Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — Admissions have opened for master’s programs jointly founded by China’s Nankai University and Kazakhstan’s L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nankai University, located in the north Chinese city of Tianjin, said.
The master’s programs in Belt and Road Economic and Trade Cooperation and Digital Economy and Industrial Innovation were launched with the approval of China’s Ministry of Education. Applicants can enroll in these programs without having to take the National Unified Examination for Master’s Degrees, according to a statement released on the website of Nankai University on Tuesday.
Classes for these programs are scheduled to begin in September of this year.
These educational projects are aimed at training specialists in the field of integrated economic management, competent in trade and economic cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road, the digital economy and industrial innovation.
After successfully passing the tests and defending their final theses, students will receive a master’s degree from the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. -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
TEHRAN, July 8 (Xinhua) — Iran has not requested any meetings with the United States, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Tuesday, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
This is how the diplomat responded to the words of US President Donald Trump, who said the day before that Iran had asked for a meeting.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the United States was ready to negotiate with Iran. “We have a meeting scheduled with Iran, and they want to talk,” he said. “They have requested a meeting, and I am going to attend. If we can put something on paper, that would be good,” the president added.
From April 12 to May 23, Iran and the United States held five rounds of indirect talks on Tehran’s nuclear program and the lifting of American sanctions. They were mediated by Oman.
Two days before the sixth round, scheduled for June 15 in the Omani capital Muscat, Israel launched massive airstrikes on a number of Iranian sites, including nuclear and military facilities, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists and scores of civilians. Tehran responded with a series of missile and drone strikes on Israel.
On June 22, the United States struck three Iranian nuclear facilities: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Iran later attacked the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
On June 24, after 12 days of fighting, Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement. –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
TEHRAN, July 8 (Xinhua) — Iran has not requested any meetings with the United States, the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Tuesday, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
This is how the diplomat responded to the words of US President Donald Trump, who said the day before that Iran had asked for a meeting.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the United States was ready to negotiate with Iran. “We have a meeting scheduled with Iran, and they want to talk,” he said. “They have requested a meeting, and I am going to attend. If we can put something on paper, that would be good,” the president added.
From April 12 to May 23, Iran and the United States held five rounds of indirect talks on Tehran’s nuclear program and the lifting of American sanctions. They were mediated by Oman.
Two days before the sixth round, scheduled for June 15 in the Omani capital Muscat, Israel launched massive airstrikes on a number of Iranian sites, including nuclear and military facilities, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists and scores of civilians. Tehran responded with a series of missile and drone strikes on Israel.
On June 22, the United States struck three Iranian nuclear facilities: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Iran later attacked the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
On June 24, after 12 days of fighting, Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement. –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
CHANGSHA, July 8 (Xinhua) — Wang Yong, former vice chairman of the people’s government of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Tuesday for accepting bribes.
The verdict was handed down by the Intermediate People’s Court of Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, central China. His case was heard in open court on May 15 this year.
According to the verdict, Wang Yong, also a former member of the SAR government’s leadership group, was deprived of political rights for life and all his personal property will be confiscated in favor of the state.
The court found that from 2007 to 2023, Wang Yong, in various positions, abused his official powers to assist other organizations and individuals in winning contracts for contracting projects, thereby illegally enriching himself in the total amount of more than 271 million yuan (about 37.9 million US dollars).
The court ruled that Wang Yun’s crimes had caused serious harm to the interests of the state and the people. Meanwhile, based on the fact that the defendant admitted his guilt and repented of his actions, and also assisted in the return of illegally obtained funds, his sentence was reduced. -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.
July 8, 2025 – GATINEAU (Québec), Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau has obtained a court order to advance its investigation into Amazon’s conduct on its online Canadian marketplace, Amazon.ca, to determine if the company is engaging in conduct that may be an abuse of dominance under the Competition Act.
The Bureau is investigating the Amazon Marketplace Fair Pricing Policy. The policy allows Amazon to penalize sellers for certain conduct, including if they set a price for a product on Amazon.ca that is significantly higher than recent prices offered on Amazon or elsewhere. The Bureau is seeking to determine whether the purpose or effect of the policy is to:
allow Amazon to charge higher fees to sellers than it otherwise would, and whether this in turn causes sellers to charge higher retail prices to customers;
prevent the entry or expansion of existing or potential rivals by preventing sellers from offering lower prices elsewhere than they do on Amazon; or
lessen price competition among online marketplaces or retail channels.
The Bureau has obtained a court order from the Federal Court that requires Amazon to produce records and information relevant to the investigation.
There is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time.
Something dangerous is happening to the U.S. economy, and it’s not inflation or trade wars. Chaotic deregulation and the selective enforcement of laws have upended markets and investor confidence. At one point, the threat of tariffs and resulting chaos evaporated US$4 trillion in value in the U.S. stock market. This approach isn’t helping the economy, and there are troubling signs it will hurt both the U.S. and the global economy in the short and long term.
The rule of law – the idea that legal rules apply to everyone equally, regardless of wealth or political connections − is essential for a thriving economy. Yet globally the respect for the rule of law is slipping, and the U.S. is slipping with it. According to annual rankings from the World Justice Project, the rule of law has declined in more than half of all countries for seven years in a row. The rule of law in the U.S., the most economically powerful nation in the world, is now weaker than the rule of law in Uruguay, Singapore, Latvia and over 20 other countries.
When regulation is unnecessarily burdensome for business, government should lighten the load. However, arbitrary and frenzied deregulation does not free corporations to earn higher profits. As a business school professor with an MBA who has taught business law for over 25 years, and the author of a recently published book about the importance of legal knowledge to business, I can affirm that the opposite is true. Chaotic deregulation doesn’t drive growth. It only fuels risk.
Chaos undermines investment, talent and trust
Legal uncertainty has become a serious drag on American competitiveness.
A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that public policy risks — such as unexpected changes in taxes, regulation and enforcement — ranked among the top challenges businesses face, alongside more familiar business threats such as competition or economic volatility. Companies that can’t predict how the law might change are forced to plan for the worst. That means holding back on long-term investment, slowing innovation and raising prices to cover new risks.
When the government enforces rules arbitrarily, it also undermines property rights.
For example, if a country enters into a major trade agreement and then goes ahead and violates it, that threatens the property rights of the companies that relied on the agreement to conduct business. If the government can seize assets without due process, those assets lose their stability and value. And if that treatment depends on whether a company is in the government’s political favor, it’s not just bad economics − it’s a red flag for investors.
When government doesn’t enforce rules fairly, it also threatens people’s freedom to enter into contracts.
Consider presidential orders that threaten the clients of law firms that have challenged the administration with cancellation of their government contracts. The threat alone jeopardizes the value of those agreements.
If businesses can’t trust public contracts to be respected, they’ll be less likely to work with the government in the first place. This deprives the government, and ultimately the American people, of receiving the best value for their tax dollars in critical areas such as transportation, technology and national defense.
Regulatory chaos also allows corruption to spread.
For example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits businesses from bribing foreign government officials, has leveled the playing field for firms and enabled the best American companies to succeed on their merits. Before the law was enacted in 1977, some American companies felt pressured to pay bribes to compete. “Pausing” enforcement of the law, as the current presidential administration has done, increases the cost of doing business and encourages a wild west economy where chaos thrives.
When corruption grows, stable and democratic governments weaken, opportunities for terrorism increase and corruption-fueled authoritarian regimes, which oppose the interests of the U.S., thrive. Halting the enforcement of an anti-bribery law, even for a limited time, is an issue of national security.
Legal uncertainty fuels brain drain
Chaotic enforcement of the law also corrodes labor markets.
American companies require a strong pool of talented professionals to fuel their financial success. When legal rights are enforced arbitrarily or unjustly, the very best talent that American companies need may leave the country.
The science brain drain is already happening. American scientists have submitted 32% more applications for jobs abroad compared with last year. Nonscientists are leaving too. Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has witnessed a 50% increase in Americans taking steps to obtain an Irish passport. Employers in the U.K. saw a spike in job applications from the United States.
Business from other countries will gladly accept American talent as they compete against American companies. During the Third Reich, Nazi Germany lost its best and brightest to other countries, including America. Now the reverse is happening, as highly talented Americans leave to work for firms in other nations.
Threats of arbitrary legal actions also drive away democratic allies and their prosperous populations that purchase American-made goods and services. For example, arbitrarily threatening to punish or even annex a closely allied nation does not endear its citizens to that government or the businesses it represents. So it’s no surprise that Canadians are now boycotting American goods and services. This is devastating businesses in American border towns and hurts the economy nationwide.
Similarly, the Canadian government has responded to whipsawing U.S. tariff announcements with counter-tariffs, which will slice the profits of American exporters. Close American allies and trading partners such as Japan, the U.K. and the European Union are also signaling their own willingness to impose retaliatory tariffs, increasing the costs of operations to American business even more.
Modern capitalism depends on smart regulation to thrive. Smart regulation is not an obstacle to capitalism. Smart regulation is what makes American capitalism possible. Smart regulation is what makes American freedom possible.
Clear and consistently applied legal rules allow businesses to aggressively compete, carefully plan, and generate profits. An arbitrary rule of law deprives business of the true power of capitalism – the ability to promote economic growth, spur innovation and improve the overall living standards of a free society. Americans deserve no less, and it is up to government to make that happen for everyone.
Something dangerous is happening to the U.S. economy, and it’s not inflation or trade wars. Chaotic deregulation and the selective enforcement of laws have upended markets and investor confidence. At one point, the threat of tariffs and resulting chaos evaporated US$4 trillion in value in the U.S. stock market. This approach isn’t helping the economy, and there are troubling signs it will hurt both the U.S. and the global economy in the short and long term.
The rule of law – the idea that legal rules apply to everyone equally, regardless of wealth or political connections − is essential for a thriving economy. Yet globally the respect for the rule of law is slipping, and the U.S. is slipping with it. According to annual rankings from the World Justice Project, the rule of law has declined in more than half of all countries for seven years in a row. The rule of law in the U.S., the most economically powerful nation in the world, is now weaker than the rule of law in Uruguay, Singapore, Latvia and over 20 other countries.
When regulation is unnecessarily burdensome for business, government should lighten the load. However, arbitrary and frenzied deregulation does not free corporations to earn higher profits. As a business school professor with an MBA who has taught business law for over 25 years, and the author of a recently published book about the importance of legal knowledge to business, I can affirm that the opposite is true. Chaotic deregulation doesn’t drive growth. It only fuels risk.
Chaos undermines investment, talent and trust
Legal uncertainty has become a serious drag on American competitiveness.
A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that public policy risks — such as unexpected changes in taxes, regulation and enforcement — ranked among the top challenges businesses face, alongside more familiar business threats such as competition or economic volatility. Companies that can’t predict how the law might change are forced to plan for the worst. That means holding back on long-term investment, slowing innovation and raising prices to cover new risks.
