The State of Qatar participated in the signing ceremony of the Peace Agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which took place today in Washington, facilitated by the United States of America.
His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the State of Qatar at the signing ceremony.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the State of Qatar’s welcome of the conclusion of this Agreement, as well as its commendation of the sincere will and genuine commitment demonstrated by both Parties to the approach of peaceful and diplomatic solutions.
His Excellency also expressed Qatar’s pride in contributing positively to facilitating the achievement of this Agreement through hosting several negotiation sessions between the two parties, as a result of Doha’s hosting of the trilateral meeting between His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, His Excellency President Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, and His Excellency President Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 18, 2025, which constituted a significant milestone for direct dialogue and confidence-building between the two sides.
His Excellency commended the constructive role played by the United States of America in completing these efforts and reaching this significant Agreement, which is expected to enhance security and stability in the Great Lakes region.
His Excellency the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these efforts are in support of the African Union’s mediation and the outcomes of the Joint Summit of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, which was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, on February 8, 2025. In this regard, he expressed the State of Qatar’s full readiness to collaborate with all regional and international partners to achieve lasting peace that benefits the peoples of the region.
HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received today a phone call from HE Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Arun Hemachandra.
The call dealt with discussing cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, and discussed a number of topics of common interest.
During the call, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his country’s solidarity with the State of Qatar following the attack launched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University
In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.
I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.
For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.
For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.
The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.
But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.
Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.
His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.
If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.
Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.
This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.
Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.
But that was just the beginning.
The scale of the discovery
When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.
As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.
Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.
Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.
It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.
This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.
Why does the discovery matter?
For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.
Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.
This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.
These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.
Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University
In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.
I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.
For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.
For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.
The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.
But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.
Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.
His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.
If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.
Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.
This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.
Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.
But that was just the beginning.
The scale of the discovery
When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.
As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.
Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.
Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.
It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.
This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.
Why does the discovery matter?
For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.
Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.
This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.
These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.
Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.
Security Council briefing by Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee , Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – Department of Peace Operations, on Sudan and South Sudan.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee said that the security conditions in Sudan remain dire.
Briefing the Security Council today (27 Jun) Pobee said, “Security conditions remain dire, marked by shifting frontlines, increased and often indiscriminate aerial assaults by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and continuous attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.”
She continued, “The warring parties appear unrelenting in their resolve to pursue military objectives. The fighting shows no signs of abating. In recent weeks, the focus of the conflict has shifted once more to the Darfur and Kordofan regions. The Kordofans are increasingly emerging as an epicenter of fighting.”
She highlighted, “We are particularly worried about the growing use of advanced weaponry, including long range drones. This has expanded hostilities into previously stable areas of the country. Aerial attacks in populated areas have already caused significant civilian casualties and mass displacement.”
She concluded, “It is time to take concrete steps to end the senseless suffering of the Sudanese people. Too many lives have been lost, too much trauma has been inflicted, and the risk of regional conflagration is too great, to allow this conflict to fester any longer. I call on the wider international community to work together, for our multilateral partners to join hands, and for the Council to lead the way in resolving the conflict in Sudan.”
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University
In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.
I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.
For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.
For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.
The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.
But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.
Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.
A leopard grabs a fruit bat at Uganda’s Python Cave.Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project
His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.
If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.
Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.
This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.
A blue monkey with bat in hand at Python Cave.Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project
Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.
But that was just the beginning.
The scale of the discovery
When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.
As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.
Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.
Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.
Bosco Atukwatse.
It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.
This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.
Why does the discovery matter?
For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.
Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.
This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.
These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.
– How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806
On Friday, 27 June 2025, H.E. Henry Jardine, United States Ambassador to Seychelles, and Rear Admiral Michael Mattis, Director of Strategic Effects at U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), paid a courtesy call on Mr. Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy.
The meeting focused primarily on enhancing maritime and defence cooperation, particularly through the ongoing initiatives of NAVEUR–NAVAF. Discussions covered the challenges faced in patrolling Seychelles’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the potential for leveraging drone technology to assist in maritime surveillance efforts.
Minister Radegonde commended NAVEUR–NAVAF for its leadership in promoting maritime security in the region and for its continued support in building the capacity of the Seychelles Defence Forces through joint exercises. Notably, he highlighted the successful 2025 edition of Cutlass Express, which was conducted earlier this year under the leadership of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Minister Radegonde also expressed his appreciation for the United States’ participation in this year’s National Day Parade, underlining the strength of the bilateral relationship.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.
