Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Proposed updates to how the starting point for profit rates for vital single source defence contracts are calculated
We are consulting on updates to the way that profit rates for defence-related single source contracts are calculated.
Each year, the SSRO undertakes a robust process to assess the appropriate baseline profit rate (BPR) for single source defence contracts using the published BPR methodology. The BPR is the first step of the four-step process in determining the contract profit rate that applies in determining the price of Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts let without competition, known as Qualifying Defence Contracts (QDCs) and Qualifying Sub-Contracts (QSCs). It is a vital building block to delivering fast paced defence procurement of some of the most strategically significant capabilities for the nation.
The BPR is only the starting point for agreeing contract profit rates, and contractors can, and do, earn significantly higher rates when they take on risk and perform well throughout the contract duration, but they can also earn less when they fail to perform.
We are proposing amendments to the criteria used in the BPR methodology to select comparable companies in response to two external changes:
The methodology relies on selecting comparable companies to benchmark their profits using codes from a classification system called NACE (Nomenclature of Economic Activities), which categorises businesses based on their economic activities. The NACE database has been updated, meaning the BPR methodology must be updated accordingly.
The methodology has a company size threshold which filters out small companies and it is proposed that this aspect of the BPR methodology is updated to remain consistent with the new UK regulations which revise company size thresholds.
We are also looking to conclude on the two remaining proposals from the previous BPR activities review phase 2 consultation from 2024.
We are consulting on these changes to keep the BPR methodology accurate, up to date and reflective of appropriate comparators. This will help us to produce a baseline profit rate which supports our aims of ensuring value for money for the taxpayer and fair and reasonable prices for contractors in support of the delivery of essential defence capabilities in the UK.
The consultation will run until 5pm on 11 August 2025. For more information, and details of how to respond, please see the consultation webpage.
Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street
Press release
Appointment of Lord-Lieutenant for Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale: 30 June 2025
The King has been pleased to appoint Mr John Jeffrey JP, DL as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale.
The King has been pleased to appoint Mr John Jeffrey JP, DL as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale, to succeed Richard Scott, The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry KT, KBE, CVO, DL, FSA, FRSE following his retirement on 4th July 2025.
Background
Mr Jeffrey was educated at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh and then at Newcastle University where he graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture. He is a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society, a Justice of the Peace, and Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Roxburghshire. Mr Jeffrey runs his own farm estates business and has played Rugby nationally and internationally including on the Scotland Men’s national team and for the British Lions. John was a founding member and Vice-Chair of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation which works to find a cure for MND. He has held a number of Board and Governance roles including the Moredun Foundation for Animal Health & Welfare, Border Union Agricultural Society and the British Lions Trust. John is also the former Chairman of Scottish Rugby and vice-chair of World Rugby.
Cassava Technologies (https://www.CassavaTechnologies.com), a global technology leader of African heritage, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South African AI Association (SAAIA), an industry body focused on growing responsible AI adoption, to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaas) across the African continent.
In terms of the agreement, SAAIA’s more than 3,000 AI practitioners, comprising entrepreneurs, researchers, and members of the wider business community in South Africa, will have access to Cassava’s data centre GPUs to develop and deploy local AI solutions and initiatives. The two organisations will also collaborate on initiatives aimed at supporting the regional and broader African AI ecosystem.
“We are proud to partner with SAAIA to support the growth of Africa’s AI ecosystem. By extending our advanced AI infrastructure and capabilities to SAAIA’s growing community of AI professionals, we’re enabling greater access to the compute power required to build, test, and scale innovative local solutions. We believe this partnership will deliver meaningful value to both organisations and, more importantly, to the business and research communities driving AI development on the continent,” said Ziaad Suleman, CEO of Cassava Technologies South Africa and Botswana.
As South Africa’s leading AI ecosystem builder, the South African Artificial Intelligence Association is focused on promoting the advancement of responsible AI in the country by uniting thousands of AI practitioners across the commercial, government, academic, startup, and NGO sectors. SAAIA also hosts the largest AI event in Africa, AI Expo Africa, and serves as a driving force behind trade and investment in the continent’s rapidly expanding smart technology segment.
“SAAIA is pleased to be partnering with Cassava Technologies in strengthening AI in South Africa. Supporting local AI entrepreneurs is a key pillar of SAAIA, and access to GPU-as-a-Service is a key enabler to growing the emerging AI startup ecosystem,” said SAAIA Founder and Chairman, Dr Nick Bradshaw.
Cassava’s collaboration with SAAIA reinforces its commitment to providing world-class digital solutions and advancing responsible AI adoption, innovation, and growth in Africa. It follows Cassava’s recent announcement of plans to build Africa’s first AI factory, providing local businesses, governments, and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI computing capacity. This aligns with Cassava’s vision of being the leading digital solutions provider in its chosen markets, empowering Africans to thrive in the digital economy.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cassava Technologies.
About Cassava Technologies: Cassava Technologies is a global technology leader of African heritage providing a vertically integrated ecosystem of digital services and infrastructure enabling digital transformation. Headquartered in the UK, Cassava has a presence across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the United States of America. Through its business units, namely, Cassava AI, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Liquid C2, Africa Data Centres, and Sasai Fintech, the company provides its customers’ products and services in 94 countries. These solutions drive the company’s ambition of establishing itself as a leading global technology company of African heritage. https://www.CassavaTechnologies.com/
The competition, which formed part of a wider initiative to promote deaf awareness, invited primary school pupils to create posters showcasing a superhero who is deaf, highlighting the importance of representation and understanding.
A judging panel selected three winning entries from the submissions received. The panel consisted of Councillor Ian Massie, member of the Learning and Families Committee, Fiona Mackay, Service Manager for Inclusion and Additional Support, David McPhee, Team Leader for Equalities, Ronald Burns, a resident and employee of the council who is a deaf BSL user and Kirsty Lockhart, Inclusion Co-ordinator. Additionally, Kirsten from Crieff High School and George Brodie, a previous pupil who is now studying Art at Dundee University were part of the judging panel.
The judges praised the entries as “very imaginative and eye-catching”, reflecting the pupils’ thoughtful engagement with the theme.
The winning entries from Hanna, Pitlochry Primary School, Taylor, Goodlyburn Primary School and Evie, Oakbank Primary School, were celebrated in a special presentation at the pupil’s schools where they received certificates and prizes for their outstanding work.
In addition to the poster competition, around 500 pupils participated in deaf awareness, using the online resource aimed at raising awareness about deafness and promoting inclusive communication strategies. The resource included a retelling of the well-know Elmer story in sign language by Hazel Burns, Librarian at Perth High School.
This resource will be a valuable addition to the ongoing work of the Hearing Support team who provide vital support to around 110 children and young people, both at home and within their educational setting. By complementing existing services, the resource will help further embed understanding and inclusion across primary schools within the Perth and Kinross area.
Congratulations to all the winners for their inspiring designs and to every pupil who took part in this important initiative.
Councillor Ian Massie, selection panel judge and member of the Council’s Learning and Families Committee said: “This competition has been a fantastic way to engage young people in raising deaf awareness within their own and other schools in Perth and Kinross. The creativity and empathy shown in the pupils’ designs are truly inspiring, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts.”
Councillor Peter Barrett, Equalities Lead for Perth and Kinross Council, added: “Raising awareness about deafness and promoting equality is vital in building a more inclusive community. The work these pupils have done, both through their superhero designs and the online resource, demonstrates a deep understanding and commitment to making a difference to those in our communities who are deaf.
A breath-taking, life-sized artwork depicting its painter’s wife as a beautiful goddess has gone on display after being delicately conserved by experts at Leeds Art Gallery.
The romantic tribute Goddess of Night, by artist Quentin Bell is part of a new exhibition exploring different portrayals of women over the past 400 years, after it was the subject of a careful restoration project by specialist paper conservator James Caverhill.
Separating the fragile piece from its backing, James began the painstaking process of repairing a split which had occurred in the brittle paper over many years.
Drawn in astonishing detail on fragile material, the remarkable piece is one of a pair, with its companion Goddess of Day – also part of the gallery’s collection – having been generously gifted last year by Vanda Walton.
Both pieces are now proudly on display in the gallery as part of its current Portrayals of Women exhibition, which explores how women have been portrayed from the 17th century to the present day.
Bell was the nephew of Virginia Woolf, as well as a renowned ceramicist and former professor of fine art at The University of Leeds. He based both artworks on his beloved wife Anne Olivier Bell, known as Olivier, completing the captivating portraits in the early years of their marriage.
Olivier, a distinguished art expert herself, met her future husband during a study trip to Paris in 1937 where he painted her for the first time.
In 1945, she worked for the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Branch of the Control Commission for Germany, one of the so-called ‘Monuments Men’ featured in the 2014 film starring George Clooney.
She was also one of the first members of the Arts Council, a role which included escorting paintings from Munich’s Alte Pinakothek on goods trains across Germany for display at the National Gallery in London.
Both Goddess of Day and Goddess of Night hung in the couple’s Sussex home for many years until 1980, when Bell gifted both paintings to his friend and colleague Peter Walton, Vanda’s late husband.
The works, which were cherished and well cared for, remained in Peter and Vanda’s home until last year when they were generously donated to the gallery.
Kirsty Young, Leeds Art Gallery’s assistant curator of fine art, said: “Both these works by Bell have a unique and timeless beauty, even more so because of the personal story behind them and the powerful emotional connection the artist clearly had with his subject.
“Bell’s works frequently reference classical mythology and these works that have a strong architectural quality to them are a perfect reflection of this.
“In various mythologies, day and night are personified as female deities that control the cycle of light and darkness. These portrayals often highlight female power, beauty, wisdom and influence. The figures here are clearly identifiable through the symbolic items they are holding.
“The nature of works on paper means that over time, they can be subject to this kind of deterioration as the paper can become very brittle, so we’re extremely fortunate to have James’s expertise in conserving Goddess of Night in readiness for display.
“Bell painted Olivier a number of times through his career, and as well as being a companion in life, she was clearly also a huge inspiration to him artistically, so we’re looking forward to sharing their story with visitors through these stunning artworks.”