When the government enforces rules arbitrarily, it also undermines property rights.
For example, if a country enters into a major trade agreement and then goes ahead and violates it, that threatens the property rights of the companies that relied on the agreement to conduct business. If the government can seize assets without due process, those assets lose their stability and value. And if that treatment depends on whether a company is in the government’s political favor, it’s not just bad economics − it’s a red flag for investors.
When government doesn’t enforce rules fairly, it also threatens people’s freedom to enter into contracts.
Consider presidential orders that threaten the clients of law firms that have challenged the administration with cancellation of their government contracts. The threat alone jeopardizes the value of those agreements.
If businesses can’t trust public contracts to be respected, they’ll be less likely to work with the government in the first place. This deprives the government, and ultimately the American people, of receiving the best value for their tax dollars in critical areas such as transportation, technology and national defense.
Regulatory chaos also allows corruption to spread.
For example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits businesses from bribing foreign government officials, has leveled the playing field for firms and enabled the best American companies to succeed on their merits. Before the law was enacted in 1977, some American companies felt pressured to pay bribes to compete. “Pausing” enforcement of the law, as the current presidential administration has done, increases the cost of doing business and encourages a wild west economy where chaos thrives.
When corruption grows, stable and democratic governments weaken, opportunities for terrorism increase and corruption-fueled authoritarian regimes, which oppose the interests of the U.S., thrive. Halting the enforcement of an anti-bribery law, even for a limited time, is an issue of national security.
Legal uncertainty fuels brain drain
Chaotic enforcement of the law also corrodes labor markets.
American companies require a strong pool of talented professionals to fuel their financial success. When legal rights are enforced arbitrarily or unjustly, the very best talent that American companies need may leave the country.
The science brain drain is already happening. American scientists have submitted 32% more applications for jobs abroad compared with last year. Nonscientists are leaving too. Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has witnessed a 50% increase in Americans taking steps to obtain an Irish passport. Employers in the U.K. saw a spike in job applications from the United States.
Business from other countries will gladly accept American talent as they compete against American companies. During the Third Reich, Nazi Germany lost its best and brightest to other countries, including America. Now the reverse is happening, as highly talented Americans leave to work for firms in other nations.
Threats of arbitrary legal actions also drive away democratic allies and their prosperous populations that purchase American-made goods and services. For example, arbitrarily threatening to punish or even annex a closely allied nation does not endear its citizens to that government or the businesses it represents. So it’s no surprise that Canadians are now boycotting American goods and services. This is devastating businesses in American border towns and hurts the economy nationwide.
Similarly, the Canadian government has responded to whipsawing U.S. tariff announcements with counter-tariffs, which will slice the profits of American exporters. Close American allies and trading partners such as Japan, the U.K. and the European Union are also signaling their own willingness to impose retaliatory tariffs, increasing the costs of operations to American business even more.
Modern capitalism depends on smart regulation to thrive. Smart regulation is not an obstacle to capitalism. Smart regulation is what makes American capitalism possible. Smart regulation is what makes American freedom possible.
Clear and consistently applied legal rules allow businesses to aggressively compete, carefully plan, and generate profits. An arbitrary rule of law deprives business of the true power of capitalism – the ability to promote economic growth, spur innovation and improve the overall living standards of a free society. Americans deserve no less, and it is up to government to make that happen for everyone.
Weather forecasting is not easy. The truth is that predicting future weather conditions over broad, or even narrow, swathes of Earth’s surface comes down to complex microphysical processes, and as College of Engineering Associate Professor and UConn Atmospheric and Air Quality Modeling Group Leader Marina Astitha puts it, nature is chaotic.
Astitha and her research group are at the forefront of exploring ways to improve weather prediction using AI and machine learning to enhance existing physics-based models. They developed new methods for the prediction of snowfall accumulation and wind gusts associated with extreme weather events in three recent papers in the Journal of Hydrology, Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Systems, and another in the Journal of Hydrology.
Postdoctoral researcher Ummul Khaira Ph.D. ’24 led the snowfall prediction work during her time as a Ph.D student. Ph.D candidate Israt Jahan is passionate about building models that improve predictions of damaging wind gusts from storms.
The researchers met with UConn Today to discuss the importance and everyday applications of enhanced forecasting capabilities using these new technologies.
Are there forecasting challenges that are unique to the Northeast?
Astitha: There are characteristics about the Northeast that make it particularly difficult to make weather predictions for. This is especially true for winter weather because we have Nor’easters that can come from either the center of the country or from the Gulf. Some move slowly, and they are highly predictable. Some can be what we call a bomb cyclone, where they rush up here and dump a lot of snow in a small amount of time.
For weather forecasting, we traditionally use numerical weather prediction models that are based on physics principles and have seen large improvements over the last 20-30 years. We have been running our own weather forecasting system at UConn since 2014, based on physical models. However, numerical weather prediction comes with its own challenges due to uncertainty in parameterizations that are necessary when no physical laws are known for a specific process.
For windstorms, wind gusts specifically are a complicated variable. It’s wind, but the way we observe it and the way we model it is different.
Can you explain more about the physics used in numerical weather prediction models?
Astitha: Precipitation is a microscale process. As air rises and cools, clouds form, and within those clouds, tiny cloud droplets develop through complex microphysical interactions. Over time, some of these droplets grow large enough to become raindrops or snowflakes. Once they reach a critical size, gravity causes them to fall to the ground as precipitation. This entire process is governed by microphysical processes.
We try to predict such microphysical processes embedded in numerical weather models by solving many equations and parameterizations. These models describe our atmosphere as a 3D grid, dividing it into discrete boxes where we solve equations based on first principles (motion, thermodynamics, and more). This approach poses a major challenge: even with increased resolution, each grid cell often represents a large volume of air, typically one to four square kilometers. Despite efforts to refine the grid, these cells still encompass vast areas, limiting the model’s ability to resolve smaller-scale processes.
Numerical prediction is what got me here. 20 years ago, I could run a code to numerically solve physics equations of the atmosphere, and then I could tell approximately what the weather would be like the next day. That, to me, was mind-blowing!
Once you run one deterministic model, you get one answer that the temperature is going to be, say 75 degrees tomorrow in Storrs. That’s one potential realization of the future. Models like that are not capable of giving us an exact answer, because nature is chaotic. I’ve always had the mindset of looking at multiple models to have an idea of that uncertainty and variability, and if 10 different realizations give you 74, 75, or 76 degrees, you know you’re close.
Khaira: Few things are more humbling than a snowfall that defies prediction. My work lies in embracing that uncertainty in the chaos and building models not to promise perfection, but to offer communities and decision makers a clearer window into what might lie ahead.
How is your recent research helping with the challenges of numerical weather prediction?
Astitha: Imagine a Nor’easter coming our way during wintertime; they come with a lot of snow and wind. We work with the Eversource Energy Center and we’re interested not only on the scientific advancement, but also the impact and accuracy in predicting when and where that storm is going to happen in Connecticut. Weather prediction accuracy influences the estimation of impacts; for example, power outages. We might underestimate or overestimate the impact by a lot. That makes winter storms of particular interest because of the impact they have on our society, our transportation networks, and electrical power distribution networks.
Five years ago, we decided to test whether a machine learning framework could help with wind gust and snowfall prediction. It comes with its own challenges and uncertainties, but we quickly saw that there is a lot of promise for these tools to correct errors and do better than what numerical weather prediction can do and at a fraction of the time. Machine learning and AI can help improve the analysis of wind gusts and snowfall, but these systems are not perfect either. We want to be able to better predict storms over Connecticut and the Northeast US, which is why we started this exploration with ML/AI, even though most of the research out there about how to implement AI in weather prediction is either at the global scale or much coarser resolution, but we’re getting there.
Can you talk about the everyday impact of the research?
Astitha: An example is when the trees are full of leaves like they are in late spring and summer, and a storm comes in with a lot of rain and intense wind. Whole trees can come down and topple the power lines, which causes many disruptions around the state.
Our close collaboration with the Eversource Energy Center involves our immediate collaborators taking this weather prediction information and operationally predicting power outages for Connecticut and other service territories. That information can go to the utility managers, so they can prepare two to three days in advance, indicating a direct link from science and engineering to the application and to the manager.
I understand people’s frustrations and the need for answers about weather forecasts and impacts of storms. You want to know if your family is going to be safe and if you should or should not be out during particular times of the day. We’re doing this research to improve the reliability and accuracy of weather forecasting, so communities and stakeholders are aware of what’s happening when the storm hits their area and can take appropriate actions.
Jahan: It’s incredibly rewarding to know that my work has the potential to improve early warnings and give communities more time to prepare. By combining AI and uncertainty analysis, we’re not just making gust predictions more accurate – we are helping decision-makers plan with greater confidence.
Weather forecasting is not easy. The truth is that predicting future weather conditions over broad, or even narrow, swathes of Earth’s surface comes down to complex microphysical processes, and as College of Engineering Associate Professor and UConn Atmospheric and Air Quality Modeling Group Leader Marina Astitha puts it, nature is chaotic.
Astitha and her research group are at the forefront of exploring ways to improve weather prediction using AI and machine learning to enhance existing physics-based models. They developed new methods for the prediction of snowfall accumulation and wind gusts associated with extreme weather events in three recent papers in the Journal of Hydrology, Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Systems, and another in the Journal of Hydrology.
Postdoctoral researcher Ummul Khaira Ph.D. ’24 led the snowfall prediction work during her time as a Ph.D student. Ph.D candidate Israt Jahan is passionate about building models that improve predictions of damaging wind gusts from storms.
The researchers met with UConn Today to discuss the importance and everyday applications of enhanced forecasting capabilities using these new technologies.
Are there forecasting challenges that are unique to the Northeast?
Astitha: There are characteristics about the Northeast that make it particularly difficult to make weather predictions for. This is especially true for winter weather because we have Nor’easters that can come from either the center of the country or from the Gulf. Some move slowly, and they are highly predictable. Some can be what we call a bomb cyclone, where they rush up here and dump a lot of snow in a small amount of time.
For weather forecasting, we traditionally use numerical weather prediction models that are based on physics principles and have seen large improvements over the last 20-30 years. We have been running our own weather forecasting system at UConn since 2014, based on physical models. However, numerical weather prediction comes with its own challenges due to uncertainty in parameterizations that are necessary when no physical laws are known for a specific process.
For windstorms, wind gusts specifically are a complicated variable. It’s wind, but the way we observe it and the way we model it is different.
Can you explain more about the physics used in numerical weather prediction models?
Astitha: Precipitation is a microscale process. As air rises and cools, clouds form, and within those clouds, tiny cloud droplets develop through complex microphysical interactions. Over time, some of these droplets grow large enough to become raindrops or snowflakes. Once they reach a critical size, gravity causes them to fall to the ground as precipitation. This entire process is governed by microphysical processes.
