The ancient Roman road Via Appia has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which now includes 60 sites located in Italy, AP reported.
The decision was made at the session of the organization’s World Heritage Committee, which is being held in the Indian capital of Delhi.
Italy is the absolute world champion in terms of the number of sites and historical artifacts included in the World Heritage List.
Via Appia was built during the time of the Republicans in Ancient Rome (312 BC) and bears the name of the ruler who built it – Appius Claudius Cec. This road was an advanced engineering facility and also allowed Rome to conquer the southern territories.
It was used to connect Greece, Egypt and Asia Minor. The route of the ancient road passes through more than 70 settlements, 15 parks, 12 cities and four districts.
At every Roman mile of the road there was a post that marked the distance and an inscription which emperor was ruling at the time. Every 19 miles there were designated recreation areas. Twenty-five universities nowadays study the Via Appia.
The stretch of Via Appia in Rome is today part of an extensive park. Along it there are tombs and villas from the republican and imperial periods.
In Ancient Rome, nobles and generals were often buried by the roadside for some glorification, as each traveler learned the name of the interred and his prowess. The first Jewish and Christian catacombs are also located there.
The Via Appia is also associated with Spartacus’ revolt. After its suppression, 6,000 warriors were crucified along the road.
Ukraine will need almost nine billion US dollars over the next decade to rebuild its cultural sites and tourism industry after the Russian invasion and war, UNESCO has announced, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.
According to UNESCO estimates, the country’s related cultural and tourism sectors have lost more than US$19 billion in revenue since the war began two years ago. The UN agency said the fighting damaged 341 cultural sites across Ukraine and caused $3.5 billion in damage, including in the capital Kyiv and the cities of Lviv in the west and Odesa in the south.
“Odessa Cathedral is an example of such a site that has been seriously damaged,” said Chiara Deci Bardeschi, who heads UNESCO’s office in Ukraine. “It is a symbol of the whole community…with deep spiritual and historical significance”.
In July 2023, UNESCO strongly condemned the “brazen attack by Russian forces” on historic buildings in the center of Odessa, designated last year by the UN agency as an endangered world heritage site. The attack killed at least two people and damaged several sites, including the late 18th-century Savior and Transfiguration Cathedral, which is the city’s main Orthodox church.
Its original construction was destroyed in 1936, the temple was rebuilt in 1999-2003.
UNESCO said the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage sites, including religious buildings and artefacts, could be considered a war crime.
The International Criminal Court brought charges of war crimes, including targeted attacks on historic religious monuments and buildings, in a case involving Mali in 2015.
In Ukraine, 1,711 objects of cultural infrastructure were damaged or destroyed as a result of Russian aggression, Ukrinform reported in November 2023.
The cultural infrastructure suffered the greatest losses and damages in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Zaporozhye regions and the city of Kyiv, reports the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
The largest group of cultural objects that suffered damage or were destroyed were club facilities, which made up 49% of the total number of cultural infrastructure objects that suffered damage.
A total of 844 clubs, 603 libraries, 133 art schools, 100 museums and galleries, 31 theater buildings, cinemas and philharmonic halls were damaged or destroyed.
Objects of cultural infrastructure are affected in 262 territorial communities (17.8% of the total number of territorial communities), in particular in the regions of Donetsk (83%), Sumy (53%), Kharkiv (52%), Chernihiv (46% ), Kherson (43%), Luhansk (42%), Mykolaiv (42%), Zaporizhia (36%), Kyiv (26%), Dnipropetrovsk (19%), Zhytomyr (12%), Odessa (8%), Khmelnytskyi (8%), Cherkasy (5%), Lviv (4%), Vinnytsia (3%), Zakarpattia (2%), Poltava (2%) and in the capital Kyiv itself.
The Ministry notes that as of the end of October 2023, almost the entire territory of Luhansk Oblast and significant parts of the territories of Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Donetsk Oblasts remain temporarily occupied by the Russians. This makes it impossible to calculate the exact number of cultural infrastructure objects affected.
Seawater is salty because it contains a high concentration of dissolved mineral salts deposited in the rivers that flow into the oceans and seas. To be more precise, 1 liter of water contains about 35 g of salt. These mineral salts are the result of the erosion of rocks deposited in the sea over the years, causing it to reach a certain salinity index. This theory was introduced by the English scientist Edmund Halley.
