Council services update for St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday
14 March 2025
Derry City and Strabane District Council have reassured residents that many council services will remain undisrupted over the St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday on Monday 17th March.
Recycling Centres across the city and district will open with their usual opening hours on St Patrick’s Day. Residents are reminded that bin collections will also operate as normal on Monday 17th March.
A number of Leisure Centres will close on St Patrick’s Day including Riversdale Leisure Centre, Melvin Sports Complex, Derg Valley Leisure Centre, Templemore Sports Complex, City Baths, Brooke Park Leisure & Sports Centre and Bishop’s Field. The Foyle Arena will operate as normal on Monday, 17th March.
Cemeteries, Museums and Visitor Services will also run as normal with the Guildhall and the Tower Museum opening as usual on St Patrick’s Day.
The Registrar’s office in both Derry and Strabane will close on Monday 17th March, reopening as normal on Tuesday 18th March.
Council’s dog wardens and kennels will be open as normal.
Council offices on Strand Road, Derry and on Derry Road, Strabane will remain closed on Monday 17th March and reopen as normal on Tuesday 18th March.
The Alley Theatre, Strabane will be open from 1pm until 4pm on St Patrick’s Day with entertainment for all the family.
A local company illegally putting up posters in and around York has been found guilty by York Magistrate’s Court and ordered to pay £5,421.
Between July and October 2024, a large number of posters appeared in and around York and were reported to City of York Council. The notices were A1 (roughly 60 x 84centimetres), had been put up without permission and were advertising Oakwood Resorts Ltd based at Newton on Derwent.
The company had not sought or been given permission by the council to display these posters, which were found on council-owned lamp posts and traffic lights.
Warning letters were sent to the company and, when it failed to respond, the company was given ten fixed penalty notices. None were acknowledged or paid.
Following an investigation of the company’s promotional activities, Oakwood Resorts was prosecuted at York Magistrate’s Court on Friday 7 March 2025.
No-one from the company attended court, no plea was submitted and it was found guilty in its absence of fly posting.
The Magistrate issued a fine of £2,500, a surcharge of £1,000 and costs of £1,921 – a total of £5,421.
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Safer Communities at City of York Council, said:
Putting up adverts on council property without permission is a criminal offence. It risks obscuring important information, blocking road users’ sight lines, damaging council property and cleaning it up diverts council resources.
A ‘Team Aberdeen’ of academics, students and energy business experts joined Aberdeen City Council representatives this week at the world’s premier energy conference in Houston.
The Aberdeen delegation at the CERAWeek Conference comprised representatives from the Council, including Council Co-leader Councillor Christian Allard, the Net Zero Technology Centre, Peterson Energy Logistics, Robert Gordon University, and the University of Aberdeen.
Councillor Allard was present during two panel sessions at the conference and the diverse group worked to underline Aberdeen’s credentials as one of the world’s leading energy cities.
Robert Gordon University student Lara Pedrosa, whose participation at the conference along with fellow Msc students Alex Sinclair and Erin Koon was made possible with the support of the SRM Foundation, said before the event: “Absolutely thrilled to be part of the NEXTGen cohort.”
“I’m looking forward to understanding how energy leaders are using data and AI to aid energy transition and what may be applicable to Aberdeen in its own journey.
“I’m excited to engage with experts and academics from a range of disciplines centred around energy transition. I am extremely grateful to the SRM Foundation and Robert Gordon University for creating this opportunity and supporting me throughout the week.”
Councillor Allard said: “The world faces the pressing challenges of climate change and the need for sustainable and secure energy solutions. The importance of collaboration in the energy transition has never been more critical.
“We seek to innovate, implement, and scale the technologies and practices that will drive a cleaner, more resilient energy future investment in the city, bringing the world of oil gas and renewable energy together for a just transition as well as bringing people back to Offshore Europe in Aberdeen in September.
“No single organisation will achieve Net Zero on their own, all of the energy sector is mobilised to achieve this in Aberdeen. It’s collaboration from the public and private sector, like we’re seeing here in Houston this week, and a ‘Team Aberdeen’ approach that will ensure we meet our Net Zero and Climate goals.”
As a founding member of the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP), Aberdeen attends CERAWeek in Houston to participate in the conference and the annual WECP Board Working Group.
The world cities of the partnership are home to many of the world’s largest energy companies which are leading initiatives to build a lower-carbon energy future, developing the full range of energy sources to power the world today and into tomorrow.
Photograph shows: Aberdeen City Council Co-leader, Councillor Christian Allard (2nd from left) with mayors from the World Energy Cities Partnership
Edinburgh remains one of the most prosperous and green places to live in the UK, according to findings collated by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The 18th annual Edinburgh by Numbers is based on data from a variety of sources including the ONS, National Records of Scotland and the Scottish Household Survey.
Looked at together, the figures reveal that residents in the Scottish capital are 1.5 times more likely to take up cycling and running – with most (74%) able to enjoy local green spaces within a five minute walk from home.
With 144 parks making up almost half of the city (49%), 92% of people surveyed are satisfied with local green spaces and Edinburgh has almost halved greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade (by 40.9% since 2012).
Highlighting the city’s economic resilience, Edinburgh has retained its position as the UK’s most economically productive city outside of London with some of the highest wages, skilled workers and employment.
Tourism continues to recover from the pandemic, with hotel occupancy rates at their highest in 6 years (81.4%) and 5 million visitors staying overnight in Edinburgh, and air and travel also rebounding.
The city is growing almost three times faster than the rest of Scotland and house prices are valued at the highest in the country. In 10 years, our population has grown by 8.4% to 523,250 people but for the first time, fewer babies are being born.
Further statistics reveal:
Edinburgh’s weather is changing, with April to June now the wettest months
Finance leads Edinburgh’s local economy, generating £7.2 billion – that’s as much as the next three largest sectors combined
Satisfaction with public transport is very high at 86% of those surveyed, well above Scotland’s 64% average
There are more university students in Edinburgh than school pupils (together, they make up 161,000 of the population)
75.8% of workers have a degree, which is far higher than other UK cities
Audiences are eager to return to top rated visitor attractions and events with visitors flocking to Edinburgh Castle (1.9m visitors) the National Museum of Scotland (2.19 million visitors) and the festivals (4.59 million in person and online attendees).
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:
This edition of Edinburgh by Numbers reminds us of the strength and success of our capital city, which continues to punch far above its weight as a place to live, work, invest in and visit.
Thanks to our fantastic parks and air quality, ‘Auld Reekie’ is no more. We’re leading the way in climate consciousness and outdoor living – with the data pointing to more of us cycling and running, high satisfaction rates with public transport and positive scores for wellbeing.
We know that the results of Edinburgh by Numbers are hotly anticipated by professionals from across the tourism sector at home and abroad, and the outlook for hospitality is healthy – people are flocking back to the city’s main attractions and festivals and 5 million visitors are staying overnight. That’s 40% of Scotland’s total overnight tourism with hotel occupancy rates their highest in six years (81.4%).
So, we’re getting outdoors and we’re enjoying our city and, in this report, there is much to celebrate. That said, these numbers also speak to the challenges Edinburgh faces. Drawn by good jobs and a good quality of life, migration means our population is growing three times faster than other Scottish cities. We’re living longer, but the birth rate has dropped. Many residents are struggling with the cost of living – meaning poverty and homelessness remain two of the biggest challenges of our time.
All of this leads to unprecedented demand for homes and public services. Initiatives such as our affordable housebuilding programme, Visitor Levy, climate adaptation and better connectivity around the city will give us more resources and solutions for sustainably managing Edinburgh’s continued economic success and growth.
Denise Hamilton, Head of Communications at Cycling Scotland, commented:
“It’s really encouraging to see 68% of short trips now being made on foot or by bike in Edinburgh. New dedicated cycle routes, like the City Centre West to East Link and Leith Walk, are showing big increases in the proportion of journeys being cycled, compared with other transport.
“As Edinburgh continues to build its planned citywide network of safe, on-street cycle lanes, it’s likely more and more people will choose to get around by bike and benefit from being active, saving money and getting to their destination quickly. And everyone living in or visiting Edinburgh can enjoy cleaner air and less congestion.”
A vote is to be held asking hospitality businesses in Liverpool city centre if they wish to adopt a new tourism-based levy.
Following a formal request from the Liverpool Business Improvement Company, for a levy alteration ballot for the Accommodation BID, Liverpool City Council has assessed the request against the legal requirements and has determined that they have been complied with.
The Council has therefore now organised the ballot for the four weeks leading up to and including the day of the ballot on Thursday, 24 April 2025.
All of those businesses which will be covered by the amended levy (if approved) will be entitled to vote in the ballot and will receive ballot papers shortly.
If approved in the ballot, the alteration would change the existing BID levy based on rateable value to a £2 nightly levy per occupied hotel room or serviced accommodation unit.
At present the amended levy would be payable by any hotel or serviced accommodation hereditament, with a rateable value of £45,000 or above.
The Council will hold the ballot in accordance with the legal requirements, and has appointed Civica Electoral Services (CES) to deliver it on the Council’s behalf.
The ballot will be taken entirely by post, with votes to be returned to CES by 5p.m. on Thursday, 24 April 2025.
Lancaster City Council is marking the activation of a 30km fibre optic network that is set to transform digital connectivity for public sector organisations and businesses across the district.
Project partners at White Lund Depot, the first Lancaster City Council site to be connected to the full fibre network.
The network, which consists of a spine of ultra-fast fibre optic cables connecting Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham, has been developed in collaboration with local network specialists The Networking People (TNP).
The council is also working with Cooperative Network Infrastructure (CNI), who have helped to develop similar networks in Blackpool and Tameside, to make the network available to other public sector partners including the police, NHS, education institutions, and Lancashire County Council.
Businesses will also be able to access the network through internet service providers who are co-operative members, helping to stimulate economic growth by providing access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable digital infrastructure.
Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox, cabinet member with responsibility for Finance, said: “This fibre network marks a significant step forward in strengthening the district’s digital infrastructure.
“The city council’s £1.8m capital investment in a high-speed fibre network will reduce the council’s own costs for data transmission but also create new opportunities for businesses – especially the district’s enviable collection of companies which have digital-intensive operations – and ensure that the district remains at the forefront of digital innovation.
“The project has been delivered on budget and is an exemplar of collaboration between public, private and third-sector organisations. In particular, I would like to thank Tony Doyle of Blackpool Borough Council and the city council’s ICT team for their intensive support to make the project happen.
“With the bulk of the budget being spent with TNP and B4RN, businesses which are owned and based in the district, it is Community Wealth-Building realised at some scale.”
The next step is to develop a state-of-the-art hyper-green data centre facility at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre from which waste heat will be transferred to the swimming pool in order to reduce its running costs.
Heart of England Music, The Music Hub for Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire, hosted a successful Digital Music Festival on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March.
The event celebrated music making across the Hub where Thursday’s event saw a one-minute music showcase on YouTube. Submissions came from schools, music service groups, individual pupils and music organisations across the Hub region.
Everyone came together to celebrate music education pathways and opportunities across the hub region and share their amazing work.
Earlier today (14 March), the hub facilitated a live streamed free concert. This included Raga Garage – live from The Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington Spa, hosted by Hub partner, Leamington Music, who performed a hot melting pot of musical influences, culminating in a sound both new and unique. Inspirational musicians Jyotsna Srikanth and Robert Atchison Violins, Shadrach Solomon Piano and Karthik Mani Percussion performed.
The musicians have tailored their work to attract both classical and contemporary music fans of all ages and cultures.
Heart of England Music was established in September 2024 and brought together the three local authority areas to work strategically together across the geographical area.
Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member Education and Skills at Coventry City Council said: “It was great that schools experienced a unified moment by joining the live stream together. The Hub works with approximately 22,000 students per week.
“With the live stream showing the fusion between western classical and bhangra music, it has no doubt inspired young people to take their skills further and continue making music with other Hub members or music services.
“There’s something really special about mixing the diversity of music sounds from diverse cultures.”
The festival has been led through the events group in the Hub, with leaders from each music service helping develop the programme.
Mark Steele, Coventry Music Lead at Coventry City Council said: “The event was a great way to enable pupils and families to see the opportunities across the region and to see they are just one of many pupils learning instruments.
“We would encourage all young people to watch the videos and if a music group looks exciting, for them to get in touch and give it a go!”
The Environment Committee will be writing to Heathrow Airport following up on a previous commitment from the airport to provide information on the potential environmental impacts of any runway expansion project.
HMICFRS Inspection and Q&A with the Deputy Mayor for the Fire Service
Fire Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am
The Fire Committee will ask the Deputy Mayor responsible for the Fire Service, HM Inspector Lee Freeman KPM, and senior representatives from the London Fire Brigade about issues arising from the recent His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection report on LFB.
A question-and-answer session with the LFB and Deputy Mayor will follow covering diversifying the workforce, training, evacuation of high-rise buildings and the Professional Standards Unit.
The guests are:
Panel 1 – HMICFRS Inspection:
Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service
His Majesty’s Inspector Lee Freeman KPM, HMICFRS.
Jonathan Smith, Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Preparedness and Response, LFB
Charlie Pugsley, Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Prevention, Protection and Policy, LFB
Panel 2 – Q&A:
Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service
Jonathan Smith, Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Preparedness and Response, LFB
Charlie Pugsley, Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Prevention, Protection and Policy, LFB
Budget and Performance Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am
The Budget and Performance Committee will meet to examine the impact of the Mayor’s Climate Budget and Green Finance Fund, and the impact this has had on achieving London’s net zero 2030 target.
The guests are:
Panel 1:
Heidi Sørensen, Head of the Agency for Climate, City of Oslo
Professor Carly McLachlan, the Director of The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester University
Mark Johnson, Public Sector Lead, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Panel 2:
Fay Hammond, Chief Finance Officer, GLA
Pete Daw, Head of Climate Change, GLA
Megan Life, Assistant Director of Environment and Energy, GLA
Sam Longman, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Environment, Transport for London
Kenroy Quellennec-Reid, Head of Impact Investment and Analysis, London Treasury, GLA
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
Press release
Joint statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Charlevoix
A joint statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Charlevoix
We the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met in Charlevoix on March 12 to 14, 2025.
Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security
We reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence.
We welcomed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and in particular the meeting on March 11 between the U.S. and Ukraine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We applauded Ukraine’s commitment to an immediate ceasefire, which is an essential step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the Charter of the United Nations.