The Head of the European Union Delegation for the Seychelles, H.E. Ambassador Oskar Benedikt paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Minister Sylvestre Radegonde, on Friday 27th June 2025, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy.
During their meeting, they discussed the cooperation between the European Union and Seychelles, particularly the status of the Port Victoria Rehabilitation and Extension Project and the implementation of the ‘European Solidarity Action Plan with Seychelles’, a Technical Cooperation Facility between the EU and Seychelles signed in 2024. They also touched on the progress of the ongoing negotiation to deepen and broaden the interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Eastern and Southern Africa configuration (the latter comprises of Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Zimbabwe).
They further discussed the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes and the efforts being done by the Government to ensure that Seychelles be removed from the list. The upcoming presidential and legislative elections was also discussed by Minister Radegonde and Ambassador Benedikt.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.
As the Foreign Ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a draft peace agreement in Washington this Friday, tensions and violence continue to grip eastern DRC.
Since January, the region has seen a new escalation of violence as the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group launched an offensive in North and South Kivu provinces.
While tensions persist in the DRC, both frontlines and negotiation positions are shifting, paving the way for peace, the Security Council heard this Friday.
The path to lasting peace in the DRC requires “collective action,” said Bintou Keita, Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO.
“Priority must be given to dialogue over division, and national cohesion must be actively preserved,” she said.
Yet, while diplomatic efforts focus on ways to address the current crisis, the situation in other regions within MONUSCO’s area of operations also demands urgent attention.
Humanitarian situation
With seven million people currently displaced across the country, 27.8 million people facing food insecurity and almost 1.4 million children in acute malnutrition, the humanitarian situation is dire.
The security crisis in the east of the country has worsened the humanitarian situation, yet due to funding cuts, MONUSCO does not have sufficient means to respond to it accordingly.
The suspension of funding from MONUSCO’s main donor, which covered 70 per cent of the humanitarian response in 2024, is “forcing humanitarian actors to focus solely on life-saving emergencies,” said Ms. Keita.
“We are at the end of July, and the humanitarian response plan is only 11 per cent funded,” she added.
Insecurity, sexual violence and abductions
Violence in the east of the country continues to disproportionately affect women, boys, and girls, notably as rape and other forms of sexual violence are still being systematically used as weapons of war.
Men and boys accused of links with opposing forces are at risk of abduction, while women and girls who have survived sexual violence face severely limited access to healthcare, as healthcare facilities are often targeted by attacks.
In 2025, over 290 schools were destroyed, with ongoing cycles of violence keeping 1.3 million children out of the education system in Ituri, in the east of the country.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will undertake a visit to Ghana from July 02-03, 2025. This will be Prime Minister’s first ever bilateral visit to Ghana. This Prime Ministerial visit from India to Ghana is taking place after three decades. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold talks with the President of Ghana to review the strong bilateral partnership and discuss further avenues to enhance it through economic, energy, and defence collaboration, and development cooperation partnership. This visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] and the African Union.
In the second leg of his visit, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, H.E. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister will pay an Official Visit to Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) from July 03 – 04, 2025. This will be his first visit to the country as Prime Minister and the first bilateral visit at the Prime Ministerial level to T&T since 1999. During the visit, Prime Minister will hold talks with the President of Trinidad & Tobago, H.E. Christine Carla Kangaloo, and Prime Minister H.E. Kamla Persad-Bissessar and discuss further strengthening of the India-Trinidad & Tobago relationship. Prime Minister is also expected to address a Joint Session of the Parliament of T&T. The visit of Prime Minister to T&T will impart fresh impetus to the deep-rooted and historical ties between the two countries.
In the third leg of his visit, at the invitation of the President of Republic of Argentina, H.E. Mr. Javier Milei, Prime Minister will travel to Argentina on an Official Visit from July 04-05, 2025. Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President Milei to review ongoing cooperation and discuss ways to further enhance India-Argentina partnership in key areas including defence, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, trade and investment, and people-to-people ties. The bilateral visit of Prime Minister will further deepen the multifaceted Strategic Partnership between India and Argentina.
In the fourth leg of his visit, at the invitation of President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Prime Minister will travel to Brazil from July 5-8, 2025 to attend the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 followed by a State Visit. This will be Prime Minister’s fourth visit to Brazil. The 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro. During the Summit, Prime Minister will exchange views on key global issues including reform of global governance, peace and security, strengthening multilateralism, responsible use of artificial intelligence, climate action, global health, economic and financial matters. Prime Minister is also likely to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit. For the State Visit to Brazil, Prime Minister will travel to Brasilia where he will hold bilateral discussions with President Lula on the broadening of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries in areas of mutual interest, including trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health and people to people linkages.