The process begins when the carbonic acid present in rainwater comes into contact with the rocks. This chemical compound, which results from the mixing of carbon dioxide in the air with water, has the ability to corrode the rocks on which it falls. The resulting ions are deposited in rivers and later end up in seas and oceans, producing their characteristic salinity.
In addition to this deposition of eroded rock, other secondary phenomena contribute to seawater salinity: water evaporation, volcanic eruptions, ice melting, and hydrothermal vents.
What is the chemical composition of salt in seawater?
Seawater salt contains more than 80 of the 118 elements of the periodic table, making it an excellent mineral source for the human body. In it you can find:
* trace elements such as iron, manganese, copper, iodine, silicon and phosphorus
* zooplankton and phytoplankton.
Are all seas equally salty?
The degree of salinity of the sea depends on its latitude. In colder areas such as the Arctic Ocean, the salt concentration is lower compared to tropical areas such as the Caribbean Sea, where the salt concentration is higher. This is due to the evaporation of water by solar energy.
Similarly, in areas where it rains frequently, the salinity level is low, as is the case in the Baltic Sea. There we may find areas where the composition is only 0.6% salinity. On the other hand, areas with lower water flow may have higher salinity, as is the case in the Red Sea.
What is the salinity of the Dead Sea?
Despite its name, the Dead Sea is not a sea, but an inland lake, as it has no coastline. Its salinity level is 35%. That is why it is called the sea. It is located on the border between Jordan and Israel and is the fifth saltiest body of water in the world with a depth of over 300 meters.
Is it possible to desalinate seawater?
Desalination is the process of making potable water from salt water. The main purpose of seawater desalination is to meet the needs of this resource for the population that does not have easy access to fresh water. While two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is water, only 1% is suitable for human consumption. This is why the desalination process is necessary to secure this vital resource.
The reverse osmosis method is the most widely used in the world to reduce salt levels in water. This is done by pressurizing salt water to trap the dissolved salt particles in a semi-permeable membrane.
There are other methods, including:
* freezing, where water freezes and pulverizes to form ice crystals on brine, which are then separated to produce fresh water
* distillation, where water is heated to the point of evaporation and then condensed to extract fresh water
* instantaneous evaporation, in which water enters a chamber as droplets, the saturation pressure of which is low; they turn into steam that condenses to produce desalinated water.
Illustrative Photo by Asad Photo Maldives: https://www.pexels.com/photo/bird-s-eye-view-of-sea-water-1456291/
The Roscosmos State Corporation has published a satellite image of St. Petersburg, which shows the Main Naval Parade, which took place on Sunday, July 28, in honor of Navy Day. The Roscosmos press service explained that the image obtained using the Resurs-P satellite shows this very city, where the ceremonial parade took place on the central embankments.
This important parade in St. Petersburg was held under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
As in previous years, the city actively participated in the preparations for this event. The authorities ensured the safety of both spectators and guests who gathered in the Northern capital. Among those present at the parade was the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, who expressed gratitude to the president for reviving the tradition established by Peter the Great.
By Jean-François & Hisako Moulinet, and the team of the interreligious circle “Dialogue & Alliance”
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games has provoked many reactions in the heat of the moment.
A very real discomfort has emerged. And we believe that we must immediately learn lessons for the future.
Hence this open letter to the President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, written with several of our friends.
We invite the authorities to evaluate their own contradictions, which appeared at several moments, on Friday, July 26.
Our aim is not to denigrate the entire ceremony but to show, in a constructive and calm manner, that it included sequences that distort the ideals of the French people and move away from the Olympic values.
= = = =
Open letter to the President of the Republic
July 28, 2024,
Mr. President,
Congratulations on an Olympic Games opening ceremony that left the confines of a stadium to showcase the beauty of Paris. The City of Lights shone brightly. Some moments were moving and sumptuous.
However, several parts of this ceremony are to be deplored. Ms. Anne Descamps, the communications director of Paris 2024, apologized after international and national remonstrances.
The Olympic ideal (“higher, stronger, faster – together”) is incompatible with an aesthetic of the beheading of women. Recently, France, the homeland of human rights, condemned all terrorist beheadings, even more so after the beheading of Samuel Paty. Let us abolish all apology for terror, that of the State even more so, as Robert Badinter would have done. The global audience, often family-oriented, wants to celebrate life elevated by the flame and not shortened by the iron. Honoring Olympe de Gouges as a woman of gold in the ceremony was judicious. She too would have liked to escape the guillotine that cut off her head and her ideas on women’s rights in 1793.