We try to predict such microphysical processes embedded in numerical weather models by solving many equations and parameterizations. These models describe our atmosphere as a 3D grid, dividing it into discrete boxes where we solve equations based on first principles (motion, thermodynamics, and more). This approach poses a major challenge: even with increased resolution, each grid cell often represents a large volume of air, typically one to four square kilometers. Despite efforts to refine the grid, these cells still encompass vast areas, limiting the model’s ability to resolve smaller-scale processes.
Numerical prediction is what got me here. 20 years ago, I could run a code to numerically solve physics equations of the atmosphere, and then I could tell approximately what the weather would be like the next day. That, to me, was mind-blowing!
Once you run one deterministic model, you get one answer that the temperature is going to be, say 75 degrees tomorrow in Storrs. That’s one potential realization of the future. Models like that are not capable of giving us an exact answer, because nature is chaotic. I’ve always had the mindset of looking at multiple models to have an idea of that uncertainty and variability, and if 10 different realizations give you 74, 75, or 76 degrees, you know you’re close.
Khaira: Few things are more humbling than a snowfall that defies prediction. My work lies in embracing that uncertainty in the chaos and building models not to promise perfection, but to offer communities and decision makers a clearer window into what might lie ahead.
How is your recent research helping with the challenges of numerical weather prediction?
Astitha: Imagine a Nor’easter coming our way during wintertime; they come with a lot of snow and wind. We work with the Eversource Energy Center and we’re interested not only on the scientific advancement, but also the impact and accuracy in predicting when and where that storm is going to happen in Connecticut. Weather prediction accuracy influences the estimation of impacts; for example, power outages. We might underestimate or overestimate the impact by a lot. That makes winter storms of particular interest because of the impact they have on our society, our transportation networks, and electrical power distribution networks.
Five years ago, we decided to test whether a machine learning framework could help with wind gust and snowfall prediction. It comes with its own challenges and uncertainties, but we quickly saw that there is a lot of promise for these tools to correct errors and do better than what numerical weather prediction can do and at a fraction of the time. Machine learning and AI can help improve the analysis of wind gusts and snowfall, but these systems are not perfect either. We want to be able to better predict storms over Connecticut and the Northeast US, which is why we started this exploration with ML/AI, even though most of the research out there about how to implement AI in weather prediction is either at the global scale or much coarser resolution, but we’re getting there.
Can you talk about the everyday impact of the research?
Astitha: An example is when the trees are full of leaves like they are in late spring and summer, and a storm comes in with a lot of rain and intense wind. Whole trees can come down and topple the power lines, which causes many disruptions around the state.
Our close collaboration with the Eversource Energy Center involves our immediate collaborators taking this weather prediction information and operationally predicting power outages for Connecticut and other service territories. That information can go to the utility managers, so they can prepare two to three days in advance, indicating a direct link from science and engineering to the application and to the manager.
I understand people’s frustrations and the need for answers about weather forecasts and impacts of storms. You want to know if your family is going to be safe and if you should or should not be out during particular times of the day. We’re doing this research to improve the reliability and accuracy of weather forecasting, so communities and stakeholders are aware of what’s happening when the storm hits their area and can take appropriate actions.
Jahan: It’s incredibly rewarding to know that my work has the potential to improve early warnings and give communities more time to prepare. By combining AI and uncertainty analysis, we’re not just making gust predictions more accurate – we are helping decision-makers plan with greater confidence.
Editor’s Note:Kristin Simmers prepared the followingresearch brief (unabridged version)with the Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE). The full brief examines year-round education for districts exploring its adoption. Below is an executive summary.
Year-round education (YRE) redistributes the traditional 180-day school calendar by incorporating shorter, more frequent breaks. Proponents argue that YRE can reduce learning loss, alleviate school overcrowding, and address educational inequities. However, findings on its effectiveness are varied, and evidence suggests outcomes may be influenced by the specific model and implementation context. This brief examines the academic, operational, and financial implications of YRE and key considerations for districts exploring its adoption.
YRE can be implemented as a single-track or multi-track system. In a single-track model, all students follow the same year-round calendar with scheduled intersession breaks, which can be used for remediation and enrichment. Research suggests these programs may help mitigate some learning loss, particularly for disadvantaged students, though the overall academic impact is modest and inconsistent. For example, a Virginia study found that while Black and Hispanic students in YRE schools showed greater gains in state test scores than their peers in traditional calendar schools, participation in intersession programs varied greatly, and there was no significant academic impact on the general student population (Brown et al., 2012). These findings suggest that the observed academic gains among certain student groups in YRE schools may be influenced more by the additional instruction provided during intersession than by the year-round calendar itself.
Multi-track YRE, designed primarily to ease overcrowding, staggers student attendance schedules and generally increases school capacity by 20-33% without building new facilities. While this model offers operational and financial benefits, research indicates little to no academic advantage in model adoption, and some students in lower-resourced tracks may even experience negative academic outcomes. For example, a California study found slight declines in reading and math scores among students in multi-track YRE schools, particularly in the first few years of implementation (Graves, 2011). Additionally, Wake County, North Carolina, which rapidly implemented multi-track YRE to address overcrowding, saw no overall academic gains but did succeed in reducing school population pressures (Graves et al., 2013). However, the YRE transition faced legal challenges from parents who opposed mandatory enrollment in multi-track YRE systems (McMullen & Rouse, 2012), and the district now actively includes parents in their school assignment process (Wake County Public School System, n.d.).
While YRE offers potential benefits, research findings are mixed and suggest its success depends on careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful implementation. — Kristin Simmers
Implementing YRE requires careful consideration of financial, logistical, and community factors. Single-track YRE may increase costs due to intersession programming, staffing, and year-round operations, while multi-track models require complex scheduling and transportation coordination. Family schedules, childcare availability, and extracurricular activities must also be considered. Additionally, teacher workload and retention remain key concerns, as anecdotal reports on YRE’s impact on teacher stress are inconsistent.
Case studies from Greenwood, South Carolina, and Wake County highlight the role of local context. Greenwood 50 adopted single-track YRE in 2021 to improve low test scores and found that attendance at intersession remediation programs surpassed that of traditional summer school remediation. While test scores improved, other factors, such as smaller class sizes, may have contributed to these outcomes (Gregory & Turcotte, 2022).
For districts considering YRE, successful implementation may include:
Defining objectives about whether YRE implementation will address overcrowding, improve academic outcomes, or both
Engaging educators, families, and stakeholders throughout the decision-making process
Ensuring equitable access to remediation and enrichment
Securing funding for intersession programs when appropriate
Considering a phased approach or pilot program before full-scale adoption
While YRE offers potential benefits, research findings are mixed and suggest its success depends on careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful implementation.
CEPARE produces high-quality research, evaluation, and policy analysis that informs leaders and policymakers on a range of pressing issues, with a particular focus on enhancing social justice and equity across p-20 educational settings in Connecticut and beyond. Learn more about CEPARE, or access the PDF version of this rapid research brief (including all references and appendices), at cepare.uconn.edu.
Kristin Simmersis a Ph.D. candidate in the Learning Sciences program at UConn’s Neag School of Education. She has over 16 years of international teaching experience and holds an MS in elementary education, MS Ed. in curriculum and instruction, and graduate certificates in special education and English as a second language. Her research explores teachers’ understanding of the brain and learning, emphasizing the connection between education research and classroom practice. She promotes a transdisciplinary approach, integrating insights from cognitive science, neuroscience, psychology, and health to enrich educational research. Through her various professional roles, she works to bridge the gap between research and practice, fostering meaningful collaboration across disciplines.
Editor’s Note:Kristin Simmers prepared the followingresearch brief (unabridged version)with the Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE). The full brief examines year-round education for districts exploring its adoption. Below is an executive summary.
Year-round education (YRE) redistributes the traditional 180-day school calendar by incorporating shorter, more frequent breaks. Proponents argue that YRE can reduce learning loss, alleviate school overcrowding, and address educational inequities. However, findings on its effectiveness are varied, and evidence suggests outcomes may be influenced by the specific model and implementation context. This brief examines the academic, operational, and financial implications of YRE and key considerations for districts exploring its adoption.
YRE can be implemented as a single-track or multi-track system. In a single-track model, all students follow the same year-round calendar with scheduled intersession breaks, which can be used for remediation and enrichment. Research suggests these programs may help mitigate some learning loss, particularly for disadvantaged students, though the overall academic impact is modest and inconsistent. For example, a Virginia study found that while Black and Hispanic students in YRE schools showed greater gains in state test scores than their peers in traditional calendar schools, participation in intersession programs varied greatly, and there was no significant academic impact on the general student population (Brown et al., 2012). These findings suggest that the observed academic gains among certain student groups in YRE schools may be influenced more by the additional instruction provided during intersession than by the year-round calendar itself.
Multi-track YRE, designed primarily to ease overcrowding, staggers student attendance schedules and generally increases school capacity by 20-33% without building new facilities. While this model offers operational and financial benefits, research indicates little to no academic advantage in model adoption, and some students in lower-resourced tracks may even experience negative academic outcomes. For example, a California study found slight declines in reading and math scores among students in multi-track YRE schools, particularly in the first few years of implementation (Graves, 2011). Additionally, Wake County, North Carolina, which rapidly implemented multi-track YRE to address overcrowding, saw no overall academic gains but did succeed in reducing school population pressures (Graves et al., 2013). However, the YRE transition faced legal challenges from parents who opposed mandatory enrollment in multi-track YRE systems (McMullen & Rouse, 2012), and the district now actively includes parents in their school assignment process (Wake County Public School System, n.d.).
While YRE offers potential benefits, research findings are mixed and suggest its success depends on careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful implementation. — Kristin Simmers
Implementing YRE requires careful consideration of financial, logistical, and community factors. Single-track YRE may increase costs due to intersession programming, staffing, and year-round operations, while multi-track models require complex scheduling and transportation coordination. Family schedules, childcare availability, and extracurricular activities must also be considered. Additionally, teacher workload and retention remain key concerns, as anecdotal reports on YRE’s impact on teacher stress are inconsistent.
Case studies from Greenwood, South Carolina, and Wake County highlight the role of local context. Greenwood 50 adopted single-track YRE in 2021 to improve low test scores and found that attendance at intersession remediation programs surpassed that of traditional summer school remediation. While test scores improved, other factors, such as smaller class sizes, may have contributed to these outcomes (Gregory & Turcotte, 2022).
For districts considering YRE, successful implementation may include:
Defining objectives about whether YRE implementation will address overcrowding, improve academic outcomes, or both
Engaging educators, families, and stakeholders throughout the decision-making process
Ensuring equitable access to remediation and enrichment
Securing funding for intersession programs when appropriate
Considering a phased approach or pilot program before full-scale adoption
While YRE offers potential benefits, research findings are mixed and suggest its success depends on careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful implementation.