In the final leg of his visit, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Prime Minister will embark on a State Visit to Namibia on July 09, 2025. This will be the first visit of Prime Minister to Namibia, and the third ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Namibia. During his visit, Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with President Nandi-Ndaitwah. Prime Minister will also pay homage to the Founding Father and first President of Namibia, Late Dr. Sam Nujoma. He is also expected to deliver an address at the Parliament of Namibia. The visit of Prime Minister is a reiteration of India’s multi-faceted and deep-rooted historical ties with Namibia.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India.
H.M. Letsie III, King of the Kingdom of Lesotho and H.M. Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso will pay a visit to Japan from June 29 to July 4.
During their stay in Japan, Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress will participate the National Day Event of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, as official guest of the Government of Japan.
The visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress is expected to further develop the bilateral relations between Japan and Lesotho.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg is taking part in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on 10–14 March. This year also marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the main focus of the this year’s session will be to review and evaluate its implementation.
Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life Paulina Brandberg is taking part in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) on 10–14 March. This year also marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the main focus of the this year’s session will be to review and evaluate its implementation.
The Swedish Government has adopted a national strategy to strengthen Jewish life and combat antisemitism. This strategy will provide a structure for national efforts in the period 2025–2034. The objective is to lay the foundations for more targeted and coordinated efforts and create better conditions for Jewish life in Sweden.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Centenary Celebrations of Acharya Shri Vidyanand Ji Maharaj at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, emphasizing the significance of the occasion in India’s spiritual tradition. The event, organized by the Government of India in collaboration with Bhagwan Mahaveer Ahimsa Bharti Trust, marks the formal commencement of a year-long tribute to honor the revered Jain spiritual leader and social reformer on his 100th birth anniversary.
In his address, PM Modi described the centenary as a momentous occasion, reflecting the immortal inspiration of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Muniraj. He noted that June 28 holds special significance, recalling that on this day in 1987, Acharya was conferred the title of ‘Acharya,’ marking the beginning of a sacred journey that connected Jain traditions with thought, discipline, and compassion. To commemorate the occasion, special coins and postage stamps were released. The Prime Minister also congratulated Acharya Shri Pragya Sagar Ji, under whose guidance millions follow the path laid by Acharya Vidyanand Ji, and humbly accepted the title of ‘Dharm Chakravarti’ conferred upon him, dedicating it to Mother India.
Reflecting on Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s life, born on April 22, 1925, in Karnataka, PM Modi highlighted his profound contributions as a scholar, author of over 150 texts, and a visionary who connected millions with cultural and spiritual values. The Prime Minister described him as a unique blend of knowledge and bliss, whose simple yet profound teachings inspired generations. Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s expertise spanned languages like Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit, and his contributions to literature, classical music, and national service were exemplary. A freedom fighter and Digambar Muni, he embodied detachment while serving as a reservoir of knowledge and spiritual inspiration.
PM Modi emphasized that India, as the world’s most ancient living civilization, owes its endurance to the timeless wisdom of sages and Acharyas like Vidyanand Ji. He praised the Acharya’s efforts in social and cultural reconstruction through initiatives like the Prakrit Bhavan and research institutions, which preserved Jain history and promoted inclusivity through seminal works like Jain Darshan and Anekantvad. His commitment to temple restoration, education for the underprivileged, and social welfare reflected a synthesis of self-realization and public good.
The Prime Minister underscored India’s ethos of selfless service, rooted in Jain philosophy and exemplified by Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s life. He cited government initiatives like PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat, and free food grain distribution as reflections of this ethos, aimed at uplifting the marginalized. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to inclusive progress, inspired by Acharya’s ideals, with the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas.
Highlighting the relevance of Jainism’s timeless principles, such as the five Mahavratas and Triratnas, PM Modi noted Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s efforts to make these teachings accessible through the Vachanamrit movement and devotional music. He also celebrated the government’s recent recognition of Prakrit as a classical language in October 2024 and the ongoing digitization of ancient manuscripts, including Jain scriptures. These efforts align with the broader mission to preserve India’s cultural heritage while promoting development, as seen in the 2024 celebrations of Bhagwan Mahavir’s 2,550th Nirvana Mahotsav.
