VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has launched a public token sale for pump.fun (PUMP), the native token of the viral Solana-based memecoin platform pump.fun.
The sale opens on July 10, 2025, at 10:00 (UTC) and runs for 24 hours, closing on July 11 at 10:00 (UTC). With a fixed swap price of $0.004 per token, participants can subscribe using USDT and USDC, with individual contributions ranging from 5 to 1,000,000 coins. A total of 150 billion PUMP tokens will be available for sale, representing a $600 million total subscription quota from a total supply of 1 trillion tokens.
The PUMP token fuels the pump.fun platform, which has become a creative hub for memecoin launches and community experimentation on Solana. The token’s introduction marks a new chapter in enabling crypto-native meme culture and grassroots innovation. Following the token sale, trading for PUMP/USDT will go live on Bitget Spot on July 11 at 12:00 (UTC).
PUMP is the native utility token of the Pump.Fun platform, which includes the pump.fun launchpad and the swap.pump.fun automated market maker (AMM) protocol. While the platform remains fully permissionless and does not require the token for access, PUMP may be used in promotional activities and future utilities tied to the Pump.Fun ecosystem.
Bitget continues to expand its footprint in the spot crypto market. With a 24-hour trading volume of over 3.56 billion USDT, Bitget ranks as the third-largest spot exchange, according to Coingecko. The platform supports about 700 tokens, and has previously hosted high-profile token sales, including The WalletConnect Network, Jambo, and Fuel Ignition.
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Southeast Asian counterparts on Thursday in his first visit to Asia since taking office, and will try to reassure them the region is a priority for Washington, even as President Donald Trump targets it in his global tariff offensive.
Washington’s top diplomat will meet foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered in Kuala Lumpur, and also hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who is in the Malaysian capital, according to the U.S. State Department.
Rubio’s trip is part of an effort to renew U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific and look beyond the conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed much of the Trump administration’s attention, with Rubio balancing dual responsibilities as secretary of state and national security adviser.
However, Trump’s global tariff strategy is likely to cast a shadow over the trip, after the president announced steep tariffs to take effect on August 1 on six ASEAN members, including Malaysia, as well as on close Northeast Asian allies Japan and South Korea.
Rubio will nevertheless seek to firm up U.S. relationships with partners and allies, who have been unnerved by the tariffs, and is likely to press the case that the United States remains a better partner than China, Washington’s main strategic rival, experts said.
“This is significant, and it’s an effort to try to counter that Chinese diplomatic and economic offensive,” said Victor Cha, president of the geopolitics and foreign policy department at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Rubio will also meet with Lavrov later on Thursday, according to the U.S. State Department schedule. It would be the second in-person meeting between Rubio and Lavrov, and comes at a time when Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine drags on.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also expected to join talks from Thursday, but it was unclear if Rubio would meet with him.
‘BETTER LATE THAN NEVER’
A senior U.S. State Department official told reporters on Monday that among Rubio’s priorities on the trip was reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the region, not just for its sake but because it promotes American prosperity and security.
“It’s kind of late, because we’re seven months into the administration,” Cha said of Rubio’s trip. “Usually, these happen much sooner. But then again, it is extraordinary circumstances. But I guess better late than never.”
Security cooperation is a top priority, including the strategic South China Sea, and combating transnational crime, narcotics, scam centers, and trafficking in persons, said the State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
As well as their unease about Trump’s tariff policies, many in the Indo-Pacific have doubts about the willingness of his “America First” administration to fully engage diplomatically and economically with the region.
Trump said this week he would impose a 25% tariff on Japan and South Korea and also took aim at ASEAN nations, announcing a 25% levy on Malaysia, 32% on Indonesia, 36% on Cambodia and Thailand, and 40% on Laos and Myanmar.
Trump has also upset another key Indo-Pacific ally, Australia, which said on Wednesday it was “urgently seeking more detail” on his threat to raise tariffs to 200% on pharmaceutical imports.
According to a draft joint communique seen by Reuters, ASEAN foreign ministers will express “concern over rising global trade tensions and growing uncertainties in the international economic landscape, particularly the unilateral actions relating to tariffs.”
The draft, dated Monday, before the latest U.S. tariff rates were announced, did not mention the United States and used language similar to an ASEAN leaders’ statement in May. Both said tariffs were “counterproductive and risk exacerbating global economic fragmentation.”
The State Department official said Rubio would be prepared to discuss trade and reiterate that the need to rebalance U.S. trade relationships is significant.
The export-reliant ASEAN is collectively the world’s fifth-biggest economy, with some members beneficiaries of supply chain realignments from China. Only Vietnam has secured a deal with Trump, which lowers the levy to 20% from 46% initially.
Cricket minnows Italy are on the cusp of sealing their first appearance at the Twenty20 World Cup after stunning Scotland in the European qualifying tournament on Wednesday.
Their 12-run victory in Voorburg, the Netherlands, kept Italy top of the Europe Regional Final standings and in pole position for the 20-overs showpiece to be held in India and Sri Lanka next year.
A win over the Dutch, who are second in the standings, in their final match on Friday would seal their place but Italy’s superior net run rate means even a narrow loss could send them through if other results go their way.
“I am really proud of the boys for this moment,” said captain Joe Burns, who played 23 tests for Australia before switching allegiance to Italy last year.
“Hopefully this is the stepping stone for a lot to come. It’s a very emotional group at the moment. Being on the verge of a World Cup? It’s very surreal.”
With the top two in the standings to advance, Scotland can still qualify but need a big win against Jersey on Friday and an Italy victory against the Dutch.
“A lot of the credit has to go to Italy, who outskilled us with the ball in those conditions,” Scotland captain Richie Berrington said.
“Obviously today’s a tough one, but it’s important we learn what we can from this game. We will be looking to come back strong.
“We have to focus on coming back on Friday and looking to win that game then the rest takes care of itself.”
rime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi on Thursday morning after concluding a five-nation tour that spanned July 2 to 9, covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. The visit also included his participation in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro under Brazil’s chairmanship.
The Prime Minister began his tour with a visit to Ghana on July 2-3- the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in over three decades. In Accra, he held bilateral talks with President John Mahama to review the existing partnership and explore new areas of cooperation in economic development, defence, maritime security, energy, and critical minerals. Both leaders agreed to elevate ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. President Mahama also conferred on PM Modi The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, the country’s highest civilian award.
On July 3-4, PM Modi travelled to Trinidad and Tobago– the first Prime Ministerial visit since 1999. He met Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and addressed the Parliament. During the visit, India announced that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards will now be issued to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean nation. PM Modi was also honoured with The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
The third leg of the tour took PM Modi to Argentina on July 4-5- the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the South American country in nearly six decades. He held discussions with President Javier Milei to strengthen cooperation in defence, agriculture, mining, energy, trade, and investment. Describing the visit as productive, PM Modi said the talks would help deepen India-Argentina ties. He was also presented with the Key to the City of Buenos Aires by the city’s Chief, Jorge Macri.
In the fourth leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi attended the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6 to 7. He then travelled to Brasília, the capital of Brazil, for a State Visit and held bilateral talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two leaders discussed ways to expand the Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil in areas such as trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health, and people-to-people exchanges. During the visit, President Lula conferred on Prime Minister Modi Brazil’s highest civilian honour, The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross.
In the final leg of his tour on July 9, Prime Minister Modi visited Namibia – marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 27 years. He addressed the Namibian Parliament, where he received a standing ovation from the members. During the visit, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah conferred upon him The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, Namibia’s highest civilian honour.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The steering committee on handling extreme weather, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, released the following information today (July 10) in response to the development of weather conditions.
Due to the impact of torrential rain and squally thunderstorms brought by the remnant of Tropical Cyclone Danas, the weather conditions are expected to remain severe tomorrow (July 11). To ensure the safety of students, and considering that schools across Hong Kong may have already started their summer vacation and the actual impact of class suspension on students’ learning and teaching is relatively small, the Education Bureau announces that classes of all day schools, including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens, and kindergartens-cum-child care centres, will be suspended tomorrow.
The Secondary One registration procedures were originally scheduled for today and tomorrow (July 10 and 11) at the allocated secondary schools. Considering that some parents may have already made arrangements to register at the schools today, the original whole-day registration arrangements for today will remain unchanged. If parents choose to register their child at the allocated secondary school today, they should pay attention to the weather conditions and ensure safety. For safety reasons, parents should not bring their children to the school for registration.
Additionally, the registration originally scheduled for Friday, July 11 will be rescheduled to next Monday, July 14. If parents are unable to register in person or through an authorised representative on the above dates, please contact the allocated secondary school or the School Places Allocation Section of the Education Bureau (Tel: 2832 7700 or 2832 7740) to make appropriate registration arrangements.
Units under the Social Welfare Department (SWD) providing child care centre services, services under the Neighbourhood Support Child Care Project, and after school care programmes for pre-primary or primary school children will not open to the public tomorrow (July 11). Members of the public in need may contact the centres or services units concerned for assistance. The SWD will closely monitor the weather conditions and make timely announcements on the latest arrangements of other services when necessary. Members of the public should pay attention to the announcements.
Under the cross-departmental co-ordination by the steering committee, various government departments have completed all necessary preparatory work and response plans, arranging extra manpower on standby, to safeguard the lives and property of the public as well as public safety. The preparatory work includes:
The Home Affairs Department (HAD) is ready to activate the Emergency Co-ordination Centre as soon as necessary and to open temporary shelters for people in need of temporary accommodation. District Offices have also co-ordinated with other departments and organisations to enhance preparedness and mobilised District Council members, members of “the three committees” and Care Teams to disseminate the latest weather information to residents in flood-prone areas, reminding them to make necessary preparations.
The Drainage Services Department (DSD) had made special arrangements to inspect and carry out necessary clearance at about 240 locations prone to flooding due to blockages. The “just-in-time” arrangement will continue, with 180 emergency response teams to conduct inspection and clearance of drainage channels in different districts across the territory. Members of the public are advised to report any street flooding to the DSD by calling the 24-hour drainage hotline at 2300 1110.
