Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
A spokesperson for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) stated that regarding the judgment handed down by the Court of First Instance yesterday (July 23) on the judicial review concerning the provisions related to segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation (Cap. 132BL), the Government is carefully studying the judgment and seeking legal advice, and is considering lodging an appeal. At present, members of the public must continue to enter public toilets according to the principle of segregation of the sexes to avoid contravening the relevant laws.
The spokesperson for the EEB said, “The establishment of sex-segregated public toilets under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation aims to protect the privacy and safety of the public when using public toilets, and to reflect social norms and expectations. This arrangement has been widely accepted by society.”
Currently, public toilets under the purview of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) are categorised into sex-segregated public toilets and gender neutral public toilets. Sex-segregated toilets follow the segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation. At the same time, gender-neutral toilets are available near about half of all sex-segregated toilets , including “Accessible Toilets” or “Unisex Toilets”, which are available for use by all members of the public, including transgender individuals.
In this judicial review, the Court of First Instance ordered that the provisions related to segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct and Behaviour) Regulation shall be struck down, and suspended the execution of the order for 12 months to allow the Government time to address the matter of transgender individuals with gender identity disorder using FEHD public toilets. As indicated above, the Government is carefully studying the judgment and seeking legal advice, and is considering lodging an appeal.
MOFA response to UK-France leaders’ declaration reaffirming commitment to Taiwan Strait peace and stability
July 11, 2025Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and President Emmanuel Macron of France met in London on July 10 for the 37th UK-France summit. In a declaration issued after their meeting, the two leaders said that European security was inextricably linked to the Indo-Pacific and that they would strengthen their coordination and work together for a free, open, and sovereign Indo-Pacific. They also jointly reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, in the South and East China Seas, and in the Taiwan Strait, calling for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely welcomes and appreciates this declaration.The fact that the leaders of the United Kingdom and France once again expressed their commitment to cross-strait peace and stability following a similar statement released after the G7 leaders’ summit in June demonstrates that maintaining Taiwan Strait peace and stability has become a matter of international consensus. As a responsible and democratic member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners around the world to contribute to the freedom, openness, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and jointly defend the rules-based international order.
MOFA response to Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya reiterating importance of cross-strait peace and stability during bilateral meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang
July 11, 2025
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on July 10 met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Malaysia. Foreign Minister Iwaya stressed that cross-strait peace and stability were important to Japan and the international community. China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan were incompatible with these goals, he said. He also reiterated opposition to any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion and stressed Japan’s serious concern over China’s expansion of naval and air activities near Japan and in the East China Sea, as these had contributed to a deteriorating regional situation.
China has repeatedly resorted to various pretexts to increase its threats and military intimidation of Taiwan, which has posed a serious challenge to security across the Taiwan Strait and in the region. This has elicited a great deal of international concern. In recent years, Japan has directly expressed its high level of concern over cross-strait and regional security during bilateral meetings with China. It has done so at the Japan-China summit meeting held alongside the ASEAN summit in Laos in October 2024, the Japan-China summit meeting held during the APEC summit in November 2024, as well as at the Japan-China foreign ministers’ meeting this March in Tokyo. This shows that Japan, in accordance with its staunch support for cross-strait peace and stability, has consistently conveyed its position to China.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses welcome at the international community’s continued use of concrete actions to uphold cross-strait security. Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and cooperate closely with like-minded countries to uphold international democracy, peace, and prosperity.
MOFA response to statements in French government’s updated Indo-Pacific strategy concerning Taiwan and cross-strait security
July 20, 2025On July 18, the French government released its newest Indo-Pacific strategy report (La stratégie indopacifique de la France), which pointed out that China’s growing assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea was undermining security in the Indo-Pacific region. The report warned that a high-intensity conflict in the Taiwan Strait would have major repercussions, such as on the global economy, and would run the risk of expanding to other areas. In addition, it reaffirmed the French government’s commitment to preserving cross-strait peace and stability, as well as its opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, threat, or coercion, and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait disputes.While the 2022 version of the report noted France’s concerns over tensions across the Taiwan Strait, this year’s version added France’s high regard for cross-strait peace and stability and opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung deeply appreciates and welcomes the statements in the new report.The joint declaration following the UK-France summit on July 10, France’s the National Strategic Review 2025 of July 14, and the updated Indo-Pacific strategy all express concern over and support for cross-strait peace and stability, demonstrating that the issue has become a matter of international consensus and interest. Upholding the spirit of integrated diplomacy, Taiwan will continue to strengthen collaboration with France and other democratic partners to jointly defend freedom and democracy and safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
MOFA response to US House Africa Subcommittee Chairman Smith expressing concern over South Africa’s recent announcement regarding Taiwan’s liaison offices
July 23, 2025
The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee held a markup session on July 22 in which the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 was discussed. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, noted in his statement of facts that South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) had issued a statement on July 21 retroactively changing the name of the Taipei Liaison Office in the Republic of South Africa, which had been established by a formal agreement between Taiwan and South Africa in 1997. He said that the US Congress was closely following the issue and that any unilateral attempt to violate the bilateral agreement or change the status quo would be unacceptable.
He added that the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights record and efforts to suppress Taiwan in South Africa were worrying and affected South Africa’s image as a reliable international partner. Chairman Smith commended the Democratic Alliance in South Africa’s government of national unity for defending democratic Taiwan and resisting pro-CCP actors in the government. He called on South Africa to reject pressure from the CCP and return to the legally binding status quo.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely welcomes Chairman Smith’s statements and thanks him for speaking up for Taiwan. Minister Lin once again solemnly urges the South African government to uphold the spirit of the agreement, abide by the 1997 legal framework concerning bilateral relations between Taiwan and South Africa, and promptly engage in dialogue with Taiwan based on the principles of parity and dignity. He reiterates that South Africa should not unilaterally change the name or status of Taiwan’s liaison offices or employ any other coercive measures against them before both sides have reached a consensus through consultations.
HONG KONG, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dreamland Limited (Nasdaq: TDIC) (the “Company” or “Dreamland”), a Hong Kong-based event management service provider, today announced the closing of its initial public offering (the “Offering”) of 2,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, 1,340,000 of which were offered by the Company and 660,000 by an existing shareholder (the “Selling Shareholder”), at a public offering price of US$4.00 per Class A ordinary share. The Company also filed a resale prospectus concurrent with the Offering for the resale of 5,416,740 Class A ordinary shares held by Prime Crest Holdings Limited, Fuji Holdings Limited, Yield Rights Group Limited and Allied Target Limited (the “Resale Shareholders”). The Class A ordinary shares began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on July 23, 2025 under the ticker symbol “TDIC.”
The Company received aggregate gross proceeds of US$5,360,000 from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and other related expenses. The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of Class A ordinary shares offered by the Selling Shareholder or the Resale Shareholders in the Offering.
Net proceeds from the Offering due to the Company will be used for: (i) acquiring multi-territorial IP licenses; (ii) setting up the Company’s own ticketing platform; (iii) possible strategic acquisitions; (iv) expanding the Company’s marketing department and financing and administration department; (v) upgrading the Company’s enterprise resource planning system; (vi) repaying loans made by a director in connection with the payment of costs and expenses in connection with the Offering and obtaining a listing of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market; and (vii) working capital and other general corporate purposes.
The Offering was conducted on a firm commitment basis. Bancroft Capital, LLC acted as the sole managing underwriter for the Offering (the “Underwriter”). Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP acted as U.S. counsel to the Underwriter, led by W. David Mannheim, Kathryn Simons and Ashley Wu, in connection with the Offering.
A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the Offering was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) (File No.: 333-286471), as amended, and was declared effective by the SEC on June 30, 2025. The Offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming a part of the registration statement. Copies of the final prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained from Bancroft Capital, LLC by email at investmentbanking@bancroft4vets.com, by standard mail to 501 Office Center Drive, Suite 130, Fort Washington, PA 19034, or by telephone at +1 (484) 546-8000. In addition, copies of the final prospectus relating to the Offering may be obtained via the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company’s securities, nor shall such securities be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of any of the Company’s securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
About Dreamland Limited
Dreamland Limited is a Hong Kong-based event management service provider. The Company specializes in organizing, planning, promoting and managing themed touring walk-through experience events for intellectual property owners of characters in well-publicized animated cartoons and/or live action theatrical motion pictures. Dreamland’s mission is to help customers organize, plan, promote and manage events to effectively connect with their target audiences, both in Hong Kong and in overseas markets. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: http://www.trendicint.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “believe”, “plan”, “expect”, “intend”, “should”, “seek”, “estimate”, “will”, “would”, “may”. “could”, “will”, “aim” and “anticipate” or other similar expressions in the prospectus. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said it took over two decades to finalise the historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the deal back into focus and driving it to conclusion.
Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the India-UK talks, Goyal said, “This is historic in itself. It took over two decades to finalise this FTA. But when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave it momentum in 2021, brought it back into focus, and committed to getting it done, India started working on it consistently—and today, we are seeing the positive results.”
He pointed out that while several governments came and went in the UK, the discussions continued without interruption. “I believe this agreement will open immense opportunities in India, especially for our farmers, MSMEs, and small entrepreneurs,” he said.
Goyal congratulated Prime Minister Modi, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the people of both countries on the signing of the landmark India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
“Duty-free access for about 99 per cent of Indian exports unlocks nearly $23 billion in opportunities for labour-intensive sectors, marking a new era of inclusive and gender-equitable growth,” the minister said.
Calling the agreement a “win-win” for flagship initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local,’ Goyal noted that the deal would drive job creation and enhance India’s strategic position in global trade.
The FTA was signed by Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds, following the conclusion of negotiations earlier this year.
“This deal will transform the lives of artisans, weavers, and daily-wage earners employed in sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear, gems and jewellery, toys, and marine products,” he added.
Details 2025-07-22 President Lai meets cross-party Irish Oireachtas delegation On the morning of July 22, President Lai Ching-te met with a cross-party delegation from the Oireachtas (parliament) of Ireland. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and Ireland are both guardians of the values of freedom and democracy. He indicated that Taiwan will continue to take action and show the world that it is a trustworthy democratic partner that can contribute to the international community, saying that we look forward to building an even closer partnership with Ireland as we work together for the well-being of our peoples and for global democracy, peace, and prosperity. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Deputy Speaker John McGuinness is a dear friend of Taiwan who also chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association. Thanks to his efforts over the years, support for Taiwan has grown stronger in the Oireachtas. I thank him and all of our guests for traveling such a long way to demonstrate support for Taiwan and open more doors for exchanges and cooperation. Europe is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner and largest source of foreign investment. Ireland is a European stronghold for technology and innovative industries. Just like Taiwan, Ireland is an export-oriented economy. Our industrial structures are highly complementary. We hope that Taiwan’s electronics manufacturing and machinery industries can explore deeper cooperation with Ireland’s ICT software and biopharmaceutical fields, creating win-win outcomes. In May, the Irish government launched its National Semiconductor Strategy, outlining a vision to become a global semiconductor hub. Taiwan is home to the world’s most critical semiconductor ecosystem, and our own industrial development closely parallels that of Ireland. Moreover, we aspire to build non-red technological supply chains with democratic partners. I believe that going forward, Taiwan and Ireland can bolster collaboration so as to upgrade the competitiveness of our respective semiconductor industries. Together, we can help build a values-based economic system for democracies. I was delighted to receive congratulations from Deputy Speaker McGuinness on my election. Taiwan and Ireland are both guardians of the values of freedom and democracy. This visit from our guests further attests to our common beliefs. As authoritarianism continues to expand, Taiwan will continue to take action and show the world that it is a trustworthy democratic partner that can contribute to the international community. We look forward to building an even closer partnership with Ireland as we work together for the well-being of our peoples and for global democracy, peace, and prosperity. Deputy Speaker McGuinness then delivered remarks, stating that he has been to Taiwan on many occasions and that it is a great honor to join President Lai and his staff at the Presidential Office. He said that Ireland has continued to build its strong relationship with Taiwan based on our democratic values and the interests that we have in trade throughout the world, strengthening this relationship based on culture, education, and more. Noting that he served with many other diplomats from Taiwan, he said all had the same goal, which was to further the interests of the Ireland-Taiwan friendship and to ensure that it grows and prospers. The deputy speaker then extended to President Lai the delegation’s best wishes for his term in office, stating that they commit to the same values as the previous friendship groups that have been visiting Taiwan. He went on to say that some members of the group are newly elected, representing the next generation of the association, and that they are committed to working together with Taiwan to stand strong in the defense of democracy. Deputy Speaker McGuinness also noted that the father of Deputy Ken O’Flynn, one of the delegation members, played an important role as a former chairman of the association, remarking that it is good to see such continuity taking place. Deputy Speaker McGuiness said that he believes the world is facing huge challenges and uncertainty in terms of our markets and trade with one another. He said we have to watch for what the United States will do next and be conscious of what China is doing, emphasizing that the European Union stands strong in the center of this, while Ireland plays a huge role in the context of democracy, trade, and the betterment of all things for the citizens that they represent. The deputy speaker then stated that while we focus on the development of AI that is extremely important for all of us, we can work together to ensure that we control AI rather than AI controlling us. He also remarked that we cannot lose sight of our traditional trading means, saying that we have to keep all of our trade together, expand on that trade, and then take on the new technologies that come before us. Deputy Speaker McGuinness concluded his remarks by thanking President Lai for receiving the delegation, stating that they commit to their continuation of support for Taiwan and for democracy. Also in attendance were Deputies Malcolm Byrne and Barry Ward, and Senator Teresa Costello.
Details 2025-07-22 President Lai meets official delegation from European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield On the morning of July 22, President Lai Ching-te met with an official delegation from the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS). In remarks, President Lai thanked the committee for choosing to visit Taiwan for its first trip to Asia, demonstrating the close ties between Taiwan and Europe. President Lai emphasized that Taiwan, standing at the very frontline of the democratic world, is determined to protect democracy, peace, and prosperity worldwide. He expressed hope that we can share our experiences with Europe to foster even more resilient societies. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Firstly, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to your delegation, which marks another official visit from the European Parliament. The Special Committee on the EUDS aims to strengthen societal resilience and counter disinformation and hybrid threats. Having been constituted at the beginning of this year, the committee has chosen to visit Taiwan for its first trip to Asia, demonstrating the close ties between Taiwan and Europe and the unlimited possibilities for deepening cooperation on issues of concern. I am also delighted to see many old friends of Taiwan gathered here today. I deeply appreciate your longstanding support for Taiwan. Taiwan and the European Union enjoy close trade and economic relations and share the values of freedom and democracy. However, in recent years, we have both been subjected to information manipulation and infiltration by foreign forces that seek to interfere in democratic elections, foment division in our societies, and shake people’s faith in democracy. Taiwan not only faces an onslaught of disinformation, but also is the target of gray-zone aggression. That is why, after taking office, I established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee at the Presidential Office, with myself as convener. The committee is a platform that integrates domestic affairs, national defense, foreign affairs, cybersecurity, and civil resources. It aims to strengthen the capability of Taiwan’s society to defend itself against new forms of threat, pinpoint external and internal vulnerabilities, and bolster overall resilience and security. The efforts that democracies make are not for opposing anyone else; they are for safeguarding the way of life that we cherish – just as Europe has endeavored to promote diversity and human rights. The Taiwanese people firmly believe that when our society is united and people trust one another, we will be able to withstand any form of authoritarian aggression. Taiwan stands at the very frontline of the democratic world. We are determined to protect democracy, peace, and prosperity worldwide. We also hope to share our experiences with Europe and deepen cooperation in such fields as cybersecurity, media literacy, and societal resilience. Thank you once again for visiting Taiwan. Your presence further strengthens the foundations of Taiwan-Europe relations. Let us continue to work together to uphold freedom and democracy and foster even more resilient societies. EUDS Special Committee Chair Nathalie Loiseau then delivered remarks, saying that the delegation has members from different countries, including France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Belgium, and different political parties, but that they have in common their desire for stronger relations between the EU and Taiwan. Committee Chair Loiseau stated that the EU and Taiwan, having many things in common, should work more together. She noted that we have strong trade relations, strong investments on both sides, and strong cultural relations, while we are also facing very similar challenges and threats. She said that we are democracies living in a world where autocracies want to weaken and divide democracies. She added that we also face external information manipulation, cyberattacks, sabotage, attempts to capture elites, and every single gray-zone activity that aims to divide and weaken us. Committee Chair Loiseau pointed out another commonality, that we have never threatened our neighbors. She said that we want to live in peace and we care about our people; we want to defend ourselves, not to attack others. We are not being threatened because of what we do, she emphasized, but because of what we are; and thus there is no reason for not working more together to face these threats and attacks. Committee Chair Loiseau said that Taiwan has valuable experience and good practices in the area of societal resilience, and that they are interested in learning more about Taiwan’s whole-of-society approach. They in Europe are facing interference, she said, mainly from Russia, and they know that Russia inspires others. She added that they in the EU also have experience regulating social media in a way which combines freedom of expression and responsibility. In closing, the chair said that they are happy to have the opportunity to exchange views with President Lai and that the European Parliament will continue to strongly support relations between the EU and Taiwan. The delegation also included Members of the European Parliament Engin Eroglu, Tomáš Zdechovský, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Kathleen Van Brempt, and Markéta Gregorová.
