Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
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Source: Reserve Bank of India
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@ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
– Not Applicable / No Transaction.
** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
@@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
$ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
* Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
Ajit Prasad
Deputy General Manager
(Communications)
Press Release: 2025-2026/811
Source: Government of Sweden
Research and innovation promote progress in the energy sector. Minister for Education Mats Persson today signed an implementation agreement for energy research cooperation with the United States. The agreement was signed in the Reactor Hall at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where research reactor R1 – Sweden’s first nuclear reactor – contributed to research between 1954 and 1970.
Source: Government of Sweden
On 26 October, the Government submitted its thematic report to the Council of Europe on how Sweden is implementing the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). Civil society organisations can submit shadow reports on their view of Sweden’s implementation of the Convention.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Government’s Budget Bill for 2024 proposes initiatives to combat and prevent honour-based violence and oppression, and racism and discrimination. The Government also intends to take measures to combat wage guarantee abuse. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats. On 20 September, the Government presented the Budget Bill for 2024 to the Riksdag.
Source: Government of Sweden
At COP28 in Dubai, Sweden joined a number of international initiatives to speed up the climate transition in various ways. These include a declaration to triple global capacity of nuclear energy, and initiatives for carbon pricing and climate transition in industry.
Source: Government of Sweden
Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson took part in the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Among her various activities during the meeting, Ms Ankarberg Johansson took part in a panel discussion on rare diseases, sponsored by Sweden and Spain together with the organisation Rare Diseases International.
Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 30, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) visited the Otero County Processing Center to carry out his oversight duties as a Member of Congress and get critical insight into how ICE is treating detainees using taxpayer funds.
During the visit, the Congressman met with ICE representatives and private contractor staff, was given a tour of the facility, and underscored the urgent need for consistent, independent oversight to ensure taxpayer-funded detention centers uphold basic standards of care and human dignity.
Despite his lawful right to congressional oversight and prior submission of privacy forms, the Congressman was not permitted to speak with detained individuals — a restriction which facility staff stated was due to “changing policies.”
“I am all for measures that keep our borders and communities secure, but after my visit to the Otero Processing Center, it is only more clear that ICE is not making our communities safer,” said Vasquez. “Today, we learned that over 80% of the individuals detained in this facility have no criminal charges or convictions — meaning the administration is not just targeting violent individuals, it’s filling detention centers with workers, parents, and our community members. ICE’s complete disregard for the need for transparent legal processes and accountability around the spending of taxpayer money is unacceptable.”
During the Congressman’s visit, he encountered:
Vasquez continues to champion legislation like his Humane Accountability Act, which would increase transparency around ICE detention and strengthen reporting standards for how individuals are treated in federal detention centers.
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)
Washington, July 22, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, released the following statement after the House Republican Conference selected Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) to serve as the next Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security:
“Congratulations to my colleague, Andrew Garbarino, on his selection as the next Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security. His appointment reflects a strong commitment to securing our borders, strengthening cybersecurity, and protecting our critical infrastructure. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have made historic strides in national security, and I am confident that Chairman Garbarino will continue that momentum to meet today’s evolving threats. As Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, I look forward to working alongside him in our shared mission to safeguard the American people and defend the Homeland.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Sydney
The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores them. Finally, “Words retreated, suddenly afraid / Into the skull of a dead jester / Taking the whole world with them”.
Crow just yawns: “long ago / He had picked that skull empty”. A figure that is ancient and beyond the reach of gods or human belief systems, Hughes’ Crow resists ever being pinned down or fully understood.
In Max Porter’s 2015 novella, Grief is the Thing with Feathers, a version of Hughes’ Crow enters the life of a bereaved Dad, newly left to look after his two sons after the death of his wife.
Dad is a literary scholar, writing a book about Ted Hughes, and Crow is a metaphor come to life, some version of the endless grief through which he is living.
But Porter’s Crow is not quite the same thing as Hughes’ irredeemable half-myth/half-beast. This crow cares: “I do eat baby rabbits, plunder nests, swallow filth, cheat death […] But I care, deeply. I find humans dull except in grief”. And he is self-aware, too – aware that Hughes’ mythical beast image can also just be a performance, a piece of schtick: “I do this, perform some unbound crow stuff, for him”.
