Source: Government of Sweden
The Government has decided to provide SEK 20 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) nuclear safety and security missions in Ukraine in 2025. Support to the IAEA’s work aligns with the Government’s overarching goal of supporting Ukraine in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Kyiv, July 15 /Xinhua/ — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram on Tuesday night that he had telephone conversations with US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to V. Zelensky, during the conversation with the head of the White House, issues such as strengthening the air defense system of Ukraine, etc. were raised.
The parties also agreed to call each other more often and continue to coordinate their steps.
During the conversation with M. Rutte, V. Zelensky thanked the allies for their willingness to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems. According to him, the United States, Germany and Norway are working together on this issue.
Separately, the NATO Secretary General informed V. Zelensky about the details of his talks with D. Trump and cooperation between Europe and the United States to increase support for Ukraine. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Municipality Finance Plc
Stock exchange release
15 July 2025 at 10:00 am (EEST)
Municipality Finance issues a NOK 250 million tap under its MTN programme
On 16 July 2025 Municipality Finance Plc issues a new tranche in an amount of NOK 250 million to an existing series of notes issued on 6 June 2025. With the new tranche, the aggregate nominal amount of the notes is NOK 2.250 billion. The maturity date of the notes is 6 January 2031. The notes bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.125 % per annum.
The new tranche is issued under MuniFin’s EUR 50 billion programme for the issuance of debt instruments. The offering circular, the supplemental offering circular and final terms of the notes are available in English on the company’s website at https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/for-investors.
MuniFin has applied for the new tranche to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 16 July 2025. The existing notes in the series are admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
J.P.Morgan SE acts as the Dealer for the issue of the new tranche.
MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC
Further information:
Joakim Holmström
Executive Vice President, Capital Markets and Sustainability
tel. +358 50 444 3638
MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The owners of the company include Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the State of Finland.
The Group’s balance sheet is over EUR 53 billion.
MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. Our customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, joint county authorities, corporate entities under the control of the above-mentioned organisations, and affordable social housing. Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.
MuniFin’s customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.
Read more: https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/
Important Information
The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into any such country or jurisdiction or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities or other financial instruments in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Tuesday, 15 July 2025 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey – CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or the “Company“) (Nasdaq Stockholm Market: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), a global investment firm specialising in digital assets, today announces an amendment to the Company’s financial calendar published on its website, https://coinshares.com.
In addition to the quarterly earnings reports the Company has released since 2021, CoinShares has also historically elected to engage its auditors to provide an interim review opinion. While this was performed as part of the Q3 earnings during 2023 and 2024, it has been determined that the Company will now perform this review at the halfway point of the year. As such, the release date for the Q2 earnings as per the Company’s website has been amended from 19 August 2025 to 29 August 2025.
This is to allow sufficient time for the requisite work to be performed by the Group’s auditors for provision of the review opinion.
About CoinShares
CoinShares is a leading global investment company specialising in digital assets, that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment management, trading and securities to a wide array of clients that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Focusing on crypto since 2013, the firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, and in the US by the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Futures Association and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF.
For more information on CoinShares, please visit: https://coinshares.com
Company | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com
Investor Relations | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
U.S. President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday, and threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports unless Russia agrees a peace deal, a major policy shift brought on by frustration with Moscow’s ongoing attacks on its neighbour.
But Trump’s threat of sanctions came with a 50-day grace period, a move that was welcomed by investors in Russia where the rouble recovered from earlier losses and stock markets rose.
Sitting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin and that billions of dollars of U.S. weapons would go to Ukraine.
“We’re going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll be sent to NATO,” Trump said, adding that Washington’s NATO allies would pay for them.
The weapons would include Patriot air defence missiles Ukraine has urgently sought, he said.
“It’s a full complement with the batteries,” Trump said. “We’re going to have some come very soon, within days.”
“We have one country that has 17 Patriots getting ready to be shipped … we’re going to work a deal where the 17 will go or a big portion of the 17 will go to the war site.”
Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada all wanted to be a part of rearming Ukraine.
Trump’s threat to impose so-called secondary sanctions on Russia, if carried out, would be a major shift in Western sanctions policy. Lawmakers from both U.S. political parties are pushing for a bill that would authorise such measures, targeting other countries that buy Russian oil.
Throughout the more than three-year-old war, Western countries have cut most of their own financial ties to Moscow, but have held back from taking steps that would restrict Russia from selling its oil elsewhere. That has allowed Moscow to continue earning hundreds of billions of dollars from shipping oil to buyers such as China and India.
“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs,” Trump said. “If we don’t have a deal in 50 days, it’s very simple, and they’ll be at 100%.”
A White House official said Trump was referring to 100% tariffs on Russian goods as well as secondary sanctions on other countries that buy its exports. Eighty-five of the 100 U.S. senators are co-sponsoring a bill that would give Trump the authority to impose 500% tariffs on any country that helps Russia, but the chamber’s Republican leaders have been waiting for Trump to give them the go-ahead for a vote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram he had spoken to Trump and “thanked him for his readiness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.”
Zelenskiy held talks with Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg on Monday.
In Kyiv, people welcomed Trump’s announcement but some were cautious about his intentions.
“I am pleased that finally European politicians, with their patience and convictions, have slightly swayed him (Trump) to our side, because from the very beginning it was clear that he did not really want to help us,” said Denys Podilchuk, a 39-year-old dentist in Kyiv.
GRACE PERIOD
Artyom Nikolayev, an analyst from financial information firm Invest Era, said Trump did not go as far as Russian markets had feared.
“Trump performed below market expectations. He gave 50 days during which the Russian leadership can come up with something and extend the negotiation track. Moreover, Trump likes to postpone and extend such deadlines,” he said.
Asked about Trump’s remarks, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said an immediate ceasefire was needed to pave the way for a political solution and “whatever can contribute to these objectives will, of course, be important if it is done in line with international law.”
Since returning to the White House promising a quick end to the war, Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow, speaking several times with Putin. His administration has pulled back from pro-Ukrainian policies such as backing Kyiv’s membership in NATO and demanding Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory.
But Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities.
Trump said his shift was motivated by frustration with Putin.
“We actually had probably four times a deal. And then the deal wouldn’t happen because bombs would be thrown out that night and you’d say we’re not making any deals,” he said.
Last week he said, “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.”
Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and holds about one-fifth of Ukraine. Its forces are slowly advancing in eastern Ukraine and Moscow shows no sign of abandoning its main war goals.
Evelyn Farkas, a former senior Pentagon official who is now executive director of the McCain Institute, said Trump’s moves could eventually turn the tide of the war if Trump ratchets up enforcement of current sanctions, adds new ones and provides new equipment quickly.
“If Putin’s ministers and generals can be convinced that the war is not winnable they may be willing to push Putin to negotiate, if nothing else but to buy time,” said Farkas.
(Reuters)
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday held a phone talk with U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a post on X, Zelensky said that the discussion with Trump touched on the solutions needed to better protect Ukrainians from Russian attacks and to strengthen Ukraine’s positions.
“We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace,” he said.
Zelensky said Trump shared details of his recent meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Zelensky had a phone call with the NATO chief the same day, during which Rutte outlined the details of U.S.-European cooperation to sustain and strengthen support for Ukraine.
The United States, Germany and Norway are working jointly to provide additional Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, Zelensky said.
Earlier in the day, Trump announced an agreement with NATO regarding weapons to assist Ukraine while meeting Rutte in Washington, D.C.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Government has adopted a new ordinance that enables development assistance funding in conjunction with export credits and export credit guarantees for the implementation of socially beneficial development promotion projects in low- and lower middle-income countries. The new financial instrument enables projects that benefit sustainable development in low- and lower middle-income countries that would not be possible on commercial grounds. In parallel to this, Swedish companies will contribute with their products and expertise in implementation.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Government has adopted a new ordinance that enables development assistance funding in conjunction with export credits and export credit guarantees for the implementation of socially beneficial development promotion projects in low- and lower middle-income countries. The new financial instrument enables projects that benefit sustainable development in low- and lower middle-income countries that would not be possible on commercial grounds. In parallel to this, Swedish companies will contribute with their products and expertise in implementation.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has entered into two agreements with ammunition manufacturers Nammo and Rheinmetall Denel Munition. The orders include a substantial amount of artillery shells and represent the largest investment in artillery ammunition in Sweden since the 1980s.
Source: Government of Sweden
Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 10–11 July to attend a memorial ceremony marking the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. Thirty years have passed since the genocide and the subsequent conclusion of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which brought the war to an end.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
New York City, NY, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Remittix (RTX) has attracted much attention from many investors, especially in the cross-border payment market. It is hailed as the most worthwhile cryptocurrency to buy at present.
In response, LET Mining, the world’s leading intelligent cloud mining platform, launched a new mining service program that can use XRP to pay for the start-up plan, bringing a new and efficient “passive income” path to XRP holders.
For a long time, many investors have chosen to “hold coins for appreciation”, storing XRP in their wallets and waiting for the market to rise. However, this method has unstable income and cannot generate income during price sideways or adjustment periods.
LET Mining launches XRP cloud mining service plan
LET Mining’s new plan supports users to use XRP to remotely start computing power contracts and participate in the mining process of mainstream currencies such as BTC and DOGE. The advantages include:
○ XRP direct charging mining: no need to exchange other currencies, more convenient operation
○ Daily automatic settlement: income is credited in real time, support withdrawal or reinvestment at any time
○ Green energy mine: deployed in low-carbon areas such as Iceland and Switzerland, environmental protection compliance
○ Mobile terminal support: App operation is simple, control mining progress anytime, anywhere
How to quickly use XRP to start cloud computing service with one click
1. Register an account
Visit the LET Mining official website: https://letmining.com/, quickly register an account, and register new users to get a $12 registration reward.
