Source: European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank’s development arm (EIB Global) and Egypt have signed an agreement for the use of a €21 million grant to help green the Egyptian economy. The grant, funded by the European Union and managed by EIB Global, is intended to accelerate efforts by the Egyptian private and public sectors to decarbonise and promote environmental sustainability.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Millions will take part in clinical trials under the 10 Year Health Plan which will speed up clinical research.
Patients will receive the most cutting-edge treatments years earlier than planned under the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which will speed-up clinical trials so the UK becomes a hotbed of innovation.
Millions of people will now be able to search for and sign up to lifechanging clinical trials, via the NIHR Be Part of Research service on the NHS App, allowing patients to browse and find the trials best suited to their interests and needs.
Eventually the plan will see the NHS App automatically match patients with studies based on their own health data and interests, sending push notifications to your phone about relevant new trials to sign up to.
It comes as the NIHR launches a UK-wide recruitment drive for clinical trials – the biggest ever health research campaign – to get as many people involved in research as possible. Adults across the UK are being urged to register, with underrepresented groups including young people, Black people and people of South Asian heritage particularly encouraged to sign up, at bepartofresearch.uk
The 10 Year Health Plan will bring transparency to which Trusts are performing well in clinical trials – and which are not. All NHS Trusts and organisations will need to submit data on the number of trials being conducted and the amount of progress being made – as we rebuild the country’s global status as the epicentre of research.
Public reporting will show the number of trials sponsored by both commercial and non-commercial sponsors at specific Trusts and other organisations, including universities or Primary Care sites. It will reveal to the government, patients, investors, and Trust boards which NHS organisations are performing well and which are falling behind. Government investment will only be prioritised for the Trusts that can prove they can support the NHS to deliver the treatments of tomorrow.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
The UK was has been at the forefront of scientific and medical discovery throughout our history. Some country will lead the charge in the emerging revolution in life sciences, and why shouldn’t it be Britain?
The 10 year plan for health will marry the genius of our country’s leading scientific minds, with the care and compassion of our health service, to put NHS patients at the front of the queue for new cutting-edge treatments.
The NHS App will become the digital front door to the NHS, and enable all of us as citizens to play our part in developing the medicines of the future. The British people showed they were willing to be part of finding the vaccine for Covid, so why not do it again to cure cancer and dementia?
By slashing through red tape and making it easier for patients to take part, reforms in our ten year plan will grow our life sciences sector, generate news funds for the NHS to reinvest in frontline care, and benefit patients through better medicines.
In recent years, the UK has fallen behind as a global destination for these trials, with patients and the wider economy missing out. It takes around 100 days to set up a trial in Spain, but around 250 days in the NHS. The plan will see commercial clinical trial set-up times fall to 150 days or less by March 2026 – this will be the most ambitious reduction in trial set-up times in British history.
Currently set up processes for clinical trials take too long as a result of unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication of activities across different agencies and sites.
Government will cut set up times for clinical trials. Currently, trials have to agree separate contracts with each part of the NHS they want to be involved. The plan will introduce a national standardised contract which can save months of wasted time, as well as simplifying paperwork to remove duplication on technical assurances.
This means if any authority asks for evidence from a study, they can provide it once without having to spend time reframing that evidence differently to meet a separate criteria for another authority.
In the coming weeks, the government will publish its 10 Year Health Plan. Through the plan, we will restore our position as a world leader in clinical trials, so we attract the world’s greatest minds and drive vital investment into the UK. This will spur economic growth, improve the standard of care to support a healthier population, and make the NHS more financially sustainable.
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NIHR said:
We know the benefits of embedding clinical research across the NHS and beyond. It leads to better care for patients, more opportunities for our workforce and provides a huge economic benefit for our health and care system. Integrated into the NHS App, the NIHR Be Part of Research service enables members of the public to be matched to vital trials, ensuring the best and latest treatments and care get to the NHS quicker.
Ensuring all sites are consistently meeting the 150-day or less set-up time will bring us to the starting line, but together we aim to go further, faster to ensure the UK is a global destination for clinical research to improve the health and wealth of the nation.
Dr Vin Diwakar, Clinical Transformation Director at NHS England, said:
The NHS App is transforming how people manage their healthcare, with new features letting them see their test results or check when prescriptions are ready to collect – all at the tap of a screen.
We’re making it easier to sign up for clinical trials through the NHS App so patients can access new treatments and technologies earlier, improving their quality of care.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – which makes sure that medicines and healthcare products available in the UK are safe and effective – has already improved its performance.
All clinical trial approval backlogs are cleared, and performance targets are now being met. Building on this, the 10 Year Health Plan will see the MHRA focus its attention on the most complex and potentially transformational new treatments – like individually personalised cancer vaccines, and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
Nicola Perrin, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said:
Clinical trials are good for patients, the NHS and the economy. But both commercial and non-commercial trials in the UK have closed because of failures to recruit.
Today’s announcements will help to maximise opportunities for everyone to take part in research and speed up access to innovative treatments. We warmly welcome the focus on driving up the participation of diverse and under-served groups – something that is incredibly important to our member charities.
It’s encouraging to see the government recognise that boosting access to clinical trials must be a key part of the 10 Year Health Plan. Transforming clinical trials is an important step in truly embedding research in the NHS, securing the UK’s position as a leader in life sciences and offering a lifeline to patients.
Professor Andrew Morris CBE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:
This announcement marks a significant commitment to strengthening the UK’s leadership in clinical research. The global clinical trials market is estimated to be worth at least $80 billion by 2030 and countries that can demonstrate speed, quality and cost will have a competitive edge.
This commitment is very welcome as streamlined trial set-up times and enhanced public access through the NHS App will accelerate the translation of cutting-edge treatments from laboratory to bedside, directly benefiting patients whilst driving economic growth and ensuring policymakers have the evidence needed for informed healthcare decisions.
The focus on improving participation from under-represented communities is important, though success will depend on earning trust and addressing the broader barriers to diverse participation. By embedding research throughout the NHS and making it accessible to all communities, we can ensure that medical innovation benefits reach every corner of society whilst strengthening the UK’s position as a hub for life sciences investment and discovery.
Source: Peace Action Wellington
14 June 2025 – Israel’s unprovoked and extensive bombing of Iran yesterday is illegal under international law. There is no allowable claim of self-defence for a pre-emptive attack; such a claim would validate Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and the US’s attack on Iraq in 2003.
“The New Zealand Government needs to be unequivocal in its condemnation of Israel now,” said Valerie Morse, member of Peace Action Wellington.
“The bombing of Iran has no justification. The Israeli state appears to consider itself beyond reproach in its conduct: in the past six months, it has bombed Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran all while it conducts the most vile genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and daily attacks against civilians in the occupied West Bank.”
“No one believes Israel’s lies anymore. Time after time, Israel’s claims have been shown to be completely fabricated. We didn’t buy US President George W. Bush’s claims about Iraq having ‘weapons of mass destruction’ in 2003 that precipitated the US invasion and murder of 1 million Iraqi people; and we are not about to buy Netanyahu’s claims about an ‘existential threat’ now. ”
“No one is buying Israel’s false victimhood either: it possesses nuclear weapons and continues to be the largest recipient of US aid and weapons. Netanyahu has spent all of Israel’s political capital with his craven determination to remain in power. The international consensus that has funded and facilitated the ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands is crumbling. Now he is trying to drag the entire world into war. He will be the last Israeli prime minister because he will destroy the Israeli state with his self-serving violence and war-making.”
