no reliance shall be placed on, the truth, accuracy, completeness, fairness and reasonableness of the contents of this press release. Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain statements regarding the Group’s market opportunity and business prospects that are individually and collectively forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Any forward-looking statements and projections made by third parties included in this press release are not adopted by the Group and the Company is not responsible for such third-party statements and projections.

    Media Contact

    Brand: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    Contact: CMS Investor Relations

    Email: ir@cms.net.cn

    Website: https://web.cms.net.cn/en/home/

    Source: China Medical System Holdings Ltd.

    The MIL Network –

  • India’s Q1 passenger vehicle sales cross one million for second consecutive year

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s passenger vehicle sales crossed the one million mark for the second consecutive April–June quarter (Q1), with exports showing strong double-digit growth, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Tuesday.

    Passenger vehicle exports — including utility vehicles and cars — reached a record high of 2.04 lakh units in Q1 of 2025–26, marking a 13.2% rise over the same period last year.

    SIAM attributed the growth to steady demand in key overseas markets, with the Middle East and Latin America performing well, alongside a revival in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal. Rising demand from Japan and higher exports under free trade agreements, including with Australia, also contributed to the uptick.

    Two-wheeler exports rose to 1.14 million units, recording a robust 23.2% growth compared to Q1 last year. This was supported by recovery in neighbouring markets and continued momentum in major destinations.

    Exports of three-wheelers climbed to 0.96 lakh units, an increase of 34.4% year-on-year, while commercial vehicle exports grew by 23.4% to around 0.2 lakh units.

    Despite the positive export figures, domestic passenger vehicle sales in Q1 stood at 1.01 million units — down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year — due to slower sales in the latter part of the quarter.

    The two-wheeler segment sold 4.67 million units, posting a 6.2% decline year-on-year, largely due to inventory corrections. However, retail registrations for two-wheelers rose by 5%, boosted by the wedding season and stable demand. The scooter segment’s share within two-wheelers also increased by 2.15% year-on-year.

    The three-wheeler category recorded its highest ever Q1 sales at 1.65 lakh units, mainly driven by strong demand in the passenger carrier segment. SIAM noted that increased economic activity and urban mobility needs supported this growth, while the cargo segment’s retail registrations continued to rise on the back of demand for intracity low-load transport and easier financing.

    Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle segment saw a marginal decline of 0.6% year-on-year to 2.23 lakh units, though passenger carriers within the category maintained positive growth, reflecting steady demand for public transport.

    Looking ahead, SIAM said the industry remains cautiously optimistic for the second quarter. The upcoming festive season, an above-normal monsoon aiding rural incomes, and the Reserve Bank of India’s recent 100-basis-point repo rate cut over six months could help lift demand for passenger vehicles and two-wheelers.

    However, SIAM cautioned that supply-side challenges persist, particularly the recent export licensing requirements imposed by China on rare earth magnets, which are critical components for vehicle manufacturing.

    — IANS

  • India’s Q1 passenger vehicle sales cross one million for second consecutive year

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s passenger vehicle sales crossed the one million mark for the second consecutive April–June quarter (Q1), with exports showing strong double-digit growth, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Tuesday.

    Passenger vehicle exports — including utility vehicles and cars — reached a record high of 2.04 lakh units in Q1 of 2025–26, marking a 13.2% rise over the same period last year.

    SIAM attributed the growth to steady demand in key overseas markets, with the Middle East and Latin America performing well, alongside a revival in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal. Rising demand from Japan and higher exports under free trade agreements, including with Australia, also contributed to the uptick.

    Two-wheeler exports rose to 1.14 million units, recording a robust 23.2% growth compared to Q1 last year. This was supported by recovery in neighbouring markets and continued momentum in major destinations.

    Exports of three-wheelers climbed to 0.96 lakh units, an increase of 34.4% year-on-year, while commercial vehicle exports grew by 23.4% to around 0.2 lakh units.

    Despite the positive export figures, domestic passenger vehicle sales in Q1 stood at 1.01 million units — down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year — due to slower sales in the latter part of the quarter.

    The two-wheeler segment sold 4.67 million units, posting a 6.2% decline year-on-year, largely due to inventory corrections. However, retail registrations for two-wheelers rose by 5%, boosted by the wedding season and stable demand. The scooter segment’s share within two-wheelers also increased by 2.15% year-on-year.

    The three-wheeler category recorded its highest ever Q1 sales at 1.65 lakh units, mainly driven by strong demand in the passenger carrier segment. SIAM noted that increased economic activity and urban mobility needs supported this growth, while the cargo segment’s retail registrations continued to rise on the back of demand for intracity low-load transport and easier financing.

    Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle segment saw a marginal decline of 0.6% year-on-year to 2.23 lakh units, though passenger carriers within the category maintained positive growth, reflecting steady demand for public transport.

    Looking ahead, SIAM said the industry remains cautiously optimistic for the second quarter. The upcoming festive season, an above-normal monsoon aiding rural incomes, and the Reserve Bank of India’s recent 100-basis-point repo rate cut over six months could help lift demand for passenger vehicles and two-wheelers.