The Highways Department has reminded relevant staff members and contractors to make preparations for the activation of the Emergency Control Centres and handle road emergencies when necessary, including promptly clearing obstructions on roads and blocked road gullies and drains, reinforcing collapsed slopes with emergency shotcrete, etc, with a view to resuming road traffic on major public roads as soon as possible.
The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) of the Security Bureau has made arrangements and will be fully activated when the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued or from 5pm today to monitor the situation in the city. Utilising the Common Operational Picture, the EMSC will conduct real-time citywide monitoring and integrate updates from various departments to swiftly assess risks and formulate response plans and measures. Various emergency response teams, including the Fire Services Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service, have completed all necessary preparatory work and are on standby to handle possible emergencies during heavy rainstorms and high winds, and to provide assistance to those in need.
The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department will continue to operate round-the-clock. It will closely monitor traffic and transport conditions with public transport agencies and disseminate emergency traffic information and public transport service arrangements to the public in a timely manner.
　　 The steering committee on handling extreme weather is tasked with holistically reviewing and steering cross-departmental overall preparations and response plans for typhoons and rainstorms, and strengthening information dissemination. The committee urges the public to continue to stay alert, stay away from dangerous places such as rivers and slopes in adverse weather conditions, refrain from water sports, and to pay attention to the latest news released by the Government.
Nearly two-thirds of organizations consider quantum computing as the most critical cybersecurity threat in 3–5 years
Six in ten ‘early adopters1’ of quantum-safe technologies predict that ‘Q-day2’, the point at which quantum computers can break current cryptographic algorithms, will arrive within 5-10 years
Paris, July 10, 2025 – ACapgeminiResearch Institute report published today,‘Future encrypted: Why post-quantum cryptography tops the new cybersecurity agenda,’highlights that rapid progress of quantum computing threatens to render current encryption algorithms obsolete. ‘Harvest-now, decrypt-later3’ attacks, together with tightening regulations and the evolving technology landscape, have elevated the importance of quantum safety. However, despite increasing awareness within the industry, many organizations still underestimate the risks surrounding quantum computing, which could lead to future data breaches and regulatory penalties.
According to the report, around two-thirds (65%) of organizations are concerned about the rise of ‘harvest-now, decrypt-later’ attacks. One in six early adopters believe that ‘Q-day’ will be within five years, while around six in ten believe it will arrive within a decade.
“Quantum readiness isn’t about predicting a date–it’s about managing irreversible risk. Every encrypted asset today could become tomorrow’s breach if organizations delay adopting post-quantum protections. Transitioning early ensures business continuity, regulatory alignment, and long-term trust,” said Marco Pereira, Global Head of Cybersecurity, Cloud Infrastructure Services at Capgemini. “Quantum safety is not a discretionary spend but a strategic investment, which can turn a looming risk into a competitive advantage. The organizations that recognize this fact early will best insulate themselves against future cyber-attacks.”
While current quantum computers cannot break widely used encryption yet, high-risk industries such as defense and banking are leading the adoption of quantum-safe solutions. In contrast, consumer-focused sectors like consumer products and retail sectors are showing less urgency.
Post-quantum cryptography migration preferred over other quantum-security solutions Most organizations surveyed (70%) are protecting their systems against emerging quantum threats by adopting the appropriate mix of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms.
They view PQC as the best option to address near-term quantum security risks because it provides a comprehensive approach to securing data. Nearly half of early adopters are already exploring, assessing feasibility, or piloting PQC solutions. For 70% of organizations, regulatory mandates are a key driver behind the shift to PQC.
While the early adopters are working towards quantum safety, a few organizations (30%) are still ignoring the quantum threat. They are struggling to allocate sufficient budget and personnel to cryptographic transition.
Report Methodology The Capgemini Research Institute conducted a survey of 1,000 organizations with annual revenue of at least $1 billion across 13 sectors and 13 countries in Asia–Pacific, Europe, and North America. The global survey was carried out in April–May 2025. Around 70% of the sample in this report are referred to as ‘early adopters’. This segment is either working on or planning to work on quantum-safe solutions in the next five years. The survey findings were supplemented through in-depth interviews with sixteen industry executives.
About Capgemini Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, generative AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2024 global revenues of €22.1 billion.
About the Capgemini Research Institute The Capgemini Research Institute is Capgemini’s in-house think-tank on all things digital. The Institute publishes research on the impact of digital technologies on large traditional businesses. The team draws on the worldwide network of Capgemini experts and works closely with academic and technology partners. The Institute has dedicated research centers in India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was ranked #1 in the world for the quality of its research by independent analysts for six consecutive times – an industry first.
1 “Early adopters,” who make up 70% of our survey respondents, are organizations that are either currently working on or planning to implement quantum-safe solutions within the next five years.
2 ‘Q-Day’ is the hypothetical future date when quantum computers will become powerful enough to break the crypto-graphic algorithms that currently secure most of the world’s digital data and communications.
3 ‘Harvest-now, decrypt-later’ attacks rely on the acquisition of currently unreadable data with the possibility of decrypting it after ‘Q-Day’.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s auto production and sales logged double-digit increases in the first half of the year (H1), a sign of vibrant domestic consumption in the world’s second-largest economy, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed on Thursday.
The country’s auto output totaled 15.62 million units during the period, up 12.5 percent from a year ago, while auto sales rose 11.4 percent to 15.65 million units.
The CAAM saw increased vitality in the auto market, driven by various factors, including the country’s stable economic growth, the consumer goods trade-in program, and the rapid growth of the NEV market.
New energy vehicle (NEV) production surged 41.4 percent year on year to nearly 6.97 million units in the first six months, with sales up by 40.3 percent year on year to about 6.94 million units.
NEVs accounted for 44.3 percent of total new vehicle sales in China during the January-June period, according to the CAAM.
To boost consumption, China expanded the scope of passenger vehicles covered under its trade-in program in January, aiming to increase domestic demand and support the Chinese economy through equipment upgrades and trade-ins of consumer goods.
Thursday’s data also showed that the country’s auto exports increased 10.4 percent year-on-year to 3.08 million units in the six months. Notably, NEV exports soared 75.2 percent to 1.06 million units.
Government sets out reforms to create a fair, secure, affordable and efficient electricity system
Government confirms reforms to the national pricing electricity market that will create a fairer, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient energy system.
Government puts fairness and affordability at the centre of electricity market reform to deliver system that puts working people first
Government takes decision to reform the existing national pricing system rather than split the country into different zones.
Reforms will protect consumers and secure investment as government drives to deliver clean power mission, protecting families through Plan for Change
Working people, families and businesses will benefit from a fairer, cheaper, more secure, and more efficient energy system thanks to ambitious new reforms of the energy market to protect consumers and secure investment into clean energy.
Working people have suffered uncertainties and worry in recent years from high energy bills spurred on by the country’s dependence on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators. That is why the government has doubled down on its clean energy mission, which will give families control with clean homegrown power that Britain controls – all part of the mission to bring down bills for good.
In delivering this clean power system, the government inherited a decision on whether to retain the current national system in which all areas in Britain pay the same wholesale price for energy – or undertake an overhaul to split the country into different pricing zones depending on their proximity to where energy is generated.
Following this process, and an extensive consultation which started in 2022, the Government has concluded that reforming the system while retaining a single national wholesale price is the right way to deliver a fair, affordable, secure, and efficient electricity system.
The proposals set out today (10 July) will ensure the benefits of clean power are felt by consumers in every part of the country, while giving businesses the stability and certainty they need to continue investing to upgrade our infrastructure – boosting national energy security, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and growing the economy.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Building clean power at pace and scale is the only way to get Britain off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets and protect families and businesses for good.
As we embark on this new era of clean electricity, a reformed system of national pricing is the best way to deliver an electricity system that is fairer, more affordable, and more secure, at less risk to vital investment in clean energy than other alternatives.
Our package of reforms will protect consumers and secure investment as we drive to deliver our clean power mission through our Plan for Change.
This decision comes as the government takes a step closer to the clean power by 2030 target, delivering the most significant investment in clean, homegrown power in British history over the last year. This includes approving projects that could power the equivalent of 2 million homes, as well as the biggest expansion of new nuclear power in half a century, providing £14.2 billion for Sizewell C, over the Spending Review.
The government is taking a fundamentally different approach to building the energy system and infrastructure that this country needs. After years of delay from previous governments that has seen consumer costs and constraint payments rise, the government is rapidly building the network, reforming the planning system, and transforming the grid connections queue to get the projects needed for clean power and economic growth. It is only by driving the build out of new transmission infrastructure, which the government is doing through our planning measures after years of delay, that the clean power system the country needs can be built.
The further changes announced today will see the government taking on more responsibility for planning the system and determining where clean energy infrastructure is located, based on what is needed for the long-term. These changes will ultimately help to bring down energy bills, by making the current system more efficient, ensuring low-cost investment into cheap clean energy projects, and reducing the cost of running the electricity network.
The key parts of the reformed national package being announced today include:
Strategic Spatial Energy Plan:
The government has confirmed that the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan, to be published next year by NESO following consultation, will be at the heart of the reforms to improve the efficiency of the electricity system, under the national pricing model.
Commissioned by UK, Scottish and Welsh governments last year, for the first time the plan will set out how to best spread new energy projects across land and sea in Great Britain up to 2050. This will speed up development, cut grid connection waiting times and help to reduce costs, giving investors confidence on where to build and when.
Transmission Charges:
Under the current system, the more that energy generators rely on the transmission network to move power to where it’s needed, the more they will need to pay – in what are known as Transmission Network Use of System charges. The government will work with Ofgem to drive forward a review of these charges to provide stronger incentives for investors to build generation where it is needed, supporting a cheaper system for all. Crucially this will include changes to make existing charges more predictable for investors – as currently the charges vary year by year, which causes uncertainty during long-term projects and can drive up prices as developers price in the risk of volatility.
