Source: European Parliament
The Committee on Legal Affairs, with the support of the Policy Department for Justice, Civil Liberties and Institutional Affairs, is organizing a Workshop titled: Monitoring the Application of EU law. The event will take place on 15 July 2025, from 16:00 to 17:00.
Source: European Parliament
EU copyright law provides performers with exclusive rights to authorise or prohibit the use of their performances by third parties. The rights protecting performances however do not extend to the use of an artist’s voice, likeness or other characterising features.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation[1] (GDPR) consent is one of the six legal grounds for lawful personal data processing. However, the controller may rely on legitimate interest where that interest prevails over the interests or rights of the data subjects.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) held that, subject to certain conditions, legitimate interest could be relied upon for the development of AI models.[2]
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act[3] sets out transparency obligations for AI systems that generate or manipulate content, including deepfakes.
Specifically, providers of AI systems generating synthetic audio, image, video or text content shall ensure that the outputs of the AI system are marked in a machine-readable format and are detectable as artificially generated or manipulated. Those rules aim at protecting the integrity and trust in the information ecosystem and mitigate the risk of impersonation.
Under the current multiannual financial framework, the MEDIA and Cross-sectoral strands of Creative Europe offer opportunities for applicants to submit projects that focus on helping the audiovisual and media sectors to foster their uptake of AI (including for dubbing), while mitigating the risks posed by this technology.
Since January 2025, five Nordic film festivals have been supported (under the project ‘NojSe’) to use AI in dubbing integrating new technologies in translation and subtitling while supporting the artistic community.
Source: European Parliament
Under the Habitats Directive[1], w olf populations north of the river Duero[2] are currently listed in Annex V. According to Article 14 of the directive, Member States must take measures to ensure that the exploitation of species listed in Annex V is compatible with their being maintained at a favourable conservation status.
According to the information submitted by Spain in the latest report under Article 17 of the directive for the period 2013-2018, the wolf was in unfavourable conservation status in all three biogeographical regions of Spain[3]. A new report covering the period 2019-2024 is expected to be submitted by July 2025.
In Case C-436/22[4], the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Article 14 of the directive precludes Spanish legislation which permitted the hunting of the wolf, since the species was listed in Annex V and the conservation status of that species is classified as ‘unfavourable poor’.
Additionally, the CJEU confirmed that if there remains uncertainty as to whether the exploitation of a species of Community interest is compatible with the maintenance of that species at a favourable conservation status, the Member State must refrain from authorising such exploitation.
The Commission awaits the up-to-date information on the conservation status of the wolf in Spain, as part of reporting obligations under the directive for the period 2019-2024.
In light of the prevention and precautionary principles, the competent authorities should ensure that decisions related to the hunting of wolf populations listed in Annex V are based on sound scientific evidence regarding the species conservation status .
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002654/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Leire Pajín (S&D), Nicolás González Casares (S&D)
At the end of June 2025, the authorities of multiple countries in Southern Europe sent their respective citizens alerts about high temperatures, which reached record-high levels. According to one study, approximately 43 000 people die each year due to extreme heat, and projections indicate that deaths linked to heat could triple with respect to current rates. The risks associated with climate change must be urgently addressed to avoid putting EU citizens’ health and safety at even greater risk.
Submitted: 1.7.2025
Source: European Parliament
The placing on the market and releasing in the environment of genetically modified (GM) animals in the EU is subject to the GM Organisms (GMO) legislation[1], regardless of where the genetic alteration is carried out. The legislation does not preclude modifications to feature traits of extinct animals.
Any GMO (including GM animals) can only be released after authorisation, following a comprehensive risk assessment concluding that there are no risks for health or the environment, and in conformity with any conditions required. This assessment routinely includes, among others, animal welfare and potential implications for animals and nature.
In addition, specifically for protected habitats and species in the EU, the effects of any deliberate release into the environment of GMOs must also be considered in relation to the EU law requirement to maintain or restore the favourable conservation status of the protected species and habitats[2].
In the event of the deliberate release of a GM animal without authorisation, or instances of migration of such animals into their territory, Member States must take the necessary remedial action, and inform its public, the Commission, and other Member States.
The GMO legislation recognises that Member States may take into consideration ethical aspects in this context[3]. It also allows consultation of relevant committees on ethics, such as the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, on the ethical implications of biotechnology, either on the Commission’s own initiative or at the request of the European Parliament, the Council or a Member State.
Based on the above, the Commission considers that the current EU legislation is adequate to handle cases such as the one described by the Honourable Member.
Source: European Parliament
The assessment of a medicinal product is based solely on scientific evidence[1], not political pressure. There is a robust procedure established that must be followed before granting a marketing authorisation[2].
When an application for a marketing authorisation of a medicinal product is submitted in the EU, the information included in a dossier is carefully assessed by the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use[3].
This assessment is summarised in a publicly available report (European Public Assessment Report[4]) that also includes the verification of the compliance of good clinical practices.
The criteria used to consider the need of an inspection are published on the EMA website[5]. In some cases, inspections may not be feasible or necessary.
Instead, alternative methods that provide the required level of assurance, including inspections conducted by other globally recognised regulatory authorities, may be considered. The decision is based on the triggers identified. During COVID-19, the need for inspections was assessed and decided on a case-by-case basis.
In the EU, there is a robust safety monitoring and risk management (pharmacovigilance) system to supervise every medicinal product throughout its use in healthcare practice.
For each medicinal product, safety updates are regularly assessed through the Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSURs[6]). These assessments are carried out by the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee[7] and permit to identify any new potential risks.
The safety and efficacy of all medicinal products, including COVID-19 vaccines, have always been a top priority for the Commission.
Source: European Parliament
The increasing dependence on third countries for the manufacturing of medicinal products and their components is a pressing concern. In response, the Commission has undertaken a range of measures to strengthen the security of supply, including initiatives to incentivise the manufacturing of critical medicines inside the EU.
A cornerstone of these efforts is the Commission’s proposal for a Critical Medicines Act[1], adopted on 11 March 2025. The proposed Act aims to bolster EU-based manufacturing capacity for critical medicines by identifying strategic projects and leveraging public procurement mechanisms.
The proposed Act also recognises the importance of ensuring affordability of medicinal products. While enhancing supply security may entail additional costs, the proposed Critical Medicines Act aims to foster cooperation amongst the Member States, enabling a coordinated and cost-efficient approach to invest in security of supply and thereby reduce the important burden of critical shortages for patients, healthcare providers and society.
The Commission remains firmly committed to ensuring that patients have access to the medicines they need, when they need them.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he ordered an expansion of contacts with the United States to ensure critical deliveries of military supplies, primarily air defence.
Zelenskiy issued his call a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would send more weapons to Ukraine, mainly defensive ones, to help the country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances.
“Today, I instructed the minister of defence and the commander in chief to intensify all contacts with the American side,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
“We currently have all the necessary political statements and decisions and we must implement them as quickly as possible to protect our people and positions,” he said.
Zelenskiy said the current focus for deliveries was on “air defence, as well as other elements of supply from the U.S.”
“These are critical deliveries that mean saving lives and protecting Ukrainian cities and villages. I expect results from these contacts very soon. And this week, we are preparing formats for meetings of our military and political teams.”
The U.S. Defense Department said it would send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine at Trump’s direction, to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while efforts continue to secure a lasting peace.
The U.S. decision to halt some arms shipments to Kyiv prompted Ukraine to warn the move would crimp its ability to fend off Russia’s air strikes and battlefield advances.
Russia’s military has in recent weeks boosted air attacks on Ukrainian cities by drones and missiles.
Trump on Tuesday again expressed disappointment at Russian President Vladimir Putin over the failure to introduce a ceasefire as part of moves to secure a peace. He said he was considering additional sanctions on Moscow.
-Reuters
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002683/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew)
The introduction of the euro in Bulgaria has raised serious concern among the public, mainly in connection with potential price rises. The experience of other Member States shows that such fears are not unjustified, especially in the absence of any effective control over commercial practices. Clear consumer protection mechanisms based on good European practices need to be implemented in order to avoid any speculative price increases.
Moreover, a smooth transition to the euro calls not only for political will but also strong financial and technical support from the EU institutions. This is particularly important for countries with less-developed economies, such as Bulgaria, which need resource support to help adapt their systems and businesses.
Submitted: 2.7.2025
Source: WTO
Headline: Committee highlights active engagement and thematic progress at Trade and Environment Week
Trade and Environment Week 2025
The WTO Secretariat report on the event highlighted the active engagement and vibrant discussions that took place throughout Trade and Environment Week as members and stakeholders explored the evolving relationship between trade and the environment. The 15 sessions, organized by WTO members, attracted high levels of participation, both in person and online.
Key topics included agriculture and sustainability, climate resilience, carbon measures, deforestation and the circular economy, and decarbonizing supply chains. In addition, three WTO environmental initiatives – on fossil fuel subsidies, plastic pollution and sustainable development solutions – hosted events emphasizing inclusive approaches and developing country perspectives.
Members hailed the event’s successful conclusion, acknowledging the breadth and depth of its discussions and its value as a platform for sharing experiences, generating new ideas and fostering collaboration among members and diverse stakeholders to better leverage trade policy in support of environmental sustainability and climate goals.
The full programme and video recordings of the 2025 Trade and Environment Week are available here.
