Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 1765 would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to encourage trusted companies and standards-setting bodies to participate in setting standards for 5G and future generations of wireless communications networks. Under the bill, the NTIA would provide technical assistance to those entities to facilitate participation.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 1721 would require the Department of Commerce to identify, within each critical infrastructure sector, high-demand products that are imported to the United States because of manufacturing, material, or supply chain constraints. The department would analyze the feasibility, costs, and benefits of producing such products in the United States and report the findings to the Congress.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 1679 would require the Department of Commerce, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and a federal interagency working group to study and report to the Congress on the ability of the United States to attract foreign direct investment and about barriers to foreign trade faced by advanced-technology firms in the United States.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 1455 would codify the authority for and delineate the responsibilities of the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), a research and engineering laboratory within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The bill also would require ITS to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies to locate people trapped in confined spaces, such as underground mines.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
A misconduct hearing has found that a former officer would have been dismissed for his inappropriate actions towards a victim of crime.
Gross misconduct had been proven in October 2021 for Detective Chief Inspector James Mason, with the panel giving him a final written warning.
Following a legal challenge, a hearing which began on Thursday, 19 June reconsidered the sanction, and amended it to dismissal on the basis of the high level of harm caused by DCI Mason.
Former DCI Mason, who resigned and left the Met in November 2022, will also be placed on the police Barred List.
Detective Superintendent Neil Smithson, Professional Standards, said: “The Met took the allegations against DCI James Mason seriously and conducted an investigation that led to a misconduct hearing. The hearing panel, led by an independent legally qualified chair, made the decision not to dismiss him and the Met Police has in no way sought to justify that decision.
“Former DCI Mason’s behaviour was wholly unacceptable. A victim of crime is already likely to feel vulnerable, they should never be made to feel worse by the actions of a police officer. I hope the victim in this case takes some comfort from the outcome of the fresh hearing.
“The Commissioner has made it very clear that officers who abuse their position of trust and authority have no place in the Met. We continue our ongoing drive to improve our standards and culture.”
The hearing in 2021 found all allegations proven against DCI Mason.
The hearing heard that in October 2011 while a detective sergeant, DCI Mason took a witness statement from a female victim of an attempted robbery.
He asked inappropriate questions about her personal life, relationships and whether she would like to go for dinner that evening.
The following day he was contacted by the woman to ask if further investigation could be done. DCI Mason began an inappropriate email exchange with her, including suggesting they meet for drinks and commenting on her appearance.
The victim began a legal challenge against the panel for its decision to issue a three-year final written warning. In January the Court of Appeal directed that the panel should convene on the issue of sanction.
The Barred List is held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police and a number of other policing bodies.
Source: Reserve Bank of India
|
RBI/2025-26/61 June 20, 2025 All Small Finance Banks Madam/ Dear Sir, Review of Priority Sector Lending norms – Small Finance Banks Please refer to the ‘Guidelines for Licensing of Small Finance Banks in Private Sector’ dated November 27, 2014 and the ‘Guidelines for ‘on-tap’ Licensing of Small Finance Banks in Private Sector’ released by Reserve Bank on December 5, 2019. In terms of paragraph II (9) of the aforesaid Licensing Guidelines, a small finance bank (SFB) is required to extend 75 per cent of its Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) to the sectors eligible for classification as priority sector lending (PSL) by the Reserve Bank. Further, while 40 per cent of its ANBC should be allocated to different sub-sectors under PSL as per the extant PSL prescriptions, the bank can allocate the balance 35 per cent to any one or more sub-sectors under the PSL where it has competitive advantage. Revised provisions 2. On a review, it has been decided that financial year 2025-26 onwards, the additional component (35 per cent) of PSL shall be reduced to 20 per cent, thereby making the overall PSL target as 60 per cent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent of Off-Balance Sheet Exposures (CEOBE), whichever is higher. The SFB shall continue to allocate 40 per cent of its ANBC or CEOBE, whichever is higher, to different sub-sectors under PSL as per the extant PSL prescriptions, while the balance 20 per cent shall be allocated to any one or more sub-sectors under the PSL where the bank has competitive advantage. 3. These instructions are issued in exercise of the powers conferred on the Reserve Bank of India under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Yours faithfully, (Manoranjan Padhy) |
Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations
JAKARTA, 20 June 2025 – The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN held an informal meeting with Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, P. Kumaran, today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. The Meeting exchanged views on the progress of ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
The Meeting took note of the substantive, meaningful and mutually beneficial ASEAN-India CSP, and highlighted the progress of cooperation across various sectors. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the CSP through various frameworks of cooperation and commended the substantial progress in implementing the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity (POA) 2021-2025 and its Annex. The Meeting looked forward to the adoption of the succeeding POA that will guide both sides in realising the full potential of ASEAN-India CSP over the next five years, with a view to bringing tangible benefits to the people of both sides.
Looking ahead, the Meeting agreed to continue their close engagement and consultations to further advance the ASEAN-India CSP, and looked forward to explore opportunities to further enhance collaboration in areas of mutual interest such as defence; maritime; combatting transnational crimes; cybersecurity, trade and investment; agriculture; science and technology, including space technology; connectivity, including land, air, sea and people-to-people connectivity; digital economy and infrastructure; artificial intelligence; tourism; culture; health; education; youth; sustainable development; renewable energy; climate change; disaster management; capacity-building initiatives; and people-to-people exchanges.
****
Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)
Goldman and Numerous Other Congressmembers Have Been Illegally Denied Access to ICE Field Offices Used to House Immigrants in Inhumane Conditions
Letter Follows ICE Turning Goldman Away from the 26 Federal Plaza Field Office in Lower Manhattan, Despite Staff Admitting Its Use for Immigrant Detention
During Congressmen Goldman and Nadler’s oversight visit to the ICE Field Office at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce confirmed that immigrants housed on the 10th floor were being forced to sleep on benches, floors, and in bathrooms for multiple days. Despite admitting that the facility was being used to detain migrants for several days at a time, Joyce barred the lawmakers from accessing the area, citing administration guidance.
The letter was signed by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY-11), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), and Yvette Clarke (NY-09).
Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:
We write to express alarm about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) continued obstruction of lawful congressional oversight visits, including recent denials of access to ICE field offices being used to house immigrants, such as the one located at 26 Federal Plaza in New York City. These denials are not only indefensible, but they are also a clear violation of current law.
“None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Homeland Security by this Act may be used to prevent…a Member of Congress…from entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens.”
On June 18, in the process of denying a request by Congressmen Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler to observe the ICE facilities where immigrants are being housed, New York Deputy Field Director Bill Joyce confirmed that individuals are in fact held – without beds – at 26 Federal Plaza for multiple days.
When individuals are deprived of their liberty in a secure facility for multiple days, they are unquestionably being “detained” or “housed” under the plain language of Section 527(a). And the facility need not be designated as a “detention facility;” rather, the plain language of the statute refers to a facility “used” to detain or house immigrants. By ICE’s own admission, the Field Office at 26 Federal Plaza is being “used” to “house” immigrants.
Thus, any and all attempts to deny or delay such access violate the law and obstruct our constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch. Congressmen Goldman and Nadler should therefore have been permitted to conduct their oversight duties to observe the circumstances and conditions of detention of the non-violent, non-criminal immigrants who are being snatched out of court proceedings in order to be quickly deported without due process.
Congressional oversight is essential to bring transparency to the conduct of the Department of Homeland Security. Given the overaggressive and excessive force used to handcuff and detain elected officials in public, DHS’s refusal to allow members of Congress to observe the conditions for immigrants behind closed doors begs the obvious question: what are you hiding?
Accordingly, we demand that you do the following no later than June 30, 2025:
Immediately rescind all guidance or instructions suggesting that ICE field offices are exempt from Section 527 oversight.
Reaffirm that Members of Congress are legally entitled to conduct unannounced oversight visits to any facility where people are detained or housed by or for DHS, including field offices where immigrants are kept overnight.
Direct all ICE field offices and relevant personnel to comply with Section 527 and facilitate congressional access consistent with current law.
Your cooperation, or lack thereof, will determine whether the Department of Homeland Security is committed to transparency and upholding the law with integrity or to secrecy and obstruction of congressional oversight.
We look forward to your prompt and forthright response.
