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 18 (Xinhua) — China’s National Flood and Drought Control Headquarters on Wednesday issued a Level 4 flood emergency response in Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and Chongqing provinces as they braced for another round of heavy rains.
According to the headquarters, three working groups were sent to key areas to provide assistance in flood control and rescue operations.
Separately, China’s National Meteorological Center on Wednesday extended a yellow alert for heavy rainfall expected in parts of the country.
According to forecasts, from 20:00 on June 18 to 20:00 on June 19, heavy rain and downpours are expected in some places in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the municipalities of Chongqing and Tianjin. In some areas, 100 to 180 millimeters of precipitation may fall.
Local authorities are advised to step up screening and take risk mitigation measures in key areas, including areas at risk from flash floods and geological hazards, as well as low-lying urban and rural areas at risk of flooding. It is recommended to issue weather warnings in a timely manner and organize evacuations if necessary.
China has a four-tier flood emergency response system, with Level 1 being the highest. –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
St. Petersburg, June 18 (Xinhua) — KIFA, a B2B digital trade platform operating in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and China, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, have agreed to partner to jointly develop digital trade between China and Russia and further expand trade between the two countries.
The corresponding agreement was signed on Wednesday on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
“In the new reality, high technology is becoming one of the key factors for success, and KIFA is proud of its contribution to the modernization of trade and economic relations between China and Russia. Trusting strategic cooperation with RDIF, in turn, will play one of the key roles in this process. Together we will be able to implement ambitious projects aimed at strengthening economic ties between our countries,” said Sun Tianshu, founder of the KIFA B2B platform and Chairman of the Board of Directors of KIFA PJSC.
“China is the leader in terms of trade turnover with Russia, and a stable system of mutual trade has been built between our countries, including in the field of e-commerce. RDIF is focused on supporting the entry of Russian and Chinese companies into the markets of the two countries, in this regard, the partnership with KIFA is an important stage in the development of digital cross-border trade. Providing entrepreneurs of the two countries with broad opportunities for simple and effective interaction in a digital environment with a transparent process at all stages and gaining access to new large markets will make a significant contribution to the further increase in bilateral trade volumes,” said RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev.
As noted, the development of digital trade between China and Russia and its modernization thanks to advanced tools and the use of artificial intelligence make it possible to achieve more transparent, efficient and convenient processes for each entrepreneur. The expansion of the range of goods and the reduction of costs, in turn, stimulate the growth of trade turnover between China and Russia, which is one of the strategic objectives of bilateral relations.
KIFA is a leading innovation platform that modernizes cross-border trade through the application of digital technology and artificial intelligence, and creates a new digital trading world between China and Russia. –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
BISHKEK, June 18 (Xinhua) — The concept of “China-Central Asian spirit” proposed by the Chinese side at the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday reflects the essence of relations between China and Central Asian countries, former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov told Xinhua.
“The China-Central Asian spirit” is characterized by mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual assistance and the promotion of joint modernization through high-quality development. “It serves as a spiritual foundation for the development of relations between China and Central Asian countries, pointing the way for regional cooperation,” A. Jekshenkulov noted.
According to the expert, “mutual respect and mutual trust” reflect equality of sovereignty, respect for each country’s choice of development path, “mutual benefit and mutual assistance” indicate the spirit of cooperation, and “joint modernization” implies a common pursuit of prosperity and regional development through initiatives such as the Belt and Road.
“This spirit will become a powerful engine for future cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, helping to form a closer community of shared destiny,” A. Dzhekshenkulov emphasized.
As for the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind put forward by China, the former head of the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said that they demonstrate China’s firm commitment to peace and development.
“The Global Development Initiative aims to bridge the development gap and promote inclusive globalization. The Global Security Initiative proposes a Chinese solution to overcome the security deficit, prioritizing dialogue over confrontation. The Global Civilization Initiative protects the diversity of civilizations and opposes the mentality of “clash of civilizations,” the Xinhua source said.
These initiatives, as A. Dzhekshenkulov believes, actively contribute to the reform of the global governance system, ensuring the “stable anchor” for a multipolar world and universal benefit, which is fully in line with the general expectations of the international community.
Speaking about the Treaty on Eternal Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between China and the Central Asian Countries signed during the summit, A. Dzhekshenkulov stated that it has historical significance.
“This treaty not only lays the cornerstone of relations between China and Central Asian countries in the new era, but also demonstrates the powerful vitality of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. In the future, it will continuously stimulate the region to become an important platform for peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and harmonious coexistence of civilizations,” the expert concluded. –0–
The Mauritian economy continues to exhibit resilience with growth at 4.7 percent in 2024 and contained inflation. The growth outlook remains favorable, though risks are to the downside.
Mauritius needs to recalibrate the macroeconomic policy mix to rebuild fiscal space. The monetary policy framework needs to be strengthened while continued monitoring of macro-financial risks is essential to maintain financial stability.
Advancing key reforms to foster external competitiveness and private sector-led growth while enhancing climate resilience will reduce external imbalances.
Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV Consultation for Mauritius.[1]
Mauritius’ economy remains resilient. Real GDP grew by 4.7 percent in 2024, from 5.0 percent in 2023, driven by services, construction, and tourism. Headline inflation (12-month average) declined to 2.5 percent in March 2025 from 7.0 percent in 2023, helped by easing international food and energy prices and lower fuel excise duties. The external current account deficit widened in 2024 to 6.5 percent of GDP, mostly reflecting higher imports and freight costs. Gross foreign reserves increased to US$8.5 billion by end-2024, covering almost 12 months of imports. Looking ahead, the country needs to address fiscal and structural challenges, notably the high public debt, significant public investment needs, low productivity, and an ageing society.
The outlook for growth is favorable. Real GDP growth is projected to soften to 3.0 percent in 2025 due to weakening external demand, easing tourism activity, and the drought. Over the medium term, growth is expected at around 3.4 percent, reflecting demographic headwinds and labor shortages. Inflation is projected to average 3.6 percent in 2025 and remain within BOM’s target range over the medium term. The external current account deficit is projected to reduce to 4.7 percent of GDP in 2025—reflecting lower oil prices, as exports grow modestly amid the slowdown in global demand—and to increase in 2026 due to subdued exports, but gradually decline thereafter. The primary fiscal deficit (excluding grants) for FY24/25 is projected to worsen by 3.4 ppt of GDP relative to FY23/24, to 6.5 percent of GDP, mostly driven by higher compensation of employees, social benefits, and grants and transfers. The stock of public sector debt is projected at around 88 percent of GDP at end-June 2025, and to gradually decline in the medium term.
Risks to the outlook are on the downside, including from global uncertainty, tariff wars, higher-than-anticipated fuel and food prices, and extreme climate shocks.
The economy has recovered solidly from the pandemic and the outlook is favorable, but fiscal and structural challenges remain. The recovery has been driven by services, construction, and tourism. The medium-term outlook is favorable but held back by demographic headwinds and labor shortages. Mauritius is facing fiscal and structural challenges from high public debt, significant public investment needs for climate, low productivity, and an ageing society. Risks to the outlook are on the downside including from high global uncertainty, highlighting the importance of addressing fiscal and external imbalances to increase the resilience of the economy.
Fiscal policy should pursue frontloaded growth-friendly consolidation to shore up fiscal credibility, helping rebuild fiscal space while protecting the most vulnerable. Tax revenue should be increased and current and ESFs’ spending contained while safeguarding critical social spending and growth-enhancing capital spending. Pension system reform remains key to support fiscal sustainability, especially given the ageing of Mauritius’ population. Strengthening public financial management, including by streamlining ESFs, will support fiscal consolidation, transparency, and good governance.
BOM should start to gradually phase out its ownership of MIC and strengthen the implementation of the monetary policy framework by resuming uncapped issuance of 7-Day BOM bills (at the key policy rate). BOM should stand ready to tighten the monetary policy stance should inflationary pressures reemerge. BOM should adopt amendments to the BOM Act, including to ensure fiscal backing, to protect central bank independence. Ministry of Finance and BOM are encouraged to strengthen the commitment on their mutual agreement for BOM independence. Mauritius should continue to rely on exchange rate flexibility and FX purchases when opportunities arise, and in line with the monetary policy framework, to help further build foreign reserves buffers to ensure ability to respond to large external shocks.
Mauritius’ external position at end-2024 is assessed as weaker than the level implied by fundamentals and desirable policies, and structural reforms to foster external competitiveness are needed to reduce external imbalances. Steady progress in strengthening the AML/CFT framework is welcome and should be sustained, including provisions related to non-resident and cross-border activity. Financial sector risks should continue to be closely monitored including of the real estate sector. Ongoing efforts to improve external sector statistics, including measurement of the GBCs sector, should be sustained. Statistical gaps and discrepancies should be addressed to improve the quality and credibility of macroeconomic statistics.
Mauritius should advance structural reforms that boost investment and innovation to secure longer-term private sector-led growth. Priorities include strengthening workers’ skills through better education and narrowing gender gaps as well as advancing climate adaptation efforts to support economic resilience.
Gross international reserves (millions of U.S. dollars)
7,242
7,805
7,740
7,254
8,510
8,675
9,163
9,475
9,781
10,083
10,420
Months of imports of goods and services, f.o.b.
14.3
11.6
11.6
10.2
11.8
11.6
11.6
11.4
11.3
11.2
11.1
Memorandum items:
GDP at current market prices (billions of Mauritian rupees)
448.9
478.8
570.3
638.3
694.0
742.3
796.0
853.3
914.0
979.0
1,048.7
GDP at current market prices (millions of U.S. dollars)
11,408
11,484
12,908
14,101
14,953
15,641
16,662
17,748
18,890
20,082
21,326
Public sector debt, fiscal year (percent of GDP)4
91.9
86.1
81.8
81.5
88.3
89.1
88.1
86.9
85.3
83.9
82.7
Foreign and local currency long-term debt rating (Moody’s)
Baa1
Baa2
Baa3
Baa3
Baa3
Baa3
…
…
…
…
…
Sources: Country authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.
1GFSM 2001 concept of net lending/net borrowing, includes special and other extrabudgetary funds. Fiscal data reported for fiscal years (e.g, 2019=2019/20).
2 Following the GFSM 2014, Sections 5.111.5.116, the transfers from the BOM to the
Central Government are considered as financing.