    However, SIAM cautioned that supply-side challenges persist, particularly the recent export licensing requirements imposed by China on rare earth magnets, which are critical components for vehicle manufacturing.

    — IANS

  • India’s Q1 passenger vehicle sales cross one million for second consecutive year

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s passenger vehicle sales crossed the one million mark for the second consecutive April–June quarter (Q1), with exports showing strong double-digit growth, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Tuesday.

    Passenger vehicle exports — including utility vehicles and cars — reached a record high of 2.04 lakh units in Q1 of 2025–26, marking a 13.2% rise over the same period last year.

    SIAM attributed the growth to steady demand in key overseas markets, with the Middle East and Latin America performing well, alongside a revival in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal. Rising demand from Japan and higher exports under free trade agreements, including with Australia, also contributed to the uptick.

    Two-wheeler exports rose to 1.14 million units, recording a robust 23.2% growth compared to Q1 last year. This was supported by recovery in neighbouring markets and continued momentum in major destinations.

    Exports of three-wheelers climbed to 0.96 lakh units, an increase of 34.4% year-on-year, while commercial vehicle exports grew by 23.4% to around 0.2 lakh units.

    Despite the positive export figures, domestic passenger vehicle sales in Q1 stood at 1.01 million units — down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year — due to slower sales in the latter part of the quarter.

    The two-wheeler segment sold 4.67 million units, posting a 6.2% decline year-on-year, largely due to inventory corrections. However, retail registrations for two-wheelers rose by 5%, boosted by the wedding season and stable demand. The scooter segment’s share within two-wheelers also increased by 2.15% year-on-year.

    The three-wheeler category recorded its highest ever Q1 sales at 1.65 lakh units, mainly driven by strong demand in the passenger carrier segment. SIAM noted that increased economic activity and urban mobility needs supported this growth, while the cargo segment’s retail registrations continued to rise on the back of demand for intracity low-load transport and easier financing.

    Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle segment saw a marginal decline of 0.6% year-on-year to 2.23 lakh units, though passenger carriers within the category maintained positive growth, reflecting steady demand for public transport.

    Looking ahead, SIAM said the industry remains cautiously optimistic for the second quarter. The upcoming festive season, an above-normal monsoon aiding rural incomes, and the Reserve Bank of India’s recent 100-basis-point repo rate cut over six months could help lift demand for passenger vehicles and two-wheelers.

    However, SIAM cautioned that supply-side challenges persist, particularly the recent export licensing requirements imposed by China on rare earth magnets, which are critical components for vehicle manufacturing.

    — IANS

  • MIL-OSI China: EU proposes new countermeasures amid trade dispute with US

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

    This photo taken on Oct. 4, 2024 shows the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The European Union (EU) has proposed a new round of tariffs on U.S. goods worth 72 billion euros (84 billion U.S. dollars), amid the ongoing trade dispute between the world’s largest economy and its biggest trading partner.

    EU trade ministers met in Brussels on Monday following U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement over the weekend of new tariffs on the bloc. Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade chief, said after the meeting that it was “very obvious from the discussions today, the 30 percent is absolutely unacceptable.”

    He said that the commission was sharing proposals with the 27 members “for the second list of goods accounting for some 72 billion euros (84 billion dollars) worth of U.S. imports. They will now have a chance to discuss it. This does not exhaust our toolbox and every instrument remains on the table.”

    Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the foreign minister of Denmark, which recently assumed the EU presidency, said the bloc views the new tariff as “absolutely unacceptable and unjustified” and is prepared to respond if talks with Washington fail to produce a viable outcome.

    “We are committed to continuing working with the United States on a negotiated outcome,” he said, adding that the agreement has to be “mutually acceptable” on both sides.

    In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday morning, Trump announced a 30 percent tariff on the EU as of Aug. 1, blaming the bloc for causing “long-term, large, and persistent Trade Deficits.”

    “Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal,” he wrote in the letter. “The EU will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit.”

    In response to Trump’s latest deadline, the EU decided to postpone retaliatory counter tariffs on 21 billion euros (24.5 billion dollars) of U.S. goods that had been due to kick in at midnight on Monday until Aug. 1.

    The EU is open to trade talks with the United States for an agreement before the deadline, but won’t rule out taking countermeasures, said Von der Leyen.

    “We remain ready to continue working towards an agreement by Aug. 1,” the EU leader said in a statement. “At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.”

    The proposed tariff threatens to take a heavy toll on the EU economy. An analysis by the Milan-based Institute for International Political Studies suggested that Italy would be among the EU countries most affected by the U.S. tariffs.

    Under a 30-percent duty scenario, Germany’s GDP would contract by an estimated 0.5 percent compared to a no-tariff baseline, while Italy’s GDP would shrink by approximately 0.36 percent, said the think tank.

    On Monday, the Association for the Development of Industry in the Mezzogiorno (SVIMEZ) released its estimate of the impact of the U.S. tariffs on Italy’s exports, projecting a reduction of nearly one-fifth in export volume and a loss of 12.4 billion euros (14.48 billion U.S. dollars) in trade once the tariffs take effect.

