Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Traffic in the center of Moscow will be restricted from 08:00 on June 28 to 07:00 on June 29 due to the All-Russian graduation ball.
It will be impossible to drive along Ilyinka Street from Staraya to Red Square and from Ilyinka Street to Varvarka in the area of house 5 on Red Square.
On June 28, the far right lane on the section of Mokhovaya Street from building 1 to building 11, building 1 will also be closed to motorists from 15:00 to 19:30.
In addition, on June 28 from 00:01 until the end of the event, parking will be prohibited on the section of Ilyinka Street from Novaya to Krasnaya Square.
Drivers are advised to take the changes into account and plan their route in advance. Detailed information can be found on the website Traffic Management Center.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In anticipation of Youth Day, the exhibition pavilion “Moscow Model” at VDNKh has prepared a special festive program. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky.
On June 27, visitors can enjoy tours of the architectural model of the city, lighting shows that clearly demonstrate the development of the capital, as well as interactive quizzes with the opportunity to win prizes.
“This Friday we have prepared a rich program that will be interesting and informative for both the younger generation and for everyone who loves our city. During the day, the pavilion’s guests will be treated to fascinating sightseeing tours of the miniature model of the capital, which will take place at 12:10, 14:10, 16:10 and 18:10. The guides will tell you about the history of the model’s creation, the unique technologies of its production and the most interesting architectural sites of the capital,” said Vladislav Ovchinsky.
During the excursions, guests will visually study the radial-ring structure of the capital and learn why Moscow is a city on seven hills. Participants of the interactive quizzes, which will be held at 12:40, 14:40, 16:40 and 18:40, will have to answer 10 questions of varying difficulty about Moscow. Prizes await everyone who successfully completes the tasks.
Lighting shows will be broadcast every half hour from 11:00 to 19:30. These unique shows, created using modern technologies, will tell about the architectural features of Moscow and show it from an unusual angle.
The Moscow Model Pavilion is a unique modern venue. Guests have the opportunity to study in detail the models of more than 23 thousand buildings and structures of the capital, reduced by 400 times. Another distinctive feature of the model is its interactivity: anyone can independently control the lighting of a separate building, district, street or the entire model, change daylight to night lighting and even illuminate a rainbow and clouds.
The Moscow Model pavilion can be visited free of charge from 10:00 to 20:00 daily, except Mondays.
You can find detailed information, view the schedule of light shows, and sign up for excursions at website or through the mobile application “Moscow Layout”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Moscow is implementing an educational project called “Nearby” dedicated to the people after whom the capital’s streets were named. It allows us to look at the city in a different way, and also helps preserve historical memory and remind us that real destinies lie behind familiar names.
As part of the project, posters will be placed on 80 streets in Moscow. They will tell about the participants of the Great Patriotic War, whose names were immortalized in the city’s toponymy. Information materials can be seen at public transport stops, newsstands and classic billboards.
Each of the 80 streets is named after one of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Thus, billboards dedicated to Georgy Zhukov, a commander who played a key role in the war, appeared on Marshal Zhukov Avenue. It was he who signed the act of unconditional surrender of Germany and hosted the Victory Parade on Red Square on June 24, 1945.
Similar posters have already been placed on several other streets, for example, on Letchitsa Tarasova, Pokryshkina and Artamonova streets.
The initiative is being carried out with the assistance of the capital’s Department of Mass Media and Advertising together with the All-Russian public-state movement of children and youth “Movement of the First”.
Moscow remembers and honors the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Almost every district has streets named after our fathers and grandfathers who fought the Nazis. 164 streets, avenues, squares and lanes of the capital are named after the defenders of the Motherland. The city is a living memory of them. All these places can be easily found on the project website “Living Memory”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Teaching a neural network to answer a thousand questions, researching superbugs, determining a person’s chronotype using a DNA test, and recognizing lies using speech markers—this and much more was done by Moscow schoolchildren who participated in the project “In the center of science”. Based at the capital’s universities and leading research clusters, high school students, under the guidance of experts, implemented ideas in the fields of biology, ecology, chemistry, physics and linguistics, conducted experiments, and then presented their results at conferences.
We tell you how the project helps students take their first steps in science, feel like real researchers, and decide on their future profession.
Diving into Science
The project “In the Center of Science” opened last year. More than 15 thousand people took part in it: over 10 thousand high school students, as well as teachers and young scientists. The project, which united the efforts of schools, universities and scientific centers, provided Moscow students with the opportunity to engage in research activities based on modern laboratories and testing grounds, consult with the best mentors, develop their own projects and defend them before the expert community.
For several months, schoolchildren attended specialized clubs, festivals, lectures, master classes, and scientific and experimental courses. They mastered advanced research methods such as microscopy, electrophoresis, 3D printing, data collection and analysis, and modeling of physical and biological processes. Young chemists studied the rate of metal corrosion and prepared a protective solution, physicists created bionic prostheses on a 3D printer, biologists performed DNA sequencing, and ecologists developed ideas for preserving the environment. Professional hackathons were organized for teachers, and meetings of the Young Scientists Club were organized for aspiring researchers.
The schoolchildren presented their projects at internal conferences and city events. And the capital’s scientists told about cutting-edge discoveries in Moscow Palace of Pioneers, where three large lectures, a large-scale festival of natural sciences and the Moscow Science Festival were held in February.
How words reveal deception
Eleventh-grader Alexandra Gatilova from School No. 1238participated in scientific and experimental courses in linguistics. She conducted a study dedicated to identifying lie markers in oral speech. Together with her team, the schoolgirl modeled a situation, interviewed dozens of respondents, analyzed the data and presented the results in the form of diagrams.
“The linguistics courses were held at the Higher School of Economics. For two months, we studied theory and conducted research. Each group had its own topic; ours was working on a project to identify markers of lying in oral monologue speech. The goal was to find out whether it is possible to understand when a person is lying based on certain words. To do this, one part of the respondents was asked to imagine that they were late for a meeting with a friend because the bus did not arrive on time. And the other part was asked to lie that the reason for being late was a delayed bus. Then we deciphered the monologues using a special application and loaded the results into a table, highlighting the matches,” says Alexandra Gatilova.
While working on the project, the schoolchildren discovered the following patterns: truthful respondents more often used polite expressions and words with a softened negative meaning than those who lied. For example, they said about the bus that it was delayed, not late.
“We managed to detect lie markers in 70 percent of respondents. We presented the research results, presented in graphs and tables, at a scientific conference. This development can be used in forensics, training psychologists, for analyzing texts using artificial intelligence in various Telegram channels. We plan to continue working on the project in the next academic year,” says the schoolgirl.
Alexandra Gatilova is also making progress in learning English and Chinese. In the future, the girl wants to become a linguist and teacher.
Participant of the conference “Engineers of the Future” and winner of the Moscow Pre-professional Physics Olympiad Lev Lezhenev from School No. 1434— the author of a project based on artificial intelligence for a large retail chain. Together with his team, the tenth-grader created a website that optimizes the work of the retail employee support service.
“Together with other participants in the project dedicated to artificial intelligence, I spent a week developing a program that would answer questions. After a theoretical course conducted by students from leading Moscow universities, we created an Internet service and built into it a neural network with a database of ready-made answers. In the format of text messages, the company’s employees could find out how many times a month their salary is accrued, how to receive maternity benefits and other important information. In total, the database included answers to about a thousand questions,” says Lev Lezhenev.
Before presenting the finished project at the conference, the schoolchildren made the necessary economic calculations. For the development, the children received an award from the customer company.
“Theoretically, such a model can be implemented at any enterprise. In the future, we want to continue working on the project and create a server that will allow us to enter a wide variety of data. I consider the “In the Center of Science” program to be very useful: it gives the opportunity to expand and deepen school knowledge, applying it in practice. In the future, I want to become a programmer, and this experience is very important to me,” the high school student shares.
The students worked in modern laboratories, collected and analyzed data, and modeled physical and biological processes. Ninth-grader Anastasia Levchenko from School No. 947participated in scientific and experimental courses on chemistry and biotechnology. She studied how the structure of DNA is related to a person’s biological predisposition to a particular chronotype (sleep and wakefulness regime).
“The two-month courses were held at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. The participants in the experiment were schoolchildren from our and neighboring streams and teachers. After they answered questions about their daily routine, we took a scraping of their buccal epithelium – cells from the inside of the cheek. Then, using an amplifier (a device for conducting a polymerase chain reaction), we isolated DNA from these cells. The nucleotide chains were examined under ultraviolet light and the results were compared with the information from the questionnaires. A thin strip of a pair of nucleotides corresponds to the lark chronotype, a thick one – an owl, and two stripes indicate that their owner belongs to the mixed chronotype of a pigeon. The results coincided with the answers of the study participants by 95 percent. Such tests will help people plan their routine taking into account biological characteristics,” explains Anastasia Levchenko.
The schoolgirl also extracted essential oils and hydrolates (water solutions) from tangerine peel, mint and dried rose petals, and determined the content of chlorophyll and other pigments in different parts of plants. Earlier, she became a prize winner of the municipal stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad in Ecology.
“In the new academic year, I plan to participate in the “At the Center of Science” project again, to do other research. This is a very good base for schoolchildren, there is an opportunity to work with advanced laboratory equipment under the guidance of specialists, to implement their ideas,” says Anastasia Levchenko, who has dreamed of connecting her life with medicine and becoming a surgeon since childhood.
How bacteria develop in kefir and how resistant they are to modern antibiotics was studied by ninth-grader Artem Reutsky from School No. 1558, winner of the Moscow School Olympiad in Biology and English.
“During the scientific and experimental courses on biotechnology, we studied superbugs. This is the name given to microorganisms that have developed resistance to antibiotics during their development. First, we collected theoretical information, then we planted cultures to grow bacteria. The study was conducted on samples of kefir from different manufacturers – we added bacteria and a paper disk soaked in antibiotics to each, and then immersed the samples in a thermostat. After a week, colonies of superbugs resistant to drugs grew in some kefir samples,” says Artem Reutsky.
The schoolchildren’s project confirmed the scientific hypothesis that antibiotic-resistant bacteria can develop in fermented milk products, so food technologists need to pay special attention to production. The students presented the results of their research in the form of diagrams at an internal scientific conference.