3 Excludes changes in inventories in 2022 and outer years.
4 The public debt series has been reclassified starting in the 2024 AIV Mission to allow
consolidation of central government securities held by non-financial public corporations
[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.
[2] The Executive Board takes decisions under its lapse-of-time procedure when the Board agrees that a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.
CALGARY, Alberta, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Condor Energies Inc. (“Condor” or the “Company”) (TSX: CDR), a Canadian based, internationally focused energy transition company with active operations in Central Asia is pleased to provide an update.
UZBEKISTAN
Production for June has averaged 11,350 boepd to date which is slightly above the first quarter of 2025 average of 11,179 boepd. Production rates in the second quarter of 2025 have been partially restricted due to unplanned downstream infrastructure maintenance at non-Company operated facilities and recent workovers that were focused on data gathering to enhance geologic and reservoir modeling for the upcoming drilling campaign. The resulting second quarter production to-date is 10,332 boepd. Well workover activities have since returned to production-add opportunities and the downstream facilities are fully operational.
A drilling rig is scheduled to mobilize in July 2025 and begin a multi-well drilling campaign that will target numerous play types within a diverse prospect inventory. A combination of vertical, horizontal and Uzbekistan’s first multi-lateral wells will penetrate under-developed reservoirs in the existing fields. In addition to penetrating the currently producing Jurassic Carbonates, the first well will be a vertical well drilled to the basement rocks to evaluate the deeper under-explored Jurassic Clastics and the potential for a fractured basement play type. The second well is intended to be a horizontal well with up to a 1500-meter lateral section. Wells are planned to be completed with modern stimulation techniques to further increase production rates.
The Company has also installed and commissioned four in-field flowline water separation systems to remove produced fluids at the field gathering network rather than at the production facilities. This reduces flowline pressure that can lead to higher reservoir flow rates. A fifth in-field flowline unit is being installed and expected to be commissioned in early July 2025. Engineering design work is also ongoing for field compression that could further boost production rates.
KAZAKHSTAN
As previously disclosed, the Company has purchased its first modular LNG facility (the “First Facility”) which is capable of producing 48,000 gallons (80 MT) of LNG per day. Fabrication of the First Facility is on track to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025 and begin LNG production in the second quarter of 2026. The LNG off-taker agreement is expected to be executed shortly.
ABOUT CONDOR ENERGIES INC
Condor Energies Inc is a TSX-listed energy transition company that is uniquely positioned on the doorstep of European and Asian markets with three distinct first-mover energy security initiatives: increasing natural gas and condensate production from its existing fields in Uzbekistan; an ongoing project to construct and operate Central Asia’s first LNG ‘lower carbon fuel’ diesel substitution facility in Kazakhstan; and a separate initiative to develop and produce critical minerals from brines in Kazakhstan. Condor has already built a strong foundation for reserves, production and cashflow growth while also striving to minimize its environmental footprint.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as “anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “budget”, “outlook”, “scheduled”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “in the process of” or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, information concerning: the timing and ability of well workovers to increase production; the timing and ability to mobilize the drilling rig; the timing and ability to execute a multi-well drilling campaign and the timing and ability to target multiple play types; the timing and ability to evaluate the deeper Jurassic Clastic zones; the timing and ability to penetrate basement rocks and the timing and ability of the basement rocks to be a fractured prospective basement play type; the timing and ability to implement modern stimulation techniques to increase production rates; the timing and ability of the in-field flowline separators to reduce pressure and lead to higher flow rates; the timing and ability to commission the fifth in-field flowline separator; the timing and ability of field compression to boost production rates; the timing and ability of the First Facility to produce 48,000 gallons (80 MT) of LNG per day; the timing and ability to complete fabrication of the First Facility and begin LNG production; the timing and ability to execute an LNG off-taker agreement; and the timing and ability to fund the various planned activities.
ABBREVIATIONS
The following is a summary of abbreviations used in this news release:
boepd
Barrels of oil equivalent per day*
LNG
Liquefied Natural Gas
MT
Metric tonnes
* Barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) are derived by converting gas to oil in the ratio of six thousand standard cubic feet (“Mscf”) of gas to one barrel of oil based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6 Mscf to 1 barrel, utilizing a conversion ratio at 6 Mscf to 1 barrel may be misleading as an indication of value, particularly if used in isolation.
The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
For further information, please contact Don Streu, President and CEO or Sandy Quilty, Vice President of Finance and CFO at 403-201-9694.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, today questioned U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in his first appearance before the Committee since being confirmed to lead the Pentagon in January. As violence escalates in the Middle East and President Trump weighs U.S. involvement, Secretary Hegseth did nothing to reassure the American public that men and women deployed in the Middle East, as well as Americans living abroad, would be protected if the President decides to enter the United States into active hostilities. Following concerns she heard from partners abroad at the Paris Air Show, Shaheen pressed Hegseth on the importance of international agreements like AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom and U.S.)—which Secretary Hegseth has placed under review—to efforts key to deterring China. Shaheen additionally secured commitment from Secretary Hegseth to raise hiring delays at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to quickly get public shipyard workers onboarded into the jobs they’ve been hired to do that are integral to national security. Clickhereto watch the Shaheen’s full remarks and questions.
Key Quotes from Shaheen:
On the escalation of violence in the Middle East, Shaheen said: “I understand that we have 40,000 troops deployed in the region, many of whom are in range of Iranian missiles. And it’s been reported that the president is being asked to consider providing the bunker-buster bomb that is required to be carried only by the B-2 bomber and would require a U.S. pilot. That raises real concerns about what retaliation might mean for the safety and stability of the entire region, and our troops and Americans who are in the region.”
On hiring delays at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard that have been unaddressed by the Secretary, Shaheen said: “Last week, Mr. Secretary, […] you reaffirmed the need for an exemption for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to your hiring freeze. […] I’d like to ask you again, because we have not yet heard anything from you or from the Office of Personnel Management about how they’re responding to this. DoD has told us that the Office of Personnel Management needs to review every single new hire, one by one at a time when we need 550 people every year just to keep up with the Navy’s demand for maintenance and on its nuclear submarines. So will you commit to talking to OPM on this issue?”
On the importance of international agreements, Shaheen said: “Six of us on this committee just returned from the largest air show in the world. […] And one of the concerns that I heard from many of the companies that I talked to was about the potential to partner with our allies and partners for innovation, for co-production, and one concern I heard was about the proposed review of the AUKUS agreement. That’s after the Australian government has already contributed half a $1 billion to our submarine industrial base. And American and UK shipbuilders have made capital investments to support the increased demand. So do you disagree with the position that President Trump has taken about AUKUS, that we should move forward? And what is the review expected to produce?”
Shaheen pressed Hegseth during a Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing last week on the impacts of the administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum on the defense industrial base, supply chain lead times and our overall military readiness. In a letter to Secretary Hegseth last month, Shaheen raised concerns about how the President’s trade war harms defense supply chains and ultimately weakens America’s military readiness. The Senator expressed how tariffs on imports will increase prices for the Department of Defense’s defense acquisitions – harming its purchasing power and further raising costs on small businesses.
Citing national security concerns and a lack of qualifications on the Senate floor, Shaheen announced in January that Hegseth would be the first nominee for Secretary of Defense that she opposed since joining the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in 2011.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – After co-leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Paris Air Show, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal warning that President Trump’s trade policy threatens American national defense and global alliances. In her piece, Shaheen argues that the president’s tariff policy threatens our relationships around the globe, exacerbates existing supply chain disruptions and threatens American defense readiness. You can read her op-edhere.
In part, Shaheen writes: “While Beijing closely watches the war in Ukraine, it has also escalated confrontations in the South China Sea and conducted aggressive military exercises over the Taiwan Strait. In the face of these rising threats, our ability to produce and deliver weapons at scale—coordinated with our allies—is more critical than ever.”
Shaheen concludes: “The Trump administration’s trade policies have weakened the alliances we rely on. Congress should reassert our leadership by re-examining its moves and exercising congressional oversight. If we’re going to be ready for the challenges ahead, we must treat American trade policy as a core pillar of American national security.”
The op-ed is available here and in full below:
Trump’s Tariffs Weaken America’s Military
Eighty years ago, the U.S. Army Air Forces staged an exhibition beneath the Eiffel Tower. Thousands of Parisians gathered to admire the B-17 Flying Fortress—an American-built aircraft that helped liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. Primitive by today’s standards, those bombers were the product of a national industrial base operating at full capacity. They were deployed by a trans-Atlantic alliance that shared logistics, intelligence and purpose. That model of coordination is what we need now—but it’s being tested by a trade agenda that favors confrontation over cooperation.
As I co-lead the congressional delegation to this week’s Paris Air Show, the world’s largest defense aerospace expo, I find myself asking: Is the greatest obstacle to America’s security not China or Russia but our own trade policy?
The U.S. defense industry’s capacity to meet the demand for arms was already stretched thin by the Covid pandemic and conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. The Trump administration further disrupted supply chains and increased production costs through more than 50 tariff announcements and a patchwork of shifting duties. The imposition of these tariffs has pressured allies to respond in kind. This cycle worsens supply-chain disruptions, driving up costs and causing delays in defense production.
President Trump imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum earlier this month. Regardless of any exemptions the administration offers, building a modern America-class amphibious assault ship requires 45,000 tons of steel. The net effect of this trade policy will be higher costs across the board, from military aircraft and lightweight armor plating to submarine repairs and shipbuilding.
Tariffs will also affect small, specialized components like those used in jet engines, night vision systems, and landing gear. When I recently met with a New Hampshire company that makes ball bearings for the aerospace industry, executives told me tariffs have driven up their costs and extended their production time—concerns industry leaders echoed in Paris.
These delays and rising costs don’t only slow American readiness; they erode our allies’ trust in the U.S. as a dependable partner. The strain is already evident. Although the F-35 fighter jet is “the pinnacle of aerial combat technology,” in Vice President JD Vance’s words, several North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have signaled they may reconsider participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
Demand for American-made weapons remains strong, especially from front-line nations like Poland. It is racing to acquire Himars rocket launchers and Abrams tanks. But even as the Trump administration pressures allies to spend more on defense, its trade policies and combative rhetoric are sowing doubt about the reliability of parts, maintenance and pricing. That’s prompting U.S. partners to reassess their long-term defense commitments. President Emmanuel Macron underscored this shift when he said, “My goal is to persuade EU countries that rely on U.S. weapons to choose European alternatives.”
