New Era, New Journey: Forging New Prospects for Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin
Ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin are a grand long-term project vital to the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out the strategic requirements of prioritizing protection and focusing on governance, promoting new progress in ecological protection across the entire basin, new achievements in green transformation, new results in high-quality development, and new improvements in people's lives. Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi's instructions, the nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River have continued to improve the grand pattern of ecological protection and collaborative governance in the Yellow River Basin, promoting a comprehensive green transformation of development methods and injecting strong impetus and vitality into the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. The winding Yellow River, vast and surging with vitality, constitutes an important ecological security barrier for China and is also a significant area for human activity and economic development. The ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin is a major strategic decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, from the perspective of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the protection and governance of the Yellow River, and his inspection footprint covers all nine provinces and autonomous regions along the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed to optimize the mechanisms for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. During his first local inspection after the plenary session, the General Secretary visited Lanzhou, Gansu, where the Yellow River flows through the city, and presided over a special symposium there. He pointed out the need to further emphasize the systematic, holistic, and collaborative nature of Yellow River governance, and to deeply implement major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems. He also stressed the need to promote a comprehensive green transformation of development methods, so that the Mother River can continuously benefit future generations. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, significant achievements have been made in ecological environmental protection in the Yellow River Basin, with continuous improvement in the basin's ecological environmental quality. The "Outline of the Plan for Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin" has been issued, the "Yellow River Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" has been implemented, and the "Plan for the Construction and Protection of the Yellow River National Cultural Park" has been put into effect... The policy and planning system concerning the safety and stability of the Yellow River is becoming increasingly scientific and完善. Major ecological projects such as the "Three-North Shelterbelt Program" have been solidly advanced, and landmark battles like the Yellow River "Ji Zi Wan" (a large bend) key project have been deeply implemented... A series of protection and governance measures have effectively promoted the deep and practical implementation of ecological priority and green development in the Yellow River Basin. Today, the water quality of the main stream of the Yellow River has consistently maintained Class II for three consecutive years, the proportion of excellent water bodies in the basin has exceeded 90% for two consecutive years, and the number of rare species has significantly increased. The grand pattern of ecological protection and collaborative governance in the Yellow River Basin continues to improve. Since the beginning of this year, various regions along the Yellow River have actively taken action to continuously strengthen the national ecological security barrier. Efforts are being made to build an integrated upstream and downstream ecological environment governance system. Qinghai, as the source of the Yellow River, has allocated 300 million yuan in ecological compensation funds for key river basins this year, actively exploring horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanisms for key river basins. In Gansu, a number of key projects, including water source conservation, land greening, and desertification control, are being accelerated, covering 59 counties in 9 cities and prefectures along the Yellow River. Joint prevention and control for the "Three-North Shelterbelt Program" are being strengthened to enhance overall effectiveness. In Alxa League, Inner Mongolia, the sand-fixing forest and grass belts on the edges of the Badain Jaran, Tengger, and Ulan Buh deserts were fully joined not long ago, firmly "locking" the shifting sands on the outer edges of the three deserts and effectively curbing the amount of sediment flowing into the Yellow River. This year, Inner Mongolia will continue to fight the tough battle of the "Three-North Shelterbelt Program," planning to complete over 20 million mu of sand control within the year, focusing on achieving full connectivity of the sand-fixing forest and grass belts along the Yellow River "Ji Zi Wan." Governance of important tributaries and key lakes and reservoirs is being strengthened. This year, Shanxi is fully promoting the "A Stream of Clear Water Enters the Yellow River" ecological protection project, coordinating the systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands, and sand. Currently, all 285 sub-projects have commenced construction and are expected to be completed and become effective by the end of the year, striving to ensure that all 21 national assessment sections in the Fenhe River Basin meet or exceed Class III water quality standards. To promote a comprehensive green transformation of development methods, regions along the Yellow River are also vigorously developing a green and low-carbon economy to facilitate high-quality development. Since the beginning of this year, Shandong has newly cultivated 86 national-level green factories and 13 green industrial parks. In Ningxia, a number of major projects, such as large-scale wind and solar power bases, are being expedited. By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Ningxia's new energy installed capacity will exceed 55 million kilowatts, expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 65 million tons annually. According to the plan, by 2035, the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin will be comprehensively improved, ecosystems will be healthy and stable, water resource conservation and intensive utilization will be at a leading level nationwide, and a modern economic system will be fundamentally established.
