Source: European Parliament
Air pollution is one of the largest environmental health risks in Europe. The EU zero pollution action plan adopted in 2021 aims at reducing air and noise pollution to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems. Both the legislation and an EU-wide monitoring network aim to ensure that pollution is below critical values, and that the EU is on track to reduce air pollution to levels no longer considered harmful by 2050.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
When 35-year-old Oscar Escobar completed his term as the youngest elected mayor in his Colombian hometown in 2023, he was accepted into a program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government tailored to aspiring global leaders like him.
If the Trump administration gets its way, Escobar may be among the last foreign students for the foreseeable future to attend the Kennedy School, widely considered one of the world’s best schools for preparing future policymakers.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security sought to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students and force those who are there to transfer or lose their legal status. It accused the university of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.”
In early June, President Donald Trump doubled-down by issuing a proclamation to bar U.S. entry for foreign nationals planning to study at Harvard and directed the State Department to consider revoking visas for those already enrolled. Trump argued that Harvard has tolerated crime on campus and that its relationships with China threatened national security.
Harvard said the orders – which affect thousands of students – were illegal and amounted to retaliation for rejecting government’s demands to control its governance and curriculum among other things. It said it was addressing concerns about antisemitism and campus threats.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked both orders while the courts review legal challenges, but if allowed to stand, they would represent a huge blow to Harvard, and the Kennedy School in particular.
Over the past five years, 52% of Kennedy students have come from outside the United States, the school’s media office said. With students from more than 100 countries, it is “the most global” school at Harvard.
The large foreign contingent is a big part of why the school has been so successful as a training ground for future leaders, including Americans, said Nicholas Burns, a Kennedy School professor and a former U.S. diplomat.
“It’s by design,” Burns said in an interview, referring to the number of international students. “It’s a decision that the Kennedy School leadership made because it replicates the world as it is.”
Kennedy counts an impressive list of foreign leaders among its alumni, including former Mexican President Felipe Calderon and former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Another is Maia Sandu, who was elected president of Moldova in 2020 after she graduated. She has since emerged as an important regional voice against Russian influence, spearheading the country’s drive to join the European Union and taking a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“At Harvard I met interesting people from all over the world, everyone with his or her own story,” Sandu said in a 2022 address to Kennedy School graduates. “And, very quickly, I realized that my country was not the only one which had been struggling for decades. I realized that development takes time.”
‘SOFT POWER’
For the school’s defenders, foreign students bring more benefits than risks. They say educating future world leaders means boosting U.S. “soft power,” a concept coined in the 1980s by Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, later a Kennedy School dean, to refer to non-coercive ways to promote U.S. values such as democracy and human rights.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, a Kennedy School graduate who must now navigate the rivalry between the United States and China in Southeast Asia, has acknowledged the influence of American culture on him.
He says he decided to study in the U.S. in part because his favorite musicians were Americans. Last year, Wong posted a TikTok video of himself playing Taylor Swift’s “Love Song” on acoustic guitar, dedicating the performance to teachers.
To be sure, the Kennedy School has courted its share of controversies – including criticism over who it accepts into its programs and who it invites to teach and speak to its students.
A notable example came in 2022 when Kennedy’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy offered a fellowship to Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, and then rescinded it. Roth said at the time he believed the school caved to pressure from supporters of Israel who believed HRW had an anti-Israel bias. Kennedy denied that, but eventually reversed course amid widespread criticism that it was limiting debate.
Smiling as he posed for graduation photos with his family in May, Escobar said it was a bittersweet moment to complete his studies at Kennedy.
“If this university cannot receive international students anymore, of course we are missing an opportunity,” said Escobar, who has since returned to Colombia to work on the presidential campaign of leftist politician Claudia Lopez, also a former Harvard fellow.
“If what President Donald Trump wants is to make America great again, it will be a mistake.”
(Reuters)
Source: European Parliament 3
MEPs welcome Montenegro´s objective to join the EU in 2028 and praise Moldova’s EU membership efforts in resolutions adopted on Wednesday.
Importance of political stability in Montenegro
Parliament calls for political stability in Montenegro and substantial progress regarding electoral and judicial reforms as well as the fight against organised crime and corruption. In a report adopted by 470 votes in favour. 102 against and 77 abstentions, MEPs stress that Montenegro remains the leading candidate in the EU enlargement process and point to the overwhelming support of its citizens and the majority of political actors for joining the EU in 2028. Parliament welcomes the country’s full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including EU sanctions against Russia, and commends Montenegro for its support for the international rules-based order at the United Nations.
Fight against foreign interference
Parliament is however seriously concerned by malign interference, cyber-attacks, hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns and efforts to destabilise Montenegro, including attempts to influence its political processes and public opinion. These discredit the EU and undermine the country’s progress towards EU membership.
The rapporteur on Montenegro Marjan Šarec (Renew Europe, Slovenia) said: “It is important to note that the adoption of necessary legislation involved cooperation between both coalition and opposition parties. This reflects a high level of awareness that the European path is the only right one for Montenegro, with no viable alternative. Montenegro’s achievements thus far provide a solid foundation for addressing future challenges, which are numerous and far from easy. The fight against organised crime and corruption, judicial reform, and the prevention of influence from third countries are of critical importance for meeting democratic standards.”
MEPs praise Moldova’s EU membership efforts
Commending Moldova’s exemplary commitment to advancing its progress towards EU membership, a report approved by MEPs by 456 votes in favour to 118 against with 51 abstentions recognises that EU-Moldova relations have entered into a new phase. Cooperation has intensified alongside sustained efforts by the government in Chișinău to align Moldova’s laws with those of the EU (the so-called “EU acquis”). Despite significant internal and external challenges, such as the effects of Russia’s continuing war against neighbouring Ukraine and Moscow’s interference in Moldova’s democratic processes, MEPs welcome the Moldovan government’s progress on meeting the EU’s enlargement requirements and the country’s ambition to open negotiations on more enlargement-related issues. MEPs call on the European Commission to enhance its support for Moldova to achieve these objectives.
Russian interference in Moldova’s democratic processes
MEPs note that in both Moldova’s recent constitutional referendum on European integration and the 2024 presidential election Moldovans reaffirmed their support for EU membership and the government’s pro-European reform agenda. Despite being subject to a massive hybrid campaign by Russia and its proxies, MEPs say both the referendum and the election were held professionally and “with an extraordinary sense of duty and dedication”. They also note that the country’s parliamentary elections in autumn 2025 will be crucial for the continuation of Moldova’s pro-European trajectory and warn about the likely intensification of foreign, in particular Russian, malign interference and hybrid attacks.
The rapporteur on Moldova Sven Mikser (S&D, Estonia) said: “We commend Moldova’s strong commitment to EU integration and acknowledge the country’s strategic importance for Europe. The Moldovan authorities have demonstrated remarkable determination to pursue reforms and align with EU values despite facing major challenges and external pressure by the Kremlin and its proxies.”
Source: City of Birmingham
Vulnerable families in Birmingham in need of temporary accommodation will benefit from the acquisition of a property in the city.
Birmingham City Council has purchased Washington Court, which it intends to use to provide suitable temporary accommodation for several families in need of a home.
The council expects to complete the necessary work to prepare the building for use in the latter half of 2026.
Once ready, the building will feature dedicated one-on-one support to help families find permanent homes.
Councillor Nicky Brennan, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said:
“Providing warm, safe, suitable accommodation for everyone who needs it is a key priority for this council.
“However, the country is facing a severe housing crisis, with demand for accommodation at an all-time high. This crisis is putting immense pressure on our housing support services, as is the case for many other councils across the country.
“The increased demand and limited supply have meant that around 800 families with dependent children are being housed in B&B accommodation in Birmingham.
“B&Bs are not suitable places to house families with dependent children, so we are doing everything we can to increase our supply of temporary accommodation.
“We acknowledge there is much more to do – but this acquisition will go a long way to improving the situation.
“Opportunities to acquire sites of this size, in the city centre, do not come up very often, so I would like to thank Trident for giving us the opportunity to acquire Washington Court.”
Nigel Wilson, Trident Group Chief Executive, said:
“We are pleased that the site can continue to make a difference for the city in a new way by providing vital temporary accommodation for some of Birmingham’s most vulnerable families. The site’s new life, providing safe and comfortable accommodation, builds on a legacy of over two decades of providing accommodation to over 6,000 people across the city.
“We are glad that we can continue to provide support in collaboration with Birmingham City Council and other partners to people who find themselves homeless or sleeping rough at smaller sites across the city, providing a more stable environment for service users to begin their journey into accommodation.”
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
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 archaeology is developing dynamically. Not long ago, advanced Chinese archaeological technologies were used during excavations at the Munchaktepa ancient settlement in Uzbekistan, and the results confirmed the spread of Chinese civilization in this area in ancient times.
Uzbekistan was an important hub and trade transit point on the Great Silk Road. According to the Shanghai Observer multimedia platform, since 2012, archaeological research institutions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CAS) together with the National Center for Archaeological Research of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan have been conducting systematic field excavations in the Fergana Valley of this country. It was confirmed that the ancient city of Munchaktepa was most likely the capital of the ancient state of Davan mentioned in historical chronicles. This discovery provided important material evidence of civilizational exchange on the Great Silk Road.
In 2024, excavations at the Munchaktepa site reached a new milestone. Collective burials were discovered at the site. In early 2025, with the support of the AONK, members of the Joint Laboratory of Scientific and Technical Archaeology under the Belt and Road Initiative went to the Munchaktepa site to conduct excavations.
Initially, the researchers, with the help of the Uzbek side, built a temporary mobile module, but it turned out that it did not fully meet the working conditions. In this situation, they actually dismantled and reassembled their laboratory from Beijing: they selected portable equipment and necessary materials and built a mobile laboratory on the excavation site.
“The collaboration model we developed for meticulous excavation and rapid on-site protection of relics is an advanced technology that has undergone countless practical tests in China. This time, it has been fully applied to an archaeological site in Central Asia,” said Han Huarui, a junior researcher at AOC.
“We used the technology of transporting objects in a protective box to completely encapsulate these fragile relics. This not only minimized damage to the objects during transportation, but also preserved the burial information for future research,” she said.
When working with metal objects, the researchers carried out cleaning. After extraction, by removing corrosion, the original state of many artifacts such as earrings, pendants, etc. was restored.
The most surprising discovery was the Wuzhu coin. After conservation treatment, the characters “Wu Zhu” became clearly visible on the coin. This is the most direct evidence of ancient trade and exchange between the East and the West.
Cross-border archaeological research has become a successful practice of applying interdisciplinary approaches in Chinese archaeology, as well as a successful demonstration of Chinese archaeological concepts and technologies in the international arena. -0-
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
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 returned to Beijing on Wednesday after attending the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Xi Jinping’s entourage, including Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, returned on the same flight. -0-
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHENGDU, June 18 (Xinhua) — A pavilion of Kazakh goods located in Qingbaijiang District of Chengdu City, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, displays various food products imported from the Central Asian country, including milk powder, chocolate, candy, flour, vegetable oil and biscuits.
“If previously cargo transportation between China and Central Asia was carried out by traditional camel caravans, now these camels have become ‘steel’,” noted the head of the pavilion, Ren Jianhong, referring to the trains running along the international railway cargo transportation routes between China and the Central Asian states.