CEPARE produces high-quality research, evaluation, and policy analysis that informs leaders and policymakers on a range of pressing issues, with a particular focus on enhancing social justice and equity across p-20 educational settings in Connecticut and beyond. Learn more about CEPARE, or access the PDF version of this rapid research brief (including all references and appendices), at cepare.uconn.edu.
Kristin Simmersis a Ph.D. candidate in the Learning Sciences program at UConn’s Neag School of Education. She has over 16 years of international teaching experience and holds an MS in elementary education, MS Ed. in curriculum and instruction, and graduate certificates in special education and English as a second language. Her research explores teachers’ understanding of the brain and learning, emphasizing the connection between education research and classroom practice. She promotes a transdisciplinary approach, integrating insights from cognitive science, neuroscience, psychology, and health to enrich educational research. Through her various professional roles, she works to bridge the gap between research and practice, fostering meaningful collaboration across disciplines.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today launched a public consultation on the draft Guidelines on the sound management of third-party risk. The draft Guidelines focus on third-party arrangements in relation to non-ICT related services provided by third-party service providers and their subcontractors with a particular focus on the provision of critical or important functions. These Guidelines revise and update the previousEBA Guidelines on outsourcing, published in 2019, in line with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The consultation runs until 8 October 2025.
The draft Guidelines specify the steps to be taken by financial entities for the life cycle of third-party arrangements (i.e. risk assessment, due diligence, contractual phase, sub-contracting, monitoring, exit strategies and termination processes) to ensure consistency with the requirements under the DORA framework to the extent possible. The draft Guidelines provide specific criteria for the application of the proportionality principle.
In addition, the draft Guidelines ensure consistency with the DORA register by allowing financial institutions to store consistent information for both ICT and non-ICT services, including the possibility of using one single register. Taking into account the application of proportionality, the level of information to be documented has been limited to reduce the burden on both financial entities and competent authorities.
To ensure a smooth and efficient transition, financial entities falling under the scope of the updated Guidelines have a transitional period of two years to review and amend their existing third-party arrangements (TPA) and to update the register for non-ICT TPA.
Consultation process
Comments to the consultation paper can be sent by clicking on the “send your comments” button on the EBA’s consultation page. The deadline for the submission of comments is 8 October 2025.
The EBA will hold a virtual public hearing on 5 September from 09:00 to 13:00 – Paris time. The EBA invites interested stakeholders to register using this link by 1 September (16:00 CEST). The dial-in details will be communicated to those who have registered for the meeting.
All contributions received will be published following the end of the consultation, unless requested otherwise.
Legal basis
The draft Guidelines have been developed in accordance with Article 74 of Directive 2013/36/EU which mandates the EBA to further harmonise institutions’ governance arrangements, processes and mechanisms across the EU. Article 11 of Directive (EU) 2015/2366/EU (PSD2), Article 26 of Directive 2019/2034/EU (IFD), Article 16 of Directive (EU) 2014/65 (MiFID II), Article 34 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCAR) and Article 16 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 have also been taken into account.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dante McGrath, Postdoctoral Researcher, Centre for Climate Repair, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge
Since 2019, the UK has been committed to the target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Legally binding net zero targets form the basis for national efforts to meet the international goals of limiting global warming to “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and ideally to 1.5°C.
These goals, launched in 2015 as part of the UN’s Paris agreement, set the stage for climate action in a warming world. Much like the “reduce-reuse-recycle” sustainability initiative, various climate actions fit within three Rs — reduce, remove and reflect. These actions were the subject of a recent debate in the UK parliament.
My colleagues and I have reviewed how these three Rs differ in scope, scale and state of knowledge. Our analysis reveals that a range of climate interventions may complement intensified mitigation efforts (to reduce greenhouse gas emissions), but more research is urgently needed.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is at centre stage. This is non-negotiable. Emissions reduction must be deep, rapid and sustained if we are to limit global warming to less than 2°C. These drastic cuts demand an ensemble cast, players from all sectors, from energy to agriculture. The energy to power modern society accounts for almost 75% of our greenhouse gas emissions.
We need a prop change at centre stage: an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. This requires electrification and energy efficiency measures — both are central to managing the growth in energy demand sustainably.
At stage right, greenhouse gas removal offers a supporting role by removing historical emissions and offsetting residual emissions from sectors lagging behind in the energy transition (such as shipping and aviation). A number of academics have stressed that a range of removal methods is required to achieve net zero emissions and halt the rise in global temperature.
Conventional carbon removal methods, such as forestation or the restoration of peatlands and wetlands, are vital. However, due to resource constraints (such as land and water security) and ecosystem impacts of global warming, we need to scale new methods rapidly to meet Paris agreement targets. These include ways to capture and store carbon on land and at sea.
Novel methods have many challenges, however, related to their effectiveness (including storage durability and permanence), unintended environmental consequences, economic costs and demands on natural resources. The challenges constraining the scale-up of novel removal methods must be addressed if we are to achieve net zero and halt global warming.
The consequences of climate change are outpacing efforts to abate it. With each year, the likelihood of exceeding 1.5 and 2°C warming increases, posing major risks to society and Earth’s ecosystems. That’s why the third R — reflect — needs to be assessed.
Sunlight reflection methods have been in the wings on stage left. In the context of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, they have been considered feasible in theory, but fraught with challenges in practice. As the chance of exceeding 1.5°C in the coming years increases, this form of climate intervention needs further consideration. Experts brought together by the UN Environment Programme have concluded that, although this intervention is “not a substitute for mitigation”, it is “the only option that could cool the planet within years”.
The most studied methods to reflect sunlight are called stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening. These methods mimic natural processes that cool the earth by reflecting sunlight, be it through the release of reflective aerosols into the upper atmosphere, or the addition of droplet-forming salt crystals into marine clouds in the lower atmosphere.
Sunlight reflection methods pose immense challenges with respect to research, ethics and governance. There are many scientific uncertainties about how these interventions will influence the climate. There is also no global regulatory framework in place. Any legislation needs to be based on scientific evidence and informed decisions.
Shining the spotlight
Meeting climate goals requires an ensemble cast performing actions across the warming world stage. Emissions reduction is indispensable and should remain centre stage in climate policy. Climate interventions at stage right and left — in the form of greenhouse gas removal and sunlight reflection — need responsible and responsive direction. Their risks and benefits need to be assessed.
Before curtains are drawn, let’s make sure every climate action — reduce, remove and reflect — gets a fair hearing.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Dante McGrath 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.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Professor of Coaching and Positive Psychology, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Want to remember things better as you get older? The secret might be surprisingly simple: focus on feeling good.
Recent research involving over 10,000 people aged 50 and above has found that people with higher wellbeing perform better on memory tests as they age. The study, which followed participants for 16 years, checked their wellbeing and memory every two years.
The researchers expected that good memory might improve wellbeing, but found no evidence for that. Instead, it was wellbeing that predicted better memory performance over time.
The study also found that the link between wellbeing and memory stayed strong even after taking things like depression into account. This means wellbeing may affect memory on its own, not just through effects on mood.
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However, the study’s authors acknowledge some limitations that should be taken into account when considering the real-life application of their findings.
The study relied on people reporting their own wellbeing, which can be biased – some people might overestimate how good they feel. The research also can’t prove that wellbeing directly causes better memory – other factors like income or life experiences might play a role.
Also, the memory tests used were relatively simple and might not capture the full complexities of how memory works in real life.
Despite these limitations, the study offers a compelling reason to invest in your wellbeing now. Here are five evidence-based strategies to increase the positive emotions in your day-to-day experiences.
Being kind can boost the wellbeing of both initiators and receivers of kindness.
3. Nurture your most important relationships
Positive relationships are important for our wellbeing. These should be nurtured and maintained.
4. Be more present.
In a distracted world, being present in the moment can be difficult. Being present is the opposite of multitasking. This takes intentional practice and you can develop it through meditation or mindfulness practices.
5. Do things that lead to a “flow” state.
Being in a flow state means that we are fully engaged in an activity. It is a mental state where a person feels fully involved and enjoys a process or activity that provides just the right balance of challenge and reward. People often talk about this as “being in the zone”. Finding an engaging hobby or sport is a good way of increasing flow moments.
Ensuring that you and the people around you experience positive emotions regularly is not just about feeling good in the moment. It is also an important investment for the future, ensuring better mental health and wellbeing for yourself and others. What will you do?
Christian van Nieuwerburgh 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.
When COVID arrived early in 2020, pandemic restrictions made in-person mental health care difficult or impossible. Both therapists and patients had to adapt almost overnight. For many in the field, it felt like a gamble: could this screen-based format offer the same level of support for people struggling with depression, anxiety or trauma?
Evidence has been growing, but until now few studies have compared treatment outcomes before and during the pandemic. Research my colleagues and I conducted offers new insights into this period.
We followed 2,300 patients treated in Sweden’s public mental health system over six years – three years before and three years during the pandemic – and tracked outcomes for common conditions including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
We found that nearly half of visits shifted online during the pandemic (up from just 4% pre-COVID), yet treatment outcomes did not decline – they remained stable, despite the rapid transition.
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Patients filled out regular questionnaires during treatment to track their progress, using standard mental health assessments that measured depression and anxiety symptoms. We examined the degree of symptom improvement and the number of patients who transitioned from severe to manageable symptoms.
Fully 38% of depressed patients recovered, along with 56% of those with generalised anxiety disorder, 46% with OCD and 59% with PTSD. These recovery rates were almost identical before and during the pandemic.
We aren’t certain why remote care works, but one reason might be that the most important aspects of good therapy – things like building trust between patient and therapist, using evidence-based treatments and regular follow-up – can still occur online. In fact, for some people, meeting by video can make it easier to show up and feel comfortable. Our study suggests that, when care is done well, whether it’s in person or online doesn’t make much difference.
Online care also helps with everyday difficulties. It’s often easier for people who live far away, have trouble getting around or have busy schedules to get help from home. And during a health crisis like the pandemic, being able to keep up with treatment probably helped many people stay on track instead of falling behind.
Still, the findings come with limits. The study did not include children, people in acute psychiatric crisis or those with severe psychotic disorders — groups for whom in-person care may still be essential. And while online therapy offers flexibility, it also requires access to a private space, stable internet and the ability to engage through a screen — conditions that aren’t guaranteed for all patients.
Just turning on a webcam isn’t enough. The clinics in this study followed proven treatment methods and kept a close eye on how patients were doing. These steps probably made a big difference and are important for making remote care work.
Rather than being a temporary fix, online mental health care has become a core part of the system. Our study offers strong evidence that remote care, when well implemented, can match in-person treatment in effectiveness, even during something as challenging as a pandemic.
There is no one-size-fits-all model – and not all patients will benefit equally from internet-based treatments. But giving people the choice – and maintaining high standards of care regardless of delivery method – appears to be a key to success.
Because in the end, what matters most isn’t where care happens. It’s that it happens and that it works.