Submissions
At the 4 July meeting of the CTE, WTO members reviewed two submissions. The first was a joint submission by Japan and the Republic of Korea titled “Non-Binding Guidance on Methodologies for Measuring Embedded Emissions”, co-sponsored by Australia and the United Kingdom. Japan explained that the proposal aims to enhance transparency and interoperability around requirements for measuring embedded emissions in cross-border goods trade. It stressed that the proposal is intended to promote cooperation and to take on board the development dimension, and does not affect members’ existing WTO rights and obligations.
A large number of delegations provided detailed and constructive comments on the new submission, and it was welcomed by many members who shared similar concerns over the high compliance costs – particularly for small businesses in developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) – caused by divergent approaches for measuring emissions. Several members underscored the importance of considering varying levels of development and climate responsibilities, and called for more inclusive consultations during the legislative processes.
While welcoming the increased transparency envisaged in the proposal, some members emphasized that transparency should not replace or duplicate required notifications to relevant WTO bodies, nor place additional burdens on developing members. Many expressed openness to continuing work on the proposal with the co-sponsors.
The second submission, tabled by Russia, was titled “Future Rules of Trade in Plastic Products and the WTO: Potential Conflict”. This paper raised concerns that future rules emerging from the ongoing UN plastics treaty negotiations – led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) – could create trade barriers, particularly for polymers and plastic products, and could conflict with WTO disciplines. The next round of INC negotiations is scheduled for August in Geneva.
While some members emphasized the need to ensure that any legally binding treaties are consistent with WTO rules, others expressed support for the ongoing negotiations on plastic pollution and the mutual supportiveness between multilateral environmental agreements and the WTO.
Follow-up to thematic sessions
The Chair of the CTE, Ambassador Erwin Bollinger of Switzerland, reported to the Committee on the outcomes of his recent consultations with members regarding the path forward further to thematic sessions on three key topics: trade-related climate measures (TRCMs), technology transfer and sustainable agriculture. Launched in November 2023 at the request of members, the thematic session series serves as a platform to deepen understanding of specific issues through concrete case studies and the sharing of practical experiences.
The Chair noted that members appreciated the fruitful exchanges in recent thematic sessions and expressed willingness to engage constructively in further discussions. On TRCMs, the exploration in greater depth of three sub-topics – transparency, development and coherence/interoperability – was seen as the right way forward. On the topic of technology transfer, members showed strong interest in continuing discussions to support developing members’ green transition. Regarding sustainable agriculture, members were in favour of organizing a thematic session in October, and Barbados and the United Kingdom were appointed as moderators to help shape the agenda.
Members thanked the Chair for his report and exchanged views on the next steps. Many members underscored the need for further technical work, focused on the three sub-topics identified by the Chair, to better understand the impact of TRCMs. The new joint proposal by Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and the United Kingdom was cited as a valuable contribution to advancing work on improving interoperability and transparency.
Members reaffirmed their interest in deepening discussions on technology transfer and proposed various formats for experience-sharing. Broad support was voiced for the upcoming thematic session on sustainable agriculture, with a focus on environmental aspects. Members also highlighted the importance of ensuring that thematic discussions complement rather than duplicate work underway in other WTO committees.
Transparency and information-sharing
At the CTE meeting, members were briefed on developments regarding the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP), the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), and the Fossil Fuels Subsidy Reform (FFSR).
The WTO Secretariat presented the 2023 report of the WTO Environmental Database, issued on 8 May 2025, with a thematic focus on pollution. It also briefed members on recent and upcoming WTO technical assistance activities tailored to the requests of members, including the 2024 Advanced Thematic Course on Trade and Environment and an initiative by the WTO, World Bank Group and the World Economic Forum titled “Action on Climate and Trade” (ACT). ACT is part of the WTO technical assistance offering, and is designed to support developing economies and LDCs in leveraging trade policy to support their climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives, while also identifying opportunities for green trade-led growth.
The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) provided an update on preparations for the 2025 Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for November 2025 in Brazil. Brazil, which holds the COP30 Presidency, highlighted the COP30 Action Agenda, noting the inclusion of climate and trade as one of its key objectives. The WTO Secretariat briefed members, noting its collaboration with UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to monitor COP30 developments, explore potential support for Brazil’s priorities in the context of the COP30 Presidency, and provide updates to members as they become available.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee on Trade and Environment is scheduled for the week of 3 November 2025.
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Source: WTO
Headline: Trade and gender group outlines priorities for gender equality work leading to MC14
The 2025-2026 Work Plan reinforces the work initiated at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13), held in Abu Dhabi in 2024. An action plan to support its implementation will be drafted in consultation with members, with clear milestones, targets and activities.
The Work Plan features a detailed compendium mapping all the technical work of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Trade and Gender, as well as a ministerial joint statement by the co-chairs. It also includes ministerial-level deliverables, such as the potential inclusion of a paragraph on women’s economic empowerment through trade in the MC14 outcome document.
WTO Symposium on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment
Members also took stock of the WTO Symposium on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment, “Growing economies through trade – empowering women”, which was held on 2 July in cooperation with the IWG co-chairs (Cabo Verde, El Salvador and the United Kingdom).
The event brought together policymakers, researchers and international organizations to explore how trade policy can drive women’s economic empowerment. In her opening address, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala underlined that empowering women in trade is not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity, and she called for a modernized multilateral system that better serves women and developing economies. Discussions throughout the day underscored the need to treat gender equality as a core element of trade policy.
Key themes of the symposium included the opportunities and challenges of digitalization, the role of regional trade agreements and the importance of gender-disaggregated data. Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, the United Kingdom shared national experiences, while institutional initiatives from the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Bank highlighted efforts to make trade more inclusive.
Ambassador Simon Manley of the United Kingdom noted that the experts and researchers who spoke at the symposium encouraged members to ensure that gender is genuinely addressed – not only within the IWG, but also across WTO committees and negotiations more broadly. Looking ahead to MC14, he observed that many members are calling for a renewed commitment to embed gender equality into the multilateral trading system.
International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade
The IWG co-chairs reported on the second edition of the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade, which recognises impactful national initiatives that promote gender equality through trade-related policies and programmes. Announced on 2 July during an award ceremony held as part of the WTO Symposium on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment, the winners of the 2025 edition were Brazil for “Elas Exportam”, the Dominican Republic for “Service Revolution” and Ghana for the “Inclusive Trade Facilitation Project”, with special mentions for Ecuador for the “Safe Company Seal” and Viet Nam for an initiative implemented under the WTO Chairs Programme at Foreign Trade University (WCP–FTU), titled “From Knowledge to Impact: Amplifying Women’s Influence in Trade through WCP-FTU”.
Updates by WTO members
The United Kingdom shared findings from a Scottish Government-commissioned report on the gender export gap. The study revealed that only 15 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) led by women in Scotland were engaged in export, fewer than Scottish SMEs led by men (17 per cent). Closing this gap could boost Scotland’s trade revenues by up to GBP 10.4 billion (CHF 11.3 billion) over two years. The research identified key barriers for women, including limited access to finance, lack of mentoring and networks, and a complex support landscape.
Costa Rica also updated members, in its role as the 2025-2026 Chair of the Inclusive Trade Action Group (ITAG) – established on the margins of the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit – and of ITAG standalone initiative the Global Trade and Gender Arrangement (GTAGA). The ITAG, which was launched in 2018, promotes inclusive trade with a focus on gender equality, support for SMEs, indigenous trade, sustainability and labour issues. The GTAGA advances women’s economic empowerment through joint actions such as data-sharing, policy dialogue and capacity-building.
Key activities included a virtual meeting to adopt priorities, as well as the recent launch of a Trade and Gender Review of Latin America by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Virtual events for government officials will be organized in 2025 and 2026. Costa Rica also outlined plans to standardize accession procedures, and it announced that there will be a GTAGA Day 2026, an in-person capacity-building event.
Ukraine presented its national strategy to advance women’s economic empowerment and integrate gender equality into trade and recovery policies. Measures include targeted support for women-led businesses through mentorship, access to finance, professional training and psychological assistance, as well as programmes to encourage women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors. Ukraine reported that women established 56 per cent of new businesses in 2023, rising to 59 per cent in 2024.
Presentations by international organizations
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) outlined its efforts to promote gender-responsive standards, with a focus on practical tools such as its Gender Action Plan Model Blueprint. This initiative supports institutions in embedding gender considerations into standards, regulations and artificial intelligence (AI) governance. UNECE also emphasized the role of inclusive standards in addressing gender bias in data and design, particularly in emerging technologies like AI.
The International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), a global network of women engaged in all segments of the coffee value chain, presented its work to address gender inequalities in the sector. Representing over 36 national groups and 18,000 members – including farmers, processors, exporters, baristas and entrepreneurs – IWCA outlined the persistent challenges that women face, such as unequal labour distribution, limited income and land ownership, and underrepresentation in leadership. It also presented its 2023-2027 strategic plan, structured around four pillars: organizational development, research and advocacy, impactful programmes and high-impact communications.
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Source: European Central Bank
8 July 2025
Today the Council of the European Union formally approved the accession of Bulgaria to the euro area on 1 January 2026 and determined a Bulgarian lev conversion rate of 1.95583 per euro. This is the current central rate of the lev in the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II), which the currency joined on 10 July 2020. The European Central Bank (ECB) and Българска народна банка (Bulgarian National Bank) agreed to monitor developments in the Bulgarian lev against the euro on the foreign exchange market until 1 January 2026.