###
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE enhances Moldovan police units’ K9 capabilities
K9 specialized vehicles donated by OSCE to Moldova’s General Police Inspectorate (GPI), 19 June 2025. (OSCE) Photo details
The OSCE supported Moldova’s General Police Inspectorate (GPI) in adopting a revised regulation to improve the governance of its K9 Directorate and upgrading its K9 capacities through the donation of two specialized vehicles and training equipment.
The recently updated regulation on K9 activities introduces unified standards for the operational deployment of detector dogs as well as their reproduction, acquisition, and training across specialized and territorial units. The revision brings national practices in line with international standards and good practices.
These activities were part of the implementation of a master plan (2025–2028) developed with OSCE support and adopted by the GPI in March 2025. It provides a structured roadmap for expanding and professionalizing Moldova’s K9 capabilities, which play a vital role in law enforcement operations and public safety.
“The two donated specialized vehicles, along with the flashlights, safety glasses, training gear, protective equipment, narcotics detection kit, scent carousel, full protective suits, trial sleeves, and training balls, will greatly enhance the Moldovan Police’s capacity to detect and combat crime,” said Viorel Cernăuțeanu, the Head of the General Police Inspectorate.
These initiatives are part of the OSCE’s extrabudgetary project “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region”, implemented jointly by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department and the Conflict Prevention Centre. The project is made possible through financial contributions from France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE enhances Moldovan police units’ K9 capabilities
K9 specialized vehicles donated by OSCE to Moldova’s General Police Inspectorate (GPI), 19 June 2025. (OSCE) Photo details
The OSCE supported Moldova’s General Police Inspectorate (GPI) in adopting a revised regulation to improve the governance of its K9 Directorate and upgrading its K9 capacities through the donation of two specialized vehicles and training equipment.
The recently updated regulation on K9 activities introduces unified standards for the operational deployment of detector dogs as well as their reproduction, acquisition, and training across specialized and territorial units. The revision brings national practices in line with international standards and good practices.
These activities were part of the implementation of a master plan (2025–2028) developed with OSCE support and adopted by the GPI in March 2025. It provides a structured roadmap for expanding and professionalizing Moldova’s K9 capabilities, which play a vital role in law enforcement operations and public safety.
“The two donated specialized vehicles, along with the flashlights, safety glasses, training gear, protective equipment, narcotics detection kit, scent carousel, full protective suits, trial sleeves, and training balls, will greatly enhance the Moldovan Police’s capacity to detect and combat crime,” said Viorel Cernăuțeanu, the Head of the General Police Inspectorate.
These initiatives are part of the OSCE’s extrabudgetary project “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region”, implemented jointly by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department and the Conflict Prevention Centre. The project is made possible through financial contributions from France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Statement from the Nordic-Baltic 8++ on joint action to further counter Russia’s shadow fleet.
We, the Foreign Ministers and government representatives of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have met today to address the challenge posed by the Russian shadow fleet. We call for further joint and coordinated action to effectively address Russian attempts to circumvent international sanctions.
Russia’s destabilising actions have strengthened our resolve to protect maritime security, safety, the marine environment and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law. We are particularly concerned about stateless vessels and falsely flagged vessels. Stateless vessels, including those falsely claiming to fly a flag, do not have a responsible flag state and are not entitled to rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation. If vessels fail to fly a valid flag in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, we will take appropriate action within international law.
Today, we have agreed to further strengthen our cooperation and ensure a joint and coordinated approach by our national authorities to address Russia’s shadow fleet. We intend to compile a common set of guidelines in line with international law to promote responsible behaviour at sea, strengthen compliance with international law, and ensure transparency across maritime operations.
We recall that the risks posed by the shadow fleet, including potential environmental damage as well as risks to maritime safety and security, the integrity of international seaborne trade, critical undersea infrastructure and respect for international maritime rules and standards, extend far beyond the Baltic and North Seas and could have global impact. We call on others to join our efforts.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Ms Alicia Herbert OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to Jamaica in succession to Ms Judith Slater. Ms Herbert will take up her appointment during September 2025.
Full name Alicia Jacinta Herbert
| Year | Role |
|---|---|
| 2021 to 2025 | FCDO, Director Education, Gender and Equality and UK Gender Envoy |
| 2016 to 2020 | DFID/FCDO, Head, Children Youth and Education |
| 2012 to 2016 | Maputo, Country Director, DFID Mozambique |
| 2009 to 2012 | Abuja, Deputy Country Director, DFID Nigeria |
| 2006 to 2009 | Khartoum, Head, Governance, Security and Development, DFID Sudan |
| 2002 to 2006 | Maputo, Social Development Adviser, DFID Mozambique |
| 1999 to 2002 | DFID, Social Development Adviser, Climate and Environment Department |
Media enquiries
Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk
Telephone 020 7008 3100
Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
UK-Japan partnership to further collaboration in key fusion areas, including R&D, regulation, skills and workforce
Kerry McCarthy, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Climate) and Hiroshi Masuko, Senior Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, signing the Memorandum of Cooperation on fusion energy.
UKAEA welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between UK and Japan, to strengthen our already close bond on developing fusion energy.
Fusion is a global challenge with global solutions and UKAEA looks forward to working with Japanese scientists and innovators to advance fusion energy.
More information can be found here.
Source: United Nations secretary general
Madam President, allow me to make a brief introduction before the briefings of my colleagues
Excellencies,
There are moments when the choices before us are not just consequential — they are defining.
Moments when the direction taken will shape not only the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future.
This is such a moment.
To the parties to the conflict – the potential parties to the conflict – and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message:
Give peace a chance.
The confrontation between Israel and Iran is escalating rapidly with a terrible toll – killing and injuring civilians, devastating homes, neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure, and attacking nuclear facilities.
The world is watching with growing alarm.
We are not drifting toward crisis – we are racing toward it.
We are not witnessing isolated incidents — we are on course to potential chaos.
The expansion of this conflict could ignite a fire that no one can control.
We must not let that happen.
Excellencies,
It may be easy to list a range of problems that have impacted relations between Israel and Iran in the last decades.
But the central question of this conflict is the nuclear question.
Non-proliferation is a must for the safety and security of us all.
The Non-Proliferation Treaty is a cornerstone of international security.
Iran must respect it.
And Iran has repeatedly stated that it is not seeking nuclear weapons.
Let’s recognize there is a trust gap.
The only way to bridge that gap is through diplomacy to establish a credible, comprehensive and verifiable solution – including full access to inspectors of the IAEA, as the United Nations technical agency in this field.
For all of that to be possible, I appeal for an end to the fighting and the return to serious negotiations.
At this defining moment, I urge this Council to act with unity and urgency for dialogue.
And I urge the international community to rally behind the sole path that can deliver lasting peace: diplomacy grounded in international law, including the UN Charter.
This is even more crucial given the unfolding horrors in Gaza.
Excellencies,
The only thing that is predictable is that the consequences of continuing this conflict are unpredictable.
Let us not look back on this decisive moment with regret.
Let us act — responsibly and together — to pull the region, and our world, back from the brink.
Thank you.
Source: Government of Canada News
Ottawa, June 20, 2025—The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), today issued the following statement:
“On World Refugee Day, Canada reaffirms its commitment to meet humanitarian needs, address the root causes of forced displacement and find lasting solutions for refugees and other displaced people. We honour their strength and resilience, and recognize the important contributions they make in the communities that welcome them.
In 2024, the number of people forcibly displaced due to escalating conflicts, emerging crises, persecution and the effects of climate change rose to 123.2 million—the highest number ever recorded. Canada welcomed more than 49,000 refugees last year through resettlement programs, including government-assisted, privately sponsored and blended support.
We work with experienced and trusted international partners like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration to prioritize support for the most vulnerable forcibly displaced populations. From 2024 to 2026, under the government-assisted refugees program, Canada will resettle 12,000 refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Asia, 4,000 from the Americas and 4,000 from Sudan. This includes women and girls, LGBTQI+ people, religious minorities and those affected by conflict or displacement.
In November, Canada announced $50.4 million in flexible, multi-year funding to UNHCR over the next four years. This complements Canada’s ongoing humanitarian assistance to UNHCR, which provides immediate, life-saving support to refugees and other displaced populations worldwide, addressing their urgent humanitarian and protection needs.
