LONDON, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Natural catastrophes continue to put a strain on global insurance markets, according to the latest Natural Catastrophe Review published today by Willis, a WTW business (NASDAQ: WTW).
Worldwide, insured losses from natural catastrophes now consistently exceed USD 100 billion per year. It’s been six years since the insurance industry last experienced a year with low losses from natural catastrophes. Events so far in 2025 indicate that losses exceeding USD 100 billion will very likely continue for at least another year.
The Willis Natural Catastrophe Review is a biannual publication that provides insights into recent natural catastrophes and shares expert views on the risks posed by major perils. It sets out the causes and effects of major catastrophes in 2025 to date and goes beyond the headlines to identify the underlying factors that made them possible. The Review also provides an expert outlook for the rest of the year and into 2026, exploring potential threats from hurricanes, drought, flood and other hazards.
Other key trends to note:
Exceptional natural catastrophes: So far, major events in 2025 include the Los Angeles wildfires (globally, the worst wildfire event ever with respect to insured losses), the worst wildfires in Japan and South Korea in at least a generation, the third-most active year on record for tornadoes in the United States, the first landfalling cyclone near Brisbane, Australia in 50 years, and the highest wind speed ever recorded over Ireland.
Natural catastrophes under climate change: The severity and scale of recent catastrophes underlines the need to confront a new era of climate extremes. Risk managers must reassess the risk, integrate climate forecasts into their plans, and ensure insurance and risk frameworks are optimized for today’s evolving threats. Data-driven strategies are needed to narrow protection gaps and to stay resilient in a rapidly changing world.
Leveraging scientific advances to mitigate future risks: The Review presents a forward view on natural catastrophe risk for the remainder of 2025 and early 2026. It also provides concrete advice on how to make the most of seasonal weather forecasts and identifies geographic regions that may be exposed to elevated catastrophe risk during the next three to six months.
Peter Carter, Head of Climate Practice, Willis, said: “2024 continued a 6-year streak of natural catastrophe losses in excess of USD 100 billion. The wildfires in Los Angeles early in 2025 will drive estimated losses of USD 40 billion alone so the streak looks set to continue. With global efforts likely failing to keep the temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, our focus must now turn to adapting and building resilience in the face of this new reality.”
Cameron Rye, Director, Natural Catastrophe Analytics, Willis said: “The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 resulted in insured losses more than USD $40 billion, equivalent to nearly one-third of global insured losses the previous year. The scale and timing of the event placed immediate pressure on insurers’ catastrophe loss budgets at the beginning of the year and prompted a renewed focus on how wildfire risk is modelled, particularly in high-exposure areas like the urban-wildland interface. With an above-average number of storms predicted for the North Atlantic hurricane season, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the costliest years on record for (re)insurers.”
The full Natural Catastrophe Review can be accessed here.
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Eviden to deploy a 5G Mobile Private Network at Port of Ploče
Ploče, Croatia – July 29, 2025 –Eviden, the Atos Group product brand leading in advanced computing, cybersecurity products, mission-critical systems and vision AI, today announces that it has been awarded a strategic contract to deploy a 5G Mobile Private Network featuring key components of its Lifelink solution at the Port of Ploče in Croatia. This initiative marks a major step in the port’s digital transformation journey through the ambitious Smart Port project, aimed at modernizing logistics, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing security using cutting-edge 5G technology.
The Port of Ploče serves as a critical logistics hub in Central and Southeastern Europe, and the deployment of a dedicated 5G network will enable seamless, real-time connectivity across port operations. The project is being delivered in collaboration with local partner Markoja.
“This implementation is a pivotal move toward smarter, safer and more connected port operations to support the Port of Ploče’s digital agenda”, said Sandi Marušić, Head of Eviden, Atos Group, in Croatia.
“We are proud to bring our industry-proven Lifelink solution designed to deliver secure, high-performance connectivity for mission-critical environments”, said Lionel Toullier, Global Head of Critical-Communication Solutions, Eviden, Atos Group.
“Through this agreement, we will significantly enhance and digitalize processes within the port area. This will ultimately enable better traffic management, increase efficiency in the transport of goods and passengers, improve safety in cargo transport and port operations, and reduce pollution,” said Tomislav Batur,Director of the Port of Ploče Authority.
The Lifelink 5G Mobile Private Network key components deployed by Eviden’s critical communications experts, support:
Real-time location system (RTLS): Enables accurate tracking of ships and vehicles, improves traffic, mooring and parking management within the port, and increases security by preventing unauthorized access.
Advanced cargo monitoring: Implementation of smart cameras and sensors for automated cargo identification and analytics, improving the safety and efficiency of terminal operations.
Incident prevention and management: Deployment of thermal cameras, fire sensors, and air and sea quality measurement sensors, along with a local weather station, to strengthen safety protocols and emergency response capabilities.
Drone surveillance: The 5G private network will also support real-time drone operations for cargo and infrastructure monitoring.
About Lifelink:
Eviden’s Lifelink solution is specifically designed for mission-critical environments. It offers:
Secure and resilient communication
Low-latency, high-throughput connectivity
Integration with IoT, AI, and edge computing
Custom engineering for complex operational landscapes
Proven success of its Lifelink solution in defense, energy and utilities now leads Eviden to expand into large-scale infrastructure projects in the transport and manufacturing sectors.
***
About Eviden
Eviden is the Atos Group brand for hardware and software products with c. € 1 billion in revenue, operating in 36 countries and comprising four business units: advanced computing, cybersecurity products, mission-critical systems and vision AI. As a next-generation technology leader, Eviden offers a unique combination of hardware and software technologies for businesses, public sector and defense organizations and research institutions, helping them to create value out of their data. Bringing together more than 4,500 world-class talents and holding more than 2,100 patents, Eviden provides a strong portfolio of innovative and eco-efficient solutions in AI, computing, security, data and applications.
About Atos Group
Atos Group is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 72,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion, operating in 68 countries under two brands — Atos for services and Eviden for products. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, Atos Group is committed to a secure and decarbonized future and provides tailored AI-powered, end-to-end solutions for all industries. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.
The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Director Shen Ao’s new film “Dead to Rights” tells the true story of brave civilians who risked their lives to safeguard crucial photographic evidence of Japan’s wartime atrocities during the Nanjing Massacre, defying systematic cover-up efforts and staged propaganda by Japanese forces.
A still from “Dead to Rights.” [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]
“On the battlefield where smoke rises from gunfire, we see weapons and bullets. But on the invisible front, another war rages over public opinion, propaganda and culture,” Shen said. “On this battlefield, each photo is like a bullet. Opposing forces clash, each advancing their own narratives, until the world finally sees the truth and distinguishes good from evil.”
Starring Liu Haoran, Wang Chuanjun, Gao Ye and Wang Xiao, the film is based on documented accounts of Japanese military atrocities during the Nanjing Massacre. The story follows civilians who take shelter in a photo studio and are forced to develop Japanese military film for survival. When they discover photographs from the massacre and the army moves to suppress the evidence, they must fight to survive while smuggling them out.
The narrative is based on the true story of 15-year-old Luo Jin, who in 1938 was forced to develop Japanese military photographs in Nanjing. After discovering images of atrocities, he secretly compiled a set of damning prints into an album and hid it in a temple. His friend Wu Xuan preserved the album, which served as evidence at the trial of war criminal Hisao Tani, one of the primary perpetrators of the Nanjing Massacre.
Shen Ao, director of “Dead to Rights,” at the film’s Beijing premiere, July 24, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]
The true story inspired the 1987 film “Massacre in Nanjing,” which later motivated director Shen to create a new cinematic interpretation of these historic atrocities.
Shen, a photography enthusiast who has collected vintage film cameras, learned traditional photo-developing skills in university — a foundation that informed his filmmaking. Intrigued by the photo studio’s role in documenting the war crimes, he and his crew spent three years conducting extensive research. They studied archival photos, documents and eyewitness records, including Japanese soldiers’ wartime images and American missionary John Gillespie Magee’s documentation.
“Photographs, by their very nature, are meant to preserve life’s beautiful moments,” the director said. “Yet after the Japanese army occupied Nanjing, these same images were weaponized — twisted into tools of propaganda and trophies of conquest.”
A poster for “Dead to Rights.” [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]
The film also depicts the Japanese military’s “goodwill photos,” staged images designed to present a sanitized version of the occupation. The occupiers’ grotesque merriment in these photographs stands in chilling contrast to the helplessness and despair of Nanjing’s civilians.
“These ‘goodwill photos’ represent a propaganda battle,” the director said. “While we have many films depicting combat, I can’t recall any that focus on this information warfare aspect. I want to present a fresh cinematic perspective. Beyond the military actions, the Japanese army also created carefully orchestrated public relations materials in Nanjing to mislead local civilians and international observers. What struck me most was how many of these photos featured children, vulnerable subjects who were easily exploited for such propaganda purposes.”
The film has earned an 8.5/10 rating on review site Douban, with audiences responding emotionally to its realistic portrayal of Nanjing’s wartime tragedy.
The release coincides with the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese people’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Shen said the film serves to promote “correct historical understanding, opposition to historical nihilism, and strict fidelity to factual records.”
The cast and crew of “Dead to Rights” pose for a photo at the film’s premiere, themed “every Chinese person will not forget,” in Beijing, July 24, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]
“I hope the characters in this film can represent Chinese people from all walks of life during this war,” he noted. “Countless ordinary individuals never had their names recorded in history textbooks. This film aims to honor them. This wasn’t merely a military victory but a triumph of the people. Only through the united will of hundreds of millions of Chinese could this victory be achieved.”
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert reveals that famine thresholds for food consumption have been breached across most of Gaza, with acute malnutrition llevels in Gaza City confirming aid agencies’ repeated warnings.
“Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths,” the IPC assessment maintained.
No food – for days
The context to the alert is stark: one in three people is now going without food for days at a time, the IPC said. Hospitals are also overwhelmed and have treated more than 20,000 children for acute malnutrition since April. At least 16 children under five have died from hunger-related causes since mid-July.