We called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We discussed imposing further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other means. This includes the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilized Russian Sovereign Assets. We underlined the importance of confidence-building measures under a ceasefire including the release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children.
We emphasized that any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression. We stated that we will continue to coordinate economic and humanitarian support to promote the early recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference which will take place in Rome on July 10-11, 2025.
We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia’s war and of the reconstitution of Russia’s armed forces. We reiterated our intention to continue to take action against such third countries.
We expressed alarm about the impacts of the war, especially on civilians and on civilian infrastructure. We discussed the importance of accountability and reaffirmed our commitment to work together to achieve a durable peace and to ensure that Ukraine remains democratic, free, strong and prosperous.
Regional peace and stability in the Middle East
We called for the release of all hostages and for the hostages’ remains held by Hamas in Gaza to be returned to their loved ones. We reaffirmed our support for the resumption of unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire. We underscored the imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples and advances comprehensive Middle East peace, stability and prosperity. We noted serious concern over the growing tensions and hostilities in the West Bank and calls for de-escalation.
We recognized Israel’s inherent right to defend itself consistent with international law. We unequivocally condemned Hamas, including for its brutal and unjustified terror attacks on October 7, 2023, and the harm inflicted on the hostages during their captivity and the violation of their dignity through the use of ‘handover ceremonies’ during their release. We reiterated that Hamas can have no role in Gaza’s future and must never again be a threat to Israel. We affirmed our readiness to engage with Arab partners on their proposals to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
We expressed our support for the people of Syria and Lebanon, as both countries work towards peaceful and stable political futures. At this critical juncture, we reiterated the importance of Syria’s and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We called unequivocally for the rejection of terrorism in Syria. We condemned strongly the recent escalation of violence in the coastal regions of Syria, and called for the protection of civilians and for perpetrators of atrocities to be held accountable. We stressed the critical importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process. We welcomed the commitment by the Syrian interim government to work with the OPCW in eliminating all remaining chemical weapons.
We stressed that Iran is the principal source of regional instability and must never be allowed to develop and acquire a nuclear weapon. We emphasized that Iran must now change course, de-escalate and choose diplomacy. We underscored the threat of Iran’s growing use of arbitrary detention and foreign assassination attempts as a tool of coercion.
Cooperation to increase security and resilience across the Indo-Pacific
We reiterated our commitment to upholding a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms and human rights.
We remain seriously concerned by the situations in the East China Sea as well as the South China Sea and continue to oppose strongly unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force and coercion. We expressed concern over the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippines and Vietnamese vessels as well as efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight through militarization and coercion in the South China Sea, in violation of international law. We emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and reiterated our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. We also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.
We remain concerned with China’s military build-up and the continued, rapid increase in China’s nuclear weapons arsenal. We called on China to engage in strategic risk reduction discussions and promote stability through transparency.
We emphasized that China should not conduct or condone activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities and the integrity of our democratic institutions.
We expressed concerns about China’s non-market policies and practices that are leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortions. We further called on China to refrain from adopting export control measures that could lead to significant supply chain disruptions. We reiterated that we are not trying to harm China or thwart its economic growth, indeed a growing China that plays by international rules and norms would be of global interest.
We demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction as well as ballistic missile programs in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. We expressed our serious concerns over, and the need to address together, the DPRK’s cryptocurrency thefts. We called on DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.
We denounced the brutal repression of the people of Myanmar by the military regime and called for an end to all violence and for unhindered humanitarian access.
Building stability and resilience in Haiti and Venezuela
We strongly denounced the ongoing horrifying violence that continues to be perpetrated by gangs in Haiti in their efforts to seize control of the government. We reaffirmed our commitment to helping the Haitian people restore democracy, security and stability, including through support to the Haitian National Police and Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission and an increased role for the UN. We expressed support for Haitian authorities’ efforts to create a specialized anti-corruption jurisdiction that complies with the highest international standards.
We reiterated our call for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela in line with the aspirations of the Venezuelan people who peacefully voted on July 28, 2024, for change, the cessation of repression and arbitrary or unjust detentions of peaceful protestors including youth by Nicolas Maduro’s regime, as well as the unconditional and immediate release of all political prisoners. We also agreed Venezuelan naval vessels threatening Guyana’s commercial vessels is unacceptable and an infringement of Guyana’s internationally recognized sovereign rights. We reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations as an enduring value.
Supporting lasting peace in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
We unequivocally denounced the ongoing fighting and atrocities in Sudan, including sexual violence against women and girls, which have led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and the spread of famine. We called for the warring parties to protect civilians, cease hostilities, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and urged external actors to end their support fueling the conflict.
We condemned the Rwanda-backed M23 offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the resulting violence, displacement and grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations. This offensive constitutes a flagrant disregard of the territorial integrity of the DRC. We reiterated our call for M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force to withdraw from all controlled areas. We urged all parties to support the mediation led by the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, to promote accountability for human rights abuses by all armed actors, including M23 and the FDLR, and to commit to a peaceful and negotiated resolution of the conflict, including the meaningful participation of women and youth.
Strengthening sanctions and countering hybrid warfare and sabotage
We welcomed efforts to strengthen the Sanctions Working Group focused on listings and enforcement. We also welcomed discussions on the establishment of a Hybrid Warfare and Sabotage Working Group, and of a Latin America Working Group.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Kent taxi driver jailed after inflating turnover to secure three Covid loans
Jail for taxi driver who abused Covid Bounce Back Loan Scheme
Taxi driver Nelson Clark dishonestly secured three Covid Bounce Back Loans worth a combined £130,000
Clark fraudulently overstated his turnover on the applications and failed to use the money for his businesses as he was required to do
The 34-year-old has been jailed following investigations into his applications by the Insolvency Service
A Kent taxi driver has been jailed after exploiting a government-backed Covid loan scheme on three separate occasions during the pandemic.
Nelson Clark fraudulently applied for three Bounce Back Loans in 2020 by significantly exaggerating his turnover.
He then used the funds for personal use, breaking the rules of the scheme again.
Clark, 34, of Silver Birch Close, Dartford, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison when he appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday 13 March.
David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Nelson Clark deliberately targeted a scheme which was set up to support genuine small businesses through Covid.
Clark made false representations on not just one occasion, but three times within a two-month period. His actions were clearly dishonest and he made matters worse by spending the money he received for his own personal benefit.
Five years on from the start of the pandemic, the Insolvency Service remains committed to taking action against the fraudsters who cynically applied for money they were not entitled to during a national emergency.
Clark first applied to the bank for a £30,000 Bounce Back Loan in May 2020 on behalf of his N Clark Taxis business.
In the application, Clark claimed his annual turnover was £120,000. But Insolvency Service analysis revealed this was an over-estimate of around £70,000.
Two months later, Clark dishonestly secured a further £100,000 in Bounce Back Loan funds from different banks under the names of Nelson Clark Management and Rosewood Motors.
In both applications, Clark obtained £50,000 by falsely claiming his turnover for both businesses was £200,000 each.
Significant amounts of the £130,000 Clark fraudulently secured were used for personal purposes, including transfers of £80,000 to a third party.
Clark was declared bankrupt in August 2021 and signed a 10-year Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking in March 2022, restricting him from being able to borrow more than £500 without disclosing his bankrupt status.
The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Further information
Nelson Clark is of Silver Birch Close, Dartford, Kent. His date of birth is 6 January 1991
Sentenced for: Fraud by false representation, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
Specialists Faculty of Computer Science HSE and Sber’s Artificial Intelligence Lab have developed a geometric method for data expansion — Simplicial SMOTE. Tests on different data sets have shown that it significantly improves the quality of AI work. The method is especially useful in situations where rare cases are very important, for example, in the fight against fraud or in the diagnosis of rare diseases. Research results available in the open archive Arxiv.org and will be presented at the International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) in Toronto in summer 2025.
The problem of imbalanced data is becoming increasingly important in various fields, including banking and medicine. Traditional methods – random duplication or global sampling – often produce low-quality samples or poorly model rare class data.
The new method proposed by scientists from the Higher School of Economics and Sberbank — Simplicial SMOTE (Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique) — solves these problems: it provides more accurate modeling of complex topological data structures and increases the quality of classifiers on unbalanced data sets.
It helps to create new examples of a rare class using information from several close examples (“simplex”), and not just from two close points, as in the original version of SMOTE and its well-known analogues. This allows for a better understanding of the data and improves the work of AI. The method helps improve the training of artificial intelligence on imbalanced data, that is, in situations where there are many examples of one class (for example, normal transactions), but few examples of another (for example, fraud).
The researchers have experimentally demonstrated on a large number of test datasets that the proposed approach significantly improves the quality metrics (F1 measure, Matthews correlation coefficient) of both the basic SMOTE and its modifications. In particular, an improvement was recorded for gradient boosting, a classifier often used in practice.
“Our method is especially effective in tasks where unbalanced data is common and where the rare class is more significant. Banks can use Simplicial SMOTE to better detect fraud, and medical centers to diagnose rare diseases,” comments one of the authors of the article, Andrey Savchenko, a leading researcher. Laboratories of theoretical foundations of artificial intelligence modelsInstitute of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Sciences Faculty of Computer Science, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
The new method can be integrated into existing oversampling algorithms (Borderline-SMOTE, Safe-level-SMOTE, and ADASYN), increasing their accuracy without significantly increasing computational complexity. The researchers believe that the developed approach can contribute to the development of more accurate and reliable machine learning models and, therefore, to improved analytics.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
The 1st All-Russian scientific and practical conference “Modern approaches in system engineering and digital modeling of complex production systems” (SEDM-2025) was held in the Research Building of the Polytechnic University. The event was organized by the laboratories “Industrial systems of streaming data processing” and “Digital modeling of industrial systems” of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” together with the industrial partner of the SPbPU PISh, the company “Tetracube”.
The conference was dedicated to systems engineering as a methodological approach to the implementation of complex projects in various industries.
Systems engineering is a highly relevant methodological direction in the technological landscape of Russia and the world. It allows implementing complex multi-component projects both for solving frontier engineering problems in the high-tech industry and in other industries – economics, medicine or education. The methodology of systems engineering is universal: it is based on the assessment of all factors, requirements and restrictions that affect the development of the project, and is also a field for the application and development of advanced digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence or mathematical modeling, – noted the chairperson of the conference program committee, head of the Laboratory of PSPOD PISh SPbPU Marina Bolsunovskaya.
The scientific partners of the conference were the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Kazan Federal University, Ivanovo State Polytechnic University and others. The event was supported as industrial partners by the Engineering Center for Textile and Light Industry, the North-West Scientific Center for Hygiene and Public Health of Rospotrebnadzor, Kola MMC, Viziumtex, Olvia and Amdor companies.
SEDM-2025 participants presented scientific research and practical solutions in the field of design, analysis, forecasting and optimization of complex systems in the economy, industry, transport, medicine, social sphere and education. The event attracted more than 200 speakers and listeners – research scientists and representatives of commercial companies and government organizations.
The conference consisted of scientific and practical parts. It was addressed both to “theorists” – specialists who study and develop the methodology of systems engineering, and to practitioners – project managers who use the method of systems engineering to solve specific applied problems at their enterprises.
The presentations were made by recognized experts in the field of studying and implementing approaches to system engineering and digital modeling, theorists and practitioners, as well as students and postgraduates who have chosen system engineering as the direction of their scientific and professional development. For young researchers, the conference became an excellent opportunity to present their research projects to experts, learn their opinions and discuss the practical application of the results.
The plenary session reports presented the main areas of research and development, which were then discussed in more detail in separate sections.
The plenary session was opened by Marina Bolsunovskaya. After welcoming remarks, she spoke about the development of the system engineering methodology using practical examples of the PSPOD Laboratory projects. The speaker noted possible directions for the development of the method and the specifics of its use in implementing complex projects at the enterprises of the laboratory’s industrial partners.
Marina Vladimirovna noted that the requests of enterprises now concern the development of optimization models to identify hidden patterns and develop specific methods for eliminating anomalies. For many customer enterprises, there are no ready-made solutions, so the development of libraries of standard solutions that will allow companies to immediately offer possible solutions for data analysis seems promising.
Elena Tishchenko, Advisor on Digital Economy to the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University, presented a theoretical report on the method of model-based system engineering (Model Based System Engineering) for synthesizing multi-level economic models. The method involves the widespread use of engineering descriptions of objects in the form of models and their platforms in the economy for analyzing complex economic systems.
Alexey Gintsyak, Head of the Laboratory of Digital Modeling of Industrial Systems at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, spoke about the development of a set of tools for generating schedules in production systems using a multi-agent approach. The work is being carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation in 2025-2026. The speaker defined multi-agent systems, highlighted the capabilities and features of the multi-agent approach to the applied task of generating production schedules, and revealed the complexity of generating schedules in a multi-agent environment. In conclusion, Alexey Gintsyak noted that taking multi-agency into account allows for obtaining modeling results that are much more adequate to reality.
The report by the head of the laboratory “System Dynamics” Angi Skhvediani was devoted to the application of methods of systems engineering in agriculture. He spoke about the current work on the platform for automatic prediction of the sorption properties of biochar obtained as a result of processing plant waste of the agro-industrial complex. The project includes the development of a database and a program for the analysis and prediction of the sorption properties of waste using machine learning methods, the development of a recommendation system for enterprises and scientists in terms of selecting optimal technological modes of waste processing to obtain functional materials with the best properties.
Associate Professor of the Higher School of Transport of the Institute of Metallurgical Engineering and Technology Dmitry Plotnikov touched upon the topic of digital modeling in the transport industry. The speaker listed interdisciplinary tasks in the development of unmanned ground transport and noted that digital models in the creation of transport systems and processes can be used as a means of supporting decision-making in the design of the life cycle of a vehicle and transport systems in general, as well as an element of the finished product that determines its operational properties. The speaker shared the experience of creating an unmanned car at the Polytechnic University and the complex tasks that the development team faces.
The conference became a platform for exchanging experience in the field of systems engineering in the transport industry, where there was a place for both experienced professionals and young scientists. Interesting works on the use of simulation modeling for effective traffic management were presented. The reports on the creation of intelligent transport systems deserved special attention, – the speaker noted.