In April 2025, the first scheduled freight train departed from Chengdu to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on the Chengdu-Central Asia railway route, and in May, a regular public freight train was officially launched between the two points.
Freight trains cross the border at the Khorgos checkpoint in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region /Northwest China/ and arrive in Tashkent. The total length of the route is 4,853 km.
“Chengdu is a hub city for international rail freight routes between China and Central Asia. Thanks to their emergence, the delivery time for goods has been reduced to 10 days, and logistics costs have been reduced by 5-10 percent,” Ren Jianhong explained.
According to the Chengdu International Railway Port Economic Development Zone Administration, there are regular trains departing from Chengdu on China-Central Asia routes. These routes cover countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
With the help of these “steel camels,” more and more Central Asian delicacies are becoming available to Chinese consumers, including chocolate oatmeal from Kazakhstan, flaxseed oil from Tajikistan, dried fruits from Turkmenistan, dairy products from Uzbekistan, and honey from Kyrgyzstan.
In addition, in order to promote the development of agricultural and food trade, China has opened 8 “green channels” for fast customs clearance of agricultural and by-products from Central Asian countries.
According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, in the first five months of this year, China’s foreign trade with the five Central Asian countries increased by 10.4 percent year-on-year to 286.42 billion yuan (about 39.86 billion US dollars), reaching a new historical maximum. In particular, in January-May of this year, the volume of agricultural imports from the five Central Asian countries to China amounted to 4.36 billion yuan, which is 26.9 percent more than a year earlier. -0-
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
(As prepared for delivery)
As the armed conflict in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the nuclear safety and security situation throughout the country continues to be highly precarious. The presence of the IAEA at all Ukrainian nuclear facilities has been and continues to be an invaluable asset to the international community and must be preserved.
The IAEA remains present at Ukraine’s nuclear power plant facilities. Difficult conditions have in the past month complicated and delayed one rotation of experts, which was safely completed in recent days. Back in December, a drone hit and severely damaged an IAEA official vehicle during a rotation. As I reported to you in the special Board meeting shortly afterward, staff survived this unacceptable attack unharmed, but the rear of the vehicle was destroyed. Other episodes followed, confirming the dangerous situation.
Around Ukraine, the Khmelnitsky NPP, the Rivne NPP and the South Ukraine NPP, continue to operate amid serious challenges, including on the electricity infrastructure, a major risk to the reliable and stable supply of power crucial for the safe operation of NPPs. The electrical grid’s ability to provide a reliable off-site power supply to Ukrainian NPPs was further reduced by damage sustained following military attacks in November and December 2024, a mission of IAEA experts that visited and assessed seven critical electrical substations concluded late last year. Considering the seriousness of the situation, I visited the Kyivska electrical substation last month to observe the damage sustained first hand. On what was my 11th visit to Ukraine since the start of the war, I also met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reiterating the IAEA’s commitment to supporting nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and our readiness to support the country’s plans to expand nuclear power at Khmelnytskyy NPP. Consultations with Moscow have also taken place and will continue, in the interest of nuclear safety and security at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.
At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), where the 6 reactor units are in cold shutdown, the status of the off-site power supply remains extremely vulnerable. For about one week ZNPP had to rely on a single off-site power line following the loss of its only remaining back-up line, confirming the extremely fragile situation.
Last month at the Chornobyl site a drone caused significant damage to the structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the reactor damaged in the 1986 accident and to protect it from external hazards. Although this attack did not result in any radioactive release, it nevertheless underlines the persistent risk to nuclear safety during this military conflict.
Since the Board gathered for its last regular meeting in November 2024, the Agency has arranged 31 deliveries of nuclear safety, security and medical equipment and supplies to Ukraine, bringing the total so far to 108 deliveries valued at more than EUR 15.6 million. The Agency also has initiated the first phase of its support on safety and security of radioactive sources in Ukraine.
We are grateful to all 30 donor states and the European Union for their extrabudgetary contributions, and I encourage those who can, to support the delivery of the comprehensive assistance programme, for which EUR 22 million are necessary.
As reflected in my latest report to the Board on Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine, I would like to reiterate that all the IAEA’s activities in Ukraine are being conducted in line with relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and of the IAEA policy-making organs.
Madame Chairperson,
In February, I travelled to Fukushima to participate in collecting water samples off the coast of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. I did this together with scientists from China, Korea and Switzerland as part of additional measures to promote transparency and build trust in the region during the ongoing release of ALPS-treated water from the plant. Additional measures focus on expanding international participation and transparency, allowing hands-on independent measurements of the concentration level of the water. This work is conducted within agreed parameters set by the IAEA in its role as an independent, impartial and technical organization. IAEA officials and experts from laboratories from China, France, the Republic of Korea, and Switzerland also sampled ALPS -treated water – prior to dilution – from measurement/confirmation tanks on the premises at the site. The IAEA has maintained its independent monitoring and analysis efforts, confirming that tritium concentrations in the discharged batches remain far below operational limits.
In December 2024, an IAEA Task Force concluded that the approach TEPCO, and the Government of Japan are taking continues to align with international safety standards.
While in Japan, I also visited facilities where soil removed after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident is safely stored, managed, and recycled, an effort the IAEA has been supporting by working to ensure it meets international safety standards.
You have before you the Nuclear Safety Review 2025 and the Nuclear Security Review 2025. Both documents present, in their respective areas, an analytical overview, the global trends, and the Agency’s main activities in 2024. They also identify the top priorities for the years ahead.
This month the inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Security Working Group established under the Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative’s Regulatory Track will identify nuclear security topics of common interest amongst participating States and share regulatory approaches, good practices and lessons learned in ensuring the security of SMRs.
Our preparatory work in advance of the launch of Atomic Technology Licensed for Applications at Sea (ATLAS) later this year is progressing. ATLAS will provide a framework to enable the peaceful maritime uses of nuclear technology, a prospect that is generating significant interest.
Contracting Parties to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention) later this month will participate in the 8th Review Meeting to study National Reports with the aim of improving safety in radioactive waste and spent fuel management.
December saw the start of a new project supporting the establishment of sustainable regulatory infrastructure for radiation safety and the security of radioactive material in Central East Asia and the Pacific Islands.
In June, Romania will host ConvEx-3, the IAEA’s highest level and most complex emergency exercise. In the event of an incident with transboundary implications, Member States will be called upon to implement a harmonized response and therefore this exercise will have a particular focus on regional collaboration.
The International Conference on Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response will be held in December in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Madame Chairperson,
Today, 417 nuclear power reactors operating in 31 countries make up almost 377 gigawatts of installed capacity, providing just under 10 per cent of the world’s total electricity and a quarter of its low-carbon supply.
It is clear that countries are turning more and more to nuclear energy. In the IAEA’s high case scenario, global nuclear electricity generating capacity is seen increasing two and a half times by 2050. Delivering on that promise will require public support. That is why the first IAEA International Conference on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes will gather governments, industry and practitioners from around the world in the final week of May. Mayors of municipalities with nuclear power facilities from around the world will share their experiences. No one is better placed to assess the impact and contribution to the community of nuclear facilities than those living there.
Following our first Nuclear Stakeholder Engagement School, hosted by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy last November, we are now planning two more later this year. In addition, we have also established a new Stakeholder Engagement Advisory Service, which will help countries assess and strengthen their stakeholder engagement programmes.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and growing in all spheres of life, including in nuclear science and technology. AI data centres require a lot of energy and nuclear reactors provide clean, reliable, and adaptable options, including in the form of SMRs and micro reactors. Meanwhile, the integration of AI into the nuclear sector offers the chance to streamline operations across the nuclear power project life cycle. In this context the IAEA will host the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy this December. We look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible to this important and first-of-a-kind event here at the Agency’s headquarters.
Within the Secretariat we are also intent on making the most of AI while mitigating its risks, therefore we have established official guidelines, a portal and a community of practice.
Our work on fusion continues apace with the publication of Experiences for Consideration in Fusion Plant Design Safety and Safety Assessment.
Madame Chairperson,
The Nuclear Technology Review before you highlights key advancements in nuclear applications that support Member States in addressing critical priorities. This year’s review places particular emphasis on innovations in food safety and authenticity, energy security, early disease detection and cancer treatment, environmental sustainability, and advanced manufacturing.
In November, the IAEA hosted the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Science, Technology and Applications and the Technical Cooperation Programme. The Ministerial Declaration recognized both the critical role of nuclear science, technology, and applications in tackling global challenges, and the important role of the Technical Cooperation programme as a key mechanism in transferring, expanding and further accelerating Member State access to nuclear technology, materials, equipment and expertise for peaceful purposes.
I am pleased to report the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme achieved an implementation rate of 86% in 2024. We provided our emergency assistance to Türkiye and Syria, assessing damage to civil structures following the earthquakes and building the capacities of Turkish and Syrian experts in non-destructive testing. We initiated procurement to reinstate X-ray and laboratory services in Grenada and Honduras in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Sara, and we aided oil-spill clean-up efforts in Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2024, the Rate of Attainment for contributions to the TC Fund was 95%, underscoring Member States’ commitment to our work. To ensure resources for the TC programme are sufficient, assured and predicable, I urge Member States to contribute on time, and in full, to the TC Fund.
Our flagship initiatives are making progress across the globe. Under Atoms4Food, about 27 countries from all regions have officially requested support. Member States have pledged almost EUR 9 million, two thirds of which was contributed by Japan to support livestock production in Côte d’Ivoire, food safety in Mauritania, and molecular laboratories in Vietnam, among other projects.
Our network of international partnerships has grown with Memoranda of Understanding having been signed with Anglo American, CGIAR, and the Inter-American Institute of Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA). The partnership with Anglo American focuses on combating soil salinization through climate-smart agricultural practices.
While I was in Japan last month, I signed a partnership with Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world’s largest integrated trading companies, to cooperate particularly in the area of sustainable uses of nuclear related technologies for multiple areas, including healthcare, shipping, fusion and capacity building efforts.
Under Rays of Hope, the Anchor Centre in Argentina held its first capacity-building event to strengthen paediatric radiotherapy services in Latin America and the Caribbean, creating a regional network for knowledge exchange and support.
In January 2025, the IAEA conducted its first national-level quality assurance audit in diagnostic radiology, reviewing 16 hospitals in Qatar.
The International Conference on Advances in Radiation Oncology (ICARO-4) will take place in the first week of June, focusing on emerging radiotherapy techniques to address global health challenges.
Under the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC), a novel surveillance technology for high-risk pathogens was transferred to the IAEA’s Animal Production and Health Laboratory in November and will soon be passed on to Member States. New funding pledges from the Republic of Korea, Portugal, and Japan are supporting ZODIAC’s coordinated research projects in Asia and Africa, as well as the development of AI-driven platforms for zoonotic disease monitoring.
Under NUTEC Plastics 104 Member States are engaged in microplastic monitoring, with 42 developing recycling technologies. Four countries in Asia-Pacific and Latin America have validated radiation-based upcycling technology at lab scale, with private sector collaboration helping to build up operations. China is developing a pilot-scale facility, bringing the total number of countries promoting the technology to nine.
In November this year, the International High-Level Forum on NUclear TEChnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC-Plastics): Scaling Solutions and Partnerships for Global Impact will take place in the Philippines. I thank the Philippines Government for hosting this important milestone.
The Global Water Analysis Laboratory Network (GloWAL) baseline survey has received 85 responses from 65 countries, informing future activities. Its first coordination meeting for the Spanish-speaking Latin America and the Caribbean is underway.