European leaders have legitimate cause for concern, and their increased defense spending reflects it. Vladimir Putin has reoriented Russia’s economy around the war in Ukraine, churning out more than 1,400 Iskander ballistic missiles a year and at one point signing up 1,000 new recruits a day. His effort is backed by North Korea, Iran and, most significantly, China.
While Beijing closely watches the war in Ukraine, it has also escalated confrontations in the South China Sea and conducted aggressive military exercises over the Taiwan Strait. In the face of these rising threats, our ability to produce and deliver weapons at scale—coordinated with allies—is more critical than ever.
The administration argues that reliance on foreign imports undermines American defense readiness and that tariffs will protect U.S. industries. But the defense industrial base has evolved over generations, and restructuring it would take decades—time we simply don’t have.
Russia, China and Iran may feel distant to many Americans. But for those of us with family who served in World War II—or who confront national-security challenges daily in government service—the risks are clear and they are growing.
As the B-17 displayed in Paris that summer of 1945 symbolized a robust industrial base united with steadfast allies, today’s defense readiness depends on a similarly coordinated approach—one that can’t thrive amid tariffs that alienate our closest partners.
We need a smarter, more unified strategy. Tariffs on our closest allies aren’t only damaging our economy, they’re undermining our shared defense readiness. At a minimum, the administration should provide answers on how these tariffs are affecting our defense supply chains. I’ve asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for this information but received no response.
The Trump administration’s trade policies have weakened the alliances we rely on. Congress should reassert our leadership by re-examining its moves and exercising congressional oversight. If we’re going to be ready for the challenges ahead, we must treat American trade policy as a core pillar of American national security.
Last week, Shaheen pressed U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the impacts of the administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum on the defense industrial base, supply chain lead times and our overall military readiness. The exchange followed a letter sent to Hegseth in April where Shaheen raised concerns about how the President’s trade war harms defense supply chains and ultimately weakens America’s military readiness. The Senator expressed how tariffs on imports will increase prices for the Department of Defense’s defense acquisitions – harming its purchasing power and further raising costs on small businesses.
Uzbekistan’s economic performance has remained strong, with robust growth, narrowing consolidated fiscal and current account deficits, and ample international reserves.
Despite elevated external uncertainty, growth is projected to stay robust amid ongoing reforms and strong remittances, while inflation is expected to moderate under tight macroeconomic and macroprudential policies.
The priorities ahead are to cement macro-financial stability and continue with the economic reform agenda to reduce the state’s footprint while fostering private sector-led and inclusive growth.
Washington, DC: On June 16, 2025, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV Consultation for the Republic of Uzbekistan.[1] The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.[2]
Uzbekistan’s economic performance has remained strong. Real GDP growth stood at 6.5 percent in 2024, underpinned by robust domestic demand, and remained buoyant at 6.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. Inflation had trended downward through end-April 2024 but rose to 10.6 percent year-on-year in May 2024 that saw the implementation of needed energy price reform. By end-April 2025, it has only marginally eased to 10.1 percent. The current account deficit narrowed by 2.6 percentage points of GDP to about 5.0 percent in 2024, driven by strong remittances, rapidly growing non-gold exports, favorable commodity prices, and the unwinding of a one-off spike in imports in 2023. International reserves have remained ample. The consolidated fiscal deficit narrowed by 1.7 percentage points of GDP to 3.2 percent of GDP in 2024, largely on the back of growth-friendly expenditure measures, although borrowing and spending from the broader public sector were higher than anticipated.
The outlook remains broadly positive. Despite heightened global trade policy uncertainty, real GDP growth is projected to remain robust under the baseline, at close to 6 percent this year and next, supported by sustained strength in private consumption, investment, and advancement of structural reforms. The latter, continued tight monetary and macroprudential policies, and solidified fiscal discipline are expected to reduce inflation to the Central Bank of Uzbekistan’s (CBU) 5 percent target by end-2027. The external current account deficit is foreseen to stay at or slightly below 5 percent over 2025-26 while international reserves are expected to remain adequate, at 9.2 months of imports by end-2026.
Downside risks to the outlook include prolonged and deeper trade policy shocks, more volatile commodity prices, tighter external financing, and contingent liabilities from state-owned enterprises and banks, and public-private partnerships. On the upside, opportunities stem from faster implementation of structural reforms, stronger inflows of income and capital, and favorable commodity prices.
Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Uzbekistan’s positive economic outlook amid continued progress in the transition to a market-oriented economy. Directors noted, however, that significant vulnerabilities persist, including from the still large state footprint in the economy and rising external uncertainty. Against this background, they emphasized the importance of sustaining the momentum in structural and institutional reforms, supported by Fund technical assistance, to entrench macroeconomic stability and maintain robust and resilient growth.
Directors commended the authorities for the significant fiscal consolidation achieved. They broadly called for reversing the decline in the tax-to-GDP ratio and improving expenditure efficiency to create fiscal space for priority social and development needs. Directors stressed the importance of adhering to external borrowing limits and avoiding government spending procyclicality in response to high gold prices to support inflation reduction. They also advised improving monitoring and management of fiscal risks from SOEs and public-private partnerships and further strengthening PFM and fiscal transparency.
Directors welcomed the commitment of the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU) to reduce inflation. They agreed that monetary policy should remain data driven and be tightened further if core inflation or inflation expectations do not decline. Directors encouraged the CBU to continue strengthening communication and monetary policy transmission. They also recommended adopting greater exchange rate flexibility and implementing outstanding safeguards recommendations to strengthen central bank governance and independence.
Directors called for enhancing bank supervision and regulation to safeguard financial stability, while reducing the state’s role in the financial sector. In this regard, they recommended bolstering the commercial orientation of state banks and their corporate governance, phasing out directed and preferential lending, and expediting and expanding privatization efforts. Directors also advised the authorities to strengthen asset classification, NPL reporting and resolution, and the regulatory, supervisory, crisis management, and AML/CFT frameworks following the recommendations of the country’s first Financial Sector Assessment Program. Additional macroprudential measures could help mitigate risks from rapid growth in microcredit.
Directors encouraged deepening and accelerating structural reforms. While welcoming the progress with WTO accession and energy sector reform, they emphasized that it will be essential to complete price and trade liberalization, phase out support to SOEs, and accelerate privatizations while carrying them out in line with international best practices. Directors called on the authorities to make further progress in governance reforms, including improvements in transparency and accountability and the approval of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. Closing data gaps and improving data quality remain priorities.
It is expected that the next Article IV consultation with Uzbekistan will be held on the standard 12-month cycle.
Exchange rate (in sums per U.S. dollar; end of period)
11,225
12,339
12,920
…
…
Real effective exchange rate
(ave, 2015 =100, decline = depreciation)
61.8
58.8
55.4
…
…
Government finance
(Percent of GDP)
Consolidated budget revenues
28.8
26.7
26.5
26.3
26.4
Consolidated budget expenditures
32.3
31.6
29.7
29.3
29.4
Consolidated budget balance
-3.5
-4.9
-3.2
-3.0
-3.0
Adjusted revenues 3/
27.7
25.9
25.5
25.3
25.5
Adjusted expenditures 3/
31.3
29.9
27.8
27.3
27.8
Adjusted fiscal balance
-3.7
-4.0
-2.3
-2.0
-2.3
Policy-based lending
-0.1
0.9
0.9
1.0
0.7
Overall fiscal balance 3/
-3.5
-4.9
-3.2
-3.0
-3.0
Public debt
30.5
32.2
32.6
33.3
33.2
Money and credit
(Percent Change)
Reserve money
31.4
4.9
9.5
9.2
8.8
Broad money
30.2
12.2
30.6
19.4
16.3
Credit to the economy
21.4
23.2
4.0
19.3
16.0
Sources: Country authorities; and IMF staff estimates.
1/ Incorporates latest revision to national accounts data, which raised the average nominal GDP for 2017-2023 by about 11 percent.
2/ The CPI projection incorporates the effect of the announced increases in energy prices in 2024 and 2025.
3/ IMF staff adjusts budget revenues and expenditures for financing operations, such as equity injections, policy lending, and privatization of state enterprises. The overall fiscal balance until 2021 is more negative than the consolidated budget balance as the latter excluded privatization receipts. Since 2022, there is no difference as the authorities started including all privatization receipts as financing.
[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.
[2] Under 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/Uzbekistan page.
[3] At 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.
Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our lives – from warehouse automation to robotic vacuum cleaners. And just like humans, robots need to know where they are to reliably navigate from A to B.
How far, and for how long, a robot can navigate depends on how much power it consumes over time. Robot navigation systems are especially energy hungry.
But what if power consumption was no longer a concern?
Our research on “brain-inspired” computing, published today in Science Robotics, could make navigational robots of the future more energy efficient than previously imagined.
This could potentially extend and expand what’s possible for battery-powered systems working in challenging environments such as disaster zones, underwater, and even in space.
How do robots ‘see’ the world?
The battery going flat on your smartphone is usually just a minor inconvenience. For a robot, running out of power can mean the difference between life and death – including for the people it might be helping.
Robots that navigate challenging environments need a lot of battery power for their cameras and other sensors. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Many of these robots can’t rely on GPS for navigation. They keep track of where they are using a process called visual place recognition. Visual place recognition lets a robot estimate where it’s located in the world using just what it “sees” through its camera.
But this method uses a lot of energy. Robotic vision systems alone can use up to a third of the energy from a typical lithium ion battery found onboard a robot.
This is because modern robotic vision, including visual place recognition, typically relies on power-hungry machine learning models, similar to the ones used in AI like ChatGPT.
By comparison, our brains require just enough power to turn on a light bulb, while allowing us to see things and navigate the world with remarkable precision.
Robotics engineers often look to biology for inspiration. In our new study, we turned to the human brain to help us create a new, energy-efficient visual place recognition system.
Mimicking the brain
Our system uses a brain-inspired technology called neuromorphic computing. As the name suggests, neuromorphic computers take principles from neuroscience to design computer chips and software that can learn and process information like human brains do.
An important feature of neuromorphic computers is that they are highly energy-efficient. A regular computer can use up to 100 times more power than a neuromorphic chip.
Neuromorphic computing is not limited to just computer chips, however. It can be paired with bio-inspired cameras that capture the world more like the human eye does. These are called dynamic vision sensors, and they work like motion detectors for each pixel. They only “wake up” and send information when something changes in the scene, rather than constantly streaming data like a regular camera.