The head of the control and audit department of the enterprise “Gorelektrotrans” Elena Ezhelina made a report on the development of a new model for managing the enterprise of ground urban electric transport for the automation and optimization of its work. One of the first steps in this direction, Elena Aleksandrovna believes, could be the automation of the management of the daily cycle of the enterprise’s work, which will require the creation of a single dispatch service.
Deputy Head of the Traffic Safety Service of Gorelektrotrans Alexey Vishensky spoke about his model for distributing tram and trolleybus drivers on city passenger transportation routes. The model is aimed at ensuring the required volume of transport services while complying with legal requirements. The number of drivers is calculated taking into account the design capacity of the fleet, working time fund, work schedules, vacations, knowledge of routes and other factors.
Anastasia Gorbach, an engineer at Radioavionika JSC, presented an analysis of technologies for implementing artificial intelligence in the process of spelling and punctuation checking using a systems approach. Traditional verification methods based on dictionaries and grammar rules are not effective enough for complex language structures. Using AI to check spelling and punctuation is part of a wider range of technologies that can be applied in the development and optimization of complex technical systems to automate and optimize documentation and communication within the system.
The most popular sections among the participants were on systems engineering in the field of economics and on digital modeling in industry and related industries. More than 40 reports were submitted for some sessions.
Teachers and students from various departments of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, such as the Higher School of Computer Technologies and Information Systems of the IKNK, the Higher School of Project Activity and Innovations in Industry and the Higher School of Transport of the IMMIT SPbPU, the Higher School of Engineering and Economics, the Higher School of Business Engineering and the Laboratory of System Dynamics of the IPMET SPbPU, took an active part in organizing and holding the conference.
Students of the master’s program of the St. Petersburg Polytechnical University “Systems Engineering and Digital Modeling in High-Tech Industries” presented their developments in the field of systems engineering at the conference.
The conference was organized for the first time and, it must be said, exceeded our expectations. We saw great interest in the methodology of systems engineering from industrial partners and university researchers – teachers, researchers, students and postgraduates. Next year, we plan to expand the conference topics. In particular, there will be a hybrid modeling section, entirely dedicated to this promising approach within the framework of systems engineering, which allows combining classical analytics and artificial intelligence technologies, – noted Marina Bolsunovskaya.
Based on the results of the conference, a collection of papers will be published with a DOI and ISBN assigned, and full-text article-by-article placement in the Russian Science Citation Index.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Gazprom Neft Corporate University have launched the Energy to Teach advanced training program. It is aimed at developing new competencies in teachers of secondary vocational educational institutions — participants in the Gazprom Neft College League educational ecosystem.
The goal of the program: to teach teachers to adapt existing college programs to current business needs and demands of industrial partners and to ensure high demand for graduates in the labor market.
The program is designed for 190 hours and is held in a network format from March to May, includes two face-to-face intensive courses and distance modules. 59 teachers from various regions participate in the training.
Development of professional competencies
The program covers modern educational approaches, corporate standards of professions, project methodology and mechanisms for developing educational materials. This approach helps to systematize knowledge and form effective mechanisms for training specialists.
A systematic approach to developing corporate standards allows not only to structure knowledge, but also to form working mechanisms for training specialists in demand. Interaction with experts and project methodology ensure a high level of development of each aspect, – noted Dmitry Tikhonov, Vice-Rector for Additional and Pre-University Education at SPbPU.
Practice-oriented learning
Particular attention is paid to organizing systemic interaction between college teachers and Gazprom Neft representatives. Current employees of the company conduct seminars within the framework of face-to-face modules, and also interact with participants in the formats of direct and inverted internships: they receive teachers at enterprises and go to colleges.
During the implementation of the program, it is important for us to create conditions for the integration of the College League teachers into the Gazprom Neft educational ecosystem and the development of a sustainable system of communications between the college and the customer enterprise on issues of updating educational programs, organizing internships, and exchanging professional expertise, said Ekaterina Solovyova, Head of Development of the Internal Coaching and Mentoring System at the Gazprom Neft Corporate University.
The Role of the Gazprom Neft Corporate University
The corporate university acts as the main customer of the program, actively participating in its development and implementation. It provides methodological support and attracts experts to integrate corporate practices into the educational process.
The Energy to Train program is one of the elements of systematic work with partner colleges to improve the personnel security of the Gazprom Neft group of companies. It is important for us that the educational experience that students receive at the college contributes to their seamless transition to our enterprises, said Bulat Zaripov, Vice-Rector of the Gazprom Neft Corporate University.
Expected results
The program not only allows to bring together the educational programs of secondary vocational education with the needs of the enterprise, but also serves as a platform for building a constructive dialogue between the educational institution and the industrial partner. Participants in the educational process form mutual agreements on the exchange of best practices in matters of personnel training and development, building an internship system, and equipping training grounds.
Responding to market challenges
“Energy to teach” is a response to modern challenges of the secondary vocational education system and industry. Improving teaching skills directly affects the quality of students’ training, and network interaction between the academic environment and business contributes to the formation of highly qualified personnel.
Teachers form future specialists, passing on not only knowledge but also professional values. Our task is to create conditions in which they can master new methods, adapt educational programs and effectively cooperate with business, – emphasized the program curator, head of the Directorate of Continuing Education and Industry Partnership of SPbPU Ivan Kurta.
It should be added that the League of Colleges is one of the largest communities in the field of secondary vocational education, created on the initiative of Gazprom Neft. It unites 20 colleges in 10 regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Khanty-Mansiysk, Sochi and other large cities of the Russian Federation, as well as one college from Uzbekistan.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The IMF Executive Board completed the fifth review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for Nepal, providing the country with access to SDR 31.4 million (about US$ 41.8 million).
Nepal has made tangible progress in implementing economic reforms under the program, despite a challenging political environment and disruptions caused by the September 2024 floods.
The growth recovery is expected to continue in FY2024/25, supported by increased capital spending including on reconstruction, an accommodative monetary policy stance, and additional hydropower generation.
Washington, DC: On March 12, 2025, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the fifth review under the four‑year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for Nepal, allowing the authorities to withdraw the equivalent of SDR 31.4 million (about US$ 41.8 million) under the ECF. This brings total disbursements under the ECF for budget support thus far to SDR 219.7 million (about US$ 289.1 million).
The ECF arrangement for Nepal was approved by the Executive Board on January 12, 2022 (see Press Release No. 22/6) for SDR 282.4 million (180 percent of quota). Nepal has made tangible progress in implementing reforms under the program, which has supported early signs of economic recovery while preserving macroeconomic and financial stability and protecting the vulnerable.
The economy continues to face challenges with subdued domestic demand. Economic activity is expected to pick up moderately in FY2024/25 on account of disruptions caused by the September 2024 floods. Growth is expected to reach 4.2 percent in FY2024/25, supported by a planned increase in capital spending including on reconstruction, an accommodative monetary policy stance, and additional hydropower generation. Post-flood supply-side pressures are expected to be short-lived, and average inflation is projected to remain close to the Nepal Rastra Bank’s target of about 5 percent. Efforts to mobilize revenues will support development spending and fiscal sustainability. The outlook is subject to important downside risks including those related to possible under-execution of capital spending, financial-sector vulnerabilities, and political fragility.
Following the Executive Board discussion, Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, made the following statement:
“Executive Directors welcomed the continued recovery and the broadly adequate performance under the program, acknowledging the challenges posed by political uncertainty and recent flood-related disruptions. They noted that while the outlook remains broadly favorable, it is subject to downside risks. Accordingly, Directors encouraged continued prudent policies to safeguard macroeconomic stability and steadfast implementation of structural reforms to foster sustainable and inclusive growth. Fund capacity development will also be important to achieve program objectives.
“Directors recommended continued gradual, growth-friendly fiscal consolidation to stabilize debt. Noting the need to mobilize revenue to support higher capital spending and protect the vulnerable, Directors welcomed the newly adopted Domestic Revenue Mobilization Strategy. They also underscored the need to strengthen public investment management to enhance capital spending execution. Further advancing fiscal transparency would help to contain fiscal risks and strengthen fiscal sustainability. Directors emphasized the importance of supporting the most vulnerable including through expanding child grants.
“Directors agreed that monetary policy should remain cautious and data-driven to preserve price and external stability. They highlighted the importance of amending the Nepal Rastra Bank Act to strengthen its governance, independence and accountability.
“Directors underscored that increasing financial sector vulnerabilities warrant a proactive approach. They encouraged steps to further align financial sector regulations with international standards, conduct the planned Loan Portfolio Review, and develop a comprehensive strategy to address problematic savings and credit cooperatives. Noting Nepal’s recent FATF grey listing, Directors stressed the urgency of strengthening the AML/CFT framework through reforms to enhance legal, regulatory, and supervisory frameworks.
“Directors called for ambitious structural reforms to support more sustainable and inclusive growth. They recommended efforts to reduce the high cost of doing business, enhance the investment climate, improve governance, and strengthen anticorruption institutions. Nepal’s high vulnerability to natural disasters underscores the importance of enhancing resilience to climate shocks.”
Fiscal Indicators: Central Government (in percent of GDP)
Total revenue and grants
22.9
19.3
19.2
19.8
20.9
21.5
22.1
22.6
22.6
of which: Tax revenue
19.8
16.2
16.4
17.0
17.8
18.4
19.1
19.6
19.6
Expenditure
26.1
25.2
21.9
24.3
25.0
25.4
25.8
26.2
26.2
Expenses
21.7
20.8
18.6
19.3
19.4
19.5
19.6
19.8
19.8
Net acquisition of nonfinancial assets
4.3
4.4
3.3
5.0
5.6
5.9
6.2
6.4
6.4
Operating balance
1.2
-1.4
0.6
0.5
1.5
2.1
2.5
2.8
2.8
Net lending/borrowing
-3.1
-5.8
-2.7
-4.5
-4.1
-3.8
-3.7
-3.6
-3.6
Statistical discrepancy
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Net financial transactions
3.1
5.8
2.7
4.5
4.1
3.8
3.7
3.6
3.6
Net acquisition of financial assets
2.6
-0.9
0.5
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
Net incurrence of liabilities
5.8
4.9
3.2
5.8
5.4
5.1
5.0
4.9
4.9
Foreign
2.0
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.4
Domestic
3.7
3.3
1.6
4.1
3.9
3.7
3.7
3.5
3.5
Money and Credit (annual percent change)
Broad money
6.8
11.4
13.6
10.1
10.1
10.3
10.5
10.7
10.7
Domestic credit
17.9
8.8
6.2
8.2
9.6
10.3
10.5
10.7
10.7
Private sector credit
13.3
4.6
6.1
7.2
8.1
9.1
10.0
10.7
10.7
Saving and Investment (in percent of nominal GDP)
Gross investment
37.6
31.7
32.9
37.5
39.4
38.3
37.0
35.8
34.7
Gross fixed investment
29.0
25.1
26.1
29.7
31.2
30.4
29.3
28.3
27.5
Private
23.6
21.7
22.7
24.7
25.6
24.5
23.1
21.9
21.1
Central government
5.3
3.4
3.3
5.0
5.6
5.9
6.2
6.4
6.4
Change in Stock
8.7
6.6
6.8
7.8
8.2
8.0
7.7
7.4
7.2
Gross national saving
25.1
30.8
36.7
36.2
35.5
34.5
33.2
32.2
31.0
Private
24.4
32.7
36.5
36.3
34.9
33.3
31.6
30.1
29.1
Central government
0.7
-1.9
0.2
-0.1
0.6
1.2
1.7
2.0
2.0
Balance of Payments
Current account (in millions of U.S. dollars)
-5,174
-361
1,663
-630
-1,969
-2,166
-2,321
-2,479
-2,760
In percent of GDP
-12.6
-0.9
3.8
-1.3
-3.8
-3.8
-3.7
-3.6
-3.7
Trade balance (in millions of U.S. dollars)
-13,759
-10,699
-10,431
-12,481
-15,053
-15,957
-16,797
-17,678
-18,664
In percent of GDP
-33.4
-26.2
-24.0
-26.7
-29.2
-28.2
-27.0
-25.8
-24.8
Exports of goods (y/y percent change)
43.9
-19.9
-2.5
8.9
9.6
9.1
9.7
9.4
9.4
Imports of goods (y/y percent change)
21.9
-22.0
-2.5
18.4
19.4
6.3
5.7
5.7
6.0
Workers’ remittances (in millions of U.S. dollars)
8,326
9,485
10,864
11,151
11,680
12,258
12,766
13,283
13,767
In percent of GDP
20.2
23.2
25.0
23.8
22.7
21.6
20.5
19.4
18.3
Gross official reserves (in millions of U.S. dollars)
8,956
10,954
14,547
15,301
15,004
14,821
14,876
14,897
15,289
In months of prospective imports
7.6
9.3
10.5
9.4
8.7
8.1
7.7
7.2
7.0
Memorandum Items
Public debt (in percent of GDP)
42.7
47.1
48.2
50.0
50.4
50.6
50.6
50.5
50.5
Nominal GDP (in billions of U.S. dollars)
41.2
40.9
43.4
46.8
51.5
56.6
62.3
68.5
75.3
Nominal GDP (in billions of Nepalese Rupees)
4,977
5,349
5,776
6,333
7,040
7,792
8,623
9,543
10,562
Net International Reserves (in millions of U.S. dollars)
8,821
10,507
14,064
14,744
14,451
14,321
14,440
14,541
15,027
Primary Deficit (in billions of Nepali Rupees)
110
239
76
183
179
175
180
182
204
Primary Deficit (in percent of GDP)
2.2
4.5
1.3
2.9
2.5
2.2
2.1
1.9
1.9
Tax Revenue (in billions of Nepalese Rupees)
984
866
945
1,074
1,250
1,436
1,648
1,868
2,065
Tax Revenue (In percent of GDP)
19.8
16.2
16.4
17.0
17.8
18.4
19.1
19.6
19.6
Private sector credit (in percent of GDP)
94.2
91.7
90.1
88.0
85.6
84.3
83.8
83.8
83.9
Exchange rate (NPR/US$; period average)
120.8
130.8
133.0
…
…
…
…
…
…
Real effective exchange rate (average, y/y percent change)
1.6
1.2
1.4
…
…
…
…
…
…
1/ Fiscal year ends in mid-July.
