Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Arsenal has completed the signing of Spain international midfielder Martin Zubimendi on a “long-term” contract.
The 26-year-old, who had spent all of his career with Real Sociedad, joined last season’s Premier League runner-up for 51 million pounds (70 million U.S. dollars) and becomes the second player from the San Sebastian outfit to join Arsenal, after the arrival of Mikel Merino last summer.
Jude Bellingham (R) of Real Madrid vies with Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad during the Copa del Rey semifinal 2nd leg football match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad, in Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain, on April 1, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
“This is a huge moment in my career. It’s the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realize how big this club and this team are,” said Zubimendi, who had also attracted interest from Real Madrid and has 19 caps for Spain.
“I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come,” he added in words published on the Arsenal website.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta welcomed the signing of one of his club’s key summer targets.
“We welcome Martin and his family to the club. We look forward to him settling in with his teammates and are very excited to see him playing in an Arsenal shirt.”
“Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well, and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us.”
“The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us,” added Arteta.
Arsenal is also thought to be closing in on a deal to sign Noni Madueke from Chelsea, with the England winger said to have agreed to a five-year contract at the Emirates.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Real Madrid will face Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals after both sides claimed quarterfinal victories on Saturday.
In New Jersey, Real Madrid survived a late scare to secure a 3-2 win over a fast-finishing Borussia Dortmund while Paris Saint-Germain overcame Bayern Munich 2-0 in Atlanta.
Kylian Mbappe (L) of Real Madrid scores with a volley during the quarterfinal match between Real Madrid (Spain) and Borussia Dortmund (Germany) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in New Jersey, the United States, July 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Fifteen-time UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid looked to be cruising as they entered second-half stoppage time with a 2-0 lead courtesy of first-half goals from Gonzalo Garcia and Fran Garcia at MetLife Stadium.
Maximilian Beier pulled one back in the 93rd minute before Kylian Mbappe appeared to settle Madrid’s nerves a minute later by volleying home his first goal of the tournament.
But Serhou Guirassy reduced the deficit again by converting from the penalty spot after he was dragged down by Dean Huijsen, an offense that earned the Spain international defender a straight red card.
The Spanish side held on to set up a duel with PSG at the same venue next Wednesday for a place in the final.
“Everything was under control but the last 10 minutes were kind of crazy,” Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said after the match. “We lost a little bit of our shape, our intensity and luckily we managed to hold on. Overall, it was a good eighty minutes but the last 10 minutes showed we need to improve.”
Alonso hailed the impact of Gonzalo Garcia, who has four goals in five games this tournament, as well as an assist.
“He is doing great work for the team,” the former Spain midfielder said. “He is helping the team and he is running into the right positions in the box. He is a proper No. 9, and we are happy that he is doing that work.”
Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac said his team paid the price for a poor start.
“I don’t think we played well in the first half,” the former Croatia midfielder said. “We were too passive, just waiting and not aggressive enough. It was a bit better after the break.”
He reserved special praise for Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who denied Marcel Sabitzer an equalizer in the final seconds.
“That final save was unbelievable,” Kovac said. “I really thought that shot would go in but this is a world-class goalkeeper. We lost the game in the first half, not the second.”
Earlier, late goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele gave nine-man Paris Saint-Germain victory over Bayern Munich.
The result was overshadowed by a serious ankle injury suffered by Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala in a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma just before halftime.
Doue put the European champions ahead in the 78th minute with a long-range effort that beat goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at his near post.
The Parisian side was then reduced to nine men after Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez were both shown straight red cards within 10 minutes.
Despite the double setback, Dembele swept home PSG’s second goal in stoppage time following Achraf Hakimi’s cross.
“It’s always difficult to play against a great team like Bayern Munich,” PSG manager Luis Enrique told a post-match news conference. “And thinking about the last part of the match where we played with one man less and then two, it was very difficult.
“We have to recover and focus on the semifinal. In this very long season, to come here with that attitude that we see from the team in each training session and each game, I think we deserve to be here. I also think our fans deserve to see this. I hope we’ll keep improving and be able to play another final. That’s our goal.”
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany said the final scoreline did not accurately reflect the match.
“We weren’t rewarded for a performance that was exactly what was required against PSG,” he said. “That’s a shame. I knew it would be a close game. It could’ve finished 1-0 or 2-0 to us or them. That’s how it turned out. It was a game with high intensity and high quality.
“Tomorrow we fly home and have three weeks off. It’s important that the boys can also mentally switch off a bit now. We need to regain our strength for next season.”
Kompany said the club’s thoughts were with Musiala and wished the German international a prompt recovery.
“I’ve rarely been so angry at halftime, not against my players – I know there are much more important things in life, but for these guys it’s their life,” the former Belgium international defender said.
“Someone like Jamal lives for this. He just came back from a setback, and now this happens. You feel powerless. My blood is still boiling right now, not because of the result, that’s football. But because it happened to someone who enjoys the game so much.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious ankle injury during his side’s 2-0 FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Jamal Musiala (R) of FC Bayern Munich passes the ball during the quarterfinal match between Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) and FC Bayern Munich (GER) at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, July 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
The 22-year-old sustained a fibula fracture and multiple torn ligaments in his left ankle following a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in Atlanta. The scene left teammates and opponents visibly shaken, and after an agonizing 15-minute deliberation pitchside, Bayern team doctor Peter Hahne and sporting director Christoph Freund confirmed that Musiala would return to Germany for treatment.
Images of the incident showed Musiala’s ankle bending unnaturally, prompting an emotional reaction from Donnarumma, who broke into tears and knelt on the pitch, covering his face with his gloves. Players from both teams, including Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich, Michael Olise, Kingsley Coman and PSG defender Willian Pacho, reacted in visible distress as Musiala screamed in pain.
Musiala’s injury is a significant blow for both Bayern and the Germany national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The midfielder had only recently returned from a muscle injury in April and was making his first start back in the lineup for the tournament in the United States.
The incident overshadowed Bayern’s defeat and the final appearance of 35-year-old club legend Thomas Muller, who is departing after 25 years with the club.
Tributes and messages of support flooded social media. Brazilian star Neymar wrote, “Football needs your unique talent; I hope you are back soon,” while new Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz added: “All prayers are with you. Stay strong, buddy.” PSG teammates Achraf Hakimi and Donnarumma also offered public messages of support.
“It was a highly emotional moment,” Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany said. “At halftime, my blood was boiling.”
Muller echoed the sentiment. “We’re not robots. You try to stay focused, but we have deep personal connections. He’s been through a lot in recent months.”
Initial medical assessments suggest Musiala will be out for at least six months. He rejoined his teammates in Orlando after the match and is expected to return to Germany late Sunday local time.
“He is extremely frustrated,” said Bayern board member Max Eberl. “The Bayern family will be there for him every step of the way on his long road to recovery.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chelsea continued with its movement in the summer transfer market with the club on Saturday announcing the signing of England winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (L) of Dortmund vies with Phillipp Steinhart of 1860 Munich during a German Cup first round football match between TSV 1860 Munich and Borussia Dortmund in Munich, Germany, July 29, 2022. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)
The 20-year-old Gittens has agreed a contract until the end of June 2032 and has cost an initial 48.5 million pounds (66.25 million U.S. dollars).