Fabian Lenhard works as the Head of Data & Analytics for WeMind Psychiatry and is affiliated as a researcher at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
During his recent public spat with Donald Trump, Elon Musk tweeted a poll asking if a new political party would better represent the 80% of voters in the middle. Hundreds of thousands of people responded and more than 80% answered “yes”.
Many think that polarisation is fuelled by echo chambers created on social media platforms. These only expose people to beliefs similar to their own.
However, I study how narratives emerge on social media, and ways to investigate them. My work has two aims: first, to identify political issues that are likely to cross party lines, and a wider goal of exploring the role of social media in mitigating, rather than exacerbating, levels of polarisation.
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Earlier this year, for example, I sorted through 12,000 posts from Republican and Democrat voters on subreddits (online forums discussing specific topics). Using a technique I developed in my PhD research, I analysed attitudes to contested political issues around the time of Trump’s inauguration. Like other researchers, I am finding that there are things both sides often agree on, and that not every issue splits neatly across party lines.
Pew Research shows what Democrats and Republicans agree on.
People on both sides of the political divide can be distrustful of tech companies and big businesses, where billionaires have power regardless of who’s in charge. Divisions of “up v down” could be alternatives to seeing divisions as “left v right”.
Both Republicans and Democrats want “the best” leaders who could get things done fast and efficiently. But it would appear that people on both sides are concerned about the “slash-and-burn” way that Doge (the Department for Government Efficiency, the new agency tasked with cutting federal spending) is working.
Emma Connolly 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.
“In the real world, I’m a coward. When I’m online, I’m a hero.”
These words, paraphrased from a conversation with a young man with autism, have stayed with us throughout the years of research that underpin our recently published book exploring the relationship between children with special educational needs and disabilities and digital technology.
We’re constantly bombarded with warnings about the potential dangers of digital technology, especially for children. But this quote captures something we might miss. The digital world can be a vital space of empowerment and connection.
In our work, we’ve found that digital technology offers more than just access to learning for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. It opens doors to social lives, creative outlets and even employment opportunities that might be closed to them in the offline world. And yet, this potential is too often overshadowed by fears about the risks and harms they might encounter online.
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Adolescence, the Netflix drama that delves into the hidden dangers of growing up in a digital world, has taken up a lot of the national conversation around social media, cyberbullying and online exploitation. But there is another show on Netflix that has received far less attention.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is a powerful documentary that tells the story of Mats Steen, a young Norwegian man with a severe disability who found freedom, friendship and purpose in the online world of gaming. Though physically limited by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Mats, known as “Ibelin” in World of Warcraft, built a rich life online.
After his passing at 25, his gaming friends revealed just how much he had meant to them. Some travelled to his funeral. The film challenges stereotypes about online gaming. It shows it as a source of connection, compassion, and real human bonds.
We’ve spoken to many young people with special educational needs and disabilities who echo the same themes. Online spaces offer a sense of identity and capability they don’t always feel offline.
We found that the benefits of digital engagement for children with special educational needs and disabilities are extensive. It enhances communication: tools such as voice interfaces and text-to-speech software help those with speech or language difficulties express themselves confidently. Online platforms create spaces for friendships, especially for those who find face-to-face interaction challenging.
Digital tools can also foster independence. Calendar apps can be useful for those with ADHD, or assistive technology for learners with dyslexia. And for education, tailored online content can bridge the gap between mainstream and specialist learning environments.
But the digital world isn’t an equal playing field. Children with special educational needs and disabilities face disproportionate levels of online harm, including grooming, cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content. Crucially, they often lack the tools or support to report harm or seek help.
This, of course, raises concerns for the parents, carers and teachers of young people with special educational needs and disabilities. We’ve found that parents, carers and teachers we’ve spoken to often reach for a “prohibition first” approach – feeling young people will be safer if they do not have the access to the internet and social media that a young person without their needs might enjoy.
Safeguarding and empowerment
We’ve been asked questions such as “What apps should I ban?” or “How do I stop my child going on the dark web?” These questions reflect a risk-averse mindset that fails to appreciate the value of digital engagement. Risk cannot be eliminated, but it can be managed. And, more importantly, opportunity must be protected.
Too often, safeguarding strategies are done to children, not with them. It’s a good idea for parents and teachers of all children to talk to them about their digital life: what brings them joy, what worries them, where they feel confident or confused. Children are more likely to talk about fears or bad experiences if they feel believed, respected and understood. Make yourself a safe adult to talk to: one who listens without panic.
While banning apps or limiting access might be useful in some cases, it should not be the starting point for safeguarding. It’s worth considering whether there are skills that a child could learn that would allow them to use technology safely.
What’s more, online safety lessons are best when adapted to the communication style, cognitive ability and emotional maturity of an individual child. Visual aids, social stories, or interactive games may work better than text-heavy advice.
Fear can limit what technology can offer the children who may need it most. For young people with special educational needs and disabilities, digital spaces are not simply entertainment, they are platforms for agency, creativity, relationships and voice.
The role of adults here is to ensure these spaces are not only safe, but welcoming and empowering. That means moving past automatic restrictions and toward thoughtful, inclusive strategies that support children who might gain the most from using these technologies. We don’t need more bans. We need more belief.
The authors 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.
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Lori Hunter, Professor of Sociology, Director of the Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder
Edith Schaecher, center, and her daughter and granddaughter look at a photo album recovered from her tornado-damaged home in Greenfield, Iowa, in May 2024.AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme weather do not distinguish between urban and rural boundaries. But when a disaster strikes, there are big differences in how well people are able to respond and recover – and older adults in rural areas are especially vulnerable.
If a disaster causes injuries, getting health care can take longer in rural areas. Many rural hospitals have closed, leaving patients traveling longer distances for care.
At the same time, rural areas have higher percentages of older adults, a group that is more likely to have chronic health problems that make experiencing natural disasters especially dangerous. Medical treatments, such as dialysis, can be disrupted when power goes out or clinics are damaged, and injuries are more likely around property damaged by flooding or powerful winds.
As a sociologist who studies rural issues and directs the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, I believe that understanding the risks is essential for ensuring healthier lives for older adults. I see many different ways rural communities are helping reduce their vulnerability in disasters.
Disasters disrupt health care, especially in isolated rural regions
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 20% of the country’s rural population is age 65 and over, compared with only 16% of urban residents. That’s about 10 million older adults living in rural areas.
There are three primary reasons rural America has been aging faster than the rest of the country: Young people have been leaving for college and job opportunities, meaning fewer residents are starting new families. Many older rural residents are choosing to “age in place” where they have strong social ties. And some rural areas are gaining older adults who choose to retire there.
An aging population means rural areas tend to have a larger percentage of residents with chronic disease, such as dementia, heart disease, respiratory illness and diabetes.
According to research from the National Council on Aging, nearly 95% of adults age 60 and older have at least one chronic condition, while more than 78% have two or more. Rural areas also have higher rates of death from chronic diseases, particularly heart disease.
At the same time, health care access in rural areas is rapidly declining.
Hospital closures have left rural residents traveling about 20 miles farther for common in-patient health care services than they did two decades ago, and even farther for specialist care.
Those miles might seem trivial, but in emergencies when roads are damaged or flooded, they can mean losing access to care and treatment.
After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, 44% of patients on dialysis missed at least one treatment session, and almost 17% missed three or more.
When Hurricanes Matthew and Florence hit rural Robeson County, North Carolina, in 2016 and 2018, some patients who relied on insulin to manage their blood sugar levels went without insulin for weeks. The county had high rates of poverty and poor health already, and the healthy foods people needed to manage the disease were also hard to find after the storm.
Insulin is important for treating diabetes – a chronic disease estimated to affect nearly one-third of adults age 65 and older. But a sufficient supply can be harder to maintain when a disaster knocks out power, because insulin should be kept cool, and medical facilities and drugstores may be harder for patients to reach.
Rural residents also often live farther from community centers, schools or other facilities that can serve as cooling centers during heat waves or evacuation centers in times of crisis.
Alzheimer’s disease can make evacuation difficult
Cognitive decline also affects older adults’ ability to manage disasters.
Caregivers for family members living with dementia may struggle to find time to prepare for disasters. And when disaster strikes, they face unique challenges. Disasters disrupt routines, which can cause agitation for people with Alzheimer’s, and patients may resist evacuation.
Living through a disaster can also worsen brain health over the long run. Older adults who lived through the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami were found to have greater cognitive decline over the following decade, especially those who lost their homes or jobs, or whose health care routines were disrupted.
Social safety nets are essential
One thing that many rural communities have that helps is a strong social fabric. Those social connections can help reduce older adults’ vulnerability when disasters strike.
Following severe flooding in Colorado in 2013, social connections helped older adults navigate the maze of paperwork required for disaster aid, and some even provided personal loans.
Community support through churches, like this one whose building was hit by a tornado in rural Argyle, Wis., in 2024, and other groups can help older adults recover from disasters. Ross Harried/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Friends, family and neighbors in rural areas often check in on seniors, particularly those living alone. They can help them develop disaster response plans to ensure older residents have access to medications and medical treatment, and that they have an evacuation plan.
Rural communities and local groups can also help build up older adults’ mental and physical health before and after storms by developing educational, social and exercise programs. Better health and social connections can improve resilience, including older adults’ ability to respond to alerts and recover after disasters.
Ensuring that everyone in the community has that kind of support is important in rural areas and cities alike as storm and flood risks worsen, particularly for older adults.
Lori Hunter receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
At its heart, pizza is deceptively simple. Made from just a few humble ingredients – baked dough, tangy sauce, melted cheese and maybe a few toppings – it might seem like a perfect candidate for the kind of mass-produced standardization that defines many global food chains, where predictable menus reign supreme.
Yet, visit two pizzerias in different towns – or even on different blocks of the same town – and you’ll find that pizza stubbornly refuses to be homogenized.
We are researchersworking on a local business history project that documents the commercial landscape of Gainesville, Florida, in the 20th and 21st centuries. As part of that project, we’ve spent a great many hours over the past two years interviewing local restaurant owners, especially those behind Gainesville’s independent pizzerias. What we’ve found reaffirms a powerful truth: Pizza resists sameness – and small pizzerias are a big reason why.
Why standardized pizza rose but didn’t conquer
While tomatoes were unknown in Italy until the mid-16th century, they have since become synonymous with Italian cuisine – especially through pizza.
Pizza arrived in the U.S. from Naples in the early 20th century, when Italian immigration was at its peak. Two of the biggest destinations for Italian immigrants were New York City and Chicago, and today each has a distinctive pizza style. A New York slice can easily be identified by its thin, soft, foldable crust, while Chicago pies are known for deep, thick, buttery crusts.
After World War II, other regions developed their own types of pizza, including the famed New Haven and Detroit styles. The New Haven style is known for being thin, crispy and charred in a coal-fired oven, while the Detroit style has a rectangular, deep-dish shape and thick, buttery crust.