Note: The NSO adopts a 3 year cycle in its national accounts producing preliminary, revised and final estimates for real GDP growth. In May 2023 growth was revised up in FY2020/21 from 4.2 percent to 4.8 percent and from 5.3 percent to 5.6 percent in FY2021/22 in light of new data.
Note: Current baseline forecast is as of January 29, 2025.
Source: Republic of France in English The Republic of France has issued the following statement:
We the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met in Charlevoix on March 12 to 14, 2025.
Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security
We reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence.
We welcomed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire, and in particular the meeting on March 11 between the U.S. and Ukraine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We applauded Ukraine’s commitment to an immediate ceasefire, which is an essential step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the Charter of the United Nations.
We called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We discussed imposing further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other means. This includes the use of extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilized Russian Sovereign Assets. We underlined the importance of confidence-building measures under a ceasefire including the release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children.
We emphasized that any ceasefire must be respected and underscored the need for robust and credible security arrangements to ensure that Ukraine can deter and defend against any renewed acts of aggression. We stated that we will continue to coordinate economic and humanitarian support to promote the early recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference which will take place in Rome on July 10-11, 2025.
We condemned the provision to Russia of military assistance by DPRK and Iran, and the provision of weapons and dual-use components by China, a decisive enabler of Russia’s war and of the reconstitution of Russia’s armed forces. We reiterated our intention to continue to take action against such third countries.
We expressed alarm about the impacts of the war, especially on civilians and on civilian infrastructure. We discussed the importance of accountability and reaffirmed our commitment to work together to achieve a durable peace and to ensure that Ukraine remains democratic, free, strong and prosperous.
Regional peace and stability in the Middle East
We called for the release of all hostages and for the hostages’ remains held by Hamas in Gaza to be returned to their loved ones. We reaffirmed our support for the resumption of unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire. We underscored the imperative of a political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that meets the legitimate needs and aspirations of both peoples and advances comprehensive Middle East peace, stability and prosperity. We noted serious concern over the growing tensions and hostilities in the West Bank and calls for de-escalation.
We recognized Israel’s inherent right to defend itself consistent with international law. We unequivocally condemned Hamas, including for its brutal and unjustified terror attacks on October 7, 2023, and the harm inflicted on the hostages during their captivity and the violation of their dignity through the use of ‘handover ceremonies’ during their release. We reiterated that Hamas can have no role in Gaza’s future and must never again be a threat to Israel. We affirmed our readiness to engage with Arab partners on their proposals to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
We expressed our support for the people of Syria and Lebanon, as both countries work towards peaceful and stable political futures. At this critical juncture, we reiterated the importance of Syria’s and Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We called unequivocally for the rejection of terrorism in Syria. We condemned strongly the recent escalation of violence in the coastal regions of Syria, and called for the protection of civilians and for perpetrators of atrocities to be held accountable. We stressed the critical importance of an inclusive and Syrian-led political process. We welcomed the commitment by the Syrian interim government to work with the OPCW in eliminating all remaining chemical weapons.
We stressed that Iran is the principal source of regional instability and must never be allowed to develop and acquire a nuclear weapon. We emphasized that Iran must now change course, de-escalate and choose diplomacy. We underscored the threat of Iran’s growing use of arbitrary detention and foreign assassination attempts as a tool of coercion.
Cooperation to increase security and resilience across the Indo-Pacific
We reiterated our commitment to upholding a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific, based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, fundamental freedoms and human rights.
We remain seriously concerned by the situations in the East China Sea as well as the South China Sea and continue to oppose strongly unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force and coercion. We expressed concern over the increasing use of dangerous maneuvers and water cannons against Philippines and Vietnamese vessels as well as efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight through militarization and coercion in the South China Sea, in violation of international law. We emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and reiterated our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. We also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.
We remain concerned with China’s military build-up and the continued, rapid increase in China’s nuclear weapons arsenal. We called on China to engage in strategic risk reduction discussions and promote stability through transparency.
We emphasized that China should not conduct or condone activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities and the integrity of our democratic institutions.16. We expressed concerns about China’s non-market policies and practices that are leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortions. We further called on China to refrain from adopting export control measures that could lead to significant supply chain disruptions. We reiterated that we are not trying to harm China or thwart its economic growth, indeed a growing China that plays by international rules and norms would be of global interest.
We demanded that the DPRK abandon all its nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction as well as ballistic missile programs in accordance with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. We expressed our serious concerns over, and the need to address together, the DPRK’s cryptocurrency thefts. We called on DPRK to resolve the abductions issue immediately.
We denounced the brutal repression of the people of Myanmar by the military regime and called for an end to all violence and for unhindered humanitarian access.
Building stability and resilience in Haiti and Venezuela
We strongly denounced the ongoing horrifying violence that continues to be perpetrated by gangs in Haiti in their efforts to seize control of the government. We reaffirmed our commitment to helping the Haitian people restore democracy, security and stability, including through support to the Haitian National Police and Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission and an increased role for the UN. We expressed support for Haitian authorities’ efforts to create a specialized anti-corruption jurisdiction that complies with the highest international standards.
We reiterated our call for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela in line with the aspirations of the Venezuelan people who peacefully voted on July 28, 2024, for change, the cessation of repression and arbitrary or unjust detentions of peaceful protestors including youth by Nicolas Maduro’s regime, as well as the unconditional and immediate release of all political prisoners. We also agreed Venezuelan naval vessels threatening Guyana’s commercial vessels is unacceptable and an infringement of Guyana’s internationally recognized sovereign rights. We reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations as an enduring value.
Supporting lasting peace in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
We unequivocally denounced the ongoing fighting and atrocities in Sudan, including sexual violence against women and girls, which have led to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and the spread of famine. We called for the warring parties to protect civilians, cease hostilities, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and urged external actors to end their support fueling the conflict.
We condemned the Rwanda-backed M23 offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the resulting violence, displacement and grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations. This offensive constitutes a flagrant disregard of the territorial integrity of the DRC. We reiterated our call for M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force to withdraw from all controlled areas. We urged all parties to support the mediation led by the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, to promote accountability for human rights abuses by all armed actors, including M23 and the FDLR, and to commit to a peaceful and negotiated resolution of the conflict, including the meaningful participation of women and youth.
Strengthening sanctions and countering hybrid warfare and sabotage
We welcomed efforts to strengthen the Sanctions Working Group focused on listings and enforcement. We also welcomed discussions on the establishment of a Hybrid Warfare and Sabotage Working Group, and of a Latin America Working Group.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today launched a public consultation on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) on the threshold of activity at which Central Securities Depositories (CSDs) providing ‘banking-type ancillary services’, need to meet certain prudential risk management requirements set out in the Central Securities Depositories Regulation (CSDR). The aim of this work is to allow CSDs to do more settlement of foreign currency in commercial bank money without increasing the risk in CSDs or the overall financial system. This consultation runs until 16 June 2025. A public hearing will be held on 13 May.
The EBA is proposing a threshold with staggered requirements dependent on a CSD’s level and type of activity in banking-type ancillary services. This is to ensure that the threshold is risk sensitive and proportionate, without impacting market stability.
The EBA’s analysis included in this consultation paper shows that the maximum level of activity a CSD can provide before having to meet the requirements set out in CSDR is 2.5% of the total value of all securities transactions against cash settled in the books of the CSD over one year. This accounts for up to EUR 6.25 billion per year. Below 1.5% and up to 3.25bn, CSDs would only have to meet basic prudential requirements on credit worthiness, liquidity risk management policy and procedures, and a recovery plan.
Consultation process
Responses to the consultations can be sent to the EBA by clicking on the “send your comments” button on the consultation page.
All contributions received will be published after the consultation closes, unless requested otherwise. The deadline for the submission of comments is 16 June 2025.
A public hearing on this consultation will take place on 13 May 2025 from 10:00 to 12:00 CEST. Deadline for registration is 9 May 2025 at 16:00 CEST.
Legal basis and background
The EBA has developed these draft RTS under Article 59(9 of CSDR, which mandates the Authority to help support further settlement in foreign currencies by CSDs while still ensuring a level playing field in the industry. In particular, the EBA is mandated to set out a threshold at which CSDs providing ‘banking-type ancillary services’ need to meet certain prudential risk management requirements.
Banking-type ancillary services include activities such as providing cash accounts to, and accepting deposits from, participants in a securities settlement system, and payment services involving processing of cash and foreign exchange transactions.
A five-story replica of a stamp of Superman in 1998 in Cleveland, home of the superhero’s creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File
Nearly a hundred years ago, a hastily crafted spaceship crash-landed in Smallville, Kansas. Inside was an infant – the sole survivor of a planet destroyed by old age. Discovering he possessed superhuman strength and abilities, the boy committed to channeling his power to benefit humankind and champion the oppressed.
This is the story of Superman: one of the most recognizable characters in history, who first reached audiences in the pages of Action Comics in 1938 – what many fans consider the most important single comic in history.
As a historian of American immigration and ethnicity – and a lifelong comics fan – I read this well-known bit of fiction as an allegory about immigration and the American dream. It is, at its core, the ultimate story of an immigrant in the early 20th century, when many people saw the United States as a land with open gates, providing such orphans of the world an opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
Taken in and raised by a rural family under the name Clark Kent, the baby was imbued with the best qualities of America. But, like all immigrant stories, Kent’s is a two-parter. There is also the emigrant story: the story of how Kal-El – Superman’s name at birth – was driven from his home on Planet Krypton to embrace a new land.
That origin story reflects the heritage of Superman’s creators: two of the many Jewish American writers and artists who ushered in the Golden Age of comic books.
The American comics industry was largely started by the children of Jewish immigrants. Like most publishing in the early 20th century, it was centered in New York City, home to the country’s largest Jewish population. Though they were still a very small minority, immigration had swelled the United States’ Jewish population more than a thousandfold: from roughly 3,000 in 1820 to roughly 3,500,000 in 1920.
Comic books had not yet been devised, but strip comics in newspapers were a regular feature. They began in the late 19th century with popular stories featuring recurring characters, such as Richard F. Outcault’s “Yellow Kid” and “the Little Bears” by Jimmy Swinnerton.
A few Jewish creators were able to break into the industry, such as Harry Hershfield and his comic “Abie the Agent.” Hershfield’s success was exceptional in three ways: He broke into mainstream newspaper comics, his titular character was also Jewish, and he never adopted an anglicized pen name – as many other Jewish creators felt they must.
Shoppers and vendors outside of haberdasheries on Hester Street in a Jewish neighborhood of New York’s Lower East Side around 1900. Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Generally, however, Jews were barred from the more prestigious jobs in newspaper cartooning. A more accessible alternative was the cheaper, second-tier business of reprinting previously published works.
In 1933, second-generation Jewish New Yorker Max Gaines – born Maxwell Ginzburg – began a new publication, “Funnies on Parade.” “Funnies” pulled together preexisting comic strips, reproducing them in saddle-stitched pamphlets that became the standard for the American comics industry. He went on to found All-American Comics and Educational Comics.
Another publisher, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, founded National Allied Publications in 1934 and published the first comic book to feature entirely new material, rather than reprints of newspaper strips. He joined forces with two Jewish immigrants, Harry Donenfeld and Jack Leibowitz. At National, they created and distributed Detective and Action Comics – the precursors to DC, which would become one of the two largest comics distributors in history.
It was at Action Comics that Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two second-generation immigrants from a Jewish neighborhood in Cleveland, found a home for Superman. It would also be where two Jewish kids from the Bronx, Bob Kane and Bill Finger – born Robert Kahn and Milton Finger – found a home for their character, Batman, in 1939.
The success of these characters inspired another prominent second-generation Jewish New Yorker, pulp magazine publisher Moses “Martin” Goodman, to enter comics production with his line, “Timely Comics.” The 1939 debut featured what would become two of the early industry’s most well-known superheroes: the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch. These characters would be mainstays of Goodman’s company, even when it became better known as Marvel Comics.
Thus were born the “big two,” Marvel and DC, from humble Jewish origins.
…and Jewish stories
The creation and popularization of superhero comics isn’t Jewish just because of its history. The content was, too, reflecting the values and priorities of Jewish America at the time: a community influenced by its origins and traditions, as well as the American mainstream.
Some of the most foundational early comics echo Jewish history and texts, such as Superman’s story, which parallels the Jewish hero Moses. The biblical prophet was born in Egypt, where the Israelites were enslaved, and soon after Pharaoh ordered the murder of all their newborn sons. Similarly, Superman’s people, the Kryptonians, faced an existential threat: the destruction of their planet.
Moses’ life is saved when his mother floats him down the Nile in a hastily constructed and tarred basket. Kal-El, too, is sent away to safety in a hastily constructed craft. Both boys are raised by strangers in a strange land and destined to become heroes to their people.
Comics also reflected the feelings and fears of Jews in a moment in time. For example, in the wake of Kristallnacht – the 1938 night of widespread organized attacks on German Jews and their property, which many historians see as a turning point toward the Holocaust – Finger and Kane debuted Batman’s Gotham City. The city is a dark contrast to Superman’s shining metropolis, a place where villains lurked around every corner and reflected the darkest sides of modern humanity.
Some comic artists and writers used their platform to make political statements. Jack Kirby – born Kurtzberg – and Hymie “Joe” Simon, creators of Captain America, explained that they “knew what was going on over in Europe. World events gave us the perfect comic-book villain, Adolf Hitler, with his ranting, goose-stepping and ridiculous moustache. So we decided to create the perfect hero who would be his foil.” The comic debut of Captain America in 1941 featured a brightly colored cover with the brand-new hero punching Adolf Hitler in the face.
In later generations, characters penned by Jewish authors continued to grapple with issues of outsider status, hiding aspects of their identity, and maintaining their determination to better the world in spite of rejection from it. Think of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and X-Men. All of these were created by Stan Lee – another Jewish creator, born Stanley Martin Lieber – who was hired into Timely Comics at just 17 years old.
With so many of the most popular comics written by New York Jews, and centered in the city, much of New York’s Yiddish-tinged, recognizably Jewish language made its way onto the pages. Lee’s Spider-Man, for example, frequently exclaims “oy!” or calls bad guys “putz” or “shmuck.”
In later years, Jewish authors such as Chris Claremont and Brian Michael Bendis introduced or took over mainstream characters who were overtly Jewish – reflecting an emerging comfort with a more public Jewish ethnic identity in America. In X-Men, for example, Kitty Pryde recounts her encounters with contemporary antisemitism. Magneto, who is at times friend but often foe of the X-Men, developed a backstory as a Holocaust survivor.