He is the third attacking player to join Chelsea this summer, following Liam Delap from Ipswich and Joao Pedro from Brighton.
Pedro joined up with Chelsea in the USA earlier this week and will be able to play for the club in the remaining rounds of the FIFA Club World Cup, but Gittens won’t be able to do that as he has already appeared for Dortmund, who plays Real Madrid in the quarter-finals later on Saturday.
Gittens can play on either wing and he made 107 appearances for Dortmund after joining from Manchester City in 2021.
“It feels great… It’s a great feeling to join such a big club as Chelsea.”
“I can’t wait to learn from everyone in the team and to push myself to the max here. It’s an amazing feeling,” Gittens said on the Chelsea website.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
July 6 marks the 75th anniversary of the foundation of Kurganmashzavod.
Dear friends!
I congratulate you on this significant date – the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant.
Your enterprise has made a great contribution to the development of domestic mechanical engineering and strengthening the country’s defense capability. Over the years, the labor of many generations of engineers, designers, and skilled workers has created the only enterprise in the country for the production of infantry and airborne combat vehicles.
Today, the unique technical potential of the plant allows it to fulfill state defense orders in a high-quality and timely manner, and to produce the latest models of military equipment that confirm their reliability and combat characteristics during a special military operation.
It is important that you use progressive design solutions and modern materials. You pay special attention to the implementation of innovations, increasing labor productivity. This allows you to increase the volume of high-tech products for civilian and dual purposes.
I am confident that love for their profession and a responsible attitude to work will allow the team of the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant to continue to ensure the protection of national interests and the defense capability of our state.
I wish you and your families success in your work, health, happiness and prosperity.
M. Mishustin
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: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Resolution of July 1, 2025 No. 992
Document
Resolution of July 1, 2025 No. 992
The state nature reserve “Donetsk Steppe” has been created in a number of territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Zaporizhia Oblast. The decree on this was signed by the Chairman of the Government Mikhail Mishustin.
The new specially protected natural area includes 4 clusters – “Kalmiussky”, “Stone Graves”, “Chalk Flora” and “Khomutovskaya Steppe”, which were previously parts of the steppe reserve created in 1961. Their total area is more than 3 thousand hectares.
The clusters represent different types of steppe landscapes, each with its own species of flora and fauna. Many of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia, including the Schrenk tulip, golden eagle, osprey, white-tailed eagle, demoiselle crane and others.
The creation of the reserve will ensure a special protection regime for a significant number of rare and endangered species of plants, birds and animals, and will contribute to an increase in their numbers and natural migration.
The work is being carried out within the framework of the implementation of the state program “Environmental Protection” and the program of socio-economic development of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
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: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
July 6, 2025 marks the professional holiday – Day of Workers of the Sea and River Fleet.
Dear friends!
I congratulate you on the Day of the Sea and River Fleet.
The professions of a sailor and a riverman are respected in society. They require high professionalism, responsibility and discipline. It is largely due to your work that the Northern Sea Route, the capacity of sea ports, the system of inland waterways are developing, and both foreign trade and transportation within the country are carried out.
Today, the industry is successfully solving new problems. Active work is underway to develop the Arctic and Far Eastern seas, and to develop waterways within international transport corridors. Much is being done to digitalize shipping, which allows for increasing export and transit opportunities, improving the quality and safety of passenger and freight transportation.
I would like to express special gratitude to all fleet veterans. In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, we remember with deep respect those who participated in the defense of Leningrad and Moscow, Sevastopol and Stalingrad, fought at the walls of Novorossiysk and in Kerch. Their fortitude and courage are an example for the new generation of specialists.
On this festive day, I wish you all success, health, and prosperity.
M. Mishustin
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
PM Modi also met Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel on the sidelines of the summit. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials were present at the meeting.
The BRICS Summit, hosted by Brazil, has brought together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia.
Brazil assumed the BRICS Chairship on January 1, 2025, with the theme ‘Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance’.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Workers in line for £29,000 boost thanks to landmark Pensions Bill
The Bill is set to transform the pensions landscape for years to come and put more money in people’s pockets as part of the Plan for Change
Pension Schemes Bill could boost returns to pension saving by thousands of pounds
Changes will also make it easier for savers to access and manage their pensions
Working people on an average salary who save into a pension pot over their career, could benefit by up to £29,000 by the time they retire thanks to major Government reforms that will consolidate small pension pots, ensure schemes are value for money, and create larger pension schemes.
The figure was revealed as the Pension Schemes Bill returns to Parliament for its second reading today [7 July 2025].
Reforms in the Bill, which have received wide-spread support from the pensions industry and consumer groups, will support 20 million pension savers to get more from their pension pots and be better prepared for retirement.
The Bill will bring together small pension pots worth £1,000 or less into one pension scheme that is certified as delivering good value to savers, making pension saving less hassle and more rewarding. At present many people struggle to keep track of multiple small pensions as they move jobs and can pay high fees as a result.
In future pension schemes will also need to prove they are value for money, helping savers understand whether their scheme is giving them good returns and protecting them from getting stuck in underperforming schemes for years on end.
These measures will lay the foundation for the upcoming Pensions Review to examine how we get to a fair and sustainable pensions system, supporting growth and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change by putting more money into people’s pockets.
Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said:
We’re ramping up the pace of pension reform, to ensure that people’s pension savings works as hard for them as they worked to save.
The measures in our Pension Schemes Bill will drive costs down and returns up on workers’ retirement savings – putting more money in people’s pockets to the tune of up to £29,000 for an average earner and delivering on our Plan for Change.
Other measures include:
New rules creating multi-employer DC scheme “megafunds” of at least £25 billion, so that bigger and better pension schemes can drive down costs and invest in a wider range of assets.
Simplifying retirement choices, with all pension schemes offering default routes to an income in retirement.
Increased flexibility for Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes to safely release surplus worth collectively £160 billion, to support employers’ investment plans and to benefit scheme members.
The reforms will also unlock long-term investment in the UK economy by removing barriers to growth, strengthening the security and governance of pension schemes and ultimately delivering better returns for people saving for their retirement.
The pace of pension reform has ramped up with measures in the Bill set to revolutionise the pensions landscape in the coming years. While the benefits of the Bill are clear, significant challenges still remains with these benefits varied for different workers and different groups. This is why the upcoming Pensions Review will examine challenges such as pension adequacy to ensure underserved groups do not miss out on the benefits arising from these measures.
Reforms announced as part of the Bill will also future proof the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) by leading to the consolidation of all £400 billion of assets into a small number of expert asset pools which can invest in local areas infrastructure, housing and clean energy.
Minister for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon OBE said:
This Bill will ensure the Local Government Pension Scheme is fit for the future and harness its full potential, with assets due to reach £1 trillion by 2040, and will strengthen investment in local communities to accelerate growth as part of our Plan for Change.
Zoe Alexander, Director of Policy and Advocacy for PLSA:
The introduction of the Pension Schemes Bill is a significant milestone, bringing forward necessary legislation to enact important reforms that have the full backing of the pensions industry. This includes small pots consolidation, the Value for Money regime, decumulation options and changes to give DB funds more options for securing member benefits over the long-term.
Once fully implemented, these measures should reduce the cost of administering pensions, remove complexity for savers and help ensure schemes are maximising the value they provide members.