CPC Central Committee Issues Guidelines on Strengthening Judicial Work in the New Era
To strengthen judicial work in the new era and accelerate the building of a just, efficient, and authoritative socialist judicial system, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China recently issued the "Opinions on Strengthening Judicial Work in the New Era" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). The "Opinions" propose to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, with promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing people's well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal, strictly and justly administer justice, deepen judicial system reform, forge an excellent team, promote the improvement of the socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics, and provide strong judicial services and guarantees for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. The "Opinions" put forward specific requirements from various aspects, including adhering to and strengthening the Party's leadership over judicial work, ensuring high-quality development and high-level security through strict and just administration of justice, strengthening the prevention and resolution of contradictions and disputes, deepening judicial system reform, and strengthening support and guarantees for judicial work.
Ding Xuexiang Co-Chairs 6th China-EU High-Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate with European Commission Executive Vice-President
Ding Xuexiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, co-chaired the Sixth China-EU High-Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate with Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič in Beijing on the afternoon of July 14. Ding Xuexiang stated that in May this year, President Xi Jinping and EU leaders exchanged congratulatory messages on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, pointing the way for deepening China-EU cooperation. He said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both sides, practical cooperation on environment and climate should be strengthened to make greater contributions to China-EU and global sustainable development. Ding Xuexiang pointed out that China attaches great importance to ecological environmental protection and addressing climate change, has formulated and implemented a series of practical measures, and has made significant achievements in the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Regardless of how the international situation changes, China will firmly promote green and low-carbon development and take strong measures to participate in global environmental and climate governance. China is willing to work with the EU to maintain high-level dialogue and exchanges, form more consensus, and deepen the green partnership. Both sides should adhere to mutual benefit and win-win results, continuously expand the depth and breadth of cooperation in key areas such as energy and circular economy, and jointly support green and low-carbon development in other developing countries. Both sides should adhere to mutual coordination, further demonstrate leadership, and promote the building of a fair, reasonable, cooperative, and win-win global environmental and climate governance system. Šefčovič stated that the EU is willing to take the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations as an opportunity to further consolidate existing cooperation with China, actively seek more new cooperation opportunities, adhere to multilateralism, promote the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, and send a positive signal to the world for jointly addressing environmental and climate challenges. At the dialogue, relevant departments from both sides summarized the results of cooperation since the fifth high-level dialogue and exchanged views on further deepening cooperation on issues such as jointly addressing climate challenges and protecting the ecological environment.
Han Zheng Meets Indian External Affairs Minister
On July 14, Vice President Han Zheng met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Beijing. Han Zheng stated that in October last year, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi had a successful meeting in Kazan, which guided the restart and renewed development of China-India relations. Both China and India are major developing countries and important members of the Global South. Being partners who achieve each other and realizing "the dragon and elephant dancing together" is the right choice for both sides. The two sides should further implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, adhere to high-level guidance, steadily advance practical cooperation, and respect each other's concerns, so as to promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of China-India relations. Jaishankar stated that since Prime Minister Modi's meeting with President Xi Jinping in Kazan, India-China relations have steadily improved. India is willing to be guided by the consensus of the leaders, maintain the momentum of India-China relations, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral mechanisms. India supports China in successfully hosting this year's Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit as the rotating presidency.
Targets Announced for 20th CPC Central Committee's Sixth Round of Inspections
The targets of the 20th Central Committee's sixth round of inspections were announced today (July 14). With the approval of the Party Central Committee, the sixth round of inspections by the 20th Central Committee will conduct routine inspections of 16 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government), including Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Liaoning Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Fujian Province, Shandong Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Chongqing Municipality, Guizhou Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, Shaanxi Province, Qinghai Province, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It will also conduct coordinated inspections with relevant provincial Party committee inspection agencies of 10 sub-provincial cities, including Shenyang, Dalian, Harbin, Nanjing, Xiamen, Jinan, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Xi'an.