History is never solely about retelling; it’s about gaining a better understanding of complex narratives. Trends in comics history, particularly in the superhero genre, offer insight into the ways that Jewish American anxieties, ambitions, patriotism and sense of place in the U.S. continually changed over the 20th century. To me, this understanding makes the retelling of these classic stories even more meaningful and entertaining.
Miriam Eve Mora does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Saudi Arabia is 2,000 miles from Ukraine and even more politically distant, so at first glance it might seem like it has nothing to do with the ongoing war there. But the Gulf state has emerged as a key intermediary in the most serious ceasefire negotiations since Russia invaded its neighbor three years ago.
The resulting agreement, which is now being mulled in Moscow, is all the more notable given that it followed a diplomatic breakdown just weeks before at the Oval Office between Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Whether the proposed interim 30-day ceasefire materializes is still uncertain. On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he agreed with the proposal in principle, but he added that a lot of the details needed to be sorted out.
Should a deal be reached, there is every reason to believe it will be inked in Saudi Arabia, which has hosted not only the latest U.S.-Ukrainian talks but earlier rounds of high-level Russian-U.S. meetings.
But why is a Gulf nation playing mediator in a conflict in Eastern Europe? As an expert on Saudi politics, I believe the answer to that lies in the kingdom’s diplomatic ambitions and its desire to present a more positive image to the world. And in the background is the goal of better positioning the nation in the event of diplomatic maneuvers in its own region, notably in regards to any talks between U.S. and Iran.
The diplomatic convertion of MBS
Saudi Arabia’s growing diplomatic role has been a feature of the kingdom’s foreign policy since 2022.
Crown Prince Mohammed, who that year succeeded his father as prime minister, views Saudi Arabia as the convening power in the Arab and Islamic world.
Accordingly, officials in the kingdom have been directed to lead regional diplomacy over a number of pressing issues, including the conflicts in Gazaand Sudan.
At the same time, Saudis have started the process of reconciliation with Iran, which has long been perceived as the chief regional rival to Saudi influence.
This approach brought little in the way of stability. Rather, it left the country ensnared in an unwinnable war in Yemen, a fruitless row with Qatar, and diplomatic isolation by Western officials.
Saudi officials, in common with their counterparts in the other Gulf states, have long sought to avoid taking sides in the emerging era of great power competition and strategic rivalry. As such, the kingdom has maintained working relations with both Russia and pro-Western Ukraine since the outbreak of war in Europe.
In 2022, for example, Saudi Arabia and Russia – both leaders of OPEC+ – coordinated oil production cuts to cushion Moscow from the effects of global sanctions the West imposed after it invaded Ukraine. Yet just months later, Saudi Arabia invited Zelenskyy to address an Arab League summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
It was a prelude to a 2023 international summit, also in Jeddah, which brought together representatives from 40 countries to discuss the ongoing war.
Despite failing to produce a breakthrough, the meeting illustrated the convening reach of the crown prince and his intention to act as a diplomatic go-between in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Saudi Arabia and neighboring United Arab Emirates later facilitated occasional prisoner exchanges between the two countries – rare diplomatic successes in three years of conflict.
Staging ground for diplomacy
Direct engagement in high-stakes international diplomacy over the largest war in Europe since 1945 is undoubtedly a step up in Saudi ambitions. But the country’s efforts aren’t purely altruistic. Riyadh believes there’s mileage to be gained in such diplomatic endeavors.
The advent of a Trump presidency has fit Saudi desires. Trump has made his desire to be seen as a dealmaker and peacemaker clear, but he needs a neutral venue in which the hard work of diplomacy can flourish.
Just weeks into the new U.S. administration, the Saudi capital hosted the first meeting between a U.S. secretary of state and Russian foreign minister since Russia invaded in 2022.
It yielded an agreement to “re-establish the bilateral relationship” and establish a consultation mechanism to “address irritants” in ties.
The two rounds of dialogue in Riyadh – first with Russia, then Ukraine – have positioned the Saudi leadership firmly in the diplomatic process. It has also gone some way to rehabilitate Mohammed bin Salman’s image.
The sight of the crown prince warmly greeting Zelenskyy contrasted sharply with the images from a fractious White House meeting that went around the world, presenting the crown prince as a statesmanlike figure.
Turning to Tehran
Such positive optics would have seemed inconceivable as recently as 2019, when the crown prince was shunned and then presidential candidate Joe Biden labeled the country a “pariah” state.
Changing this negative global perception of Saudi Arabia is crucial if the kingdom is to attract the tens of millions of visitors that are pivotal to the success of the “giga-projects” – sports, culture and tourism events that the Saudis hope will drive its economy and allow the kingdom to be less economically dependent on fossil fuel exports.
Whereas easing tensions with Iran and supporting Yemen’s fragile truce are about derisking the kingdom’s vulnerability to regional volatility, facilitating diplomacy over Ukraine is a relatively cost-free way to reinforce the changing narratives about Saudi Arabia.
After all, any breakdown in the Russia-U.S.-Ukraine negotiations is unlikely to be blamed on the Saudis.
Indeed, Saudi officials may view their engagement with U.S. officials over Ukraine as the prelude to further diplomatic cooperation. And this will be especially true if Crown Prince Mohammed is able to establish himself as an indispensable partner in the eyes of Trump.
Saudi officials were excluded from the last major talks between Iran and the U.S., which also involved several other major world powers and led to the 2016 Iran nuclear deal. Trump withdrew from the deal shortly after assuming office for the first time in 2017, and U.S.-Iranian relations have been moribund since then.
The U.S. administration has already mooted the idea of a resumption of negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear capabilities.
Placing Saudi Arabia in the middle of any attempts to secure a new nuclear agreement that would replace or supersede that earlier deal would be a high-risk move, given the intensity of feeling on both the U.S. and Iranian sides and the uneasy coexistence between Tehran and Riyadh.
But doing so would give the kingdom what it most desires: a seat at the table.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Getting a headache and feeling sick are common side-effects for many medicines. Indulging in risky sexual behaviour or pathological gambling – not so common.
But a BBC investigation has highlighted that some drug treatments for restless leg syndrome and Parkinson’s disease can lead to such risky behaviour.
Over 150,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson’s – a degenerative condition that affects the brain. The main part of their brain that is damaged is the area that produces dopamine, a chemical messenger that regulates movement. Less dopamine in the brain can lead to symptoms such as tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movements and problems with balance.
Another movement disorder is restless legs syndrome (RLS), which affects between 5% and 10% of people in the UK, US and Europe. Twice as many women as men have RLS among those aged over 35.
People with RLS feel they need to uncontrollably move their legs, and may experience a crawling, creeping or tingling sensation in them. Usually, the symptoms are worse at night when dopamine levels tend to be lower. Although the exact cause of RLS is unknown, it has been linked to genes, underlying health conditions, and an imbalance of dopamine.
One of the main treatments for movement disorders is a group of drugs called dopamine-receptor agonists, which include cabergoline, ropinirole, bromocriptine and pramipexole. Dopamine-receptor agonists increase the levels of dopamine in the brain and help regulate movement.
Dopamine is known as the “happy” hormone because it is part of the brain’s reward system. When people do something fun or pleasurable, dopamine is released in their brain. But using dopamine-receptor agonist drugs can elevate these feelings, leading to impulsive behaviour.
While common side-effects include headaches, feeling sick and sleepiness, these drugs are also linked with the more unusual side-effect of impulse-control disorders. These include risky sexual behaviour (hypersexuality), pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, and binge eating. Hypersexuality encompasses behaviour such as a stronger-than-usual urge to have sexual activity, or being unable to resist performing a sexual act that may be harmful.
Previous reported cases include a 53-year-old woman taking ropinirole and exhibiting impulsive behaviour such as accessing internet pornography, using sex chat rooms, meeting strangers for sexual intercourse, and compulsive shopping. Another case highlighted a 32-year-old man who, after taking ropinirole, started binge eating and gambling compulsively, such that he lost his life savings.
When the drug was first being prescribed in the early 2000s, it was thought that impulse-control disorders were a rare side-effect associated with these drugs. But in 2007, a UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) public assessment report advised that “healthcare professionals should warn patients that compulsive behaviour with dopamine agonists may be dose-related”.
Between 6% and 17% of people with RLS who take dopamine agonists develop some form of impulse-control disorder, while up to 20% of people living with Parkinson’s may experience impulse control disorders.
But the true figures may be even higher, as many some patients may not associate changes in behaviour with their medication, or may be too embarrassed to report it. Case reports show that in most instances, impulsive behaviour stops when the drug is stopped.
Lawsuits
There have been several individual and class-action lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies including GlaxoSmithKline, which produces ReQuip® (ropinirole), and Pfizer, which makes Cabaser® (cabergoline). Patients taking action against these companies claimed they were unaware of these impulsive behaviour side-effects.
For example, in 2012, a French court ordered GlaxoSmithKline to pay £160,000 in damages to Didier Jambart, after he experienced “devastating-side effects” when taking the firm’s Parkinson’s drug Requip. And in 2014, an Australian federal court approved a settlement against Pfizer for a class-action lawsuit regarding its Parkinson’s drug, Cabaser. 150 patients claimed they did not have warning of potential side-effects – including increased gambling, sex addiction and other high-risk activities – of taking Cabaser.
It is now clearer in the patient information leaflets given with all prescribed medication for movement disorders that impulsive behaviour can occur in some patients.
In 2023, the MHRA advised there had been increased reports of pathological gambling with a drug called aripiprazole. This antipsychotic drug, used in the treatment of schizophrenia and mania, partly acts as a dopamine-receptor agonist.
Any drug that increases dopamine levels could theoretically be linked to impulse control disorders, and it is important to keep monitoring patients and their behaviour in such cases.
Not everyone will experience side-effects. Before you begin any course of treatment, your doctor or pharmacist should explain the potential side-effects – but it is also important to read the information leaflet with any medicine. And if you experience any impulsive behaviours with these medicines, speak to your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Dipa Kamdar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel O’Brien, Lecturer, Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex
Opus, the film debut of former GQ editor-turned-director Mark Anthony Green has been described as a horror-musical. And while this new hybrid-genre film clearly has something to say, what that is remains frustratingly unclear.
Produced by independent film company A24, often a hallmark of quality, the film follows Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri), a young writer striving to make her mark in entertainment journalism. While it gestures toward themes of celebrity culture and the toxicity of extreme fandom, the film ultimately feels tangled in a jumble of unfocused ideas and derivative references to other – arguably stronger – works.
Despite talent and determination, Ariel struggles with her boss Stan (Murray Bartlett) who redeploys her ideas to other senior colleagues and is often too self-absorbed to nurture her career development.
The very watchable Edebiri eases into centre stage after catapulting to global fame in the TV show The Bear (2022-present), for which she has received a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
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In contrast to the achievements of The Bear’s Sydney, her character Ariel’s success as a writer seems out of reach in Opus. In an early scene, she articulates her frustrations to a friend who responds by pointing to Ariel’s ordinariness and comfortable upbringing. Apparently, her lack of disadvantage is precisely what’s holding her back, leaving her “too middle” to be noticed, promoted or considered.
Here we have the first clue that Ariel will be destined to experience trauma which will come by way of the “final girl” horror trope (a reference to the last woman standing) by the end of the film.
To Ariel’s surprise, she is selected to accompany Stan to a remote desert compound with other journalists to cover the story of reclusive pop legend Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich, returning to the big screen for the first time in five years).
Coincidentally, Moretti is about to make a return to public life after a 30-year hiatus and reset his reputation with a new album. Malkovich seems to relish the role, cranking up his flamboyant eccentricity in what feels like a mash-up of Ziggy Stardust and Frank-N-Furter.
Moretti’s ostentatiousness in contrast to Ariel’s subdued “middle-ness”, seems to be one of several binaries that the film explores, with an epilogue that discusses the left and right sides of the brain, and the division between destruction and creativity.
The theme of creativeness is a driving force in the film, with Moretti’s and Ariel’s respective musical and literary artistry used as fuel in the narrative, from a director with a similar writing background to Ariel.
Unfortunately, the film often feels more derivative than creative because of the numerous sources it takes as its inspiration. Moretti’s compound turns out, of course, to be a cult where Ariel, Stan and other invited guests will find something even more sinister than Malkovich’s rhythmic hip thrusts.
The rules of the compound mean that all guests must hand over their phones and electronic devices, so that in typical horror fashion, the characters are completely cut off from the outside world.
The knowing nod to this horror cliché is perhaps done for comedic value, but becomes another of the film’s weak spots, in the sense that it never really commits to any one thing. It’s not quite a comedy, a horror or a musical but something that is more fragmentary, borrowing elements of each.
It’s as if the director has assembled his favourite genres, but only in notes that have not yet been successfully put together. For example, there is an explicit recreation of a very distinct scene from Takashi Miike’s harrowing Audition (1999), while other parts are heavily influenced by Ari Aster’s disturbing Midsommar, (2019) a folk horror film also made by A24.
There are also nods to Mark Mylod’s The Menu (2022) in which an eccentric celebrity chef creates a meal for a group of sycophant critics with lethal consequences. As a dark comedy-horror, The Menu succeeds in satirising the absurdity of reality cooking shows, where competitiveness and TV chefs are caricatured.
However, Green’s attempt at satire in Opus doesn’t really work. That’s not to imply that the film hasn’t got something to say – Green appears to be interested in the relationship between celebrity culture and fandom. However, that idea doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, particularly when other films like Brandon Cronenberg’s dangerously underrated Antiviral (2012) was addressing this idea with visceral originality more than a decade ago.
Moretti’s songs have a deliberately dated sound which seems to be inspired by Michael Jackson, particularly around the time of his 2001 Invincible tour and album, which both failed to return the singer to his “king of pop” status.
Again, films such as Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (2024) tackle the idea of the ageing celebrity with more clarity and originality, even while clearly being inspired by other movies.
Consequently, Opus has quite a 1990s feel to it, perhaps aided by the casting of Malkovich and Juliette Lewis, both huge stars during that decade. The film also gets a bit meta, nodding to Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich (1999) through a similar use of star cameos and a puppet show – both interesting elements, but again which feel disjointed in Opus.