“Aggressive war cannot be tolerated. Genocide cannot be tolerated. New Zealanders want our government to take concrete actions: expel the Israeli Ambassador, sanction the Israeli state and recognise Palestine.”
Source: Amnesty International –
“Once again, racism has shown its ugly face on our streets. We have come very close this week to the loss of life. We are just one petrol bomb away from racially motivated murder.
“Too many political representatives have chosen to fan the flames of hate rather than put them out. By linking immigration to crime, by blaming migrants for pressure on housing or public services, they seek to turn neighbour against neighbour.
“This rhetoric is not only dangerous — it is dishonest. It gives cover to racism.
“People working in our hospitals, in social care or in factories are not the problem. People fleeing war, persecution or poverty are not the problem. Racism is the problem.
“When leaders suggest that migrants are to blame for our social ills, they distract from their own failures to address those challenges.
“What Northern Ireland needs is not more division. It needs real leadership — leadership that stands up for human rights, that protects all communities, and that recognises the value of diversity.
“We call on every political party to end the language of scapegoating. To condemn racist attacks without qualification. To commit to serious action against hate crime, and to put in place an Executive anti-racism strategy which is worthy of the name.”
The rally, called ‘stop the violence, stop the hate’ is due to take place at Belfast City Hall today (Saturday) at 12 noon.
Amnesty media contacts:
Patrick Corrigan, email: Patrick.Corrigan@amnesty.org.uk / 07740 623155
Out of hours: media@amnesty.org.uk / 07721 398984
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
JERUSALEM, June 15 (Xinhua) — Iran launched another airstrike on Israel on Sunday evening, injuring at least two people and starting fires, Israeli authorities said.
The attack came shortly after Israel announced that its warplanes had launched a new series of strikes targeting missile launchers in western Iran.
Air raid sirens sounded in many areas in the north, south and central parts of the Jewish state, as well as in the occupied Golan Heights, warning residents to take shelter, the Israeli military said. Loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and other cities, according to eyewitnesses.
Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance service spokesman Zaki Heller said rockets and rocket fragments hit three locations, leaving two people lightly injured and several others treated for panic attacks. –0–
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The first ever female Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has been announced by the Prime Minister today.
The first ever female Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has been announced by the Prime Minister today.
Blaise Metreweli CMG will be the 18th Chief in the organisation’s history and the first woman to hold the role, at a time when the United Kingdom faces increased threats from our adversaries.
Commonly referred to as ‘C’, the Chief has operational responsibility for MI6, and is the only publicly named member of the organisation. They are accountable to the Foreign Secretary.
She is currently Director General ‘Q’, responsible for technology and innovation in MI6, and has previously held a Director-level role in MI5. She will succeed Sir Richard Moore, who leaves the Service in the autumn.
The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital.
The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale – be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services.
I’d like to thank Sir Richard Moore for his dedicated service, and I know Blaise will continue to provide the excellent leadership needed to defend our county and keep our people safe – the foundation of my Plan for Change.
I am delighted to appoint Blaise Metreweli as the next Chief of MI6. With a wealth of experience from across our national security community, Blaise is the ideal candidate to lead MI6 into the future.
At a time of global instability and emerging security threats, where technology is power and our adversaries are working ever closer together, Blaise will ensure the UK can tackle these challenges head on to keep Britain safe and secure at home and abroad.
Every day, our intelligence services work behind the scenes to protect our national security and compete with our adversaries. That’s why I am proud that we are investing an extra £600 million in our intelligence community so they can continue to defend our way of life.
I would also like to pay tribute to Sir Richard Moore for his service and leadership. I have worked closely with him over the past year and thank him for his valuable contribution enhancing our national security and protecting the British public.
Blaise Metreweli’s experience and leadership in the intelligence community will help MI6 protect the foundation of our national security and project our interests overseas. Blaise will be an excellent Chief, who will embody the values of the Service and act as a fine role model to its staff.
I would also like to thank Sir Richard Moore for his excellent leadership of the Service over the past five years and his contribution to UK national security during that time and over his long career.
I am proud and honoured to be asked to lead my Service. MI6 plays a vital role – with MI5 and GCHQ – in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas. I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.
I am absolutely delighted by this historic appointment of my colleague, Blaise Metreweli to succeed me as ‘C’. Blaise is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost thinkers on technology. I am excited to welcome her as the first female head of MI6.
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
JERUSALEM, June 15 (Xinhua) — The Israeli Air Force carried out a new round of airstrikes on Iran on Sunday evening, hitting surface-to-surface missile sites in the country’s west, the Israeli military said in a statement.
It is noted that the strikes were aimed at destroying “dozens” of missile targets.
On June 13, Israel launched its largest air attack on Iran, striking nuclear facilities in Tehran and elsewhere across the country, killing dozens of Iranian scientists, senior security officials and civilians, prompting the Islamic Republic to retaliate with missiles and drones that killed at least 14 people in Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that airstrikes would continue, targeting not only nuclear sites but also missile bases, weapons factories, air defense systems and “the regime in Tehran.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Jewish state is “determined to carry out the mission to eliminate the double threat” from Iran. –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
XIAMEN, June 15 (Xinhua) — Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), on Sunday stressed the importance of resolutely safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and jointly promoting the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Wang Huning made the statement at the 17th Taiwan Strait Forum in Fujian Province, east China.
He recalled that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s liberation from Japanese occupation. According to Wang Huning, the liberation of the island is imprinted in the common national memory of people on both sides of the strait, and the fruits of that victory must be preserved.
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, the CPPCC National Committee chairman stressed, calling for firmly adhering to the one-China principle and the 1992 consensus. He also called for resolutely opposing separatist activities aimed at gaining “Taiwan independence” and external interference, and jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Wang Huning assured that the Chinese mainland will always provide firm support to Taiwan compatriots and is committed to deepening the integrated development of the two shores so that Taiwan compatriots can experience greater satisfaction, happiness and belonging.
Former Kuomintang Party Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, in turn, said that the peaceful development of cross-strait relations is the common aspiration of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
He expressed the hope that on the common political basis of adhering to the 1992 consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence,” exchanges and cooperation between the two sides will deepen.
Before the forum, Wang Huning held a meeting with participating Taiwanese guests.
On Saturday, the CPPCC National Committee chairman visited an agricultural park in Xiamen that serves as a hub for Taiwanese farmers to develop their businesses. –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
Moscow, June 15 (Xinhua) — Russia on Sunday handed over another 1,200 bodies of fallen servicemen to Ukraine in accordance with the agreements reached by the parties in Istanbul in early June, Russian media reported, citing a source in the Russian negotiating team.
As the source specified, on June 11, Russia handed over 1,212 bodies of dead soldiers to Ukraine, on June 13, 1,200 bodies, and on June 14, another 1,200 bodies.
“The Russian side continues to implement the Istanbul agreements,” the media report states. –0–
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
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Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
This Joint Statement follows the meeting of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Canada on 15 June 2025.