Our ancestors did not bequeath us libraries to scatter the pages of books and indulge in libertinism.
We avoid offending the faith of athletes and spectators. Imitating and revisiting the Last Supper with refreshing humor would have been acceptable; mocking it with infantile blasphemies was the option to be rejected without hesitation.
France wants to present itself as a country of freedom in the broadest possible sense, but for many peoples of the world, France seems to advocate provocative libertinism more than freedom. They are shocked and saddened to see that France seems to have lost the values that have built its history. Let us hope, Mr. President, that the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games will avoid such excesses.
Please accept, Mr. President, the expression of our highest consideration.
Unificationist Community of France
Federation for Universal Peace,
Federation of Women for World Peace,
French Federation of Families for Peace, etc.
Note: Dialogue & Alliance, a French-speaking interfaith cooperation circle affiliated with the Interfaith Association for Peace and Development (AIPD) – France and supported by the United Religions Initiative (URI), the Geneva Interfaith and Intercultural Alliance (GIIA), the World Committee of the Three Testaments (CMTT).
“This decision recognizes both the site’s value and the need to protect it from danger,” the agency said , noting the threats posed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The monastery dates back to the fourth century and is one of the oldest sites in the Middle East. It was founded by Saint Hilarion and was home to the first monastic community in the Holy Land.
Situated at the crossroads of the main routes of trade and exchange between Asia and Africa, it was a centre for religious, cultural and economic exchanges, illustrating the prosperity of desert monastic sites in the Byzantine period.
UNESCO recalled that in accordance with the terms of the World Heritage Convention, its 195 States Parties must avoid taking any deliberate measures likely to cause direct or indirect damage to this site and to assist in its protection.
The listing was decided through an emergency inscription procedure provided for in the Convention, UNESCO added.
UN rights office condemns Ghana’s choice to uphold anti-LGBTQ+ law
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday denounced the recent Supreme Court ruling in Ghana that upholds the country’s Criminal Offences Act, which criminalises consensual same-sex relations.
According to reports, the Court on Wednesday rejected a case contesting the statute and upheld the possibility of three years in prison for violators.
The country is reportedly awaiting a new court ruling that might include heavier punishments under a new law.
OHCHR Spokesperson Liz Throssell said, “The Court’s ruling on 24 July is especially concerning given reports of a recent spike in violence against LGBTQ+ people in Ghana.”
‘Anti-gay bill’
Ms. Throssell highlighted the legal challenges posed by the recent Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill—a bill that would further criminalise members and allies of the LGBTIQ+ community—which was passed by Parliament in February but has not yet received presidential assent.
She noted that this bill is harmful as it legitimises prejudice and exposes members of this community to violence and other forms of discrimination.
“It expands discriminatory criminal sanctions against LGBTQ+ people and it also criminalizes the work of human rights defenders, medical professionals, teachers, landlords, journalists, and media workers,” she said.
Ms. Throssell urged the Ghanaian Government to adhere to international human rights standards and to “ensure that all people living in Ghana, without exception, are able to live free from violence, stigma and discrimination.”
Russia urged to release activist detained for posting Facebook logo online
Russia must immediately release human rights defender Alexey Sokolov, who was detained for posting the Facebook logo online, two experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Councilsaid on Friday.
In March, a Moscow court banned Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, from operating in Russia for its “extremist activities” and allowing “fake news” about the Russian army in Ukraine on its channels.
Mr. Sokolov was arrested on 5 July on accusations of “repeated demonstration of extremist symbols” for displaying the Facebook logo on the website and Telegram channel of the non-governmental organization (NGO) that he heads.
“The arbitrary arrest and detention of Alexey Sokolov is another example of the severe clampdown on freedom of opinion and expression in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,” they said.
“This crackdown is targeting activities of civil society organisations, human rights defenders, independent media and dissenting voices in Russia with the aim of silencing human rights advocacy and anti-war expression.”
Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to report and advise on specific country situations or thematic issues.
They are not UN staff, serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
Historic monastery in Palestine inscribed on List of World Heritage in Danger
Also on Friday,
It further noted that inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger enables enhanced international technical and financial assistance mechanisms to guarantee the protection of the property and, if necessary, to help facilitate its rehabilitation.