Additional Information
To build scale in the pensions industry and stimulate UK investment, the Pension Schemes Bill will:
Require multi-employer Defined Contribution schemes used for automatic enrolment, unless exempt, to have at least £25 billion of assets in their main default arrangement by 2030 or be on route to achieving that scale by 2035 through having £10 billion in their main default.
Allow more flexibility for trustees of well-funded Defined Benefit pension schemes to share surplus funds with employers and their scheme members, with strict funding safeguards, unlocking some of the £160 billion surplus funds to be reinvested across the UK economy, boosting business productivity and delivering for members.
Create a legislative framework for the regulation of superfunds to encourage growth of the superfund market and underpin the security of members’ benefits.
Relax restrictions to allow the Board of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) to reduce the annual pension protection levy it collects from pension schemes, when it is not required and collect less from businesses up and down the country.
Extend the definition of ‘terminal illness’ in the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme legislation, so that eligible members who are diagnosed as terminally ill can receive payments at an earlier stage of their illness.
Lead to all Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales (LGPS) investments being managed by FCA-regulated asset pools, who will be responsible for implementing investment strategies set by their partner LGPS Administering Authorities.
To ensure better outcomes for savers, the Pension Schemes Bill will:
Introduce powers to create a Value for Money framework to enable a shift in focus from cost towards value and protect savers from becoming stuck in underperforming arrangements for extended periods.
Implement Guided Retirement Options which will place duties on trustees to provide default solutions for their members, unless the member chooses to opt-out. The default will provide an income in later life, including consideration for longevity protection – which could include CDC provision.
Enable authorisation of providers to act as a consolidator scheme. This will also aid the building of scale with pots worth £1,000 or less consolidated into a small number of large, good value schemes.
Facilitate PPF and FAS information to be displayed on dashboards.
The Competent Court measure in the Bill will confirm the legal standing of The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) to make enforceable determinations in pensions overpayment recoupment cases without requiring a county court judge’s order, leading to quicker customer journeys and shorter waiting times.
The £29,000 boost to retirement pots is estimated through assuming greater investment performance through addressing underperformance and increasing diversification, reducing costs which could be passed onto savers and by investing for longer, ensuring worker’s pension pots work harder, for longer.
These figures are based on published annual earnings averages, which shows a full-time male will earn just over £37,000 a year and a woman just under £32,000.
Measures in the Bill mean that an average male earner at the start of their career could see up to £31,000 more in their retirement fund by the time they retire while a women could see £26,000 more in their retirement fund. See the Pension Schemes Bill Impact Assessment for further details on the calculations.
India’s women boxers led the country’s best-ever show at the World Boxing Cup in Astana on Sunday, with Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine (57kg) and Nupur (80+kg) clinching gold medals to cap off a memorable campaign.
Sakshi outclassed USA’s Yosline Perez with a unanimous verdict in the women’s 54kg final, while Jaismine edged past Brazil’s Jucielen Cequeira Romeu 4:1 in the 57kg bout. Nupur rounded off the day with a dominant 5:0 win over Kazakhstan’s Yeldana Talipova in the 80+kg final.
India ended its campaign with 11 medals — three gold, five silver and three bronze — bettering its tally from the first leg in Brazil, where the team won six medals, including one gold.
Sakshi set the tone for India on the final day with her aggressive approach and quick combination punches to seal the first gold. Jaismine, 23, used her reach smartly to keep her opponent at bay in a close contest before landing clean counters in the final round to pull ahead.
Nupur, who lost the opening round to the local favourite Talipova, came back strong to dominate the next two rounds with better footwork and sharper attacks.
Earlier, Meenakshi went down fighting to Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay in the 48kg final, losing 2:3.
Jugnoo (men’s 85kg), Pooja Rani (women’s 80kg), Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg) settled for silver after finishing second in their respective finals. Jugnoo lost 0:5 to Kazakhstan’s Bekzad Nurdauletov, while Pooja went down by the same margin to Australia’s Eseta Flint. Hitesh lost 0:5 to Brazil’s Kaian Oliveira and Jamwal fell short 2:3 against Yuri Falcao.
The Board of Kvika banki hf. has approved the request from the Board of Arion banki hf. to initiate formal merger discussions between Kvika banki hf. and Arion banki hf. A letter of intent to that effect has been signed by both parties.
In the ongoing merger discussions between the companies, it is proposed that the price per share in Kvika bank will be set at ISK 19.17 and ISK 174.5 per share for Arion bank in the anticipated merger. As such, shareholders of Kvika will receive 485,237,822 new shares in the merged entity, reflecting 26% ownership. A reasonable adjustment of the exchange ratio is expected in the event of a distribution made by the companies to their shareholders prior to the effective date of the merger.
The negotiations are expected to take place over the coming weeks, and further updates will be provided as appropriate and in accordance with the bank’s statutory disclosure obligations.
Please note that this notice is a disclosure of inside information per article 7 of regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on market abuse (“MAR”), which is implemented into Icelandic law with the act on measures against market abuse No 60/2021.
The Board of Kvika banki hf. has approved the request from the Board of Arion banki hf. to initiate formal merger discussions between Kvika banki hf. and Arion banki hf. A letter of intent to that effect has been signed by both parties.
In the ongoing merger discussions between the companies, it is proposed that the price per share in Kvika bank will be set at ISK 19.17 and ISK 174.5 per share for Arion bank in the anticipated merger. As such, shareholders of Kvika will receive 485,237,822 new shares in the merged entity, reflecting 26% ownership. A reasonable adjustment of the exchange ratio is expected in the event of a distribution made by the companies to their shareholders prior to the effective date of the merger.
The negotiations are expected to take place over the coming weeks, and further updates will be provided as appropriate and in accordance with the bank’s statutory disclosure obligations.
Please note that this notice is a disclosure of inside information per article 7 of regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on market abuse (“MAR”), which is implemented into Icelandic law with the act on measures against market abuse No 60/2021.
Kenya: Call for bids for provision of packaged natural mineral water
The British High Commission Nairobi is inviting bids for the supply of packaged natural mineral water.
On behalf of the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the British High Commission (BHC) in Nairobi are seeking the services for the provision of packaged natural mineral water at British High Commission Nairobi. We are therefore looking for a Supplier that has the relevant professional skills, experience, technical resources and financial capability to provide supply packaged natural mineral water.
Full details on the requirements, including instructions for interested bidders and registration are available via the FCDO’s e-Procurement portal, which requires registration. Registering is quick, easy, free and is the only way in which one is able to review the tender documents
Competent and financially stable suppliers are invited to access the invitation to tender documents by following these steps:
Navigate to provision of packaged natural mineral water at the British High Commission Nairobi CPG/12632/2025. ITT 7148. Project 12632
Contact the Regional Procurement Manager; Thabang.Mokoena@fcdo.gov.uk for any queries. Kindly note that the responses are required to be in English.
Deadlines
Please note that the invitation to tender documents should be completed and uploaded on the BRAVOSolution e-Procurement Portal by 15:00 EAT on 28 July 2025.
Disclaimer
The BHC reserves the right not to select any service provider and will only reply to the best-suited organisation.
The BHC will not meet any expenses incurred in preparing your Invitation to tender documents.
Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling technology came under fire on Sunday after an embarrassing malfunction robbed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of a point during her last-16 victory over Britain’s Sonay Kartal on Centre Court.