Under ReNuAL 2, the construction of new greenhouses in Seibersdorf is nearing completion and the modernized laboratories will be ready to welcome staff soon.
Madame Chairperson,
Regarding the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme, you have before you my latest report on verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
Following my last report, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% U‑235 has increased to 275 kg, up from 182 kg in the past quarter. Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon State enriching to this level, causing me serious concern.
It has been four years since Iran stopped implementing its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including provisionally applying its Additional Protocol and therefore it is also four years since the Agency was able to conduct complementary access in Iran.
You also have before you my report on the NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran says it has declared all nuclear material, activities and locations required under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. However, this statement is inconsistent with the Agency’s findings of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at undeclared locations in Iran. The Agency needs to know the current location(s) of the nuclear material and/or of contaminated equipment involved.
There is also a discrepancy in the material balance of uranium involved in uranium metal production experiments conducted at Jaber Ibn Hayan Mutlipurpose Laboratory, for which Iran has not accounted.
Having stated it had suspended such implementation, Iran still is not implementing modified Code 3.1, which is a legal obligation for Iran.
I am seriously concerned that the outstanding safeguards issues remain unresolved. They stem from Iran’s obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and need to be resolved for the Agency to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.
I deeply regret that Iran, despite having indicated a willingness to consider accepting the designation of four additional experienced Agency inspectors, did not accept their designation.
There has been no significant progress towards implementing the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023. I call upon Iran urgently to implement the Joint Statement through serious engagement.
In response to the Board’s request in its resolution of November 2024, I will produce a comprehensive and updated assessment on the presence and use of undeclared nuclear material in connection with past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.
High-level engagement is indispensable to making real progress. My visit to Tehran last November, and meetings with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicate that there may be room for constructive compromises. I hope to see them again soon and pursue effective dialogue and tangible results.
The Board has before it for approval a draft Additional Protocol for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
I have made it a priority to strengthen the legal framework for safeguards. Since the last Board meeting in November, Oman, Mongolia, Cyprus, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Zambia have amended their original Small Quantities Protocols and Saudi Arabia has rescinded its original SQP. The number of States with safeguards agreements in force remains 191, and 143 of these States have additional protocols in force. I call upon the remaining three States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons without comprehensive safeguards agreements to bring such agreements into force without delay. I also encourage States that have not yet concluded additional protocols to do so as soon as possible, and I reiterate my repeated calls for the remaining 14 States with SQPs based on the original standard text to amend or rescind them as soon as possible. Let me assure you that I will continue to use my good offices to strengthen the indispensable legal framework on which the continued peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology rest.
The IAEA continues to monitor the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme.
The Agency has observed that the 5MW(e) reactor at Yongbyon resumed operation in mid-October 2024, following a shutdown period of approximately 60 days. This shutdown is assessed to be of sufficient length to refuel the reactor and start its seventh operational cycle. Strong indicators of preparations for a new reprocessing campaign, including the operation of the steam plant serving the Radiochemical Laboratory, have been observed.
In late-January 2025, the DPRK released photographs of General Secretary Kim Jong Un visiting “the nuclear material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute”. The depicted centrifuge cascades and infrastructure are consistent with the layout of a centrifuge enrichment facility and with the structure of the Yongbyon Uranium Enrichment Plant. This development follows the DPRK’s publication in September 2024 of photographs of an undeclared enrichment facility at the Kangson Complex. The undeclared enrichment facilities at both Kangson and Yongbyon, combined with General Secretary Kim’s call for “overfulfilling the plan for producing weapons-grade nuclear materials,” are of serious concern. There are indications that the uranium enrichment plants at Kangson and Yongbyon continue to operate, and there are indications that the light water reactor (LWR) at Yongbyon continues to operate. Additions to the support infrastructure have been observed adjacent to the LWR.
There were no indications of significant changes at the Nuclear Test Site at Punggye-ri, which remains prepared to support a nuclear test.
The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear programme are clear violations of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable. I call upon the DPRK to comply fully with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, to cooperate promptly with the Agency in the full and effective implementation of its NPT Safeguards Agreement and to resolve all outstanding issues, especially those that have arisen during the absence of Agency inspectors from the country. The Agency continues to maintain its enhanced readiness to play its essential role in verifying the DPRK’s nuclear programme.
Concerning the safety of the LWR, we lack the necessary information to make an assessment. Safety should always be a paramount consideration when operating a reactor. Nuclear safety is a sovereign responsibility of the State and the IAEA supports the States in this area.
Following the change of Government in the Syrian Arab Republic towards the end of 2024, I have written to the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. I requested cooperation with the Agency to enable us to fulfill our obligation to verify nuclear material and facilities under Syria’s safeguards agreement. I conveyed the importance of continuing and reinforcing cooperation between Syria and the Agency to address unresolved issues. Clarifying these issues remains essential to Syria demonstrating its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and international peace and security.
I hope to be able to engage with the new government soon. Bringing total clarity to the situation regarding past activities in this field in Syria is indispensable to the realization of current efforts to modernize the country and put it on a firm path to peace and development.
In April and May, the IAEA will participate in the Third Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in New York.
Madame Chairperson,
The IAEA’s Marie Sklodowska‑Curie Fellowship Programme has been expanding the talent base for the nuclear field since 2020 with 760 female students and graduates from 121 Member States so far having been supported in studying in 72 countries. In the current, fifth cycle, we selected 200 candidates from 109 countries. I would like to thank Member States that have contributed so far. For this programme to continue accepting new fellowship candidates it urgently needs further support. I ask those who can, to support this endeavor.
This year, we have planned three Lise Meitner Programme cohorts, in Argentina, Canada and Japan. They are focused on nuclear power, advanced nuclear technologies and research reactors.
I am happy to report that we have reached parity, women now make up half the staff in the professional and higher categories. This is up from about 30% when I took office in 2019.
I thank Member States who have paid their regular budget contributions, including some who paid in advance. It is important that all Member States pay their contributions in a timely manner. This will ensure liquidity of the regular budget throughout the year, allowing the Agency to carry out its activities effectively.
You recently received for your consideration my proposed programme and budget for the 2026-2027 biennium.
It has been prepared with due consideration of the constraints of the prevailing financial environment. Despite increasing demands and higher operational costs, I have decided for the third time in a row to propose a zero real growth budget. The proposal maintains balance among the different programmes and emphasises my commitment to ensuring our resources are managed with discipline, efficiency and restraint so that we maximize the impact of the Agency’s work.
This being our first Board meeting of 2025, I want to conclude by saying that I look forward to making 2025 a successful year in which the IAEA benefits all Member States as we advance our common goals of peace and development.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
Nuclear safety remains precarious at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and its six reactors cannot be restarted as long as the military conflict continues to jeopardize the situation at the site, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told IAEA Member States this week.
Addressing the regular June meeting of the Board of Governors, the Director General briefed them about his 12th mission to Ukraine during the current conflict, which took place in early June, followed by a visit to Russia, which also focused on nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP.
Addressing the Board meeting, he highlighted “the extremely vulnerable” status of the off-site power supply at the site, which for more than a month now has relied on one single power line for the electricity it needs to cool its reactors and spent fuel. Before the conflict, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) had access to ten power lines.
In addition, Director General Grossi noted that the ZNPP reactors’ “reliance on groundwater for cooling remains an interim solution, whilst in their cold shutdown state”. The plant has depended on 11 groundwater wells since the downstream Kakhovka dam was destroyed two years ago.
In their meeting in Kyiv on 3 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “made a point to recognize the importance of the IAEA’s permanent presence” at the ZNPP, the Director General told the Board, adding he had assured President Zelenskyy of the IAEA’s continued commitment to Ukraine’s nuclear safety and to helping it rebuild its energy infrastructure.
The Director General added: “As the military conflict moves further into its fourth year, Ukraine needs support, and the IAEA is providing it … it is also crucial to prepare for the reconstruction phase.”
At the ZNPP, the IAEA team based there has held several meetings with the ZNPP to discuss the site’s electrical system and also visited its 750 kilovolt (kV) switchyard.
Apart from the sole remaining 330 kV back-up line that was disconnected due to military activities on 7 May, the site does not know the current condition of its five other 330 kV lines, which remain unavailable after they were damaged outside of the ZNPP area early in the conflict.
The ZNPP said maintenance work was conducted at one of the four 750 kV power lines that was originally connected to the ZNPP before being damaged in 2022. Since the conflict, the ZNPP had lost access to three of its 750 kV lines.
In addition, the ZNPP informed the IAEA about a planned project to pump water into the cooling pond from the Dnipro River in order to maintain a water level that is sufficient to cool one operating reactor initially, followed by a second unit, until the pond reaches its full capacity. According to the site, a pumping station will be constructed to supply water directly to the cooling pond until the plant can rebuild the Kakhovka dam.
The exact location of the pumping station cannot yet be determined, as it depends on the security conditions, the ZNPP said, adding the project would only start once military activities cease.
Separately this week, the IAEA team was informed that that the Russian regulator, Rostekhnadzor, over the next two weeks will perform pre-licensing inspection activities at ZNPP reactor units 1 and 2, whose current operational licences issued by Ukraine are due to expire in December this year and in February 2026, respectively. The IAEA team has requested to observe these activities and will seek additional information regarding items such as the scope of these undertakings and any criteria for assessing nuclear safety.
Over the past several weeks, the IAEA team has also been monitoring a leak in one reactor unit’s essential service water system which delivers cooling water to the safety systems. The leak – which can occur in NPPs without any significant safety consequences – was discovered during maintenance and the team was informed that it was caused by corrosion. It has since been repaired.
The IAEA team reported hearing military activities on most days over the past weeks, at varying distances away from the ZNPP including last week’s purported drone attack on the site’s training centre.
The Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and the South Ukraine NPPs are continuing to operate amid the problems caused by the conflict. Three of their nine operating reactor units are still undergoing planned outages for refuelling and maintenance. The IAEA teams at these plants and the Chornobyl sites have continued to report on – and be informed about – nearby military activities, including drones observed flying nearby. Last Monday, the IAEA teams at Khmelnytskyy and Rivne were required to shelter.
Over the past two weeks, the IAEA teams based at these four sites have all rotated.
As part of the IAEA’s assistance programme to support nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, the Chornobyl site received essential items to improve staff living conditions and the National Scientific Centre Institute of Metrology received personal radiation detectors.
These deliveries were funded by Austria, Belgium, France and Norway and brought the total number of IAEA-coordinated deliveries since the start of the armed conflict to 140.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led a team of international experts to collect samples today of ALPS treated water stored at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) prior to the water’s dilution with seawater and its discharge to the sea.
The sampling mission is the fourth under the additional measures, which focus on expanding international participation and transparency. These measures permit third parties to independently verify that water discharge which Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) – operator of the FDNPS – began in August 2023 continues to be consistent with international safety standards.
International experts from Belgium, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Switzerland, along with IAEA staff, conducted hands-on sampling of the water stored in tanks designated for the 14th batch of ALPS-treated water to be discharged.
The IAEA initiated the first practical steps of the additional measures in October last year. This fourth mission follows the mission in April which sampled diluted water just prior to its discharge into the sea, and a mission in February when IAEA Director General Grossi presided over the additional measures to collect seawater samples in the vicinity of FDNPS.