PM Modi recalled the nine resolutions shared during Navkar Mantra Diwas, urging citizens to conserve water, plant trees, maintain cleanliness, promote local products, explore India, adopt natural farming, embrace healthy lifestyles, engage in yoga and sports, and support the underprivileged. He expressed confidence that these resolutions, inspired by Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s teachings, would strengthen India’s journey toward a developed nation during the Amrit Kaal.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekawat and revered saints were among the dignitaries present. The year-long centenary celebrations will feature cultural, literary, educational, and spiritual initiatives to spread Acharya Vidyanand Ji’s message of compassion, knowledge, and service.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
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We welcome the signing of the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda.
This important achievement for Africa and international security has been made possible thanks to the decisive role of the United States and personally President Donald Trump, as well as a number of countries and international organizations.
In particular, we commend the constructive efforts of the Presidents of Angola and Kenya, the African Union, the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community, and the United Nations.
The State of Qatar has made a significant contribution to advancing the peace settlement, especially by ensuring complementarity and coherence among various mediation initiatives.
Ukraine highly values the effective mediation by the United States. We congratulate U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and American diplomacy on this achievement. The active involvement of the American side in the negotiation process played a decisive role in reaching and signing the peace agreement.
We hope for the responsible efforts of both parties in implementing the peace agreement and in ensuring lasting peace and security in the Great Lakes region. This will create favourable conditions for strengthening the economic potential and social stability of the states in the region, improving their investment attractiveness, and deepening economic ties with other countries.
Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to comprehensively intensify mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the region, including a readiness to contribute meaningfully to achieving their socio-economic development goals.
We are confident that the United States can play a similarly decisive role in achieving a just peace and ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This peace agreement demonstrates that it is possible to stop the killing and restore peace even under challenging circumstances, when the international community acts resolutely and the parties participate in the peace process in good faith.
We emphasize that the foundation of the peaceful settlement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda is based on the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including the mutual obligation of states to respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within internationally recognized borders, to refrain from the threat or use of force, to avoid interference in internal affairs, and to facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.
It is precisely these universally recognized principles of international law that underpin Ukraine’s proposals for ending the war in Europe and restoring a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace for Ukraine.
– on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Opening press encounter for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development with the UN Secretary-General and Prime Minister of Spain.
The President of the Government of Spain and the United Nations Secretary-General will hold a press conference on the opening day of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where world leaders, international financial institutions, civil society and private sector representatives are convening from 30 June to 3 July to commit to a renewed global framework to mobilize finance at scale and reform the rules of the system to put people’s needs at the center.
Speakers:
– Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain
– António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUIYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has once again hit Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to once again issue the highest-level emergency response, which took effect at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to hydrological forecasts, the water level in the Dulyu River will reach a maximum of 253.5 meters at around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flood flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.
The local flood and drought control headquarters has decided to raise the flood emergency response level from level two to level one, the highest in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.
Local authorities are organizing the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer places.
Rongjiang County has been suffering from severe flooding due to incessant rainfall since June 24. As of Thursday afternoon, six people had died in the flooding. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
GUIYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — Severe flooding has once again hit Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, prompting local authorities to once again issue the highest-level emergency response, which took effect at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to hydrological forecasts, the water level in the Dulyu River will reach a maximum of 253.5 meters at around 17:00 on Saturday. This level, which corresponds to a peak flood flow of 8,360 cubic meters per second, exceeds the guaranteed water level of 251.5 meters.
The local flood and drought control headquarters has decided to raise the flood emergency response level from level two to level one, the highest in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.
Local authorities are organizing the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to safer places.
Rongjiang County has been suffering from severe flooding due to incessant rainfall since June 24. As of Thursday afternoon, six people had died in the flooding. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
UNITED NATIONS, June 28 (Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the signing of a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.
“This agreement is an important step towards de-escalation, peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region,” A. Guterres said in a statement.
“I urge the parties to fully implement the commitments they made under the peace agreement and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2773, including the cessation of hostilities and all other agreed measures,” said A. Guterres.
He added that the UN remains fully committed to supporting the implementation of the agreement in close coordination with the African Union, as well as regional and international partners.
A peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda was signed in Washington on Friday with the mediation of the United States. –0–
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950
Document
Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950
Students with significant achievements in the field of shipbuilding will be able to receive scholarships named after the outstanding Russian scientist, academician-shipbuilder A.N.Krylov. The decree on the establishment of such scholarships was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Starting from September 1, 2025, 10 full-time students (cadets) will receive a monthly stipend. The amount of the payment will be 15 thousand rubles for each scholarship recipient. The stipend will be assigned for 12 months.
Scholarships will be awarded annually based on the results of a competitive selection by a commission to be created by the Ministry of Education and Science. Students in higher education programs will be able to apply for them. Candidates will be nominated by the academic councils of universities.
Applicants for scholarships must study in the group of specialties and areas of training “Engineering and technology of shipbuilding and water transport”, have “excellent” and “good” grades based on the results of the midterm assessment, and also have results in research or scientific and practical activities in the field of shipbuilding.
Alexey Nikolaevich Krylov (1863–1945) was an outstanding Russian and Soviet mathematician, mechanic and shipbuilding engineer, and an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was the founder of the Russian school of shipbuilding.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The facades of the buildings of the academic buildings of the world-class campus of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) in Yekaterinburg are being completed, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.
“Today is Youth Day. We sincerely value our future specialists. Their ideas, energy and desire for knowledge are the foundation of Russia’s progress. It is important for us that students feel comfortable studying, developing and realizing their talents. Thus, on the instructions of the President, modern university campuses with advanced infrastructure are being created. They will become centers for study, science, creativity and student initiatives. There, students gain knowledge, engage in scientific activities, and participate in cultural events. By 2030, 25 such campuses should be put into operation in our country. Currently, the Single Customer in Construction PPC alone is implementing four projects – in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Orel and Kaliningrad. Thus, in the Sverdlovsk Region, at the Ural Federal University, the installation of facades is being completed in three educational buildings,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The total area of the three buildings – the specialized educational and scientific center for senior schoolchildren (SUNC UrFU), the Institute of Radio Electronics and Information Technology (IRIT-RTF UrFU) and the Institute of Economics and Management (InEU UrFU) – is 100 thousand square meters. The construction of the buildings is planned to be completed by the end of 2025.
Each of them will be equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, co-working spaces and canteens. More than 8 thousand students will be able to study in comfortable conditions on the territory of the new campus.
“Ediny Zakazator” is building the second stage of the campus implementation. Interior finishing works and installation of engineering systems are currently underway in three buildings. The installation of elevators and lifts has also already been completed. The builders are carrying out a large volume of work according to the established schedule. Currently, the project is 70 percent complete,” noted Karen Oganesyan, General Director of PPK “Ediny Zakazator”.
Modern infrastructure for young people plays a key role in attracting talented students from different regions. This creates conditions for the exchange of experience and ideas, which in turn contributes to the development of new technologies.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Orders of June 27, 2025 No. 1693-r and No. 1696-r
Documents
Order of June 27, 2025 No. 1696-r
Order of June 27, 2025 No. 1693-r
More than 5.6 billion rubles will be allocated to ensure the balanced budgets of the Kemerovo Region, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The orders to this effect were signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Of the total amount, about 3 billion rubles are intended as subsidies for Crimea and Sevastopol. The funds will be used to continue implementing the activities of the state program “Socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol”. Thanks to this program, hundreds of important facilities have already been built, including utility networks, roads and railways, including the Tavrida highway and the bridge across the Kerch Strait. The Simferopol airport was also renovated, new kindergartens, schools, modern health complexes were opened, hospitals and clinics were built so that residents could undergo qualified examination and treatment. This year, funding for activities under the state program has already exceeded 112 billion rubles.
About 2.7 billion rubles will be allocated from the Government’s reserve fund for additional financial support for the Kemerovo Region. This will help solve socially significant problems for residents of Kuzbass, including ensuring the costs of paying wages to public sector employees.
The issues were discussed atGovernment meeting on June 26“We will continue to do everything necessary to create conditions for improving the quality of life of citizens throughout Russia,” Mikhail Mishustin emphasized.
The President noted that all subjects of Russia have good potential for growth, it is important to help them to reveal, fill this potential and use it, to organize work in promising areas, the head of the Cabinet recalled.
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.
Audience with members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, 28.06.2025
This morning, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, on the occasion of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
The following is the address delivered by the Holy Father to those present at the meeting:
Address of the Holy Father
Your Eminences,Dear Brothers in Christ,
I am especially happy to welcome, for the first time after my election as Bishop of Rome and successor of the Apostle Peter, this Delegation representing the sister Church of Constantinople as we celebrate the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of the Church of Rome. This traditional exchange of Delegations between the two Churches on the occasion of the respective feasts of their Patron Saints is a sign of the profound communion already existing between us, and a reflection of the fraternal bond that united the Apostles Peter and Andrew.