Russian Pavlyuchenkova had reached game point at 4-4 in the opening set and Kartal hit a shot that looked clearly long but there was no call and Pavlyuchenkova stopped play.
An automated voice call of “STOP STOP” rang out and confusion reigned as umpire Nico Helwerth sought advice from tournament organisers via telephone.
Television replays showed that Kartal’s shot was clearly out, yet Helwerth ruled that because the Hawk-Eye technology had not tracked the ball, the point must be replayed.
Pavlyuchenkova went on to have her serve broken and was clearly fuming at the changeover, telling the umpire: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole the game from me. You stole the game from me”.
The 34-year-old quickly regrouped and showed the resilience that has marked her long career by reaching the quarter-finals with a 7-6(3) 6-4 win.
But the main talking point was the first big glitch of Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling system that has replaced human line judges this year.
OPERATOR ERROR
Tournament officials later said the problem had been caused by operator error and that the umpire had followed the correct protocols, although Pavlyuchenkova felt that he should have intervened to correct an obvious mistake.
“We were waiting for a decision as the system was down, but I was expecting to hear if they said the ball was in or out,” Pavlyuchenkova told reporters.
“Instead they just said, replay the point. It was tricky especially as it was a very crucial moment in the match.
“I expected a different decision. I just thought also the chair umpire could take the initiative. That’s why he’s there sitting on the chair. He also saw it (was) out, he told me after the match. I thought he would do that, but he didn’t.
“I think it’s also difficult for him. He probably was scared to take such a big decision.”
Asked how she would have felt if the point had cost her the match, Pavlyuchenkova raised a smile: “I would just say that I hate Wimbledon and never come back here.”
KARTAL UNSIGHTED
Kartal said she had been unsighted as to whether her shot was out and was equally confused at the time.
“That situation is a rarity. I don’t think it’s really ever happened,” she said. “It’s tough luck. What can you do? The umpire is trying his best. I think he handled it fine.”
Pavlyuchenkova, who felt a back-up system should be in place, is not the first person this week to question the automated line-calling system.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu claimed there were wrong calls during her loss to Aryna Sabalenka.
“No, I don’t (trust the system) — I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?,” she said after her defeat.
Britain’s Jack Draper also believed it was not 100% accurate while Swiss player Belinda Bencic said this week that it was a hot topic in the locker rooms.
Pavlyuchenkova said it was something that needed to be addressed.
“I think since we have already automatic line-calling and so much invested into this, we should probably look into something else to have better decisions on it,” she said.
Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling technology came under fire on Sunday after an embarrassing malfunction robbed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of a point during her last-16 victory over Britain’s Sonay Kartal on Centre Court.
Russian Pavlyuchenkova had reached game point at 4-4 in the opening set and Kartal hit a shot that looked clearly long but there was no call and Pavlyuchenkova stopped play.
An automated voice call of “STOP STOP” rang out and confusion reigned as umpire Nico Helwerth sought advice from tournament organisers via telephone.
Television replays showed that Kartal’s shot was clearly out, yet Helwerth ruled that because the Hawk-Eye technology had not tracked the ball, the point must be replayed.
Pavlyuchenkova went on to have her serve broken and was clearly fuming at the changeover, telling the umpire: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole the game from me. You stole the game from me”.
The 34-year-old quickly regrouped and showed the resilience that has marked her long career by reaching the quarter-finals with a 7-6(3) 6-4 win.
But the main talking point was the first big glitch of Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling system that has replaced human line judges this year.
OPERATOR ERROR
Tournament officials later said the problem had been caused by operator error and that the umpire had followed the correct protocols, although Pavlyuchenkova felt that he should have intervened to correct an obvious mistake.
“We were waiting for a decision as the system was down, but I was expecting to hear if they said the ball was in or out,” Pavlyuchenkova told reporters.
“Instead they just said, replay the point. It was tricky especially as it was a very crucial moment in the match.
“I expected a different decision. I just thought also the chair umpire could take the initiative. That’s why he’s there sitting on the chair. He also saw it (was) out, he told me after the match. I thought he would do that, but he didn’t.
“I think it’s also difficult for him. He probably was scared to take such a big decision.”
Asked how she would have felt if the point had cost her the match, Pavlyuchenkova raised a smile: “I would just say that I hate Wimbledon and never come back here.”
KARTAL UNSIGHTED
Kartal said she had been unsighted as to whether her shot was out and was equally confused at the time.
“That situation is a rarity. I don’t think it’s really ever happened,” she said. “It’s tough luck. What can you do? The umpire is trying his best. I think he handled it fine.”
Pavlyuchenkova, who felt a back-up system should be in place, is not the first person this week to question the automated line-calling system.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu claimed there were wrong calls during her loss to Aryna Sabalenka.
“No, I don’t (trust the system) — I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?,” she said after her defeat.
Britain’s Jack Draper also believed it was not 100% accurate while Swiss player Belinda Bencic said this week that it was a hot topic in the locker rooms.
Pavlyuchenkova said it was something that needed to be addressed.
“I think since we have already automatic line-calling and so much invested into this, we should probably look into something else to have better decisions on it,” she said.
Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling technology came under fire on Sunday after an embarrassing malfunction robbed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of a point during her last-16 victory over Britain’s Sonay Kartal on Centre Court.
Russian Pavlyuchenkova had reached game point at 4-4 in the opening set and Kartal hit a shot that looked clearly long but there was no call and Pavlyuchenkova stopped play.
An automated voice call of “STOP STOP” rang out and confusion reigned as umpire Nico Helwerth sought advice from tournament organisers via telephone.
Television replays showed that Kartal’s shot was clearly out, yet Helwerth ruled that because the Hawk-Eye technology had not tracked the ball, the point must be replayed.
Pavlyuchenkova went on to have her serve broken and was clearly fuming at the changeover, telling the umpire: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole the game from me. You stole the game from me”.
The 34-year-old quickly regrouped and showed the resilience that has marked her long career by reaching the quarter-finals with a 7-6(3) 6-4 win.
But the main talking point was the first big glitch of Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling system that has replaced human line judges this year.
OPERATOR ERROR
Tournament officials later said the problem had been caused by operator error and that the umpire had followed the correct protocols, although Pavlyuchenkova felt that he should have intervened to correct an obvious mistake.
“We were waiting for a decision as the system was down, but I was expecting to hear if they said the ball was in or out,” Pavlyuchenkova told reporters.
“Instead they just said, replay the point. It was tricky especially as it was a very crucial moment in the match.
“I expected a different decision. I just thought also the chair umpire could take the initiative. That’s why he’s there sitting on the chair. He also saw it (was) out, he told me after the match. I thought he would do that, but he didn’t.
“I think it’s also difficult for him. He probably was scared to take such a big decision.”
Asked how she would have felt if the point had cost her the match, Pavlyuchenkova raised a smile: “I would just say that I hate Wimbledon and never come back here.”
KARTAL UNSIGHTED
Kartal said she had been unsighted as to whether her shot was out and was equally confused at the time.
“That situation is a rarity. I don’t think it’s really ever happened,” she said. “It’s tough luck. What can you do? The umpire is trying his best. I think he handled it fine.”
Pavlyuchenkova, who felt a back-up system should be in place, is not the first person this week to question the automated line-calling system.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu claimed there were wrong calls during her loss to Aryna Sabalenka.