The samples collected in today’s mission will be analysed by the participating laboratories – the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, the China Institute of Atomic Energy, the Korean Institute for Nuclear Safety, the Institute for Problems of Environmental Monitoring of the Research and Production Association “Typhoon” in Russia and the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland – as well as by the IAEA’s laboratory and TEPCO in Japan. All laboratories are members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network, which are selected for their high level of expertise and analytical proficiency.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi during the high-level event on combatting marine pollution at the United Nations Conference in Nice, France (Photo: E. McDonald/IAEA)
The IAEA highlighted the role of nuclear science in protecting our oceans at the 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference held last week in Nice, France.
Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the conference convened over 10,000 participants, including scientists, diplomats and politicians, to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. It aimed to accelerate progress towards SDG14, Life Below Water, through innovative technologies and action. The IAEA took center stage at the event to share how nuclear technology is boosting ocean health and tackling critical threats such as marine plastic pollution.
The IAEA organized and participated in more than a dozen events at the conference, and on research vessels in the Port of Nice. Experts from the IAEA’s Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco highlighted how isotopic tools can help monitor and reduce plastic pollution in the ocean.
Plastic waste is not only infiltrating our oceans, but also the human body in the form of microplastics. Without urgent action, the amount of plastic entering the ocean each year could reach 37 million metric tons by 2040, according to UN estimates, becoming a threat to marine and human life.
Plastic pollution featured prominently throughout the conference, with a focus on the ongoing negotiations for the development of an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The negotiations for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-led treaty are expected to conclude later this year in Geneva, following five previous sessions.
At the conference, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi spoke about the IAEA’s work to combat plastic pollution and emphasized the need to share data data between scientists, policymakers and environmental agencies.
“Four years ago, at the last UN Ocean Conference, I announced NUTEC Plastics, an initiative that gives countries the tools they need to address the issue of marine microplastic pollution. Today, I am delighted to report that we have made significant progress with 99 countries involved, and we have been equipping more than 100 Member State laboratories all over the world. We are building the capacity that countries need to translate data into policies and action.”
NUTEC Plastics is an IAEA flagship initiative that supports countries in researching microplastics and using nuclear techniques to improve recycling techniques.
Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories Florence Descroix-Comanducci (left), highlighted the work of the IAEA’s Marine environment laboratories at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in France (Photo: E.McDonald/IAEA)
“Nuclear and isotopic techniques add incredible value to boost ocean health,” said Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Director of the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories. “Our laboratories in Monaco support Member States in the implementation and use of these techniques, and to develop harmonized methods to generate globally comparable data, especially in light of the forthcoming plastics treaty.”
At events organized by the IAEA, panelists highlighted the need to address the top of the plastic life cycle to prevent further pollution, employing a “source to sea approach” to reduce marine litter and, by extension, marine plastic pollution. “Our metrics on marine litter are moving in the right direction,” said Martin Adams, Head of the Environment Department at the European Environment Agency. “Timely and relevant data are increasingly important, but we don’t need to know everything. We just need to know enough to act.” Other events organized by the IAEA focused on ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, ocean acidification, IAEA support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and nuclear energy and ocean health.
The IAEA’s unique expertise in nuclear applications is contributing to both mitigations, by using radiation technology for waste recycling, and monitoring, by using isotopic techniques to monitor and assess impacts of microplastic pollution. Through the NUTEC Plastics initiative, 99 countries are participating in marine monitoring of microplastics, and 52 around the world are developing innovative recycling technology.
The International High-Level Forum on NUTEC Plastics, organized by the IAEA on 25–26 November 2025, in Manila, Philippines, will highlight the progress achieved to date, address current challenges, and chart course to strengthen regional and international cooperation in the sustainable management of plastic waste through innovative nuclear technologies.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors will convene its regular June meeting at the Agency’s headquarters at 10:00 CEST on Monday, 9 June, in Board Room C, Building C, 4th floor, in the Vienna International Centre (VIC).
Board discussions are expected to include, among others: Annual Report for 2024; strengthening of the Agency’s technical cooperation activities: Technical Cooperation Report for 2024; Report of the Programme and Budget Committee; verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council resolution 2231 (2015); staff of the Department of Safeguards to be used as Agency inspectors; Safeguards Implementation Report for 2024; application of safeguards in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Syrian Arab Republic; NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran; nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine; transfer of the nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT; designation of members to serve on the Board in 2025–2026; provisional agenda for the 69th regular session of the General Conference; restoration of the sovereign equality of Member States in the IAEA; and representation of other organizations at the 69th regular session of the General Conference.
The Board of Governors meeting is closed to the press.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will open the meeting with an introductory statement, which will be released to journalists after delivery and posted on the IAEA website.
Press Conference
Director General Grossi is expected to hold a press conference at 12:30 CEST on Monday, 9 June, in the Press Room of the M building.
A live video stream of the press conference will be available. The IAEA will provide video footage of the press conference and the Director General’s opening statement here and will make photos available on Flickr.
Photo Opportunity
There will be a photo opportunity with the IAEA Director General and the Chair of the Board, Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman of Ghana, before the start of the Board meeting, on 9 June at 10:00 CEST in Board Room C, in the C building in the VIC.
Press Working Area
The Press Room of the M building’s ground floor will be available as a press working area, starting from 09:00 CEST on 9 June.
Accreditation
All journalists interested in covering the meeting in person – including those with permanent accreditation – are requested to inform the IAEA Press Office of their plans. Journalists without permanent accreditation must send copies of their passport and press ID to the IAEA Press Office by 14:00 CEST on Friday, 6 June.
We encourage those journalists who do not yet have permanent accreditation to request it at UNIS Vienna.
Please plan your arrival to allow sufficient time to pass through the VIC security check.
The time for the press conference was updated from an earlier version.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
The IAEA Board of Governors will convene a meeting at the Agency’s headquarters starting at 10:00 CEST on Monday, 16 June, in Board Room C, Building C, 4th floor, in the Vienna International Centre (VIC).
The meeting is convened by the Chair of the Board following a request from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation for “an urgent session of the IAEA Board of Governors on the matter related to the Israeli attacks against the Iranian nuclear facilities that are under the IAEA safeguards”.
The Board of Governors meeting is closed to the press.
Photo Opportunity
There will be a photo opportunity with the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and the Chair of the Board, Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman of Ghana, before the start of the Board meeting, on 16 June at 10:00 CEST in Board Room C, in the C building in the VIC.
Accreditation and Press Working Area:
The Press Room on the M-Building’s ground floor will be available as a press working area starting from 9:00 CEST on 16 June.
Journalists are requested to register with the Press Office by 08:00 CEST on Monday, 16 June. Please email press@iaea.org.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Wednesday after attending the second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana of Kazakhstan.
Xi’s entourage, including Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, returned by the same flight.
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Source: Scottish Government
Plan for future of the area published.
Actions designed to attract investment to Grangemouth, support new employment, and position the area as a global leader in green energy and sustainable manufacturing have been published today.
The Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan sets out 21 actions to put Grangemouth at the forefront of green energy and benefit the local community.
Developed in partnership with the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, which includes industry leadership, representatives of the Grangemouth workforce, local community, Falkirk Council and the Scottish and UK Governments, the regional just transition plan is the first of its kind. Actions include:
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin said:
“As Scotland’s leading industrial cluster, Grangemouth has long played a vital role to our economy and bringing energy security to the country and it is only right that the area continues to help lead the way in our journey to clean, green energy.
“Understandably, the stopping of refining at Grangemouth, has brought uncertainty to people living and working in the area – and it is vital that we do what we can as a government to support and promote local opportunities and growth in the area.
“The Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan will act as the framework for all activity that supports Grangemouth’s transition. It has been developed with industry, the community, public sector partners, Unite the Union and the workforce to ensure it reflects the interests of the community and businesses in the area.
“It is bolstered by measures including our ongoing support for Project Willow, the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal and a targeted skills intervention for former Petroineos workers. However, we cannot do this alone, I am calling on the UK Government to commence positive changes to existing policy that enable the deployment of future commodities like Sustainable Aviation Fuel production in Scotland.”
Principal of Forth Valley College Kenny MacInnes said:
“Grangemouth plays a vital role in Scotland’s economy and is central to our journey to net zero. With our campus situated at the heart of this transition, Forth Valley College is uniquely positioned to support the businesses, workers, and communities navigating the changes ahead.
“Our flagship £4 million Skills Transition Centre, funded through the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, will drive innovation in skills delivery, promote inclusive growth, and align closely with evolving industry needs. It will focus on developing skills for emerging sectors while supporting the transition of key industries such as downstream petroleum, chemicals, and polymers within the Grangemouth cluster.
“The College also remains committed to supporting all Petroineos employees affected by the refinery closure. We are working closely with partners to ensure they can access the training, guidance, and career opportunities they need to move forward.”
Background
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SINGAPORE, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (Nasdaq: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining, today announced the pricing of US$330.0 million principal amount of 4.875% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “notes”) in a private placement (the “offering”) to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company has also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, for settlement within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date on which the notes are first issued, up to an additional US$45.0 million principal amount of the notes. The size of the offering was increased from the previously announced $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes. The sale of the notes is expected to close on June 23, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
Additional Details of the Convertible Notes
The notes will be general, senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will bear interest at a rate of 4.875% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2026. The notes will mature on July 1, 2031, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, Class A ordinary shares par value US$0.0000001 per share, of the Company (the “Class A ordinary shares”) or a combination of cash and Class A ordinary shares, at its election. The initial conversion rate of the notes will be 62.9921 Class A ordinary shares per US$1,000 principal amount of such notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$15.88 per Class A ordinary share). The initial conversion price of the notes represents a premium of approximately 25.0% over the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on June 17, 2025.
The Company may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes (subject to certain limitations), at its option, on or after July 6, 2028 and prior to the 41st scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, if (i) the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares has been at least 140% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides notice of redemption and (ii) certain liquidity conditions have been satisfied, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. If the Company redeems less than all of the outstanding notes, at least US$75.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes must be outstanding and not called for optional redemption as of the time the Company sends the related notice of redemption, and after giving effect to the delivery of such notice of redemption.
In addition, the Company may redeem for cash all but not part of the notes at any time prior to the 41st scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date if less than US$25.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes remains outstanding at such time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. The Company may also redeem for cash all but not part of the notes in the event of certain tax law changes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date and any additional amounts which would otherwise be payable to such redemption date with respect to such redemption price, as described in the indenture that will govern the notes.
On July 6, 2029 and if the Company undergoes a “fundamental change” (as defined in the indenture that will govern the notes), subject to certain conditions and a limited exception, holders may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their notes at a repurchase price or fundamental change repurchase price, as applicable, equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the relevant repurchase date. In addition, following certain corporate events that occur prior to the maturity date of the notes or following the Company’s delivery of a notice of redemption, the Company will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate of the notes for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event or convert their notes called (or deemed called) for redemption in connection with such notice of redemption, as the case may be.
Use of Proceeds
The Company estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately US$319.6 million (or approximately US$363.3 million if the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes in full), after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company intends to use: (i) approximately US$129.6 million of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the zero-strike call option transaction described below; (ii) approximately $36.1 million of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cash consideration for the concurrent note exchange transactions that it has entered into as described below; and (iii) the remaining net proceeds from the offering for datacenter expansion, ASIC based mining rig development and manufacture, as well as working capital and other general corporate purposes. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, the Company expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the additional notes for datacenter expansion, ASIC based mining rig development and manufacture, as well as working capital and other general corporate purposes as described above.