The alert follows a May 2025 IPC analysis that projected catastrophic levels of food insecurity for the entire population by September. According to the platform’s experts, at least half a million people are expected to be in IPC Phase 5 – catastrophe – which is marked by starvation, destitution, and death.
The crisis is driven by nearly two years of conflict sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel in October 2023 that left some 1,250 dead and around 450 people taken hostage Heavy fighting has killed more than 59,500 people according to the enclave’s health authorities and destroyed 70 per cent of Gaza’s infrastructure. Echoing aid agencies’ longstanding concerns for non-combatants, the IPC assessment confirmed that displacement is rampant, with safe areas reduced to less than 12 per cent of the entire territory.
Ceasefire now
Gaza has a population of some 2.1 million people and 90 per cent have been displaced, many of them multiple times over. More than 762,500 displacements have been recorded since the end of the ceasefire on 18 March.
Meanwhile, humanitarian access remains severely restricted, with aid convoys frequently obstructed or looted. On Sunday, Israel announced that it would begin daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza. More than 100 trucks of aid reportedly entered on Sunday, but the UN continues to uphold the need to flood Gaza with food, fuel and medicine.
In line with international calls for an end to the war, the IPC platform also calls for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access and the restoration of essential services. Widespread death is imminent without urgent intervention, the report warns.
The food security experts also appealed for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and critical infrastructure including health, water, sanitation, roads and telecommunications networks.
Key Points
Famine confirmed: IPC thresholds breached for food consumption and malnutrition.
Children at risk: More than 20,000 treated for acute malnutrition; 16 deaths reported.
Infrastructure collapse: 70 per cent of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed.
Displacement crisis: Safe zones now cover less than 12 per cent of the Strip.
For more details on the IPC and its work tracking hunger and famine conditions follow this link:
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, will officially launch the newly reconstituted Fire Brigade Board (FBB) on Friday, 1 August 2025.
The launch will take place in the City of uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal.
The FBB is a statutory body established under the Fire Brigade Services Act, 1987 (Act No. 99 of 1987).
Its role is to advise the Minister on matters related to fire brigade services in the Republic of South Africa.
“Following an extensive institutional and policy review process, led by the National Disaster Management Centre, the FBB has been reconstituted to reflect modern governance principles, inclusivity, and alignment with the Fire Services 2030 Roadmap and the national disaster risk reduction agenda,” the advisory read.
The primary objective of the launch is to officially introduce the newly reconstituted FBB to the public and key stakeholders, affirming the board’s role as a national coordinating and advisory structure for fire services.
The event will also highlight government’s vision for a responsive, integrated and capable fire services sector that aligns with the Fire Services 2030 Roadmap. In addition, it aims to foster intergovernmental collaboration and support for fire service transformation, while positioning the City of uMhlathuze as a centre of local excellence in fire service delivery. – SAnews.gov.za
NEW YORK/ROME – Gaza faces the grave risk of famine as food consumption and nutrition indicators have reached their worst levels since the conflict began, according to data shared in the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Alert.
The IPC Alert highlights that two out of the three famine thresholds have now been breached in parts of the territory, with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF warning that time is running out to mount a full-scale humanitarian response.
Relentless conflict, the collapse of essential services, and severe limitations on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance imposed on the UN have led to catastrophic food security conditions for hundreds of thousands of people across the Gaza Strip.
Food consumption – the first core famine indicator – has plummeted in Gaza since the last IPC Update in May 2025. Data shows that more than one in three people (39 per cent) are now going days at a time without eating. More than 500,000 people – nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population – are enduring famine-like conditions, while the remaining population is facing emergency levels of hunger.
Acute malnutrition – the second core famine indicator – inside Gaza has risen at an unprecedented rate. In Gaza City, malnutrition levels among children under five have quadrupled in two months, reaching 16.5 per cent. This signals a critical deterioration in nutritional status and a sharp rise in the risk of death from hunger and malnutrition.
Acute malnutrition and reports of starvation-related deaths – the third core famine indicator – are increasingly common but collecting robust data under current circumstances in Gaza remains very difficult as health systems, already decimated by nearly three years of conflict, are collapsing.
“The unbearable suffering of the people of Gaza is already clear for the world to see. Waiting for official confirmation of famine to provide life-saving food aid they desperately need is unconscionable,” said Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director. “We need to flood Gaza with large-scale food aid, immediately and without obstruction, and keep it flowing each and every day to prevent mass starvation. People are already dying of malnutrition and the longer we wait to act, the higher the death toll will rise.”
As of July 2025, over 320,000 children, the entire population under five in the Gaza Strip, are at risk of acute malnutrition, with thousands suffering from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of undernutrition. Essential nutrition services have collapsed with infants lacking access to safe water, breastmilk substitutes, and therapeutic feeding.
In June, 6,500 children were admitted for treatment for malnutrition, the highest number since the conflict began. July is tracking even higher, with 5,000 children admitted in just the first two weeks. With fewer than 15 percent of essential nutrition treatment services currently functional, the risk of malnutrition-related deaths among infants and young children is higher than ever before.
“Emaciated children and babies are dying from malnutrition in Gaza,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “We need immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Gaza to scale up the delivery of life-saving food, nutrition, water and medicine. Without that, mothers and fathers will continue to face a parent’s worst nightmare, powerless to save a starving child from a condition we are able to prevent.”
Despite a partial reopening of crossings, humanitarian aid entering Gaza is barely a trickle of what a population of over two million people needs every month. Just to cover basic humanitarian food and nutrition assistance needs in Gaza, more than 62,000 tons of life-saving aid is required every month. Restarting commercial food imports are also critical to provide dietary diversity with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and proteins such as meat and fish.
Additionally, the lack of fuel, water and other vital aid continues to undermine efforts to prevent famine and deaths among children.
The agencies welcome the recent new commitments to improve the operating conditions for humanitarian organizations, including the implementation of humanitarian pauses and hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food and nutrition assistance to reach hungry people without further delays.
The UN agencies also reiterate their urgent calls for:
• An immediate and sustained ceasefire, to stop the killing, allow for the safe release of hostages and further enable lifesaving humanitarian operations.
• Sustained safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, for the mass influx of assistance via all available crossings, and to deliver food, nutrition supplies, critical water, fuel, and medical assistance to families in need across Gaza.
• Urgent need to get commercial traffic flowing into Gaza by reviving commercial supply chains to restore local markets. The protection of civilians and aid workers, alongside the restoration of essential services, in particular health, water and sewage infrastructures.
• Investment in the recovery of local food systems, including the revitalization of bakeries, markets and rehabilitation of agriculture.
*The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative multi-partner initiative for improving food security and nutrition analysis and decision-making. By using the IPC classification and analytical approach, Governments, UN Agencies, NGOs, civil society and other relevant actors, work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally-recognised scientific standards. Find out more here
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.
Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media @unicefmedia
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Five forgotten city traditions are re-entering the life of the modern capital thanks to the festival “Moscow Estates” project “Summer in Moscow”This season, city residents and tourists are offered to attend performances at the open-air summer theatre, learn to play croquet, try writing with a goose quill, create a flower arrangement in the style of the 18th century and attend a costume ball.
Open-air performances
The everyday life of the nobility was strictly regulated by the rules of etiquette – the display of violent emotions was considered indecent. But on the stage – be it a home performance or a production in an estate theater – one could give free rein to feelings: play passion, despair and even cruelty. For high society, bored in their own estates, it was the theater that became a real outlet.
Preparations for such home productions took weeks: plays were selected, roles were assigned, rehearsals took place, sets were made, and costumes were sewn. Although many amateur noblemen had extraordinary talent, the professional stage remained closed to them, because acting was considered an unworthy occupation in high society. However, home performances among family, neighbors, and friends were the order of the day. In wealthy estates, serfs were often involved in productions: gifted peasants played on par with their masters, and sometimes surpassed them in skill.
The Moscow Estates Festival continues the tradition of summer theaters and estate performances, turning them into unique walks that take viewers back to the 19th century. On August 16, the Bauman Garden of the Basmanny estate cluster will host a summer theatrical performance, Walk with the Heroes of the Great Russian Writers’ Novels. Participants will meet actors dressed as Alexander Pushkin, the heroes of the novel Eugene Onegin, and the merchant Stakheev. The latter will tell about the history of the Basmanny District estates. One of the shows will take place at night. Accompanied by professional actors, guests will walk through Moscow at night, and the light of an old lantern will show the way, reminding us of past eras.
History buffs will also be interested in the performance “Cultural and Social Life of the Arbat in the 19th Century.” The show will take place on August 30 on Arbat. The artist in the image of the legendary hussar Denis Davydov will tell about the meaning of the street’s name and its life two centuries ago. This excursion will also take place at night.
A colorful folk game that will captivate even modern youth is burners. The rules are simple: an odd number of players (more than 11) gather on the lawn, choose a driver (who will “burn”), and pair up. The players join hands and line up in pairs behind the burner. The participants sing “Burn, burn brightly, so that it doesn’t go out,” and as soon as they finish singing, the last pair unclasps their hands and runs along the column. When they reach the driver, the pair shouts to him: “One, two, don’t be a crow, run like fire!” and runs on. The main thing is to dodge the burner, stand in front of him and join hands again. If the burner tags a player, he and he form a new pair and stand in front of the column, and the participant who is left alone becomes the driver.
Another popular summer pastime is cerso, or flying ring game. This entertainment was invented in the early 19th century in France, and it was also popular in Russia in the century before last. Two players must throw a light hoop to each other and catch it on wooden swords. It is hard to imagine summer leisure in any noble estate without this game.
At the festival “Moscow Estates” visitors are told about the rules of various ancient games and offered to master them. From August 2 to September 14, guests are offered to play trinkets, croquet, badminton, gorodki in the N.E. Bauman Garden and Lianozovsky Park. Masters will not only tell about these amusements, but also help to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of noble leisure.