Now, a new adaptation of the novella brings the story to the Belvoir stage.
Toby Schmitz as both Dad and Crow is just brilliant. He exactly captures the messy contradictions of this situation, shifting between the quiet melancholy and stifled rage of the widower and the restless, contradictory energies of Crow.
The latter he performs in recognisable Schmitz fashion: a leery and mischievous outsider, challenging the audience and holding their attention just as much as he teases, taunts and cajoles both Dad and his two sons.
His performance brings out the humour of Porter’s book, the sense of its own absurdity that shadows his story of devastation and tentative renewal.
Also on stage are Philip Lynch and Fraser Morrison as the two boys, doing a great job (as the characters do in Porter’s book) of providing an emotional antidote to the wheeling terror that sometimes spins off Dad’s encounter with Crow.
Schmitz adapted the book with director, Simon Phillips, and designer, Nick Schlieper. They have only very subtly altered the text in ways that enable a dynamic live performance, conversations between Dad, Crow and Boys.
Tying the piece together are compelling video direction and live music. The former is genuinely exciting, as it etches the presence of Crow’s mythology across the stage, aided by Craig Wilkinson’s work as illustrator, clearly taking inspiration from Hughes’ original illustrator, Leonard Baskin. Composer and cellist, Freya Schack-Arnott provides a stunning and emotional soundtrack throughout, at times improvising to the action.
Porter’s novel is ten years old this year. It has been ridiculously successful for a slender (114 pages) and apparently unconventional book.
Seeming to imitate some of the conventions of 20th century modernism (non-linear narratives; stream-of-consciousness; an interplay of myth and reality; shifting perspectives from miniscule detail to grand narrative), it should not have been destined to occupy the best-seller list.
And, yet, multiple awards later, it remains in regular rotation on the central displays of high street bookstores around the world. It has been adapted for the stage before, in a successful production in London starring Cillian Murphy in 2019, and in a less well-received 2025 film starrring Benedict Cumberbatch.
It would be easy to dismiss this success as something to do with the aesthetic world within which it situates itself. Careful to use Faber and Faber’s classic font, Albertus (something it shares with the Belvoir production when passages are projected above the stage), the book is an elegant product that advertises its own self-conscious literariness.
But this assessment would miss the brilliance, the sophistication and the tender power of Porter’s writing, as well as the way that the book has already got there before you.
Porter plays with his own contemporary taming of older and wilder literary traditions. If Hughes’ Crow has been domesticated in Porter’s use of him (I can’t imagine Hughes’ Crow leaving us with the line, “Just be kind and look out for your brother”), he knows that this sentimentality is now hard-earned and not to be ignored.
What this production adds to Porter’s beautiful book is an intensity of purpose. This is a gloriously collaborative effort, from theatre makers at the height of their powers, to communicate the beauty that persists through the pain and degradation that life throws at us.
Grief is the Thing with Feathers is at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, until August 24.
Huw Griffiths does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose – https://theconversation.com/grief-is-the-thing-with-feathers-comes-to-the-stage-with-a-glorious-intensity-of-purpose-260414
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
FTP for TV stations of her remarks is available here.
Cortez Masto told the story of a constituent named Hannah whose Type 1 diabetes makes her dependent on Medicaid coverage she may now lose
Washington, D.C. – To mark the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) took to the Senate floor to call out President Trump and Congressional Republicans for gutting Medicaid in order to pay for a tax giveaway for billionaires.
Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mr. President, as my colleagues have mentioned, today marks 60 years since Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law.
Democrats and Republicans alike should be celebrating the lives that have been saved as a result of these critical programs. Members of both parties should be sharing stories about Americans who have benefitted from the health care they’ve received thanks to Medicare and Medicaid.
Unfortunately, today, my Democratic colleagues and I are not celebrating.
We are angry.