Zero-Strike Call Option Transaction
In connection with the pricing of the notes, the Company entered into a privately negotiated zero-strike call option transaction with an affiliate of one of the initial purchasers (the “option counterparty”) and, having an expiration date that is scheduled to occur shortly after the maturity date of the notes. Pursuant to the zero-strike call option transaction, the Company will pay a premium equal to approximately US$129.6 million for the right to receive, without further payment, approximately 10.2 million Class A ordinary shares (subject to customary adjustment), with delivery thereof by the option counterparty at expiry, subject to early settlement of the zero-strike call option transaction in whole or in part at the option counterparty’s discretion. In the case of settlement at expiration or upon any early settlement, the option counterparty will deliver to the Company the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the zero-strike call option transaction or the portion thereof being settled early. The zero-strike call option transaction is intended to facilitate privately negotiated derivative transactions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares between the option counterparty (or its affiliate) and certain investors in the notes by which those investors will be able to hedge their investment in the notes. Those activities, which are expected to occur concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the offering, could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of the Class A ordinary shares and/or the notes at that time.
The option counterparty (or its affiliate) may modify its hedge positions by entering into or unwinding derivative transactions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares and/or purchasing or selling Class A ordinary shares or other securities of the Company in secondary market transactions at any time following the pricing of the notes and shortly before or after the expiry or early settlement of the zero-strike call option transaction, and, the Company has been advised that the option counterparty may unwind its derivative transactions and/or purchase or sell the Class A ordinary shares in connection with the expiry of the zero-strike call option transaction or any early settlement of the zero-strike call option transaction at the option counterparty’s discretion, including any early settlement relating to any conversion, repurchase or redemption of the notes. Those activities could also increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) or decrease (or reduce the size of any increase in) the market price of the Class A ordinary shares and/or the notes.
If the zero-strike call option transaction fails to become effective, whether or not the offering is completed, the option counterparty may unwind its hedge positions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares, which could adversely affect the market price of the Class A ordinary shares and, if the notes have been issued, the market price of the notes.
Concurrent Note Exchange Transaction
Concurrently with the pricing of the notes in the offering, the Company entered into privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of its 8.50% convertible senior notes due 2029 (the “August 2029 notes”) to exchange for approximately US$36.1 million in cash and approximately 8.1 million Class A ordinary shares, approximately US$75.7 million aggregate principal amount of its August 2029 notes, on terms negotiated with such holders (each, a “note exchange transaction”). This press release is not an offer to exchange the August 2029 notes, and the offering of the notes is not contingent upon the exchange of the August 2029 notes.
In connection with any note exchange transaction, the Company expects that holders of the August 2029 notes that are repurchased by the Company as described above and who have hedged their equity price risk with respect to such notes (the “hedged holders”) will unwind all or part of their hedge positions by buying the Class A ordinary shares and/or entering into or unwinding various derivative transactions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares. The amount of the Class A ordinary shares to be purchased by the hedged holders or in connection with such derivative transactions may be substantial in relation to the historical average daily trading volume of the Class A ordinary shares. This activity by the hedged holders could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of the Class A ordinary shares. The Company cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the price of the notes or the Class A ordinary shares.
The notes and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, any state securities laws or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws.
This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification thereof under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Bitdeer Technologies Group
Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive Bitcoin mining solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to Bitdeer’s expectations regarding the completion of the offering and the note exchange transactions and the expected use of proceeds from the sale of the notes and potential impact of the offering, the note exchange transactions, the zero-strike call option transaction each as described above or related transactions on the market price of the Class A ordinary shares or the trading price of the notes. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks and uncertainties associated with market conditions and the satisfaction of closing conditions related to the offering and the note exchange transactions, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as those discussed in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, many of which are beyond Bitdeer’s control. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations
Orange Group
Yujia Zhai
bitdeerir@orangegroupadvisors.com
Public Relations
BlocksBridge Consulting
Nishant Sharma
bitdeer@blocksbridge.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SINGAPORE, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (Nasdaq: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining, today announced the pricing of US$330.0 million principal amount of 4.875% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “notes”) in a private placement (the “offering”) to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Company has also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, for settlement within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date on which the notes are first issued, up to an additional US$45.0 million principal amount of the notes. The size of the offering was increased from the previously announced $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes. The sale of the notes is expected to close on June 23, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
Additional Details of the Convertible Notes
The notes will be general, senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will bear interest at a rate of 4.875% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2026. The notes will mature on July 1, 2031, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, Class A ordinary shares par value US$0.0000001 per share, of the Company (the “Class A ordinary shares”) or a combination of cash and Class A ordinary shares, at its election. The initial conversion rate of the notes will be 62.9921 Class A ordinary shares per US$1,000 principal amount of such notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$15.88 per Class A ordinary share). The initial conversion price of the notes represents a premium of approximately 25.0% over the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on June 17, 2025.
The Company may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes (subject to certain limitations), at its option, on or after July 6, 2028 and prior to the 41st scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, if (i) the last reported sale price of the Class A ordinary shares has been at least 140% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides notice of redemption and (ii) certain liquidity conditions have been satisfied, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. If the Company redeems less than all of the outstanding notes, at least US$75.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes must be outstanding and not called for optional redemption as of the time the Company sends the related notice of redemption, and after giving effect to the delivery of such notice of redemption.
In addition, the Company may redeem for cash all but not part of the notes at any time prior to the 41st scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date if less than US$25.0 million aggregate principal amount of notes remains outstanding at such time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. The Company may also redeem for cash all but not part of the notes in the event of certain tax law changes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date and any additional amounts which would otherwise be payable to such redemption date with respect to such redemption price, as described in the indenture that will govern the notes.
On July 6, 2029 and if the Company undergoes a “fundamental change” (as defined in the indenture that will govern the notes), subject to certain conditions and a limited exception, holders may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their notes at a repurchase price or fundamental change repurchase price, as applicable, equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the relevant repurchase date. In addition, following certain corporate events that occur prior to the maturity date of the notes or following the Company’s delivery of a notice of redemption, the Company will, in certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate of the notes for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event or convert their notes called (or deemed called) for redemption in connection with such notice of redemption, as the case may be.
Use of Proceeds
The Company estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately US$319.6 million (or approximately US$363.3 million if the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes in full), after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company intends to use: (i) approximately US$129.6 million of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cost of the zero-strike call option transaction described below; (ii) approximately $36.1 million of the net proceeds from the offering to pay the cash consideration for the concurrent note exchange transactions that it has entered into as described below; and (iii) the remaining net proceeds from the offering for datacenter expansion, ASIC based mining rig development and manufacture, as well as working capital and other general corporate purposes. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, the Company expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the additional notes for datacenter expansion, ASIC based mining rig development and manufacture, as well as working capital and other general corporate purposes as described above.
Zero-Strike Call Option Transaction
In connection with the pricing of the notes, the Company entered into a privately negotiated zero-strike call option transaction with an affiliate of one of the initial purchasers (the “option counterparty”) and, having an expiration date that is scheduled to occur shortly after the maturity date of the notes. Pursuant to the zero-strike call option transaction, the Company will pay a premium equal to approximately US$129.6 million for the right to receive, without further payment, approximately 10.2 million Class A ordinary shares (subject to customary adjustment), with delivery thereof by the option counterparty at expiry, subject to early settlement of the zero-strike call option transaction in whole or in part at the option counterparty’s discretion. In the case of settlement at expiration or upon any early settlement, the option counterparty will deliver to the Company the number of Class A ordinary shares underlying the zero-strike call option transaction or the portion thereof being settled early. The zero-strike call option transaction is intended to facilitate privately negotiated derivative transactions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares between the option counterparty (or its affiliate) and certain investors in the notes by which those investors will be able to hedge their investment in the notes. Those activities, which are expected to occur concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the offering, could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of the Class A ordinary shares and/or the notes at that time.
The option counterparty (or its affiliate) may modify its hedge positions by entering into or unwinding derivative transactions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares and/or purchasing or selling Class A ordinary shares or other securities of the Company in secondary market transactions at any time following the pricing of the notes and shortly before or after the expiry or early settlement of the zero-strike call option transaction, and, the Company has been advised that the option counterparty may unwind its derivative transactions and/or purchase or sell the Class A ordinary shares in connection with the expiry of the zero-strike call option transaction or any early settlement of the zero-strike call option transaction at the option counterparty’s discretion, including any early settlement relating to any conversion, repurchase or redemption of the notes. Those activities could also increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) or decrease (or reduce the size of any increase in) the market price of the Class A ordinary shares and/or the notes.
If the zero-strike call option transaction fails to become effective, whether or not the offering is completed, the option counterparty may unwind its hedge positions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares, which could adversely affect the market price of the Class A ordinary shares and, if the notes have been issued, the market price of the notes.
Concurrent Note Exchange Transaction
Concurrently with the pricing of the notes in the offering, the Company entered into privately negotiated transactions with certain holders of its 8.50% convertible senior notes due 2029 (the “August 2029 notes”) to exchange for approximately US$36.1 million in cash and approximately 8.1 million Class A ordinary shares, approximately US$75.7 million aggregate principal amount of its August 2029 notes, on terms negotiated with such holders (each, a “note exchange transaction”). This press release is not an offer to exchange the August 2029 notes, and the offering of the notes is not contingent upon the exchange of the August 2029 notes.
In connection with any note exchange transaction, the Company expects that holders of the August 2029 notes that are repurchased by the Company as described above and who have hedged their equity price risk with respect to such notes (the “hedged holders”) will unwind all or part of their hedge positions by buying the Class A ordinary shares and/or entering into or unwinding various derivative transactions with respect to the Class A ordinary shares. The amount of the Class A ordinary shares to be purchased by the hedged holders or in connection with such derivative transactions may be substantial in relation to the historical average daily trading volume of the Class A ordinary shares. This activity by the hedged holders could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of the Class A ordinary shares. The Company cannot predict the magnitude of such market activity or the overall effect it will have on the price of the notes or the Class A ordinary shares.
The notes and any Class A ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, any state securities laws or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws.
This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification thereof under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Bitdeer Technologies Group
Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive Bitcoin mining solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans, and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “look forward to,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to Bitdeer’s expectations regarding the completion of the offering and the note exchange transactions and the expected use of proceeds from the sale of the notes and potential impact of the offering, the note exchange transactions, the zero-strike call option transaction each as described above or related transactions on the market price of the Class A ordinary shares or the trading price of the notes. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks and uncertainties associated with market conditions and the satisfaction of closing conditions related to the offering and the note exchange transactions, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Bitdeer’s annual report on Form 20-F, as well as those discussed in Bitdeer’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, many of which are beyond Bitdeer’s control. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Bitdeer specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether due to new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers should not rely upon the information on this page as current or accurate after its publication date.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations
Orange Group
Yujia Zhai
bitdeerir@orangegroupadvisors.com
Public Relations
BlocksBridge Consulting
Nishant Sharma
bitdeer@blocksbridge.com
Source: Oxfam –
The Group of Seven (G7) countries, which together account for around three-quarters of all official development assistance (ODA), are set to slash their aid spending by 28 percent for 2026 compared to 2024 levels.
It would be the biggest cut in aid since the G7 was established in 1975, and indeed in aid records going back to 1960, reveals a new analysis by Oxfam ahead of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.