Canada continues to support those affected by conflict, including in Sudan. In February 2025, Canada expanded its immigration measures to resettle up to 4,000 Sudanese government-assisted refugees by 2026 and an additional 700 refugees through private sponsorship. We are also increasing family-based permanent residence spaces from 3,250 to over 5,000 applications. These efforts will help about 10,000 individuals find safety and opportunity in Canada.
By welcoming refugees, we reaffirm Canada’s values of compassion, human rights and inclusion. Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient country—one where everyone can thrive in safety and peace.”
For further information (media only), please contact:
Media Relations
People and Communications Sector
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
media@cic.gc.ca
Source: Government of Canada News
June 20, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
Yesterday, the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, met in Ottawa with Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Minister of State for Foreign Trade. This was their first bilateral meeting.
Minister Sidhu and Minister Al Zeyoudi discussed the importance of strengthening the trade and investment relationship between Canada and the U.A.E. To that effect, the ministers agreed on the need to conclude the negotiations for the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement soon.
Minister Sidhu also highlighted many areas of natural partnership as the two countries pursue ambitious growth agendas, such as AI, clean tech, energy, agri-food, and infrastructure.
The ministers will continue to work together to open doors for Canadian and Emirati businesses to succeed, including by supporting initiatives such as the Canada-U.A.E. Business Council mission to Toronto, Ontario, and Calgary, Alberta, in early July this year.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2025
Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov
Congresswoman Barragán Holds Tele-Town Hall on the Ongoing ICE Raids and Deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles County
Long Beach, CA — This evening, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) hosted a Tele-Town Hall to address the ongoing ICE raids and Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles County. Congresswoman Barragán spoke to nearly 8,000 participants about the Trump administration’s decision to target immigrant families and entire communities —not serious criminals— and how this has sparked fear, anxiety, and protests across the region. She raised concerns about the use of federal troops in neighborhoods where local officials had already confirmed the situation was under control, calling it an unnecessary public show of force and political theater.
Congresswoman Barragán was joined by representatives from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA) and Immigrant Defenders Law Center, who helped answer questions and share resources.
“Donald Trump and Stephen Miller are terrorizing immigrant families and communities in my district and throughout Los Angeles County,” said Rep. Barragán. “We’re seeing ICE agents gathering near our schools and the recent raids forcing communities to cancel local events because people are too afraid to gather in public spaces. And when our communities spoke up through protest, Trump responded by sending in the National Guard and Marines. This isn’t just about immigration. It’s about democracy. It’s about whether the federal government will protect people’s rights or punish them for speaking out.”
“This moment demands both clear understanding and united effort,” said Angelica Salas, Executive Director for CHIRLA. “We’ve spent decades creating systems to help immigrants. This work is incredibly pertinent now – immigrants and community members should know they are not alone in this process.”
“Misinformation is more dangerous now than ever, in light of ICE’s presence in Los Angeles,” said Matthew Toyama, Managing Attorney at CHIRLA. “People are being detained and deported because they don’t know they have options when interacting with immigration officers and attorneys willing to protect their rights. These are times that test the fabric of our Constitution and our consciences.”
“Fear is spreading through our immigrant communities,” said Kristen Hunsberger, Managing Attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “Now is an essential time for people to know there are resources and information available to them – and we are here to help with that. Immigrant rights are human rights, and should be defended just as strongly.”
###
Source: US Government research organizations
Dr. Shyam Sunder
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that S. Shyam Sunder has been selected as its new Associate Director for Laboratory Programs (ADLP), effective June 1, 2025.
In this role, Sunder will provide leadership and oversight to NIST’s laboratories, which provide vital measurement and research services that underpin technology innovation in the United States. NIST’s non-regulatory science mission is executed in close partnership with industry through its laboratory programs by supporting new technologies, services and markets, and industry-led, consensus-based standards that help American companies compete around the world.
“Shyam’s expertise and practical background, as well as his more than 30 years in leadership roles at NIST, make him an invaluable asset as we continue to push boundaries in critical and emerging technologies,” said Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Acting NIST Director Craig Burkhardt. “Shyam will play a crucial role in helping NIST accelerate advances at the forefront of measurement science, which is the foundation for unleashing technological innovation and U.S. economic competitiveness.”
Sunder previously served as director of NIST’s Special Programs Office and Acting Director of the Standards Coordination Office. In these roles, he established and managed the NIST Safety Commission, which issued a comprehensive set of findings and recommendations to improve NIST’s safety culture and the effectiveness of its safety protocols. In response to the CHIPS for America Act, he led NIST’s cross-laboratory team, engaging more than 800 stakeholders to assess and publish seven “grand challenges” to advance the U.S. semiconductor industry. He further led NIST’s efforts to establish a competitively selected Standardization Center of Excellence to accelerate U.S. engagement in international standardization for critical and emerging technologies through a cooperative agreement with the private sector-led U.S. standards system.
Sunder’s prior positions include founding director of NIST’s Engineering Laboratory, director of its Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL), and chief of BFRL’s Structures and Materials Division. He co-chaired White House National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) panels that set the federal R&D agenda for Net-Zero Energy High-Performance Buildings and Cyber-Physical Systems.
Before joining NIST in 1994, he served on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty. He received master and doctor of science degrees from MIT, and a bachelor of technology with distinction from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
Sunder is a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive, and the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award, its highest honor, for distinguished leadership of the federal building and fire safety investigation of the World Trade Center disaster after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He was elected to the National Academy of Construction in 2012.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
A teenager has been jailed for stabbing his school friend to death in an east London park.
A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at the Old Bailey on Friday, 20 June.
The judge ruled he was a ‘dangerous offender’ and ordered that he must serve at least seven years of his sentence in prison.
He was found guilty at the same court of the manslaughter of 15-year-old Pharell Garica following a trial that concluded on Friday, 7 February. He was found not guilty of murder.
The court heard that the defendant, who was aged 15 at the time, stabbed Pharell in the heart, chased him until he collapsed then fled without helping him and disposed of the weapon.
The defendant admitted stabbing Pharell, but claimed it was in self-defence. However, the jury disagreed with this account.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts very much remain with Pharell’s family and friends, who had to re-live the last traumatic moments of his young life during the trial after the defendant failed to take responsibility for his actions.
“Somehow the defendant came to be in possession of a multi-tool, which he claimed in court was carried to the scene by the victim. The evidence we gathered disputed the defendant’s account that he grabbed the multi-tool and delivered a fatal blow to save his life. When the defendant became in possession of that weapon he had a choice. He could have walked away, he could’ve thrown the multi-tool to the floor. Instead, he chose to stab Pharell in the heart and then chased him, still armed with the knife, until he saw the victim collapse from his fatal injuries. Instead of rushing over to help his former friend, he fled the scene and tried to dispose of the evidence.
“Our investigation revealed that the defendant had a fascination with knives after we found 43 images and videos from 16 and 17 July alone of him playing with knives.”
Detective Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “Pharell’s death was first and foremost a devastating tragedy for his family and friends, but it also had considerable impact across our local communities.
“While overall violence has been reducing in Hackney, tragic events such as this serve as a reminder that too many of our children and young people have to contend with the callous reality of knife crime. We continue to work night and day, with the council, local charities and wider partners to address both the root causes of knife crime and to deter people from carrying knives through police action.
“If any young person feels they need to carry a knife please speak to a parent, carer, teacher, youth leader or adult you trust and we can get you the support to step back from that decision safely.”
Police were called at around 16.05hrs on Tuesday, 23 July to Stellman Close, E5 to reports of a stabbing.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended, but sadly Pharell was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard that Pharell and the defendant, who used to be friends before a falling out, met in the park shortly before the attack. The defendant had told a mutual friend that he was going to fight Pharell as he was talking about him.
Following Pharell’s death, the police received some information, which led them to make an arrest enquiry at the defendant’s address. He was not home.
Detectives soon tracked him down to a family friend’s house, where he stayed following the manslaughter, and he was arrested at 05:07hrs on Wednesday, 24 July.
Detectives then began their lengthy investigation of gathering evidence to prove the defendant was responsible for killing Pharell. They reviewed hours CCTV that captured the defendant entering the park, before putting his hood-up, walking to the area where the attacked happened with Pharell, chasing Pharell out of the park while still holding the knife and then finally disposing of the weapon.