“No, I don’t (trust the system) — I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?,” she said after her defeat.
Britain’s Jack Draper also believed it was not 100% accurate while Swiss player Belinda Bencic said this week that it was a hot topic in the locker rooms.
Pavlyuchenkova said it was something that needed to be addressed.
“I think since we have already automatic line-calling and so much invested into this, we should probably look into something else to have better decisions on it,” she said.
Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling technology came under fire on Sunday after an embarrassing malfunction robbed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of a point during her last-16 victory over Britain’s Sonay Kartal on Centre Court.
Russian Pavlyuchenkova had reached game point at 4-4 in the opening set and Kartal hit a shot that looked clearly long but there was no call and Pavlyuchenkova stopped play.
An automated voice call of “STOP STOP” rang out and confusion reigned as umpire Nico Helwerth sought advice from tournament organisers via telephone.
Television replays showed that Kartal’s shot was clearly out, yet Helwerth ruled that because the Hawk-Eye technology had not tracked the ball, the point must be replayed.
Pavlyuchenkova went on to have her serve broken and was clearly fuming at the changeover, telling the umpire: “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole the game from me. You stole the game from me”.
The 34-year-old quickly regrouped and showed the resilience that has marked her long career by reaching the quarter-finals with a 7-6(3) 6-4 win.
But the main talking point was the first big glitch of Wimbledon‘s automated line-calling system that has replaced human line judges this year.
OPERATOR ERROR
Tournament officials later said the problem had been caused by operator error and that the umpire had followed the correct protocols, although Pavlyuchenkova felt that he should have intervened to correct an obvious mistake.
“We were waiting for a decision as the system was down, but I was expecting to hear if they said the ball was in or out,” Pavlyuchenkova told reporters.
“Instead they just said, replay the point. It was tricky especially as it was a very crucial moment in the match.
“I expected a different decision. I just thought also the chair umpire could take the initiative. That’s why he’s there sitting on the chair. He also saw it (was) out, he told me after the match. I thought he would do that, but he didn’t.
“I think it’s also difficult for him. He probably was scared to take such a big decision.”
Asked how she would have felt if the point had cost her the match, Pavlyuchenkova raised a smile: “I would just say that I hate Wimbledon and never come back here.”
KARTAL UNSIGHTED
Kartal said she had been unsighted as to whether her shot was out and was equally confused at the time.
“That situation is a rarity. I don’t think it’s really ever happened,” she said. “It’s tough luck. What can you do? The umpire is trying his best. I think he handled it fine.”
Pavlyuchenkova, who felt a back-up system should be in place, is not the first person this week to question the automated line-calling system.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu claimed there were wrong calls during her loss to Aryna Sabalenka.
“No, I don’t (trust the system) — I think the other players would say the same thing, there were some pretty dodgy ones but what can you do?,” she said after her defeat.
Britain’s Jack Draper also believed it was not 100% accurate while Swiss player Belinda Bencic said this week that it was a hot topic in the locker rooms.
Pavlyuchenkova said it was something that needed to be addressed.
“I think since we have already automatic line-calling and so much invested into this, we should probably look into something else to have better decisions on it,” she said.
Carlos Alcaraz came through a ferocious fourth-round firefight against a red-hot Andrey Rublev to win 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court and keep his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on track on Sunday.
The Spanish second seed stuttered in his opening three rounds but found his best form to eventually subdue an inspired opponent who once again came up short against the very best.
Rublev rocked Alcaraz by roaring into a 4-1 lead only to be pegged back but the Russian produced some astonishing tennis to snatch the tiebreak and move ahead.
Alcaraz never looked ruffled though and levelled the match after Rublev double-faulted on a break point. Rublev continued throwing everything in his arsenal at the champion in the third set but paid for not taking some early break points as Alcaraz found another gear.
Alcaraz looked impregnable in the fourth set and a single break of serve was enough to seal a 22nd successive match win and set up a last-eight clash with Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
“Andrey is one of the most powerful players we have on Tour and is so aggressive with the ball. It’s really difficult to face him, he forces you to the limit on each point,” Alcaraz, bidding to become only the fourth man to win back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles multiple times, said on court.
“Really happy with the way I moved and played intelligent and smart tactically. A really good match all round.”
With so many seeds having fallen early, this was the first match between top-20 players in the men’s singles this year and it did not disappoint as the quality scaled rare heights.
Rublev, 27, has barely been outside of the top 10 since 2022 but has never got close to winning a Grand Slam, losing all 10 quarter-finals that he has contested.
The 14th seed must have sighed when he saw Alcaraz in his way in the fourth round, but he came out in positive fashion, off-loading rockets at the five-time Grand Slam champion.
With the roof closed after earlier thunderstorms the noise of the ball striking strings sounded like rifle shots.
Rublev hit harder, then harder still and at 5-5 in the opening set launched an outrageous backhand winner off a full-blooded Alcaraz forehand and then followed with a powerful forehand of his own to the baseline to move a set ahead.
He barely did anything wrong after that but Alcaraz, finally clicking into gear after three scratchy wins, showed why taking the title off him will be such a tough task.
The turning point came at 3-3 in the third set when Rublev, attempting to save a break point, sent Alcaraz sliding from side to side with a barrage of power only for the Spaniard to whip a forehand cross court winner, before cupping his ear to the crowd who rose as one to salute the moment of genius.
Rublev stuck manfully to his task but he was powerless to prevent an 11th loss from 11 matches against top-five opponents at a Grand Slam.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Sunday met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the 2025 BRICS summit, during which the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation among other key issues.
“Good to meet with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia on the sidelines of #BRICS2025. Discussed bilateral cooperation, West Asia, BRICS and SCO”, the EAM said in a post on X.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X, “Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of External Affairs of India @DrSJaishankar hold a meeting on the sidelines of the XVII #BRICS Summit. Rio de Janeiro, July 6.”
Jaishankar also shared a photo with the Russian Foreign Minister.
The meeting took place as BRICS leaders condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. In response, India’s armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Notably, Russia, besides condemning the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, maintained that it stands in solidarity with India in eliminating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Moscow’s stand was conveyed in May this year when an all-party delegation from India, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, met senior members of the Russian Federation Council, including Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs, in Moscow to reaffirm the united stand against terrorism.
During that meeting, the Russian side strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack and reiterated its solidarity with India in the global fight against terrorism in all its forms.
The visit was part of India’s unprecedented diplomatic campaign to expose Pakistan’s sustained role in cross-border terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
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
Moscow, July 6 /Xinhua/ — Today, all of Russia is a united, cohesive people’s front. The main goal of Russians is to create a safe and peaceful future for Russia. This was stated on Sunday by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the forum “Everything for Victory!” organized by the All-Russian public movement “People’s Front “For Russia” /All-Russian People’s Front, ONF/.
“The ONF has become a truly mass public movement thanks to the support of the overwhelming majority of Russian citizens, their desire to jointly defend the life principles and values that our ancestors passed on to us, to fight and work for a common result, national success, peace and the safety of our children,” noted V. Putin, pointing out that the ONF has become an effective institution of civil society, civil solidarity, consolidation, public participation and control for Russia.
