The following statement from Christopher Lockyear, MSF Secretary General, outlines why the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s approach to distributing aid in Gaza, Palestine, is dangerous and reckless.
“The disastrous start of the food distribution coordinated by the newly created Gaza Humanitarian Foundation confirmed that the US-Israel plan to instrumentalise aid is ineffective. On 27 May, the first afternoon of distribution in Rafah, south Gaza, dozens of people were shot and injured as wholly insufficient amounts of basic lifesaving supplies were distributed amid chaos.
“Palestinians – deprived of food, water and medical aid for nearly three months – were penned in by fences as they waited to receive basic necessities for survival. This is a stark reminder of the dehumanising treatment imposed by Israeli authorities for more than 19 months.
“Through this dangerous and reckless approach, food is not being distributed where it’s needed most but is instead directed only to areas where Israeli forces choose to amass civilians. This means the most vulnerable – especially the elderly and people with disabilities – have virtually no chance of accessing the food they desperately need.
“The claim that this unprincipled, failing mechanism is necessary to prevent the diversion of aid is false. Since the start of the war, MSF has directly treated patients when we have been able to bring supplies into Gaza. This initiative seems to be a cynical ploy to feign compliance with International Humanitarian Law. In practice, it uses aid as a tool to forcibly displace people as part of what appears to be a broader strategy to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip – and to justify the continuation of a war waged without limits.
“Meanwhile, the humanitarian system is being strangled by the restrictions imposed upon it. Israeli authorities have allowed a trickle of aid trucks into Gaza, only to obstruct them immediately after they cross the border, preventing life-saving assistance from reaching the people who need it most, including children and pregnant and lactating women.
“Forcing humanitarian organisations to move such inadequate amounts of aid, when the Israeli siege has created a situation of unbearable need and despair, is leading to lootings. This is the consequence of a society being pushed to the brink, its very fabric torn apart by relentless violence and deprivation. The outcome is more preventable deaths and injuries, and the impossibility of delivering aid in a way that respects people’s dignity. This is part of a broader tactic to reinforce a one-sided narrative: the only way to deliver aid is to militarise it.
“Along with displacement orders and bombing campaigns that kill civilians, weaponising aid in this manner may constitute crimes against humanity. Only a lasting ceasefire and the immediate opening of Gaza’s borders for humanitarian aid – including food, medical supplies, fuel and equipment – can ease this man-made catastrophe.”
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May 30, 2025 – Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Global Affairs Canada
Today, the Government of Canada concluded a successful Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM) to Thailand and Cambodia. The delegation, led by Sara Wilshaw, Canada’s Chief Trade Commissioner and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade, brought together more than 150 representatives from over 90 Canadian organizations, of which 80% are small and medium-sized enterprises, to explore the unique business opportunities that Thailand and Cambodia have to offer.
As Canada works to build a stronger, more resilient economy, the Team Canada approach to trade missions is a proven tool that generates economic benefits for Canadians. As a key initiative under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, this TCTM opened doors for Canadian businesses in a wide range of sectors to:
form new connections in 2 of Southeast Asia’s emerging markets
diversify their trade strategies
increase their resilience
develop products and services that benefit Canada
During the TCTM’s business-to-business sessions, Ms. Wilshaw saw Canadian, Thai and Cambodian companies in action. She was impressed by the number of meaningful connections made between Canada and its trade partners through this trade mission.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Ms. Wilshaw met with Dr. Nalinee Taveesin, President of Thailand Trade Representatives and Adviser to the Prime Minister of Thailand. She also spoke with members of the board of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce and senior executives of the Charoen Pokphand Group, the largest Thai investor in Canada. In doing so, she highlighted Canada’s work in expanding trade, investment and supply-chain resilience in the Indo-Pacific region. For example, she noted the opening of a 12th Export Development Canada representation in Bangkok, which helps Canadian companies diversify into the Indo-Pacific region, resulting in more and better business opportunities for Canadians. She also noted Canada’s 15 free trade agreements, spanning 51 countries, as the foundation of Canada’s trade-diversification efforts.
In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Ms. Wilshaw met with Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and first vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, Sok Siphana, Senior Minister and Adviser to the Prime Minister; Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce; and Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. She spoke about mutual trade and investment priorities, sector-specific opportunities and the progress being made on a free trade agreement between Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. She also highlighted Canada’s commitment to deepening its engagement in Cambodia under Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. She noted that Canada’s presence in Phnom Penh was upgraded to an embassy in March 2025 and that this TCTM was the largest-ever Canadian delegation to visit Cambodia.
Blackdown Tableland National Park is temporarily closed to allow roadworks aimed at improving visitor safety and access to be completed.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is upgrading and resealing the main access road, as well as undertaking grading and re-gravelling works between Yaddamen Dhina (Horseshoe lookout) and the Munall camping area, including upgrades and repairs to steep, sealed sections of the road.
These improvements will enhance the overall visitor experience.
For safety reasons, the narrow and winding access road cannot accommodate vehicles and visitors during the roadworks.
Blackdown Tableland National Park is scheduled to reopen on 1 August 2025, following completion of roadworks.
QPWS will provide an update when the protected area is safe to reopen.
Visitors are being urged to check Park Alerts for up-to-date information on protected area closures.
The public is urged to obey all signs and directions from Rangers to ensure their safety.
The Civil Service College today held the latest in a series of talks on the country’s foreign affairs, with about 140 senior officials and civil servants in the directorate and senior ranks attending.
Addressing those in attendance, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said Hong Kong Special Administrative Region civil servants shoulder a mission of connecting the country with the world.
She highlighted that with the support of the Central People’s Government, the Hong Kong SAR Government has sent young public officers recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the United Nations Junior Professional Officer Programme, enabling them to contribute their expertise to the country and international organisations.
The talk, organised jointly with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA) in the Hong Kong SAR, was delivered by Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland Chen Xu.
The theme of the talk was “China on the International Stage: Its Role and Experience in Participating in International Organisations”.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (May 27, 2025) — Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Comalapa, in coordination with the Salvadoran Navy, hosted the annual U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet Hybrid Fleet Campaign (HFC) Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) Event demonstrating combined/joint integration potential for unmanned systems during a showcase event in San Salvador, El Salvador, May 27.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen A Murphy, Pratapaditya Pal Senior Lecturer in Curating and Museology of Asian Art, SOAS, University of London
The slick online catalogue entry for “Premium Lot 1, The Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha” on the Sotheby’s Hong Kong website was abruptly replaced on May 7 with a single line notification: “The auction has been postponed.”
Shortly afterwards, the associated webpages went blank. The only evidence remaining on Sotheby’s Hong Kong website was an entry on the Piprahwa gems’ history and a short YouTube promotional clip for the sale (below).
Sotheby’s had first announced its intention to auction the relics on February 6 2025. Discovered in northern India in 1898 and thought to date to the third century BC, it was estimated they would fetch up to HK$100m (£9.7m). The collection was consigned by Chris Peppé on behalf of his family, who had inherited the relics from his great grandfather, William Caxton Peppé – a 19th-century British colonial landowner who owned an estate in India.
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Reaction was muted at first, but as a scholar who researches the early history and archaeology of Buddhism and issues surrounding loot and restitution, I was gravely concerned by this proposed sale. Fortunately, I was not alone, and thanks to detailed research of SOAS colleagues such as Conan Cheong, Ashley Thompson and Thai academic Pipad Krajaejun, as well as protests from Buddhist devotees worldwide, a groundswell of disapproval began to grow.
A letter sent to Sotheby’s by the British Maha Bodhi Society, and shared with me, states:
Millions around the world, whether Buddhist or not, have religious and ethical concerns and believe that the sale of sacred items is morally wrong and offensive … Members of the Buddhist sangha [monkhood], as well as lay followers from all traditions, are appalled that the gems offered in devotional acts by the Buddha’s own clan, have been separated from his corporeal remains and are now being sold to the highest bidder.
This disapproval turned into a tidal wave on May 5, two days before the planned auction, with the intervention of the Indian government – which is now threatening legal action against both Sotheby’s and the Peppé family, demanding that the relics be repatriated to India.
In terms of his rights and those of his relatives to sell the relics, Chris Peppé previously had told the Guardian newspaper: “Legally, the ownership is unchallenged.”
Sotheby’s confirmed to me that it and the Indian government are “currently in discussions regarding the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, and are pleased to be working together to find the best possible outcome for all parties”.
How we got here
To understand how we reached this impasse, we must cast our eyes back to 19th-century British colonial India, then forward again to 2018-2023 and a number of high-profile exhibitions at some of the world’s most prestigious museums.
In 1898, the family’s great grandfather, William Caxton Peppé, excavated a Buddhist reliquary monument (known as a stupa) on his estate in Piprahwa, northern India. He uncovered what is now considered by scholars to be the most significant cache of Buddhist relics found in India.
The discovery included five reliquary urns containing gems, ash and bone fragments. An inscription on one suggested the remains could be those of the historical Buddha, who is thought to have been cremated around 200 years prior to their burial.
The Indian Treasure Trove Act of 1878 allowed Peppé to keep a portion referred to as “duplicates” (an art-history term used to justify the dividing up of similar material from a hoard or archaeological site that is very much frowned upon today). The British authorities gifted the bones and ash to King Chulalongkorn of Siam, who enshrined them in Bangkok and distributed portions to other Buddhist nations.
The majority of the 1,800 gems, meanwhile, had been deposited in the Indian Museum in Kolkata. It is a longstanding issue, however, that the bulk of this collection remains locked away in the museum safe, off limits to Buddhists, the wider public and scholars alike. Perhaps the publicity surrounding the Peppé portion of the reliquary contents might prompt that museum to review this policy after 120 years.
About ten years ago, armed with his inherited share of the relics, Chris Peppé began reaching out to museums worldwide, proposing to loan them. This, he recently stated, was to make them accessible to Buddhist devotees and the general public alike. Five museums took him up on the offer and, starting in 2018, duly curated high-profile exhibitions around them or incorporated them into larger shows.