We’re angry that President Trump lied when he said he would “cherish Medicaid” and that his allies in Congress wouldn’t touch this essential program.
We’re angry that President Trump and Congressional Republicans slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid so they could hand billionaires a tax cut – and add $4 trillion to our national deficit.
And, we’re angry that their new law is about to kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance.
In my home state of Nevada, that means up to 120,000 people will lose their health care.
100,000 of those Nevadans will lose their access to Medicaid. And another 20,000 Nevadans will lose their affordable health coverage if Republicans continue to refuse to work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
There are a million reasons why this new law gutting Medicaid is terrible for Nevadans and for our country as a whole. But today, I just want to focus on one: Hannah.
Hannah is a young girl who lives in Nevada, and her parents shared her story with me. Now, I want to share it with you.
Hannah was diagnosed with a congenital kidney disease while still in utero. The first few years of her life were full of hospital rooms, doctors, and machines trying to keep her alive.
At just two and a half years old, Hannah underwent a major surgery that finally gave her the opportunity to live like a normal kid. And she did, for a few years.
But then, at age nine, Hannah fell into a coma. Imagine being her parents, watching completely helpless as your daughter fights something you can’t protect her from.
Hannah did eventually wake up, but with a new diagnosis: diabetes, a condition nearly 270,000 Nevadans manage every day – not just the disease itself, but the crushing weight of the costs associated with it.
Over the next two years, Hannah’s parents spent more than $5,000 out-of-pocket because their insurance refused to cover all the costs. Hannah and her family sacrificed so much just to be able to afford medication that would allow Hannah to lead a normal life.
But just when they thought they would never be able to financially recover, they were able to enroll in Medicaid and receive the support they need to care for Hannah at home.
Now, Hannah is able to live the life she wants to lead, without the fear of medical debt pulling her family back underwater. I want to read to you what Hannah’s parents wrote me next:
“But without Medicaid, her insulin would cost more than our mortgage. Let that sink in. The price of the medication keeping my child alive is higher than the roof over her head – even after insurance. How does that make sense? America should be about neighbors caring for neighbors. But instead, we are pushing people with disabilities to the back of the line, treating their lives as less valuable, their futures as an afterthought. I beg you – I beg you – to save Medicaid. Not just for my Hannah, but for every child like her.”
My Democratic colleagues and I worked hard to save Medicaid. And we tried to reach across the aisle to protect the 17 million Americans just like Hannah who could lose their health insurance because of this bill.
But President Trump insisted Congressional Republicans pass his tax cut for billionaires, and they did what they were told.
So now, Hannah and her family, and millions more like them, may be forced back into medical debt.
And to the proponents of this new law who insist kids like Hannah aren’t the ones they’re targeting to kick off coverage, I’d say they’re either being dishonest, or they simply don’t understand how Medicaid actually works.
These cuts shrink the entire pot of money states rely on to fund Medicaid. Nevada, and every state in the country, will be forced to stretch fewer dollars to cover everyone. That almost always means tightening eligibility or cutting services, so kids like Hannah end up losing coverage – even if they weren’t the “type” of person Republicans singled out for cuts.
This is shameful. It’s un-American. We are better than this as a country.
My Democratic colleagues and I will do everything in our power to restore the health care funding Republicans have gutted.
And we won’t let them forget what they did.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
HONG KONG, July 30 (Xinhua) — The Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Wednesday held a reception to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the PLA at Stonecutters Island Barracks, attended by around 400 people.
John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Zhou Ji, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Dong Jingwei, director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, Peng Jingtang, commander of the Chinese PLA Hong Kong Garrison, Lai Ruxin, political commissar of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, veterans of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, and people from all walks of life in Hong Kong attended the event.
In his speech, Peng said that over the past 98 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the PLA have endured the flames of war and made remarkable historical contributions to the party and the people.
Peng said that this year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War. Led by the CPC, the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column played a vital role in defending Hong Kong and fighting against Japanese invaders, making an important contribution to the global victory over fascism.