According to the Russian president, “Everything for Victory” is a historical call known and understood by every Russian, which was heard in the first days of the Great Patriotic War. “It has become a symbol of our time, the struggle for freedom and justice, the security of our native borders, for the right of the people of Russia to independently determine their own path of development. We will achieve this. And so it will be. Because together we are a colossal, indestructible force in our rightness and internal unity,” V. Putin emphasized.
“Today, the entire country is a united, cohesive people’s front. And your initiatives, concern, energy, daily work should be aimed at giving millions of people the opportunity to contribute to the Victory, subordinated to our main goal – a safe and peaceful future for Russia,” added the head of the Russian state. -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.
Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students achieve higher grades.
To better understand grade inflation, we sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers. The findings of our survey were recently published in the Journal of Academic Ethics.
Increases in grades
Over the past 50 years, many countries have reported an increase in higher university grades. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.
For example, a 2024 Australian report found a 234% increase in the number of distinction grades awarded to students at the University of Sydney between 2011 and 2021.
But are grades improving due to changes in teaching and student performance, or rather is marking generally more lenient to keep students happy?
Our study
To investigate the causes of grade inflation in Australian universities, we surveyed lecturers and tutors who have direct contact with students, teaching them and marking their work.
Our main question was:
[What is] your opinion regarding grade inflation? Does it occur, and if yes, why, and how does it impact the student, profession, institutional reputation, society, and yourself?
In July 2024, we sent the survey to the deans (heads) of research at all Australian universities, asking them to distribute it to their academics. Academics then had two months to answer the questions.
In total, we had 110 respondents, of which 88 answered all the questions of the survey. The majority were aged 31-55 (55%), women (56%), born in Australia (about 70%), with more than five years in academia (more than 80%). There were more respondents from regional Australia (44%) than from urban locations (24.5%). About 30% had experience in both types of locations.
The disciplines most represented were legal studies (37%), education (21%), science, nursing and psychology (each around 7%).
Overall opinions
The majority (73%) said they had seen grade inflation in their universities.
Academics’ dominant feelings about grade inflation were frustration (50% of respondents), powerlessness (44%) and dissatisfaction (31%).
Of those surveyed, about 11% were indifferent and 7% were satisfied with the situation they experienced around grade inflation.
The fact that many academics surveyed felt frustrated and powerlessness indicates they do not inflate grades willingly. Previous studies have suggested university management encourages grade inflation as students are seen as clients and they want to keep the client happy.
Pressure from university administration
Our respondents supported this idea. Most said grade inflation was due to student evaluations – and the role they play in management decisions about staff.
Student evaluations are anonymous questionnaires completed by students after the course about their teachers’ performance. Studies, including those in Australia, have shown the results can be insulting and even abusive, often a “punishment” of unpopular teachers. These studies also question students’ capacity to objectively assess the quality of their educators.
Because students evaluations are commonly used in promotion and retention decisions, this means teachers may inflate grades to get positive evaluations. One respondent to our survey explained the link between these evaluations and grade inflation:
there is a lot of pressure […] as students will often provide strong negative feedback in [student evaluations].
Other academics similarly lamented how the quality of their teaching was assessed “based on student surveys”. Or as another academic told us:
Everyone I know who admits to grade inflation cites student evaluations, promotion, and workload as drivers.
Complaints generate more work
On top of this, if a student complains about their grade, there is automatically more work for an academic who needs to review it and potentially respond to seniors or others in university management. As one academic admitted:
I have inflated grades slightly for students who have failed the course by less than two marks. This saves hundreds of hours of work time.
In this climate, university teachers told us they do not feel supported if a student challenges their grades. They reported it was “very hard” to fail a student and described a “fear” of students’ reactions.
The customer is always right and if they are not happy, you are asked to grade again.
Is it always a problem?
Some respondents justified grade inflation as an acceptable trade-off when done to a limited extent, or as something morally neutral. As one noted, higher grades are the result of more people studying at university:
It is simply a corollary of shifting from tertiary education for the elites to tertiary education for the masses. It is no big deal.
Another said if the increase was small – depending on the context – it would not make a big difference.
1–5 marks do not make a significant difference on professional competence for some course content.
Only three respondents presented grade inflation in a positive light, as an act of social justice or compassion. As one noted:
Students experience many competing demands and many experience mental health issues. Teachers need to be compassionate to students’ situation.
An honest discussion is needed
While countless studies debate grade inflation, ours was the first to invite academics to express their feelings. Despite the relatively small sample, the survey suggests a worrying picture of a frustrated and at times, fearful academic workforce.
Meanwhile, the extent of grade inflation reported raises questions about the quality of some degrees, and more generally about the culture of learning in Australian universities.
To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students achieve higher grades.
To better understand grade inflation, we sought the opinions of those closest to the phenomenon: university teachers. The findings of our survey were recently published in the Journal of Academic Ethics.
Increases in grades
Over the past 50 years, many countries have reported an increase in higher university grades. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.
For example, a 2024 Australian report found a 234% increase in the number of distinction grades awarded to students at the University of Sydney between 2011 and 2021.
But are grades improving due to changes in teaching and student performance, or rather is marking generally more lenient to keep students happy?
Our study
To investigate the causes of grade inflation in Australian universities, we surveyed lecturers and tutors who have direct contact with students, teaching them and marking their work.
Our main question was:
[What is] your opinion regarding grade inflation? Does it occur, and if yes, why, and how does it impact the student, profession, institutional reputation, society, and yourself?
In July 2024, we sent the survey to the deans (heads) of research at all Australian universities, asking them to distribute it to their academics. Academics then had two months to answer the questions.
In total, we had 110 respondents, of which 88 answered all the questions of the survey. The majority were aged 31-55 (55%), women (56%), born in Australia (about 70%), with more than five years in academia (more than 80%). There were more respondents from regional Australia (44%) than from urban locations (24.5%). About 30% had experience in both types of locations.
The disciplines most represented were legal studies (37%), education (21%), science, nursing and psychology (each around 7%).
Overall opinions
The majority (73%) said they had seen grade inflation in their universities.
Academics’ dominant feelings about grade inflation were frustration (50% of respondents), powerlessness (44%) and dissatisfaction (31%).
Of those surveyed, about 11% were indifferent and 7% were satisfied with the situation they experienced around grade inflation.
The fact that many academics surveyed felt frustrated and powerlessness indicates they do not inflate grades willingly. Previous studies have suggested university management encourages grade inflation as students are seen as clients and they want to keep the client happy.
Pressure from university administration
Our respondents supported this idea. Most said grade inflation was due to student evaluations – and the role they play in management decisions about staff.
Student evaluations are anonymous questionnaires completed by students after the course about their teachers’ performance. Studies, including those in Australia, have shown the results can be insulting and even abusive, often a “punishment” of unpopular teachers. These studies also question students’ capacity to objectively assess the quality of their educators.
Because students evaluations are commonly used in promotion and retention decisions, this means teachers may inflate grades to get positive evaluations. One respondent to our survey explained the link between these evaluations and grade inflation:
there is a lot of pressure […] as students will often provide strong negative feedback in [student evaluations].
Other academics similarly lamented how the quality of their teaching was assessed “based on student surveys”. Or as another academic told us:
Everyone I know who admits to grade inflation cites student evaluations, promotion, and workload as drivers.