Bell’s works are part of Leeds Art Gallery’s impressive fine art collection which is designated as being of national and international importance. The collection of works on paper is one of the finest in Britain and consists of over 10,000 items dating from 1450 to the present day.
The Portrayals of Women exhibition brings together a range of artworks from Leeds Art Gallery’s nationally renowned works on paper collection. It features a selection of works including historic pieces by Ottavio Leoni and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, to recent acquisitions by contemporary artists Skye Davies and SHARP
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “The opportunity to learn about and be inspired by stunning artworks like this is exactly why our gallery and its incredible collection are so important to life and culture in Leeds.
“Preserving and conserving these works means that future generations will also be able to learn about them and their fascinating stories for many years to come.”
Jane Bhoyroo, principal keeper at Leeds Art Gallery added: “We are very grateful for this recent gift which enables us to continue to grow the city’s outstanding collection. We look forward to sharing this remarkable work with our audiences”.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
News story
E3 Foreign Ministers’ statement: 30 June 2025
Joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and the UK on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats within Iran against the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi and reiterate our full support to the Agency and the DG in carrying out their mandate.
We call on Iranian authorities to refrain from any steps to cease cooperation with the IAEA.
We urge Iran to immediately resume full cooperation in line with its legally binding obligations, and to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of IAEA personnel.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) — The “China-Central Asia Spirit” not only reflects the consensus reached by China and Central Asian countries during long-term cooperation, but also demonstrates their firm determination to deepen cooperation for common development, said Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russia, East Europe and Central Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
On May 17, the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit was held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, where the “China-Central Asia Spirit” was put forward, characterized by mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit, mutual assistance and the promotion of joint modernization through high-quality development.
Sun Zhuangzhi noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations for more than 30 years, China and the Central Asian countries have always adhered to the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit in various areas of cooperation. And the introduction of the “China-Central Asia Spirit” came at the most opportune moment. It not only summarizes the experience of developing relations between China and the countries of the region, but also sets guidelines for future cooperation.
Sun Zhuangzhi stressed that advancing joint modernization through high-quality development is a key component of the “China-Central Asia Spirit” and the common goal of long-term cooperation between the two sides.
“It sets a clear path for building a community of shared destiny for China and Central Asia, embodying genuine mutual benefit and common gain,” he said, adding that this is a path of sustainable development that is fundamentally different from the Western traditional model of modernization.
According to him, China and the Central Asian states are currently experiencing a key period of development and revival. And the desire for national revival and modernization coincides between the parties.
Sun Zhuangzhi also pointed out that against the backdrop of the acceleration of tectonic processes of global transformation unseen in a century, the advancement of the “China-Central Asia Spirit” has practical significance and is of contemporary value.
He stressed that the “China-Central Asia Spirit”, which is a “stabilizer” and “compass” in the development of relations between the two sides, helps overcome external interference and uncertainties.
“Especially in recent years, amid geopolitical turbulence, China and Central Asian countries need a unifying concept like the ‘China-Central Asia Spirit’ more than ever. It will open up new horizons for regional cooperation in modernization and bring greater stability and positive energy to the world,” the expert said.
Deepening the China-Central Asia mechanism and putting forward the China-Central Asia Spirit will also give strong impetus to the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, Sun said.
“They will stimulate deeper regional cooperation within the framework of this initiative and will bring great benefits for the development of both the region and other countries participating in the initiative,” he concluded. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
A U.S. Senate debate has stretched into midnight Sunday over President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending package, as Republicans push to meet Trump’s self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.
Dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the legislation cleared a 51-49 procedural vote in the Senate late Saturday night, setting the stage for the debate. Even after clearing the initial hurdle, GOP leaders face an uphill battle with unified Democratic opposition and divisions within their own ranks.
Key provisions of bill
The Senate bill features approximately 4 trillion U.S. dollars in tax cuts, including the permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax rates, which are currently set to expire at year’s end if Congress fails to intervene, and the introduction of new cuts he promoted on the campaign trail, such as eliminating taxes on tips.
The legislation also allocates 350 billion dollars for border and national security efforts, including money for deportations.
To offset these tax breaks and new spending, the bill proposes sweeping cuts to Medicaid and food stamps by tightening eligibility standards and enforcing stricter work requirements. It also calls for the repeal of billions of dollars in green energy tax credits.
Republicans struggle to secure votes
With a 53-47 edge in the Senate, Republicans need nearly unanimous support from their ranks to pass the sprawling 940-page legislation.
Two Republican senators, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky, defected in the procedural vote on Saturday, despite GOP leaders and Vice President JD Vance making efforts to broker last-minute compromises.
Tillis’s opposition, driven by concerns about Medicaid cuts harming his home state, led to intense pressure from Trump, who publicly threatened to campaign against him in the next primary.
On Sunday, Tillis announced that he would not seek reelection. “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” he said in a statement.
Paul, for his part, criticized the bill’s provision to raise the national debt ceiling by an additional 5 trillion dollars.
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin reversed his initial opposition and voted in favor of the bill following private discussions.
Several Republican senators who voted to advance the bill on Saturday said Sunday that they are still weighing how they will vote on final passage.
Democrats mount united front
Senate Democrats are employing every tool to slow the bill’s progress and expose its impacts. They forced a full 16-hour reading of the entire bill text, a symbolic move aimed at highlighting the legislation’s complexity and sweeping changes.
After debate began Sunday afternoon, Democrats delivered impassioned speeches condemning the bill for disproportionately benefiting the wealthy while placing greater burdens on low-income Americans.
Senators like Bernie Sanders and Gary Peters criticized the package for cutting health care and food assistance while preserving massive tax breaks for the wealthy.
“Reckless and irresponsible,” said Peters, while Sanders described the bill as “a gift to the billionaire class.”
According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034, and the deficit would rise by up to 3.3 trillion dollars over a decade if the bill becomes law.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Republicans are about to pass “the single most expensive bill in U.S. history.”
“Republicans are doing something the Senate has never, never done before, deploying fake math and accounting gimmicks to hide the true cost of the bill,” he said.
Road ahead
GOP leaders are determined to advance Trump’s signature agenda. “We’re going to pass the ‘Big, beautiful bill,’” said Senator Lindsey Graham, the Budget Committee chairman.
But the bill’s complexity, internal party fractures and Democratic resistance make passage a daunting challenge.
Following as many as 20 hours of debate, the Senate is expected to proceed to an amendment session ahead of a final vote.
If the bill ultimately clears the Senate, it must return to the House for a final vote before heading to the White House. The House passed its version of the bill last month.
Elon Musk, former head of the Department of Government Efficiency and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, reiterated his opposition to the bill on Saturday, writing on X that it would “destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country.”
“It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future,” he added.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Cabinet Secretary visits landmark mine water heat scheme
Welsh Minister Rebecca Evans opens Wales’ first commercial mine water heat scheme in Ammanford, showcasing low-carbon energy from former coal mines.
Wales’ first commercial mine water heat scheme, in Ammanford, has been officially opened today by Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Evans.
The pioneering project was developed by the Mining Remediation Authority, at its existing Lindsay mine water treatment scheme, in partnership with local renewable energy company Thermal Earth Ltd and Innovate UK.
Low-carbon heating and hot water is now being delivered to an industrial unit and offices on the Capel Hendre Industrial Estate in a flagship example of how Wales is turning its industrial past into a sustainable energy future.
Rebecca Evans MS, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, said:
In Wales, we want to lead the way in renewable energy solutions that make the most of our industrial heritage.
By repurposing our former mining infrastructure to provide clean, sustainable heat, we are not only reducing carbon emissions but also creating new economic opportunities in our communities and strengthening local economies.
The Lindsay scheme uses heat exchangers submerged in treatment ponds to extract warmth from naturally heated mine water, which is then boosted to replace fossil fuel heating, saving an estimated 17.5 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
It was identified as a prime opportunity through detailed mine water heat mapping commissioned by the Welsh Government and delivered by the Mining Remediation Authority.
This work forms part of the Heat Strategy for Wales and highlights areas where mine water schemes could play a significant role in decarbonising heat and supporting local energy planning.
Andrew Simpson, head of Innovation, By-Products and Service Delivery at the Mining Remediation Authority, said:
Today marks a proud moment for everyone involved. This isn’t just a technical achievement, it’s a statement of intent. We’re showing that mine water heat can be a practical, scalable solution for decarbonising heat. It’s a model we hope to see replicated across Wales and beyond.
Nick Salini, managing director of Thermal Earth Ltd, added:
This project is proof that local innovation can drive national change. As a business rooted in Ammanford, we’re proud to be part of a scheme that’s not only reducing our carbon footprint but also demonstrating what’s possible when public and private sectors work together with a shared vision.
Project partners and stakeholders toured the site, which has been operational since March 2025 and forms part of a broader programme by the Mining Remediation Authority to explore the geothermal energy potential of Britain’s coalfields, including any opportunities at more than 80 mine water treatment sites it already operates to protect and enhance the environment.
This latest development builds on the success of earlier projects in the North East of England, including the privately funded scheme at Lanchester Wines, Gateshead, which has been using mine water to provide low-carbon space heating since 2018.
More recently, the Gateshead Energy Company mine water heat network, the UK’s first large-scale scheme of its kind, began supplying heat to homes, public buildings and businesses in 2023.
These projects have demonstrated the reliability and potential of mine water heat, laying the groundwork for wider adoption across the UK.
Further momentum is building with the Seaham Garden Village project in County Durham, currently under development, which aims to use mine water heat to supply 750 new homes, showcasing how mine water energy can support large-scale, sustainable housing developments.
The Mining Remediation Authority is also progressing discussions with local authorities and industry partners across Great Britain. This includes scoping of potential sites in Wales with Rhondda Cynon Taf, Caerphilly, Flintshire and Blaenau Gwent councils, as well as wider engagement to identify and develop future mine water heat schemes that can support the transition to low-carbon heating at scale.
For media enquiries contact the community response team
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital entered a significant new partnership to address inequality in global childhood cancer care at the Agency’s Rays of Hope Forum in Ethiopia today.