By the latter half of the 20th century, pizza had become a staple of the American diet. And as its popularity grew, so did demand for consistent, affordable pizza joints. Chains such as Pizza Hut, founded in 1958, and Papa John’s, established in 1984, applied the model pioneered by McDonalds in the late 1940s, adopting limited menus, assembly line kitchens and franchise models built for consistency and scale. New technologies such as point-of-sale systems and inventory management software made things even more efficient.
As food historian Carol Helstosky explains in “Pizza: A Global History,” the transformation involved simplifying recipes, ensuring consistent quality and developing formats optimized for rapid expansion and franchising. What began as a handcrafted, regional dish became a highly replicable product suited to global mass markets.
Today, more than 20,000 Pizza Huts operate worldwide. Papa John’s, which runs about 6,000 pizzerias, built its brand explicitly on a promise rooted in standardization. In this model, success means making pizza the same way, everywhere, every time.
So, what happened to the independent pizzerias? Did they get swallowed up by efficiency?
Not quite.
Chain restaurants don’t necessarily suffocate small competitors, recent research shows. In fact, in the case of pizza, they often coexist, sometimes even fueling creativity and opportunity. Independent pizzerias – there are more than 44,000 nationwide – lean into what makes them unique, carving out a niche. Rather than focusing only on speed or price, they compete by offering character, inventive toppings, personal service and a sense of place that chains just can’t replicate.
A local pizza scene: Creativity in a corporate age
For an example, look no farther than Gainesville. A college town with fewer than 150,000 residents, Gainesville doesn’t have the same culinary cache as New York or Chicago, but it has developed a very unique pizza scene. With 13 independent pizzerias serving Neapolitan, Detroit, New York and Mediterranean styles and more, hungry Gators have a plethora of options when craving a slice.
What makes Gainesville’s pizza scene especially interesting is the range of backgrounds its proprietors have. Through interviews with pizzeria owners, we found that some had started as artists and musicians, while others had worked in engineering or education – and each had their own unique approach to making pizzas.
The owner of Strega Nona’s Oven, for example, uses his engineering background to turn dough-making into a science, altering the proportions of ingredients by as little as half of a percent based on the season or even the weather.
Gainesville’s independent pizzerias often serve as what sociologists call “third places”: spaces for gathering that aren’t home or work. And their owners think carefully about how to create a welcoming environment. For example, the owner of Scuola Pizza insisted the restaurant be free of TVs, so diners can focus on their food. Squarehouse Pizza features a large outdoor space; an old, now repurposed school bus outfitted with tables and chairs to dine in, and a stage for live music.
Squarehouse also is known for its unusual toppings on square, Detroit-style pies – for example, the Mariah Curry, topped with curry chicken or cauliflower and coconut curry sauce. It refreshes its specialty menus every semester or two.
While the American pizza landscape may be shaped by big brands and standardized menus, small pizzerias continue to shine. Gainesville is a perfect example of how a local pizza scene in a small Southern college town can be so unique, even in a globalized industry. Small pizzerias don’t just offer food – they offer a flavorful reminder that the marketplace rewards distinctiveness and local character, too.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Federal funding cuts to the University of Colorado Boulder have already impacted research and could cause even more harm. Glenn J. Asakawa/University of Colorado
The Trump administration has been freezing or reducing federal grants to universities across the country.
The Conversation asked Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Colorado Boulder, to explain how these cuts and freezes are impacting the university he works for and Colorado’s local economy.
The other 30% of research funding comes from a variety of sources. The second-largest is international partnerships at $127 million. Last year, CU Boulder also received $27 million in philanthropic gifts to support research and approximately $29 million from collaborations with industry.
At CU Boulder, federal funding also supports research projects like the Dust Accelerator Laboratory that helps us understand the composition and structure of cosmic dust. This research allows scientists to reconstruct the processes that formed planets, moons and organic molecules.
How much federal funding has CU Boulder lost?
So far in 2025, CU Boulder has received 56 grant cancellations or stop-work orders. Those amount to approximately $30 million in lost funding. This number is not inclusive of awards that are on hold and awaiting action by the sponsor.
This number also does not include the funds that have not been accessible due the considerable lag in funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
Nationwide, National Science Foundation funding has dropped by more than 50% through the end of May of this year compared to the average of the past 10 years. The university anticipates that our funding received from these agencies will drop a similar amount, but the numbers are still being collected for this year.
This research directly impacts the safety, well-being and prosperity of Colorado residents facing wildfires, droughts and floods.
Michael Gooseff, a researcher from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, collects weather data from the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. Byron Adams/University of Colorado Boulder
At CU Boulder, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics is one of the world’s premier space science research institutions. Researchers at the lab design, build and operate spacecraft and other instruments that contribute critical data. That data helps us understand Earth’s atmosphere, the Sun, planetary systems and deep space phenomena. If the projects the lab supports are cut, then it’s likely the lab will be cut as well.
Scientists test the solar arrays on NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter spacecraft at Lockheed Martin’s facility near Denver. Photo courtesy of LASP
One of the largest space missions CU Boulder is involved in is the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter. MAVEN, as it’s known, provides telecommunications and space weather monitoring capabilities. These are necessary to support future human and robotic missions to Mars over the next decade and beyond, a stated priority for the White House. If MAVEN were to be canceled, experts estimate that it would cost almost $1 billion to restart it.
I’m concerned that this stagnation, amid broader cuts to science agencies, could undermine progress in this field and undercut the training of its critical workforce. The result could be the U.S. ceding its leadership in quantum innovation to global competitors.
Massimo Ruzzene receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
Education rates are rising; marriage rates are falling. But the relationship between those two trends isn’t straightforward.Ugur Karakoc/E+ via Getty Images
The longer someone stays in school, the more likely they are to delay getting married – but education does not reduce the overall likelihood of being married later in life, according to our research recently published in Education Economics. Education also influences who Americans marry: Obtaining a four-year degree vs. just a high school diploma more than doubles someone’s likelihood of marrying a fellow college graduate.
Previous research has documented that the more education you have, the more likely you are to get married. But correlation does not imply causality, and plenty of other factors influence marriage and education.
Our study applies economic theory and advanced statistics to a 2006-2019 sample from the American Community Survey: more than 8 million people, whom we divided into different cohorts based on birthplace, birth year and self-reported ancestry.
To isolate the causal relationship, we needed to sidestep other factors that can influence someone’s decisions about marriage and education. Therefore, we did not calculate based on individuals’ own education level. Instead, we estimated their educational attainment using a proxy: their mothers’ level of education. On the individual level, plenty of people finish more or less education than their parents. Within a cohort, however, the amount of schooling that mothers have, on average, is a strong predictor of how much education children in that cohort received.
We found that an additional year of schooling – counting from first grade to the end of any postgraduate degrees – reduces the likelihood that someone age 25 to 34 is married by roughly 4 percentage points.
Among older age groups, the effects of education were more mixed. On average, the level of education has almost zero impact on the probability that someone age 45 to 54 is married. Among people who were married by that age, being more educated reduces their likelihood of being divorced or separated.
However, more education also makes people slightly more likely to have never been married by that age. In our sample, about 12% of people in that age group have never married. An additional year of education increases that, on average, by 2.6 percentage points.
Why it matters
Marriage rates are at historical lows in the United States, especially for young people. Before 1970, more than 80% of Americans 25 to 34 were married. By 2023, that number had fallen to only 38%, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Yet the rising costs of higher education may make marriage less attainable. A 2016 study found that the more college debt someone had, the less likely they were to ever marry.
Declining marriage rates have important effects on individuals, families and society as a whole. Many people value the institution for its own sake, and others assign it importance based on religious, cultural and social values. Economically, marriage has important consequences for children, including how many children people have and the resources that they can invest in those children.
What still isn’t known
Education levels are only part of the explanation for trends in marriage rates. Other cultural, social, economic and technological factors are likely involved in the overall decline, but their exact contribution is still unknown.
One idea gaining traction, though little research has been done on it, considers the ways smartphones and social media may be reducing psychological and social well-being. We stay in more, go out less, and are increasingly divided – all of which could make people less likely to marry.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
John V. Winters does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
US President Donald Trump has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner at the White House, where he has declared talks to end the war in Gaza are “going along very well”.
In turn, Netanyahu revealed he has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying:
he is forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region, after the other.
Despite all the talk of peace, negotiations in Qatar between Israeli and Palestinian delegations have broken up without a breakthrough. The talks are expected to resume later this week.
If an agreement is reached, it will likely be hailed as a crucial opportunity to end nearly two years of humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following the October 7 attacks in which 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas-led militants.
However, there is growing scepticism about the durability of any truce. A previous ceasefire agreement reached in January led to the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
This breakdown in trust on both sides, combined with ongoing Israeli military operations and political instability, suggests the new deal may prove to be another temporary pause rather than a lasting resolution.
Details of the deal
The proposed agreement outlines a 60-day ceasefire aimed at de-escalating hostilities in Gaza and creating space for negotiations toward a more lasting resolution.
Hamas would release ten surviving Israeli hostages and return the remains of 18 others. In exchange, Israel is expected to withdraw its military forces to a designated buffer zone along Gaza’s borders with both Israel and Egypt.
The agreement being thrashed out in Doha includes the release of Israeli hostages, held in Gaza for the past 22 months. Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock
While the specific terms of a prisoner exchange remain under negotiation, the release of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons is a central component of the proposal.
Humanitarian aid is also a key focus of the agreement. Relief would be delivered through international organisations, primarily UN agencies and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
However, the agreement does not specify the future role of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, which has been distributing food aid since May.
The urgency of humanitarian access is underscored by the scale of destruction in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians. The offensive has triggered a hunger crisis, displaced much of the population internally, and left vast areas of the territory in ruins.
Crucially, the agreement does not represent an end to the war, one of Hamas’s core demands. Instead, it commits both sides to continue negotiations throughout the 60-day period, with the hope of reaching a more durable and comprehensive ceasefire.
Obstacles to a lasting peace
Despite the apparent opportunity to reach a final ceasefire, especially after Israel has inflicted severe damage on Hamas, Netanyahu’s government appears reluctant to fully end the military campaign.
A central reason is political: Netanyahu’s ruling coalition heavily relies on far-right parties that insist on continuing the war. Any serious attempt at a ceasefire could lead to the collapse of his government.
Militarily, Israel has achieved several of its tactical objectives.
It has significantly weakened Hamas and other Palestinian factions and caused widespread devastation across Gaza. This is alongside the mass arrests, home demolitions, and killing of hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank.
And it has forced Hezbollah in Lebanon to scale back its operations after sustaining major losses.
Perhaps most notably, Israel struck deep into Iran’s military infrastructure, killing dozens of high-ranking commanders and damaging its missile and nuclear capabilities.
Reshaping the map
Yet Netanyahu’s ambitions may go beyond tactical victories. There are signs he is aiming for two broader strategic outcomes.