I think Green has stronger films in him to come but, although his work raises interesting points, there are too many ideas here for a convincing film to properly materialise. I was unclear on a number of things including Moretti’s motives and his contempt for critics, including the positive ones.
Opus perhaps bites off more than it can chew, leaving me feeling that Green’s directorial opus is still to come.
Daniel O’Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sameen Mohsin Ali, Lecturer in International Development, University of Birmingham
Pakistan’s army has freed hundreds of hostages from a passenger train that was seized by armed militants in the south-western province of Balochistan on Tuesday, March 11. A number of those on board were military officials and police personnel travelling from Balochistan’s capital, Quetta, to Peshawar further north.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) quickly claimed responsibility for the hijacking. In a written statement sent to the Guardian, the group said its actions were “a direct response to Pakistan’s decades-long colonial occupation of Balochistan and the relentless war crimes committed against the Baloch people”.
Ever since 1948, when Balochistan became a province of Pakistan months after partition from India, this territory has been marginalised by the Pakistani state. The authorities have struggled to accommodate the diverse ethnic and linguistic groups within Balochistan, leading to several rounds of insurgency.
During the recent hijack, the BLA demanded that Pakistan’s military release Baloch activists, missing people and political prisoners, and threatened to kill many of the hostages if the authorities did not comply. The subsequent military operation, which lasted two days, resulted in the deaths of all 33 militants, as well as 21 hostages and four army personnel.
The brazen nature and scale of the attack has raised difficult questions for the Pakistani state about how it addresses escalating discontent and militancy in Balochistan.
Unlike more moderate Baloch nationalist groups, which are committed to remaining part of the Pakistani state despite longstanding grievances with it, the BLA aims to achieve an independent Balochistan.
Some of the grievances expressed by the Baloch include a lack of representation both in the federal government and the armed forces. Baloch nationalists also allege the Pakistani state has exploited the province’s coal, gold, copper and gas resources while providing very little for the Baloch people in return.
Revenues from the Saindak gold and copper mine, for example, are largely shared between the Chinese company that operates it and the Pakistani government. The Balochistan provincial government only receives around 5% of the mine’s revenue.
Chaghi, the mineral-rich district of Balochistan that hosts the Saindak mine, remains one of the most underdeveloped areas of the country. Local people employed at the mine claim they are only offered menial jobs and work in unsafe conditions.
Balochistan’s persistent underdevelopment means a poor quality of life for its citizens. It consistently ranks as the Pakistani province with the lowest human development index (HDI) rating, scoring 0.421 in 2017. This index is a summary rating between 0 (low) and 1 (high) based on measures of health, education and standard of living. Punjab has the highest HDI rating at 0.732.
The separatist movement in Balochistan intensified after Nawab Akbar Bugti, a prominent Baloch nationalist leader, was killed in a military operation in 2006. The BLA was soon banned by the Pakistani government, and the military’s operations intensified in the province.
Baloch human rights defenders and activists have persistently accused Pakistan’s security forces of harassment and relying on excessive force. Protesters believe there have been thousands of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, which the Pakistani authorities have denied.
The issue has been raised by human rights organisations both in Pakistan and abroad. Families of missing people have filed cases against the government with the Pakistan Supreme Court, and disappearances have been investigated through special commissions of inquiry.
Supreme Court rulings have held the state responsible for enforced disappearances. While some missing people have been traced as a result of these rulings and inquiries, the International Commission of Jurists notes that “there has been no apparent effort made to fix responsibility for this heinous crime”.
Attacking foreign investments
The BLA’s tactics have typically involved carrying out attacks against state installations. However, in recent years, attacks against Chinese citizens and infrastructure have become the group’s focus.
Balochistan has a strategically important coastline, providing access to the Indian Ocean. China has invested heavily in the region as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, including in a deep-sea port at Gwadar. But these investments have failed to benefit local people, fuelling accusations by many in the province that the Pakistani state is systematically neglecting their needs.
The BLA’s suicide squad was responsible for an attack that injured three Chinese engineers working in the Balochistan city of Dalbandin in 2018. Later that year, BLA militants attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi – though Chinese nationals remained safe in that attack.
The group seems to have no difficulty attracting young and well-educated Baloch people, who see the state’s actions and Chinese presence in Balochistan as exploitative. In 2022, a female graduate student carried out a suicide attack on behalf of the BLA that killed three Chinese teachers at the University of Karachi.
The BLA’s activities have expanded substantially in recent years. It has conducted more than 150 attacks in the past year alone, including on Quetta railway station and on a convoy carrying Chinese workers near Karachi airport.
However, experts have noted that the train hijacking was unprecedented in scale. It represents a significant escalation by the BLA in terms of the planning, resources and intelligence required to execute such an operation.
The Pakistani government and military appear to have mishandled Balochistan’s security situation. But they have also failed to address the growing resentment and alienation that is driving people to groups like the BLA.
According to Farzana Sheikh, an associate fellow at Chatham House, Pakistan’s military continues to favour “a heavy-handed security response to deal with what is widely judged to be a political crisis”.
Accusations of state exploitation and neglect will not go away until the Pakistani state radically alters its stance on Balochistan, starting by ensuring accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations. Only then can trust be rebuilt with the people of this province who, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, live in “a climate of fear”.
Sameen Mohsin Ali does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications, Nottingham Trent University
The recently appointed White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has begun her tenure combatively, aggressively defending the Trump administration’s policies and, at times, mimicking Donald Trump’s methods of dealing with the mainstream news media.
Faced recently with a legitimate question by an Associated Press (AP) reporter who challenged Trump’s introduction of tariffs against several countries, she accused the reporter of doubting her knowledge of economics. She then dismissed him, saying: “I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press.”
AP is one of the key media organisations reporting on the White House. The largest news agency in the US, its stories are carried by news groups around the world. But recently, AP was ejected from the “press pool” that covers White House business
It was excluded in mid-February for refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico “the Gulf of America”, after Trump changed its name by executive order. This was followed by an announcement that the White House would take greater control of the press pool and choose which outlets would be given most access to the president. This is likely to be based on favourable coverage rather than quality of reporting.
To appreciate how significant this is, it is important to first state the fundamental purpose of journalism in a democratic society, which is to hold the powerful to account. This is known as its “watchdog” function.
The work of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in exposing the Watergate scandal during the 1970s is often held up as the gold standard of watchdog journalism. It ultimately led to the resignation of Richard Nixon as president and the imprisonment of his lawyer, John Dean.
“Pooling” describes the process by which a prominent organisation or individual attempts to oversee journalistic scrutiny by managing access. King Charles, for example, also operates a press pool.
It works in two stages. First, news organisations or individual journalists apply to be members of the pool. Then, a handful of journalists from the pool are selected each day or week for access. These journalists – through their pool contract – are required to share the information they gather with the other journalists in the pool, which often leads to a genericisation of the content.
Thus, while political organisations or elite individuals might claim the pooling system is used as a benign and fair tool to manage consistent press interest, in reality it is a weapon of communications control.
The White House’s press pool was first established under President Dwight Eisenhower as a reflection of the growing number of journalists based in Washington. But in the modern era, the use of pooling was most controversial during and after the first Gulf War of the early 1990s.
Rather than roaming the battlefields of Iraq and Kuwait, most western reporters spent the conflict at the media centre in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, some 250 miles from the Kuwait border. Here they were fed the information that the US military wanted the public to know. A small number of pooled journalists were then occasionally accompanied by US troops to the battlefield in what was a clear case of censorship by access and perspective limitation.
This military-media power dynamic – and the subsequent mismatch between the actuality of the war and the reporting of it – led the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard to declare in a 1991 essay, published by Liberation and The Guardian, that “The Gulf war did not take place”.
General “Stormin” Norman Schwarzkopf’s famous “luckiest man in Iraq” briefing is indicative of the close relationship that developed between military and media professionals during the conflict. Schwarzkopf showed journalists footage taken through the crosshairs of a US bomber of an Iraqi private car driving over a bridge moments before a US airstrike destroys it. You can hear the journalists laughing with Schwarzkopf as they watch this lucky escape.
Legacy of Vietnam
Despite widespread understanding that scrutiny is an important part of public officialdom, the legacy of the Vietnam War – a conflict the US was perceived both at home and around the world to have lost – led to a significant amount of distrust of journalists. US media analyst Daniel Hallin referred to Vietnam as the “uncensored war”. By this he meant that journalists enjoyed an unprecedented amount of freedom – exacerbated by the relatively new medium of television, which brought stark images of war directly into people’s living rooms.
By February 1968, the US military’s daily briefings from the Rex Hotel in Saigon had become known as the “five o’clock follies”, on account of the gulf between official claims of the war’s “progress” and what was being reported by journalists who had ventured into the field. The military consistently presented a positive narrative – in stark contrast to the esteemed CBS reporter Walter Cronkite’s analysis that: “To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion.”
Vietnam could have been an opportunity for governments to think about their obligation to truth and the requirement to be more ethical in their approach. Instead, the feeling in Washington was that unfavourable press coverage had lost the war, and that journalists needed to be curtailed.
Controlling the message
The recent decision by the Trump administration to take over selection of pool journalists from the notionally independent White House Correspondents’ Association is unsurprising. The approach is consistent with the first Trump presidency’s refusal to answer questions from journalists who tried to carry out the press’s watchdog function.
It also fits with Trump’s electioneering approach during 2024 when he shunned traditional news outlets, focusing instead on social media and appearing on the podcasts of Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz, for example.
To this end, the White House’s decision amounts to a power grab against the institution of modern journalism – even if much of the US media has been in thrall to the powerful ever since Vietnam.
Colin Alexander does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet have been sworn in, ending Justin Trudeau’s time in office and paving the way for a spring election. Canadians are soon heading to the polls as they watch American democracy crumble.
United States President Donald Trump recently argued “he who saves his country does not violate any Law” as he ignores Congress and the courts, governs by executive order and threatens international laws and treaties.
Republican leaders moved dramatically to the right, and the primary system allowed the choice of an extremist. Republican voters then aligned their opinions with his. Trump’s disdain for democratic fundamentals spread quickly. Partisans defending their team slid away from democratic values.
Canada’s more centrist ideological spectrum is not foolproof against this type of extremism. Public opinion can be moved when our leaders take us there.
Decline can start slowly and then accelerate. America’s democratic backsliding in the first weeks of Trump’s second presidency follows the erosion of democratic norms over decades. Republican attacks on institutions, the opposition, the media and higher education corrosively undermined public faith in the truth, including election results.
Trust in government is holding steady in Canada, however. That provides an important guardrail for Canadian democracy.
The dangers of courting the far right
There are also lessons for our political parties. To maximize their seats, Republicans accepted extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene, but soon needed those types of politicians for key votes.
The so-called Freedom Caucus, made up of MAGA adherents, forced the choice of a new, more extreme, leader of the House of Representatives. This provides a clear lesson that history has shown many times: it is dangerous for the party on the political right to accommodate the far right, which can quickly take control.
Once established within the ruling party, extremists can hold their party hostage.
Austria recently avoided the inclusion of the far right in its new coalition, and now Germany is working to do the same. As Canada’s Conservatives look for every vote, courting far-right voters and candidates risks destabilizing the system.
They clearly did not imagine party loyalty negating the safeguards that protect democracy from an authoritarian-minded president. The Constitution gives Congress the power to legislate and impeach, limits the executive’s power to spend and make appointments, gives the judiciary power to hold an executive accountable and contains the 25th amendment allowing cabinet to remove a president.
But when one party controls the legislative and executive branches during a time of hyper-partisanship, these mechanisms may not constrain an authoritarian. Today, Republican loyalty has eroded these checks and balances and American courts are struggling to step up to their heightened role.
Although counter-intuitive, parliamentary systems like Canada’s are usually less susceptible to authoritarianism than presidential ones because the cabinet or the House of Commons can turn against a lawless leader.
Still, if popular, authoritarian leaders can still retain their party’s support — and then things can slide quickly. The rightward pull of extremists seen in the U.S. House would be more dangerous here since the Canadian House of Commons includes our executive.
Guarding against xenophobia
Lastly, Canada should be wary of xenophobic rhetoric.
“America First” is not simply shopping advice. It began as an isolationist slogan during the First World War but was soon adopted by pro-fascists, American Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. These entities questioned who is really American and wanted not only isolationism, but racist policies, immigration restrictions and eugenics.
Trump did not revive the phrase accidentally. It’s a call to America’s fringes. Alienating domestic groups is a sure sign of democratic decline.
“Canada First” mimics that century-long dark theme in America. In combination with contempt for the opposition, it questions the right of other parties to legitimately hold power if used as a message by one party.
Also, asserting that “Canada is broken” — as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre often does — mimics Trump’s talk of American carnage, language and imagery he uses to justify extraordinary presidential authority.
Such language erodes citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and primes voters to support undemocratic practices in the name of patriotism. Canadian parties and politicians should exit that road.
Ultimately, institutions alone do not protect a country from the rise of authoritarianism. Democracy can be fragile. As a federal election approaches in Canada, it’s important to know the warning signs of extremism and anti-democratic practices that are creeping into our politics.
Matthew Lebo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Moats, Professor of Metallurgical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Semiconductors power nearly every aspect of modern life – cars, smartphones, medical devices and even national defense systems. These tiny but essential components make the information age possible, whether they’re supporting lifesaving hospital equipment or facilitating the latest advances in artificial intelligence.
It’s easy to take them for granted, until something goes wrong. That’s exactly what happened when the COVID-19 pandemic exposed major weaknesses in the global semiconductor supply chain. Suddenly, to name just one consequence, new vehicles couldn’t be finished because chips produced abroad weren’t being delivered. The semiconductor supply crunch disrupted entire industries and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
The crisis underscored a hard reality: The U.S. depends heavily on foreign countries – including China, a geopolitical rival – to manufacture semiconductors. This isn’t just an economic concern; it’s widely recognized as a national security risk.
That’s why the U.S. government has taken steps to invest in semiconductor production through initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to revitalize American manufacturing and was passed with bipartisan support in 2022. While President Donald Trump has criticized the CHIPS and Science Act recently, both he and his predecessor, Joe Biden, have touted their efforts to expand domestic chip manufacturing in recent years.
Yet, even with bipartisan support for new chip plants, a major challenge remains: Who will operate them?
Minding the workforce gap
The push to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. faces a significant hurdle: a shortage of skilled workers. The semiconductor industry is expected to need 300,000 engineers by 2030 as new plants are built. Without a well-trained workforce, these efforts will fall short, and the U.S. will remain dependent on foreign suppliers.