With the entry into force of the close cooperation framework between the ECB and Българска народна банка (Bulgarian National Bank), the ECB has been responsible for directly supervising four significant institutions and overseeing 13 less significant institutions in Bulgaria since 1 October 2020.
For media queries, please contact Benoit Deeg, tel.: +49 172 1683 704.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHANGSHA, July 8 (Xinhua) — China, which is among the countries with the largest lithium reserves in the world, has discovered a super-large lithium ore deposit with reserves of 490 million tons in central China’s Hunan Province, the provincial department of natural resources said Tuesday.
The deposit, discovered in the Jijiaoshan mining area of Linwu County, was classified as an altered granite lithium deposit containing about 1.31 million tons of lithium oxide, according to the department.
It also contains other mineral elements such as rubidium, tungsten and tin.
According to the Hunan Provincial Mineralogical Survey Institute, which carried out the exploration, given the complex geological conditions, the discovery of the deposit was made possible by advances in exploration technology and many years of exploration work.
Xu Yiming, a professor at the institute, said the discovery of the lithium deposit provides a solid resource foundation for the construction of a new energy base in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province.
Lithium is an extremely important element with a wide range of applications, including in electric vehicles, energy storage systems and mobile communication systems.
According to the Geological Survey Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, released in January, the share of confirmed lithium reserves in China reached 16.5 percent of the world’s total, which put the country in second place in the world in this indicator. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 8 (Xinhua) — China is willing to deepen communication and cooperation with the United Nations to jointly promote the building of a fairer and more reasonable international order, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday.
Li Qiang made the statement during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting.
As the Premier of the State Council pointed out, in the 80 years since its founding, the UN has made important contributions to maintaining world peace and tranquility and promoting common development.
Noting that today’s world is facing increasing instability and uncertainty, Li Qiang stressed that the UN should play a more effective role.
According to him, the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the three major global initiatives put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping are largely consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and reflect China’s firm commitment and pragmatic approach to supporting multilateralism and the cause of the UN.
The more complex the international situation becomes, the more important it is to uphold the authority of the UN, the head of the Chinese government continued, adding that China firmly supports the central role of the world organization in global governance and is willing to work with all parties to implement genuine multilateralism and more effectively advance the cause of the UN.
Today, when global security is facing serious challenges, China is making significant efforts to promote dialogue for political resolution of hot spot issues and will continue to support the unique role of the UN in reducing tensions, Li Qiang stressed.
He also noted that all parties should prioritize development on the international agenda, jointly strengthen global cooperation for development, direct resources primarily to key areas such as poverty reduction, education, employment and capacity building, and promote global partnership for development.
Li Qiang assured that China, as a responsible major developing country, will continue to steadily expand opening-up, share its opportunities with the world and promote common development.
China supports the UN’s role as a key channel for addressing governance gaps in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cyberspace, polar regions and outer space, the premier added. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Almaty, July 8 /Xinhua/ — 95 percent of Kazakhstan’s exports to the United States will not be affected by new American duties, the press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan reported on Tuesday.
On Monday, an official announcement was received from US President Donald Trump about the introduction of new customs duties on a number of countries, including Kazakhstan, starting from August 1, 2025.
For products exported from Kazakhstan to the United States, a single rate of 25 percent has been established for the entire volume of deliveries.
“At the same time, the majority of Kazakhstan’s exports will continue to be supplied without new duties due to the exemption from the new tariff. This applies to the main raw materials and strategic goods – oil, uranium, silver, ferroalloys, tantalum and titanium. According to estimates, the measures taken will not affect about 95 percent of Kazakhstan’s exports to the United States,” the ministry reported.
It is noted that as part of the work to maintain a predictable trade regime for Kazakh goods, the government of Kazakhstan has sent the US administration specific proposals and initiatives to improve the conditions of mutual trade. Kazakhstan’s goal is to achieve agreed decisions on issues of market access and trade conditions.
“The American side is currently considering Kazakhstan’s proposals and will inform about the date of the negotiations. Kazakhstan is preparing for further negotiations with the American side to protect national interests and develop sustainable trade and economic partnership,” the ministry added. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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Source: Amnesty International –
Egyptian authorities must unconditionally and immediately release anyone detained solely for expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide, including at least seven Egyptian nationals detained for expressing support for the Gaza March, Amnesty International said today. The organization is also calling on the authorities to investigate allegations of torture and other ill-treatment related to the arrests and deportations of international activists in connection with the planned solidarity march.
Hundreds of international activists travelled to Egypt in June to take part in a global march to the city of Rafah in a bid to break Israel’s illegal blockade on the occupied Gaza Strip, but Egyptian authorities responded by arresting scores of Egyptian and foreign nationals and deporting non-Egyptians.
Amnesty International documented the arbitrary detention, incommunicado detention, and ill-treatment of three Egyptians and five foreign nationals in connection with the Gaza March between 10 and 16 June. Amnesty International obtained a testimony that at least one Egyptian national was subjected to torture during their detention. The organization is calling for all those still being held solely for expressing solidarity with Palestinians to be unconditionally and immediately released, including those detained for expressing solidarity with Palestinians since October 2023.
It is unthinkable that Egyptian authorities are arresting and punishing activists for showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza while Israel is committing genocide against them.
Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International.
“The world has seen a glimpse of the brutality that Egyptian authorities continue to inflict on dissidents. The arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment that these activists have been subjected to represents just a fraction of the ongoing repression faced by virtually anyone who expresses views not condoned by the government,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International.
“It is unthinkable that Egyptian authorities are arresting and punishing activists for showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza while Israel is committing genocide against them. Egypt’s authorities should instead be facilitating the right to peaceful assembly and expression, starting by releasing anyone arbitrarily detained for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinians and investigating all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment.”
On 11 June, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement that foreign nationals must receive prior authorization to visit areas bordering Gaza through, among other means, submitting a request to Egyptian embassies. Organizers of the Gaza March told Amnesty International that they had submitted authorization requests to over 30 Egyptian embassies abroad, approximately two and a half months ahead of the march’s scheduled date. Embassy officials informed them that the requests had been forwarded to authorities in Cairo, but the organizers never received a response.
Egyptian security forces later shut down the march by arresting Egyptian and foreign activists upon their arrival at the airport, from hotels or at checkpoints on the way to Rafah, before deporting hundreds of non-Egyptians.
According to a lawyer at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), between 10 and 12 June 2025, security forces arrested three Egyptian nationals (two men and one woman) from their homes in Cairo and al-Sharkia governorates. The three were part of a Telegram group that supported the Gaza March.
Upon their arrest, they were reportedly held in incommunicado detention at undisclosed National Security Agency (NSA) facilities for periods ranging from nine to ten days. NSA agents then brought the three to the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) in Cairo on 21, 22, and 23 June.
SSSP prosecutors accused them of charges including “joining a terrorist group [the Muslim Brotherhood],” “publishing false news,” and “funding a terrorist group,” according to the ECRF lawyer. Prosecutors then ordered their pretrial detention for 15 days pending investigations.
During the SSSP questioning, one of the men said that NSA agents had subjected him to electric shocks on his hands and a sensitive part of his body, and beat him with kicks and slaps to the face. The other man told the prosecutor that NSA agents beat him and forced him to strip naked. These acts constitute ill-treatment and may amount to torture.
In June, SSSP prosecutors questioned four other Egyptian nationals (three men and one woman) and ordered their detention for 15 days in connection with the same charges pending the same case, according to ECRF’s lawyer.
Amnesty International spoke to five foreign nationals who had travelled to attend the Gaza March including Stefanie Crisostomo, a Croatian-Peruvian activist, and Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish national and the Gaza March spokesperson. They told Amnesty that Egyptian police subjected them to severe beatings and other acts of violence when they arrested them. They also said that they had been held in incommunicado detention in police stations, NSA facilities, and Cairo Airport.
Crisostomo told Amnesty International that on 14 June, plain-clothed NSA agents arrested her and her husband at a hotel in Cairo without providing any reason or allowing them to contact their embassies or anyone else after confiscating their phones. They were then transferred to an undisclosed security facility, where police detained her French husband for 30 hours, while transferring Stefanie to Cairo Airport. At the airport, she refused to be deported until the police released her husband. The police then handcuffed her and grabbed her arms tightly, causing bruising. Amnesty International reviewed photographs of her arms in which the bruises are clearly visible and is concerned that this may amount to ill-treatment.
One of the other foreign nationals, who chose not to disclose his nationality, said that on 13 June police arrested him, along with approximately 15 others, at a checkpoint in Ismailia Governorate on their way to Rafah. During the arrest, police beat him with batons, striking him on his face and neck. He said that during the arrest, one of the police officers attempted to put their finger in his anus. Police took the group to an Ismailia police station and detained them until the following morning, before transferring him to Cairo Airport for deportation.
The two other men, both Norwegians, as well as Saif said that on 16 June, plain-clothed police arrested them at a coffee shop in Cairo without showing a warrant. The police then blindfolded them and drove them to an undisclosed security facility in an unmarked van. NSA officers questioned the two Norwegian men, while still blindfolded and handcuffed, about the number of participants in the Gaza March, their identities, and their accommodation. One of the men told Amnesty International that when he refused to answer, an NSA agent slapped him twice on the face and kneed him in the chest. According to the man, the blow caused a minor rib fracture.