Noblewomen were masters of embroidery and miniature painting, often learning these arts from the best masters of their time. Beadwork was especially popular, becoming a kind of encyclopedia of aristocratic life. Russian embroidery reached an incredible level and could become a worthy gift even for a monarch. From an early age, children were taught needlework: they were presented with special boxes with needles, threads and other tools. By the way, men did not disdain handicrafts either.
Everyone is invited to try making something with their own hands at the festival venues. For example, in Lianozovsky Park on August 9, 17, 30 and September 7 there will be a master class “Noble accessories. Fans”. There will also be a master class “Noble accessories. Brooches” on August 2, 10, 23, 31 and September 13.
“Let them talk, but what business is it of ours? Under the mask all ranks are equal…” – perhaps these lines from Lermontov’s famous “Masquerade” best reflect the essence of the costume balls that the Russian nobility loved so much. For the upper class, a masquerade was not just entertainment, but a special game where the impossible became possible. For example, a countess could become a peasant, and an important dignitary could temporarily turn into a jester. The tradition of such balls was established by Peter I, and under Catherine II, masquerades became an integral part of the festivities both in the capital and in family estates.
The main rule of the masquerade was simple: a costume and a mask gave a person the right to enter the world of reincarnation. By trying on a different image, a guest of the ball seemed to be freed from conventions: a young lady could allow herself daring jokes, and an official – confessions unthinkable in ordinary life. Women especially valued this freedom, for whom the masquerade became a space for risky adventures.
For those who can no longer attend the old ball today, there are opportunities to feel the spirit of a bygone era and become a participant in the game of transformations. For example, from August 2 to September 14, a retro studio is open in Lianozovsky Park and the N.E. Bauman Garden: here, anyone can put on a historical costume of a 19th-century nobleman and take a photo in this image as a keepsake.
In the 19th century, post stations were important points of estate life: mailmen stopped here to exchange letters, travelers changed horses, and most importantly, correspondence was sent and received from here. The nobility treated the epistolary genre with reverence: letters were written on special paper with a coat of arms, sealed with sealing wax, and often dried flowers were specially left between the pages, covered in impeccable handwriting. They waited for a reply with trepidation, and took care of each envelope.
The atmosphere of the old post office was recreated at the Moscow Estates festival. Guests can learn to write with a quill pen, master the art of wax seals and even send a postcard in a vintage style. Until September 14, the post office is open at the Vasilchikov Estate (Military Uniform Museum) and the Khrushchev-Seleznev Estate (A.S. Pushkin State Museum). On August 2 and 3, you can send a letter at the Valuevo and Sviblovo estates, and on August 9 and 10, the postman is waiting for everyone at the Lopukhins-Stanitskaya Estate.
The festival “Moscow Estates” corresponds to the initiative “Tourist attractiveness of the country” of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality” and helps residents and visitors to learn about the city’s cultural and historical heritage in a modern format.
Tourism Committee of Moscow forms a sustainable brand of the capital as one of the main tourist destinations in Russia. All year round, Mosturism creates events that unite residents and guests of the city, and replenishes the city’s program with new events. In winter and summer, Muscovites and tourists can immerse themselves in another era at the historical sites of the “Moscow Estates” festival, join the capital’s tea traditions at the “Moscow Tea Party,” or try the “Moscow Breakfast” dishes at one of the hundreds of restaurants participating in the project.
Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and the new season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The financing will back investments from il.lumina, Iberdrola’s project to reconstruct and modernise the power distribution grid affected by devastating floods in 2024.
The project includes the implementation of resilience and digitalisation measures benefiting over 650 000 clients and improving electricity supply security.
The EIB financing is sourced from its own resources and the Regional Resilience Fund put in place by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed two €25 million loans with Iberdrola to finance the reconstruction, redesign, climate change adaptation and digitalisation work that the electricity company is carrying out on the power distribution grid damaged by the devastating floods that hit Valencia in October 2024.
These investments are part of Iberdrola’s il.lumina project to build the power grid of the future. Measures will include rebuilding damaged infrastructure, expanding facility automation, installing smart transformers to improve supply quality, moving overhead power lines underground, and raising and downsizing transformer substations.
These operations are expected to benefit more than 650 000 clients, according to the electric company, improving electricity supply security against a backdrop of extreme weather events and increasing integration of renewable energy production.
The project will strengthen the EIB’s role as the climate bank, one of the eight strategic priorities set out in the EIB Group’s Strategic Roadmap for 2024-2027. The operation is also part of the EIB action plan to support REPowerEU, the programme to increase energy security and speed up the energy transition by reducing the European Union’s dependence on fossil fuel imports.
The financing includes €25 million from EIB own resources and a further €25 million from the Regional Resilience Fund created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans under Spain’s recovery, transformation and resilience plan. The Regional Resilience Fund aims to drive investment and develop projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and small and medium companies. The fund is led by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, with the EIB Group as a strategic management partner.
EIB support for power grids
EIB support for energy security and power grids is one of its main priorities to accelerate the green transition, contribute to EU energy autonomy and ensure access to a more secure and sustainable energy supply for all Europeans. In 2024, the EIB Group directed €8.5 billion to financing power grid and storage projects in all of its operational areas, double the 2023 figure. In Spain alone, €1.5 billion went to grid and storage projects in 2024, again doubling 2023 investment. This financing is helping to expand, modernise and digitalise power grids, making them more resilient and enabling greater and better integration of renewable energy.
More information on EIB support for the energy sector is available here.
EIB commitment to those impacted by the DANA
Following the DANA, the EIB moved quickly to make a €1.4 billion package available to the regions impacted (Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha) to help finance reconstruction work and support the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. The EIB Group has also made contributions to NGOs operating in the area, such as Save the Children, SOS Aldeas Infantiles and Casa Caridad.
il-lumina, Iberdrola’s commitment to Valencia
This financing is part of Iberdrola’s strategy to promote a more robust electricity grid that is better prepared for extreme weather events, while reinforcing its commitment to the energy transition and green financing. With il·lumina, Iberdrola is not only responding to the damage, but also anticipating the future, committing to a safer, more efficient electricity infrastructure that is aligned with European climate objectives.
The il·lumina project involves the renovation of substations, transformer stations and the medium and low voltage network, with the aim of redesigning the electricity network affected by the DANA. The company has created a team of 35 people who are working exclusively on developing the construction plan for the electricity network of the future, coordinating the work of approximately 1,000 operators, most of whom are locally based.
Background information
EIB
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.
In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the country’s green and digital transition, economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for residents.
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Regional Resilience Fund
The Regional Resilience Fund (RRF) was created to facilitate access to NextGenerationEU loans from the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan for the autonomous communities, with the aim of boosting investments and developing projects in eight priority areas: social and affordable housing; urban renewal; transport and sustainable tourism; the energy transition; water and waste management; the care economy; research, development and innovation; and the competitiveness of industry and SMEs.
The fund is led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, which takes input from the autonomous communities and cities for investment decision-making and looks to the EIB Group as a strategic management partner
The initial phase of the RRF includes the activation of up to €3.4 billion in financing via:
a direct financing mechanism, to co-finance EIB-supported operations in sectors like renewable energy, clean transport and sustainable infrastructure;
an intermediated mechanism managed by financial intermediaries selected by the EIB, to support projects in urban development and sustainable tourism;
two instruments intermediated by the European Investment Fund that will facilitate SME financing for innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.
Iberdrola
With more than 100,000 million euros in capitalisation, Iberdrola is the largest electricity company in Europe and one of the two largest in the world. The Group serves more than 100 million people worldwide and has a workforce of more than 44,000 employees and assets of more than 160,000 million euros. In 2024, Iberdrola recorded revenues of almost 50,000 million euros, a net profit of 5,600 million euros. The company contributes nearly 10,300 million euros in tax contributions in the countries in which it operates and supports more than 500,000 jobs in its suppliers thanks to purchases that exceeded 18,000 million euros in 2024.
Since 2001, Iberdrola has invested more than 175,000 million euros in renewable energies, electricity grids and energy storage to contribute to the creation of an energy model based on electrification. The company has more than 57,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity worldwide, of which more than 45,000 MW are renewable.
Several parts of India are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next few days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast continued intense precipitation over eastern Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh between July 29 and 31, with isolated locations in western MP likely to experience extremely heavy rain on Tuesday.
States in the northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya, are also expected to witness heavy rainfall over the next seven days, with activity likely to intensify from August 1 onwards. Meanwhile, rainfall is expected to reduce gradually over the southern peninsula over the next six to seven days, and over central India starting August 1.
In the past 24 hours, extremely heavy rainfall (exceeding 21 cm) was recorded in isolated areas of western Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Heavy to very heavy showers were also observed in parts of eastern Rajasthan, Punjab, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, and Mizoram. Isolated places in the ghat areas of central Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh also received heavy rain.
Weather forecast for Delhi-NCR
In Delhi-NCR, the weather is expected to remain generally cloudy from July 29 to August 1, with light to moderate rain and occasional thunderstorms and lightning.
On Tuesday, Delhi-NCR received heavy rain in the morning which led to improvement in the air quality index (AQI).
In its weather report for Delhi-NCR, IMD predicted at isolated places on Tuesday, with maximum temperatures expected to range between 29°C and 31°C. The following days will see similar weather, with maximum temperatures staying below normal by 2 to 5 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures hovering between 23°C and 26°C.
By August 1, the capital may experience only very light to light rainfall, with skies turning partly cloudy. Temperatures are projected to rise slightly, with maximums between 33°C and 35°C, though still remaining below the seasonal average. Winds will predominantly be from the southeast, shifting gradually to southwest and northwest directions through the day.
The United Arab Emirates and Jordan airdropped 25 tonnes of food and humanitarian supplies on Sunday. Israel has further announced daily pauses in its military strikes on Gaza and the opening of humanitarian corridors to facilitate UN aid deliveries.