Details 2025-07-17 President Lai meets President of Guatemalan Congress Nery Abilio Ramos y Ramos On the morning of July 17, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Nery Abilio Ramos y Ramos, the president of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala. In remarks, President Lai thanked Congress President Ramos and the Guatemalan Congress for their support for Taiwan, and noted that official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Guatemala go back more than 90 years. As important partners in the global democratic community, the president said, the two nations will continue moving forward together in joint defense of the values of democracy and freedom, and will cooperate to promote regional and global prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I recall that when Congress President Ramos visited Taiwan in July last year, he put forward many ideas about how our countries could promote bilateral cooperation and exchanges. Now, a year later, he is leading another cross-party delegation from the Guatemalan Congress on a visit, demonstrating support for Taiwan and continuing to help deepen our diplomatic ties. In addition to extending a sincere welcome to the distinguished delegation members who have traveled so far to be here, I would also like to express our concern and condolences for everyone in Guatemala affected by the earthquake that struck earlier this month. We hope that the recovery effort is going smoothly. Official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Guatemala go back more than 90 years. In such fields as healthcare, agriculture, education, and women’s empowerment, we have continually strengthened our cooperation to benefit our peoples. Just last month, Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo and the First Lady led a delegation on a state visit to Taiwan. President Arévalo and I signed a letter of intent for semiconductor cooperation, and also witnessed the signing of cooperation documents to establish a political consultation mechanism and continue to promote bilateral investment. This has laid an even sounder foundation for bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and will help enhance both countries’ international competitiveness. Taiwan is currently running a semiconductor vocational training program, helping Guatemala cultivate semiconductor talent and develop its tech industry, and demonstrating our determination to share experience with democratic partners. At the same time, we continue to assist Taiwanese businesses in their efforts to develop overseas markets with Guatemala as an important base, spurring industrial development in both countries and increasing economic and trade benefits. I want to thank Congress President Ramos and the Guatemalan Congress for their continued support for Taiwan’s international participation. Representing the Guatemalan Congress, Congress President Ramos has signed resolutions in support of Taiwan, and has also issued statements addressing China’s misinterpretation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. Taiwan and Guatemala, as important partners in the global democratic community, will continue moving forward together in joint defense of the values of democracy and freedom, and will cooperate to promote regional and global prosperity and development. Congress President Ramos then delivered remarks, first noting that the members of the delegation are not only from different parties, but also represent different classes, cultures, professions, and departments, which shows that the diplomatic ties between Guatemala and the Republic of China (Taiwan) are based on firm friendships at all levels and in all fields. Noting that this was his second time to visit Taiwan and meet with President Lai, Congress President Ramos thanked the government of Taiwan for its warm hospitality. With the international situation growing more complex by the day, he said, Guatemala highly values its longstanding friendship and cooperative ties with Taiwan, and hopes that both sides can continue to deepen their cooperation in such areas as the economy, technology, education, agriculture, and culture, and work together to spur sustainable development in each of our countries. Congress President Ramos said that the way the Taiwan government looks after the well-being of its people is an excellent model for how other countries should promote national development and social well-being. Accordingly, he said, the Guatemalan Congress has stood for justice and, for a second time, adopted a resolution backing Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly. Regarding President Arévalo’s state visit to Taiwan the previous month, Congress President Ramos commented that this high-level interaction has undoubtedly strengthened the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Guatemala and led to more opportunities for cooperation. Congress President Ramos emphasized that democracy, freedom, and human rights are universal values that bind Taiwan and Guatemala together, and that he is confident the two countries’ diplomatic ties will continue to grow deeper. In closing, on behalf of the Republic of Guatemala, Congress President Ramos presented President Lai with a Chinese translation of the resolution that the Guatemalan Congress proposed to the UN in support of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, demonstrating the staunch bonds of friendship between the two countries. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Guatemala Ambassador Luis Raúl Estévez López.
Details 2025-07-08 President Lai meets delegation led by Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste of Republic of Haiti On the morning of July 8, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste of the Republic of Haiti and his wife. In remarks, President Lai noted that our two countries will soon mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations and that our exchanges have been fruitful in important areas such as public security, educational cooperation, and infrastructure. The president stated that Taiwan will continue to work together with Haiti to promote the development of medical and health care, food security, and construction that benefits people’s livelihoods. The president thanked Haiti for supporting Taiwan’s international participation and expressed hope that both countries will continue to support each other, deepen cooperation, and face various challenges together. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet and exchange ideas with Minister Jean-Baptiste, his wife, and our distinguished guests. Minister Jean-Baptiste is the highest-ranking official from Haiti to visit Taiwan since former President Jovenel Moïse visited in 2018, demonstrating the importance that the Haitian government attaches to our bilateral diplomatic ties. On behalf of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend a sincere welcome. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries. Our bilateral exchanges have been fruitful in important areas such as public security, educational cooperation, and infrastructure. Over the past few years, Haiti has faced challenges in such areas as food supply and healthcare. Taiwan will continue to work together with Haiti through various cooperative programs to promote the development of medical and health care, food security, and construction that benefits people’s livelihoods. I want to thank the government of Haiti and Minister Jean-Baptiste for speaking out in support of Taiwan on the international stage for many years. Minister Jean-Baptiste’s personal letter to the World Health Organization Secretariat in May this year and Minister of Public Health and Population Bertrand Sinal’s public statement during the World Health Assembly both affirmed Taiwan’s efforts and contributions to global public health and supported Taiwan’s international participation, for which we are very grateful. I hope that Taiwan and Haiti will continue to support each other and deepen cooperation. I believe that Minister Jean-Baptiste’s visit will open up more opportunities for cooperation for both countries, helping Taiwan and Haiti face various challenges together. In closing, I once again offer a sincere welcome to the delegation led by Minister Jean-Baptiste, and ask him to convey greetings from Taiwan to Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and the members of the Transitional Presidential Council. Minister Jean-Baptiste then delivered remarks, saying that he is extremely honored to visit Taiwan and reaffirm the solid and friendly cooperative relationship based on mutual respect between the Republic of Haiti and the Republic of China (Taiwan), which will soon mark its 70th anniversary. He also brought greetings to President Lai from Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council and Prime Minister Fils-Aimé. Minister Jean-Baptiste emphasized that over the past few decades, despite the great geographical distance and developmental and cultural differences between our two countries, we have nevertheless established a firm friendship and demonstrated to the world the progress resulting from the mutual assistance and cooperation between our peoples. Minister Jean-Baptiste pointed out that our two countries cooperate closely in agriculture, health, education, and community development and have achieved concrete results. Taiwan’s voice, he said, is thus essential for the people of Haiti. He noted that Taiwan also plays an important role in peace and innovation and actively participates in global cooperative efforts. Pointing out that the world is currently facing significant challenges and that Haiti is experiencing its most difficult period in history, Minister Jean-Baptiste said that at this time, Taiwan and Haiti need to unite, help each other, and jointly think about how to move forward and deepen bilateral relations to benefit the peoples of both countries. Minister Jean-Baptiste said that he is pleased that throughout our solid and friendly diplomatic relationship, both countries have demonstrated mutual trust, mutual respect, and the values we jointly defend. He then stated his belief that Haiti and Taiwan will together create a cooperation model and future that are sincere, friendly, and sustainable. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Francilien Victorin of the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Taiwan.
Details 2025-07-01 President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum On the afternoon of July 1, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum (TIOF). In remarks, President Lai noted that the people of Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners throughout the world in a maritime spirit of freedom and openness to contribute to ocean governance and jointly ensure maritime security. He expressed hope that their visit will help forge stronger friendships between Taiwan and international maritime partners, so that all can work together to spur shared maritime prosperity and sustainable development for the next generation. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I want to thank our guests for coming here to the Presidential Office. The 2025 TIOF will take place tomorrow and the day after, and I thank you all for making the long trip to Taiwan to attend the event and share your valuable insights and experiences. This year’s forum will focus on strategies for strengthening maritime security and pathways to achieving a sustainable blue economy. By attending this forum, our guests are highlighting their commitment to safeguarding the oceans, and beyond that, taking concrete action to demonstrate support for Taiwan. I once again offer deepest gratitude on behalf of the people of Taiwan. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, is one of the world’s top 10 shipping nations, and accounts for close to 10 percent of global container shipping by volume. As such, Taiwan occupies a unique and important position in maritime strategy. For Taiwan, the ocean is more than just a basis for survival and development; it is also an important driver of national prosperity. In my inaugural address last year, I spoke of a threefold approach to further Taiwan’s development. One of these involves further developing our strengths as a maritime nation. Our government must actively help deepen our connections with the ocean, and must continue to promote green shipping, a sustainable fishing industry, marine renewable energy, and other forms of industrial transformation. It must also make use of marine technology and digital innovation to create a new paradigm that balances environmental, economic, and social inclusion concerns. This will help enhance Taiwan’s responsibilities and competitiveness as a maritime nation. Taiwan is surrounded by ocean, and our territorial waters are a natural protective barrier. However, continued gray-zone aggression from China creates serious threats and challenges to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Our government continues to invest resources to deal with increasingly complex maritime security issues. In addition to building coast guard patrol vessels, we must also step up efforts to build underwater, surface, and airborne unmanned vehicles and smart reconnaissance equipment, so as to demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to defend democracy and freedom and commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Oceans are Taiwan’s roots, and provide the channels by which we engage with the world. The people of Taiwan will continue to work with democratic partners throughout the world in a maritime spirit of freedom and openness to contribute to ocean governance and jointly ensure maritime security. The TIOF was first launched in 2020, and has now become an important platform for enhancement of cooperation between Taiwan and other countries. I hope that our distinguished guests will reap great benefits at this year’s forum, and further hope that this visit will help forge stronger friendships between Taiwan and international maritime partners, so that all can work together to spur shared maritime prosperity and sustainable development for the next generation. Chairman of The Washington Times Thomas McDevitt, a member of the delegation, then delivered remarks, noting first that July 4th, this Friday, is Independence Day in America. Independence is a sacred, powerful word which has great meaning in this part of the world, he said. Chairman McDevitt indicated that Taiwan has truly become a global beacon of democracy and a key partner for many nations. He then quoted President Lai’s 2024 inaugural address: “We will work together to combat disinformation, strengthen democratic resilience, address challenges, and allow Taiwan to become the MVP of the democratic world.” Chairman McDevitt went on to say that he appreciated the president’s speech with regard to his philosophical depth, sensitivity, and both moral and political clarity. He said that he was deeply moved by the speech, but within a few days of it, China responded with military activities and many threats. The chairman then emphasized that we are in a civilization crisis. Chairman McDevitt mentioned that President Lai has begun a series of 10 lectures, and remarked that they would help the world to understand the identity and the nature of Taiwan, as well as the situation we are in in the world. On behalf of all the delegation, Chairman McDevitt thanked the president for his leadership in dealing with these issues thoughtfully. Chairman McDevitt concluded with a line from the Old Testament which states that if the people have no vision, they will perish. He said that he believes Taiwan’s president has led the people of Taiwan, and the world, with a vision of how to navigate this great civilization crisis together. The delegation also included Members of the Japanese House of Representatives Kikawada Hitoshi, Aoyama Yamato, and Genma Kentaro, and Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom Gavin Williamson.
Details 2025-05-20 President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era. The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.
Columbia University agreed on July 23, 2025, to pay a US$200 million fine to the federal government and to settle allegations that it did not create a safe environment for Jewish students during Palestinian rights protests in 2024.
The deal will restore the vast majority of the $400 million in federal grants and contracts that Columbia was previously awarded, before the administration withdrew the funding in March 2025.
It marks the first financial and political agreement a university has reached with the Trump administration in its push for more control over higher education – and stands to have significant ripple effects for how other universities and colleges carry out their basic operations.
Amy Lieberman, the education editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Brendan Cantwell, a scholar of higher education at Michigan State University, to understand what’s exactly in this agreement – and the lasting precedent it may set on government intervention in higher education.
Palestinian rights demonstrators march through Columbia University on Oct. 7, 2024, marking one year of the war between Hamas and Israel. Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
What’s in the deal Columbia made with the Trump administration?
The agreement requires Columbia to make a $200 million payment to the federal government. Columbia will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Columbia will need to keep detailed statistics about student applicants – including their race and ethnicity, grades and SAT scores – as well as information about faculty and staff hiring decisions. Columbia will then have to share this data with the federal government.
In exchange, the federal government will release most of the $400 million in frozen grant money previously awarded to Columbia and allow faculty at the university to compete for future federal grants.
How does this deal address antisemitism?
The Trump administration has cited antisemitism against students and faculty on campuses to justify its broad incursion into the business of universities around the country.
But the federal complaint the administration made against Columbia was not actually about antisemitism. The administration made a formal accusation of antisemitism at Columbia in May of this year but suspended grants to the university in March. The federal government had initially acknowledged that cutting federal research grants did nothing to address the climate for Jewish students on campus, for example.
When the federal government investigates civil rights violations, it usually conducts site visits and does very thorough investigations. We never saw such a government report about antisemitism at Columbia or other universities.
The settlement that Columbia has entered into with the administration also doesn’t do much about antisemitism.
The agreement includes Columbia redefining antisemitism with a broader definition that is also used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The definition now includes “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” – a description that is also used by the U.S. State Department and several European governments but some critics say conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism.
Instead, the agreement primarily has to do with faculty hiring and admissions decisions. The federal government alleges that Columbia is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, and that this will allow the government to ensure that everybody who is admitted is considered only on the basis of merit.
The administration could argue that changing hiring practices to get faculty who are less hostile to Jewish students could change the campus climate, but the agreement doesn’t really identify ways in which the university contributed to or ignored antisemitic conduct.
Is this a new issue?
There has been a long-running issue that conservatives and members of the Trump administration – dating back to his first term – have with higher education. The Trump administration and other conservatives have said for years that higher education is too liberal.
The administration’s complaints aren’t limited to Columbia. Harvard is in a protracted conflict with the administration, and the administration has launched investigations into dozens of other schools around the country. These universities are butting heads with the administration over the same grievance that higher education is too liberal. There are also specific claims about antisemitism on university campuses and the privileges given to nonwhite students in admissions or campus life.
While the administration has a common set of complaints about a range of universities, there is a mix of schools that the administration is taking issue with. Some of them, such as Harvard, are very high profile. The Department of Justice forced out the president at the University of Virginia in January 2025 on the grounds that he had not done enough to root out diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the public university. The University of Virginia may have been a target for the administration because a Republican governor appointed most members of its governance board and agreed with Trump’s complaints.
How could this change the makeup of Columbia’s student population?
Now, with the Columbia deal, the government could say that it would expect to see a proportion of students who are white increase and students who are Black and Latino to decrease at Columbia. That’s a legal approach that America First Legal, a conservative legal advocacy group founded by Stephen Miller, a Trump administration official, has already tried.
Back in February 2025, America First Legal alleged in a federal lawsuit that the University of California, Los Angeles, was using illegal admissions criteria, because of the number of Black and Latino students that were admitted by the school. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Claire Shipman, Columbia University’s acting president, speaks during the school’s May 2025 commencement ceremony. Jeenah Moon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
What does this agreement mean for US higher education as a whole?
It is an enormous, unprecedented shift in how the federal government works with higher education. Since the McCarthy era in the 1940s and ’50s, when professors were blacklisted and fired because of their alleged communism, Americans have not seen the federal government interrogate education.