The weapon was recovered close to where the defendant was seen discarding it on CCTV. The multi-tool was forensically linked to both the defendant and Pharell.
Officers also analysed the defendant’s mobile phone which showed communication of Snapchat between the pair in the days leading up to the manslaughter, as well as 43 videos and photos of the defendant playing with knives only a week before the killing on Tuesday, 16 and Wednesday, 17 July. The defendant also messaged his mother following the attack saying he could not come home, to remove certain items from their home and asking to go to Portugal.
The defendant gave a prepared statement to officers admitting to stabbing Pharell but saying he did it in self-defence after getting the knife off him – something detectives and the jury disputed.
He was charged on Thursday, 25 July and was convicted as above.
Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
A teenager has been jailed for stabbing his school friend to death in an east London park.
A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at the Old Bailey on Friday, 20 June.
The judge ruled he was a ‘dangerous offender’ and ordered that he must serve at least seven years of his sentence in prison.
He was found guilty at the same court of the manslaughter of 15-year-old Pharell Garica following a trial that concluded on Friday, 7 February. He was found not guilty of murder.
The court heard that the defendant, who was aged 15 at the time, stabbed Pharell in the heart, chased him until he collapsed then fled without helping him and disposed of the weapon.
The defendant admitted stabbing Pharell, but claimed it was in self-defence. However, the jury disagreed with this account.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts very much remain with Pharell’s family and friends, who had to re-live the last traumatic moments of his young life during the trial after the defendant failed to take responsibility for his actions.
“Somehow the defendant came to be in possession of a multi-tool, which he claimed in court was carried to the scene by the victim. The evidence we gathered disputed the defendant’s account that he grabbed the multi-tool and delivered a fatal blow to save his life. When the defendant became in possession of that weapon he had a choice. He could have walked away, he could’ve thrown the multi-tool to the floor. Instead, he chose to stab Pharell in the heart and then chased him, still armed with the knife, until he saw the victim collapse from his fatal injuries. Instead of rushing over to help his former friend, he fled the scene and tried to dispose of the evidence.
“Our investigation revealed that the defendant had a fascination with knives after we found 43 images and videos from 16 and 17 July alone of him playing with knives.”
Detective Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “Pharell’s death was first and foremost a devastating tragedy for his family and friends, but it also had considerable impact across our local communities.
“While overall violence has been reducing in Hackney, tragic events such as this serve as a reminder that too many of our children and young people have to contend with the callous reality of knife crime. We continue to work night and day, with the council, local charities and wider partners to address both the root causes of knife crime and to deter people from carrying knives through police action.
“If any young person feels they need to carry a knife please speak to a parent, carer, teacher, youth leader or adult you trust and we can get you the support to step back from that decision safely.”
Police were called at around 16.05hrs on Tuesday, 23 July to Stellman Close, E5 to reports of a stabbing.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended, but sadly Pharell was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard that Pharell and the defendant, who used to be friends before a falling out, met in the park shortly before the attack. The defendant had told a mutual friend that he was going to fight Pharell as he was talking about him.
Following Pharell’s death, the police received some information, which led them to make an arrest enquiry at the defendant’s address. He was not home.
Detectives soon tracked him down to a family friend’s house, where he stayed following the manslaughter, and he was arrested at 05:07hrs on Wednesday, 24 July.
Detectives then began their lengthy investigation of gathering evidence to prove the defendant was responsible for killing Pharell. They reviewed hours CCTV that captured the defendant entering the park, before putting his hood-up, walking to the area where the attacked happened with Pharell, chasing Pharell out of the park while still holding the knife and then finally disposing of the weapon.
The weapon was recovered close to where the defendant was seen discarding it on CCTV. The multi-tool was forensically linked to both the defendant and Pharell.
Officers also analysed the defendant’s mobile phone which showed communication of Snapchat between the pair in the days leading up to the manslaughter, as well as 43 videos and photos of the defendant playing with knives only a week before the killing on Tuesday, 16 and Wednesday, 17 July. The defendant also messaged his mother following the attack saying he could not come home, to remove certain items from their home and asking to go to Portugal.
The defendant gave a prepared statement to officers admitting to stabbing Pharell but saying he did it in self-defence after getting the knife off him – something detectives and the jury disputed.
He was charged on Thursday, 25 July and was convicted as above.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University
When the weather warms up, many of us use a nice cold shower to help us cool down. But while this might feel like relief, it might actually not be helping the body cool off at all.
Our body’s optimal temperature is around 37°C. This temperatures ensures our body systems can function properly. But when the core gets too hot the temperature regulating centre of the brain starts sending nervous signals out to the blood vessels and muscles in or near the skin – telling them to start activating their cooling mechanisms.
If our core stays at high temperature for too long (around 39-40°C), this can lead to organ damage. So to ensure our temperature stays optimal, the body uses multiple techniques to cool itself down.
For instance, the body radiates heat into the surrounding environment by electromagnetic (thermal) radiation. Approximately 60% of our body heat is lost this way.
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Sweating is another mechanism the body uses. Around 22% of our body heat is lost this way. But when the air temperature around us exceeds our body temperature, sweating becomes the dominant mechanism for reducing core temperature. Any remaining body heat is then lost through a mixture of convection into the air or liquid the body may be in contact with and conduction into solid objects that the body may be in contact with.
To support these mechanisms, our blood vessels change diameter. The ones closest to the skin dilate (widen) to allow more blood into them so they can get close to the relatively cooler surface of the skin.
The body then works to circulate the blood so that heat from inside the body can be moved to the periphery to cool off. Similarly on our skin, the hairs remain flat to allow air next to the body to cool and be replaced, helping to dissipate heat.
Of course, when the weather gets really hot outside, these mechanisms just don’t feel like they cut it.
Although diving into a cold bath or shower straight after being out in the heat might feel nice on your skin, it isn’t doing what is needed to reduce the core temperature of the body. It might also be risky for some people.
When exposed to cold, the blood vessels near to the skin constrict – reducing the blood flow into these areas.
So in the context of cooling the body down, jumping into a cold shower does the opposite of what needs to happen, as less blood is now flowing to the surface of the skin. This will hold the heat in and around your organs instead of getting rid of it. Basically, you’re tricking your body that it doesn’t need to cool down, but actually needs to conserve heat.
And, depending on how cold your water is, sudden exposure could even trigger dangerous consequences for some people.
Exposure to water that is 15°C can trigger the cold shock response. This causes the blood vessels in the skin (those in contact with the cold water) to constrict rapidly. This increases blood pressure as the heart is now pumping against increased resistance.
This response can be particularly dangerous in people with underlying heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease. The cold shock response can also lead to an irregular heartbeat and even death when going from very hot to cold.
Thankfully, these events are rare – and probably won’t happen if you’re just taking a cold shower or bath in your home. But you might want to skip the cold plunge or avoid taking an ice bath on a hot day for this reason.
Hot showers are also a bad idea on a warm day. Although it’s sometimes said that a hot shower helps the body cool down faster, this unfortunately isn’t true. Water that is warmer than the body is going to transfer energy in the form of heat into the body. This again prevents the body getting rid of heat – potentially increasing its core temperature.
On a hot day, a tepid or lukewarm bath or shower is the way to go, evidence suggests 26-27°C is most effective. This helps bring blood to the surface to cool, without being cold enough to cause the body to think it needs to conserve its heat.
Another reason to skip a cold shower on a hot day is that it might not help you get clean.
When we get hot, we sweat – and this sweat mixes with sebum, another skin product and the bacteria on our skin, which produces body odour. Cold water has been shown to be less effective at removing and breaking down sebum and other detritus on the skin, compared to warmer water, which means body odour will persist.
Cold water also causes the skin to tighten. This might potentially trap sebum and dirt within the pores. This can lead to blackheads, whiteheads and acne. But warm or lukewarm water can help dissolve and loosen material in the pores.
As you plan your escape and recovery from the heat this week, a lukewarm or cool shower or bath, rather than a cold shower, is a safer and more effective choice. This will allow your body to dissipate heat away from your core without harm.
Equally, if you do feel the need to go cooler, do it gradually so you aren’t shocking the body’s automatic temperature regulation system into action. Turning the temperature down gradually if you want to go cold, or slowly placing a limb in at a time can help with this process.