What a regular camera sees (left) compared to a bio-inspired camera (right). Adam Hines
So if brain-inspired computers and bio-inspired cameras are so wonderful, why aren’t robots using them everywhere? Well, there are a range of challenges to overcome, which was the focus of our recent research.
A new kind of LENS
The unique properties of a dynamic vision sensor are, ironically, a limiting factor in many visual place recognition systems.
Standard visual place recognition models are built on the foundation of static images, like the ones taken by your smartphone. Since a neuromorphic sensor doesn’t produce static images but senses the world in a constantly changing way, we need a brain-inspired computer to process what it “sees”.
Our research overcomes this challenge by combining neuromorphic chips and sensors for robots that use visual place recognition. We call this system Locational Encoding with Neuromorphic Systems, or LENS for short.
LENS uses the continuous information stream from a dynamic vision sensor directly on a neuromorphic chip. The system uses a machine learning method known as spiking neural networks. These process information like human brains do.
By combining all these neuromorphic components, we reduced the power needed for visual place recognition by over 90%. Since nearly a third of the energy needed for a robot is vision related, this is a significant reduction.
To achieve this, we used an off-the-shelf product called SynSense Speck, which combines a neuromorphic chip and a dynamic vision sensor all in one compact package.
The entire system only required 180 kilobytes of memory to map an area of Brisbane eight kilometres in length. That’s a tiny fraction of what would be needed in a standard visual place recognition system.
Hexapod robots have six legs and can walk on different surfaces both indoors and outdoors.
A robot in the wild
For testing, we placed our LENS system on a hexapod robot. Hexapods are multi-terrain robots that can navigate both indoors and outdoors.
In our tests, the LENS performed as well as a typical visual place recognition system, but used much less energy.
Our work comes at a time when AI development is trending towards creating bigger, more power-hungry solutions for improved performance. The energy needed to train and use systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT is notoriously demanding, with concerns that modern AI represents unsustainable growth in energy demands.
For robots that need to navigate, developing more compact, energy-efficient AI using neuromorphic computing could be key for being able to go farther and for longer periods of time. There are still challenges to solve, but we are closer to making it a reality.
Michael Milford receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Economic Accelerator, the Queensland Government, Amazon, Ford Motor Company, iMOVE CRC, the DAAD Australia-Germany Co-operation Scheme and DSTG. He is affiliated with the Motor Trades Association of Queensland as a non-executive board member.
Tobias Fischer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the DAAD Australia-Germany Co-operation Scheme, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation via the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, and the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
Adam D Hines 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.
Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our lives – from warehouse automation to robotic vacuum cleaners. And just like humans, robots need to know where they are to reliably navigate from A to B.
How far, and for how long, a robot can navigate depends on how much power it consumes over time. Robot navigation systems are especially energy hungry.
But what if power consumption was no longer a concern?
Our research on “brain-inspired” computing, published today in Science Robotics, could make navigational robots of the future more energy efficient than previously imagined.
This could potentially extend and expand what’s possible for battery-powered systems working in challenging environments such as disaster zones, underwater, and even in space.
How do robots ‘see’ the world?
The battery going flat on your smartphone is usually just a minor inconvenience. For a robot, running out of power can mean the difference between life and death – including for the people it might be helping.
Robots that navigate challenging environments need a lot of battery power for their cameras and other sensors. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Many of these robots can’t rely on GPS for navigation. They keep track of where they are using a process called visual place recognition. Visual place recognition lets a robot estimate where it’s located in the world using just what it “sees” through its camera.
But this method uses a lot of energy. Robotic vision systems alone can use up to a third of the energy from a typical lithium ion battery found onboard a robot.
This is because modern robotic vision, including visual place recognition, typically relies on power-hungry machine learning models, similar to the ones used in AI like ChatGPT.
By comparison, our brains require just enough power to turn on a light bulb, while allowing us to see things and navigate the world with remarkable precision.
Robotics engineers often look to biology for inspiration. In our new study, we turned to the human brain to help us create a new, energy-efficient visual place recognition system.
Mimicking the brain
Our system uses a brain-inspired technology called neuromorphic computing. As the name suggests, neuromorphic computers take principles from neuroscience to design computer chips and software that can learn and process information like human brains do.
An important feature of neuromorphic computers is that they are highly energy-efficient. A regular computer can use up to 100 times more power than a neuromorphic chip.
Neuromorphic computing is not limited to just computer chips, however. It can be paired with bio-inspired cameras that capture the world more like the human eye does. These are called dynamic vision sensors, and they work like motion detectors for each pixel. They only “wake up” and send information when something changes in the scene, rather than constantly streaming data like a regular camera.
What a regular camera sees (left) compared to a bio-inspired camera (right). Adam Hines
So if brain-inspired computers and bio-inspired cameras are so wonderful, why aren’t robots using them everywhere? Well, there are a range of challenges to overcome, which was the focus of our recent research.
A new kind of LENS
The unique properties of a dynamic vision sensor are, ironically, a limiting factor in many visual place recognition systems.
Standard visual place recognition models are built on the foundation of static images, like the ones taken by your smartphone. Since a neuromorphic sensor doesn’t produce static images but senses the world in a constantly changing way, we need a brain-inspired computer to process what it “sees”.
Our research overcomes this challenge by combining neuromorphic chips and sensors for robots that use visual place recognition. We call this system Locational Encoding with Neuromorphic Systems, or LENS for short.
LENS uses the continuous information stream from a dynamic vision sensor directly on a neuromorphic chip. The system uses a machine learning method known as spiking neural networks. These process information like human brains do.
By combining all these neuromorphic components, we reduced the power needed for visual place recognition by over 90%. Since nearly a third of the energy needed for a robot is vision related, this is a significant reduction.
To achieve this, we used an off-the-shelf product called SynSense Speck, which combines a neuromorphic chip and a dynamic vision sensor all in one compact package.
The entire system only required 180 kilobytes of memory to map an area of Brisbane eight kilometres in length. That’s a tiny fraction of what would be needed in a standard visual place recognition system.
Hexapod robots have six legs and can walk on different surfaces both indoors and outdoors.
A robot in the wild
For testing, we placed our LENS system on a hexapod robot. Hexapods are multi-terrain robots that can navigate both indoors and outdoors.
In our tests, the LENS performed as well as a typical visual place recognition system, but used much less energy.
Our work comes at a time when AI development is trending towards creating bigger, more power-hungry solutions for improved performance. The energy needed to train and use systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT is notoriously demanding, with concerns that modern AI represents unsustainable growth in energy demands.
For robots that need to navigate, developing more compact, energy-efficient AI using neuromorphic computing could be key for being able to go farther and for longer periods of time. There are still challenges to solve, but we are closer to making it a reality.
Michael Milford receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Economic Accelerator, the Queensland Government, Amazon, Ford Motor Company, iMOVE CRC, the DAAD Australia-Germany Co-operation Scheme and DSTG. He is affiliated with the Motor Trades Association of Queensland as a non-executive board member.
Tobias Fischer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the DAAD Australia-Germany Co-operation Scheme, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation via the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, and the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
Adam D Hines 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: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the AUKUS Improvement Act. Building upon the bipartisan, AUKUS-enabling legislation in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act, the AUKUS Improvement Act will further streamline defense industrial base collaboration and co-production between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The legislation was also sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).
“The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom collectively face our most challenging threat environment since WWII. As we approach the 4th anniversary of AUKUS, it’s clear more should be done to break down bureaucratic obstacles and ensure a more seamless defense innovation and trade environment,”said Ricketts. “By streamlining transfers of critical capabilities to two of our closest allies while also facilitating a more efficient co-production ecosystem, the AUKUS Improvement Act will strengthen our allies’ warfighting edge, improve interoperability, and support our own industrial base.”
“The AUKUS partnership is critical to countering the threat from China and ensuring the Indo-Pacific remains free and open,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to strengthen AUKUS and boost defense collaboration among our countries.”
The AUKUS Improvement Act would:
Exempt State Department-vetted entities that have been approved as AUKUS Authorized Users from the requirement to obtain Third Party Transfer approvals under Foreign Military Sales.
Exempt Australia and the United Kingdom from the need for Congressional Notification for overseas manufacturing.
BACKGROUND:
In the last five years, Australia has placed $23 billion in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) orders, making it one of the biggest users of the FMS process. FMS ensures Australia is procuring the exact same variant that the U.S. military uses, enabling greater interoperability. It also supports American deployed forces operating in Australia through access to spare parts. Australia is often required to transfer elements of equipment procured through FMS to industry for further development, operation, maintenance, and sustainment. In order to do this, it must obtain written consent from the State Department in the form of a Third Party Transfer (TPT) request. However, the TPT process can be slow, with applications often taking many months before being approved. By making TPTs made under FMS subject to similar export controls to those made under AUKUS for Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), the AUKUS Improvement Act will get capability in the hands of our allies faster.
In March 2021, Australia established the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise to expand its munitions and missile stockpiles, establish domestic manufacturing ofguided weapons, and supplement international partners’ supply chains. As part of this announcement, Australia and the U.S. agreed to collaborate on a flexible guided weapons production capability in Australia, with an initial focus on the potential for co-production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) by 2025, and eventual co-production of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM).
However, the Arms Export Control Act requires Congressional Notification (CN) 15 days prior to approving a commercial technical assistance or manufacturing license agreement to manufacture significant military equipment abroad, regardless of the value. Currently, State Department excludes any transfer of defense articles, technical data, or services that requires a CN from the license-free environment and expedited processing provisions under AUKUS. Therefore, Australia is required to obtain a Manufacturing License Agreement to receive the technical data and manufacturing know-how for each component of a precision-guided munition. This adds complexity, time, and cost, therebylimiting munitions co-production cooperation that benefits both the U.S. and Australia.
Ottawa, Ontario, June 18, 2025—The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today continued its orders made on September 25, 2019, in expiry review RR‑2018‑005, concerning the dumping of circular copper tube from Brazil, Greece, China, South Korea and Mexico, and the subsidizing of these goods from China.
The Tribunal found that the expiry of the orders was likely to result in injury. As such, the Tribunal continued its orders. The Canada Border Services Agency will therefore continue to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on these goods.
The Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance. It hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs and excise tax rulings. When requested by the federal government, the Tribunal also provides advice on other economic, trade and tariff matters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Croatia for backing India’s fight against terrorism as both nations began a new chapter in bilateral relationship during his historic visit to the country – the first-ever by an Indian PM – on Wednesday.