Objects with a history of celebrated exhibitions tend to reach higher prices at auction. Whether the Peppé family intentionally built up the Piprahwa exhibition history with the aim of eventually auctioning the relics is unclear. I contacted Chris Peppé directly and posed this question to him, but he declined to comment.
Tellingly, the Sotheby’s website included a scholarly article from 2023 in Orientations Magazine by John Guy, curator of the Tree and Serpent exhibition. But it was dated to February 2025, which perhaps inadvertently made it appear to have been written as an endorsement of the sale. In fact, the paper had been published to coincide with the exhibition. I contacted Guy about this, and he responded by saying:
I regard the linking of my publication to the Sotheby’s sale as highly inappropriate and this was done without my knowledge or consent. The Met’s lawyers demanded that it be removed immediately, which was done, along with a written apology from Sotheby’s.
When I spoke to Nancy Wong at Sotheby’s, she confirmed this, saying: “We apologised and immediately removed the relevant reference from our website.”
Given the events of the past few weeks, the Peppé family now find themselves in a bind. With the Indian government engaged, and it may not be long before Sotheby’s drops them and the relics altogether. Despite their cultured facades and high-society veneers, auction houses are businesses, designed to make a profit – and any potential buyers may have been thoroughly scared off by recent events.
It is hard, however, for me to have much sympathy for the family who could have prevented this whole affair by donating the relics to a Buddhist community or museum in the first place.
Stephen A Murphy is a Senior Lecturer at SOAS, University of London. Prior to this he was a senior curator at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, from July 2014-October 2020 where an exhibition displaying the The Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha took place in November 2022-March 2023.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura Elin Pigott, Senior Lecturer in Neurosciences and Neurorehabilitation, Course Leader in the College of Health and Life Sciences, London South Bank University
Cryptogenic strokes have no obvious cause, but is increasingly being linked to subtle, hidden risk factors – such as oestrogen.Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock
For millions of women, combined hormonal contraceptives are a part of their daily life – providing a convenient and effective option for preventing pregnancy and managing their menstrual cycle.
But new findings are sounding the alarm on a serious, and often overlooked, risk: stroke.
According to recent findings presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference, combined oral hormonal contraceptives (which contains both oestrogen and progestogen) may significantly increase the chance of women experiencing a cryptogenic stroke. This is a sudden and serious type of stroke that occurs with no obvious cause.
Surprisingly, in younger adults – particularly women – cryptogenic strokes make up approximately 40% of all strokes. This suggests there may be sex-specific factors which contribute to this risk – such as hormonal contraception use. These recently-presented findings lend themselves to this theory.
At this year’s conference, researchers presented findings from the Secreto study. This is an international investigation that has been conducted into the causes of unexplained strokes in young people aged 18 to 49. The study enrolled 608 patients with cryptogenic ischaemic stroke from 13 different European countries.
One of their most striking discoveries was that women who used combined oral contraceptives were three times more likely to experience a cryptogenic stroke compared to non-users. These results stood, even after researchers adjusted for other factors which may have contributed to stroke risk (such as obesity and history of migraines).
It’s well-documented that hormonal contraceptives, which contain both oestrogen and progestin, come with a small, increased risk of experiencing serious health events, including stroke – particularly ischaemic stroke, which occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked.
But a study published earlier this year, which tracked over two million women, found that combined hormonal contraceptives – including the pill, intrauterine devices (IUD), patches and vaginal rings, which all contain both synthetic oestrogen and progestogen – were linked to higher risks of both stroke and heart attack. The vaginal ring increased stroke risk by 2.4 times and 3.8 times for heart attack. The contraceptive patch was found to increase stroke risk by nearly 3.5 times.
Interestingly, they also looked at a progestin-only contraceptive (the IUD) and found there was no increased risk for either heart attacks or strokes.
Both of these recent findings suggest oestrogen may be the main driver of stroke risk. While absolute risk is still low – meaning fewer than 40 in every 100,000 women using a combined hormonal contraceptive will experience a stroke – the population-level impact is significant considering the number of women worldwide that use a combined hormonal contraceptive.
Oestrogen and stroke risk
Combined hormonal contraceptives contain synthetic versions of the sex hormones oestrogen (usually ethinylestradiol) and a progestin (the synthetic version of progestogen).
Natural oestrogen in the body plays a role in promoting blood clotting, which is important for helping wounds heal and prevents excessive bleeding.
But the synthetic oestrogen in contraceptives is more potent and delivered in higher, steady doses. It stimulates the liver to produce extra clotting proteins and reduces natural anticoagulants — tipping the balance toward easier clot formation. This effect, while helpful in stopping bleeding, can raise the risk of abnormal blood clots that can lead to conditions such as stroke. This risk may be even greater for people who smoke, experience migraines or have a genetic tendency to clot.
If a clot forms in an artery that supplies the brain or breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the brain, this can block blood flow – causing what’s known as an ischaemic stroke. This is the most common type of stroke. Clots can also form in deep veins (such as those in the legs or around your organs).
In addition to clotting, oestrogen may also slightly raise blood pressure and affect how blood vessels behave over time, which can further increase stroke risk.
The effects of oestrogen on clotting may partly explain why the recent conference findings showed a link between combined contraceptive use and cryptogenic stroke risk. Cryptogenic stroke has no obvious cause, but is increasingly being linked to subtle, hidden risk factors – such as hormone-driven clotting.
Understanding risk
These numbers can sound alarming at first, but it’s important to keep them in perspective. The absolute risk – meaning the actual number of people affected – is still low.
For instance, researchers estimate that there may be one additional stroke per year for every 4,700 women using the combined pill.
That sounds rare, and for most users, it is. But when you consider that millions of women use these contraceptives globally, even a small increase in risk can translate into a significant number of strokes at the population level. Which is relative to what is seen with the high number of cryptogenic strokes in young women.
Despite the risks associated with combined hormonal contraceptives, many women continue to use them – either because they aren’t fully informed of the risks or because the alternatives are either less effective, less accessible or come with their own burdens.
Part of the reason this trade-off has become so normalised is the persistent under-funding and under-prioritisation of women’s health research. Historically, medical research has focused disproportionately on men – with women either excluded from studies or treated as an afterthought.
This has led to a limited understanding of how hormonal contraceptives affect female physiology beyond fertility control. As a result, the side-effects remain poorly understood, under-communicated and under-addressed.
Women have a right to make informed decisions about their health and body. This starts with having access to accurate information about the real risks and benefits of every contraceptive option. It means understanding, for example, that while combined hormonal contraceptives do carry a small risk of blood clots and stroke, pregnancy and the weeks following childbirth come with an even higher risk of those same complications. This context is vital for making truly informed choices.
No method of contraception is perfect. But when women are given the full picture, they can choose the method that best suits them. We also need more research that reflects the diversity and complexity of women’s bodies – not just to improve safety, but to expand options and empower decisions.
Laura Elin Pigott 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 Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in US politics and international security, University of Portsmouth
The American Revolution was a result of the tyranny experienced by colonists under the British monarchy. Many Americans had fled from Europe where they had been persecuted under the rule of powerful monarchs. The government produced by the revolution was designed to ensure no such tyranny could be reproduced in the newly formed United States.
The framers of the constitution created a checks-and-balances system of government to ensure that no single branch of the federal government (executive, judicial or legislative) could dominate the others. Each branch has powers to curtail or empower the others.
However, some Americans are concerned about a return of absolute rule due to the steps taken by Donald Trump’s second administration. This has sparked around 100 “no kings” protests all over the US, organised to coincide with Trump’s birthday on June 15.
Increasing presidential power
The second Trump administration has made a determined effort to strengthen presidential power and reduce oversight of the executive branch (the presidency). Achieving this could mean the president acting in an arbitrary manner similar to absolute monarchs of the past, free of congressional or judicial interference.
Trump’s “big beautiful bill”, which has been passed in the House of Representatives and now must go to the Senate, contains certain provisions that strengthen the role of the president and undermine the checks-and-balances system.
Previous presidents, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt during the New Deal era of the 1930s, had many of their executive orders cancelled by Supreme Court rulings. Over the last five months, the judiciary has ruled on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive actions, putting at least 180 on hold.
As a consequence, the president has continually questioned the validity of the courts to act. At last week’s West Point graduation ceremony, Trump claimed that last November’s election result “gives us the right to do what we wanna do to make our country great again”.
As Robert Reich, the former US secretary of labor, wrote recently, this “big beautiful bill” will remove the courts’ ability to hold executive officials in contempt and undermine any efforts to stop the administration. Supreme Court rulings could be ignored by the executive branch, and Congress would be unable to enforce its subpoenas and laws. “Trump will have crowned himself king,” Reich concluded.
Just like the judicial branch, the legislative branch (Congress) also has the ability to check the executive branch. Congress can override the presidential veto if both the House and Senate pass legislation with a two-thirds majority. And the executive branch (the president) cannot fund any initiatives without the budget being approved by Congress first.
But Trump and his supporters have minimised the impact that Congress can have on this particular bill by including all of the provisions within a budget reconciliation bill. This is a special legislative procedure that is designed to pass bills through Congress quickly.
Bills usually require 60 votes to bypass a filibuster – a tactic used by senators to delay voting on the bill by refusing to end the debate and speaking for exceptionally long times without a break.
But because this is a budget reconciliation, it only requires a majority – 51 votes – to pass the Senate. And because the Republicans have 53 seats in the Senate, Trump is confident the bill will pass without any Democratic interference.
The House narrowly passed the bill, despite some opposition from Republicans. And some Republican senators have also expressed concerns. But this is the latest move to centralise greater power within the presidency.
Trump makes the commencement speech at the West Point military academy.