St. Jude, based in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States, is investing US $4.5 million over three years for the IAEA to support countries in expanding access to paediatric radiotherapy and to strengthen health systems, with the goal of improving survival rates and quality of life for children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Each year, an estimated 400,000 children develop cancer globally. While survival rates exceed 80% in high-income countries with accessible care, over 90% of children with cancer reside in LMICs, where survival rates remain below 30%.
A major contributor to this disparity is limited access to advanced clinical imaging, which is critical for accurate diseases classification, treatment planning and monitoring. Without it, children face delays or errors in diagnosis, significantly impacting outcomes.
Access to paediatric radiotherapy is severely limited in LMICs, despite its importance in treating nearly half of all childhood cancers. A 2021 IAEA study highlighted major challenges in these settings, including equipment access or insufficiencies, and a critical shortage of specialized radiation medicine professionals for childhood cancers.
“Children should not die of cancer simply because of where they are born. Every child, everywhere, deserves the same chance to survive and thrive,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “By closing the gap in access to cancer care, we can ensure that children, regardless of their geographic location or economic status, have equal opportunities for successful treatment. Survival should be a reality, not a privilege.”
The collaboration between the IAEA and St. Jude aims to strengthen national capacity in childhood cancer care and control and to improve access to paediatric radiotherapy by training specialists—essential for improving survival and outcomes for children with cancer. The partnership focuses on delivering technical resources, curricula and guidance documents for radiation oncologists, radiotherapy technicians and medical physicists, and supporting their implementation in selected LMICs. Through the imPACT Review assessment tools for childhood cancer, the collaboration also will assess capacities and needs of health systems and strengthen national cancer control programmes.
“Over the past decade, St. Jude has expanded its global presence in pursuit of increasing childhood cancer cure rates worldwide. A critical step in our mission is ensuring children everywhere have access to necessary diagnostics and treatment,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude. “Partnering with IAEA highlights that commitment and will help save countless lives.”
This marks the launch of the IAEA’s Rays of Hope for Childhood Cancer, under the wider IAEA Rays of Hope initiative. Rays of Hope has expanded life-saving cancer care to thousands of patients in LMICs around the world since launching in 2022. Securing more than €90 million already from dedicated donors and partners, including governments mobilizing national resources, has helped close the gap in global radiation medicine. Building on this impact, the IAEA is working with St. Jude to expand the initiative to focus on the gap in childhood cancer care.
“Limited access to specialized care for children with cancer has a negative impact on their chances to be cured,” said Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, St. Jude executive vice president and director of St. Jude Global. “Significant gaps in the quality of radiotherapy services exist in LMICs when compared to what is routine practice across high-income countries. This effort with IAEA will help strengthen the national capacity to treat children with cancer, and increase access to the vital diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy that will improve the survival rate and quality of life for children affected by cancers where these treatments play a prominent role.”
Following today’s signing, the first phase of the Rays of Hope for Childhood Cancer initiative will focus on jointly developing technical products and guidance documents—referred to as Global Goods—and organizing a series of events to support their effective adoption and use by countries. Addressing childhood cancer is a multifaceted challenge requiring a comprehensive approach where the IAEA and St. Jude play key roles. It involves complex procedures that require sophisticated decision-making and highly technical skills that require specialized training. For paediatric radiotherapy specialists, partnership trainings and Global Goods will reduce knowledge gaps and enhance the quality of care their patients receive.
IAEA
The IAEA has over 60 years of experience supporting countries in the fight against cancer, including childhood cancer. Through its Human Health Programme, the IAEA has helped countries around the world to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease by developing and applying nuclear and radiation techniques. Its medical expertise across nutrition, radiology, nuclear medicine, radiobiology, radiation oncology, medical physics and dosimetry has advanced cancer care capacities through coordinated research projects, educational materials, e-learning modules, curricula, guidance documents, scientific publications, international codes of practice, databases, quality assurance activities, audit services, databases, the Human Health Campus and the implementation of the Technical Cooperation Programme. Through its Technical Cooperation Programme, it helps countries strengthen cancer care by providing equipment, training and technical assistance in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. Operating across four global regions, the programme tailors support to local needs and promotes regional collaboration.
The IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, launched in 2022, builds on this work to accelerate access to radiotherapy and medical imaging in low-resource settings. Through Rays of Hope the IAEA promotes comprehensive cancer care where it is needed most and has designated regional anchor centres to serve as knowledge and capacity building hubs for radiation medicine.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, is a global leader in the research and treatment of childhood cancer, sickle cell disease and other life-threatening pediatric diseases. St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the U.S. childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened in 1962. St. Jude is extending its mission to help more children around the world. In 2018, St. Jude and World Health Organization launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer to increase survival rates from 20% to 60% by 2030 for six of the most common forms of childhood cancer. The St. Jude Global Alliance is a global network with a shared vision of improving care and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read the St. Jude Progressblog, and follow St. Jude on social media @stjuderesearch.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital entered a significant new partnership to address inequality in global childhood cancer care at the Agency’s Rays of Hope Forum in Ethiopia today.
St. Jude, based in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States, is investing US $4.5 million over three years for the IAEA to support countries in expanding access to paediatric radiotherapy and to strengthen health systems, with the goal of improving survival rates and quality of life for children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Each year, an estimated 400,000 children develop cancer globally. While survival rates exceed 80% in high-income countries with accessible care, over 90% of children with cancer reside in LMICs, where survival rates remain below 30%.
A major contributor to this disparity is limited access to advanced clinical imaging, which is critical for accurate diseases classification, treatment planning and monitoring. Without it, children face delays or errors in diagnosis, significantly impacting outcomes.
Access to paediatric radiotherapy is severely limited in LMICs, despite its importance in treating nearly half of all childhood cancers. A 2021 IAEA study highlighted major challenges in these settings, including equipment access or insufficiencies, and a critical shortage of specialized radiation medicine professionals for childhood cancers.
“Children should not die of cancer simply because of where they are born. Every child, everywhere, deserves the same chance to survive and thrive,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “By closing the gap in access to cancer care, we can ensure that children, regardless of their geographic location or economic status, have equal opportunities for successful treatment. Survival should be a reality, not a privilege.”
The collaboration between the IAEA and St. Jude aims to strengthen national capacity in childhood cancer care and control and to improve access to paediatric radiotherapy by training specialists—essential for improving survival and outcomes for children with cancer. The partnership focuses on delivering technical resources, curricula and guidance documents for radiation oncologists, radiotherapy technicians and medical physicists, and supporting their implementation in selected LMICs. Through the imPACT Review assessment tools for childhood cancer, the collaboration also will assess capacities and needs of health systems and strengthen national cancer control programmes.
“Over the past decade, St. Jude has expanded its global presence in pursuit of increasing childhood cancer cure rates worldwide. A critical step in our mission is ensuring children everywhere have access to necessary diagnostics and treatment,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude. “Partnering with IAEA highlights that commitment and will help save countless lives.”
This marks the launch of the IAEA’s Rays of Hope for Childhood Cancer, under the wider IAEA Rays of Hope initiative. Rays of Hope has expanded life-saving cancer care to thousands of patients in LMICs around the world since launching in 2022. Securing more than €90 million already from dedicated donors and partners, including governments mobilizing national resources, has helped close the gap in global radiation medicine. Building on this impact, the IAEA is working with St. Jude to expand the initiative to focus on the gap in childhood cancer care.
“Limited access to specialized care for children with cancer has a negative impact on their chances to be cured,” said Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, St. Jude executive vice president and director of St. Jude Global. “Significant gaps in the quality of radiotherapy services exist in LMICs when compared to what is routine practice across high-income countries. This effort with IAEA will help strengthen the national capacity to treat children with cancer, and increase access to the vital diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy that will improve the survival rate and quality of life for children affected by cancers where these treatments play a prominent role.”
Following today’s signing, the first phase of the Rays of Hope for Childhood Cancer initiative will focus on jointly developing technical products and guidance documents—referred to as Global Goods—and organizing a series of events to support their effective adoption and use by countries. Addressing childhood cancer is a multifaceted challenge requiring a comprehensive approach where the IAEA and St. Jude play key roles. It involves complex procedures that require sophisticated decision-making and highly technical skills that require specialized training. For paediatric radiotherapy specialists, partnership trainings and Global Goods will reduce knowledge gaps and enhance the quality of care their patients receive.
IAEA
The IAEA has over 60 years of experience supporting countries in the fight against cancer, including childhood cancer. Through its Human Health Programme, the IAEA has helped countries around the world to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease by developing and applying nuclear and radiation techniques. Its medical expertise across nutrition, radiology, nuclear medicine, radiobiology, radiation oncology, medical physics and dosimetry has advanced cancer care capacities through coordinated research projects, educational materials, e-learning modules, curricula, guidance documents, scientific publications, international codes of practice, databases, quality assurance activities, audit services, databases, the Human Health Campus and the implementation of the Technical Cooperation Programme. Through its Technical Cooperation Programme, it helps countries strengthen cancer care by providing equipment, training and technical assistance in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. Operating across four global regions, the programme tailors support to local needs and promotes regional collaboration.
The IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, launched in 2022, builds on this work to accelerate access to radiotherapy and medical imaging in low-resource settings. Through Rays of Hope the IAEA promotes comprehensive cancer care where it is needed most and has designated regional anchor centres to serve as knowledge and capacity building hubs for radiation medicine.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, is a global leader in the research and treatment of childhood cancer, sickle cell disease and other life-threatening pediatric diseases. St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the U.S. childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened in 1962. St. Jude is extending its mission to help more children around the world. In 2018, St. Jude and World Health Organization launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer to increase survival rates from 20% to 60% by 2030 for six of the most common forms of childhood cancer. The St. Jude Global Alliance is a global network with a shared vision of improving care and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read the St. Jude Progressblog, and follow St. Jude on social media @stjuderesearch.
The Guinea Chamber of Mines and Critical Minerals Africa Group (www.CMAGAfrica.com) have today announced the signing of a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering strategic partnership, attracting investment, and unlocking the immense potential of Guinea’s critical minerals sector. This alliance marks a significant milestone in Guinea’s journey to becoming a key player in Africa’s industrialisation and global supply chains for critical minerals.