“The G7’s retreat from the world is unprecedented and couldn’t come at a worse time, with hunger, poverty, and climate harm intensifying. The G7 cannot claim to build bridges on one hand while tearing them down with the other. It sends a shameful message to the Global South, that G7 ideals of collaboration mean nothing,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.
2026 will mark the third consecutive year of decline in G7 aid spending – a trend not seen since the 1990s. If these cuts go ahead, G7 aid levels in 2026 will crash by $44 billion to just $112 billion. The cuts are being driven primarily by the US (down $33 billion), Germany (down $3.5 billion), the UK (down $5 billion) and France (down $3 billion).
“Rather than breaking from the Trump administration’s cruel dismantling of USAID and other US foreign assistance, G7 countries like the UK, Germany, and France are instead following the same path, slashing aid with brutal measures that will cost millions of lives,” said Behar.
“These cuts will starve the hungry, deny medicine to the sick, and block education for a generation of girls and boys. This is a catastrophic betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable and crippling to the G7’s credibility,” said Behar.
Economic projections show that aid cuts will mean 5.7 million more people across Africa will fall below extreme poverty levels in the coming year, a number expected to rocket to 19 million by 2030.
Cuts to aid are putting vital public services at risk in some of the world’s poorest countries. In countries like Liberia, Haiti, Malawi, and South Sudan, US aid had made up over 40 percent of health and education budgets, leaving them especially exposed. Combined with a growing debt crisis, this is undermining governments’ ability to care for their people.
Global aid for nutrition will fall by 44 percent in 2025 compared to 2022:
One in five dollars of aid to poor countries’ health budgets are cut or under threat:
G7 countries are not just reneging on commitments to global aid and solidarity, they are fuelling conflicts by allowing grave violations of international law, like in Gaza where people are facing starvation. Whether in Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or elsewhere, civilians must always be protected, and aid is often the first line of protection they get. G7 countries are illuminating a double standard that risks more global instability, conflict and atrocities.
While G7 countries cut aid, their citizen billionaires continue to see their wealth surge. Since the beginning of 2025, the G7 ultra-rich have made $126 billion, almost the same amount as the group’s 2025 aid commitment of $132 billion.
At this pace, it would take the world’s billionaires less than a month to generate the equivalent of the G7’s 2025 aid budget.
By taxing the super-rich, the G7 could easily meet their financial commitments to end poverty and climate breakdown, whilst also having billions in new revenue to fight inequality in their own countries.
“The world is not short of money. The problem is that it is in the hands of the super-rich instead of the public. Rather than fairly taxing billionaires to feed the hungry, we see billionaires joining government to slash aid to the poorest in order to fund tax cuts for themselves,” said Behar.
Oxfam is calling on the G7 to urgently reverse aid cuts and restore funding to address today’s global challenges. More than 50 years after the United Nations set the target of 0.7 percent for aid spending, most G7 countries remain well below this.
Oxfam is also urging the G7 to support global efforts led by Brazil and Spain to raise taxes on the super-rich, and to back the call from the African Union and The Vatican for a new UN body to help manage countries’ debt problems.
According to OECD Data Explorer, the combined annual aid expenditure of the G7 in 2024 was $156.694 billion. Canada spent $7.323 billion, the United States $61.821 billion, Japan $17.583 billion, France $15.047 billion, Germany $31.382 billion, Italy $6.534 billion, and the United Kingdom $17.005 billion.
Donor Tracker estimates that the decline in combined annual aid spending of the G7 countries for the period 2024 to 2026 will be -$44,488 billion.
In 2024, aid from G7 countries declined by 8 percent, and projections for 2025 point to a sharper drop of 19 percent.
Modelling using finds that 5.7 million more Africans would fall below the US$2.15 extreme poverty income level in the next year if Trump’s administration succeeds in its aid-reduction ambition. This assumes a 20 percent reduction of aid to Africa, considering that some US aid would be maintained as the US alone accounted for 26 percent of aid to Africa before the cuts.
The dismantling of USAID and major aid reductions announced by Western donors threaten to undo decades of progress on malnutrition. A 44 percent drop in funding from 2022 levels could lead to widespread hardship and death.
Up to 2.3 million children with severe acute malnutrition risk losing life-saving treatment, warns the Standing Together for Nutrition Consortium.
There are 2,968 billionaires in the world, and 1,346 live in G7 countries (45 percent).
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Specialists from the Tyumen and Tomsk research institutes of Rosneft have developed and patented a method for determining relative phase permeability – the ability of rocks to pass liquids and gases through themselves. This is the most important indicator when choosing technologies for developing hydrocarbon deposits.
The innovation increases the accuracy of hydrodynamic modeling data by 5%, allows for the optimization of production technology and increases the efficiency of extracting reserves from heterogeneous deposits with complex geological structures.
Scientists have used a comprehensive approach to studying carbonate rocks of Eastern Siberia, which have significant oil and gas potential. Due to the complex and heterogeneous structure of the void space of these rocks, studies using standard methods are not informative enough. The new method includes studying the structure of the pore space of full-size core samples, making special samples from them and repeatedly determining the parameters at different points and planes. This sequence allows us to identify the most likely paths of oil and gas movement in the system of pores and microcracks in rocks and create a highly accurate digital model of hydrocarbon flow.
The work is carried out using high-tech domestic equipment with a unique core holder, which was manufactured according to a design by specialists from the Tomsk scientific institute “Rosneft”.
Development of technological potential is one of the key elements of the corporate strategy “Rosneft-2030”. The company gives priority attention to innovation activities, defining technological leadership as a key factor in competitiveness in the oil market.
Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 18, 2025
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 India
Source: Government of India (4)
‘Yoga’ is now widely considered as one of India’s most profound gifts to the world. This enlightening practice embodies a timeless Indian tradition of physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. Embedded in ancient Indian philosophy, now majority of the people globally accept that it is much more than just physical postures- termed as ‘asanas’ in great Hindu religious traditions and scriptures.
This holistic practice integrates breath control, meditation and a moral principle for a harmonious life, which is the ultimate goal of the ‘Hindu Sanatam Tradition’, which is the world’s oldest living spiritual and philosophical way of life. It is worth-mentioning here that unlike other religions of the world, Hinduism or Sanatam Dharma is not based on a single founder or scripture, rather it’s a cosmic and ever-evolving way of life rooted in the eternal truths of life.
Yoga’s immense value to life, can be traced back in great Hindu scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, which is revered as one of the most influential spiritual books globally. Gita says- ‘Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self,’ which explains how holistic it is for our life irrespective of one’s roots, ideological affiliations or leanings.
The Vedas- the oldest and most sacred scriptures of Hinduism, composed between 1500–500 BCE, contain the earliest references to Yoga, though not in the systematized form seen in later great texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Vedic Yoga is more about mental discipline, meditation and the union of the individual soul with the cosmic reality. It is worth-mentioning that Vedas also form the foundation of Hindu philosophy, rituals and spirituality.
Earlier, scholars dated the origins of Yoga to around 500 BCE, coinciding with the rise of Buddhism. However, archaeological discoveries from the Indus-Saraswati Valley Civilization suggest that yogic practices existed much earlier. Excavations have revealed seals depicting figures seated in meditative postures, strongly resembling yogic asanas. Additionally, artifacts such as the Mother Goddess idols indicate ritualistic and spiritual traditions that may have been precursors to Yoga. These findings push back the timeline of Yoga’s origins, linking it to one of the world’s oldest urban cultures.
However, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which is a foundational text of classical yoga and composed around 400 BCE, gave Yoga a greater meaning and wider relevance, re-establishing that Yoga is not just about physical postures but a complete science of mind control and self-realization. Yoga Sutras also systematically outlines the philosophy and practice of Rajya Yoga. It moves from ethical discipline to meditation and finally liberation, emphasizing direct experience over theoretical knowledge.
The practice of Yoga also finds expression across a diverse range of ancient Indian texts and traditions including the Upanishads, Smritis, Puranas, Buddhist and Jain scriptures and the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Theistic traditions such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Tantra further preserved and refined yogic wisdom, emphasizing mystical experiences and meditative disciplines. This widespread presence suggests the existence of a pure form of Yoga that deeply influenced the spiritual landscape of South Asia long before its formal systematization.
The modern evolution and global dissemination of Yoga owe much to the profound contributions of revered spiritual masters like Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Paramahansa Yogananda, Swami Vivekananda and a few others. Among these spiritual Gurus, Swami Vivekananda played a pivotal role by introducing Yoga and Vedanta philosophy to international audiences through his historic address at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago. His groundbreaking efforts not only revived ancient yogic wisdom but also established Indian spiritual traditions as a significant force in the global discourse on consciousness and self-realization.
These visionary saints collectively bridged the gap between traditional yogic practices and contemporary spiritual seeking, ensuring Yoga’s enduring relevance across cultures and geographical boundaries. In last few decades, Yoga gained further momentum through the contributions of Swami Sivananda, T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Kuvalayananda, Sri Aurobindo, B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois, who explored Yoga’s healing, psychological and spiritual dimensions.
There came a marked change when on 27th September 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UNGA address highlighted Yoga’s holistic benefits, leading to the UN’s unanimous declaration of 21st June as International Yoga Day. This Indian spiritual practice now draws participation from world leaders and celebrities in its annual global celebrations.
Now, when world is facing a number of wars, conflicts and confrontations, Yoga being more than just physical exercises, acquires greater relevance as it offers people timeless values of harmony and well-being, transcending all boundaries and offering everyone a path to balanced living and inner peace, which is fast depleting.
On the one hand, the asanas enhance flexibility and strength, while pranayama regulates vital energy and calms the nervous system. Meditation cultivates mental clarity and emotional balance, creating inner stillness amidst life’s challenges. Together, these elements form an integrated approach to health that addresses modern lifestyle diseases also at their core. In today’s fast-paced world, yoga provides an antidote to fragmented and conflict-ridden living.
The practice of Yoga teaches balance between activity and rest, effort and surrender, individuality and interconnectedness. By integrating yoga into daily life, practitioners develop resilience, compassion and a deeper understanding of life’s unity. This complete system of self-care continues to gain global recognition as an essential tool for comprehensive wellness in our modern era.
This global phenomenon is now practiced in nearly every country worldwide. The United States leads with over 36 million practitioners, followed by European nations like Germany, France and the UK, where yoga studios flourish. Australia and Canada have embraced yoga as part of mainstream wellness culture. In Asia, China, Japan and Singapore have seen exponential growth in yoga adoption, while traditional practices continue in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Middle Eastern countries like UAE and Israel host thriving yoga communities. Even conflict zones like Syria and Ukraine use yoga for trauma relief. African countries like South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria show growing interest.
From megacities to remote villages, yoga’s universal appeal transcends borders, cultures and religions, making it truly global while maintaining its Indian spiritual roots. The UN’s recognition through International Yoga Day, has further cemented its worldwide acceptance as a great tool for holistic health.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
New MHRA CEO puts safety, accelerated access and innovation at the centre of agency’s refreshed strategic direction.
New MHRA CEO and other senior leaders from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have set out the agency’s refreshed strategic direction at DIA Global in Washington DC, 17 June 2025.
“If I were to summarise our emerging strengths, I’d say we are increasingly fast, expert and open.