Trump v the courts
Trump’s apparent belief that he is above the law has, in part, been supported by last year’s Supreme Court ruling which stated that former presidents had immunity from prosecution for official presidential acts. The Trump v United States decision decided such acts included command of the military, control of the executive branch, and execution of laws.
However, this week’s federal court ruling on the legality of Trump’s economic tariffs represents a setback to the administration’s efforts to strengthen presidential power. The Court of International Trade ruled that the White House’s use of emergency powers did not grant it the authority to impose tariffs on every country, and that the constitution states such power resides within Congress.
The Trump administration immediately said it would be appealing the decision. “It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,” Kush Desai, the White House deputy press secretary, said on the ruling, and that Trump would use “every lever of executive power” to “restore American greatness”.
All of which has led Trump to quote another authoritarian leader, Napoleon, on social media. His post – “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law” – was a clear rebuke to those who have tried to limit executive authority while he has been in office, and echoes that of former president Richard Nixon who, in an interview with David Frost about the Watergate scandal, argued that the constitution allowed the president to break the law.
This is an extension of the notion that Article II of the constitution has granted the president the authority to act without checks and balances when dealing with the executive branch. It is a theory much touted within Project 2025, believed to be the blueprint for the Trump presidency.
There are other historical comparisons that could be made of Trump’s authoritarian actions, such as the rule of Charles I of England (1625-49), who believed he could govern without consulting parliament except when he needed to raise taxes to conduct overseas campaigns. Ultimately, this led to a period of civil wars and the execution of the king for treason.
While none of these consequences are likely to be replicated, it is clear the US is currently in a constitutional crisis. The Supreme Court has a number of rulings to make on the judicial challenges to Trump’s executive authority. These will have generational consequences – but it is unclear in which way the court, where conservative judges have a 6-3 majority, will lean.
While Trump may not be seeking a crown for his head, he is certainly arguing that he has the right to control the executive branch in the way he sees fit, without any interference from Congress or the judiciary. This is not the separation of powers as prescribed by the framers of the US constitution, but more like the absolutism of medieval monarchs.
Dafydd Townley 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.
Imagine a future where a diagnosis of untreatable male infertility is no longer the end of the road – because science has found a way to produce human sperm from lab-engineered testicular tissue.
This might sound like science fiction, but I’m leading a team of researchers at the University of Limerick (UL) to work on making the production of human sperm from lab-engineered testicular tissue a reality. If successful, this could redefine fertility treatment and bring hope to the millions of people around the world affected by male infertility.
The precise causes of declining male reproductive health are still being debated. While genetics may play a role, no single genetic factor has been shown to affect male fertility at a population level. Instead, much of the focus has turned to the environment, particularly endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
These chemicals, which can interfere with hormone function, are found in common items such as plastics, pesticides, cosmetics and even painkillers. There is growing evidence that exposure to these substances in the womb can increase the risk of testicular cancer, reduce sperm quality, and lead to male infertility later in life.
SSR involves surgically opening the testicles to search for viable sperm for use in assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. However, success is far from guaranteed. In some cases, the chance of finding even a single usable sperm cell is as low as 40%.
In addition to its physical and emotional toll, SSR places the burden of fertility treatment on the female partner’s reproductive system, meaning women’s bodies are often the target of fertility medications and procedures. It does little to address the underlying health risks associated with male infertility, including higher rates of illness and early mortality.
And if SSR fails, the only option left is to use donor sperm – a difficult and emotional decision for many people.
Root of the problem
To address male infertility, scientists need to get to the root of the problem and develop solutions that restore natural fertility.
So, given the ethical and biological limits on experimenting directly with humans, researchers have turned to preclinical models to study the human testes. These include ex vivo tissue (human or animal tissue studied outside the body), in vitro cell cultures (human testicular cells grown on lab plates), and animal models (typically rodents or primates).
However, human sperm production is vastly different – and much less efficient – than in other mammals, making animal models unreliable. To move forward, researchers need preclinical models that closely mimic human testes and their ability to produce sperm.
This remains one of the biggest scientific hurdles in the field. While researchers have successfully produced sperm in the lab from mouse testicular tissue, the same has never been achieved in humans.
Our research is attempting to overcome this challenge by combining biology with mechanical engineering and materials science. We started by analysing human testicular tissue samples from a range of donors, building a detailed understanding of how the tissue functions.
This data was fed into the design of model systems that replicate human testicular tissue – not just biologically, but mechanically and structurally. The ultimate goal is to create a model that can not only mimic testicular function but produce viable human sperm.
Lab-produced sperm could revolutionise fertility care. It might one day offer a solution to men who have undergone failed SSR procedures, childhood cancer survivors whose fertility was damaged by chemotherapy or radiation, and male patients with severe, unexplained infertility who currently have no treatment options.
This isn’t just a scientific experiment. It’s about restoring hope to those for whom existing medical approaches have run out of answers.
Eoghan Cunnane receives funding from the European Research Council, Research Ireland, and the UL Foundation.
Within hours of a driver ramming into a crowd at Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade, injuring 65 people, Merseyside Police shared in a press release that they had arrested a suspect. Unusually, the announcement included the race and nationality of the person arrested – a 53-year-old white British man.
This was a stark contrast to the previous summer, when speculation about the ethnicity of a 17-year-old arrested for the murder of three young girls in Southport led to public disorder and riots around the country.
The question of what police and the public can say about an ongoing legal case and when is governed by contempt of court laws, which cover a wide range of behaviour in the UK. They prevent conduct which may disrupt legal proceedings, such as shouting out in court or otherwise causing a disturbance. They also prohibit publications which create “a substantial risk” that legal proceedings “will be seriously impeded or prejudiced”, and ensure that court orders are followed.
A recent House of Commons report suggested that the laws of contempt are not fit for the social media age. The report came after the public disorder which followed the murders of three girls by Axel Rudakubana in Southport in July 2024.
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It is widely accepted that in the Southport case, misinformation spread via social media – specifically, that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker called Ali-Al-Shakati – helped to fuel the disorder. Merseyside Police’s decision to quickly publish the ethnicity of the man arrested in Liverpool suggests they were acting to prevent a repeat of the August 2024 riots.
The police were restricted in the information they could release after Southport. Separate from the contempt laws, the Children and Young Persons Act prohibits the publication of material that may identify a person under 18 involved in youth court proceedings, and a judge may order anonymity in other criminal proceedings.
Police responded to riots around the country in August 2024 after misinformation spread about the suspect arrested for the murder of three girls in Southport. Ian Hamlett/Shutterstock
The police did try to combat false information about the case in the days following the Southport attack, but it was too late. They shared that the suspect had been born in Cardiff and that the name circulating on social media was incorrect. However, they could have released more information more quickly, even under the current contempt laws, including details such as Rudakubana’s ethnicity.
The Law Commission, an independent statutory body charged with reviewing the law of England and Wales and suggesting reforms, has said it is an “open question” whether the publication of more information could have prevented or mitigated the disorder after Southport.
But the events after Southport are probably why Liverpool was handled differently. Merseyside Police broke from their previous approach of not releasing ethnicity details (except in cases of missing persons or people on the run). Earlier in May, the police inspectorate published a report on the Southport response, saying police forces “need to better appreciate how fast-moving events will require them to counter false narratives online”.
However, simply releasing the race of the man arrested in Liverpool hasn’t fully filled the information void. A man’s photo was circulated on social media, wrongly identifying him as the person arrested.
It also risks setting a precedent for future cases. If police release a suspect’s ethnicity, some people will make assumptions about whether their ethnicity is linked to a motive for an attack, and may spread misinformation that may prejudice a trial or cause disorder. But if they don’t release the ethnicity, some people may still make assumptions about why police have kept it secret. In either case, misinformation is likely to spread.
Fit for the social media age?
Both of these cases raise concerns about whether current laws are fit for purpose, in an age when information spreads quickly – regardless of whether it is true – on social media.
Regardless of what the police make public, the real challenge is that anyone with a smartphone can instantly comment on any event, and may not know they are putting themselves at risk of committing a contempt of court offence.
In 2019, actress Tina Malone received a suspended sentence of eight months for breaching a court order prohibiting the release of information about the murderers of James Bulger. She shared a social media post which claimed to provide the new identity and a picture of Jon Venables. Malone told the court that she was unaware that she was doing anything wrong.
Newspapers have often been the subject of contempt of court cases. But in theory, anyone who shares a post by a publication later found to be in contempt could be implicated too.
Committing contempt can carry a sentence of up to two years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, was recently released from prison, where he had been serving a sentence for repeatedly breaching a court order.
The attorney general has launched campaigns to educate the public on the risks, but whether they’ve had any effect is questionable. Even politicians, including those in government, have made social media posts which come very close to being in contempt of court.
The laws of contempt, which have developed piecemeal over centuries, are not well known or understood. But they are an important part of the legal system, and they attempt to strike a balance between freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial, and to ensure that both victims and defendants receive justice. In the current climate, they need to be made much clearer.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Little Engine That Could wasn’t the most powerful train, but she believed in herself. The story goes that, as she set off to climb a steep mountain, she repeated: “I think I can, I think I can.”
That simple phrase from a children’s story still holds a lesson for today’s business world – especially when it comes to artificial intelligence.
AI is no longer a distant promise out of science fiction. It’s here and already beginning to transform industries. But despite the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on developing AI models and platforms, adoption remains slow for many employees, with a recent Pew Research Center survey finding that 63% of U.S. workers use AI minimally or not at all in their jobs.
The reason? It can often come down to what researchers call technological self-efficacy, or, put simply, a person’s belief in their ability to use technology effectively.
In my research on this topic, I found that many people who avoid using new technology aren’t truly against it – instead, they just don’t feel equipped to use it in their specific jobs. So rather than risk getting it wrong, they choose to keep their distance.