2. Top up XRP
Select “XRP Top up” in the account, the system will generate an XRP wallet address, copy the address and transfer it from the exchange or personal wallet. (50XRP is enough to participate, the target label is the date of each day, for example: 20250714)
3. Choose a contract plan
The platform provides a variety of cloud mining contracts, including short-term stable, long-term compound interest and high-yield types, which can be freely selected.
●Experience Contract: Investment amount: $100, contract period: 2 days, daily income of $4, expiration income: $100 + $8
●BTC Classic Hash Power: Investment amount: $500, contract period: 5 days, daily income of $6, expiration income: $500 + $30
●BTC Classic Hash Power: Investment amount: $1,800, contract period: 12 days, daily income of $23.76, expiration income: $1,800 + $285.12
●BTC Advanced Hash Power: Investment amount: $5,000, contract period: 29 days, daily income of $76.5, expiration income: $5,000 + $2,218.5
●BTC Advanced Hash Power: Investment amount: $10,000, contract period: 43 days, daily income of $174, expiration income: $10,000 + $7,482
(Click here to view more high-yield contract details)
4. Start earning income
After the contract is activated, the system will distribute mining income in proportion every day, and can be withdrawn to the XRP wallet address at any time, truly realizing “holding coins to make money” and easily enjoying digital passive income.
Why is XRP so popular now?
Recently, as Ripple has made key progress in the compliance process, XRP has been re-incorporated into mainstream trading platforms in many countries and regions, further consolidating its market position. At the same time, the overall crypto market has gradually recovered, and institutions and retail investors have returned, pushing XRP to become an important part of the future mainstream asset allocation.
And LET Mining’s new strategy-users can use XRP to directly start cloud mining contracts to achieve stable daily income, and assets can increase steadily regardless of market fluctuations.
As the XRP ecosystem continues to expand and favorable policies emerge frequently, LET Mining’s smart cloud mining solution provides a risk-free and efficient asset appreciation channel for coin holders. Join LET Mining now and let your XRP no longer just be held, but create value every day!
Official website: https://letmining.com/
Contact email: info@letmining.com
Attachment
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
New York City, NY, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Remittix (RTX) has attracted much attention from many investors, especially in the cross-border payment market. It is hailed as the most worthwhile cryptocurrency to buy at present.
In response, LET Mining, the world’s leading intelligent cloud mining platform, launched a new mining service program that can use XRP to pay for the start-up plan, bringing a new and efficient “passive income” path to XRP holders.
For a long time, many investors have chosen to “hold coins for appreciation”, storing XRP in their wallets and waiting for the market to rise. However, this method has unstable income and cannot generate income during price sideways or adjustment periods.
LET Mining launches XRP cloud mining service plan
LET Mining’s new plan supports users to use XRP to remotely start computing power contracts and participate in the mining process of mainstream currencies such as BTC and DOGE. The advantages include:
○ XRP direct charging mining: no need to exchange other currencies, more convenient operation
○ Daily automatic settlement: income is credited in real time, support withdrawal or reinvestment at any time
○ Green energy mine: deployed in low-carbon areas such as Iceland and Switzerland, environmental protection compliance
○ Mobile terminal support: App operation is simple, control mining progress anytime, anywhere
How to quickly use XRP to start cloud computing service with one click
1. Register an account
Visit the LET Mining official website: https://letmining.com/, quickly register an account, and register new users to get a $12 registration reward.
2. Top up XRP
Select “XRP Top up” in the account, the system will generate an XRP wallet address, copy the address and transfer it from the exchange or personal wallet. (50XRP is enough to participate, the target label is the date of each day, for example: 20250714)
3. Choose a contract plan
The platform provides a variety of cloud mining contracts, including short-term stable, long-term compound interest and high-yield types, which can be freely selected.
●Experience Contract: Investment amount: $100, contract period: 2 days, daily income of $4, expiration income: $100 + $8
●BTC Classic Hash Power: Investment amount: $500, contract period: 5 days, daily income of $6, expiration income: $500 + $30
●BTC Classic Hash Power: Investment amount: $1,800, contract period: 12 days, daily income of $23.76, expiration income: $1,800 + $285.12
●BTC Advanced Hash Power: Investment amount: $5,000, contract period: 29 days, daily income of $76.5, expiration income: $5,000 + $2,218.5
●BTC Advanced Hash Power: Investment amount: $10,000, contract period: 43 days, daily income of $174, expiration income: $10,000 + $7,482
(Click here to view more high-yield contract details)
4. Start earning income
After the contract is activated, the system will distribute mining income in proportion every day, and can be withdrawn to the XRP wallet address at any time, truly realizing “holding coins to make money” and easily enjoying digital passive income.
Why is XRP so popular now?
Recently, as Ripple has made key progress in the compliance process, XRP has been re-incorporated into mainstream trading platforms in many countries and regions, further consolidating its market position. At the same time, the overall crypto market has gradually recovered, and institutions and retail investors have returned, pushing XRP to become an important part of the future mainstream asset allocation.
And LET Mining’s new strategy-users can use XRP to directly start cloud mining contracts to achieve stable daily income, and assets can increase steadily regardless of market fluctuations.
As the XRP ecosystem continues to expand and favorable policies emerge frequently, LET Mining’s smart cloud mining solution provides a risk-free and efficient asset appreciation channel for coin holders. Join LET Mining now and let your XRP no longer just be held, but create value every day!
Official website: https://letmining.com/
Contact email: info@letmining.com
Attachment
Source: United Nations 2
The violence erupted two days after a Druze merchant was abducted on the highway to Damascus.
The incident marks the latest episode of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where fears among minority groups have surged since Islamist rebels toppled former dictator Bashar al-Assad in December and installed a new caretaker Government, which is gaining increasing international recognition.
Those targeted include the Druze sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam.
On Monday, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, expressed “deep concern” over these reports and urged authorities and stakeholders to “take immediate steps to protect civilians, restore calm and prevent incitement.”
She also underscored the need for inclusion, trust-building and meaningful dialogue to advance a credible and inclusive political transition in Syria.
The UN human rights chief spoke at a high-level political forum on the rights of Indigenous Peoples on Monday.
Underscoring how crucial such forums are to advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Volker Türk highlighted developments in Colombia, Finland and Guatemala that have given them more self-determination.
But despite these advances, violations against Indigenous Peoples’ rights continue.
Many still lack formal land recognition, while mining activity, deforestation and large-scale agricultural development often cause environmental destruction.
Indigenous Peoples also experience immense discrimination and face the brunt of climate chaos, Mr. Türk stressed.
Furthermore, data from the human rights office reveals that 26 per cent of rights activists killed in 2023 and 2024 were Indigenous, largely in the Americas.
Additionally, states are using AI in ways that harm Indigenous Peoples through surveillance, data exploitation and exclusion from decision-making. Türk thus called for human rights-based approaches that uphold Indigenous data sovereignty and self-determination.
The High Commissioner also called for future policies on climate, digital technologies and other areas to “reflect the wisdom and experience of Indigenous Peoples.”
“This is not only essential to respect and fulfil the human rights of Indigenous Peoples,” he concluded. “There is growing recognition that the ideas and approaches of Indigenous Peoples hold important lessons for all of us.”
The UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday, welcomed the adoption by consensus of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Information and Communication Technologies.
It was established in 2020 with a five-year mandate to promote regular institutional dialogue and initiatives focused on keeping digital technologies safe and secure.
The Secretary-General welcomed the Final Report of 10 July, which summed up the past five years of negotiations, said a statement issued by his Spokesperson.
It reflects shared views on current and emerging threats, responsible government policies, international law, norms and efforts such as confidence-building and capacity development.
It also establishes a permanent mechanism to continue discussions about responsible State behaviour in the use of information and communications technologies, which the Secretary General particularly appreciated.
“The Secretary-General now calls upon all States to work together through the Global Mechanism to tackle digital risks and ensure these technologies are leveraged for good,” the statement said.
The Secretary General congratulated the group on its accomplishments, saying the consensus adoption “demonstrates that even in the most challenging international security environment, collective action is still possible.”
Source: United States Navy
PORTLAND PORT, England – Exercise Sea Breeze 25-2 officially concluded following two weeks of multinational mine countermeasure operations in the waters off the United Kingdom’s southern coast July 11, 2025.
Exercise Sea Breeze 25-2 officially concluded following two weeks of multinational mine countermeasure operations in the waters off the United Kingdom’s southern coast July 11, 2025. Naval forces from 14 nations, including NATO allies and partners, demonstrated coordination and enhanced interoperability in a dynamic maritime environment.
From June 30 to July 11, participating forces from Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States conducted joint mine hunting operations, dive and salvage missions, explosive ordnance disposal, and the deployment of cutting-edge robotic and autonomous systems (RAS).
The culminating demonstration showcased a unified application of these capabilities, reinforcing the collective strength and cohesion of participating nations in high-intensity, multi-domain scenarios.
“The U.S. Navy’s mission is to keep the seas open. Mines restrict that. Our MCM force is small, so we rely heavily on partners and allies. These exercises ensure we can interoperate and conduct mine countermeasure operations together,” said Capt. William Williams, the commodore of Mine Countermeasures Group 6.