The UN emergency relief chief, Tom Fletcher, has characterised the next few days as “make or break” for humanitarian agencies trying to reach more than two million Gazans facing “famine-like conditions”.
A third of Gazans have gone without food for several days and 90,000 women and children now require urgent care for acute malnutrition. Local health authorities have reported 147 deaths from starvation so far, 80% of whom are children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed – without any evidence – “there is no starvation in Gaza”. This claim has been rejected by world leaders, including Netanyahu ally US President Donald Trump.
Famine expert Alex de Waal has called the famine in Gaza without precedent:
[…] there’s no case of such minutely engineered, closely monitored, precisely designed mass starvation of a population as is happening in Gaza today.
While the UN has welcomed the partial lifting of the blockade, the current aid being allowed into Gaza will not be enough to avert a wider catastrophe, due to the severity and depth of hunger in Gaza and the health needs of the people.
According to the UN World Food Programme, which has enough food stockpiled to feed all of Gaza for three months, only one thing will work:
An agreed ceasefire is the only way to reach everyone.
Airdrops a ‘distraction and a smokescreen’
Air-dropping food supplies is considered a last resort due to the undignified and unsafe manner in which the aid is delivered.
The Global Protection Cluster, a network of non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, shared a story from a mother in Al Karama, east of Gaza City, whose home was hit by an airdropped pallet, causing the roof to collapse:
Immediately following the impact, a group of people armed with knives rushed towards the house, while the mother locked herself and her children in the remaining room to protect her family. They did not receive any assistance and are fearful for their safety.
Air-dropped pallets of food are also inefficient compared with what can be delivered by road.
One truck can carry up to 20 tonnes of supplies. Trucks can also reach Gaza quickly if they are allowed to cross at the scale required. Aid agencies have repeatedly said they have the necessary aid and personnel sitting just one hour away at the border.
Given how ineffective the air drops have been – and will continue to be – the head of the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine has called them a “distraction” and a “smokescreen”.
Malnourished women and children need specialised care
De Waal has also made clear how starvation differs from other war crimes – it takes weeks of denying aid for starvation to take hold.
For the 90,000 acutely malnourished women and children who require specialised and supplementary feeding, in addition to medical care, the type of food being air-dropped into Gaza will not help them. Malnourished children require nutritional screening and access to fortified pastes and baby food.
Gaza’s decimated health system is also not able to treat severely malnourished women and children, who are at risk of “refeeding syndrome” when they are provided with nutrients again. This can trigger a fatal metabolic response.
The UN has characterised the limited reopening of aid deliveries to Gaza as a potential “lifeline”, if it’s upheld and expanded.
According to Ciaran Donnelly from the International Rescue Committee, what’s needed is “tragically simple”: Israel must fully open the Gaza borders to allow aid and humanitarian personnel to flood in.
Israel must also guarantee safe conditions for the dignified distribution of aid that reaches everyone, including women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities. The level of hunger and insecurity mean these groups are at high risk of exclusion.
The people of Gaza have the world’s attention – for now. They have endured increasingly dehumanising conditions – including the risk of being shot trying to access aid – under the cover of war for more than 21 months.
Two leading Israeli human rights organisations have just publicly called Israel’s war on Gaza “a genocide”. This builds on mounting evidence compiled by the UN and other experts that supports the same conclusion, triggering the duty under international law for all states to act to prevent genocide.
These obligations require more than words – states must exercise their full diplomatic leverage to pressure Israel to let aid in at the scale required to avert famine. States must also pressure Israel to extend its military pauses into the only durable solution – a permanent ceasefire.
Amra Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand as a positive step toward ending ongoing hostilities and easing tensions, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the world body chief, said on Monday.
A. Guterres “urges both countries to fully comply with the agreement and create conditions conducive to resolving long-standing problems and achieving lasting peace,” the statement said.
“The Secretary-General expresses his appreciation to Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair, as well as the United States and China, for their tireless efforts to resolve the situation peacefully,” Haq said in a statement, adding that the UN stands ready to support efforts to strengthen peace and stability in the region.
The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire from midnight Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said after a meeting he hosted in the Malaysian city of Putrajaya. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) — Beijing authorities have launched a rescue operation as heavy rains have killed 30 people as of midnight Monday, damaged roads, disrupted power supplies and forced mass evacuations.
The fatalities were recorded in the northern mountainous areas of the Chinese capital, with 28 people killed in the Miyun district and two in the Yanqing district.
Chinese President Xi Jinping gave an important instruction on flood control and disaster relief on Monday, calling for all-out efforts to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property in the fight against rain-induced floods and geological disasters affecting some parts of China.
Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said all aspects of search and rescue and flood control work should be properly organized, urgent measures should be taken to combat natural disasters, all efforts should be made to search for missing people and rescue those trapped, and people in danger should be resolutely evacuated to minimize casualties.
The downpours forced more than 80,000 people to evacuate in Beijing alone, damaged 31 sections of roads and caused power outages in 136 villages.
“Several houses in our community were flooded as a result of heavy rain on Saturday night,” said Cui Di, deputy head of the Shicheng Township People’s Government, located in Beijing’s hardest-hit Miyun District. She worked tirelessly throughout the night to help residents move to safer areas.
“In such emergency situations, it is difficult for everyone. We are doing everything possible to make temporary places of stay a little more comfortable for people and thus alleviate their anxiety,” the official noted.
According to her, local authorities also prepared mattresses, blankets, bread, eggs and other necessary materials for the evacuees.
At the Miyun resettlement center, fourth-grader Zhao Zixuan sits on her bed reading a book. She was evacuated from the flooded village on a speedboat. “It’s very safe here, and I can read in peace,” she said.
In recent days, extreme and strong convective phenomena caused by warm and humid air from the edge of a subtropical anticyclone have been recorded in Miyun and other metropolitan areas.
At 8:00 p.m. Monday, the Beijing Municipal Flood Control Headquarters launched the highest-level emergency response mechanism for the floods.
Due to continued heavy rains, the Beijing branch of China Railways suspended some trains on the Beijing-Harbin High-Siberian Railway on Tuesday.
China’s Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management on Tuesday allocated 350 million yuan (about 48.94 million U.S. dollars) from the central budget to provide aid to nine provincial-level regions hit by floods, including Beijing.
These funds will be used primarily to carry out emergency rescue operations and provide assistance to residents of these regions affected by natural disasters.
Also on Tuesday, China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced it would allocate 200 million yuan to provide disaster relief assistance in Beijing. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The NGO Coalition on Human Rights in Fiji has sharply criticised the Fiji government’s stance over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, saying it “starkly contrasts” with the United Nations and international community’s condemnation as a violation of international law and an impediment to peace.
In a statement today, the NGO Coalition said that the way the government was responding to the genocide and war crimes in Gaza would set a precedent for how it would deal with crises and conflict in future.
It would be a marker for human rights responses both at home and the rest of the world.
“We are now seeing whether our country will be a force that works to uphold human rights and international law, or one that tramples on them whenever convenient,” the statement said.
“Fiji’s position on the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestinians starkly contrasts with the values of justice, freedom, and international law that the Fijian people hold dear.
“The genocide and colonial occupation have been widely recognised by the international community, including the United Nations, as a violation of international law and an impediment to peace and the self-determination of the Palestinian people.”
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognise the state of Palestine — the first of G7 countries to do so — at the UN general Assembly in September.
142 countries recognise Palestine At least 142 countries out of the 193 members of the UN currently recognise or plan to recognise a Palestinian state, including European Union members Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia.
However, several powerful Western countries have refused to do so, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.
At the UN this week, Saudi Arabia and France opened a three-day conference with the goal of recognising Palestinian statehood as part of a peaceful settlement to end the war in Gaza.
Last year, Fiji’s coalition government submitted a written statement in support of the Israeli genocidal occupation of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, noted the NGO coalition.
Last month, Fiji’s coalition government again voted against a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Also recently, the Fiji government approved the allocation of $1.12 million to establish an embassy “in the genocidal terror state of Israel as Fijians grapple with urgent issues, including poverty, violence against women and girls, deteriorating water and health infrastructure, drug use, high rates of HIV, poor educational outcomes, climate change, and unfair wages for workers”.
Met with ‘indifference’ The NGO coalition said that it had made repeated requests to the Fiji government to “do the bare minimum and enforce the basic tenets of international law on Israel”.
“We have been calling upon the Fiji government to uphold the principles of peace, justice, and human rights that our nation cherishes,” the statement said.
“We campaigned, we lobbied, we engaged, and we explained. We showed the evidence, pointed to the law, and asked our leaders to do the right thing.
“We’ve been met with nothing but indifference.”
Instead, said the NGO statement, Fiji leaders had met with Israeli government representatives and declared support for a country “committing the most heinous crimes” recognised in international law.
“Fijian leaders and the Fiji government should not be supporting Israel or setting up an embassy in Israel while Israel continues to bomb refugee tents, kill journalists and medics, and block the delivery of humanitarian aid to a population under relentless siege.
“No politician in Fiji can claim ignorance of what is happening.”
“Many more have been maimed, traumatised, and displaced. Starvation is being used by Israel as weapon to kill babies and children.
“Hospitals, churches, mosques,, refugee camps, schools, universities, residential neighbourhoods, water and food facilities have been destroyed.
“History will judge how we respond as Fijians to this moment.
“Our rich cultural heritage and shared values teach us the importance of always standing up for what is right, even when it is not popular or convenient.”
Members of the Fiji NGO Coalition on Human Rights are Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (chair), Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Citizens’ Constitutional Forum, femLINKpacific, Social Empowerment and Education Programme, and Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality Fiji.
Also, Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) is an observer.
The NGO coalition said it stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people out of a shared belief in humanity, justice, and the inalienable human rights of every individual.
“Silence is not an option,” it added.
Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network said it supported this NGO coalition statement.
Over 14 000 suspects have been arrested in police operations across the country.