And that’s where many organizations derail. They focus on building the engine, but don’t fully fuel the confidence that workers need to get it moving.
What self-efficacy has to do with AI
Albert Bandura, the psychologist who developed the theory of self-efficacy, noted that skill alone doesn’t determine people’s behavior. What matters more is a person’s belief in their ability to use that skill effectively.
In my study of teachers in 1:1 technology environments – classrooms where each student is equipped with a digital device like a laptop or tablet – this was clear. I found that even teachers with access to powerful digital tools don’t always feel confident using them. And when they lack confidence, they may avoid the technology or use it in limited, superficial ways.
The same holds true in today’s AI-equipped workplace. Leaders may be quick to roll out new tools and want fast results. But employees may hesitate, wondering how it applies to their roles, whether they’ll use it correctly, or if they’ll appear less competent – or even unethical – for relying on it.
Beneath that hesitation may also be the all-too-familiar fear of one day being replaced by technology.
Going back to train analogies, think of John Henry, the 19th-century folk hero. As the story goes, Henry was a railroad worker who was famous for his strength. When a steam-powered machine threatened to replace him, he raced it – and won. But the victory came at a cost: He collapsed and died shortly afterward.
Henry’s story is a lesson in how resisting new technology through sheer willpower can be self-defeating. Rather than leaving some employees feeling like they have to outmuscle or outperform AI, organizations should invest in helping them understand how to work with it – so they don’t feel like they need to work against it.
Relevant and role-specific training
Many organizations do offer training related to using AI. But these programs are often too broad, covering topics like how to log into different programs, what the interfaces look like, or what AI “generally” can do.
In my study, participants consistently said they benefited most from training that was “district-specific,” meaning tailored to the devices, software and situations they faced daily with their specific subject areas and grade levels.
Translation for the corporate world? Training needs to be job-specific and user-centered – not one-size-fits-all.
The generational divide
It’s not exactly shocking: Younger workers tend to feel more confident using technology than older ones. Gen Z and millennials are digital natives – they’ve grown up with digital technologies as part of their daily lives.
Gen X and boomers, on the other hand, often had to adapt to using digital technologies mid-career. As a result, they may feel less capable and be more likely to dismiss AI and its possibilities. And if their few forays into AI are frustrating or lead to mistakes, that first impression is likely to stick.
When generative AI tools were first launched commercially, they were more likely to hallucinate and confidently spit out incorrect information. Remember when Google demoed its Bard AI tool in 2023 and its factual error led to its parent company losing US$100 billion in market value? Or when an attorney made headlines for citing fabricated cases courtesy of ChatGPT?
Moments like those likely reinforced skepticism – especially among workers already unsure about AI’s reliability. But the technology has already come a long way in a relatively short period of time.
The solution to getting those who may be slower to embrace AI isn’t to push them harder, but to coach them and consider their backgrounds.
What effective AI training looks like
Bandura identified four key sources that shape a person’s belief in their ability to succeed:
Mastery experiences, or personal success
Vicarious experiences, or seeing others in similar positions succeed
Verbal persuasion, or positive feedback
Physiological and emotional states, or someone’s mood, energy, anxiety and so forth.
In my research on educators, I saw how these concepts made a difference, and the same approach can apply to AI in the corporate world – or in virtually any environment in which a person needs to build self-efficacy.
In the workplace, this could be accomplished with cohort-based trainings that include feedback loops – regular communication between leaders and employees about growth, improvement and more – along with content that can be customized to employees’ needs and roles. Organizations can also experiment with engaging formats like PricewaterhouseCoopers’ prompting parties, which provide low-stakes opportunities for employees to build confidence and try new AI programs.
In “Pokemon Go!,” it’s possible to level up by stacking lots of small, low-stakes wins and gaining experience points along the way. Workplaces could approach AI training the same way, giving employees frequent, simple opportunities tied to their actual work to steadily build confidence and skill.
The curriculum doesn’t have to be revolutionary. It just needs to follow these principles and not fall victim to death by PowerPoint, or end up being generic training that isn’t applicable to specific roles in the workplace.
As organizations continue to invest heavily in developing and accessing AI technologies, it’s also essential that they invest in the people who will use them. AI might change what the workforce looks like, but there’s still going to be a workforce. And when people are well trained, AI can make both them and the outfits they work for significantly more effective.
Greg Edwards 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.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matthew Sturchio, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University; Faculty Afffiliate in Ecology, Colorado State University
Solar panels on grasslands can generate electricity and useful forage or wildlife habitat.Matthew Sturchio, CC BY-ND
Grasses growing in the shade of a solar array were only a little less productive than those growing nearby in open grassland during years of average and above-average rainfall – but in a dry year, the shaded plants grew much better than those growing in full sun. That’s the result of a four-year study we conducted in a semi-arid grassland of northern Colorado.
When choosing a location for generating solar power, consistent sunlight and interconnection to the electric grid are key criteria. In Colorado the combination of new electrical transmission infrastructure, abundant sunlight and short vegetation that is easy to maintain have made grasslands a prime target for solar development.
Grasslands, like those that dominate the eastern plains of Colorado, provide important habitat for wildlife and serve as a critical food source for livestock. Although these grasslands have long been productive despite their normally arid environment, a warmer climate has increased the potential for more frequent and severe drought. For instance, a recent global study found that previous research likely underestimated the threat of extreme drought in grasslands.
Semi-arid grassland near the Colorado-Wyoming border. Matthew Sturchio, CC BY-ND Semi-arid grassland near Cheyenne, Wyo., with close-ups of flowers of some of the plants that grow there. Matthew Sturchio, CC BY-ND
At Colorado State University, biology professor Alan Knapp and I started the ecovoltaics research group to study the effects of solar development in grasslands. Our primary goal is to ensure an ecologically informed solar energy future.
Solar panels create microclimates
Strings of solar panels redirect rain to the edge of panels. Because of this, small rain events can provide biologically relevant amounts of water instead of evaporating quickly.
Simultaneously, solar panels shade plants growing beneath them. Some arrays, including the ones used in our study, move the panels to follow the path of the Sun across the sky.
This results in a combination of sun and shade that is very different from the uninterrupted sunlight beating down on plants in a grassland without solar panels. In turn, patterns of plant stress and water loss also differ in grasses under solar arrays.
A time-lapse video shows how a single-axis tracking solar array at Jack’s Solar Garden modifies patterns of sunlight availability.
How grasses respond to a solar panel canopy
To get a handle on how these different conditions affect grasses, we measured plant physiological response during the early stages of our study. More specifically, we tracked leaf carbon and water exchange throughout daylight hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., over 16 weeks in summer 2022 at Jack’s Solar Garden, a solar array over grassland in Longmont, Colorado.
In general, plants that are adapted to full sun conditions, including most grasses, might not be expected to grow as well in partial shade. But we suspected that growth benefits from reduced water stress could outweigh potential reductions in growth from shading. We call this the “aridity mitigation potential” hypothesis.
Sure enough, we found evidence of aridity mitigation across multiple years, with the most pronounced effect during the driest year.
When water is scarce, increases in grassland productivity are more valuable because there isn’t as much around. Therefore, increasing grassland production in dry years could provide more available food for grazing animals and help offset some of the economic harm of drought in rangelands.
Informing sustainable solar development in grasslands
So far, our research has been limited to a grassland dominated by a cool season grass: smooth brome. Although it is a perennial commonly planted for hay, fields dominated by smooth brome lack the diversity of life found in native grasslands.
Future work in native shortgrass prairies would provide new information about how solar panels affect plant water use, soils and grazing management in an ecosystem with 30% less precipitation than Jack’s Solar Garden. We’re beginning that work now at the shortgrass ecovoltaic research facility near Nunn, Colorado. This facility, which will be fully operational later in 2025, was constructed with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the wider SCAPES project.
Testing the effects of solar panels over grasslands in a native ecosystem with even greater aridity will help us develop a clearer picture of ways solar energy can be developed in concert with grassland health.
Matthew Sturchio works for Cornell University and serves as a Faculty Affiliate at Colorado State University. Funding for this work came from US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Sustainable Agricultural Systems project entitled “Sustainably Co-locating Agricultural and Photovoltaic Electricity Systems,” led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Grant Number: 2021-68012-35898, 2021–2025.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ivis García, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University
Hurricane Harvey inundated the Cottage Grove neighborhood of Houston in 2018.Scott Olson/Getty Images
When powerful storms hit your city, which neighborhoods are most likely to flood? In many cities, they’re typically low-income areas. They may have poor drainage, or they lack protections such as seawalls.
New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, where hundreds of people died when Hurricane Katrina broke a levee in 2005, and Houston’s Kashmere Gardens, flooded by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, are just two among many examples.
Hurricane Irma flooded Immokalee, Fla., in 2017. The community, home to many farmworkers, had infrastructure problems before the storm, and recovery was slow. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
The new guidance required cities to both consider social vulnerability among neighborhoods in their disaster mitigation planning and involve socially vulnerable communities in those discussions in ways they hadn’t before.
However, as the U.S. heads into what forecasters predict will be an active 2025 hurricane season, that guidance has changed again. The Trump administration’s new FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide 2025 talks about public involvement in planning but strips any mention of equity, income or social vulnerability. It mentions using “projections for the future” to plan but removes references to climate change.
In the past, local mitigation plans just focused on fixing roads or protecting property in general from storm damage, without recognizing that socially vulnerable groups, such as low-income or elderly populations, were more likely to be hardest hit and take much longer to recover.
Low-income neighborhoods in Puerto Rico have been slow to recover from 2017’s Hurricane Maria. Ivis Garcia
The FEMA 2023 guidance encouraged communities to consider both the highest risks and which neighborhoods would be least able to respond in a disaster and address their needs.
The equity requirement was designed to ensure that local plans didn’t just protect those with the most wealth or political influence but considered who needs the help most. That might mean providing information in multiple languages in emergency alerts or investing in flood prevention in neighborhoods with aging infrastructure like roads, bridges and flood barriers.