Complaints generate more work
On top of this, if a student complains about their grade, there is automatically more work for an academic who needs to review it and potentially respond to seniors or others in university management. As one academic admitted:
I have inflated grades slightly for students who have failed the course by less than two marks. This saves hundreds of hours of work time.
In this climate, university teachers told us they do not feel supported if a student challenges their grades. They reported it was “very hard” to fail a student and described a “fear” of students’ reactions.
The customer is always right and if they are not happy, you are asked to grade again.
Is it always a problem?
Some respondents justified grade inflation as an acceptable trade-off when done to a limited extent, or as something morally neutral. As one noted, higher grades are the result of more people studying at university:
It is simply a corollary of shifting from tertiary education for the elites to tertiary education for the masses. It is no big deal.
Another said if the increase was small – depending on the context – it would not make a big difference.
1–5 marks do not make a significant difference on professional competence for some course content.
Only three respondents presented grade inflation in a positive light, as an act of social justice or compassion. As one noted:
Students experience many competing demands and many experience mental health issues. Teachers need to be compassionate to students’ situation.
An honest discussion is needed
While countless studies debate grade inflation, ours was the first to invite academics to express their feelings. Despite the relatively small sample, the survey suggests a worrying picture of a frustrated and at times, fearful academic workforce.
Meanwhile, the extent of grade inflation reported raises questions about the quality of some degrees, and more generally about the culture of learning in Australian universities.
To maintain the quality and reputation of higher education in Australia, we need to have an open and honest discussion about grade inflation in our universities.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Story Bridge, with its sweeping steel trusses and art deco towers, is a striking sight above the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2025, it was named the state’s best landmark. But more than an icon, it serves as one of the vital arteries of the state capital, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily.
But a recent report revealed serious structural issues in the 85-year-old bridge. These included the deterioration of concrete, corrosion and overloading on pedestrian footpaths.
But this example – and far more tragic ones from around the world in recent years – have also sparked a broader conversation about the safety of ageing bridges and other urban infrastructure. A simple, proactive step known as structural health monitoring can help.
A number of collapses
In January 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States collapsed and injured several people. This collapse was caused by extensive corrosion and the fracturing of a vital steel component. It stemmed from poor maintenance and failure to act on repeated inspection recommendations. These problems were compounded by inadequate inspections and oversight.
Three years earlier, Taiwan’s Nanfang’ao Bridge collapsed. Exposure to damp, salty sea air had severely weakened its suspension cables. Six people beneath the bridge died.
In August 2018, Italy’s Morandi Bridge fell, killing 43 people. The collapse was due to corrosion in pre-stressed concrete and steel tendons. These factors were worsened by inspection and maintenance challenges.
In August 2007, a bridge in the US city of Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. This collapse was primarily due to previously unnoticed problems with the design of the bridge. But it also demonstrated how ageing infrastructure, coupled with increasing loads and ineffective routine visual inspections, can exacerbate inherent weaknesses.
A technology-driven solution
Structural health monitoring is a technology-driven approach to assessing the condition of infrastructure. It can provide near real-time information and enable timely decision-making. This is crucial when it comes to managing ageing structures.
The approach doesn’t rely solely on occasional periodic inspections. Instead it uses sensors, data loggers and analytics platforms to continuously monitor stress, vibration, displacement, temperature and corrosion on critical components.
This approach can significantly improve our understanding of bridge performance compared to traditional assessment models. In one case, it updated a bridge’s estimated fatigue life – the remaining life of the structure before fatigue-induced failure is predicted to occur– from just five years to more than 52 years. This ultimately avoided unnecessary and costly restoration.
The cost of structural health monitoring systems varies by bridge size and the extent of monitoring required. Some simple systems can cost just a few thousand dollars, while more advanced ones can cost more than A$300,000.
These systems require ongoing operational support – typically 10% to 20% of the installation cost annually – for data management, system maintenance, and informed decision-making.
Additionally, while advanced systems can be costly, scalable structural health monitoring solutions allow authorities to start small and expand over time.
A model for proactive management
The design of structural health monitoring systems has been incorporated into new large-scale bridge designs, such as Sutong Bridge in China and Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in the US.
But perhaps the most compelling example of these systems in action is the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada.
Opened in 1930, it shares design similarities with Brisbane’s Story Bridge. And, like many ageing structures, it faces its own challenges.
Opened in 1930, the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada, shares design similarities with Brisbane’s Story Bridge. Pinkcandy/Shutterstock
However, authorities managing the Jacques Cartier Bridge have embraced a proactive approach through comprehensive structural health monitoring systems. The bridge has been outfitted with more than 300 sensors.
Satellite-based radar imagery adds a remote, non-intrusive layer of deformation monitoring, and advanced data analysis ensures that the vast amounts of sensor data are translated into timely, actionable insights.
Together, these technologies demonstrate how a well-integrated structural-health monitoring system can support proactive maintenance, extend the life of ageing infrastructure – and ultimately improve public safety.
A way forward for Brisbane – and beyond
The Story Bridge’s current challenges are serious, but they also present an opportunity.
By investing in the right structural health monitoring system, Brisbane can lead the way in modern infrastructure management – protecting lives, restoring public confidence, preserving heritage and setting a precedent for cities around the world.
As climate change, urban growth, and ageing assets put increasing pressure on our transport networks, smart monitoring is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.
Andy Nguyen receives funding from the Queensland government, through the Advance Queensland fellowship. He is on the executive committee of Australian Network of Structural Health Monitoring.
On July 5, 2025, the Board of Governors (Board, BoG) of the New Development Bank (NDB) convened the Business Session of its Tenth Annual Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the theme of “Driving Development: Fostering Innovation, Cooperation, and Impact through a Multilateral Development Bank for the Global South”.
The BoG Meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Fernando Haddad, the Minister of Finance of the Federative Republic of Brazil and the NDB Governor for Brazil.
The Board welcomed the achievements of NDB in the past year and provided guidance in steering the New Development Bank towards a path of sustainable growth in the future at the juncture of its Ten-year Anniversary.
The Board of Governors officially admitted Colombia and Uzbekistan as borrowing members of the New Development Bank.
The Board of Governors discussed the General Strategy of the Bank and its implementation and provided guidance thereon.
The Board of Governors adopted its resolution on appointment of incoming Vice-President of the New Development Bank. Mr. Roman Serov was appointed as Vice-President of NDB from September 7, 2025, to September 6, 2030.
The Board elected H.E. Mr. Anton Siluanov, the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation and the NDB Governor for Russia as the next Chairperson of the Board of Governors. H.E. Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Minister of Finance of the Republic of India and the NDB Governor for India was elected as the next Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Governors. It was agreed that they would hold their respective offices until the end of the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in 2026.
The Board of Governors decided that Russia will host the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the New Development Bank in 2026.
H.E. Mr. Anton Siluanov, the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation and the NDB Governor for Russia; H.E. Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Minister of Finance of the Republic of India and the NDB Governor for India; H.E. Mr. LAN Fo’an, the Minister of Finance of the People’s Republic of China and the NDB Governor for China; Dr. David Masondo, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of South Africa and the NDB Alternate Governor for South Africa; Mr. Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the NDB Alternate Governor for Bangladesh; Mr. Mr. Mohamed Bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs and the NDB Governor for the United Arab Emirates; Mr. Atter Hannoura, Director of the PPP Central Unit, Ministry of Finance of Egypt of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the NDB Temporary Alternate Governor for Egypt, participated in the Meeting.