The MOU underscores a shared commitment to developing Guinea’s vast deposits of bauxite, gold, and, most notably, its rich reserves of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. By working together, the two organizations aim to streamline investment processes, promote responsible mining practices, and catalyse infrastructural development to support sustainable growth.
Guinea’s critical minerals sector is poised for exponential growth, driven by global demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and advanced electronics. The country’s strategic location, abundant natural resources, and government support position it as a pivotal hub for Africa’s industrialization.
One of the standout projects fuelling this momentum is the Simandou iron ore and associated mineral deposits. The Simandou Range is renowned for its vast reserves of high-grade iron ore, which is essential for steel production worldwide. Its development is expected to significantly boost Guinea’s economy and position the country as a key supplier in global markets.
“This partnership with Critical Minerals Africa Group is a testament to Guinea’s commitment to becoming an industrial powerhouse. Our abundant natural resources, particularly in critical minerals, are vital to the global transition to clean energy. By fostering strategic investments and responsible mining practices, we are unlocking the transformative potential of Guinea’s mineral wealth,” Ismaël Diakite, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Guinea Chamber of Mines.
“Guinea is at the forefront of Africa’s mining revolution. Guinea’s rich deposits of critical minerals, coupled with the country’s strategic location and supportive policies, make it an ideal hub for industrial development on the continent. This alliance will accelerate investments, create jobs, and support sustainable growth,” stated Veronica Bolton Smith, CEO of The Critical Minerals Africa Group.
As Africa’s fastest-growing economy, Guinea offers an attractive landscape for investors seeking to tap into the continent’s mineral wealth. The country’s government has prioritized infrastructure development, policy reforms, and regional cooperation, making Guinea a magnet for foreign direct investment.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG).
Media Enquiries: Halla Abdulla Media Manager, The Critical Minerals Africa Group Email: info@cmagafrica.com
About the Guinea Chamber of Mines: The Guinea Chamber of Mines is the premier industry association representing mining companies and promoting sustainable mining development in Guinea.
About The Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG): The Critical Minerals Africa Group is an advocacy group that seeks to foster deeper relationships between Africa and global markets and put Africa at the heart of international discussions surrounding critical minerals and associated supply chains. CMAG aims to enable the creation of resilient and diversified critical minerals supply chains that benefit the communities in which they are extracted, as well as to accelerate economic development through the capture of value-adding activities.
The annual growth rate of the broad monetary aggregate M3 stood at 3.9% in May 2025, unchanged from the previous month, averaging 3.8% in the three months up to May. The components of M3 showed the following developments. The annual growth rate of the narrower aggregate M1, which comprises currency in circulation and overnight deposits, increased to 5.1% in May from 4.7% in April. The annual growth rate of short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) decreased to -0.1% in May from 0.6% in April. The annual growth rate of marketable instruments (M3-M2) increased to 11.2% in May from 10.7% in April.
Looking at the components’ contributions to the annual growth rate of M3, the narrower aggregate M1 contributed 3.2 percentage points (up from 3.0 percentage points in April), short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) contributed 0.0 percentage points (down from 0.2 percentage points) and marketable instruments (M3-M2) contributed 0.7 percentage points (as in the previous month).
Among the holding sectors of deposits in M3, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by households stood at 3.5% in May, compared with 3.4% in April, while the annual growth rate of deposits placed by non-financial corporations stood at 2.7% in May, compared with 2.6% in April. Finally, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by investment funds other than money market funds decreased to 15.4% in May from 21.2% in April.
Counterparts of the broad monetary aggregate M3
The annual growth rate of M3 in May 2025, as a reflection of changes in the items on the monetary financial institution (MFI) consolidated balance sheet other than M3 (counterparts of M3), can be broken down as follows: net external assets contributed 2.6 percentage points (up from 2.5 percentage points in April), claims on the private sector contributed 2.4 percentage points (up from 2.3 percentage points), claims on general government contributed 0.2 percentage points (as in the previous month), longer-term liabilities contributed -1.2 percentage points (down from -1.1 percentage points), and the remaining counterparts of M3 contributed -0.1 percentage points (as in the previous month).
Chart 2
Contribution of the M3 counterparts to the annual growth rate of M3
The annual growth rate of total claims on euro area residents stood at 2.0% in May 2025, compared with 1.9% in the previous month. The annual growth rate of claims on general government stood at 0.6% in May, compared with 0.5% in April, while the annual growth rate of claims on the private sector stood at 2.5% in May, compared with 2.4% in April.
The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector (i.e. adjusted for loan transfers and notional cash pooling) stood at 2.8% in May, unchanged from the previous month. Among the borrowing sectors, the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to households stood at 2.0% in May, compared with 1.9% in April, while the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to non-financial corporations stood at 2.5% in May, compared with 2.6% in April.
Data in this press release are adjusted for seasonal and end-of-month calendar effects, unless stated otherwise.
“Private sector” refers to euro area non-MFIs excluding general government.
Hyperlinks lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data as at the time of the current release.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
New targeted support regime to enable more people to make the most of their money
The government will publish proposed draft legislation to support a new regime to give people the confidence to invest and make more informed decisions about their pensions
The FCA today published draft rules for a new regime of targeted support to enable firms to do more to support consumers with investing and managing their pensions.
As part of the Mansion House package on 15 July, the government will publish a policy note on proposed legislative changes to enable the future implementation of targeted support.
The government and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) are conducting a review of the regulatory boundary between financial advice and guidance to improve access to timely and affordable help with financial decision-making.
Today, the FCA published draft rules for a new regime called targeted support which would enable authorised firms to provide more support to consumers with their pensions and investments, by making suggestions appropriate to consumers with similar circumstances and characteristics. Targeted support forms part of the government’s workplace pension roadmap and will be complemented by a range of other measures to address the challenges faced by pensions savers.
To enable the implementation of targeted support, the government will publish a policy note setting out proposed changes to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001. The note and draft statutory instrument will be published alongside the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech on 15 July.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital entered a significant new partnership to address inequality in global childhood cancer care at the Agency’s Rays of Hope Forum in Ethiopia today.
St. Jude, based in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States, is investing US $4.5 million over three years for the IAEA to support countries in expanding access to paediatric radiotherapy and to strengthen health systems, with the goal of improving survival rates and quality of life for children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Each year, an estimated 400,000 children develop cancer globally. While survival rates exceed 80% in high-income countries with accessible care, over 90% of children with cancer reside in LMICs, where survival rates remain below 30%.
A major contributor to this disparity is limited access to advanced clinical imaging, which is critical for accurate diseases classification, treatment planning and monitoring. Without it, children face delays or errors in diagnosis, significantly impacting outcomes.
Access to paediatric radiotherapy is severely limited in LMICs, despite its importance in treating nearly half of all childhood cancers. A 2021 IAEA study highlighted major challenges in these settings, including equipment access or insufficiencies, and a critical shortage of specialized radiation medicine professionals for childhood cancers.
“Children should not die of cancer simply because of where they are born. Every child, everywhere, deserves the same chance to survive and thrive,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “By closing the gap in access to cancer care, we can ensure that children, regardless of their geographic location or economic status, have equal opportunities for successful treatment. Survival should be a reality, not a privilege.”
The collaboration between the IAEA and St. Jude aims to strengthen national capacity in childhood cancer care and control and to improve access to paediatric radiotherapy by training specialists—essential for improving survival and outcomes for children with cancer. The partnership focuses on delivering technical resources, curricula and guidance documents for radiation oncologists, radiotherapy technicians and medical physicists, and supporting their implementation in selected LMICs. Through the imPACT Review assessment tools for childhood cancer, the collaboration also will assess capacities and needs of health systems and strengthen national cancer control programmes.
“Over the past decade, St. Jude has expanded its global presence in pursuit of increasing childhood cancer cure rates worldwide. A critical step in our mission is ensuring children everywhere have access to necessary diagnostics and treatment,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude. “Partnering with IAEA highlights that commitment and will help save countless lives.”
This marks the launch of the IAEA’s Rays of Hope for Childhood Cancer, under the wider IAEA Rays of Hope initiative. Rays of Hope has expanded life-saving cancer care to thousands of patients in LMICs around the world since launching in 2022. Securing more than €90 million already from dedicated donors and partners, including governments mobilizing national resources, has helped close the gap in global radiation medicine. Building on this impact, the IAEA is working with St. Jude to expand the initiative to focus on the gap in childhood cancer care.
“Limited access to specialized care for children with cancer has a negative impact on their chances to be cured,” said Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, St. Jude executive vice president and director of St. Jude Global. “Significant gaps in the quality of radiotherapy services exist in LMICs when compared to what is routine practice across high-income countries. This effort with IAEA will help strengthen the national capacity to treat children with cancer, and increase access to the vital diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy that will improve the survival rate and quality of life for children affected by cancers where these treatments play a prominent role.”
Following today’s signing, the first phase of the Rays of Hope for Childhood Cancer initiative will focus on jointly developing technical products and guidance documents—referred to as Global Goods—and organizing a series of events to support their effective adoption and use by countries. Addressing childhood cancer is a multifaceted challenge requiring a comprehensive approach where the IAEA and St. Jude play key roles. It involves complex procedures that require sophisticated decision-making and highly technical skills that require specialized training. For paediatric radiotherapy specialists, partnership trainings and Global Goods will reduce knowledge gaps and enhance the quality of care their patients receive.
IAEA
The IAEA has over 60 years of experience supporting countries in the fight against cancer, including childhood cancer. Through its Human Health Programme, the IAEA has helped countries around the world to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease by developing and applying nuclear and radiation techniques. Its medical expertise across nutrition, radiology, nuclear medicine, radiobiology, radiation oncology, medical physics and dosimetry has advanced cancer care capacities through coordinated research projects, educational materials, e-learning modules, curricula, guidance documents, scientific publications, international codes of practice, databases, quality assurance activities, audit services, databases, the Human Health Campus and the implementation of the Technical Cooperation Programme. Through its Technical Cooperation Programme, it helps countries strengthen cancer care by providing equipment, training and technical assistance in diagnostic imaging, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. Operating across four global regions, the programme tailors support to local needs and promotes regional collaboration.
The IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, launched in 2022, builds on this work to accelerate access to radiotherapy and medical imaging in low-resource settings. Through Rays of Hope the IAEA promotes comprehensive cancer care where it is needed most and has designated regional anchor centres to serve as knowledge and capacity building hubs for radiation medicine.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, is a global leader in the research and treatment of childhood cancer, sickle cell disease and other life-threatening pediatric diseases. St. Jude is the only National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the U.S. childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened in 1962. St. Jude is extending its mission to help more children around the world. In 2018, St. Jude and World Health Organization launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer to increase survival rates from 20% to 60% by 2030 for six of the most common forms of childhood cancer. The St. Jude Global Alliance is a global network with a shared vision of improving care and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read the St. Jude Progressblog, and follow St. Jude on social media @stjuderesearch.
VICTORIA, Seychelles, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has announced the listing of NodeOps (NODE) in the Innovation, AI, and DePIN Zone, adding it to spot trading. NodeOps is a DePIN infrastructure platform. Trading for the NODE/USDT pair will begin on 30 June 2025, 10:00 (UTC), with withdrawals available from 1 July 2025, 11:00 (UTC).
NodeOps is building a full-stack solution to make make decentralized computing simple, reliable, and accessible at scale. Its architecture is built on two layers: the foundational NodeOps Network protocol, which coordinates decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN), and a suite of user-facing products, including NodeOps Cloud, Console, Agent Terminal, Staking Hub, and Security Hub, that streamlines deployment and management. At the core of the ecosystem is the NODE token, which powers coordination, rewards real work, and governs the network. With a revenue-backed mint-and-burn model, NODE ensures sustainable value, secures the infrastructure, and enables access to premium features, aligning incentives and supporting long-term growth across the NodeOps ecosystem. NodeOps Network has built the foundation for sustainable infrastructure coordination that scales with actual demand while maintaining the decentralization and cost advantages that make Web3 infrastructure superior to traditional cloud services.
Bitget continues to expand its offerings, positioning itself as a leading platform for cryptocurrency trading. The exchange has established a reputation for innovative solutions that empower users to explore crypto within a secure CeDeFi ecosystem. With an extensive selection of over 800 cryptocurrency broadening and a commitment to broaden its offerings to more than 900 trading pairs, Bitget connects users to various ecosystems, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Base, and TON. The addition of NodeOps into Bitget’s portfolio marks a significant step toward expanding its ecosystem by embracing niche communities and fostering innovation in decentralized economies, further solidifying its role as a gateway to diverse Web3 projects and cultural movements.
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.
Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
Risk Warning:Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to ourTerms of Use.
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) will complete eight years since its rollout on July 1, marking a significant milestone in the country’s economic integration journey.
Introduced in 2017 to replace a maze of indirect taxes, GST was hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a path-breaking legislation for New India.” Over time, the reform has reshaped tax compliance, improved business efficiency and bolstered government revenues.
In 2024–25, gross GST collections touched a record ₹22.08 lakh crore, registering a year-on-year growth of 9.4 per cent. This is more than double the ₹11.37 lakh crore collected in 2020–21, when average monthly collections stood at ₹95,000 crore. By contrast, the average monthly figure in 2024–25 has risen sharply to ₹1.84 lakh crore, reflecting both economic formalisation and improved compliance.
A recent report by Deloitte, titled GST@8, noted that the past year has been particularly strong for GST performance. The report pointed to government-led reforms, clearer guidelines for taxpayers and steady technological upgrades of the GST portal as key reasons for the record collection figures.
The tax structure itself is designed to balance simplicity with revenue needs. GST rates in India are distributed across four primary slabs: 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. Special rates apply in select cases—such as 3 per cent on gold, silver and jewellery, 1.5 per cent on cut and polished diamonds and 0.25 per cent on rough diamonds. A GST Compensation Cess, levied on goods like tobacco products and aerated drinks, continues to support states facing revenue gaps post-GST transition.
Since its launch in July 2017, the number of active GST registrations has climbed significantly, reaching over 1.51 crore by April 30, 2025. This growth reflects greater tax base coverage and increased formalisation across sectors. Alongside this, the dual GST model—comprising Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST) for intra-state transactions and Integrated GST (IGST) for inter-state trade—has ensured equitable revenue distribution between the Centre and states.
From ₹14.83 lakh crore in collections in 2021–22 to ₹18.08 lakh crore in 2022–23 and ₹20.18 lakh crore in 2023–24, the GST revenue trajectory underscores a steady rise in compliance and economic activity. Sector-specific exemptions, including those for healthcare and education, have kept essential services affordable, while digital compliance through the GSTN portal has simplified filing for businesses large and small.
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) will complete eight years since its rollout on July 1, marking a significant milestone in the country’s economic integration journey.
Introduced in 2017 to replace a maze of indirect taxes, GST was hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a path-breaking legislation for New India.” Over time, the reform has reshaped tax compliance, improved business efficiency and bolstered government revenues.
In 2024–25, gross GST collections touched a record ₹22.08 lakh crore, registering a year-on-year growth of 9.4 per cent. This is more than double the ₹11.37 lakh crore collected in 2020–21, when average monthly collections stood at ₹95,000 crore. By contrast, the average monthly figure in 2024–25 has risen sharply to ₹1.84 lakh crore, reflecting both economic formalisation and improved compliance.
A recent report by Deloitte, titled GST@8, noted that the past year has been particularly strong for GST performance. The report pointed to government-led reforms, clearer guidelines for taxpayers and steady technological upgrades of the GST portal as key reasons for the record collection figures.
The tax structure itself is designed to balance simplicity with revenue needs. GST rates in India are distributed across four primary slabs: 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. Special rates apply in select cases—such as 3 per cent on gold, silver and jewellery, 1.5 per cent on cut and polished diamonds and 0.25 per cent on rough diamonds. A GST Compensation Cess, levied on goods like tobacco products and aerated drinks, continues to support states facing revenue gaps post-GST transition.
Since its launch in July 2017, the number of active GST registrations has climbed significantly, reaching over 1.51 crore by April 30, 2025. This growth reflects greater tax base coverage and increased formalisation across sectors. Alongside this, the dual GST model—comprising Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST) for intra-state transactions and Integrated GST (IGST) for inter-state trade—has ensured equitable revenue distribution between the Centre and states.
From ₹14.83 lakh crore in collections in 2021–22 to ₹18.08 lakh crore in 2022–23 and ₹20.18 lakh crore in 2023–24, the GST revenue trajectory underscores a steady rise in compliance and economic activity. Sector-specific exemptions, including those for healthcare and education, have kept essential services affordable, while digital compliance through the GSTN portal has simplified filing for businesses large and small.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, has often called himself a simple monk, but for more than 60 years armed with little more than charm and conviction, he has managed to keep the cause of his people in the international spotlight.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled into exile in India in 1959 with thousands of other Tibetans after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has advocated for a non-violent “Middle Way” to seeking autonomy and religious freedom for Tibetan people, gaining the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
He has met with scores of world leaders, while inspiring millions with his cheerful disposition and views on life such as “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
But his popularity irks China which views him as a dangerous separatist, with one former Communist Party boss describing him as “a jackal” and having “the heart of a beast”.
The Dalai Lama turns 90 on Sunday, a particularly important birthday as he has flagged that he may say more about a potential successor around then. Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated in the body of a child upon his death.
In a book, “Voices for the Voiceless”, published earlier this year, he said Tibetans worldwide want the institution of the Dalai Lama to continue after his death and specified that his successor would be born in the “free world”, which he described as outside China.
The statements were his strongest yet about the likelihood of a successor. In previous years, he has also said that his successor might be a girl and it is possible that there might be no successor at all.
He has, however, stated that any successor chosen by China, which has piled pressure on foreign governments to shun him, will not be respected.
FLIGHT INTO EXILE
The Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Dhondup in 1935 to a family of buckwheat and barley farmers in what is now the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai. At the age of two, he was deemed by a search party to be the 14th reincarnation of Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader after identifying several of his predecessor’s possessions.
China took control of Tibet in 1950 in what it called “a peaceful liberation” and the teenage Dalai Lama assumed a political role shortly after, travelling to Beijing to meet Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders. Nine years later, fears that the Dalai Lama could be kidnapped fuelled a major rebellion.
The subsequent crackdown by the Chinese army forced him to escape disguised as a common soldier from the palace in Lhasa where his predecessors had held absolute power.
The Dalai Lama fled to India, settling in Dharamshala, a Himalayan town where he lives in a compound next to a temple ringed by green hills and snow-capped mountains. There, he opened up his government-in-exile to ordinary Tibetans with an elected parliament.
Disillusioned with how little he had gained from his efforts to engage with Beijing, he announced in 1988 that he had given up on seeking full independence from China, and instead would be seeking cultural and religious autonomy within China.
In 2011, the Dalai Lama announced he would relinquish his political role, handing over those responsibilities to an elected leader for the Tibetan government-in-exile.
But he remains active and these days, the Dalai Lama, clad in his customary maroon and saffron robes, continues to receive a constant stream of visitors.
He has had a number of health problems, including knee surgery and walks with difficulty. Despite that, he expects to live for a long time yet.
“According to my dream, I may live 110 years,” he told media in December.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, has often called himself a simple monk, but for more than 60 years armed with little more than charm and conviction, he has managed to keep the cause of his people in the international spotlight.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled into exile in India in 1959 with thousands of other Tibetans after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has advocated for a non-violent “Middle Way” to seeking autonomy and religious freedom for Tibetan people, gaining the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
He has met with scores of world leaders, while inspiring millions with his cheerful disposition and views on life such as “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
But his popularity irks China which views him as a dangerous separatist, with one former Communist Party boss describing him as “a jackal” and having “the heart of a beast”.
The Dalai Lama turns 90 on Sunday, a particularly important birthday as he has flagged that he may say more about a potential successor around then. Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated in the body of a child upon his death.
In a book, “Voices for the Voiceless”, published earlier this year, he said Tibetans worldwide want the institution of the Dalai Lama to continue after his death and specified that his successor would be born in the “free world”, which he described as outside China.