Today, Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) and Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada met in Ottawa to reaffirm the profound friendship and shared values that unite both nations. The Canada-UK partnership, rooted in a common history and enduring people-to-people ties, continues to grow stronger, with a focus on delivering prosperity and security for the working people of Canada and the UK alike.
The two leaders discussed the many geopolitical challenges currently facing the world, including in the Middle East and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression.
The two leaders underscored the importance of a fair, open and predictable global trading system; reiterated their commitment to a rules-based international order underpinned by respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; and committed to advancing peace and trans-Atlantic security. They agreed the following joint initiatives aimed at strengthening economic growth and prosperity and enhancing collective security and defence:
Canada and the UK are committed to delivering economic growth for their people. The two Prime Ministers today announced further collaboration on trade, science, technology and innovation. Through their Partnership, Canada and the UK will work together to:
• Trade: Strengthen trade ties as trusted, reliable partners. This will include expanding trade under the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement. We will establish a new structured UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group to deepen our existing trading relationship further, including to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore cooperation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. The working group will report back to both Prime Ministers within six months. Canada will seek to introduce legislation this autumn to ratify the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Semiconductors: Deliver industrial R&D projects to enhance both nations’ complementary strengths in semiconductors, photonics, emerging materials and chip design. They will deepen connections between the innovation rich semiconductor ecosystems in Canada and the UK to help build resilient supply chains and accelerate breakthroughs in this key sector that is driving economic growth.
• Quantum: Announce a joint commitment to develop secure, transatlantic communications based on quantum technologies, allowing us to connect our national systems and lay the groundwork to create a truly global, next-generation network, with applications across our financial and telecoms sectors.
• Digital: Mutually reinforce nation-building digital public infrastructure by co-developing policy levers and standards, and common technology components.
• Artificial Intelligence: Deepen and explore new collaborations on frontier AI systems to support our national security. This will include a partnership agreement to strengthen existing collaboration on AI safety and security between the Canadian AI Safety Institute and UK AI Security Institute, and new Canadian and UK MOUs with leading Canadian AI firm Cohere. Under the Canadian MOU, Cohere will collaborate with the Canadian AI Safety Institute and develop their commitment to building cutting-edge data centres in Canada. Under the UK MOU, Cohere will expand their UK presence to support the delivery of the UK AI Opportunities Action Plan. Both MOUs reflect ongoing collaboration on the application of AI tools in security and intelligence and are rooted in Cohere’s strong foundations in Canada and ongoing commitment to the UK.
• Biomanufacturing: Strengthen collaboration to deliver economic growth and be better prepared for future health emergencies, including a joint investment of $14.8 million to support joint biomanufacturing research and development that will grow the talent and skills pipeline in both countries, and to help businesses scale.
• Civil Nuclear: Develop a world-leading fusion energy collaboration and deepen cooperation on nuclear energy from fission to reduce the influence of Russia on our international fuel supply chains.
• Critical Minerals: Intensify bilateral cooperation by conducting a strategic mapping exercise to pinpoint key critical minerals, infrastructure, production and processing capacities. They will identify projects for joint investment to support secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chain development and leverage all available financial tools to mobilize funding and drive production to strengthen our manufacturing and mining sectors.
The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation – both bilaterally and through the NATO Alliance and Five Eyes partnership – to safeguard democratic values advance global stability and ensure the safety of our people in an increasingly complex world. To achieve this, they committed to:
• Ukraine: Further support Ukraine in its self-defence against Russia’s war of aggression. This will include continued support for the Coalition of the Willing and respective efforts to support Ukraine’s domestic defence industrial production. The UK and Canada will continue to work together to support the Air Force Capability Coalition and develop cutting edge aircraft weaponry technology in support of Ukraine.
• Military Cooperation: Position the Canada-UK defence relationship for further growth across military operations, industrial collaboration, and defence innovation, catalyzed by Canada’s newly announced defence investment trajectory and the UK’s Strategic Defence Review. Canada and the UK will work towards a new permanent arrangement for the long-term and sustainable use of British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) through the “BATUS Future Project”. The Project will deepen the Canada-UK relationship on defence and showcase CFB Suffield as a multi-purpose facility for the development and testing of new equipment and cutting-edge technology which are vital to maintaining our shared security and prosperity.
• Intelligence: Build on the long history of deep and productive collaboration between our security and intelligence organizations by launching coordinated operational campaigns to combat terrorism and violent extremism, and deepening collaboration on enhanced intelligence collection, including by expanding officer exchange programs.
• National Security: Tackle evolving state threats together, including sabotage, transnational repression, foreign interference, malicious cyber activity, information manipulation and economic coercion, all of which seeks to undermine our national security and that of our Allies and partners. This will include joint work to invest in civil society organizations actively working to counter digital transnational repression through the Joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, a first-of-its-kind multilateral fund aimed at supporting civil society actors at high risk. To kickstart this fund, Canada and the UK are providing $5.7 million in seed funding to the Fund, which will be disbursed over 5 years. They also agreed to strengthen bilateral development and delivery of secure communications products and cutting-edge cryptography and explore new research partnerships to address gaps in AI security and evolve AI models to support national security.
• Border Security: Strengthen bilateral cooperation to tackle transnational organized criminal organizations engaged in the illicit movement of goods and narcotics, and bolster our response to combat irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, including through deeper bilateral information and knowledge exchange.
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
The Prime Minister met the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa this afternoon.
The Prime Minister met the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa this afternoon.
They began by discussing the grave situation in the Middle East, agreeing that the upcoming G7 Summit presented an opportunity to come together with partners in pursuit of de-escalation.
Turning to the UK-Canada relationship – they had a warm and productive conversation, agreeing that as two like-minded leaders there is huge potential to drive forward our partnership for the benefit of British and Canadian people.
Prime Minister Carney confirmed that Canada would ratify the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), seeking to introduce legislation to their parliament in the autumn. This will bring huge benefits to UK businesses by lowering tariffs when buying from and selling to Canada.
They also agreed to set up a joint taskforce to turbocharge progress on other areas of mutual benefit, including technology and artificial intelligence – in support of shared growth and our national security. The taskforce will also look to make progress on the wider UK-Canada Free Trade Agreement.
The Prime Minister said that the world has changed when it comes to trade and the economy, so he wants teams to go as far and as fast as possible, because it is in all of our interests to lower trade barriers with our closest partners.
Moving on to defence and security, the leaders agreed that there is no doubt that everyone needs to step up at such a volatile time for the world. The Prime Minister reiterated that all NATO allies must come together to advance our collective security in the coming years.
They ended on their enduring support for Ukraine, and Prime Minister Carney thanked the Prime Minister for his invaluable leadership on the Coalition of the Willing.
They looked forward to discussing this further at the G7 Summit in the coming days.
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister
Today, Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, and Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), met in Ottawa to reaffirm the profound friendship and shared values that unite both nations. The Canada-UK partnership, rooted in a common history and enduring people-to-people ties, continues to grow stronger, with a focus on delivering prosperity and security for the working people of Canada and the UK alike.
The two leaders discussed the many geopolitical challenges currently facing the world, including in the Middle East and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression.
