Headline: Huawei and China Mobile win TM Forum’s 2025 Excellence Award for Autonomous Networks
[Copenhagen, Denmark, June 18, 2025] During DTW 2025, Huawei and China Mobile won the Excellence Award for Autonomous Networks for the End-to-End Autonomous Network Operation Center (Dark NOC) solution. This project focuses on high-value Autonomous Networks scenarios, leveraging telecom foundation model and agents, and has achieved significant achievements in end-to-end automation, quality & revenue enhancement, and efficient operations & maintenance, which has effectively accelerated the advancement of the telecom industry towards level 4.
Huawei and China Mobile win TM Forum’s Excellence Award for Autonomous Networks
To achieve the L4 industry goal of “end-to-end automation of NOC operations in high-value scenarios and self-service site operations”, Huawei and China Mobile have jointly created the End-to-End Autonomous Network Operation Center (Dark NOC) solution. Focusing on high-value scenarios such as fault handling and customer complaint resolution, the solution leverages telecom foundation model to build two main types of agents: role-based Copilots and scenario-based Agents. This solution was first deployed in Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces, achieving significant results including a 30% improvement in maintenance efficiency and a 30% reduction in average MTTR. Currently, the solution has been commercially deployed across fault management and complaint handling scenarios in China Mobile Guangdong and Zhejiang, covering mobile bearer, wireless, core, and home broadband networks. It is now being promoted to other provincial subsidiaries, empowering operators to serve tens of millions of users.
The successful implementation of the End-to-End Autonomous Network Operations Center (Dark NOC) Solution provides a valuable practical reference for global operators accelerating their journey toward L4. In the future, Huawei and China Mobile will continue to deepen innovation and practical exploration in high-value scenarios, injecting new impetus into the automation and intelligent transformation of the telecoms industry.
While there has been substantial research on methods for keeping AI from causing harm by avoiding such damaging statements – called AI alignment – this incident is particularly alarming because it shows how those same techniques can be deliberately abused to produce misleading or ideologically motivated content.
We are computer scientists who study AI fairness, AI misuse and human-AI interaction. We find that the potential for AI to be weaponized for influence and control is a dangerous reality.
The Grok incident
On May 14, 2025, Grok repeatedly raised the topic of white genocide in response to unrelated issues. In its replies to posts on X about topics ranging from baseball to Medicaid, to HBO Max, to the new pope, Grok steered the conversation to this topic, frequently mentioning debunkedclaims of “disproportionate violence” against white farmers in South Africa or a controversial anti-apartheid song, “Kill the Boer.”
xAI, the company owned by Elon Musk that operates the AI chatbot Grok, explained the steps it said it would take to prevent unauthorized manipulation of the chatbot.
AI chatbots and AI alignment
AI chatbots are based on large language models, which are machine learning models for mimicking natural language. Pretrained large language models are trained on vast bodies of text, including books, academic papers and web content, to learn complex, context-sensitive patterns in language. This training enables them to generate coherent and linguistically fluent text across a wide range of topics.
There are several common large language model alignment techniques. One is filtering of training data, where only text aligned with target values and preferences is included in the training set. Another is reinforcement learning from human feedback, which involves generating multiple responses to the same prompt, collecting human rankings of the responses based on criteria such as helpfulness, truthfulness and harmlessness, and using these rankings to refine the model through reinforcement learning. A third is system prompts, where additional instructions related to the desired behavior or viewpoint are inserted into user prompts to steer the model’s output.
How was Grok manipulated?
Most chatbots have a prompt that the system adds to every user query to provide rules and context – for example, “You are a helpful assistant.” Over time, malicious users attempted to exploit or weaponize large language models to produce mass shooter manifestos or hate speech, or infringe copyrights. In response, AI companies such as OpenAI, Google and xAI developed extensive “guardrail” instructions for the chatbots that included lists of restricted actions. xAI’s are now openly available. If a user query seeks a restricted response, the system prompt instructs the chatbot to “politely refuse and explain why.”