The second man said that when he refused to answer certain questions an NSA agent slapped him on the face and kicked him in the chest.
Saif Abukeshek said that police deliberately slammed his body into walls and doors while moving him between different rooms at the facility, blindfolded and handcuffed with his hands behind his back. “I could clearly hear them laughing at me crashing into the walls,” he said.
The three were later transferred to Cairo Airport to be deported after spending between two to 25 hours at the facility. None of the four men were allowed at any point to contact their embassy or anyone else to inform them about their arrest, until their deportation.
Between October 2023 and June 2024, Amnesty International and Egyptian human rights groups have documented the arrests of over 123 people who had expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza by peacefully protesting, posting comments online, hanging signs or writing slogans on walls. At least scores remain in pre-trial detention facing investigation over bogus charges of involvement in terrorism, spreading false news or illegal assembly.
Source: Amnesty International –
Egyptian authorities must unconditionally and immediately release anyone detained solely for expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide, including at least seven Egyptian nationals detained for expressing support for the Gaza March, Amnesty International said today. The organization is also calling on the authorities to investigate allegations of torture and other ill-treatment related to the arrests and deportations of international activists in connection with the planned solidarity march.
Hundreds of international activists travelled to Egypt in June to take part in a global march to the city of Rafah in a bid to break Israel’s illegal blockade on the occupied Gaza Strip, but Egyptian authorities responded by arresting scores of Egyptian and foreign nationals and deporting non-Egyptians.
Amnesty International documented the arbitrary detention, incommunicado detention, and ill-treatment of three Egyptians and five foreign nationals in connection with the Gaza March between 10 and 16 June. Amnesty International obtained a testimony that at least one Egyptian national was subjected to torture during their detention. The organization is calling for all those still being held solely for expressing solidarity with Palestinians to be unconditionally and immediately released, including those detained for expressing solidarity with Palestinians since October 2023.
It is unthinkable that Egyptian authorities are arresting and punishing activists for showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza while Israel is committing genocide against them.
Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International.
“The world has seen a glimpse of the brutality that Egyptian authorities continue to inflict on dissidents. The arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment that these activists have been subjected to represents just a fraction of the ongoing repression faced by virtually anyone who expresses views not condoned by the government,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Egypt and Libya Researcher at Amnesty International.
“It is unthinkable that Egyptian authorities are arresting and punishing activists for showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza while Israel is committing genocide against them. Egypt’s authorities should instead be facilitating the right to peaceful assembly and expression, starting by releasing anyone arbitrarily detained for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinians and investigating all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment.”
On 11 June, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement that foreign nationals must receive prior authorization to visit areas bordering Gaza through, among other means, submitting a request to Egyptian embassies. Organizers of the Gaza March told Amnesty International that they had submitted authorization requests to over 30 Egyptian embassies abroad, approximately two and a half months ahead of the march’s scheduled date. Embassy officials informed them that the requests had been forwarded to authorities in Cairo, but the organizers never received a response.
Egyptian security forces later shut down the march by arresting Egyptian and foreign activists upon their arrival at the airport, from hotels or at checkpoints on the way to Rafah, before deporting hundreds of non-Egyptians.
According to a lawyer at the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), between 10 and 12 June 2025, security forces arrested three Egyptian nationals (two men and one woman) from their homes in Cairo and al-Sharkia governorates. The three were part of a Telegram group that supported the Gaza March.
Upon their arrest, they were reportedly held in incommunicado detention at undisclosed National Security Agency (NSA) facilities for periods ranging from nine to ten days. NSA agents then brought the three to the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) in Cairo on 21, 22, and 23 June.
SSSP prosecutors accused them of charges including “joining a terrorist group [the Muslim Brotherhood],” “publishing false news,” and “funding a terrorist group,” according to the ECRF lawyer. Prosecutors then ordered their pretrial detention for 15 days pending investigations.
During the SSSP questioning, one of the men said that NSA agents had subjected him to electric shocks on his hands and a sensitive part of his body, and beat him with kicks and slaps to the face. The other man told the prosecutor that NSA agents beat him and forced him to strip naked. These acts constitute ill-treatment and may amount to torture.
In June, SSSP prosecutors questioned four other Egyptian nationals (three men and one woman) and ordered their detention for 15 days in connection with the same charges pending the same case, according to ECRF’s lawyer.
Amnesty International spoke to five foreign nationals who had travelled to attend the Gaza March including Stefanie Crisostomo, a Croatian-Peruvian activist, and Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish national and the Gaza March spokesperson. They told Amnesty that Egyptian police subjected them to severe beatings and other acts of violence when they arrested them. They also said that they had been held in incommunicado detention in police stations, NSA facilities, and Cairo Airport.
Crisostomo told Amnesty International that on 14 June, plain-clothed NSA agents arrested her and her husband at a hotel in Cairo without providing any reason or allowing them to contact their embassies or anyone else after confiscating their phones. They were then transferred to an undisclosed security facility, where police detained her French husband for 30 hours, while transferring Stefanie to Cairo Airport. At the airport, she refused to be deported until the police released her husband. The police then handcuffed her and grabbed her arms tightly, causing bruising. Amnesty International reviewed photographs of her arms in which the bruises are clearly visible and is concerned that this may amount to ill-treatment.
One of the other foreign nationals, who chose not to disclose his nationality, said that on 13 June police arrested him, along with approximately 15 others, at a checkpoint in Ismailia Governorate on their way to Rafah. During the arrest, police beat him with batons, striking him on his face and neck. He said that during the arrest, one of the police officers attempted to put their finger in his anus. Police took the group to an Ismailia police station and detained them until the following morning, before transferring him to Cairo Airport for deportation.
The two other men, both Norwegians, as well as Saif said that on 16 June, plain-clothed police arrested them at a coffee shop in Cairo without showing a warrant. The police then blindfolded them and drove them to an undisclosed security facility in an unmarked van. NSA officers questioned the two Norwegian men, while still blindfolded and handcuffed, about the number of participants in the Gaza March, their identities, and their accommodation. One of the men told Amnesty International that when he refused to answer, an NSA agent slapped him twice on the face and kneed him in the chest. According to the man, the blow caused a minor rib fracture.
The second man said that when he refused to answer certain questions an NSA agent slapped him on the face and kicked him in the chest.
Saif Abukeshek said that police deliberately slammed his body into walls and doors while moving him between different rooms at the facility, blindfolded and handcuffed with his hands behind his back. “I could clearly hear them laughing at me crashing into the walls,” he said.
The three were later transferred to Cairo Airport to be deported after spending between two to 25 hours at the facility. None of the four men were allowed at any point to contact their embassy or anyone else to inform them about their arrest, until their deportation.
Between October 2023 and June 2024, Amnesty International and Egyptian human rights groups have documented the arrests of over 123 people who had expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza by peacefully protesting, posting comments online, hanging signs or writing slogans on walls. At least scores remain in pre-trial detention facing investigation over bogus charges of involvement in terrorism, spreading false news or illegal assembly.
Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Human Rights Council today concluded its fifty-ninth regular session after adopting 25 resolutions and one decision. In these texts, among other things, the Council voted to extend six country-specific and thematic mandates.
The Council extended one country mandate during the session, that of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, whose mandate was extended for one year.
The Council decided to extend, for a period of three years, the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.
In a decision on the Implementation of activities mandated by the Human Rights Council in the context of the United Nations liquidity and financial crisis, the Council expressed its concern about the letter from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed to the President of the Human Rights Council, which indicated that certain activities mandated by the Council had been assessed by the Office of the High Commissioner as not deliverable in 2025 or 2026, owing to the liquidity and financial crisis affecting the United Nations.
Further resolutions adopted concerned the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, the enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights, the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, access to medicines, vaccines and other health products in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, human rights and international solidarity, the right to education, civil society space, new and emerging digital technologies and human rights, the impact of arms transfers on human rights, the safety of journalists, the elimination of female genital mutilation, empowering women and girls in and through sport, the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights, accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, human rights and climate change, cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights, enhancing international cooperation, technical assistance, and capacity-building to strengthen national frameworks for the protection and empowerment of children in the digital space, and enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights in Colombia to implement the recommendations of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition.
The Council appointed Hee-Seok Shin (Republic of Korea) as a member of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and Juana María Ibáñez Rivas (Peru) to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, as the member from Latin American and Caribbean States.
The Council also adopted, ad referendum, the draft report of the fifth-ninth session.
Paul Empole Efambe, Rapporteur and Vice President of the Human Rights Council, presenting the session report, said during the fifty-ninth session, the Council had held 32 interactive dialogues; adopted 25 resolutions and one decision; had reviewed and adopted the results of the Universal Periodic Review of 14 countries; and had appointed two Special Procedures mandate holders.
Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council, said the transparent sharing of figures ahead of the adoption of resolutions had allowed States to make well-informed decisions. Delegations in Geneva were therefore encouraged to follow up with counterparts in New York to ensure the Council’s decisions received the full budget for their implementation. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was also invited to continue to keep the Council updated on the status of its activities. The President and the Council were committed to finding solutions to the budget issues. In closing remarks, Mr. Lauber thanked all those who had made the session possible, including the members of the Bureau, the Secretariat, Conference Services and the Member States.