At the center of the exercise was a fully integrated, combined headquarters that executed advanced staff planning, targeting operations, and command-and-control across a coalition force. The inclusion of RAS, electronic warfare integration, and real-time situational awareness significantly expanded the participating nations’ capacity to operate across domains.
This year, Exercise Sea Breeze 2025 occurred in two iterations, Sea Breeze 25-1 and 25-2. The first iteration, Sea Breeze 25-1, was hosted by the Romanian Armed Forces at Smardan Range, Romania, June 1-20, 2025.
Since 1997, Exercise Sea Breeze has brought together Black Sea nations, NATO Allies and partners together to train and operate with NATO members in the pursuit of building increased capabilities. Exercise Sea Breeze 2025 is an annual multinational maritime exercise, involving sea, land, and air components co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine to enhance interoperability and capability among participating forces.
Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allies, international partners, and other U.S. government departments and agencies to advance U.S. national interests, security, and stability in Europe and Africa.
Source: European Parliament
Denmark’s national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) corresponds to 0.2 % of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), or 0.5 % of Denmark’s 2019 gross domestic product (GDP). The third and latest revision of the Danish NRRP was approved by Council on 8 July 2025. The EU financial contribution totals €1 625.9 million, including RRF grants (€1 429 million), a REPowerEU grant (€130.7 million) and a transfer of part of the Danish allocation under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to the plan (€66.0 million). Denmark has so far received 67.2 % of the NRRP resources in the form of pre-financing and three payments; this is well above the current EU average (48.8 %). A further two payments will depend on progress made in implementing the plan. The amended plan reinforces green initiatives and seeks to enhance the resilience of the Danish economy and society, devoting 69 % of the plan to the green transition (up from 59 % in the original plan). In its 2025 country report, the Commission assessed the implementation of the Danish plan as ‘well under way’. The European Parliament participates in interinstitutional forums for cooperation and discussion on NRRP implementation and scrutinises the Commission’s work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Fourth edition. The ‘NGEU delivery’ briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dale Pankhurst, PhD candidate and Tutor in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen’s University Belfast
The British government announced in early July that a far-right group called the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) will be banned under terrorism legislation. This will make it a criminal offence in the UK to be a member of the group or to express support for it.
The RIM was at the centre of a string of letter bomb attacks targeting high-profile people and institutions in Spain in 2022. These included a bomb addressed to the official residence of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, which was intercepted by his security detail.
Six more letter bombs were mailed to targets including the American and Ukrainian embassies in Madrid, military installations, and weapons manufacturing companies that supply arms to Ukraine. No one was killed in the attacks, which US officials considered to be acts of terrorism.
Investigators soon announced that they suspected the RIM of being involved. US and European officials alleged that the group was directed to carry out the attacks by Russian intelligence officers.
The RIM is an ultra-nationalist, neo-nazi and white supremacist organisation based in Russia. It was created in 2002 by Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyev, a Russian national who is designated a terrorist by the US government.
The group seeks to create a new Russian empire, and uses the Russian imperial flag as its sign. The previous Russian empire (1721-1917) encompassed all of modern-day Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Georgia, Armenia and the Baltic states, as well as parts of China.
The movement does not recognise Ukrainian sovereignty. It sees Ukraine as part of what it calls a global Zionist conspiracy designed to undermine Russia and promote Jewish interests. The RIM has engaged in Holocaust denial and is formally outlawed in the US, Canada and now the UK.
It also has a paramilitary wing called the Imperial Legions, which operates at least two training facilities in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. The US State Department believes these facilities are being used to train RIM members in woodland and urban assault, tactical weapons and hand-to-hand combat.
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Denis Valliullovich Gariyev, the Imperial Legions’ leader, has in the past called on “young orthodox men” to join the Legions and defend Novorossiya – a term used to describe Russia’s claim over Ukraine. As of 2020, the Imperial Legions was estimated to have several thousand members.
The RIM and its paramilitary wing have engaged in a wide range of activities and operations. These range from passive alliances with other far-right groups in Europe to providing paramilitary training for terrorist organisations. They have also participated directly in bomb attacks.
Since 2014, when the conflict in eastern Ukraine began, the movement has trained and sent members as mercenaries to bolster the pro-Russian separatist groups fighting there. Its members have also actively supported the Russian armed forces in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion in 2022.
After the invasion, posts related to the RIM on various social media platforms such as Vkontakte and Telegram revealed a ramping up of recruitment to join operations in Ukraine. Its fighters have posted videos of themselves in Ukraine armed with weaponry from sniper rifles to anti-tank missiles.
According to analysts, the movement also maintains strong ties with the Russian private military company, the Wagner Group. Imperial Legions fighters are believed to have operated alongside Wagner mercenaries in Syria, Libya and possibly the Central African Republic.
Outside of these activities, the movement has been active in supporting far-right organisations in Europe. These include the Nordic Resistance Movement in Sweden and similar groups in Germany, Spain and elsewhere.
It provides training to these groups through its so-called “Partizan” (Russian for guerrilla) programme. The training includes bombmaking, marksmanship, medical and survival skills, military topography and other tactics. According to the UK government, the Partizan programme aims to increase the capacity of attendees to conduct terrorist attacks.
Two Swedish nationals who took part in the programme later committed a series of bombings against refugee centres in Gothenburg, a city on Sweden’s west coast, in late 2016 and early 2017. The men were convicted in Sweden, with the prosecutor crediting RIM for their terrorist radicalisation and training.
The RIM has also provided specific paramilitary training to far-right groups in Finland. Some members of these groups have fought on Russia’s side in Ukraine, while others have attempted to establish a Finnish cell of the international neo-nazi Atomwaffen Division. Police raids in 2023 also unveiled plans to assassinate the then Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin.
The movement has previously been critical of the Russian government. It initially believed the approach of Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, to Ukraine was too soft, while the group’s promotion of white supremacy and neo-nazism is at odds with Putin’s pragmatic nationalism within Russia.
In 2012, the RIM even took part in discussions with other far-right groups in Russia to form an opposition movement called New Force to challenge Putin’s rule. However, the crisis in Ukraine that erupted in 2014 after pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power has caused the Kremlin and RIM’s political objectives to converge.
Indeed, the group can now be viewed as one of the core Russian proxy paramilitaries operating in Ukraine at a time when Putin needs more recruits to continue the war. Western intelligence agencies now believe it has a relationship with officials from Russian state intelligence.
It is difficult to pinpoint the total number of RIM fighters operating in Ukraine as the involvement of mercenary groups there is a closely guarded secret. However, based on previous intelligence reports on the group’s activities, it is reasonable to assume the number is in the hundreds to low thousands.
The decision by the British government to proscribe the RIM indicates concern that the far-right group is increasing its operational capacity both in Ukraine and throughout Europe. With its extensive network, the movement will become an increasing threat to security if it is allowed to continue acting as a proxy for Putin’s foreign policy objectives.
Dale Pankhurst does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Russian Imperial Movement: how a far-right group outlawed by the UK is spreading terror across Europe – https://theconversation.com/russian-imperial-movement-how-a-far-right-group-outlawed-by-the-uk-is-spreading-terror-across-europe-260825
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science and Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University
The historic disarmament ceremony on July 11 where members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) laid down their arms marked a pivotal moment in a decades-long conflict in Turkey. The ceremony was described by many who attended as a profoundly symbolic and emotional day that may signal the beginning of a new era.
During the disarmament ceremony in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 26 PKK guerrillas alongside four senior commanders and leaders of the movement, symbolically laid aid down their arms and burned them. The audience included officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), plus politicians, journalists and international observers.
For more than four decades the PKK has been embroiled in an armed conflict with Turkey that has claimed more than 40,000 lives and shaped Kurdish identity and politics across the region.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
The PKK disarmament ceremony also could mark a new era for the Kurds, one of the largest stateless groups in the world with over 30 million people living across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. The PKK has said it will now shift from armed resistance to political dialogue and regional cooperation.
Strikingly, the day after the ceremony, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan acknowledged the state’s historical failures in addressing the Kurdish issue. He listed past abuses of Kurds – state-sponsored abductions and extrajudicial violence, the burning of villages and the forced displacement of families – as examples of policies that had fuelled, rather than quelled, the conflict.
“We all paid the price for these mistakes” he said. He later added: “As of yesterday, Turkey began to close a long, painful and tear-filled chapter.” Erdoğan also announced the formation of a parliamentary commission to oversee the legal steps of the peace process, suggesting a much-needed institutionalised and transparent approach than in previous attempts.
This hints that the road ahead might include a period of transitional justice. This could compose of different tools used by societies to address past violence and human rights abuses during a shift from conflict to peace and democracy. These may include legal actions such as trials, as well as other efforts to heal and rebuild trust in society.
Erdoğan also underlined the regional dimension of the agreement: “The issue is not only that of our Kurdish citizens, but also of our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. We are discussing this process with them, and they are very pleased as well.”
While the PKK may be laying down arms, the Kurdish political movement should not be expected to disappear. On the contrary, it is likely to become more active in the democratic sphere — both in Turkey and in other parts of the Middle East where Kurdish people live. It is no secret that the current peace process is the result of shifting geopolitical realities.
Growing tensions between the US and Iran, Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the ousting of the Assad regime in Syria, and shifting power dynamics across the region have all contributed to a geopolitical landscape in which prolonged armed conflict has become increasingly unsustainable — for both Turkey and the PKK. In this context, the current peace process is not merely a domestic initiative.