“By this, I mean we put patients first and can be relied on to apply our expertise quickly, innovatively and in collaboration with our rich network of partners across the UK healthcare system as well as globally.
“We will now capitalise on our strengths to cement the UK as global leader in risk-proportionate regulation by setting out a clear and focused strategic direction.”
Patient and public safety: To build a world-class safety and surveillance system enabled by comprehensive real-world data for the protection of patients and the public.
Accelerated access: To accelerate access to new medicines, medical products and technologies with rapid, efficient decisions on clinical trials and core licensing.
10X innovation: Driving up the MHRA’s contribution to UK life sciences for the benefit of the public, the NHS and economic growth.
“It is absolutely vital that patient and public safety continues to underpin the MHRA’s strategic focus.
“Already, 95% of urgent adverse reaction reviews for medicines and medical devices completed in 24 hours and 100% in 5 working days.
“Underpinned by our data strategy, our priority now is to take advantage of new analytical methods to drive innovation in safety surveillance to strengthen patient safety even further.”
“Our latest performance data shows our approval decisions are made on time, every time.
“Our focus now is on capitalising on our national decision-making ability with new guidance that will enable innovation in new and existing areas, and enhancing our collaborative working with NICE to provide a new joined-up licensing and guidance pathway.
“Critical to this is working with international partners to establish the best outcomes for patients in the UK.”
“I see three key pillars for success in this next chapter.
“We must continue to cement the UK as a research powerhouse through our world-class infrastructure, research base and rapid approvals.
“We must move upstream – positioning the MHRA as an engine of innovation to help get cutting-edge new treatments and technologies to patients and the NHS faster.
“And we must turbocharge the AI revolution in healthcare, in medical devices and in driving efficiencies in our own risk-proportionate processes.”
MHRA Executives have led a number of events across DIA Global 2025, including on the future of pharmacovigilance, on use of AI across the product lifecycle and on applying principles of global regulatory collaboration to address chronic disease.
Source: City of Winchester
Climate Emergency UK has scored all UK councils on their performance in addressing the climate crisis, with Winchester City Council being awarded a score of 68% overall (an increase of 19% compared to the last score card in 2023.) It leads the way by far in Hampshire with a 22% higher score than the next highest performing council in the county.
The Climate Action Scorecard system was devised by Climate Emergency UK to rank councils on how they’re tackling climate change. It makes an assessment based on seven areas:
Transport
Biodiversity
The City Council scored particularly highly in in the categories of Buildings & Heating and Planning & Land Use, reflecting both their work to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings and housing stock and the carbon reduction policies in their emerging local plan. Collaboration and engagement was also recognised as a particular strength of the council – visible in the collaborative work they are doing with partners, businesses and organisations to be a carbon neutral district by 2030.
Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency said:
‘Clearly, we’re delighted to be recognised in this way for our work in tackling the climate emergency. We are committed to going greener faster and being categorised as a ‘top performer’ is testament to the work and dedication of the council, alongside our partners, businesses and residents.
The work doesn’t stop here, we have plans in place to reduce carbon emissions and improve our score even further, such as our food waste recycling service , and our nature improvement plan to increase biodiversity, both launching this autumn.
Collective effort is needed from all levels of government to truly tackle the climate emergency. However, I am pleased to see the city council and its residents and businesses recognised in this way for taking a leadership role in tackling the climate emergency.’
The council declared a climate emergency in June 2019 and developed a Carbon Neutrality Action Plan focussing on priority areas. The plan sets out a series of actions that look to achieve a carbon neutral district by 2030. This includes measures to reduce the councils own carbon emissions, which has already resulted in a forecast 96% reduction.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Davide Foffa, Research Fellow in Palaeobiology, University of Birmingham
Ever since the first fragments of pterosaur bone surfaced nearly 250 years ago, palaeontologists have puzzled over one question: how did these close cousins of land-bound dinosaurs take to the air and evolve powered flight? The first flying vertebrates seemed to appear on the geological stage fully formed, leaving almost no trace of their first tentative steps into the air.
Taken at face value, the fossil record implies that pterosaurs suddenly originated in the later part of the Triassic period (around 215 million years ago), close to the equator on the northern super-continent Pangaea. They then spread quickly between the Triassic and the Jurassic periods, about 10 million years later, in the wake of a mass extinction that was most likely caused by massive volcanic activity.
Most of the handful of Triassic specimens come from narrow seams of dark shale in Italy and Austria, with other fragments discovered in Greenland, Argentina and the southwestern US. These skeletons appear fully adapted for flight, with a hyper-elongated fourth finger supporting membrane-wings. Yet older rocks show no trace of intermediate gliders or other transitional forms that you might expect as evidence of pterosaurs’ evolution over time.
There are two classic competing explanations for this. The literal reading says pterosaurs evolved elsewhere and did not reach those regions where most have been discovered until very late in the Triassic period, by which time they were already adept flyers. The sceptical reading notes that pterosaurs’ wafer-thin, hollow bones could easily vanish from the fossil record, dissolve, get crushed or simply be overlooked, creating this false gap.
For decades, the debate stalled as a result of too few fossils or too many missing rocks. This impasse began to change in 2020, when scientists identified the closest relatives of pterosaurs in a group of smallish upright reptiles called lagerpetids.
From comparing many anatomical traits across different species, the researchers established that pterosaurs and lagerpetids shared many similarities including their skulls, skeletons and inner ears. While this discovery did not bring any “missing link” to the table, it showed what the ancestor of pterosaurs would have looked like: a rat-to-dog-sized creature that lived on land and in trees.
This brought new evidence about when pterosaurs may have originated. Pterosaurs and lagerpetids like Scleromochlus, a small land-dwelling reptile, diverged at some point after the end-Permian mass extinction. It occurred some 250 million years ago, 35 million years before the first pterosaur appearance in the fossil record.
Pterosaurs and their closest kin did not share the same habitats, however. Our new study, featuring new fossil maps, shows that soon after lagerpetids appeared (in southern Pangaea), they spread across wide areas, including harsh deserts, that many other groups were unable to get past. Lagerpetids lived both in these deserts and in humid floodplains.
They tolerated hotter, drier settings better than any early pterosaur, implying that they had evolved to cope with extreme temperatures. Pterosaurs, by contrast, were more restricted. Their earliest fossils cluster in the river and lake beds of the Chinle and Dockum basins (southwest US) and in moist coastal belts fringing the northern arm of the Tethys Sea, a huge area that occupied today’s Alps.
Scientists have inferred from analysing a combination of fossil distributions, rock features and climate simulations that pterosaurs lived in areas that were warm but not scorching. The rainfall would have been comparable to today’s tropical forests rather than inland deserts.
This suggests that the earliest flying dinosaurs may have lived in tree canopies, using foliage both for take-off and to protect themselves from predators and heat. As a result of this confined habitat, the distances that they flew may have been quite limited.
We were then able to add a fresh dimension to the story using a method called ecological niche modelling. This is routinely used in modern conservation to project where endangered animals and plants might live as the climate gets hotter. By applying this approach to later Triassic temperatures, rainfall and coastlines, we asked where early pterosaurs lived, regardless of whether they’ve shown up there in the fossil record.
Many celebrated fossil sites in Europe emerge as poor pterosaur habitat until very late in the Triassic period: they were simply too hot, too dry or otherwise inhospitable before the Carnian age, around 235 million years ago. The fact that no specimens have been discovered there that are more than about 215 million years old may be because the climate conditions were still unsuitable or simply because we don’t have the right type of rocks preserved of that age.
In contrast, parts of the south-western US, Morocco, India, Brazil, Tanzania and southern China seem to have offered welcoming environments several million years earlier than the age of our oldest discoveries. This rewrites the search map. If pterosaurs could have thrived in those regions much more than 215 million years ago, but we have not found them there, the problem may again lie not with biology but with geology: the right rocks have not been explored, or they preserve fragile fossils only under exceptional conditions.
Our study flags a dozen geological formations, from rivers with fine sediment deposits to lake beds, as potential prime targets for the next breakthrough discovery. They include the Timezgadiouine beds of Morocco, the Guanling Formation of south-west China and, in South America, several layers of rock from the Carnian age, such as the Santa Maria Formation, Chañares Formation and Ischigualasto Formation.
Pterosaurs were initially confined to tropical treetops near the equator. When global climates shifted and forested corridors opened, pterosaurs’ wings catapulted them into every corner of the planet and ultimately carried them through one of Earth’s greatest extinctions. What began as a tale of missing fossils has become a textbook example of how climate, ecology and evolutionary science have come together to illuminate a fragmentary history that has intrigued paleontologists for over two centuries.
Davide Foffa is funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: Individual (Global) Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020; No.101022550), and by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851–Science Fellowship
Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza receives funding from The Royal Society (Newton International Fellowship NIFR1231802)
Emma Dunne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. How pterosaurs learned to fly: scientists have been looking in the wrong place to solve this mystery – https://theconversation.com/how-pterosaurs-learned-to-fly-scientists-have-been-looking-in-the-wrong-place-to-solve-this-mystery-259063
Source: European Banking Authority
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today launched a public consultation on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) specifying the list of minimum information to be provided to the relevant competent authority at the time of the notification of the proposed acquisition of qualifying holdings in a credit institution. These RTS aim at harmonising the minimum content of the notification to the competent authority of the target credit institution with a view to supporting a harmonised prudential assessment of the proposed acquisition against the five assessment criteria set out in the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD). The consultation runs until 18 September 2025.
The draft RTS require information on the proposed acquirer’s identity, reputation and financial soundness. To support the assessment of the sound and prudent management of the target credit institution, the proposed acquirer is requested to submit a business plan, with more specific information in case of control acquisition. Information on the legitimate origin of the sources of funding is requested, among others, to assess suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing risk.
To reflect proportionality concerns and to support efficient supervisory practices, these RTS envisage exemptions from the submission of information already in possession of the competent authority. Reduced information is also requested in specific acquisition structures where the indirect proposed acquirer is expected to exercise negligible influence (if any) on the target credit institution.
Responses to the consultations can be sent to the EBA by clicking on the “send your comments” button on the consultation page.
A public hearing will take place via conference call on Tuesday 15 July from 14:00-16:00 CET. The deadline for registration is 11 July at 16:00 CET.
All contributions received will be published after the consultation closes, unless requested otherwise. The deadline for the submission of comments is 18 September 2025.
Article 23(6) of Directive 2013/36/EU, as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/1619 (CRDVI), mandates the EBA to develop RTS to set out the list of minimum information to be included in the notification submitted by the proposed acquirer of qualifying holdings to the competent authority of the target credit institution prior to the proposed acquisition.
Source: European Banking Authority
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today launched a public consultation on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) specifying the list of minimum information to be provided to the relevant competent authority at the time of the notification of the proposed acquisition of qualifying holdings in a credit institution. These RTS aim at harmonising the minimum content of the notification to the competent authority of the target credit institution with a view to supporting a harmonised prudential assessment of the proposed acquisition against the five assessment criteria set out in the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD). The consultation runs until 18 September 2025.
The draft RTS require information on the proposed acquirer’s identity, reputation and financial soundness. To support the assessment of the sound and prudent management of the target credit institution, the proposed acquirer is requested to submit a business plan, with more specific information in case of control acquisition. Information on the legitimate origin of the sources of funding is requested, among others, to assess suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing risk.