Peng also reviewed the hard work of the PLA garrison in Hong Kong, which has faithfully fulfilled its sacred duty of safeguarding Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, serving as a vital anchor of security and reassurance.
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Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Tourists visit scenic areas in Dali, SW China
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port, which will be completely independent island-wide from mid-December, are expected to strengthen the port’s connectivity with Asia-Pacific economies and boost its appeal to global investors, said market watchers and business leaders.
They said that the move, which follows a policy announcement by the government earlier this month, would elevate Hainan’s strategic position in international trade and economic relations, enabling the island to serve as a unique platform for global business cooperation, particularly in sectors seeking closer integration with international markets.
The policy envisages the establishment of a designated area, under the special supervision of Customs authorities, that covers the whole island of Hainan.
Yu Tao, a researcher at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Haikou, Hainan province, said the island-wide independent Customs operation will preserve the Hainan FTP’s close economic ties with the Chinese mainland and support the development of a unified national market.
Building a unified national market is essential to unleashing domestic demand, facilitating the efficient flow of goods and factors, improving resource allocation and fully harnessing the market’s industrial and demand advantages, according to information released by the Research Office of the State Council.
In addition, the newly released negative list clearly defines, for the first time, the full scope of goods and items subject to import and export restrictions in the Hainan FTP, said Yu.
“Based on favorable policies, the list offers clearer regulatory guidance for businesses and enhances trade liberalization and facilitation through more relaxed administrative measures,” he added.
Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, expressed a similar view.
“The policy’s appeal goes beyond consumer-facing imports and is expected to drive a broader restructuring of manufacturing across the Asia-Pacific region, fostering a trade environment distinct from existing frameworks,” he said.
Zhou said Hainan will become a more attractive destination for investment and industrial development, significantly lowering operating costs for businesses in the Asia-Pacific region.
For instance, the scope of zero-tariff goods will expand from the current 1,900 tariff lines to about 6,600, covering about 74 percent of all tariff lines — an increase of nearly 53 percentage points compared with the level before the policy’s implementation at the end of this year, said the Ministry of Finance.
Zhou noted that the intensified market competition may prompt adjustments or relocations in traditional industries such as manufacturing, biomedicine, duty-free retail and hospitality, potentially changing the existing income structure of local residents.
The actual utilization of foreign capital in Hainan reached 102.5 billion yuan ($14.3 billion) over the past five years, with an average annual growth rate of 14.6 percent. Meanwhile, its offshore duty-free sales have grown rapidly, accounting for over 8 percent of the global duty-free market, data from the Hainan provincial government showed.
With China creating more favorable conditions to drive the opening-up in the Hainan FTP, DFS Group, a part of French multinational LVMH Group, and Shanghai-based Shenya Group will jointly build a mega luxury retail complex in Sanya, Hainan.
Scheduled for completion in 2026, this project is expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs and spur the development of related businesses, including infrastructure, logistics, and hotel and catering services in the Hainan FTP, said Nancy Liu, president of DFS China.
She said the project is expected to attract between 16 million and 18 million visitors yearly by 2030 and create lucrative commercial opportunities for Sanya.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement today after reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has cancelled the Direct File program:
“Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Billy Long’s announcement that the Direct File program is cancelled echoes the same message that Donald Trump and his Republican allies have been sending to the American people for years: ‘you’re on your own.’ If you’re among the 72% of Americans who would like a fast, easy, and free method to file your taxes, you’re on your own now that the administration has eliminated Direct File.
“Direct File worked. Over the past two years, hundreds of thousands of Americans across 25 states participated in the Direct File pilot program to file their taxes for free. In 2024, 90% of those taxpayers rated their experience with Direct File as ‘excellent’ or ‘above average.’ During the most recent tax season, that figure increased to 94%. Crucially, on average, Direct File saved participants $160 and hours of time they would have normally spent filing their taxes.