The two leaders underscored the importance of a fair, open and predictable global trading system; reiterated their commitment to a rules-based international order underpinned by respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; and committed to advancing peace and trans-Atlantic security. They agreed the following joint initiatives aimed at strengthening economic growth and prosperity and enhancing collective security and defence:
Canada and the UK are committed to delivering economic growth for their people. The two Prime Ministers today announced further collaboration on trade, science, technology and innovation. Through their Partnership, Canada and the UK will work together to:
The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation – both bilaterally and through the NATO Alliance and Five Eyes partnership – to safeguard democratic values advance global stability and ensure the safety of our people in an increasingly complex world. To achieve this, they committed to:
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements
The Prime Minister spoke to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, from Ottawa this afternoon.
The Prime Minister spoke to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, from Ottawa this afternoon.
They discussed the grave situation in the Middle East. The Prime Minister reiterated that his priority is diplomacy and dialogue, in order to de-escalate as quickly as possible.
The Prime Minister said this would be top of the agenda during his conversations with G7 partners in the next two days. They also discussed Gaza, and the need to bring an end to the devastation there.
They agreed to stay in close touch.
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
ASTANA, June 15 (Xinhua) — The Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened academic and cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan, laying a solid foundation for deeper regional cooperation, Chang Yong-pan, president of the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP), told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
“The Belt and Road Initiative promotes Kazakhstan’s economic development and regional integration. At the same time, the prospects for Chinese-Kazakh exchanges look promising,” he noted.
Over the past decade, KIMEP has hosted delegations from more than 100 universities in China. In 2018, the university established a joint research center with Beijing Normal University to promote academic dialogue.
“Since KIMEP’s founding, we have educated 159 Chinese students. We are proud of our role in strengthening ties with China,” Chang Yong Pan emphasized.
According to him, academic exchanges are developing thanks to high-level cooperation. In 2024, more than 15 thousand Kazakh students studied at Chinese universities.
The KIMEP President recalled that after the introduction of a visa-free regime at the end of 2023, the flow of tourists from China to Kazakhstan increased by 66 percent, and the number of Kazakhstani tourists in China increased by 31 percent.
“The arrival of the first tourist train from Xi’an to Almaty in June was an important milestone. I am optimistic about the prospects for cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” he said.
Chang Yong-ban noted that he has high hopes for the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit, which will be held in Astana. According to the Xinhua source, the 2023 summit in the Chinese city of Xi’an has yielded significant results, and further cooperation should focus on finance, green development, healthcare and digital innovation.
“The successful model in Central Asia can serve as a model for other regions. Maintaining peace and prosperity here can be an example for the entire world,” he added. –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
JERUSALEM, June 15 (Xinhua) — Iran launched a new missile attack on Israel on Sunday, triggering air raid sirens across the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, sending millions of people running for cover.
There have been no reports of casualties or damage yet.
The IDF said “several” rockets were fired from Iranian territory toward Israel, most of which were intercepted.
“There were no reports of any projectiles falling,” the statement said.
The attack began at around 4pm local time /1300 GMT/, marking the first Iranian attack in daylight since Israel’s surprise strikes on the Islamic republic on June 13 triggered the current escalation.
The body of another victim was pulled from the rubble of a building hit by a rocket overnight on Sunday, police said, and the search continues for three other people still missing.
The death toll from Iranian attacks since June 13 has reached 14, according to Israeli state television Kan. –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
NEW DELHI, June 15 (Xinhua) — At least two people were killed, 32 injured and several others swept away after a bridge collapsed in India’s western Maharashtra state on Sunday, officials said.
The collapsed bridge over the Indrayani river is located at Kundmal in Pune district, about 129 km southeast of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state.
“According to preliminary information, two people died in the incident,” said state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Six people have been rescued so far,” D. Fadnavis added. “32 people have been injured, six of them are in critical condition. The injured have been hospitalized.”
Kundmala is a popular tourist destination and attracts a large number of people during the monsoons.
Dozens of people, most of them tourists, were on the bridge at the time of the incident, officials said. Witnesses reported that people fell into the swollen river, with some of them swept away by the strong current. –0–
Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Sunday, 15 June 2025
by Javier TraperoPort Moresby (Agenzia Fides) – Blessed Martyr Peter To Rot will be canonised on October 19, 2025. His sainthood is the fruit of close cooperation between priests and laity in the evangelising task of mission, specifically that of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC).‘He, the ‘mission boy’, was very ill and has died’. This was the ironic way the policeman To Metapa spoke when he went to see with his own eyes that Peter To Rot was dead. Shortly before, the doctor at the prison where he was being held had injected him with a so-called medicine and given him a syrup to cure him of a cold. The administration of these substances caused him to vomit, which the doctor himself did not allow him to expel by covering his mouth.Such was the martyrdom of this ‘mission boy’. The martyrdom of a person tremendously committed to missionary work. That of a native Papuan catechist who learned to love Jesus, together with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.Peter To Rot was born in Rakanui, a village on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, in 1912. But the story of his sainthood, so to speak, began 14 years earlier, with the baptism of his parents. This was tremendously important for the evangelisation of this part of the Pacific.His father, Angelo To Puia, was chief of his community. He was among the first to be baptised at the mission, along with his wife, Maria Ia Tumul. For an authority among the natives to receive this sacrament of Christian initiation meant acceptance of the teachings of Jesus and, very importantly, renunciation of the practices of witchcraft and cannibalism that were very much a part of the culture of those people, as well as others that were contrary to the Gospel.Peter To Rot’s sister spoke of her family when questioned during the beatification process: ‘My father was one of the leaders of the clan. He always took good care of his children, and was concerned about our education, the advice we received and our general welfare. Our family was known as a truly Catholic family, and our parents brought us up according to that faith’.Peter to Rot’s parents had a very close relationship with the missionaries. They helped build the mission, donated the land for the church, the school and the missionary house. They were a very kind and committed family, always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.Fr Joseph Theler, MSC, explains in the Positio for the beatification of Peter To Rot that ‘Angelo To Puia was a wealthy leader with a gentle character. He was undoubtedly the most respected person by all in the Navunaram and Rakunai areas. He was considered the protector of the indigenous people.With this family background, Peter To Rot showed a very special interest in the Eucharist from a very young age, volunteering to help at daily mass. The Eucharist was for him a fundamental pillar in his life of faith. Ulrich, MSC, who had been appointed in charge of the mission in 1926, wanted volunteer acolytes to make up the weekly list, but at the same time he wanted them to be responsible and to come regularly. Once again, To Rot was the first to give his name. When the children at school were asked which of them had said their morning and evening prayers, To Rot always raised his hand to show that he had done so.Such was Peter To Rot’s religious sense that Fr Carl Laufer, MSC, raised the possibility of his becoming a priest, to which his father replied: ‘No, Father, I don’t think one of our generation is ready to become a priest. It’s too early for that. Maybe one of my grandchildren or great- grandchildren will be that lucky. But if you want To Rot to be a catechist, send him to the Taliligap Catechist School’.At the age of 18, Peter To Rot entered the catechists’ school run by Fr. Joseph Lakaff, MSC. It must be said that the concept of a catechist in the mission is that of a person who is very committed to the community, a guide, a point of reference for all its members. Lakaff defined it as follows: ‘The catechist is a true missionary. He is an explorer, a teacher in