Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
The TUV has prompted a formal equality investigation into Belfast City Council’s decision to install a “Pride” window in City Hall, following a detailed complaint lodged by party secretary and equality spokesperson Ann McClure.
The complaint, submitted on 24 June 2025 under Schedule 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, highlights serious breaches of the Council’s own Equality Scheme. Chief among the concerns is the inclusion in the window of a slogan that reads: “Save Sodomy from Ulster.”
Ann McClure said:
“Many people – including but by no means limited to those who value Christian teaching – were appalled to see the slogan ‘Save Sodomy from Ulster’ glorified in a public building funded by ratepayers. This is not a neutral or inclusive message – it’s a provocation, and it makes a mockery of the idea that City Hall belongs to everyone in Belfast. Such vulgar language should have no place in our chief civil building in Belfast. It wouldn’t happen in relation to any other movement and frankly no section of society should be granted an exemption from public decency.
“Such debasing of public discourse is something which needs to be resisted.
“The Council had a legal duty to consider how this decision would affect people of faith and those with sincerely held beliefs about marriage and sexuality. That process never happened. No screening, no consultation, no effort to understand how this would impact the people of faith. Once TUV established this via a Freedom of Information request, I felt compelled to take action.
“I welcome the fact that following my complaint the Council has confirmed that it will now carry out an internal investigation. Under the Equality Scheme, a substantive response is due within 30 working days.
“My complaint identifies four key failures:
• No Equality Screening: The Council relied on a 2012 EQIA unrelated to this specific window and admitted under FOI that no fresh screening was conducted.
• No Consultation with Religious Communities: Despite the Equality Scheme requiring engagement with affected groups, including those of religious belief, there is no evidence that churches or faith organisations were consulted.
• No Committee Report Addressing Equality Implications: It remains unclear whether any report was brought to committee with the required equality and good relations section.
• No Publication of Screening Outcomes: The absence of any published screening outcome breaches the Council’s duty under Section 4.20.
“I am now calling on Belfast City Council to:
1. Immediately cover or remove the offensive portion of the window pending the investigation;
2. Undertake retrospective equality screening and proper consultation;
3. Apologise to faith communities who were ignored and disrespected by the process;
4. Reassert that shared civic buildings must reflect the diversity of all citizens, not just those with one ideological viewpoint.
“This complaint is about ensuring that expression doesn’t come at the expense of others – especially in a shared public space and funded with public money.
“I will continue to monitor this process closely and am prepared to escalate the matter to the Equality Commission if the Council fails to uphold its obligations under its Equality Scheme.”
Source: State University “Higher School of Economics” –
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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — China’s foreign exchange reserves stood at 3.3174 trillion U.S. dollars as of the end of June 2025, up 32.2 billion U.S. dollars or 0.98 percent from the end of May, data released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) showed Monday.
In June, the US dollar index fell, while global prices for financial assets generally rose, influenced by factors such as macroeconomic policies in leading economies and the prospects for global economic growth, the State Financial Committee reported.
The department said the increase in China’s foreign exchange reserves in June was due to fluctuations in exchange rates and changes in asset prices.
China’s economy continues to grow steadily, showing strong growth momentum, which will contribute to the overall stability of the country’s foreign exchange reserves, the department said. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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
HEFEI, July 7 (Xinhua) — The International Deep Space Exploration Association (IDSEA) officially launched work on Monday in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province.
This step marks an important stage in global cooperation for the development of space technologies and the building of a community of shared destiny for humanity in outer space.
The new association was jointly established by the Hefei Deep Space Research Laboratory, the Lunar and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Chinese Society of Astronautics, the China Society of Space Exploration and the French Horizon 2061 project. The establishment of IDSEA was also supported by 20 academicians from China and 31 foreign scientists.
Chief designer of China’s lunar program and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Wu Weiren was elected as the first chairman of the association.
He stressed that the establishment of this association is of great significance to China’s international exchanges and cooperation in the space field, and is an important symbol of joint innovation of the global space community. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the European Union in climate change mitigation, adaptation and green transformation to jointly make positive contributions to global climate governance.
This was stated on Monday by the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, at a regular press briefing, commenting at the request of the media on European proposals to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of energy transformation and green development, which were voiced during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Europe.
Mao Ning noted China’s commitment to regulating its energy structure and ensuring green development in the country, while at the same time closely cooperating with international partners in global climate governance.
“China and the EU actively support low-carbon transformation and green development,” she said. “Both sides firmly adhere to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as the cornerstone of the international climate governance system, and the range of common interests and potential for cooperation between the two sides in combating climate change is broad and enormous.”
China is a firm supporter of green development and has made significant contributions to its promotion, the diplomat stressed, adding that China is willing to work with the EU to uphold multilateralism and the goals of the Paris Agreement, strengthen cooperation in climate change mitigation, adaptation and green transformation, and jointly promote global climate governance. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HAIKOU, July 7 (Xinhua) — A preliminary familiarization tour of the “Qianguqing Carnival” was held recently at the major Qianguqing (Millennium Romance) theme park in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, during which Russian tourists were offered various interactive activities.
According to the park’s representative, Huang Jia, Russian tourists were taught Chinese idioms, introduced to China’s intangible cultural heritage, and involved in traditional folk dances. This initiative helped to effectively overcome language and cultural barriers, allowing Russian guests to visually and deeply become acquainted with the charm of traditional Chinese culture and the distinctive color of Hainan Province.
According to the data, following the results of the first 5 months of this year, Russian tourists were consistently leading in number among foreign guests of Sanya, demonstrating a trend towards a younger contingent. Moreover, almost 80% of travelers from Russia stayed in the city for more than four days. At the same time, Russians traditionally make up the main category of foreign visitors to the Qianguqing theme park, the number of visits to which has been rapidly growing in recent years.
According to Huang Jia, in order to deepen international cultural exchanges, expand overseas markets and improve service quality, the park has installed signs in Russian, trained guides fluent in Chinese and Russian, and invited Russian artists to participate in performances. -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.
Some six decades ago, when Scott Wallace’s parents gifted him a Polaroid Swinger camera and leather-bound diary as a child, the seeds of journalism were planted.
No one knew back then that Wallace, now an associate professor in the UConn journalism department, would go on to become an award-winning writer, television producer, and photojournalist who’s reported from places including the front lines of war-torn Central America, jungles of South America, and post-Soviet Russia.
Similarly, no one could have foreseen the foreign policy decisions made by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, from around the same time Wallace opened that gift of a camera and journal, would have an influence on some of today’s most divisive issues.
That’s the thread woven through Wallace’s new historical memoir, “Central America in the Crosshairs of War: On the Road from Vietnam to Iraq,” which has won Gold in the Foreward INDIES Awards in the category of political and social sciences, along with a Gold IPPY from the Independent Book Publishers Association as best history book (oversized/coffee table).
He maintains the U.S. government’s decisions, denials, and deceit during Vietnam inevitably led to disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan many decades later, coming through the conflicts, civil wars, and revolutions in Central America in the 1980s.
“Our country would be less polarized,” he says of what would have happened if the U.S. behaved differently in places like El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala during those years.
“We would be dealing with a diminished immigration crisis if we had encouraged democracy in Central America and redirected the resources that we gave them for training armies and waging war,” he says. “If we instead used those same resources to build up their economies, there would have been far fewer reasons for them to leave. They’d still be there. We seriously contributed to the tearing apart of the social fabric there, and I think a lot of the people who’ve come here in the last 40 years never would have left their homes.”
Wallace sat with UConn Today recently to talk about how he got started as a journalist, his unique perspective as a firsthand witness to war, and his advice to others who want to report from the front lines.
Why have you decided to share your story now?
I was in the middle of a project in Brazil involving the struggles of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and their efforts to defend their territories and the rainforest from predatory logging and other forms of what passes for development down there. Then, the pandemic hit, and I realized I had to move in another direction if I was to work on a monograph during that time. Even after the pandemic passed, it was near-impossible to gain entry to Indigenous communities. Even into 2021 and 2022, it was still too difficult to get into the territories where I’d been conducting my research. Part of the reason I chose the Central America project was to pivot away from Brazil, at least until it was possible to return to those sensitive Indigenous territories. Secondly, there was a lot I’d been wanting to say for a long time about my experiences as a young journalist in Central America and the abiding relevance of so many issues that have come to the fore today, including immigration and the crisis at the border. Very few people understand how much the issue of immigration from Central America has been driven by our policies from 40 years ago, when we were actively involved in supporting and fueling the military conflicts that were going on down there. It drove a lot of the immigration into the U.S. and made the conditions in those countries so difficult that people left en masse. It’s a story of unintended consequences. The third impetus for the project was the very rich trove of images I’d taken while covering those conflicts, most of which had not previously been published, along with detailed notes and compelling stories that have withstood the test of time. Those experiences formed the foundation of my career and what I’ve ended up doing as a journalist over the last 40 years.
What’s one of your ‘I-can’t-believe-I did-that’ experiences from the front lines?