We do it in our daily life – when we cycle to work or go for a swim. We watch and enjoy it live or on TV. Sport is all around us, representing an integral part of the lives of millions of Europeans. Especially so this summer, after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the biggest global sporting event of all, kicked off yesterday, with an Opening Ceremony broadcasted globally.
For the first time the EU featured very prominently in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony with a performance on a floating barge under the European Union motto “United in diversity”. On the boat were dancers, symbolizing youth, the spirit of openness and dynamism of the EU, who danced to Eurodance music.
This was a unique opportunity for the EU to promote its values such as peace, unity and solidarity, where diversity is a strength, and team spirit a key for success, linking them with those of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Olympic Games also offer the occasion to highlight the importance of freedom of movement and study in the EU, especially for young people, as well as EU policies and activities linked to support to sports and youth.
We also launched the European medal counter – Team Europe 2024 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where you will be able to follow and celebrate the achievements of EU athletes by counting their medals.
But what does the EU do to promote sport?
Sport should be for everyone. That is why the EU promotes it through its Erasmus+ programme, promoting dialogue, support and participation across all areas of sport policy. There is also the European Week of Sport which runs every year from 23 to 30 September, an initiative which promotes benefits of sport and physical activity across Europe at national, regional and local levels.
Making sport accessible for everyone is also about fostering a sense of social inclusion and integration. Every year, the Commission recognises organisations whose work uses the power of sport to improve social inclusion for disadvantaged groups through the #BeInclusive EU Sport Awards. It also works with all EU countries and national sport organisations to raise awareness about the importance of gender equality in sport.
Sport should also be fair, particularly in competitive and professional sports. The EU protects integrity in sport by fighting against doping, which it does by coordinating and sharing information with international partners. When it comes to match-fixing, the Commission takes an active role, as part of wider efforts to ensure competitive sports remain fair.
Through these efforts to make sport fairer, more inclusive and more accessible, the EU is helping to meet its core values of peace, unity, solidarity and diversity. And that’s how it should be. After all, sport plays a vital role, not only in individual health and fitness, but in shaping our wider European society.
The recent article, in Le Monde diplomatique concerning the persecution of Falun Gong in China presents a perspective that minimizes the human rights violations faced by its followers. Of addressing the documented abuses against Falun Gong, the author, Timothée de Rauglaudre seems focused on discrediting the movement and downplaying the severity of Chinas crackdown on it.
De Rauglaudres piece is filled with inaccuracies and omissions showing a bias in favor of the Chinese Communist Partys actions. Than providing journalism it comes across more as a platform for CCP propaganda. Of concern is the authors known stance against religion and his connections to cult movements in France, which may influence his portrayal of Falun Gong.
A significant issue with the article is its disregard for evidence of forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong members, in China.
De Rauglaudre mentions some ” reports” supporting these claims but conveniently overlooks the other credible sources that have also documented this disturbing practice.
For instance he fails to acknowledge the 2006 report, by Canadian Member of Parliament David Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas. Following an investigation they determined that the Chinese government and its agencies have been involved in “harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners on a large scale.” This report, which the author curiously leaves out is widely respected for its thoroughness and impartiality.
Likewise de Rauglaudre downplays the conclusions of the China Tribunal, an organization established in 2018 to probe forced organ harvesting in China. After listening to over 50 witnesses and examining evidence the Tribunals final ruling stated that “the killing of detainees and the appalling practice of forced organ harvesting have been occurring on a scale throughout China for years.” The Tribunal even suggested that these actions might amount to crimes, against humanity and genocide.
By cherry picking a reports that suit his agenda the writer distorts the truth and raises doubts, about the widespread agreement among human rights groups, legal scholars and medical experts on the organized nature of forced organ harvesting in China.
De Rauglaudres nonchalant dismissal of these documented violations is concerning, given the seriousness of the accusations and the abundance of evidence from international bodies. The United Nations has repeatedly voiced concerns about how Falun Gong adherentsre treated in China. In a 2006 report the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other forms of mistreatment stated;
“The Special Rapporteur remains troubled by reports of deaths in detention facilities…. Accounts depict distressing situations where detainees many linked to Falun Gong perish due to abuse, neglect or lack of care. The alleged acts of torture are so vicious and barbaric that words fail to capture their horror.”
Likewise Human Rights Watch has extensively chronicled the persecution faced by Falun Gong followers. In their 2002 publication ” Meditation; Chinas Crackdown on Falun gong ” they observed;
“The government’s crackdown, on Falun gong has been so comprehensive that it has impacted every facet of society… The campaign has been characterized by efforts to eradicate Falun gong using both force and persuasion with a focus, on coercion.