the most remote places, a watchman. He softens the soil in the unploughed fields where the seed of faith will be planted. He warns against dangers and prepares the way for the final triumph of faith. Because catechists are familiar with the mentality of their own people, their lifestyles, traditions, ideas about various aspects of life and their language, they give the priest working among a native people, with their help, a clear advantage over the unaided foreign missionary’.Catechists are such committed people that, in many parts of the world, they have even given their lives to continue their evangelising mission when priests, missionaries or missionaries have been expelled, imprisoned or killed. This is the case of Peter To Rot.In 1942, in the middle of World War II, the Japanese army invaded Papua New Guinea. In a first phase, they arrested all the priests, but allowed the pastoral activity of the missions. This is where catechists in general and Peter To Rot in particular played a key role in maintaining the faith in their communities. Gradually, religious freedom was curtailed and certain religious manifestations were banned, until in 1944 the ban was total. Laufer wrote: ‘The huts of the natives were regularly searched for religious books, crucifixes, medals, stamps, etc. Possession of any written document was dangerous. To Rot had in his possession the mission register which, together with his personal notes, he managed to hide in the thatched roof of the school. What had been permitted up to this point and carried out in terms of prayers, Sunday services and instructions, was now forbidden, at least outwardly’.The authorities gathered the catechists in the police stations and forced them to stop their pastoral activities. Laufer, Peter To Rot’s reaction was firm: ‘They have taken away our priests, but they cannot forbid us to be Catholics and to live and die as Catholics. I am your catechist and I will do my duty, even if it costs me my life’. Clandestinely, he went out in the evenings to meet with small groups of the faithful. He gave them catechesis, presided at prayers and, when necessary, administered baptisms or blessed marriages. He consciously assumed his responsibility as a catechist in the absence of the missionaries, determined not to abandon the Christian communities.In addition to this prohibition of any religious manifestation, the Japanese army, in order to curry favour with the most sympathetic leaders, restored practices that had almost disappeared, such as polygamy. From then on, Peter To Rot became a staunch defender of marriage. He openly opposed the practice, which led him to oppose influential members such as policemen and judges who wanted to take married women as wives. For this reason, the policeman To Metapa, who had sufficient power to order his arrest, denounced him. During his time in prison, Peter To Rot showed great composure and conviction. He firmly defended his decisions and his fidelity to the Christian faith, without any regrets. He remained steadfast as a catechist and witness to the Gospel to the very end. Hours before his martyrdom he said: ‘I am in prison for those who break their marriage vows and for those who do not want to see God’s work go forward. That is all. I must die. I have already been condemned to death.’ (Agenzia Fides, 15/6/2025)
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Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong today met the management of internationally renowned semiconductor company Nexperia as he began his visit to the Netherlands.
Apart from learning about Nexperia’s latest development directions and technology as well as its businesses in Hong Kong and globally, Prof Sun also explored with the company on its plan of further expansion in Hong Kong.
Nexperia has businesses around the globe with research and development (R&D) facilities established in the Hong Kong Science Park.
On Saturday, Prof Sun visited the showroom of Renault Group in Paris, France, and met the group’s management who gave him a briefing on the latest development and planning of the group and its brands as well as its various innovative businesses. Both sides also explored ways to deepen collaboration.
BeyonCa, a premium electric vehicle enterprise backed by France’s Renault Group and China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation, was established in Hong Kong in 2021 with its international headquarters being set up at the Hong Kong Science Park.
Prof Sun pointed out that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has clearly stated in the Hong Kong Innovation & Technology Development Blueprint that the development of advanced manufacturing and new energy are one of the strategic technology industries.
He highlighted that the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research & Development Institute, established in September last year, is preparing the set-up of two pilot lines at the Microelectronics Centre this year, striving to put them into operation next year to support product development and trial production.
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
TEHRAN, June 15 (Xinhua) — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed the deaths of eight more senior commanders of its Aerospace Forces in Israeli airstrikes on Tehran on June 13.
A statement released by the IRGC’s official Sepah News expressed condolences over the “martyrdom” of senior military officials.
Among the killed commanders are Mahmoud Bagheri, Davoud Sheikhian, Mohammad Bagher Taherpour, Mansour Safarpour, Masoud Tayeb, Khosrow Hassani, Javad Jorsara and Mohammad Agajafari.
In the early hours of June 13, Israel launched air strikes on the Iranian capital Tehran and other cities in the country, hitting nuclear facilities and killing several top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Israeli attacks on various parts of Iran continued on Saturday and Sunday.
Israeli airstrikes on Tehran killed Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces (Iranian Armed Forces) Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters (air defense forces) Gholam Ali Rashid, and Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Forces Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
In response to the attacks, Iran launched a series of missile strikes on targets in Israel on the evening of June 13 and 14, causing casualties and significant damage. –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
Moscow, June 15 /Xinhua/ — One person was killed and 13 others were injured in an attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on an enterprise in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, the head of the republic Rustam Minnikhanov reported on Telegram.
“Today, another attack by enemy drones was carried out on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan. When the UAV was destroyed, the debris fell on the checkpoint building of the automobile plant in the Yelabuga district. As a result, a worker died. A total of 13 people were injured,” wrote R. Minnikhanov.
He added that a fire broke out at the site and was quickly extinguished by the relevant services. –0–
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, began his visit to the Netherlands today (June 15, Amsterdam time).
Professor Sun met with the management of an internationally renowned semiconductor company Nexperia to learn about its latest development directions and technology, as well as its businesses in Hong Kong and globally. He also explored with the company on its plan of further expansion in Hong Kong. Nexperia has businesses around the globe with research and development (R&D) facilities established in the Hong Kong Science Park.
Professor Sun visited the showroom of Renault Group in Paris, France and met with the group’s management yesterday (June 14, Paris time). BeyonCa, a premium electric vehicle enterprise backed by France’s Renault Group and China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation, was established in Hong Kong in 2021 with its international headquarters being set up at the Hong Kong Science Park. Professor Sun was briefed on the latest development and planning of the group and its brands as well as its various innovative businesses. Both sides also explored ways to deepen collaboration.
Professor Sun said, “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has clearly stated in the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint that the development of advanced manufacturing and new energy are one of the strategic technology industries, and is actively enhancing support for strategic industries such as new energy vehicles and semiconductor technology, so as to promote new industrialisation in Hong Kong. In promoting microelectronics R&D, the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute was established in September last year to spearhead collaboration among universities, R&D centres and the industry on the R&D of third generation semiconductor core technology. The institute leverages the Greater Bay Area’s well-developed manufacturing industry chain and enormous market, and promotes the ‘1 to N’ transformation of R&D outcomes and industry development. It is preparing the set-up of two pilot lines at the Microelectronics Centre this year, striving to put them into operation next year to support product development and trial production.”
During his stay in Paris, Professor Sun was interviewed by local media to introduce the latest situation and opportunities of Hong Kong’s I&T, telling the good I&T story of Hong Kong.
Professor Sun will depart for The Hague this evening to continue his visit to the Netherlands.
Source: South Africa News Agency
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has confirmed that South Africa has substantially completed all 22 recommended action items outlined in the Action Plan adopted when the country was placed on the organisation’s grey list in February 2023.