Adam Taylor 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.
– ref. Why taking a cold shower on a hot day might be a bad idea – https://theconversation.com/why-taking-a-cold-shower-on-a-hot-day-might-be-a-bad-idea-259074
Source: The Conversation – UK – By William Tantam, Senior Lecturer, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol
The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse was the largest inquiry in UK history, running from 2015 to 2022 and investigating institutional failures in preventing child sexual abuse. The inquiry’s final report included 20 recommendations for change. So far, zero have been fully implemented.
We both worked on the inquiry and know the pervasive harm of this violence, as well as the consequences it leaves with survivors, families and communities. We are also well aware of the importance of clear language to reflect victims’ experiences and of capturing reliable data.
Louise Casey’s audit of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse echoes these issues. In particular, it highlights the huge gaps around ethnicity data.
The report addresses decades of failure to protect vulnerable girls from group-based child sexual abuse (“grooming gangs”). The ethnicity of perpetrators and victims has been a flashpoint in the discussion for years.
The national narrative has been that gangs of predominantly Asian men have groomed and exploited young white girls, and that this is why victims’ cases were ignored, dismissed or covered up. Political rows around it have been a factor in the government announcing another inquiry. Over 200 pages, Lady Casey’s audit endeavours to lay out the facts.
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Casey’s audit repeatedly emphasises the lack of ethnicity data on a national level. She notes that ethnicity is not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators, and that the data collected for both victims and perpetrators is “not sufficient to allow any conclusions to be drawn at the national level.”
But she does note: “There is enough evidence available in local police data in three police force areas … which show disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds.” And, “There have been enough convictions across the country of groups of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds to have warranted closer examination. Instead of examination, we have seen obfuscation.”
Why might this be? Casey notes that the issue of ethnicity was “shied away from” by local services, due to anxieties about being perceived as racist by endorsing an “Asian grooming gang” narrative.
Her audit points to numerous reviews at different levels, all of which reflect inconsistency in data collection. While some, such as a 2020 Home Office research, found that most offenders of organised exploitation nationwide are white, Casey again notes that the data is not sufficient to conclude this.
When analysing the testimonies of victims of child sexual abuse in other contexts, such as the 2015 inquiry’s Truth Project, often the ethnicity of the perpetrator remains vague. One reason is that whiteness goes unremarked upon in many areas of life in a majority-white country such as the UK. Another serious issue is the poor levels of reporting of child sexual abuse in general in ethnic minority communities. Overall, we lack a good understanding of both victim and perpetrator characteristics.
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Casey also raises important questions about perpetrator profiles that go beyond their ethnicity, such as what drives them to commit these crimes. We would add another key question – why are young, working class girls from all backgrounds consistently treated as culpable for the crimes committed against them?
If coming from a particular community is a risk factor for perpetration of a certain form of child sexual abuse, more accurate data is needed to say this confidently and in a way that can engage communities rather than alienating them. It is our hope that this new inquiry can do that. In the meantime, Casey has asked for the public to “keep calm” over the data.
The lack of accurate data has allowed politicians and the far right to take control of the narrative, without strong evidence to back up their claims. Elon Musk’s interventions earlier this year made the implications of this clear.
People can lay claim to “the truth” of child grooming gangs without clear data in support or in opposition. What we can say with conviction – and what Musk was correct in pointing out – was the horrific nature of the crimes perpetrated against victims of sexual violence.
Politicisation of abuse does a serious disservice to victims. As we found through the 2015 inquiry’s extensive work with diverse communities, narratives about the ethnicity of child sexual abuse perpetrators can lead to defensiveness and secrecy among victims from those communities, who fear betraying their own, risking further abuse.
This new inquiry is a much needed opportunity to improve the data. The government has accepted all 12 recommendations, including mandatory collection of ethnicity and nationality data for all suspects in child sexual abuse and criminal exploitation cases.
This is a statutory inquiry, so it has greater powers than past inquiries to compel witnesses to provide evidence. It also means that the inquiry holds some independence from government, hopefully insulating it from some of the politicised rhetoric.
But the current moment still risks loud political voices talking over the expertise of survivors. While it is encouraging to read that survivors’ voices were included in Casey’s investigation, the audit does not say how many nor in what capacity.
We hope that the inquiry takes a lesson from the pioneering approach of the 2015 inquiry. Its victims and survivors consultative panel gave a level of “testimonial justice” to those whose voices are often silenced and ignored.
Foremost in everyone’s minds is the need to prevent and deter such abuse from happening in the future. This requires fully understanding the reasons behind inaccurate or incomplete data collection, the motivations of perpetrators and institutional contexts that might facilitate them, and barriers to implementing meaningful responses. This inquiry promises to listen to survivors, without filtering the parts that are uncomfortable to hear.
Amid this, there is another scandal hidden in plain sight. For all the talk about acting on Casey’s findings, there is a huge funding crisis in services that support survivors of child sexual abuse. Our colleagues in the sector report increasing pressure to reduce the amount of care survivors are offered, despite commitments to offer lifelong care for those affected by this deeply damaging crime.
How can we claim to care about prevention when we do not do enough to support those already affected?
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.
– ref. What the new grooming gangs inquiry must do to put victims before politics – https://theconversation.com/what-the-new-grooming-gangs-inquiry-must-do-to-put-victims-before-politics-259410
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Clive Jones, Professor of Regional Security, Durham University
Operation rising lion has been a concerted effort by the Israel Defense Forces to degrade Iran’s nuclear programme. Launched on June 13, the operation has targeted key nuclear installations, logistical hubs and Iranian nuclear scientists, key intelligence and military personal.
Israel has justified the attack by claiming that Iran was on a verge of a “breakout” in its nuclear programme. This means it would be able to break out of its commitments under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which it ratified in 1970.
This contradicts the threat assessment briefing delivered by the director of US national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on March 25 when she said: “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”
But whatever the veracity of claim and counter claim, Israel has been able to combine precise intelligence with the effective suppression of Iran’s air defence network. This has enabled the Israeli air force to inflict extensive damage on the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and the heavy water plant at Arak, as well as associated research facilities in Tehran.
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The attacks have also destroyed two-thirds of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, according to the latest Israeli estimates. In response, Iran has fired salvoes of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have penetrated the much-vaunted Iron Dome missile defence system, due to the sheer number of missiles launched.
But despite causing between 20 and 30 civilian casualties in Israel (compared to more than 600 in Iran), and despite the fear of attack among much of Israel’s population, little strategic damage appears to have been inflicted.
Within three days of launching operation rising lion, Israel claimed complete aerial supremacy over Iran. But despite this, the key enrichment facility at Fordow, close to the ancient religious city of Qom has proved impervious to Israel’s existing military capabilities.
The facility is buried hundreds of metres inside a mountain and designed to survive a full scale aerial bombardment. All reports are that besides some limited damage to the ground-level entrance and ventilation shafts, Israeli attacks on the site have failed to affects its operational capacity.
Another enrichment facility near Natanz at Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or “Pickaxe Mountain,” is thought to be even deeper inside a mountain.
Only the US, with 30,000lb GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator bomb caried by the B-2 stealth bomber is reckoned to have the capability to inflict lasting damage on these underground nuclear facilities. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyhu, has appealed to the US president, Donald Trump, for help in destroying these nuclear assets. Trump has said he is still considering his decision.
US help is clearly Netanyahu’s main option for neutralising these underground plants. But don’t rule out a ground attack by Israeli special forces. A template for how Israel might deal with Fordow was revealed last year.
Launched on September 8 2024, operation many ways destroyed an underground missile facility that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps had built into a mountainside in the Masyaf area of Syria, just west of Hama and around 125 miles north of the disputed Golan Heights. This facility was responsible for producing sophisticated surface-to-surface missiles for use by Hezbollah as well as by the regime of Bashar al-Asad, Iran’s ally.
After months of surveillance, 200 soldiers from the Shaldag (Kingfisher) special forces unit of the Israeli Air Force were helicoptered to the site under the cover of a series of diversionary airstrikes. The surprise attack quickly overwhelmed defensive forces and used around 600kg of explosives to destroy the underground facility. The unit also collected a considerable amount of intelligence documents which they transferred back to Israel. There were no Israeli casualties.