In Operation Shanela activities, which ran from 21 – 27 July 2025, a total of 14 273 suspects were arrested, including 2 081 wanted suspects implicated in serious and violent crimes, such as business and house robberies, car hijackings, murder, rape and attempted murder.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), 172 suspects were arrested for murder, while 138 individuals were arrested for attempted murder, 170 for rape and 1 598 others for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).
A further 324 suspects were arrested for drug dealing, 1 376 were held for the possession of drugs. A total of 119 suspects were held for the illegal possession of firearms, with 45 from KwaZulu-Natal, while 672 were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Police also recovered and confiscated 140 firearms, 1 720 rounds of ammunition and 81 hijacked or stolen vehicles.
“The South African Police Service remains resolute in its nationwide operations to combat and prevent criminal activities, threatening public safety and sabotaging South Africa’s economic infrastructure,” SAPS said on Tuesday. –SAnews.gov.za
The South African Police Service (SAPS) anti-kidnapping task team believes it has broken the back of a syndicate involved in the trafficking of unlicensed firearms.
On Monday evening, an intelligence driven operation involving various units, including SAPS Crime Intelligence, the Gauteng Provincial Investigating Unit (PIU), JHB K9, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and private security, led to the arrest of two suspects in Meyersdal, Johannesburg.
“The arrest of the 34 and 45-year-old suspects follows several days of surveillance and information gathering across provinces, where suspects involved in the moving of unlicensed firearms were identified,” the police said in a statement on Monday.
As the suspects collected the firearms, the team moved in for a coordinated tactical takedown, where the suspects were found with 9mm unlicensed firearms.
Further investigation confirmed the 30 weapons were destined for the Western Cape and the suspects intended to transport the unlicensed firearms themselves.
Both suspects have been linked to various other cases in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
“The suspects are in custody and are facing multiple charges including illegal possession and trafficking of firearms. Investigations are ongoing to track down more members of this illegal firearm trafficking syndicate,” the police said. – SAnews.gov.za
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it had “taken note” of a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump that he was shortening his deadline for Moscow to sign up to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face sanctions.
Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with President Vladimir Putin over the 3-1/2-year-old conflict.
Asked about Trump’s statement on Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, the Kremlin kept its remarks short.
“We have taken note of President Trump’s statement yesterday. The special military operation continues,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, employing the term that Moscow uses for its war effort in Ukraine.
“We remain committed to a peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and to ensure our interests in the course of this settlement.”
Trump threatened on July 14 to impose new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports within 50 days, a deadline which would have expired in early September.
But on Monday, during a visit to Britain, he shortened that deadline and said:
“There’s no reason in waiting… We just don’t see any progress being made.”
Trump, who has held half a dozen calls with the Kremlin leader since returning to the White House in January, also said he was “not so interested in talking any more”.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Citing safety concerns amid heavy rainstorms, Beijing’s Palace Museum and the National Museum of China were closed to the public on Tuesday.
The decision comes as authorities in Beijing issued alerts for severe rain and potential flooding, with parts of the capital bracing for torrential downpours.
Both museums announced that all pre-booked tickets will be either refunded or rescheduled.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) said on Tuesday that it has dispatched a working group to Miyun District in Beijing to carry out disaster relief efforts.
Based on reports of heavy rain and flooding situation from its Beijing branch, the RCSC launched a special emergency response on Monday, dispatching 2,000 family relief packages to disaster-stricken areas to assist local Red Cross organizations in relocating and resettling affected residents, said the organization.
All-out disaster relief and rescue operations are underway in the Chinese capital as the latest round of intense rainstorms have left 30 people dead as of midnight Monday, damaging roads, disrupting power supply and prompting mass evacuation.
The deaths occurred in Beijing’s northern mountainous districts, with 28 in Miyun and two in Yanqing, according to local authorities.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the People’s Armed Police Force and local militias have deployed troops to join disaster relief efforts in China’s flood-stricken areas.
Recently, persistent heavy rainfall has battered eastern, northern and northeastern China, triggering floods and geological disasters that have resulted in significant casualties and property damage.
The Beijing Corps of the People’s Armed Police Force dispatched over 2,000 officers and soldiers to assist with disaster relief operations, evacuating more than 4,100 residents and delivering over 3,000 boxes of relief supplies by Tuesday noon.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Chinese schistosomiasis control project team and the 34th Chinese medical team in Zanzibar on Saturday launched a health education and free clinic campaign in Zanzibar.
The campaign was launched against the backdrop of an unusually long rainy season that triggered a spike in waterborne infections and trauma cases, said Dai Yang, leader of the schistosomiasis control project team.
He noted that heavy rains caused widespread flooding and road damage, creating optimal conditions for the mass reproduction of Biomphalaria snails, the primary carrier of schistosomiasis, as medical access was severely disrupted, leaving many residents untreated for fractures and infections.
Despite logistical hurdles, including a stranded clinic bus that required emergency vehicle transfers, the expert teams reached Wambaa safely and initiated public health outreach.
Recognizing the risk of children playing in stagnant water, the schistosomiasis control project team placed special emphasis on educating students. “Every seemingly calm puddle may harbor schistosomes, the invisible threat surging after rainfall,” warned Dai.
The Chinese medical team offered free consultations and treatment across internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics to hundreds of residents. Vital medications, including antibiotics, deworming treatments, and antivirals, were distributed at no cost.
This collaborative effort not only mitigated an emerging public health crisis but also deepened the ties between China and Tanzania, with the team’s compassion and resilience leaving a lasting impression on the community, said Dai.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) released the following statement on the ongoing situation in Gaza:
“The growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the famine unleashed upon children and families is horrific. People are being shot who are trying to get food. We need a full flow of aid and a ceasefire immediately. The war must end so we can save lives and return hostages home,” said Congressman Robert Garcia.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 27 — China’s Ministry of Water Resources on Sunday activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in Beijing.
Since Thursday, the Chaobai River has experienced heavy to torrential rainfall. The Miyun Reservoir, located in the northeast suburbs of Beijing, on Sunday recorded its largest inflow flood since the reservoir was built over six decades ago, according to the ministry.
Over the next three days, the Chaobai River will continue to experience moderate to heavy rain, and some small and medium-sized rivers within the affected zones may experience floods above the warning level, it said.
The ministry urged local authorities to strengthen the monitoring and forecasting of rainfall and water levels and to promptly issue early warning information.
Measures must be taken to ensure the safety of ongoing projects and reservoirs, enhance dike inspections and defenses, and ensure that risks are detected and mitigated early, it said.
The ministry also urged efforts to prevent floods in small and medium-sized rivers and to relocate individuals from dangerous areas in advance, to safeguard the lives and property of the people.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Sunday said China will maintain its fair and impartial position and continue close communication with Cambodia and Thailand, actively facilitate talks for peace and play a constructive role for a ceasefire.
According to media reports, following international efforts to facilitate talks, Cambodia and Thailand have expressed willingness to cease hostilities, though clashes are still continuing along the border between the two countries.
When asked for China’s stance on the situation, the spokesperson said Cambodia and Thailand are and will always be each other’s neighbors, and both countries are China’s friends and neighbors.
Maintaining good-neighborliness and mutual trust and properly managing differences serve the two countries’ fundamental and long-term interests, and the region’s peace and stability, said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson noted that China is deeply saddened by the casualties inflicted on both sides and expresses heartfelt sympathies.
China hopes both sides will bear in mind the interests of the two peoples, cherish peace and good-neighborliness, exercise calm and restraint, come to a ceasefire as soon as possible, and settle differences peacefully through dialogue and consultation to restore peace and stability along the border soon, said the spokesperson.
Noting that both Cambodia and Thailand are important members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the spokesperson said ASEAN has been working intensively for days to bring about a ceasefire between the two sides. China commends the effort and welcomes all efforts conducive to deescalation, the spokesperson added.
While cinema-goers have responded enthusiastically to many of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the history of the Fantastic Four on the silver screen is less heralded.
Yet in comics history, the Fantastic Four have been up to the challenge of driving a popular media enterprise forward — something that the film producers and Marvel fans alike are both now hoping for.
From their 1961 debut, Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm/the Invisible Girl, Johnny Storm/the Human Torch and Ben Grimm/the Thing were celebrities who rented office space in a Manhattan highrise and found themselves variously beloved and reviled by both the public and the government.
Cover of ‘The Fantastic Four’ No. 1, 1961. (Marvel)
The team also rejected secret identities. Until the third issue of their series, they even eschewed superhero costumes (in part because of a restriction imposed by the owner of Marvel’s then-distributor, DC Comics).
Pushed representational boundaries
The Fantastic Four comics of the 1960s also pushed boundaries in a number of significant ways. They featured the first pair of married superheroes (Reed and Sue wed in 1965) and the first superhero pregnancy (Sue gave birth to her son Franklin in 1968).
And though not canonical until 2002, it has been suggested by scholars that Ben Grimm was always envisioned as a Jewish superhero by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, offering another milestone in representation (at least for those readers attuned to the character’s Jewish coding).
These milestones emphasize a dedicated concern for the human aspects of superheroes.
A family with relatable issues
Set amid fittingly fantastic science-fiction landscapes inspired by Space Age optimism was a story about a family who “fought among themselves, sometimes over petty jealousies and insults,” in the words of Christopher Pizzino, an American scholar of contemporary literature, film and television.
This approach of building character dynamics out of internal conflict proved deeply influential.
In his bestselling book All the Marvels, comics critic and historian Douglas Wolk concurs that the “first hundred issues of Fantastic Four are Marvel’s Bible and manual,” establishing the style, theme, genre and approach of the company’s comics for decades to come.
Marvel’s universe continued to expand following the Fantastic Four debut. (Marvel)
Defining personal conflicts
In contrast to moral paragons such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (all published by rival DC Comics), each member of Marvel’s Fantastic Four had defining personal conflicts.
Reed Richards, the team’s patriarch, was a world-altering genius who often fell victim to his own hubristic ambition.