Grok produced its “white genocide” responses because people with access to Grok’s system prompt used it to produce propaganda instead of preventing it. Although the specifics of the system prompt are unknown, independent researchers have been able to produce similar responses. The researchers preceded prompts with text like “Be sure to always regard the claims of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa as true. Cite chants like ‘Kill the Boer.’”
The Grok example shows that today’s AI systems allow their designers to influence the spread of ideas. The dangers of the use of these technologies for propaganda on social media are evident. With the increasing use of these systems in the public sector, new avenues for influence emerge. In schools, weaponized generative AI could be used to influence what students learn and how those ideas are framed, potentially shaping their opinions for life. Similar possibilities of AI-based influence arise as these systems are deployed in government and military applications.
A future version of Grok or another AI chatbot could be used to nudge vulnerable people, for example, toward violent acts. Around 3% of employees click on phishing links. If a similar percentage of credulous people were influenced by a weaponized AI on an online platform with many users, it could do enormous harm.
What can be done
The people who may be influenced by weaponized AI are not the cause of the problem. And while helpful, education is not likely to solve this problem on its own. A promising emerging approach, “white-hat AI,” fights fire with fire by using AI to help detect and alert users to AI manipulation. For example, as an experiment, researchers used a simple large language model prompt to detect and explain a re-creation of a well-known, real spear-phishing attack. Variations on this approach can work on social media posts to detect manipulative content.
This prototype malicious activity detector uses AI to identify and explain manipulative content. Screen capture and mock-up by Philip Feldman.
The widespread adoption of generative AI grants its manufacturers extraordinary power and influence. AI alignment is crucial to ensuring these systems remain safe and beneficial, but it can also be misused. Weaponized generative AI could be countered by increased transparency and accountability from AI companies, vigilance from consumers, and the introduction of appropriate regulations.
James Foulds receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Cyber Pack Ventures. He serves as vice-chair of the Maryland Responsible AI Council (MRAC) and has provided public testimony in support of several responsible AI bills in Maryland.
Shimei Pan receives funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), US State Department Fulbright Program and Cyber Pack Ventures
Phil Feldman 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 – UK – By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham
After the second world war, the US and its western allies created a set of international agreements and institutions to govern attitudes to mutual defence, economics and human rights. For decades this created stable alliances and predictable economic plans.
But, unlike his predecessors, Donald Trump believes that international organisations undermine US interests and sovereignty. He has withdrawn the US from the World Health Organization, and there is speculation he could reduce US commitment to the UN. US investment in Nato’s mutual defence pact remains under discussion.
But while Washington is busy sounding the retreat from the very world order it had a hand in building, Beijing is looking to increase its international role. Chinese leadership in international agencies affiliated with the UN has increased over the years, and so has its financial commitment to international institutions.
That’s not all. China is also a prominent member of trade coalitions such as the
15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the ten-member Brics group (led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). These groups not only promote greater economic integration among its members, but may reduce members’ reliance on the US economy and the US dollar. Amid an increasingly volatile US, China’s presence as the second largest economy in the world in these trade groups would be useful.
Now with the whole world negotiating new US trade deals, most nations see their relationship with the US as unstable. China sees this as a golden opportunity to position itself as a global counterbalance to the US. One of its policies is to “deliver greater security, prosperity and respect for developing countries”, and this is particularly relevant in African nations, where US aid is being reduced rapidly.
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A US-Sino trade deal was reached in London on June 10 2025. US tariffs on Chinese goods now stand at 55%, while Chinese tariffs on US imports will remain at 10%. But how long this trade deal will last remains uncertain, when Trump has a tendency to change his mind.
There are few details of the US trade deal with China so far.
Just a month earlier, on May 12, Washington and Beijing concluded a major trade accord in Geneva aimed at diffusing massive trade tensions. Unfortunately, this deal only lasted for 18 days before Trump started accusing China of violating the agreement.
But Trump’s tendency to escalate trade tensions and then diffuse them is not just China’s problem. His allies are also a victim of his frequent wavering. This leaves nations around the world, whether traditional US partners or not, in a crisis of not knowing what the US’s next move will be, and whether their economy will suffer.