The federal government does have a role in securing people’s civil rights, including in the context of higher education, but this is very, very different from how the federal government has done civil rights investigations and entered into agreements with universities in the past.
This agreement is very broad and gives the federal government oversight of things that have long been under universities’ control, such as whom they hire to teach and which students they admit.
The federal government is now saying it has the right to look over universities’ shoulders and guide them in this work that has long been considered independent. And the government is willing to be extremely coercive to get universities to comply.
What signal does this agreement send to other universities?
This agreement sets a precedent for the government to direct colleges and universities to comply with its political agenda. This violates the long tradition of academic independence that had helped to make the U.S. higher education system the envy of the world.
Columbia can afford paying $200 million to the federal government. Most universities can’t afford to pay $200 million.
And most campuses cannot survive without federal resources, whether that comes in the form of student financial aid or research grants. This agreement sets a standard for other universities that, if they don’t immediately do what the federal government wants them to do, the government could impose penalties that are so high it could end their ability to operate.
Brendan Cantwell is a Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for the Maldives on Thursday, concluding the first leg of his two-nation tour. He is visiting the Maldives at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu from July 25 to 26.
During his visit, the Prime Minister will participate as the Guest of Honour at the 60th Independence Day celebrations of the Maldives. His visit also marks the 60th anniversary of India-Maldives diplomatic relations.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi concluded a successful visit to the United Kingdom, where he met with his UK counterpart, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at Chequers, the official country residence of the British Prime Minister. Both leaders welcomed the signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which is expected to enhance bilateral trade, investment, and job creation.
They also agreed to negotiate a Double Contribution Convention to ease cross-border business and boost competitiveness in the service sector.
The two sides adopted the India-UK Vision 2035, aimed at guiding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership over the next decade in sectors including technology, education, defence, and climate action.
The leaders finalised a Defence Industrial Roadmap to strengthen cooperation in co-design, co-development, and co-production of defence products. They also discussed enhanced collaboration under the Technology and Security Initiative, covering areas such as telecom, critical minerals, semiconductors, and biotechnology.
PM Modi and PM Starmer welcomed the growing education partnership under India’s New Education Policy (NEP), with six UK universities planning to establish campuses in India. The University of Southampton has already inaugurated its campus in Gurugram.
Prime Minister Modi thanked the UK for its support following the Pahalgam terror attack and reiterated the need for strong action against extremism. He also sought cooperation in bringing back economic fugitives facing legal action in India.
Global and regional developments, including the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, were also discussed. PM Modi extended an invitation to Prime Minister Starmer to visit India at a mutually convenient time.
Following his meeting with the UK Prime Minister, PM Modi called on His Majesty King Charles III at Sandringham Estate. The two leaders discussed shared interests in health, sustainability, and climate change. The Prime Minister presented a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign to be planted in the estate during the upcoming season.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the tragic plane crash in Russia and offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
In a statement shared on X, PM Modi wrote, “Deeply saddened at the loss of lives in the tragic plane crash in Russia. Extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with Russia and its people.”
His remarks came after a Russian An-24 aircraft, carrying 49 people including five children and six crew members, crashed in the mountainous Amur region on Thursday, killing all on board, according to local media reports.
The ill-fated flight, operated by the Siberia-based Angara Airlines, had departed from Blagoveshchensk and was en route to Tynda, near the Russia-China border, when it lost contact with air traffic controllers shortly before its scheduled landing.
According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, the aircraft reportedly caught fire mid-air and vanished from radar. Rescue helicopters later located the burning wreckage on a remote mountainside, approximately 16 kilometres from Tynda.
Officials from the Amur Centre for Civil Defence and Fire Safety confirmed that “no survivors were found when a Mi-8 search helicopter flew over the crash site.”
“The aircraft caught fire upon crashing,” a spokesperson said. “Rescue operations have been hampered by the extremely difficult terrain, as the crash site lies on a steep, inaccessible slope.”
The region’s dense taiga forests and swampy landscape further complicated rescue efforts.
Notably, the aircraft did not send any distress signals before disappearing, raising concerns over the cause of the incident.
Preliminary reports suggest the An-24 may have been attempting a second approach to land at Tynda Airport when it went off the radar.
A Rosaviatsia aircraft and multiple rescue teams were immediately dispatched after receiving the alert. Investigators from the Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office have launched a probe into the crash.
The cause of the accident remains unknown. Officials are expected to begin ground-based recovery operations and retrieve the black box once access to the site is possible.
England wrested control of the fourth Test at Old Trafford as Ben Duckett (94) and Zak Crawley (84) powered a strong reply after captain Ben Stokes picked up his first five-wicket haul in eight years to bowl out India for 358.
At stumps on Day 2, England were 225/2 in just 46 overs, trailing by 133 runs with Joe Root (11*) and Ollie Pope (20*) at the crease.
Earlier, Stokes returned figures of 5/72 — his first five-for since 2016 — to lead England’s fightback with the ball. The highlight of India’s innings was Rishabh Pant’s valiant 54, scored despite a fractured right foot. Gritting through visible discomfort, Pant’s knock drew applause for both courage and craft.
England’s openers then came out all guns blazing. Duckett and Crawley stitched a 166-run stand off just 195 balls, neutralising India’s total with aggressive strokeplay. Crawley brought up his half-century in 73 balls, while Duckett got there in just 46.
India’s first breakthrough came when Ravindra Jadeja induced an edge from Crawley on 84, with KL Rahul taking a low catch at slip. Duckett continued the charge, taking on Mohammed Siraj with three boundaries in one over, but fell agonisingly short of a century — nicking behind to give debutant Anshul Kamboj his first Test scalp.
With Root and Pope seeing off the remaining overs, England walked off in command, eyeing a crucial first-innings lead on a pitch that has already started turning.
Brief scores:
India 358 in 114.1 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 5/72, Jofra Archer 3/73)
England 225/2 in 46 overs (Ben Duckett 94, Zak Crawley 84; Ravindra Jadeja 1/37, Anshul Kamboj 1/48)
England trail by 133 runs
HONG KONG, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Garden Stage Limited (NASDAQ: GSIW) (“GSIW” or the “Company”), today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with several investors for the purchase and sale of an aggregate of 38,406,345 of the Company’s ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”) (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) at a purchase price of $.11 per share in a registered direct offering. The purchase price for the pre-funded warrants is identical to the purchase price for Shares, less the exercise price of $0.001 per share.
The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of this offering are expected to be approximately $4.2 million. The transaction is expected to close on or about July 25, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Univest Securities, LLC is acting as the sole placement agent.
The registered direct offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-283618) previously filed by the Company and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 10, 2025. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, by contacting Univest Securities, LLC at info@univest.us, or by calling +1 (212) 343-8888.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sales of such securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the registered direct offering, together with the accompanying base prospectus will be filed by the Company and, upon filing, can be obtained at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
About Garden Stage Limited
GSIW, through our Operating Subsidiaries, are a Hong Kong-based financial services provider principally engaged in the provision of (i) placing and underwriting services; (ii) securities dealing and brokerage services; (iii) asset management services; and (iv) investment advisory services. Our operation is carried out through our wholly-owned Operating Subsidiaries: a) I Win Securities Limited, which is licensed to conduct Type 1 (dealing in securities) regulated activities under the SFO in Hong Kong, and b) I Win Asset Management Limited, which is licensed to conduct Type 4 (advising on securities) and Type 9 (asset management) regulated activities under the SFO in Hong Kong. I Win Securities Limited is the Stock Exchange Participant and holds one Stock Exchange Trading Right. I Win Securities Limited is a participant of the HKSCC.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
KOŠICE, Slovakia, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Remittix, the new DeFi and low-gas-fee crypto innovation powerhouse, is unveiling the beta release timeline of its highly anticipated multi-chain crypto wallet, which will roll out in Q3 2025, in an exciting race to transform cross-border transactions.
In terms of accessibility, speed, and cost reductions for users worldwide, the Remittix Wallet will facilitate smooth interoperability with Ethereum, Solana, and other EVM chains – a significant advancement.
As the launch looms, enthusiasm among investors is sky high. Remittix token presale now stands at a remarkable $17 million, with over 563 million tokens sold to date. This momentum positions Remittix in the pole position for the next crypto breakout of 2025.
Seamless Multi-Chain Wallet Solution
The Beta Remittix Wallet has only one objective: easy global crypto transactions. From transferring stablecoins on Ethereum to staking SOL, and even token management between networks, the wallet presents industry-leading performance with very low gas fees.
Remittix Wallet beta release will allow early customers to:
Store, send, and receive tokens on Ethereum and Solana
This wallet is just part of Remittix’s broader ecosystem, hoping to disrupt the old remittance paradigm with fast, low-cost transactions that legacy platforms still can’t get right.
As more and more hype is building up for Cardano, Solana, and other higher-layer protocols, Remittix is moving in its own direction as a cross-chain DeFi utility with a laser-sharp focus on building markets. Its momentum is copying the early-stage signs of breakout tokens like ADA and SOL.
Bridging Crypto and Fiat in Real-World Economies
Beyond wallet capabilities, Remittix is building out infrastructure to connect the realm of decentralized finance to real-world economies on the planet with seamless fiat-to-crypto solutions.
While not included in the beta release, future versions of the Remittix Wallet will be built to allow users—especially in high-fee remittance regions—to exchange crypto directly into local currency.
This will enable users to:
Send USDT or other stablecoins cross-border
Have recipients cash them out with local partners
Reduce transaction fees on top of legacy banking infrastructure
Use real-world utility for daily spending and commercial use
The long-term vision is to give underbanked users in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America access to fast, low-cost financial services without relying on outdated intermediaries.
How to Join the Remittix Presale
Crypto enthusiasts, traders, and DeFi supporters are not left out; they can all join the ongoing Remittix presale by visiting the official website. All participants get to enjoy early access to wallet features, bonus token redemption and a chance at the $250,000 Giveaway – a feature headline draw that gains thousands of users daily.
About Remittix
Remittix is a decentralized finance platform with a particular focus on low-gas-fee crypto cross-border payments, staking, and remittances. Through its utility token and multi-chain wallet infrastructure, Remittix seeks to make crypto faster, more inclusive, and more accessible to users all over the world.
Disclaimer:This content is provided byRemittix. 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.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
NEW DELHI, India, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransFi, a leading global payments infrastructure company, announces the expansion of its platform designed to power real-world adoption of stablecoins by enabling fast, secure, and compliant cross-border transactions. Operating in over 100 countries with support for more than 250 local payment methods and 40 currencies, TransFi bridges the gap between digital assets and everyday financial utility.
As emerging markets increasingly seek stable currency alternatives, the demand for dollar-backed stablecoins is accelerating. According to a recent study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), users in 17 countries are willing to pay an average premium of 4.7% for access to stable digital currencies, with this figure reaching as high as 30% in inflation-affected economies like Argentina. This growing demand is projected to amount to $25.4 billion in annual premium payments by 2027.
TransFi’s AI-powered smart routing engine optimizes the payment experience by identifying the fastest and most cost-efficient rails across both fiat and stablecoin networks. This innovation reduces settlement times from days to seconds, unlocking an estimated $2.9 billion in annual efficiency gains and addressing the $11.6 billion typically trapped in slow settlement systems.
“Our platform is built to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving financial landscape by combining speed, security, and compliance with the benefits of stablecoins,” said Rahul Sahni, COO & CPO of TransFi. “We’re proud to provide businesses and consumers with infrastructure that turns digital assets into practical financial tools.”
TransFi offers an enterprise-ready, regulation-compliant platform with built-in KYC and AML processes. Its key services include:
BizPay: Streamlined business payments with fast onboarding and low fees
Wallet: Multi-currency storage and conversion
Ramp: Instant crypto on/off-ramps via 250+ payment methods
Single API & Widget: Easy platform integration for businesses
Payouts & Collections: Comprehensive global payment infrastructure
The company’s solutions support a wide range of use cases, including remittances, payroll, digital banking, Web3, and iGaming, enabling businesses to scale with stablecoin-powered efficiency.
About TransFi TransFi is a global payments infrastructure company dedicated to bridging digital assets with real-world financial systems. With operations in over 100 countries, TransFi provides secure, compliant, and fast cross-border payment solutions, supporting 250+ local payment methods and 40+ currencies. Its AI-driven platform empowers businesses and individuals to seamlessly transact using both fiat and digital currencies.
Disclaimer: This content is provided byTransFi. 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.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.
Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.
Marine protected areas cover more than 8% of the world’s oceans today, but they can get a bad rap as being protected on paper only.
While the name invokes safe havens for fish, whales and other sea life, these areas can be hard to monitor. High-profile violations, such as recent fishing fleet incursions near the Galapagos Islands and ships that “go dark” by turning off their tracking devices, have fueled concerns about just how much poaching is going undetected.
But some protected areas are successfully keeping illegal fishing out.
In a new global study using satellite technology that can track large ships even if they turn off their tracking systems, my colleagues and I found that marine protected areas where industrial fishing is fully banned are largely succeeding at preventing poaching.
What marine protected areas aim to save
Picture a sea turtle gliding by as striped butterfly fish weave through coral branches. Or the deep blue of the open ocean, where tuna flash like silver and seabirds wheel overhead.
These habitats, where fish and other marine life breed and feed, are the treasures that marine protected areas aim to protect.
The value of marine protected areas for people and nature.
A major threat to these ecosystems is industrial fishing.
These vessels can operate worldwide and stay at sea for years at a time with visits from refrigerated cargo ships that ferry their catch to port. China has an extensive global fleet of ships that operate as far away as the coast of South America and other regions.
The global industrial fishing fleet – nearly half a million vessels – hauls in about 100 million metric tons of seafood each year. That’s about a fivefold increase since 1950, though it has been close to flat for the past 30 years. Today, more than one-third of commercial fish species are overfished, exceeding what population growth can replenish.
Large fleets of fishing boats, supported by refrigerator ships to ferry their catch to shore, can stay at sea for months at a time. VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Some marine protected areas ban industrial fishing. These are the gold standard for conservation, and research shows they can be effective ways to increase the amount of sea life and diversity of species.
The plentiful fish in better-protected areas can also attract poachers. In one high-profile case, a Chinese vessel was caught inside the Galápagos Marine Reserve with 300 tons of marine life, including 6,000 dead sharks, in 2017. This crew faced heavy fines and prison time. But how many others go unseen?
Shining a light on the ‘dark fleet’
Much of what the world knows about global industrial fishing comes from the automatic identification system, or AIS, which many ships are required to use. This system broadcasts their location every few seconds, primarily to reduce the risk of collisions at sea. Using artificial intelligence, researchers can analyze movement patterns in these messages to estimate when and where fishing is happening.
Synthetic aperture radar still has limits – primarily difficulty detecting small boats and less frequent coverage than AIS – but it’s still a leap forward. In one study of coastal areas using both technologies, we found in about 75% of instances fishing vessels detected by synthetic aperture radar were not being tracked by AIS.
New global analysis shows what really happens
Two studies published in the journal Science on July 24, 2025, use these satellite datasets to track industrial fishing activity in marine protected areas.
We combined AIS vessel tracking, synthetic aperture radar satellite imagery, official marine protected area rules, and implementation dates showing exactly when those bans took effect. The analysis covers nearly 1,400 marine protected areas spanning about 3 million square miles (7.9 million square kilometers) where industrial fishing is explicitly prohibited.
AIS transponder signals over 2017-2021 (top) and synthetic aperture radar data (bottom) both show industrial fishing activity (yellow) mostly avoiding Carrington Point State Marine Reserve, a protected area off California’s Santa Rosa Island. Jennifer Raynor, Sara Orofino and Gavin McDonald
The results were striking:
Most of these protected areas showed little to no signs of industrial fishing.
We detected about five fishing vessels per 100,000 square kilometers on average in these areas, compared to 42 on average in unprotected coastal areas.
96% had less than one day per year of alleged illegal fishing effort.
The second study uses the same AIS and synthetic aperture radar data to examine a broader set of marine protected areas – including many that explicitly allow fishing. They document substantial fishing activity in these areas, with about eight times more detections than in the protected areas that ban industrial fishing.
Combined, these two studies lead to a clear conclusion: Marine protected areas with weak regulations see substantial industrial fishing, but where bans are in place, they’re largely respected.
We can’t tell whether these fishing bans are effective because they’re well enforced or simply because they were placed where little fishing happened anyway. Still, when violations do occur, this system offers a way for enforcement agencies to detect them.