“This was my first serious research. It’s great that there is an opportunity to work in a well-equipped laboratory, to gain practical experience. Now I want to get into the summer camp of the project “In the Center of Science”, and in the future – to become a virologist and create a vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus,” the schoolboy shares.
In the new academic year, the project will continue to expand: the number of courses and clubs will increase, new areas will appear, and the mentoring format will develop. Registration for the summer visiting scientific school is now open, and professional competitions, hackathons, and festivals await schoolchildren in the future. You can find out more and register at website.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Department of Cultural Heritage of the City of Moscow presented an updated series of audio podcasts “Voices of Moscow Buildings”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. This year, the series is dedicated to heroic monuments – historical buildings of the capital, which not only survived the war, but also became its participants. A total of six audio stories will be released.
“The audio podcast series “Voices of Moscow Buildings” that started last year was loved by listeners, and we decided to continue it this year, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Great Victory. This time, we are telling about the most dramatic moments in the history of the capital’s iconic architectural landmarks in six audio stories. We are talking about heroic monuments – and this is by no means a metaphor. Many Moscow buildings – cultural heritage sites – were full-fledged participants in military events,” said the head of the Department of Cultural Heritage
The podcast “Miracles of Camouflage. How Theater Artists and Artists Deceived the Enemy During the War Years” is about the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army on Suvorov Square. The theater was built in 1940 according to the design of architect Karo Alabyan. The building, designed in the shape of a five-pointed star, attracted attention and needed camouflage. To do this, theater artists developed special visual techniques that hid its outlines from enemy aircraft.
The Novokuznetskaya metro station also became an important site during the war. Its design was developed by architects Nadezhda Bykova and Ivan Taranov before the start of hostilities. During air raids, the station served as a refuge for residents of Zamoskvorechye. After the start of the war, the station’s design was revised: elements dedicated to the frontline theme appeared in the decor – triumphal cartouches, a frieze with scenes of military life, mosaics. The station became one of the first memorial architectural complexes to immortalize the feat of the defenders of the Motherland.
The podcast “Art in Shelter. How Guardian Angels Managed to Hide National Heritage from Bombs” tells the story of the State Tretyakov Gallery building during the Great Patriotic War. The building with a neo-Russian style façade designed by Viktor Vasnetsov became a symbol of the museum community’s resilience. The episode reveals details of how, under the constant threat of bombing, gallery employees ensured the safety of the collection and saved works of Russian painting.
The history of the Krasny Oktyabr confectionery factory was also included in the podcast series. In 1941, its buildings were hit by enemy airstrikes. Since the beginning of the war, more than 500 employees have gone to the front. Those who remained — mostly women and teenagers — continued to produce products: briquetted cereals and Frontovye candies, which were sent to soldiers as a sign of support and a reminder of home.
A special place in the cycle is occupied by the story of the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo (Yelokhov Cathedral), where Alexander Pushkin was baptized in 1799. Even in 1941, despite military actions, the cathedral was not closed. The temple became a spiritual refuge for the townspeople. It was here that Metropolitan Sergius of Moscow (later Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’) addressed the believers with a blessing to defend the Fatherland. Donations collected by parishioners helped form the tank column “Dmitry Donskoy” and the air squadron “Alexander Nevsky”.
Another episode is dedicated to the Vorontsovo estate, which at the beginning of the war was located on the outskirts of Moscow and fell into the city’s defense zone. Defensive structures were built on its territory, including anti-tank ditches and long-term fire points (pillboxes). One of these pillboxes has survived to this day and is located at the intersection of Obrucheva and Profsoyuznaya streets.
The podcast series “Voices of Moscow Buildings” will be hosted on a special platform, from where episodes will be automatically distributed to all major streaming services.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
Moscow’s infrastructure is diverse, each district has everything necessary for life and leisure. Residential buildings house various organizations – from shops and pharmacies to libraries.
Residential buildings deserve special attention, during the construction of which architects and engineers provided special space for cinemas. In Soviet times, they were most often located on the ground floors of buildings. This approach made it possible to bring cinemas closer to city residents and create cultural centers in residential areas. They can be found especially often in buildings erected in the neoclassical style. During the implementation of the capital’s capital repair program, specialists from the Moscow City Services Complex put five buildings with cinemas in order.
Bas-reliefs, pilasters and keystones on Kostyakov Street
The residential building on Kostyakov Street (building 10), which houses the operating Iskra cinema, was built in 1939 according to an individual project in the style of Soviet neoclassicism. The house, which has a complex plan, is a striking example of pre-war Soviet architecture. You can enter the courtyard from the side or through the central arch. The three lower floors are rusticated, the upper ones are decorated with pilasters and bas-reliefs, some of the window spaces are emphasized by architraves and keystones. On the main facade, at the level of the third to fifth floors, there are decorative porticoes. Between the fifth and sixth floors, there is a wide multi-profile cornice. The courtyard facades are made in a more laconic style with standard windows. The stained glass windows of the stairwells are decorated with multi-level portals. Along the perimeter of the house, there is a massive crowning cornice with dentils.
In 2023, specialists renovated the facade of the house, carefully preserving the decorative elements. The main task that they faced was to update the structure, as well as restore the stucco decor and architectural elements of the building. First, the craftsmen cleaned and washed the surfaces. Then they sealed the cracks with a special construction compound and treated the wet areas with an antifungal and strengthening agent. At the next stage, they put in order the plaster layer, the rustication of the lower floors and restored the architectural elements using modern technologies. After that, the facade was painted, preserving the historical color scheme for the decorative elements in the colors “peanut cream” and “brown champignon”.
Much attention was paid to the balconies: specialists restored the slabs and laid new flooring. In addition, they cleaned and painted not only the walls, but also the base, external window and door slopes, replaced the ebbs and drainpipes, and tidied up the entrance groups.
Sandriks, capitals and columns on Kutuzovsky Prospect
The residential building on Kutuzovsky Prospekt (building 30) was built in 1953 according to an individual project. In the 1950s, it housed a two-hall cinema famous throughout the Dorogomilovo district. Each hall had 100 seats. This house with a colonnade on the upper tier, a balustrade and pinnacles is a striking example of late Soviet neoclassicism. The building consists of several volumes of different numbers of storeys – from seven to 11 storeys. Due to the configuration of the house, an internal courtyard is formed in the plan. In the corner parts of the facade, through arched passages are located in pairs, highlighted by framing and niches. The street facades are faced with ceramic blocks and painted, have complex plasticity: decorated with cornices, pilasters with bas-reliefs, architraves, flower beds and portals of entrance groups.
In 2024, the building underwent major repairs. The facade and roof of the building were completely repaired, and a number of engineering systems were replaced. In order to return the large neoclassical building to its original beauty, specialists from the Capital Repairs Fund developed a special project, selected the appropriate modern technologies and materials.
Work on the facade began with clearing and washing the exposed surfaces, as well as pointing the seams. Antifungal protection was applied to the surfaces in wet areas. All architectural elements that required additional fragmentation and restoration of lost parts were carefully restored by the craftsmen. These included cornices, pilasters with bas-reliefs and pinnacles at the top of the building. Specialists paid special attention to the colonnades located on the upper tier at the corners of the house. The facade and other external surfaces from the inside of the house were painted according to the color scheme in the color “light yellow wheat”. Decorative elements such as sandriks, capitals, bases of columns and pilasters were updated – they acquired a gray-beige color.
The specialists restored the balconies, including the balcony slabs with caissons, and installed new screens. In addition, they repaired the flower beds on the facade and put the entrance groups in order. They also updated the base of the building. The roof was repaired – the roofing was replaced, the rafter system was put in order. The attic spaces were insulated with mineral wool slabs, which have high thermal insulation, all wooden structures were treated with a fire-retardant composition. The drainage lines were also replaced.
Columns, interfloor belts and architraves on Marshal Rybalko Street
This year, work on transforming residential buildings continues. Currently, specialists from the capital repair fund are putting in order a residential building on Marshal Rybalko Street (building 1), which houses the operating chamber cinema “Yunost” with two halls.
The five-story apartment building was built in 1955 according to a standard series project; its plan is L-shaped. The facades, made of brick, have simple plasticity with decorative elements. There is a crowning cornice along the perimeter of the building. The three lower floors are separated from the upper part by interfloor belts. The main facades are decorated with architraves and bas-reliefs. On the courtyard facades, the entrance groups are separated by vestibules.
Specialists have already started work on renovating the facade, basement and roof of the building. They first cleared the open surfaces of the facade and renovated the brickwork. Wet areas were treated with antifungal compounds. Later, the facade will be hydrophobized – covered with an invisible film that will protect it from the effects of precipitation for many years.
The craftsmen are treating the wooden structures with a fire-bioprotective compound. They are also laying a new electrical network, central heating and water drainage lines. Work is planned on the cold water supply risers, water drainage and central heating. The cold water supply lines have already been replaced.
The specialists will also put in order the decorative elements on the building: fluted columns, interfloor belts, architraves and the crowning cornice. According to the color scheme, these elements will be in the shade of “brick red”. They will repair the entrance groups, the base and the blind area, and install doors. In addition, they will replace the ebbs and renew the slopes, hang a new external drainage system. They will also replace the sheathing and roof covering of the pitched roof and establish the temperature and humidity conditions in the attic spaces.
The Moscow City Services Complex noted that the regional housing stock capital repairs program being implemented in the capital is in line with the goals and objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.
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Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
In the capital, 291 polyclinic buildings have been reconstructed according to a single Moscow standard.
More than eight million patients are already receiving medical care in the renovated institutions, the press service reported. Moscow City Health Department.
“The capital continues a large-scale renovation of the outpatient sector. There are already 291 polyclinic buildings operating under the new standard — they have become lighter, more spacious and more convenient for patients. In total, since the opening of the renovated buildings, doctors have conducted over 140 million appointments. More than eight million residents of the capital receive medical care in them, and this figure continues to grow. This indicates the high level of trust Muscovites have in the reconstruction program under the new standard. We are doing everything to ensure that the entire outpatient fund of Moscow meets modern requirements: is comfortable and technologically advanced,” the press service of the capital’s Department of Healthcare reported.
During the modernization of polyclinics, the equipment of laboratories, ophthalmology and physiotherapy rooms is updated, equipment for ENT, endoscopy and general therapy is installed. In addition, the buildings are equipped with electronic queue screens, air disinfection systems, refrigerators for storing drugs and other necessary devices.