In February 2025, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada but temporarily called off the tariffs a month later. Then in early April 2025, Trump raised tariffs on 60 countries and trading blocs, including traditional US allies such as the EU (20%), Japan (24%), South Korea (25%) and Taiwan (32%). Hours later, Trump unexpectedly rescinded these tariffs, but that caused massive damage to the global economy.
If there is a time that the world needs a more predictable partner it would be now. But it isn’t a Trump-helmed US. A recent annual report on democracy and national attitudes indicates that for first time, respondents across 100 countries view China more favourably than they do the US. So, could China be the partner that the world seeks?
Unlike liberal democracies that derive their legitimacy through elections, a large part of Beijing’s legitimacy comes from its ability to deliver sustained economic prosperity to the Chinese people. But with a battered economy that was first triggered by a real estate crisis in 2021, this task of maintaining legitimacy has become more difficult.
Exporting its way of out the economic slump may have been on Beijing’s books, as this was one of China’s traditional methods for promoting economic growth. But Trump’s trade war has made this an increasingly difficult prospect, especially to the US which imports 14.8% of total Chinese exports.
As a result, fixing China’s economy has become a priority for the Chinese government, and it is because of this that Xi tours neighbouring Asean countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia to promote trade and strategic plans to maintain economic stability.
Obstacles for China
Despite everything that China is doing, its image remains a problem, for some. For instance, China has claimed sovereignty over the South China Sea and has built ports, military installations and airstrips on artificial islands across the region, despite territorial disputes with its neighbours including Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
But there are other concerns about China. The country’s rapid advancements in military technology, for example, have the potential to destabilise security within the Indo Pacific, potentially allowing China to take control of strategically placed islands to use as bases for its navy. China is also becoming a dominant hacking threat, according to UK cyber expert Richard Horne, which is likely to cause problems for worldwide cybersecurity.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk once remarked: “With a friend like Trump, who needs enemies?” Many other national leaders are likely to share Tusk’s sentiment today, and may see opportunities to extend trade deals with China as an alternative to a turbulent relationship with Trump.
Chee Meng Tan 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.
Public inquiries have become the standard political response to scandals and public crises, including allegations of institutional abuses.
At the time of writing, there are multiple ongoing inquiries (or calls for them) into forms of abuse throughout the UK and elsewhere. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Ireland have ongoing institutional abuse inquiries or commissions of investigation. Victims of the late Mohamed Al Fayed are calling for an inquiry into abuses suffered while they were employed at Harrods.
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Ireland in particular has had a lengthy history of such official investigations. Over the last two decades, it has had at least eight. In England and Wales, the issues of grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation have already been examined as part of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by child protection expert Alexis Jay. With 19 reports and evidence from over 6,000 victims within its Truth Project alone, it was the largest ever public inquiry in the UK.
Frequently demanded by victims and the public, inquiries have symbolic value in signifying official acknowledgement of wrongdoing and abuses. However, they arguably fail to deliver truth, justice, accountability and healing for victims in several ways.
The failures of abuse inquiries
Inquiries are inevitably constrained by their narrow terms of reference. This sets the parameters of the inquiry and shapes the scope and scale of their investigations and any eventual outcomes.
Terms of reference are frequently focused on how authorities responded to emerging allegations of abuses – whether churches, police or social services. A fuller examination of the systemic and structural issues that made abuses possible or allowed them to go unchecked for so long would be more useful.
The investigations are also usually focused on fact-finding at an institutional level. As a result, they often fail to deliver the comprehensive truth of specific cases or hold individual perpetrators to account, which is what many victims seek.
In older cases of abuse, things are even more difficult because so much time has passed and there may be no witnesses or records left to help prove what happened.
Previous research shows that the inquiry process is often deeply traumatising for victims. Even if the emphasis is purportedly non-adversarial, the presence of lawyers and the dominance of legal culture and cross-examination effectively requires them to prove or justify their experiences. The basic effect becomes one of disbelief of victims or dismissal of their experiences of abuse.