A reason for optimism
These technological advances in vessel tracking have the potential to reshape marine law enforcement by significantly reducing the costs of monitoring.
Agencies such as national navies and coast guards no longer need to rely solely on costly physical patrols over huge areas. With tools such as the Global Fishing Watch map, which makes vessel tracking data freely available to the public, they can monitor activity remotely and focus patrol efforts where they’re needed most.
A French navy officer documents a fishing boat’s location in February 2024. Satellites make it easier to monitor activity on the ocean. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
Beyond marine protected areas, these technologies also have the potential to support tracking a broad range of human activities, such as oil slicks and deep-sea mining, making companies more accountable in how they use the ocean.
Jennifer Raynor receives funding from National Geographic Pristine Seas. She is a trustee at Global Fishing Watch, one of the primary data providers for this study.
Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor today about the national housing shortage in the United States and the urgent need to cut onerous regulations that stand in the way of building more housing. Schatz introduced three bipartisan housing bills this week, including the Build More Housing Near Transit Act and the YIMBY Act. The Build More Housing Near Transit Act incentivizes local governments to build housing near federally-funded transit projects. The YIMBY Act encourages localities to cut regulations and adopt pro-housing policies.
“When it comes to one of the most basic necessities in life for people – housing – both political parties have failed,” said Senator Schatz. “This crisis was not inevitable. It is a problem that the government has created. There is not enough housing in this country because we have made it virtually impossible to build housing. But the good news is this if the government got us into this mess in the first place, it can help to get us out. And mainly that means getting out of our own way and not preventing the very things that we say that we like.
Senator Schatz added, “We can and we do disagree about almost everything. But on this we should all be able to agree: in the richest country in the history of the world, people should not have to worry about having a roof over their heads. We can fix this, and we must.”
A transcript of Senator Schatz’s remarks is below. Video is available here.
When it comes to one of the most basic necessities in life for people – housing – both political parties have failed. Housing costs more than ever today, with the median home costing five times as much as the median income for your average American. First time home buyers are fewer and older than ever. 1 in 4 renters are being forced to spend more than half of their income on rent, and homelessness is plaguing more people than ever before.
This crisis was not inevitable. It is a problem that the government has created. There is not enough housing in this country because we have made it virtually impossible to build housing. Ask anyone who has tried to build anything a shed, a patio, or an accessory dwelling unit for their in-laws. They will tell you that the moment you try to do something, there are endless procedural hurdles and regulatory barriers that immediately get in the way. Exclusionary zoning. Minimum lot sizes. Height restrictions. Requirements for multiple staircases, environmental reviews, dozens of public meetings where the grouchiest people in your neighborhood can stop the most virtuous project in your neighborhood. Extensive permitting paperwork. Yearslong battles with community organizations and boards. And if you want to expedite your permit. You can pay a permit expediter. If you’ve got ten grand, they’ll put your thing on the top of the pile.
Nobody should like this system. I cannot think of something so essential to American life: housing. Whether you rent or you want to own, so essential to American life, where the government has created the shortage on purpose. And then it strokes its chin, confused as to why there is a shortage there is a shortage. There is a shortage because of the government itself, making it hard to construct the thing that we all say we want.
But the good news is this if the government got us into this mess in the first place, it can help to get us out. And mainly that means getting out of our own way and not preventing the very things that we say that we like. A lot of progressives in my own party like to say we’re for housing, we’re for clean energy, we’re for transit and infrastructure. But you can’t be for something if you don’t want it near you. If you’re for housing, you’ve got to see the housing. If you’re for clean energy, you’re going to see a windmill or a wind farm or a nuclear power plant somewhere. As we envision a just and sustainable and wealthy country, we have to actually make the things that make us more sustainable and wealthy.
There is nothing progressive about preventing a nurse, or a firefighter, or a teacher, or a small business owner from actually living in the community in which they work. There is nothing progressive about making people drive an hour to work or in Hawaii, forcing people to leave the state. Lawn sizes and building heights don’t make neighborhoods – people do.
And yet, you’ll often hear people who oppose new housing say things like, ‘Well, we want to preserve the unique character of the neighborhood.’ And this is something that I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know until I came to the United States Senate. Understand what those words mean and where they came from. They are echoing a dark time in American history: the Jim Crow era. It was a time when communities specifically codified into law language that prohibited Black people and other racial minorities from moving into certain neighborhoods. The racial covenants would literally say, “No lot covered by this indenture, or any part thereof, shall ever be sold, resold, conveyed, granted, devised, leased or rented to or occupied by, or in any way used by, any person or persons not of the Caucasian Race.” That’s from a covenant in St. Louis from 1949. And there were contracts just like that one in neighborhoods all across the country.
And then racial covenants were outlawed. But their legacy continues today, because what happened was the racists, after this was outlawed, figured out a proxy for race. Figured out a way to keep people separated and figured out a way to keep people out of their neighborhoods. Figured out a way to make housing more constrained. And that’s exclusionary zoning. That’s minimum lot sizes. That means you need interior staircases. All of these things that sound virtuous: safety, sanitation, environmental review, historic preservation – all of those things actually matter. But understand that they are being weaponized against the working class.
And I’m not sure if this is permissible under the rules, but I’m looking at a bunch of Senate pages, all 16 years old, trying to figure out: ‘Where am I going to live when I get a job? Do I have to live with my folks? And for how long? Am I going to be able to move to a suburb, or a city, or stay in my hometown? Where am I going to live?’
So how do we fix it? First of all, government has a role that is not just getting out of the way. On the financing side, on the public housing stock side, on vouchers, on Section 8, on HUD-VASH – there are lots of programs that work. A lot of government – things that we do – that have helped and can help more.
But the truth is that the throughput capacity of the system is being constrained by the government itself. We could allocate $3 trillion to affordable housing. And if it’s still hard to build a house in an individual neighborhood, all that money would get stuck. Actually, the state of California tried that. They allocated an enormous amount of money to housing, and they didn’t get very much built. The County of Maui many years ago said no new housing unless it’s affordable. Which kind of lands on the ears in a wonderful way, right? No new housing unless it’s affordable. You know what happened? There was no new housing at all for a full decade.
The reason I care about this is because I think it is the single most impactful economic policy that we can implement to make it easier to build housing for working people, for students, for the disabled, for the elderly, for the entrepreneurs, for cities, for towns, for rural neighborhoods. This is important because I care about that. Now, if you are a conservative, the basic principle is almost even more simple, which is it’s your damn property. You should be permitted to do what you want with your property, within certain safety boundaries and all the rest of it. But if it’s your property and if you’ve got a quarter of an acre and you want to build an accessory dwelling unit for your kids because they’re adults and they just had a baby, you should be allowed to do pretty much whatever you want with your property.
But we have inverted the presumption so that it’s your neighbors that get to decide what you get to do with your property. So if you’re a private property rights person, you should love the idea of deregulating the housing market. And if you are a progressive and you see how much people are struggling right now, you should love the idea of deregulating the housing market. We need to reform land use laws for upzoning to allow higher density, reduce minimum lot sizes, deploy manufactured homes, enable single room occupancy development wherever multifamily housing is allowed. And we know all of this works because it’s working in certain places.
It’s hard to keep any issue out of the partisan crossfire, where everyone retreats to their own corner and starts talking past each other and trying to light the algorithm on fire. Our ability to come together, use common sense, and find a way forward will affect how people live and succeed for generations to come. Just this week, Senator Banks and I introduced legislation to incentivize local governments to build more housing near federally funded transit projects. Senator Young and I introduced the YIMBY Act – the Yes in My Backyard Act – which encourages localities to cut onerous regulations and adopt pro-housing policies.
We can and we do disagree about almost everything. But on this we should all be able to agree: in the richest country in the history of the world, people should not have to worry about having a roof over their heads. We can fix this, and we must.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced six designations to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in the First and Second Departments. Under New York’s Constitution, the Governor designates Justices of the Appellate Divisions from among the elected Justices of the State Supreme Court. This class is composed of highly skilled jurists who come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, underscoring Governor Hochul’s commitment to ensuring New York State’s judiciary reflects the wide array of people who call New York home. The slate consists of four designations to the Appellate Division, First Department and two designations to the Appellate Division, Second Department.
“These designations to the Appellate Division are part of my continued commitment to building a judiciary that embodies the highest standards of legal excellence and reflects the rich diversity of New York,” Governor Hochul said. “Each of these jurists brings a wealth of experience and perspective that will strengthen our courts and help ensure that justice is served fairly and equitably across our state.”
As Justices of the Appellate Division, First Department:
Honorable Troy Webber, Associate Justice
Justice Troy K. Webber was elected to the Civil Court, New York County, in 1993 and assigned to the county of her birth, Bronx County. In 2002, she was elected to the Supreme Court. In 2009, Justice Webber was appointed Acting Surrogate in New York County, where she served for almost 2 years and then returned to Supreme Court, Bronx County. In 2016, Justice Webber was appointed to the Appellate Division, First Department.
Justice Webber began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York County. She then served as a Law Assistant to a State Supreme Court Justice, Assistant New York State Attorney General and Deputy Bureau Chief at the New York City Law Department. Justice Webber was also a litigation associate at a law firm. Justice Webber is a graduate of New York University School of Law, where she serves on the Alumni Board of Directors.
Justice Webber serves as Co-Chair of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission and is a member of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, the Association of Women Judges, the Judicial Friends, and the New York County Lawyers Association. She serves on the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure and is a member of the board of directors of JALBCA (Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert).
Justice Webber participates in the Scales of Justice Academy, a summer legal educational program for underserved female high school students, as well as the Legal Outreach Program. She mentors students who attend NYU Law School, the City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Fordham University School of Law and participates in moot court programs sponsored by NYU Law School and New York Law School. Justice Webber is also an adjunct professor in criminal justice at Monroe University.
Honorable Saliann Scarpulla, Associate Justice
Justice Saliann Scarpulla is a graduate of Boston University and Brooklyn Law School, cum laude. After law school, Justice Scarpulla clerked for the Hon. Alvin F. Klein in Supreme Court, New York County. When her clerkship concluded, Justice Scarpulla joined Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn as a litigation associate. Justice Scarpulla later moved to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as Senior Counsel in the New York Legal Services Office. From the FDIC Justice Scarpulla became Senior Vice President and Bank Counsel to Hudson United Bank.
Justice Scarpulla returned to the New York State court system in 1999, as Principal Court Attorney to the Hon. Eileen Bransten. She was then elected to the New York City Civil Court in 2001, appointed to the New York State Supreme Court in 2009, and elected to the Supreme Court in 2012. From 2014 to 2020, Justice Scarpulla sat in the New York County Commercial Division, and she was responsible for all international commercial arbitration matters pending in the State Supreme Court. In 2020, Justice Scarpulla was appointed to the Appellate Division, First Department.
Justice Scarpulla is a contributing author to the Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts treatise and has authored numerous articles on technology and commercial litigation. She is a frequent lecturer for, among others, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York County Lawyers Association, the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Practicing Law Institute, and the New York State Judicial Institute. Justice Scarpulla has received the Louis J. Capozzoli Gavel award and the Thurgood Marshall award from the New York County Lawyers Association, the Rapallo/Scalia award from the Columbian Lawyers Association, and service awards from the National Association of Italian American Women and the New York Women’s Bar Association.
Justice Scarpulla is active in several New York City and statewide bar associations and is a Business Court Representative to the American Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Intellectual Property subcommittee. She is a member of New York’s Commercial Division Advisory Council, and the Co-Chair of the Council’s Subcommittee on Use of Technology in Commercial Division Cases. Justice Scarpulla also sits on the Chief Judge’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee, and, in October 2019, she was appointed for a term to the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board. Justice Scarpulla is a past Co-President and current Board member of Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA).
Honorable Shlomo Hagler, Additional Justice
Hon. Shlomo S. Hagler is the current Presiding Justice of the Appellate Term, First Department. He was appointed to the court in 2021. Justice Hagler began his judicial career in 1999, when he was appointed to New York City Housing Court. In 2003, he was elected to the New York City Civil Court, and in 2008, Justice Hagler was designated an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County. As an Acting Justice, he established and presided over an “Innovative Guardianship Part” that combined the authority of the Supreme Court under the Mental Hygiene Law with that of the Housing Court. This initiative aimed to protect and empower vulnerable individuals within the community. In 2012, he was elected to the Supreme Court.
Justice Hagler earned his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University in 1988, and a Juris Doctor from the City University of New York Law School in 1991. He started his legal career as an associate at Bartlett, Bartlett & Ziegler, P.C., before serving as Court Attorney to Hon. Martin Shulman, currently an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department.
Justice Hagler recently received an award celebrating his 25 years on the bench from the New York County Lawyers Association and in April 2025, received the Benjamin N. Cardozo award from the Jewish Lawyers Guild for excellence in the legal profession. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Lawyers Guild and the Gender Fairness Committee of the Supreme Court, New York County. Justice Hagler has given numerous lectures as a judicial panelist on various legal topics, including protecting tenants with disabilities in housing.
Honorable Margaret Anne Pui Yee Chan, Additional Justice
Justice Chan, elected in 2021 to the New York State Supreme Court, serves in the New York County Commercial Division resolving complex business disputes. Before her election, she was an Acting Justice from 2012, handling a wide range of cases from mass torts to constitutional litigation.
Born in Hong Kong, she immigrated to Canada at age seven and then, at fourteen, to Brooklyn. When she was elected to the New York City Civil Court in 2006, she became the first Asian immigrant woman to become a New York judge. Before ascending to the bench, Justice Chan had an immigration and appellate practice in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Her partner was Benjamin Gim, who co-founded the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund.
Justice Chan attended Brooklyn College full time, where she majored in economics while also working full-time. She later attended Touro Law Center on a scholarship and was the managing editor of the Law Review. She then completed five years as a senior court attorney at the Appellate Division, Second Department.
Justice Chan serves on various court committees, including the Committee on AI and the Courts and Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions (PJI) – Civil. She also served as a Fordham University School of Law adjunct professor from 2018-2024, teaching legal research and writing and the judicial-externship seminar.
As Justices of the Appellate Division, Second Department:
Honorable Elena Goldberg Velazquez, Additional Justice
Justice Elena Goldberg Velazquez was appointed to the Appellate Term, 9th and 10th Judicial Districts, in 2024, where she hears appeals from landlord-tenant court, small claims court, civil court and criminal court. Recently, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was elected as the President of the Latino Judges Association.
In 2022, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was elected to the New York State Supreme Court, 9th Judicial District. Presently, she is assigned to Westchester County where she has presided over a variety of civil hearings and trials. Since her ascension to Supreme Court, she has also been published in the New York Law Journal. Prior to becoming a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was a Yonkers City Court Judge, where she handled criminal matters from arraignment to disposition, landlord-tenant matters (both residential and commercial), small claims and civil matters. She also presided over trials and felony hearings. In addition, while in City Court she was appointed as an Acting Family Court Judge presiding over the Integrated Domestic Violence Court.
Prior to being elected to the bench, Justice Goldberg Velazquez worked at the Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Department for nearly a decade. Prior to working at the Appellate Division, Justice Goldberg Velazquez worked at private law firms handling primarily civil matters.
Justice Goldberg Velazquez is an active member of her community, having founded and served as president of her local neighborhood association. She has served as the President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, Chair of the Women’s Committee and Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee. She is presently a member of the New York State Bar Association, Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association, Puerto Rican Bar Association, New York Women’s Judges Association, Westchester County Bar Association, Westchester Women’s Bar Association and the Yonkers Lawyers Association.
Justice Goldberg Velazquez is a graduate of CUNY School of Law, where she was the managing editor of the New York City Law Review and now serves on the Board of Visitors. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Syracuse University where she graduated Pi Sigma Alpha. While at Syracuse, Justice Goldberg Velazquez was on the Dean’s List and a member of the nationally ranked Mock Trial Team.
Justice Goldberg Velazquez resides in Westchester with her husband and two young daughters.
Honorable Susan Quirk, Additional Justice
Hon. Susan Quirk was elected to the Civil Court Bench in Brooklyn in 2016, where she served until 2018. She was then assigned to Brooklyn Family Court in 2018 to augment the bench in response to the enactment and implementation of the Raise the Age legislation, where she presided until 2022 when she was elected to the Supreme Court in Brooklyn where she currently presides over all types of criminal matters.