The statements were his strongest yet about the likelihood of a successor. In previous years, he has also said that his successor might be a girl and it is possible that there might be no successor at all.
He has, however, stated that any successor chosen by China, which has piled pressure on foreign governments to shun him, will not be respected.
FLIGHT INTO EXILE
The Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Dhondup in 1935 to a family of buckwheat and barley farmers in what is now the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai. At the age of two, he was deemed by a search party to be the 14th reincarnation of Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader after identifying several of his predecessor’s possessions.
China took control of Tibet in 1950 in what it called “a peaceful liberation” and the teenage Dalai Lama assumed a political role shortly after, travelling to Beijing to meet Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders. Nine years later, fears that the Dalai Lama could be kidnapped fuelled a major rebellion.
The subsequent crackdown by the Chinese army forced him to escape disguised as a common soldier from the palace in Lhasa where his predecessors had held absolute power.
The Dalai Lama fled to India, settling in Dharamshala, a Himalayan town where he lives in a compound next to a temple ringed by green hills and snow-capped mountains. There, he opened up his government-in-exile to ordinary Tibetans with an elected parliament.
Disillusioned with how little he had gained from his efforts to engage with Beijing, he announced in 1988 that he had given up on seeking full independence from China, and instead would be seeking cultural and religious autonomy within China.
In 2011, the Dalai Lama announced he would relinquish his political role, handing over those responsibilities to an elected leader for the Tibetan government-in-exile.
But he remains active and these days, the Dalai Lama, clad in his customary maroon and saffron robes, continues to receive a constant stream of visitors.
He has had a number of health problems, including knee surgery and walks with difficulty. Despite that, he expects to live for a long time yet.
“According to my dream, I may live 110 years,” he told media in December.
Hosted by Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Craig Collingswood, the event promises a warm welcome, a slice of cake and a glass of fizz, and a rare opportunity to visit the historic Mayor’s Parlour which houses the civic regalia and see its stunning balcony views looking out over Molineux Stadium and beyond.
All attendees will be able to meet the Mayor and have a photograph taken. Proceeds will support the 4 charities the Mayor is supporting this year which are Acorns Children’s Hospice, Compton Care, SSAFA, and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity.
Mayor Councillor Collingswood said: “This event is about bringing people together over something simple and joyful — coffee and cake — while making a real difference to the lives of those in our community.
“Not many people get to come and see the parlour, so we wanted to open it up and give everyone a chance to see the civic regalia and a fantastic views from our balcony.
“Each of the charities I’m supporting does incredible work, and I’m proud to help shine a light on their efforts.”
Guests will enjoy a slice of cake, a glass of fizz, and the chance to meet the Mayor in person. Tickets are priced at £10, with all profits going directly to the chosen charities.
“I hope people from across Wolverhampton will join us,” added the Mayor. “It’s a chance to relax, connect, and contribute to causes that matter.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China will conditionally resume imports of certain aquatic products from Japan, excluding 10 prefectures, including Fukushima and Gunma, the General Administration of Customs issued an online notice on Sunday.
The move follows long-term international monitoring and independent sampling by Chinese authorities regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which found no abnormalities.
The administration said that it also comes on the premise that the Japanese government has pledged to ensure the safety of aquatic products exported to China.
Effective immediately, imports of aquatic products originating from Japan will be resumed, apart from products from the 10 designated prefectures such as Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi and Ibaraki.
Japanese businesses exporting aquatic products to China must comply with relevant Chinese regulations on the registration of overseas food producers, said the notice.
The administration stated that such imports must be accompanied by an official health certificate issued by the Japanese authorities, a certificate confirming compliance with radioactive material testing requirements and a certificate of origin.
If Japan fails to effectively fulfil its regulatory responsibilities, China will promptly adopt control measures to ensure the health and safety of its citizens, said the notice.
Heavy surf and intense rains hit Sydney beaches during a 2020 East Coast Low. Lee Hulsman/Getty
Right now, a severe storm likely to be the first significant east coast low in three years is developing off the coast of New South Wales. It’s expected to intensify today before approaching the coastline on Tuesday. Huge waves, sustained heavy rains and very strong winds are likely.
At this stage, it’s expected to linger offshore south of Coffs Harbour – the same area hit hard by unprecedented floods on the Mid-North Coast last month. Residents on the coast or in low-lying areas have been asked to prepare.
There’s nothing new about east coast lows, intense winter storms which can hit coastlines anywhere from southern Queensland to Tasmania. But what is new are the historically warm seas. Just like a tropical cyclone, east coast lows feed on ocean heat. And just like a tropical cyclone, they can intensify rapidly if the conditions are right.
The storm looming this week has been intensifying very fast, to the point it could be classified as a “weather bomb” – a storm undergoing explosive cyclogenesis.
If the storm shapes up as predicted, we can expect to see damage to houses and trees as well as significant beach erosion – especially in heavily populated areas exposed to the storm’s southern flank.
The Bureau of Meteorology is issuing warnings about the looming east coast low.
What to expect from this storm
It’s too early to say just how bad this storm will be. Much depends on how intense it becomes and how close it tracks to the coast.
Earlier storms have caused flooding of businesses and properties and significant disruptions to transport networks and electricity supplies.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting strong to damaging winds and moderate to heavy rain for this deepening weather system from Tuesday onwards, and hazardous surf conditions for much of the week.
Sea surface temperatures are 1 to 2.5°C above average off most of the NSW coast. This ocean heat will act as fuel for the storm, boosting the chance of even stronger winds and heavy rain if the centre moves closer to the coast and slows down.
The NSW winter storm is intensifying and is expected to hit the Mid-North Coast on Tuesday 1 July. Bureau of Meteorology
East coast lows are distinct
Why do winter storms need their own title? East coast lows are quite distinct. They’re most common in autumn and winter, but they can occur any time.
These weather systems usually form after an upper atmosphere low or deep trough gets stronger over eastern Australia.
This triggers the development of a low pressure system at sea level near the coast to the east of the upper level system. These often intensify rapidly.
During summer, these weather systems can occasionally form in the aftermath of a Coral Sea tropical cyclone as it moves towards the central east coast. By the time the decaying cyclone reaches the cooler waters of the Tasman Sea, it has lost its characteristic warm core. It can now rapidly transition into an east coast low.
Two of Australia’s most populated areas, Sydney/Central Coast and Brisbane/Gold Coast are in the zone most likely to be affected by these intense storms.
What role is climate change playing?
About 90% of all extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases goes into the oceans. The world’s oceans are now at their warmest point on record.
Marine heatwaves are causing many unwelcome changes. Warmer waters made South Australia’s ongoing devastating algal bloom more likely. A huge marine heatwave hit Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef before heading south. In southeast Australia, the warm East Australian Current is pushing further south, taking warm-water species into Tasmanian waters.
As climate change intensifies, researchers have found intense east coast lows will actually become less common in the future – but the storms which do form could be more dangerous. A similar trend is likely for tropical cyclones around Australia.
As the world gets hotter still, the intensity of rainfall extremes associated with these weather systems is expected to rise – especially short-duration rainfall.
That means a higher risk of river and flash flooding, more damage from high energy wind and waves along exposed coasts and significant erosion of beaches and cliffs. Damage to the coasts will be worsened by rising sea levels.
Bracing for more extremes
It’s been a terrible six months for extreme weather. The year started with severe flooding in northern Queensland in February, followed soon after by Tropical Cyclone Alfred which hit heavily populated parts of southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales.
A couple of weeks later, intense rains devastated western Queensland, causing huge livestock losses. But even as floods hit the east coast, farmers across the continent’s southern reaches are struggling with extreme drought.
As the Mid-North Coast braces for yet more extreme weather, residents should heed warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology, visit the NSW emergencies and natural disasters website and listen to information provided by the national broadcaster.
Steve Turton has received funding from the Australian government.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor of Australian and Aboriginal history, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, Convenor: Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney
Hay Local Aboriginal Land Council staff and members with researchers and actuaries from Finity Consulting.UNSW Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group
The shift to clean, renewable sources of energy presents a rare opportunity for First Nations people, not only as energy users but as landholders.
We wanted to explore the potential for First Nations land in the energy transition across New South Wales. The transition is well underway, but the pace must accelerate to meet state targets for 2030 and beyond.
Our new report found the state’s 121 Aboriginal Land Councils have an opportunity to partner with renewable developers and build solar, wind or transmission lines on their own land.
Such projects can offer jobs during construction and a smaller number of ongoing positions, as well as annual payments. This is why farmers and other landholders often look to renewable projects as a reliable source of income.
To date, the 447 square kilometres of the state owned by Aboriginal Land Councils has not been actively used in the energy transition. As a result, First Nations involvement in the transition has been limited and the renewables boom has not flowed to these communities.
Making this opportunity a reality will require collaboration with governments, electricity networks and industry, as well as policy support.
The role of land councils
In NSW, land councils have been operating since 1983, the year the state government passed laws recognising Aboriginal land rights. About a third of Australia’s First Nations people live in NSW.
Land councils have a statutory responsibility “to improve, protect and foster the best interests of all Aboriginal persons within the Council’s area and other persons who are members of the Council”. These councils manage their land to protect culture and heritage.
Generating wealth through the development of Aboriginal land is a key objective of Aboriginal land rights in NSW.
Aboriginal goals in the energy transition
Following analysis of the land potentially available to renewable energy projects, our research moved on to exploring what Aboriginal land councils want from the energy transition.
We ran workshops with three land councils: Tibooburra in the far northwest, Hay in the southwest and Brewarrina in the northwest of the state. Each had expressed interest in renewable developments and concern around exposure to extreme weather events.
In these workshops, land council members told us about their priorities for energy.
Reliable energy was a major concern for Tibooburra, far from the main electricity grid.
For Brewarrina on the Barwon River, energy security in the face of heatwaves and floods was front of mind. High energy bills in housing ill-equipped for extreme weather was another big issue.
Members of Hay land council told us they wanted ownership and equity share in renewable energy projects. Their goal was to create opportunities to live, work and care for Country.