China's Goods Trade Imports and Exports Up 2.9% in H1
The State Council Information Office held a press conference today (July 14), where relevant officials from the General Administration of Customs introduced China's goods trade import and export situation in the first half of this year. In the first half of this year, China's import and export scale surpassed 20 trillion yuan, reaching a new high for the same period in history. China's foreign trade advanced despite pressure, achieving growth in total volume, improvement in quality, and controllable variables. According to customs statistics, in the first half of this year, China's goods trade import and export reached 21.79 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%. Among them, exports were 13 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.2%; imports were 8.79 trillion yuan, a decrease of 2.7%. From a quarterly perspective, imports and exports in the second quarter increased by 4.5% year-on-year, 3.2 percentage points faster than in the first quarter, maintaining growth for seven consecutive quarters. China's export momentum is shifting towards higher quality and innovation. In the first half of the year, the export of mechanical and electrical products reached 7.8 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.5%, accounting for 60% of total exports. Among them, high-end equipment closely related to new productive forces grew by over 20%, and the "new three" products representing green and low-carbon industries grew by 12.7%. At the same time, expanding domestic demand led to a stabilization of import growth in the second quarter. Imports of petrochemical, textile, and other machinery and equipment all achieved double-digit growth, key components such as electronic components grew rapidly, and imports of important raw materials such as crude oil increased. In the first half of the year, China's foreign trade "circle of friends" became more diversified. China's imports and exports with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 11.29 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.7%, accounting for 51.8% of total imports and exports. Among them, imports and exports with ASEAN reached 3.67 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.6%. China's imports and exports with other BRICS members and partner countries reached 6.11 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.9%, accounting for 28.1% of China's total imports and exports. During the same period, China's imports and exports with the European Union, South Korea, Japan, and other regions all achieved growth. The vitality of China's foreign trade entities continued to be unleashed. In the first half of the year, there were 628,000 foreign trade enterprises with actual import and export performance, breaking through 600,000 for the first time in the same historical period.
Financial Aggregates See Reasonable Growth in H1, Strongly Supporting Real Economy
The State Council Information Office held a press conference today (July 14) to introduce the financial statistics for the first half of the year. In the first half of the year, China's major financial indicators continued to show good growth, providing strong support for the real economy. In the first half of the year, the total financial volume grew reasonably. At the end of June, the outstanding social financing increased by 8.9% year-on-year, broad money supply (M2) increased by 8.3% year-on-year, and Renminbi loans increased by 7.1% year-on-year. The comprehensive social financing cost continued to decline. From January to June, the average interest rate for newly issued enterprise loans was about 3.3%, approximately 45 basis points lower than the same period last year. The interest rate for newly issued personal housing loans was about 3.1%, approximately 60 basis points lower than the same period last year. The resilience of the financial market was enhanced. In the first half of the year, despite significant changes in the external environment and global financial markets, China's major financial markets, including stocks, bonds, and foreign exchange, remained stable.
Journalists Welcome to Cover 80th Anniversary of Victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World Anti-Fascist War
Commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War will be grandly held in Beijing. Journalists from home and abroad are welcome to cover the activities. To facilitate foreign media and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan media journalists in submitting interview applications, a journalist registration system will be opened. Foreign media and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan media journalists are welcome to submit registration applications through this system. The period for accepting interview registration applications is from July 15, 2025, to July 29, 2025. To facilitate journalists from home and abroad, a press center will be set up in Beijing during the commemorative activities. The press center will be responsible for receiving domestic and foreign journalists covering the commemorative activities, organizing press conferences and journalist receptions, arranging interview activities for domestic and foreign journalists, launching the official website and WeChat official account of the press center, and fully utilizing technologies such as the internet to provide necessary information services and technical support for journalists' coverage.