The sixtieth regular session of the Human Rights Council is scheduled to be held from 8 September to 3 October 2025.
Action on Resolutions
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item One on Organizational and Procedural Matters
In a decision (A/HRC/59/L.37) on the Implementation of activities mandated by the Human Rights Council in the context of the United Nations liquidity and financial crisis , adopted without a vote, the Council expresses its concern about the letter dated 16 June 2025 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed to the President of the Human Rights Council, indicating that certain activities mandated by the Council have currently been assessed by the Office of the High Commissioner as not deliverable in 2025 or 2026, owing to the liquidity and financial crisis affecting the United Nations; and invites the Office of the High Commissioner to provide, at the Organizational Meeting of the sixtieth session of the Council on 25 August 2025 and at the Organizational Session of the Council, on 8 December 2025, an updated and comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of implementing the above-mentioned activities, as well as any other activities mandated by the Council in the 2025-2026 period that might be affected by the liquidity and financial crisis.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item Two on the Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
A resolution (A/HRC/59/L.1/Rev.1) on the Discontinuation of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea , was rejected by a vote of 4 in favour, 25 against and 18 abstentions.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.7) on the Situation of human rights in Eritrea, adopted by a vote of 23 in favour, 4 against and 20 abstentions, the Council decides to extend the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea for a further period of one year; and requests the Special Rapporteur to submit and present a report to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-second session to be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in Eritrea with the participation of, inter alia, the Special Rapporteur, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, victims and survivors and other relevant stakeholders, and to the General Assembly at its eightieth session.
An oral amendment to L.7 presented on the floor was rejected by a vote of 1 in favour, 24 against, and 19 abstentions.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.21) on the Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar (as orally revised), adopted without a vote, the Council requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to present a report at its sixty-third session, to be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar; requests the High Commissioner to monitor and follow up on the implementation of the recommendations made by the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar, and to present an oral update to the Council at its sixty-fourth session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue, and a report at its sixty-sixth session, to be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and a report to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item Three on the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.4) on Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights , adopted by a vote of 30 in favour, 16 against and 1 abstention, the Council reiterates its request to the High Commissioner to organize a series of regional seminars, one for each of the five geographical regions, on the contribution of North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation to the enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to development, in order to allow States, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to augment their activities in identifying challenges and gaps and sharing good practices and experiences in this regard before the sixty-fifth session of the Council; requests the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the discussions held at the seminars and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-fifth session; and requests the High Commissioner to prepare a new report on the work of the Office of the High Commissioner in the implementation and enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights, proposing possible ways to face the challenges to the promotion and protection of human rights, including the right to development, and to submit the report to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-second session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.5) on The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association , adopted without a vote, the Council decides to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for a period of three years; and requests the Special Rapporteur to continue to report annually to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.2) on theMandate of Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 15 against and 3 abstentions, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for a period of three years to enable the mandate holder to continue to work in accordance with the mandate established by the Human Rights Council; and requests the Independent Expert to continue to report annually on the implementation of the mandate to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in accordance with their respective programmes of work.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.6) on The negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights , adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Council to prepare a comprehensive study that develops concrete guidelines on implementing the existing procedural and substantive human rights obligations of States in the context of preventing and combatting corruption, and to present it to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-fourth session; requests that the above-mentioned study be developed in close cooperation and coordination with the Office of the High Commissioner, with a view to building on its existing work, supporting technical assistance, capacity building efforts and providing a strong foundation for policy development, information sharing and awareness raising at national, regional and international levels; and requests OHCHR to share the study with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.8) on Access to medicines, vaccines and other health products in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health , adopted by a vote of 32 in favour, 0 against and 15 abstentions, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to continue its work, within its mandate, to provide technical assistance to States throughout the next three years on the human rights dimension of access to medicines and vaccines in the context of the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and to present an analytical study on protection gaps of vulnerable segments of the population to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-second session, with a view to presenting to the Council, at its sixty-eighth session, a comprehensive report, including on the measures necessary to bridge protection gaps to ensure the accessibility and availability of medicines, vaccines and other health products.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.9) on Human rights and international solidarity, adopted by a vote of 27 in favour, 16 against and 4 abstentions, the Council requests the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity to continue to participate in relevant international forums and major events with a view to promoting the importance of international solidarity in the realization of all human rights, including the right to development and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially those goals relating to economic, social and climate issues; and further requests the Independent Expert to hold two hybrid consultations between September and December 2025 and two in-person consultations between January and April 2026, in Geneva on the revised draft declaration on the right to international solidarity.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.11) on The right to education, adopted without a vote, the Council urges all States to give full effect to the right to education for all, including children, in all contexts, including in humanitarian emergencies and post-disaster phases, as well as in conflict situations and situations of occupation, by, inter alia, complying with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to education, and recognizing the right of every individual to be safe in education, understood as the right to be protected from any violation of their integrity, and to expand quality educational opportunities for all, by all appropriate means and without discrimination of any kind; recognizing the significant importance of investment in free, inclusive and equitable quality public education, at all levels; increasing and improving financing for education, including in humanitarian emergencies and conflict situations; ensuring that education policies and measures are consistent with human rights obligations, including those laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights instruments; and strengthening engagement with all relevant stakeholders.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.13) on Civil society space, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a thematic report in follow-up to the report containing practical recommendations for the creation and maintenance of a safe and enabling environment for civil society, based on good practices and lessons learned, submitted to the Council at its thirty-second session, and to review progress against the recommendations contained therein, identify new and emerging trends concerning civil society space, and provide an updated set of recommendations in the light of those trends, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-third session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.14) on New and emerging digital technologies and human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare an analytical study, building on its previous report mapping the existing work of the Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies, outlining and clarifying States’ obligations under international human rights law, as well as relevant norms and commitments, and the human rights responsibilities of business enterprises in line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, across the life cycle of new and emerging digital technologies, identifying developments, gaps and recommendations on application and implementation, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-second session; and further requests the Office of the High Commissioner to convene a multi-stakeholder intersessional meeting, ahead of the sixty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council, and to submit a summary report thereon to the Human Rights Council at its sixty-fourth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.15) on the Mandate of Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons , adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons for a period of three years, to work towards strengthening the international response to the complex problem of internal displacement; and requests the Special Rapporteur to continue to submit an annual report on the implementation of the mandate to the Council and to the General Assembly.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.16) on the Impact of arms transfers on human rights, adopted without a vote, the Council requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on the role of States and the private sector in preventing, addressing and mitigating the negative human rights impact of arms transfers, and to present the study to the Council at its sixty-sixth session; also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organise a full-day intersessional workshop to inform the preparation of the aforementioned study, to be held before the sixty-fourth session of the Council and open to the participation of relevant stakeholders.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.18/Rev.1) on the Mandate of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls , adopted without a vote, the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls for a period of three years, and requests the Working Group to mainstream, across all its work, age and disability perspectives in the fulfilment of its mandate, and to examine the specific forms of discrimination that girls face; requests the Working Group to continue to present an oral report annually to the Commission on the Status of Women and the General Assembly; and decides to continue its consideration of the issue of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls as a matter of high priority, in conformity with its programme of work, at its sixty-second session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.20) on The safety of journalists, adopted without a vote, the Council invites States and all other relevant stakeholders to follow up on the recommendations and outcomes from the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity; requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a comprehensive study to assess the effectiveness of national frameworks for the protection of journalists, identify lessons learned, and make recommendations on how they should be adapted to respond to new threats, and to present the outcomes of the study in a report to be presented to the Council at its sixty-fifth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.22) on the Elimination of female genital mutilation, adopted without a vote, the Council decides to convene a high-level panel discussion, fully accessible for persons with disabilities, during the high-level segment of its sixty-first session on the role of new and emerging digital technologies in preventing and eliminating female genital mutilation, inviting relevant stakeholders to share good practices and lessons learned for the continuous improvement of digital approaches to end female genital mutilation, and invites the President of the Council to propose that the above-mentioned panel discussion be the high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming to be held at the sixty-first session; and requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a summary report on the panel discussion, and to submit the report to the Council at its sixty-fourth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.23/Rev.1) on Empowering women and girls in and through sport, adopted without a vote, the Council encourages States and national, regional and international sport organizations and federations to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of women and girls and to promote their empowerment in and through sport; decides to convene at its sixty-second session a panel discussion on the intensification of efforts to empower women and girls in and through sport; and requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report on empowering women and girls in and through sport, based on the contributions of relevant stakeholders and taking into account the outcome of the above-mentioned panel discussion, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-fifth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.25/Rev.1) on Accelerating efforts to achieving women’s economic empowerment , adopted without a vote, the Council calls upon States to accelerate efforts to achieve women’s economic empowerment; requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a report on trade agreements, including their gender equality provisions, and their impact on women’s economic empowerment, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including women’s and children’s rights organizations, and to present the report to the Council at its sixty-fifth session.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.12) on The contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights , adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council calls upon all States to promote inclusive and sustainable development; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a comprehensive report on the impact of economic policy conditionalities by international financial institutions on human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, and to submit the report to the Council at its sixty-fourth session; and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner, when preparing the above-mentioned report, to seek input from experts from diverse geographic regions.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.24/Rev.1) on Accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls: prevention through the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural rights , adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequence, as set out by the Council in its resolution 50/7, for a period of three years; requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a summary report, in accessible formats, including easy-to-read and plain language formats, on the annual discussions held at the present and sixty-second sessions, to present each report to the Council at its sixty-second and sixty-fifth sessions, respectively, and to make the annual discussion on the human rights of women fully accessible to persons with disabilities; and decides to continue its consideration of the issue as a matter of high priority at its sixty-second session.