It represents a strategic recalibration in a rapidly changing Middle East. For Turkey, stabilising its southeastern border and reducing internal security pressures is essential amid regional volatility.
Turkey has long maintained strong ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (the official ruling body of the Kurdistan region) in Iraq. However, the situation for Kurds in Syria remains more complex, as Turkey continues to view the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (a region that has in effect been self governing since 2012 and where many Kurds live) as a security threat along its border.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the new Syrian government under current president, Ahmed Hussein al-Shara, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led coalition in Syria, which has been historically backed by the US. The SDF seeks to maintain its military autonomy and have its own independent political system — both of which are opposed by Damascus.
Western nations, particularly the US, remain influential in these talks. The US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, is reportedly uneasy with the lack of progress in the talks between al-Shara, and the SDF. He said: “The SDF, who has been a valued partner for America in the fight against ISIS, well-respected, bright, articulate, has to come to the conclusion that there’s one country, there’s one nation, there’s one people, and there’s one army.”
Another factor here is that a strong Arab-Turkish-Kurdish alliance is unlikely to align with Israeli strategic interests, which may favour a more fragmented Kurdish presence in the region.
For now, Turkey faces the complex task of overseeing a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process. This requires not only the decommissioning of weapons and the disbanding of armed units, but also the social and political reintegration of former combatants. The success of this will depend on legal reforms, institutional trust and a genuine commitment to democratic inclusion.
Erdoğan has been critised for his government’s ongoing non-democratic practices such the appointment of state trustees who replace elected officials and the imprisonment of elected officials.
And, despite the symbolic disarmament, the Turkish government persists in using the words “struggle against terrorism” — an approach that risks undermining the peace process by criminalising political dialogue and delegitimising Kurdish demands.
Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that the PKK’s broader network, including the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a group representing Kurds across Iraq, Syria and Turkey, must cease to pose a threat. “We will remain vigilant until every component of the KCK is no longer a danger to our nation and region,” he stated.
For the PKK, the changing alliances and uncertainties in Syria and Iraq may have made armed struggle a less viable path forward. Yet the sustainability of peace will depend on more than disarmament. It will require ending the criminalisation of Kurds in political institutions and within civil society.
What comes next will determine whether this moment becomes a historic turning point or another missed opportunity.
Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.
– ref. How does the PKK’s disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq? – https://theconversation.com/how-does-the-pkks-disarmament-affect-turkey-syria-and-iraq-261113
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science and Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University
The historic disarmament ceremony on July 11 where members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) laid down their arms marked a pivotal moment in a decades-long conflict in Turkey. The ceremony was described by many who attended as a profoundly symbolic and emotional day that may signal the beginning of a new era.
During the disarmament ceremony in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 26 PKK guerrillas alongside four senior commanders and leaders of the movement, symbolically laid aid down their arms and burned them. The audience included officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), plus politicians, journalists and international observers.
For more than four decades the PKK has been embroiled in an armed conflict with Turkey that has claimed more than 40,000 lives and shaped Kurdish identity and politics across the region.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
The PKK disarmament ceremony also could mark a new era for the Kurds, one of the largest stateless groups in the world with over 30 million people living across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. The PKK has said it will now shift from armed resistance to political dialogue and regional cooperation.
Strikingly, the day after the ceremony, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan acknowledged the state’s historical failures in addressing the Kurdish issue. He listed past abuses of Kurds – state-sponsored abductions and extrajudicial violence, the burning of villages and the forced displacement of families – as examples of policies that had fuelled, rather than quelled, the conflict.
“We all paid the price for these mistakes” he said. He later added: “As of yesterday, Turkey began to close a long, painful and tear-filled chapter.” Erdoğan also announced the formation of a parliamentary commission to oversee the legal steps of the peace process, suggesting a much-needed institutionalised and transparent approach than in previous attempts.
This hints that the road ahead might include a period of transitional justice. This could compose of different tools used by societies to address past violence and human rights abuses during a shift from conflict to peace and democracy. These may include legal actions such as trials, as well as other efforts to heal and rebuild trust in society.
Erdoğan also underlined the regional dimension of the agreement: “The issue is not only that of our Kurdish citizens, but also of our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. We are discussing this process with them, and they are very pleased as well.”
While the PKK may be laying down arms, the Kurdish political movement should not be expected to disappear. On the contrary, it is likely to become more active in the democratic sphere — both in Turkey and in other parts of the Middle East where Kurdish people live. It is no secret that the current peace process is the result of shifting geopolitical realities.
Growing tensions between the US and Iran, Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the ousting of the Assad regime in Syria, and shifting power dynamics across the region have all contributed to a geopolitical landscape in which prolonged armed conflict has become increasingly unsustainable — for both Turkey and the PKK. In this context, the current peace process is not merely a domestic initiative.
It represents a strategic recalibration in a rapidly changing Middle East. For Turkey, stabilising its southeastern border and reducing internal security pressures is essential amid regional volatility.
Turkey has long maintained strong ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) (the official ruling body of the Kurdistan region) in Iraq. However, the situation for Kurds in Syria remains more complex, as Turkey continues to view the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (a region that has in effect been self governing since 2012 and where many Kurds live) as a security threat along its border.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the new Syrian government under current president, Ahmed Hussein al-Shara, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led coalition in Syria, which has been historically backed by the US. The SDF seeks to maintain its military autonomy and have its own independent political system — both of which are opposed by Damascus.
Western nations, particularly the US, remain influential in these talks. The US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, is reportedly uneasy with the lack of progress in the talks between al-Shara, and the SDF. He said: “The SDF, who has been a valued partner for America in the fight against ISIS, well-respected, bright, articulate, has to come to the conclusion that there’s one country, there’s one nation, there’s one people, and there’s one army.”
Another factor here is that a strong Arab-Turkish-Kurdish alliance is unlikely to align with Israeli strategic interests, which may favour a more fragmented Kurdish presence in the region.
For now, Turkey faces the complex task of overseeing a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process. This requires not only the decommissioning of weapons and the disbanding of armed units, but also the social and political reintegration of former combatants. The success of this will depend on legal reforms, institutional trust and a genuine commitment to democratic inclusion.
Erdoğan has been critised for his government’s ongoing non-democratic practices such the appointment of state trustees who replace elected officials and the imprisonment of elected officials.
And, despite the symbolic disarmament, the Turkish government persists in using the words “struggle against terrorism” — an approach that risks undermining the peace process by criminalising political dialogue and delegitimising Kurdish demands.
Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that the PKK’s broader network, including the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a group representing Kurds across Iraq, Syria and Turkey, must cease to pose a threat. “We will remain vigilant until every component of the KCK is no longer a danger to our nation and region,” he stated.
For the PKK, the changing alliances and uncertainties in Syria and Iraq may have made armed struggle a less viable path forward. Yet the sustainability of peace will depend on more than disarmament. It will require ending the criminalisation of Kurds in political institutions and within civil society.
What comes next will determine whether this moment becomes a historic turning point or another missed opportunity.
Pinar Dinc is the principal investigator of the ECO-Syria project, which receives funding from the Strategic Research Area: The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) at the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden.
– ref. How does the PKK’s disarmament affect Turkey, Syria and Iraq? – https://theconversation.com/how-does-the-pkks-disarmament-affect-turkey-syria-and-iraq-261113
MIL OSI –
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dale Pankhurst, PhD candidate and Tutor in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen’s University Belfast
The British government announced in early July that a far-right group called the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) will be banned under terrorism legislation. This will make it a criminal offence in the UK to be a member of the group or to express support for it.
The RIM was at the centre of a string of letter bomb attacks targeting high-profile people and institutions in Spain in 2022. These included a bomb addressed to the official residence of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez, which was intercepted by his security detail.
Six more letter bombs were mailed to targets including the American and Ukrainian embassies in Madrid, military installations, and weapons manufacturing companies that supply arms to Ukraine. No one was killed in the attacks, which US officials considered to be acts of terrorism.
Investigators soon announced that they suspected the RIM of being involved. US and European officials alleged that the group was directed to carry out the attacks by Russian intelligence officers.
The RIM is an ultra-nationalist, neo-nazi and white supremacist organisation based in Russia. It was created in 2002 by Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyev, a Russian national who is designated a terrorist by the US government.
The group seeks to create a new Russian empire, and uses the Russian imperial flag as its sign. The previous Russian empire (1721-1917) encompassed all of modern-day Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Georgia, Armenia and the Baltic states, as well as parts of China.
The movement does not recognise Ukrainian sovereignty. It sees Ukraine as part of what it calls a global Zionist conspiracy designed to undermine Russia and promote Jewish interests. The RIM has engaged in Holocaust denial and is formally outlawed in the US, Canada and now the UK.
It also has a paramilitary wing called the Imperial Legions, which operates at least two training facilities in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. The US State Department believes these facilities are being used to train RIM members in woodland and urban assault, tactical weapons and hand-to-hand combat.
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Denis Valliullovich Gariyev, the Imperial Legions’ leader, has in the past called on “young orthodox men” to join the Legions and defend Novorossiya – a term used to describe Russia’s claim over Ukraine. As of 2020, the Imperial Legions was estimated to have several thousand members.
The RIM and its paramilitary wing have engaged in a wide range of activities and operations. These range from passive alliances with other far-right groups in Europe to providing paramilitary training for terrorist organisations. They have also participated directly in bomb attacks.
Since 2014, when the conflict in eastern Ukraine began, the movement has trained and sent members as mercenaries to bolster the pro-Russian separatist groups fighting there. Its members have also actively supported the Russian armed forces in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion in 2022.