“During major repairs, we also provide medical institutions with power supply according to the second reliability category. This means that in the event of a technological failure on one line, the voltage will be automatically supplied through the backup line. In addition to modernizing the buildings themselves, we also improve the adjacent territories: we separate pedestrian and transport flows, where possible, we create places for short-term rest, update the lighting system, install new or replace old fences, and adapt the spaces to the needs of people with disabilities. In addition, we install navigation elements. We additionally green the territory with hypoallergenic plants,” the press service noted.
The branches of the polyclinics have mammographs, X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, and functional diagnostics equipment. The main buildings are additionally equipped with bicycle ergometry machines, MRI, CT, expert-class ultrasound machines, densitometers (devices for examining bone tissue), and endoscopic equipment.
The premises are zoned in such a way as to reduce the likelihood of queues and make the wait for an appointment as comfortable as possible. The most popular offices are located on the lower floors, while less visited and administrative ones are on the upper floors. Patients are provided with comfortable waiting areas with air conditioners, coolers with drinking water, TVs and soft sofas. And for employees, there are rest rooms and psychological relief rooms, modern dressing rooms with showers and professional development rooms.
The modernization of the outpatient sector in Moscow began in 2020. During the first stage of the program, more than 200 buildings were reconstructed. The second stage, which began in 2023, provides for the renovation of almost 140 clinics. The implementation of the program and the construction of new institutions will completely update the capital’s outpatient fund.
The project is in line with the goals and objectives of the Moscow healthcare development strategy until 2030 and is aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of medical care for residents of the capital.
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The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a landmark private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission, which features a diverse international crew and marks a major step forward in commercial and global space exploration.
Scheduled to lift off at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will transport four astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS is expected at around 7:00 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90 per cent favorable for liftoff. Webcast starts at 12:30 a.m.” SpaceX posted on X ahead of the launch.
Among the crew is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. He is joined by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Hungary, and Poland, this mission signifies a return to human spaceflight after a long hiatus.
Earlier on Tuesday NASA confirmed the final schedule via its official X handle, “With @Axiom_Spaceand @SpaceX, we’re now targeting Wednesday, June 25, to launch #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. The four-member crew, including astronauts from @ESA and @ISRO, is scheduled to lift off at 2:31am ET (0631 UTC).”
Axiom-4 has experienced multiple delays leading up to Wednesday’s launch. Initial postponements were due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical issues, including detected leaks in the Falcon 9 rocket. After a thorough review and resolution of the problems, the launch was cleared.
This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS under Axiom Space’s expanding program, signalling growing international interest in commercial space missions and partnerships.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a landmark private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission, which features a diverse international crew and marks a major step forward in commercial and global space exploration.
Scheduled to lift off at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will transport four astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS is expected at around 7:00 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90 per cent favorable for liftoff. Webcast starts at 12:30 a.m.” SpaceX posted on X ahead of the launch.
Among the crew is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. He is joined by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Hungary, and Poland, this mission signifies a return to human spaceflight after a long hiatus.
Earlier on Tuesday NASA confirmed the final schedule via its official X handle, “With @Axiom_Spaceand @SpaceX, we’re now targeting Wednesday, June 25, to launch #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. The four-member crew, including astronauts from @ESA and @ISRO, is scheduled to lift off at 2:31am ET (0631 UTC).”
Axiom-4 has experienced multiple delays leading up to Wednesday’s launch. Initial postponements were due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical issues, including detected leaks in the Falcon 9 rocket. After a thorough review and resolution of the problems, the launch was cleared.
This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS under Axiom Space’s expanding program, signalling growing international interest in commercial space missions and partnerships.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) — A press conference on the 11th China-Russia Border Culture Festival was held in Tongjiang City, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, to actively promote the Belt and Road Initiative and the theme of China-Russia Cross-Cultural Years exchanges. The event aims to deeply unleash the potential of cultural, sports and trade cooperation between China and Russia, and comprehensively showcase Tongjiang’s tourism resources, cultural characteristics and development achievements.
Speaking at a press conference, Zhang Zhimei, Director of the Tongjiang Department of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism, said that the city will host the 11th China-Russia Border Culture Festival from June to August 2025. The festival will showcase Tongjiang’s advantages through four thematic blocks: “Government-business meetings to promote cooperation”, “Cultural dialogue to deepen exchanges”, “Trade synergy for industrial prosperity” and “Sports and tourism integration in a dynamic borderland”, including 24 key events.
The city has developed 6 tourist routes and a series of thematic products for deep immersion in the unique atmosphere of the borderland. 29 cultural and tourist sites have been modernized, 50 new photo zones have been created, and the landscaping of a 5-kilometer section of the picturesque border route and 22 adjacent villages has been completed. Particular attention is paid to the development of cross-border tourism, educational tours and other new directions, guaranteeing guests a safe and rich vacation.
Representatives of city departments answered questions from journalists and Internet users regarding the presentation of city attractions, the organization of unique events, the development of cross-border tourism and the modernization of tourist facilities. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TIANJIN, June 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday that the international economic and trade landscape is undergoing profound changes.
Li Qiang made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 16th annual meeting of emerging global leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF), also known as “Summer Davos”, in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TIANJIN, June 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday called on the international community to take more constructive actions in global economic and trade cooperation.
Li Qiang made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum’s 16th annual meeting of emerging global leaders, also known as “Summer Davos,” in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TIANJIN, June 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Wednesday that China is willing to share its original technologies and innovative scenarios with the world.
Li Qiang made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 16th annual meeting of emerging global leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF), also known as “Summer Davos”, in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
HELSINKI, June 25 (Xinhua) — Finland has completed the second section of the fence on its eastern border with Russia, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported on Tuesday, citing the Finnish Border Guard.
The newly constructed section is reportedly located in the Kainuu area and consists of eight segments, approximately 18 km long. The first 35-kilometer section was previously completed.
Finland’s parliament approved the fence project in 2022, with plans to eventually cover about 200km of the country’s 1,300km border with Russia. Construction began in 2023, with each section including a steel lattice, a service road, a cleared buffer zone and a technical surveillance system.
The Kainuu section has been technologically upgraded compared to the original pilot segment built near the southeastern city of Imatra. According to Yle, these upgrades include an artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance system that can differentiate between people and animals to reduce false alarms, and a loudspeaker system that allows remote communication with people near the fence.
Meanwhile, all land checkpoints between Finland and Russia have been closed since December 2023 in accordance with a series of government decisions. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TIANJIN, June 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 16th Annual Meeting of Emerging Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum (WEF), also known as “Summer Davos,” in the north Chinese metropolis of Tianjin on Wednesday.
The event, titled “Entrepreneurial Spirit for a New Era,” is being held from June 24 to 26 and is bringing together more than 1,700 leading figures from over 90 countries and regions to discuss issues such as stimulating the entrepreneurial spirit and harnessing new technologies to unleash new momentum for global growth. -0-
After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades.
Israel and Iran both agreed to adhere to the ceasefire, though they said they would respond with force to any breach.
If the ceasefire holds – a big if – the key question will be whether this signals the start of lasting peace, or merely a brief pause before renewed conflict.
As contemporary war studies show, peace tends to endure under one of two conditions: either the total defeat of one side, or the establishment of mutual deterrence. This means both parties refrain from aggression because the expected costs of retaliation far outweigh any potential gains.
What did each side gain?
The war has marked a turning point for Israel in its decades-long confrontation with Iran. For the first time, Israel successfully brought a prolonged battle to Iranian soil, shifting the conflict from confrontations with Iranian-backed proxy militant groups to direct strikes on Iran itself.
This was made possible largely due to Israel’s success over the past two years in weakening Iran’s regional proxy network, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shiite militias in Syria.
Over the past two weeks, Israel has inflicted significant damage on Iran’s military and scientific elite, killing several high-ranking commanders and nuclear scientists. The civilian toll was also high.
Additionally, Israel achieved a major strategic objective by pulling the United States directly into the conflict. In coordination with Israel, the US launched strikes on three of Iran’s primary nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Despite these gains, Israel has not accomplished all of its stated goals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had voiced support for regime change, urging Iranians to rise up against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s government, but the senior leadership in Iran remains intact.
Although Iran was caught off-guard by Israel’s attacks — particularly as it was engaged in nuclear negotiations with the US — it responded by launching hundreds of missiles towards Israel.
Iran has demonstrated its capacity to strike back, though Israel has succeeded in destroying many of its air defence systems, some ballistic missile assets (including missile launchers) and multiple energy facilities.
Since the beginning of the assault, Iranian officials have repeatedly called for a halt to resume negotiations. Under such intense pressure, Iran has realised it would not benefit from a prolonged war of attrition with Israel — especially as both nations face mounting costs and the risk of depleting their military stockpiles if the war continues.
As theories of victory suggest, success in war is defined not only by the damage inflicted, but by achieving core strategic goals and weakening the enemy’s will and capacity to resist.
While Israel claims to have achieved the bulk of its objectives, the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program is not fully known, nor is its capacity to continue enriching uranium.
Both sides could remain locked in a volatile standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, with the conflict potentially reigniting whenever either side perceives a strategic opportunity.
Sticking point over Iran’s nuclear program
Iran faces even greater challenges when it emerges from the war. With a heavy toll on its leadership and nuclear infrastructure, Tehran will likely prioritise rebuilding its deterrence capability.
That includes acquiring new advanced air defence systems — potentially from China — and restoring key components of its missile and nuclear programs. (Some experts say Iran has not used some of its most powerful missiles to maintain this deterrence.)
Iranian officials have claimed they safeguarded more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium before the attacks. This stockpile could theoretically be converted into nine to ten nuclear warheads if further enriched to 90%.
Trump declared Iran’s nuclear capacity had been “totally obliterated”, whereas Rafael Grossi, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog chief, said damage to Iran’s facilities was “very significant”.
However, analysts have argued Iran will still have a depth of technical knowledge accumulated over decades. Depending on the extent of the damage to its underground facilities, Iran could be capable of restoring and even accelerating its program in a relatively short time frame.
And the chances of reviving negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program appear slimmer than ever.
What might future deterrence look like?