How New York City’s 2024 plan helped
New York City’s 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan, for example, included a thorough social vulnerability assessment to identify neighborhoods with high percentages of people who were living in poverty or were older, disabled or weren’t fluent in English.
Knowing where disaster risk and social vulnerability overlapped allowed the city to boost investments in flood protection, emergency communication and cooling centers during summer heat in neighborhoods such as the South Bronx and East Harlem. These neighborhoods historically faced some of the greatest risks from disasters but saw little investment.
The NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice mapped the risk of storm surge flooding in the 2020s (purple) and 2080s (dark blue), and neighborhoods that fall under the city’s ‘disadvantaged communities’ criteria. A 1% risk means a 1% of chance of flooding in any given year, also referred to as a 100-year flood risk. NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
Further, New York’s plan calls for expanding outreach and early warning systems in multiple languages and enhancing infrastructure in areas with high concentrations of Spanish speakers. These kinds of changes help ensure that vulnerable residents are more likely to be better protected when disaster strikes.
Why is FEMA dropping that emphasis now?
FEMA’s reasoning for the guidance change in 2025: make it quicker and easier to get plans approved and unlock federal funding for projects like flood barriers, storm shelters and buyouts in areas at high risk of damage.
It’s a pragmatic move, but one that raises big questions about whether residents who are least able to help themselves will be overlooked again when the next disaster strikes.
And FEMA isn’t alone — other agencies, like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program, have made similar changes to their own disaster planning rules. Community Development Block Grant funds for disaster recovery are flexible and can be used for things like rebuilding homes and businesses, restoring infrastructure and helping local economies recover.
What this means for low-income areas
Some experts worry that the changes might mean low-income and other at-risk communities will be ignored again when cities develop their next five-year mitigation plans. Research from the Government Accountability Office shows that when something is required by law, it gets done. When it’s just a suggestion, it’s easy to skip, especially in places with fewer resources or less political will to help.
But the short-lived rules may have already helped in one important way: They made cities and states pay attention to social vulnerability, climate change and the needs of all their residents.
Many local leaders have learned the value of using data to understand where socially vulnerable residents face high disaster risks. And they have a model now for involving communities in decision-making. Even if those steps are no longer required, the hope is that these good habits will stick.
Where and how communities invest in disaster protection affects who stays safe and who faces higher risks from flooding, hurricanes and other disasters. When government policy shifts, it’s not just about paperwork – it’s about real people.
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.
About 1 in 4 U.S. children – nearly 19 million – have at least one parent with substance use disorder. This includes parents who misuse alcohol, marijuana, prescription opioids or illegal drugs. Our estimate reflects an increase of over 2 million children since 2020 and an increase of 10 million from an earlier estimate using data from 2009 to 2014.
To arrive at this estimate, our team used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2023, the most recently released year of data. Nearly 57,000 people ages 12 and up responded.
Why it matters
As a researcher who studies substance use in adolescents and young adults, I know these children are at considerable risk for the disorder, and other mental health issues, such as behavioral problems and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Substance use disorder is a psychiatric condition marked by frequent and heavy substance use. The disorder is characterized by numerous symptoms, including behaviors such as driving while intoxicated and fights with family and friends over substance use.
Despite the new study’s findings, mental health programs for children at risk could be cut.
Of the 19 million children, our study found about 3.5 million live with a parent who has multiple substance use disorders. More than 6 million have a parent with both a substance use disorder and significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or both. Alcohol is by far the most common substance used, with 12.5 million children affected.
Our 19 million estimate is significantly larger than an earlier estimate based on older data. That study, which reviewed data from 2009 to 2014, indicated that 8.7 million U.S. children – or roughly 1 in 8 – lived with a parent, or parents, with substance use disorder. That’s a difference of about 10 million children.
This happened primarily because between the time of the two studies – from 2014 to 2023 – the criteria for diagnosing someone with substance use disorder became broader and more inclusive. That change alone accounted for more than an 80% jump in the estimate of children affected by parental substance use disorder. There was also a further increase of 2 million in the number of affected children since 2020, which reflects the rising number of parents with a substance use disorder.
What’s next
There is a critical need to better identify parents with substance use disorder and the children who are affected by it. In my experience, many pediatric clinicians screen children for substance use, but they are much less likely to screen accompanying parents. So the first step is to make such screenings common and expected for both children and their adult caregivers.
But that is not the case now. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an expert panel that recommends screening and prevention best practices for clinicians, does not yet recommend such a screening for children, although that could help direct those in need to treatment and prevent the worst outcomes from substance use disorder.
Additional intervention, which requires funding, is needed from federal, state and local government. This may seem fanciful in an age of scrutinized government budgets. But the alternative is a bill that comes due later: millions of adults exposed to this disorder at an early age, only to struggle decades later with their own substance use and mental health problems.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Ty Schepis receives funding from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Any views expressed are those of Dr. Schepis and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIH/NIDA, the FDA, or SAMHSA. These funders had no role in any articles, and there was no editorial direction or censorship from the funders.
Detroit and other former immigrant gateway metro areas such as Buffalo, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri experienced significant immigration in the early 20th century. These population booms were followed by a period of decline in immigration numbers.
Now these cities are using branding strategies to construct inclusive identities designed to attract and retain immigrants. It may be surprising to think of a city branding itself, but local governments often work with private nonprofits to shape and manage their city’s image. They try to build a unique and desirable identity for the city, differentiate it from competitors, and attract new businesses, residents and tourists this way.
Here are three reasons why Detroit and other cities want to welcome immigrants:
1. Encouraging economic growth and attracting talent
Immigrants also fill labor needs, from high-tech fields such as engineering and research to manual labor sectors such as construction and food service.
This economic impact extends to tourism as well. The region’s marketing campaigns embracing diversity shape how visitors perceive the region. The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau spotlights the unique experiences the city’s diverse neighborhoods offer to tourists.
2. Enhancing community and regional resilience
Regional resilience describes a region’s ability to withstand and adapt to challenges such as economic shocks and natural disasters. Cities like Detroit that are still trying to bounce back from deindustrialization know from experience how critical this is.
Immigration contributes to regional resilience, research shows. In addition to supporting local economies and strengthening the labor force, the arrival of immigrants in Detroit has helped offset native-born population decline, stabilizing the overall population and bolstering local tax bases.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the Detroit metro area’s native-born population decreased by 58,693 people during that 13-year period, while the foreign-born population increased by 109,154. The top five countries of origin for immigrants in the metro area are India, Iraq, Mexico, Yemen and Lebanon.
From 2023 to 2024, the metro area’s population gained 40,347 immigrants and lost 11,626 native born residents – resulting in a population gain of 28,721.
Efforts to welcome immigrants in Detroit and its surrounding communities contributed to this trend of immigrant population growth offsetting overall population decline.
3. Promoting social cohesion and enhanced civic engagement
Successful place brands are rooted in inclusion and a strong civil society. Detroit’s rich tapestry of cultures in areas such as Dearborn and Hamtramck creates a vibrant regional identity.
Organizations such as Global Detroit’s Welcoming Michigan actively support local grassroots efforts to build mutual respect and ensure that immigrants are able to participate fully in the social, civic and economic fabric of their hometowns.
Examples include Global Detroit’s Social Cohesion Initiative, Common Bond and Opportunity Neighborhoods. These initiatives help bring neighborhood residents of various backgrounds together to share their cultures, support each other’s small businesses and socialize. Such programs strengthen the region’s democratic foundations and enhance its appeal as a welcoming and inclusive place to live.
Forging a way forward
Detroit has found that welcoming immigrants and integrating them into the life of the city is one way to navigate the economic, political and cultural challenges it faces.
And it is not alone in embracing this strategy. Other cities practicing similar strategies include Baltimore; Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; Dayton, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans; Pittsburgh; Roanoke, Virginia; and Salt Lake City.
Although not all cities choose to pursue such strategies, in those that do, local leaders signal a region ready for a globalized future.
Paul N. McDaniel previously received funding from the National Geographic Society, served on the Content Advisory Board for the Welcoming Standard and on the Steering Committee for Welcoming America’s One Region Initiative, and is a member of the American Association of Geographers.
Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez was co-PI on funding received from the National Geographic Society and served on the national pilot program with Welcoming America One Region Initiative’s Steering Committee and Program Evaluation Team.
Biotech company Colossal Biosciences made headlines in April 2025 after claiming it had “successfully restored … the dire wolf to its rightful place in the ecosystem.” Three wolf pups – Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi – were born through this de-extinction project.
But behind the scenes lies a more complicated reality.
What Colossal actually did was edit a small number of gray wolf genes, aiming to create physical traits that resemble those of the extinct dire wolf. The edited embryos were implanted into surrogate domestic dogs.
Many scientistsand reportersexpressed skepticism about the claim that this amounts to restoring the dire wolf. Experts pointed out that tweaking a handful of genes does not replicate the full biological reality of a long-extinct species. Most of the dire wolf’s genetic makeup remains unknown and unreplicated.
This gap between appearance and biological identity raises a deeper question: What exactly is a species, and how do you decide whether something belongs to one species rather than another?
Biologists call the answer a species concept – a theory about what a species is and how researchers sort organisms into different groups. As a philosopher of science who studies what defines a species, I can say this: Whether de-extinction projects succeed depends on which species concept you think is right – and the truth is, even scientists don’t agree.
How scientists define a species
When scientists talk about biodiversity – the variety of life-forms found in nature – species are the basic building blocks. A species is supposed to reflect a real division between distinct groups of organisms in the natural world, not just a convenient label.