After the invasion, posts related to the RIM on various social media platforms such as Vkontakte and Telegram revealed a ramping up of recruitment to join operations in Ukraine. Its fighters have posted videos of themselves in Ukraine armed with weaponry from sniper rifles to anti-tank missiles.
According to analysts, the movement also maintains strong ties with the Russian private military company, the Wagner Group. Imperial Legions fighters are believed to have operated alongside Wagner mercenaries in Syria, Libya and possibly the Central African Republic.
Outside of these activities, the movement has been active in supporting far-right organisations in Europe. These include the Nordic Resistance Movement in Sweden and similar groups in Germany, Spain and elsewhere.
It provides training to these groups through its so-called “Partizan” (Russian for guerrilla) programme. The training includes bombmaking, marksmanship, medical and survival skills, military topography and other tactics. According to the UK government, the Partizan programme aims to increase the capacity of attendees to conduct terrorist attacks.
Two Swedish nationals who took part in the programme later committed a series of bombings against refugee centres in Gothenburg, a city on Sweden’s west coast, in late 2016 and early 2017. The men were convicted in Sweden, with the prosecutor crediting RIM for their terrorist radicalisation and training.
The RIM has also provided specific paramilitary training to far-right groups in Finland. Some members of these groups have fought on Russia’s side in Ukraine, while others have attempted to establish a Finnish cell of the international neo-nazi Atomwaffen Division. Police raids in 2023 also unveiled plans to assassinate the then Finnish prime minister, Sanna Marin.
The movement has previously been critical of the Russian government. It initially believed the approach of Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, to Ukraine was too soft, while the group’s promotion of white supremacy and neo-nazism is at odds with Putin’s pragmatic nationalism within Russia.
In 2012, the RIM even took part in discussions with other far-right groups in Russia to form an opposition movement called New Force to challenge Putin’s rule. However, the crisis in Ukraine that erupted in 2014 after pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power has caused the Kremlin and RIM’s political objectives to converge.
Indeed, the group can now be viewed as one of the core Russian proxy paramilitaries operating in Ukraine at a time when Putin needs more recruits to continue the war. Western intelligence agencies now believe it has a relationship with officials from Russian state intelligence.
It is difficult to pinpoint the total number of RIM fighters operating in Ukraine as the involvement of mercenary groups there is a closely guarded secret. However, based on previous intelligence reports on the group’s activities, it is reasonable to assume the number is in the hundreds to low thousands.
The decision by the British government to proscribe the RIM indicates concern that the far-right group is increasing its operational capacity both in Ukraine and throughout Europe. With its extensive network, the movement will become an increasing threat to security if it is allowed to continue acting as a proxy for Putin’s foreign policy objectives.
Dale Pankhurst does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Russian Imperial Movement: how a far-right group outlawed by the UK is spreading terror across Europe – https://theconversation.com/russian-imperial-movement-how-a-far-right-group-outlawed-by-the-uk-is-spreading-terror-across-europe-260825
MIL OSI –
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Laura Wilcox, Professor, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading
Global warming has picked up pace since around 2010, leading to the recent string of record warm years. Why this is happening is still unclear, and among the biggest questions in climate science today. Our new study reveals that reductions in air pollution – particularly in China and east Asia – are a key reason for this faster warming.
Cleanup of sulphur emissions from global shipping has been implicated in past research. But that cleanup only began in 2020, so it’s considered too weak to explain the full extent of this acceleration. Nasa researchers have suggested that changes in clouds could play a role, either through reductions in cloud cover in the tropics or over the North Pacific.
One factor that has not been well quantified, however, is the effect of monumental efforts by countries in east Asia, notably China, to combat air pollution and improve public health through strict air quality policies. There has already been a 75% reduction in east Asian sulphur dioxide emissions since around 2013, and that cleanup effort picked up pace just as global warming began accelerating.
Our study addresses the link between east Asian air quality improvements and global temperature, building on the efforts of eight teams of climate modellers across the world.
We have found that polluted air may have been masking the full effects of global warming. Cleaner air could now be revealing more of the human-induced global warming from greenhouse gases.
In addition to causing millions of premature deaths, air pollution shields the Earth from sunlight and therefore cools the surface. There has been so much air pollution that it has held human-induced warming in check by up to 0.5°C over the last century.
With the cleanup of air pollution, something that’s vital for human health, this artificial sunshade is removed. Since greenhouse gas emissions have kept on increasing, the result is that the Earth’s surface is warming faster than ever before.
Our team used 160 computer simulations from eight global climate models. This enabled us to better quantify the effects that east Asian air pollution has on global temperature and rainfall patterns. We simulated a cleanup of pollution similar to what has happened in the real world since 2010. We found an extra global warming of around 0.07°C.
While this is a small number compared with the full global warming of around 1.3°C since 1850, it is still enough to explain the recent acceleration in global warming when we take away year-to-year swings in temperature from natural cycles such as El Niño, a climate phenomenon in the Pacific that affects weather patterns globally.
Based on long-term trends, we would have expected around 0.23°C of warming since 2010. However, we actually measured around 0.33°C. While the additional 0.1°C can largely be explained by the east Asian air pollution cleanup, other factors include the change in shipping emissions and the recent accelerated increase in methane concentrations in the atmosphere.
Air pollution causes cooling by reflecting sunlight or by changing the properties of clouds so they reflect more sunlight. The cleanup in east Asian air pollution influences global temperatures because it reduces the shading effect of the pollution over east Asia itself. It also means less pollution is blown across the north Pacific, causing clouds in the east Pacific to reflect less sunlight.
The pattern of these changes across the North Pacific simulated in our models matches that seen in satellite observations. Our models and temperature observations also show relatively strong warming over the North Pacific, downwind from east Asia.
The main source of global warming is still greenhouse gas emissions, and a cleanup of air pollution was both necessary and overdue. This did not cause the additional warming but rather, removed an artificial cooling that has for a time helped shield us from some of the extreme weather and other well-established consequences of climate change.
Global warming will continue for decades. Indeed, our past and future emissions of greenhouse gases will affect the climate for centuries. However, air pollution is quickly removed from the atmosphere, and the recent acceleration in global warming from this particular unmasking may therefore be short-lived.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
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Laura Wilcox receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Research Council of Norway, the Clean Air Fund, and Horizon Europe.
Bjørn H. Samset receives funding from the Research Council of Norway, the Clean Air Fund, and Horizon Europe.
– ref. Cleaner air in east Asia may have driven recent acceleration in global warming, our new study indicates – https://theconversation.com/cleaner-air-in-east-asia-may-have-driven-recent-acceleration-in-global-warming-our-new-study-indicates-260601
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Press Release
Nokia to deploy private 5G network for Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s grid modernization initiative
14 July 2025
Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced it has been selected by Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), the largest three-service municipal utility in the United States, to deploy a comprehensive private 5G wireless network. The project will support MLGW’s long-term, multi-year grid modernization strategy across Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, ultimately enhancing power distribution to its customers, which will reduce the risk and customer impact of unplanned outages and enable MLGW to restore service to the public more efficiently.
This landmark project positions MLGW as the first municipal utility in the U.S. to implement a full-scale standalone 5G private wireless network to better serve its more than 420,000 customers. Nokia’s state-of-the art solution will unify and enhance communications across all of MLGW’s electric, gas and water services, improving data connectivity, resilience and operational efficiency and provide a secure, scalable, and high-performance network designed for critical applications and future mobility needs.
“The 5G Network Deployment is a foundational aspect of MLGW’s Grid Modernization Initiative. We will be able to meet the requirements for a modern electric grid. We will have fast and reliable communication for grid devices; increased reliability during storms or cyber events that will help us restore power even faster after outages. This enables more automation and smart control operations and supports future technology like electric vehicles and battery storage,” said Doug McGowen, President and CEO, MLGW.
The solution will enable real-time communication and automation across MLGW’s operations, supporting critical applications including automated meter reading, grid monitoring, fault detection, and remote operations while laying the foundation for innovations like connected mobility, voice, and video services. Nokia’s technology will also enable secure interoperability with both existing infrastructure and modern IoT devices, including grid sensors, smart meters, automation systems and field equipment to ensure continuity while expanding capabilities.
“This collaboration marks a major milestone in advancing MLGW’s power grid modernization and their commitment to building a smarter, more resilient, and future-ready utility infrastructure for the community. It also underscores Nokia’s leadership in delivering end-to-end private wireless networks that empower utilities to accelerate their digital transformation and enhance service reliability for their customers,” added Jeff Pittman, Head of North America Enterprise, Mobile Networks, Nokia.
Nokia will deliver a private 5G wireless network, including its AirScale radio access equipment and its 5G Core Enterprise Solution. The contract also includes a microwave backhaul solution and towers supported by Nokia managed services, as well as Nokia’s NetGuard cybersecurity products for proactive threat detection and response and privileged access management.
Multimedia, technical information and related news
Web Page: Private networks
Product Page: AirScale Radio Access
Product Page: Nokia Core Enterprise Solutions
Product Page: Nokia NetGuard Cybersecurity
YouTube: Private Wireless Core for Large Enterprises
Web Page: About Memphis Light, Gas and Water
About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
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Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) — Astronomers have begun searching for traces of the Big Bang using a radio telescope installed at an altitude of 5,250 meters above sea level in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region.
The AliCPT-1 radio telescope has captured the first images of the Moon and Jupiter at 150 GHz, marking a key step toward probing primordial gravitational waves, the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHEP CAS) announced on Sunday.