“That’s why I helped lead Democrats’ efforts to establish Direct File through the Inflation Reduction Act: to save Americans time and money. The federal government requires Americans to pay their taxes, thus it ought to provide them a free and easy way to do so. That logic is lost on the Trump Administration. He may be telling Americans they’re on their own, but I will keep fighting for them by standing up for Direct File and other programs that lower their costs and make their lives easier.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Appointments to Cantonese Opera Development Fund Advisory Committee
Mr Maurice Lee Wai-man (Chairman)
Dr Lee Siu-yan (Vice-Chairman)
Mr Au Yick-ho *
Mr Chan Kin-bun *
Dr Benjamin Chan Tak-yuen
Ms Emily Chan Wing-yee *
Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung
Mr Kenny Ho Chi-wa
Mr Lai Yiu-wai
Ms Lam Yan-yin (Lam Kwan-ling)
Ms Angel Leung Sum-yee *
Mr Li Qiuyuan *
Ms Ng Man-ting
Mr Wilfred Ng Sau-kei
Mr Jonathan Ng Yee
Professor Lui Yu-hon (Chairman of the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee)
Representative of the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism
Representative of the Secretary for Education
Representative of the Director of Leisure and Cultural ServicesIssued at HKT 12:00
NNNN
Source: Government of Sweden
The declaration was presented at a conference that the Swedish Presidency hosted together with the Swedish Research Council and Vinnova on research data, and how research infrastructure provides new possibilities and benefits for society. The conference took place in Lund, Sweden, on 19–20 June 2023.
Source: Government of Sweden
On 26–27 June, Europe’s key stakeholders in the life sciences sector will gather to highlight the importance of research and innovation in personalised medicine. The conference, organised within the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, will be live-streamed.
Source: Government of Sweden
In connection with the Government’s Budget Bill for 2024, several reforms concerning the labour market, integration and efforts to combat social exclusion were proposed. The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats. The Government presented the autumn budget to the Riksdag on 20 September.
Source: Government of Sweden
Sweden has signed a joint statement on principles for the development of the future 6G policies. The statement was presented on 27 February 2024 in connection with the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It includes an agreement on common principles that will guide research and development of future 6G policies both domestically and internationally.
Source: Government of Sweden
On 18–26 September, several high-level meetings will be held in connection with the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN Headquarters in New York. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell and Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson will attend.
Source: Government of Sweden
In December, Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer held a meeting with representatives of a number of government agencies, academia and municipalities to discuss a new comprehensive strategy against violent extremism and terrorism. The Government had previously announced that a new strategy against violent extremism and terrorism would be drafted.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TIANJIN, China, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIV Portfolio Management (LIVPM) announces a renewed commitment to philanthropy, expanding its impact through a series of specific initiatives aimed at making a tangible difference in communities. These efforts will focus on areas like education, sustainability, and supporting those who need help the most, reflecting the company’s dedication to doing more than just managing wealth.
LIV Portfolio Management has always been focused on helping clients grow and protect their wealth. Now, the company is putting its resources and expertise into projects that help improve lives. Whether through new partnerships with charities, donations, or the active involvement of its employees, LIVPM is working to empower individuals and provide solutions that will leave a lasting, positive impact.
Giving Back in Tangible Ways
A Culture of Giving Back
“At LIV Portfolio Management, we believe that true wealth isn’t just about securing your financial future, it’s about enriching the lives of others,” said Adam Brooks, Chief Operating Officer. “These efforts go beyond just writing checks; they are about making a real difference. We want to empower our clients, employees, and partners to be part of this mission and create a positive, lasting impact.”
Focused on Long-Term Impact
“Philanthropy has always been a cornerstone of our values,” said Brooks. “We’re committed to making sure our efforts aren’t just about short-term help, but about creating real, lasting change, so our initiatives are designed to not only address immediate needs but also empower people and communities to thrive in the long term. We’re excited about the future and the difference we can make together.”
About LIV Portfolio Management
At LIVPM, we believe financial management should be clear, accessible, and always relevant to your life. Whether you’re just starting to build wealth or managing a substantial portfolio, we work alongside you to create strategies that evolve with your goals and needs. Our focus is on helping you make informed decisions that secure your future with confidence and clarity.