In classifying living things into species, scientists are trying to “carve nature at its joints” to reflect real patterns shaped by evolution. Even so, deciding what counts as a species turns out to be surprisingly difficult and highly controversial. Scientists have proposed dozens of distinct species concepts – some scholars have counted over 32 ways to define a species – and each draws the lines a little differently. These definitions don’t always agree on whether an organism is part of one species rather than another.
Two of the most influential species concepts highlight the challenge. The biological species concept defines a species as a group of organisms that can naturally breed with each other and produce fertile offspring. Under this view, African forest elephants and African savanna elephants were once classified as the same species because they could mate and have young together, even though they lived in different habitats and looked different.
Another approach, the phylogenetic species concept, emphasizes ancestry instead of breeding. A species, in this view, is a group that shares a unique evolutionary history, forming its own distinct branch on the tree of life. By this standard, researchers found that forest and savanna elephants had been genetically evolving separately for millions of years, long enough to be considered different species even if they could still interbreed.
Understanding these different species concepts is crucial for evaluating claims about de-extinction. If Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi could naturally mate with historical dire wolves and produce fertile offspring, then they would be considered true dire wolves under the biological species concept.
But for definitions of species that emphasize evolutionary history, such as the phylogenetic species concept, the lab-created wolves would not qualify as real dire wolves – even if they were indistinguishable from the originals – because they did not descend from historical dire wolves.
Despite differences on how best to define species, there is a surprising degree of consensus among scientists and philosophers on one big idea: What makes something part of a species is not an internal feature, such as a specific set of genes, but a relationship to something else – to its environment, to other organisms, or to a shared evolutionary history.
By this way of thinking – what is often called relationalism – there is no special “lemon gene” that makes a lemon and no hidden genetic marker that automatically makes an animal a dire wolf. Commonly shared across all these theories is the notion that belonging to a particular species depends on connections and context, not on anything inside the organism itself.
But what if that consensus is wrong?
On warblers and mitochondria
At first glance, the standard ways of defining a species seem to work well. But every now and then, nature throws a curveball – and even the most trusted definitions don’t quite fit.
Take the case of the blue-winged and golden-winged warblers. These two songbirds look and sound different. They wear different plumage, sing different songs and prefer different habitats. Birders and organizations such as the American Ornithological Society have always classified them as separate species.
Yet under two of the most common scientific definitions of species, the biological and phylogenetic species concepts, blue-winged and golden-winged warblers are considered the same species. These birds regularly mate and produce young together. They’ve been swapping genes for thousands of years. And when scientists looked at their nuclear DNA – the genetic material tucked inside the nucleus of each cell – they found the two birds are 99.97% identical. This finding suggests that even careful, widely accepted species definitions can miss something important.
The golden-winged warbler, left, and blue-winged warbler are considered two distinct species, but according to many species concepts they would count as the same. Wildreturn, Ken Janes/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
So what if, instead, the key to being part of a species lies deep inside the organism, in the way its basic systems of life fit together?
Recent work in biology and philosophy suggests another way of thinking about species that focuses on a hidden but vital system inside cells: the partnership between two sets of genetic material. I and my colleague Kyle B. Heineexplore this idea by drawing on research in mitonuclear ecology – the study of how different parts of an organism’s genetic material adapt and work together to produce energy.
Virtually every cell contains two kinds of DNA. One set, stored in the nucleus, acts like an instruction manual that guides most of the cell’s activities. The other, found in structures called mitochondria – the cell’s energy centers – contains its own much smaller set of instructions geared toward supporting its unique role in keeping the cell running.
Producing energy depends on precise teamwork between nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA, like two musicians playing in perfect harmony. Over millions of years, the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of each species have evolved together to form a unique, finely tuned system.
This insight has led to a new way of thinking about species, called the mitonuclear compatibility species concept. According to this idea, an organism belongs to a species if its two sets of genes – those in the nucleus and those in the mitochondria – are optimized to work together to generate life-sustaining energy. If the cellular partnership between these two genetic systems is mismatched, the organism may struggle to produce the energy it needs to survive, grow and reproduce.
By this standard, different species aren’t just defined by how they look or behave, but by whether their nuclear and mitochondrial genes form a uniquely coadapted team. For example, even though blue-winged and golden-winged warblers are nearly identical in their nuclear DNA, they differ by about 3% in their mitochondrial DNA – a clue that their energy systems are distinct. And that’s exactly what the mitonuclear compatibility species concept predicts: They really are two separate species.
Bringing back a species like the dire wolf isn’t just a matter of getting the fur right or tweaking a few visible traits. According to my preferred species concept, even if a recreated animal looks the part, it won’t truly be a dire wolf unless its inner genetic systems – the ones that power its cells – are finely tuned to work together, just as they were in the original species.
That’s a tall order. And without restoring the full inner machinery of the original species, any lab-grown look-alike would fall short.
Understanding how scientists define species – and how those definitions shape the possibilities of de-extinction – offers more than just a lesson in biological bookkeeping. It shows that classification is not just about names or lineages, but about recognizing the deep biological patterns that sustain life, offering a deeper appreciation of what it really means to bring back the past.
Reviving an extinct species isn’t like assembling a model from spare parts. It means recreating a living, breathing system – one whose parts must work in concert, not just look the part.
And that’s why philosophy and science both matter here: To understand what we’re bringing back, we must first understand what was truly lost.
Elay Shech 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.
Prime numbers are numbers that are not products of smaller whole numbers.Jeremiah Bartz
A shard of smooth bone etched with irregular marks dating back 20,000 years puzzled archaeologists until they noticed something unique – the etchings, lines like tally marks, may have represented prime numbers. Similarly, a clay tablet from 1800 B.C.E. inscribed with Babylonian numbers describes a number system built on prime numbers.
As the Ishango bone, the Plimpton 322 tablet and other artifacts throughout history display, prime numbers have fascinated and captivated people throughout history. Today, prime numbers and their properties are studied in number theory, a branch of mathematics and active area of research today.
Informally, a positive counting number larger than one is prime if that number of dots can be arranged only into a rectangular array with one column or one row. For example, 11 is a prime number since 11 dots form only rectangular arrays of sizes 1 by 11 and 11 by 1. Conversely, 12 is not prime since you can use 12 dots to make an array of 3 by 4 dots, with multiple rows and multiple columns. Math textbooks define a prime number as a whole number greater than one whose only positive divisors are only 1 and itself.
Math historian Peter S. Rudman suggests that Greek mathematicians were likely the first to understand the concept of prime numbers, around 500 B.C.E.
Around 300 B.C.E., the Greek mathematician and logician Euler proved that there are infinitely many prime numbers. Euler began by assuming that there is a finite number of primes. Then he came up with a prime that was not on the original list to create a contradiction. Since a fundamental principle of mathematics is being logically consistent with no contradictions, Euler then concluded that his original assumption must be false. So, there are infinitely many primes.
The argument established the existence of infinitely many primes, however it was not particularly constructive. Euler had no efficient method to list all the primes in an ascending list.
Prime numbers, when expressed as that number of dots, can be arranged only in a single row or column, rather than a square or rectangle. David Eppstein/Wikimedia Commons
In the middle ages, Arab mathematicians advanced the Greeks’ theory of prime numbers, referred to as hasam numbers during this time. The Persian mathematician Kamal al-Din al-Farisi formulated the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, which states that any positive integer larger than one can be expressed uniquely as a product of primes.
From this view, prime numbers are the basic building blocks for constructing any positive whole number using multiplication – akin to atoms combining to make molecules in chemistry.
Today, primes in this form are called Mersenne primes after the French monk Marin Mersenne. Many of the largest known primes follow this format.
Several early mathematicians believed that a number of the form (2p – 1) is prime whenever p is prime. But in 1536, mathematician Hudalricus Regius noticed that 11 is prime but not (211 – 1), which equals 2047. The number 2047 can be expressed as 11 times 89, disproving the conjecture.
While not always true, number theorists realized that the (2p – 1) shortcut often produces primes and gives a systematic way to search for large primes.
The search for large primes
The number (2p – 1) is much larger relative to the value of p and provides opportunities to identify large primes.
When the number (2p – 1) becomes sufficiently large, it is much harder to check whether (2p – 1) is prime – that is, if (2p – 1) dots can be arranged only into a rectangular array with one column or one row.
Fortunately, Édouard Lucas developed a prime number test in 1878, later proved by Derrick Henry Lehmer in 1930. Their work resulted in an efficient algorithm for evaluating potential Mersenne primes. Using this algorithm with hand computations on paper, Lucas showed in 1876 that the 39-digit number (2127 – 1) equals 170,141,183,460,469,231,731,687,303,715,884,105,727, and that value is prime.
Also known as M127, this number remains the largest prime verified by hand computations. It held the record for largest known prime for 75 years.
Researchers began using computers in the 1950s, and the pace of discovering new large primes increased. In 1952, Raphael M. Robinson identified five new Mersenne primes using a Standard Western Automatic Computer to carry out the Lucas-Lehmer prime number tests.
As computers improved, the list of Mersenne primes grew, especially with the Cray supercomputer’s arrival in 1964. Although there are infinitely many primes, researchers are unsure how many fit the type (2p – 1) and are Mersenne primes.
By the early 1980s, researchers had accumulated enough data to confidently believe that infinitely many Mersenne primes exist. They could even guess how often these prime numbers appear, on average. Mathematicians have not found proof so far, but new data continues to support these guesses.
George Woltman, a computer scientist, founded the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, or GIMPS, in 1996. Through this collaborative program, anyone can download freely available software from the GIMPS website to search for Mersenne prime numbers on their personal computers. The website contains specific instructions on how to participate.
GIMPS has now identified 18 Mersenne primes, primarily on personal computers using Intel chips. The program averages a new discovery about every one to two years.
The largest known prime
Luke Durant, a retired programmer, discovered the current record for the largest known prime, (2136,279,841 – 1), in October 2024.
Referred to as M136279841, this 41,024,320-digit number was the 52nd Mersenne prime identified and was found by running GIMPS on a publicly available cloud-based computing network.