Improving the efficiency of the power system:
The government is already working at pace with the industry to rewire Britain and upgrade the country’s outdated infrastructure to get more renewable electricity onto the grid and minimise constraint payments after over a decade of delay. Independent advice from NESO confirmed that up to £4 billion in constraint payments, caused by historic failure to build the grid infrastructure the country needs, could be avoided by 2030, if critical network upgrades are accelerated to complete by 2030. Many of these projects are already well into development, such as the Norwich to Tilbury transmission line, and the Sea Link offshore cable between Kent and Suffolk.
The government is also working with NESO to launch a consultation later this year on further reforms that will help to reduce the need for constraint payments. One potential measure could give NESO better access to smaller assets – such as battery storage sites – that can offer greater flexibility when balancing the grid.
NESO are also currently working with the wider industry to explore further options to help reduce the need for constraint payments – as part of their Constraints Collaboration Project.
Today’s announcement also builds on wider schemes announced by the government that aim to ensure households can directly benefit from hosting clean energy projects. Earlier this year, the government introduced measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that will see eligible households within 500 metres of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure receive electricity bill discounts of up to £2,500 over 10 years. The Energy Secretary also recently set out plans for coastal and rural communities hosting clean energy infrastructure to receive a cash boost for new community facilities, better transport links and investment in apprenticeships.
Notes to editors
This follows the second consultation on the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements, under the previous government. Since taking office, this government has carried out ongoing engagement with the industry, consumer groups and wider stakeholders – and will continue to work closely with all parties as the proposed changes are developed.
Later this year, the government will also publish a Reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan, which will set out the next steps for government to work together with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator and industry to delivery these reforms.
The government is publishing this decision now to provide certainty for investors ahead of the AR7 auction round.
In 2000, Africa had no billionaires. Today it has 23 whose combined wealth has soared by 56% in just the past five years, reaching a staggering $112.6 billion.
Africa’s richest 5% hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth – more than double the combined wealth of the rest of the continent.
Despite soaring poverty, African governments show least commitment to reducing inequality, and that commitment has declined since 2022.
An extra 1% tax on wealth and 10% tax on income of Africa’s richest 1% could raise $66 billion annually, more than enough to close the funding gaps for free quality education and universal access to electricity.
Today, just four of Africa’s richest billionaires hold $57.4 billion in wealth — more than the combined wealth of 750 million people, or half the continent’s population, according to a new Oxfam report.
The report–Africa’s inequality crisis and the rise of the super-rich–launched ahead of theAfrican Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, warns thatthe explosive concentration of wealth is accelerating inequality, driven by policies that enrich elites while starving public services.
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa, said:
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Africa is one of the most unequal regions in the world and has some of the highest poverty rates. Nearly half (23) of the world’s 50 most unequal countries are African, while extreme poverty has soared: seven in ten people living in extreme poverty today are in Africa, compared to just one in ten in 1990. Hunger is also worsening, with nearly 850 million Africans experiencing hunger — an increase of 20 million since 2022.
Despite deepening poverty and widening inequalities, African governments remain the least committed globally to narrowing the gap — slashing budgets for public services like education, health and social protection, while imposing some of the world’s lowest wealth taxes on the ultra-rich. On average, the continent collects just 0.3% of GDP in wealth taxes. This is less than any other region and well below Asia (0.6%), Latin America (0.9%), and OECD countries (1.8%). Over the past decade, that already meagre share has dropped by nearly 25%.
For each dollar African countries raise from personal income and wealth taxes, they collect nearly three dollars from indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) — levies that deepen inequality.
The consequences are glaring. Half of Africa’s population live in 19 countries where income inequality has worsened or stagnated over the past decade. The richest 5% in Africa now hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth, more than double the combined wealth of the remaining 95% of the continent’s population.
Fatouma, a mother of 10 children who sells vegetables in El Afweyn, Somalia says:“Meat is a luxury we cannot afford in many homes. I earn about two dollars a day while the price of one kilo of flour has tripled.”
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa
Oxfam International
The report also finds that:
In just three days, someone in Africa’s richest 1% earns what it takes a person in the poorest half an entire year to make.
Even if they lost almost all their wealth (keeping just 0.01%) Africa’s five richest men would still be 56 times richer than the average person on the continent.
Men in Africa own three times more wealth than women, the widest gender wealth gap of all regions in the world.
Over the past five years, African billionaires have increased their wealth by 56%.
As debt burdens mount, governments across the continent are squeezing the poor – gutting essential public services – while shielding the wealthiest from fair taxation. An earlier report by Oxfam and Development Finance International found that 94% of African countries with active World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans (44 out of 47 countries) have slashed spending on education, health and social protection in 2023-2024 to repay debt. This significantly undermines the AU’s goal of reducing inequality by 15% over the next 10 years.
“The solution is not far-fetched: tax the rich and invest in the majority. Anything less is a betrayal. If African leaders are serious about their commitments, they must stop rewarding the few and start building economies that work for everyone,” added N’Zi-Hassane.
Some African governments are already proving that fairer economies are possible. Morocco and South Africa collect 1.5% and 1.2% of their GDP from property taxes, respectively — among the highest in the continent. In Seychelles, the poorest 50% have seen their income share grow by 76% since 2000, while the richest 1% have lost two-thirds of theirs. The government also guarantees universal healthcare, free quality education, along with a robust welfare system for the most vulnerable.
A modest tax on Africa’s richest – just 1% more on wealth and 10% more on income – could generate $66 billion a year for the continent (2.29% of Africa’s GDP), according to the report. This would be more than enough to close the funding gaps needed to deliver free quality education and provide electricity to every home and business still in the dark.
‘‘Every African woman, man and child deserves to live in dignity. When a handful of billionaires are allowed to hoard obscene wealth while millions are trapped in poverty, the system becomes not just broken but morally bankrupt. As leaders meet for AU Summit, delay is indefensible. Taxing the super-rich isn’t just fair — it’s essential for building the Africa we want,’’ said N’Zi-Hassane.
In 2000, Africa had no billionaires. Today it has 23 whose combined wealth has soared by 56% in just the past five years, reaching a staggering $112.6 billion.
Africa’s richest 5% hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth – more than double the combined wealth of the rest of the continent.
Despite soaring poverty, African governments show least commitment to reducing inequality, and that commitment has declined since 2022.
An extra 1% tax on wealth and 10% tax on income of Africa’s richest 1% could raise $66 billion annually, more than enough to close the funding gaps for free quality education and universal access to electricity.
Today, just four of Africa’s richest billionaires hold $57.4 billion in wealth — more than the combined wealth of 750 million people, or half the continent’s population, according to a new Oxfam report.
The report–Africa’s inequality crisis and the rise of the super-rich–launched ahead of theAfrican Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, warns thatthe explosive concentration of wealth is accelerating inequality, driven by policies that enrich elites while starving public services.
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa, said:
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Africa is one of the most unequal regions in the world and has some of the highest poverty rates. Nearly half (23) of the world’s 50 most unequal countries are African, while extreme poverty has soared: seven in ten people living in extreme poverty today are in Africa, compared to just one in ten in 1990. Hunger is also worsening, with nearly 850 million Africans experiencing hunger — an increase of 20 million since 2022.
Despite deepening poverty and widening inequalities, African governments remain the least committed globally to narrowing the gap — slashing budgets for public services like education, health and social protection, while imposing some of the world’s lowest wealth taxes on the ultra-rich. On average, the continent collects just 0.3% of GDP in wealth taxes. This is less than any other region and well below Asia (0.6%), Latin America (0.9%), and OECD countries (1.8%). Over the past decade, that already meagre share has dropped by nearly 25%.
For each dollar African countries raise from personal income and wealth taxes, they collect nearly three dollars from indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) — levies that deepen inequality.
The consequences are glaring. Half of Africa’s population live in 19 countries where income inequality has worsened or stagnated over the past decade. The richest 5% in Africa now hold nearly $4 trillion in wealth, more than double the combined wealth of the remaining 95% of the continent’s population.
Fatouma, a mother of 10 children who sells vegetables in El Afweyn, Somalia says:“Meat is a luxury we cannot afford in many homes. I earn about two dollars a day while the price of one kilo of flour has tripled.”
“Africa’s wealth is not missing. It’s being siphoned off by a rigged system that allows a small elite to amass vast fortunes while denying hundreds of millions even the most basic services. This is an utter policy failure —unjust, avoidable and entirely reversible.’’
Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Director, Oxfam in Africa
Oxfam International
The report also finds that:
In just three days, someone in Africa’s richest 1% earns what it takes a person in the poorest half an entire year to make.
Even if they lost almost all their wealth (keeping just 0.01%) Africa’s five richest men would still be 56 times richer than the average person on the continent.
Men in Africa own three times more wealth than women, the widest gender wealth gap of all regions in the world.
Over the past five years, African billionaires have increased their wealth by 56%.
As debt burdens mount, governments across the continent are squeezing the poor – gutting essential public services – while shielding the wealthiest from fair taxation. An earlier report by Oxfam and Development Finance International found that 94% of African countries with active World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans (44 out of 47 countries) have slashed spending on education, health and social protection in 2023-2024 to repay debt. This significantly undermines the AU’s goal of reducing inequality by 15% over the next 10 years.
“The solution is not far-fetched: tax the rich and invest in the majority. Anything less is a betrayal. If African leaders are serious about their commitments, they must stop rewarding the few and start building economies that work for everyone,” added N’Zi-Hassane.
Some African governments are already proving that fairer economies are possible. Morocco and South Africa collect 1.5% and 1.2% of their GDP from property taxes, respectively — among the highest in the continent. In Seychelles, the poorest 50% have seen their income share grow by 76% since 2000, while the richest 1% have lost two-thirds of theirs. The government also guarantees universal healthcare, free quality education, along with a robust welfare system for the most vulnerable.
A modest tax on Africa’s richest – just 1% more on wealth and 10% more on income – could generate $66 billion a year for the continent (2.29% of Africa’s GDP), according to the report. This would be more than enough to close the funding gaps needed to deliver free quality education and provide electricity to every home and business still in the dark.