We bring together years of experience, a steady approach, and a global perspective to help clients, so you get more than just a financial advisor; you get a true partner in your journey toward long-term security and success.
For more information about LIV Portfolio Management, visit www.livpm.com
Contact:
Michael He, Media Relations Officer
+86 228 519 4314
Disclaimer: This content is provided by LIV Portfolio Management. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information shared in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment, financial, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended that you conduct thorough research and consult with a professional financial advisor before making any investment or trading decisions. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3484ab9-5da7-4a31-97ff-b100deb52825
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
President Donald Trump has said that India and the US were still negotiating a trade deal despite his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff, and a final decision may be known by the end of the week.
“We’re talking to India now, we’ll see what happens,” he said on Wednesday, hours after he had threatened the 25 per cent tariffs and the 100 per cent penalty for buyers of Russian energy he had proposed. He said that India, which he asserted has one of the highest tariffs in the world, was now “willing to cut it very substantially.”
However, he was silent on the Russian penalty when asked by a reporter and instead spoke of the 10 per cent penalty he had proposed for BRICS members.
Since he says negotiations are continuing, the morning threat appears to be a negotiating ploy and gives both countries wiggle room to reach an accord. He has also not issued a formal letter on the tariffs.
India had replied defiantly to the threat, saying the government “will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest.” India indicated that agriculture was likely a sticking point in the negotiations.
The statement said, “The government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises).” The US wants India to open its markets to US agriculture and dairy, which could impact its vast agriculture sector.
Trump and his officials, like Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, had spoken optimistically that India would be among the first to make a deal, but it hasn’t materialised. India was among the first countries to start trade negotiations with Washington on tariffs, and Trump had repeatedly said that an agreement was imminent, most recently last week.
The negotiations were making fantastic progress, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said last week in a media interview in London. “I do hope we’ll be able to conclude a very consequential partnership,” he said.
In its response, India’s Commerce Ministry said, “India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months.”
“We remain committed to that objective,” it added. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a friend of mine,” as he usually prefaces differences on tariffs.
He said, nonchalantly, “It doesn’t matter too much whether we have a deal or whether we charge them a certain tariff, but you’ll know at the end of this week.”
He repeated his tirade about India’s high tariffs, saying that while the US buys a lot from India, the US doesn’t sell as much there because of the tariffs. India had the highest or one of the highest tariffs in the world, with levies going as high as 175 per cent, he said.
When a reporter asked him about the penalty for buying Russian energy, he did not answer that and, instead, veered off into talking about BRICS and how it was “anti-United States.” “India is a member of that, if you can believe it,” he said.
“It’s an attack on the dollar, and we’re not going to let anybody attack the dollar,” he said. So, when it comes to India, he said, “It’s partially BRICS, and it’s partially the trade.”
In the Truth Social post, Trump had said India has “always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine.”
“All things not good! India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25 per cent, plus a penalty for the above, starting on August first,” he wrote, capitalising parts of the post in his style. (IANS)
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China has rolled out its first nationwide cash subsidy program for families with children under three since the founding of the People’s Republic, with an initial central budget of 90 billion yuan (US$12.6 billion) this year to ease parenting costs and promote childbirth.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A farmer works amid photovoltaic panels at a solar power station in the Yi-Hui-Miao Autonomous County of Weining, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, July 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
China’s newly installed wind and solar power capacity nearly doubled year-on-year during the first half of this year, as the country ramps up its transition to cleaner energy sources, data from the China Electricity Council showed.
Newly added power generation capacity during the first six months reached 290 million kilowatts, with new solar installations rising 107.1 percent year-on-year to 210 million kilowatts, and new wind power installations up 98.9 percent to 50 million kilowatts, it said.
China’s renewable energy sector is expected to maintain rapid growth, with average annual new installed capacity reaching 200-300 million kilowatts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), said Zhang Lin, head of the council’s planning and development department, during a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
The near doubling of China’s wind and solar capacity in the first half is a clear signal of the country’s accelerating commitment to its energy transition goals, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.