Would Israel risk a similar operation against Fordow? The risks undoubtedly are far greater. The operation would have to be carried out at a much longer range – the enrichment facility is more than 1,000kms from Israel.
Such an operation would need to involve far more troops than operation many ways. And the operational requirement to ensure sufficient air-to-air refuelling capacity for the air force’s heavy lift “Yasur” helicopters would add a layer of logistical complexity.
But the IDF’s ability to innovate around the use of longer-range C130 transport aircraft that can land in rough areas should not be underestimated. They showed this as long ago as 1976 when mounting the famous hostage rescue mission at Entebbe in Uganda.
Also on the plus side for Israel is its air superiority. The country is also a leader in electronic counter warfare measures which would allow it to blind or jam Iranian communications.
But while the Iranian armed forces have suffered heavy blows, the ground defences around Fordow will still be formidable. To gain access to and destroy the centrifuges widely believed to be at Fordow with sufficient explosives runs the risks of heavy casualties on all sides. So the calculation Israel’s military planners would have to make is the strategic gain relative to the cost in blood.
Yet given Fordow has long been recognised by Israel as the jewel in Iran’s nuclear crown this too might be another gamble Netanyahu is willing to take in a war that, whatever its outcome, is already reshaping much of the Middle East.
Clive Jones 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.
– ref. How might Israel attack Iran’s underground nuclear plant? A 2024 raid in Syria could be a template – https://theconversation.com/how-might-israel-attack-irans-underground-nuclear-plant-a-2024-raid-in-syria-could-be-a-template-259456
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elton Santos, Reader in Theoretical and Computational Condensed Matter Physics, University of Edinburgh
Diamonds might be forever but that doesn’t stop them being bought and sold. One stone thought to have once belonged to Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, has just sold for US$14 million (£10 million) at an auction in New York – about three times the asking price. Set into a platinum ring and weighing a total of 15.5 grams, the clue to the diamond’s uniqueness is in its name: the Marie-Thérèse pink.
This 10.38 carat pink diamond has been changing hands for generations, and previously sold at an auction in Geneva for an unknown amount. Pink diamonds are very rare and there are many things that scientists still don’t know about them.
Diamonds are generally formed under intense heat and pressure deep within the Earth’s mantle, roughly 150–200 kilometres below the surface. Most natural diamonds crystallise over billions of years, composed almost entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a tightly packed, cube-like structure.
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Coloured diamonds are geological anomalies. Variations include pink, blue, orange, yellow, red, green, brown and black, most of which can be explained by impurities in their crystal lattice. Yellow diamonds contain nitrogen, for example, while blue ones contain boron.
Pink diamonds are not caused by such impurities. Scientists believe that the pink hue arises from a distortion in the diamond’s atomic lattice structure. Intense pressure deep underground creates forces (known as shear forces) that twist and compress atomic layers, which alter how the stone reflects light.
It’s this “plastic deformation” which results in the pink coloration, reducing the green light in the visible spectrum so that it shifts the overall colour that we see towards pink.
Only a small fraction of diamonds undergo such extreme and precise pressure and temperature conditions during their formation. These factors make them very difficult to be created and even harder to predict where they will be formed. As a result, pink diamonds are the rarest of all coloured diamonds apart from red ones, which are formed by an even more intense version of the same process.
For decades, the Argyle mine in western Australia was the world’s primary source of pink diamonds (and also red ones), producing over 90% of the global supply. The mine is located at a unique geological area by a so-called lamproite volcanic pipe, as opposed to the more common kimberlite pipes found at most other diamond mines. Without getting too much into the technicalities, lamproite pipes tend to be less explosive and have more unusual minerals like leucite and rich potassium.
The Argyle mine is located in the Kimberley region, which experienced intense tectonic activity during the Paleoproterozoic era, over 1.6 billion years ago. This meant that the lamproite pipe was formed under extreme pressures and temperatures.
This is believed to have caused the lattice defects in the diamonds that were pushed to the Earth’s surface, which are responsible for their pink and red colours. The deep mantle depths in the mine were also crucial, since this translates into higher internal pressures and temperatures.
Even so, less than 0.1% of the diamonds extracted from Argyle were classified as pink (and only 0.00000002% were red, if you calculate the proportion of red carats found). The mine then closed in 2020 after 37 years of production because its reserves were exhausted, making pink diamonds even more scarce and valuable.
Other known sources include Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa, but these mines yield pink diamonds far less frequently. The rarity of high-quality pink diamonds has made them highly sought-after by collectors and investors alike, as demonstrated by the high sale price of the Marie-Thérèse pink. That diamond was actually pink-purple, with the purple hue caused by hydrogen being absorbed into the atomic structure during the stone’s formation, making it rarer still.
Advanced techniques involving shining infrared light and X-rays into the stones – respectively known as infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction – have provided scientists with insights into the structural changes that cause pink and red diamonds.
Yet many questions remain unanswered, and the study of pink diamonds continues to be an active area of scientific investigations in mineral physics and crystallography. This has included creating pink diamonds (and other colours such as blues) in the laboratory by replicating the natural processes that form them, but in a more controlled, accelerated way.
These lab-grown pink diamonds look nearly identical to their natural versions to the human eye, but can yet be differentiated through optical techniques. One method is infrared absorption, which detects how the diamond absorbs light and vibrates at specific frequencies.
Another clue is the presence of sharp peaks in the visible light spectrum that indicate certain impurities, like hydrogen or nitrogen, which are often found in natural stones. In the same style as a CSI investigation, these techniques provide the last word in whether a pink diamond is from a mine such as Argyle, a lab-grown pink, or a clear natural diamond that has been treated pink artificially.
Even after years of improving the process for making pink diamonds synthetically, the mechanical distortions responsible for their exotic colour still can’t be replicated precisely under laboratory conditions. Scientists
don’t understand all the atomic processes involved in their colouring becoming permanent to be able to recreate them perfectly.
The same is actually also true for other synthetic diamonds, though they are becoming harder and harder to detect as the technology improves. In short, pink diamonds (and red ones) remain among the most remarkable precious stones in the world. Unless and until that changes, we can keep expecting them to change hands for ridiculous amounts of money.
Elton Santos receives funding from EPSRC, Royal Society, and is affiliated with the Donostia International Physics Center, San Sebastián, Spain.
– ref. A pink diamond just sold for over US$ 14 million – no wonder, when you look at the mysteries behind their chemistry – https://theconversation.com/a-pink-diamond-just-sold-for-over-us-14-million-no-wonder-when-you-look-at-the-mysteries-behind-their-chemistry-259392
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jill Nash, Senior Lecturer in Advertising and Marketing Communications, Bournemouth University
As temperatures soar around the UK and Ireland due to climate change, warnings about the dangers of drowning are being issued and one Labour MP is calling for water safety lessons to be made compulsory in schools.
Teaching children to swim is essential, but it’s not enough to save them from drowning. Water safety is about judgement, impulse control, peer influence and understanding your limits. Peer pressure, social situations and a false sense of confidence can all put young people in danger.
My research highlights how we’re not talking enough to young people, especially teenage boys, about the emotional and cognitive risks of making decisions around water. The National Water Safety Forum reports that young males aged between 10-19 are one of the highest groups at risk from drowning, as they assert their independence and test personal boundaries.
Drowning happens quickly, often without adults watching, when kids are hanging out by rivers and lakes, tombstoning off bridges, or misjudging their abilities when trying to impress friends.
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Leading water safety organisations like the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and HM Coastguard run education campaigns about the dangers of the ocean. The Canal & River Trust, the UK’s largest canal charity, recently developed a school education pack for teenagers highlighting water safety.
Parents can also shape how teens interact with water. In Nottingham, the charity called Open Water Education Network was founded in memory of Owen Jenkins, a 12-year-old boy who drowned while trying to save two girls in difficulty. As well as teaching young people about the dangers of open water and the importance of self rescue, this charity empowers parents to talk to teens even if they seem to ignore parental advice.
Talking to teenagers about safety isn’t easy. Here’s how to do it in a way that’s honest, effective and grounded in care.
Rules work best when they’re short, consistent and repeated. Before a trip to the beach or river, take five minutes to remind your teen of your family’s water safety rules. Repetition builds habits. Remind them not to swim after dark or alone and explain what to do if someone’s in trouble (call for help, don’t jump in).