This network used Nvidia chips and ran across 17 countries and 24 data centers. These advanced chips provide faster computing by handling thousands of calculations simultaneously. The result is shorter run times for algorithms such as prime number testing.
New and increasingly powerful computer chips have allowed prime-number hunters to find increasingly larger primes. Fritzchens Fritz/Flickr
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a civil liberty group that offers cash prizes for identifying large primes. It awarded prizes in 2000 and 2009 for the first verified 1 million-digit and 10 million-digit prime numbers.
Large prime number enthusiasts’ next two challenges are to identify the first 100 million-digit and 1 billion-digit primes. EFF prizes of US$150,000 and $250,000, respectively, await the first successful individual or group.
Eight of the 10 largest known prime numbers are Mersenne primes, so GIMPS and cloud computing are poised to play a prominent role in the search for record-breaking large prime numbers.
Large prime numbers have a vital role in many encryption methods in cybersecurity, so every internet user stands to benefit from the search for large prime numbers. These searches help keep digital communications and sensitive information safe.
In April 2025, the UK’s Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish Ministers, offering long-awaited clarification on how “sex” should be interpreted under the Equality Act 2010. The court ruled that, for the purposes of this legislation, “woman” refers to biological sex, not gender identity.
The decision sparked intense debate across political, legal, and social spheres. But beyond the controversy, one crucial question remains: what does this mean for employers and employees?
For managers, the implications are significant. Legal obligations must now be understood within a clarified framework that distinguishes between biological sex and gender reassignment.
Employers face legal risks such as unlimited compensation at an employment tribunal. There’s also the potential fallout in terms of their reputation, as well as internal tensions as staff navigate issues of identity, belief and inclusion.
The Supreme Court case centred on whether Scottish legislation could expand the definition of “woman” to include transgender women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC). The court ruled it could not, reaffirming that the Equality Act defines “woman” and “man” by reference to biological sex. While the Act separately protects people with the characteristic of gender reassignment, the two are not interchangeable in law.
This ruling has wide-reaching implications for how single-sex services – such as women-only refuges, sports or changing facilities – can be structured. Under Schedule 3 of the Equality Act, providers may offer single-sex services where it is a “proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”. The judgement affirms that such services must now be assessed strictly through the lens of biological sex.
For employers, this means they are required to navigate a more tightly defined legal landscape. The Equality Act 2010 recognises both sex and gender reassignment as protected characteristics. While single-sex spaces are lawful in limited, justifiable contexts, the legal bar for exclusion remains high.
In practical terms, employers must ensure that provision of single-sex facilities – such as toilets, showers and changing rooms – complies with the Act.
Any such policies must be rooted in demonstrable need, such as privacy, dignity or safety concerns, and must not cause undue harm to trans employees. Providing gender-neutral or private alternatives is increasingly seen as good practice to minimise legal and reputational risk.
There is a real risk of legal claims on either side. Cisgender women may bring claims where their rights to single-sex spaces are perceived to be undermined. Meanwhile, trans individuals may claim indirect discrimination if reasonable adjustments such as updating internal systems (email or ID badges, for example) or offering a uniform to reflect the employee’s identity are not made.
Employers must ensure that decisions on workplace design or service provision are evidence-based, proportionate and reviewed regularly.
What employers should be offering
Navigating this complex issue demands more than legal compliance. At its core, this is about people – and creating a respectful and inclusive workplace culture that values all employees.
Employers should review and reinforce workplace values through:
• clear dignity and respect policies that ensure staff are aware of lawful protections for both sex-based and gender identity rights
• voluntary and inclusive communication practices, such as the optional use of pronouns in email signatures or profiles
• training for managers and staff on both the legal framework and the lived realities of trans and gender-critical perspectives
• robust mechanisms for resolving disputes that treat all complaints sensitively and without bias.
Such steps will not only mitigate legal risk, they can also foster trust, morale and retention in a diverse workforce.
Employee handbooks and HR policies should be checked and updated if necessary so that all staff know what they are entitled to. Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock
Employers must review whether their facilities and HR policies comply with the clarified legal interpretation.
In terms of facilities, where single-sex provisions exist, employers should ensure that they serve a clear and proportionate aim. This might be a female-only changing room in a fitness centre or healthcare setting where staff or service users are required to undress. Or it could be a women-only toilet or shower facility in a refuge for survivors of domestic abuse.
At the same time, gender-neutral or private alternatives should be considered to meet the needs of trans and non-binary employees.
And when it comes to HR and equality policies, employee handbooks, inclusion strategies and grievance procedures should be updated in line with the ruling. Employers should carry out impact assessments to determine whether any group is indirectly disadvantaged. They should then clearly document any steps for mitigation.
One of the most sensitive implications of the ruling is how employers manage conflicting beliefs. Some employees may have gender-critical views, while others consider gender identity as central to inclusion.
Following the decision in the Forstater v CGD Europe case, these views – if expressed respectfully – are protected under the Equality Act’s provisions on religion or belief. Employers must walk a careful line: upholding lawful freedom of belief while enforcing respectful conduct.
Best practice includes things like promoting freedom of expression without tolerating harassment or abuse, avoiding compelled speech (for example, forced pronoun use) while encouraging inclusive language, and offering mediation where tensions arise between staff.
The key is balance. It should be possible to protect all employees’ rights while ensuring that no one feels unsafe or undermined. Some gender-critical employees may feel legally vindicated in expressing sex-based views. Others, particularly trans and non-binary staff, may feel their identities are being questioned or their inclusion diminished.
Workplace dignity policies must ensure that everyone is treated respectfully and fairly. As such, employers must carefully manage interpersonal dynamics and provide clear channels for raising concerns.
The Supreme Court ruling does not strip rights – it clarifies the legal terrain. For employers, the priority should be legal clarity, respectful inclusion and thoughtful leadership. This is not a time for reactive or ideological responses. Rather, it calls for policies that are lawful, proportionate and based on the principles of fairness and dignity.
By updating facilities, reviewing policies, training staff and managing conflict with integrity, employers can ensure that their workplaces uphold the law while building a culture of trust and mutual respect. The law has spoken, and now it’s time for employers to lead.
Jonathan Lord 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.
WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee Ranking Member Don Davis (D-NC-01) and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-MN-02) introduced the bipartisan Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act of 2025as original cosponsors, alongside House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill (R-AR-02), House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15), Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee Chair Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), Representatives Tom Emmer (R-MN-06), Bryan Steil (R-WI-01), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), and Warren Davidson (R-OH-08).
“Families, entrepreneurs, and small businesses across our country, including rural areas in eastern North Carolina, seek ways to engage in the modern economy. Digital assets present a chance for a more inclusive financial future, but we need clear rules and fair oversight for innovation to thrive. Congress must ensure that America shapes digital finance, creates opportunities, protects consumers, and supports overlooked communities,” said Congressman Davis, the ranking member of the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee.
The CLARITY Act establishes a new regulatory framework for the issuance and trading of digital assets by outlining specific criteria for when a digital asset is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Under the legislation’s regulatory framework, the CFTC would be given regulatory authority over the “digital commodities” market. This market would include digital assets related to blockchain systems deemed “mature,” or largely decentralized. While the bill provides clarity regarding what types of digital assets would fall under the “digital commodity” definition, it directs the CFTC and SEC to define several key terms through agency rulemakings. Notably, the bill would give the CFTC authority over most secondary market crypto transactions where investors buy and sell previously issued crypto assets.
As with Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act from the previous Congress, the bill would grant CFTC new authorities, generally providing it exclusive jurisdiction over “cash” or “spot” market digital commodity transactions (with some exceptions) and requiring CFTC registration for entities (including exchanges, brokers and dealers) offering trade in digital commodities. The bill would impose certain requirements on intermediaries, including ensuring trading is not susceptible to manipulation, requiring disclosures, customer fund segregation and addressing market integrity and recordkeeping requirements.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — Customs offices at Beijing’s two major airports processed 369 million yuan (about 51.4 million U.S. dollars) in tax refunds from outbound overseas travelers in the first four months of 2025, up 79.41 percent year on year and setting a new record for the period, data from Beijing Customs showed.
The introduction of 240-hour visa-free transit has led to a significant increase in the number of foreigners arriving in China, customs officials said.
In January-April this year, 7.07 million incoming and outgoing travelers passed through Beijing Customs posts, up 22.3 percent year-on-year. In addition, at Beijing’s two international airports, Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, customs officials recorded a 23.9 percent increase in the number of incoming and outgoing flights to 40,622. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — China’s Ministry of Education is working with the Office of the Central Cyberspace Commission and the Ministry of Public Security to curb the spread of malicious information related to the upcoming national college entrance examination, the ministry said Friday.
The authorities have called on relevant online platforms to identify and eliminate false information about the leakage of examination materials, the sale of “answers” and combat fraud related to university admissions.
Authorities have warned that those who create and spread online rumors, disturb public order or mislead the public will be subject to severe punishment.
They also urged applicants and their parents to refrain from exam-related crimes and remain vigilant against fraud.
The nationwide college entrance exam, also known as the gaokao, will begin on June 7 this year, with a total of 13.35 million applicants taking it. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SINGAPORE, May 30 (Xinhua) — The 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense and security summit, opened here on Friday amid geopolitical tensions.
This year, representatives from 47 countries are participating in the dialogue, including 40 minister-level delegates, 20 chiefs-of-defence delegates, more than 20 senior military officials, as well as eminent academics, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence said.
French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a keynote speech on Friday evening in which he is expected to portray France and Europe as supporters of international cooperation and rules-based trade.
Analysts expect regional cooperation, U.S. security policy, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict to be key topics at the conference. The fallout from the U.S. tariff hike is also likely to draw attention. Officials will use the platform to reassure partners and find guidance in an increasingly multipolar security landscape.