This isn’t just a problem for the tech sector – it affects every industry that relies on semiconductors, from auto manufacturing to defense contractors. Virtually every military communication, monitoring and advanced weapon system relies on microchips. It’s not sustainable or safe for the U.S. to rely on foreign nations – especially adversaries – for the technology that powers its military.
For the U.S. to secure supply chains and maintain technological leadership, I believe it would be wise to invest in education and workforce development alongside manufacturing expansion.
Building the next generation of semiconductor engineers
Filling this labor gap will require a nationwide effort to train engineers and technicians in semiconductor research, design and fabrication. Engineering programs across the country are taking up this challenge by introducing specialized curricula that combine hands-on training with industry-focused coursework.
Clean rooms, a vital part of semiconductor factories, are also where the next generation of tech innovators conduct research. Here, a Ph.D. candidate is seen in an air shower room before entering a clean room at Tokyo University on May 1, 2024. Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images
Future semiconductor workers will need expertise in chip design and microelectronics, materials science and process engineering, and advanced manufacturing and clean room operations. To meet this demand, it will be important for universities and colleges to work alongside industry leaders to ensure students graduate with the skills employers need. Offering hands-on experience in semiconductor fabrication, clean-room-based labs and advanced process design will be essential for preparing a workforce that’s ready to contribute from Day 1.
Rebuilding domestic semiconductor manufacturing isn’t just about national security – it’s an economic opportunity that could benefit millions of Americans. By expanding training programs and workforce pipelines, the U.S. can create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, strengthening the economy and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.
And the race to secure semiconductor supply chains isn’t just about stability – it’s about innovation. The U.S. has long been a global leader in semiconductor research and development, but recent supply chain disruptions have shown the risks of allowing manufacturing to move overseas.
If the U.S. wants to remain at the forefront of technological advancement in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and next-generation communication systems, it seems clear to me it will need new workers – not just new factories – to gain control of its semiconductor production.
Michael Moats does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The advent of generative artificial intelligence has sent shock waves across industries, from the technical to the creative. AI systems that can generate viable computer code, write news stories and spin up professional-looking graphics have inspired countless headlines asking whether they will take away jobs in technology, journalism and design, among many other fields.
And these new ways of doing work and making things raise another question: In the era of AI, what does it mean to be an inventor?
Among technologists who build digital tools or programs, it is increasingly common to use AI as part of design and development processes. But as deep learning models flex their technical muscles more and more, even highly skilled researchers who are using AI in their work have begun to express concerns about becoming obsolete.
There is much debate about whether AI can augment human creativity, but emerging data suggests that the technology can boost research and development where creativity typically plays an important role. A recent study by MIT economics doctoral student Aidan Toner-Rodgers found that scientists using AI tools increased their patent filings by 39% and created 17% more prototypes than when they worked without such tools.
While this study indicates that AI seemed to help humans be more productive, it also showed there was a downside: 82% of the surveyed researchers felt less satisfied with their jobs since implementing AI in their workflows. “I couldn’t help feeling that much of my education is now worthless,” one researcher said.
This emerging dynamic leads to a related question: If a scientist uses AI in order to build something new, does the output still qualify as an invention? As a legal scholar who studies technology and intellectual property law, I see the growing power of AI shifting the legal landscape.
Natural persons
In 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office refused to list the AI system DABUS, which purportedly designed a food container and a flashing emergency beacon, as an inventor on patent applications. Subsequent court rulings clarified that under current U.S. law, only humans can be listed as inventors, but they left open the question of whether inventions developed by scientists with the help of AI qualify for patent protection.
The concept of inventorship and legal protections for inventions have deep roots in the U.S. The Constitution explicitly protects the “exclusive rights” of authors and inventors “to their respective writings and discoveries,” reflecting the framers’ strong conviction that the state should protect and encourage original ideas.
U.S. law today defines an inventor as a natural person who has conceived of a complete and operative invention that can be used without extensive research or experimentation. An inventor must do more than follow routine instructions – they must make an intellectual contribution in producing something novel.
That contribution can be a key idea that sparks the invention or a crucial insight that turns the concept into a working product. If a person’s input is routine or just explains what’s already known, they are not an inventor.
Role of AI
To what extent can or should AI become part of the invention process? The release of AI applications such as ChatGPT in 2022 introduced the public to large language models and sparked renewed debate about whether and how AI should be used in the inventive process. That same year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard a case that tested whether AI could be named as an inventor on a patent application.
The court concluded that under U.S. law, inventors must be human beings. The ruling reaffirmed the idea that Congress intended to encourage human beings, not machines, to invent. This idea remains foundational to current patent policy.
In light of the court’s decision, in 2024 the United States Patent and Trademark Office updated its guidance to clarify the role of AI in the inventive process. The guidance reaffirms that an inventor must be human. However, the Patent and Trademark Office explained that the policy did not preclude inventors from using AI tools to assist in the research and development of inventions. This approach acknowledges how the rapid development of AI technologies has allowed researchers to make exciting breakthroughs.
Policymakers seem to understand that if the U.S. is to continue to lead the world in innovation, the mythology of a sole inventor toiling away in a garage and relying on pure intellect must evolve to account for the value of AI tools that research has proven make humans more productive.
Nevertheless, since only human beings can be named as inventors on a patent, current policy does not quite answer the question of who or what should get credit for doing the work. Despite a growing trend where researchers are expected to disclose whether they’ve used AI tools, for example in academic papers, the U.S. patent system makes no such demand.
Regardless of AI’s role in the research and development process, a U.S. patent will list only the names of human inventors so long as those humans made a significant contribution to the invention. As a result, current policy is not concerned with how to recognize the contributions of AI. AI is considered a tool like a microscope or a Bunsen burner.
Personal ingenuity in the age of AI
Given this shifting legal landscape, I see that U.S. innovation policy is at a crossroads. The Patent and Trademark Office’s guidance reaffirming human inventorship and simultaneously embracing AI as an innovation tool is only a year old. It is unclear how the Trump administration’s forthcoming action plan to “enhance America’s global AI dominance” will affect this guidance.
Some observers expect the rate of scientific discovery to increase dramatically with the assistance of AI tools. But if the majority of those same productive researchers enjoy their jobs less, is the act of inventing being encouraged as the framers envisioned?
Current U.S. policy attempts to strike a balance and recognize the concept of personal ingenuity, stemming from the principle that for an invention to be patented in the U.S., a human must have led the way. Yet the guidance also implicitly acknowledges that AI can lend a helping hand in modern research and development. Whether and how policymakers maintain this balance – and how leaders in industry and science respond – will help shape the next chapter of American innovation.
W. Keith Robinson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
I studied giftedness, creativity and talent as part of my Ph.D. program focusing on students who are “twice exceptional” – that is, they have both learning challenges such autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as well as advanced skills. A better understanding of why parents choose homeschooling can help identify ways to improve the public education system. I believe focusing on twice-exceptional students can offer insights beyond this subset of the homeschooled population.
What we know about homeschooling
The truth is researchers don’t know much about homeschooling and homeschoolers.
One problem is regulations involving homeschooling differ dramatically among states, so it is often hard to determine who is being instructed at home. And many families are unwilling to talk about their experiences homeschooling and their reasons for doing so.
But here’s what we do know.
The share of children being homeschooled has surged since 2020, rising from 3.7% in the 2018-2019 school year to 5.2% in 2022-2023 – the latest data available from the National Center for Education Statistics. Over 3 million students were homeschooled in 2021-22, according to the National Home Education Research Institute.
And the population of homeschoolers is becoming increasingly diverse, with about half of families reporting as nonwhite in a 2023 Washington Post-Schar School poll. In addition, homeschooling families are just as likely to be Democrat as Republican, according to that same Post-Schar survey, a sharp shift from previous surveys that suggested Republicans were much more likely to homeschool.
As for why parents homeschool, 28% of those surveyed in 2023 by the Institute of Education Sciences said the school environment was their biggest reason, followed by 17% that cited concerns about academic instruction. Another 17% said providing their kids with moral or religious instruction was most important.
But not far behind at 12% was a group of parents who prioritized homeschooling for a different reason: They have a child with physical or mental health problems or other special needs.
This group would include parents of twice-exceptional children, who may be especially interested in pursuing homeschooling as an alternative method of education for three reasons in particular.
Some families have devoted significant resources, such as by creating home libraries, to homeschool their children. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
1. The ‘masking’ problem
These parents may notice that their child’s needs are being overlooked in the public education system and may view homeschooling as a way to provide better individualized instruction.
Students who are twice exceptional often experience what researchers call the “masking” phenomenon. This can occur when a child’s disabilities hide their giftedness. When this occurs, teachers tend to provide academic support but hesitate to give these children the challenging material they may require.
Masking can also occur in reverse, when a student’s gifts tend to hide disabilities. In these cases, teachers provide challenging material, but they do not provide the needed accommodations that allow the gifted child to access the materials. Either way, masking can be a problem for students and parents who must advocate for teachers to address their unique range of academic needs.
While either type of masking is challenging for the student, it may be particularly frustrating for parents of twice-exceptional students to watch classroom teachers focus only on their child’s weaknesses rather than helping them develop their advanced abilities.
2. Individualized instruction
By the time a child enters school, parents have spent years observing their child’s development, comparing their progress with that of others their age. They’re also likely to be aware of their child’s unique interests.
While this may not be true for all parents, those who choose to homeschool may do so because they feel they have more of an ability and interest in catering to their child’s unique needs than a classroom teacher who is tasked with teaching many students simultaneously. Parents of students who demonstrate exceptional ability have expressed concerns about their child’s future educational opportunities in a public school setting.
Additionally, parents may become exhausted by their efforts to advocate for their child’s unique needs in the school system. Parents of students who demonstrate advanced abilities often pull their children out of public school after repeated efforts to improve communication between home and school.
3. Behavioral and emotional needs
Gifted students who have emotional or behavioral disabilities may find it difficult to demonstrate their abilities in the classroom.
All too often, teachers may be more focused on disciplining these students rather than addressing their academic needs. For example, a child who is bored with the class material may be loud and attempt to distract others as well.
Rather than recognizing this as signaling a need for more advanced material, the teacher might send the child to a separate area in the classroom or in the school to refocus or as punishment. Parents may feel better equipped than teachers to address both their child’s challenging behaviors and their gifted abilities, given the knowledge they have about their child’s history, interests, strengths and areas needing improvement.
Supporting students’ needs
Gaining a better understanding of the motivations driving parents to take their children out of the public school system is an important step toward improving schools so that fewer will feel the need to take this path.
Additionally, strengthening educators’ and policymakers’ understanding about twice-exceptional homeschooled students may help communities provide more support to their families – who then may not feel homeschooling is the only or best option. My research shows that many schools can do a better job providing these types of students and their parents with the support they need to thrive.
Rachael Cody does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Protesters fill the Iowa state Capitol to denounce a bill that will strip the state civil rights code of protections based on gender identity.AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
A state law signed Feb. 28, 2025, removes gender identity as a protected status from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, leaving transgender people vulnerable to discrimination. The rights of transgender people – those who present gender characteristics that differ from what has historically been expected of someone based on their biological sex traits – are under political attack across the United States. There are now hundreds of anti-trans bills at various points in the legislative process.
Bias against trans people may not always feel like bias. For someone who believes it to be true, saying there can only be biological men who identify as men and biological women who identify as women may feel like a statement of fact. But research shows that gender is a spectrum, separate from biological sex, which is also more complex than the common male-female binary.
We are social psychologists who study and teach about the basic social, cognitive and emotion-based processes people use to make sense of themselves and the world. Research reveals psychological processes that bias people in ways they usually aren’t aware of. These common human tendencies can influence what we think about a particular group, influence how we act toward them, and prompt legislators to pass biased laws.
Root of negative views of transgender people
Social psychology theory and research point to several possible sources of negative views of transgender people.
Part of forming your own identity is defining yourself by the traits that make you unique. To do this, you categorize others as belonging to your group – based on characteristics that matter to you, such as race, age, culture or gender – or not. Psychologists call these categories in-groups and out-groups.
There is a natural human tendency to have inherent negative feelings toward people who aren’t part of your in-group. The bias you might feel against fans of a rival sports team is an example. This tendency may be rooted deep in evolutionary history, when favoring your own safe group over unknown outsiders would have been a survival advantage.
A trans person’s status as transgender may be the most salient thing about them to an observer, overshadowing other characteristics such as their height, race, profession, parental status and so on. As a small minority, transgender people are an out-group from the mainstream – making it likely out-group bias will be directed their way.
Anti-trans feeling may also result from fear that transgender people pose threats to one’s personal or group identity. Gender is part of everyone’s identity. If someone perceives their own gender to be determined by their biological sex, they may perceive other people who violate that “rule” as a threat to their own gender identity. Part of identity formation is not just out-group derogation but in-group favoritism. A cisgender person may engage in “in-group boundary protection” by making sure the parameters of “gender” are well defined and match their own beliefs.
Once you hold negative feelings about someone in an out-group, there are other social psychological processes that may solidify and amplify them in your mind.
The illusion of a causal connection
People tend to form illusory correlations between objects, people, occurrences or behaviors, particularly when those things are infrequently encountered. Two distinctive things happening at the same time makes people believe that one is causing the other.
Some superstitions result from this phenomenon. For example, you might attribute an unusual success such as winning money to wearing a particular shirt, which you now think of as your lucky shirt.
If a person only ever hears about negative events when they see or hear about a transgender person, an immigrant or a member of some other minority group, then an illusory correlation can form between the negative events and the minority group. That connection is the starting point for prejudice: automatic, negative feelings toward a group of people without justification.
Of course, it is possible that individuals from the group in question have committed some offense. But to take one individual’s bad deed and attribute it to an entire group of people isn’t justified. This kind of extrapolation is the natural human tendency of stereotyping, which can bias people’s actions.
‘That’s exactly what I thought’
Human minds are biased to confirm the beliefs they already hold, including stereotypes about trans people. A few interconnected processes are at play in what psychologists call confirmation bias.
First, there’s a natural tendency to seek out information that fits with what you already believe. If you think a shirt is lucky, then you’re more likely to look for positive things that happen when you wear it than you are to look for negative events that would seem to disconfirm its luckiness.