The war has fundamentally reshaped how both Iran and Israel perceive deterrence — and how they plan to secure it going forward.
For Iran, the conflict has reinforced the belief that its survival is at stake. With regime change openly discussed during the war, Iran’s leaders appear more convinced than ever that true deterrence requires two key pillars: nuclear weapons capability, and deeper strategic alignment with China and Russia.
As a result, Iran is expected to move rapidly to restore and advance its nuclear program, potentially moving towards actual weaponisation — a step it had long avoided, officially.
At the same time, Tehran is likely to accelerate military and economic cooperation with Beijing and Moscow to hedge against isolation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasised this close engagement with Russia during a visit to Moscow this week, particularly on nuclear matters.
Israel, meanwhile, sees deterrence as requiring constant vigilance and a credible threat of overwhelming retaliation. In the absence of diplomatic breakthroughs, Israel may adopt a policy of immediate preemptive strikes on Iranian facilities or leadership figures if it detects any new escalation — particularly related to Iran’s nuclear program.
In this context, the current ceasefire already appears fragile. Without comprehensive negotiations that address the core issues — namely, Iran’s nuclear capabilities — the pause in hostilities may prove temporary.
Mutual deterrence may prevent a more protracted war for now, but the balance remains precarious and could collapse with little warning.
Ali Mamouri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In a decade of international security crises, this could be the most serious. Is there still time to prevent this from happening?
A successful but vulnerable treaty
In May 2015, I attended the five-yearly review conference of the NPT. Delegates debated a draft outcome for weeks, and then, not for the first time, went home with nothing. Delegates from the US, United Kingdom and Canada blocked the final outcome to prevent words being added that would call for Israel to attend a disarmament conference.
Russia did the same in 2022 in protest at language on its illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine.
Now, in the latest challenge to the NPT, Israel and the US have bombed Iran’s nuclear complexes to ostensibly enforce a treaty neither one respects.
When the treaty was adopted in 1968, it allowed the five nuclear-armed states at the time – the US, Soviet Union, France, UK and China – to join if they committed not to pass weapons or material to other states, and to disarm themselves.
All other members had to pledge never to acquire nuclear weapons. Newer nuclear powers were not permitted to join unless they gave up their weapons.
Israel declined to join, as it had developed its own undeclared nuclear arsenal by the late 1960s. India, Pakistan and South Sudan have also never signed; North Korea was a member but withdrew in 2003. Only South Sudan does not have nuclear weapons today.
To make the obligations enforceable and strengthen safeguards against the diversion of nuclear material to non-nuclear weapons states, members were later required to sign the IAEA Additional Protocol. This gave the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wide powers to inspect a state’s nuclear facilities and detect violations.
It was the IAEA that first blew the whistle on Iran’s concerning uranium enrichment activity in 2003. Just before Israel’s attacks this month, the organisation also reported Iran was in breach of its obligations under the NPT for the first time in two decades.
The NPT is arguably the world’s most universal, important and successful security treaty, but it is also paradoxically vulnerable.
The treaty’s underlying consensus has been damaged by the failure of the five nuclear-weapon states to disarm as required, and by the failure to prevent North Korea from developing a now formidable nuclear arsenal.
North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003, tested a weapon in 2006, and now may have up to 50 warheads.
Iran could be next.
How things can deteriorate from here
Iran argues Israel’s attacks have undermined the credibility of the IAEA, given Israel used the IAEA’s new report on Iran as a pretext for its strikes, taking the matter out of the hands of the UN Security Council.
For its part, the IAEA has maintained a principled position and criticised both the US and Israeli strikes.
Iran has retaliated with its own missile strikes against both Israel and a US base in Qatar. In addition, it wasted no time announcing it would withdraw from the NPT.
On June 23, an Iranian parliament committee also approved a bill that would fully suspend Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, including allowing inspections and submitting reports to the organisation.
Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the US strikes:
[…] delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow to the international non-proliferation regime conclusively demonstrating that the existing NPT framework has been rendered ineffective.
Even if Israel and the US consider their bombing campaign successful, it has almost certainly renewed the Iranians’ resolve to build a weapon. The strikes may only delay an Iranian bomb by a few years.
Iran will have two paths to do so. The slower path would be to reconstitute its enrichment activity and obtain nuclear implosion designs, which create extremely devastating weapons, from Russia or North Korea.
Alternatively, Russia could send Iran some of its weapons. This should be a real concern given Moscow’s cascade of withdrawals from critical arms control agreements over the last decade.
An Iranian bomb could then trigger NPT withdrawals by other regional states, especially Saudi Arabia, who suddenly face a new threat to their security.
Why Iran might now pursue a bomb
Iran’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria’s Assad regime certainly shows it is a dangerous international actor. Iranian leaders have also long used alarming rhetoric about Israel’s destruction.
However repugnant the words, Israeli and US conservatives have misjudged Iran’s motives in seeking nuclear weapons.
Israel fears an Iranian bomb would be an existential threat to its survival, given Iran’s promises to destroy it. But this neglects the fact that Israel already possesses a potent (if undeclared) nuclear deterrent capability.
Israeli anxieties about an Iranian bomb should not be dismissed. But other analysts (myself included) see Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons capability more as a way to establish deterrence to prevent future military attacks from Israel and the US to protect their regime.
Iranians were shaken by Iraq’s invasion in 1980 and then again by the US-led removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. This war with Israel and the US will shake them even more.
Last week, I felt that if the Israeli bombing ceased, a new diplomatic effort to bring Iran into compliance with the IAEA and persuade it to abandon its program might have a chance.
However, the US strikes may have buried that possibility for decades. And by then, the damage to the nonproliferation regime could be irreversible.
Anthony Burke received funding from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council for a project on global nuclear governance (2014–17).
In our guides to the classics, experts explain key literary works.
Ibn Battuta, was born in Tangier, Morocco, on February 24, 1304. From a statement in his celebrated travel book the Rihla (“legal affairs are my ancestral profession,”) he evidently came from an intellectually distinguished family.
According to the Rihla (travelogue), Ibn Battuta embarked on his travels from Tangier at the age of 22 with the intention of performing the Hajj (the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca) in 1325. Although he returned to Fez (his adopted home-town) around the end of 1349, he continued to visit various regions, including Granada and Sudan, in subsequent years.
Over the course of his almost 30 years of travel, Ibn Battuta covered an astonishing distance of approximately 73,000 miles (117,000 kilometres), visiting a region that today encompasses more than 50 countries. His journeys covered much of the medieval Islamic world and beyond, excluding Northern Europe.
In 1355, he returned to Morocco for the last time and remained there for the rest of his life. Upon his return he dictated his experiences, observations and anecdotes to the Andalusian scholar Ibn Juzayy, with a compilation of his travels completed in 1355 or 1356.
The work, formally titled A Gift to Researchers on the Curiosities of Cities and the Marvels of Journeys, is more commonly referred to as Rihlat Ibn Battuta or simply Rihla.
A painting of Ibn Battuta (on right) in Egypt by Leon Benett. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
More than a travelogue or geographical record, this book provides rich insights into 14th-century social and political life, capturing cultural diversity across nations. Ibn Battuta details local lifestyles, linguistic traits, beliefs, clothing, cuisines, holidays, artistic traditions and gender relations, as well as commercial activities and currencies.
His observations also include geographical features such as mountains, rivers and agricultural products. Notably, the work highlights his encounters with over 60 sultans and more than 2,000 prominent figures, making it a valuable historical resource.
The travels
His travels began after a dream. According to Ibn Battuta, one night, while in Fuwwa, a town near Alexandria in Egypt, he dreamed of flying on a massive bird across various lands, landing in a dark, greenish country.
To test the local sheikh’s mystical knowledge, he decided if the sheikh knew of his dream, he was truly extraordinary. The next morning, after leading the dawn prayer, he saw the sheikh bid farewell to visitors. Later, the sheikh astonishingly revealed knowledge of Ibn Battuta’s dream and prophesied his pilgrimage through Yemen, Iraq, Turkey and India.
At the time, the Middle East was under the rule of the Mamluk sultanate, Anatolia was divided among principalities and the Mongol Ilkhanate state controlled Iran, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Ibn Battuta initially travelled through North Africa, Egypt, Palestine and Syria, completing his first Hajj in 1326.
He then visited Iraq and Iran, returning to Mecca. In 1328, he explored East Africa, reaching Mogadishu, Mombasa, Sudan and Kilwa (modern Tanzania), as well as Yemen, Oman and Anatolia, where he documented cities like Alanya, Konya, Erzurum, Nicaea and Bursa.
His descriptions are vivid. Describing the city of Dimyat, on the bank of the Nile, he says:
Many of the houses have steps leading down to the Nile. Banana trees are especially abundant there, and their fruit is carried to Cairo in boats. Its sheep and goats are allowed to pasture at liberty day and night, and for this reason the saying goes of Dimyat, ‘Its wall is a sweetmeat and its dogs are sheep’. No one who enters the city may afterwards leave it except by the governor’s seal […]
Farmland on the banks of the Nile river today. Alice-D/shutterstock
When it comes to Anatolia (in modern-day Turkey), he declares:
This country, known as the Land of Rum, is the most beautiful in the world. While Allah Almighty has distributed beauty to other lands separately, He has gathered them all here. The most beautiful and well-dressed people live in this land, and the most delicious food is prepared here […] From the moment we arrived, our neighbors — both men and women — showed great concern for our wellbeing. Here, women do not shy away from men; when we departed, they bid us farewell as if we were family, expressing their sadness through tears.
A judge and husband
In 1332, Ibn Battutua met the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
Since Ibn Battuta dictated his work, it’s difficult to assess the extent of the scribe’s influence in recording his narratives. Despite being an educated man, he occasionally narrates like a commoner and sometimes exceeds the bounds of polite language. At times, he provides excessive detail, giving the impression he may be quoting from sources beyond his own observations.
Nevertheless, the Rihla stands out for its engaging style and captivating anecdotes, drawing readers in.