After centuries of disagreements and misunderstanding, the resumption of genuine dialogue between the sister Churches of Rome and Constantinople was made possible through courageous and farsighted steps taken by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras. Their venerable successors to the Sees of Rome and Constantinople have pursued with conviction the same path of reconciliation, thus further strengthening our close relations. Here I would like to mention the witness of sincere closeness to the Catholic Church given by the Ecumenical Patriarch, His All Holiness Bartholomew, by his personal participation in the funeral of the late Pope Francis, and again at the Mass inaugurating my Pontificate.
As I think back with gratitude on the progress made thus far, I assure you of my desire to persevere in the effort to restore full visible communion between our Churches. The attainment of this goal can only come about, with God’s help, through a continued commitment to respectful listening and fraternal dialogue. For this reason, I am open to any suggestions that you may offer in this regard, always in consultation with my brother Bishops of the Catholic Church who, each in his own way, share with me the responsibility for the complete and visible unity of the Church (cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 23).
Your Eminences, dear brothers in Christ, I thank you most heartily for your presence in Rome on this solemn occasion. I ask you kindly to convey my cordial greetings to Patriarch Bartholomew and the members of the Holy Synod, together with my gratitude for sending a Delegation again this year. May Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Andrew and the Holy Mother of God, who live eternally in the perfect communion of the saints, accompany and sustain us in our efforts in the service of the Gospel. Thank you!
The leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have signed a deal that may bring the autonomous region’s quest for independence closer.
Called “Melanesian Agreement”, the deal was developed earlier this month in 10 days of discussion at the New Zealand army base at Burnham, near Christchurch.
Both governments have agreed that the national Parliament in PNG has a key role in the decision over the push for independence.
They recognise that the Bougainville desire for independence is legitimate, as expressed in a 2019 independence referendum result, and that this is a unique situation in PNG.
That is the agreement’s attempt to overcome pressure from other parts of PNG that are also talking about autonomy.
The parties say they are committed to maintaining a close, peaceful and enduring relationship between PNG and Bougainville.
Both sides said that to bring referendum results to the national Parliament both governments would develop a sessional order, which was a the temporary adjustment of Parliament’s rules.
Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee They said that a Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Bougainville, which would provide information to MPs and the general public about the Bougainville conflict and resolution, is a vital body.
The parties said they would explore the joint creation of a Melanesian framework with agreed timelines, for a pathway forwards, that may form part of the Joint Consultations Report presented to the 11th National Parliament.
Once the Bipartisan Committee completes its work, the results of the referendum and the Joint Consultation Report would be taken to the Parliament.
The parties said they would accept the decision of the national Parliament, in the first instance, regarding the referendum results, and then commit to further consultations if needed, and this would be in an agreed timeline.
In the meantime, institutional strengthening and institutional building within Bougainville would continue.
To ensure progress is made and political commitment is sustained, the monitoring of this Melanesian Agreement could include an international component, a Parliamentary component, and the Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee, all with UN support.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
The leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have signed a deal that may bring the autonomous region’s quest for independence closer.
Called “Melanesian Agreement”, the deal was developed earlier this month in 10 days of discussion at the New Zealand army base at Burnham, near Christchurch.
Both governments have agreed that the national Parliament in PNG has a key role in the decision over the push for independence.
They recognise that the Bougainville desire for independence is legitimate, as expressed in a 2019 independence referendum result, and that this is a unique situation in PNG.
That is the agreement’s attempt to overcome pressure from other parts of PNG that are also talking about autonomy.
The parties say they are committed to maintaining a close, peaceful and enduring relationship between PNG and Bougainville.
Both sides said that to bring referendum results to the national Parliament both governments would develop a sessional order, which was a the temporary adjustment of Parliament’s rules.
Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee They said that a Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee on Bougainville, which would provide information to MPs and the general public about the Bougainville conflict and resolution, is a vital body.
The parties said they would explore the joint creation of a Melanesian framework with agreed timelines, for a pathway forwards, that may form part of the Joint Consultations Report presented to the 11th National Parliament.
Once the Bipartisan Committee completes its work, the results of the referendum and the Joint Consultation Report would be taken to the Parliament.