Prior to becoming a judge, strongly attracted to both public service and the study of law, Judge Quirk began working as a paralegal in 1998 in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office while attending Brooklyn Law School in the evening. She graduated in 2004, receiving the distinction of being awarded the “Cali Excellence for the Future” Award for achieving the highest grade in Trial Advocacy. Upon being admitted to practice in 2005, Judge Quirk continued her career in public service by becoming an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, where she served with distinction until 2013, when she was designated a Court Attorney Referee in Supreme Court, where she continued to serve the public as a Hearing Officer until her election to the bench.
Active in the legal community, Judge Quirk is a member of the Supreme Court Justices Association of the City of New York; the Puerto Rican Bar Association; the Brooklyn Bar Association; the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association; the Columbian Lawyers Association; the Catholic Lawyers Guild, Kings County Chapter; the Richmond County Bar Association; the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association, where she previously served on the Administrative Board; and the New York City Civil Court Judges Association, where she previously served as the Vice President for Richmond County.
Judge Quirk is the proud mom of two young daughters, both of whom currently attend her alma mater, St. Joseph Hill Academy.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, participated in Malaysia Blockchain Week 2025, to strengthen its ties with Southeast Asia’s fast-growing digital economy. The event, hosted at Kuala Lumpur’s World Trade Centre, drew 3,300+ attendees from 20 countries, with support from Malaysian agencies like MDEC, the Ministry of Digital, and Tourism Malaysia.
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen delivered a keynote address titled “Two Strategies to Thrive in a Volatile Market.” She spotlighted Bitget’s focus on real-world utility, from its $300M user Protection Fund to new tools like GetAgent (an AI trading helper) and xStocks for tokenized equities. Gracy pointed to her 2024 MYBW visit as the turning point. This year, she unveiled PayFi, Bitget’s bid to simplify cross-border crypto payments in emerging markets.
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen delivering her keynote on the mainstage of MYBW 2025.
“Malaysia Blockchain Week has become a key platform in this region,” saidGracy Chen, CEO of Bitget.“Bitget will continue building here, through partnerships, localization, and product innovation. Our goal is to show up meaningfully, through utility, education, and experiences that resonate.”
Bitget also teamed up with Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) to host Hype Drop: Kopi Rave, a side event held at Thong Kee Kopitiam in Kuala Lumpur. Blending wellness, streetwear, music, and collectibles, it drew over 400 attendees and generated strong social media buzz.
Bitget Trivia winners with their various merch including the much-coveted Bitget Labubu doll.
Malaysia Blockchain Week 2025 served as a timely stage for Bitget to reinforce its global leadership while celebrating Southeast Asia’s role in Web3 adoption. From shaping cross-border payment infrastructure to pioneering real-world asset trading, Bitget’s message at MYBW was clear: building in this space is about more than innovation.
About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.
Risk Warning:Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to ourTerms of Use.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, participated in Malaysia Blockchain Week 2025, to strengthen its ties with Southeast Asia’s fast-growing digital economy. The event, hosted at Kuala Lumpur’s World Trade Centre, drew 3,300+ attendees from 20 countries, with support from Malaysian agencies like MDEC, the Ministry of Digital, and Tourism Malaysia.
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen delivered a keynote address titled “Two Strategies to Thrive in a Volatile Market.” She spotlighted Bitget’s focus on real-world utility, from its $300M user Protection Fund to new tools like GetAgent (an AI trading helper) and xStocks for tokenized equities. Gracy pointed to her 2024 MYBW visit as the turning point. This year, she unveiled PayFi, Bitget’s bid to simplify cross-border crypto payments in emerging markets.
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen delivering her keynote on the mainstage of MYBW 2025.
“Malaysia Blockchain Week has become a key platform in this region,” saidGracy Chen, CEO of Bitget.“Bitget will continue building here, through partnerships, localization, and product innovation. Our goal is to show up meaningfully, through utility, education, and experiences that resonate.”
Bitget also teamed up with Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) to host Hype Drop: Kopi Rave, a side event held at Thong Kee Kopitiam in Kuala Lumpur. Blending wellness, streetwear, music, and collectibles, it drew over 400 attendees and generated strong social media buzz.
Bitget Trivia winners with their various merch including the much-coveted Bitget Labubu doll.
Malaysia Blockchain Week 2025 served as a timely stage for Bitget to reinforce its global leadership while celebrating Southeast Asia’s role in Web3 adoption. From shaping cross-border payment infrastructure to pioneering real-world asset trading, Bitget’s message at MYBW was clear: building in this space is about more than innovation.
About Bitget
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform.
Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.
Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.
Risk Warning:Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to ourTerms of Use.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
Operation Grayskull Eradicated Four Dark Web Child Abuse Sites and Led to the Convictions of 18 Offenders to Date, Who Have Collectively Received More than 300 Years in Prison
Today, the Justice Department announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI that resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). To date, the operation has led to the convictions of 18 offenders, including a Minnesota man who was sentenced yesterday to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of these dark web sites. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.
“Today’s announcement sends a clear warning to those who exploit and abuse children: you will not find safe haven, even on the dark web,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These offenders thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong. Thanks to the relentless determination of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners we have exposed these perpetrators for who they are, eliminated their websites and brought justice to countless victims.”
“This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”
“Yesterday’s sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from those who exploit and harm them through the despicable trade in child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice. We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks.”
Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise and conspiracy to distribute child pornography on Feb. 27. According to court documents, Katsampes joined a dark web site dedicated to CSAM in 2022, advertised and distributed CSAM over the website, including CSAM depicting prepubescent children, and eventually worked his way up to a staff position on the web site, which, among other things, involved moderating the site, enforcing the site’s rules for posting CSAM, and advising the site’s users about how to post CSAM.
In addition to Katsampes, eight individuals have been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement in running the primary site targeted by Operation Grayskull.
Defendant
Residence
Case Status
Selwyn David Rosenstein
Boynton Beach, Florida
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Matthew Branden Garrell
Raleigh, North Carolina
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Robert Preston Boyles
Clarksville, Tennessee
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Gregory Malcolm Good
Silver Springs, Nevada
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
William Michael Spearman
Madison, Alabama
Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in prison and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Joseph Addison Martin
Tahuya, Washington
Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in prison and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Joseph Robert Stewart
Milton, Washington
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Keith David McIntosh
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, both as a person with a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.
Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in prison.
The website’s leaders advertised and distributed CSAM, promulgated rules for the website, enforced the rules by banning or scolding users who violated them, held staff meetings, recruited members to serve as staff members, recommended users for promotion, edited and deleted user posts, praised individuals for participating in and contributing to the website, kept records of CSAM posts made by individual members, and paid for and maintained the website servers, among other things.
Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of a total of four sites dedicated to images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. These websites were some of the most egregious on the dark web, and they included sections specifically dedicated to infants and toddlers, as well as depictions of violence, sadism, and torture. The websites also contained detailed advice on how to avoid detection by law enforcement – for example, by using sophisticated technologies.
In other judicial districts around the country, nine additional individuals have been convicted for their involvement with these websites, including the following:
Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted in the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison;
Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in prison;
Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in prison;
David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to nine years in prison;
Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison;
Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in prison;
Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in prison;
Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted in the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.
Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.
Two other individuals in the United States died before being charged for their involvement with the websites. The operation also resulted in arrests in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the cases.
Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller of the Southern District of Florida coordinated the operation and prosecuted the defendants in the Southern District of Florida.
Substantial assistance for the cases prosected in the Southern District of Florida was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Tacoma, Washington; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Minneapolis, Minnesota; CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Wisconsin, Western District of Washington, Western District of Michigan, and District of Minnesota.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Operation Grayskull Eradicated Four Dark Web Child Abuse Sites and Led to the Convictions of 18 Offenders to Date, Who Have Collectively Received More than 300 Years in Prison
Today, the Justice Department announced the results of Operation Grayskull, a highly successful joint effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI that resulted in the dismantling of four dark web sites dedicated to images and videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). To date, the operation has led to the convictions of 18 offenders, including a Minnesota man who was sentenced yesterday to 250 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for his involvement with one of these dark web sites. He was also ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution.
“Today’s announcement sends a clear warning to those who exploit and abuse children: you will not find safe haven, even on the dark web,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These offenders thought that they could act without consequences, but they were wrong. Thanks to the relentless determination of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners we have exposed these perpetrators for who they are, eliminated their websites and brought justice to countless victims.”
“This operation represents one of the most significant strikes ever made against online child exploitation networks,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’ve not only dismantled dangerous platforms on the dark web, but we’ve also brought key perpetrators to justice and delivered a powerful message: you cannot hide behind anonymity to harm children.”
“Yesterday’s sentencing reaffirms our steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from those who exploit and harm them through the despicable trade in child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Thomas Peter Katsampes and his co-conspirators ran some of the darkweb’s most heinous networks, enabling horrific crimes against innocent victims, but Operation Grayskull has shut these sites down and delivered justice. We applaud the FBI and our international partners for their tireless work, and let this be a clear warning: we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone engaged in such atrocities, no matter how they attempt to cover their tracks.”
Thomas Peter Katsampes, 52, of Eagan, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise and conspiracy to distribute child pornography on Feb. 27. According to court documents, Katsampes joined a dark web site dedicated to CSAM in 2022, advertised and distributed CSAM over the website, including CSAM depicting prepubescent children, and eventually worked his way up to a staff position on the web site, which, among other things, involved moderating the site, enforcing the site’s rules for posting CSAM, and advising the site’s users about how to post CSAM.
In addition to Katsampes, eight individuals have been convicted and sentenced in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement in running the primary site targeted by Operation Grayskull.
Defendant
Residence
Case Status
Selwyn David Rosenstein
Boynton Beach, Florida
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography, five counts of advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Sentenced on Dec. 12, 2022, to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $80,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Matthew Branden Garrell
Raleigh, North Carolina
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to 20 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $158,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Robert Preston Boyles
Clarksville, Tennessee
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on Aug. 15, 2023, to 23 years and four months in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Gregory Malcolm Good
Silver Springs, Nevada
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 25 years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $93,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
William Michael Spearman
Madison, Alabama
Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
Sentenced on Jan. 23, 2024, to life in prison and ordered to pay $123,400 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Joseph Addison Martin
Tahuya, Washington
Pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.
Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 42 years in prison and ordered to pay $174,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Joseph Robert Stewart
Milton, Washington
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography.
Sentenced on April 18, 2024, to 23 years and 9 months in prison and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution to victims of his offense.
Keith David McIntosh
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, both as a person with a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.
Sentenced on Dec. 19, 2024, to 55 years in prison.
The website’s leaders advertised and distributed CSAM, promulgated rules for the website, enforced the rules by banning or scolding users who violated them, held staff meetings, recruited members to serve as staff members, recommended users for promotion, edited and deleted user posts, praised individuals for participating in and contributing to the website, kept records of CSAM posts made by individual members, and paid for and maintained the website servers, among other things.
Operation Grayskull resulted in the dismantling of a total of four sites dedicated to images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. These websites were some of the most egregious on the dark web, and they included sections specifically dedicated to infants and toddlers, as well as depictions of violence, sadism, and torture. The websites also contained detailed advice on how to avoid detection by law enforcement – for example, by using sophisticated technologies.
In other judicial districts around the country, nine additional individuals have been convicted for their involvement with these websites, including the following:
Charles Hand, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was prosecuted in the District of Maryland and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison;
Michael Ibarra, of Wenatchee, Washington, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced to 12 years in prison;
Clay Trimble, of Fordyce, Arkansas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas and was sentenced to 18 years in prison;
David Craig, of Houston, Texas, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to nine years in prison;
Robert Rella of Chesapeake, Virginia, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison;
Samuel Hicks, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was prosecuted in the Northern District of Indiana and was sentenced to 16 years in prison;
Richard Smith of Dallas, Texas, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to 14 years in prison;
Patrick Harrison, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was prosecuted in the Western District of Michigan and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison.
Thomas Gailus, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and his sentencing is pending.
Two other individuals in the United States died before being charged for their involvement with the websites. The operation also resulted in arrests in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Belgium, and South Africa.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the cases.
Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller of the Southern District of Florida coordinated the operation and prosecuted the defendants in the Southern District of Florida.
Substantial assistance for the cases prosected in the Southern District of Florida was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Tacoma, Washington; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Minneapolis, Minnesota; CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Wisconsin, Western District of Washington, Western District of Michigan, and District of Minnesota.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on His Majesty King Charles III at Sandringham Estate, the summer residence of the British monarch, during his visit to the United Kingdom.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his happiness over the recovery of His Majesty’s health and the resumption of his royal duties. The two leaders held discussions on a range of issues including health, sustainable living, and traditional practices such as Ayurveda and Yoga. Both sides expressed interest in promoting these practices for the benefit of people around the world.
Bilateral relations between India and the United Kingdom also featured in the talks. The leaders noted that the recent signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) would bring new momentum to the partnership. The Prime Minister briefed His Majesty on the progress made by India in the field of renewable energy, with a focus on sustainable development.
Discussions also covered areas of cooperation on climate change and sustainability, and both leaders reiterated their shared commitment to working together towards a greener future. The two also explored ways to strengthen collaboration within the framework of the Commonwealth.
Prime Minister Modi thanked His Majesty for joining the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign and presented him with a sapling, which will be planted at Sandringham Estate during the upcoming autumn planting season.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Six Months into Trump Admin, Pressley Reintroduces Bill to Codify Equity, Improve Government Services for Underserved Communities
Bill Text | Press Conference Video
WASHINGTON – As the nation marks six months of the Trump Administration, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07),Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Chair of the Congressional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus, and their colleagues are affirming their unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid Donald Trump’s attacks and continuing to advance an affirmative, equitable vision for communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
Congresswoman Pressley was joined by Maya Wiley, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League, Juan Proaño, CEO, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Rob Weissman, Co-President, Public Citizen, at a Capitol Hill press conference yesterday to discuss their broader fight to defend diversity amidst the Trump Administration’s harmful and unprecedented onslaught on DEI. The full video from their press conference is available here.
“Donald Trump’s first six months in office have been a precise, intentional assault on people of color, as well as our LGBTQIA+ siblings, folks with disabilities, and other marginalized people. Despite this, we’re more resolved than ever in our commitment to a more just, equitable, and diverse America,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m proud to join my colleagues and movement partners in making plain that we will not be silenced and we will not stand by as Donald Trump and extremist Republicans resegregate America and continue rolling back our hard-earned civil rights. We must work to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion is the law of the land. That is why the Equity in Government Act is deeply necessary and will aide our efforts by helping to ensure the federal government works for all people.”
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just policies—they are essential commitments to fairness and opportunity for all,” said Congressman Jackson, Co-Chair of the Congressional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Caucus. “The escalating rollback of DEI protections is a direct attack on the rights and futures of Black, brown, Veterans, and disabled Americans. We will not accept the reckless undoing of progress won through generations of struggle. I stand with my colleagues and communities across this country to defend DEI, because every person in America deserves the dignity to thrive. This fight is about justice, about truth, and about building a nation where no one is left behind.”
“In a time when others seek to divide and exclude, this bill is a beacon of hope for Latino communities who have long been left behind. Ensuring equity in government isn’t just a box to check — it’s a lifeline for the more than 60 million Latinos in our country,” said Juan Proaño, CEO of LULAC. “By making diversity, equity, and inclusion the law of the land, this policy will uplift our families and ensure our voices are heard in every federal agency. LULAC is proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley, Congressman Jackson, and their colleagues on this bold, affirmative vision for America, because an inclusive America is a stronger America for us all.”
“The Leadership Conference supports the Equity in Government Act because federal agencies are required by civil rights laws and principles to make sure they are serving all communities fairly,” said Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Regardless of your race, ZIP code, or bank account, we need the government to make sure we are getting the health care, education, and other services we all need. We are witnessing cuts that harm a Latino child who attends Head Start or a student with disabilities who relies on educational supports in schools, in addition to the elimination of grants that address health disparities of people of color — all because they are part of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. This bill ensures agencies have to collect data, listen to communities, and have dedicated teams focused on serving everyone equitably. Democracy is more than just a promise — it’s an obligation to enact and enforce civil rights. We will not go back to a time when this country didn’t care about all of us. We continue to fight for a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible future for all our people.”