If you think transgender people are dangerous, you are more likely to conduct an internet search for “transgender people who are dangerous” than “transgender people are victims of crime.”
There’s a second, more passive process in play as well. Rather than actively seeking out confirming information, people also simply pay attention to information that confirms what they thought in the first place and ignore contradictory information. This can happen without you even realizing.
People also tend to interpret ambiguous events in line with their beliefs – “I must be having a good day, despite some setbacks, because I’m wearing my lucky shirt.” That confirmation bias could explain someone with anti-trans attitudes thinking “that transgender person holding hands with a child must be a pedophile” instead of “that transgender mother is showing love and care for her kid.”
Confirmation bias can strengthen an illusory correlation, making it even more likely to influence subsequent actions – whether compulsively wearing a lucky shirt to an anxiety-inducing appointment or not hiring someone because of discriminatory thoughts about the group they belong to.
Moving past biases
Awareness of biases is the first step in avoiding them. Setting bias aside allows people to make fair decisions, based on accurate information, and in line with their values.
However, this is not an easy task in the face of another social psychological process called group polarization. This phenomenon occurs when individuals’ beliefs become more extreme as they talk and listen only to people who hold the same beliefs they do. Think of the social media bubbles that result from interacting only with people who share your perspective.
Efforts to stifle or prohibit educators’ and librarians’ ability to teach and discuss gender and sexuality topics, openly and fairly, add another challenge. Education through access to impartial, evidence-based information can be one way to help neutralize inherent bias.
Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who is transgender, in discussion with a colleague. AP Photo/Tommy Martino
As a final, hopeful point, social psychological research has identified one strategy for overcoming intergroup conflict: forming close contacts with individuals from the “other” group. Having a friend, loved one or trusted and valued colleague who belongs to the out-group can help you recognize their humanity and overcome the biases you hold against that out-group as a whole.
A relevant and recent example of this scenario came when two transgender state representatives convinced their fellow lawmakers to vote against two extreme anti-trans bills in Montana by making the issue personal.
All of these decision-making biases influence everyone, not just the lawmakers currently in power. And they can be quite complex, with particular in-group and out-group memberships being hard to define – for instance, factions within religious groups who disagree on particular political issues.
But understanding and overcoming the biases everyone falls prey to means that optimal decisions can be made for everyone’s well-being and economic vitality. After all, psychology research has repeatedly demonstrated that diversity is good for the bottom line while it simultaneously promotes an equitable and inclusive society. Even from a solely financial perspective, discrimination is bad for all Americans.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Voyager 1, shown in this illustration, has operated for decades thanks to a radioisotope power system. NASA via AP
Powering spacecraft with solar energy may not seem like a challenge, given how intense the Sun’s light can feel on Earth. Spacecraft near the Earth use large solar panels to harness the Sun for the electricity needed to run their communications systems and science instruments.
However, the farther into space you go, the weaker the Sun’s light becomes and the less useful it is for powering systems with solar panels. Even in the inner solar system, spacecraft such as lunar or Mars rovers need alternative power sources.
As an astrophysicist and professor of physics, I teach a senior-level aerospace engineering course on the space environment. One of the key lessons I emphasize to my students is just how unforgiving space can be. In this extreme environment where spacecraft must withstand intense solar flares, radiation and temperature swings from hundreds of degrees below zero to hundreds of degrees above zero, engineers have developed innovative solutions to power some of the most remote and isolated space missions.
So how do engineers power missions in the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond? The solution is technology developed in the 1960s based on scientific principles discovered two centuries ago: radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or RTGs.
RTGs are essentially nuclear-powered batteries. But unlike the AAA batteries in your TV remote, RTGs can provide power for decades while hundreds of millions to billions of miles from Earth.
Nuclear power
Radioisotope thermoelectric generators do not rely on chemical reactions like the batteries in your phone. Instead, they rely on the radioactive decay of elements to produce heat and eventually electricity. While this concept sounds similar to that of a nuclear power plant, RTGs work on a different principle.
Most RTGs are built using plutonium-238 as their source of energy, which is not usable for nuclear power plants since it does not sustain fission reactions. Instead, plutonium-238 is an unstable element that will undergo radioactive decay.
Radioactive decay, or nuclear decay, happens when an unstable atomic nucleus spontaneously and randomly emits particles and energy to reach a more stable configuration. This process often causes the element to change into another element, since the nucleus can lose protons.
Plutonium-238 decays into uranium-234 and emits an alpha particle, made of two protons and two neutrons. NASA
When plutonium-238 decays, it emits alpha particles, which consist of two protons and two neutrons. When the plutonium-238, which starts with 94 protons, releases an alpha particle, it loses two protons and turns into uranium-234, which has 92 protons.
These alpha particles interact with and transfer energy into the material surrounding the plutonium, which heats up that material. The radioactive decay of plutonium-238 releases enough energy that it can glow red from its own heat, and it is this powerful heat that is the energy source to power an RTG.
The nuclear heat source for the Mars Curiosity rover is encased in a graphite shell. The fuel glows red hot because of the radioactive decay of plutonium-238. Idaho National Laboratory, CC BY
Heat as power
Radioisotope thermoelectric generators can turn heat into electricity using a principle called the Seebeck effect, discovered by German scientist Thomas Seebeck in 1821. As an added benefit, the heat from some types of RTGs can help keep electronics and the other components of a deep-space mission warm and working well.
In its basic form, the Seebeck effect describes how two wires of different conducting materials joined in a loop produce a current in that loop when exposed to a temperature difference.
The Seeback effect is the principle behind RTGs.
Devices that use this principle are called thermoelectric couples, or thermocouples. These thermocouples allow RTGs to produce electricity from the difference in temperature created by the heat of plutonium-238 decay and the frigid cold of space.
Radioisotope thermoelectric generator design
In a basic radioisotope thermoelectric generator, you have a container of plutonium-238, stored in the form of plutonium-dioxide, often in a solid ceramic state that provides extra safety in the event of an accident. The plutonium material is surrounded by a protective layer of foil insulation to which a large array of thermocouples is attached. The whole assembly is inside a protective aluminum casing.
An RTG has decaying material in its core, which generates heat that it converts to electricity. U.S. Department of Energy
The interior of the RTG and one side of the thermocouples is kept hot – close to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius) – while the outside of the RTG and the other side of the thermocouples are exposed to space. This outside, space-facing layer can be as cold as a few hundred degrees Fahrenheit below zero.
This strong temperature difference allows an RTG to turn the heat from radioactive decay into electricity. That electricity powers all kinds of spacecraft, from communications systems to science instruments to rovers on Mars, including five current NASA missions.
But don’t get too excited about buying an RTG for your house. With the current technology, they can produce only a few hundred watts of power. That may be enough to power a standard laptop, but not enough to play video games with a powerful GPU.
For deep-space missions, however, those couple hundred watts are more than enough.
The real benefit of RTGs is their ability to provide predictable, consistent power. The radioactive decay of plutonium is constant – every second of every day for decades. Over the course of about 90 years, only half the plutonium in an RTG will have decayed away. An RTG requires no moving parts to generate electricity, which makes them much less likely to break down or stop working.
Additionally, they have an excellent safety record, and they’re designed to survive their normal use and also be safe in the event of an accident.
RTGs in action
RTGs have been key to the success of many of NASA’s solar system and deep-space missions. The Mars Curiosity and Perseverance rovers and the New Horizons spacecraft that visited Pluto in 2015 have all used RTGs. New Horizons is traveling out of the solar system, where its RTGs will provide power where solar panels could not.
However, no missions capture the power of RTGs quite like the Voyager missions. NASA launched the twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in 1977 to take a tour of the outer solar system and then journey beyond it.
The RTGs on the Voyager probes have allowed the spacecraft to stay powered up while they collect data. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are about 15.5 billion miles and 13 billion miles (nearly 25 billion kilometers and 21 billion kilometers) from the Earth, respectively, making them the most distant human-made objects ever. Even at these extreme distances, their RTGs are still providing them consistent power.
These spacecraft are a testament to the ingenuity of the engineers who first designed RTGs in the early 1960s.
Benjamin Roulston does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Sir Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, announced on March 13 that the government will move to abolish NHS England in the next two years. During this period, the government plans to bring its functions under the UK’s health ministry, with the aim of bringing the health service “into democratic control”. What does this mean, and what difference will it make?
When the NHS was established in 1948, part of the aim was to make the local health problems of patients across the country the concern of the national government. The plan succeeded. Today, the NHS is politically highly important – it matters enormously to patients and the public, and has one of the largest spending budgets in the UK.
At the same time, it is technically difficult to manage, with local needs and opportunities and complex organisation that are hard and sometimes inefficient to manage centrally.
Striking the balance between delivering high-quality patient care and addressing the technical complexity of doing so is a continual challenge for governments. The solution chosen as part of the 2012 health and welfare reforms was to establish NHS England as an organisationally independent government body to provide technical and operational leadership for the NHS – leaving ministers insulated from those day-to-day issues and free to set an overall strategy.
The government’s decision to abolish NHS England marks a change back to direct ministerial grip on the system. This may reflect high public concern about the NHS and pressure on its services, as well as a desire by the recently elected government to exercise more direct control over the health service.
How does this compare to other health systems?
The NHS has long been an unusually centralised system. Although the English NHS covers more than 55 million people, it has historically been run by central government, which this change reinforces.
In contrast, although Spain has a similar NHS-style system, the Spanish health system is run by the 17 regional governments through their departments of health, with the largest covering 8.6 million people.
Europe’s other large national health system, in Italy, now also has a decentralised system. The national government sets the overall principles and benefits, but the actual services are under the control of regional governments.
These decentralised systems strike a different balance between political control and operational management, by bringing them together at a more local level.
If the UK government was to extend its aim of bringing the NHS into democratic control by taking a similar decentralisation approach to other NHS-style systems in Europe, what would this look like?
The NHS already has 42 integrated care systems at the local level. These already work with upper-tier local authorities, such as county councils, and are mostly aligned with their boundaries, but are under the control of central government.
Other countries already decentralise their health systems to similar levels. In Sweden, for example, the 21 counties are responsible for financing, purchasing and providing their health services, under the democratic control of the county councillors. While there might be questions about the capacity of local government in England to take on such a role, experience from elsewhere shows that it should be possible.
Compared with those decentralised systems, the abolition of NHS England is a relatively minor change. It puts ministers more directly in charge of the English NHS, but does not change the basic structure of the service nor its control by central government.
Examples from other countries suggest that if the ambition is to bring the health service more into democratic control, there are options for much more profound change. This would strike a whole new balance between political control and local management.
Tom Ling is a member of the Labour party.
Hampton Toole and Nick Fahy do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The NHS was hit hard by COVID. And no amount of appreciative clapping or painted rainbows could distract from the vulnerabilities which were exposed by the pandemic – or the challenges it created.
Some of those challenges – like the staggering backlog in patient care, or the huge mental and physical toll experienced by staff – will take years to overcome.
And anyone compelled to attend a hospital in the UK at the moment can see the evidence at first hand. Wards are very busy and staff are overstretched.
This is part of the legacy of a fast-spreading virus which killed 232,112 people in the UK and left an estimated 2 million suffering from the effects of long-COVID. It demanded urgent action from hospitals and health workers and brought immediate and widespread disruption to routine care, with appointments for elective surgery, cancer screenings and chronic disease management all delayed.
One 2024 study I worked on analysed appointment cancellations for cancer patients during the pandemic, and found that they waited an average of 19 days longer than before for rescheduled appointments. (Mortality rates remained stable though, indicating that the NHS effectively prioritised the most urgent cases.)
This kind of disruption has left the healthcare system facing a monumental backlog, with treatment waiting lists soaring to record levels. According to the British Medical Association, there are over 7.5 million people now on waiting lists (compared to 4.5 million before the pandemic) – and those waiting times are longer.
The basic infrastructure of the NHS – the buildings, IT equipment, offices – is creaking, with outdated facilities, insufficient beds and a lack of specialised equipment. And one study suggests that capital funding – investment in assets that will be used for more than a year – for NHS trusts in England is down by 21% over the past five years.
This is primarily because the Department of Health and Social Care has been diverting long-term investment funds to cover day-to-day operational costs such as staff salaries and medicines.
Since 2019, £500 million of capital investment has been cancelled or postponed. And while overall NHS budgets have been growing, the increased spending has often been absorbed by inflation, rising demand and the need to address immediate pressures. This leaves little for infrastructure upgrades, new equipment or technological advancements.
The Health Foundation has warned that the lack of a long-term capital funding strategy could further jeopardise patient care in the future. Many NHS facilities no longer meet the needs of a modern health service, with some hospitals requiring complete refurbishment or replacement rather than just repairs.
And of course, treating patients is not just about equipment and buildings. Nurses and doctors are under extreme pressure, facing unprecedented levels of stress, burnout and trauma. A recent survey revealed that one in three NHS doctors are experiencing extreme tiredness, impairing their ability to treat patients effectively.
NHS key workers wave from inside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, May 2020. Guy William/Shutterstock
A similar number said their ability to practice medicine may have been negatively affected by fatigue, with some even reporting cases of patient harm or a near-miss incident.
Stressed NHS
And although the NHS workforce has actually grown over the past five years, it has not been sufficient to reduce waiting lists, deal with growing demand, or improve staff morale. Anxiety, stress and depression accounted for for over 624,300 working days lost in one month last year.
Without a healthy and motivated workforce, the NHS’s recovery efforts will remain severely hampered. Other contributing factors include increased demand for healthcare services, partly due to an ageing population and the growing prevalence of chronic conditions.
To address these challenges, the NHS needs a modernised approach to patient care. Research suggests that technology including telemedicine (online consultations) and AI-driven diagnostics, could streamline services and reduce waiting times.
Other possible steps include the expansion of community diagnostic centres, to ease access to tests, and screenings, to improve efficiency.
Overall, the pandemic has underscored the critical importance of a robust and resilient healthcare system. As the NHS navigates its own path to recovery, it must prioritise both immediate solutions to the backlog crisis and long-term strategies. This will require significant investment, but also a commitment to innovation and the wellbeing of healthcare workers.
The road ahead for the NHS will be tricky, but with the right measures in place, it could emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. The lessons learned from COVID should serve as a catalyst for transformative change, ensuring that the UK’s healthcare system is better prepared to face whatever the future may hold.
Catia Nicodemo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