The parties said they would accept the decision of the national Parliament, in the first instance, regarding the referendum results, and then commit to further consultations if needed, and this would be in an agreed timeline.
In the meantime, institutional strengthening and institutional building within Bougainville would continue.
To ensure progress is made and political commitment is sustained, the monitoring of this Melanesian Agreement could include an international component, a Parliamentary component, and the Bipartisan Parliamentary Committee, all with UN support.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today released the Senate’s full legislative text of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
“If you like higher taxes, open borders, a weak military and unchecked government spending, this bill is your nightmare.
“I am proud to present to the public the Big Beautiful Bill. By making the Trump tax cuts permanent, working families will avoid a four trillion-dollar tax increase. Our bill provides full funding to secure the border in perpetuity and injects a much-needed $150 billion into our military to keep our nation safe. In addition, the bill raises the debt ceiling so that we do not default and crash the economy.
“Equally important, our bill reforms Medicaid – which has grown by nearly 50 percent in five years. It eliminates waste, fraud and abuse – and requires able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work. This bill is the largest reduction in government spending in recent memory, and is a down payment on fiscal reform.
“The Big Beautiful Bill contains all of President Trump’s domestic economic priorities. By passing this bill now, we will make our nation more prosperous and secure.”
View the full text HERE.
View the one-pager HERE.
For more information on the:
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Armed Services Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Finance Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Title, click HERE for Homeland Security and HERE for Governmental Affairs.
Senate Judiciary Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
​A 74-year-old male person in custody, who had been found unconscious in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre, died in a public hospital today (June 28).
The person in custody suffered from diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He required continuous medical care and follow-up at the institution hospital and a public hospital. At 7.22am today, the person in custody was found unconscious in a hospital ward by a correctional officer. The officer immediately called for reinforcement to provide first-aid treatment to him, and an ambulance was called at once to send him to a public hospital for further treatment. He remained unconscious after being sent to the public hospital. His condition deteriorated and he was certified dead at 9.38am today.
The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner’s Court.
The person in custody was convicted for the offence of arson and detained under a hospital order for psychiatric treatment in June 2025.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, called on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development yesterday (June 27) on the last day of her visit to Beijing.
Ms Ho first called on Deputy Director of the HKMAO of the State Council Mr Nong Rong, and reported on the work of the Housing Bureau (HB). These include intensified efforts to combat tenancy abuse to ensure the prudent use of public housing resources. Around 8 700 public rental housing units have been recovered so far. On Light Public Housing (LPH), the progress of constructing about 30 000 units in 2027 is good. The intake of the first LPH project with about 2 100 units at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long, has been 100 per cent completed smoothly, while the project at Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok, with about 2 300 units, will commence intake in phases by the end of this month. The remaining projects are also pressing ahead at full speed. The HB will introduce the Basic Housing Units Bill into the Legislative Council for the first and second readings in July, and strive to complete the legislative work within this year, so as to ensure full implementation of the regulatory work for eradicating substandard subdivided units in Hong Kong and provide a reasonable and safe living environment for the grassroots, the earlier the better. The HB will continue to refine housing policies with sustained efforts, break through constraints to improve people’s livelihood, and enhance their well-being.
She then called on the Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr Ni Hong, introduced the work of the HB, and shared the adoption of advanced construction technologies from the Mainland in Hong Kong and the outcomes. She mentioned that the HB will organise a series of activities and visits this year, including an international symposium to be held in Hong Kong in November, to showcase to the world the latest developments of construction technologies in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The HB will fully capitalise on Hong Kong’s unique advantages of connecting with both the Mainland and the rest of the world and play the role of a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”. She expressed hope that friends from around the world could attend the symposium to be hosted by Hong Kong at the end of this year.
Concluding the visit, Ms Ho said, “The visit not only provided an opportunity to showcase the achievements of the collaborative development of Hong Kong and the Mainland construction industries to experts and scholars from different regions at the Asia-Pacific Network for Housing Research 2025 Conference; it also strengthened exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland on smart construction, smart property management, community building and housing policies. In addition, echoing the Housing•I&T initiative of the HB this year, this trip enabled us to gain a better understanding of the latest developments of advanced technologies on the Mainland. I encourage the industry to use public housing as a testing ground for trials of new technologies, and to research and develop innovative construction technologies and smart management technologies that are locally applicable and globally accepted, in order to provide a better living environment for our people.”