Ibn Battuta later journeyed through Crimea, Central Asia, Khwarezm (a large oasis region in the territories of present-day Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), Bukhara (a city in Uzbekistan), and the Hindu Kush Mountains. In 1332, he met Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and travelled to Istanbul with the caravan of Uzbek Khan’s third wife. He mentions a caravan that even has a market:
Whenever the caravan halted, food was cooked in great brass cauldrons, called dasts, and supplied from them to the poorer pilgrims and those who had no provisions. […] This caravan contained also animated bazaars and great supplies of luxuries and all kinds of food and fruit. They used to march during the night and light torches in front of the file of camels and litters, so that you saw the countryside gleaming with light and the darkness turned into radiant day.
Ibn Battuta arrived in Delhi in 1333, where he served as a judge under Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq for seven years. He married or was married to local women in many of the places he stayed. Among his wives were ordinary people as well as the daughters of the administrative class.
Miniature painting in Mughal style depicting the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
The Sultan’s generosity, intelligence and unconventional ruling style both impressed and surprised Ibn Battuta. However, Muhammad bin Tughluq was known for making excessively harsh and abrupt decisions at times, which led Ibn Battuta to approach him with caution. Nevertheless, with the Sultan’s support, he remained in India for a long time and was eventually chosen as an ambassador to China in 1341.
In 1345 his mission was disrupted when his ship capsized off the coast of Calcutta (then known as Sadqawan) in the Indian Ocean. Though he survived, he lost most of his possessions.
After the incident, he remained in India for a while before continuing his journey by other means. During this period, he travelled through India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He served as a judge in the latter for one and a half years. In 1345, he journeyed to China via Bengal, Burma and Sumatra, reaching the city of Guangzhou but limiting his exploration to the southern coast.
He was among the first Arab travellers to record Islam’s spread in the Malay Archipelago, noting interactions between Muslims and Hindu-Buddhist communities. Visiting Java and Sumatra, he praised Sultan Malik al-Zahir of Sumatra as a generous, pious and scholarly ruler and highlighted his rare practice of walking to Friday prayers.
On his return, Ibn Battuta explored regions such as Iran, Iraq, North Africa, Spain and the Kingdom of Mali, documenting the vast Islamic world.
Back in his homeland, Ibn Battuta served as a judge in several locations. He died around 1368-9 while serving as a judge in Morocco and was buried in his birthplace, Tangier.
Historic copy of selected parts of the Travel Report by Ibn Battuta, 1836 CE, Cairo. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
The status of women
Ibn Battuta’s travels revealed intriguing insights into the status of women across regions. In inner West Africa, he observed matriarchal practices where lineage and inheritance were determined by the mother’s family.
Among Turks, women rode horses like raiders, traded actively and did not veil their faces.
In the Maldives, husbands leaving the region had to abandon their wives. He noted that Muslim women there, including the ruling woman, did not cover their heads. Despite attempting to enforce the hijab as a judge, he failed.
He offers fascinating insights into food cultures. In Siberia, sled dogs were fed before humans. He described 15-day wedding feasts in India.
He tried local produce such as mango in the Indian subcontinent, which he compared to an apple, and sun-dried, sliced fish in Oman.
Religious practices
Ibn Battuta’s accounts of the Hajj (pilgrimage) rituals he performed six times provide a unique perspective. He references a fatwa by Ibn Taymiyyah, prominent Islamic scholar and theologian known for his opposition to theological innovations and critiques of Sufism and philosophy, advising against shortening prayers for those travelling to Medina.
Ibn Battuta’s accounts, particularly regarding the Iranian region, offer important perspectives into religious sects during a period when Iran started shifting from Sunnism to Shiism. He describes societies with diverse demographics, including Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis. His observations on religious practices are especially significant.
Inclined toward Sufism, Ibn Battuta often dressed like a dervish during his travels. He offers a compelling view of Islamic mysticism. He considered regions like Damascus as places of abundance and Anatolia as a land of compassion, interpreting them with a spiritual perspective.
His accounts of Sufi education, dervish lodges, zawiyas (similar to monasteries), and tombs, along with the special invocations of Sufi masters, are important historical records. He also observed and documented unique practices, such as the followers of the Persian Sufi saint Sheikh Qutb al-Din Haydar wearing iron rings on their hands, necks, ears, and even private parts to avoid sexual intercourse.
While Ibn Battuta primarily visited Muslim lands, he also travelled to non-Muslim territories, offering key understandings into different religious cultures, for instance interactions between Crimean Muslims and Christian Armenians in the Golden Horde region.
He also documented churches, icons and monasteries, such as the tomb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem. His observation of Muslims openly reciting the call to prayer (adhan) in China is significant.
Other anecdotes include the division of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus into a mosque and Christian church. Most importantly, his encounters with Hindus and Buddhists in the Indian subcontinent and Malay Islands provide rich historical context.
His accounts of death rituals reveal diverse practices. In Sinop (a city in Turkey), 40 days of mourning were declared for a ruler’s mother, while in Iran, a funeral resembled a wedding celebration. He observed similarities in cremation practices between India and China and described a chilling custom in some regions where slaves and concubines were buried alive with the deceased.
Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, widely translated into Eastern and Western languages, has drawn some criticism for containing depictions that sometimes diverge from historical continuity or borrow from other works. Ibn Battuta himself admitted to using earlier travel books as references.
Despite limited recognition in older sources, the Rihla gained prominence in the West in the 19th century. His legacy remains vibrant today. Morocco declared 1996–1997 the “Year of Ibn Battuta,” and established a museum in Tangier to honour him. In Dubai, a mall is named after him.
Notably, Ibn Battuta travelled to more destinations than Marco Polo and shared a broader range of humane anecdotes, showcasing the depth and diversity of his experiences.
Ismail Albayrak 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.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 25, 2025.
Bats get fat to survive hard times. But climate change is threatening their survival strategy Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wu, Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology, Murdoch University Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock Bats are often cast as the unseen night-time stewards of nature, flitting through the dark to control pest insects, pollinate plants and disperse seeds. But behind their silent contributions lies a remarkable and underappreciated survival strategy: seasonal
Japanese prime minister’s abrupt no-show at NATO summit reveals a strained alliance with the US Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Mark, Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent a clear signal to the Trump administration: the Japan–US relationship is in a dire state. After saying just days ago he would be attending this week’s NATO summit at The Hague,
Why have athletes stopped ‘taking a knee’? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland Eli Harold, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid of the San Francisco 49ers kneel ahead of a game in 2016. Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images It’s almost a decade since San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started
Nearly half of Kiwis oppose automatic citizenship for Cook Islands, says poll By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist A new poll by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union shows that almost half of respondents oppose the Cook Islands having automatic New Zealand citizenship. Thirty percent of the 1000-person sample supported Cook Islanders retaining citizenship, 46 percent were opposed and 24 percent were unsure. The question asked: The Cook
Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders discuss Middle East conflict before ceasefire RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says the Middle East conflict was one of the discussions of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Suva this week — and Pacific leaders “took note of what is happening”. The Post-Courier reports Marape saying the “12 Day War” between Israel and Iran was based on
The ancients also had to deal with a cost-of-living crisis. Here’s how they managed Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia Louis Le Brun, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY Talk to anyone today, and they will probably have something to say about how expensive life has become. While the rate of inflation has
Video games can help trans players feel seen and safe. It all starts with design Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Toups Dugas, Associate Professor of Human-Centred Computing, Monash University Shano Liang There is a comfort in finding and being yourself. Video games offer opportunities for this comfort. They allow people to exist in safe spaces, to develop community, and to explore the self – as well
How old are you really? Are the latest ‘biological age’ tests all they’re cracked up to be? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University We all like to imagine we’re ageing well. Now a simple blood or saliva test promises to tell us by measuring our “biological age”. And then, as many have done, we can share how “young” we really are on social
Global rankings fuel hype, but students have more to consider when choosing a uni Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Message, Professor of Public Humanities and Director of the ANU Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University At this time of year, many year 12 students are seriously turning their minds to the future. Should they go to university next year? If so, which one? June is
Playful or harmful? David Seymour’s posts raise questions about what’s OK to say online Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Veale, Senior Lecturer in Media Studies, part of the Digital Cultures Laboratory in the School of Humanities, Media, and Creative Communication, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Deputy Prime Minister and ACT Party leader David Seymour says he is being “playful” and
Shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien accepts invitation to government’s economic roundtable Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal opposition has accepted an invitation from Treasurer Jim Chalmers for shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien to attend the August economic roundtable. The acceptance contrasts with the position taken by former opposition leader Peter Dutton last term. He refused to
Fiji advocacy group slams Indonesian role in MSG as a ‘disgrace’ Asia Pacific Report A Fiji-based advocacy group has condemned the participation of Indonesia in the Melanesian Spearhead Group which is meeting in Suva this week, saying it is a “profound disgrace” that the Indonesian Embassy continues to “operate freely” within the the MSG Secretariat. “This presence blatantly undermines the core principles of justice and solidarity
Will the fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel hold? One factor could be crucial to it sticking Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Amir Levy/Getty Images After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades. Israel
Ramzy Baroud: The fallout – winners and losers from the Israeli war on Iran COMMENTARY: By Ramzy Baroud, editor of The Palestinian Chronicle The conflict between Israel and Iran over the past 12 days has redefined the regional chessboard. Here is a look at their key takeaways: Israel:Pulled in the US: Israel successfully drew the United States into a direct military confrontation with Iran, setting a significant precedent for
Iran and Israel agree to a fragile ceasefire. One factor could be crucial to it sticking Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Amir Levy/Getty Images After 12 days of war, US President Donald Trump has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that would bring to an end the most dramatic, direct conflict between the two nations in decades. Israel
eSafety boss wants YouTube included in the social media ban. But AI raises even more concerns for kids Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University Irina WS/Shutterstock Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, today addressed the National Press Club to outline how her office will be driving the Social Media Minimum Age Bill when it comes into effect in December this year. The bill,
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The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics & International Relations, UNSW Sydney The United States’ and Israel’s strikes on Iran are concerning, and not just for the questionable legal justifications provided by both governments. Even if their attacks cause severe damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, this will only
Iran’s internet blackout left people in the dark. How does a country shut down the internet? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Senior Lecturer of Computing and Security, Edith Cowan University Dylan Carr/Unsplash In recent days, Iranians experienced a near-complete internet blackout, with local service providers – including mobile services – repeatedly going offline. Iran’s government has cited cyber security concerns for ordering the shutdown. Shutting off
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent a clear signal to the Trump administration: the Japan–US relationship is in a dire state.