‘‘Every African woman, man and child deserves to live in dignity. When a handful of billionaires are allowed to hoard obscene wealth while millions are trapped in poverty, the system becomes not just broken but morally bankrupt. As leaders meet for AU Summit, delay is indefensible. Taxing the super-rich isn’t just fair — it’s essential for building the Africa we want,’’ said N’Zi-Hassane.
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
TIANJIN, July 10 (Xinhua) — More than 20 representatives from cities in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries discussed future urban development topics such as digitalization of urban governance, people-to-people exchanges and security as the basis for development during the “Dialogue of World Mayors – SCO Summit City” held in north China’s Tianjin from July 6 to 9.
The opening ceremony of the event took place in Tianjin on July 8. It included two thematic dialogues: a dialogue of mayors of SCO cities and a dialogue of mayors of cities that hosted the organization’s summits, where China’s experience and practices in urban governance implemented through digital technologies attracted special attention of the participants.
As an emerging industry, low-altitude economics also attracted great interest from participants in the dialogue. According to a representative of the Moscow Center for International Cooperation, “air taxis” and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol traffic in China left a deep impression on her.
The Chinese experience serves as an instructive example for Moscow in improving the system of control over transport infrastructure and population movement, believes a representative of the Moscow department.
According to the participants of the event, trust between the SCO countries not only comes from open and transparent interaction, but is also rooted in cultural closeness. Humanitarian exchanges and sustainable cultural development have become an important force in consolidating consensus and deepening cooperation.
The topic “How to ensure security as the basis for development” became one of the important topics of the discussions and attracted great attention from the participants. As an important place for the implementation of trade and economic cooperation of the SCO countries and regional development, the city should take a more qualitative approach to ensuring security, which has long been perceived as a key element of sustainable development.
The participants in the dialogue called for the creation of a broader and more effective platform in the SCO countries for regular dialogues between the heads of mayors of the SCO countries on security issues.
The “Dialogue of World Mayors – SCO Summit City” was attended by mayors, diplomats accredited in China and experts from think tanks from SCO countries. They discussed expanding consensus, deepening practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity, trade and economic investment, green development and cultural exchanges. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
LOS ANGELES, July 10 (Xinhua) — At least 15 workers were trapped when a tunnel collapsed in the Wilmington area on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. (03:00 GMT Thursday) near the 1700 block of North Figueroa Street in Wilmington.
The city fire department sent all its search and rescue teams to the scene to carry out rescue operations. –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.
Trifork and Deloitte selected for Swiss Federal Office of Public Health’s DigiSanté framework agreement
Zurich – 10 July 2025
Trifork Switzerland has been selected as subcontractor to Deloitte Switzerland on the framework agreement for the lot “Expertise in the field of standards (author and developer) in the healthcare sector” under the DigiSanté program, led by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG).
This lot is part of the broader “DigiSanté – Health Business, Standards, Data Science, IT- and Data Security” framework, designed to strengthen the Swiss digital health infrastructure through standards-based development, secure data architecture, and modern health IT practices.
The agreement covers up to 144,000 hours over nine years across five awarded consortia, amounting to CHF 27.7 to 38.8 million. Specific tasks will be awarded through mini-tenders. While the total scope will depend on these future mini-tenders, this framework positions Deloitte and Trifork to contribute to high-impact healthcare digitalisation projects throughout the contract period.
“We are pleased to support the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health with our combined expertise in standards, interoperability, and healthcare system architecture. The DigiSanté framework is a cornerstone in the continued digital transformation of the Swiss healthcare system, and we look forward to collaborating closely with Trifork and health authorities.” — Rolf Brügger, Partner, Government & Public Services Industry Leader of Deloitte Switzerland
Trifork brings deep experience from regulated health software development, including CE-marked applications, shared care platforms, and interoperability services across European markets. In Switzerland, the company is actively involved in supporting nationwide initiatives such as the electronic patient dossier (EPD) and broader healthcare ecosystem projects. This builds on Trifork’s growing local presence through digital health partnerships and strategic investments.
“This collaboration is a natural extension of our commitment to digital health in Switzerland, and we’re excited to collaborate with Deloitte in this fascinating task. Our experience in standards implementation and healthcare-specific technology complements Deloitte’s strategic expertise, positioning us well to support FOPH’s long-term goals.” — Fabio Vena, CSO Trifork Switzerland
Press contact Frederik Svanholm, Group Investment Director, Head of IR & PR frsv@trifork.com, +41 79 357 7317
About the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH / BAG) (bag.admin.ch) The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), part of the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs, is responsible for public health in Switzerland. The FOPH develops and implements national healthcare policy, ensures access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, and promotes the health and well-being of Switzerland’s population. As the lead authority behind the DigiSanté program, FOPH plays a key role in advancing Switzerland’s digital health infrastructure, setting standards for health data, and enabling secure, efficient and patient-centred health services across the country.
About Deloitte Switzerland (deloitte.ch) Deloitte offers integrated services that include Audit & Assurance, Tax & Legal, Strategy, Risk & Transaction Advisory, and Technology & Transformation. Its approach combines insight and innovation from multiple disciplines with business and industry knowledge to help clients excel anywhere in the world. With around 2,700 employees at six locations in Basel, Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano and Zurich (headquarters), Deloitte serves companies and organisations of all legal forms and sizes in all industry sectors. Deloitte AG is an affiliate of Deloitte North South Europe (NSE), a member firm of the global network of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) comprising around 460,000 employees in more than 150 countries.
About Trifork (trifork.com) Trifork (Nasdaq Copenhagen: TRIFOR) is a pioneering global technology company, empowering enterprise and public sector customers with innovative digital products and solutions. With 1,215 professionals across 71 business units in 16 countries, Trifork specializes in designing, building, and operating advanced software across sectors such as public administration, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, energy, financial services, retail, and real estate. In Switzerland, Trifork is deeply involved in the healthcare tech ecosystem. The Group’s R&D arm, Trifork Labs, drives innovation by investing in and developing synergistic, high-potential technology companies.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
SPC AC 100553
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1253 AM CDT Thu Jul 10 2025
Valid 101200Z – 111200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL KANSAS…CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA…WESTERN IOWA AND PARTS OF SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA…
…SUMMARY… Strong thunderstorms posing a risk for severe hail, damaging wind gusts and perhaps a couple of tornadoes are possible late this afternoon into tonight across parts of the central Great Plains into mid Missouri Valley.
…Discussion… Stronger westerlies will remain confined to the higher latitudes through this period, with one significant short wave perturbation forecast to accelerate from eastern portions of the Canadian Northwest Territories through areas northeast of Hudson Bay, accompanied by a deepening surface cyclone. It appears that the leading edge of cooler, drier air in the wake of this cyclone will advance south of the international border into the northern Rockies and through adjacent portions of the northern U.S. Great Plains, trailed by another notable mid-level short wave impulse, which models indicate will dig near/east of the Canadian through northern U.S. Rockies. As this occurs, mid-level troughing within weaker flow in lower latitudes is forecast to slowly dig from the northern Great Basin toward the central Great Plains, suppressing stronger ridging in the subtropical to southern mid-latitudes, initially centered over the Southwest.
This will be preceded by a couple of convectively generated or augmented perturbations migrating across the mid Missouri Valley and Upper Midwest, a modest mid-level trough slowly turning east-northeast of the lower Great Lakes vicinity, and several weak perturbations progressing through broad, weak cyclonic flow across the Southeast through southern Atlantic Seaboard.
…Great Plains into Midwest… Uncertainties remain concerning potential convective evolution through this period. Models suggest that surface boundaries may remain relatively diffuse, but residual seasonably moist boundary-layer air may become characterized by sizable CAPE with daytime heating, beneath steep lower/mid-tropospheric lapse rates, including warm elevated mixed layer air.
There does appear at least a somewhat consistent signal within various convection allowing guidance that an MCV associated with ongoing convection across parts of the middle Missouri Valley could provide a focus for strong thunderstorm development later today across parts of the Upper Midwest. Otherwise, in advance of the digging upstream troughing, models indicate that a modest belt of southwesterly low-level flow (including 20-30+ kt in the 850-700 mb layer) will generally persist through the day east of the lee surface trough, from the Texas Panhandle/South Plains into the middle Missouri Valley. It appears that this will coincide with a corridor of stronger heating/deeper boundary-layer mixing across the higher plains, where thunderstorm activity initiating during the late afternoon may pose a risk for damaging wind gusts.
Within the more moist low-level environment across eastern Nebraska into western Iowa, the wind fields, aided by veering with height, might become at least marginally conducive to a couple of supercells, in the presence of sizable CAPE, before forcing for ascent associated with the approaching mid-level trough tends to support upscale growing clusters this evening.
…Upper Ohio Valley into portions of New England… Near the southern periphery of the mid-level troughing shifting east or east-northeast of the lower Great Lakes region, models indicate that scattered thunderstorm development is probable during peak afternoon heating, in the presence of moderate CAPE (1000-2000+ J/kg) and shear enhanced at least somewhat by a belt of 20-30 kt westerly mid-level flow. This environment may become conducive to small hail and potentially damaging wind gusts, before activity weakens this evening.
…Southeast/Southern Atlantic Seaboard… Aided by forcing for ascent associated with the mid-level perturbations, in the presence of weak mid-level inhibition, one or two upscale growing clusters of storms may overspread the southern Atlantic Piedmont and coastal plain late this afternoon and evening. Forecast soundings indicate that a seasonably moist environment may become characterized by moderate CAPE, with perhaps a sufficient degree of sub-saturation to allow for evaporative cooling in downdrafts to contribute to modest surface cold pool development. In the presence of weak deep-layer southwesterly mean flow on the order of 10-15 kt, the potential for development of sufficiently strong rear inflow to support surface gusts in excess of 50 kt appears low, but even with peak gusts generally on the order of 35-50 kt, sporadic damage will still be possible.
..Kerr/Weinman.. 07/10/2025
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Australia’s drug approval system is under fire, with critics in the United States claiming it is too slow to approve life-saving medicines.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration balances speed with a rigorous assessment of safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
So does Australia really lag behind the US Food and Drug Administration? And do we need to change how we approve medicines?