“These installation figures demonstrate China’s ability to rapidly deploy renewable energy technologies at scale, positioning it as a global leader in clean energy investment and deployment.”
According to the council, China’s power generation capacity is projected to hit a record high in 2025, fueled by a rapid expansion of renewable energy sources.
New power generation capacity is expected to exceed 500 gigawatts in 2025, with new renewable energy capacity reaching approximately 400 GW, a result of China’s accelerated green energy transition and increasing investment in grid construction, the CEC said.
Total installed power generation capacity is forecast to reach around 3.9 terawatts by the end of 2025, a year-on-year increase of approximately 16.5 percent. Nonfossil fuel sources are expected to account for 2.4 TW, or about 61 percent of total capacity, said Jiang Debin, deputy director of the council’s statistics and data center.
The CEC also anticipates steady growth in China’s electricity demand in 2025, with total consumption expected to increase by 5-6 percent. Electricity demand is projected to grow faster in the second half of the year compared to the first, it said.
China’s maximum power load once again set a new historical record on July 16, surpassing 1.5 billion kilowatts for the first time and reaching a peak of 1.506 billion kilowatts, according to the National Energy Administration.
This represents an increase of 55 million kilowatts compared to last year’s peak load, the third time a historical record has been broken in July, it said.
According to Chen Yaning, head of the council’s power supply and demand analysis department, the record reflects steady expansion in China’s electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity.
Fueled by robust and sustained economic activity, power demand surged across the nation in the first half of this year, with industrial output, commercial operations and residential consumption all contributing to the heightened electricity needs, she said.
“Equipment manufacturing and consumer goods manufacturing related to new quality productive forces have maintained strong resilience,” said Chen.
The internet and related services sector saw a 27.4 percent year-on-year increase in electricity consumption, driven by the rapid development of mobile internet, big data and cloud computing.
The charging and battery swapping services sector for electric vehicles saw a 42.4 percent increase in electricity consumption in the first half of the year, fueled by the rapid growth of the EV market.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Wednesday met with a delegation from the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), led by its board chair Rajesh Subramaniam, in Beijing.
The two sides exchanged views on China-U.S. economic and trade relations as well as the development of U.S.-funded enterprises in China.
Wang said that despite ups and downs, China and the United States remain important economic and trade partners for each other. He added that decoupling and disruption of industrial and supply chains will not work and that equal dialogue and consultation are key to addressing differences.
Under the guidance of the two heads of state, China and the United States have reached a consensus in Geneva and established a framework for economic and trade cooperation in London, Wang said, noting that teams from the two sides recently held talks in Stockholm.
Wang expressed the hope that the United States will work with China to maintain the steady, healthy and sustainable development of economic and trade relations.
Opening up is China’s fundamental national policy and the country’s door will only open wider, Wang said, stressing that its policies on utilizing foreign investment have not changed and will not change.
Noting that China’s consumer market remains among the largest in the world with immense growth potential and innovation vitality, Wang said China welcomes enterprises from all countries, including U.S.-funded companies, to invest in China and share its development opportunities.
Subramaniam said the USCBC is glad to see that the economic and trade teams of the two countries have maintained dialogue and achieved positive results.
He added that China has sent a positive signal to the world that it will further deepen reform and stay committed to opening up, which has boosted market confidence.
The USCBC and its member companies are committed to long-term development in China and will strive to play a constructive role in expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation, he said.
Source: Government of Sweden
Today, the Defence Materiel Administration and its Danish counterpart, the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, signed a contract with BAE Systems Hägglunds for the coordinated procurement of 205 units of the Combat Vehicle 90, CV9035 MKIIIC version.
Source: Government of Sweden
On Tuesday 13 June, the task force for Jewish Life in Sweden held its first meeting. Discussions focused on what the situation looks like today and how living a Jewish life in Sweden can be made easier. More than 30 participants gathered to collaborate and engage in dialogue.
Source: Government of Sweden
In light of the recent developments, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström invited representatives of faith communities to a discussion to listen to their views and thoughts on recent events.