We managed to get ourselves into this rural area of El Salvador in the rebel stronghold of Chalatenango Department, where there had been allegations of a massacre perpetrated by the army that the United States was arming and supporting. We managed to bluff our way past a series of roadblocks, got into rebel-controlled territory, and then got permission from the guerrillas to undertake a journey on foot down into the scene of this atrocity. After most of the day walking, we came upon a dilapidated footbridge stretching across this yawning chasm with a rushing river beneath us. The bridge was such a wreck that, out in the middle, the boards were sagging vertically to the surface of the water, and the wires on one side were basically useless. You had to pick your way across, hand over hand, with your feet on the tops of the boards. The water below was rushing at such a furious speed that the rebels advised us not to look down as we crossed because the rush of the water would make us dizzy, and we’d lose our balance and fall. Had we known what we were getting into, I’m not sure we would have gone there. But by then, we were already so far into the journey there was no going back. When we got to the scene, a horrific stench came from a good way off. It looked like a scene from a plane crash, with clothing and belongings strewn across the brush and hanging from the trees and bodies lying on the ground. It was horrific. I did my best to piece together what had happened from interviews with survivors and what we could see on the ground.
Something like that must stick with you.
I think you develop a little bit of a thick skin, and you just have to move through it. You’re there to find out what happened, and your own personal feelings are kind of secondary.
Sandinista Popular Army soldiers forcibly remove peasants to create a free-fire zone to battle Contra rebels in El Ventarrón, Nicaragua, in 1985. (Photo courtesy of Scott Wallace)
How did you get your start as a journalist?
I was thirsty for adventure and for finding out about the bigger world. I took a year off from college as an undergraduate, and, with advice from some students who were a little older than me and who had done something similar, I lined up a volunteer position in the Peruvian jungle. I went first to Mexico, studied intensive Spanish for the summer, then traveled overland through Central America, down the spine of the Andes, and out into the jungle, where I worked as a literacy instructor in an Indigenous community. During that year I discovered something new about myself. I didn’t know Spanish at all before I left, and through the process of having to put myself out there, I kind of developed a new persona as I interacted with Latin Americans and mastered the language and the culture. I loved the music, the people, and the literature. I returned to college after that, doubled up on Spanish classes, and learned how to write it and read it. I also became fascinated with what was going on in Latin America in the news. I was already a few years out of college when it dawned on me that maybe I could make a career as a journalist covering events in Latin America, since I loved writing, taking pictures, and travel. I decided to go back to school to get a master’s in journalism with the objective of going to Central America when I graduated. By this time, the early 1980s, Central America was in turmoil. The Sandinistas had taken power in Nicaragua, a civil war had erupted in El Salvador, and the Reagan Administration vowed to ‘draw the line’ against what it perceived to be communist aggression in Central America. The region was a tinderbox that seemed poised to become a new Vietnam. I knew that no news organization would send a new graduate straight into a big story. I would have to go as a freelancer, so I decided to learn as many skills as I could, because as a freelancer I knew I would have to have as many skills as possible to earn a living: write news stories, take photographs for my stories, sell my photographs to other news outlets. I also got a tip that doing radio for one of the networks was a really good way to establish yourself and bring in a steady stream of work. Just as I was about to graduate, one of my professors, who had previously been a CBS Radio correspondent, introduced me to network executives when they came to campus, and one thing led to another. They didn’t have anyone in El Salvador at that time, so I was able to land a gig as their freelance ‘stringer’ there.
What would your advice be for a journalism student or working journalist who’s hungry to do this kind of work today?
It takes a certain kind of person. You have to be passionate about the world, curious about the way the world works. You need to be an avid reader of literature as well as nonfiction, be up on current events, and follow the news closely. In all the writing classes that I teach, I require my students to accompany their stories with images, because everyone should know how to take decent pictures and how to do solid interviews. They should learn how to shoot video and record audio. Of course, now you must have a social media presence and put your stuff out there. It’s also very important to make contacts. Ply your professors or the people you meet, go to places where you’re going to meet the professionals you admire. Follow them on Instagram. See who’s excelling at the kind of work you’re interested in and reach out to them. You also should build a portfolio of writing, images, and multimedia. Persistence and patience are also important.
Compared to historians and others who’ve studied Central America and the conflicts there, do you think you have a unique perspective seeing it all firsthand?
It’s definitely a unique perspective, but sometimes I’m a little bit daunted by the intellectual capabilities and rigor of my colleagues in other departments at the University. I think my strength lies in bringing personal experiences and storytelling acumen to the narrative. In June, I was asked to do a presentation at a seminar of academics on genocide and its relationship to ‘ecocide’ – the criminal destruction of the environment – based on my work covering Indigenous struggles in jungles of the Amazon. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive reception to my presentation, in which I showed my photographs and told stories of people whose lives are impacted and threatened by deforestation, land grabbing, and the violent destruction of habitats and biodiversity. It was a way of bringing abstract concepts down to ground level. I’m not the only one who does that. All my colleagues in the journalism department similarly bring that kind of ground-truthing and storytelling to the subjects they report on.
Their names are as iconic as some of the musicians that graced their stages.
CBGB in New York.
The Troubadour in Los Angeles and Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood.
The 40 Watt Club in Georgia.
Toad’s Place in New Haven.
They’re the places where careers were launched and artists made names for themselves – bands like The Ramones and The Doors; Guns N’ Roses and R.E.M.; singers like Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell and Neil Diamond; and musicians like Frank Zappa and Michael Nesmith.
But for each iconic venue, there have been hundreds more – smaller, lesser known, underground places packed to the gills on show nights.
And for each legendary name, there have been thousands more – bands trying to make it big, songwriters looking to write a hit, or artists just looking to share their music with a welcoming audience that will resonate with them.
Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA) is working on a documentary project about Connecticut’s underground music scene, with support from an Office of Undergraduate Education IDEA Grant. (Contributed photo)
You don’t have to look to the cities to find those venues and artists either – they’re in areas both urban and rural, and right here in Connecticut as well – some advertised and others hidden from plain sight, but there for the audiences who know where to find them.
And sometimes in those audiences, and other times behind the scenes, you might find Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA), who grew up in West Hartford and started seeking out those underground venues and those independent artists – often with a camera in hand – when he was 18 years old.
“About two years ago, I started going to local shows, because some of my friends make music and they perform sometimes,” says Elmore. “They knew someone who hosts shows, so they get to perform, and I just saw what a cool community the local music scene has.”
Elmore isn’t a musician, but he is an artist – his medium is film, with a little photography thrown in as well. Which is why he started going with his musician friends to their shows.
“I was kind of backstage, since I was photographing and taking video for my friends, but it was super cool to see how it was all run,” he says. “It was just five bucks to get in, and it was an artist that I didn’t really know, but it was cool to be a part of that and see that, even though it’s on a small scale, kind of in the middle of nowhere, it was still run and still had the same energy as a big concert.”
That energy has kept Elmore going back to shows in an underground music scene that’s active and alive in Connecticut, he says, at places like Howard’s Bookstore in Torrington, which hosts open mics every Wednesday and regularly produces shows with local rappers and hardcore bands.
And at Cheery Street Station, a stomping ground for punk and metal bands in Wallingford.
And at The Dog Pound, a relatively new and inclusive basement venue in Storrs that hosts local bands of all kinds.
What all three venues and the people who frequent them have in common, Elmore notes, is the same sense of community.
“I think a lot of people would be surprised how supportive and respectful people are at these shows,” he says. “No matter where you’re coming from, and no matter if it’s bands of different fan bases or genres, everyone’s really supportive. All the bands support each other, and all the crowds are respectful, and everyone just wants to have a good time.”
It’s the scene’s energy and sense of community that Elmore is hoping to capture and share through a documentary project he’s working on this summer, supported by an IDEA Grant from the UConn Office of Undergraduate Research.
The IDEA Grant program awards funding up to $6,000 per undergraduate student to support student-designed and student-led projects, including creative endeavors, community service initiatives, entrepreneurial ventures, and research projects and other original and innovative projects. The program is available to undergraduate students of all majors at all UConn campuses.
Elmore learned about the opportunity for IDEA Grant funding for an original project through the UConn Student Daily Digest as a first-year student, and decided to apply during his sophomore year.
“I was like, I should take this opportunity and make a documentary, because that’s been done a lot of time before that with the IDEA Grant, and I enjoy documentaries, and I think they’re very doable by yourself,” says Elmore, who watches a lot of documentaries himself. “And also, just on a small scale, even with not a lot of gear or experience, you can really make something that’s impactful.”
And impact is what he’s going for, as he’s spent the first part of the summer filming at the those three venues in order to share the essence of the local music community; the feel of the venues; the histories they hold within their walls; and the stories of some of the rappers, solo artists, and indie bands who play there.
For Elmore – who started making YouTube videos when he was 15, which sparked his interest in pursuing film – this IDEA Grant documentary project is a step toward his ultimate goal, which is to start his own business that would partner with music artists and work alongside them to produce visual content.
“All types of visual content, like graphics, photos – to go on tour with artists and take photos and videos for them,” he says. “Being part of any sort of process of artistic process with music would be super cool.”
The growing film concentration at UConn, part of the School of Fine Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts program offered through the Department of Digital Media and Design, is helping Elmore work toward that goal as he hones his skills as a young filmmaker.
During the semesters in Storrs, he also works for the Neag School of Education as a student photographer and multimedia producer and as the advertising director for UCTV, the University’s student television station.
Evan Elmore ’27 (SFA), a film concentration student in the School of Fine Arts Digital Media and Design program, shoots video on scene. (Contributed photo)
“It’s pretty good to just get out there, and use gear, and work with other students on ideas and projects, and just make mistakes,” he says. “That’s the best way to learn. Just doing it.”
He faces a busy summer, though: he spent much of May and June filming, and plans to dedicate most of his time in July and August to editing, as he pushes through an ambitious timeline for his one-man, self-produced, first feature-length documentary production.
He hopes to advertise, market, and screen his film at UConn Storrs, and at some of the featured music venues, this fall.