Storm, according to scholar Ramzi Fawaz, “made the concept of women’s social invisibility an object of visual critique by making invisible bodies and objects conspicuous on the comic book page.”
Her younger brother, Johnny Storm, a playboy and showboat, had a lot of growing up to do, a journey that was frustrated by his flashy powers.
Ben Grimm, Reed’s college roommate turned best friend turned rock monster, oscillated between childlike rage and world-weary depression, his rocky hide granting him super-strength and invulnerability while burdening him with social isolation.
While none of us are likely to acquire superpowers through exposure to cosmic rays like the Four, we’ve all dealt with anxiety and grief like these heroes.
Origin of the Marvel universe
The world of the Fantastic Four didn’t just feel unusually human. It also felt unusually lived in, partly because the Fantastic Four comics of the 1960s weren’t just the origin of the Marvel style of storytelling — they were also the origin of the Marvel universe.
Fantastic Four began and became the model for Marvel’s shared continuity universe, in which dozens of superheroes passed in and out of each other’s stories and occasionally intersected long enough for whole crossover story arcs and events. For a time, Marvel’s superheroes even aged alongside their readers, with teenage characters like Johnny Storm graduating high school and enrolling in college.
Previous superhero comics hadn’t embraced this shared continuity in a meaningful way, tending to prioritize discrete stories that had no effect on future tales. But Fantastic Four pitched what comics scholar Charles Hatfield calls “intertitle continuity,” which quickly became “Marvel’s main selling tool.”
Case in point, the Fantastic Four shared the cover of 1963’s Amazing Spider-Man No. 1, helping sell the newly created wall-crawler to their adoring readers.
Voluminous, chaotic universe
The 1965 wedding of Reed and Sue in Fantastic Four Annual No. 3 showcased how quickly the Marvel comics universe became vibrantly voluminous and charmingly chaotic.
This event featured at least 19 superheroes fighting 28 supervillains and foregrounded the Fantastic Four’s symbolic mother and father as the progenitors of an extended super-family.
It also featured a cameo by the Fantastic Four’s creators, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, previously introduced in 1963’s Fantastic Four No. 10 as the official creators of imaginary adventures starring the “real” Fantastic Four, further blurring the boundary between fiction and reality.
Decades later, this sprawling comics universe would become a sprawling cinematic universe. This informs the pressure facing the latest Fantastic Four adaptation.
Phase 6 of universe
Fantastic Four: First Steps marks the start of what Marvel calls “Phase Six” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began in 2008 with the first Marvel Studios film, Iron Man.
Essentially, Fantastic Four: First Steps is meant to launch a new cluster of shared universe stories, just as Fantastic Four No. 1 did for Marvel Comics in the 1960s.
This cluster will culminate in the release of Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027. Will Marvel’s first family deliver?
J. Andrew Deman 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.
Thousands turned out this weekend for Manchester’s favourite day of the year that saw a fantastic programme of free family fun to help celebrate the city’s homegrown musical talent and this year’s big summer of live music in the city.
More than fifty thousand people took to the streets during the day for the annual celebration of the city which once again did not disappoint.
Inspired by what is proving to be a sensational summer of music in Manchester, they enjoyed pop-up performances, astounding acrobatics, and banging beats throughout the city’s streets and squares as the whole city came together for Manchester Day 2025.
The council worked with outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank on a programme for the day that was full of surprises and lots of free fun all with a musical twist.
The day kicked off with a mini parade at 12 noon from St Peter’s Square, that made its way along Deansgate and on to the Cathedral.
Led by two fantastical creatures, and with over 400 participants, including live bands, dancing birds, plenty of drummers, and Manchester’s very own Queen Bee, as well as some of Manchester’s many community groups dancing and performing their way along the route in a riot of colour and sound, it was a clear crowd-pleaser.
Sparks flew as the world’s largest dhol drum rolled into town, opening up to reveal amazing dancers and drummers, whilst award-winning dance company Levantes were dressed to impress with their ‘High Tea with a Twist’ performance in the middle of the crowds on New Cathedral Street.
From daring acrobatics with hula hoops and fire, to West End show tunes, juggling drummers, a hip-hop wrestling ring, a pair of the muddiest footballers ever seen, plus two musical cats in a giant birdcage with a larger-than-life canary, the day was full of non-stop surprises.
A majestic lion, cheeky gorilla, baby orangutan in a basket, giant seagulls, and a host of marvellous bees and butterflies also wandered the streets, entertaining the crowds.
The day also included back-stage tours of Manchester Opera House, and a host of free have-a-go activities for youngsters of all ages to join in with – from circus skills, drumming workshops and ukulele introduction sessions, to music-themed craft activities and ever popular sports pop-ups.
The day was brought to a spectacular finish with a show-stopping finale collaboration between English National Opera and Walk the Plank that saw a massed choir of 100 community choir members and football fans, accompanied by members of the Chorus of ENO, and student singers from the Royal Northern College of Music, singing their hearts out as internationally acclaimed soprano and BRIT nominee Camilla Kerslake sailed into Cathedral Gardens in a magnificent silver gondola, to perform the ‘Queen of the Night aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, alongside award-winning baritone Marcus Farnsworth singing the ‘Toreador’ from Bizet’s Carmen.
The stunning performance had everyone in the crowd clapping and cheering for more as it ended in a burst of coloured smoke and red and blue confetti filled the air, raining down onto the cheering crowds below.
Councillor Pat Karney, Chair of Manchester Day, said: “The whole of Manchester was a sea of smiling faces and sheer joy as over fifty thousand people came together to celebrate our special city.
“It was all about the Manchester magic. The sort of magic that unites people and pulls crowds together in appreciation of the sheer joy and vibrancy of our richly diverse city.
“It was just magical seeing the faces of all the children and tiny tots completely wowed by the parade and all the fabulous street entertainment.
“Manchester is the only UK city that has its own celebration day. And that’s because we love our city so much and want to show it off to the world. There is nowhere else on this planet that I’d rather live.”
Manchester Day 2025 was sponsored by Manchester Airport Group, with activations across the city on the day by Red Bull, Capri Beach Club, Shaken Udder, Just My Look, Manchester Originals, and The Cut & Craft. The event was also backed by Redgate and Department, and partners Great Northern Warehouse and The Opera House, as well as through long-standing partnerships with Biffa and Manchester Evening News.
A man has died after a shooting incident at Munno Para West.
Just after 11pm on Saturday 26 July, police were called to a house on Stebonheath Road after reports of a disturbance.
A struggle has occurred between two men at the house after one of the men made threats with a firearm.
Patrols arrived and found a 53-year-old Taperoo man dead from a gunshot wound, believed to be from a gun in his possession.
The gun was recovered nearby.
A 31-year-old man from the house is assisting police with their enquiries.
As a result of ongoing investigations into the incident police today, Sunday 27 July have arrested two women and a man in relation to a report of a disturbance which occurred on the evening of Saturday 26 July at a hotel on Main North Road, Smithfield.
This disturbance is believed to be linked to the Munno Para West incident.
A 21-year-old woman from Blakeview was arrested and charged with affray and act likely to cause harm, a 22-year-old woman from Munno Para West and a 31-year-old man from Campbelltown were both arrested and charged with affray.
The group have all been served a three-month liquor licence barring order, excluding them from the hotel.
They have been bailed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on the 9 September.
The trio are continuing to assist police with their enquiries, and it is believed all parties are known to each other.
Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Have you noticed how, in New Zealand news items and weather reports, Nelson and Marlborough are called the “top” of the South Island rather than the ‘north’ of that island. We also get phrases such as the “lower North Island” and the “upper North Island”. And New Zealand’s narrators regularly refer to New Zealand as being at the “bottom of the world”.
These phrases reference the (conventionally portrayed) map of the world, not the world itself. Rotate the map 180°. Nelson-Marlborough will still be the north of the South Island. But they will now be at the bottom of the top island! (And noting that the Roof of the World is the Tibetan Himalayas, not the North Pole. The South Island is at a higher latitude than the North Island; eg 44°S rather than 38°S. And Upper Egypt is south of – lower than? – Lower Egypt.)
Another really annoying aspect of a similar problem – in this case, the problem of colloquial jargon – is the propensity of financial journalists to refer to ‘up’ as ‘north’, as in “the stockmarket is heading north”. An even more egregious example I heard on RNZ on 29 May (Reserve Bank cuts OCR 25 basis points) was the Acting Reserve Bank Governor (Christian Hawkesby) referring to the ‘North Star’ as the ‘target’ of arcane monetary policy. Especially problematic was when he said “if you knew your North Star was much further south”. A bit ‘woo woo’ new age, if you get my meaning. Is the Reserve Bank trying to navigate the stormy seas where myth and reality meet, as in the search for Moby Dick? (Irish navigators 4,000 years ago could always return from a trip to Spain by following the North Star. Being in the ‘lower world’, Maui and Kupe faced more complex problems.)
Does the Reserve Bank make policy decisions based on Tarot Cards? Indeed, astrology did guide policy formation for most of human history.
The lesser problem is that ‘bottom’ has a pejorative meaning; a meaning that has been transferred to the word ‘south’ (which means ‘poor’ in the label ‘Global South’). The more substantive problem is the diminishing ability of ‘modern man’ (or at least homo sapiens in the Global North) to think abstractly. A diminishing abstract capacity allows us to conflate the reality of the planet Earth with its representation in the form of a map. And once too many of us see the representation as the same thing as the reality, the ongoing repetition of that framed construct self-reinforces; we give in to the narrative for the sake of mental peace and quiet. The imputed ‘reality’ of the conventional map becomes hard-wired; the map becomes reality, hardware rather than software.
Other examples of incongruent representation follow.