The Hay Local Aboriginal Land Council (brown) is found in the South-West Renewable Energy Zone, while Tibooburra (green) and Brewarrina (orange) land councils are more remote. Norman, H., et al. (2025) APPI Policy Insights Paper, CC BY-NC-SA
Renewable energy, First Nations land
Aboriginal land councils own and manage about 450 square km of land in NSW. Resolving outstanding land claims would further expand the estate.
Our analysis reveals current land holdings could host up to 11 gigawatts of solar or 1.6 gigawatts of onshore wind energy projects.
But several barriers stand in the way. There are long delays in the processing of Aboriginal land claims and the return of vacant Crown Land. This limits options for land councils to contribute to renewable energy development.
Realising opportunities in the energy transition
Our case studies demonstrate the potential for Aboriginal land to support the state government’s renewable energy efforts. This can also bring economic and social benefits to Aboriginal communities. But the opportunities will vary from place to place.
In areas at the edge of the grid, such as Tibooburra and Brewarrina, Aboriginal land could help meet regional energy demand through small to mid-scale wind and solar projects, microgrids and batteries.
Hay Local Aboriginal Land Council, on the other hand, is in the South-West Renewable Energy Zone. This is an area where new renewable energy projects, storage facilities and high-voltage transmission lines are already being constructed. Land under claim here holds huge economic potential for both mid-scale renewable energy (solar installations feeding into the local electricity network) and large-scale renewable energy projects.
Unlocking the power of renewable energy zones (NSW EnergyCo)
How can authorities support land councils?
At present, local Aboriginal Land Councils need expertise and resources to turn this opportunity into reality.
Our report identified four broad areas for policy reform:
Build capacity for land councils to manage clean energy opportunities and risks on their landholdings. This could include establishing a dedicated government team to support interested land councils, and funding land councils to engage expertise and develop renewable energy projects.
Enable collaboration between electricity network distributors and land councils to set up microgrids. One case study, Tibooburra Local Aboriginal Land Council had land suitable for a microgrid and battery to support the energy provider. But early-stage support is needed to develop such projects.
Pilot programs to develop mid- and large-scale renewable energy projects on land council holdings. A partnership between lands councils and planning authorities could demonstrate a model for arranging approval processes. Programs by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency have proven successful in the past. We recommend funding these organisations to run a program for land council-developer partnerships in large-scale renewables.
Strengthen recognition of Aboriginal rights to unlock the renewable energy potential of Aboriginal land. This could include expediting land claims and land transfers and providing incentives for cooperation between land councils and Traditional Owners.
The next five years will be crucial for NSW’s renewable energy transition. Getting the foundations right now could empower Aboriginal landholders and their regional communities to get the most out of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Heidi Norman receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Public Policy Institute, Boundless and the NSW Government.
Saori Miyake receives funding from Australian Public Policy Institute and Boundless for this project.
Sarah Niklas receives funding from the Australian Public Policy Institute and Boundless for this project.
Therese Apolonio receives funding from Australian Public Policy Institute, Boundless and the NSW Government.
The financialisation of household savings in India has gained significant momentum, with the share of equities in household savings rising from 2.5 per cent in FY20 to 5.1 per cent in FY24, according to an SBI Research report released on Monday.
The report noted that the Indian credit market is witnessing structural shifts, with headline bank credit growth figures potentially masking underlying trends. It added that, going forward, the sources of credit origination through bank deposits—primarily household savings—need to be closely monitored.
According to the report, public sector banks (PSBs) are expected to show stable growth of 12.2 per cent in FY25, compared to a growth rate of 13.6 per cent in FY24.
However, PSBs’ share in incremental credit has increased significantly, rising to 56.9 per cent in FY25 from 20 per cent in FY18.
“The government’s 4R strategy—recognition, resolution, recapitalisation, and reforms—has reaped rich dividends. The asset quality in the banking system is now at a record low of 2.6 per cent in H1 FY25, down from 11.5 per cent in FY18,” the report stated.
After 14 years of decline, PSBs’ share in outstanding credit has improved to 52.3 per cent in FY25, up from 51.8 per cent in FY24 and down from 75.1 per cent in FY10.
Sectoral credit growth indicates that lending to various sectors has moderated, driven by a slowdown in credit to the services sector and agriculture and allied activities.
The share of personal loans in incremental credit growth has declined to 37 per cent in FY25 from 43 per cent in FY24, while the industry’s share has increased to 17 per cent in FY25 from 11 per cent in FY24.
“The X factor in credit growth is credit to the MSME sector, which has risen by 17.8 per cent year-on-year,” said Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India.
“Interestingly, MSMEs depend greatly on large corporates through backward integration (and at times, forward integration). Hence, MSME activity levels could be a useful gauge of overall corporate activity, with all financing channels—banks and non-banks—embedded holistically,” he noted.
Moreover, private credit deals totalled Rs 774 billion in FY24, marking a 7 per cent growth over CY23. This growth is helping meet the diverse financing needs of India Inc. through tailored solutions, primarily via Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), while the issuance of Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) also remains prevalent.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defended his democratic socialism on Sunday and argued that his focus on economic issues should serve as a model for the party, even though some top Democrats have been reluctant to embrace him.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mamdani said his agenda of raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and on corporations to pay for ambitious policies such as free buses, a $30 minimum hourly wage and a rent freeze was not only realistic but tailored to meet the needs of the city’s working residents.
“It’s the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and yet one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty, and the rest are seemingly trapped in a state of anxiety,” he told NBC’s Kristen Welker.
Mamdani’s stunning victory over former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in Tuesday’s primary election has some party figures worried that his democratic socialism could feed Republican attacks on Democrats as too far left ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Business leaders have also expressed concern about his policies.
Democrats have struggled to find a coherent message after their resounding loss in the November elections that saw President Donald Trump return to the White House and his Republicans win control of both chambers of Congress. A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showed that a majority of American Democrats believed their party needs new leadership and to be more focused on economic issues.
Earlier on Sunday, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents part of the city, told ABC’s “This Week” that he wasn’t ready to endorse Mamdani yet, saying that he needed to hear more about Mamdani’s vision.
Other prominent New York Democrats, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have also thus far declined to endorse Mamdani.
Trump, himself a native New Yorker, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” that if Mamdani wins the mayoral race, “he’d better do the right thing” or Trump would withhold federal funds from the city.
“He’s a communist. I think it’s very bad for New York,” Trump said.
Asked about Trump’s claim that he is a communist, Mamdani told NBC it was not true and accused the president of attempting to distract from the fact that “I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed.”
He also voiced no concern that Jeffries and other Democrats have not yet endorsed his candidacy.
“I think that people are catching up to this election,” he said. “What we’re showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic Party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we’re facing authoritarianism in Washington, D.C.”
Mamdani’s criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza has set him apart from many mainstream Democrats and prompted allegations of antisemitism, which he has fiercely denied. Earlier this month, during an appearance on the political podcast The Bulwark, Mamdani declined to condemn the pro-Palestinian phrase “globalize the intifada,” which some Jews view as antisemitic and a call to violence.
Jeffries told ABC that Mamdani needed to “clarify his position” on the phrase to reassure Jewish New Yorkers.
Pressed again on Sunday, Mamdani said it was “not language that I use” but again did not condemn it. He said he did not want to determine for others what words are permissible or impermissible, arguing that Trump has done that by targeting pro-Palestinian activists for their speech.
“We have to root out that bigotry, and ultimately we do that through the actions,” he said.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, elected as a Democrat, is running as an independent in November’s election after Trump’s Justice Department dropped corruption charges against him, fueling accusations of a quid pro quo that he has denied. The Republican nominee is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and lawyer Jim Walden is also running as an independent.
Cuomo has not yet decided whether to remain in the race as an independent.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defended his democratic socialism on Sunday and argued that his focus on economic issues should serve as a model for the party, even though some top Democrats have been reluctant to embrace him.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mamdani said his agenda of raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and on corporations to pay for ambitious policies such as free buses, a $30 minimum hourly wage and a rent freeze was not only realistic but tailored to meet the needs of the city’s working residents.
“It’s the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and yet one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty, and the rest are seemingly trapped in a state of anxiety,” he told NBC’s Kristen Welker.
Mamdani’s stunning victory over former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in Tuesday’s primary election has some party figures worried that his democratic socialism could feed Republican attacks on Democrats as too far left ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Business leaders have also expressed concern about his policies.
Democrats have struggled to find a coherent message after their resounding loss in the November elections that saw President Donald Trump return to the White House and his Republicans win control of both chambers of Congress. A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showed that a majority of American Democrats believed their party needs new leadership and to be more focused on economic issues.
Earlier on Sunday, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents part of the city, told ABC’s “This Week” that he wasn’t ready to endorse Mamdani yet, saying that he needed to hear more about Mamdani’s vision.
Other prominent New York Democrats, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have also thus far declined to endorse Mamdani.
Trump, himself a native New Yorker, told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” that if Mamdani wins the mayoral race, “he’d better do the right thing” or Trump would withhold federal funds from the city.
“He’s a communist. I think it’s very bad for New York,” Trump said.
Asked about Trump’s claim that he is a communist, Mamdani told NBC it was not true and accused the president of attempting to distract from the fact that “I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed.”
He also voiced no concern that Jeffries and other Democrats have not yet endorsed his candidacy.
“I think that people are catching up to this election,” he said. “What we’re showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic Party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we’re facing authoritarianism in Washington, D.C.”
Mamdani’s criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza has set him apart from many mainstream Democrats and prompted allegations of antisemitism, which he has fiercely denied. Earlier this month, during an appearance on the political podcast The Bulwark, Mamdani declined to condemn the pro-Palestinian phrase “globalize the intifada,” which some Jews view as antisemitic and a call to violence.
Jeffries told ABC that Mamdani needed to “clarify his position” on the phrase to reassure Jewish New Yorkers.
Pressed again on Sunday, Mamdani said it was “not language that I use” but again did not condemn it. He said he did not want to determine for others what words are permissible or impermissible, arguing that Trump has done that by targeting pro-Palestinian activists for their speech.