Elmore says that anyone – whether they’re familiar with Connecticut’s underground music scene or brand new to it – would find most of the state’s local venues a welcome place.
But if you’re brand new, where should you start?
One place would be by checking out his documentary screening during the fall semester in Storrs.
But another would be with a Ruby Leftstep show, he recommends.
“They’re very popular in the local scene,” he says of the three-man, New Hartford-based indie band. “A lot of people know them, and they have a real fan base that knows all their lyrics.
“And that’s another part of the documentary,” he continues. “Getting a kind of behind-the-scenes look at these bands, their backgrounds, how they make music, how they record it, how they perform, how the band members interact with each other and their fans. That’s a big part of it.”
Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Susanne Schindler, Research Fellow at the Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard Kennedy School
Activists in Seattle gather signatures to put a social housing initiative on the ballot. In early 2025, voters passed the measure, which implements a payroll tax on high incomes to fund the program.House Our Neighbors, CC BY-SA
The expected revenue – estimated to amount to $52 million dollars annually – would go toward funding a public development authority named Seattle Social Housing, which would then build and maintain permanently affordable homes.
The city has experienced record high rents and home prices over the past two decades, attributed in part to the high incomes and relatively low taxes paid by tech firms like Amazon. Prior attempts to make these companies do their part to keep the city affordable have had mixed results.
As a trained architect and urban historian, I study how capitalist societies have embraced – or rejected – housing that’s permanently shielded from market forces and what that means for architecture and urban design.
To me, Seattle’s social housing initiative shows that the country’s traditional, “either-or” housing model – of unregulated, market-rate housing versus tightly regulated, income-restricted affordable housing – has reached its limits.
Social housing promises a different path forward.
The rise of the ‘two-tiered’ system
After World War I, amid a similarly dire housing crisis, journalist Catherine Bauer traveled to Europe and learned about the continent’s social housing programs.
She publicized her findings in the 1934 book “Modern Housing,” in which she advocated for housing that would be permanently shielded from the private real estate market. High-quality design was central to her argument. (The book was reissued in 2020, reflecting a renewed hunger for her ideas.)
Early New Deal programs supported “limited-dividend,” or nonprofit, housing sponsored by civic organizations such as labor unions. The Carl Mackley Houses in Philadelphia exemplified this approach: The government provided low-interest loans to the American Federation of Full-Fashioned Hosiery Workers, which then constructed housing for its workers with rents set at affordable rates. The complex was built with community rooms and a swimming pool for its residents.
However, the 1937 U.S. Housing Act omitted this form of middle-income housing. Instead, the federal government chose to support public rental housing for low-income Americans and private homeownership, with little in between.
Historian Gail Radford has aptly termed this a “two-tiered system,” and it was problematic from the start.
Funding for public housing in the U.S. – as well as for its successor, private-sector-built affordable housing – has always been capped in ways that fall far short of demand, with access to the homes largely restricted to households with the lowest incomes. Private-sector-built affordable housing depends on dangling tax credits for private investors, and rent restrictions can expire.
In Austria’s culturally vibrant capital, today half of all dwellings are permanently removed from the private market. Roughly 80% of households qualify to live in them. The buildings take a range of forms, are located in all neighborhoods, and are built and operated as rental or cooperative housing either by the city or by nonprofit developers.
Rents do not rise and fall according to household income, but are instead set to cover capital and operation expenses. These are kept low thanks to long-term, low-interest loans. These loans are funded through a nationwide 1% payroll tax, split evenly between employers and employees. Renters also make a down payment, priced in relation to the size and age of the apartment, which keeps monthly rents down. To guarantee access to low-cost land, the municipality has pursued an active land acquisition policy since the 1980s.
Vienna’s Pilotengasse Housing Estate, a social housing development featuring low-rise buildings with abundant greenery, was completed in 1992 and serves a range of income groups. Viennaslide/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images
Housing shielded from the private market
The inequities created by the two-tiered system – along with the absence of viable options for moderate- and middle-income households – are what social housing advocates in the U.S. are trying to address today.
In 2018, the think tank People’s Policy Project published what was likely the first 21st-century report advocating for social housing in the U.S., citing Vienna as a model.
Across the U.S., social housing is being used to describe a range of programs, from limited equity cooperatives and community land trusts to public housing.
They all share a few underlying principles, however.
First and foremost, social housing calls for permanently shielding homes from the private real estate market, often referred to as “permanent affordability.” This usually means public investment in housing and public ownership of it. Second, unlike the ways in which public housing has traditionally operated in the U.S., most social housing programs aim to serve households across a broader range of incomes. The goal is to create housing that is both financially sustainable and appealing to broad swaths of the electorate. Third, social housing aspires to give residents more control over the governance of their homes.
Social housing doesn’t all look the same. But thoughtful design is key to its success. It’s built to be owned and operated in the long-term, not for short-term financial gain. Construction quality matters, and developers realize it needs to be appealing to a range of tenants with different needs.
Early successes
In recent years, there have been significant wins for the social housing movement at the state and local levels.
Many of these programs were directly inspired by affordable housing initiatives in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Since 2021, the county’s housing authority has used a $100 million housing fund to invest in new mixed-income developments. Through these investments, the county retains co-ownership and has been able to bring down the cost of development enough to offer 30% of homes at significantly below market rents, in perpetuity. If Vienna is the global paragon for social housing, Montgomery County has become its domestic counterpart.
In Seattle, social housing will mean homes delivered and permanently owned by Seattle Social Housing, which is funded through the payroll tax on high incomes. The initiative envisions developments featuring a range of apartment sizes to meet the needs of different family sizes, built to high energy-efficiency standards. Homes will be available to households earning up to 120% of area median income, with residents paying no more than 30% of their income on rent. In Seattle, that means that a single-person household making up to $120,000 will qualify.
Despite these successes, many Americans remain skeptical of social housing.
Sign up for a webinar on the topic, and you’ll hear participants question the term itself. Isn’t it far too “socialist” to be broadly adopted in the U.S.? And isn’t this just “old wine in new bottles”?
Join a housing task force, and established nonprofits will be the ones to push back, arguing that they already know how to build and manage housing, and that all they need is money.
Some housing activists also question whether using scarce public dollars to pay for mixed-income housing will yet again shortchange those who most need governmental assistance – namely, the poor. Others point to the need to provide more ways to build intergenerational wealth, especially for racial minorities, who have historically faced barriers to homeownership.
Urban planner Jonathan Tarleton has highlighted another important issue: the danger of social housing reverting over time to private ownership, as has been the case with some cooperatives in New York City. Tarleton stresses the need for “social maintenance” – the importance of telling and retelling the story of whom social housing is meant to serve.
These debates raise important questions. Social housing may be a confusing term and an aspirational concept. But it is here to stay: It has galvanized organizers and policymakers around a new approach to the design, development and maintenance of housing.
Social housing keeps prices down through long-term public investment, ensuring that future generations will still benefit. Developers can design and provide homes that respond to how people want to live. And in an increasingly polarized country, social housing will allow people of various backgrounds, incomes and ideological persuasions to live together again, rather than apart.
Whether it’s the kind found in Seattle, in Maryland or somewhere in between, I believe social housing is needed more than ever before to address the country’s twin problems of affordability and a lack of political imagination.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sander Hölsgens, Assistant Professor, Leiden Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University
At a school in Malmö, Sweden, skateboarding is on the curriculum. John Dahlquist, vice principal of Bryggeriets High School, teaches skate classes and brings lessons from skateboarding into other subjects. By encouraging teenagers to have fun together through skating and beyond, he notices that they want to attend school. Writing in a recent book I co-edited on skateboarding and teaching, Dahlquist notes that he even sees students longing to be back in the classroom after the weekend.
Skateboarding is creative, requiring ingenuity in adapting to new environments. It’s collaborative and social: skaters cheer each other on when they try to learn something new, acknowledging that everyone operates at a different level and faces a distinct challenge.
When skateboarding is done well, individual growth takes place among a community of care and mutual support. And it requires a willingness to fail. There’s no way to master a trick without trying and failing, over and over again.
My colleagues and I have researched the value of a skateboarding philosophy in schools, and how teachers can bring it into their classrooms.
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Take Dahlquist’s teaching in Malmö. He notes that interweaving skate classes with other subjects has multiple noteworthy effects. The physical activity of skateboarding improves levels of concentration. Some students even say that they’d never been successful in any other learning environment. Elsewhere, they’d be unable to focus on the task at hand.
What’s more, a skateboarding mindset – being prepared to learn difficult tricks in unfamiliar settings – equipped students with the capacity to master other kinds of new skills.
Able to fail
The process of overcoming the anxiety to fail is crucial. Skaters cannot be afraid to fall if they want to learn new tricks. The motivation to learn through repeated efforts helps skaters in other areas of life, too. Skaters at Bryggeriet aren’t worried as much about failing grades, precisely because they see it as an opportunity to learn and move forward.
As Dahlquist says, “At the end of my classes, I usually have to throw my students out of the classroom. A lot of them beg for three more tries: ‘I’ve got this, just give me three more tries. I promise I will learn.‘”
This mindset decreases grades as education’s cornerstone and, by extension, enhances students’ mental health. My colleague Esther Sayers, who conducted fieldwork at Bryggeriets, found another effect. Teachers help students to develop the skills to get motivated, to reach a point of feeling inspired – or what skaters call “stoke”.
Bryggeriets High School isn’t the only place where skateboarding is helping teach people how to learn. Reaching beyond its historical status as a self-regulated street culture, skateboarding now plays an important role in building engaged learning communities across the globe. Berlin-based skate organisation Skateistan hosts skate classes, gives young people access to education and offers funds for young and upcoming community leaders.