PM Modi held “productive discussions” with his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb as both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Croatia bilateral relations and explored avenues to deepen collaboration in sectors like digital technologies, space, renewable energy, defence, maritime infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, amongst others.
Asserting that India and Croatia are bound by shared values such as democracy, rule of law, pluralism, and equality, PM Modi thanked Croatia for its “steadfast support” to India in fighting cross-border terrorism. Both leaders also called for further deepening India-EU strategic ties.
“We agree that terrorism is the enemy of humanity and opposed to those forces who believe in democracy. We are deeply grateful to Prime Minister Plenkovic and the Government of Croatia for their condolences on the terrorist attack in India on April 22. In such difficult times, the support of our friendly countries has been very valuable to us,” said PM Modi after the delegation-level talks.
He added that both countries have agreed to enhance cooperation in many areas to boost bilateral trade and create reliable supply chains.
“We will promote cooperation in pharma, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, renewable energy, semiconductors. Cooperation will also be increased in shipbuilding and cyber security,” remarked PM Modi.
In a gesture signifying the centuries-old close cultural links between the two countries, Prime Minister Modi received from his Croatian counterpart a reprint of Vezdin’s Sanskrit grammar – the first printed Sanskrit grammar written in Latin in 1790 by Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin during his time spent in India.
“To the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, I handed over a reprint of Vezdin’s Sanskrit grammar – the first printed Sanskrit grammar, written in Latin in 1790 by the Croatian scientist and missionary Filip Vezdin (1748-1806), based on the knowledge he gained during his stay in India from Kerala Brahmins and local manuscripts. With this pioneering work, Filip Vezdin became one of the first European scientists to seriously devote himself to Indian languages and culture. At the same time, this is a symbol of early cultural ties between Croatia and India,” said Plenkovic.
An Indologist of Croatian nationality, Ivan Filip Vezdin came to Malabar as a missionary in 1774 and later became the Vicar-General on the Malabar Coast.
He is credited with publishing the first printed Sanskrit grammar in 1790. A plaque to commemorate him was unveiled in Trivandrum in 1999.
Plenkovic also handed over a book titled ‘Croatia and India, Bilateral Navigator for Diplomats and Business’ to PM Modi, written by Croatian diplomat Sinise Grgica.
“Grgica in a unique and comprehensive way gives a comparative view of our two countries and explores all dimensions of bilateral relations. This book reflects our achievements, as well as the potential we can still realise, and we believe that it will inspire and encourage the strengthening of our future cooperation and contribute to the further deepening of the mutual friendship between Croatia and India,” said Plenkovic.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi received a rousing welcome by the vibrant Indian community in Zagreb as he began his landmark visit to Croatia – the first-ever by an Indian Prime Minister to the country – on Wednesday.
Zagreb is the last stop on PM Modi’s three-nation tour, which also included visits to Cyprus en route to Canada for Tuesday’s G7 Summit in Kananaskis.
Prime Minister Modi had emphasised that the three-nation tour is also an opportunity to thank partner countries for their steadfast support to India in India’s fight against cross-border terrorism, and to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
In a special gesture, PM Modi was warmly received by Plenkovic at the Franjo Tudman Airport with a ceremonial welcome.
Members of the Indian diaspora, waiting to catch a glimpse of PM Modi, were seen gathered in huge numbers as the PM’s motorcade drove through the city.
Hundreds of people, including locals, also gave a grand welcome to PM Modi as he arrived at his hotel.
Amid chants of “Modi-Modi”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”, PM Modi witnessed vibrant and energy-filled cultural performances from people present at the venue.
PM Modi joined a group of locals chanting Vedic shlokas and also interacted with a few in the gathering while getting inside the building.
“The bonds of culture are strong and vibrant! Here is a part of the welcome in Zagreb. Happy to see Indian culture has so much respect in Croatia,” said PM Modi.
“Croatia’s Indian community has contributed to Croatia’s progress and also remained in touch with their roots in India. In Zagreb, I interacted with some members of the Indian community, who accorded me an unforgettable welcome. There is immense enthusiasm among the Indian community here about this visit and its impact in making the bond between our nations stronger than ever before,” he added.
PM Modi was then warmly received by Plenkovic at the iconic St. Mark’s Square and accorded a ceremonial welcome.
It was followed by delegation-level bilateral talks between the two leaders.
Plenkovic said that PM Modi’s significant visit comes at a pivotal moment.
“We welcomed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Zagreb! This is the first visit by the Prime Minister of India – the most populous country in the world, and it comes at an important geopolitical moment. We are starting a new chapter in Croatia-India relations and creating the conditions for strengthening bilateral cooperation in a number of areas,” the Croatian Prime Minister commented.
Analysts reckon that the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to Croatia will help in fostering stronger political and economic collaboration with Croatia. It will also provide a crucial opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation in various sectors including trade, innovation, defence, ports, shipping, science and tech, cultural exchange, and workforce mobility.
Three years ago, Jay Buth was preparing for surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas. Today, he’s returning from a bucket-list trip to Italy. But the road between those milestones was neither simple nor smooth.
After a successful surgery to remove the tumor, described by his doctors as “better than textbook,” Buth faced unexpected complications that left him in the ICU for two months. From there, he was transferred to the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, where he had to relearn how to walk and regain basic coordination. But the harder recovery, he says, was the mental one.
“I think mental health doesn’t get enough attention during cancer treatment,” Buth explains. “But even more so, it’s overlooked after treatment ends. That’s when a lot of the mental healing really begins.”
Jay and Alissa Buth on their trip to Italy.
Over the past three years, Jay has worked closely with Dr. Judith Cooney, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychiatry at the Carol and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center at UConn Health, to help navigate the emotional and psychological aftermath of surviving cancer.
Cooney specializes in helping patients and survivors manage the emotional impact of cancer diagnoses, treatment, and survivorship.
Her work includes evidence-based interventions for anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, and coping strategies related to chronic and terminal illness. Cooney partners with oncologists and the wider care team to ensure patients receive whole-person care, supporting both the physical and psychological challenges that come with cancer.
“Mental health is not separate from cancer care,” says Dr. Cooney. “It’s essential to supporting patients’ resilience, quality of life, and ability to heal, both during and after treatment.”
“One of the most powerful, and often unexpected, challenges survivors face is survivor’s guilt,” said Dr. Cooney. “They ask, ‘Why did I survive when others didn’t?’ These are very real, very human reactions,and they deserve just as much care and attention as the physical aspects of recovery.”
Buth says that question haunted him after he was declared cancer-free. “When you get the all-clear, you expect to feel nothing but relief,” he said. “But for me, there was this incredible guilt. Why did I make it when others didn’t?”
Through his work with Dr. Cooney, he’s reframed that guilt as something more constructive.
“We talked a lot about shifting from ‘Why me?’ to ‘Why not me?’” Cooney said. “Jay’s treatment responded well. His tumor was operable. His body healed. These are blessings, not sources of guilt.”
Together, they’ve worked through scan-related anxiety, the stress of long-term monitoring, and the daily effort to stay grounded.
“We focus on mindfulness, breathing, staying present, and viewing follow-up scans as routine medical care, not as looming threats,” said Cooney. “Jay has done an incredible job learning how to take in the data, stay rooted in the moment, and not let fear drive the narrative.”
Their sessions began every other week and now take place monthly or as needed.
Jay and his wife Alissa with his sister-in-law and brother-in-law Megan and Brandon on their recent trip to Italy.
Buth describes his emotional recovery as ongoing, but transformative. “This might sound strange, but cancer might’ve been the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “It forced me to slow down, notice the small things and helped me live more fully.”
That empathy has turned into action. Quietly and consistently, Jay now supports other pancreatic cancer patients. “I don’t know how helpful I am,” he says. “But sometimes people just need someone who’s been there. Someone who will listen.”
“That peer support is incredibly meaningful,” Cooney added. “Jay’s willingness to use his experience to help others is not only a testament to his strength, but a vital part of healing. Helping others can also help us find purpose in our own journeys.”
As he returns from his trip to Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast with his wife, Jay carried with him not just a passport, but a new perspective.
“You only go once around the ride,” he said. “So we’re doing it. We’re living it.”
This June, during National Cancer Survivor Month, Jay’s story reminds us that survival is about more than medicine. It’s about healing the whole person, body, mind, and spirit—and the role expert mental health support plays long after the last scan.
“Mental health is health care,” Jay says. “And it should be part of every cancer care plan, from day one and long after.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
PM call with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: 18 June 2025
The Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani this evening.
The Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani this evening.
The leaders began by discussing the developments in the Middle East in recent days, and both echoed the need for de-escalation and diplomacy.
Underscoring the deep defence and security relationship between the two countries, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s support for Qatar and leaders discussed how both countries could further support regional stability.
Turning to Gaza, the Prime Minister reiterated the intolerable situation on the ground and underlined the UK’s support for an immediate ceasefire.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
QINGDAO, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has called for stepping up efforts to stabilize foreign trade, strengthening support and improving services for foreign trade enterprises, and giving full play to their competitive advantages to ensure high-quality development of China’s foreign trade.
He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour of east China’s Shandong Province from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The Vice Premier pointed out that amid the complicated international environment this year, Chinese industrial exporters have overcome serious challenges and demonstrated outstanding resilience. By offering high-quality products at competitive prices, they not only support domestic economic development, but also further strengthen the stability of the world economy, he said.
Exporters should give full play to their advantages by focusing on key areas, He Lifeng said, calling on them to take root in international markets and continuously upgrade products, technologies and business models.
The Vice Premier of the State Council also called on industrial exporters to organically combine the expansion of foreign trade with the satisfaction of domestic demand.
He Lifeng called on local authorities to promptly resolve practical issues of concern to foreign trade enterprises, strengthen their support and improve services to promote high-quality development of foreign trade. –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
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he and the heads of five Central Asian states discussed traditional friendship and worked out a plan for further development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.
Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement during a briefing for journalists following Xi Jinping’s visit.
The Chinese diplomat noted that in Astana, Xi Jinping and the leaders of Central Asian countries discussed cooperation plans and achieved more than 100 cooperation results.
According to the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the most notable highlight of this summit was Xi Jinping’s introduction of the concept of “China-Central Asian spirit”, which is expressed in four aspects: mutual respect and equal treatment; deep mutual trust and mutual support; mutual benefit and joint development; mutual assistance and joint overcoming of difficulties.
