Source: European Union 2
A new Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has been agreed on between the EU and Indonesia. The agreement will promote trade and investment, foster inclusive and sustainable growth, and strengthen supply chains. CEPA will also support cooperation on critical raw materials.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — During the initial years of China’s historic journey of reform and opening up over four decades ago, the first 14 national-level economic and technological development zones were established in 12 coastal cities. Today, there is a vast network of 232 such zones right across the country, serving as vital engines of development.
In the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, a commerce official, a zone administrator and an executive of a foreign-invested company convened to explore the evolving role of these zones in shaping China’s next phase of high-standard opening up, in-depth reform and high-quality development.
National economic development zones are not only economic powerhouses but also key windows for global engagement, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official in the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign investment department.
Notably, such zones are home to more than 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises and around 99,000 firms engaged in foreign trade.
In 2024 alone, national economic development zones accounted for about one-quarter of China’s utilized foreign investment and trade volume. Collectively, they generated a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan (about 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars) and housed over 4.9 million market entities, including 73,000 major industrial enterprises and 85,000 high-tech firms.
Looking forward, Ji said these zones need to further improve and innovate in areas ranging from development positioning to institutions in a bid to shoulder greater responsibilities in fostering development and expanding opening up.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce recently unveiled a work plan with 16 targeted policy measures including developing new quality productive forces, elevating economic openness and deepening reforms of management systems.
INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
China’s national economic development zones have started to speed up their innovation efforts, seeking to foster new growth drivers.
Suzhou Industrial Park, founded in 1994 in east China’s Jiangsu Province as the first inter-governmental cooperation project between China and Singapore, exemplifies this development trend. This industrial park leverages global partnerships and its free trade status in a quest to become a world-class high-tech park.
Shen Lei, deputy director of the park’s management committee, highlighted its focus on attracting global resources and integrating technological and industrial innovation.
National economic development zones now account for 18.3 percent of China’s high-tech enterprises and host more than 700 state-level incubators and innovation spaces.
“They boast high industrial concentration and solid manufacturing foundations, making them ideal for developing new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths,” Ji said.
These zones have become powerhouses for strategic emerging industries. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, the Yibin zone has built the world’s largest single-site power battery production base featuring a 180 GWh capacity. Another zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, meanwhile, boasts complete industrial chains from aviation equipment to satellite applications.
More efforts will be made to cultivate modern industrial systems in national economic development zones, centered around sectors such as biomedicine, new energy and materials, aerospace, high-end equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), Ji revealed.
PIONEERS OF OPENING UP
Over the past decades, national economic development zones have been trailblazers in institutional innovation, foreign investment and economic growth, setting the pace for China’s reform and opening-up endeavors.
These zones have explored free trade pilot synergies to foster breakthroughs in areas including resource flows, rights protection and market regulation. Some have also proactively aligned with high-standard international trade rules to enhance their institutional openness, Ji said.
“The strategic location, industrial chains and policy support of these zones make them highly attractive for Panasonic to make investments in China,” said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic China.
A 47-year veteran of the Chinese market, Panasonic operates in national economic development zones of eight cities like Beijing, north China’s Tianjin and Shanghai. Its 2024 fiscal year sales in China approached 100 billion yuan — nearly a quarter of Panasonic’s global revenue.
“China is not just a manufacturing giant but a major consumer and innovation hub, offering vast opportunities for foreign firms,” said Zhao. He added that recent policies supporting technological platforms and the integration between the digital economy and the real economy will facilitate Panasonic’s investments in areas ranging from AI to new energy.
Experts noted that the latest reform measures concerning China’s national economic development zones will provide foreign firms with a higher-level platform, thereby encouraging increased R&D investment and deeper collaboration with local enterprises. Thanks to improving industrial ecosystems, global companies will be able to seize greater opportunities in China’s vibrant market.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — During the initial years of China’s historic journey of reform and opening up over four decades ago, the first 14 national-level economic and technological development zones were established in 12 coastal cities. Today, there is a vast network of 232 such zones right across the country, serving as vital engines of development.
In the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, a commerce official, a zone administrator and an executive of a foreign-invested company convened to explore the evolving role of these zones in shaping China’s next phase of high-standard opening up, in-depth reform and high-quality development.
National economic development zones are not only economic powerhouses but also key windows for global engagement, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official in the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign investment department.
Notably, such zones are home to more than 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises and around 99,000 firms engaged in foreign trade.
In 2024 alone, national economic development zones accounted for about one-quarter of China’s utilized foreign investment and trade volume. Collectively, they generated a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan (about 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars) and housed over 4.9 million market entities, including 73,000 major industrial enterprises and 85,000 high-tech firms.
Looking forward, Ji said these zones need to further improve and innovate in areas ranging from development positioning to institutions in a bid to shoulder greater responsibilities in fostering development and expanding opening up.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce recently unveiled a work plan with 16 targeted policy measures including developing new quality productive forces, elevating economic openness and deepening reforms of management systems.
INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
China’s national economic development zones have started to speed up their innovation efforts, seeking to foster new growth drivers.
Suzhou Industrial Park, founded in 1994 in east China’s Jiangsu Province as the first inter-governmental cooperation project between China and Singapore, exemplifies this development trend. This industrial park leverages global partnerships and its free trade status in a quest to become a world-class high-tech park.
Shen Lei, deputy director of the park’s management committee, highlighted its focus on attracting global resources and integrating technological and industrial innovation.