Amnesty International has consistently expressed concerns about the treatment of Falun Gong followers in China. In a report from 2013 they highlighted that practicing Falun Gong puts individuals at risk of being detained facing unjust trials and enduring torture and mistreatment while in custody.
The authors portrayal of Falun Gong as a “and “movement is misleading. Although the article acknowledges its roots in qigong practices it overlooks the widespread popularity and acceptance of Falun Gong in China before the CCPs persecution campaign.
According to scholar David Palmer there was support for Falun Gong within the elite. Including among law enforcement and military personnel. Prior to the government crackdown. This indicates that the practice was not inherently seen as “scientific” or “anti-social” until it was perceived as a threat to political control, by the CCP.
The authors portrayal of the Falun Gongs beliefs as “reactionary” seems to be an attempt to discredit the movement by linking it with extreme ideologies. However a closer look, at the teachings of Falun Gong reveals a philosophy centered on values like compassion, truthfulness and tolerance. Values that align well with societies.
The articles dismissive treatment of Falun Gongs support and advocacy efforts is concerning. De Rauglaudre portrays the movements outreach as propaganda overlooking international concern and condemnation regarding Chinas persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
The authors effort to associate Falun Gong supporters in the US and Europe with wing or ” communist” political motives appears to be a tactic to undermine the movements credibility. In reality Falun Gong has received backing from individuals and groups including human rights advocates, religious figures and elected officials spanning political affiliations.
This widespread international backing underscores the seriousness of Falun Gongs situation, than suggesting any anti-communist” agenda.
The global community has strongly condemned the persecution of Falun Gong due, to its violation of human rights. In a statement from 2015 Sophie Richardson, the China director at Human Rights Watch highlighted the severity and unjust nature of the government’s actions against Falun Gong practitioners. The use of torture, detention and forced labor by authorities has raised international concerns.
As concerns grow over the Chinese Communist Partys disregard for rights it is essential for journalists and commentators to address these issues with diligence, objectivity and respect for those who have suffered under rule. Unfortunately the article in Le Monde diplomatique does not meet these standards. Undermines the pursuit of truth and justice.
Sources;
1. Report by David Matas and David Kilgour on Allegations of Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China (Center for Justice and Accountability July 6 2006).
2. Judgment from The Independent Tribunal on Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience, in China (China Tribunal, March 1 2020). The United Nations released a report in 2006 by the Special Rapporteur on torture and other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment.
In 2002 Human Rights Watch published a report titled ” Meditation; Chinas Campaign Against Falungong.”
Amnesty International highlighted the crackdown, on Falun Gong and similar organizations in China in 2013.
An article by David A. Palmer titled “The Doctrine of Li Hongzhi; Falun Gong Between Sectarianism and Universal Salvation” was published in Perspectives chinoises in March April 2001.
Human Rights Watch documented cases of torture. Forced confession in China, in 2015.
Dr. Doug Clark (PhD) has crawled into many polar bear dens as a graduate student and in a former job as a park warden.
So many, in fact, that when Clark and his group of researchers identified a large number of previously undocumented dens north of Churchill, Man., – more than 100 kilometres further north than any other documented polar bear dens – he knew they belonged to polar bears.
“We knew these were polar bear dens for a couple of reasons. One, they were in peat deposits … but more to the point, we found polar bear hair,” Clark said.
USask has a long tradition of excellence in polar bear research, and Clark said finding these new dens was positive for both researchers and for polar bear populations. The discovery was recently published in a paper in Arctic Science.
“To me, it’s cause for excitement,” he said. “There is a lot of legitimate concern about this specific population of polar bears in western Hudson Bay.”
The discovery of the dens was completely by chance. Clark, an associate professor in USask’s School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and the acting executive director of the school, was in northern Manitoba as part of a research project tracking grizzly bear expansion in the area.
He said they identified what appeared to be a series of polar bear dens during a helicopter flight, which they were able to then confirm along the Caribou River and Seal River.
“Polar bears have a bigger bag of tricks than we usually give them credit for,” he said. “Even though figuring out what’s going on is complicated, seeing polar bears do something like this, whether we’ve overlooked it or whether it’s new or not, they’re doing something that we – the conventional scientific narrative – did not expect.”