South Africa was placed on the FATF grey list due to deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) regime.
During its plenary session held in Strasbourg, France, the FATF made the initial determination that South Africa has substantially completed its action plan and warrants an on-site assessment. The on-site assessment will be to verify that the implementation of AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being sustained, and that the necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation in the future.
According to the National Treasury, the completion of the Action Plan paves the way for the final step before the FATF can delist South Africa, which is an on-site visit to South Africa by the FATF Africa Joint Group (JG).
A statement by FATF on (Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring – 13 June 2025) noted that South Africa has undertaken a range of key reforms, including demonstrating a sustained increase in investigations and prosecutions of serious and complex money laundering and the full range of [terror financing] TF activities in line with its risk profile; and updating its TF Risk Assessment to inform the implementation of a comprehensive national counter financing of terrorism strategy.
The National Treasury emphasised that the improvements to South Africa’s AML/CFT regime are particularly important for South Africa, given the legacy of state capture, one element of which was that law enforcement and prosecuting institutions were deliberately weakened.
“Improvements in these domains are critical not just for getting off the greylist, but for strengthening the fight against crime and corruption, and for contributing to the integrity of the South African financial system. Exiting the FATF greylist is a significant step forward as South Africa continues to improve and strengthen its supervisory and criminal justice systems,” National Treasury said on Friday.
The on-site visit will take place before the next FATF Plenary, and, if the outcome of the visit is positive, the FATF will delist South Africa from the greylist at its next Plenary in October 2025. Preparations for the on-site visit have commenced.
During this visit, the JG will confirm the country’s ongoing commitment in the implementation of the country’s fight against money laundering, terror financing and other financial crimes.
“National Treasury commends the efforts and commitment of the law enforcement entities, especially the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) of the South African Police Service, the State Security Agency, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), for the sustained increase in investigations and prosecutions of serious and complex money laundering and terror financing activities.
“This made it possible for South Africa to secure the upgrades of the last two remaining action items, often considered to be the most difficult, in the current reporting cycle,” National Treasury said.
South Africa also commended Mali and Tanzania, who were delisted from greylisting by the FATF Plenary.
“We also congratulate Nigeria, Mozambique and Burkina Faso, who like South Africa, were deemed to have substantially completed their action plans, and for whom on-site assessments were also approved.
“National Treasury pays tribute to the late Advocate Rodney de Kock of the NPA, who played a leading role in preparing the groundwork for South Africa to address the action items, but sadly passed away in January 2025.”
The South African Reserve Bank (SARC) has welcomed the confirmation by the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) that South Africa has completed all 22 of its action items.
“This is a significant step forward – but not the time for complacency,” the SARB said on Saturday.-SAnews.gov.za
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
The 30-year-old who was fatally shot in an incident in Claxton Grove, Hammersmith, on Wednesday, 11 June, has been named as Northolt resident Jordan Oliver Rodney.
In a statement, Mr Rodney’s family said: “It is with unimaginable heartbreak that we confirm the tragic loss of our beloved Jordan Olivier Rodney, who was taken from us far too soon.
“Jordan was a man who touched the lives of everyone who knew him. He was warm, funny, and loving. Always quick with a smile or a joke that could brighten the dark day.
“His kindness, generosity, and humour left a lasting impression on friends and family alike. Our son, brother, uncle, and friend was so much more than the circumstances of his death. He brought joy to our lives every single day, and his absence leaves a hole that can never be filled.
“We will remember Jordie for the love he shared so freely, the laughter he inspired, and the way he made us all feel seen and valued. We ask for privacy as we grieve this devastating loss and whilst we work to come to terms with what has happened.
“We are eternally grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this incredibly difficult time.”
A post-mortem examination has taken place.
A second victim, also in his 30s, has been discharged from hospital.
Jahmel Joseph, 28 (05.12.1996), of Eaton Rise, Ealing, has been charged with murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a prohibited weapon and dangerous driving.
Joseph appeared in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 14 July. He has been remanded to appear before the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 18 July.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Binhammer, Katherine, Professor of Literary History, University of Alberta
As we make summer reading lists, some of us will turn to lists of prize winners for recommendations.
One influential prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, recently celebrated its 30th award winner, The Safekeep by Dutch writer Yael van der Wouden.
The international prize honours the best novel by a woman written in English and published in the United Kingdom. The prize, first awarded in 1996, was founded after no women writers made the 1991 Booker Prize shortlist.
Considering that fiction by women now regularly makes the shortlists of major prizes, it seems timely to ask: do we still need a prize dedicated to women?
We explored this question by creating a new dataset containing information on 15 British literary prizes, with demographic information for 682 shortlisted and winning authors. Our analysis of the dataset shows how there is still a ways to go before women’s writing is valued — awarded, remunerated and read — equally to men’s.
We are four research collaborators affiliated with the University of Alberta’s Orlando Project, a project that harnesses the power of digital tools and methods to provide new knowledge about feminist literary scholarship. The Orlando Project has published a searchable digital archive with original coding that focuses of women’s relationship to literary production.
We compiled a new dataset to explore how gender, ethnicity and educational achievement impacts who wins what prizes.
When the Women’s Prize first came on the scene in 1996, the average percentage of women winning other U.K. literary prizes actually dropped. The average only began to rise around 2003 when it steadily increased until 2012.
Women won just eight per cent of the prizes in our dataset in 2003, whereas they won 53 per cent in 2012. But that increase plateaued in 2012, and for the next decade it held steady at a running average of 45 per cent. As well, we note no steady linear progression upwards or downwards on average, but there were highs and lows (21 per cent in 2016 followed by 64 per cent in 2017).
Some fluctuation in the winners’ genders is, of course, to be expected. But as is apparent by looking at the percentage of women winners year to year, we should not assume things will always get better.
Other insights from our dataset suggest caution is required in assuming women’s fiction is now equally valued by the literary establishment.
Thirty-nine per cent of Booker shortlisted writers were women, but women have only won 32 per cent of the time. The claim that we don’t need a prize for women since many recent shortlists have been dominated by women needs to be tempered with the fact that while women have made up 57 per cent of the Booker’s shortlist since 2016, only 33 per cent of winners have been women.
While we expected some differences between genres, we were surprised by just how gendered certain genres are. Seventy-one per cent of the winners of the (now defunct) Costa Children’s Book Award were women, whereas women only constituted 21 per cent for the British Science Fiction Award and 31 per cent for the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award.
Non-fiction writing — which includes history, political science, sport and current affairs — remains male-dominated: the Baillie Gifford award, which bills itself as “U.K.’s premier annual prize for non-fiction books,” has one of the higher percentages of winners who are men, at 67 per cent.
Our dataset includes demographic information on race and ethnicity. It shows that amplifying women’s voices is not simultaneously connected with amplifying all women’s voices.
The Women’s Prize may have succeeded in pushing the Booker to include more women’s fiction (from zero shortlisted when the Women’s Prize was announced in 1990, to 26 per cent when it made its first award in 1996, to 58 per cent in 2022). But the Booker marginally out-performed the Women’s Prize in relation to racialized writers over the period of our dataset (26 per cent for the former, 22 per cent for the latter).