“The National Urban League’s 2025 State of Black America report, ‘A State of Emergency: Civil Rights, Democracy, and Progress Under Attack’ lays bare a deliberate, coordinated campaign to reverse decades of progress,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. “In the last six months, federal departments protecting civil rights have been defunded, voting protections rolled back, and diversity programs criminalized. Far-right actors have weaponized the term ‘woke’ to attack equity, inclusion, and even historical truth. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice has been twisted into a tool of political retaliation. The National Urban League is proud to stand with Congresswoman Pressley and all our allies to meet this moment of crisis.”
“Every American should be appalled by the racist, sexist and ableist policies of this administration, which aim to exacerbate social and economic inequality. Every American should also understand that these policies are not only unjust, they make America weaker. Rollbacks in consumer protection, environmental protection, civil liberties and more – carried out under the cloak of “anti-DEI” policies – leave every American more vulnerable to abuses and the country itself far weaker. That’s why America needs Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s leadership and passage of the Equity in Governance Act.” – Rob Weissman, Public Citizen Co-President
“Inclusive America is a non-profit and bipartisan organization that works to ensure the government is as diverse as the American people. With this reasoning, our team worked with Rep. Pressley to push the Equity in Government Act which is a critical step towards a broader reform of civil rights and equal opportunity.” — Inclusive America Advocacy Team
As part of her fight to defend diversity, Congresswoman Pressley is introducing the Equity in Government Act, legislation to advance equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. The bill would codify key ideas from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Orders 13985 and 14091 —which Donald Trump revoked on his first day in office —to ensure that federal agencies continue their work to promote equal opportunity for all, including people of color, women, rural communities, individuals with disabilities, and others that have been systemically excluded from participating fully in economic, social, and civic life.
Full text of the Equity in Government Act is available here.
On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 13985, launching a historic, whole-of-government effort to advance equity by requiring federal agencies to identify and address barriers to serving underserved communities. In 2023, he followed with EO 14091, which expanded this work by establishing agency equity teams, a White House steering committee, and annual equity action plans to embed equity in federal planning.
This progress was long overdue. In 2021, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) found that most federal agencies lacked the demographic data necessary to identify barriers to equity in their programs and services – let alone develop serious plans to eliminate them. Yet, on his very first day in office, Trump dismantled these equity-focused efforts, underscoring the need for statutory protections.
The Equity in Government Act codifies several key ideas from the Biden EOs and ensures that agencies continue this work for years to come – regardless of who occupies the White House. Specifically, it would:
Require agencies include at least one goal relating to improving the equitable provision of services when they submit Agency Strategic Plans and Agency Performance Plans;
Require agencies to consult with community organizations and other stakeholders as they develop and revise their strategic plans and work towards their performance goals;
Permanently authorize the Federal Chief Data Officer Council, which works to improve the quality, use, and management of data for evidence-based government operations, and ensuring that the Council’s work facilitates fair and equitable outcomes;
Establish an Equity Subcommittee of the existing Performance Improvement Council, which would serve as an interagency working group to facilitate the development and sharing of guidance, data, and best practices for providing government services fairly, and would be required to solicit input directly from those receiving such services; and
Establish statutory requirements for an Agency Equity Advisory Team within each federal agency, led by the agency’s Performance Improvement Officer and with representation from key internal agency offices.
Co-sponsors of the Equity in Government Act include Representatives Alma Adams, Joyce Beatty, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Shontel M. Brown, André Carson, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Yvette D. Clarke, James Clyburn, Danny K. Davis, Cleo Fields, Valerie Foushee, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Sylvia R. Garcia, Steven Horsford, Jonathan L. Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Robin L. Kelly, Timothy M. Kennedy, Summer L. Lee, Stephen Lynch, LaMonica McIver, Kweisi Mfume, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Lateefah Simon, Darren Soto, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Nydia Velazquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams.
The bill is endorsed by the following organizations: AAPI Victory Alliance, ACLU, African American Policy Forum, American Oversight, Common Cause, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inclusive America, Interfaith Alliance, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Action Network, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, National Urban League, National Black Justice Collective, Popular Democracy, Public Citizen, and SEIU.
In April 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Administration officials at a White House event to announce the executive orders, which followed calls from Congresswoman Pressley and then-House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney for robust data collection, assessment tools, and stakeholder engagement to ensure the success of the initiative. Video of the event is available here.
Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities, and transform the criminal legal system to center the dignity, humanity, and equality of everyone who calls America home —especially during the second Trump Administration.
On January 22, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful executive actions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the placement of DEI employees on leave ahead of their eventual layoffs.
In February, during Black History Month, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, legislation to establish a federal commission to examine the lasting legacy of slavery and develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people.
In May, she and Senator Paul Tonko led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.
Earlier this year, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.
Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Booker are the lead co-sponsors of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.
Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)
Congressman Baird Applauds Secretary Rollins and USDA for Reorganization Efforts and Moving Operations to Indiana
Washington, July 24, 2025
Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) applauded U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s announcement on reorganizing the department to better align with its mission of supporting American agriculture by moving a portion of USDA’s operations to Indianapolis, IN.
“For far too long, our federal agencies in Washington, D.C., have made decisions affecting millions of Americans with no connection to the people they serve,” said Congressman Baird. “The bloated bureaucracy in the swamp has grown, while the services our federal agencies provide have not improved, all at taxpayers’ expense. I am proud that the USDA has chosen to make better use of taxpayer funds through this reorganization and relocate a portion of the agency to the great State of Indiana. Our state truly is the crossroads of America, and with our thriving and diverse agricultural industries, Secretary Rollins made an excellent decision in choosing to relocate USDA closer to our farmers. Indiana boasts of its diverse agricultural products and exports and is one of the top agricultural states in our country. With our excellent land-grant universities and their extensions, Indiana is also a leader in research and development, making our state uniquely poised to provide our farmers with access to cutting-edge innovations and technologies. I thank Secretary Rollins for her outstanding leadership at USDA and for her continued commitment to prioritizing our great American farmers and producers.”
“We are thrilled to see the responsiveness of Secretary Rollins and the administration to support farmers and ranchers by moving government closer to farmers and ranchers. A big win for Indiana and Midwest farmers in particular,” said Scott Beck, President of Beck’s Hybrids.
PANAMA CITY, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The cryptocurrency market faced heavy volatility as XRP dropped sharply, while LF Labs (LF Coin) attracted attention as a potential safe haven. XRP’s decline followed large wallet transfers, yet LF Labs showed resilience and gained support from a growing investor base. As panic hit XRP, LF Coin’s tokenomics and ecosystem strength helped it stand out during the correction.
XRP Faces Sharp Drop Amid Co-Founder Transfers
XRP’s price fell over 10% within 24 hours, breaking below the critical $3.27 pivot level. The drop followed a $175 million transfer of 50 million XRP from a wallet linked to co-founder Chris Larsen. As sell-off fears spread, XRP futures recorded $81.7 million in liquidations, and trading volume rose 149.8%.
The heavy volume confirmed intense selling pressure as market participants rushed to exit positions. South Korea’s Upbit exchange reportedly accelerated the decline by selling more than 75 million XRP. Meanwhile, the MACD histogram signaled weakening bullish momentum, falling from +0.06 to +0.041.
Source: X
Despite speculation of a long-term decline, some analysts maintained a bullish view, citing technical setups. A potential XRP recovery hinges on the outcome of the ongoing lawsuit with the U.S. SEC. Legal experts believe a settlement before the August 15 status deadline may limit penalties and boost sentiment.
LF Labs (LF Coin) Attracts Positive Momentum
While XRP struggled, LF Coin gained traction due to strong fundamentals and community-focused tokenomics. Despite market pressure, LF Coin fell only 10.19%, supported by its expanding ecosystem and clear use cases. Unlike XRP, LF Coin benefits from active market-making, strategic exchange support, and real-world utilities.
LF Labs celebrated its fourth anniversary with an announcement of 20 upcoming exchange listings scheduled for July 30. These listings are expected to bring greater visibility and liquidity to the LF Coin. The project’s focus on building a robust token economy also enhances investor confidence during broader market pullbacks.
LF Coin operates a crypto-to-fiat PoS system, LF Wallet, and supports Web3 startups through its accelerator. This approach creates sustained value and drives long-term growth for LF Coin holders. LF Labs’ commitment to both capital and infrastructure differentiates it from other projects.
LF Coin Tokenomics Highlight Community Commitment
LF Coin’s tokenomics allocate 60% of the supply to the community, encouraging widespread participation and fair distribution. The team and contributors each receive 15%, and 10% is reserved for public sale. This structure reinforces decentralization and ensures strong grassroots engagement within the ecosystem.
The maximum supply of LF Coin is capped at 10 billion, with nearly 3 billion already in circulation. The project’s utility-based model supports consistent usage and strengthens price stability over time.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with his UK counterpart Keir Starmer at Chequers, the countryside retreat of the British Prime Minister. A photo shared by PM Modi in a post on X showed the two leaders engaged in a deep conversation over tea.
In his post, PM Modi said, “‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with PM Keir Starmer at Chequers… brewing stronger India-UK ties!”
At the same venue, the two leaders also interacted with business leaders, highlighting the importance of the recently signed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which they said has opened up new avenues for trade and investment.
“Interacted with business leaders at Chequers. The signing of the India-UK CETA has opened up new avenues for trade and investment. It marks a pivotal step in strengthening our economic partnership,” PM Modi posted on X.
The leaders also toured an exhibition showcasing flagship products and innovations from both India and the UK. In another post, PM Modi said, “At Chequers, PM Keir Starmer and I saw an exhibition which gave a glimpse of the strong economic linkages between India and the UK. With the signing of CETA, these linkages will rise manifold.”
Later, the Prime Ministers interacted with young players from the Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs, where PM Modi gifted them a bat signed by the Indian cricket team that won the T20 World Cup.
Sharing moments from the interaction, PM Modi posted, “India and the UK are connected by a shared passion for cricket. At Chequers, PM Keir Starmer and I interacted with players from Buckinghamshire Street Cricket Hubs. Great to see sport fostering people-to-people ties between our nations. Also gave my young friends a bat signed by the Indian cricket team which won the T20 World Cup.”
The two leaders also posed with the Premier League trophy. Sharing the photograph on X, PM Modi said, “Football is widely admired among India’s youth and several football clubs based in the UK are very popular in India.”
We are living in an age of anxiety. People face multiple existential crises such as climate change and conflicts that could potentially escalate into nuclear war.
So how do people cope with competing threats like this? And what happens to climate anxiety when wars suddenly erupt and compete for our attention?
Climate change affects our physical and mental health, directly through extreme climate-related droughts, wildfires and intense storms. It also affects some people indirectly through so-called “climate anxiety”. This term covers a range of negative emotions and states, including not just anxiety, but worry and concern, hopelessness, anger, fear, grief and sadness.
A team of researchers led by Caroline Hickman from the University of Bath surveyed 10,000 children and young people (aged 16 to 25 years) in ten countries (Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, the UK and the US). They found that 45% of respondents said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily lives. It was worse for respondents from developing countries.
Climate anxiety can potentially serve a positive function. Anger, for example, can push people to act to help mitigate the effects of climate change.
But it can also lead to “eco-paralysis”, a feeling of being overwhelmed, inhibiting people from taking any effective action, affecting their sleep, work and study, as a result of them dwelling endlessly on the problem.
Climate anxiety is not included in the American Psychiatric Association’s authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. In other words, it is not officially recognised as a mental disorder.
Some say this is a good thing. The author and Stanford academic Britt Wray wrote: “The last thing we want is to pathologise this moral emotion, which stems from an accurate understanding of the severity of our planetary health crisis.”
But if it is not officially recognised, will people take it seriously enough? Will they just dismiss people who suffer from it as “snowflakes” – too sensitive and too easily hurt by the hard realities of life. This is a major dilemma.
I explore how climate anxiety relates to other types of clinical anxiety in my recent book, Understanding Climate Anxiety, recognising that there are adaptive and non-adaptive forms of anxiety.
According to Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist from the University of British Columbia, adaptive anxiety can “motivate climate activism, such as efforts to reduce one’s carbon footprint”. Maladaptive anxiety, however, may “take the form of anxious passivity”, he warned, where the person feels anxious but utterly helpless.
Identifying different types of climate anxiety, understanding their precursors and how they interact with personality is a major psychological challenge. Identifying ways of alleviating climate anxiety and making it more adaptive, and focused on possible climate mitigation, is a major societal challenge.
But there’s another important issue. Some global leaders, including Donald Trump, don’t believe in human-induced climate change, claiming it’s “one of the great scams”. He seems to view climate anxiety as an overblown reaction to propaganda pumped out by a biased media.
This can make the experience much worse for those who feel anxious but then having their feelings dismissed.
Some psychologists argue that climate anxiety can be a form of pre-traumatic stress disorder. This hypothesis arose from observations of climate scientists and their growing feelings of anger, distress, helplessness and depression as the climate situation has worsened.
In 2015, researchers devised a new clinical measure to assess pre-traumatic stress reactions using items found in the diagnostic and statistical manual for post-traumatic stress disorder, but now focused on the future rather than the past, asking about “repeated, disturbing dreams of a possible future stressful experience”, for example.
They tested Danish soldiers before their deployment in Afghanistan and found that “involuntary intrusive images and thoughts of possible future events … were experienced at the same level as post-traumatic stress reactions to past events before and during deployment”.
They also found that soldiers who experienced higher levels of pre-traumatic stress before deployment had an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder after their return from the war zone. Their hypervigilance primed their nervous system to react more strongly when anything untoward occurred.
This would suggest that we need to take stress reactions to future anticipated events such as climate change very seriously.
The crisis response
But how important is climate anxiety in the context of these other threats? Researchers assessed the emotional state and mental health of people aged 18 to 29 years in five countries (China, Portugal, South Africa, the US and UK) focusing on three global issues: climate change, an environmental disaster (the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan), and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
They found the strongest emotional engagement was with the ongoing wars, with climate change a close second, and the radiation leak third. The strongest emotional responses to the wars were concern, sadness, helplessness, disgust, outrage and anger. For climate change, the strongest responses were concern, sadness, helplessness, disappointment and anxiety.
All three crises made young people feel concerned, sad, and very importantly helpless, but climate change has this burning level of anxiety added into the bubbling mix.
It seems that climate anxiety still has this undiminished power regardless of all the other awful things that are currently happening in the world, and I suspect the stigma of being dismissed as “snowflakes” makes this particular fear response all the more unbearable.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?_
Geoff Beattie has received funding from the British Academy and the AHRC to investigate psychological barriers to climate change mitigation and the effects of climate change on emotional responses.
For the past few weeks the headlines about Gaza have focused on the hundreds of people who have been killed while queueing for food. The aid distribution system put in place in May, backed by the US and Israel and run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has proved to be chaotic and allegedly resulted in violence, with both Israel Defense Forces personnel and armed Palestinian gangs blamed for killing about 1,000 people in the two months the new system has been operating.
Now the headlines are focusing on the growing number of people dying of starvation.
Harrowing reports from the Gaza Strip report almost daily on the children dying of malnutrition in hospitals and clinics that simply don’t have the food to keep them alive. Writing in the Guardian this week, a British volunteer surgeon working in one of Gaza’s hospitals, Nick Maynard, described patients who “deteriorate and die, not from their injuries, but because they are too malnourished to survive surgery”.
The UK and 27 other countries this week has condemned the “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians” who are trying to get food and water. And yet, writes Simon Mabon, still the world’s leaders look on: “Most are apparently content to condemn – but little action has been taken.”
Mabon, a professor of international relations at Lancaster University, quotes the latest report from the IPC, which monitors food security in conflict situations. It estimates that 500,000 people in Gaza are considered to be facing “catastrophe”, while a further 1.1 million fall into the “emergency” risk category. Both categories anticipate a steadily rising death rate among civilians in Gaza.
So how can Israel’s allies apply pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to bring an end to the violence and allow Palestinian civilians access to the food, water and medical supplies they so desperately need?
Mabon canvasses a range of options. First of all, countries that have yet to recognise the state of Palestine can do so. It’s nonsense, Madon believes, to talk of a two-state solution – as the UK government does – when you haven’t actually recognised the second state in the equation.
Then they could stop selling arms to Israel. Many countries already have. But the US still issues export licenses for some weapons that are sold to Israel.
There are a plethora of other things world leaders could do to pressure Israel. Mabon recommends having a look at what the world did to isolate South Africa during the apartheid years, measures which eventually helped bring about meaningful change there.