Concrete Jungle Foundation co-builds skateparks with young people in Peru, Morocco and Jamaica, in order to exchange knowledge and drive local ownership and apprenticeship. Similarly, the New York-based Harold Hunter Foundation runs skate workshops that also provide mentoring and career guidance.
Colleagues Arianna Gil and Jessica Forsyth have studied working class black and Latin American skate crews, run by genderdiverse community organisers. They found that skate crews such as Brujas and Gang Corp mobilise skaters according to the “for us, by us” spirit.
Challenging institutional models of authority, these skate crews develop services based on the hopes and aspirations of their communities – ranging from teach-ins to recreational programmes. This includes a talk on the history and meaning of hoodies, and modules on the power of storytelling and the danger of propaganda. The crux, here, is to learn about stuff you encounter in your daily lives.
Skaters who experience poverty and oppression create their own ecosystem for learning from one another, from being out of an educational system that is organised in a top-down way. This means creating a grassroots school model where skate crews choose what and how they want to learn. Rather than grades and degrees, education here is structured around the process of learning from your peers – with the idea of passing on this knowledge in the near future.
The effects of this approach are threefold. First, it centers mentorship and apprenticeship, resulting in intergenerational knowledge exchange. Second, skateboarding’s DIY spirit can help overcome access barriers. By embracing grassroots teaching practices and formats, education can be tailored to the specific needs and desires of a community, rather than following standardised learning objectives.
Third, rather than focusing on memorising facts or learning for grades, this new ecosystem is structured around problem-based learning. Presented with worldly problems such as human rights violations and hostile architecture, skaters learn not just how to analyse their surroundings, but also how to cope with and engage oppressive societal structures.
As formal education faces incremental budget cuts and deepened governmental influence, skateboarding shows us new ways to organise our learning spaces. Schools and teachers can engage their students by integrating aspects of a learning culture that decentres evaluations and assessments and celebrates attempts, rather than just successes.
Sander Hölsgens received a ‘starting grant’ from OCW, The Netherlands. He is affiliated with Pushing Boarders, a platform tracing the social impact of skateboarding worldwide.
Booking a GP appointment is a routine task, yet for many people it’s a source of frustration. Long waits, confusing systems and impersonal processes have become all too familiar. While much attention has been paid to how difficult it is to get an appointment, less research has asked a more fundamental question: what do patients actually want from their general practice?
To answer this, my colleagues and I reviewed 33 studies that were a mixture of study designs, and focused on patients’ expectations and preferences regarding access to their GP in England and Scotland.
What people wanted was not complicated or cutting edge. People were looking for connection; a friendly receptionist and good communication from the practice about how they could expect to make an appointment. And they wanted a general practice in their own neighbourhood with clean, calm waiting rooms. So far, so simple.
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People wanted booking systems that were simple and user-friendly, without long automated phone menus (“press one for reception”). Preferences varied. Some patients valued the option to book appointments in person at the reception desk, while others preferred the convenience of online booking.
Regardless of how they booked, patients wanted shorter waiting times or, at least, clear information about when they could expect an appointment or a callback.
Ideally, general practice would be open on Saturdays and Sundays for those who cannot attend during the week.
Remote consultations – by phone, video or email – have become more common since the pandemic, and many patients found them helpful. For those with caring responsibilities or mobility issues, they offered a convenient way to access care without needing to leave home.
However, remote appointments weren’t suitable for everyone. Some patients lacked privacy at work, while others – particularly those with hearing impairments – found telephone consultations difficult or impossible to use.
What patients consistently wanted was choice, particularly when it came to remote consultations. While in-person appointments were seen as the gold standard, many recognised that telephone or video consultations could be useful in certain situations. Preferences varied widely, which made the ability to choose the type of consultation especially important.
Patients also wanted choice over who they saw, especially for non-urgent issues or when managing ongoing health conditions.
In today’s general practice, care is often delivered by a range of professionals, including nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists. While many patients were open to seeing different healthcare professionals, older adults and people from minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to prefer seeing a GP.
Overall, patients wanted the option to choose a GP over another healthcare professional – or at least be involved in that decision.
Satisfaction at all-time low
Unsurprisingly, what patients want from general practice varies, reflecting different lifestyles, needs and circumstances. But what was equally clear is that many people are not able to get what they want from the appointment system.
According to a recent British Social Attitudes survey, patient satisfaction with general practice is at an all-time low, with just below one in three people reporting that they are very or quite satisfied with GP services.
Some elements of the UK government’s recently announced ten-year plan for the NHS in England may address some of these concerns, but it remains far from certain. The emphasis on the NHS app as a “doctor in your pocket” does not align with what many patients are asking for: genuine choice over whether they access care online or in person.
The proposal to open neighbourhood health centres on weekends could benefit those who need more flexible access. However, simply increasing the number of appointments misses the point: patients want more than just availability. They want care that is accessible, personalised and responsive to their individual needs.
The evidence is clear and the solutions simple, yet patient satisfaction remains at an all-time low. The government must stop assuming technology is the answer and start listening to what patients are actually telling them. The cost of ignoring their voices is a healthcare system that serves no one well.
Helen Atherton receives funding from the National Institute for Health Research and the Research Council of Norway.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex
Georgia was once considered a post-Soviet success story. After years of authoritarian rule, followed by independence which brought near state collapse, corruption and chaos, Georgia appeared to have transitioned to democracy.
In a period after independence in 1991 and before 2020, elections were regularly held and were deemed mostly free and fair, the media and civil society were vibrant and corruption levels had diminished significantly.
The “Rose revolution” in 2003 ushered in an era of unprecedented reform and suggested a move towards democracy and a closer relationship with the west. Georgians were full of hope for the country’s future, and prospects of joining the European Union – or at least moving closer to Europe.
Fast forward two decades and Georgia has fully returned to authoritarianism. Six opposition leaders are in prison or facing charges and now thinktank leaders are being targeted with investigations that could land them in prison. Typically these charges centre around accepting foreign funding or criticising the government.
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In moves in line with other authoritarian regimes around the world, opposition organisations such as thinktanks are being told to produce financial documents in short timeframes, and accused of financial mismanagement and threatened with prosecution if they don’t.
In May 2024, Georgia passed a Russian-inspired foreign agent law — which would require non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving foreign funding to register themselves and face restrictions. Protests erupted each time Georgia’s parliament debated this measure, but eventually the pro-RussianGeorgia Dream party prevailed. More than 90% of NGOs receive funding from abroad, so the new law cripples the efforts of some 26,000 of them.
Many Georgians were outraged that the passage of the bill may end dreams of one day becoming a European Union candidate country. Regular surveys have found that about 80% of Georgians have aspirations for their country to join the EU.
Though Georgia faces a host of economic problems, the Georgia Dream party has campaigned on delivering a return to traditional values. Like Russia they have also passed a series of laws in 2024 that target the LGBTQ+ community, such as banning content that features same-sex relationships and stripping same-sex couples of rights, such as adoption.
Parallels with Russia?
Georgia Dream also passed legislation making treason a criminal offence, a clear attempt to eliminate political opponents. Any insults of politicians online are also considered a criminal offence.
Also, in June of this year civil society organisations in Georgia received court orders requiring them to disclose highly sensitive data. Meanwhile, members of the Georgia Dream party were accused of assaulting opposition party leader Giorgi Gakharia suffering a broken nose and a concussion, which they denied.
In another effort to exercise greater control over the state, since the beginning of this year more than 800 civil servants have been dismissed. Similar to the purges that took place in Turkey — this is not being done in the name of efficiency, but to ensure that the bureaucracy is loyal to wishes of the Georgia Dream government.
This hasn’t happened overnight, as the laws had already changed several times to weaken legal protections for civil servants.
During its time in government, the Georgia Dream party has moved the country much closer to Russia, often by portraying the nation as locked in a cultural struggle against the west. Despite this, 69% of Georgians still see Russia as Georgia’s main enemy, up from 35% in 2012.
Though the Georgia Dream party faces increasing public opposition to its rule, it gained nearly the same amount of votes in the 2024 elections as it did in 2012 – when it was at its peak of popularity. The election result in October 2024 may be partly explained by accusations of fraud and other irregularities.
How did this happen?
One of the first big threats to Georgia’s democracy came in August 2008 when Russia invaded the country to offer support for two breakaway regions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia which declared themselves independent from Georgia. The international community did little to censure Russia, giving Russian president Vladimir Putin the confidence to engage in further acts of aggression.
Russia has maintained troops in South Ossetia, only about 30 miles from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, and continues to play an important role in Georgian politics, undermining democracy.
The next threat came from within. Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili was elected prime minister of Georgia in 2012 as the leader of Georgia Dream. despite the fact that he officially stepped down from this position in 2013, he has wielded power behind the scenes and is still widely considered to be the de facto leader of Georgia.
Though Georgia did not immediately slide towards autocracy under the Georgia Dream party, today there are few remnants of democracy left. The major opposition parties are banned, opposition politicians and journalists are spied on, and protests are repressed by the police.
Cameras are now installed on the streets of Tbilisi as part of a crackdown on protest and fines for protesting have increased. Elections are no longer considered to be free and fair by the European Union and others as the Georgia Dream party uses its access to the state resources to dole out patronage to its supporters and intimidate voters.
In just over two decades, Georgia has managed to plunge back to authoritarianism. Once hailed as a beacon of democratic reform, the country is now gripped by a Russian-influenced ruling party that has consolidated power through repression, surveillance and manipulation.