After saying just days ago he would be attending this week’s NATO summit at The Hague, Ishiba abruptly pulled out at the last minute.
He joins two other leaders from the Indo-Pacific region, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, in skipping the summit.
The Japanese media reported Ishiba cancelled the trip because a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump was unlikely, as was a meeting of the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) NATO partners (Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan).
Japan will still be represented by Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, showing its desire to strengthen its security relationship with NATO.
However, Ishiba’s no-show reveals how Japan views its relationship with the Trump administration, following the severe tariffs Washington imposed on Japan and Trump’s mixed messages on the countries’ decades-long military alliance.
Tariffs and diplomatic disagreements
Trump’s tariff policy is at the core of the divide between the US and Japan.
Ishiba attempted to get relations with the Trump administration off to a good start. He was the second world leader to visit Trump at the White House, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs imposed a punitive rate of 25% on Japanese cars and 24% on all other Japanese imports. They are already having an adverse impact on Japan’s economy: exports of automobiles to the US dropped in May by 25% compared to a year ago.
Six rounds of negotiations have made little progress, as Ishiba’s government insists on full tariff exemptions.
Japan has been under pressure from the Trump administration to increase its defence spending, as well. According to the Financial Times, Tokyo cancelled a summit between US and Japanese defence and foreign ministers over the demand. (A Japanese official denied the report.)
Japan also did not offer its full support to the US bombings of Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this week. The foreign minister instead said Japan “understands” the US’s determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Japan has traditionally had fairly good relations with Iran, often acting as an indirect bridge with the West. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe even made a visit there in 2019.
Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil from the Middle East. It would have been adversely affected if the Strait of Hormuz had been blocked, as Iran was threatening to do.
Unlike the response from the UK and Australia, which both supported the strikes, the Ishiba government prioritised its commitment to upholding international law and the rules-based global order. In doing so, Japan seeks to deny China, Russia and North Korea any leeway to similarly erode global norms on the use of force and territorial aggression.
Strategic dilemma of the Japan–US military alliance
In addition, Japan is facing the same dilemma as other American allies – how to manage relations with the “America first” Trump administration, which has made the US an unreliable ally.
Earlier this year, Trump criticised the decades-old security alliance between the US and Japan, calling it “one-sided”.
“If we’re ever attacked, they don’t have to do a thing to protect us,” he said of Japan.
Lower-level security cooperation is ongoing between the two allies and their regional partners. The US, Japanese and Philippine Coast Guards conducted drills in Japanese waters this week. The US military may also assist with upgrading Japan’s counterstrike missile capabilities.
But Japan is still likely to continue expanding its security ties with partners beyond the US, such as NATO, the European Union, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and other ASEAN members, while maintaining its fragile rapprochement with South Korea.
Australia is now arguably Japan’s most reliable security partner. Canberra is considering buying Japan’s Mogami-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. And if the AUKUS agreement with the US and UK collapses, Japanese submarines could be a replacement.
Ishiba under domestic political pressure
There are also intensifying domestic political pressures on Ishiba to hold firm against Trump, who is deeply unpopular among the Japanese public.
After replacing former prime minister Fumio Kishida as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last September, the party lost its majority in the lower house of parliament in snap elections. This made it dependent on minor parties for legislative support.
Ishiba’s minority government has struggled ever since with poor opinion polling. There has been widespread discontent with inflation, the high cost of living and stagnant wages, the legacy of LDP political scandals, and ever-worsening geopolitical uncertainty.
On Sunday, the party suffered its worst-ever result in elections for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, winning its lowest number of seats.
The party could face a similar drubbing in the election for half of the upper house of the Diet (Japan’s parliament) on July 20. Ishiba has pledged to maintain the LDP’s majority in the house with its junior coalition partner Komeito. But if the government falls into minority status in both houses, Ishiba will face heavy pressure to step down.
Craig Mark 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.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) — The agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on mutual visa waiver for holders of ordinary passports will enter into force on July 16, 2025, the Consular Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
According to the agreement, citizens holding valid ordinary passports of China and Azerbaijan are exempt from visas when entering, exiting or transiting through the territory of the other country, provided that the duration of each continuous stay does not exceed 30 days, and the total duration of stay during each 180 days does not exceed 90 days.
To stay in China or Azerbaijan for more than 30 days, permanently reside, or carry out activities that require prior permission from the competent authorities of the host country, in particular work, study, journalistic work, etc., it is necessary to obtain the appropriate visa before entry.
In April of this year, during the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to China, the governments of the two countries officially signed an Agreement on the mutual abolition of visas for holders of ordinary passports. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
New agreements focusing on innovation were signed Tuesday between Chinese and Greek universities and institutes at a conference held in Athens, aiming to boost scientific and industrial cooperation.
The Greece-Jiangsu Innovation and Industrial Cooperation Conference held at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) brought together more than 160 officials, academics, and industry experts from both countries. The forum focused on advancing joint research and commercialization in high-tech fields.
NTUA Rector Ioannis K. Chatjigeorgiou noted his university’s strong ties with Chinese universities, saying, “We expect meaningful outcomes for science, education, and bilateral relations.”
NTUA signed two partnership agreements: one with the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), and another jointly with the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI) and the Shanghai Yangtze Delta Innovation Institute.
The agreement between NTUA and CUMT builds on longstanding collaboration between their electrical engineering departments, said CUMT President Liu Bo.
During the conference, experts from China and Greece exchanged views on cutting-edge topics, including RISC-V processor architecture, sustainable maritime technologies, and energy innovation. Researchers from both countries discussed ongoing projects and held talks to explore future collaboration opportunities during panel discussions and roundtables.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Neymar has extended his contract with Santos until December, the Brazilian Serie A club said on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward returned to his boyhood club on a six-month deal in January after parting ways with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
Neymar (R) of Brazil vies with Edson Alvarez (C) of Mexico during the 2018 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match between Brazil and Mexico in Samara, Russia, July 2, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer had been linked with a move to Major League Soccer or a possible return to Europe before agreeing to remain at Santos until the end of the 2025 season.
“I made a decision and I listened to my heart,” Neymar said in a statement on the club’s website. “Santos is not just my team, it is my home, my roots, my history and my life.
“Here I was a boy who became a man, and I am truly loved. Here I can be myself, truly happy. And it is here that I want to fulfil the dreams that are missing in my career. And nothing will stop me. I go, I come back and I stay. Where it all began and where it will never end.”
Neymar made his professional debut for Santos in 2009 and has made 243 appearances for the club, scoring 141 goals and providing 69 assists. Injuries have limited him to just 12 appearances this year for the eight-time Brazilian Serie A champions.
“It is a historic and remarkable day for Brazilian football, a gift for the fans of Santos FC,” Santos president Marcelo Teixeira said.
“Our idol, our boy, the prince with our number 10 shirt remains. It is a very important moment in this reconstruction process and we needed Neymar, both on and off the field.”
Neymar has scored 79 goals in 128 matches for Brazil but has not represented the five-time World Cup winners since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay in October 2023.
Today, EU Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, presented a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement at the meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers. In response, Agnes Bertrand Sanz, Oxfam Humanitarian Expert, said:
“There are moments in history where delay and distraction are not neutral, it is a decision. While EU ministers continue to debate and defer, entire families in Gaza are being buried under rubble and people are being killed while trying to get food.
“The EU and EU countries cannot keep on playing political ping pong or risk losing sight of the crisis in Gaza. Talking is easy. Acting is harder. And every second of delay costs lives.”
EU foreign affairs ministers met today for theForeign Affairs Council. At the meeting, EU Foreign Affairs Chief, Kaja Kallas, presented a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement to European Foreign Affairs Ministers.
Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement states “Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.” Israel’s well-documented violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, violate Article 2.
Beyond suspending this agreement, Oxfam is calling for a permanent ceasefire, safe and unhindered humanitarian aid,an end to illegal Israeli occupationand a halt in all arm sales and transfers to Israel while there is a risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law.
For more information on our work and to see our latest press releases, please visit oxfam.org/eu. For updates, follow us on Twitter, BlueSky and LinkedIn.
Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
Watch Video Here
WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the nominations of two senior military officers to lead U.S. Central Command, and U.S. European Command.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Wickerpraised our service members for their skill and proficiency in carrying out the Operation Midnight Hammer mission to degrade Iran’s nuclear weapon capability.The Chairman also emphasized the consequential threat environments in the CENTCOM and EUCOM theaters of operations and stressed the importance of alliances in achieving peace through strength.
Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
The committee meets today to consider the nominations of Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, to be Commander, United States Central Command, and Lieutenant General Alexus G. Grynkewich, to be Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. I welcome our nominees and their families, and I thank them for their continued willingness to serve our nation.
I want to begin my remarks by recognizing the remarkable skill, courage, and professionalism displayed by the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who participated in Operation Midnight Hammer over the weekend.
President Trump was right to authorize the mission to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and address this longstanding threat to the United States. Our commander-in-chief gave Ayatollah Khamenei every chance to negotiate peacefully. The Iranian leader, however, rejected our President’s entreaties. He instead chose to continue his pursuit of a nuclear weapon and support of terrorism rather than a peaceful resolution that would have benefited the Iranian people. To be clear, the situation the Iranian regime finds itself in today is entirely of its own making.
I know members of this committee will have questions about Operation Midnight Hammer and the administration’s Iran policy. I do remind my colleagues there will be a classified briefing for all senators later today with senior administration officials to address many of these questions.
If confirmed, Admiral Cooper will assume command of CENTCOM in the midst of a seismic shift across the Middle East. These changes were precipitated by Hamas’ barbaric attack against Israel on October 7th, 2023. Since then, Iran’s conventional military capabilities have been severely degraded, Hezbollah’s leadership has been decimated, and Hamas has been crushed. Iran’s longtime political ally in the region – Syria’s Bashar Assad – is out of power and in exile.
Iran and its terrorist allies are weaker than they have been in decades, but the job is not done.
We must do all we can to support the defense of Israel and ensure that American forces in the region have what they need. I hope to hear Admiral Cooper’s unclassified assessment of recent developments and his description of the force posture and force protection requirements CENTCOM needs in order to contend with Iran, its proxies, and other threats emanating from the region.