As for Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister is reported to be considering an early election. In previous months this looked like a move freighted with jeopardy. An election loss brought on by a disenchanted electorate, heartbroken at the hostage situation and exhausted by the conflict, would probably mean having to face the charges of corruption which have hung over him for more than five years.
But recent polls have suggested a bump in popularity following his 12-day campaign against Iran. Netanyahu is nothing if not a clever political manipulator. But Brian Brivati, a professor of contemporary history and human rights at Kingston University, believes that to have a chance of winning, the prime minister will need to fight a campaign on three narratives of his government’s success: securing the release of the hostages, defeating Hamas and delivering regional security. “It is a tall order,” Brivati concludes.
Anyone following the situation in Gaza over the past 18 months will have encountered Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for Palestine’s occupied territories. For three years she has monitored the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank, delivering trenchant criticism of Israel’s conduct and those who, by their inaction – and sometimes contrivance – have enabled it.
Earlier this months, the US government imposed sanctions on Albanese, because – as US secretary of state Marco Rubio insisted – she has engaged with the International Criminal Court (also subject to US sanctions) “in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel”. Also she has written “threatening letters to dozens of entities worldwide, including major American companies”.
Alvina Hoffman, an expert in diplomatic affairs and human rights at SOAS, University of London, explains what a special rapporteur does and why their work is so valuable in the defence of human rights.
To Istanbul, where delegations from Russia and Ukraine met yesterday for their third round of face-to-face talks. All 40 minutes of them. There was another agreement of prisoner swaps and the two sides decided to set up some working groups to look into various political, military and humanitarian issues – but online rather in person.
The brevity of the talks came as no surprise to Stefan Wolff. Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham who has provided commentary for The Conversation throughout the conflict in Ukraine, points out that both sides remain wedded to their maximalist war aims. For Russia, this is for Ukraine to accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four provinces of eastern Ukraine, a ban on Ukraine’s membership of Nato and a much reduced military capacity. For Ukraine, it is getting their territory back and Russian acceptance of their national sovereignty, meaning it gets to determine for itself what alliances it seeks.
Donald Trump has told Vladimir Putin that, if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days, he’ll apply harsh secondary sanctions on the countries buying Russian oil and that he plans to supply Ukraine with American weapons (via Nato’s European member states, that is). Wolff believes both sides will now play the waiting game. They will calculate their next move after September 2, when the 50 days run out, and when they know more about what the US president plans to do.
Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, faces pressure from his own people. There have been days of protest at his decision to bring two formerly independent anti-corruption organisations under the direct control of the government. He argues that this was necessary to prevent Russian infiltration, while critics are saying that the Ukrainian president has launched a power grab designed to prevent independent investigation of alleged corruption against people close to him.
Jenny Mathers says these protests, which involve people from all political shades, including people who have fought in the defence of Ukraine since 2022, some with visible injuries, represents a fracture of the “informal agreement between the government and society to show a united front to the world while the war continues”.
Ukrainians protest after Zelensky signs law clamping down on anticorruption agencies.
It’s not as if Zelensky is in clear and present danger of losing his job. His party holds a majority of seats in the Ukrainian parliament, so he governs without having to depend on coalition partners. And the country’s constitution prohibits the holding of elections in wartime – whatever Putin, who regularly insists that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader because he is governing past his term limit, might think. Plus his approval rating sits at 65%.
Zelensky has been quick to soften his stance on this. Mathers says that political corruption is a very sore point in Ukraine, where there was decades of it until the Maidan protests of 2013-14 unseated the pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. As she writes here, “the ‘Revolution of Dignity’ that rejected Yanukovych’s leadership and his policies was also a resounding demonstration of the strength of Ukraine’s civil society and its determination to hold its elected officials to account. Zelensky would be rash not to heed that.
He also knows it’s important for him to present a squeaky clean image to his supporters in the west. So while the protests may not present an immediate threat to his own position, he knows that unless he acts to root out corruption in Ukraine, it’ll be a threat to the future of the country itself.
But ethicist Marcel Vondermassen from the University of Tübingen believes another recent decision by the Ukrainian government is storing up trouble for the future. Ukraine has recently announced its decision to pull out of the Ottawa convention, the treaty that forbids the use of anti-personnel landmines.
In doing so, he’s following the example of Finland, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia which have all also quite the treaty in recent months for fear of Russian aggression.
But as Vondermassen points out, landmines don’t usually switch themselves off when a conflict ends and people are still being killed an maimed in former conflict zones around the world. Often it is farmers at work or children at play who are the victims. If other ways to protect countries from aggression aren’t pursued, as he puts it, in future decades we’ll still be “counting thousands of child casualties … from the landmines laid in the 2020s”.
Thailand-Cambodia: centuries-old dispute flares again
A dispute between the two south-east Asian countries that has been simmering since May flared into life yesterday when five Thai soldiers patrolling the border region were injured after stepping on a landmine – the second such incident in the past week. Both countries have sealed their border and there have been tit-for-tat ambassadorial expulsions.
Cambodia fired rockets and artillery into Thailand, killing 12 civilians. Thailand in turn has launched airstrikes against Cambodia. Both countries are blaming the other for starting it.
Petra Alderman, an expert in south-east Asian politics from London School of Economics and Political Science, traces the origins of this row, which go back to the colonial era in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Travis Van Isacker, Senior Research Associate, School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, University of Bristol
On a cold, wet November evening, Issa Mohamed Omar and more than 30 other men, women and children set off from their informal camp near the northern French port city of Dunkirk. They walked through the darkness in near-silence for around two hours, until they reached the beach from where they hoped to start a new and better life.
As they arrived, five men were busy pumping up an inflatable dinghy and attaching an outboard engine. These people smugglers had charged each of their customers more than a thousand euros for a trip that costs someone with the right passport less than a hundred.
The travellers were given life-vests, arranged into rows and counted. “There are 33 of you,” one of the smugglers said. For many on board, this was not their first attempt at reaching England.
Most came from Iraqi Kurdistan, including Kazhal Ahmed Khidir Al-Jammoor from Erbil, who was travelling with her three children: Hadiya, Mubin and Hasti Rizghar Hussein, respectively aged 22, 16 and seven.
A father and son from Egypt were shown how the engine worked and provided a GPS device and directions to Dover, around 35 miles (60km) to the west across the Channel. Mohamed Omar would later recall:
The Egyptian man was put in charge of steering the boat by the smugglers. He was travelling with his son, who looked like he was in his late teens or maybe early 20s. I do not know how they came to be the driver and navigator.
There were also at least three Ethiopian nationals – one of whom, father-of-two Fikiru Shiferaw from Addis Ababa, sent his wife Emebet at home in Ethiopia a final WhatsApp voice message:
We have already boarded the boat. We are on the way. I will turn off my phone now. Goodnight, I will call you tomorrow morning.
These were the last words she would ever receive from her husband.
What happened to Fikiru Shiferaw and the other passengers on the night of November 23-24 2021 has been the subject of the UK’s Cranston Inquiry which, during March 2025, heard from 22 witnesses to the disaster, including officers involved in the UK’s search-and-rescue (SAR) response. Chaired by former High Court judge Sir Ross Cranston, the independent inquiry also heard from Mohamed Omar from Somalia – one of only two survivors – as well as family members of many of the dead and missing.
These hearings not only shed light on the actions of UK Border Force and His Majesty’s Coastguard officers during the failed rescue operation – designated Incident Charlie – in the early hours of November 24, but the agencies’ approach to “small boat crossings” in general dating back to 2017.
According to the testimonies, officers had been operating under extreme pressure in the months leading up to the disaster. Kevin Toy, master of the Border Force ship Valiant which was sent out to search for the missing dinghy that night, explained that in the run-up to the incident, “night after night” he could see his crew were “utterly exhausted” by the end of their shifts.
The evidence shows the British government was aware of the growing risk that Border Force and HM Coastguard could be overwhelmed by the rising number of small boat crossings – and that people might die as a result. In May 2020, a document produced by the Department for Transport acknowledged that “SAR resources can be overwhelmed if current incident numbers persist”. At least three senior HM Coastguard officers identified the same risk in August 2021.
Multiple communication failures have also been exposed by the inquiry – among British officers, with their opposite numbers in France, and between both countries’ emergency services and the increasingly desperate people aboard the sinking dinghy.
Despite numerous distress calls and GPS coordinates being shared via WhatsApp, a rescue boat failed to reach the travellers in time. Amid the confusion, when their calls stopped, the coastguard assumed Charlie’s passengers had been picked up and were safe. In fact, they were perishing in the cold waters of the Channel over more than ten hours.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
As part of my research into the digital transformation of the UK-France border, I attended the inquiry and have studied the many statements, call transcripts, operational logs, emails and meeting minutes it has made public. Initially, I wanted to understand how the November 2021 disaster became a watershed moment in the UK government’s response to people trying to cross the Channel by small boat or dinghy, catalysing the transformation of the UK’s maritime border into the hyper-surveilled space it is today.
But, after speaking to representatives for Mohamed Omar and the bereaved families as well as migrant rights organisations, larger questions have emerged. In particular, given the inquiry’s singular focus on this one catastrophic event in November 2021, those I spoke to are concerned that its recommendations will be unable to prevent further deaths from occurring in the Channel, which have risen dramatically over the last 18 months.
How ‘small boat crossings’ began
Since the UK and France began operating “juxtaposed” border controls in the early 1990s (meaning border checks occur before departure), asylum seekers trying to reach England have had to make irregular journeys across the Channel. Until 2018, these were typically aboard trains and ferries – after sneaking on to a lorry or through a French port’s perimeter security.
At the time of the “Jungle” camp near Calais in 2015-16, media coverage of collective attempts by its residents to enter French ports spiked UK government investment in the border. Between 2014 and 2018, it gave its French counterpart at least £123 million to “strengthen the border and maintain juxtaposed controls”. These funds paid for French police to patrol the ports and border cities, regularly evict migrants’ living sites, and finance detention and relocation centres.
As admitted by then-home secretary Sajid Javid in 2019, this increased security led people to find other ways across the Channel. Beginning in the winter of 2018, smugglers organised journeys in small, seaworthy vessels they had stolen from marinas along the French coast. These “small boats” continue to lend their name to this migration phenomenon – yet the unseaworthy inflatable dinghies used today, with no keel or rigid hull, are not worthy of the name.
Even in the context of the usual sensationalism surrounding irregular migration to the UK, small boat journeys were met with an especially intense response, both politically and in the media.
When 101 people crossed between Christmas and New Year in 2018, Javid declared it a major incident. Ever since, “stopping the boats” has been one of the UK government’s highest priorities. Despite small boat arrivals making up only 29% of UK asylum claimants in 2018-24, billions of pounds have been spent to try and control the route.
Frosty relations and the ‘pushback’ plan
As Channel crossings rose sharply over 2020-21, worsening relations between France and the UK due to Brexit complicated how the two governments worked together to respond. In his testimony, former clandestine Channel threat commander Dan O’Mahoney – appointed by Javid’s successor, Priti Patel, to “make small boat crossings unviable” – described relations between the two countries as already “very frosty” when he began in August 2020.
After France’s then-interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, axed a plan for UK vessels to take rescued migrants back to Dunkirk, O’Mahoney was tasked by senior ministers to come up with an alternative. The resulting “pushback” plan, called Operation Sommen, involved Border Force officers on jet skis driving into migrant dinghies to turn them back as they crossed the border line into UK waters. When France learned of the plan, O’Mahoney recalled:
They thought it went counter to their and our obligations around safety of life at sea … They objected to it very strongly, and it affected our already quite strained relationship with them further.
Operation Sommen was abandoned in April 2022 before having ever been used in anger. However, preparations were said to have taken up “a very considerable amount of time and resource” at both the Home Office and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency – and had “a detrimental effect” on the UK’s overall SAR response to small boat crossings.
At a meeting of senior officials in June 2021 to discuss Operation Sommen, ministers had made clear that the “numbers of people crossing [was] a political problem” – and that improving SAR capabilities did not “fit with [the] narrative of taking back control of borders”.
Although senior HM Coastguard officers recognised “it is extremely difficult to locate small boats or communicate with those onboard”, the inquiry heard that officers did not recall receiving “any small boat training before November 2021”, other than in the procedure to allow Border Force to push them back to French waters.
The head of Border Force’s Maritime Command, Stephen Whitton, told the inquiry he was under “a huge amount of pressure” to prevent small boat crossings, while also “providing the bulk of the support to search and rescue”. Despite carrying out 90% of all small boat rescues in the Channel and “regularly being overwhelmed”, Border Force Maritime Command received “no additional assets to manage the search and rescue response” before November 2021.
‘The pressure we were under’
When the decision was taken for Border Force – a law enforcement rather than search-and-rescue organisation – to be the primary responders to small boat crossings in 2018, only around 100 people were crossing each month. Yet by the time of the disaster three years later, according to an internal Home Office document, the total for 2021 was “already more than 25,000”.
At the inquiry, O’Mahoney stated: “As 2021 went on, it became much clearer that … frankly, we just needed more [rescue] boats.” Whitton admitted that before the disaster, Border Force, HM Coastguard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and other support organisations were all “on our knees in terms of the pressure we were under, and it was getting hugely challenging”.
The evidence shows this pressure was acutely felt inside Dover’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, which sits atop the port’s famous white cliffs offering a commanding view of the Channel. Inside, Coastguard officers coordinate SAR operations and control vessel traffic in the Dover Strait – one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
On the night of November 23-24, three coastguard officers were on search-and-rescue duty: team leader Neal Gibson, maritime operations officer Stuart Downs, and a trainee – unnamed by the inquiry – who was officially only present as an observer.
HM Coastguard’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Dover overlooking the Channel. Travis Van Isacker, CC BY-NC-SA
Staffing appears to have been a longstanding issue at the Dover coastguard station where, according to divisional commander Mike Bill, there was “poor retention of staff” and “experience and competence weren’t the best”. Only the day before the disaster, during a migrant red days meeting – convened when, due to good weather, the probability of Channel crossers is considered “highly likely” – chief coastguard Peter Mizen had warned that only having two qualified officers at Dover on nights “isn’t enough”.
Over recent months, as the station had become busier responding to small boat crossings and in the wake of an unsuccessful recruitment drive, staff were having to work flat-out throughout their shifts, and were being asked to come in on scheduled days off.
On the night of November 23-24, owing to staff shortages, team leader Gibson told the inquiry he had to cover traffic control duties for three hours from 10.30pm. This meant he was away from the SAR desk at 00.41am, when a message arrived from the national rescue coordination centre along the coast in Fareham, stating that the Coastguard’s scheduled surveillance aeroplanes would not be flying over the Channel that night due to fog.
The officers were told they would be “effectively blind” – and should not allow themselves “to be drawn into relaxing and expecting a normal migrant crossing night”. The message warned: “This has the potential to be very dangerous.”
‘Their boat – there’s nothing left’
According to Mohamed Omar, the sea was calm when he and the other passengers departed the French beach around 9pm UK time. Giving his evidence to the Cranston Inquiry from Paris – he still cannot travel to the UK – a ship approached them around an hour into their voyage:
They came up to us to see what we were doing, and shone a light on us. I remember seeing a French flag on the boat. It was a big boat and I am certain it was the French coastguard. I had heard from people I met in the camp in Dunkirk that this happened sometimes, and that the French boat would follow until you reached English waters.
In fact, Mohamed Omar said, the French ship left the travellers again after about an hour. Shortly after this, the problems began.
A French warship patrols the shore of Mardyck in northern France, close to where Charlie is thought to have departed. Travis Van Isacker, CC BY-NC-SA
Around 1am, seawater began entering the dinghy. By now, it was in the vicinity of the Sandettie lightvessel, around 20 miles north-east of Dover. At first, passengers managed to bail out the 13°C water – but soon the flooding became uncontrollable. The dinghy’s inflatable tube began losing pressure, and a couple of the Kurdish men used air pumps to try to keep it inflated. Others tried to prevent panic spreading among the passengers.
Many onboard began to make frantic calls for rescue. What were reported to be leaked transcripts of some of these calls were published by French newspaper Le Monde a year after the sinking. They showed the first distress call from the dinghy was received by the French coastguard at 12.48am. Speaking in English, the caller said there were 33 people on board a “broken” boat.