China's Basic Medical Insurance Coverage Stabilizes at 95%
The National Healthcare Security Administration today (July 14) released the "2024 National Healthcare Security Development Statistical Bulletin". As of the end of 2024, the number of participants in national basic medical insurance reached 1,326.6208 million, with the participation rate consolidating at 95%. In 2024, the total income of the national basic medical insurance (including maternity insurance) fund was 3,491.337 billion yuan, and the total expenditure of the fund was 2,976.403 billion yuan. The basic medical insurance operation was safe and stable. In 2024, the pilot program for long-term care insurance steadily advanced, inter-provincial medical treatment services continued to be optimized, the scope of family co-payment for employee medical insurance personal accounts was expanded to close relatives, and the use of funds gradually expanded from within the provincial domain to inter-provincial co-payment. In 2024, 51.2 billion yuan was used for personal account co-payment, effectively reducing the medical burden on participants.
Key "14th Five-Year Plan" Projects Progress Steadily
Currently, a batch of key "14th Five-Year Plan" projects are steadily advancing, with new progress in multiple fields. On the 13th, the last section of the Xinjiang Tarim Basin 750 kV Transmission and Transformation Project was completed, meaning that China's largest 750 kV ultra-high voltage ring network project has officially "closed the loop." The total length of the project's lines is 4,197 kilometers. After it is expected to be put into operation in November this year, it will promote the formation of a comprehensive 750 kV backbone grid covering the entire Xinjiang, significantly enhancing the local capacity for collecting and transmitting new energy such as photovoltaic power. On the 13th, in Huludao, Liaoning, Unit 1 of the Xudabao Nuclear Power Project completed the hoisting of the key equipment pressure vessel, marking the beginning of large-scale unit plant construction and equipment installation. The Xudabao Nuclear Power Project plans to build 6 million-kilowatt class pressurized water reactor nuclear power units, with a total installed capacity of over 7.6 million kilowatts, and will be put into operation in stages starting in 2027. At that time, it will further optimize the energy structure of Northeast China. In Qinghai, China's highest altitude ultra-supercritical thermal power project construction has seen new progress, as the main plant framework of the Huadian Golmud Phase I Coal Power Project is nearing completion and entering the main plant enclosure construction phase. This is also currently the largest capacity ultra-supercritical coal-fired generator unit project in high-altitude areas in China. After it is completed and put into operation next year, its annual power generation will exceed 6 billion kilowatt-hours, and it is expected to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by about 19,300 tons annually. In Xi'an, Shaanxi, the "Belt and Road" China-Europe Railway Express Xi'an Logistics Hub Air-Rail Intermodal Project is entering the final sprint phase of construction and is expected to be completed and put into operation by the end of August. The crucial project – the 10,000-ton rotating bridge – recently completed its cross-line rotation and began truss erection and formwork installation. In the future, the project will effectively connect the China-Europe Railway Express Xi'an Logistics Hub with the Airport New City, forming a "single-ticket" intermodal transportation model of railway, highway, and aviation, which will improve the overall regional logistics efficiency by 15%.
Regions Actively Respond to Sustained High Temperatures
The Central Meteorological Observatory today (July 14) issued an orange alert for high temperatures, and relevant regions promptly took measures to ensure people's normal production and daily life. Today, high temperatures continued in central and eastern China. Local maximum temperatures in Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and other places approached or broke historical extremes for the same period. To cope with the high temperatures, various localities adopted multiple measures to cool down cities and opened up public places for workers to escape the heat. In Wuhan, Hubei, the local authorities increased the frequency of using intelligent sprinkler devices, high-pressure washing vehicles, and mist cannons to sprinkle water and suppress dust on urban roads. Environmental sanitation departments in various places also increased the frequency of mechanized operations and added unmanned intelligent sweeping vehicles to reduce the outdoor working hours of sanitation workers under high temperatures. Many subway stations in Chongqing provided cooling areas for citizens to escape the heat, and 25 "cooling havens" in Tongnan District were fully opened, providing resting places for sanitation workers, delivery personnel, and food delivery riders. Zhengzhou, Henan, today upgraded its high-temperature warning to red, and all 234 subway stations have been opened to the public for cooling and heatstroke prevention. In Baoding, Handan, and other places in Hebei, outdoor workers can rest at 24-hour outdoor worker stations and caring police kiosks. To reduce the impact of high temperatures on agricultural production, various localities also promptly strengthened field service guidance. In Binzhou, Xianyang, local agricultural technicians were organized to timely check fruit tree diseases and pests and guide fruit farmers in scientific prevention and control. This is a critical period for heading in mid-season rice and seedling raising for late-season rice in the south. In Xinyu, Jiangxi, the local authorities dynamically adjusted the plan for opening and releasing water from mountain ponds and reservoirs to ensure sufficient water supply for rice. To avoid reduced pollen viability and increased susceptibility to diseases and pests due to high temperatures and dryness, Anhui organized more than 5,000 agricultural technicians to go to the production front line to provide technical guidance and also used drones to spray nutrient solution on seedlings. The Central Meteorological Observatory expects that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow will be the period with the widest range and strongest intensity of high temperature impact, with maximum temperatures in some areas reaching 39-42℃. The public needs to continue to take measures to prevent heatstroke and cool down.