“We have to root out that bigotry, and ultimately we do that through the actions,” he said.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, elected as a Democrat, is running as an independent in November’s election after Trump’s Justice Department dropped corruption charges against him, fueling accusations of a quid pro quo that he has denied. The Republican nominee is Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, and lawyer Jim Walden is also running as an independent.
Cuomo has not yet decided whether to remain in the race as an independent.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
On June 26, the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after B.N. Yeltsin was held in Bishkek. Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University took part in it. The Council, formed in the spring of 2025, is called upon to promote the development of KRSU. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Chairman of the State Committee for National Security Kamchybek Tashiev, who was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of KRSU.
In his speech, he emphasized the strategic importance of the university for training highly qualified personnel who will contribute to the development of Kyrgyzstan.
KRSU is the flagship of higher education in our country. We must pay special attention to the quality of students’ training, because they will be the ones who will manage various sectors of the economy and state institutions in the future, Kamchybek Tashiev noted.
The Board of Trustees includes 16 representatives of government agencies, academic, public and commercial organizations, industrial enterprises of Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Among the Russian members of the Board of Trustees of KRSU are the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on Education, Chairman of the Council of ANO “Eurasia” Alena Arshinova, Managing Director for New Technologies and Projects of the Rostec State Corporation Maxim Nagaitsev, Rector of the St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University Dmitry Ivanov, Director of JSC “Petersburg Tractor Plant” Sergey Serebryakov. The Polytechnic University was represented by the Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy. All members of the Board of Trustees of KRSU were unanimous in their assessment of the importance of creating a single educational space of Russia and Kyrgyzstan and the flagship role of KRSU in this integration process.
The key topic of discussion was the KRSU development strategy until 2030 and the long-term vision until 2040. Acting Rector of the University Sergey Volkov presented a plan for the transformation of the university, including the creation of engineering and technical, biomedical and socio-humanitarian clusters. Particular attention is paid to the training of specialists in the field of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and nuclear medicine. SPbPU, as a curator university, will assist in updating educational programs and developing a research base.
An important event was the approval of the project for the construction of a new campus of KRSU for 15,000 students. A land plot of 30 hectares has already been allocated near the state residence “Ala-Archa”. The construction is financed by the Russian Federation, and the design will begin immediately after the signing of the intergovernmental agreement.
Another initiative was the creation of the KRSU Endowment Fund, the first in the Kyrgyz Republic. The fund will accumulate donations and direct investment income to support students, scientific grants and infrastructure development. Members of the board of trustees, including representatives of Gazprom and Rostec, expressed their willingness to participate in its formation.
The meeting raised issues of combating corruption in universities, expanding the network of regional colleges of KRSU and developing bilingual education programs. Kamchybek Tashiev called for strengthening efforts to preserve the Russian language in the educational space of Kyrgyzstan.
The Russian language is not only a communication tool, but also a key to advanced knowledge. We must resist attempts to displace it, he stressed.
The meeting ended with agreements on further cooperation. Russian universities, including SPbPU, will provide expert and methodological support to KRSU, and industrial partners will assist in the employment of graduates.
I am confident that the combined efforts will allow KRSU to become not only the leading university in Kyrgyzstan, but also one of the leaders in education in Central Asia, summed up Igor Maslov, Head of the Russian Presidential Administration for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries.
On June 27, a meeting of the Governing Council of KRSU was held. It was chaired by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky. At the meeting, Sergey Volkov was unanimously elected as the rector of KRSU for 5 years. The Polytechnic University congratulates Sergey Volkov on his appointment to the position and wishes him success in implementing the ambitious development tasks of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University.
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NAIROBI, Kenya – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that millions of Sudanese refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries risk plunging deeper into hunger and malnutrition as critical funding shortages force drastic cuts to life saving food assistance.
Since conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, more than 4 million people have fled to neighbouring countries in search of food, shelter and safety – with families often arriving traumatised, malnourished, and with little more than the clothes on their backs.
WFP quickly mobilized to provide emergency assistance to refugees escaping to seven neighbouring countries. Food and cash, hot meals, and nutrition support have been provided in the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda. The agency also expanded support to host communities who have generously welcomed refugees, despite often grappling with their own food insecurity needs.
However, continued food assistance is quickly exceeding available funding. WFP’s support to Sudanese refugees in CAR, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya may grind to a halt in the coming months as resources run dry. In Uganda, many vulnerable refugees are surviving on less than 500 calories a day – less than a quarter of daily nutritional needs – as new arrivals push refugee support systems to the breaking point. And in Chad, which hosts almost a quarter of the four million refugees who fled Sudan, food rations will be reduced in the coming months unless new contributions are received soon.
“This is a full-blown regional crisis that’s playing out in countries that already have extreme levels of food insecurity and high levels of conflict,” said Shaun Hughes, WFP’s Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Regional Crisis. “Millions of people who have fled Sudan depend wholly on support from WFP, but without additional funding we will be forced to make further cuts to food assistance. This will leave vulnerable families, and particularly children, at increasingly severe risk of hunger and malnutrition.”
Children are particularly vulnerable to sustained periods of food insecurity. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates among refugee children in reception centres in Uganda and South Sudan have already breached emergency thresholds as refugees are severely malnourished even before arriving in bordering countries to receive emergency assistance.
Inside Sudan, WFP has worked to scale up assistance to reach over 4 million people per month – four times more than at the beginning of 2024. Vital support to new refugees in neighbouring countries was also expanded; in Chad, WFP quadrupled warehouse capacity and expanded food pipelines to support the influx of refugees crossing from Darfur and to sustain cross-border operations into Sudan. In Egypt and South Sudan, WFP scaled up cash assistance after the civil conflict began in 2023, enrolling eligible Sudanese families within hours of arrival to provide immediate support.
“Refugees from Sudan are fleeing for their lives and yet are being met with more hunger, despair, and limited resources on the other side of the border,” said Hughes. “Food assistance is a lifeline for vulnerable refugee families with nowhere else to turn.”
WFP is urging the international community to mobilise additional resources to sustain food and nutrition assistance for Sudan’s refugees and the host communities supporting them.
WFP needs just over US$200 million to sustain its emergency response for Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries for the next 6 months. An additional $575 million is needed for life-saving operations for the most vulnerable inside Sudan.
“Ultimately, humanitarian support alone will not put an end to conflict and forced displacement –political and global diplomatic action is what’s urgently needed to end the fighting so that peace and stability can return,” said Hughes.
Notes to editors:
Package of high-resolution photos is available here.
Countries hosting refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan:
Central Africa Republic: WFP is supporting over 25,000 refugees and returnees who have fled the conflict in Sudan. Sudanese refugees receive full rations while CAR citizens returning due to the fighting receive a 75 percent food ration. WFP requires US$4 million to maintain support through October, and will be forced to stop all support for refugees from August unless additional funds are received.
Chad: Chad hosts one of the largest and fastest growing refugee populations in Africa with nearly 1.4 million refugees. The country is experiencing enormous pressure on already limited resources as 860,000 refugees and 274,000 returnees have arrived since the Sudan crisis began more than two years ago. Around 1,000 refugees continue to arrive daily into Chad, mostly from North Darfur, numbers similar to the high rates seen at the beginning of the Sudan crisis. WFP aims to support more than 1.2 million Sudanese refugees, returnees, and families in host communities in 2025. If no further funding is confirmed, food assistance will be reduced in the coming months. WFP needs US$77 million for its Sudanese refugee response for the next six months (June – November 2025).
Egypt: Around 1.5 million Sudanese affected by the crisis have arrived in Egypt since the conflict began two years ago, making it the largest host country for arrivals from Sudan, followed by South Sudan. In April, WFP was forced to reduce the number of Sudanese refugees, and refugees of other nationalities receiving food assistance (through cash-based transfers) from 235,000 to 200,000 people. This amounts to a 15 percent cut due to reduced funding. The amount of food refugees receive was also cut by 33 percent.
Another reduction in beneficiaries, from 200,000 to 170,000 people, followed in May 2025 – also due to funding constraints. In June, WFP had to further reduce the number of assisted beneficiaries to 150,000. If no additional funding is received, WFP will be forced to halt critical humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable people in August 2025. The total funding requirements until end of 2025 are US$20 million.
Ethiopia: WFP currently supports more than 800,000 refugees with cash and in-kind food assistance at 50 percent rations: 100,000 are Sudanese refugees, of which 20,000 are new arrivals in Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz region, where they receive full rations. WFP requires $18 million to support Sudanese refugees for the next 6 months (June to November) – and a total of US$40 million to continue supporting all refugees at half rations through December.
Libya: WFP is providing monthly food assistance and nutrition support to 50,000 refugees, most of whom have fled Sudan since the start of the war in 2023. This is a fraction of the estimated 313,000 Sudanese refugees who have arrived in Libya in the last two years, a figure that UNHCR forecasts could reach 650,000 by the end of 2025. However, WFP does not have the funds to expand beyond its current caseload, and will be forced to end all assistance by the end of July without additional funding. WFP requires $5 million to continue its support from July to November 2025.
Uganda: Uganda is home to 1.9 million refugees, including 81,000 from Sudan. WFP supports over 660,000 refugees overall, down from 1.6 million supported by WFP in April with hot meals, food assistance, nutrition and livelihood programmes to boost self-reliance. Since March, refugees classified as moderately vulnerable are receiving just 22 percent rations. WFP requires $6 million to support Sudanese refugees for the next 6 months (June to November) – and a total of US$50 million to provide all refugees with full rations through 2025.
South Sudan: WFP has assisted 1 million of the 1.16 million new arrivals to South Sudan since the conflict began, of whom 365,000 are Sudanese refugees and the remainder South Sudanese returnees. New arrivals are supported with hot meals, food and cash assistance, and nutrition support immediately after they cross the border. Influxes over the past two years have brought the total number of refugees in South Sudan to more than half a million. Funding shortfalls mean assistance to refugees is being prioritised based on vulnerability. New arrivals who continue onward to established refugee camps receive monthly food assistance at 50 percent rations due to a combination of funding shortfalls and high levels of need within the camps and host communities. WFP also provides nutrition and school meals programmes in refugee camps. WFP faces a US$71 million shortfall for the Sudan refugee response (June – November).
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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.