The drug development pipeline
Drug development usually begins when something new is discovered about a disease. This usually involves identifying either a change in an important protein or finding a new protein involved in the disease.
When scientists know the shape of the protein, they can design a drug that can block or activate it.
Scientists will then undertake laboratory, petri dish-type, experiments to see if the drug works on the protein in the way they designed. If it passes those tests, they will then move onto animal testing and formulation.
Formulation is the step where scientists decide what form the medicine will take, such as a tablet, injection or patch. There are more than 150 different pharmaceutical dosage forms to choose from.
The final steps are human testing. This requires the completion of three types of clinical trials. Each seeks to answer different specific questions about the drug:
Phase I trials: is the drug safe? What are its side effects?
Phase II trials: does the drug work?
Phase III trials: is the drug better than currently available medicines?
At the end of the trials, a company can apply to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for approval to market and sell the drug.
Getting a drug to market is time-consuming and costly. It takes around 15 years from the initial concept and design to government approval and costs more than A$3.5 billion.
But the failure rate is high: more than 90% of drugs that undergo development never gain government approval.
How are drugs approved in Australia?
The decision to approve new medicines for sale in Australia is made based on safety and efficacy evidence provided by the sponsoring company.
Listing a medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a separate process from approval, and is based on financial considerations and a cost-benefit analysis, rather than safety and efficacy.
The TGA typically takes 240 to 260 working days (around a full calendar year) from receiving a new medicine application to an approval decision. This is longer than it takes the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – 180 to 300 days.
Where there is a pressing need, the approval process can be faster. The first COVID treatment was approved in Australia just two weeks after it was submitted for consideration.
Then why do Americans often get medicines first?
There can be several reasons why a drug approval can be delayed in Australia when it has already been approved overseas.
First, with a population of 27 million out of 8 billion world-wide, Australia is a relatively small market. So it is not always a high priority for companies to apply for approval here. Regions with large populations such as China, India and Europe are a bigger focus for companies. This can therefore delay when they submit to Australia.
Other reasons for delays can be that the TGA requires additional safety or efficacy evidence other regions did not request, or because new information about the drug has come to light since the drug was approved overseas.
What about delays getting drugs onto the PBS?
When a drug is listed on the PBS, Australians can access the medicine for $31.60 (or $7.70 concession) instead of the cost of a private prescription which might be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
The time it takes for medicines to be approved on the PBS has also been a focus of criticism.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which makes PBS listing recommendations to the Federal Minister of Health, only sits three to six times per year.
US Chamber of Commerce vice president John Murphy claims the PBAC takes, on average, 32 months to make a recommendation about listing a drug after an application has been submitted.
Once a recommendation is made, the minister usually takes a minimum of five months to make a final decision.
To speed up the process, the TGA does allow parallel applications for drug approval and PBS listing.
The time taken to make a PBS listing decision is reasonable, given the scheme’s overall cost. In 2023–24, the total cost of the PBS to the government was $17.7 billion. So a decision to list can’t be made lightly.
So should Australia change how it approves medicines?
Criticising the time it takes to get regulatory approvals appears to be part of a wider plan of attack by the US government. It is putting pressure on Australia to open its market to higher prices for medicines made by US pharmaceutical companies.
Australia has a world-class regulatory agency in the TGA which ensures medicines that are approved are both safe and effective. And the PBS scheme is a key part of our public health care system and the envy of the world.
The Australian government should resist any changes to the regulatory approval processes that come from the US.
Nial Wheate in the past has received funding from the ACT Cancer Council, Tenovus Scotland, Medical Research Scotland, Scottish Crucible, and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Nial is the chief scientific officer of Vaihea Skincare LLC, a director of SetDose Pty Ltd (a medical device company) and was previously a Standards Australia panel member for sunscreen agents. He is a member of the Haleon Australia Pty Ltd Pain Advisory Board. Nial regularly consults to industry on issues to do with medicine risk assessments, manufacturing, design and testing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other”.
Trump, who has craved the award for years, sees himself as a global peacemaker in a raft of conflicts from Israel and Iran, to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With the conflict in Gaza still raging, we ask five experts – could Trump be rewarded with the world’s most prestigious peace prize?
Emma Shortis
Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University
Nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is like entering a hyena in a dog show.
Of course Trump does not deserve it. That we’re being forced to take this question seriously is yet another indication – as if we needed one – of his extraordinary ability to set and reset the terms of our politics.
There is no peace in Gaza. Even if Trump announced another ceasefire tomorrow, it would not last. And it would not build genuine peace and security.
Trump has neither the interest nor the attention span required to build long term peace. His administration is not willing to bear any of the costs or investments that come with genuine, lasting diplomacy. And he is not anti-war.
There is no peace in Iran. Trump’s bombing of Iran simply exacerbates his decision in 2018 to end nuclear negotiations with Tehran. It pushes the world closer to, not further from, nuclear catastrophe.
Under the Trump administration, there will be no peace in the Middle East. Both the US and Israeli governments’ approach to “security” puts the region on a perpetual war footing. This approach assumes it is possible to bomb your way to peace – a “peace” which both Trump and Netanyahu understand as total dominance and violent oppression.
The Trump administration is deliberately undermining the institutions and principles of international and domestic law.
He has deployed the military against American citizens. He is threatening the United States’ traditional allies with trade wars and annexation. His administration’s dismantling of USAID will result, according to one study, in the deaths of 14 million people, including 4.5 million children, by 2030.
Indulging Trump’s embarrassing desire for trophies might appease him for a short time. It would also strip the Nobel Peace Prize of any and all credibility, while endorsing Trump’s trashing of the international rule of law.
What kind of peace is that?
Ali Mamouri
Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University
The nomination of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize by a man who is facing charges of war crimes is an unprecedented and deeply dark irony that cannot be overlooked.
Trump’s role in brokering the Abraham Accords was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough. It led to the normalisation of relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
But this achievement came at a significant cost. The accords deliberately sidelined the Palestinian issue, long recognised as the core of regional instability, and disregarded decades of international consensus on a two-state solution.
Israeli soldiers guarding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Dom Zaran/Shutterstock
His silence in the face of a growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza was equally telling. Perhaps most disturbing was the tacit or explicit endorsement of proposals to forcibly relocate Palestinians to neighbouring Arab countries, a position that evokes ethnic cleansing and fundamentally undermines principles of justice, dignity and international law.
In addition, there is Trump’s unconditional support for Israel’s military campaigns across the region, including his authorisation of attacks on Iranian civilian, military and nuclear infrastructure. The strikes lacked any clear legal basis, contributed further to regional instability and, according to Tehran, killed more than a thousand civilians.
His broader disregard for international norms shattered decades of post-second world war diplomatic order and increased the risk of sustained and expanded conflict.
Against this backdrop, any serious consideration of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize seems fundamentally at odds with its stated mission: to honour efforts that reduce conflict, uphold human rights and promote lasting peace.
Whatever short-term diplomatic gains emerged from Trump’s tenure are eclipsed by the legal, ethical and humanitarian consequences of his actions.
Ian Parmeter
Research Scholar, Middle East Studies, Australian National University
Netanyahu’s nomination of Donald Trump for one of the world’s most coveted awards was clearly aimed at flattering the president.
Trump is clearly angling for the laurel, which his first term predecessor, Barack Obama, won in his first year in office.
Obama was awarded the prize in 2009 for promotion of nuclear non-proliferation and fostering a “new climate” in international relations, particularly in reaching out to the Muslim world.
Given neither of these ambitions have since borne fruit, what claims might Trump reasonably make at this stage of his second term?
Trump has claimed credit for resolving two conflicts this year: the brief India–Pakistan clash that erupted after Pakistani militants killed 25 Indian tourists in Kashmir in May; and the long-running dispute between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disputes Trump brokered peace. He says the issue was resolved by negotiations between the two countries’ militaries.
With regards to the Rwanda–DRC conflict, the countries signed a peace agreement in the Oval Office in June. But critics argue Qatar played a significant role
which the Trump administration has airbrushed out.
Trump can legitimately argue his pressure on Israel and Iran forced a ceasefire in their 12-day war in June.
But his big test is the Gaza war. For Trump to add this to his Nobel claim, he will need more than a ceasefire.
The Biden administration brokered two ceasefires that enabled the release of significant numbers of hostages, but did not end the conflict.
Trump would have to use his undoubted influence with Netanyahu to achieve more than a temporary pause. He would have to end the war definitively and effect the release of all Israeli hostages.
Beyond that, if Trump could persuade Netanyahu
to take serious steps towards negotiating a two-state solution, that would be a genuine Nobel-worthy achievement.
Trump isn’t there yet.
Jasmine-Kim Westendorf
Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict and Co-Director of the Initiative for Peacebuilding, The University of Melbourne
Although controversial or politicised awards are not new, awardees are generally individuals or groups who’ve made
significant contributions to a range of peace initiatives.
They include reducing armed conflict, enhancing international cooperation, and human rights efforts that contribute to peace.
Inspiring examples include anti-nuclear proliferation organisations and phenomenal women peacemakers. And Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, who won in 2011 for their work trying to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Trump has declared his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier”. But he is neither.
There has been a concerning trend towards using the Nobel Peace Prize to encourage certain political directions, rather than reward achievements.
Barack Obama’s 2008 Prize helped motivate his moves toward diplomacy and cooperation after the presidency of George W. Bush.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s 2018 award was for efforts to resolve the 20-year war with Eritrea. The peace prize encouraged Ahmed to fulfill his promise of democratic elections in 2020. Embarrassingly, within a year Ahmed launched a civil war that killed over 600,000 people and displaced 3 million more.
This week’s nomination follows efforts by global leaders to flatter Trump in order – they hope – to secure his goodwill.
These motivations explain why Netanyahu has put forward Trump’s name to the Nobel Committee. It comes at the very moment securing Trump’s ongoing support during ceasefire negotiations is critical for Netanyahu’s political survival.