Central Asian leaders unanimously agreed to adhere to this spirit, Wang Yi said.
The head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that China and the five Central Asian countries are developing countries that always follow the path of modernization together.
The most prominent theme of the summit, Wang Yi continued, was the joint announcement by the heads of the six states of 2025 and 2026 as the Years of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asian Cooperation.
The two sides will focus cooperation on six priority areas: unimpeded trade, industrial investment, connectivity, green resources, agricultural modernization and facilitating people-to-people exchanges, to achieve new tangible results, the Chinese diplomat said.
Wang Yi said that Xi Jinping attended the signing of the action plan for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative together with the heads of five Central Asian states. This was the first time that China signed a single document on cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative with all countries in a neighboring region.
The head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry recalled that China is the most important trade and investment partner of the Central Asian countries. All parties agreed that there are no winners in tariff and trade wars, and unilateralism and protectionism have no prospects.
Responding to Central Asia’s urgent need to boost and enhance its capacity for independent development, Xi Jinping announced the establishment of three cooperation centers within the framework of China-Central Asia cooperation – on poverty alleviation, on educational exchanges, and on desertification prevention and control, and promised to provide 3,000 educational places for Central Asian countries in the next two years.
The most important innovative initiative of this summit, as Wang Yi stated, was the signing by the heads of six states of the Treaty of Eternal Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, which enshrines the principle of eternal friendship in legal form and indicates that political mutual trust between China and the Central Asian countries has reached a new height.
During the summit, China and Central Asian countries also achieved a number of new cooperation results in areas such as inter-regional cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, educational exchanges and cultural tourism.
In addition, the six heads of state attended the signing of a number of sister city agreements. Wang Yi noted that this brought the number of sister city pairs between China and the five Central Asian countries to more than 100, achieving the goal of the initiative put forward by Xi Jinping three years ago. –0–
In May, the seasonally adjusted monthly price growth slowed to 4.5% on an annualized basis. Non-food items fell in price for the second month in a row. The rate of price increases for basic food products, household and medical services remained high.
Annual inflation also continued to decline in May, but was still significantly above the target. The Bank of Russia intends to return inflation to 4.0% in 2026 and keep it close to this level thereafter.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at Pulkovo Airport, who arrived on an official visit to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and participate in the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Let us recall that First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, as the chairman of the Russian part of the Russian-Indonesian Joint Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, visited Jakarta in April of this year to hold the 13th meeting of the commission.
The high dynamics of bilateral contacts contribute to the successful development of cooperation between Russia and Indonesia in a wide range of areas, including trade, industry, agriculture, energy, transport, tourism, as well as humanitarian spheres, in particular education, culture and sports.
By the end of 2024, the volume of trade turnover between Russia and Indonesia amounted to 4.3 billion dollars.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Alexey Overchuk took part in a joint meeting of the State Duma committees (photo by the State Duma press service).
Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk spoke at a joint meeting of the State Duma committees on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots, culture, education, family protection, fatherhood, motherhood and childhood, civil society development, public and religious associations and control.
The meeting was held as part of preparations for a government hour dedicated to the development of cooperation between Russia and the CIS countries in the humanitarian sphere and the strengthening of common spiritual and moral values.
The Deputy Prime Minister informed parliamentarians about the comprehensive work being carried out to preserve the common cultural space of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the implementation of measures in the areas of education and science, culture and tourism, and also answered questions from deputies.
In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Russia intends to deepen partnership with the CIS countries, combining economic cooperation with the preservation of a common cultural and civilizational space. The Government’s priorities in this area remain work with youth, the development of education and the popularization of traditional values and the preservation of the Russian language as a common language and means of international communication of the countries of Northern Eurasia.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Alexander Novak met with OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Gais at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“Russia highly values the effectiveness of interaction within OPEC. Thanks to regular and trusting working contacts, including with the OPEC Secretariat, it is possible to compare positions in advance, develop coordinated approaches, and make decisions at our ministerial meetings that take into account the interests of each OPEC member,” said Alexander Novak, opening the meeting.
In turn, the OPEC Secretary General highly appreciated the energy dialogue with Russia. He emphasized the importance of the partnership between the Russian Federation and OPEC at all levels and highly appreciated the leadership role that Russia plays within the framework of the Declaration of Cooperation as a co-chair of the OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meetings.
The parties discussed the situation on the global oil market, including in connection with the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, interaction between Russia and OPEC both in a bilateral format and within the framework of the OPEC deal.
Alexander Novak invited Haitham al-Gais to take part in the annual international forum “Russian Energy Week”, which will be held from October 15 to 17 in Moscow.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced today the latest round of grant awards for the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative, totaling $6.5 million in infrastructure development and supporting 198 housing units across three communities. In line with prior awards, these recipients demonstrated strong collaboration and partnership with local real estate developers.
“Every Georgian deserves to be able to live in the community where they work, and today’s announcement is just the latest reminder of our commitment to that idea,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “I’m grateful for those in the legislature who helped us fund the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative to meet the needs of hardworking families across our state who are benefitting from the historic job growth we’ve attracted. These particular grants will have a positive, generational impact on Hawkinsville, Hinesville, and Waynesboro in the years to come.”
First announced by the Governor in 2023, the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative continues to be a catalyst for the development of critically needed workforce housing in communities across the state. The Georgia General Assembly approved $35.7 million to launch the initiative in the Amended Fiscal Year 2023 budget. In the 2025 session, the legislature approved $28 million in the Amended Fiscal Year 2025 budget and $6 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the program.
“Through this important initiative, the OneGeorgia Authority continues to come alongside communities committed to growth and opportunity for their citizens,” said Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn. “These communities have shown strong partnership and initiative, and we are proud to continue to help them achieve their vision of a prosperous future.”
In addition to meeting OneGeorgia Authority requirements, applicants leveraged other funding sources to demonstrate community commitment to increasing access to affordable housing for workers. The use of funds is subject to all applicable state laws and regulations, as well as to the policies and requirements of the OneGeorgia Authority and the Department of Community Affairs. OneGeorgia funds must be utilized within the timeframe specified in the grant/loan award documentation, which is generally 30 months from the date of the award.
Awards
City of Leesburg
The City of Leesburg was awarded $2,500,000 in OneGeorgia funds for water, sewer, drainage, and road infrastructure improvements to allow for the development of 66 units in the first phase of development in the 32 Crossing Subdivision on a total of 130 acres. Additional phases will allow for senior housing and commercial development.
The Lamon Company is the developer on the project. The city and developer are contributing funds towards the project. All required zoning has been approved for the development.
City of Greensboro
The City of Greensboro will receive $2.5 million in OneGeorgia funds for water, sewer, roads, and drainage infrastructure improvements to allow for the development of 32 homes on 63 acres in the first phase of the Baynes Creek development. Additional phases will allow for the construction of 70 housing units.
The Greene County Habitat for Humanity is the partner developer for this project. The total infrastructure costs are $3,442,360 with the city and the developer making a contribution to this cost. All required zoning has been approved, and the clearing and grubbing have already begun on the site.
Joint Development Authority of Gilmer County and the Cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay
The Joint Development Authority was awarded $1,500,000 in OneGeorgia funds to construct drainage, water, and sewer infrastructure improvements. This investment will enable the construction of 30 townhomes on a total of 3.04 acres.
The total infrastructure project costs are $2,329,645 for all necessary infrastructure improvements. The cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay, along with Gilmer County, are contributing to these costs. New Beginnings, the partner developer for this project, will also contribute funding to the project. Zoning is approved for the project.
Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems.
Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven by new conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza. Added to these are protracted crises in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and DR Congo, among others. Yet donor funding has failed to keep pace, covering less than half of the requested US$50 billion in 2024, leaving millions without assistance.
As funding shortfalls widen, humanitarian agencies increasingly face tough choices: reducing the scale of operations, pausing essential services, or cancelling programmes altogether. Disruptions to aid delivery have become a routine feature of humanitarian operations.
Yet few rigorous studies have provided hard evidence of the consequences for affected populations.
A recent study from one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya fills this gap.
Our research team from the University of Oxford and the University of Antwerp was already studying Kakuma camp and then had an opportunity to see what happened when aid was cut. We observed the impact of a 20% aid cut that occurred in 2023.
The study reveals that cuts to humanitarian assistance had dramatic impacts on hunger and psychological distress, with cascading effects on local credit systems and prices of goods.
Kakuma refugee camp
Kakuma is home to more than 300,000 refugees, who mostly came from South Sudan (49%), Somalia (16%), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (10%). They have been housed here since 1992. With widespread poverty, lack of income opportunities, and aid making up over 90% of household income, survival in the camp hinges on humanitarian support from UN organisations.
When the research began in late 2022, most refugees in Kakuma received a combination of in-kind and cash transfers from the World Food Programme. Transfers were worth US$17 per person per month, barely enough to cover the bare essentials: food, firewood and medicine.
Over the span of a year, the research team tracked 622 South Sudanese refugee households, interviewing them monthly to monitor how their living conditions evolved in response to the timing and level of aid they received. We also gathered weekly price data on 70 essential goods and conducted more than 250 in-depth interviews with refugees, shopkeepers, and humanitarian staff to understand the broader impacts.
Then came the cut. In July 2023, assistance was reduced by 20%, just as the research team was conducting its eighth round of data collection. This sudden reduction in humanitarian aid created a rare opportunity to assess the effects of an aid cut on both recipients and the markets they depend on.
Consequences of aid cut
The 20% cut in humanitarian aid had cascading effects, affecting not just hunger, but local credit systems, prices, and well-being.
1. Hunger got worse. As a Somali refugee interviewed by the researchers put it: “After the aid reduction, the lives of refugees become hard. That was the money sustaining them. […] Things are insufficient, and hunger is visible.”
Food insecurity was already widespread before the cut, with more than 90% of refugees classified as food insecure. Average caloric intake stood below 1,900 kcal per person per day – well under the World Food Programme’s 2,100 kcal target and about half the average daily calorie supply available to a US citizen.
Food insecurity further increased following the aid cut, with caloric intake falling by 145 kcal, a 7% decrease. The share of households eating one meal or less increased by 8 percentage points, from about 29% to 37%. At the same time, dietary diversity narrowed, indicating that households tried to mitigate the negative impacts of the aid cut by reducing the variety of foods they consumed.