A recent book on white literary taste concentrates on the Women’s Prize to show how prizes in general are part of a literary eco-system that is racially biased.
We also question what it means that women’s fiction has greater visibility at the same time when fewer and fewer people, and especially men, read fiction.
Using Nielsen BookScan data, the Women’s Prize 2024 Impact Report points to statistics on fiction authorship and gendered readership: women published 57 per cent of the top 500 bestselling novels in 2023, but while women constitute 44 per cent of readers of the top men’s fiction, men only account for 19 per cent of readers of fiction by women.
The fact that fewer people are reading fiction at the same time that women are winning more awards, could suggest we are witnessing a repeat of the familiar pattern in women’s history where, at the same historical moment when women achieve dominance, or increase, in a field, and it becomes “feminized,” the field as a whole loses its value or prestige. Examples are family medicine or humanities professors.
The Orlando Project’s research on 800 years of women’s writing in Britain reveals a pattern around gender and genre when in comes to remuneration and literary prestige. Genres where women writers dominate, like children’s literature and romance, tend to be the least lucrative.
Novels in the time of Jane Austen illustrate the point. Before Walter Scott and other male writers developed a highbrow “serious” Victorian novel over what they saw as trashy romances, women writers temporarily dominated fiction like they do today. As one of us has argued, when women writers published more novels than men did in the 1790s, novels were the literary genre that paid the least.
There remains a gender pay equity gap in writing: British women earned 58.6 per cent of what men did in 2022, mostly because the genres they chose to write in do not garner the highest earnings.
One way to answer our question of whether we still need a Women’s Prize is this: we will no longer need it when women begin to dominate prizes for prestige genres such as non-fiction; when men read as much writing by women as that by men; and when we pay authors as much as football players.
So far, we’re not there. We therefore celebrate that in 2023, the Women’s Prize added a new award in non-fiction to address that genre’s gender disparity. The Story of a Heart by practising palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke won this year.
We encourage readers to take all the Women’s Prize-winning and nominated books to the beach this summer.
Binhammer, Katherine receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Kanika Batra receives funding from Fulbright Canada.
Maryse Jayasuriya and Theo Gray do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Why we still need a women’s prize for fiction – https://theconversation.com/why-we-still-need-a-womens-prize-for-fiction-257494
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anessa L. Kimball, Professor of Political Science; Director, Centre for International Security, ESEI, Université Laval
A survey of Canadian international relations professors has found they disagree on how to respond to potential Chinese aggression against Taiwan and which global regions will matter most to Canada in the future.
For the past 20 years, the Teaching, Research and International Policy (TRIP) survey has asked university professors about how they teach international relations and what they think about global affairs. Originally based in the United States, the survey expanded to Canada in 2006 and is now conducted regularly in many countries.
The Canadian faculty survey was conducted from March 5 to July 12, 2024. Of the 109 who participated, most held permanent academic positions, including 22 full professors, 31 associate professors and six emeritus professors.
Participants were asked to agree or disagree with statements about global politics. Seventy-five experts agreed that states are the main players in global politics, but there was less agreement on the importance of domestic politics.
Most felt that international institutions help bring order to the chaotic global system. However, whether globalization has made people better off — even if there are some losers — divided experts, with 21 believing no one is better off due to globalization while two-thirds believed the opposite.
When it came to more critical or less mainstream ideas — such as whether major international relations theories are rooted in racist assumptions — opinions were split.
More than 50 agreed, but more than a third disagreed, and many gave neutral responses. Disagreement over the role of racism in shaping world politics highlights the difficulty of decolonizing international relations and incorporating post-colonial perspectives — particularly when trying to understand complex “failed cases” like United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Haiti.
Read more:
For Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic, ‘reproduction is like a death sentence’
Professors were also asked where they get their international news. Most rely on major newspapers, international media and internet sources.
When asked which world region is strategically most important for Canada today, nearly half — or 43 of 97 experts opting to respond to the question — chose North America (excluding Mexico); in other words, the United States. Sixteen selected the Arctic and another 16 chose East Asia.
Very few picked regions like the Middle East, Europe or Russia. Looking ahead 20 years, 10 experts shifted their answer from North America to the Arctic.
Experts were asked what Canada should do if China attacks Taiwan. Most supported non-military responses: 72 supported sanctions and 69 supported taking in refugees.
About half supported sending weapons or banning Chinese goods. Fewer supported cyberattacks (18), sending troops (15) or a no-fly zone (14).
Surprisingly, six said Canada should launch military action against China.
Justin Trudeau was prime minister when the survey was conducted. When asked about his performance, 50 per cent rated him poorly or very poorly, 30 per cent were neutral and only a small minority rated him positively.
Canadian international relations professors don’t always agree, but a few trends stand out.
Despite recent government focus on the Arctic in terms of its Our North, Strong and Free policy, many professors still view the U.S. as Canada’s most important strategic region. East Asia drew some attention, but few see it growing in importance.
With a new government under Prime Minister Mark Carney, there may be opportunities to improve on areas where Trudeau was seen as weak by respondents to the survey.
For example, despite having developed a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, vital Canadian trade and maritime security interests were minimized by the previous Liberal government. Carney could therefore contemplate expanding Canada’s maritime assets, improving its artificial intelligence and cybersecurity capacity and investing in digital infrastructure and quantum computing.
Read more:
Defence policy update focuses on quantum technology’s role in making Canada safe
Carney had pledged to fulfil Canada’s commitment to NATO’s target of two per cent of GDP spent on defence, saying Canada will meet the threshold by the end of 2025.
However, Canada will still lag behind. NATO is calling on allies to invest five per cent of GDP in defence, comprising 3.5 per cent on core defence spending as well as 1.5 per cent of GDP per year on defence and security-related investment, including in infrastructure and resilience.
Canada’s 2024 GDP was $2.515 trillion, which means a five per cent defence investment of nearly $125 billion annually would have accounted for more than a quarter of a federal budget (which was under $450 billion in 2024-2025).
Canada, a founding NATO member, leads a multinational brigade in Latvia and supports Ukraine in other ways.
Ukraine seems on an irreversible path towards NATO membership. Though 69 per cent of respondents supported NATO membership for Ukraine, only 44 per cent felt it was likely. Though the U.S. tariff crisis attracts attention, some experts are increasingly looking to the Arctic to understand Canada’s strategic interests — a trend sure to be reflected in future surveys of Canadian international relations experts.
Anessa L. Kimball 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. Canadian international relations experts share their views on global politics and Canada’s role – https://theconversation.com/canadian-international-relations-experts-share-their-views-on-global-politics-and-canadas-role-257949
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Oliver Schmidtke, Professor, Director of the Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria
In response to a report on the virulence of antisemitism in Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently cast the blame on attitudes held by immigrants.
Merz stated in a Fox News interview that Germany has “imported antisemitism with the big numbers of migrants we have within the last 10 years.”
Merz is pointing to a real and pressing issue. Yet his emphasis on so-called “imported antisemitism” serves as a convenient diversion from Germany’s persistent failure to confront home-grown antisemitism.
His remarks also risk emboldening those who weaponize antisemitism as a rhetorical tool to fuel anti-immigrant sentiments.