But while the Georgia Dream party has tried to dismantle the country’s democratic institutions, support for resistance is high. According to a poll in 2025, more than 60% of respondents supported protests against the government and 45% identified as active supporters. And 82% feel Georgia is in crisis, with 78% blaming Georgian Dream.
It appears that Russia may have succeeded in undermining democracy in Georgia, but not in shaping hearts and minds.
Natasha Lindstaedt 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.
Recent news from Ukraine has generally been bad. Since the end of May, ever larger Russian air strikes have been documented against Ukrainian cities with devastating consequences for civilians, including in the country’s capital, Kyiv.
Amid small and costly but steady gains along the almost 1,000km long frontline, Russia reportedly took full control of the Ukrainian region of Luhansk, part of which it had already occupied before the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
And according to Dutch and German intelligence reports, some of Russia’s gains on the battlefield are enabled by the widespread use of chemical weapons.
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It was therefore something of a relief that Nato’s summit in The Hague produced a short joint declaration on June 25 in which Russia was clearly named as a “long-term threat … to Euro-Atlantic security”. Member states restated “their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine”. While the summit declaration made no mention of future Nato membership for Ukraine, the fact that US president Donald Trump agreed to these two statements was widely seen as a success.
This was bad news for Ukraine. The halt in supplies weakens Kyiv’s ability to protect its large population centres and critical infrastructure against intensifying Russian airstrikes. It also puts limits on Ukraine’s ability to target Russian supply lines and logistics hubs behind the frontlines that have been enabling ground advances.
Despite protests from Ukraine and an offer from Germany to buy Patriot missiles from the US for Ukraine, Trump has been in no rush to reverse the decision by the Pentagon.
Russia is now claiming to have completed its occupation of the province of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Institute for the Study of War
Another phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on July 3, failed to change Trump’s mind, even though he acknowledged his disappointment with the clear lack of willingness by the Kremlin to stop the fighting. What’s more, within hours of the call between the two presidents, Moscow launched the largest drone attack of the war against Kyiv.
A day later, Trump spoke with Zelensky. And while the call between them was apparently productive, neither side gave any indication that US weapons shipments to Ukraine would resume quickly.
Trump previously paused arms shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine in March, 2025 after his acrimonious encounter with Zelensky in the Oval Office. But the US president reversed course after certain concessions had been agreed – whether that was an agreement by Ukraine to an unconditional ceasefire or a deal on the country’s minerals.
It is not clear with the current disruption whether Trump is after yet more concessions from Ukraine. The timing is ominous, coming after what had appeared to be a productive Nato summit with a unified stance on Russia’s war of aggression. And it preceded Trump’s call with Putin.
This could be read as a signal that Trump was still keen to accommodate at least some of the Russian president’s demands in exchange for the necessary concessions from the Kremlin to agree, finally, the ceasefire that Trump had once envisaged he could achieve in 24 hours.
If this is indeed the case, the fact that Trump continues to misread the Russian position is deeply worrying. The Kremlin has clearly drawn its red lines on what it is after in any peace deal with Ukraine.
These demands – virtually unchanged since the beginning of the war – include a lifting of sanctions against Russia and no Nato membership for Ukraine, while also insisting that Kyiv must accept limits on its future military forces and recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four regions on the Ukrainian mainland.
This will not change as a result of US concessions to Russia but only through pressure on Putin. And Trump has so far been unwilling to apply pressure in a concrete and meaningful way beyond the occasional hints to the press or on social media.
Coalition of the willing
It is equally clear that Russia’s maximalist demands are unacceptable to Ukraine and its European allies. With little doubt that the US can no longer be relied upon to back the European and Ukrainian position, Kyiv and Europe need to accelerate their own defence efforts.
A European coalition of the willing to do just that is slowly taking shape. It straddles the once more rigid boundaries of EU and Nato membership and non-membership, involving countries such as Moldova, Norway and the UK.
and including non-European allies including Canada, Japan and South Korea.
The European commission’s white paper on European defence is an obvious indication that the threat from Russia and the needs of Ukraine are being taken seriously and, crucially, acted upon. It mobilises some €800 billion (£690 billion) in defence spending and will enable deeper integration of the Ukrainian defence sector with that of the European Union.
At the national level, key European allies, in particular Germany, have also committed to increased defence spending and stepped up their forward deployment of forces closer to the borders with Russia.
US equivocation will not mean that Ukraine is now on the brink of losing the war against Russia. Nor will Europe discovering its spine on defence put Kyiv immediately in a position to defeat Moscow’s aggression.
After decades of relying on the US and neglecting their own defence capabilities, these recent European efforts are a first step in the right direction. They will not turn Europe into a military heavyweight overnight. But they will buy time to do so.
Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
News story
Review into Government Response to the Death of Harry Dunn
Independent review into the UK Government response to the death of Harry Dunn announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy
Independent review into the UK Government response to the death of Harry Dunn announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy
Review, led by Dame Anne Owers, will focus on Government actions in months following the tragedy in 2019, and look at support offered to UK citizens in comparable situations
David Lammy met Harry Dunn’s family and said the Government would learn lessons from the tragedy
An independent review into the UK Government’s response to the death of Harry Dunn has been announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy (Monday 7 July). Harry Dunn was tragically killed in a road traffic collision in August 2019.
The review will be led by Dame Anne Owers DBE, who will examine actions taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in support of the family of Harry Dunn in the period between 27 August and the end of December in 2019.
Having promised to undertake a review while sitting as an opposition MP, David Lammy has met twice with family members since becoming Foreign Secretary and committed the Government to learning lessons from the tragedy.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
I have the deepest respect for the resolve Harry’s family have shown since his tragic death and in launching this independent review, we are honouring the commitments we have made to them.
I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family’s concerns and to ensure lessons are learned.
Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don’t believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.”
The mother of Harry Dunn, Charlotte Charles, said:
We welcome today’s formal announcement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that a full review into the handling of Harry’s case will now take place.
I want to pay particular tribute to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Ever since we met him in his role as Shadow Foreign Secretary back in January 2023, he has shown us nothing but compassion and leadership. He listened to us carefully and committed to undertaking this review once he was in a position to do so. True to his word, he has now delivered on that promise. My family and Team Harry are incredibly grateful to him for doing the right thing.
We now look forward to working with Dame Anne Owers and doing all we can to support her in this important task. It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry’s loss was not in vain and that the World is a better and safer place.”
Dame Anne Owers DBE said:
I believe it is crucially important that public authorities are ready to learn lessons from difficult and traumatic events, so they can reflect on and improve the way they work and communicate. This is something that I have been committed to in all the roles I have held.
I am pleased to have been asked by the Foreign Secretary to carry out this work in the context of the tragic death of Harry Dunn, and to identify any lessons for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. I very much hope that this will provide some assurance to Harry’s family.”
The independent review will seek to identify key lessons to be learned for comparable future situations.
It will not examine issues which have previously been considered under related historical legal proceedings, the UK’s relationship with other countries or the role or actions of any other countries.
The final report of the Independent Review will be published in full, subject only to redactions relating to national security or personal information, and will be laid before Parliament along with the Foreign Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement.
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On July 7, the INNOPROM-2025 exhibition opened in Yekaterinburg. This is the main industrial exhibition of Russia and one of the key platforms in Eurasia for presenting high-tech solutions, concluding international contracts and exchanging experience between industry leaders. INNOPROM-2025 will cover key industries, including automation, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, materials production, urban technologies and the IT sector.
More than 1,000 companies from Russia, the Middle East, Europe and Asia will present their products on an exhibition area of 50 thousand square meters. In total, over 47 thousand participants from 60 countries are expected at INNOPROM-2025, including representatives of 11 thousand organizations and companies.
“I am glad to welcome you to the anniversary XV International Industrial Exhibition INNOPROM! The main theme of INNOPROM-2025 — “Technological Leadership: Industrial Breakthrough” — is fully revealed in the business and exhibition program of the exhibition. And almost every thematic track of the exhibition — be it the development and application of advanced digital and production technologies or effective educational solutions for training a new generation of engineering personnel — corresponds to one or another scientific and technological or practice-oriented educational area of activity of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, — says Rector of SPbPU, Chairman of the SPbB RAS Andrey Rudskoy. — I am convinced that INNOPROM-2025 will become an effective platform for uniting sites for demonstration, interaction, as well as effective business communications with potential customers and investors. The stand of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is open for constructive dialogue and interaction with all interested participants and partners who are ready, like our university, to actively participate in the implementation of the action program to achieve technological leadership in Russia.”
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University presents more than ten advanced developments at the exhibition, which not only demonstrate the level of the engineering school of Russia, but are also ready for implementation in key areas of industry. These are not prototypes “for the future”, but ready-made solutions for the present.
“Zhuchok” – a transport platform for wheelchairs
A distinctive feature is that any wheelchair can enter the platform: both electric and mechanical. This allows the platform to be rented on popular tourist routes or beaches, increasing their accessibility for people with disabilities. Equipped with a unique rubber track, which has no analogues in Russia.
Industrial cartridge – an effective barrier for protecting urban waters
FOPS filters purify wastewater, turning sewer manholes into eco-stations. The development is entirely Russian and has already been tested in megacities. The solution is scalable and relevant for all urbanized areas. FOPS filters are not thrown away after cleaning, but are included in the composition of nutrient substrates. The new technology closes the ecological cycle, reduces waste and makes agriculture “greener”. The key idea: to use what others throw away.