The following proposed amendments to L.24/Rev.1 were rejected: Amendment L.27, following a vote of 13 in favour, 27 against and 6 abstentions; Amendment L.28, following a vote of 13 in favour, 27 against and 5 abstentions, and Amendment L.29, following a vote of 13 in favour, 26 against and 7 abstentions.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.17) on Human rights and climate change, adopted without a vote (as orally revised), the Council decides that the annual panel discussion to be held at the sixty-second session shall be focused on facilitating actionable pathways for gaining momentum in climate financing in the context of addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on the full realisation of human rights for all people, and also decides that the panel discussion will have International Sign interpretation and captioning; requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit a summary report on the panel discussion held at the sixty-second session to the Council at its sixty-fourth session; and requests the Secretary-General to prepare a synthesis report on actionable pathways in mobilising sufficient climate financing and associated challenges and opportunities in the pursuit of the full realisation of human rights for all people, and to submit the report to the Council at its sixty-third session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item Five on Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.10) on The Social Forum, adopted without a vote, the Council decides that the Social Forum will meet for two working days in 2026, in Geneva, and should be focused on the contribution of international cooperation and solidarity to the realisation of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; requests the President of the Council to appoint, as early as possible, from candidates nominated by regional groups, the Chair-Rapporteur for the 2026 Social Forum, bearing in mind the principle of regional rotation; requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to facilitate the participation in the 2026 Social Forum of no fewer than 10 experts; and requests the 2026 Social Forum to submit a report containing its conclusions and recommendations to the Council at its sixty-fifth session.
Action on Resolutions Under Agenda Item 10 on Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.3) on Cooperation with and assistance to Ukraine in the field of human rights , adopted by a vote of 28 in favour, 2 against and 17 abstentions, the Council welcomes the oral presentations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the States members and non-members of the Human Rights Council and observers of the findings of the reports of the Office of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Ukraine, held in accordance with Council resolutions 29/23, 32/29, 35/31, 41/25, 47/22 and 53/30; and requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to present an oral update on the findings of each of the reports of the Office of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Ukraine to the Human Rights Council at each of its sessions, until its sixty-fifth session, and before the end of 2025 and 2026, each to be followed by an interactive dialogue.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.19/Rev.1) on Enhancing international cooperation, technical assistance, and capacity-building to strengthen national frameworks for the protection and empowerment of children in the digital space , adopted without a vote, the Council encourages States members and observers of the Council to use the general debate under agenda item 10 as a platform to share experiences, achievements and good practices in the area of international cooperation, technical assistance, and capacity-building for the protection of children in the digital space; and encourages the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide technical assistance, capacity-building and support to develop and implement national measures to protect children in digital settings, and requests the Office to mobilise resources, including private sector funding, to that end.
In a resolution (A/HRC/59/L.26) on Enhancement of technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights in Colombia to implement the recommendations of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition , adopted without a vote, the Council requests, for a renewable period of two years, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to enhance its technical assistance and capacity building for national and local authorities and other relevant actors, to assist Colombia in the implementation of the recommendations made by the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition; and requests the High Commissioner to provide an oral update to the Council at its sixty-second session, and to submit a report to the Council at its sixty-fifth session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue
Other Matters
The Council appointed Hee-Seok Shin (Republic of Korea) as a member of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The Council also appointed Juana María Ibáñez Rivas (Peru) to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, as the member from Latin American and Caribbean States.
The Council also adopted its draft report ad referendum for the fifty-ninth session.
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Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the information media; not an official record.
English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.
HRC.25.007E
Source: Government of Canada News
July 8, 2025
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, will participate in the fourth edition of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, on July 10 and 11.
The Conference will bring together governments, international organizations, financial institutions and other stakeholders with a shared commitment to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine for as long as needed. Through various sessions and panel discussions, the participants will discuss topics such as Ukraine reconstruction, economic growth, social recovery and EU accession.
The Minister will also take this opportunity to meet with several international partners to underscore Canada’s steadfast support for Ukraine, including fellow G7 Finance Ministers, Sergii Marchenko, Ukraine’s Finance Minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Italy’s Minister of Finance and Economy, and Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Following the Conference, the Minister will hold a media callback to discuss the outcome of the Conference. Media representatives who wish to participate are asked to pre-register by emailing mediare@fin.gc.ca. Details on how to participate will be provided upon registration.
Date: July 11, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Ukraine
Ukraine/Humanitarian
Secretary-General/Travels
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Yemen
Security Council
West Africa
Bangladesh
Hurricane Beryl
Sustainable Development
Financial Contribution
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s missile attacks by the Russian Federation hitting residential and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including in the cities of Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Pokrovsk. The strike reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including children, and injured over 150 more.
The incidents in which missiles hit the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv, the largest pediatrics facility in Ukraine, and at another medical facility in the capital’s Dniprovsky district, are particularly shocking.
Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.
The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of all the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the children’s hospital in the centre of Kyiv was severely damaged as children were receiving treatment.
OCHA says that rescue workers, hospital staff and volunteers are currently clearing the rubble and searching for people trapped under debris.
Our health partners are helping to move patients to other facilities, providing psychosocial support and assisting with other urgent needs. They are also in contact with the hospital to coordinate any additional support required.
Humanitarian workers are on-site at the hospital to provide water and psychosocial support, among other assistance.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General returned to NewYork, after his visit to Central Asia.
In Turkmenistan, his last stop before returning to New York, he met with Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan.
They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Turkmenistan, and regional developments in Central Asia. The Secretary-General thanked the President for providing the UN Country Team in Turkmenistan with a new building.
In a press encounter following the meeting, the Secretary-General said that Turkmenistan is playing a very important role in international relations and commended Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality.
He noted that Central Asia continues to face many obstacles to development – like water shortages, land degradation, natural hazards, and a lack of adequate connectivity.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=08%20July%202024
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Ukraine
Ukraine/Humanitarian
Secretary-General/Travels
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Yemen
Security Council
West Africa
Bangladesh
Hurricane Beryl
Sustainable Development
Financial Contribution
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s missile attacks by the Russian Federation hitting residential and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including in the cities of Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Pokrovsk. The strike reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including children, and injured over 150 more.
The incidents in which missiles hit the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv, the largest pediatrics facility in Ukraine, and at another medical facility in the capital’s Dniprovsky district, are particularly shocking.
Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.
The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of all the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the children’s hospital in the centre of Kyiv was severely damaged as children were receiving treatment.
OCHA says that rescue workers, hospital staff and volunteers are currently clearing the rubble and searching for people trapped under debris.
Our health partners are helping to move patients to other facilities, providing psychosocial support and assisting with other urgent needs. They are also in contact with the hospital to coordinate any additional support required.
Humanitarian workers are on-site at the hospital to provide water and psychosocial support, among other assistance.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General returned to NewYork, after his visit to Central Asia.
In Turkmenistan, his last stop before returning to New York, he met with Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan.
They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Turkmenistan, and regional developments in Central Asia. The Secretary-General thanked the President for providing the UN Country Team in Turkmenistan with a new building.
In a press encounter following the meeting, the Secretary-General said that Turkmenistan is playing a very important role in international relations and commended Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality.
He noted that Central Asia continues to face many obstacles to development – like water shortages, land degradation, natural hazards, and a lack of adequate connectivity.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=08%20July%202024
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Ukraine
Ukraine/Humanitarian
Secretary-General/Travels
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Yemen
Security Council
West Africa
Bangladesh
Hurricane Beryl
Sustainable Development
Financial Contribution
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s missile attacks by the Russian Federation hitting residential and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including in the cities of Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Pokrovsk. The strike reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including children, and injured over 150 more.
The incidents in which missiles hit the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv, the largest pediatrics facility in Ukraine, and at another medical facility in the capital’s Dniprovsky district, are particularly shocking.
Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.
The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of all the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the children’s hospital in the centre of Kyiv was severely damaged as children were receiving treatment.
OCHA says that rescue workers, hospital staff and volunteers are currently clearing the rubble and searching for people trapped under debris.
Our health partners are helping to move patients to other facilities, providing psychosocial support and assisting with other urgent needs. They are also in contact with the hospital to coordinate any additional support required.
Humanitarian workers are on-site at the hospital to provide water and psychosocial support, among other assistance.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General returned to NewYork, after his visit to Central Asia.
In Turkmenistan, his last stop before returning to New York, he met with Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan.
They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Turkmenistan, and regional developments in Central Asia. The Secretary-General thanked the President for providing the UN Country Team in Turkmenistan with a new building.
In a press encounter following the meeting, the Secretary-General said that Turkmenistan is playing a very important role in international relations and commended Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality.