Polar bears in this population’s main denning area – 120 km south of these newly-described dens – will travel an average of 50 to 80 kilometres inland to build dens in permafrost-underlain river and lake banks. As Clark puts it, pregnant polar bears and female polar bears with cubs will travel so far at least in part to avoid males, because large males will eat cubs.
While these dens may have been new to the researchers, they weren’t new to the community. Clark said upon their return many Churchill residents confirmed they’d seen the tracks of polar bears with cubs in spring, heading out to the sea ice from inland along those rivers. Thanks to this insight from community members, the researchers believe that some of these dens were maternity dens where females would go to give birth. Other dens may simply have been used temporarily for keeping cool during the area’s brief but hot summers.
Clark said it’s not yet clear how long the newly identified dens had been there for. Some dens further south have been dated as older than 250 years.
“This is important regardless of whether the dens are new or not. If they’re new then something’s changing, but if they’re not, then there may be a chunk of this population of bears that have been overlooked in studies so far,” Clark said.
Many of these “new” dens are located within an Indigenous Protected Area monitored by the Seal River Watershed Alliance (SRWA). Stephanie Thorassie, the executive director of the SRWA, said the connections between researchers and communities play an important role.
“We are excited by the information the science community is finding. At the end of the day, these partnerships with our communities help to reaffirm the knowledge our land users have been talking about, and this feels good to us,” Thorassie said. “We look forward to continuing these partnerships pairing science with our knowledge to get the best understandings of our traditional lands and home.”
Clark said the next steps will be to work with colleagues in the alliance to determine the best approach for figuring out how many of these dens are used, how regularly, and by which bears.
“What I’m hoping is that our work to figure out what’s going on and better understand polar bear denning up in that area can be done with community guidance and leadership,” he said. “I’m really proud of the set of collaborations and relationships that have gone into this research.”
International Energy Net reports that in the first quarter of 2024, China’s electricity generation from wind generators overtook hydropower generation to become the second largest source of electricity, accounting for 11% of the country’s total generation.
Bloomberg reports that Chinese solar manufacturer Longi told analysts that the solar industry could see an oversupply “for up to two years.”
Financial newspaper Caixin reported that China’s energy reform “seems to be at a crossroads,” citing several anonymous industry participants as saying that “next steps will focus on clarifying electricity distribution and trading rights, as well as determining the role of local authorities in the implementation of these reforms”.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reports that Chinese scientists have developed a solid-state lithium battery that matches the performance of other “next-generation” batteries at “less than 10% of the cost.” State news agency Xinhua reports that Chinese researchers have created a material that can cool buildings, which could “significantly” reduce carbon emissions.
Separately, Xinhua reported that China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) exports reached 80,000 units in June, up 12.3% year-on-year, and total NEV exports from January to June 2024. has reached 586,000 units, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
Economic newspaper Yicai reports that the CPCA said China’s auto sales continued to fall in June as “weak demand” for gasoline-powered cars “offset a sharp increase” in NEV sales, which jumped by nearly 29% on an annual basis. Caixin claimed that Chinese car brands “topped” car sales in Israel in the first six months of 2024, adding that almost 70% of NEVs sold in Israel were from China.
Reuters claims that according to the CPCA, the EU‘s provisional tariffs on Chinese NEV imports “reduce by 20-30 percentage points” the growth rate of China’s NEV exports, which have fallen to just 10%. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said it was “disappointed and unable to accept” the EU’s additional tariffs, Yicai wrote. Bloomberg quoted Jorge Toledo, the EU’s ambassador to China, as saying on Sunday that China responded “just nine days ago” to EU requests for talks on the bloc’s anti-subsidy probe, even though Brussels had “offered consultations” to Beijing on the matter. “for months”.
Xinhua reports that on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a “congratulatory letter” to the Green Development Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, saying member countries want to “protect the environment and promote green development”.
Bloomberg reports that “another extremely hot summer, accompanied by drought, floods and typhoons, is putting China’s crop harvest at risk and increasing demand for electricity.”
China has allocated 200 million yuan ($27.5 million) to help Hunan and Jiangxi “quickly restore normal production and living conditions” after the extreme weather events in the two provinces. The newspaper reported that Zhengzhou, the provincial capital Henan, has issued a blue flood warning as “the rainfall… lasted for nine hours, accumulating more than 110 mm.
Illustrative Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh: https://www.pexels.com/photo/wind-mills-on-land-against-cacti-in-countryside-6416345/