Stories help bring home the reality of water risk, especially for teens who can feel invincible in an all-male group without any supervision. While on a lads holiday on the Northumberland coast, 16-year-old called Evan saved himself from drowning in a rip tide by laying on his back to stay afloat. Eventually, a surfer managed to paddle out and reach him, and an rescue lifeboat also came to the scene. Evan recovered after treatment in hospital for hypothermia.
Another heartbreaking story of Liam Hall, a teenager who drowned while out in a dinghy with friends in Sunderland, demonstrates how quickly things can escalate in the sea.
Not all stories end in tragedy. A group of teenagers from East Sussex made the life-saving decision to stay out of the water, using a life ring to help two swimmers in trouble, proving that staying on shore can save lives.
Female teens can play a powerful role in promoting water safety, especially in mixed-gender peer groups where social dynamics can significantly influence behaviour. Research shows that all-boy groups are more likely to engage in risk-taking activities. When girls are present, especially those who feel confident speaking up, risky behaviour often decreases.
Parents can empower girls to speak up if someone suggests swimming in dangerous conditions or places and promote safety strategies like the RNLI’s “call, tell and throw” approach. By reinforcing these behaviours, teen girls can become leaders in lifesaving culture, not only keeping themselves safe but influencing their peers to make smarter choices too.
Stick to the facts and be honest about the dangers. Drowning can happen within seconds, even when someone is a strong swimmer. Most drownings occur in open water, not swimming pools. Teenagers need to understand how the effects of cold water shock, fast currents and submerged objects can quickly turn a fun day into a fatal one.
Teens don’t drown because they’re bad swimmers. They drown because they made a poor decision in a high-risk moment. Teaching safety early (before they start taking unsupervised risks) helps shape smarter thinking later.
Parents can model care, calmness and emotional awareness. Show them that bravery isn’t about bravado. It’s about looking out for your mates and making good choices. Fathers can play a powerful role in framing what strength looks like. Research shows that fathers who show empathy and emotional intelligence teach children how to be resilient during high-pressure moments. Emphasise that calm decision-making when in danger or choosing not to jump into the water under peer pressure doesn’t make a boy weak. It makes him wise. Talk to your sons about how real masculinity means thinking clearly, not reacting emotionally.
Teenagers can feel invincible. Be honest. Tell them you love them and that you trust them to make good decisions. Talking about safety is one of the most powerful things a family can do. Water safety begins at home with all of us.
Swimming, sailing, even just building a sandcastle – the ocean benefits our physical and mental wellbeing. Curious about how a strong coastal connection helps drive marine conservation, scientists are diving in to investigate the power of blue health.
This article is part of a series, Vitamin Sea, exploring how the ocean can be enhanced by our interaction with it.
Jill Nash 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.
– ref. Five ways to keep teenagers safe by the water – https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-keep-teenagers-safe-by-the-water-256837
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nick Lee, Senior Lecturer in Film History and Critical Theory, Royal Holloway University of London
The British media has a class problem, according to recent research by The Sutton Trust. In short, the privately educated are over-represented in the creative industries, especially in film and television. The trust’s report, A Class Act (2024), demonstrates that this area of British culture is disproportionately produced by the most privileged segment of the population.
The Great British Class Survey (2011) indicated that the “top” 6% of the population has privileged access to three types of capital – economic, social and cultural. Its children are more likely to go to fee-paying schools and Oxbridge.
The Sutton Trust report informs us that, “school attendance is a useful proxy measure for the socio-economic circumstances someone grew up in, with private school attendance in particular strongly related to family income”. Accordingly, the 7% of the UK population which attends private schools roughly correlates with the “elite” 6% identified in the Great British Class Survey.
This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins too.
This “elite” is the group over-represented in the British media. According to media watchdog Ofcom, in 2019 only 52% of the workforce in the British television industry had gone to non-selective state schools – attended by 88% of the British population – and the privately educated accounted for 14%. A further 22% went to selective schools and 10% went to overseas schools.
The privately educated proportion rises to 38% when we look at the wealthiest individuals in film, television and music. The Guardian also reported recently that nearly half of all UK arts and media award nominees are privately educated.
These statistics make clear the extent to which the top class of British society is able to monopolise opportunities when it comes to jobs in the British media.
When we look at actors, this problem is especially pronounced. Of the all-time top-ten grossing British actors, 50% are privately educated, with Idris Elba the only working-class, state-educated actor in the top five.
For actresses, the problem is even more pronounced. In a recent snapshot of Ranker’s top 20 British actresses working today, 80% are privately educated or aristocratic, and all of them are white. Only Keira Knightley and Jodie Comer are state educated (and neither attended drama school).
Obviously, this is a problem in terms of social mobility, but also in terms of British culture more broadly. It begs the question: who represents Britain to a domestic audience, but also on the international stage? If we look at two major British hits from the last 25 years, again we see that attendees of private schools and Oxbridge are over-represented.
In 1999, Notting Hill was the highest-grossing British film of all time. Its star (Hugh Grant), writer (Richard Curtis), director (Roger Michell) and producer (Duncan Kenworthy) were all privately educated, and all attended Oxbridge. Of the main cast, only Gina McKee and Rhys Ifans were state educated and non-Oxbridge; both have regional accents. McKee’s character has a condition that confines her to a wheelchair, and Ifan’s character is barely civilised.
Paddington (2014-2025), the hugely successful British film franchise displays similar tendencies. Of the central recurring cast, only Paddington, the uncivilised foundling bear, is played by state-educated Ben Whishaw.
The rest of the Brown family, residing in a fantastical pseudo middle-class Primrose Hill, are all played by privately educated actors. State-educated Julie Walters plays housekeeper Mrs Bird with a strong Scottish accent. And as with the UK’s most successful film franchise, Harry Potter (which similarly has a handful of state-educated actors), the privately educated David Heyman produces.
The British “middle-class” shown in these films is actually drawn from the most affluent segment of British society. Yet these actors are able to unproblematically “play down” in terms of class and upbringing. Ewan McGregor, who went to the private Morrison’s Academy, became famous playing a heroin addict in Trainspotting.
This contrasts sharply with the paucity of working-class or middle-class actors who “play-up”: Kenneth Branagh is one notable example, having achieved it through an association with Shakespeare — the zenith of British dramatic art. Branagh’s Belfast – an account of his own upbringing – is remarkable in its stark contrast to the work by which he made his name.
My own research on the working-class author and broadcaster Archie Hill has shown how class also dictates which contributions to British culture are preserved, and how a narrow establishment determines this. Even when working-class people make significant cultural contributions, they are more likely to be overlooked in posterity.
Working-class actors used to be encouraged and celebrated, as the careers of Tom Courtenay, Richard Burton, Michael Caine, Albert Finney, Rita Tushingham, Eileen Atkins and Imelda Staunton demonstrate. The Atlee government’s post-war settlement in Britain concentrated resources on working-class communities and emphasised social mobility, allowing young working-class people to thrive and access cultural resources previously reserved for a wealthy elite.
The “angry young men” of kitchen sink realism and the rise of roles for working-class actors have to be seen in this context. However, as the consensus of the post-war settlement declined from the late 1970s, so did numbers of working-class actors on our screens. As Julie Walters lamented in 2015: “People like me wouldn’t get a chance today”.
As social inequality in Britain deepens, the problem gets worse: since the 1970s the proportion of working-class actors, musicians and writers has halved. Social media has enabled a new “nepo-baby” aristocracy to emerge – the children of celebrities now becoming celebrities simply by virtue of their birth.
Why does this matter? Because the narrowness of this field is bad news for diversity. We need greater breadth and depth when it comes to British culture and those who produce it.
Michaela Coel and Stephen Graham – as recent successes I May Destroy You and Adolescence have shown – are two considerable forces in this respect, but more needs to be done if this structural imbalance is to be corrected.
Sadly, British film and television frequently offers us a misrepresentative and inverted Britain, one where the majority has been marginalised, and the elite masquerade as the class norm. No wonder so many Americans think Hugh Grant is a “typical Brit”.
Nick Lee 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.