First, by making Gaza increasingly uninhabitable, his government could push Palestinians to flee. This would effectively pave the way for Israel to annex the territory in the long term – a scenario advocated by many of his far-right allies.
Speaking at the White House, Netanyahu says he is working with the US on finding countries that will take Palestinians from Gaza:
if people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave.
Second, prolonging the war allows Netanyahu to delay his ongoing corruption trial and extend his political survival.
True intentions
At the heart of the impasse is the far-right’s vision for total Palestinian defeat, with no concession and no recognition of a future Palestinian state. This ideology has consistently blocked peace efforts for three decades.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly described any potential Palestinian entity as “less than a state” or a “state-minus”, a formulation that falls short of Palestinian aspirations and international legal standards.
Today, even that limited vision appears to be off the table, as Israeli policy moves towards complete rejection of Palestinian statehood.
With Palestinian resistance movements significantly weakened and no immediate threat facing Israel, this moment presents a crucial test of Israel’s intentions.
Is Israel genuinely pursuing peace, or seeking to cement its dominance in the region while permanently denying Palestinians their right to statehood?
Following its military successes and the normalisation of relations with several Arab states under the Abraham Accords, Israeli political discourse has grown increasingly bold.
Some voices in the Israeli establishment are openly advocating for the permanent displacement of Palestinians to neighbouring Arab countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This would effectively erase the prospect of a future Palestinian state.
This suggests that for certain factions within Israel, the end goal is not a negotiated settlement, but a one-sided resolution that reshapes the map and the people of the region on Israel’s terms.
The coming weeks will reveal whether Israel chooses the path of compromise and coexistence, or continues down a road that forecloses the possibility of lasting peace.
Ali Mamouri 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.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lucinity, a leading provider of anti-financial crime software, announced today that its platform is now officially recognized as Microsoft Certified Software for Financial AI. This certification confirms that Lucinity meets Microsoft’s rigorous requirements for technical quality, security, and interoperability within the Azure ecosystem.
The Microsoft certification process evaluated Lucinity’s architecture, security model, and interoperability. Lucinity’s infrastructure follows Azure’s best practices, ensuring that customer data is always accessed and processed through secure, access-controlled pathways. Interoperability with Microsoft environments enables institutions to easily connect existing systems and tools—such data sources or analytics platforms—with Lucinity’s software, removing integration barriers and accelerating time to value.
“This certification reflects our commitment to helping financial institutions fight financial crime with trusted, innovative AI,” said Guðmundur Kristjánsson (GK), founder and CEO of Lucinity. “Built on Microsoft Azure, our platform has been tested, certified, and proven to meet the high standards expected by the world’s leading banks. This certification gives our customers confidence that Lucinity is secure, scalable, and ready to integrate seamlessly into their existing infrastructure.”
Lucinity provides a complete FinCrime operating system that combines intelligent automation with core compliance capabilities. The platform includes Case Manager for unified alert and investigation workflows, Transaction Monitoring with configurable scenario detection, Customer 360 for enriched intelligence, Regulatory Reporting for efficient SAR filing, and the Luci AI Agent.
The Luci AI Agent leverages Azure’s advanced Large Language Models in a multi-LLM framework to deliver explainable, audit-ready automation. Its AI skills—such as case summarization, money flow analysis, and adverse media search—can be easily configured via the no-code Luci Studio. These capabilities are also accessible through the Luci AI Agent plugin, which brings AI directly into familiar enterprise tools like Excel, CRM systems, and case managers without the need for complex integrations. Together, these components provide a seamless, scalable infrastructure for fighting financial crime with speed, accuracy, and confidence.
Lucinity is also available through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, allowing financial institutions to purchase and deploy the platform using existing cloud commitments while streamlining procurement. A recent deployment through the Marketplace with a global financial services provider—specializing in cross-border payments for millions of businesses—demonstrates Lucinity’s enterprise-ready architecture.
With this certification, Lucinity reinforces its position as a trusted partner for financial institutions seeking intelligent, interoperable, and secure AI solutions for fighting financial crime.
About Lucinity
Lucinity is a Reykjavík-based software company founded in 2018. It helps banks, fintechs, and payment companies fight financial crime with greater speed and efficiency. Lucinity’s FinCrime operating system includes Case Manager, Customer 360, Transaction Monitoring, Regulatory Reporting, and the AI Agent Luci—working together to reduce investigation time from hours to minutes.
The platform is user-friendly, configurable, and self-serve, helping compliance teams improve productivity, cut costs, and make auditable, explainable decisions. Lucinity’s customers include Visa, Trustly, Tandem Bank, Finshark, and Arion Bank. Lucinity also invests in AI innovation through Lucinity Labs, which holds patents in federated learning and PII encryption.
TALLINN, Estonia, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S), a next-generation blockchain project focused on speed, decentralization, and mobile accessibility, has announced its confirmed listing on global cryptocurrency exchange LBank. To mark this milestone, the project has launched a limited-time rollback event, temporarily reducing the token price to $5, significantly below its final listing price of $20.
As digital asset adoption continues to accelerate globally, Bitcoin Solaris is gaining traction for its performance-driven architecture and mobile-first approach. With its dual-consensus framework and high-speed transaction capabilities, BTC-S is positioning itself as a user-centric platform designed to support the next wave of scalable blockchain innovation.
Bitcoin Solaris: The Tech and the Mission
Bitcoin Solaris positions itself as a forward-compatible evolution of Bitcoin’s original principles. It introduces a powerful dual-consensus structure combining Proof-of-Work and delegated proof-of-stake, delivering decentralized security and lightning-speed transaction finality. While Bitcoin takes minutes to settle, BTC-S hits confirmation in just 2 seconds with over 10,000 TPS achieved in testing. That’s not a theory; it’s already running.
Its architecture is built on two layers:
The Base Layer, secured by traditional mining for decentralization.
The Solaris Layer, optimized with fast block production and validator rotation.
This design ensures resilience during high load periods and keeps energy use 99.95 percent lower than Bitcoin.
Adaptive mobile mining logic integrated into the upcoming Solaris Nova app.
These are not buzzwords. They are features shaping a scalable, user-first financial layer that aims to outperform legacy networks.
Mobile Mining: Wealth in Your Pocket
What makes Bitcoin Solaris radically different is how it brings mining to the people. With the upcoming Solaris Nova app, users will be able to mine directly from their smartphones using optimized, battery-safe processes. You can track your projected profits through the Solaris mining calculator and see how much power you’re stacking without expensive hardware.
This concept changes the game:
No rigs required.
No massive electricity bills.
No technical knowledge barrier.
It opens up digital wealth building to over 3 billion smartphone users.
Community, Validation, and Real Influencer Buzz
With more than 13,900 unique users already involved and over $6.3 million raised, Bitcoin Solaris is proving it isn’t just hype. Detailed reviews from major influencers add to the excitement:
Token Galaxy breaks down how BTC-S delivers utility that aligns with mobile-first scalability.
Crypto Show dives into the performance benchmarks and community potential.
There’s also growing buzz on social platforms like Telegram and X, where early adopters are rallying around the project. And let’s not forget the security angle. Bitcoin Solaris is fully audited by Cyberscope and Freshcoins, delivering peace of mind to even the most cautious investors.
BTC-S is currently in phase 11 of its presale at a price of $11 per token, with a confirmed launch price of $20. That’s a 150 percent return for those who act now. But what’s driving the real excitement is the new Rollback Event. For a limited time only, Bitcoin Solaris has slashed the price down to $5, creating what many are calling the final entry opportunity before the big run.
This isn’t marketing fluff. The numbers are there:
To receive your tokens on launch day, Bitcoin Solaris recommends using Trust Wallet or Metamask for seamless delivery.
It’s also worth noting that this might be the shortest explosive presale we’ve seen in the 2024-2025 cycle.
A Strategic Future with Flexible Architecture
Bitcoin Solaris isn’t just racing for attention. It’s building a long-term foundation with cutting-edge mechanics that include:
Validator rotation for enhanced decentralization.
2-second finality combined with smart contract triggers.
Cross-chain bridges enabling asset transfers across ecosystems.
With bitcoinsolaris.com becoming a hub for updates and new development rollouts, BTC-S is rapidly positioning itself as more than just a coin. It’s a decentralized operating layer built for today’s pace.
Final Verdict
The market is shifting. The real innovation is happening with projects like Bitcoin Solaris. With fast finality, real-world mobile mining, and a limited-time rollback opportunity, BTC-S is capturing both the technical edge and community momentum.
Early investors are not just betting on a coin. They’re backing a smarter system designed for performance, accessibility, and long-term growth. While others speculate on the next bull cycle, Bitcoin Solaris is building it.
Disclaimer:This content is provided by Bitcoin Solaris. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article.This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital.It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.
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NEW YORK, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (the “Company” or “ARI”) (NYSE:ARI), today announced the Company will hold a conference call to review its second quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company’s second quarter 2025 financial results will be released after the market closes on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. During the conference call, Company officers will review second quarter 2025 performance, discuss recent events and conduct a question-and-answer period.
To register for the call, please use the following link:
After you register, you will receive a dial-in number and unique pin. The Company will also post a link in the Stockholders’ section on ARI’s website for a live webcast. For those unable to listen to the live call or webcast, there will be a webcast replay link posted in the Stockholders’ section on ARI’s website approximately two hours after the call.
About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: ARI) is a real estate investment trust that primarily originates, acquires, invests in and manages performing commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. The Company is externally managed and advised by ACREFI Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc., a high-growth, global alternative asset manager with approximately $785 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025.
Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.apollocref.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company’s control. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. When used in this release, the words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, plan, continue, intend, should, may or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: higher interest rates and inflation; market trends in the Company’s industry, real estate values, the debt securities markets or the general economy; the timing and amounts of expected future fundings of unfunded commitments; the return on equity; the yield on investments; the ability to borrow to finance assets; the Company’s ability to deploy the proceeds of its capital raises or acquire its target assets; and risks associated with investing in real estate assets, including changes in business conditions and the general economy. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements, and other risks, uncertainties and factors are based on the Company’s beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
NEW YORK, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (the “Company” or “ARI”) (NYSE:ARI), today announced the Company will hold a conference call to review its second quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company’s second quarter 2025 financial results will be released after the market closes on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. During the conference call, Company officers will review second quarter 2025 performance, discuss recent events and conduct a question-and-answer period.
To register for the call, please use the following link:
After you register, you will receive a dial-in number and unique pin. The Company will also post a link in the Stockholders’ section on ARI’s website for a live webcast. For those unable to listen to the live call or webcast, there will be a webcast replay link posted in the Stockholders’ section on ARI’s website approximately two hours after the call.
About Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE: ARI) is a real estate investment trust that primarily originates, acquires, invests in and manages performing commercial first mortgage loans, subordinate financings and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. The Company is externally managed and advised by ACREFI Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc., a high-growth, global alternative asset manager with approximately $785 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025.
Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.apollocref.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company’s control. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. When used in this release, the words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, plan, continue, intend, should, may or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking: higher interest rates and inflation; market trends in the Company’s industry, real estate values, the debt securities markets or the general economy; the timing and amounts of expected future fundings of unfunded commitments; the return on equity; the yield on investments; the ability to borrow to finance assets; the Company’s ability to deploy the proceeds of its capital raises or acquire its target assets; and risks associated with investing in real estate assets, including changes in business conditions and the general economy. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements, and other risks, uncertainties and factors are based on the Company’s beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
HONG KONG, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nano Labs Ltd (Nasdaq: NA) (“we,” the “Company” or “Nano Labs”), a leading Web 3.0 infrastructure and product solution provider in China, today announced a strategic partnership with Layer 2 cross-chain bridge protocol Orbiter Finance to jointly develop a compliant stablecoin distribution and exchange service across multiple networks. The service will support various compliant stablecoins, including those pegged to USD, HKD, offshore RMB.
Leveraging Orbiter Finance’s multi-chain support capabilities alongside Nano Labs’ expertise in Web3.0, the new solution aims to provide users with low-cost, compliant cross-chain transfers and mainstream token exchanges. The initial product is expected to launch in Q4 2025, with the tentative domain name NBNB.io.
Built on a secure and efficient cross-chain infrastructure for stablecoins, this collaboration is designed to promote the widespread adoption of compliant stablecoins across both DeFi and traditional finance sectors.
Looking ahead, both parties plan to expand support for additional blockchains and drive adoption in institutional-grade applications.
About Orbiter Finance
Orbiter Finance is a leading Layer 2 cross-chain bridge protocol that has processed over USD 23 billion in transaction volume to date.
About Nano Labs Ltd
Nano Labs Ltd is a leading Web 3.0 infrastructure and product solution provider in China. Nano Labs is committed to the development of high throughput computing (“HTC”) chips and high performance computing (“HPC”) chips. Nano Labs has built a comprehensive flow processing unit (“FPU”) architecture which offers solution that integrates the features of both HTC and HPC. In addition, Nano Labs has actively positioned itself in the digital assets space, adopting BNB as its primary reserve asset. It has accumulated nearly US$160 million in mainstream digital currencies including BNB and BTC, and established an integrated platform covering multiple business verticals, including HTC solutions and HPC solutions*. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at: ir.nano.cn.
* According to an industry report prepared by Frost & Sullivan.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s plan to appeal the Staff’s determination, which can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon management’s current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.
San Diego, CA, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WILLPORT Holdings, Inc., a digital estate planning technology company, is now offering securities under Regulation Crowdfunding through StartEngine Primary, LLC. This offering gives the public a chance to invest in the continued development of WILLPORTtrust, a secure digital platform aimed at transforming how families plan, manage, and personalize their legacies using blockchain and AI.
The Offering
This Regulation Crowdfunding offering is conducted through StartEngine Primary, LLC, a registered funding portal and member of FINRA/SIPC. Investment details and required disclosures are available on the campaign page at https://www.startengine.com/offering/willport-trust.
About WILLPORTtrust
Set for beta launch in 2026, WILLPORTtrust is being developed in collaboration with some of the industry’s leading Trust Lawyers and Estate Planning Experts. The platform is designed to simplify and secure the creation and execution of estate plans for families including those previously underserved by the Trust and Estate Industry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOJxe4RoD_w
Key features include:
Time-Based Wealth Transfers – Distribute assets over time rather than in lump sums
Legacy Messaging – Attach a voice or video message to your inheritance delivery, sent directly to the beneficiary.
Digital Executor Assignment – Delegate key estate responsibilities with precision
TRUSTlocker Vault – Encrypted storage for documents such as wills, directives, and digital credentials
Safe Key Protocol – Secure release of documents triggered by verified life events
WILLPORTtrust seeks to modernize estate planning by offering a user-friendly experience that protects both assets and the emotional bonds behind them. The product’s success depends on a range of factors, including market reception, continued development progress, and regulatory compliance.
THIS REG CF OFFERING IS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH STARTENGINE PRIMARY, LLC, MEMBER FINRA/SIPC. THIS INVESTMENT IS SPECULATIVE, ILLIQUID, AND INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT.
For more information, please contact: WILLPORT Holdings, Inc. 1645 Village Center Circle, Suite 200 Las Vegas, Nevada, 89134 Tel: 855-945-5778 service@willport.com
SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cloudbrink, a leader in high-performance secure connectivity, today announced that respected industry analyst firm GigaOm has positioned Cloudbrink Personal SASE as a Leader and Fast Mover in the Innovation/Platform Play quadrant of the ZTNA Radar chart. According to the report, “Cloudbrink excels in supporting distributed workforces with latency-sensitive applications through its unique acceleration capabilities that enhance performance while maintaining security.”
“Cloudbrink’s location so close to the center in the GigaOm Radar is a testimony to the work we’ve put in listening to customers and translating their needs into our solution,” said Prakash Mana, CEO of Cloudbrink. “We’re energized by the reception the product has gotten in awards, analyst reports, and above all, by our customers. ZTNA needs to take into account network demands as well as user performance requirements. We will continue to innovate to be at the forefront of its evolution.”
Cloudbrink scored well on a number of decision criteria in the GigaOm report, including “exceptional” ratings for Session Monitoring, and Unmanaged Device Support, and “superior” for Legacy Application Support.
In the Business Criteria section, Cloudbrink was top ranked, tied for the highest score. The report rated Cloudbrink “exceptional” for both cost and ease of use, and said, “As a 100% cloud-native SaaS solution, Cloudbrink enables rapid onboarding in minutes through its web-based management portal, with horizontal scaling capabilities to maintain performance as an organization grows. The solution demonstrates flexibility by supporting all popular use cases while delivering insights beyond typical offerings through additional high-fidelity telemetry, making it particularly suitable for latency-sensitive applications where other ZTNA solutions may struggle.”
The report also praised Cloudbrink’s support for distributed offices across the globe. The report states, “International organizations benefit from CloudBrink’s comprehensive unmanaged device support that applies zero-trust controls while enabling secure access from various endpoints. Manufacturing industries appreciate the solution’s protocol-agnostic approach to legacy application support that maintains performance optimization regardless of application age. The extensive session monitoring provides organizations with detailed visibility into user experience metrics, connection quality, and application performance, making it valuable for businesses requiring both security and optimal application delivery across global operations.”
The GigaOm Radar report examined 28 ZTNA solutions and compared offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria).
Consistent Accolades for Cloudbrink Innovation
Cloudbrink’s prominent position in the GigaOm Radar for ZTNA comes on the heels of several awards the company has recently received. In April Cloudbrink was awarded Most Innovative Secure Remote Access in the Cyber Defense Awards, at the RSA conference. Cloudbrink was also named Remote Work Tech Innovation of the Year in the RemoteTech Breakthrough Awards in June. Both awards selected Cloudbrink from thousands of nominations.
About Cloudbrink Cloudbrink delivers a high-performance secure connectivity solution that significantly enhances productivity for the work-from-anywhere generation. The Personal SASE service (which includes high-performance ZTNA) offers up to a 30-fold increase in network performance and ensures a secure, seamless, in-office experience for employees, no matter where they are. With a focus on speed, simplicity, security, and savings, Cloudbrink streamlines management and support while providing edge-native zero-trust access for users and devices for simplified operations, reduced complexity, and fewer support calls. For more information go to www.cloudbrink.com.
Media contact: Chris Fucanan AquaLab PR for Cloudbrink chris@aqualabpr.com 916-345-3475
SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cloudbrink, a leader in high-performance secure connectivity, today announced that respected industry analyst firm GigaOm has positioned Cloudbrink Personal SASE as a Leader and Fast Mover in the Innovation/Platform Play quadrant of the ZTNA Radar chart. According to the report, “Cloudbrink excels in supporting distributed workforces with latency-sensitive applications through its unique acceleration capabilities that enhance performance while maintaining security.”
“Cloudbrink’s location so close to the center in the GigaOm Radar is a testimony to the work we’ve put in listening to customers and translating their needs into our solution,” said Prakash Mana, CEO of Cloudbrink. “We’re energized by the reception the product has gotten in awards, analyst reports, and above all, by our customers. ZTNA needs to take into account network demands as well as user performance requirements. We will continue to innovate to be at the forefront of its evolution.”
Cloudbrink scored well on a number of decision criteria in the GigaOm report, including “exceptional” ratings for Session Monitoring, and Unmanaged Device Support, and “superior” for Legacy Application Support.
In the Business Criteria section, Cloudbrink was top ranked, tied for the highest score. The report rated Cloudbrink “exceptional” for both cost and ease of use, and said, “As a 100% cloud-native SaaS solution, Cloudbrink enables rapid onboarding in minutes through its web-based management portal, with horizontal scaling capabilities to maintain performance as an organization grows. The solution demonstrates flexibility by supporting all popular use cases while delivering insights beyond typical offerings through additional high-fidelity telemetry, making it particularly suitable for latency-sensitive applications where other ZTNA solutions may struggle.”
The report also praised Cloudbrink’s support for distributed offices across the globe. The report states, “International organizations benefit from CloudBrink’s comprehensive unmanaged device support that applies zero-trust controls while enabling secure access from various endpoints. Manufacturing industries appreciate the solution’s protocol-agnostic approach to legacy application support that maintains performance optimization regardless of application age. The extensive session monitoring provides organizations with detailed visibility into user experience metrics, connection quality, and application performance, making it valuable for businesses requiring both security and optimal application delivery across global operations.”
The GigaOm Radar report examined 28 ZTNA solutions and compared offerings against the capabilities (table stakes, key features, and emerging features) and nonfunctional requirements (business criteria).
Consistent Accolades for Cloudbrink Innovation
Cloudbrink’s prominent position in the GigaOm Radar for ZTNA comes on the heels of several awards the company has recently received. In April Cloudbrink was awarded Most Innovative Secure Remote Access in the Cyber Defense Awards, at the RSA conference. Cloudbrink was also named Remote Work Tech Innovation of the Year in the RemoteTech Breakthrough Awards in June. Both awards selected Cloudbrink from thousands of nominations.
About Cloudbrink Cloudbrink delivers a high-performance secure connectivity solution that significantly enhances productivity for the work-from-anywhere generation. The Personal SASE service (which includes high-performance ZTNA) offers up to a 30-fold increase in network performance and ensures a secure, seamless, in-office experience for employees, no matter where they are. With a focus on speed, simplicity, security, and savings, Cloudbrink streamlines management and support while providing edge-native zero-trust access for users and devices for simplified operations, reduced complexity, and fewer support calls. For more information go to www.cloudbrink.com.
Media contact: Chris Fucanan AquaLab PR for Cloudbrink chris@aqualabpr.com 916-345-3475