National economic development zones now account for 18.3 percent of China’s high-tech enterprises and host more than 700 state-level incubators and innovation spaces.
“They boast high industrial concentration and solid manufacturing foundations, making them ideal for developing new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths,” Ji said.
These zones have become powerhouses for strategic emerging industries. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, the Yibin zone has built the world’s largest single-site power battery production base featuring a 180 GWh capacity. Another zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, meanwhile, boasts complete industrial chains from aviation equipment to satellite applications.
More efforts will be made to cultivate modern industrial systems in national economic development zones, centered around sectors such as biomedicine, new energy and materials, aerospace, high-end equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), Ji revealed.
PIONEERS OF OPENING UP
Over the past decades, national economic development zones have been trailblazers in institutional innovation, foreign investment and economic growth, setting the pace for China’s reform and opening-up endeavors.
These zones have explored free trade pilot synergies to foster breakthroughs in areas including resource flows, rights protection and market regulation. Some have also proactively aligned with high-standard international trade rules to enhance their institutional openness, Ji said.
“The strategic location, industrial chains and policy support of these zones make them highly attractive for Panasonic to make investments in China,” said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic China.
A 47-year veteran of the Chinese market, Panasonic operates in national economic development zones of eight cities like Beijing, north China’s Tianjin and Shanghai. Its 2024 fiscal year sales in China approached 100 billion yuan — nearly a quarter of Panasonic’s global revenue.
“China is not just a manufacturing giant but a major consumer and innovation hub, offering vast opportunities for foreign firms,” said Zhao. He added that recent policies supporting technological platforms and the integration between the digital economy and the real economy will facilitate Panasonic’s investments in areas ranging from AI to new energy.
Experts noted that the latest reform measures concerning China’s national economic development zones will provide foreign firms with a higher-level platform, thereby encouraging increased R&D investment and deeper collaboration with local enterprises. Thanks to improving industrial ecosystems, global companies will be able to seize greater opportunities in China’s vibrant market.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — During the initial years of China’s historic journey of reform and opening up over four decades ago, the first 14 national-level economic and technological development zones were established in 12 coastal cities. Today, there is a vast network of 232 such zones right across the country, serving as vital engines of development.
In the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, a commerce official, a zone administrator and an executive of a foreign-invested company convened to explore the evolving role of these zones in shaping China’s next phase of high-standard opening up, in-depth reform and high-quality development.
National economic development zones are not only economic powerhouses but also key windows for global engagement, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official in the Ministry of Commerce’s foreign investment department.
Notably, such zones are home to more than 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises and around 99,000 firms engaged in foreign trade.
In 2024 alone, national economic development zones accounted for about one-quarter of China’s utilized foreign investment and trade volume. Collectively, they generated a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan (about 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars) and housed over 4.9 million market entities, including 73,000 major industrial enterprises and 85,000 high-tech firms.
Looking forward, Ji said these zones need to further improve and innovate in areas ranging from development positioning to institutions in a bid to shoulder greater responsibilities in fostering development and expanding opening up.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce recently unveiled a work plan with 16 targeted policy measures including developing new quality productive forces, elevating economic openness and deepening reforms of management systems.
INNOVATION-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
China’s national economic development zones have started to speed up their innovation efforts, seeking to foster new growth drivers.
Suzhou Industrial Park, founded in 1994 in east China’s Jiangsu Province as the first inter-governmental cooperation project between China and Singapore, exemplifies this development trend. This industrial park leverages global partnerships and its free trade status in a quest to become a world-class high-tech park.
Shen Lei, deputy director of the park’s management committee, highlighted its focus on attracting global resources and integrating technological and industrial innovation.
National economic development zones now account for 18.3 percent of China’s high-tech enterprises and host more than 700 state-level incubators and innovation spaces.
“They boast high industrial concentration and solid manufacturing foundations, making them ideal for developing new quality productive forces tailored to local strengths,” Ji said.
These zones have become powerhouses for strategic emerging industries. In southwest China’s Sichuan Province, for example, the Yibin zone has built the world’s largest single-site power battery production base featuring a 180 GWh capacity. Another zone in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, meanwhile, boasts complete industrial chains from aviation equipment to satellite applications.
More efforts will be made to cultivate modern industrial systems in national economic development zones, centered around sectors such as biomedicine, new energy and materials, aerospace, high-end equipment manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), Ji revealed.
PIONEERS OF OPENING UP
Over the past decades, national economic development zones have been trailblazers in institutional innovation, foreign investment and economic growth, setting the pace for China’s reform and opening-up endeavors.
These zones have explored free trade pilot synergies to foster breakthroughs in areas including resource flows, rights protection and market regulation. Some have also proactively aligned with high-standard international trade rules to enhance their institutional openness, Ji said.
“The strategic location, industrial chains and policy support of these zones make them highly attractive for Panasonic to make investments in China,” said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic China.
A 47-year veteran of the Chinese market, Panasonic operates in national economic development zones of eight cities like Beijing, north China’s Tianjin and Shanghai. Its 2024 fiscal year sales in China approached 100 billion yuan — nearly a quarter of Panasonic’s global revenue.
“China is not just a manufacturing giant but a major consumer and innovation hub, offering vast opportunities for foreign firms,” said Zhao. He added that recent policies supporting technological platforms and the integration between the digital economy and the real economy will facilitate Panasonic’s investments in areas ranging from AI to new energy.
Experts noted that the latest reform measures concerning China’s national economic development zones will provide foreign firms with a higher-level platform, thereby encouraging increased R&D investment and deeper collaboration with local enterprises. Thanks to improving industrial ecosystems, global companies will be able to seize greater opportunities in China’s vibrant market.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — China is witnessing a surge in foreign tourist arrivals as the summer vacation season kicks off, with more international travelers drawn to the country’s unique blend of ancient culture and modern vitality.
According to official data, Beijing’s ports of entry handled over 640,000 inbound and outbound travelers between July 1 and 10, including 171,000 foreign tourists, marking a 22.1 percent year-on-year increase.
A total of 2.56 million foreign travelers entered China through Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao international airports in the first half of this year, marking a 44.7 percent year-on-year increase.
To meet the growing demand, immigration authorities at major border checkpoints have introduced a range of measures to reduce waiting times and improve the travel experience.
The surge has been driven by China’s continued easing of entry policies for foreign visitors. As of now, China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy applies to 55 countries, while nationals from 47 countries are eligible for unilateral visa-free entry.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — China is witnessing a surge in foreign tourist arrivals as the summer vacation season kicks off, with more international travelers drawn to the country’s unique blend of ancient culture and modern vitality.
According to official data, Beijing’s ports of entry handled over 640,000 inbound and outbound travelers between July 1 and 10, including 171,000 foreign tourists, marking a 22.1 percent year-on-year increase.
A total of 2.56 million foreign travelers entered China through Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao international airports in the first half of this year, marking a 44.7 percent year-on-year increase.
To meet the growing demand, immigration authorities at major border checkpoints have introduced a range of measures to reduce waiting times and improve the travel experience.
The surge has been driven by China’s continued easing of entry policies for foreign visitors. As of now, China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy applies to 55 countries, while nationals from 47 countries are eligible for unilateral visa-free entry.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China appoints senior official for Hong Kong, Macao affairs
BEIJING, July 14 — China has appointed Xu Qifang as the executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, overseeing the office’s daily operations.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 — China expresses deep condolences over the passing of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.
“China expresses sincere sympathies to the Nigerian government and people, as well as to former president Buhari’s family,” Lin told a daily press briefing.
Lin said that former President Buhari was an important leader of Nigeria, leading the Nigerian people to achieve remarkable accomplishments on the path of its national construction, adding that he was also a good friend of the Chinese people who had made significant contributions to promoting China-Nigeria relations and the mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation between the two countries.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing, capital of China, July 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing.
Han said, last October, Chinese President Xi Jinping had a successful meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan, leading China-India relations to a new starting point. Noting that China and India are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South, Han said it is the right choice for both sides to be partners contributing to each other’s success.
Han called on both sides to further implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, adhere to the high-level guidance, steadily advance pragmatic cooperation, respect each other’s concerns, and promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of China-India relations.
Jaishankar said that following the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi in Kazan, India-China relations have shown steady improvement. The Indian side stands ready to take the consensus reached by the leaders as guidance to maintain the momentum of bilateral ties, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, and enhance communication and coordination within multilateral mechanisms, he added.
India supports China in hosting this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit as the rotating chair, Jaishankar said.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today announced that the third edition of the Asia+ Festival, featuring over 100 performances and activities, will be held from September to November.
Presented by the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau and organised by the LCSD, the festival aims to create a sustainable platform for arts and cultural exchange.
Artists and performers from more than 30 countries and regions will participate in this year’s festival. In addition to those from Asia, there will also performers from various Belt & Road countries and from Europe, Africa and the Americas. The programme will span traditional and contemporary products, giving the public and tourists a taste of diverse and vibrant cultures.
This year’s opening production will be a staging of Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard”, with Jeon Do-yeon and Haesoo Park featuring as part of a stellar Korean cast.
This will be followed by a variety of dance and music performances by world-class artists, as well as the ever-popular Asian Ethnic Cultural Performances+ outdoor carnival, showcasing distinctive cultural traditions.
Tickets for most of the shows will be available from July 23 at URBTIX. Early bird discounts will be available until August 5. For enquiries, call 2370 1044.
Source: City of Manchester
With OASIS now approaching the halfway mark of their five epic homecoming gigs in Heaton Park, Manchester’s Central Library is all set this week (14 – 19 July) to Roll With It as it celebrates its very own ‘Oasis Week’.
As the Gallagher brothers prepare for another legendary three nights performing in the park, right here in the city centre the award-winning Central Library will be paying tribute to the legendary Manchester band throughout the week with six days of free festivities, during its very own “Oasis Week”.
Part of the city council’s MCR Live ’25 celebrations taking place across the city this summer, the library has put together its own Masterplan of Oasis-themed programming, which is packed with live performances from Rock’n’Roll Stars, Supersonic film screenings, Liam’n’Noel look-a-like competitions, a head-shrinking Big Oasis Quiz, and much more.
If you were one of the many who missed out on tickets to see Oasis on their Live 25 Tour, Don’t Look Back In Anger because there will be plenty to enjoy during the week at Central Library.
With different activities on every day the week includes the screening of an Oasis fan favourite film – picked by local fans – in Central Library’s Performance Space, a chance to test your knowledge in The Big Oasis Quiz with some tasty prizes up for grabs, and to show-off your swagger in a brilliant Liam’n’Noel Look-a-Like competition.
For any fans in the mood for a Talk Tonight, tomorrow Tuesday 15 July, will see Northern music journalist and frontman of the Membranes / Goldblade JOHN ROBB at Central Library in-conversation about his brand-new book ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’ – a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. John will be appearing in-conversation with local Oasis expert Joe Feeley, who leads the Oasis Wonderwalk Tour in Manchester. Taking audience Q&As, John will also be signing books at the event to mark its release.
Wednesday brings a chance for fans to Slide Away into the sounds of the NEW HORIZONS CHOIR who will be offering their own innovative take on Oasis hits. A fun, welcoming, inclusive choir who meet for a sing every week in Manchester Central Library, they are inviting everyone to come down to enjoy and join in with an hour of uplifting singing of everyone’s favourite Oasis tunes.
Elsewhere, the library’s Archives+ and Sound Archives team will be digging deep into the Piccadilly Radio and Key103 audio archives and resurfacing some vintage interviews with Noel Gallagher from the band’s 90’s peak. Available to hear on the Sound & Vision pods on the ground floor of Central Library, the Oasis sound clips will feature as part of a new Piccadilly Radio Exhibition also launching in July.
The supersonic week of events at the library will conclude with ‘Live Forever’ – a day of special Oasis-themed live sessions next Saturday 19 July.
The day gets underway with a little Morning Glory from the MANCHESTER STRING QUARTET performing classical renditions of Oasis hits; followed by an afternoon of performances in the Henry Watson Music Library offering reimaginations of Oasis tracks by the UKULELE ORCHESTRA, and sumptuous reworkings by vocal harmony group CANTER SEMPER, before a rousing headline performance by top-tier tribute act: NOASIS.
Having previously played big venues including London’s Alexandra Palace and major festivals like Y-Not, NOASIS bill themselves as ‘The definitive Oasis Tribute Band’ and will be appearing in the Music Library for an intimate, stripped-back set especially for “Oasis Week”. With thanks to the support from the Manchester Libraries Trust, tickets will be pay-what-you-like.
Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure, Manchester City Council said: “The library is going all out to celebrate the return of the brothers from Burnage with an epic line-up all week long of Oasis themed free fun for everyone to get involved and join in with. Dig out your bucket hat and come and join us!
“Everyone is welcome and best of all you won’t have to pay a penny for anything – yes, It’s Good To Be FREE!”
The full programme for “Oasis Week” at Central Library is as follows:
Mon 14 July
QUIZ: The Big Oasis Quiz – with Big Oasis Prizes up for grabs!
6.00pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Tues 15 July
TALK: John Robb In-Conversation about his Oasis book ‘Live Forever: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Oasis’
6.30pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Wed 16 July
MUSIC: New Horizons Choir performing Oasis songs
6.00pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Thurs 17 July
FILM: Mystery Screening of an Oasis documentary – chosen by you! 5.30pm, Performance Space
Fri 18 July
COMPETITION JUDGING: Liam’n’Noel Look-a-like Competition – are you a Gallagher doppelganger?
1.00pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Sat 19 July
MUSIC: Live Forever – A Day of Oasis-themed Live Sessions featuring:
Manchester String Quartet 11.00am – 12.00pm, Shakespeare Hall Balcony
Ukulele Orchestra 12.00pm – 12.30pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Canter Semper 1.00pm – 1.30pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Noasis (stripped-back set) 2.00pm – 2.45pm, Henry Watson Music Library
Find out more information about MCR Live ’25
Oasis Week is kindly supported by Manchester Libraries Trust
Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
Follow us on X: @NATO, @DepSecGenNATO and @NATOPress
Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
Follow us on X: @NATO, @DepSecGenNATO and @NATOPress
Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
Follow us on X: @NATO, @DepSecGenNATO and @NATOPress
Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
Follow us on X: @NATO, @DepSecGenNATO and @NATOPress
Source: NATO
On Wednesday, 16 July 2025, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms Radmila Shekerinska, will take part in a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) for an exchange of views.
Media advisory
14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.
Media coverage
The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.
Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.
For more information:
For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
Follow us on X: @NATO, @DepSecGenNATO and @NATOPress
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
HOUSTON – A total of 236 new cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from July 3-10, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Among those are 106 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 116 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while six cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration related crimes.
Two of those charged include Mexican nationals Charlie Ruben Ortiz-Lopez and Mauricio Rivera-Medina. According to their criminal complaints, both have prior convictions for illegal reentry. Rivera-Medina was last removed just last month, but authorities allegedly found him again illegally in the United States near Mission. They encountered Rivera-Medina near Edinburg after he had been previously removed in November 2023, according to his charges.
Another man facing charges this week is Honduran national Jose Eduardo Escobar-Reyes, who law enforcement allegedly discovered unlawfully in the United States near Roma. According to court documents, he was previously removed March 12 and has a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
If convicted, all three face up to 20 years in prison.
In addition to the new cases, a Rio Grande City man was ordered to prison for 24 months for unlawfully transporting an illegal alien. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jason Al Venecia took his girlfriend and her minor daughter with him to smuggle the illegal alien to facilitate passage through the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. While on bond awaiting sentencing, Al Venecia was also caught assisting his girlfriend during her own attempt to smuggle illegal aliens. She has since pleaded guilty to separate charges in her case prosecuted in the McAllen Division.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 95 border-related cases this week so far, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are some of those cases:
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 95 border-related cases this week so far, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are some of those cases:
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Cruz, 36, of Mexico, was arrested on July 8, and charged by criminal complaint for Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after selling over 1000 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
According to the complaint, in April, Cruz met with an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) agent and another individual at a business parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, to sell them methamphetamine. Cruz provided the agent with approximately 3 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine in exchange for $2700.
A records check showed that Cruz is a Mexican national and previously convicted felon, illegally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Usry, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-3289
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-113_Cruz
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Cruz, 36, of Mexico, was arrested on July 8, and charged by criminal complaint for Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after selling over 1000 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
According to the complaint, in April, Cruz met with an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) agent and another individual at a business parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, to sell them methamphetamine. Cruz provided the agent with approximately 3 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine in exchange for $2700.
A records check showed that Cruz is a Mexican national and previously convicted felon, illegally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Usry, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-3289
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-113_Cruz
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Cruz, 36, of Mexico, was arrested on July 8, and charged by criminal complaint for Distribution of a Controlled Substance, after selling over 1000 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
According to the complaint, in April, Cruz met with an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF) agent and another individual at a business parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, to sell them methamphetamine. Cruz provided the agent with approximately 3 pounds of 100% pure methamphetamine in exchange for $2700.
A records check showed that Cruz is a Mexican national and previously convicted felon, illegally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
ATF is conducting the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Usry, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-3289
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-113_Cruz
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Source: APO – Report:
In the early morning, the fields stretch as far as the eye can see, bathed in the soft light of the rising sun. In Kwilu, Kasai, and Tshopo provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rural communities are reclaiming their land with renewed energy. Here, every furrow in the earth tells a story of resilience and hope.
These fertile lands have long been trapped in a vicious circle of poor-quality seed, limited access to fertilizers, outdated farming techniques, low yields, and unstable incomes. A tradition of subsistence farming has confined families to day-to-day survival, leaving them vulnerable to climate shocks and food crises.
That has changed thanks to the deployment of the Emergency Food Production Project (https://apo-opa.co/3TDmJmU) (PURPA in the French acronym), which is being implemented by the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) as part of the African Emergency Food Production Facility (https://apo-opa.co/4kAFbr2). The project aims to restore food production in the most vulnerable rural areas of the DRC as rapidly as possible.
Large-scale distribution of seeds and other agricultural inputs lies at the heart of the project and has delivered a decisive impact:
Villagers in the communities covered by the project are enthusiastic, reflecting a rebirth of hope as the fields come back to life. The seed is in the ground and local people believe the harvest should be sufficient to meet their families’ needs while leaving a surplus for sale on the market.
Beyond the distributions, PURPA has strengthened the capacities of agricultural research stations such as the one at Kiyaka in Kwilu province in the centre of the country, enabling local production of improved maize and rice seeds. Over 100 tonnes of maize seed, 33 tonnes of rice and 2.55 million cassava cuttings have been produced. The distribution of 334 tonnes of fertilizer also offers a guarantee of suitable and affordable seeds for future seasons.
Targeted training programmes have also been launched. The Project financed the training of 300 managers and administrative staff, 30% of whom were women, using the “farmers’ field-school” approach with a focus on seed production and technical itineraries. These initiatives not only improve yields but also strengthen the capacities of women and agricultural cooperatives.
A final push to distribute fertilizer and seed produced by the research centres is scheduled for the coming months. Multiple outcomes are expected: increased farm incomes through the sale of surpluses; the creation of new economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people; significant improvement in food security with a reduction of lean periods; and the development of more autonomous agriculture that is less dependent on external aid.
Local authorities in several provinces are also observing a reduction in rural exodus as young people return to their towns to participate in this new-style agriculture, attracted by more promising prospects.
For these communities, the Emergency Food Production Project is not just a response to the global food crisis. It is a veritable “school of resilience” where solidarity, local know-how and agricultural innovation support and encourage each other.
In these regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, farming is no longer just about survival. In these newly seeded fields, it has become a means of development, investment, and heritage. Much remains to be done, but the transformation is underway. In these once fragile rural lands, a conviction is taking root: change, from now on, comes from here.
– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
.
Source: Panasonic
Headline: Panasonic Energy Begins Mass Production at New Automotive Lithium-ion Battery Factory in Kansas, Aiming for Annual Capacity of 32 GWh to Accelerate U.S. Local Production
The content in this website is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.Please note that German, Spanish and Chinese versions are machine translations, so the quality and accuracy may vary.
Source: Panasonic
Headline: Panasonic Energy Begins Mass Production at New Automotive Lithium-ion Battery Factory in Kansas, Aiming for Annual Capacity of 32 GWh to Accelerate U.S. Local Production
The content in this website is accurate at the time of publication but may be subject to change without notice.Please note therefore that these documents may not always contain the most up-to-date information.Please note that German, Spanish and Chinese versions are machine translations, so the quality and accuracy may vary.
Source: Government of Italy (English)
Vai al Contenuto Raggiungi il piè di pagina
14 Luglio 2025
With regard to the European Commission’s letter on the application of special powers regarding UniCredit’s offer for Banco BPM, the Italian Government will respond to the requested clarifications in a collaborative and constructive spirit, as it already did before the Regional Administrative Court (‘Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale’) within the time frames and with the justifications already deemed legitimate by the administrative court judges.
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Iqbal Akhtar, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Florida International University
When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani.
He takes the name from his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic who was raised in Uganda and whose work focuses on postcolonial Uganda. I studied the history of the Khoja community for my doctoral work and have helped develop Khoja studies as an academic discipline. The Mamdani surname tells a story of migration, resilience and community-building that spans centuries and continents.
Mamdanis in Uganda belong to the Khoja community, a South Asian Muslim merchant caste, that shaped economic development across the western Indian Ocean for centuries.
The name originates from greater Sindh, a region in South Asia that today includes southeastern Pakistan and Kachchh in western India.
Its etymology is twofold. Mām is an honorific title in Kachchhi and Gujarati languages, meaning kindness, courage and pride. Māmadō is a local version of the name Muhammad that often appeared in surnames in Hindu castes that converted to Islam, such as the Memons.
The Khoja were categorized by the British in the early 19th century as “Hindoo Mussalman” because their traditions spanned both religions.
Over time, the Khoja came to be identified only as Muslim and then primarily as Shiite Muslim. Today, the majority of Khoja are Ismaili: a branch of Shiite Islam that follows the Aga Khan as their living imam.
The Mamdani family, however, is part of the Twelver community of Khoja, whose Twelfth Imam is believed to be hidden from the world and only emerges in times of crisis. Twelvers believe he will help usher in an age of peace during end times.
Around the late 18th century, the Khoja helped export textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems from the Indian subcontinent to Arabia and East Africa. Through this Western Indian Ocean trading network, they imported timber, ivory, minerals and cloves, among other goods.
Khoja family firms were built on kinship networks and trust. They built networks of shops, communal housing and warehouses, and extended credit for thousands of miles, from Zanzibar in Tanzania to Bombay – now Mumbai – on the western coast of India.
Cousins and brothers would send money and goods across the ocean with only a letter. The precarious nature of trade in this period meant that families also served as insurance for each other. In times of wealth, it was shared; in times of disaster, help was available.
The Khoja became instrumental in building the commercial infrastructure of eastern, central and southern Africa. But the Khoja contribution to the development of Africa extended far beyond trade.
In the absence of colonial investment in public infrastructure, they helped build institutions that formed the foundation of the modern nation-states that emerged after colonization. The institutions both facilitated trade and established permanent communities.
For example, the first dispensary and public school in Zanzibar were constructed by a Khoja magnate, Tharia Topan, who made his wealth through the ivory and clove trades. Topan eventually became so prominent that he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1890 for his service to the British Empire in helping to end slavery in East Africa.
The Khoja community continues to invest in East Africa. The most famous example is the Aga Khan Development Network, whose hospitals and schools operate in 30 countries. In places such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, they are considered the best.
Like in other parts of Africa, the Khoja settled in Uganda as a liaison business community to develop a market to serve both African and European needs. The linguistic and cultural knowledge, developed over centuries, helped facilitate business despite the challenges of colonization.
However, in 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin expelled all Asians – approximately 80,000 – forcing families like the Mamdanis into exile. These included indentured laborers, who were brought in to help build the railroad and farm during the British colonial period, and free traders, like the Mamdani family.
Amin saw them all as the same and famously said: “Asians came to Uganda to build the railway. The railway is finished. They must leave now.”
The experience was a bitter one. Families lost everything, and many left with only the clothes on their backs.
Mahmood Mamdani, who came from a Khoja merchant family, was 26 when he was exiled. Yet, unlike most Ugandan Asians, he chose to go back. At Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, Mamdani set up the Institute for Social Research, which helped to provide rigorous social science training to Ugandan researchers trying to improve their society.
While the earlier generations of the Khoja tended to choose business or adjacent professions, such as accounting, the subsequent generations – particularly those educated in the West – embraced the knowledge economy as professionals, academics and nonprofit leaders.
Several of Mahmood Mamdani’s generation of Khoja academics conducted path-breaking work on Afro-Asian solidarity – a way of thinking about the world beyond colonial categories, such as the category of religion as a separate domain from the secular. These scholars, such as Tanzania’s Issa Shivji and Abdul Sheriff, worked on creating solidarity among the newly independent states of the Global South.
Mahmood Mamdani is known for his influential post-9/11 academic work, “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim,” which examined how Muslim identities are stereotyped. He argued that these identities are complex and varied, shaped by accumulated history and present experiences.
The Khoja community – known globally as the Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Muslim Community – has developed strong transnational connections. Today, they are concentrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and France. However, Khoja can be found in almost any country in the world. In 2013, I met members of the community in Hong Kong.
The Khoja community plays an important role in interfaith dialogue and global development initiatives. A prominent Ismaili Khoja, Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith America, has dedicated his life to pluralism and mutual understanding through building up civil society.
Zohran Mamdani’s mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, is Hindu by birth. This interfaith marriage exemplifies the flexibility, diversity and tolerance of Khoja Islam, which has historically navigated between Hindu and Islamic traditions.
Whether Mamdani’s policies prove practical remains to be seen, but his background offers something valuable: a deep understanding of how communities build resilience across generations and geographies.
Iqbal Akhtar 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. Zohran Mamdani’s last name reflects centuries of intercontinental trade, migration and cultural exchange – https://theconversation.com/zohran-mamdanis-last-name-reflects-centuries-of-intercontinental-trade-migration-and-cultural-exchange-259967
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Iqbal Akhtar, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Florida International University
When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani.
He takes the name from his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic who was raised in Uganda and whose work focuses on postcolonial Uganda. I studied the history of the Khoja community for my doctoral work and have helped develop Khoja studies as an academic discipline. The Mamdani surname tells a story of migration, resilience and community-building that spans centuries and continents.
Mamdanis in Uganda belong to the Khoja community, a South Asian Muslim merchant caste, that shaped economic development across the western Indian Ocean for centuries.
The name originates from greater Sindh, a region in South Asia that today includes southeastern Pakistan and Kachchh in western India.
Its etymology is twofold. Mām is an honorific title in Kachchhi and Gujarati languages, meaning kindness, courage and pride. Māmadō is a local version of the name Muhammad that often appeared in surnames in Hindu castes that converted to Islam, such as the Memons.
The Khoja were categorized by the British in the early 19th century as “Hindoo Mussalman” because their traditions spanned both religions.
Over time, the Khoja came to be identified only as Muslim and then primarily as Shiite Muslim. Today, the majority of Khoja are Ismaili: a branch of Shiite Islam that follows the Aga Khan as their living imam.
The Mamdani family, however, is part of the Twelver community of Khoja, whose Twelfth Imam is believed to be hidden from the world and only emerges in times of crisis. Twelvers believe he will help usher in an age of peace during end times.
Around the late 18th century, the Khoja helped export textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems from the Indian subcontinent to Arabia and East Africa. Through this Western Indian Ocean trading network, they imported timber, ivory, minerals and cloves, among other goods.
Khoja family firms were built on kinship networks and trust. They built networks of shops, communal housing and warehouses, and extended credit for thousands of miles, from Zanzibar in Tanzania to Bombay – now Mumbai – on the western coast of India.
Cousins and brothers would send money and goods across the ocean with only a letter. The precarious nature of trade in this period meant that families also served as insurance for each other. In times of wealth, it was shared; in times of disaster, help was available.
The Khoja became instrumental in building the commercial infrastructure of eastern, central and southern Africa. But the Khoja contribution to the development of Africa extended far beyond trade.
In the absence of colonial investment in public infrastructure, they helped build institutions that formed the foundation of the modern nation-states that emerged after colonization. The institutions both facilitated trade and established permanent communities.
For example, the first dispensary and public school in Zanzibar were constructed by a Khoja magnate, Tharia Topan, who made his wealth through the ivory and clove trades. Topan eventually became so prominent that he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1890 for his service to the British Empire in helping to end slavery in East Africa.
The Khoja community continues to invest in East Africa. The most famous example is the Aga Khan Development Network, whose hospitals and schools operate in 30 countries. In places such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, they are considered the best.
Like in other parts of Africa, the Khoja settled in Uganda as a liaison business community to develop a market to serve both African and European needs. The linguistic and cultural knowledge, developed over centuries, helped facilitate business despite the challenges of colonization.
However, in 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin expelled all Asians – approximately 80,000 – forcing families like the Mamdanis into exile. These included indentured laborers, who were brought in to help build the railroad and farm during the British colonial period, and free traders, like the Mamdani family.
Amin saw them all as the same and famously said: “Asians came to Uganda to build the railway. The railway is finished. They must leave now.”
The experience was a bitter one. Families lost everything, and many left with only the clothes on their backs.
Mahmood Mamdani, who came from a Khoja merchant family, was 26 when he was exiled. Yet, unlike most Ugandan Asians, he chose to go back. At Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, Mamdani set up the Institute for Social Research, which helped to provide rigorous social science training to Ugandan researchers trying to improve their society.
While the earlier generations of the Khoja tended to choose business or adjacent professions, such as accounting, the subsequent generations – particularly those educated in the West – embraced the knowledge economy as professionals, academics and nonprofit leaders.
Several of Mahmood Mamdani’s generation of Khoja academics conducted path-breaking work on Afro-Asian solidarity – a way of thinking about the world beyond colonial categories, such as the category of religion as a separate domain from the secular. These scholars, such as Tanzania’s Issa Shivji and Abdul Sheriff, worked on creating solidarity among the newly independent states of the Global South.
Mahmood Mamdani is known for his influential post-9/11 academic work, “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim,” which examined how Muslim identities are stereotyped. He argued that these identities are complex and varied, shaped by accumulated history and present experiences.
The Khoja community – known globally as the Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Muslim Community – has developed strong transnational connections. Today, they are concentrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and France. However, Khoja can be found in almost any country in the world. In 2013, I met members of the community in Hong Kong.
The Khoja community plays an important role in interfaith dialogue and global development initiatives. A prominent Ismaili Khoja, Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith America, has dedicated his life to pluralism and mutual understanding through building up civil society.
Zohran Mamdani’s mother, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, is Hindu by birth. This interfaith marriage exemplifies the flexibility, diversity and tolerance of Khoja Islam, which has historically navigated between Hindu and Islamic traditions.
Whether Mamdani’s policies prove practical remains to be seen, but his background offers something valuable: a deep understanding of how communities build resilience across generations and geographies.
Iqbal Akhtar 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. Zohran Mamdani’s last name reflects centuries of intercontinental trade, migration and cultural exchange – https://theconversation.com/zohran-mamdanis-last-name-reflects-centuries-of-intercontinental-trade-migration-and-cultural-exchange-259967
Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Brandon Prins, Professor of Political Science, University of Tennessee
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.
Who was the first pirate? – Yandel R., age 11, Lakewood Ranch, Florida
When most people imagine a pirate, they picture actor Johnny Depp playing the mad but likable swashbuckler Jack Sparrow, captain of the sailing ship the Black Pearl.
Depp’s pirate portrayal was inspired by seafaring bandits in older make-believe tales, such as Long John Silver in “Treasure Island,” Captain Hook in “Peter Pan,” or sailor Edmond Dantès in “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
Pirates in these stories were mischievous but also glamorous, courageous and mostly kindhearted. They wore flashy costumes. They had missing limbs, like Captain Cook’s iron hook for a left hand and Long John Silver’s wooden peg leg. They buried treasure chests of gold and silver, forced enemies to walk the plank and had talking parrots as shipboard companions. They flew the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag from the ship’s mast to frighten enemies. The new Netflix series “One Piece,” which is based on a Japanese comic book, continues this popular depiction of pirates.
While fun, these portrayals of pirates are mostly invented.
I’m a political scientist who studies modern-day commerce raiding: robbing of private cargo vessels on the high seas. I’m interested in where it happens in the world, who does it and what can be done to stop it. My research finds today’s pirates to be less like swashbuckling Jack Sparrow and more like regular old thieves.
Since pirates have been around for as long as people have moved things by boat, it is hard to pin down the very first pirate.
But archaeological evidence shows that boatbuilding goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who used boats made from papyrus reeds as early as 6,000 years ago. These vessels likely carried valuable goods up and down the Nile River, and where valuable goods can be found, you can usually find thieves too. In fact, researchers know that pirates – basically just thieves on the water – targeted these river boats, because Egyptian pharaohs left records grumbling about pirates and their widespread pillaging.
By 3,500 years ago, thieves were using sailing vessels to raid coastal towns and villages in and around the Nile Delta, as well as the Aegean and Adriatic basins. Attacking ships far from land on the high seas and stealing the cargo was a logical next step in the tactics of seafaring raiders.
As trade increased across the Mediterranean Sea, boats carrying valuable cargo, such as pottery, silk, glass, spices and metals, became the targets of ancient pirates. Given the worth of these goods, pirate attacks became widespread across the ancient Mediterranean Sea. With money from the Roman senate and strong effort by a military leader named Pompey, the Roman navy worked hard to stop the pirates – and for a while it did.
The first mention of a pirate by name may have been in a Greek history book written in the fifth century BCE by an ancient historian named Herodotus.
He briefly describes the adventures of a naval commander by the name of Dionysius who was from Ionia, which is in modern-day Turkey. Dionysius set up a pirate base on the island of Sicily that allowed him and his fellow pirates to plunder ships that happened to sail past.
While Dionysius may have been the first recorded pirate, the most famous pirates lived during the 17th and 18th centuries, which came to be known as the golden age of sea piracy.
This was the heyday of pirates such as Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach; William Kidd; Henry Morgan; Calico Jack; and Anne Bonny. They plundered Spanish treasure ships in the Caribbean, known as the Spanish Main, that were carrying silver from the mines in Bolivia back to the king of Spain.
Islands such as Jamaica, Tortuga and the Bahamas, as well the North Carolina coast, all became notable pirate havens. Port Royal, on the island of Jamaica, in particular, was a notorious pirate refuge. It was ideally positioned for preying upon Spanish galleons sailing across the Atlantic from ports in Panama and Venezuela. Johnny Depp’s character, Jack Sparrow, swashbuckled around a fictionalized Port Royal in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.
The 2013 Hollywood movie “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks, drew attention back to real-world pirates and piracy. The movie was based on a real-life 2009 attack by Somali pirates on a ship named the MV Maersk Alabama, which was carrying food to Kenya. The 500-foot-long vessel and its crew were rescued by the U.S. Navy.
To better understand 21st-century piracy, my research team compiled data on all pirate attacks from 1995 to the present day. We found three main piracy hot spots: the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia and the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. All three locations experience the conditions that attract pirates: ship traffic, valuable cargo and weak governments.
People become pirates for many reasons, not the least of which is to escape poverty and enslavement. Others just want adventure and to travel the world. These are the same motivations that drove commerce raiding in the ancient world, during the golden age of piracy, and even today.
While we may never know the first pirate, just like we will never know the very first thief, historical evidence shows that sea-raiding has been around since the very first boats traversed the world’s waterways. Despite efforts to end piracy, my research shows that the conditions that produce ship looting remain and will likely always exist.
Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
Brandon Prins received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research, through the Minerva Initiative, awards #N00014-21-1-2030 and #N00014-14-1-0050.
– ref. Who was the first pirate? – https://theconversation.com/who-was-the-first-pirate-256314
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The LADA Sport ROSNEFT racing team won two victories at the third stage of the Russian Circuit Racing Series in Nizhny Novgorod. The pilots became the best in two classifications at once: personal and team.
In the Super-Production class, LADA Sport ROSNEFT pilot Leonid Panfilov finished first. In Saturday’s race, he pulled ahead and led until the end of the race, winning his second victory this season. Gold in the competition allowed Panfilov to become the leader in the personal standings of the Russian Cup.
Thanks to Andrey Petukhov finishing the race in the top ten, LADA Sport ROSNEFT was able to win the team cup.
Rosneft has been the general sponsor of LADA Sport ROSNEFT since 2015. During this time, the team has achieved impressive results in all classes of circuit racing, classic rally and karting, winning 45 championship titles.
Thanks to this cooperation, the market received a number of innovative products: high-octane gasoline Pulsar-100 and sports racing oil Rosneft Magnum Racing. Since 2021, the LADA Sport ROSNEFT team has been using this engine oil, which provides increased engine protection in extreme competition conditions. Technologies tested on race tracks are available to motorists. Pulsar fuel and Magnum Racing oil can be purchased at Rosneft filling stations.
Department of Information and AdvertisingPJSC NK RosneftJuly 14, 2025
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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