He noted that Central Asia continues to face many obstacles to development – like water shortages, land degradation, natural hazards, and a lack of adequate connectivity.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=08%20July%202024
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Dodd, Professional Teaching Fellow, Business School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
For a long time, universities worked off a simple idea: knowledge was scarce. You paid for tuition, showed up to lectures, completed assignments and eventually earned a credential.
That process did two things: it gave you access to knowledge that was hard to find elsewhere, and it signalled to employers you had invested time and effort to master that knowledge.
The model worked because the supply curve for high-quality information sat far to the left, meaning knowledge was scarce and the price – tuition and wage premiums – stayed high.
Now the curve has shifted right, as the graph below illustrates. When supply moves right – that is, something becomes more accessible – the new intersection with demand sits lower on the price axis. This is why tuition premiums and graduate wage advantages are now under pressure.
According to global consultancy McKinsey, generative AI could add between US$2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion in annual global productivity. Why? Because AI drives the marginal cost of producing and organising information toward zero.
Large language models no longer just retrieve facts; they explain, translate, summarise and draft almost instantly. When supply explodes like that, basic economics says price falls. The “knowledge premium” universities have long sold is deflating as a result.
Markets react faster than curriculums. Since ChatGPT launched, entry-level job listings in the United Kingdom have fallen by about a third. In the United States, several states are removing degree requirements from public-sector roles.
In Maryland, for instance, the share of state-government job ads requiring a degree slid from roughly 68% to 53% between 2022 and 2024.
In economic terms, employers are repricing labour because AI is now a substitute for many routine, codifiable tasks that graduates once performed. If a chatbot can complete the work at near-zero marginal cost, the wage premium paid to a junior analyst shrinks.
But the value of knowledge is not falling at the same speed everywhere. Economists such as David Autor and Daron Acemoglu point out that technology substitutes for some tasks while complementing others:
codifiable knowledge – structured, rule-based material such as tax codes or contract templates – faces rapid substitution by AI
tacit knowledge – contextual skills such as leading a team through conflict – acts as a complement, so its value can even rise.
Data backs this up. Labour market analytics company Lightcast notes that one-third of the skills employers want have changed between 2021 and 2024. The American Enterprise Institute warns that mid-level knowledge workers, whose jobs depend on repeatable expertise, are most at risk of wage pressure.
So yes, baseline knowledge still matters. You need it to prompt AI, judge its output and make good decisions. But the equilibrium wage premium – meaning the extra pay employers offer once supply and demand for that knowledge settle – is sliding down the demand curve fast.
Herbert Simon, the Nobel Prize–winning economist and cognitive scientist, put it neatly decades ago: “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” When facts become cheap and plentiful, our limited capacity to filter, judge and apply them turns into the real bottleneck.
That is why scarce resources shift from information itself to what machines still struggle to copy: focused attention, sound judgement, strong ethics, creativity and collaboration.
I group these human complements under what I call the C.R.E.A.T.E.R. framework:
critical thinking – asking smart questions and spotting weak arguments
resilience and adaptability – staying steady when everything changes
emotional intelligence – understanding people and leading with empathy
accountability and ethics – taking responsibility for difficult calls
teamwork and collaboration – working well with people who think differently
entrepreneurial creativity – seeing gaps and building new solutions
reflection and lifelong learning – staying curious and ready to grow.
These capabilities are the genuine scarcity in today’s market. They are complements to AI, not substitutes, which is why their wage returns hold or climb.
1. Audit courses: if ChatGPT can already score highly on an exam, the marginal value of teaching that content is near zero. Pivot the assessment toward judgement and synthesis.
2. Reinvest in the learning experience: push resources into coached projects, messy real-world simulations, and ethical decision labs where AI is a tool, not the performer.
3. Credential what matters: create micro-credentials for skills such as collaboration, initiative and ethical reasoning. These signal AI complements, not substitutes, and employers notice.
4. Work with industry but keep it collaborative: invite employers to co-design assessments, not dictate them. A good partnership works like a design studio rather than a boardroom order sheet. Academics bring teaching expertise and rigour, employers supply real-world use cases, and students help test and refine the ideas.
Universities can no longer rely on scarcity setting the price for the curated and credentialed form of information that used to be hard to obtain.
The comparative advantage now lies in cultivating human skills that act as complements to AI. If universities do not adapt, the market – students and employers alike – will move on without them.
The opportunity is clear. Shift the product from content delivery to judgement formation. Teach students how to think with, not against, intelligent machines. Because the old model, the one that priced knowledge as a scarce good, is already slipping below its economic break-even point.
Patrick Dodd does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-driving-down-the-price-of-knowledge-universities-have-to-rethink-what-they-offer-260493
Source: Scotland – Highland Council
Road users are advised that temporary traffic restrictions will come into operation on Saturday 12 July 2025 between 10:00 and 23:30 for the Inverness Highland Games 2025 event, in the interests of public safety.
The following roads will be temporarily closed:
Temporary manoeuvre restrictions will be in place from:
The following roads will have temporary waiting restrictions:
8 Jul 2025
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Brazil’s highest civilian honour by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday.
Lula awarded ‘The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross’ to PM Modi in Brasilia. The award is the 26th global honour for the PM and the third on his current five-nation visit, which commenced on July 2.
Earlier, the Prime Minister became the first foreign leader to be conferred with ‘The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago’, the highest civilian award of the Caribbean nation, during his two-day visit to Port of Spain.
Last Wednesday, the PM was conferred ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, the country’s national honour, in recognition of his “distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership” by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in Accra
-ANI
Source: US State of North Dakota
China’s Ministry of State Security Directed the Theft of COVID-19 Research and the Exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilities, Known Publicly as the Indiscriminate ‘HAFNIUM’ Intrusion Campaign
The Justice Department announced today that Xu Zewei (徐泽伟), 33, of the People’s Republic of China was arrested on July 3 in Italy at the request of the United States. Xu and his co-defendant, PRC national Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, are charged in a nine-count indictment, unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas, for their involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the indiscriminate HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States. Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, and will face extradition proceedings.
According to court documents, officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) directed Xu to conduct this hacking. The MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC’s domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence, and aspects of the PRC’s political and domestic security. When conducting the computer intrusions, Xu worked for a company named Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd. (Powerock). Powerock was one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government.
“This arrest underscores the United States’ patient and tireless commitment to pursuing hackers who seek to steal information belonging to U.S. companies and universities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “The Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions.”
“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” said Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”
“In February 2020, as the world entered a pandemic, Xu Zewei and other cyber actors working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeted American universities to steal groundbreaking COVID-19 research. The following year, these same actors, operating as a group publicly known as HAFNIUM, exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in U.S. systems to steal additional research,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information. This arrest, carried out with our Italian law enforcement partners, demonstrates the FBI’s relentless commitment to holding CCP-sponsored hackers accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment, and testing. Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in the Southern District of Texas. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the university. Xu later confirmed for the SSSB officer that he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.
Beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely-used Microsoft product for sending, receiving, and storing email messages. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.” In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. Throughout March 2021, Microsoft and other industry partners released detection tools, patches, and other information to assist victim entities in identifying and mitigating this cyber incident. Additionally, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a Joint Advisory on Compromise of Microsoft Exchange Server on March 10, 2021. However, by the end of March 2021, hundreds of web shells remained on certain U.S.-based computers running Microsoft Exchange Server software. In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States made vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS.
Among the victims of Xu’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were another university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. These web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions, under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the other university’s network. Later, on or about Feb. 28, 2021, Xu updated a SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer. Unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms included “Chinese sources,” “MSS,” and “HongKong.”
The announcement of charges against Xu is the latest describing the PRC’s use of an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement. Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach results in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third parties.
Xu is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count; conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud, and to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Zhang Yu, remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The FBI’s Houston Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McIntyre and John Marck for the Southern District of Texas and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is handling the extradition.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation
8th July 2025
The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, welcomes the publication today of Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2025, by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council.
Minister Burke said:
“I welcome the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council’s analysis and recommendations, as set out in Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2025. I also welcome the various positive findings by the Council about Ireland’s competitiveness performance – including an overall ranking of 7th in the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings – and concur with the Council’s assessment that we must not take our strong position for granted, given the highly competitive and uncertain global context in which we find ourselves. It is important for Ireland to retain its core strengths while addressing weaknesses.”
This year’s Challenge report sets out a range of key issues facing Ireland’s economy over the medium to long-term with a clear emphasis on addressing those matters within our own control. The report’s high-level actions focus on exercising restraint in fiscal policy, addressing the cost of doing business, taking immediate action on infrastructural deficits, preparing the workforce for the future, and investing in digitalisation to improve productivity.
The Minister added:
“This work by the Council is highly valuable to Government. This year’s Challenge report has been an important input into the development of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity which was discussed at the second annual Competitiveness Summit this week. The Government will take the recommendations from the Council into consideration and will issue a formal reply in due course.”
Ireland’s Competitive Challenge 2025 draws on the best available domestic and international research, and the most recent data available at the time of publication. This report makes 19 targeted and actionable recommendations to Government on the best ways to improve the competitiveness and productivity of the economy. Along with immediate issues facing the Irish economy, five medium- to long-term challenge areas are explored in detail in separate chapters of the report.
This year, the Council has brought forward the publication of the Challenge report, with a view to making the report an important input to the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) was established in 1997 (then the National Competitiveness Council) to report to the Taoiseach, through the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, on key competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy. In 2019, the NCPC was designated as Ireland’s National Productivity Board.