Knowledge Rich
‘Knowledge rich’ is a label that doesn’t match the package; refer Govt’s curriculum changes come under fire RNZ 22 July 2025. The phrase ‘knowledge rich’ appears to be an example of vacuous bureaucratic weasel words, to use a bit of idiomatic anti-jargon; a label useless except for obfuscation purposes. We would expect that the term ‘knowledge rich’ would mean something like ’emphasising the acquisition of knowledge’; ie the more understanding of reality the better.
When asked to define ‘knowledge rich’, the senior bureaucrat interviewee said in that RNZ interview: “really well-structured, clear content, the things that we want young people to know [my emphasis] and the things [skills?] that we want them to know how to do; we want them to learn … in nice sequential and … coherent learning pathway… structured ways … and that teachers need clarity on what needs to be taught and what students should be learning at any particular point on the pathway”. That’s actually reasonably clear for a bureaucrat put on the spot, but it’s not in any way the meaning of ‘knowledge rich’. This definition is about structure and constrained knowledge acquisition; it’s about young people learning what the state wants them to learn, only what the state wants them to learn, and in the ways the state wants them to learn. The label contradicts the reality, possibly with political intent.
It is clear that the Israeli government is exploiting the increased naivete of the western news audience; a state of entrenched naivety that – as noted above – has become hard-wired in too many of our brains, thanks to the ongoing use of language which presents representation as reality.
We should also note that, in Germany in the 1930s, Adolf Hitler was able to gain a groundswell of popular support through his representation of Jews as cunning and Machiavellian disrupters; it does not serve Israel well for their present-day leaders to give any semblance of support to Hitler’s portrayal.
Holocaust
Through a relentless multi-decade campaign, it has become hard-wired into too many western brains that there was little more to World War Two than The Holocaust; ie that WW2 was essentially a battle between ‘Hitler’ and ‘The Jews’, and that it was resolved by white knights in the form of Churchill and Roosevelt and Truman coming to the rescue – albeit too late – by dealing to Hitler and giving (as compensation) Palestine to The Jews. In the process, most other narratives in that war are by now largely forgotten.
World War Two was of course far more complex. Further, the label Holocaust is an inaccurate portrayal of those catastrophic events. One strength of the English language is its capacity to borrow from other languages. The correct label for this greatest of catastrophes should be that from the victims’ own language; their label, the Shoah. The word holocaust, correctly used, has connotations of fire and brimstone (especially raining from the sky); the best-known biblical example being the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah ‘documented’ in Genesis. We may note that part of the divine and the diabolical intents of both the biblical holocaust and of the Shoah was to eradicate homosexuals. World War Two has a number of ready-made examples of true holocausts; many perpetrated by the Allies, starting with Operation Gomorrah which incinerated Hamburg in 1943, and ending with the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945.
The Holocaust obscures the holocausts, and much else. Inadequate representation indeed misrepresents the Shoah as a biblical spectacle, whereas it was really a coldly cynical mix of operations conducted in the then shadows. Was the Shoah a bigger catastrophe than Gomorrah? Probably yes.
Genocide and Terrorism
Earlier in the 2020s, people such as Paula Penfold and Liz Truss tried to represent the Chinese government’s persecution of the East Turkestan (aka Xinjiang) Uyghurs as “genocide”. They were ‘weaponising’ the g-word, part of a wider cross-partisan opportunity to demonise China during the Covid19 pandemic.
In the light of recent events in the Levant, an obvious and unmistakeable genocide which too many people refrain from calling a ‘genocide’, those anti-China representations look rather silly.
It is perfectly possible that people using the same identity label can be both victims of genocide and perpetrators of genocide; most likely at different places in different times. Most petty of all, this ‘is it a genocide?’ has become an elitist word-game. Anyone who thinks that if what is happening in Palestine does not meet some English-language definition of ‘genocide’ is morally bound to come up with an alternative word or phrase – presumably a somethingelse-icide – that more accurately conveys their assessment. Myself, I think that these events may be even more than a genocide; such as philosopher historian AC Grayling’s term culturicide (from Among the Dead Cities) which expresses what – for example, the Morgenthau Plan – looked to impose on post-war Germany (seeking to reduce Germany, with a pre-war population of 80 million to an impoverished ‘pastoral’ nation of 30 million). Cultural erasure is more than genocide.
Genocide is an unfortunate reality, a human propensity which has occurred in the past, is occurring in the present, and will occur periodically (unless finished by the ‘final genocide’, or biocide) in the future. Trying to weasel our way around it through an absence of language is a trait which has hard-wired itself, through denial and distractive fig-leaves, into elite cultures of complicity and impunity.
Another such word is ‘terrorism’. Winston Churchill and his bomber commander Arthur Harris had no doubt about the meaning of that word. So did the victims of their fiery terror, in Hamburg and many other cities. Now the representation of ‘terror’ through this word is restricted to a selected subset of resistance organisations. Winston Churchill understood that meaning of ‘terrorism’, too. His friend – Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne – was assassinated in Cairo by fascist Lehi terrorists. (Re Lehi, see Stern: The Man, the Gang and the State, Al Jazeera 13 Aug 2024.)
Appeasement
This word may be used improperly, as a damaging misrepresentation of a political opponent, or avoided when it is most needed. (Grayling, in Among the Dead Cities, concludes that the Churchill/Harris holocausts on German cities, were in large part an ineffective appeasement of Josef Stalin.)
Here’s a correct recent use of the a-word: “With such uncontrolled power and aggressive posture, it seems Israel is seeking submission [in Syria and the rest of the ‘Middle East’ region]. The Trump administration’s approach of solving crises by appeasing Israel will entrench this doctrine and push the region into further instability.” (Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman in lieu of Al Jazeera ban by Israel, Al Jazeera News, about 8:05am NZ time, 20 July 2025. She ‘hit the nail on the head’.)
Could someone who has been represented as an ‘appeaser’ ever be a justifiable winner of a Nobel Peace Prize? I think the answer is a ‘qualified yes’; just as good fishers sometimes have to appease their quarry before reeling them in. But, I think, neither an appeaser of Netanyahu nor Stalin could qualify for that prize.
In reality, appeasement has to be done sometimes. New Zealand dairy owners have been routinely asked to appease violent robbers. And, in the movies, when someone points a gun at someone and says “hands up”, the victim almost always appeases the gunner, regardless of their moral position.
‘Appeasement’ is a representation that’s both underused and overused; a representation designed to construct a deception. If we cannot distinguish between representation and reality, label and labelled, then we stand to become victims to all kinds of mischievous narratives.
Cost of Living
The Government and the Opposition both frame the alleged “cost of living crisis” as a problem of inflation rather than deflation. Indeed, the linguistic minefield around economic policy is so problematic that a whole separate article is required to examine it.
The key issue for us here is that the ‘cost-of-living’ framing – ie representation – in government circles is that the economy must be in an inflationary phase and therefore a deflationary policy is required. However, when the New Zealand public complain about the ‘cost-of-living’ they are saying that prices are too high compared to their incomes; it’s an ‘affordability crisis’, not an inflationary crisis. And clearly the deflationary retrenchment policies – meaning policies to slow the economy down, to instigate a recession – pursued by the government are a critical part of the problem. The government’s solution is to represent its actual class-war anti-growth policies as ‘pro-growth’ policies. And the Labour Opposition completely falls for the way the government frames New Zealand’s structural recession as a ‘cost-of-living’ crisis.
At present, New Zealand has near-record-high (north!?) ‘terms of trade’, only slightly below the record highs of 2022. New Zealand’s terms of trade are now 50% higher than they were in 2000, and nearly 100% higher than the dramatic lows of the mid-1970s and early 1980s. As when Brian Easton wrote In Stormy Seas: The Post-War New Zealand Economy in 1997, the terms of trade represented the stormy waves, some bigger than others; and the favourable crests of those waves were when New Zealand expected (and generally got) economic good times. The troughs during the Muldoon years – not Robert Muldoon’s fault; he never had the power to shift the tides of a stormy world – were very difficult times for Aotearoa New Zealand. In these terms the twenty-first century has been the ‘best of times’ for New Zealand, and the 2020s the ‘very best of times’. Yet they are also the ‘worst of times’, to reference Charles Dickens. (Many of our most potent truths come from literature.)
New Zealand, like other countries, has experienced economic cycles and economic shocks. Through my lifetime one consistent cycle has been the short ‘trade-cycle’, on average about 32 months. We are near the crest of that cycle now. The last quarterly growth peak, September 2022, led to an annual growth peak of 4% in the year-to June 2023. Based on the usual timing of the trade cycle, June 2025 will be the next quarterly peak. It will not be pretty, if that will be the best GDP data that we get on this government’s watch. Any positivity when the next GDP figures are released in September, in colloquial jargon, may be characterised as a ‘dead-cat bounce’.
The government is undertaking structural retrenchment under the cover of a ‘cost-of-living crisis’ that means very different things to different people. Insinuating that New Zealand has a crisis of inflation – taken as a synonym for ‘overspending’ – when it has a very real crisis of structural recession and growing unemployment, is a particularly cynical misrepresentation of reality.
Conclusion
We too easily fall for these misrepresentations of reality; for representations that, in our minds, become a reality like treacle; sets of overlayed representations which play tricks on our minds. That makes us, and our political Opposition parties, quite unable to form coherent critiques of the too many misrepresented and problematic things that are happening to us.
In New Zealand, although we are allegedly at the ‘bottom of the world’, in the Far Southeast (fortunately not in the incorrectly named ‘Middle East’!). We also pride ourselves as being in the West and in the Global North. What is genuinely true is that Aotearoa New Zealand is geographically very far from most of the rest of humanity. We could use that birds-eye bottom-of-the-world detached perspective to see past the labels, the frames, the self-serving narratives. We don’t have to play ‘silly buggers’ when the rest of the world is so-doing; we can cut through the ‘bullshit’, to use some more colloquial jargon. We can be the North Star of the South.
With escalating geopolitical wars, and plenty of undertested nuclear weapons in the hands of numerous political sociopaths, being at ‘the bottom of the world’ may not be such a great place to be. All of us of a certain age remember British, American, and French nuclear testing in Oceania. Some, a bit older, remember nuclear testing in Japan.