Domestic News Snippets
China's Express Delivery Development Index Grew by 4.7% in June. The National Post Office announced that in June, China's Express Delivery Development Index was 454.3, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%. The express delivery market continued to grow, boosting demand for holiday economy and "trade-in" consumption. Number of Newly Registered New Energy Vehicles Reaches Record High. According to the Ministry of Public Security, in the first half of this year, 5.622 million new energy vehicles were newly registered nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 27.86%, setting a new historical record. The number of newly registered new energy vehicles accounted for 44.97% of all newly registered vehicles. As of the end of June 2025, the national ownership of new energy vehicles had reached 36.89 million. National Production and Sales Matching Event for High-Quality Specialty Grain and Oil Products from Poverty-Stricken Areas Concludes. The national production and sales matching event for high-quality specialty grain and oil products from poverty-stricken areas concluded today (July 14) in Shenyang, Liaoning. Over a thousand famous and high-quality agricultural and sideline products were brought by 674 cooperatives and enterprises from 340 poverty-stricken counties across the country. Currently, sales and intended orders exceeding 3.8 billion yuan have been signed. Accumulated Export Value of "Yixin'ou" China-Europe Railway Express Exceeds 200 Billion Yuan. According to Hangzhou Customs, as of the end of June this year, the accumulated export value of the "Yixin'ou" China-Europe Railway Express has exceeded 200 billion yuan. The train currently has over 20 cross-border transportation routes, covering more than 160 cities in over 50 countries in Eurasia, and the categories of transported goods have increased from over 10,000 in the initial stage to nearly 50,000 currently. Chongqing's Western Land-Sea New Corridor Sees Double Growth in Cargo Volume and Value in H1. In the first half of this year, Chongqing's Western Land-Sea New Corridor completed a cargo volume of 154,600 TEUs and a cargo value of 28.332 billion yuan, increasing by 28% and 22% year-on-year, respectively. In June, the Western Land-Sea New Corridor and the China-Europe Railway Express achieved two-way direct service for the first time with Chongqing as a transit hub. CNNC Guangdong Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 6 Completes Dome Hoisting. Today (July 14), CNNC Guangdong Lufeng Nuclear Power Unit 6, which adopts China's independently developed third-generation nuclear power technology "Hualong One," completed its dome hoisting, marking the official transition of the nuclear power unit from the civil construction phase to the equipment installation phase. The Lufeng Nuclear Power Project plans to build 6 million-kilowatt class nuclear power units. Once all are completed, the annual power generation will be approximately 52 billion kilowatt-hours.
Multiple European Nations Warn US Tariff Policies Lead to "Lose-Lose" Situation
Regarding the US announcement on July 13 that it would impose 30% tariffs on EU goods starting August 1, German Chancellor Scholz said the policy would be a heavy blow to Germany's export industry. He stated that high tariffs would weaken the international competitiveness of Germany's core industrial sectors, such as automotive, machinery, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, threatening millions of jobs. German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on the same day that the US tariff policy would harm both European and American economies. He also stated that if US-EU trade negotiations fail, the German government would consider taking decisive countermeasures. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a statement on July 13, saying that a trade war would weaken everyone's strength and that Europe has sufficient economic and financial strength to maintain its position and reach a fair and reasonable agreement. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib posted on July 13 that US tariffs on EU goods would only lead to a "lose-lose" situation, that US trade provocation was groundless, and would trigger investor concerns. In addition, the European Commission announced on July 13 that it would postpone the activation of retaliatory measures against the US until early August. Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, expressed doubts about this, pointing out that negotiations are not contradictory to taking balanced retaliatory measures, and the EU should not shy away from this. Trade ministers from EU member states are scheduled to meet today (July 14) to discuss next steps to address the US tariff threat.