Lastly, we must not lose sight of the continuing threat posed by radical Islamist terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. Although weakened, ISIS and al-Qaeda remain intent on killing Americans. I am interested in Admiral Cooper’s testimony about the current capabilities of terrorist groups in the region and what CENTCOM’s counterterrorism strategy should be in order to counter this threat.
Now as to General Grynkewich — If confirmed, he will take command of EUCOM and NATO at a time of war and great uncertainty. Vladimir Putin continues to remind the West that Russia remains a determined enemy, one which is willing to use force to vindicate long-held grievances and to violate international law. The Russian dictator’s invasion of Ukraine has rained death and destruction upon a democratic people and serves as a warning to the world that the military threat from Russia is as relevant today as it ever has been.
Indeed, earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that “Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.” He added that Putin’s war economy “produces more munitions in three months than the whole of NATO produces in a year.” Of course, Russia is not just a danger to our NATO allies. Russia also directly threatens the homeland. Its nuclear arsenal is sized and postured to destroy the United States. The members of this committee are keen to hear General Grynkewich’s views of the threat Russia poses, as well as his plans to counter it.
The United States faces a dauting challenge: We must deter, and if necessary, defeat two nuclear peer adversaries. That task highlights the important role allies play in our security. President Trump deserves considerable credit for dramatically increasing allied burden sharing, which has helped to renew NATO’s purpose. NATO is now actively debating a commitment for members to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense.
Amid this encouraging development, there are some in the Pentagon that believe the U.S. must draw down our military presence in Europe. This thinking bewilders most of us on this committee, given Russia’s aggression and the renewed willingness of allies to share our collective defense burden.
Our presence in Europe helps deter Russia. It also has additional benefits, including enabling and assisting our military operations in the CENTCOM and AFRICOM areas of operation. That support is vital, especially now, as tensions once again rise in the Middle East.
With that I look forward to our hearing today, and I turn to my colleague and friend, Ranking Member Reed.
Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
Watch Video Here
WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the nominations of two senior military officers to lead U.S. Central Command, and U.S. European Command.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Wickerpraised our service members for their skill and proficiency in carrying out the Operation Midnight Hammer mission to degrade Iran’s nuclear weapon capability.The Chairman also emphasized the consequential threat environments in the CENTCOM and EUCOM theaters of operations and stressed the importance of alliances in achieving peace through strength.
Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
The committee meets today to consider the nominations of Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, to be Commander, United States Central Command, and Lieutenant General Alexus G. Grynkewich, to be Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. I welcome our nominees and their families, and I thank them for their continued willingness to serve our nation.
I want to begin my remarks by recognizing the remarkable skill, courage, and professionalism displayed by the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who participated in Operation Midnight Hammer over the weekend.
President Trump was right to authorize the mission to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and address this longstanding threat to the United States. Our commander-in-chief gave Ayatollah Khamenei every chance to negotiate peacefully. The Iranian leader, however, rejected our President’s entreaties. He instead chose to continue his pursuit of a nuclear weapon and support of terrorism rather than a peaceful resolution that would have benefited the Iranian people. To be clear, the situation the Iranian regime finds itself in today is entirely of its own making.
I know members of this committee will have questions about Operation Midnight Hammer and the administration’s Iran policy. I do remind my colleagues there will be a classified briefing for all senators later today with senior administration officials to address many of these questions.
If confirmed, Admiral Cooper will assume command of CENTCOM in the midst of a seismic shift across the Middle East. These changes were precipitated by Hamas’ barbaric attack against Israel on October 7th, 2023. Since then, Iran’s conventional military capabilities have been severely degraded, Hezbollah’s leadership has been decimated, and Hamas has been crushed. Iran’s longtime political ally in the region – Syria’s Bashar Assad – is out of power and in exile.
Iran and its terrorist allies are weaker than they have been in decades, but the job is not done.
We must do all we can to support the defense of Israel and ensure that American forces in the region have what they need. I hope to hear Admiral Cooper’s unclassified assessment of recent developments and his description of the force posture and force protection requirements CENTCOM needs in order to contend with Iran, its proxies, and other threats emanating from the region.
Lastly, we must not lose sight of the continuing threat posed by radical Islamist terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. Although weakened, ISIS and al-Qaeda remain intent on killing Americans. I am interested in Admiral Cooper’s testimony about the current capabilities of terrorist groups in the region and what CENTCOM’s counterterrorism strategy should be in order to counter this threat.
Now as to General Grynkewich — If confirmed, he will take command of EUCOM and NATO at a time of war and great uncertainty. Vladimir Putin continues to remind the West that Russia remains a determined enemy, one which is willing to use force to vindicate long-held grievances and to violate international law. The Russian dictator’s invasion of Ukraine has rained death and destruction upon a democratic people and serves as a warning to the world that the military threat from Russia is as relevant today as it ever has been.
Indeed, earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that “Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.” He added that Putin’s war economy “produces more munitions in three months than the whole of NATO produces in a year.” Of course, Russia is not just a danger to our NATO allies. Russia also directly threatens the homeland. Its nuclear arsenal is sized and postured to destroy the United States. The members of this committee are keen to hear General Grynkewich’s views of the threat Russia poses, as well as his plans to counter it.
The United States faces a dauting challenge: We must deter, and if necessary, defeat two nuclear peer adversaries. That task highlights the important role allies play in our security. President Trump deserves considerable credit for dramatically increasing allied burden sharing, which has helped to renew NATO’s purpose. NATO is now actively debating a commitment for members to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense.
Amid this encouraging development, there are some in the Pentagon that believe the U.S. must draw down our military presence in Europe. This thinking bewilders most of us on this committee, given Russia’s aggression and the renewed willingness of allies to share our collective defense burden.
Our presence in Europe helps deter Russia. It also has additional benefits, including enabling and assisting our military operations in the CENTCOM and AFRICOM areas of operation. That support is vital, especially now, as tensions once again rise in the Middle East.
With that I look forward to our hearing today, and I turn to my colleague and friend, Ranking Member Reed.
Tajikistan’s strong growth performance has continued into 2025, accompanied by well-contained inflation, a favorable external position and a further reduction in public debt to GDP.
Tajikistan’s favorable economic performance creates an opportunity to implement needed reforms to address structural vulnerabilities and support domestic job creation. Broad-based governance and transparency reforms are key to strengthening the business climate to foster more diversified private sector-led growth.
The Second Review under the Policy Coordination Instrument with Tajikistan was completed, with all but one of the quantitative targets for the second review met and the reform targets broadly implemented.
Washington, DC –The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the 2025 Article IV Consultation1and the Second Review of the Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI)2with Tajikistan on June 23, 2025. The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.3
Tajikistan’s twenty-two-month program under the PCI was approved in February 2024. The PCI aims to anchor macroeconomic policies and support structural reform implementation to maintain macro-financial stability and foster more sustainable and inclusive growth. Program implementation remains broadly on track, with all but one of the quantitative targets for the second review met and the reform targets broadly implemented.
Tajikistan’s strong growth performance has continued into 2025, accompanied by a steady improvement in macroeconomic fundamentals. Large financial inflows have contributed to a favorable external position, with FX reserves amounting to 7 months’ import coverage, while prudent fiscal policy has anchored a continued reduction in public debt to 25 percent of GDP at end-2024. Inflation remains well-contained at 3.6 percent (y/y) in April 2025. The near-term outlook remains positive, but subject to considerable regional uncertainty that could result in a less favorable external environment.
Tajikistan’s favorable economic performance creates an opportunity to implement needed reforms to address structural vulnerabilities and support domestic job creation. Improving revenue mobilization and spending efficiency is critical to increasing space for development priorities. Monetary policy should remain vigilant and manage liquidity proactively in the context of large foreign exchange inflows and strong credit growth. Broad-based governance and transparency reforms are key to strengthening the business climate to foster more diversified private sector-led growth.
At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Okamura, Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, made the following statement:
“Tajikistan’s strong growth performance in recent years has continued into 2025, accompanied by a steady improvement in macroeconomic fundamentals. Large financial inflows have contributed to a favorable external position, while prudent fiscal policy has anchored a continued reduction in public debt. The medium-term outlook remains positive, but subject to considerable regional uncertainty that could result in a less favorable external environment.
“The authorities’ economic program under the Policy Coordination Instrument focuses on policies to anchor macroeconomic stability and strengthen resilience against shocks while advancing governance reforms to foster more diversified and inclusive growth. Program implementation remains broadly on track, with most of the quantitative targets for the second review met and the reform targets broadly implemented.
“The fiscal deficit target of 2.5 percent of GDP remains an important anchor to keep public debt on a favorable medium-term trajectory. Improved revenue mobilization and spending efficiency are key to increasing fiscal space for social and development projects. The authorities have taken steps to strengthen oversight of state-owned enterprises, but greater efforts are needed to reduce quasi-fiscal losses in the electricity sector.
“Inflation remains well contained, but strong credit growth in the context of large financial inflows requires continued vigilance. Greater exchange rate flexibility and proactive liquidity management are essential to help manage financial inflows. The banking system has strengthened its balance sheet in recent years, supporting financial deepening, but strong lending to households warrants careful oversight to ensure prudent lending standards.
“Tajikistan’s favorable economic performance creates an opportunity to deepen reforms to address structural vulnerabilities and support domestic job creation. Broad-based governance and transparency reforms are key to foster more diversified private sector-led growth. Reform efforts should focus on enhancing anti-corruption frameworks, improving extractive sector transparency, and strengthening institutional oversight.
Executive Board Assessment4
Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Tajikistan’s continued strong economic performance and positive medium‑term outlook. At the same time, amid considerable regional and global uncertainty, the countryremainsvulnerable to a less favorable external environment, given its reliance on remittances and narrow export base. Against this background, Directors stressed that Tajikistan’s favorable economic performance creates an opportunity to deepen reforms under the PCI to support job creation and improve resilience.
Directors welcomed the authorities’ commitment to a fiscal deficit anchor of 2.5 percent of GDP to keep public debt on a favorable medium‑term trajectory. They noted that improved revenue mobilization and spending efficiency are key to building buffers and increasing fiscal space for social and development projects. In that context, Directors encouraged the authorities to streamline tax expenditures, strengthen project oversight to enhance the efficiency of public investment, and improve targeting of socialassistance. Directors welcomed the authorities’ efforts to develop the domestic debt market and expand the investor base to further deepen the market.