Lithium-ion module with smart balancing
Module for electric vehicles and new generation equipment. Up to 1500 W/kg of power in a compact case. Most of the components are domestically produced, the rest can be replaced in the near future.
“Nomad” – mobile laser welder
Mobile laser cladding complex created in the Research Laboratory “LiAT” of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metallurgy of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The Nomad is designed to restore and modify the surfaces of large-sized and special products using laser cladding. After transportation, the start-up and adjustment time is up to 30 minutes. The laboratory specialists designed the complex to carry out projects to repair components of domestic and imported gas turbine engines. This technology allows applying layers of material to a substrate or a finished product. Metal powders and wires can be used as raw materials. The main feature of the MK is its compactness and the ability to move to the work site, which is convenient for repairing large-sized products.
Also on the stand you can see nozzle assemblies after restoration repairs using the laser gas-powder surfacing method, working and nozzle blades, welded joints formed using the laser and hybrid laser-arc welding method, and much more.
New generation unmanned aerial vehicle “Snegir-2”
The Snegir electric UAV family is a line of multifunctional unmanned vehicles developed by specialists from the Experimental Design Bureau of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”. In 2023, the Snegir-1 UAV was created on an initiative basis in just five months, and in 2024–2025, the Snegir-1.5 and Snegir-2 modifications with increased take-off weight and flight range were developed on its basis.
The new generation UAV Snegir-2 presented at the Polytechnic stand has increased stability due to an improved control system, and is also equipped with an innovative modular system of interchangeable components, which allows the device to be quickly adapted to perform various tasks.
The SPbPU stand showcased developments of the Polymer Composite Materials laboratory of the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering”, including demonstrators of overprinting and induction welding technologies for thermoplastic composite materials, as well as automated laying out of thermoplastic unidirectional prepregs. These solutions were highly praised by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko at the XI International Forum of Technological Development “Technoprom” in 2024.
Innovative materials and products are presented for the first time: ASM PEEK C140UD toupreg for automated production of highly loaded composite structures, a bracket made of ASM PEEK-C285S-P based on a thermoplastic consolidated plate made of superstructural polyetheretherketone, as well as ASM PEEK-3K filament for 3D printing based on continuous carbon fiber. The production technologies of the materials were developed by engineers of the Polymer Composite Materials laboratory of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” of SPbPU in the interests of JSC Prepreg-SKM (part of Rosatom Composite Technologies), and samples of the materials were manufactured by an enterprise of the composite division of the State Corporation specifically for the INNOPROM-2025 exhibition.
Oil products in water sensor
The use of the sensor allows determining the concentration of impurities in real time. Analogues allow determining the presence and concentration of impurities only in samples taken at specified time intervals. When creating the sensor, digital design technologies, additive technologies, development of proprietary image processing algorithms, and microcontroller programming were used.
“ARCitech” – industrial 3D metal printing
An open-type installation designed for electric arc growing of large-sized metal products. The technological process allows achieving record high speeds of product production (for aluminum alloys (Al) — 2.2 kg/hour, for Fe — 6 kg/hour).
“The Cable of Life” is a story that has become a symbol of heroism
An exhibit from the SPbPU History Museum is an engineering solution that saved Leningrad during the siege. A fragment of a high-voltage cable that was laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga to provide Leningrad during the siege with electricity from the restored Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Station. It is named by analogy with the “Road of Life”.
There is also an active business program at the Polytechnic stand. On the first day of the exhibition, negotiations were held with representatives of the Industrial Cluster of the Republic of Tatarstan. They were attended by the Scientific Secretary of SPbPU Dmitry Karpov, Chairman of the Board of the Cluster Sergey Mayorov, Member of the Board Aidar Gimadeev, Member of the Board Pavel Loginov, Member of the Board Ilnar Zakirov.
The Tatarstan Industrial Cluster is an association of enterprises and organizations created to develop industrial production and increase its competitiveness. Founded in 2010, the cluster today includes more than 1,000 enterprises operating in various industries. The goal of the cluster is to develop the republic’s economy through the development of production and increasing the competitiveness of industrial enterprises. The partners discussed promising options for cooperation that can be implemented in joint educational projects. They are aimed at improving production technologies, creating new products and services, and improving the qualifications of personnel.
Another delegation represented the Moscow Government. The prospects for cooperation and interaction with the Polytechnic were discussed by the Scientific Secretary of SPbPU Dmitry Karpov, the Head of the Department for the Development of International Cooperation of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of the City of Moscow Elena Tikhonova and the Head of the Department of International Relations Anastasia Sibileva. The discussion focused on joint events within the framework of the upcoming BRICS municipal forum.
Ilya Kobykhno, Head of the Laboratory of Polymer Composite Materials of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, spoke at the session “Thermoplasts – New Materials for Industry”, during which the participants discussed the prospects for the development of the thermoplastic composites market in key areas of industry, as well as the impact of new materials on the competitiveness of the final product.
The speaker presented advanced developments created for the Rosatom State Corporation and Rostec enterprises, including demonstrators of overprinting and induction welding technologies for thermoplastic composite materials, as well as automated laying of thermoplastic unidirectional prepregs. Let us recall that these solutions were highly praised by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko at the XI International Technological Development Forum Technoprom in 2024.
Ilya Kobykhno also spoke about the creation of innovative materials and products jointly with Prepreg-SKM JSC (part of Rosatom Composite Technologies) and BI PITRON LLC: ASM REEK C140UD toupreg for automated production of highly loaded structures, a bracket made of ASM REEK-C285S-P based on a thermoplastic consolidated plate made of superstructural polyetheretherketone, as well as ASM REEK-3K filament for 3D printing based on continuous carbon fiber. These exhibits are presented at the SPbPU stand as part of the INNOPROM exhibition program.
In conclusion of his speech, the speaker emphasized that further development and application of the integrated technology for producing composite structures using the overprinting method for manufacturing products, including aviation equipment, will be carried out within the framework of the key scientific and technological development area of SPbPU “System Digital Engineering”.
This was the first day of the Polytechnic University at the INNOPROM-2025 exhibition. Follow the work of SPbPU in Yekaterinburg on our website.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin (HKETO Berlin) supported the 26th Berlin CityCup dragon boat races on July 5 and 6 (Berlin time).
The event saw enthusiastic participation with a total of more than 1 000 racers joined the competition. As one of the highlights of the CityCup, 60 teams joined the Hong Kong Cup sponsored by the HKETO Berlin on July 5. The Acting Director of HKETO Berlin, Mr Billy Leung, presented trophies to the winning teams after the race.
“In Chinese culture, dragon signifies strength, courage, and resilience. Today, dragon boat racers from diverse cultural backgrounds have showed the power of teamwork and fighting spirit together.” Mr Leung said.
Mr Leung added that Hong Kong possesses world-class sports, cultural and recreational facilities. With the opening of Kai Tak Sports Park in this March, a series of mega sports events as well as concerts have been held.
HKETO Berlin also set up a promotional booth at the race venue to showcase Hong Kong’s forthcoming major events, and promote Hong Kong’s advantages as an ideal place for work and study.
About HKETO Berlin
HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
MUNICH, Germany, July 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 31st annual edition of BIO-Europe, the premier partnering conference for the global biopharmaceutical industry organized by EBD Group, will take place in Vienna, Austria, from November 3 – 5, 2025, followed by a digital partnering experience on November 11 – 12.
BIO-Europe continues to serve as a cornerstone event for life science dealmaking and brings together key decision-makers to spark innovation, investment, and partnerships. The 2025 edition is expected to welcome 5,700+ participants from 2,900 companies worldwide, including top-level management from the world’s top 50 pharma firms. Attendees will engage in over 30,000 one-to-one meetings, advancing therapeutic innovation and dealmaking across the ecosystem.
“In times when uncertainty and complexity shape the global landscape, strategic collaboration is more vital than ever,” said Claire Macht, European Portfolio Director for EBD Group. “BIO-Europe provides a high-impact platform where partnerships flourish – across borders, disciplines, and development stages. Innovation in life sciences doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens when people connect, share ideas, and transform vision into action. Vienna’s vibrant ecosystem and scientific excellence make it the ideal setting for shaping the future of healthcare together.”
Vienna stands out as one of Europe’s most dynamic life sciences locations. The Austrian capital accounts for over half of the nation’s life sciences activity and employs nearly 50,000 people across 754 organizations, including 646 companies and 19 renowned research and education institutions. The sector generated €22 billion in annual revenues in 2023, underscoring the city’s growing influence in the European biotech and pharma industry.1
“Welcoming BIO-Europe to Vienna is both an honor and a strategic opportunity,” said Philipp Hainzl, Managing Director of LISAvienna. “Austria’s life sciences community is eager to engage with international peers, investors, and innovators. We look forward to showcasing the regional strength in research, entrepreneurship, and collaborative growth on a global stage. Together with our leading biotech innovators, we will contribute to an unforgettable conference experience. Participants are warmly invited to our Welcome Reception at the magnificent Vienna City Hall.” The local host LISAvienna is Vienna’s central life sciences cluster platform operated by Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) and the Vienna Business Agency on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism and the City of Vienna.
Program Highlights
Inspired by Vienna’s legendary coffeehouse culture and music, BIO-Europe 2025 will offer an engaging program involving expert-led panel discussions, company presentations, including the startup spotlight pitch competition, the Advanced Business Development course, an active exhibition floor, and networking opportunities designed to inspire collaboration across the life science industry.
A highlight of the event – the Opening Plenary – with David Loew, CEO of Ipsen, and Jeremy Levin, CEO of Ovid Therapeutics, will explore Europe’s evolving role in global healthcare innovation – will it be a symphony or a solo act?