Gravitational waves are faint whispers from the dawn of time that may hold the key to explaining how the universe came into being.
Imagine the universe at birth; primordial gravitational waves would be its very first cry. Born from quantum fluctuations in spacetime during the inflationary stage, primordial gravitational waves are thought to be the most pristine ripples ever recorded in the universe.
In this regard, probing primordial gravitational waves is important for testing the Big Bang theory, the quantum theory of gravity.
“If we successfully detect primordial gravitational waves, we will be able to see the Universe at the very first moment of its existence,” said Xinmin Zhang, the principal investigator of the AliCPT-1 project and a senior researcher at the IHEP.
“At the same time, it could lead to breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as cryogenic superconducting detectors and cryogenic readout electronics, bringing cosmology into an era of unprecedented precision,” the scientist added.
The construction of the radio telescope took eight years. The project involved 16 research institutions, including the National Astronomical Observatory of the ANC and Stanford University in the United States.
According to the results of the study, the list of areas on Earth suitable for probing primary gravity waves includes only Antarctica, the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and Greenland, said project leader Liu Congzhan.
Obtaining images of the Moon and Jupiter is just the beginning. The AliCPT-1 radio telescope fills a gap in China and, together with devices in Antarctica and Chile, forms a global network, said IHEP researcher Li Hong of the ANC. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
.
Source: Amnesty International –
Over the past six months, the headlines have been dominated by stories of fear, division and hatred. However, activists around the world are working away to ensure hope prevails. Here are some of the human rights wins we can be proud of from January to June 2025.
In 2023, Amnesty International released a report on the Taliban’s war on women. Following its findings, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor filed a request for arrest warrants against the Taliban’s Supreme Leader and their Chief Justice, citing crimes against humanity.
The request charges the Taliban’s Supreme Leader and their Chief Justice for gender persecution against women, girls, and LGBTI people since their return to power in August 2021. Although the warrants are still subject to the approval of ICC judges these are the first public arrest warrants sought by the ICC in Afghanistan since the country became a member of the court in 2003.
Dorgelesse Nguessan was released on 16 January after spending more than four years in prison for participating in a protest. The hairdresser and single mother had never been politically active yet joined a protest after growing concerned about the high cost of living. She was charged with insurrection, tried by a military court and sentenced to five years in prison on 7 December 2021.
I thank those who directly or indirectly work for your organization and contributed to my release.
Dorgelesse Nguessan
Dorgelesse was part of Amnesty International’s 2022 Write for Rights campaign, where thousands of supporters called for her release. Amnesty also provided short-term relief support to assist Dorgelesse and her family through the difficult moments of her detention. On 16 January, the Court of Appeal reduced her sentence.
“I thank you for all the efforts you have devoted as I was arbitrarily detained,” said Dorgelesse. “I thank those who directly or indirectly work for your organization and contributed to my release.”
On 2 January, two police [Carabineros] officers were sentenced to prison for shooting activist Renzo Inostroza and blinding him in one eye. The court concluded that their actions violated both Chile’s national regulations and international obligations. This conviction set a judicial precedent in the struggle to ensure the Chilean justice system pursues criminal responsibility for the unlawful actions of the Carabineros. This conviction follows Amnesty’s landmark Eyes on Chile report, which analyzed patterns and individual cases of police violence during the social unrest that broke out in Chile in October 2019. Renzo’s case was part of the report.
From January to February, Amnesty successfully campaigned for the release of several human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia. On 7 January, human rights defender and former prisoner of conscience, Mohammed al-Qahtani, was conditionally released after spending 12 years in prison for his human rights work. On 13 February, 47-year-old teacher Asaad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi was released from prison following an unfair trial before the notorious Specialized Criminal Court (SCC). Asaad was arrested in 2022 and initially sentenced to 20 years in prison for social media posts criticizing the government’s Vision 2030 programme. On 10 February 2025, Leeds University PhD student and mother of two, Salma al-Shehab, was released from prison after completing a four-year prison term following an unfair trial before the SCC. Following a grossly unfair trial, the SCC had convicted Salma al-Shehab of terrorism-related offences for publishing tweets in support of women’s rights.
The United States sanctioned a number of companies involved in the transfer of weapons into Sudan and Darfur. These sanctions follow Amnesty’s innovative briefing, published in July 2024, that combined business trade data and video analysis to show how the constant import of foreign-manufactured arms into Sudan was fuelling relentless civilian suffering.
Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist, was imprisoned for nearly 50 years in the USA for a crime he maintains he did not commit. There were serious concerns about the fairness of his trial and conviction. Tribal Nations, Nobel Peace Laureates, former FBI agents, numerous others, and even the former U.S. Attorney, James Reynolds, whose office handled the prosecution, have called for Leonard Peltier’s release. Amnesty International members had long campaigned for his release, and most recently called on President Biden to grant Leonard Peltier clemency on humanitarian grounds and as a matter of justice. In the final hour of his presidency, former President Biden commuted Peltier’s life sentence to home confinement. Amnesty recently offered him short-term relief support as he works to rebuild his life after his release.
Thanks to sustained advocacy work from Amnesty International Algeria and several national women’s rights organizations, Algeria’s president Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced a series of concrete measures to combat violence against women – moving from commitment to action.
The Ministry of Solidarity has since launched a national toll-free helpline, available 24/7 across the country, enabling victims to report abuse, be referred to appropriate support services, and receive emergency assistance when in danger. It is already proving effective. A Guide for Women Victims of Violence has been published in Arabic and English and is currently being distributed nationwide. New legal measures, including the possibility of issuing an immediate restraining order against perpetrators of violence, have also been announced.
Thousands of Beninese families living in coastal areas have been living an endless nightmare, victims of forced evictions orchestrated in the name of tourism development. However, in February the authorities issued a public call for people awaiting proper compensation to come forward so their case can be followed up. The National Agency for Land and Property’s direct also asked Amnesty International for a list of people who have not received appropriate reparations.
The move follows the release of an Amnesty International report on forced evictions in Benin in December 2023 and a subsequent campaign calling for proper compensation for those who have been unfairly evicted, which proved vital in securing this positive outcome.
Idris Hasan, an ethnic Uyghur man detained in Morocco for three-and-a-half years and at risk of extradition to China, was finally freed in February
Thank you all very much. Without your help, we could not have saved my husband.
Zaynura Hasan
Amnesty International had been campaigning for his freedom since he was initially detained in July 2021. Zaynura Hasan, Idris’ wife, thanked the organization for the relentless support.
“Thank you all very much. Without your help, we could not have saved my husband.”
Recent research by Amnesty International’s Security Lab and European Regional Office documented how Serbian police and intelligence authorities are using advanced phone spyware alongside mobile phone forensic products to unlawfully target journalists, environmental activists and other individuals in a covert surveillance campaign.
In a significant human rights win, Cellebrite (a company specialising in digital intelligence and forensics) announced it will stop the use of its digital forensic equipment for some of its customers in Serbia as a direct result of Amnesty’s research. Simultaneously, Serbia’s Prosecutor for High Technological Crime, the Ombudsman and Data Protection Commissioner started separate investigations based on the research findings.
In a positive step forward, the Senegalese government invited Amnesty International to provide support and assistance for people who have been arrested for participating in protests, as well as former detainees.
Since 2021, Amnesty International has denounced the unlawful use of force by security forces during protests, compiled a list of those who have been killed, and condemned the arbitrary detention of hundreds of people for having called for or participated in protests. According to figures gathered by Amnesty International and other civil society organizations, at least 65 people were killed, the majority by firearms, with at least 1,000 wounded. A further 2,000 people were arrested.
Amnesty International continues to call for the repeal of the amnesty law adopted by the former government, for justice and reparation for the victims and their family members.
Taner Kılıç, a refugee rights lawyer and former Chair of Amnesty International’s Türkiye section, was finally acquitted after nearly eight years of judicial proceedings.
Arrested in June 2017 and imprisoned for over 14 months, he was unjustly convicted in 2020 despite no credible evidence. He faced more than six years in prison for “membership of a terrorist organization”. Amnesty provided relief support to him and his family as they navigated the difficulty of his imprisonment.
Reflecting on the case, Taner said: “This nightmare that has gone on for almost eight years is finally over… The only thing I was sure of throughout this process was that I was right and innocent, and the support from all over the world gave me strength. I thank each and every one who stood up for me.”
In a landmark ruling for women’s rights in Latin America, a Brazilian court convicted actor Juan Darthés of sexual violence against Argentine actress Thelma Fardin, who accused him in 2018 of abusing her when she was 16. Amnesty provided support for transport related costs, and psychosocial support for Thelma throughout her case. The sentence sets an important precedent for sexual violence cases in the region.
After a five-year legal battle across three countries, Thelma stated: “Today I can look my 16-year-old self in the eye and say we did it.”
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by police on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
Thousands of people, mostly from poor and marginalized communities, were unlawfully killed by the police – or by armed individuals suspected to have links to the police – during Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs”. Amnesty has been calling for his arrest for a number of years and described it as “a long-awaited and monumental step for justice”. He is now due to stand trial at the ICC.
Hawa Hunt, a reality TV star, was freed from detention on 4 March and cleared of all the cybercrime related charges against her. She was arrested on live television in December 2024 and charged with insulting the President and First Lady in a social media video.
Amnesty International called on authorities to release her and to ensure her rights were upheld.
Her daughter Alicia said: “In one of the very few phone calls I was able to have with my mother as she was in jail, I told her how Amnesty International spoke up for her. She and our whole family were very touched by the support. We believe it played a very key role in her being released.”