Antisemitic incidents in Germany have been on the rise since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza.
According to a survey by the Research and Information Centre on Antisemitism (RIAS), antisemitic occurrences rose by more than 80 per cent in 2023. That year, 4,782 occurrences were documented, the highest number since the organization began tracking such cases in 2017.
However, RIAS’s most recent report found that the primary motive behind antisemitic crimes remained right-wing extremist ideology (48 per cent). It also noted that, since 2023, there has been a marked increase in incidents attributed to “foreign ideology.” These are understood as originating outside Germany and often linked to Islamist or anti-Israel sentiments, which accounted for 31 per cent of cases in 2024.
It should be noted that RIAS’s approach to classifying antisemitism has been subject to controversy, especially with regard to its treatment of criticism of or protest against the Israeli government’s actions.
A recent survey of antisemitic attitudes among immigrants in Germany found that such attitudes are more prevalent among Muslim respondents compared to their Christian or religiously unaffiliated counterparts. The study revealed particularly high levels of antisemitism among individuals from the Middle East and North Africa.
Approximately 35 per cent of Muslim respondents — especially those with strong religious convictions and lower levels of formal education — “strongly agreed with classical antisemitic statements.” These statements reflect classical antisemitic tropes, such as attributing too much influence over politics or finance to Jews, accusing Jews of driving the world into disaster or relativizing the Holocaust.
At the same time, there is evidence that immigrants successfully integrating into German society is associated with lower levels of antisemitism.
Yet blaming a rise in antisemitism on “imported” attitudes or “foreign ideologies” signals a crude simplification. Antisemitism has remained prevalent in German society even after the Second World War, and political movements or leaders can easily mobilize it.
Although Holocaust education is mandatory in German schools, knowledge about the Shoah and the legacy of antisemitism remains limited among younger generations. A recent study by the Jewish Claims Conference found that among Germans aged 18 to 29, around 40 per cent were not aware that approximately six million Jews were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators.
According to a 2023 MEMO survey, more than 50 per cent of 14- to 16-year-old students in Germany did not know what Auschwitz was.
Blaming immigrants for challenges in Germany’s memory culture oversimplifies a deeper issue: the growing difficulty of making the country’s dominant remembrance — centred on the horrors of the Nazi dictatorship and the Holocaust — politically meaningful and emotionally resonant for younger generations.
For many young Germans, the memory of the Holocaust feels increasingly remote, lacking the emotional immediacy that vanishing eyewitnesses once provided.
This problem is further exacerbated by the absence of innovative, impactful teaching capable of conveying the continued relevance of Holocaust memory and its political message.
In a 2023 article, American journalist Masha Gessen highlighted how Holocaust remembrance in Germany was becoming an elite-driven ritual, one that risks preventing a meaningful connection between its moral imperatives and today’s political realities.
At the same time, the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party poses a direct threat to Germany’s culture of remembrance.
The AfD has made it a central objective to challenge the primacy of Holocaust memory, calling for a U-turn in Germany’s remembrance culture.
Leading party members have labelled Holocaust memorials “monuments of shame,” reflecting the party’s broader effort to promote nationalist reinterpretations of history.
Furthermore, the AfD’s staunchly anti-immigrant stance exposes a fundamental flaw in the imported antisemitism narrative. Across Europe, populist right-wing movements have increasingly mobilized anti-Muslim rhetoric under the banner of defending so-called “Judeo-Christian values,” even as they simultaneously draw on classic antisemitic tropes targeting “globalist elites” and conspiratorial power structures.
This use of Jewish identity as a rhetorical weapon against Islam, while perpetuating antisemitism in other forms, reveals the deep contradictions and opportunism underlying imported antisemitism claims.
Blaming Muslim immigrants for the rise of antisemitism offers German political leaders a convenient excuse for their own failure to confront entrenched antisemitic beliefs within German society.
In addition, Holocaust remembrance can sometimes exclude immigrants. For example, Germany recently added questions about the Holocaust and Nazi crimes to its citizenship test, committing newcomers to its memory culture.
Research shows this kind of policy can have unintended effects. It can make immigrants feel excluded if they are seen as not fully sharing in “our” nation and “our” history. Given the universalist values it is meant to embody, the commemoration of the Holocaust can also serve to alienate immigrants from full cultural citizenship.
Framing antisemitism primarily as an imported problem risks strengthening those forces that actively seek to undermine and ignore Germany’s confrontation with its Nazi past.
Instead, what is needed is a more nuanced approach, one that bridges the divide between antiracist and anti-antisemitism efforts, and aligns more faithfully with the moral and political commitments that this collective memory is meant to uphold.
Oliver Schmidtke receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
– ref. The politics of blame: Accusing immigrants won’t solve Germany’s antisemitism problem – https://theconversation.com/the-politics-of-blame-accusing-immigrants-wont-solve-germanys-antisemitism-problem-258705
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides.
Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the call focused on regional developments. President El-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s categorical rejection of any expansion of the cycle of conflict in the region, underscoring the crucial importance of ending Israel’s military operations across all regional fronts. President El-Sisi warned that the continuation of the current approach will inflict grave and formidable harm on all peoples of the region, with no exception.
President El-Sisi affirmed the vital necessity for the international community to assume a more effective role in compelling regional parties to act responsibly. The President asserted that peaceful solutions remain the sole viable means to ensure security and stability in the region. President El-Sisi underlined the urgent need to resume the US-Iranian negotiations, under the auspices of the Sultanate of Oman, which represents the best solution to the current tension. President El-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s unequivocal stance with regard to the imperative for establishing a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, encompassing all states of the region.
President El-Sisi emphasized that a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian issue remains the sole guarantor for achieving enduring peace and stability in the Middle East. This necessitates an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages and detainees, the establishment of an independent Palestinian State along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as providing security for all peoples of the region.
– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
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
XIAMEN, June 15 (Xinhua) — Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), on Sunday stressed the importance of unwaveringly safeguarding peace across the Taiwan Strait and jointly promoting national rejuvenation.
Wang Huning made the statement at the 17th Taiwan Strait Forum in Fujian Province, east China.
Wang Huning noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s liberation from Japanese occupation, which is a common national memory for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and it is necessary to uphold the fruits of this victory.
Wang Huning said both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China. The one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus must be upheld. He called for resolute opposition to separatist activities aimed at achieving “Taiwan independence” and external interference to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. -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
NEW YORK, June 15 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered immigration agents to stop making arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, a policy change amid concerns that recent immigration measures could hurt those industries, CBS News reported Saturday.
These industries rely heavily on immigrants, many of whom are in the United States illegally, the channel reported, citing sources who asked to remain anonymous.
The move comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stepped up raids on workplaces across the country to arrest and deport undocumented migrants. Stories of ICE agents detaining migrants in fields and car washes have dominated the news over the past week.
The crackdown on migrants has sparked protests in cities across the United States, including Los Angeles and New York. Violence during the protests has prompted the Trump administration to send National Guard troops and Marines to the Los Angeles area, despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local officials.
For now, Washington can continue to use troops to protect ICE agents and quell protests. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency stay of the case just hours after Circuit Judge Charles Breyer ruled Thursday night that Trump illegally deployed the California National Guard and violated the Constitution. –0–