    SVIMEZ also warned of broader macroeconomic consequences, estimating a 0.5-percent reduction in Italy’s GDP in 2026 and the potential loss of up to 150,000 jobs, including some 13,000 in the country’s southern regions.

    “Our government is in close contact with the European Commission and all parties involved in the tariff negotiations,” said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a statement.

    “A trade war within the West would make us all weaker in the face of global challenges we are addressing together. Europe has the economic strength to protect its interests and reach a fair agreement,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: EU proposes new countermeasures amid trade dispute with US

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

    This photo taken on Oct. 4, 2024 shows the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The European Union (EU) has proposed a new round of tariffs on U.S. goods worth 72 billion euros (84 billion U.S. dollars), amid the ongoing trade dispute between the world’s largest economy and its biggest trading partner.

    EU trade ministers met in Brussels on Monday following U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement over the weekend of new tariffs on the bloc. Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s trade chief, said after the meeting that it was “very obvious from the discussions today, the 30 percent is absolutely unacceptable.”

    He said that the commission was sharing proposals with the 27 members “for the second list of goods accounting for some 72 billion euros (84 billion dollars) worth of U.S. imports. They will now have a chance to discuss it. This does not exhaust our toolbox and every instrument remains on the table.”

    Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the foreign minister of Denmark, which recently assumed the EU presidency, said the bloc views the new tariff as “absolutely unacceptable and unjustified” and is prepared to respond if talks with Washington fail to produce a viable outcome.

    “We are committed to continuing working with the United States on a negotiated outcome,” he said, adding that the agreement has to be “mutually acceptable” on both sides.

    In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday morning, Trump announced a 30 percent tariff on the EU as of Aug. 1, blaming the bloc for causing “long-term, large, and persistent Trade Deficits.”

    “Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal,” he wrote in the letter. “The EU will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit.”

    In response to Trump’s latest deadline, the EU decided to postpone retaliatory counter tariffs on 21 billion euros (24.5 billion dollars) of U.S. goods that had been due to kick in at midnight on Monday until Aug. 1.

    The EU is open to trade talks with the United States for an agreement before the deadline, but won’t rule out taking countermeasures, said Von der Leyen.

    “We remain ready to continue working towards an agreement by Aug. 1,” the EU leader said in a statement. “At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.”

    The proposed tariff threatens to take a heavy toll on the EU economy. An analysis by the Milan-based Institute for International Political Studies suggested that Italy would be among the EU countries most affected by the U.S. tariffs.

    Under a 30-percent duty scenario, Germany’s GDP would contract by an estimated 0.5 percent compared to a no-tariff baseline, while Italy’s GDP would shrink by approximately 0.36 percent, said the think tank.

    On Monday, the Association for the Development of Industry in the Mezzogiorno (SVIMEZ) released its estimate of the impact of the U.S. tariffs on Italy’s exports, projecting a reduction of nearly one-fifth in export volume and a loss of 12.4 billion euros (14.48 billion U.S. dollars) in trade once the tariffs take effect.

    SVIMEZ also warned of broader macroeconomic consequences, estimating a 0.5-percent reduction in Italy’s GDP in 2026 and the potential loss of up to 150,000 jobs, including some 13,000 in the country’s southern regions.

    “Our government is in close contact with the European Commission and all parties involved in the tariff negotiations,” said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a statement.

    “A trade war within the West would make us all weaker in the face of global challenges we are addressing together. Europe has the economic strength to protect its interests and reach a fair agreement,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Israel intercepts drone launched from Yemen towards Red Sea resort

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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, July 15 (Xinhua) — Israel said Tuesday it intercepted a drone launched by Houthi forces in Yemen toward the Red Sea city of Eilat.

    “The Israeli Air Force intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle that was launched from Yemen,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

    Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Houthi forces have fired dozens of rockets and drones into Israel to show solidarity with the Palestinians. Most of the missiles were intercepted or failed to reach their targets. Israel responded with a series of strikes on ports and other infrastructure in Yemen. –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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi Jinping Meets with Heads of Foreign Delegations Participating in SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    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 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Tuesday with foreign ministers and officials of the permanent bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), who are in China to attend a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member states.

    He noted that over the 24 years since its founding, the SCO has consistently adhered to the “Shanghai Spirit”, becoming increasingly mature and strong, while demonstrating high vitality.

    China always regards the SCO as a priority in its diplomacy with neighboring countries, striving to make the organization more pragmatic and strong, so as to properly ensure regional security and stability, promote the development and prosperity of member states, and build a closer community with a shared future, Xi said.

    He added that since China assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO in July last year, the country has actively held events and developed cooperation, with all parties taking decisive steps to jointly build a beautiful common home for the SCO.

    In connection with the upcoming SCO summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin this year, Xi Jinping expressed hope to meet with leaders of other member states at the event to jointly discuss the future development of the SCO.

    He stressed that in the current circumstances, when the world is undergoing changes and upheavals, the SCO must remain focused and confident, act effectively and play a more active role to bring more stability and positive energy to the world. -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.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –