Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s courier sector has handled more than 100 billion parcels so far this year, according to data released by the State Post Bureau on Thursday.
The bureau noted that the 100 billion milestone was reached 35 days earlier than in 2024, marking the fifth consecutive year that China has handled over 100 billion parcels.
As the country’s consumer market continues to expand and e-commerce grows in popularity, the courier sector is playing an increasingly important role in supporting related industries and driving broader economic growth, an official with the bureau said.
Since the beginning of this year, China has unveiled a variety of measures to boost consumption. For instance, it has added more product categories to its consumer goods trade-in program, aiming to drive domestic demand and unlock consumer potential.
China reaffirmed support for this national program last month, pledging to ensure continued funding to sustain the government subsidy payment throughout 2025.
To enhance the impact of the program, the courier sector is working to provide more efficient and convenient services, drawing on the joint efforts of millions of practitioners, the official said.
The sector will also make more efforts to reduce social logistics costs and build a more resource-efficient society, the official added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s auto production and sales logged double-digit increases in the first half of the year (H1), a sign of vibrant domestic consumption in the world’s second-largest economy, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed on Thursday.
The country’s auto output totaled 15.62 million units during the period, up 12.5 percent from a year ago, while auto sales rose 11.4 percent to 15.65 million units.
The CAAM saw increased vitality in the auto market, driven by various factors, including the country’s stable economic growth, the consumer goods trade-in program, and the rapid growth of the NEV market.
New energy vehicle (NEV) production surged 41.4 percent year on year to nearly 6.97 million units in the first six months, with sales up by 40.3 percent year on year to about 6.94 million units.
NEVs accounted for 44.3 percent of total new vehicle sales in China during the January-June period, according to the CAAM.
To boost consumption, China expanded the scope of passenger vehicles covered under its trade-in program in January, aiming to increase domestic demand and support the Chinese economy through equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods.
Thursday’s data also showed that the country’s auto exports increased 10.4 percent year-on-year to 3.08 million units in the six months. Notably, NEV exports soared 75.2 percent to 1.06 million units.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Roma is close to signing Brazil international right-back Wesley from Flamengo, according to widespread media reports.
The 21-year-old has agreed in principle to a five-year contract and is awaiting agreement between the clubs on a transfer fee, Globo Esporte reported on Wednesday.
It added that Roma is willing to pay around 25 million euros (29 million U.S. dollars) for the defender, whose Flamengo contract runs until December 2028.
Wesley has been a target of new Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini since last year, when he tried to sign him while still in charge of Atalanta.
Roma, which does not currently have any Brazilians in its squad, finished fifth in the Italian Serie A last season, 13 points behind champions Napoli.
Government sets out reforms to create a fair, secure, affordable and efficient electricity system
Government confirms reforms to the national pricing electricity market that will create a fairer, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient energy system.
Government puts fairness and affordability at the centre of electricity market reform to deliver system that puts working people first
Government takes decision to reform the existing national pricing system rather than split the country into different zones.
Reforms will protect consumers and secure investment as government drives to deliver clean power mission, protecting families through Plan for Change
Working people, families and businesses will benefit from a fairer, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient energy system thanks to ambitious new reforms of the energy market to protect consumers and secure investment into clean energy.
Working people have suffered uncertainties and worry in recent years from high energy bills spurred on by the country’s dependence on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators. That is why the government has doubled down on its clean energy mission, which will give families control with clean homegrown power that Britain controls – all part of the mission to bring down bills for good.
In delivering this clean power system, the government inherited a decision on whether to retain the current national system in which all areas in Britain pay the same wholesale price for energy – or undertake an overhaul to split the country into different pricing zones depending on their proximity to where energy is generated.
Following this process, and an extensive consultation which started in 2022, the Government has concluded that reforming the system while retaining a single national wholesale price is the right way to deliver a fair, affordable, secure, and efficient electricity system.
The proposals set out today (10 July) will ensure the benefits of clean power are felt by consumers in every part of the country, while giving businesses the stability and certainty they need to continue investing to upgrade our infrastructure – boosting national energy security, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and growing the economy.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Building clean power at pace and scale is the only way to get Britain off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets and protect families and businesses for good.
As we embark on this new era of clean electricity, a reformed system of national pricing is the best way to deliver an electricity system that is fairer, more affordable, and more secure, at less risk to vital investment in clean energy than other alternatives.
Our package of reforms will protect consumers and secure investment as we drive to deliver our clean power mission through our Plan for Change.
This decision comes as the government takes a step closer to the clean power by 2030 target, delivering the most significant investment in clean, homegrown power in British history over the last year. This includes approving projects that could power the equivalent of 2 million homes, as well as the biggest expansion of new nuclear power in half a century, providing £14.2 billion for Sizewell C, over the Spending Review.
The government is taking a fundamentally different approach to building the energy system and infrastructure that this country needs. After years of delay from previous governments that has seen consumer costs and constraint payments rise, the government is rapidly building the network, reforming the planning system, and transforming the grid connections queue to get the projects needed for clean power and economic growth. It is only by driving the build out of new transmission infrastructure, which the government is doing through our planning measures after years of delay, that the clean power system the country needs can be built.
The further changes announced today will see the government taking on more responsibility for planning the system and determining where clean energy infrastructure is located, based on what is needed for the long-term. These changes will ultimately help to bring down energy bills, by making the current system more efficient, ensuring low-cost investment into cheap clean energy projects, and reducing the cost of running the electricity network.
The key parts of the reformed national package being announced today include:
Strategic Spatial Energy Plan:
The government has confirmed that the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, to be published next year by NESO following consultation, will be at the heart of the reforms to improve the efficiency of the electricity system, under the national pricing model.
Commissioned by UK, Scottish and Welsh governments last year, for the first time the plan will set out how to best spread new energy projects across land and sea in Great Britain up to 2050. This will speed up development, cut grid connection waiting times and help to reduce costs, giving investors confidence on where to build and when.
Transmission Charges:
Under the current system, the more that energy generators rely on the transmission network to move power to where it’s needed, the more they will need to pay – in what are known as Transmission Network Use of System charges. The government will work with Ofgem to drive forward a review of these charges to provide stronger incentives for investors to build generation where it is needed, supporting a cheaper system for all. Crucially this will include changes to make existing charges more predictable for investors – as currently the charges vary year by year, which causes uncertainty during long-term projects and can drive up prices as developers price in the risk of volatility.
Improving the efficiency of the power system:
The government is already working at pace with the industry to rewire Britain and upgrade the country’s outdated infrastructure to get more renewable electricity onto the grid and minimise constraint payments after over a decade of delay. Independent advice from NESO confirmed that up to £4 billion in constraint payments, caused by historic failure to build the grid infrastructure the country needs, could be avoided by 2030, if critical network upgrades are accelerated to complete by 2030. Many of these projects are already well into development, such as the Norwich to Tilbury transmission line, and the Sea Link offshore cable between Kent and Suffolk.
The government is also working with NESO to launch a consultation later this year on further reforms that will help to reduce the need for constraint payments. One potential measure could give NESO better access to smaller assets – such as battery storage sites – that can offer greater flexibility when balancing the grid.
NESO are also currently working with the wider industry to explore further options to help reduce the need for constraint payments – as part of their Constraints Collaboration Project.
Today’s announcement also builds on wider schemes announced by the government that aim to ensure households can directly benefit from hosting clean energy projects. Earlier this year, the government introduced measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that will see eligible households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure receive electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years. The Energy Secretary also recently set out plans for coastal and rural communities hosting clean energy infrastructure to receive a cash boost for new community facilities, better transport links and investment in apprenticeships.
Notes to editors
This follows the second consultation on the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements, under the previous government. Since taking office, this government has carried out ongoing engagement with the industry, consumer groups and wider stakeholders – and will continue to work closely with all parties as the proposed changes are developed.
Later this year, the government will also publish a Reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan, which will set out the next steps for government to work together with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator and industry to delivery these reforms.
The government is publishing this decision now to provide certainty for investors ahead of the AR7 auction round.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgette Leah Burns, Associate Professor, Griffith School of Environment and Science, Griffith University
Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu via Getty Images
Last weekend, a woman was mauled by a lioness at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, and lost her arm. The zoo, which keeps nine lions, has been operating for 20 years and had never experienced an incident such as this.
The victim was a relative of the zoo owner, Steve Robinson, who told the media the lions were not aggressive and the lioness was thought to be “just playing”.
Although attacks like this are extremely rare, they are obviously of great concern. The incident should prompt a rethink of our approach to wild animals in captivity, and whether it’s morally acceptable – or safe – to keep them there at all.
Why do zoos exist?
Zoos, aquariums and other settings where wild animals are kept captive exist for two main reasons: human entertainment and profit-making.
Surveys show zoo visitors have a preference for large mammals such as elephants, primates and big cats.
Some animals are more tolerant of captivity conditions and exposure to humans than others. Fish, for example, seem to respond more neutrally to human presence than most other species.
But a recent study found captive animals generally demonstrate abnormal behaviour more often than non-captive ones.
For most wild animals, captivity deprives them of the ability to engage in natural behaviour, which harms their welfare. For example, free-living dolphins and whales have long-range migration patterns which require vast ocean spaces. They are also highly social and display complex communication behaviour.
Captive dolphins were once common in aquariums and marine parks across Australia. But now only one facility, Sea World in Queensland, still breeds dolphins for entertainment.
Another important welfare question is whether the captive animal has “agency” – that is, whether it can make choices as it would in the wild.
Can it choose, for example, which other animals it has relationships with? Or whether it has privacy? Having control over such decisions enhances the quality of life for the captive animal.
It’s important to note that some zoos can deliver positive outcomes for animals. Many play an important conservation role, such as running captive breeding programs for endangered species.
An example is a long-running program across several Australian zoos and other organisations to recover populations of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater. The program has released more than 400 zoo-bred birds into the wild.
However, such conservation programs do not necessarily need to involve zoos to succeed.
Weighing up the risks
No matter how domesticated they might seem, some wild animals in captivity will always pose a risk to humans. Their behaviour can be unpredictable and, as the recent Queensland example shows, even a “playing” lioness can cause enormous physical harm to people.
Wild animals are called wild for a reason. To be kept in captivity, most animals require training so they can be safely handled. The Darling Downs Zoo incident shows despite this precaution, things can still go wrong.
But humans will, understandably, always be fascinated by other animals, and want to see them up close. So what are the alternatives to zoos?
Open range-zoos, such as the one to which the Perth elephants were moved, can offer a better option for some animals.
Another option is to recreate the zoo experience using technology. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality can be used to create images of animals that look and seem real.
Questions about animals kept in captivity require us to consider how much risk to human safety we accept, and the extent to which we prioritise human amusement over animal welfare. In searching for answers, we can start by asking whether we need zoos at all.
Georgette Leah Burns 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.
In 2000, Africa had no billionaires. Today it has 23 whose combined wealth has soared by 56% in just the past five years, reaching a staggering $112.6 billion.
Africa’s richest 5% hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth – more than double the combined wealth of the rest of the continent.
Despite soaring poverty, African governments show least commitment to reducing inequality, and that commitment has declined since 2022.
An extra 1% tax on wealth and 10% tax on income of Africa’s richest 1% could raise $66 billion annually, more than enough to close the funding gaps for free quality education and universal access to electricity.
Today, just four of Africa’s richest billionaires hold $57.4 billion in wealth — more than the combined wealth of 750 million people, or half the continent’s population, according to a new Oxfam report.
The report–Africa’s inequality crisis and the rise of the super-rich–launched ahead of theAfrican Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, warns thatthe explosive concentration of wealth is accelerating inequality, driven by policies that enrich elites while starving public services.
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa, said:
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Africa is one of the most unequal regions in the world and has some of the highest poverty rates. Nearly half (23) of the world’s 50 most unequal countries are African, while extreme poverty has soared: seven in ten people living in extreme poverty today are in Africa, compared to just one in ten in 1990. Hunger is also worsening, with nearly 850 million Africans experiencing hunger — an increase of 20 million since 2022.
Despite deepening poverty and widening inequalities, African governments remain the least committed globally to narrowing the gap — slashing budgets for public services like education, health and social protection, while imposing some of the world’s lowest wealth taxes on the ultra-rich. On average, the continent collects just 0.3% of GDP in wealth taxes. This is less than any other region and well below Asia (0.6%), Latin America (0.9%), and OECD countries (1.8%). Over the past decade, that already meagre share has dropped by nearly 25%.
For each dollar African countries raise from personal income and wealth taxes, they collect nearly three dollars from indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) — levies that deepen inequality.
The consequences are glaring. Half of Africa’s population live in 19 countries where income inequality has worsened or stagnated over the past decade. The richest 5% in Africa now hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth, more than double the combined wealth of the remaining 95% of the continent’s population.
Fatouma, a mother of 10 children who sells vegetables in El Afweyn, Somalia says:“Meat is a luxury we cannot afford in many homes. I earn about two dollars a day while the price of one kilo of flour has tripled.”
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa
Oxfam International
The report also finds that:
In just three days, someone in Africa’s richest 1% earns what it takes a person in the poorest half an entire year to make.
Even if they lost almost all their wealth (keeping just 0.01%) Africa’s five richest men would still be 56 times richer than the average person on the continent.
Men in Africa own three times more wealth than women, the widest gender wealth gap of all regions in the world.
Over the past five years, African billionaires have increased their wealth by 56%.
As debt burdens mount, governments across the continent are squeezing the poor – gutting essential public services – while shielding the wealthiest from fair taxation. An earlier report by Oxfam and Development Finance International found that 94% of African countries with active World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans (44 out of 47 countries) have slashed spending on education, health and social protection in 2023-2024 to repay debt. This significantly undermines the AU’s goal of reducing inequality by 15% over the next 10 years.
“The solution is not far-fetched: tax the rich and invest in the majority. Anything less is a betrayal. If African leaders are serious about their commitments, they must stop rewarding the few and start building economies that work for everyone,” added N’Zi-Hassane.
Some African governments are already proving that fairer economies are possible. Morocco and South Africa collect 1.5% and 1.2% of their GDP from property taxes, respectively — among the highest in the continent. In Seychelles, the poorest 50% have seen their income share grow by 76% since 2000, while the richest 1% have lost two-thirds of theirs. The government also guarantees universal healthcare, free quality education, along with a robust welfare system for the most vulnerable.
A modest tax on Africa’s richest – just 1% more on wealth and 10% more on income – could generate $66 billion a year for the continent (2.29% of Africa’s GDP), according to the report. This would be more than enough to close the funding gaps needed to deliver free quality education and provide electricity to every home and business still in the dark.
‘‘Every African woman, man and child deserves to live in dignity. When a handful of billionaires are allowed to hoard obscene wealth while millions are trapped in poverty, the system becomes not just broken but morally bankrupt. As leaders meet for AU Summit, delay is indefensible. Taxing the super-rich isn’t just fair — it’s essential for building the Africa we want,’’ said N’Zi-Hassane.
In 2000, Africa had no billionaires. Today it has 23 whose combined wealth has soared by 56% in just the past five years, reaching a staggering $112.6 billion.
Africa’s richest 5% hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth – more than double the combined wealth of the rest of the continent.
Despite soaring poverty, African governments show least commitment to reducing inequality, and that commitment has declined since 2022.
An extra 1% tax on wealth and 10% tax on income of Africa’s richest 1% could raise $66 billion annually, more than enough to close the funding gaps for free quality education and universal access to electricity.
Today, just four of Africa’s richest billionaires hold $57.4 billion in wealth — more than the combined wealth of 750 million people, or half the continent’s population, according to a new Oxfam report.
The report–Africa’s inequality crisis and the rise of the super-rich–launched ahead of theAfrican Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, warns thatthe explosive concentration of wealth is accelerating inequality, driven by policies that enrich elites while starving public services.
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa, said:
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Africa is one of the most unequal regions in the world and has some of the highest poverty rates. Nearly half (23) of the world’s 50 most unequal countries are African, while extreme poverty has soared: seven in ten people living in extreme poverty today are in Africa, compared to just one in ten in 1990. Hunger is also worsening, with nearly 850 million Africans experiencing hunger — an increase of 20 million since 2022.
Despite deepening poverty and widening inequalities, African governments remain the least committed globally to narrowing the gap — slashing budgets for public services like education, health and social protection, while imposing some of the world’s lowest wealth taxes on the ultra-rich. On average, the continent collects just 0.3% of GDP in wealth taxes. This is less than any other region and well below Asia (0.6%), Latin America (0.9%), and OECD countries (1.8%). Over the past decade, that already meagre share has dropped by nearly 25%.
For each dollar African countries raise from personal income and wealth taxes, they collect nearly three dollars from indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) — levies that deepen inequality.
The consequences are glaring. Half of Africa’s population live in 19 countries where income inequality has worsened or stagnated over the past decade. The richest 5% in Africa now hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth, more than double the combined wealth of the remaining 95% of the continent’s population.
Fatouma, a mother of 10 children who sells vegetables in El Afweyn, Somalia says:“Meat is a luxury we cannot afford in many homes. I earn about two dollars a day while the price of one kilo of flour has tripled.”
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa
Oxfam International
The report also finds that:
In just three days, someone in Africa’s richest 1% earns what it takes a person in the poorest half an entire year to make.
Even if they lost almost all their wealth (keeping just 0.01%) Africa’s five richest men would still be 56 times richer than the average person on the continent.
Men in Africa own three times more wealth than women, the widest gender wealth gap of all regions in the world.
Over the past five years, African billionaires have increased their wealth by 56%.
As debt burdens mount, governments across the continent are squeezing the poor – gutting essential public services – while shielding the wealthiest from fair taxation. An earlier report by Oxfam and Development Finance International found that 94% of African countries with active World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans (44 out of 47 countries) have slashed spending on education, health and social protection in 2023-2024 to repay debt. This significantly undermines the AU’s goal of reducing inequality by 15% over the next 10 years.
“The solution is not far-fetched: tax the rich and invest in the majority. Anything less is a betrayal. If African leaders are serious about their commitments, they must stop rewarding the few and start building economies that work for everyone,” added N’Zi-Hassane.
Some African governments are already proving that fairer economies are possible. Morocco and South Africa collect 1.5% and 1.2% of their GDP from property taxes, respectively — among the highest in the continent. In Seychelles, the poorest 50% have seen their income share grow by 76% since 2000, while the richest 1% have lost two-thirds of theirs. The government also guarantees universal healthcare, free quality education, along with a robust welfare system for the most vulnerable.
A modest tax on Africa’s richest – just 1% more on wealth and 10% more on income – could generate $66 billion a year for the continent (2.29% of Africa’s GDP), according to the report. This would be more than enough to close the funding gaps needed to deliver free quality education and provide electricity to every home and business still in the dark.
‘‘Every African woman, man and child deserves to live in dignity. When a handful of billionaires are allowed to hoard obscene wealth while millions are trapped in poverty, the system becomes not just broken but morally bankrupt. As leaders meet for AU Summit, delay is indefensible. Taxing the super-rich isn’t just fair — it’s essential for building the Africa we want,’’ said N’Zi-Hassane.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TIANJIN, July 10 (Xinhua) — More than 20 representatives from cities in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries discussed future urban development topics such as digitalization of urban governance, people-to-people exchanges and security as the basis for development during the “Dialogue of World Mayors – SCO Summit City” held in north China’s Tianjin from July 6 to 9.
The opening ceremony of the event took place in Tianjin on July 8. It included two thematic dialogues: a dialogue of mayors of SCO cities and a dialogue of mayors of cities that hosted the organization’s summits, where China’s experience and practices in urban governance implemented through digital technologies attracted special attention of the participants.
As an emerging industry, low-altitude economics also attracted great interest from participants in the dialogue. According to a representative of the Moscow Center for International Cooperation, “air taxis” and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol traffic in China left a deep impression on her.
The Chinese experience serves as an instructive example for Moscow in improving the system of control over transport infrastructure and population movement, believes a representative of the Moscow department.
According to the participants of the event, trust between the SCO countries not only comes from open and transparent interaction, but is also rooted in cultural closeness. Humanitarian exchanges and sustainable cultural development have become an important force in consolidating consensus and deepening cooperation.
The topic “How to ensure security as the basis for development” became one of the important topics of the discussions and attracted great attention from the participants. As an important place for the implementation of trade and economic cooperation of the SCO countries and regional development, the city should take a more qualitative approach to ensuring security, which has long been perceived as a key element of sustainable development.
The participants in the dialogue called for the creation of a broader and more effective platform in the SCO countries for regular dialogues between the heads of mayors of the SCO countries on security issues.
The “Dialogue of World Mayors – SCO Summit City” was attended by mayors, diplomats accredited in China and experts from think tanks from SCO countries. They discussed expanding consensus, deepening practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity, trade and economic investment, green development and cultural exchanges. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — The opening ceremony of the “Chinese Language Bridge” summer school for students from Kyrgyzstan was held at Xinjiang University in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Thursday, with 14 teachers and students from the Central Asian country embarking on a 10-day immersion in Chinese culture.
As reported on the official website of Xinjiang University, the head of the International Exchange and Cooperation Department of Xinjiang University warmly welcomed the guests and said that the university will always continue to build bridges of cultural exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan. He expressed hope that the participants of the summer school, through classroom lessons, mastering traditional crafts, getting to know historical monuments and close communication with Chinese youth, will feel the unique charm of Chinese culture, see the achievements of China’s development and become ambassadors of friendship and bridges of interaction between China and Kyrgyzstan.
At the opening ceremony, 14 Kyrgyz citizens, speaking in Chinese, spoke about their motives for learning the language and expressed their determination to improve their language skills, broaden their horizons, and gain a deeper understanding of China’s development and humanitarian wealth.
The school’s program includes classes at Xinjiang University, master classes on Chinese culture, and visits to universities, museums and historical sites in Urumqi and Xi’an (Shaanxi Province, Northwest China). -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
LOS ANGELES, July 10 (Xinhua) — At least 15 workers were trapped when a tunnel collapsed in the Wilmington area on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. (03:00 GMT Thursday) near the 1700 block of North Figueroa Street in Wilmington.
The city fire department sent all its search and rescue teams to the scene to carry out rescue operations. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — Eighty works by each side were recently selected for the “Colorful World” oil painting exhibition featuring works by young artists from China and Russia and will be displayed in Beijing soon, according to a post on the official Wechat account of the Beijing People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
The exhibition, organized by the Beijing People’s Society for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing and other institutions on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, will be held from August 7 to 16 at the museum complex at the Zhonghua Centennial Monument in the Chinese capital.
The competition, which started in April this year, involved 427 works by artists from both countries. Based on the results of the selection, 80 artists became laureates and prize winners, of whom 15 people received first-degree awards, 25 – second-degree awards, and 40 – third-degree awards.
Having highly praised the selected works, the expert jury stated that these paintings, dedicated to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, are the quintessence of mutual learning between Chinese and Russian cultures, call for peace and friendship, and also reflect the historical and practical significance of their leitmotifs.
It is planned to award artists from China and Russia directly at the opening ceremony of the exhibition. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
ASB is welcoming the launch of a comprehensive Anti-Scam Alliance which it says is a positive move in the fight against fraud and scams.
Chief Executive Vittoria Shortt says while the banking sector has invested significantly in fraud and scam prevention, detection and awareness for many years, having a formal alliance between Government, police, consumer groups and a range of impacted industries will make a real difference.
“Banks and telcos have been working very hard, both individually and together, for some time, to tackle fraud and scams. We’ve partnered with others in the industry like consumer groups and police, but the real power comes in a true all of ecosystem approach, as Minister Simpson has announced today.
“We’re pleased to see digital and social media companies join the charge. Each member of the alliance brings unique skills and experience which will improve our collective ability to fight fraud and scams. The formal involvement of Government will also enable stronger collaboration and commitment and more resource and expertise so we can continue to work together to keep New Zealanders safe.”
ASB has spent around $140 million fighting fraud, scams, financial crime and cybercrime this financial year, and has invested in a number of customer initiatives. This includes tools such as Caller Check, which was launched in March and combats bank impersonation scams, and ASB’s 24/7 fraud line, which has received more than 21,000 calls outside of regular bank hours since it was launched in February.
The industry has also been working closely together on Confirmation of Payee and increasing information sharing to better target money mules as part of ongoing collaborative work.
“We know there is still more to be done, but today’s announcement is another step forward and we will continue to build on the work we’re already doing in this space,” says Shortt.
HONOLULU – The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) returned to Honolulu Wednesday following a 73-day patrol in support of Coast Guard Oceania District’s Operation Blue Pacific.
For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 100600
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0100 AM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025
Valid 111200Z – 121200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST KANSAS TO NORTHWEST ILLINOIS…
…SUMMARY… Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible, mainly late afternoon and evening on Friday, from northeast Kansas to eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois.
… Central Great Plains to Midwest …
A positive-tilt trough will be moving across the northern Plains through the forecast period. To the south, a low-amplitude short-wave trough will be moving through the central Great Plains. At the same time, a diffuse/weak surface cold front will push east/southeast through the Plains.
At the start of the forecast period one or more decaying MCSs should be ongoing across portions of Iowa perhaps into northern Illinois to perhaps as far east as lower Michigan. These MCSs could pose a residual risk for at least isolated wind damage through the morning.
During the mid-to-late afternoon, additional thunderstorms are expected to develop in the wake of the morning convection. At this time guidance supports multiple initiation points across the area, the precise locations of which will be strongly influenced by the evolution of the morning convection.
At this time, the most likely scenario is for initial thunderstorms to develop across southeast Iowa or northern Missouri along the residual outflow boundary from the morning convection. A second area of initiation is likely farther to the west along the diffuse surface cold front in Nebraska or northeast Kansas, perhaps extending northward into Minnesota. In both areas, strong instability may result in rapid thunderstorm development capable of producing strong wind and large hail. Given the degree of instability and an existing boundary, a tornado or two may also be possible, especially with initial thunderstorm development.
With time, expectation is that these convective clusters will grow upscale as they move east and the primary severe threat should transition to severe wind gusts.
… High Plains …
Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late afternoon. These storms will eventually grow upscale and move southeast toward the Great Plains. An isolated severe wind threat will be possible with any of these storms.
… Eastern US …
A warm, moist, weakly capped airmass will be in place across much of the east. Despite the absence of pronounced foci for initiation, widely scattered to scattered thunderstorms should develop during the late morning into the afternoon hours. Deep-layer shear should remain weak and precipitable water values will be lower than in preceding days. However, the potential will exist for scattered water-loaded downbursts capable of producing isolated wind damage.
..Marsh.. 07/10/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 100553
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1253 AM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025
Valid 101200Z – 111200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL KANSAS…CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA…WESTERN IOWA AND PARTS OF SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA…
…SUMMARY… Strong thunderstorms posing a risk for severe hail, damaging wind gusts and perhaps a couple of tornadoes are possible late this afternoon into tonight across parts of the central Great Plains into mid Missouri Valley.
…Discussion… Stronger westerlies will remain confined to the higher latitudes through this period, with one significant short wave perturbation forecast to accelerate from eastern portions of the Canadian Northwest Territories through areas northeast of Hudson Bay, accompanied by a deepening surface cyclone. It appears that the leading edge of cooler, drier air in the wake of this cyclone will advance south of the international border into the northern Rockies and through adjacent portions of the northern U.S. Great Plains, trailed by another notable mid-level short wave impulse, which models indicate will dig near/east of the Canadian through northern U.S. Rockies. As this occurs, mid-level troughing within weaker flow in lower latitudes is forecast to slowly dig from the northern Great Basin toward the central Great Plains, suppressing stronger ridging in the subtropical to southern mid-latitudes, initially centered over the Southwest.
This will be preceded by a couple of convectively generated or augmented perturbations migrating across the mid Missouri Valley and Upper Midwest, a modest mid-level trough slowly turning east-northeast of the lower Great Lakes vicinity, and several weak perturbations progressing through broad, weak cyclonic flow across the Southeast through southern Atlantic Seaboard.
…Great Plains into Midwest… Uncertainties remain concerning potential convective evolution through this period. Models suggest that surface boundaries may remain relatively diffuse, but residual seasonably moist boundary-layer air may become characterized by sizable CAPE with daytime heating, beneath steep lower/mid-tropospheric lapse rates, including warm elevated mixed layer air.
There does appear at least a somewhat consistent signal within various convection allowing guidance that an MCV associated with ongoing convection across parts of the middle Missouri Valley could provide a focus for strong thunderstorm development later today across parts of the Upper Midwest. Otherwise, in advance of the digging upstream troughing, models indicate that a modest belt of southwesterly low-level flow (including 20-30+ kt in the 850-700 mb layer) will generally persist through the day east of the lee surface trough, from the Texas Panhandle/South Plains into the middle Missouri Valley. It appears that this will coincide with a corridor of stronger heating/deeper boundary-layer mixing across the higher plains, where thunderstorm activity initiating during the late afternoon may pose a risk for damaging wind gusts.
Within the more moist low-level environment across eastern Nebraska into western Iowa, the wind fields, aided by veering with height, might become at least marginally conducive to a couple of supercells, in the presence of sizable CAPE, before forcing for ascent associated with the approaching mid-level trough tends to support upscale growing clusters this evening.
…Upper Ohio Valley into portions of New England… Near the southern periphery of the mid-level troughing shifting east or east-northeast of the lower Great Lakes region, models indicate that scattered thunderstorm development is probable during peak afternoon heating, in the presence of moderate CAPE (1000-2000+ J/kg) and shear enhanced at least somewhat by a belt of 20-30 kt westerly mid-level flow. This environment may become conducive to small hail and potentially damaging wind gusts, before activity weakens this evening.
…Southeast/Southern Atlantic Seaboard… Aided by forcing for ascent associated with the mid-level perturbations, in the presence of weak mid-level inhibition, one or two upscale growing clusters of storms may overspread the southern Atlantic Piedmont and coastal plain late this afternoon and evening. Forecast soundings indicate that a seasonably moist environment may become characterized by moderate CAPE, with perhaps a sufficient degree of sub-saturation to allow for evaporative cooling in downdrafts to contribute to modest surface cold pool development. In the presence of weak deep-layer southwesterly mean flow on the order of 10-15 kt, the potential for development of sufficiently strong rear inflow to support surface gusts in excess of 50 kt appears low, but even with peak gusts generally on the order of 35-50 kt, sporadic damage will still be possible.
..Kerr/Weinman.. 07/10/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated: Thu Jul 10 06:16:05 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid
Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 41-year-old male in relation to a domestic violence incident in the Darwin CBD yesterday.
About 11:50pm, police received reports of a female being assaulted by a male.
Darwin general duties officers attended, and the male fled by foot before climbing up a tree, about 12 metres high, on the Esplanade. The offender allegedly threw sticks at the officers while up in the tree.
Police negotiators were called out after members were unable to take the male into custody. The negotiators attended, resulting in the male surrendering to police and being arrested without incident.
He is expected to be charged at a later date.
If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.
Australia’s drug approval system is under fire, with critics in the United States claiming it is too slow to approve life-saving medicines.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration balances speed with a rigorous assessment of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
So does Australia really lag behind the US Food and Drug Administration? And do we need to change how we approve medicines?
The drug development pipeline
Drug development usually begins when something new is discovered about a disease. This usually involves identifying either a change in an important protein or finding a new protein involved in the disease.
When scientists know the shape of the protein, they can design a drug that can block or activate it.
Scientists will then undertake laboratory, petri dish-type, experiments to see if the drug works on the protein in the way they designed. If it passes those tests, they will then move onto animal testing and formulation.
Formulation is the step where scientists decide what form the medicine will take, such as a tablet, injection or patch. There are more than 150 different pharmaceutical dosage forms to choose from.
The final steps are human testing. This requires the completion of three types of clinical trials. Each seeks to answer different specific questions about the drug:
Phase I trials: is the drug safe? What are its side effects?
Phase II trials: does the drug work?
Phase III trials: is the drug better than currently available medicines?
At the end of the trials, a company can apply to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for approval to market and sell the drug.
Getting a drug to market is time-consuming and costly. It takes around 15 years from the initial concept and design to government approval and costs more than A$3.5 billion.
But the failure rate is high: more than 90% of drugs that undergo development never gain government approval.
How are drugs approved in Australia?
The decision to approve new medicines for sale in Australia is made based on safety and efficacy evidence provided by the sponsoring company.
Listing a medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a separate process from approval, and is based on financial considerations and a cost-benefit analysis, rather than safety and efficacy.
The TGA typically takes 240 to 260 working days (around a full calendar year) from receiving a new medicine application to an approval decision. This is longer than it takes the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – 180 to 300 days.
Where there is a pressing need, the approval process can be faster. The first COVID treatment was approved in Australia just two weeks after it was submitted for consideration.
Then why do Americans often get medicines first?
There can be several reasons why a drug approval can be delayed in Australia when it has already been approved overseas.
First, with a population of 27 million out of 8 billion world-wide, Australia is a relatively small market. So it is not always a high priority for companies to apply for approval here. Regions with large populations such as China, India and Europe are a bigger focus for companies. This can therefore delay when they submit to Australia.
Other reasons for delays can be that the TGA requires additional safety or efficacy evidence other regions did not request, or because new information about the drug has come to light since the drug was approved overseas.
What about delays getting drugs onto the PBS?
When a drug is listed on the PBS, Australians can access the medicine for $31.60 (or $7.70 concession) instead of the cost of a private prescription which might be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
The time it takes for medicines to be approved on the PBS has also been a focus of criticism.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which makes PBS listing recommendations to the Federal Minister of Health, only sits three to six times per year.
US Chamber of Commerce vice president John Murphy claims the PBAC takes, on average, 32 months to make a recommendation about listing a drug after an application has been submitted.
Once a recommendation is made, the minister usually takes a minimum of five months to make a final decision.
To speed up the process, the TGA does allow parallel applications for drug approval and PBS listing.
The time taken to make a PBS listing decision is reasonable, given the scheme’s overall cost. In 2023–24, the total cost of the PBS to the government was $17.7 billion. So a decision to list can’t be made lightly.
So should Australia change how it approves medicines?
Criticising the time it takes to get regulatory approvals appears to be part of a wider plan of attack by the US government. It is putting pressure on Australia to open its market to higher prices for medicines made by US pharmaceutical companies.
Australia has a world-class regulatory agency in the TGA which ensures medicines that are approved are both safe and effective. And the PBS scheme is a key part of our public health care system and the envy of the world.
The Australian government should resist any changes to the regulatory approval processes that come from the US.
Nial Wheate in the past has received funding from the ACT Cancer Council, Tenovus Scotland, Medical Research Scotland, Scottish Crucible, and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Nial is the chief scientific officer of Vaihea Skincare LLC, a director of SetDose Pty Ltd (a medical device company) and was previously a Standards Australia panel member for sunscreen agents. He is a member of the Haleon Australia Pty Ltd Pain Advisory Board. Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design and testing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other”.
Trump, who has craved the award for years, sees himself as a global peacemaker in a raft of conflicts from Israel and Iran, to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With the conflict in Gaza still raging, we ask five experts – could Trump be rewarded with the world’s most prestigious peace prize?
Emma Shortis
Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University
Nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is like entering a hyena in a dog show.
Of course Trump does not deserve it. That we’re being forced to take this question seriously is yet another indication – as if we needed one – of his extraordinary ability to set and reset the terms of our politics.
There is no peace in Gaza. Even if Trump announced another ceasefire tomorrow, it would not last. And it would not build genuine peace and security.
Trump has neither the interest nor the attention span required to build long term peace. His administration is not willing to bear any of the costs or investments that come with genuine, lasting diplomacy. And he is not anti-war.
There is no peace in Iran. Trump’s bombing of Iran simply exacerbates his decision in 2018 to end nuclear negotiations with Tehran. It pushes the world closer to, not further from, nuclear catastrophe.
Under the Trump administration, there will be no peace in the Middle East. Both the US and Israeli governments’ approach to “security” puts the region on a perpetual war footing. This approach assumes it is possible to bomb your way to peace – a “peace” which both Trump and Netanyahu understand as total dominance and violent oppression.
The Trump administration is deliberately undermining the institutions and principles of international and domestic law.
He has deployed the military against American citizens. He is threatening the United States’ traditional allies with trade wars and annexation. His administration’s dismantling of USAID will result, according to one study, in the deaths of 14 million people, including 4.5 million children, by 2030.
Indulging Trump’s embarrassing desire for trophies might appease him for a short time. It would also strip the Nobel Peace Prize of any and all credibility, while endorsing Trump’s trashing of the international rule of law.
What kind of peace is that?
Ali Mamouri
Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University
The nomination of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize by a man who is facing charges of war crimes is an unprecedented and deeply dark irony that cannot be overlooked.
Trump’s role in brokering the Abraham Accords was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough. It led to the normalisation of relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
But this achievement came at a significant cost. The accords deliberately sidelined the Palestinian issue, long recognised as the core of regional instability, and disregarded decades of international consensus on a two-state solution.
Israeli soldiers guarding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Dom Zaran/Shutterstock
His silence in the face of a growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was equally telling. Perhaps most disturbing was the tacit or explicit endorsement of proposals to forcibly relocate Palestinians to neighbouring Arab countries, a position that evokes ethnic cleansing and fundamentally undermines principles of justice, dignity and international law.
In addition, there is Trump’s unconditional support for Israel’s military campaigns across the region, including his authorisation of attacks on Iranian civilian, military and nuclear infrastructure. The strikes lacked any clear legal basis, contributed further to regional instability and, according to Tehran, killed more than a thousand civilians.
His broader disregard for international norms shattered decades of post-second world war diplomatic order and increased the risk of sustained and expanded conflict.
Against this backdrop, any serious consideration of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize seems fundamentally at odds with its stated mission: to honour efforts that reduce conflict, uphold human rights and promote lasting peace.
Whatever short-term diplomatic gains emerged from Trump’s tenure are eclipsed by the legal, ethical and humanitarian consequences of his actions.
Ian Parmeter
Research Scholar, Middle East Studies, Australian National University
Netanyahu’s nomination of Donald Trump for one of the world’s most coveted awards was clearly aimed at flattering the president.
Trump is clearly angling for the laurel, which his first term predecessor, Barack Obama, won in his first year in office.
Obama was awarded the prize in 2009 for promotion of nuclear non-proliferation and fostering a “new climate” in international relations, particularly in reaching out to the Muslim world.
Given neither of these ambitions have since borne fruit, what claims might Trump reasonably make at this stage of his second term?
Trump has claimed credit for resolving two conflicts this year: the brief India–Pakistan clash that erupted after Pakistani militants killed 25 Indian tourists in Kashmir in May; and the long-running dispute between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disputes Trump brokered peace. He says the issue was resolved by negotiations between the two countries’ militaries.
With regards to the Rwanda–DRC conflict, the countries signed a peace agreement in the Oval Office in June. But critics argue Qatar played a significant role
which the Trump administration has airbrushed out.
Trump can legitimately argue his pressure on Israel and Iran forced a ceasefire in their 12-day war in June.
But his big test is the Gaza war. For Trump to add this to his Nobel claim, he will need more than a ceasefire.
The Biden administration brokered two ceasefires that enabled the release of significant numbers of hostages, but did not end the conflict.
Trump would have to use his undoubted influence with Netanyahu to achieve more than a temporary pause. He would have to end the war definitively and effect the release of all Israeli hostages.
Beyond that, if Trump could persuade Netanyahu
to take serious steps towards negotiating a two-state solution, that would be a genuine Nobel-worthy achievement.
Trump isn’t there yet.
Jasmine-Kim Westendorf
Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict and Co-Director of the Initiative for Peacebuilding, The University of Melbourne
Although controversial or politicised awards are not new, awardees are generally individuals or groups who’ve made
significant contributions to a range of peace initiatives.
They include reducing armed conflict, enhancing international cooperation, and human rights efforts that contribute to peace.
Inspiring examples include anti-nuclear proliferation organisations and phenomenal women peacemakers. And Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, who won in 2011 for their work trying to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Trump has declared his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier”. But he is neither.
There has been a concerning trend towards using the Nobel Peace Prize to encourage certain political directions, rather than reward achievements.
Barack Obama’s 2008 Prize helped motivate his moves toward diplomacy and cooperation after the presidency of George W. Bush.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s 2018 award was for efforts to resolve the 20-year war with Eritrea. The peace prize encouraged Ahmed to fulfill his promise of democratic elections in 2020. Embarrassingly, within a year Ahmed launched a civil war that killed over 600,000 people and displaced 3 million more.
This week’s nomination follows efforts by global leaders to flatter Trump in order – they hope – to secure his goodwill.
These motivations explain why Netanyahu has put forward Trump’s name to the Nobel Committee. It comes at the very moment securing Trump’s ongoing support during ceasefire negotiations is critical for Netanyahu’s political survival.
They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize […] It’s too bad. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me.
Prizes to genuine peacemakers amplify their work and impact.
1984 winner Desmond Tutu said: “One day no one was listening. The next, I was an oracle.” A Nobel can be a powerful force for peace.
Trump is no peacemaker, he doesn’t deserve one.
Shahram Akbarzadeh
Director, Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), Deakin University
Benjamin Netanyahu would have us believe Donald Trump is a peacemaker.
Nothing could be further from the truth. His record is stained with blood and misery. The fact Trump believes himself to be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize only attests to his illusions of grandeur in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The war in Gaza has gone into its 20th month because Trump did not use the levers at his control to bring the senseless war to a close.
Some estimates put the true Gaza death toll at 100,000 people, and counting. They have been killed by American-made bombs Israel is dropping across the densely populated strip; from starvation because Israel has enforced a blockade of the Gaza Strip and prevented UN food delivery with the blessings of America; and from gunshots at food distribution centres, set up with US private security.
All under Trump’s watch.
Trump could do something about this. Israel is the largest recipient of US aid, most of it military support.
This has multiplied since Israel commenced its attack on Gaza in response to Hamas terrorism on October 7 2023. Trump has approved the transfer of US military hardware to Israel, knowing full well it was being used against a trapped and helpless population.
This is not the act of a peacemaker.
Now the Israeli government is planning to “facilitate” population transfer of Gazans to other countries – a euphemism for ethnic cleansing.
This is the textbook definition of genocide: deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of people. Trump legitimised this travesty of decency and international law by promising a Gaza Riviera.
The outlandish extent of Trump’s ideas would be laughable if their consequences were not so devastating.
When Israel attacked Iran in the middle of nuclear talks, Trump had a momentary pause, before jumping to Netanyahu’s aid and bombing Iran. He then claimed his action paved the way for peace.
Trump’s idea of peace is the peace of the graveyard.
Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.
Jasmine-Kim Westendorf has received funding from the Australian Research Council.
Shahram Akbarzadeh receives funding from Australia Research Council.
Ali Mamouri and Ian Parmeter do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Indian benchmark indices opened flat on Thursday amid mixed global cues, with selling pressure seen in the auto and IT sectors during early trade.
At around 9:29 am, the Sensex was trading 40.96 points or 0.05 per cent lower at 83,495.12, while the Nifty declined 17.70 points or 0.07 per cent to 25,458.40.
Nifty Bank was up 29.50 points or 0.05 per cent at 57,243.05 in early trade. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 59,448, adding 108.40 points or 0.18 per cent. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index stood at 19,057.75, up by 50.35 points or 0.26 per cent.
According to analysts, with trade and tariff news becoming more routine, the market is now focusing on the upcoming earnings season.
“The big banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, will start reporting next Tuesday. As of now, analysts expect 5.8 per cent earnings growth for the S&P 500 in the second quarter,” said Vikram Kasat, Head-Advisory, PL Capital.
Expectations from the IT sector remain muted; however, midcap IT companies are likely to post good results along with positive commentary, experts added.
“Banks, despite strong balance sheets and ample liquidity, are struggling with low credit growth. Outperformers in the banking segment will be those that report healthy credit growth. In autos, M&M and Eicher have the potential to outperform,” they noted.
Among Sensex constituents, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, Power Grid, Bajaj Finance, M&M, ICICI Bank, and Titan were the top gainers. On the other hand, Tata Motors, Infosys, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel, TCS, Asian Paints, NTPC, and HDFC Bank were among the top losers.
On the institutional front, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers of equities worth Rs 77 crore on July 9, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were also net buyers, investing Rs 920 crore on the same day.
In Asian markets, Hong Kong, Seoul, China, and Jakarta were trading in the green, while Japan was trading in the red.
In the previous session, the Dow Jones in the US closed at 44,458.30, up 217.54 points or 0.49 per cent. The S&P 500 gained 37.74 points or 0.61 per cent to end at 6,263.26, while the Nasdaq closed at 20,611.34, up 192.87 points or 0.94 per cent.