– ref. Who represents Britain on screen? UK film and TV culture still has a worrying class problem – https://theconversation.com/who-represents-britain-on-screen-uk-film-and-tv-culture-still-has-a-worrying-class-problem-255741
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tobias Jung, Professor of Management, University of St Andrews
Following a sharp drop in Tesla’s share price, outlets reported that the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, had “lost” US$34 billion (£25 billion) in a single day. That figure exceeds the annual GDP of countries like Iceland, Jamaica or Mauritius. Gaining or losing even 0.001% of that wealth would be life-changing for most people.
But, this “loss” is entirely nominal. A decline in share prices means Musk is technically worth less. If prices rebound, so does his net worth.
While such volatility can devastate smaller investors reliant on their portfolios, it is a recurring feature of ultra-wealth. Consider the US$100 billion decline in Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune during his Metaverse pivot, or the US$18 billion drop Microsoft founder Bill Gates experienced during the 2008 financial crisis.
These share price shifts may reduce billionaires’ net worth on paper, but they rarely affect their lifestyle. Where they do matter however is in philanthropy. Here, timing is everything. The higher the share price at the point of donation, the greater the tax benefit, and the more reputational capital to be locked in.
This raises deeper questions about how philanthropic incentives are structured, and who ultimately benefits.
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Although philanthropy is often associated with generosity, legacy or moral responsibility, these are only part of the picture. This is particularly true when it comes to major giving by the ultra-wealthy.
Instead, from a wealth advisory perspective, one of the most strategically valuable (yet less publicly discussed) motivations is tax management. And, while many assume that philanthropy means donating money, tax systems often encourage the donation of appreciated assets, particularly shares, instead.
As a worked example by the Bank of America illustrates, a US$50,000 donation in appreciated stock might easily present a tax benefit of almost US$10,000 over and above the tax benefits of donating the same amount in cash.
Why is that? First of all, there is the potential of a tax deduction equal to the fair market value at the point of donation. The value of the asset at the point of donation is important for your tax deduction, not what you actually paid for it or whether its value is going to plunge in future.
On top of that, there are opportunities to reduce other taxes too. This includes capital gains or inheritance taxes, the latter illustrated in the establishment of one of the world’s largest foundations, the Ford Foundation and its use as a vehicle to manage both inheritance tax and maintain corporate control.
But the benefits of donating shares and other appreciated assets are not just financial. For high-profile donors, philanthropy also serves as a powerful tool for shaping public perceptions, projecting images of civic virtue, moral leadership, and social responsibility. It allows them to convert one form of capital, such as financial wealth, into others – social status, cultural influence or symbolic legitimacy.
Volatile, appreciated and often bound-up assets can be unlocked and transformed into something far more enduring – a philanthropic legacy. Even if share prices plunge after the donation, the donor has already secured both a substantial tax benefit and a lasting philanthropic image.
Tax management is a longstanding concern in philanthropy, particularly in relation to philanthropic foundations. But it really is donor advised funds (DAFs) that now warrant closer scrutiny as the real “warehouses of wealth”. Constituting one of the fastest-growing vehicles for philanthropy, DAFs act as “giving accounts”. They allow donors to claim charitable contributions and receive immediate tax deductions but without actually making an immediate charitable contribution to society.
While donors technically give up ownership of these assets, they retain advisory privileges over whether and when resources are granted, to whom, and in what amounts. DAFs have no legal requirement to disburse funds within a specific timeframe. That means that any charitable spending can be delayed, potentially indefinitely, despite the upfront public subsidy via tax relief.
All of these issues raise serious questions as to whether philanthropic architecture is ripe for reform. When donors can receive substantial tax and social benefits by donating volatile assets, regardless of whether or when they benefit the public, it seems that both society and the philanthropy field are shortchanged.
First, significant resources are diverted from the public purse into privately controlled channels, often with limited oversight. Second, charitable giving is decoupled from charitable action or impact. Third, influence is consolidated – decisions about how public-subsidised funds are used are made not through democratic processes, but through private choice.
The most corrosive effect, however, may be on philanthropy itself. As financial incentives and personal benefits are recast and presented as altruistic, the perception, purposes and potential of philanthropy for the public good risk being eroded and replaced by cynicism.
This brings us back to Musk’s US$34 billion “loss”. While headlines framed it as a dramatic reversal of fortune, the real story lies not in the number but in the system behind it. For those whose wealth is held in stock, market volatility presents a tool for tax planning, image-making, strategic giving and long-term influence. What looks like loss may in fact be leverage.
Tobias Jung 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.
– ref. Why Elon Musk’s US$34 billion loss wasn’t really that – and what it tells us about the philanthropy of the ultra-wealthy – https://theconversation.com/why-elon-musks-us-34-billion-loss-wasnt-really-that-and-what-it-tells-us-about-the-philanthropy-of-the-ultra-wealthy-259176
Source: United States Navy
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) celebrated its 2025 Spring Quarter graduates during a commencement ceremony on June 18 at King Hall Auditorium. A total of 375 warrior-scholars—including 32 allied and partner military officers representing 21 nations worldwide — received advanced degrees in defense-focused disciplines.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) is set to be celebrated on June 21, with unprecedented scale and grandeur, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the national event from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He will perform the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) alongside over 3 lakh participants at the main venue. Joining him will be Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The event at Visakhapatnam will be part of the nationwide ‘Yoga Sangam’ initiative, which will see simultaneous yoga sessions at more than 10 lakh locations across India. The mass demonstration is scheduled to take place from 6:30 AM to 7:45 AM and is expected to draw participation from over 2 crore people at more than 1 lakh locations across Andhra Pradesh alone. The state government is also coordinating an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record, while also planning to distribute over 50 lakh yoga certificates to registered participants.
In a symbolic and culturally rich prelude to the main event, approximately 25,000 tribal children today performed 108 Surya Namaskars in 108 minutes at Andhra University. The initiative underlined the enthusiastic engagement of tribal communities and the growing grassroots reach of yoga.
Delhi will also actively participate in the celebrations with events planned at 109 locations across the national capital. A notable highlight will be a grand yoga session at the historic Red Fort, organized by Brahma Kumaris in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush, supported by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga and the Archaeological Survey of India.
This year’s theme for IDY 2025, Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” reflects India’s holistic vision of well-being. It underscores the interconnectedness of human and planetary health and draws upon the traditional Indian ethos of Sarve Santu Niramaya (May all be free from disease).
Ahead of the celebrations, Prime Minister Modi addressed a letter to all Gram Pradhans, emphasizing yoga’s transformative impact and its growing global acceptance. His message has sparked renewed enthusiasm at the grassroots, resulting in widespread yoga activities in Panchayats, Anganwadis, and Community Health Centers.
Marking the 10-year milestone of International Day of Yoga, the Ministry of Ayush introduced 10 Signature Events rolled out over 100 days to enhance public participation. These include the mass yoga demonstrations under Yoga Sangam, international collaborations through Yoga Bandhan, and environmental initiatives via Harit Yoga. The campaign also featured youth-centric programs like Yoga Unplugged, a global online summit under Yoga Connect, and large-scale celebrations through Yoga Maha Kumbh. Additionally, Samyoga highlighted the integration of yoga with modern healthcare, while Yoga Prabhava presented a 10-year impact report on the IDY movement.
Rajasthan led in registrations for Yoga Sangam with over 2.25 lakh sign-ups, followed by several other states crossing the one lakh mark. Overall, more than 11 lakh organizations and groups have registered their participation through the Ministry of Ayush’s dedicated yoga portal.
Globally, Indian embassies and cultural centres have been conducting yoga demonstrations and awareness campaigns, reinforcing India’s role as a global wellness leader.
Source: Government of Italy (English)
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20 Giugno 2025
This morning’s ECOFIN endorsed the European Commission’s positive assessment of the technical revision of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), enabling the Government to continue fully implementing the Plan and achieving the objectives for the final three instalments.
In addition to amendments for objectively changed circumstances and formal corrections, the technical revision also implements investments to develop the circular economy for waste and to incentivise the purchase of low environmental impact cars, for a total amount equal to EUR 1.2 billion.
The coming days will be particularly important for implementation of the NRRP, with a steering committee meeting to be held on 24 June to assess achievement of the forty milestones and targets for the eighth instalment, with technical working groups planned for the European Commission’s visit and with payment of the seventh instalment, which will enable Italy to confirm its leading position in Europe in terms of its Plan’s progress and, in terms of performance, to reach 54% of the planned goals, 18% higher than the European average of 36%.