2. Credit collapsed. As a refugee shopkeeper of Ethiopian origin reported: “When we give out credit we have a limit; since the aid is reduced, the credit is also reduced.”
Cash assistance in Kakuma is delivered through aid cards, which refugees routinely use as collateral to access food on credit. When transfers are delayed or unexpected expenses arise, refugees hand over their aid cards as a guarantee to trusted shopkeepers, allowing them to borrow food against next month’s aid.
But when assistance was cut, the value of this informal collateral plummeted. Retailers, fearing default, reduced lending or refused lending altogether. Informal credit from shopkeepers shrank by 9%. Many refugees reported being refused food on credit or having to repay past debt before receiving any new goods.
3. Households liquidated assets. With no access to credit, households began selling off possessions and drawing down food reserves. The average value of household assets fell by over 6% after the aid cut.
4. Psychological distress increased. The aid cut reduced self-reported sleep quality and happiness, indicating that reductions in aid go beyond physical impacts and also have psychological effects.
5. Prices fell. With reduced expenditure and purchasing power, the demand for food dropped, and food prices went down, partially offsetting the negative effects of the aid cut.
First, aid in contexts like Kakuma should not be treated as optional or discretionary, but as a structural necessity. It is the backbone of daily life. Mechanisms are needed to protect it from abrupt donor withdrawals.
Second, informal credit is not peripheral, it is central to economic life in refugee settings. In many camps, shopkeepers act as retailers and de facto financial institutions. When aid transfers serve as both income and collateral, cutting them risks collapsing this fragile credit system. Cash transfer programmes must therefore be designed with these dynamics in mind.
Olivier Sterck receives research funding from the IKEA Foundation, the World Bank, and The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).
Vittorio Bruni is affiliated with Oxford University
Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems.
Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven by new conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza. Added to these are protracted crises in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and DR Congo, among others. Yet donor funding has failed to keep pace, covering less than half of the requested US$50 billion in 2024, leaving millions without assistance.
As funding shortfalls widen, humanitarian agencies increasingly face tough choices: reducing the scale of operations, pausing essential services, or cancelling programmes altogether. Disruptions to aid delivery have become a routine feature of humanitarian operations.
Yet few rigorous studies have provided hard evidence of the consequences for affected populations.
A recent study from one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya fills this gap.
Our research team from the University of Oxford and the University of Antwerp was already studying Kakuma camp and then had an opportunity to see what happened when aid was cut. We observed the impact of a 20% aid cut that occurred in 2023.
The study reveals that cuts to humanitarian assistance had dramatic impacts on hunger and psychological distress, with cascading effects on local credit systems and prices of goods.
Kakuma refugee camp
Kakuma is home to more than 300,000 refugees, who mostly came from South Sudan (49%), Somalia (16%), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (10%). They have been housed here since 1992. With widespread poverty, lack of income opportunities, and aid making up over 90% of household income, survival in the camp hinges on humanitarian support from UN organisations.
When the research began in late 2022, most refugees in Kakuma received a combination of in-kind and cash transfers from the World Food Programme. Transfers were worth US$17 per person per month, barely enough to cover the bare essentials: food, firewood and medicine.
Over the span of a year, the research team tracked 622 South Sudanese refugee households, interviewing them monthly to monitor how their living conditions evolved in response to the timing and level of aid they received. We also gathered weekly price data on 70 essential goods and conducted more than 250 in-depth interviews with refugees, shopkeepers, and humanitarian staff to understand the broader impacts.
Then came the cut. In July 2023, assistance was reduced by 20%, just as the research team was conducting its eighth round of data collection. This sudden reduction in humanitarian aid created a rare opportunity to assess the effects of an aid cut on both recipients and the markets they depend on.
Consequences of aid cut
The 20% cut in humanitarian aid had cascading effects, affecting not just hunger, but local credit systems, prices, and well-being.
1. Hunger got worse. As a Somali refugee interviewed by the researchers put it: “After the aid reduction, the lives of refugees become hard. That was the money sustaining them. […] Things are insufficient, and hunger is visible.”
Food insecurity was already widespread before the cut, with more than 90% of refugees classified as food insecure. Average caloric intake stood below 1,900 kcal per person per day – well under the World Food Programme’s 2,100 kcal target and about half the average daily calorie supply available to a US citizen.
Food insecurity further increased following the aid cut, with caloric intake falling by 145 kcal, a 7% decrease. The share of households eating one meal or less increased by 8 percentage points, from about 29% to 37%. At the same time, dietary diversity narrowed, indicating that households tried to mitigate the negative impacts of the aid cut by reducing the variety of foods they consumed.
2. Credit collapsed. As a refugee shopkeeper of Ethiopian origin reported: “When we give out credit we have a limit; since the aid is reduced, the credit is also reduced.”
Cash assistance in Kakuma is delivered through aid cards, which refugees routinely use as collateral to access food on credit. When transfers are delayed or unexpected expenses arise, refugees hand over their aid cards as a guarantee to trusted shopkeepers, allowing them to borrow food against next month’s aid.
But when assistance was cut, the value of this informal collateral plummeted. Retailers, fearing default, reduced lending or refused lending altogether. Informal credit from shopkeepers shrank by 9%. Many refugees reported being refused food on credit or having to repay past debt before receiving any new goods.
3. Households liquidated assets. With no access to credit, households began selling off possessions and drawing down food reserves. The average value of household assets fell by over 6% after the aid cut.
4. Psychological distress increased. The aid cut reduced self-reported sleep quality and happiness, indicating that reductions in aid go beyond physical impacts and also have psychological effects.
5. Prices fell. With reduced expenditure and purchasing power, the demand for food dropped, and food prices went down, partially offsetting the negative effects of the aid cut.
First, aid in contexts like Kakuma should not be treated as optional or discretionary, but as a structural necessity. It is the backbone of daily life. Mechanisms are needed to protect it from abrupt donor withdrawals.
Second, informal credit is not peripheral, it is central to economic life in refugee settings. In many camps, shopkeepers act as retailers and de facto financial institutions. When aid transfers serve as both income and collateral, cutting them risks collapsing this fragile credit system. Cash transfer programmes must therefore be designed with these dynamics in mind.
Olivier Sterck receives research funding from the IKEA Foundation, the World Bank, and The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).
Vittorio Bruni is affiliated with Oxford University
‘Planting the sugar-cane’: vast fortunes were made from the trades in both sugar and human slaves in the Americas.Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library
Rich British aristocratic families with a legacy of owning colonial slave plantations are often accused by campaigners that their wealth solely originates from these plantations. One frequent target of this criticism has been the Drax family of Dorset, which is headed by Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, who was the Conservative MP for South Dorset until July 2024.
Historian Alan Lester of the University of Sussex has noted of Drax (as he is commonly known): “Much of his fortune is inherited, coming down the family line from ownership of the Drax sugar plantations and the 30,000 enslaved people who worked them as Drax property for 180 years before emancipation in Barbados.”
Recently, I have researched and written a book on the Drax family’s history and involvement in the slave trade in the Caribbean, Drax of Drax Hall, that gives fresh insights into the level of wealth they derived from the sugar trade and the trade in African slaves who worked their plantations – as well as the family’s other income sources.
I searched the archives in the UK and Caribbean for evidence of their revenue streams until Britain’s 1834 abolition of slavery in the colonies. I estimate that the family today are worth more than £150 million from their land and property in Dorset and Yorkshire.
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Over a period of two centuries until 1834, eight generations of Drax ancestors owned and worked hundreds of enslaved African captives at any one time. The latest beneficiary of primogeniture – the legal concept that recognises the first-born child as heir to a familiy’s fortune – Richard Drax inherited the family’s still-operating 621-acre Drax Hall plantation in Barbados in 2021.
Drax, 67, has said: “I am keenly aware of the slave trade in the West Indies, and the role my very distant ancestor played in it is deeply, deeply regrettable. But no one can be held responsible today for what happened many hundreds of years ago. This is a part of the nation’s history, from which we must all learn.”
My research reveals the sources of his family’s wealth are more complex than the critics’ claims that it all derives from the slave-worked plantations.
Like most British landed gentry, much of the Drax family income has come as extensive landlords of their British estates which, in 1883, exceeded 23,000 acres across various counties. Today, it includes nearly 16,000 acres in Dorset and 2,520 acres in the Yorkshire Dales.
However, my research also shows the Drax family made more money from slavery than was previously thought, when taking into account the way revenues from their plantations were channelled into the family’s British estates over the two centuries of slavery.
Drax Hall plantation in Barbados
The Drax Hall plantation in the Barbados parish of Saint George has been described by Barbadian historian Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the Caribbean Community reparations commission, as a “killing field” where as many as 30,000 slaves died in brutal conditions. Despite pressure from reparation campaigners in the Caribbean, Britain and elsewhere, Richard Drax has declined to make a formal public apology or gesture of recompense in the Caribbean for the years of slavery.
A 19th-century drawing of Drax Hall plantation in Barbados. Unknown source, Wikimedia Commons
As the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, explained in April 2024, despite the efforts of her government Drax has yet to agree to a settlement, pay reparations or contribute all or part of his family’s Drax Hall plantation to provide affordable housing or become a memorial to those who worked and died in colonial enslavement on the island.
Some other British landed families whose ancestors owned slave plantations in the Caribbean, including the Trevelyans (who owned six slave plantations in Grenada) and the Gladstones (British prime minister William Gladstone’s father owned plantations in Guyana), have made formal apologies and reparations. And while some families have kept the terms of these reparations private, longtime BBC reporter Laura Trevelyan made a US$100,000 (£73,000) donation to a Caribbean development fund.
The largest family estate
Four thousand miles from Barbados, Richard Drax lives in Charborough House, a historic 17th-century mansion in Dorset. He oversees the 23.5-square mile estate, the largest family estate in Dorset with over 120 properties, many of which are rented out.
Charborough was acquired by Drax’s ancestor Walter Erle by marriage in 1549. The family has gradually increased the estate over the centuries. Historically, their income comes from renting land to tenant farmers and cottages to agricultural workers. This, I identified, is where the bulk of their income has come from.
However, profits from sugar produced by slavery also poured into the family coffers over 200 years. Richard Drax’s remote ancestor James Drax (1609-1661) was one of the first settler group to arrive in the then-uninhabited island of Barbados in 1627. In his introduction to my book, TV historian David Olusoga writes that the Drax family were key players – arguably the key players – in the origin story of British slavery:
The Drax Hall plantation, the first estate on which a crop of sugar was commercially grown and processed by any English planter, became one of the laboratories in which early English slavery was developed and finessed.