According to Le Monde, three minutes later, another call was transferred to the French maritime rescue coordination centre at Cap Gris-Nez by an emergency operator who reported: “Apparently their boat – there’s nothing left.” Following procedure, the French coastguard officer asked the caller to send a GPS position by WhatsApp so she could “send a rescue boat as soon as possible”. At 1.05am UK time, the GPS position arrived.
Rather than send a French boat, Le Monde reported that the officer phoned her counterparts in Dover to warn them a dinghy 0.6 nautical miles from the border line would soon be crossing into UK waters. On the other end of the line was the trainee officer, who was handling routine calls that night despite officially only being an observer.
After the call finished, according to Downs’s evidence to the inquiry, the trainee mistakenly told him the dinghy was thought to be “in good condition” – information he recorded in the log for Incident Charlie. This miscommunication may have affected the urgency of the UK’s SAR response, preventing HM Coastguard and Border Force from appreciating the severe distress the “broken” dinghy was in.
Just before 1am, the French coastguard had sent its migrant tracker spreadsheet, containing information on all small boat crossings that night, to HM Coastguard for the first time. It showed four migrant dinghies at sea – which Gris-Nez had been aware of “for many hours”, according to Gibson.
The issue of the French coastguard appearing to withhold information about active small boat crossings had been raised by HM Coastguard’s clandestine operations liaison officer during a July 2021 review. And earlier that very evening, Gibson told one of his colleagues:
Sometimes they just seem to keep it quiet. Like we’ll not get anything – then we’ll get a tracker at three in the morning with 15 incidents, and they go: ‘Mostly these are in your search-and-rescue region.’ Wonderful.
At 1.20am, Downs phoned Border Force Maritime Command in Portsmouth to request a Border Force vessel search for the dinghy Charlie. He provided the GPS position received from his French counterpart and the number of people onboard – but also the incorrect information that “they think it’s in good condition”.
Ten minutes later, the Valiant, Border Force’s 42-metre patrol ship stationed at Dover, was tasked to proceed towards the Sandettie lightvessel. At the same time, the first direct call to the Dover rescue coordination centre came in from Charlie. The distressed caller said they were “in the water” and that “everything [was] finished”.
Around 15 minutes later, at 1.48am, Gibson took a call from 16-year-old Mubin Rizghar Hussein, who spoke good English. Despite the noise and commotion, he managed to provide Gibson with a WhatsApp number – in order to share their GPS position. The transcript of this call records voices shouting in the background: “It’s finished. Finished. Brother, it’s finished.”
A ‘grave and imminent threat to life’
Gibson told the inquiry that after his call with Rizghar Hussein, he had a “gut feeling that this doesn’t feel quite as usual”. By “usual” he meant what was, according to maritime operations officer Downs, a commonly held belief at the Dover coastguard station that with “nine out of ten”“ callers from small boats: “It would generally be overstated that the boat … was sinking, people were drowning … Whatever was going on would be overstated.”
Acting on his gut feeling, at 2.27am Gibson took the unprecedented decision to broadcast a Mayday Relay – denoting a “grave and imminent threat to life”. By maritime law, this alert required other vessels to offer their assistance.
Gibson told the inquiry he did this to get the French warship Flamant to respond. He could see on his radar screen that Flamant was closest to Charlie’s position and was the best vessel to rescue the people if the dinghy really was sinking.
Why the Flamant did not respond is at the centre of an ongoing criminal investigation in France into two of the warship’s officers and five coastguards from Gris-Nez, for “non-assistance of persons in distress”. This investigation’s strict confidentiality obligation means the inquiry was unable to access any information from the French side about their operations that night.
At 2.01 and again at 2.14am, HM Coastguard had received new GPS positions via WhatsApp showing the dinghy to be more than a mile inside UK waters.
Valiant, having been tasked at 1.30am, only exited the port of Dover at 2.22am and would need at least another hour to reach the Sandettie. Despite this, no other vessel was sent to join the search. At 3.11am, when asked during a call by Border Force Maritime Command whether Charlie was “still a Mayday situation”, Gibson replied: “Well, they’ve told me it’s full of water.”
With a total of four small boats being shown in the Channel that night by the French tracker spreadsheet, Gibson suggested there could be as many as 110 people on board these dinghies – beyond Valiant’s capacity for taking on survivors. Nevertheless, Border Force and HM Coastguard opted to “wait and see what the numbers are, and whether Valiant can deal with that … We don’t want to call any other assets out just yet.”
In a call with Christopher Trubshaw, captain of the Coastguard rescue helicopter stationed at Lydd on the Kent coast, aviation tactical commander Dominic Golden explained that Border Force was “not prepared to bring in their crews who are pretty knackered” unless “we can convince them there are people in real danger”. He then asked Trubshaw to search the Channel for the small boats shown in the French tracker, as the surveillance aeroplanes had been unable to take off.
In her closing submission to the inquiry, Sonali Naik, a legal representative of the survivors and bereaved families, highlighted Golden’s “dismissive attitude” towards Charlie’s distress when he gave Trubshaw the reason for the request, which included the following:
As usual, the catalogue of phone calls is beginning to trickle in … You know, the classic ‘I am lost, I am sinking, my mother’s wheelchair is falling over the side’ etc. ‘Sharks with lasers surrounding boat’ and ‘we are all dying’ type of thing.
Nevertheless, Golden asked the helicopter crew to pack a liferaft. “I can’t imagine we’re going to need it but … potentially you get to play with one of your new toys.”
While Golden described his words as “unwise” or “flippant”, Naik said they were “more than that” – suggesting they revealed rescuers’ general perceptions of the occupants of small boats and the widely held scepticism towards their distress calls.
‘We are dying. Where is the boat?’
With the water inside rising fast and their dinghy collapsing, Charlie’s increasingly desperate passengers kept trying to get rescuers to appreciate how dire their situation was.
At 2.31am in the Dover rescue coordination centre, Gibson received a second call from Mubin Rizghar Hussein, who pleaded: “We are dying, where is the boat?”
Gibson replied: “The boat is on its way but it has to get …” only to be interrupted by Rizghar Hussein saying: “We all die. We all die.”
“I get that,” Gibson told the terrified teenager, “but unfortunately, you’re going to be patient and all stay together, because I can’t make the boat come any quicker.” He ended the call saying:
You need to stop making calls because every time you make a call, we think there’s another boat out there – and we don’t want to accidentally go chasing for another boat when it’s actually your boat we’re looking for.
Gibson broke down briefly when recounting this second call during his evidence to the inquiry, explaining:
If you don’t understand what’s fully going on and you’re getting ‘we’re all going to die’, it’s quite a distressing situation to find yourself in, sitting at the end of a phone – effectively helpless. You know where they are, you want to get a boat to them, and you can’t.
Call records also show that coastguards on both sides of the Channel passed responsibility for rescuing the sinking dinghy off to one another. According to Le Monde, during one call a passenger told the French coastguard officer he was “in the water” – to which she replied: “Yes, but you are in English waters.”
The transcript of the last call before Charlie capsized, made at 3.12am, reveals that Downs asked “where are you?” 17 times – despite the caller being unable to answer anything beyond “English waters”. The maritime operations officer finished by instructing the caller to hang up and dial 999: “If it won’t connect on 999, then you’re probably still in French waters.”
In her closing submission, Naik pointed to “discriminatory stereotypes and attitudes towards migrants on small boats which fatally affected the SAR response” for Charlie – as rescuers, in her words, “jumped to premature conclusions”. According to survivor Mohamed Omar:
Because we have been seen as refugees … that’s the reason why I believe the rescue, they did not come at all. We feel like we were … treated like animals.
Fatal assumptions
At 3.27am, Border Force’s ship Valiant arrived at Charlie’s last recorded GPS position (from 2.14am) – but found nothing. Its master, Kevin Toy, decided to head north-easterly towards the Sandettie lightvessel, the way the tide was flowing.
En route, Valiant spotted two other dinghies in the darkness using its night vision – one still making its way towards the English coast, the other stopped in the water. The stationary dinghy was in greater danger from the Channel’s shipping traffic, so Valiant went to it and began rescuing those onboard – radioing back that it had “engaged unlit migrant crafts stopped in the water” with approximately 40 people onboard.
In the Dover rescue coordination centre, Gibson assumed this dinghy could be Charlie and gave Mubin Rizghar Hussein’s name and telephone number so Valiant’s crew could verify whether he was on board. At 4.16am, Gibson himself tried calling the WhatsApp number that Rizghar Hussein had shared, but the call failed.
At 4.20am, Valiant completed its first rescue of the morning. Two more followed after the Coastguard helicopter spotted two other dinghies in the Sandettie area – but nobody in the water. A near-capacity Valiant then returned to Dover just after 8am with 98 survivors on board.
None of the three rescued dinghies matched the description of Charlie. All were in good condition, differently coloured, and with disparate numbers of people onboard – yet the misplaced assumption Charlie had been rescued persisted amid the night’s murky information environment. Gibson stated that, while he had soon received additional information matching Valiant’s first rescue to a different dinghy, he was still “fairly certain Charlie had been picked up”.
“Once Valiant had picked up these [three] boats,” he explained, “we no longer received calls from Charlie, and a call to a known phone number on Charlie failed.” As a result, neither Valiant nor the Coastguard helicopter were sent back out to continue searching for the stricken dinghy.
In fact, Gibson’s call to Rizghar Hussein’s WhatsApp number did not fail because Charlie’s passengers had been rescued – nor because they had thrown their phones into the sea when Border Force arrived. Rather, it was because the dinghy had capsized and everyone had fallen into the Channel’s freezing waters.
‘No one came to our rescue’
In harrowing evidence to the inquiry, Mohamed Omar explained how, as one side of the dinghy deflated, the passengers – “hysterical and crying” – panicked and moved to the opposite side. This shift in weight caused the dinghy to capsize:
The screaming when the boat tipped and people fell in the water was deafening. I have never heard anything as desperate as this. I was not thinking about whether we were going to be rescued any more; it was all about how to stay alive.
As the passengers were thrown into the water, the dinghy flipped on top of them. Mohamed Omar described having to swim out from underneath to catch a breath: “It was dark and I could not really see. It was extremely cold and the sea was rough.”
As he surfaced, he saw Halima Mohammed Shikh, a mother of three also from Somalia and travelling alone, struggling as she couldn’t swim. She screamed his name for help, and he tried to get her back to what was left of the dinghy – but couldn’t. “I think she was one of the first people to drown,” he told the inquiry.
Others managed to cling to the broken inflatable, hoping rescue was on its way – but “no one came to our rescue”. Pushed and pulled by the waves, some lost their grip and drifted away before dawn. Mohamed Omar recalled:
All night, I was holding on to what remained of the boat. In the morning, I could hear the people were screaming and everything. It’s something I cannot forget in my mind.
By the time the sun finally rose at 7.26am, he estimated that no more than 15 people were left clinging to the broken dinghy – adrift on the tide in a busy shipping lane:
I do not recall speaking with anyone in the water. Those who were alive were half-dead. There was nothing we could do any more. I could see bodies floating all around us in the water. I presume most people were either already dead or were unconscious.
Shortly afterwards, Mohamed Omar said he let go of the dinghy and began to swim, thinking to himself: “I am going to die [but] I don’t want to die here. At least if I die whilst swimming, I won’t feel it.”
He swam towards a boat he could see in the distance and, as he got closer, began to wave his life jacket for attention. A French woman, out fishing with her family, saw him and jumped in the water to save him.
As he finished telling his story, Mohamed Omar told the inquiry: “I’m a voice for those people who passed away.”
Bodies are found
Around 1pm on the afternoon of November 24, 12 hours after the first distress calls from Charlie, a French commercial fishing vessel began finding bodies in the sea nine miles north-west of Calais. But as the news came in, no one at HM Coastguard or Border Force appears to have made the connection with Incident Charlie.
Days later, when the accounts of Mohamed Omar’s fellow survivor, Mohammed Shekha Ahmad from Iraqi Kurdistan, and a relative of two of the deceased emerged, the Home Office refuted their claims that the dinghy had sunk in UK waters as “completely untrue”.
However, five days after the disaster, Gibson contacted the small boats tactical commander to share his concerns that the reported deaths could be from Charlie. He had read a news article in which “the survivor states a male called Mubin called the emergency services, which could possibly be the ‘Moomin’ [sic] I spoke to”.
On December 1, clandestine Channel threat commander O’Mahoney responded to a question from the UK’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, as to whether the migrants whose bodies had been found in French waters had made distress calls to the UK authorities. O’Mahoney told the committee:
We are looking into that. To manage your expectation, though, it may never be possible to say with absolute accuracy whether that boat was in UK waters [and] I cannot tell you with any certainty that the people on that particular boat called the UK authorities.
Thanks largely to their grieving families tireless pursuit of the truth, however, it is now possible to say definitively that Charlie had been in UK waters – and that a number of its passengers spoke to HM Coastguard officers.
It was only after these families raised concerns that the disaster had involved the UK authorities that the Department for Transport commissioned a safety investigation into the incident in January 2022. A lawyer for the bereaved families suggested to me that without the threat of legal action, the Department for Transport “would likely not have done anything” – despite this being Britain’s worst maritime disaster for decades. Meanwhile, according to inquiry evidence, the Home Office is understood not to have conducted an internal review or investigation into its role in the disaster.
After a frustrating two years of waiting for the survivors and bereaved families, the Marine Accidents Investigations Branch published its report – which both confirmed most of their accounts and substantiated their criticisms of the SAR response.
Soon afterwards, the Cranston Inquiry was announced. Despite no bodies having been recovered in UK waters, it has been run almost like an inquest. In his final report – to be published by the end of 2025 – Sir Ross Cranston has promised to “consider what lessons can be learned and, if appropriate, make recommendations to reduce the risk of a similar event occurring”.
A ‘crucial and unique opportunity’
HM Coastguard and Border Force officers have repeatedly told the inquiry how the UK’s approach to small boat search-and-rescue has changed since the November 2021 disaster. More officers have been hired, Border Force has contracted additional boats to conduct rescues, information sharing has improved, and cooperation with French colleagues is better. Today, there are significantly more rescue ships on both sides of the Channel which can intervene faster when dinghies come to be in distress, and have undoubtedly saved many lives.
There has also been massive investment in drones, aeroplanes and powerful shore-based cameras to reduce the risk that HM Coastguard loses “maritime domain awareness” again if some of its surveillance aircraft are unable to fly. New technology automatically translates coastguard officers’ messages into different languages and extracts live GPS locations and images from travellers’ mobile devices.
Such investments make it unlikely that another dinghy could be lost in the middle of the Channel after its passengers call for help, in the way Charlie so catastrophically was.
Nevertheless, people continue dying while attempting to cross the Channel – with 2024 having been by far the deadliest year yet. At least 69 people lost their lives, according to the Refugee Council. So far in 2025, 24 people are documented as dead or missing at the UK-France border by Calais Migrant Solidarity, amid a record number of attempted crossings for the first half of the year.
Some migrants’ rights NGOs have suggested the UK’s “stop the boats” policies, and European efforts to disrupt the supply chain of dinghies and other equipment used in crossings, has driven such deadly overcrowding.
But it is also unlikely that the circumstances surrounding more recent deaths in the Channel will ever be investigated as thoroughly as Incident Charlie, if at all. Lawyers for the bereaved families have therefore been keen to highlight the Cranston Inquiry’s “crucial and unique opportunity” not only to look back and offer answers about one of Britain’s worst maritime disasters in recent decades – but to look forwards and “prevent the further loss of life at sea”.
The survivors, families and migrants’ rights organisations who contributed their evidence thus hope the inquiry’s recommendations go beyond purely operational and administrative improvements to search-and-rescue, to address the fundamental role that UK, France and European border policies play in why more people are dying in the Channel, despite the improvements to search-and-rescue strategies and resources.
Above all, they ask why only some people are able to travel to the UK in comfort and safety while others must make the journey in precarious, overcrowded inflatable dinghies – and thus entrust their lives to the search-and-rescue services whose success can never be guaranteed. As Halima Mohammed Shikh’s cousin, Ali Areef, told the inquiry:
It makes me feel sick to think about crossing the Channel in a ferry where others including a member of my family lost their lives because there was no other way to cross. I will never take a ferry across the Channel again.
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Travis Van Isacker gratefully acknowledges the support of the Economic and Social Research Council
(UK) (Grant Ref: ES/W002639/1).