To reflect proportionality concerns and to support efficient supervisory practices, these RTS envisage exemptions from the submission of information already in possession of the competent authority. Reduced information is also requested in specific acquisition structures where the indirect proposed acquirer is expected to exercise negligible influence (if any) on the target credit institution.
Responses to the consultations can be sent to the EBA by clicking on the “send your comments” button on the consultation page.
A public hearing will take place via conference call on Tuesday 15 July from 14:00-16:00 CET. The deadline for registration is 11 July at 16:00 CET.
All contributions received will be published after the consultation closes, unless requested otherwise. The deadline for the submission of comments is 18 September 2025.
Article 23(6) of Directive 2013/36/EU, as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/1619 (CRDVI), mandates the EBA to develop RTS to set out the list of minimum information to be included in the notification submitted by the proposed acquirer of qualifying holdings to the competent authority of the target credit institution prior to the proposed acquisition.
Source: City of Canterbury
A Whitstable man who was running a business as a scrap metal dealer in Canterbury district when not authorised to do so has been found guilty of the offence and fined a total of £760.
James Smith, 28, of Norman Road, failed to attend Margate Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 12 June and was found guilty in his absence.
The court heard Mr Smith was stopped at the roadside in September 2024 by officers from the Kent Police Rural Task Force and Environmental Crime Officers from Canterbury City Council.
His vehicle was full of scrap metal (pictured) but he did not have a licence to transport scrap under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.
Mr Smith was advised of the need to apply for this licence, but he failed to do so and no response was received from him.
The council took the matter to court, and Under Section 1 of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, Mr Smith was fined £400, with a £160 surcharge and £200 in council costs, adding up to a total fine of £760 to be paid in full within 28 days.
Published: 18 June 2025
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
CHENGDU, June 18 (Xinhua) — Trade volume between southwest China’s Sichuan Province and five Central Asian countries increased 57.3 percent year on year to 2.78 billion yuan (about 386.8 million U.S. dollars) in January-April 2025, data from Chengdu Customs showed.
In recent years, Central Asian countries have become important partners for Sichuan Province, which is seeking to build a highly open economy. Data show that in the first four months, the province’s exports to countries in the region totaled 2.61 billion yuan, up 57.9 percent year-on-year, while imports rose 48.5 percent to 170 million yuan.
Automobiles, semiconductors, batteries and other products account for a large share of the goods exported from Sichuan to Central Asia, while rapeseed oil, ferroalloys and food are mainly imported from Central Asia.
Sichuan Province and the Central Asian countries have great complementarity and enormous potential for cooperation in the fields of industry, economy, trade, culture, tourism, science and education. In terms of trade with Sichuan Province, Uzbekistan ranks first among the five Central Asian countries, being an important investment destination for the province in the Central Asian region. Thanks to this province, chemical products, porcelain and barley from Uzbekistan enter the Chinese market.
The cooperation models between Sichuan and Central Asian countries also continue to be updated. For example, a service center of Sichuan Port and Shipping Investment Group Co., Ltd., responsible for international sales, was commissioned in Tashkent, as well as a bonded automobile demonstration center, where over 100 types of products from more than 40 Sichuan enterprises are presented. In addition, China-Central Asia freight trains annually deliver about 5,000 tons of tea from Chengdu to Tashkent. -0-
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The second Central Asia-China summit concluded in Astana on June 17, 2025. This event became an important milestone in strengthening friendship and strategic partnership between the countries of the region. The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China discussed key issues of economic development, security and cultural exchange.
A joint statement was adopted, which set out the main areas of further cooperation. The leaders expressed confidence that their combined efforts would guarantee prosperity and stability in the region.
The second China-Central Asia Summit in Astana was a turning point, marked by summing up the results and setting ambitious plans for the future based on the aspiration for friendship and common prosperity. The importance of the “China-Central Asia spirit” based on mutual respect, trust, benefit and support was emphasized.
Xi Jinping noted the historical roots of cooperation between China and Central Asia, based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit. He stressed the importance of strengthening mutual trust and upholding sovereignty and national interests. China reaffirmed its intention to develop cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, focusing on trade, investment, transport, environmentally responsible mining and agriculture.
The leaders of the Central Asian countries highly appreciated China’s contribution to the development of the region and expressed their readiness to further deepen cooperation. They noted that the China-Central Asia format has become an important platform for dialogue and cooperation, promoting socio-economic development. The Astana summit reaffirmed the desire to build a strong and mutually beneficial partnership based on the principles of friendship, trust and mutual support.
Central Asia plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative, serving as a strategic gateway to Europe.
The Belt and Road Initiative took centre stage at the summit, with an emphasis on cooperation in energy and sustainable development.
The meeting of leaders of China and Central Asian countries marked an important step in deepening regional cooperation and building a closer community with a shared future. The summit demonstrated the commitment to joint development, prosperity, and maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Particular attention was paid to China’s constructive role in international and regional affairs. The heads of state of Central Asia expressed support for the concept of building a community of shared destiny for mankind, as well as the global initiatives proposed by Xi Jinping.
The summit participants stressed their readiness to work with China to protect free trade and the multilateral trading system, as well as to uphold the principles of international equality and justice.
The parties agreed to hold the third China-Central Asia summit in 2027 in China, which demonstrates a long-term commitment to developing partnership relations.
The China-Central Asia Summit was an important step towards strengthening regional cooperation, joint development and building a common future. The signed agreements and new initiatives create a basis for further deepening partnerships and achieving common goals.
China’s cooperation with Central Asian countries within the framework of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative is steadily increasing, trade turnover has increased by 35%, cooperation in the field of industry and investment, environmentally responsible subsoil use and scientific and technological innovations is gaining momentum. The parties are implementing a number of projects. Chinese electric vehicles and photovoltaic products are appearing in Central Asia, from where honey, fruits, wheat and poultry end up on the Chinese table.
Trade between China and Central Asian countries reached a record high of 674.15 billion yuan in 2024, an increase of 116 percent compared with 2013. All parties have found a new model of win-win cooperation through the China-Kazakhstan oil pipeline project and the China-Central Asia gas pipeline project. The China-Tajikistan Highway, China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Highway and China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway have brought regional connectivity to a new level, and practical cooperation has expanded to the digital economy and green transition. Container trains are connecting more Chinese cities with Central Asian countries. The quality and capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor are improving. Green industry, digital economy, artificial intelligence, aerospace and aviation industries are becoming new growth points for cooperation. Cooperation in new areas such as cross-border e-commerce and online education brings benefits to the people of our six countries.
Xi Jinping stressed that the cooperation between China and Central Asian countries has its roots in more than two thousand years of friendly relations, has been cemented by solidarity and mutual trust since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and has made great progress through mutually beneficial cooperation in the new era. Many years of experience and practice have helped to formulate and shape the “China-Central Asia spirit” characterized by mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual assistance, and promoting joint modernization through high-quality development.
Xi Jinping noted that no matter how the international situation changes, China has been and remains committed to the policy of external openness, is ready to jointly carry out higher-quality cooperation with its Central Asian partners, deepen the integration of interests for the sake of common development, and achieve greater success in developing cooperation between China and Central Asia.
The leaders of the Central Asian countries unanimously noted the successes in China’s development under the leadership of Xi Jinping, expressed gratitude to China for its comprehensive cooperation with the Central Asian countries, which provides them with opportunities for national development. The China-Central Asia format has already established itself as a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation between the parties, as well as the socio-economic development of the Central Asian countries. In a turbulent world, the China-Central Asia format is acquiring strategic importance. China’s prosperity brings benefits to neighboring states. China is a trusting strategic partner and friend for the Central Asian countries, which attach importance to the model of cooperation with China based on the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and expect to intensify cooperation with China in all areas, including expanding the scale of trade and investment.
An important outcome of the summit was the signing of the Astana Declaration of the Second China-Central Asia Summit and the Treaty of Eternal Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation. In addition, 12 cooperation agreements were concluded within the framework of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, covering a wide range of areas, including personnel exchange, environmentally responsible subsoil use, trade, transport connectivity, industry and customs.
Author: Tolon Turganbaev
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Promoting Responsible Social Media Use in Defence Sector
Promoting Responsible Social Media Use in Defence Sector (OSCE) Photo details
SARAJEVO – A presentation of the Code of Conduct on the Use of Social Media for Inspectors of the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH MoD) and the Armed Forces of BiH (AFBiH) marked the first step in promoting and implementing the new regulation. Adopted in March 2025, the Code is designed to promote accountability, professionalism, and ethical behaviour across digital platforms used by military personnel.
Organized with support from the OSCE Mission to BiH, the event introduced a Train-the-Trainers approach to ensure the Code’s effective dissemination across all levels of the defence structure. Inspectors will serve as key multipliers, tasked with transferring knowledge and standards to subordinate units and commands. The session also helped define the framework for future training activities and identified key steps for broader institutional integration of the Code.
The programme featured remarks on the role of ethical online conduct in preserving institutional credibility. A detailed overview of the Code as principal instrument preventing unethical behavior which undermines discipline, harm interpersonal relations and violates security protocols thus highlighting the core expectations and responsibilities for MoD and AFBiH members in digital environments. As noted by Šejla Maslo Čerkić, Legal Advisor at the OSCE Mission to BiH, “legal perspectives on the Code’s development were provided,” particularly focusing on “the balance between freedom of expression and professional conduct.” The Code is regulating the private and institutional use of social media by MoD and AF BiH personnel including proportionate and legitimate restrictions, in line with the protections enshrined in the BiH Constitution, the European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and other international treaties, laws and other regulations in BiH.
In conclusion mechanisms for implementation and ongoing institutional support were outlined.
As digital communication increasingly shapes public perception, this initiative reinforces the commitment of defence institutions to transparency, ethical standards, and public trust upholding the effectiveness, integrity and reputation of the Ministry of Defence and the BiH Armed Forces.
“Military personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of discipline and professionalism, both offline and online, and must ensure that their conduct on social media and digital platforms reflects the values and integrity of the armed forces”, closed Brigadier General Edin Fako, Inspector General of BiH Ministry of Defence.
Source: Czech National Bank
The Czech National Bank ranks among the best employers in the Czech Republic, according to the results of the prestigious Pluxee Employer of the Year 2025 competition, which recognises companies with an excellent approach to their employees. In the national round of the contest, the central bank placed third in the category for organisations with up to 5,000 employees, based on an assessment of a whole range of objective indicators in the human resources area.
The award was accepted on behalf of the CNB by Helena Dybová, Director of the Human Resources Division. “We greatly appreciate being ranked among the top employers in the Czech Republic. This is confirmation for us that we offer an attractive, fair and motivating work environment to both job applicants and current employees,” Helena Dybová said.
The CNB creates conditions that allow employees to grow professionally and personally, while simultaneously emphasising work-life balance. For example, it offers a broad range of training programmes both in the Czech Republic and abroad, and flexible working arrangements, including the option of working from home. Five weeks of annual leave, sick days, health care, a canteen, CNB-operated banking services, pension scheme contributions and the Cafeteria benefits system offering contributions for sport, culture, travel and health come as standard. Various social and cultural events and club-based activities (such as sports) help to build a stronger employee community.
Every year, the Pluxee Employer of the Year competition evaluates employers using the globally recognised Saratoga methodology, overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers Czech Republic. It assesses 14 objective indicators in areas such as training, employee benefits, staff turnover, corporate social responsibility, and financials.;
Category: up to 5,000 employees
Petra Vlčková
CNB spokesperson