They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize […] It’s too bad. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me.
Prizes to genuine peacemakers amplify their work and impact.
1984 winner Desmond Tutu said: “One day no one was listening. The next, I was an oracle.” A Nobel can be a powerful force for peace.
Trump is no peacemaker, he doesn’t deserve one.
Shahram Akbarzadeh
Director, Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), Deakin University
Benjamin Netanyahu would have us believe Donald Trump is a peacemaker.
Nothing could be further from the truth. His record is stained with blood and misery. The fact Trump believes himself to be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize only attests to his illusions of grandeur in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The war in Gaza has gone into its 20th month because Trump did not use the levers at his control to bring the senseless war to a close.
Some estimates put the true Gaza death toll at 100,000 people, and counting. They have been killed by American-made bombs Israel is dropping across the densely populated strip; from starvation because Israel has enforced a blockade of the Gaza Strip and prevented UN food delivery with the blessings of America; and from gunshots at food distribution centres, set up with US private security.
All under Trump’s watch.
Trump could do something about this. Israel is the largest recipient of US aid, most of it military support.
This has multiplied since Israel commenced its attack on Gaza in response to Hamas terrorism on October 7 2023. Trump has approved the transfer of US military hardware to Israel, knowing full well it was being used against a trapped and helpless population.
This is not the act of a peacemaker.
Now the Israeli government is planning to “facilitate” population transfer of Gazans to other countries – a euphemism for ethnic cleansing.
This is the textbook definition of genocide: deliberate and systematic killing or persecution of people. Trump legitimised this travesty of decency and international law by promising a Gaza Riviera.
The outlandish extent of Trump’s ideas would be laughable if their consequences were not so devastating.
When Israel attacked Iran in the middle of nuclear talks, Trump had a momentary pause, before jumping to Netanyahu’s aid and bombing Iran. He then claimed his action paved the way for peace.
Trump’s idea of peace is the peace of the graveyard.
Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.
Jasmine-Kim Westendorf has received funding from the Australian Research Council.
Shahram Akbarzadeh receives funding from Australia Research Council.
Ali Mamouri and Ian Parmeter do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
India has strongly reiterated its commitment to maritime safety and gender equality during the 134th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, currently being held from 07 to 11 July in London. The Indian delegation at the session is led by T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
On the opening day of deliberations, India delivered a resolute statement in response to recent maritime incidents involving foreign-flagged container vessels operating in Indian waters. These incidents—linked to undeclared hazardous cargo and structural and stability deficiencies—have triggered growing concern about the safety protocols surrounding global container shipping operations.
Calling for urgent action, India urged the IMO to initiate a comprehensive investigation and global review of such incidents. The delegation highlighted the critical role of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard in safeguarding life at sea and emphasized the pressing need to strengthen international safety frameworks. Particular attention was drawn to improving global standards around the packaging, declaration, stowage, and monitoring of lithium-ion batteries and other dangerous goods categorized under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
As part of its proposal, India advocated for the establishment of IMO-led investigations into container ship accidents. According to the Indian delegation, such efforts would foster the development of global best practices, improve standardisation, and reinforce operational protocols for safer and more secure maritime activities.
In addition to addressing maritime safety, India took an active role in the session’s discussions on gender equality, aligning its efforts with the IMO’s Gender Inclusion Strategy. The delegation showcased the national initiative “Sagar Mein Samman” (Honour at Sea)—launched on November 25, 2024, by the Directorate General of Shipping. This landmark programme is designed to cultivate a safe, respectful, and inclusive maritime environment, enabling women to participate and advance across all levels of the industry, from seafaring roles to executive leadership.
India also highlighted a notable success: a 650% rise in the number of Indian women seafarers, demonstrating its strong commitment to building an equitable maritime workforce and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
EfTEN Real Estate Fund AS earned consolidated rental income of EUR 2,650 thousand in June 2025, an increase of EUR 7 thousand compared to May. The increase was supported by higher turnover-based rent in shopping centers and a lower vacancy rate in office premises. Property management and marketing expenses decreased by EUR 77 thousand compared to the previous month. The Fund’s consolidated EBITDA for June amounted to EUR 2,310 thousand, growing by EUR 81 thousand month-over-month.
During the first six months of 2025, the Fund earned EUR 15.58 million in rental income, which is 1.6% more than in the same period last year. Consolidated EBITDA amounted to EUR 12.9 million, a decrease of 1.3% year-over-year. The decrease was primarily driven by the sale of the Tähesaju Hortes gardening centre and increased vacancy in the office segment, especially in the Menulio office building in Vilnius and the office building at Pärnu mnt 102 in Tallinn. On the other hand, EBITDA increase was supported by the addition of the Härgmäe and Paemurru logistics centres as well as newly acquired and developed elderly care homes. The total office vacancy rate decreased in June from 17.0% to 16.2%, i.e. from 10.2 thousand m² to 9.7 thousand m². Based on lease agreements already signed, an additional 1.1 thousand m² of office space will be transferred to tenants in July and August, further decreasing office vacancies. The overall vacancy rate in the Fund’s property portfolio stood at 3.7% at the end of June.
The regular semi-annual property revaluation carried out by Colliers International did not result in any significant changes. The revaluation resulted in a gain of EUR 546 thousand and increased the fair value of the property portfolio by 0.15%. In the valuation models, discount rates decreased on average by 0.1–0.2 percentage points, supported by the decrease in EURIBOR, while exit yields remained at the same level as at the end of last year. Forecasts for office cash flows were slightly more conservative compared to year-end 2024, while cash flow outlooks for other segments were slightly more optimistic.
Prior to the Midsummer holidays, the Fund’s subsidiary EfTEN SPV12 OÜ, which owns the Rautakesko property at Tammsaare tee 49 and the logistics centre property at Kuuli 10 in Tallinn, entered into an interest rate swap agreement with Swedbank. Under the agreement, the 1-month EURIBOR was fixed at 1.995%. The swap, which follows the repayment schedule of the underlying loan, was signed for a three-year term. As at the end of June, the fair value of the derivative was negative EUR 41 thousand, and the notional value of the swap agreement was EUR 11.6 million, accounting for 7.4% of the Fund’s consolidated loan portfolio.
The Fund’s weighted average loan interest rate was at 3.95% at the end of June, compared to 5.65% a year earlier. Consolidated interest expenses for the first half of the year amounted to EUR 3.5 million, which is EUR 973 thousand less than in the same period of 2024.
As at 30 June 2025, the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) per share was EUR 19.979 and EPRA NRV was EUR 20.8523 per share, both increasing by 1.0% during the month.
VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, is set to burn 30,001,053.1 BGB (2.56% of total supply) tokens for the second quarter of 2025, equivalent to approximately $138 million based on the Q2 2025 average price. This brings the total burn for the first half of the year to over 5% of the total supply of the BGB token, based on Bitget’s strategy of growing the native ecosystem token.
BGB has emerged as one of the top-performing centralized exchange tokens of 2025, consistently ranking high in terms of trading volume and market capitalization. Since its initial launch, BGB has had several strategic upgrades, evolving into a core asset within the Bitget ecosystem. Its growing popularity is fueled by increasing demand for its utility across various platform features, including staking, fee discounts, Launchpad access, and exclusive campaign eligibility. With over 120 million users in the Bitget ecosystem, BGB runs the infrastructure, as the pillar of support for users incentivization and liquidity across various products.
The quarterly BGB burn mechanism is an automated, pre-disclosed program that removes a portion of circulating tokens based on revenue performance and BGB usage on the platform. This structured approach shows both the exchange’s growth trajectory and the increasing transactional demand for BGB. As Bitget continues expanding into new regions and product verticals, from AI-powered trading to Launchpool innovations, the utility of BGB keeps increasing across the platform.
“BGB has become one of the most attractive and best-performing CEX tokens,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “Its utility and growth have been indicators of its potential. With every burn, we invest in BGB’s future that’s driven by its strong community and growth.”
The recent token burn reduces total supply and builds long-term holder confidence by decreasing inflationary pressure. This creates a more favorable environment for price support and ecosystem maturity. As Bitget grows, the corresponding burn volumes are expected to increase in scale, further increasing the deflationary dynamics that support BGB’s valuation.
With a focus on platform growth and product innovation, Bitget continues to drive strategic alignment with the token ecosystem. The Q2 burn represents confidence in BGB’s long-term position as a strong utility token within the cryptospace.
About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
Risk Warning:Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to ourTerms of Use.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The Modern Railways 2025 exhibition at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, July 8, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
The Modern Railways 2025 exhibition wraps up Thursday at the China National Convention Center and National Railway Test Center, having drawn 521 enterprises from 14 countries and regions since opening Monday.
Spanning nearly 40,000 square meters, the exhibition has featured leading companies such as China Railway (CR), CRRC, Siemens and Huawei.
The CR450 EMU prototype on display at the National Railway Test Center in Beijing, July 9, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
A highlight of the exhibition has been the display of 30 advanced trains and locomotives at the National Railway Test Center, including the CR450 EMU prototype, designed to be the world’s fastest high-speed train, with a test speed of 450 kph and an operating speed of 400 kph.
Visitors have also toured six key laboratories, such as the Braking System Laboratory, the High-Speed Railway Pantograph-Catenary Relationship Laboratory and the Railway 5G Innovation Laboratory.
Juergen Model, CEO of Siemens Mobility Greater China, speaks with reporters at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, July 8, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
At the China National Convention Center, the exhibition has featured displays in 10 areas, covering rolling stock, engineering construction, communication and signaling, information technology, passenger and freight transport, traction power supply, safety, maintenance, energy saving and environmental protection.
Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of yet more career milestones continued unabated as he reached a record 14th Wimbledon semi-final and a showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old Serb recovered from a set down to beat Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 and is now only two victories away from an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.
Blocking his path next is a rather more formidable Italian in the form of Sinner who eased any worries about an elbow injury to beat American powerhouse Ben Shelton 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4.
In the women’s quarter-finals, Poland’s claycourt specialist Iga Swiatek broke new ground by reaching her first Wimbledon semi-final, beating Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 7-5.