Built around 1650, the Jacobean plantation house is thought to be the one of the three oldest extant residential buildings in the Americas. From the 17th into the 18th century, the Draxes created and owned the largest acreage in Barbados with the Drax Hall and and Mount plantations – plus a 3,000-acre estate, also called Drax Hall, in Jamaica. The family became enormously wealthy: James Drax was said by a visitor to Drax Hall in the 1640s to “live like a prince”, putting on lavish dinners for friends and guests.
In addition to owning slaves, James Drax shipped African captives to Barbados as a key part of the trade in slaves. Knighted by both Oliver Cromwell and Charles I, by 1660 he was a director and investor in the English East India Company which, in part, traded and exploited enslaved people.
Paul Lashmar’s book, Drax of Drax Hall. Bookshop.com
In her 1930 study, American historian Elizabeth Donnan presented evidence that the Draxes of the 17th century operated “off the books” – buying enslaved people from, and selling them to, “interloper” ships that circumvented the Royal African Company’s monopoly of slave trading to the colonies.
The Drax family married into the Erle family in 1719, combining three fortunes: that of the Erles of Charborough, the Draxes of Yorkshire, Barbados and Jamaica, and the landed-gentry Ernles of Wiltshire.
Despite being deeply involved in the South Sea Bubble scandal, the Drax family flourished. The slave registers in the National Archives show that between 1825 and 1834, the Drax Hall plantation in Barbados produced an average of 163 tonnes of sugar and 4,845 gallons of rum per year. This gave the family an average annual net profit of £3,591 – equivalent to about £600,000 now. Today, the plantation still produces 700 tonnes of sugar a year, earning the family something in the region of £250,000.
Pressure for reparations
In recent years, the value of Drax Hall’s land in Barbados has greatly increased as it is sought after for housing, and could now be worth as much as Bds$150,000 (£60,000) per acre. At the same time, pressure for reparations is growing. In 2023, the African Union threw its weight behind the Caribbean reparations campaign.
David Comissiong, deputy chairman of the Barbados reparations task force, has said: “Other families are involved, though not as prominently as the Draxes. This reparations journey has begun.”
Yet to date, the only reparations paid in the story of the Drax family’s involvement in the slave trade were to the family itself. In 1837, Jane-Frances Erle-Drax, the heiress of Charborough, received £4,293 12s 6d (worth more than £614,000 today) in reparations for freeing 189 slaves from Drax Hall plantation after the abolition of slavery in the colonies.
In the course of researching and writing my book, I approached Richard Drax both directly and through his lawyers and put the claims made here to him. He had no comment to add.
This page contains references to books included for editorial reasons, which may include links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.
Everyone deserves to be able to afford rent, food and other basics needed to live – MIG must be key to achieving that.
More in Human Rights
The Scottish Greens have welcomed recommendations from a Scottish Government Expert Group that nobody in Scotland should live on less than a minimum income.
The Minimum Income Guarantee: a roadmap to dignity for all suggests that social security, employment and other policies should be geared to ensuring nobody falls below the Minimum Income Standard.
The Minimum Income Standard is published by the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation and is based on polling the public on what they think. This produces an MIS generally significantly above current social security payments.
“Poverty is not inevitable. The UK is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but there are thousands of families struggling to make ends meet and parents being forced to skip meals.
“Over a decade of austerity has caused unimaginable harm to our communities. UK Labour’s refusal to scrap the brutal two child benefit cap and bedroom tax is still forcing folk into poverty. We have a duty here in Scotland to do everything we can to build a social security system that keeps folk safe.
“The Minimum Income Standard published today is an important step forward on this journey – and potentially be a game changer in terms of tackling poverty, boosting health and wellbeing, and removing so much of the stigma of our social security system.
“I hope the Scottish Government takes this opportunity to ensure that everyone, no matter their circumstances, can access the essentials to live in health, happiness and dignity.”
Washington, DC: With the successful launch of the new data portal—the National Summary Data Page (NSDP)—Djibouti has implemented a key recommendation of the IMF’s Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (e-GDDS) to publish essential macroeconomic and financial data. The e-GDDS is the first tier of the IMF Data Standards Initiatives that promote transparency as a global public good and encourages countries to voluntarily publish timely data that is essential for monitoring and analyzing economic performance.
The launch of the NSDP is a testament to the Djibouti’s commitment to data transparency. It serves as a one-stop portal for disseminating various macroeconomic data compiled by multiple statistical agencies. The published data include statistics on national accounts, prices, government operations, debt, the monetary and financial sector, and the external sector.
The launch of the NSDP was supported by an IMF technical assistance mission, financed by the Government of Japan through the Japan Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities, and conducted in collaboration with the African Development Bank from June 9 to 12, 2025. The mission was hosted by the Central Bank of Djibouti in close collaboration with the Ministry of Budget, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as the National Statistics Institute of Djibouti.
With this reform, Djibouti will join 75 countries worldwide and 35 countries in Africa using the e-GDDS to disseminate standardized data.
Mr. Bert Kroese, Chief Statistician and Data Officer, and Director of the IMF’s Statistics Department, commended the authorities for this major milestone in the Djibouti’s statistical development. He also emphasized that Djibouti would benefit from using the e-GDDS participation as a tool to further improve data transparency. The IMF stands ready to “continue supporting the authorities in further developing their statistical systems.”
Headline: WTO members review six regional trade agreements, discuss transparency issues
The Committee considered the following Agreements:
The Chair of the Committee, Ambassador José Valencia of Ecuador, noted that 61 RTAs in force have still not been notified to the WTO up to 2 June 2025 – up from 58 RTAs on the previous list.
The Chair outlined the informal consultations he recently held with members on the issues of non-notified RTAs, factual presentations, and possible inputs for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on 26-29 March 2026.
Ambassador Valencia shared a report summarizing members’ views, with background context provided primarily by the Secretariat, and his own suggestions for action. The report was presented under the Chair’s own responsibility and without prejudice to members’ views. Further informal consultations are planned after the summer to facilitate deeper discussions on the report’s content and future actions.
Under other business, Brazil sought clarification on the trade deal recently announced by the United States and the United Kingdom. The US and the UK said they would relay the questions to capitals and revert back.
Next meeting
The next Committee meeting is scheduled for 10 November.
Headline: The European Space Agency, Thales Alenia Space and Blue Origin to explore collaboration opportunities
The cooperation will cover human spaceflight, science, technology and commercial capabilities
Paris Air Show, June 18th 2025 – The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and Blue Origin to foster and facilitate commercial and industrial advancements in the area of space exploration in Low Earth Orbit.
The signatories will explore opportunities for European payloads and/or crew members to utilize on a non-exclusive basis the low-Earth orbit (LEO) space station Orbital Reef which will offer end-to-end services, including transportation of crew and cargo, astronaut accommodations, and payload utilization services.
Through this MoU, the European Space Agency intends to develop a closer relationship with Blue Origin and Thales Alenia Space for the development of Orbital Reef, that could provide services meeting Europe’s long-term research and commercial needs in alignment with ESA’s recently announced requirements.
The MoU will also support European industry in preparing to supply modules, systems, subsystems, and equipment for Orbital Reef, and conducting risk-mitigation activities. Furthermore, Thales Alenia Space and Blue Origin are considering using future qualified European LEO cargo and/or crew transportation services under commercially viable terms and conditions as a means to transport astronauts and supplies to and from the station.
“I am thrilled to witness an opening of a new economic dimension on Low Earth Orbit, to which this MoU is contributing,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA. “Our core mission at ESA is to support our Member States’ ambitions, and to do so, we are always keen to investigate potential collaborations in a renewed ecosystem with a growing commercial segment.”
“We’re truly honored that ESA has placed its trust in our company to explore opportunities in the LEO ecosystem together with Blue Origin to meet Europe’s commercial needs,” said Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President of Observation, Exploration, and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space.“Thales Alenia Space has played a key role in achieving humanity’s ambitions in LEO in recent years. By leveraging our expertise in space exploration infrastructures and vehicles, we’re committed to competing and investing in the development of technological solutions to empower Europe’s plans for the commercialization of low-Earth orbit. We’re excited about our collaboration with Blue Origin and are ready to implement whatever’s required to prepare for human presence and life in space, laying the groundwork for the post-ISS era while addressing new economic needs for research and science.”
“This alliance is a unique opportunity to not only enable a new era of research and progress in orbit, but to welcome the broadest spectrum of partners in constructing humanity’s future beyond Earth,” said Pat Remias, Vice President, Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering, Blue Origin. “Together, we are building foundations for industries and missions yet to be imagined.”
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members. ESA has established formal cooperation with other four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on advancing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
About Thales Alenia Space
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of solutions including services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of €2.23 billion in 2024 and has more than 8,100 employees in 7 countries with 15 sites in Europe.
About Blue Origin
We are building a road to space for the benefit of Earth, humanity’s blue origin. Our team is focused on radically reducing the cost of access to space and harnessing its vast resources while mobilizing future generations to realize this mission. Blue Origin builds and operates reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles, in-space systems, and lunar landers.
The Commission was informed that the provider of TikTok expanded its e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, to users in France, Germany and Italy on 31 March 2025.
The provider of TikTok has carried out and submitted to the Commission a specific ad-hoc risk assessment ahead of the deployment of TikTok Shop in the EU, pursuant to Article 34(1) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (The Digital Services Act, or ‘DSA’)[1].
The Commission continues to supervise the evolution of the deployment of the new TikTok Shop features in the EU and monitor compliance with the DSA.
In particular, the Commission examines whether the provider of TikTok has diligently identified, analysed, assessed and mitigated any systemic risks stemming from the design, functioning and use made of its service and related systems, including any actual and foreseeable negative effects in relation to the protection of minors and serious negative consequences to the person’s physical and mental well-being.
The Commission is also supervising the compliance by the provider of TikTok of the obligations applicable to providers of online marketplaces, such as ensuring the traceability of traders. The Commission would ensure a swift enforcement if it finds potential infringements of the DSA.
Following the publication of its findings of the Digital Fairness Fitness Check[2], the Commission is working on a Digital Fairness Act which will aim at addressing identified gaps in EU consumer protection, in order to ensure a high level of protection in the digital environment. The Digital Fairness Act thus aims, notably, at complementing areas that are not regulated under the DSA.