India has strongly reiterated its commitment to maritime safety and gender equality during the 134th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, currently being held from 07 to 11 July in London. The Indian delegation at the session is led by T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
On the opening day of deliberations, India delivered a resolute statement in response to recent maritime incidents involving foreign-flagged container vessels operating in Indian waters. These incidents—linked to undeclared hazardous cargo and structural and stability deficiencies—have triggered growing concern about the safety protocols surrounding global container shipping operations.
Calling for urgent action, India urged the IMO to initiate a comprehensive investigation and global review of such incidents. The delegation highlighted the critical role of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard in safeguarding life at sea and emphasized the pressing need to strengthen international safety frameworks. Particular attention was drawn to improving global standards around the packaging, declaration, stowage, and monitoring of lithium-ion batteries and other dangerous goods categorized under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
As part of its proposal, India advocated for the establishment of IMO-led investigations into container ship accidents. According to the Indian delegation, such efforts would foster the development of global best practices, improve standardisation, and reinforce operational protocols for safer and more secure maritime activities.
In addition to addressing maritime safety, India took an active role in the session’s discussions on gender equality, aligning its efforts with the IMO’s Gender Inclusion Strategy. The delegation showcased the national initiative “Sagar Mein Samman” (Honour at Sea)—launched on November 25, 2024, by the Directorate General of Shipping. This landmark programme is designed to cultivate a safe, respectful, and inclusive maritime environment, enabling women to participate and advance across all levels of the industry, from seafaring roles to executive leadership.
India also highlighted a notable success: a 650% rise in the number of Indian women seafarers, demonstrating its strong commitment to building an equitable maritime workforce and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
India vice captain Rishabh Pant said the Dukes balls being used in the current test series against England are losing their shape very quickly and cannot be good for the game.
India captain Shubman Gill was the first to criticise the balls after his team levelled the five-match series with a comprehensive victory in the second test at Edgbaston.
“I feel it’s a big problem because the ball is getting out of shape,” Pant told reporters on the eve of the third test at Lord’s beginning on Thursday.
“When you see the ball, you can see it’s de-shaped but the rules are such … it’s not up to the players.”
India, despite having rested pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, took 20 wickets at Edgbaston where they racked up 587 in the first innings and declared their second on 427-6.
Pant could not recall another series where the ball lost its shape so quickly.
“It’s definitely irritating for the players because every ball plays differently,” said the 27-year-old.
“When it becomes softer it’s not doing much but as soon as they change the ball it starts to do enough.
“As a batsman, you keep adjusting to it but at the same time, I feel it’s not good for cricket eventually.”
India will take a late decision on whether to play left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav at Lord’s but Bumrah’s return is a major boost for the tourists.
Asked for his view on what made Bumrah, arguably the best all-format bowler of his generation, so special, Pant said, “I think everything – how accurate he is and the way his mind works. He’s just amazing.”
While batting against Bumrah is a tricky task, keeping to him is not a cakewalk either, Pant said.
“I think it’s more difficult for the wicketkeeper behind the wicket than for a batsman, especially in England,” Pant said referring to the late movement that Bumrah regularly generates.
The deadly flood in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River that killed at least nine people and left more than two dozen missing this week was triggered by the draining of a supraglacial lake in the Tibet region of China, a regional climate monitoring body said on Wednesday.
At least 19 people, including six Chinese workers at the Beijing-aided Inland Container Depot, remain missing in Nepal after Tuesday’s floods that also washed away the ‘Friendship Bridge’ that links Nepal and China.
China’s official Xinhua news agency has said 11 people were unaccounted for on the Chinese side of the mountainous border region.
The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said satellite imagery showed the flood originated from the draining of the lake north of Nepal’s Langtang Himal range.
“This is based on the preliminary analysis based on the available satellite images,” Sudan Maharjan, a remote sensing analyst and expert of glaciers at ICIMOD, told Reuters.
A supraglacial lake is formed on the surface of glaciers, particularly in debris-covered areas. It often begins as small meltwater ponds that gradually expand and sometimes merge to form a larger supraglacial lake, experts say.
Saswata Sanyal, another ICIMOD official, said such events were increasing at an “unprecedented” pace in the Hindu Kush mountains that are spread across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
“We need to delve deeper into the triggers that are resulting in cascading impacts,” Sanyal said.
The June-September monsoon causes massive floods and landslides in mountainous Nepal which, officials and experts say, is vulnerable to effects of climate change like extreme weather patterns, inconsistent rainfall, flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods.
This year’s early monsoon rains have inflicted deadly damage elsewhere in Nepal where at least 38 people have been killed or are missing since May 29, according to data from the government’s National Disaster Relief, Reduction and Management Authority.
Israel and Hamas may be able to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal within one or two weeks but such an agreement is not likely to be secured in just a day’s time, a senior Israeli official said on Wednesday.
Speaking during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, the official said that if the two sides agree to a proposed 60-day ceasefire, Israel would use that time to offer a permanent ceasefire that would require the Palestinian militant group to disarm.
If Hamas refuses, “we’ll proceed” with military operations in Gaza, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Trump met Netanyahu on Tuesday for the second time in two days to discuss the situation in Gaza, with the president’s Middle East envoy indicating that Israel and Hamas were nearing an agreement on a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal after 21 months of war.
Trump had previously predicted that a deal could be reached this week, raising speculation about a possible announcement before Netanyahu leaves for Israel on Thursday.
On Wednesday, however, Trump appeared to extend the timeframe somewhat, telling reporters that while an agreement was “very close,” it could happen this week or even next – though “not definitely.”
A source familiar with Hamas’ thinking said four days of indirect talks with Israel in Qatar did not produce any breakthroughs on main sticking points.
The Israeli official, who briefed reporters in Washington, declined to provide details on the negotiations.
Trump’s Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the anticipated agreement would involve the release of 10 living and nine deceased hostages.
Netanyahu’s visit came just over two weeks after the president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites in support of Israeli air strikes. Trump then helped arrange a ceasefire in the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
Trump and his aides have tried to seize on any momentum created by the weakening of Iran, which backs Hamas, to push both sides for a breakthrough to end the Gaza war.
The Gaza conflict began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures. Around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.
Israel’s retaliatory war has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, Gaza’s health ministry says, and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
Netanyahu has used his U.S. visit to publicly thank Trump for joining with Israel in striking Iran.
Trump has repeatedly declared that the U.S. bombing of three of Iran’s nuclear sites had “obliterated” them, though some experts have questioned the extent of the damage and raised the possibility that Iran had secreted away part of its enriched uranium stockpile before the strikes.
The Israel official said Israeli intelligence indicated that Iran’s enriched uranium remained at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, the sites that the U.S. hit last month, and had not been moved.
The official suggested, however, that the Iranians might still be able to gain access to Isfahan but it would be hard to remove any of the material there.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Modern Railways 2025 exhibition at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, July 8, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
The Modern Railways 2025 exhibition wraps up Thursday at the China National Convention Center and National Railway Test Center, having drawn 521 enterprises from 14 countries and regions since opening Monday.
Spanning nearly 40,000 square meters, the exhibition has featured leading companies such as China Railway (CR), CRRC, Siemens and Huawei.
The CR450 EMU prototype on display at the National Railway Test Center in Beijing, July 9, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
A highlight of the exhibition has been the display of 30 advanced trains and locomotives at the National Railway Test Center, including the CR450 EMU prototype, designed to be the world’s fastest high-speed train, with a test speed of 450 kph and an operating speed of 400 kph.
Visitors have also toured six key laboratories, such as the Braking System Laboratory, the High-Speed Railway Pantograph-Catenary Relationship Laboratory and the Railway 5G Innovation Laboratory.