Directors noted that inflationremainswellcontainedbut cautioned that strong credit growth in the context of large financial inflows requires continued vigilance. Stressing the importance of exchange rate flexibility and proactive liquidity management to help manage these inflows, they encouraged continued efforts to deepen the FX market and strengthen liquidity absorption and monetary policy transmission. Directors also emphasized that strong lending to householdswarrantscareful macroprudential oversight and sound financial sector regulation and supervision.
Directors welcomed the authorities’ focus on improved transparency and governance of state‑owned enterprises and noted recent steps to strengthen financial oversight andmonitorfiscal risks. While welcoming the corrective measures to address the sizeable accumulation of arrears of the public electricity company, Directors emphasized that greater efforts are needed to improve collection rates for the largest electricity consumers and cost controls to strengthen its financial performance and reduce quasi‑fiscal losses.
Directors emphasized the importance of broad‑based governance and transparency reforms to foster more diversified private sector‑led growth. They welcomed the authorities’ focus on strengthening the investment climate and noted that reform efforts should continue to focus on enhancing anti‑corruption and AML/CFT frameworks, improving extractive sector transparency, and strengthening institutional oversight. Itwill also beimportant to close data quality gaps.
It is expected that the next Article IV consultation with Tajikistan will be held on the current 24‑month cycle.
Total public and publicly guaranteed external debt
26.7
22.3
22.2
22.4
22.5
23.1
23.7
24.2
Sources: Data provided by the Tajikistan authorities, and Fund staff estimates.
1 Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.
2The PCI is available to all IMF members that do not need Fund financial resources at the time of approval. It is designed for countries seeking to demonstrate commitment to a reform agenda or to unlock and coordinate financing from other official creditors or privateinvestors. (see https://www.imf.org/en/About/Factsheets/Sheets/2017/07/25/policy-coordination-instrument).
3Under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires the member consent. The staff report will be shortly published on the www.imf.org/Tajikistan page.
4At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chair of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A session is held during the 20th United Nations Internet Governance Forum in Lillestrom, Norway, on June 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the international community to step up efforts to bridge the digital divide by expanding affordable and meaningful Internet access, close the digital skills gap, counter online hate speech, promote information integrity, tolerance and respect, address the concentration of digital power, and foster diversity, transparency, and trust in digital spaces.
Guterres made the remarks in a video address at the opening ceremony of the 20th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which opened Tuesday in Lillestrom, Norway.
He praised the IGF’s two decades of efforts in advancing inclusive Internet public policy and underscored the importance of building an Internet rooted in dignity, opportunity, and human rights.
“Two decades ago, the idea of digital cooperation was a bold aspiration. Today, it is an absolute necessity and a shared responsibility,” Guterres said. “Let us keep building a digital future that protects, empowers, and includes everyone, everywhere.”
The 20th IGF, held until Friday under the theme “Building Digital Governance Together”, has attracted over 800 in-person participants and more than 8,000 online attendees.
The forum will feature over 150 sessions covering key topics such as artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, digital trust and security, data protection, infrastructure development, universal access, and the role of digital technologies in promoting peace, inclusion, and sustainable development.
Since its inception in 2006, the IGF has evolved into a vital platform for global dialogue on Internet governance and plays an essential role in shaping inclusive, transparent, and accountable digital policies worldwide.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The UN Security Council holds a meeting on non-proliferation at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Tuesday called for diplomacy and dialogue to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.
In a briefing to the Security Council on the implementation of its Resolution 2231, which endorses the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, DiCarlo regretted that with less than four months left until the termination of its provisions, the objectives of the resolution and those of the Iran nuclear deal have yet to be fully realized.
Resolution 2231 expires on Oct. 18, 2025.
The nuclear deal, adopted in the summer of 2015 to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful, has faced many challenges since its inception, including the withdrawal of the United States from the agreement in 2018 during Donald Trump’s first term of office as U.S. president, said DiCarlo.
Over the last few months, participants of the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), increased their efforts to identify a way forward for full implementation of the plan. In addition, Iran and the United States engaged in five rounds of bilateral talks, facilitated by Oman, said DiCarlo. “Regrettably, neither of these initiatives produced a way forward to ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”
The military escalation between Israel and Iran since June 13 and U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday (New York time) complicated prospects for achieving full implementation of Resolution 2231. Iran’s strikes on Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar further exacerbated insecurity in an already tense region, she said.
Monday’s announcement by the United States, in coordination with Qatar, of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran is a significant achievement that potentially pulls Iran, Israel and the region back from the brink, she said.
At the heart of this conflict is the nature of Iran’s nuclear program. Following the deadly clashes of the past 12 days, the ceasefire agreement is an opportunity to avoid a catastrophic escalation and achieve a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue, she said. “Diplomacy, dialogue and verification remain the best option to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and to bring about concrete economic benefits to the people of Iran.”
The United Nations stands ready to support all efforts that advance peace, dialogue and stability in the region, she said.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Guests attend the parallel session “Checking In on the Energy Transition” during the 2025 Summer Davos Forum at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, June 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
A premier barometer of global economic trends and industrial transformation, the 2025 Summer Davos Forum has seen record attendance for recent years, with over 1,700 participants traveling from around the world.
Its popularity is testament to both the convening power of the event, which is taking place from Tuesday to Thursday in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, and the unparalleled magnetism of China’s mega-scale market.
Also called the 16th Annual Meeting of New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF), this year’s forum is themed “Entrepreneurship for a New Era.”
“The theme, which builds on the DNA of this meeting since its inception, particularly focuses on how innovation, entrepreneurship and technological advancements can unlock growth, competitiveness and productivity,” Mirek Dusek, managing director of the WEF, said on Tuesday at the forum’s opening press conference.
The event spotlights five key areas: deciphering the world economy, outlook on China, industries disrupted, investing in people and the planet, and new energy and materials.
Unlike the annual meeting of the WEF held every January in Switzerland’s Davos, the Summer Davos Forum places greater emphasis on the future of business and technological advancement. This year’s edition not only demonstrates China’s achievements in high-quality economic development and its steadfast commitment to high-standard opening-up to the international community — it is also a platform for China to actively share the opportunities and dividends of its development with the world.
Green transformation
On the rooftop of the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin), where the 2025 Summer Davos Forum is being held for the first time, solar panels supply continuous clean energy to power the venue during the event.
According to the State Grid Corporation of China, this edition of the forum has achieved a 100 percent green power supply for its venues, utilizing a total of 800,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity — equivalent to saving about 300 tonnes of standard coal combustion and cutting approximately 600 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The venue utilizes photovoltaic power generation and sponge city technologies, replacing conventional energy sources with renewables to reduce infrastructure carbon emissions, while significantly enhancing energy, water and material efficiency.
Sustainability is at the core of WEF events, said Severin Podolak, head of event management and operations for WEF, adding that the sofas and other furniture used in the venues are recycled materials from 2023, and some of the paints used for decoration were derived from renewable resources such as fishing nets.
Additionally, a fleet of hundreds of new energy vehicles (NEVs) from six leading carmakers, including Audi FAW, are facilitating eco-conscious transportation for forum participants, advancing the event’s carbon neutrality goals.
The concept of sustainability has been integrated thoroughly — from venue design to the forum’s agenda, with key topics such as Asia’s carbon markets and the next steps for climate resilience becoming focal points of discussions, addressing sustainable development directly.
Green nitrogen fixation has been named in the WEF’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025, alongside innovations like collaborative sensing and autonomous biochemical sensing, further solidifying sustainability as a global priority.
Today, China stands as the global leader in renewable energy investment. The nation has pioneered transformative technologies in the fields of batteries and electric vehicles, creating millions of high-quality jobs in these future-oriented sectors, according to Gim Huay Neo, managing director of the WEF.
“I think this is an area where there’s a lot of scope for us to learn from China’s experience, where there could actually be constructive partnerships between China and other parts of the world to also support the global energy transition,” Neo said. “The climate emergency and the planetary crisis cannot be resolved if we do not bring everybody along on this journey.”
AI revolution
A futuristic exhibition zone at the venue has become a major attraction, where cutting-edge AI products like humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and fully autonomous drone inspection systems are drawing large crowds of attendees. These innovations vividly showcase Chinese enterprises’ technological breakthroughs and pioneering applications of AI.
“China may have found the key to restarting global economic growth — its ‘AI Plus’ strategy,” said Liu Gang, chief economist of the Chinese Institute of New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies.
He explained that integrating artificial intelligence with the real economy yields remarkable economic benefits. For example, research conducted by his team shows that applying AI to the development of new materials can improve efficiency 100-fold to 1,000-fold.
Across various sessions at the 2025 Summer Davos, discussions on AI are unfolding with remarkable intensity, mirroring the fervent debates witnessed at other premier global forums. Notably, a dedicated session titled “Understanding China’s approach to AI” will be convened, underscoring the international community’s growing recognition of China’s pivotal role in the global AI development landscape.
“It will be like the industrial revolution,” former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said when talking about new technologies at the forum. Countries that embrace it go up, and countries that don’t go down, he said.
“I think how you understand, master and harness the technology revolution solution is the single biggest government challenge for the 21st century,” he noted.
Global synergy
According to the WEF, the global growth outlook has reached its lowest point in decades. Reigniting the spirit of cooperation will require greater commitment and creativity than ever before.
Professor Tong Jiadong at Nankai University, who has served as the long-term Chinese agenda research leader for the Tianjin Summer Davos Forum, observed that the event has evolved beyond a premier global thought leadership summit into a dynamic platform facilitating international exchange and cooperation.
Zhao Yan, chairman and general manager of Chinese firm Bloomage Biotech, has been a regular participant at the Summer Davos Forum. Over the years, the company has established a comprehensive global supply chain network across over 70 countries and regions.
“Despite navigating complex uncertainties, the enterprise has never resorted to isolationism, but instead strives to reshape global competition rules through open innovation,” Zhao said.
In the first five months of this year, the total volume of China’s imports and exports of goods grew 2.5 percent year on year, and the consumption enthusiasm of foreign visitors surged significantly.
“We value our cooperation with China very much. We’re seeing more and more interest and participation coming here,” said Borge Brende, president and CEO of the WEF. “I’m relatively optimistic for the Chinese economy, both in medium term and long term.”