Russia Claims Control of Two Donetsk Settlements; Ukraine Says Hundreds of Russian Drones Downed
Russia's Ministry of Defense stated on July 13 that Russian forces had taken control of two more settlements in the Donetsk region. According to Russian media reports, these two settlements are of important strategic significance. The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated on July 13 that it had destroyed two launch units and one radar station of the US-made Patriot air defense system. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated on July 13 that 200 battles took place in the frontline areas over the past day. Ukrainian forces struck concentrations of Russian personnel, weapons, and military equipment, command posts, and observation posts. The Ukrainian side also stated on the same day that over the past week, Russia had launched more than 1,800 drones and over 1,200 guided bombs to air raid Ukraine, and Ukrainian air defense forces had shot down hundreds of Russian "Shahed" drones. US Says It Will Provide Patriot Systems to Ukraine, Costs to be Borne by EU. US President Trump stated on July 13 that the US would provide Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine, and the European Union would pay for these equipment. He did not disclose the specific number of Patriot air defense missile systems planned to be provided to Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently stated that the US resumption of arms deliveries to Ukraine would not contribute to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
Palestine Says Israeli Operations in Gaza Kill Over 58,000
The Palestinian Gaza Strip health authorities issued a statement on July 13, saying that Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip in the past day resulted in 139 deaths and 425 injuries. Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have caused 58,026 deaths and over 138,000 injuries. According to the Palestinian news agency on July 13, the Israeli army bombed a water point in the Nuseirat area of the central Gaza Strip, causing at least 10 deaths, including children. Regarding the attack on the water point, the Israel Defense Forces stated on July 13 that at the time of the incident, Israeli forces were targeting a Palestinian armed individual, and due to a "technical malfunction," the ammunition exploded tens of meters away from the intended target. In addition, the Israeli army also stated on the same day that it struck over 150 targets across the Gaza Strip.
International News Snippets
French President Says He Will Accelerate Defense Budget Increase. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 13 that France would accelerate the increase of its defense budget, planning to reach 64 billion euros by 2027, double the amount in 2017. According to France's current military programming law, the goal of doubling the defense budget was originally planned for 2030. Macron said he would revise the current military programming law. French media analysis suggests that as France currently seeks to reduce its fiscal deficit and debt, increasing the defense budget will face significant resistance in the French parliament. Texas Hit by Heavy Rain Again, Search and Rescue in Disaster Areas Suspended. On July 13, parts of central Texas in the United States were again hit by heavy rainfall, with some river levels rapidly rising, and many areas facing flood threats again. Southeastern San Saba County issued a flash flood warning due to heavy short-term precipitation, and some residents were forced to evacuate. Affected by the new round of severe weather, search and rescue operations for missing persons in Kerr County, Texas, which was previously severely affected by floods, have been suspended. Canadian Wildfire Smoke Affects US Midwest. Recently, wildfires in many parts of Canada have continued to rage, with the affected area in the central region exceeding 10,000 square kilometers. According to US media reports on July 13, a large amount of smoke and dust from Canadian wildfires has moved south into the US, severely affecting air quality in the US Midwest. Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and other places are affected, with approximately 22 million people under air quality alerts. Over 2,000 Earthquakes Occurred Off Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, Recently. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a 4.2-magnitude earthquake occurred in Toshima Village, Kagoshima Prefecture, this morning (July 14). At the same time, multiple earthquakes also occurred in the Tokara Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture today. Data shows that since June 21, more than 2,000 earthquakes with an intensity of 1 or higher have occurred in the waters near Kagoshima Prefecture.