The eighth seed will face Switzerland’s unseeded Belinda Bencic who edged out Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 7-6(3) 7-6(2) to also reach her first semi-final at the grasscourt slam.
By reaching a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi, Djokovic also kept alive his hopes of equalling Roger Federer’s men’s record eight Wimbledon singles titles.
It remains a tall order even for a player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, especially with top seed Sinner and Spain’s holder Carlos Alcaraz, the two new powers in men’s tennis, most people’s bet to contest the final on July 13.
But no one should be writing off Djokovic who has won 44 of his last 46 matches at the All England Club and seems to know every single blade of grass on the historic Centre Court.
“It means the world to me that at 38 I am able to play in the final stages of Wimbledon,” Djokovic, who suffered a nasty slip on match point but appeared unscathed, said.
“Competing with youngsters makes me feel young, like Cobolli today. I enjoy running and sliding around the court. Speaking of the young guys, I will have Sinner in the next round so I look forward to that. That is going to be a great match-up.”
SINNER INJURY
Sinner may well have been back home in Italy had Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov not damaged his right pectoral muscle and retired with a two-set lead in the fourth round on Monday.
The three-times Grand Slam champion also sustained an elbow injury early on in that match and there was some doubt about his physical state ahead of his clash with 10th seed Shelton.
But he produced a clinical performance, reeling off seven successive points to win the first-set tiebreak and then pouncing in the 10th game of the next two sets to match his run to the semi-final two years ago when he lost to Djokovic.
Sinner, bidding to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title, wore a protective sleeve on his right arm but was rock solid against the big-serving Shelton.
“I had quite good feelings in the warm-up today,” Sinner, who dropped only six points on his first serve, said.
“I put into my mind that I’m going to play today. So the concerns were not that big if I would play or not.
“It was just a matter of what my percentage is. Today was very high, so I’m happy.”
Swiatek appears to have finally overcome her grass court demons and the four-times French Open champion could not hide her delight at reaching the semi-final at the sixth attempt.
“Honestly, it feels great. I have goosebumps after this win. I am super happy and super proud of myself and I will keep going. I worked really hard to progress here on this surface.”
Former Olympic champion Bencic became the first Swiss woman to reach the semis since Martina Hingis in 1998 after stunning 18-year-old seventh seed Andreeva on Centre Court.
“It’s crazy, it’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true,” the 28-year-old mother said. “I’m just speechless.”
Bencic will face Swiatek on Thursday after top seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on 13th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova.
The first silverware of this year’s tournament will also be decided on Thursday when Dutchman Sem Verbeek and Czech Katerina Siniakova face Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani in the mixed doubles final on Centre Court.
France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the centre of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi on Thursday morning after concluding a five-nation tour that spanned July 2 to 9, covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. The visit also included his participation in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro under Brazil’s chairmanship.
The Prime Minister began his tour with a visit to Ghana on July 2-3- the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the West African nation in over three decades. In Accra, he held bilateral talks with President John Mahama to review the existing partnership and explore new areas of cooperation in economic development, defence, maritime security, energy, and critical minerals. Both leaders agreed to elevate ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. President Mahama also conferred on PM Modi The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, the country’s highest civilian award.
On July 3-4, PM Modi travelled to Trinidad and Tobago– the first Prime Ministerial visit since 1999. He met Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and addressed the Parliament. During the visit, India announced that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards will now be issued to the sixth generation of the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean nation. PM Modi was also honoured with The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
The third leg of the tour took PM Modi to Argentina on July 4-5- the first standalone bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the South American country in nearly six decades. He held discussions with President Javier Milei to strengthen cooperation in defence, agriculture, mining, energy, trade, and investment. Describing the visit as productive, PM Modi said the talks would help deepen India-Argentina ties. He was also presented with the Key to the City of Buenos Aires by the city’s Chief, Jorge Macri.
In the fourth leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi attended the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6 to 7. He then travelled to Brasília, the capital of Brazil, for a State Visit and held bilateral talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two leaders discussed ways to expand the Strategic Partnership between India and Brazil in areas such as trade, defence, energy, space, technology, agriculture, health, and people-to-people exchanges. During the visit, President Lula conferred on Prime Minister Modi Brazil’s highest civilian honour, The Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross.
In the final leg of his tour on July 9, Prime Minister Modi visited Namibia – marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 27 years. He addressed the Namibian Parliament, where he received a standing ovation from the members. During the visit, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah conferred upon him The Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, Namibia’s highest civilian honour.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to a solitary jail cell on Thursday after a court approved a warrant sought by prosecutors investigating his attempt to impose martial law last year.
The Seoul Central District Court’s decision bolstered the special counsel investigation into allegations that Yoon’s move in December represented obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
The court said in a statement it granted the request because of concerns Yoon could seek to destroy evidence, returning him to confinement at the Seoul Detention Center where he spent 52 days earlier in the year before being released four months ago on technical grounds.
He moved back with his wife and his 11 dogs and cats to their 164 square metre (1,765 square feet) apartment in an upscale district of Seoul. The couple’s net worth is estimated at 7.5 billion won ($5.47 million), according to a government filing.
But Yoon will now be housed in a 10 square-metre solitary cell and sleeping on a foldable mattress on the floor without an air conditioner, an official at the detention centre and media reports said.
With a heat wave gripping the country, Yoon will have to rely on a small electric fan that switches off at night, Park Jie-won, an opposition lawmaker who had been incarcerated there, said on a YouTube talk show.
The detention facility served a breakfast of steamed potatoes and mini cheese breads for inmates on Thursday, another official said.
The conservative politician faces criminal charges of insurrection over his martial law decree, which could carry a sentence of life in prison or death.
YOON SKIPS COURT HEARING
Hours after he ended up in jail, the court held a hearing on Thursday morning for his insurrection trial, but Yoon did not attend.
His lawyers told the court that he was unable to go to the hearing due to health issues, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Constitutional Court ousted Yoon as president in April, upholding parliament’s impeachment for the martial law bid, which shocked South Koreans and triggered months of political turmoil.
The special prosecution team launched its investigation after new leader Lee Jae Myung was elected in June, and it has been looking into additional charges against Yoon.
The special counsel team is now expected to speed up its probe into allegations, including whether Yoon hurt South Korea’s interests by intentionally inflaming tensions with North Korea.
The team plans to question Yoon on Friday, informing his wife and lawyers about his detention via letters, Park Ji-young, a deputy to the special counsel, told reporters on Thursday.
Yoon attended the court hearing on Wednesday on the detention warrant, wearing a dark navy suit and a red tie, but did not answer questions from reporters.
His lawyers have denied the allegations against him and called the detention request an unreasonable move in a hasty investigation.
More than 1,000 supporters rallied near the court on Wednesday, local media reported, waving flags and signs and chanting Yoon’s name in searing 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.
In their warrant request, prosecutors said Yoon poses a flight risk, local media reported.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted after air raid sirens sounded in several areas across the country.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes.
Houthis have repeatedly said that their attacks are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s military assault since late 2023 has killed more than 57,000 people, Gaza authorities say.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.
An organised crime group who supplied cocaine across the UK have been jailed for more than 65 years following an extensive investigation from the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency
A joint Met and National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation has led to an organised crime group being jailed for their role in the supply of cocaine across the capital and the United Kingdom. Their efforts signify officers’ efforts to crack down on drug supply and associated anti-social behaviour and violence, which causes misery to Londoners and those beyond.
The investigation unveiled that Redon Bushi, 32, (27.04.1993), of Cherry Crescent, Brentford, was operating in the leading role of this enterprise over a number of years, with multiple importers and couriers working with him.
He pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court on Monday, 10 July 2024 to –
two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs,
conspiracy to transfer criminal property,
possessing criminal property.
He was sentenced to a total of 24 years’ and 10 months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.
Encrypted messaging services EncroChat and Signal revealed Bushi had conspired to supply a minimum of 832kg of cocaine, with a street value of up to £81,640,000, across London and the entirety of the UK. Once the Encrochat messages had been discovered, a targeted operation followed and Met detectives started work to dismantle the illegal drug-dealing operation.
The investigation
Met detectives discovered Bushi was using Encrochat under the username of ‘Sealvermouth’ after the platform was cracked by international law enforcement, supported by the NCA.
Their investigation showed that Bushi took precautions to attempt to protect his wider criminal network. His couriers would only be provided post codes, times, and a loose description of the individual they would be providing to.
However, his efforts were combatted by the tenacity of Met officers, who were able to uncover the group’s lines of communication. They thoroughly reviewed each and every device and chat pertaining to the group. They also trawled through hours’ worth of CCTV and were able to piece together the inner mechanics of the criminal operation.
Using this material, officers stopped one of the vehicles belonging to Bushi’s couriers, Ahmad Jabarkhill in June 2020 and found nearly £700,000 on him.
The Met and NCA officers also used covert tactics and intelligence to identify three more of Bushi’s couriers – Arline Sida, Luke Ferguson and Kelvin Hoxha, gathering evidence to show the scale of the enterprise.
In addition to the chats, which were found between the group, fake identity cards were also found, as well as a van with a sophisticated concealment. There was also a camera set up at the location where drugs were being stored so it could be remotely monitored.
Acting on this information, Sida and Hoxha were both arrested in Brentford in August 2023. Searches were carried out at the address and they were found in possession of six kilograms of cocaine.
Luke Ferguson, another member of the criminal enterprise, was then arrested at a ‘safe house’ in Brentford and found in possession of 72kg of cocaine, worth an estimated street value of £6.24 million.
Police and the NCA then launched a manhunt for Bushi after his team were arrested. He stayed in a series of hotels to evade officers, bought a new phone, clothing, and had more than £3,000 in cash. Whilst the manhunt was ongoing, Bushi directed others to check cameras at various addresses to identify any police attendance or surveillance.
He was arrested in Reading in the following days.
Detective Constable David Leitner, who led the investigation on behalf of the Met,said:
“This case demonstrates our relentlessness in pursuing organised crime, while utilising the unprecedented opportunity that Encrochat represent to its fullest effect.