BIO-Europe serves the entire biopharma ecosystem, with tailored content for early-stage startups, innovators, academic researchers, as well as large pharma and venture investors. Serendipitous networking, both in-person and online, is a hallmark of the experience.
Partnering and Registration
Partnering for BIO-Europe opens on September 22, 2025. One-to-one meetings will be powered by partneringONE®, EBD Group’s industry-standard platform that enables delegates to search, request, schedule, and conduct meetings efficiently.
To enhance access and extend engagement beyond the in-person event, the conference will continue with two days of virtual partnering on November 11-12, allowing participants to connect regardless of time zone or travel constraints.
Registration is now open (information is available online), with the biggest savings available through the first early bird deadline on July 25, 2025. Additional discounted rates are available until November 2, 2025.
Follow BIO-Europe 2025 on X @EBDGroup (hashtag: #BIOEurope) or on LinkedIn.
About EBD Group
EBD Group’s mission is to help collaborations get started across the life science value chain. Our range of partnering conferences has grown to become the largest and most productive conference platform in the industry. Each one of our landmark events held in key life science markets around the world is powered by our state-of-the-art partnering software, partneringONE, that enables delegates to efficiently identify and engage with new opportunities via one-to-one meetings. Today our events (BIO-Europe, BIO-Europe Spring®, Biotech Showcase™, ChinaBio® Partnering Forum, Asia Bio Partnering Forum and BioEquity Europe) annually attract more than 15,000 senior life science executives who engage in over 50,000 one-to-one partnering meetings. These vital one-to-one engagements are the wellspring of deals that drive innovation in our industry. EBD Group is an Informa company. For more information, please visit www.ebdgroup.com.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
CAC Annual Report 2024-25
Publication of the CAC’s Annual Report for 2024-25.
Today the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has published its Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2025. The Report includes reference to the amendments taking place in the Employment Rights Bill that is currently going through the Houses of Parliament which affects Schedule A1 and the new measures heading the CAC’s way. The Report reflects on the decrease in the caseload for trade union recognition applications under Part I of Schedule A1. This decreased from 81 applications last year to 63, a 22% decrease.
The statistics relating to the CAC’s various jurisdictions are all featured in the Annual Report, with statutory recognition continuing to provide the majority of the workload (63 applications for trade union recognition under Part I of the Schedule).
When reviewing the average time taken for the conclusion of a Part I statutory recognition case from inception (date the application is received) to conclusion (date of issue of a declaration of recognition or non-recognition), the time taken was 22 weeks, which is slightly higher than the previous year’s figure of 19 weeks.
The CAC has done exceptionally well in maintaining its high level of customer satisfaction, with 92% of respondents stating their overall satisfaction with the way the CAC handled their case.
Notes for Editors:
The CAC is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) resourced by Acas but operating independently. The CAC’s main role is dealing with requests for trade union recognition and derecognition under the statutory procedures of Schedule A1 to the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Each recognition case is handled by a tripartite panel, with members drawn from employer and union backgrounds and a panel chair (usually a lawyer or senior academic).
The CAC also determines disclosure of information complaints under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (Section 183) and deals with disputes under the Regulations relating to the European Works Councils. It also handles applications and complaints under the Information and Consultation Regulations 2004. In addition, it provides voluntary arbitration in collective employment relations disputes, although this role has not been required for some years.
The CAC Chair is Stephen Redmond.
Details of applications received by the CAC, decisions taken, and forthcoming hearings, can be found on the CAC’s website www.cac.gov.uk.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
RAF personnel to benefit from new SLA accommodation at Cosford
50 new SLA bedspaces will be created at RAF Cosford as part of a £12 million contract.
RAF Cosford Station Commander Penny Brady with representatives from DIO, Reds10 and Arcadis. MOD Crown Copyright.
Construction has started on a new 50-bedroom Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at RAF Cosford in Shropshire.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) awarded a £12 million contract to modular construction specialist Reds10 and the start of work was marked at a recent groundbreaking ceremony. The contract was awarded through the £1 billion Single Living Accommodation – Programmatic Approach framework alliance, which will see thousands of new bedspaces created for Armed Forces personnel.
The accommodation will provide 50 en-suite bedrooms, as well as kitchenettes, communal space, equipment storage and laundry facilities. Sustainability has been central in the design of the block, featuring air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, photovoltaic panels and a SMART building management system to ensure optimal efficiency. While the project will not be the new SLA common design, lessons will continue to be learned from this and other projects to ensure the needs of service personnel are met, while also aiming to achieve the requirements of the Government’s Net Zero Strategy.
This project will not only improve service life for personnel but will also benefit local businesses. Over £120,000 has already been spent with local suppliers and the project team will continue to maximise opportunities to support the local community as the project progresses.
The project is one of the first to be delivered under the £1 billion SLA Alliance, which will run for six years and will see 16,000 new bedspaces built. It forms part of wider plans to build or refurbish 40,000 SLA bedspaces over the next 10 years, improving living conditions for service personnel.
Peter Shaw, Project Manager for DIO Major Programmes and Projects, said:
I am very excited to see spades in the ground and construction officially starting on this project to improve accommodation for personnel based at RAF Cosford. We are looking forward to delivering this project as part of the SLA Programmatic Approach, which will ensure we can safely build consistent accommodation blocks faster, while also driving greater value for money.
Wing Commander Penny Brade, Station Commander at RAF Cosford, said:
RAF Cosford has continued to grow in recent years. When complete, the new Officers’ Mess annex will have a hugely positive impact on those commissioned personnel living on the Station, and those who visit for courses and conferences.
Phil Cook, Managing Director – Defence for Reds10, said:
We’re proud to be delivering the first project to complete under the SLA Alliance at RAF Cosford; a significant milestone in transforming how accommodation for service personnel is delivered across the MOD estate. By combining our expertise in industrialised construction with a strong, collaborative relationship with DIO, we’re helping to set a new benchmark for quality, sustainability and speed of delivery, ensuring those serving our country have the high-quality living environments they deserve.
Construction is now underway at the site and is expected to be completed by July 2026.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Now Russian architects have their own professional holiday, which will be celebrated annually on July 7.
The decree on including the holiday in the calendar of Russian significant dates was signed by the head of government Mikhail Mishustin in March of this year.
Previously, Russia celebrated only World Architecture Day, established by the International Union of Architects in 1985 and celebrated on the first Monday of October. Now we have our own holiday, which will become another reason to celebrate the achievements and successes of Russian architects.
We congratulate all current and future architects on this holiday! We wish you more inspiration, creative power and persistence to implement your projects!
Read the interview with the head of the Department of Architectural Design, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of SPbGASU, published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta Andrey Surovenkov
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Now Russian architects have their own professional holiday, which will be celebrated annually on July 7.
The decree on including the holiday in the calendar of Russian significant dates was signed by the head of government Mikhail Mishustin in March of this year.
Previously, Russia celebrated only World Architecture Day, established by the International Union of Architects in 1985 and celebrated on the first Monday of October. Now we have our own holiday, which will become another reason to celebrate the achievements and successes of Russian architects.
We congratulate all current and future architects on this holiday! We wish you more inspiration, creative power and persistence to implement your projects!
Read the interview with the head of the Department of Architectural Design, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of SPbGASU, published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta Andrey Surovenkov
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.
July 7, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will visit Japan and Malaysia this week to deepen Canada’s strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, which play a critical role in shaping Canada’s future.
In Tokyo, Minister Anand will meet with Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Iwaya Takeshi to strengthen Canada’s trade and defence cooperation and advance shared security and prosperity interests.
Minister Anand will work to advance the Canada-Japan Security of Information Agreement, which will deepen defence and security collaboration between the 2 countries. This agreement builds on Canada’s strong bilateral relationship with Japan, an influential strategic and economic partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
On July 10, Minister Anand will participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post Ministerial Conference Plus Canada in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This meeting brings together the 10 ASEAN member states and Canada to highlight progress made through the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership. The meeting will be an opportunity to find new ways to advance shared interests, including economic and security priorities.
After the conference, Minister Anand will speak with ASEAN and Canadian trade negotiators, as well as business representatives to highlight Canada’s commitment to concluding an ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement. This agreement would bolster trade and investment and give Canadian businesses preferential access to new markets in the region.
On July 11, Minister Anand will attend the 32nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) where she will discuss pressing regional and global security challenges, such as the crisis in Myanmar, tensions in the East and South China Seas, North Korea-Russia military cooperation and growing insecurity in the Middle East. She will also reaffirm Canada’s steadfast commitment to ASEAN as a reliable, engaged and enduring security partner in the region.