The dialogue will last from May 30 to June 1. –0– Oleg
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, May 30 (Xinhua) — A Russian delegation is heading to Istanbul and will be ready to continue talks with Ukrainian representatives on Monday morning, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov announced at a briefing.
“Today I wanted to inform you that our delegation, the Russian delegation of negotiators, is leaving for Istanbul and will be ready on Monday morning to continue negotiations, for the second round of negotiations,” he said.
According to the press secretary, the drafts of the Russian and Ukrainian memorandums will not be published. “Of course, nothing will be made public. This cannot be made public,” D. Peskov noted. “Both draft memorandums, the Russian and Ukrainian, we hope, will be discussed at the second round of negotiations,” he added.
The security of navigation in the Black Sea, according to the Kremlin representative, will become an integral part of the conditions of the temporary truce. “A list of conditions is being developed, a list of conditions for a temporary truce will be agreed upon, and thus the security of navigation in the Black Sea will one way or another become an integral part of possible future understandings,” he noted.
The briefing also touched on the possibility of direct negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian and US Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. According to D. Peskov, this can only be discussed after the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have achieved results in the negotiations. “If such a result is achieved, and when it is achieved, then, of course, we can talk about contacts at the highest level,” he said. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — China’s international trade in goods and services reached 4.37 trillion yuan (606.8 billion U.S. dollars) in April, up 6 percent year on year, data released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) showed Friday.
In dollar terms, the country’s exports of goods and services amounted to $326.5 billion, while imports amounted to $280.3 billion, resulting in a positive balance of $46.2 billion, according to the department.
Of the total exports, the value of goods reached 2.1 trillion yuan, while that of imports reached 1.65 trillion yuan, resulting in a surplus of 446.4 billion yuan. The value of exports of services reached 250.5 billion yuan, while the value of imports of services in April was 364.4 billion yuan, resulting in a deficit of 113.8 billion yuan. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) — China’s transport sector saw 22.74 billion inter-regional trips in the first four months of this year, data released by the Ministry of Transport showed Friday.
According to the agency, this figure increased by 3.8 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
In particular, 20.96 billion trips were made on roads, and 76.55 million on waterways, the ministry said in a statement.
The country also recorded an increase in commercial freight traffic between January and April, with the total volume reaching 18.09 billion tons, up 4.7 percent year-on-year.
Fixed asset investment in the country’s transportation sector totaled 950.3 billion yuan (about $132.3 billion) during the period, according to the ministry. -0-
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
Due to numerous requests from students, additional enrollment has been opened for the free additional professional education program “Organizational, managerial and organizational and methodological foundations of inclusive higher education”, conducted by the State University of Management.
The training will help participants develop and deepen the professional competencies necessary for successful teaching and management activities in the field of inclusive higher education.
The program is designed for:
Management personnel of higher education institutions. Research and teaching staff. Educational and support personnel of educational institutions.
Both persons with higher education and those studying in higher education programs are admitted to training. A certificate of advanced training is issued to students only after receiving the relevant educational document.
The program is designed for 72 academic hours, includes studying modules and completing a final assignment, and will be conducted in a correspondence format using distance learning technologies.
Registration is open until June 10, 2025. Training will run from June 16 to June 30, 2025.
Questions regarding documents can be sent to the email address: ea_vlasova@guu.ru.
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: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Istanbul, 30 May 2025 – This week, government representatives and International Organization for Migration (IOM) staff from 14 partner countries gathered in Istanbul for the the Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships to Achieve Sustainable Solutions (COMPASS) Global Meeting. Co-hosted by IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, this flagship event held from 27 to 29 May brought together partners to strengthen cooperation on migration governance and the protection of migrants under the COMPASS initiative.
“The COMPASS initiative is not only about protecting migrants but also about building systems that work for everyone,” said Warner Ten Kate, Head of the Migration and Development Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, during the event. “Migration is, by its nature, a transnational phenomenon that requires a comprehensive approach and cooperation, and we are proud to work alongside IOM and our partner countries to drive this systemic, sustainable change.”
Launched in 2021 and now in its second phase (2024–2027), COMPASS is a comprehensive protection programme implemented in 14 countries across Africa and the Middle East. The programme contributes to strengthening migration governance systems, multistakeholder cooperation, and protecting and upholding the rights of migrants. In 2024, the programme provided protection assistance to over 35,500 migrants, including over 1,400 who benefited from return support. Additionally, more than 1,000 policymakers received training or tools to support migrant protection, according to the full 2024 data report.
“COMPASS is a shared commitment to improving migration governance by addressing common challenges through sustainable solutions,” said Vincent Houver, IOM Director of the Department of Mobility Pathways and Inclusion. “This partnership between IOM, the Netherlands, and partner countries brings together strategic vision, flexible financing, operational expertise, and local leadership. It fosters strong and equal cooperation across countries of origin, transit, and destination and sets a global benchmark for effective, innovative migration responses that place migrant protection at the core.”
During the meeting, delegates shared each country’s experience with project implementation and key achievements from COMPASS Phase II, reflected on lessons learned, and discussed strategic priorities in areas such as legal identity, localization, and specialized protection. Interactive sessions also focused on data-driven programme adaptability, community-based initiatives, and the critical role of local partnerships in achieving lasting impact.
A COMPASS marketplace added a dynamic element to the event, with country teams showcasing local innovations and programme highlights, while global teams presented tools and resources designed to drive solutions and foster collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
About COMPASS
COMPASS (Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships to Achieve Sustainable Solutions) is a joint initiative of IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Now in its second phase, it supports migrant protection, migration governance and community-led solutions in 14 countries, through systemic, adaptable, and people-centred approaches.
The government is continuing to show leadership by removing more interprovincial trade barriers to grow Nova Scotia’s economy and build a stronger Canada.
New regulations will allow more types of commercial trucks and other passenger vehicles to enter and operate in the province, supporting the movement of goods and services across the country. Previously, certain vehicles have not been allowed in Nova Scotia even though they are registered in another jurisdiction.
The Province will be introducing legislative changes to enhance the new Traffic Safety Act in the fall, which will enable these changes to be made permanent.
“Nova Scotia wants to see free trade nationwide, and we are leading by looking within our own regulations and practices to see where we can remove barriers,” said Premier Tim Houston. “If a vehicle can operate in another province or territory, it should be able to operate in Nova Scotia. We are removing needless and burdensome barriers. This is another example of how we are taking a Team Canada approach to creating a more prosperous future.”
In recognizing out-of-province registrations, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles will still have the ability to place special conditions on a vehicle’s operation to ensure safety and protect infrastructure, as is the case with Nova Scotian vehicles. This could include limiting commercial vehicle access to certain roads and bridges and age requirements for passengers in passenger vehicles.
Vehicles will be required to comply with all other existing provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, including inspections and insurance.
Nova Scotia is also announcing plans to amend the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations to allow factory-built (modular) buildings that meet the National Building Code to be installed in the province without having to meet additional Nova Scotia-specific standards.
Currently, manufacturers are required to redesign the same building model for every province depending on that province’s standards. This increases costs, causes delays and creates barriers for standardization and interprovincial trade.
“Both of these moves are to address unique and urgent challenges brought on by the trade war and housing crisis,” said Premier Houston. “It is about fairness for workers, opportunity for businesses and respect for Canadians’ right to move, work and trade freely across their own country, and it’s about getting people into safe and affordable housing, faster.”
The proposed amendments to the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations will:
enhance productivity and accelerate the development of new modular housing
allow modular construction contractors to work to one national code, rather than individual provincial codes
position Nova Scotia as national leaders in housing innovation and reduction of interprovincial trade barriers
position Nova Scotia as an easy export destination for modular housing and invite reciprocal recognition for Nova Scotian manufacturers from other provinces and territories.
The proposed changes to the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations only apply to factory-built construction.
Quick Facts:
the amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act regulations and the Building Code Act regulations fulfill the intent of the Province’s Free Trade and Mobility Within Canada Act by removing key interprovincial barriers
the Motor Vehicle Act regulations take effect Tuesday, June 3, and these changes will be evaluated to inform future regulatory updates
most of the vehicles not previously allowed in the province were certain types of commercial trucks and low-speed vehicles
the 45-day public notice period required for any changes to the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations will be held
Additional Resources:
News release – Legislation to Remove Barriers to Trade: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/02/25/legislation-remove-barriers-trade
Registration, driving and road safety information: https://novascotia.ca/driving-and-road-safety/
Department of Public Works on X: https://x.com/NS_PublicWorks
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
China’s child health status has continued to improve in recent years, said a health official on Friday.
In 2024, the national infant mortality rate and under-5 mortality rate dropped to 4 per 1,000 and 5.6 per 1,000 respectively, hitting record lows and ranking among the top in upper-middle-income countries globally, Shen Haiping, a senior official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference.
Examining global trends over the past decade, China’s average annual rate of decline in infant mortality and under-5 mortality ranked third and fourth, respectively, among 53 upper-middle-income countries globally, Shen said.
Between 2010 and 2023, China’s average life expectancy increased by 3.8 years, with 21.7 percent of this increase attributable to the decline in the under-5 mortality rate, she added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
The value of China’s international trade in goods and services reached 4.37 trillion yuan (606.8 billion U.S. dollars) in April, an increase of 6 percent year on year, official data showed on Friday.
In U.S. dollar terms, the country’s exports of goods and services amounted to 326.5 billion U.S. dollars, while imports totaled 280.3 billion U.S. dollars, resulting in a surplus of 46.2 billion U.S. dollars, according to data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
Of the total, the export value of goods reached 2.1 trillion yuan and the import value stood at 1.65 trillion yuan — which meant a surplus of 446.4 billion yuan. The export value of services reached 250.5 billion yuan while the import value of services was 364.4 billion yuan in April, resulting in a deficit of 113.8 billion yuan.
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