“Bushi clearly believed that these messaging platforms protected him from law enforcement, but they only served to provide us the very evidence to convict him and his associates.
“This shows the Met’s commitment to tackling offenders who are instrumental in supplying drugs to the streets of London.”
The wider criminal enterprise
Ahmad Jabarkhill, 32, (01.01.1993) pleaded guilty to the possession of criminal property at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday, 22 July 2020 and was sentenced on the same date to two years and three months’ imprisonment.
Arline Sida, 23 (16.02.2002), of London Road West, Amersham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on Wednesday, 17 January 2024 at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court and was sentenced to 12 years’ 9 months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.
Kelvin Hoxha, 23, (15.04.2002), of Field Lane, Brentford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and driving while disqualified on Saturday, 26 October 2024 at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court and was sentenced to 11 years’ 8 Months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.
Luke Ferguson, 32 (14.04.1993), of Becklow Road, Shepherd’s Bush, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on Thursday, 21 November 2024 at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court and was sentenced to 14 years’ 5 months imprisonment on Wednesday, 9 July at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.
If you watched any of the 2025 Wimbledon womens’ matches, you’ll have noticed many players donning a skort: a garment in which shorts are concealed under a skirt, or a front panel resembling a skirt.
You may even remember skorts from your schooling days, as they’re commonly offered in girls’ uniforms throughout Australia.
The skort (a portmanteau of skirt and shorts) has played a truly unique role in the history of women’s clothing. They were once a progressive item of clothing, as they afforded women the opportunity to partake in activities that would have been difficult in a skirt or dress.
Their role in contemporary society, however, is a bit more complicated.
Rebellious beginnings
The first garments resembling skorts were developed in the 1890s so women could ride bicycles without their skirt getting caught in the chains. While the puffy “bloomers” had already been invented a few decades earlier, women who wore them often faced ridicule.
Skorts were considered revolutionary at a time when men both figuratively and literally wore the pants.
Back then, they were usually a pair of loose pants under a front panel resembling a skirt. The aim was to retain the wearer’s femininity, and not offend those who thought pants were a purely masculine article of clothing.
A drawing from an 1896 patent of a ‘cycling skirt’.
The skort as we know it today, and as is seen across the sporting world, was popularised in the 1960s by American fashion designer Leon Levin.
This skirt was said to offer “the freedom of shorts and soft lines of a skirt”. The underlying message: even as women participate in traditionally “masculine” activities, they should be careful not to look too masculine.
Sport management academic M. Katie Flanagan argues women may be convinced that exercising in a skort achieves an acceptable gender performance. In other words, they are socialised to think they have to “perform” their gender by wearing the “correct” clothing.
Skorts in sport and school
In the sporting world, skorts are deliberately designed to be trendy and attractive, rather than purely functional.
One study on women golfers found they were more satisfied with their uniforms if they were happy with both the comfort and attractiveness, indicating women’s sportswear isn’t just about fit and practicality.
Skorts have historically also had class associations. As recently as ten years ago, sport skorts were an expensive item reserved for those from the middle and upper classes. Women from lower economic classes also tended to not have the time and/or resources to engage in the activities skorts were designed for, namely tennis and golf.
More recently, however, discount stores have made skorts accessible to those on a budget.
School skorts, a topic of my ongoing research, are particularly affordable at discount stores. A generic discount store skort may cost about A$10, compared to A$20–40 for one purchased directly from a school.
Some schools offer skorts to girls as the equivalent of sports shorts or as part of the everyday uniform. Other schools seem to prefer culottes as an alternative to a dress or skirt – shorts that are loose enough to resemble a skirt.
Many schools still don’t offer shorts to girls as part of the everyday uniform. Whether or not girls are allowed to wear the “boys’” shorts comes down to the individual school.
From rebellion to restriction
One 2019 review of school uniform policies in South Australia found 98.6% of public schools included shorts as a uniform option for girls, compared to just 26.4% of private schools.
Researchers Sarah Cohen-Woods and Rachel Laattoe found girls in private schools were often restricted in their choices, having to choose between skorts and culottes as an alternative to a skirt or dress.
Across Australia, all state and territory education policies – most of which came into effect between 2017 and 2019 – mandate public schools must offer girls the option of wearing shorts and pants.
However, the wordings of these policies differ widely. While New South Wales, Victoria and Norther Territory specifically mention shorts and pants must be offered to girls, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania specify schools must offer unisex or gender neutral items to all students.
South Australia’s and Australian Capital Territory’s policies further state uniform items should be categorised by type of clothing, or in non-gender specific terms.
However, in some states, including New South Wales, schools are free to interpret the policy as they wish, which is why some only offer culottes or skorts to girls. There is generally no oversight or enforcement of policies to force schools to offer actual shorts to girls.
A similar debate is happening in women’s sports. Ireland’s Camogie Association only ended the compulsory skorts policy in May, after years of complaints by players. Dublin captain Aisling Maher said she was “sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose”.
“In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?” Maher said.
A camogie team pictured in Waterford, Ireland, 1915. The Irish stick-and-ball team sport is played by women. Wikimedia
A garment for the male gaze
In recent years, many stores have advertised skorts for fashion. Target, for instance, currently sells a tailored skort described as a “must have for any trendsetter looking to stand out in a crowd”.
There are conflicting arguments about whether skorts are progressive or regressive. On one hand, they allow women and girls to move freely during physical activities, without having to worry about their underwear being visible.
On the other, they set a precedent in regards to how women and girls ought to perform their gender, by avoiding looking too “masculine” – which makes them somewhat misogynistic.
The skort is an object of dual meanings: at once a skirt and a pair of shorts – at once progressive and regressive.
Jennifer E. Cheng 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.
Delhi and several parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) have been experiencing continuous rainfall since Wednesday night, bringing relief from the recent spell of high temperatures and intense humidity.
The downpour, which began on Wednesday evening, led to overcast skies across the region and brought much-needed respite to residents. However, the incessant rainfall also triggered widespread waterlogging in various parts of Gurugram, causing severe traffic disruptions. Vehicles were seen navigating through waterlogged roads as the city struggled with drainage issues.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi is likely to witness a “generally cloudy sky with moderate rain” over the coming days. The IMD has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by rain for the national capital over the next three days. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chandigarh has predicted similar conditions for Gurugram, with cloudy skies and intermittent spells of rain or thundershowers expected to continue for at least two more days.
In Haryana, Ambala city also received a fresh spell of rainfall. The weather department has predicted that the region will continue to experience a generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers until tomorrow.
Rajasthan’s Ajmer district has similarly been affected by heavy rainfall, with reports of waterlogging emerging from several areas of the city. The IMD has forecast thunderstorms with rain to persist in Ajmer until July 13.
The IMD earlier confirmed that active monsoon conditions are expected to continue across the central parts of the country for the next four to five days, potentially impacting several states with heavy rainfall.
In Himachal Pradesh, the monsoon season has turned devastating. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), a total of 85 lives have been lost so far. Of these, 54 deaths were directly attributed to rain-related disasters, while 31 others were caused by road accidents during poor weather conditions.
The SDMA’s cumulative report reveals that landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, and drowning incidents account for the majority of fatalities. Mandi district has emerged as the worst-hit area, with 17 rain-related deaths. Other severely affected districts include Kangra, Hamirpur , and several others such as Kullu, Chamba, Shimla, Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, and Kinnaur, which have reported lower but still significant numbers. The report also notes 129 injuries and 34 people currently missing in connection with these natural calamities.
As heavy rains continue to lash North India, authorities remain on high alert, especially in vulnerable districts, to mitigate further loss of life and damage to infrastructure.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
JINAN, July 10 (Xinhua) — Scholars and experts from around the world gathered in Qufu, east China’s Shandong Province, on Wednesday for a two-day dialogue and cultural exchanges aimed at finding paths to harmonious coexistence among civilizations and common solutions for global development.
The Nishan Forum on World Civilizations brought together over 560 guests from over 70 countries in Nishan, the historic site where the eminent philosopher and educator Confucius was born in 551 BC. For thousands of years, he has been revered as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture.
Among other things, the forum participants discussed how Confucian culture continues to resonate in the modern world, the critical role of global cooperation in driving modernization, and the far-reaching impact of artificial intelligence on the future of civilization.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, Sun Chunlan, Chairperson of the International Confucian Association, noted that an in-depth study of the regulation of relations between different civilizations and their role in promoting modernization is of great practical importance.
Today, China is seeking to offer the world new opportunities through its achievements on its unique path of modernization and to inject new impetus into global partners through its vast domestic market, she added.
“This clearly reflects the Chinese nation’s long-standing approach to ‘being friends with its neighbors and strengthening harmony among all countries,’” she added.
Scholars participating in the forum emphasized the important role that cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress.
Zhao Rui, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that since modern times, such exchanges have promoted deep integration and innovation in political systems, economies, cultures and lifestyles around the world.
He added that these exchanges not only stimulate academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, but also provide valuable information for solving global problems, opening up various paths for modernization.
This view was echoed by other participants. Vice President of the Republic of Maldives Hussain Mohammed Latheef stressed that in times of global uncertainty, promoting dialogue, encouraging cultural exchanges and working together to build a better future is more important than ever.
He also praised China’s Global Civilization Initiative, calling it a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand different cultures around the world. The initiative promotes universal values, seeks to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchanges and development, he added.
Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar to China Jean Louis Robinson Richard stressed the importance of the Nishan Forum as a platform for dialogue among civilizations in the context of today’s global turbulence.
China has provided a platform for in-depth exchanges of views among people of different nationalities, backgrounds and cultures, making great contributions to world peace, he said.
This reflects the meaning of the saying in the Lunyu (Conversations and Judgments): “A noble person is in harmony with others while holding different views,” which emphasizes the ideal of peaceful coexistence without imposing uniformity, the ambassador added.
The Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, now in its 11th year since its launch in 2010, has become an important global platform for dialogue among different cultures. -0-
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