Since May 1995, the Saturday Mothers have held regular peaceful protests at Galatasaray Square every Saturday, demanding justice for relatives forcibly disappeared in the eighties and nineties. Their 700th vigil on 25 August 2018 was banned and violently dispersed by police using tear gas and water cannons.
Forty-six people were detained and later released, but in 2020, they were prosecuted for “attending illegal meetings and marches without weapons and not dispersing despite warnings”.
Thanks to the determination of the Saturday Mothers and their supporters – including Amnesty International who provided legal aid – all were acquitted in March 2025.
On March 17, US immigration authorities detained Alberto, the father of a Venezuelan family of four, separating him from his wife and two children. Despite the family having pending asylum applications, he was charged with “illegal” entry to the United States. His case was an example of the Trump administration’s use of a provision of immigration law to target individuals and families that have been in the United States for years, rather than recent arrivals at the US-Mexico border. On April 21, 2025, Alberto was granted bond and released from ICE detention, following calls from Amnesty International and reunited with his wife and two children.
Romario Veloz was shot and killed by an army captain during social unrest in La Serena, Chile, in 2019. The police officer who shot Romario Veloz was imprisoned in May 2025 – setting a precedent in cases of human rights violations committed by state agents. Despite the victory, widespread impunity for police violence continues. Romario was also part of Amnesty’s Eyes on Chile investigation (2020). Amnesty provided support to Romario’s young child, helping her access education as well as covering the legal expenses for the family’s quest to seek justice.
Alongside the report, Amnesty was part of the Advisory Unit for Police Reform, wrote letters to the Chilean president and gave numerous media interviews on police violence. Amnesty Chile’s relentless campaigning paid off and helped to stop the implementation of the use of tasers by Chilean police forces.
On 7 May, Ghislain Duggary Assy, Communications Secretary of the Movement of Teachers for the Dignity Dynamic union, was provisionally released pending his trial, due to international pressure from Amnesty International. A month earlier, he had been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment solely for having called for strike action in primary and secondary schools.
Amnesty International condemned the flagrant violation of workers’ rights, in particular the right to strike and freedom of association and will continue to call for his unconditional release.
Two years ago, the Pylos shipwreck led to the death of more than 600 people. Now, 17 Greek coastguard officers face charges in connection with it, including causing a shipwreck, exposure to danger and failure to provide assistance. These developments may pave the way towards accountability for the worst shipwreck in the Mediterranean in recent years.
Amnesty has been calling for justice through sustained advocacy and campaigning.
Afghan asylum seeker Tabriz Saifi is blind due to chronic diabetes and relies on dialysis three times a week. However, his international protection application was rejected by the Turkish authorities on 28 February, which meant he no longer had access to life-saving healthcare. Amnesty International immediately launched an urgent action, calling for the decision to be reversed.
On 2 May, his family was informed that the decision had been reversed and that his asylum seeker status had been reinstated, along with full access to free healthcare.
An Argentine private health insurer was fined over $4,000 USD for denying a legal abortion to a woman whose pregnancy posed serious health risks — a clear violation of the country’s reproductive rights law.
Amnesty International Argentina provided legal advice and stressed that rulings like this reinforce the need to guarantee access to legal abortion as a right, not an exception subject to individual or institutional discretion.
Following sustained advocacy by Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation, the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) adopted a report on measures against the trade in goods used for death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
After months of public pressure, protests and legal action, the Georgian Ministry of Justice announced it would end the humiliating practice of fully stripping detainees during body searches.
The decision followed a lawsuit from the Public Defender in February, a report from Amnesty International condemning the practice as degrading and unlawful, as well as a video featuring Georgian artist and activist Kristina Botkoveli, who was subjected to a forced strip search, harassment, and threats after participating in protests.
The Sámi are a group of Indigenous people that come from the region of Sápmi, which stretches across the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola peninsula in Russia.
For a number of years, they have been subjected to human rights violations. However, following calls from Amnesty International and other organizations, the revised Sámi Parliament Act has now been approved by the Finnish parliament.
The amended Act strengthens Indigenous Sámi people’s right to self-determination and improves the way in which the Sámi Parliament operates. It also corrects human rights violations highlighted by international human rights treaty bodies.
On 28 June, Budapest Pride proceeded despite restrictive anti-Pride laws and police targeting the march. Around 200,000 people, including over 280 Amnesty International activists and staff from Hungary and 22 other countries, peacefully demanded equality and assembly rights. This was Budapest’s largest Pride in 30 years, symbolizing strong public resistance to discrimination and highlighting the resilience of Hungary’s LGBTI community. Amnesty’s Let Pride March campaign helped raise awareness, mobilize activists, and urged police to respect peaceful protest. With over 120,000 global actions supporting the event – it demonstrated that solidarity can overcome oppression, though challenges for LGBTI rights in Hungary persist.
After a decade-long fight for justice, a UK court ruled that Shell can be held liable for the oil spills and leaks it has failed to clean up in the Niger Delta – regardless of how long ago they happened.
The judgement is an important step towards justice for communities in the Niger Delta and a vital opportunity to make Shell pay for the devastating pollution it has caused to the Ogale and Bille communities’ lands.
In parallel with this decision, the Nigerian government also pardoned the Ogoni Nine. The group of activists, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigerian author and campaigner, were executed 30 years ago by a government that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta.
Amnesty has been supporting and campaigning for justice for the Ogoni Nine for years and documenting the destruction Shell has left behind through a series of powerful reports. While these are positive outcomes, much more needs to be done to ensure justice is achieved for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do – and Amnesty will be there every step of the way!
On 24 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset signed an agreement establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine in Strasbourg, following calls from Amnesty International and others. It is hoped this will help hold perpetrators of the crime of aggression accountable.
On March 9, US immigration authorities unlawfully arrested and arbitrarily detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist, lawful permanent resident of the USA, and student organizer who recently graduated from Columbia University. Mahmoud was targeted for his role in student protests at Columbia University, where he was exercising his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. He was not charged with a crime yet was held in a detention centre, told that his permanent residency status was “revoked”, and placed in deportation proceedings. Amnesty International demanded that authorities release Mahmoud immediately and respect his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and due process. After 104 days in a Louisiana immigration detention centre, Mahmoud Khalil was released on bail in June 21, however he’s still facing threats of deportation by US authorities. He has since filed a $20 million USD lawsuit against the Trump administration.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura Wilcox, Professor, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading
Global warming has picked up pace since around 2010, leading to the recent string of record warm years. Why this is happening is still unclear, and among the biggest questions in climate science today. Our new study reveals that reductions in air pollution – particularly in China and east Asia – are a key reason for this faster warming.
Cleanup of sulphur emissions from global shipping has been implicated in past research. But that cleanup only began in 2020, so it’s considered too weak to explain the full extent of this acceleration. Nasa researchers have suggested that changes in clouds could play a role, either through reductions in cloud cover in the tropics or over the North Pacific.
One factor that has not been well quantified, however, is the effect of monumental efforts by countries in east Asia, notably China, to combat air pollution and improve public health through strict air quality policies. There has already been a 75% reduction in east Asian sulphur dioxide emissions since around 2013, and that cleanup effort picked up pace just as global warming began accelerating.
Our study addresses the link between east Asian air quality improvements and global temperature, building on the efforts of eight teams of climate modellers across the world.
We have found that polluted air may have been masking the full effects of global warming. Cleaner air could now be revealing more of the human-induced global warming from greenhouse gases.
In addition to causing millions of premature deaths, air pollution shields the Earth from sunlight and therefore cools the surface. There has been so much air pollution that it has held human-induced warming in check by up to 0.5°C over the last century.
With the cleanup of air pollution, something that’s vital for human health, this artificial sunshade is removed. Since greenhouse gas emissions have kept on increasing, the result is that the Earth’s surface is warming faster than ever before.
Our team used 160 computer simulations from eight global climate models. This enabled us to better quantify the effects that east Asian air pollution has on global temperature and rainfall patterns. We simulated a cleanup of pollution similar to what has happened in the real world since 2010. We found an extra global warming of around 0.07°C.
While this is a small number compared with the full global warming of around 1.3°C since 1850, it is still enough to explain the recent acceleration in global warming when we take away year-to-year swings in temperature from natural cycles such as El Niño, a climate phenomenon in the Pacific that affects weather patterns globally.
Based on long-term trends, we would have expected around 0.23°C of warming since 2010. However, we actually measured around 0.33°C. While the additional 0.1°C can largely be explained by the east Asian air pollution cleanup, other factors include the change in shipping emissions and the recent accelerated increase in methane concentrations in the atmosphere.
Air pollution causes cooling by reflecting sunlight or by changing the properties of clouds so they reflect more sunlight. The cleanup in east Asian air pollution influences global temperatures because it reduces the shading effect of the pollution over east Asia itself. It also means less pollution is blown across the north Pacific, causing clouds in the east Pacific to reflect less sunlight.
The pattern of these changes across the North Pacific simulated in our models matches that seen in satellite observations. Our models and temperature observations also show relatively strong warming over the North Pacific, downwind from east Asia.
The main source of global warming is still greenhouse gas emissions, and a cleanup of air pollution was both necessary and overdue. This did not cause the additional warming but rather, removed an artificial cooling that has for a time helped shield us from some of the extreme weather and other well-established consequences of climate change.