While in Kuala Lumpur, Minister Anand will also hold bilateral meetings with several counterparts to advance bilateral opportunities and mutual objectives. This visit will demonstrate Canada’s commitment to continue strengthening ties with those in the Indo-Pacific, in line with the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an organization responsible for distributing food to the population of Gaza, has been led since June 3 by evangelical preacher Johnnie Moore Jr., considered by Newsmax Magazine as “one of the 25 most influential evangelical leaders in the United States.”Moore replaces Jake Wood, a former Marine who resigned as executive director of the GHF, claiming that he “could not carry out the aid project in strict compliance with the humanitarian principles of solidarity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I am not prepared to renounce.” This was not the only defection affecting the foundation, created in February 2025 in the US state of Delaware. Its headquarters in Geneva, which existed only formally, was dissolved at the end of June by the Swiss authorities. The Boston Consulting Group also publicly distanced itself from the project, noting in a statement that, in October 2024, some of its employees had volunteered to organize a team to create a humanitarian aid structure for Gaza, “without disclosing the full nature of the work and subsequently performing unauthorized tasks.” These individuals subsequently left the company.The arrival of Johnnie Moore Jr. accentuates the involvement of American evangelical communities close to Israel in the management of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Moore, President of the Congress of Christian Leaders, serves on the Board of Directors of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), which presents itself as “the leading nonprofit organization building bridges between Christians and Jews, blessing Israel and the Jewish people worldwide with humanitarian care and lifesaving aid.” Among its activities, the IFCJ assists Israeli soldiers with vouchers for food, clothing, furniture, and other essential items, as well as programs to support former soldiers, vulnerable soldiers, and “lone soldiers” (people who immigrate to Israel to enlist in the military and have no family in the country).Above all, the IFCJ promotes Jewish immigration to Israel as a “fulfillment of biblical prophecy.” According to its website, they state, “We have contributed to the fulfillment of prophecy by helping more than 760,000 Jews make aliyah, immigrate to Israel, since 1983.” Moore is also a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force for Minorities in the Middle East, the organization founded in 1913 to combat anti-Semitism in the United States.Presenting himself as a defender of religious freedom, Moore spoke out during the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) regarding the plight of Christian and Yazidi minorities persecuted by jihadists. The current leader of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been very active in the Middle East for years, where he has held meetings with political and religious leaders, including the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Moore claims to have been actively involved in the signing of the “Abraham Accords,” the strategic pacts between Israel and some Arab states promoted under the aegis of the first Trump administration (2017-2021). His relationship with the current US president dates back to the 2016 election campaign, when Moore served as co-chair of Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board. The following year, Moore and other evangelical leaders pressured Trump to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump subsequently appointed Moore to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.The opaque nature of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) funds has sparked controversy even within Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has called the foundation a “shell company” covertly funded by the Israeli government itself. Lapid has used the same definition for another US organization working in Gaza with the GHF: Safe Reach Solutions (SRS). This company, along with UG Solutions (run by a former US Green Beret), has been commissioned by the GHF to provide armed protection for food distribution centers in Gaza. In practice, these are armed contractors who, according to the Israeli press, have been operating in Gaza since January 2025 without the supervision of the Shin Bet, the Israeli security service that also operates in the Palestinian territories. SRS is headed by Phil Reilly, a former CIA officer. Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) was incorporated in the state of Wyoming on November 20, 2024, and is believed to be linked to the American strategic consulting firm Orbis Operations. In the fall of 2024, the Israeli government commissioned Orbis to design a plan to distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza without going through UN agencies. The plan presented by Orbis envisioned the creation of a food distribution center managed by a private humanitarian organization, entrusting its security to private contractors in coordination with the Israeli army. This is the plan ultimately adopted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and the two contracting companies, SRS and UG Solutions.According to UN estimates, since the start of GHF operations in Gaza, more than 580 civilians have been killed and more than 4,000 injured in the foundation’s aid distribution centers. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 7/7/2025)
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Kathmandu (Agenzia Fides) – Nepal’s new education law, currently being approved, has sparked intense public debate and protests by teachers. The Nepal Teachers’ Federation has threatened to launch a fresh protest if the School Education Bill is not endorsed within a week. The bill, with 163 sections, had received more than 1,700 amendments. It took one and a half months of rigorous discussions for the panel to reach a conclusion. However, the federation has said the revised version is more regressive than the original bill that was registered in Parliament in September 2023.The Minister of Education has stated that the government has allocated 211 billion rupees to the education sector for next year and plans to include private schools under state regulation. Teachers are demanding fair wages, job security, and better working conditions, with one priority objective: guaranteeing the right to education for all children. Despite the Nepalese Constitution recognizes this right, problems such as poverty, social exclusion, gender discrimination, outdated teaching methods, and inadequate infrastructure persist. “Despite the progress made, challenges such as poverty, social exclusion, and gender bias continue to compromise children’s access to education,” Father Pius Perumana, a priest of the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, the ecclesiastical district that covers the entire country, told Fides. “One of the issues at stake,” he notes, “is the effort to ensure that private schools are exclusively profit-oriented, which, in my opinion, is a good measure. The main problem in Nepal is how to make the right to education accessible to children even in the most remote corners of the country,” he emphasizes. Nepal is home to 11.5 million children out of a population of 33 million, and nearly one million are orphans. Children aged 0 to 14 represent 39% of the population, with 3.5 million of them being of school age (8-12 years). The 2015 Constitution guarantees free and compulsory education up to the primary level (grades 1-8) and free education up to the secondary level (grades 9-12). This right has been strengthened by the Free and Compulsory Education Act, which includes marginalized groups such as Dalit children and children with disabilities. According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Catholic Church (data as of December 31, 2023), the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, which has a community of 8,000 Catholics, operates, with the support of religious orders, 24 kindergartens (1,300 children), 29 primary schools (more than 13,000 students), and 25 secondary schools with 25,000 students of different ethnicities and religions, actively contributing to the right to education in the country. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 7/72025)
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Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Investigation opened into parish church after concerns raised over its financial controls
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Trinity with St. John, Micklegate and St. Martin Cum Gregory, York
The charity, whose working name is Holy Trinity Micklegate PCC, is a Church of England parish church situated in York city centre and was registered with the Commission in 2018.
The Commission initially engaged with the charity after it failed to submit its annual accounting information for the financial years ending 31 December 2022 and 2023.
During the course of its engagement, the Commission received a report from the current trustees highlighting serious concerns about the charity’s previous financial management, and it has now escalated its case to a statutory inquiry.
The regulator’s inquiry will examine the administration, governance and management of the charity, with particular regard to:
whether the charity is being managed in accordance with its governing document and has a sufficient number of willing and capable trustees
the financial management of the charity including whether the charity has appropriate and robust financial controls in place
the management of potential conflicts of interest and connected party transactions, and whether there has been any unauthorised personal benefit
whether the charity has suffered a financial loss as a result of any misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.
It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Read further information about what the Commission does
On 4 June 2025, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”) as a result of its regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and/ or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation.
The Commission does not investigate criminal allegations which are matters for the police.
THE JOYFUL world of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant will be delighting visitors to Leicester Museum & Art Gallery this summer.
From Saturday (12 July), families can enjoy a free exhibition that includes interactive displays, author’s artwork and a giant jigsaw featuring everyone’s favourite elephant.
Created by author and illustrator David McKee more than 35 years ago, and the star of more than 40 books, Elmer is joined at the exhibition by Mr Benn, King Rollo and Not Now, Bernard – popular characters also created by David McKee.
Youngsters will be able to dress up in the Mr Benn costume shop and take part in free activities inspired by the imaginative world of Elmer and friends.
On Friday 18 July, there’s an opportunity to make a storybook, while on Friday 25 July, children can use a range of materials to create their own collage creatures inspired by David McKee’s illustrations. Free craft activities on Friday 1 August include the chance to design a colourful trail of cardboard elephants. All drop-in activities run from 11am until 3pm.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — A Chinese-developed robot dog managed to reach a speed of 10.3 meters per second during a TV show on Sunday, matching the world’s best sprinters.
During the race, the four-legged robot nicknamed “Heibao” /”Black Panther”/, weighing 38 kg and standing 0.63 m tall, broke the previous world speed record for such machines, which belonged to Boston Dynamics and their robot WildCat.
A video broadcast by China Central Television shows Heibao reaching impressive speeds on a treadmill. Recall that Usain Bolt’s world record for the 100m is 9.58 seconds, which translates to a speed of 10.44 m/sec.
Heibao was first unveiled in January of this year, when it demonstrated an astonishing step rate of 5 steps per second, making it one of the fastest quadrupedal robots in the world.
The new development was made possible by a collaboration between Zhejiang University’s Innovation Institute, which specializes in humanoid robots, and Hangzhou-based startup Mirror Me.
The newly upgraded Heibao now outsprints most humans, but still lags behind other recognized land-based sprinters such as cheetahs, ostriches, pronghorns, etc.
In the future, it could be used for disaster relief and logistics. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) — China’s textile industry recorded steady growth in the first four months of this year, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed Monday.
According to the agency, during the reporting period, the added value of products of the country’s leading textile companies, whose annual income from core activities is at least 20 million yuan (about 2.8 million US dollars), increased by 4.2 percent year-on-year.
The combined operating income of the above-mentioned enterprises for the period was 1.49 trillion yuan, down 0.5 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, from January to April, the sector’s leading retail chains posted combined sales of 6.4 trillion yuan, up 5.9 percent year-on-year.
In the first four months, the country’s textile and clothing exports grew by 1.1 percent year-on-year to $90.5 billion.
Experts believe that despite the increasing volatility in the international market and the continuing domestic difficulties, the textile industry, as a traditional sector, still has a large production scale, wide market demand and high employment capacity. It continues to play a key role in supporting the economy and the well-being of the population.
According to an industry insider, many textile companies, under pressure from the difficult international environment, are stepping up their efforts to find and create new materials and are actively seeking to enter the premium segment of international production chains. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
NABLUUS, July 7 (Xinhua) — Two Palestinians were killed Sunday by Israeli soldiers after they surrounded a house in the village of Salem, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, a Palestinian official and eyewitnesses said.
Nablus Governor Ghassan Daglas identified the victims as Wissam Ishtaie, 37, and Qusay Nasser, 23.
Israeli forces surrounded a house in Salem for several hours, during which there was a shootout and clashes with Palestinian youths, local witnesses said.
The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. –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.