As part of its work, the NCPC makes recommendations on policy actions required to enhance Ireland’s competitive position. The NCPC publishes three main research outputs:
The members of the Council are:
|
Dr. Frances Ruane |
Chair – National Competitiveness and Productivity Council |
|
Dr. Laura Bambrick |
Head of Social Policy & Employment Affairs, ICTU |
|
Edel Clancy |
Group Director of Corporate Affairs, Musgrave Group |
|
Kevin Sherry |
Interim Chief Executive, Enterprise Ireland |
|
Ciaran Conlon |
Director of Public Policy, Microsoft Ireland |
|
Luiz de Mello |
Director of Country Studies, Economics Department, OECD |
|
Maeve Dineen |
Chair of Ireland’s Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman |
|
Brian McHugh |
Chairperson, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission |
|
Gary Tobin |
Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
|
Michael Lohan |
Chief Executive, IDA Ireland |
|
Liam Madden |
Independent Consultant, Semiconductor Industry |
|
Neil McDonnell |
Chief Executive, ISME |
|
Bernadette McGahon |
Director of Innovation Services, Industry Research & Development Group |
|
Danny McCoy |
Chief Executive, IBEC |
|
Michael Taft |
Research Officer, SIPTU |
ENDS
Source: United States Attorneys General 2
China’s Ministry of State Security Directed the Theft of COVID-19 Research and the Exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilities, Known Publicly as the Indiscriminate ‘HAFNIUM’ Intrusion Campaign
The Justice Department announced today that Xu Zewei (徐泽伟), 33, of the People’s Republic of China was arrested on July 3 in Italy at the request of the United States. Xu and his co-defendant, PRC national Zhang Yu (张宇), 44, are charged in a nine-count indictment, unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas, for their involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the indiscriminate HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States. Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, and will face extradition proceedings.
According to court documents, officers of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security’s (MSS) Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) directed Xu to conduct this hacking. The MSS and SSSB are PRC intelligence services responsible for PRC’s domestic counterintelligence, non-military foreign intelligence, and aspects of the PRC’s political and domestic security. When conducting the computer intrusions, Xu worked for a company named Shanghai Powerock Network Co. Ltd. (Powerock). Powerock was one of many “enabling” companies in the PRC that conducted hacking for the PRC government.
“This arrest underscores the United States’ patient and tireless commitment to pursuing hackers who seek to steal information belonging to U.S. companies and universities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division. “The Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions.”
“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” said Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”
“In February 2020, as the world entered a pandemic, Xu Zewei and other cyber actors working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeted American universities to steal groundbreaking COVID-19 research. The following year, these same actors, operating as a group publicly known as HAFNIUM, exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in U.S. systems to steal additional research,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information. This arrest, carried out with our Italian law enforcement partners, demonstrates the FBI’s relentless commitment to holding CCP-sponsored hackers accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators hacked and otherwise targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment, and testing. Xu and others reported their activities to officers in the SSSB who were supervising and directing the hacking activities. For example, on or about Feb. 19, 2020, Xu provided an SSSB officer with confirmation that he had compromised the network of a research university located in the Southern District of Texas. On or about Feb. 22, 2020, the SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the university. Xu later confirmed for the SSSB officer that he acquired the contents of the researchers’ mailboxes.
Beginning in late 2020, Xu and his co-conspirators exploited certain vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely-used Microsoft product for sending, receiving, and storing email messages. Their exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server was at the forefront of a massive campaign targeting thousands of computers worldwide and known publicly as “HAFNIUM.” In March 2021, Microsoft publicly disclosed the intrusion campaign by state-sponsored hackers operating out of China. Throughout March 2021, Microsoft and other industry partners released detection tools, patches, and other information to assist victim entities in identifying and mitigating this cyber incident. Additionally, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a Joint Advisory on Compromise of Microsoft Exchange Server on March 10, 2021. However, by the end of March 2021, hundreds of web shells remained on certain U.S.-based computers running Microsoft Exchange Server software. In April 2021, the Justice Department announced a court-authorized operation to remediate hundreds of computers in the United States made vulnerable by HAFNIUM actors. In July 2021, the United States and foreign partners attributed the HAFNIUM campaign to the PRC’s MSS.
Among the victims of Xu’s exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Server were another university located in the Southern District of Texas and a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C. After exploiting computers running Microsoft Exchange Server, Xu and his co-conspirators installed web shells on them to enable their remote administration. These web shells were specific to HAFNIUM actors at the time. As with the earlier COVID-19 research intrusions, Xu and Zhang worked together on the HAFNIUM intrusions, under the supervision and direction of SSSB officers. For example, on or about Jan. 30, 2021, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the other university’s network. Later, on or about Feb. 28, 2021, Xu updated a SSSB officer on his successful intrusions. This SSSB officer then directed Xu to obtain a list of other, successful intrusions from a second SSSB officer. Unauthorized access to the law firm’s network allowed Xu and his co-conspirators to steal information from mailboxes and search them for information regarding specific U.S. policy makers and government agencies. Their search terms included “Chinese sources,” “MSS,” and “HongKong.”
The announcement of charges against Xu is the latest describing the PRC’s use of an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China to hack and steal information in a manner that obscured the PRC government’s involvement. Operating from their safe haven and motivated by profit, this network of private companies and contractors in China cast a wide net to identify vulnerable computers, exploit those computers, and then identify information that it could sell directly or indirectly to the PRC government. This largely indiscriminate approach results in more victims in the United States and elsewhere, more systems worldwide left vulnerable to future exploitation by third parties, and more stolen information, often of no interest to the PRC government and, therefore, sold to other third parties.
Xu is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count; conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud, and to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Zhang Yu, remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The FBI’s Houston Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McIntyre and John Marck for the Southern District of Texas and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is handling the extradition.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Government of Qatar
Doha, July 08, 2025
HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call on Tuesday from HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Caspar Veldkamp.
The call discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them. It also discussed the developments in the region, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to a number of topics of common interest.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the State of Qatar’s continued efforts with regional and international partners to de-escalate tensions and promote stability and peace in the region.
Source: United Nations 2
“I have survived a genocide,” said Munira Subašić, whose youngest son – her favourite – and 21 other family members were murdered in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
“And the world and Europe was just watching in silence.”
Now president of the Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa, Ms. Subašić spoke at a special commemoration, urging global leaders not to forget the past and to deliver justice for the victims and survivors.
“When you kill a mother’s child, you have killed a part of her,” Ms. Subašic said.
The 1995 genocide, perpetrated by the Bosnian Serb army, led to the killing of at least 8,372 men and boys, the displacement of thousands and destruction of entire communities in Srebrenica – which had been designed a “safe area” by the UN Security Council.
A small and lightly armed unit of Dutch peacekeepers under the UN flag were unable to resist the large Bosnian Serb force, which overran the town of Srebrenica.
The massacre has been formally recognized as genocide by both the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Last year, the General Assembly designated 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration for the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
An exhibition marking the 30-year anniversary of the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica is held at UN headquarters in New York.
Speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray paid tribute to those who lost their lives and to the courage of their families.
“Today we remember and honour the victims. We pay tribute to the strength, dignity and resilience of the survivors,” he said.
Mr. Guterres, in his message, said the international community must continue to stand against hatred, division, and denial.
“Only by recognizing the suffering of all victims can we build mutual understanding, trust, and lasting peace,” he said. “We must ensure the voices of Srebrenica survivors continue to be heard – countering denial, distortion and revisionism.”
UN officials expressed concern over ongoing efforts to deny the genocide and glorify those convicted of war crimes. They warned that such narratives can fuel division and hinder reconciliation.
“Education remains our strongest defence against the erosion of memory,” said Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly. “We must not only remember history, but learn from it so that tragedies like Srebrenica are never repeated.”
Learning from the past is especially important today – the Secretary-General noted that the same “dangerous currents” which led to the genocide in Srebrenica are present again in the world today.
“After Srebrenica, the world said – once again – ‘Never Again.’ Yet, hate speech is on the rise again, fuelling discrimination, extremism and violence,” Mr. Guterres said.
Mirela Osmanović, a young professional at the Srebrenica Memorial Center, was born after the genocide but lives with its impact. Two of her brothers were killed. Some of their remains were found, but parts of their bodies are still missing. Their absence, she said, weighs on her family daily.
“My parents forbade themselves any joy while their sons, my brothers, lay somewhere in the ground, incomplete, scattered across mass graves – as if every smile would be betrayal, as if happiness might mean forgetting.”
The pain of this loss is always with her family even as the world promised that Srebrenica would never happen again.
“We were given words, resolutions, statements, solemn promises of ‘never again,’” she said. “And yet, 30 years later, we are still asking what does ‘never again’ mean?”
Ms. Osmanović speaks frequently with young people around the world who ask what happens when violence ends.
“What happens when the headlines fade, when the graves are found and facts are clear? Does justice follow?”
Her answer is that justice does not follow often enough.
“Justice if it comes too late or only on paper cannot restore trust. And peace without dignity is not peace at all.”
In 2015, UN News spoke to Adama Dieng, the Secretary-General’s special advisor on the prevention of genocide, about the importance of remembering the Srebrenica genocide.