Background Information
New Development Bank was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.
For more information on NDB, please visit www.ndb.int.
SHREWSBURY, United Kingdom, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lightchain AI, a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain platform purpose-built for decentralized artificial intelligence, has officially launched its Bonus Round after completing all 15 presale stages and raising more than $21 million in early contributions. This new phase offers fixed pricing at $0.007125 and is the final opportunity for supporters to gain early access ahead of the project’s mainnet launch, scheduled for July 2025.
The successful conclusion of the presale demonstrates strong market interest and community confidence in Lightchain AI’s long-term vision. Central to this vision is the integration of artificial intelligence into blockchain infrastructure through the Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM) and the project’s proprietary Proof-of-Intelligence consensus mechanism. These innovations are designed to enable secure, low-latency AI execution within a fully decentralized ecosystem.
“With over $21 million raised and widespread developer engagement, Lightchain AI is entering a critical growth phase that positions it for real-world adoption and scalable use,” said a spokesperson from the Lightchain team.
The Bonus Round is backed by several ecosystem advancements already underway. Public GitHub repositories will be available at mainnet launch, providing transparency and encouraging open-source development. Additionally, the platform has introduced a $150,000 grant pool to support builders and innovators contributing to Lightchain’s evolving ecosystem.
Key presale design elements—such as the complete reallocation of the original 5% Team Allocation to developer grants and protocol incentives—underscore the platform’s community-first approach. Combined with transparent governance, active validator onboarding, and developer tools like APIs and SDKs, Lightchain AI is actively cultivating a sustainable, growth-oriented network.
This phase also introduces Lightchain’s Meme Launchpad, a creative toolkit designed to help developers and content creators build and deploy Web3-native applications in an AI-enhanced environment. The platform’s architecture features dynamic gas optimization and horizontal sharding to enable performance at scale, particularly for computation-heavy workloads.
Looking ahead, the Lightchain AI team is focused on expanding DeFi integrations and onboarding decentralized validator and contributor nodes in preparation for mainnet activation. These steps align with the project’s broader mission: to accelerate decentralized AI adoption while maintaining network transparency, security, and community ownership.
Interested participants can join the Bonus Round and access Lightchain AI resources via the official website and community channels.
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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
HOUSTON, July 6 (Xinhua) — Eleven children were still missing as of July 6, three days after massive flash floods killed at least 59 people in the central part of the U.S.’s second-largest state of Texas, local authorities said.
Search crews continue to look for children and one counselor missing from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leita said at a briefing.
“We will continue the search until everyone is found,” he assured.
The confirmed death toll includes 21 children, he said.
Flooding has affected about 20 Texas counties. –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
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 6 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with Ethiopia to promote the sustainable development of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, a flagship project of the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, and expand bilateral trade and investment, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
The head of the Chinese government made this statement during a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Li Qiang noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ethiopia 55 years ago, the two countries have always treated each other sincerely and helped each other despite the changes in the international situation. According to the Premier of the State Council, cooperation between the two countries has long been at the forefront of China-Africa cooperation.
Li Qiang recalled that in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the participants of the ministerial meeting of the coordinators of the implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FCAC), announcing new important measures such as the introduction of zero import duties on 100 percent of goods for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China.
The head of the Chinese government stressed that China is ready to use the new measures together with Ethiopia as an opportunity to promote the full practical implementation of the results of the Beijing FCAC summit.
He called for deepening all-round cooperation between the two countries and making bilateral relations a model for building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
As the premier pointed out, China will continue to support Ethiopia in independently exploring a development path suited to its own conditions, and is willing to deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, new energy vehicles, green industry, e-commerce and artificial intelligence, and enhance exchanges in tourism, youth and education.
Noting that China and Ethiopia are important countries in the Global South, Li Qiang stressed that China is willing to work with Ethiopia to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral structures such as the UN and BRICS, promote joint efforts by all parties to realize true multilateralism, firmly safeguard economic globalization and free trade, and bring more stability and positive energy to the world.
Abiy Ahmed, for his part, said that Ethiopia and China are reliable all-weather strategic partners and his country sincerely appreciates China’s long-term support and assistance in Ethiopia’s socio-economic development.
The Ethiopian side, he continued, also highly appreciates China’s efforts in implementing the results of the Beijing FCAC summit.
Noting that China plays a very important role in international affairs, especially in global development, Abiy Ahmed assured that Ethiopia is willing to intensify high-level exchanges with China and deepen political mutual trust.
The Ethiopian side, the head of the Ethiopian government emphasized, expects to jointly increase cooperation with China in such areas as economy and trade, industry, mining, communications, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, tourism, as well as strengthen communication and interaction on multilateral platforms, contributing to the sustainable and deep development of Ethiopian-Chinese relations.
The Chinese leader arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS summit. –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
RIO DE JANEIRO, July 6 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with Ethiopia to promote the sustainable development of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, a flagship project of the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, and expand bilateral trade and investment, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
The head of the Chinese government made this statement during a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Li Qiang noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ethiopia 55 years ago, the two countries have always treated each other sincerely and helped each other despite the changes in the international situation. According to the Premier of the State Council, cooperation between the two countries has long been at the forefront of China-Africa cooperation.
Li Qiang recalled that in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the participants of the ministerial meeting of the coordinators of the implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FCAC), announcing new important measures such as the introduction of zero import duties on 100 percent of goods for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China.
The head of the Chinese government stressed that China is ready to use the new measures together with Ethiopia as an opportunity to promote the full practical implementation of the results of the Beijing FCAC summit.
He called for deepening all-round cooperation between the two countries and making bilateral relations a model for building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
As the premier pointed out, China will continue to support Ethiopia in independently exploring a development path suited to its own conditions, and is willing to deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, new energy vehicles, green industry, e-commerce and artificial intelligence, and enhance exchanges in tourism, youth and education.
Noting that China and Ethiopia are important countries in the Global South, Li Qiang stressed that China is willing to work with Ethiopia to strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral structures such as the UN and BRICS, promote joint efforts by all parties to realize true multilateralism, firmly safeguard economic globalization and free trade, and bring more stability and positive energy to the world.
China’s premier arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS summit. –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
LONDON, July 6 (Xinhua) — The UK Navy’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) issued a security alert on Sunday following reports of an attack on a vessel about 51 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah.
According to UKMTO, the vessel was attacked by several boats, which fired small arms and grenade launchers. Armed guards on board the vessel returned fire, the situation is evolving. The competent authorities are currently investigating.
The incident occurred in the UKMTO voluntary reporting area, which includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. –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
Tbilisi, July 6 (Xinhua) — The Women’s World Chess Cup kicked off in the Georgian city of Batumi on Sunday, with 107 leading players from 46 countries taking part. The tournament will last until July 29, the Georgian Chess Federation reported.
This is one of the key events in the international chess calendar. The top three players will receive direct tickets to the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
Georgia is represented at the tournament by Nana Dzagnidze, Nino Batsiashvili, Meri Arabidze, Lela Javakhishvili, Bela Khotenashvili, Anastasia Kirtadze and Kesaria Mgeladze.
The total prize pool for the tournament is $691,250. The winner will receive $50,000. –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.