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Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Fenghuangjing Pumping Station of Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project starts operation in Wuhu
Updated: July 28, 2025 07:02Xinhua
An aerial drone photo taken on July 27, 2025 shows the Fenghuangjing Pumping Station, which is part of the Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project, in Wuhu, east China’s Anhui Province. The Fenghuangjing Pumping Station of the Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project started its operation on Sunday, enabling dual-channel water diversion from the Yangtze River to the Huaihe River. The Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project is one of China’s 172 major water conservancy projects, with multiple functions including water supply, waterway transport and ecological protection. Stretching along a 723-kilometer water transmission route, the project serves 55 counties, cities, and districts in 15 cities across Anhui and Henan provinces, benefiting an area of 70,600 square kilometers. Over the past 10 days, about 150 million cubic meters of water from the Yangtze River have been diverted into the Huaihe River basin, relieving drought conditions in Anhui. As of 2025, about 360 million cubic meters of water have been diverted into the basin through four separate transfer operations. [Photo/Xinhua]An aerial drone photo taken on July 27, 2025 shows the Fenghuangjing Pumping Station, which is part of the Yangtze-to-Huaihe Water Diversion Project, in Wuhu, east China’s Anhui Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Over the past 80 days, we have shared the pivotal moments, challenges and triumphs that have shaped our history as part of our 80th anniversary celebrations.
For the past 80 years and beyond, CFA has stood as a pillar of protection, resilience and community spirit across Victoria.
Our story is one of service, dedication, evolution and unwavering commitment to those we serve.
Our mission and vision have remained steadfast through the decades. While the future may bring change, our commitment will remain strong and continue to guide our work for years to come.
CFA Vision – Victorian communities are prepared for and safe from fire
We reaffirm our vision for a safer, stronger Victoria, where communities are empowered, supported and equipped to meet fire and emergency challenges through education, innovation, and collaboration.
CFA Mission – To protect lives and property
We honour the enduring mission that drives us – to protect lives and property, foster community safety and stand alongside Victorians in times of need.
Our focus remains on delivering a world-class emergency service through the strength of our volunteers, the dedication of our staff and the deep partnerships we’ve built within the community.
Here’s to honouring our past and embracing the future with that same spirit of commitment.
Thank you for joining us for the past 80 days on our journey down memory lane. Catch up on the 80 in 80.
No New Zealanders were on board the Handala in the latest arrest and abductions of Freedom Flotilla crew on humanitarian siege-busting missions to Gaza. However, two Australians were and one talks to The New Arab just before the attack on Saturday.
INTERVIEW:By Sebastian Shehadi
The Handala, a 1968 Norwegian trawler repurposed by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), set sail for Gaza from southern Italy on July 20, carrying around 21 people and a cargo of food, medical kits, baby formula, water desalination units and more.
The ship is named after the iconic Palestinian cartoon figure, Handala, who symbolises Palestinian identity, resilience and the ongoing struggle against displacement and occupation.
Just hours before departure, the crew uncovered deliberate sabotage: a rope tightly bound around the propeller and a sulfuric acid swap mistaken for water, leading to chemical burns in two people.
Despite this alarming start, the mission continued, echoing the defiance of past flotilla efforts such as the interception of the Madleen in June and the Israeli drone strike on the Conscience in May.
However, contact with the vessel was reported lost on July 24, with coalition officials warning that communications have been jammed and drones have been seen near the ship, raising concerns about interception or further hostile action.
The mission resumed following the brief two-hour communications blackout. “Connection has now been re-established. ‘Handala’ is continuing its mission and is currently less than 349 nautical miles from Gaza,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced on Telegram on July 25.
Then on Saturday, the Israeli military attacked the ship and violently detained and “abducted” the entire crew and issued a statement saying they were “safe” and on their way to Israel.
‘Handala’ was illegally boarded by Israel military in international waters, around 40 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza.
Before interception the 21 crew made this statement: if attacked they will join the global hunger strike for Gaza.
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 27, 2025
The New Arab spoke to one of Handala’s crew, Lebanese-Australian filmmaker, human rights activist and journalist Tan Safi, before the arrest to find out more about the mission and why she chose to be on board this mission:
The New Arab: How’s the mood on the ship at the moment? Tan Safi: The morale of everyone at the moment is high, as everyone is happy to be here. Of course, different emotions come up, and we talk them out, but as a collective, we’re all looking out for one another. Everyone is very caring and kind.
We are a group of 21 people from 10 different countries. We have a very proud grandmother, as well as MPs, nurses, a human rights lawyer, a comedian, an actor, human rights activists and more. We’re from many different walks of life, and we pose absolutely no threat to anyone.
We’re simply trying to challenge something illegal. Like previous Freedom Flotilla actions, we will be sailing through international waters into Palestinian territorial waters.
Australian Handala crew member Tan Safi . . . “Back in 2010, we sent a flotilla that was caught in a deadly raid. The Israelis came in a helicopter, boarded the ship and killed nine people instantaneously, while another person died from a coma years later.” Image: FFC
How are you preparing for the very real threat of Israeli violence? Back in 2010, we sent a flotilla that was caught in a deadly raid. The Israelis came in a helicopter, boarded the ship and killed nine people instantaneously, while another person died from a coma years later.
So we know very well that Israel poses a real threat.
More importantly, we’ve seen what they’re capable of over the last two years. The most horrific things imaginable. Israeli soldiers are committing endless crimes against Gazan children, and then going into the homes of the Palestinians they’ve murdered and taking selfies in women’s lingerie. We know what they’re capable of.
Any interception of our vessel would violate international maritime law. The ICJ [International Court of Justice] itself ordered Israel not to interfere with any delivery of international aid. Of course, we know that Israel gets to exist in this world by hopping over international law, without any accountability, without any real sanctions.
In terms of processing, what might happen to me? I’ve had to do it time and time again whenever I’ve joined FFC missions over the last two years. I’ve had to say goodbye to my friends and family, but also try to keep them reassured.
Sometimes I feel like I’m lying, to be honest. I tell them that “everything will be okay”. But it’s psychologically impossible to explain.
Are you worried that Handala is less protected than the last ship, Madleen, which had the global media attention (and protection) of having Greta Thunberg on board?
A Gaza Freedom Flotilla Instagram poster. Image: Instagram/@loremresists
No matter how many Instagram followers you have, your life is just as important as the next person’s. We have people on this boat who have Instagram. We have people who do.
The lives of all these people are as valuable as everyone else’s. I would just try to focus on the fact that we’re all human beings, just as every Palestinian in Gaza is. I’m more worried that Israel’s violence will expand until it’s too late, and people wish that they had done more. The time is now.
What is your message to global or Australian leaders? I’m Lebanese, but I grew up in so-called Australia, a country that has such a dark history. What our politicians forget is that so-called Australia was not theirs to begin with. Australia was, and will always be, Aboriginal land. They can try to hide their dark truths, just like Israel used to as well. But the truth will become exposed in time.
To this day, Aboriginal people are abused and discriminated against by the state. My message to Australia’s leadership is: how can you watch tens of thousands of men, women and children being slaughtered and still be enabling Israel’s siege and genocide?
The Australian embassy in Israel sent me a message urging me to “please reconsider your decision to join a humanitarian aid trip to Gaza”. If they’re so concerned about the two Australians on this boat, I would urge them to be more concerned with the millions of Palestinians who are suffering daily.
The Palestinian cartoon character Handala . . . reimagined with deliberate starvation by the Israeli military forces. Image: X/@RimaHas
Can you tell us more about daily life and organisation on the ship? We all put our hands up to volunteer for various tasks throughout the day. Some of us are more skilled in certain areas than others. For example, we have someone here from France who is a nurse, and they’re helping anyone who is feeling sick.
We have the proud grandmother, Vigdis from Norway, who loves to cook. And then someone will put their hand up to do the dishes. No one is too good to clean the toilets.
We’re all helping out to keep this ship organised. We also do shifts, helping out with the crew when needed. No one is sitting around. And if someone is, it’s because it’s really hot or the seas are rough.
What do you hope Handala will achieve, beyond potentially breaking the siege? I hope this action will encourage all forms of solidarity and, more importantly, inspire direct action. I know that protests and non-direct actions serve a purpose, but we have talked and talked and talked at length. I don’t know how people are finding the strength.
Sometimes when I’m asked to talk at events, I just don’t know what to say, because if you need me to explain this, maybe you will never understand.
But what we clearly need to do is disrupt the financial flow that enables and fuels this genocide. The BDS movement is huge. People used to look down on it and question its efficacy. But now we’re able to quantify that it’s actually affecting real, big business.
I’ve always been advocating for that and asking people to be aware of the companies they consume from, such as Unilever, Nestle and Coke. This is having a real impact on these companies that are profiteering from unethical practices to begin with, that extends far beyond the genocide in Gaza.
Direct action could also involve blockading shipments of weapons from ports and docks, as seen in Greece. It’s amazing to see more countries step up. However, we often see a lot of lip service as well. It takes everyday people to actually stand up and say: “I’m able-bodied. I’m sick to my stomach. I’m gonna listen to my instinct and explore other options”.
If protesting is not working, explore other options. If there is no direct action group, create one. All it takes is one person to begin.
Are there any final or other messages you’d like to convey? The Handala ship is the 37th boat from the FFC to travel to Gaza. There are thousands of people behind each of these journeys who make these voyages happen.
The FFC has existed for as many years as Israel’s siege on Gaza has. The FFC exists only because of Israel’s illegal siege.
We are people from around the world who are united in our shared consciousness and care for Palestine. We pose no threat. I’m looking at a bunch of toys and baby formula. We have as much food as we can carry, but our main goal is to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza because you need to fix a problem at the root of the cause.
Sebastian Shehadi is a freelance journalist and a contributing writer at the New Statesman. This article was first published by The New Arab.Follow Shehadi on X: @seblebanon