Juergen Model, CEO of Siemens Mobility Greater China, speaks with reporters at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, July 8, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
At the China National Convention Center, the exhibition has featured displays in 10 areas, covering rolling stock, engineering construction, communication and signaling, information technology, passenger and freight transport, traction power supply, safety, maintenance, energy saving and environmental protection.
Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of yet more career milestones continued unabated as he reached a record 14th Wimbledon semi-final and a showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old Serb recovered from a set down to beat Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 and is now only two victories away from an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.
Blocking his path next is a rather more formidable Italian in the form of Sinner who eased any worries about an elbow injury to beat American powerhouse Ben Shelton 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4.
In the women’s quarter-finals, Poland’s claycourt specialist Iga Swiatek broke new ground by reaching her first Wimbledon semi-final, beating Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 7-5.
The eighth seed will face Switzerland’s unseeded Belinda Bencic who edged out Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 7-6(3) 7-6(2) to also reach her first semi-final at the grasscourt slam.
By reaching a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi, Djokovic also kept alive his hopes of equalling Roger Federer’s men’s record eight Wimbledon singles titles.
It remains a tall order even for a player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, especially with top seed Sinner and Spain’s holder Carlos Alcaraz, the two new powers in men’s tennis, most people’s bet to contest the final on July 13.
But no one should be writing off Djokovic who has won 44 of his last 46 matches at the All England Club and seems to know every single blade of grass on the historic Centre Court.
“It means the world to me that at 38 I am able to play in the final stages of Wimbledon,” Djokovic, who suffered a nasty slip on match point but appeared unscathed, said.
“Competing with youngsters makes me feel young, like Cobolli today. I enjoy running and sliding around the court. Speaking of the young guys, I will have Sinner in the next round so I look forward to that. That is going to be a great match-up.”
SINNER INJURY
Sinner may well have been back home in Italy had Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov not damaged his right pectoral muscle and retired with a two-set lead in the fourth round on Monday.
The three-times Grand Slam champion also sustained an elbow injury early on in that match and there was some doubt about his physical state ahead of his clash with 10th seed Shelton.
But he produced a clinical performance, reeling off seven successive points to win the first-set tiebreak and then pouncing in the 10th game of the next two sets to match his run to the semi-final two years ago when he lost to Djokovic.
Sinner, bidding to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title, wore a protective sleeve on his right arm but was rock solid against the big-serving Shelton.
“I had quite good feelings in the warm-up today,” Sinner, who dropped only six points on his first serve, said.
“I put into my mind that I’m going to play today. So the concerns were not that big if I would play or not.
“It was just a matter of what my percentage is. Today was very high, so I’m happy.”
Swiatek appears to have finally overcome her grass court demons and the four-times French Open champion could not hide her delight at reaching the semi-final at the sixth attempt.
“Honestly, it feels great. I have goosebumps after this win. I am super happy and super proud of myself and I will keep going. I worked really hard to progress here on this surface.”
Former Olympic champion Bencic became the first Swiss woman to reach the semis since Martina Hingis in 1998 after stunning 18-year-old seventh seed Andreeva on Centre Court.
“It’s crazy, it’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true,” the 28-year-old mother said. “I’m just speechless.”
Bencic will face Swiatek on Thursday after top seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on 13th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova.
The first silverware of this year’s tournament will also be decided on Thursday when Dutchman Sem Verbeek and Czech Katerina Siniakova face Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani in the mixed doubles final on Centre Court.
France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the centre of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi on Thursday morning after concluding a five-nation tour that spanned July 2 to 9, covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. The visit also included his participation in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro under Brazil’s chairmanship.
The Prime Minister began his tour with a visit to Ghana on July 2-3- the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in over three decades. In Accra, he held bilateral talks with President John Mahama to review the existing partnership and explore new areas of cooperation in economic development, defence, maritime security, energy, and critical minerals. Both leaders agreed to elevate ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. President Mahama also conferred on PM Modi The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, the country’s highest civilian award.
On July 3-4, PM Modi travelled to Trinidad and Tobago– the first Prime Ministerial visit since 1999. He met Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and addressed the Parliament. During the visit, India announced that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards will now be issued to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean nation. PM Modi was also honoured with The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
The third leg of the tour took PM Modi to Argentina on July 4-5- the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the South American country in nearly six decades. He held discussions with President Javier Milei to strengthen cooperation in defence, agriculture, mining, energy, trade, and investment. Describing the visit as productive, PM Modi said the talks would help deepen India-Argentina ties. He was also presented with the Key to the City of Buenos Aires by the city’s Chief, Jorge Macri.
In the fourth leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi attended the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6 to 7. He then travelled to Brasília, the capital of Brazil, for a State Visit and held bilateral talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two leaders discussed ways to expand the Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil in areas such as trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health, and people-to-people exchanges. During the visit, President Lula conferred on Prime Minister Modi Brazil’s highest civilian honour, The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross.
In the final leg of his tour on July 9, Prime Minister Modi visited Namibia – marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 27 years. He addressed the Namibian Parliament, where he received a standing ovation from the members. During the visit, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah conferred upon him The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, Namibia’s highest civilian honour.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to a solitary jail cell on Thursday after a court approved a warrant sought by prosecutors investigating his attempt to impose martial law last year.
The Seoul Central District Court’s decision bolstered the special counsel investigation into allegations that Yoon’s move in December represented obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
The court said in a statement it granted the request because of concerns Yoon could seek to destroy evidence, returning him to confinement at the Seoul Detention Center where he spent 52 days earlier in the year before being released four months ago on technical grounds.
He moved back with his wife and his 11 dogs and cats to their 164 square metre (1,765 square feet) apartment in an upscale district of Seoul. The couple’s net worth is estimated at 7.5 billion won ($5.47 million), according to a government filing.
But Yoon will now be housed in a 10 square-metre solitary cell and sleeping on a foldable mattress on the floor without an air conditioner, an official at the detention centre and media reports said.
With a heat wave gripping the country, Yoon will have to rely on a small electric fan that switches off at night, Park Jie-won, an opposition lawmaker who had been incarcerated there, said on a YouTube talk show.
The detention facility served a breakfast of steamed potatoes and mini cheese breads for inmates on Thursday, another official said.
The conservative politician faces criminal charges of insurrection over his martial law decree, which could carry a sentence of life in prison or death.
YOON SKIPS COURT HEARING
Hours after he ended up in jail, the court held a hearing on Thursday morning for his insurrection trial, but Yoon did not attend.
His lawyers told the court that he was unable to go to the hearing due to health issues, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Constitutional Court ousted Yoon as president in April, upholding parliament’s impeachment for the martial law bid, which shocked South Koreans and triggered months of political turmoil.
The special prosecution team launched its investigation after new leader Lee Jae Myung was elected in June, and it has been looking into additional charges against Yoon.
The special counsel team is now expected to speed up its probe into allegations, including whether Yoon hurt South Korea’s interests by intentionally inflaming tensions with North Korea.
The team plans to question Yoon on Friday, informing his wife and lawyers about his detention via letters, Park Ji-young, a deputy to the special counsel, told reporters on Thursday.
Yoon attended the court hearing on Wednesday on the detention warrant, wearing a dark navy suit and a red tie, but did not answer questions from reporters.
His lawyers have denied the allegations against him and called the detention request an unreasonable move in a hasty investigation.
More than 1,000 supporters rallied near the court on Wednesday, local media reported, waving flags and signs and chanting Yoon’s name in searing 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.
In their warrant request, prosecutors said Yoon poses a flight risk, local media reported.