Global warming will continue for decades. Indeed, our past and future emissions of greenhouse gases will affect the climate for centuries. However, air pollution is quickly removed from the atmosphere, and the recent acceleration in global warming from this particular unmasking may therefore be short-lived.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
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Laura Wilcox receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Research Council of Norway, the Clean Air Fund, and Horizon Europe.
Bjørn H. Samset receives funding from the Research Council of Norway, the Clean Air Fund, and Horizon Europe.
– ref. Cleaner air in east Asia has driven recent acceleration in global warming – new study – https://theconversation.com/cleaner-air-in-east-asia-has-driven-recent-acceleration-in-global-warming-new-study-260601
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002692/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Katri Kulmuni (Renew)
According to feedback from farmers, at least from my country, Finland, many local banks are refusing to lend to farmers for investments, citing EU regulations.
EU legislation does not, of course, prevent banks from lending to farmers, but it does influence lending decisions. For example, in the case of generational renewal, the support conditions imposed under EU regulations can make it difficult to obtain loans.
Generally speaking, the specific characteristics of farming – such as income variability and dependence on weather conditions – make it difficult to predict yields. In many sectors, the low levels of profitability at present mean that farmers don’t have easy access to their own money for the necessary investments, and have to resort to borrowing. For reasons of security of supply, however, every EU Member State should be as self-sufficient as possible when it comes to primary production.
In the light of the foregoing, I would like to ask:
Is the Commission aware of the challenges farmers face in accessing loans and is the Commission planning to take action to make it easier for farmers to obtain loans?
Submitted: 2.7.2025
Source: Government of Sweden
The Government decided today to task Business Sweden with stepping up its efforts to promote investments in the Swedish battery value chain, i.e. in all parts of production. The aim is to enable capital and important expertise to be brought into and retained in the Swedish business sector. The assignment also includes helping relevant companies and national, regional and local actors with advice and contacts.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
|
Company Announcement No 31/2025 |
Peberlyk 4 6200 Aabenraa Denmark Tel +45 74 37 37 37 Sydbank A/S |
| 14 July 2025 |
Dear Sirs
Sydbank A/S share buyback programme: transactions in week 28
On 26 February 2025 Sydbank A/S announced a share buyback programme of DKK 1,350m. The share buyback programme commenced on 3 March 2025 and will be completed by 31 January 2026.
The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the share capital of Sydbank A/S and the programme is executed in compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016, collectively referred to as the Safe Harbour rules.
The following transactions have been made under the share buyback programme:
| Number of shares | VWAP | Gross value (DKK) | |
| Accumulated, most recent Announcement |
1,188,000 |
505,716,560.00 |
|
| 07 July 2025 08 July 2025 09 July 2025 10 July 2025 11 July 2025 |
10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 |
474.80 481.32 489.39 485.33 482.33 |
4,748,000.00 4,813,200.00 4,893,900.00 4,853,300.00 4,823,300.00 |
| Total over week 28 | 50,000 | 24,131,700.00 | |
| Total accumulated during the share buyback programme |
1,238,000 |
529,848,260.00 |
All transactions were made under ISIN DK 0010311471 and effected by Danske Bank A/S on behalf of Sydbank A/S.
Further information about the transactions, cf Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market abuse and Commission delegated regulation, is available in the attachment.
Following the above transactions, Sydbank A/S holds a total of 1,238,285 own shares, equal to 2.41% of the Bank’s share capital.
Yours sincerely
Mark Luscombe Jørn Adam Møller
CEO Deputy Group Chief Executive
Attachment
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
|
Company Announcement No 31/2025 |
Peberlyk 4 6200 Aabenraa Denmark Tel +45 74 37 37 37 Sydbank A/S |
| 14 July 2025 |
Dear Sirs
Sydbank A/S share buyback programme: transactions in week 28
On 26 February 2025 Sydbank A/S announced a share buyback programme of DKK 1,350m. The share buyback programme commenced on 3 March 2025 and will be completed by 31 January 2026.
The purpose of the share buyback programme is to reduce the share capital of Sydbank A/S and the programme is executed in compliance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016, collectively referred to as the Safe Harbour rules.
The following transactions have been made under the share buyback programme:
| Number of shares | VWAP | Gross value (DKK) | |
| Accumulated, most recent Announcement |
1,188,000 |
505,716,560.00 |
|
| 07 July 2025 08 July 2025 09 July 2025 10 July 2025 11 July 2025 |
10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 |
474.80 481.32 489.39 485.33 482.33 |
4,748,000.00 4,813,200.00 4,893,900.00 4,853,300.00 4,823,300.00 |
| Total over week 28 | 50,000 | 24,131,700.00 | |
| Total accumulated during the share buyback programme |
1,238,000 |
529,848,260.00 |
All transactions were made under ISIN DK 0010311471 and effected by Danske Bank A/S on behalf of Sydbank A/S.
Further information about the transactions, cf Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market abuse and Commission delegated regulation, is available in the attachment.
Following the above transactions, Sydbank A/S holds a total of 1,238,285 own shares, equal to 2.41% of the Bank’s share capital.
Yours sincerely
Mark Luscombe Jørn Adam Møller
CEO Deputy Group Chief Executive
Attachment
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Nokia network APIs now available on Google Cloud Marketplace, making it even easier for developers to utilize
14 July 2025
Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that three of its network APIs – Quality of Service on Demand, Number Verification, and Device Location Verification – are now available on Google Cloud Marketplace, making it even easier for thousands of developers around the world to access the APIs to write applications that developer customers can use.
Google Cloud Marketplace offers a universal catalog of solutions from Google Cloud and its partner ecosystem for customers to discover and use.
Developers can use the Nokia APIs exposed via Google Cloud Marketplace to tap into multiple mobile networks and create new applications, in conjunction with the capabilities provided by Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal, which gives developers standardized access to network functions without having to navigate any of the underlying network technologies. Additional Nokia APIs are expected to be available on Google Cloud Marketplace in the future.
“The availability of Nokia APIs on Google Cloud Marketplace is about giving developers easy access and simplified use of trusted network intelligence. This is just the latest step in Nokia’s efforts to connect programmable network assets to leading developer ecosystems,” said Shkumbin Hamiti, Vice President and Head of Network Monetization Platform, Cloud and Network Services, Nokia.
Nokia APIs are patterned after GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA open standards, allowing developers to run applications that work globally, enabled by Nokia’s growing CSP partnership network.
Through automation, the Quality of Service on demand API can effectively ask a network for guaranteed and reliable connectivity for a specified amount of time, such as for a live stream at a large event with thousands of people.
Nokia’s Number Verification API can verify whether a phone number belongs to the person using it, allowing industries such as financial services and retail to mitigate fraud and enhance user verification.
Similarly, Device Location Verification can authenticate a commercial transaction request to a device owner, based on the owner’s phone location and the location from which the request is coming.
“This collaboration with Nokia empowers developers and enterprises by delivering advanced telecom network capabilities directly through Google Cloud Marketplace. Making network APIs like Number Verification and Device Location Verification easily accessible unlocks new possibilities for secure, intelligent digital experiences, underscoring the value created when telco and cloud innovation converge,” said Muninder Singh Sambi, VP and GM, Networking and Security, Google Cloud.
About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable, and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
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Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Reigning champions England thrashed neighbours Wales 6-1 to reach the Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-finals on Sunday, securing second spot in Group D and cruising into the knockouts, where they will face Sweden, on a high note.
Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones were all on target for England, who finished runners-up to France after their 5-2 victory over the Netherlands.
Sarina Wiegman’s team will next face a Sweden side, who won all three of their games to top Group C, in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
“It is going to be a difficult game. We watched (Sweden) the other night and they were really good. We need to be on our best game,” Toone said. “But we’re feeling confident, I think they should be scared.”
The second-place finish, however, could be a bonus as provided they get past the Swedes, England would potentially avoid world champions Spain in the semi-finals.
Stanway struck from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after a foul in the box, calmly sweeping her shot into the far-left corner past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Olivia Clark to open the floodgates.
Toone found the back of the net with a scrappy goal eight minutes later. England capitalised on a sloppy clearance by Rhiannon Roberts, with the ball falling to Russo who nudged it into the path of Toone who fired home at the second attempt.
Hemp nodded a third inside 30 minutes after a clever pass from Lauren James to Toone near the byline. Toone found Hemp at the far post with a deep cross for an easy header.
Russo bagged her first goal of the tournament just before halftime when Toone made another dart to byline before cutting the ball back for Russo, who took one touch to control it before firing home and Mead cut inside a defender before slotting England’s fifth in the 72nd minute.
Hannah Cain pulled one back to the delight of the Wales fans, who celebrated by singing their national anthem, in the 76th minute, but England’s Beever-Jones replied in the 89th with her first goal in a major tournament, heading home Mead’s cross.
“We scored six goals and a big part of the game we dominated, a very good game,” Wiegman said. “Playing well is the most important, who scores is not that important.”
Much was made about the rivalry between the two nations, with Wales wanting nothing better than to spoil England’s party. Thousands of loud Welsh fans cheered and sang throughout Sunday’s match, despite the scoreline.
But Wiegman’s team, World Cup finalists in 2023, showed their vast experience against a Wales side making their major tournament debut.
“We were really good. It is always hard to play against a team that sits in a low block,” Toone said. “It was nice we got an early goal in the first half and we enjoyed the game.”
England have won 10 of the 11 meetings between the two teams, with Wales’ best result being a 0-0 draw in 2018.
“This is the beginning of a journey for us,” Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock said. “We’ve played three of the best teams in the world at this tournament and we’ve found out how big that jump is.”
(Reuters)