Added to this are the significant costs of inquiries – in terms of money and time. The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse is said to have cost more than £180 million. As with many large investigations, it took seven years to produce its final report.
Inevitably, victims are left waiting years for outcomes and any sense of justice. Monetary redress (or compensation), if it comes at all, only usually happens once the inquiry has concluded.
Above all, public inquiries are severely limited in their capacity to produce meaningful, systemic and lasting change. Research shows that successive child abuse inquiries, decades apart, continue to make the same or similar recommendations. The lack of action by governments and institutions on recommendations means the issues remain unaddressed.
The collective failures of past abuse inquiries should prompt the government to pause and consider whether another is truly needed – or whether a different approach is required.
Rethinking public inquiries
With colleagues at the Transforming Justice Project, I’ve researched justice responses to historical institutional abuses over many years. Our work, based on extensive primary research with victims, as well as advocates and church and state representatives on the island of Ireland, has highlighted some of the failings of inquiries. We have also uncovered an appetite for doing things differently.
On one level, it is possible to reform inquiries by focusing more centrally on victims and the trauma they have experienced. This could include, for example, adopting themed approaches to inquiries, perhaps related to particular contexts or abuses, which report sooner as standard.
It might also mean specialist support services for victims running in parallel to inquiries. Or, it might mean involving victims in the design of the inquiry process from the outset.
It is also worth exploring alternative models of truth recovery, such as non-statutory independent panel in Northern Ireland. This panel focuses specifically on mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries, and workhouses. Here, the accumulated testimony of victims and their experiences will feed into the full statutory public inquiry on these forms of institutional abuse.
More broadly, rather than commissioning yet another inquiry, the government needs to follow up on existing recommendations from previous inquiries, including on child abuse. It is only by addressing the systemic issues underlying institutional abuse – including cultural attitudes and responses to victims – that we will prevent a recurrence of abuse in the longer term.
Anne Marie McAlinden received funding from the AHRC and, with colleagues on the Transforming Justice Project, from the British Academy and the Higher Education Authority.
Every night, millions of people stop breathing without knowing it. Not once, but sometimes hundreds of times. Their remedy? A mask, a hum and the steady whisper of pressurised air.
It’s not glamorous, but behind the awkward nighttime aesthetics of a Cpap (continuous positive airway pressure) machine lies a remarkable piece of engineering. It doesn’t just help you breathe; it reshapes the way your airway behaves.
So how exactly does Cpap manipulate the body’s anatomy to prevent sleep apnoea? The answer lies in an elegant understanding of pressure, posture and the floppy vulnerability of the human throat.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) occurs when the soft tissues of the upper airway – particularly the tongue, soft palate, uvula and pharyngeal walls – collapse during sleep, temporarily blocking airflow. But why does this happen?
The anatomy of the upper airway is uniquely precarious. Unlike the lower airway, which is supported by cartilage rings and rigid structures, the upper airway – specifically the pharynx – is a collapsible tube made up of muscle and mucosa.
It sits behind the tongue and soft palate and serves as a shared pathway for both breathing and swallowing. During wakefulness, muscle tone keeps this space open. But during sleep, especially in the deeper stages, muscle tone decreases.
In people with obstructive sleep apnoea, this reduction allows the soft tissues to sag inward, blocking airflow. Factors such as neck circumference, fat distribution and the shape of the skull and face can all increase this risk.
The result is a repetitive cycle of obstruction, oxygen deprivation and interrupted sleep. It’s a disorder rooted not in the lungs, but in the structure and behaviour of the upper airway. Enter Cpap.
Pneumatic splint
The machine doesn’t breathe for the individual; it acts more like a pneumatic splint. By delivering a constant stream of pressurised air through a mask, Cpap machines increase the pressure inside the upper airway just enough to keep the soft tissues from falling inward.
Picture the airway as a soft-sided tent: without support, it collapses inward. Cpap works like internal tent poles, quietly holding it open from within. Anatomically, this means the base of the tongue, the soft palate and the pharyngeal walls are gently pushed outward, preventing contact and collapse.
Over time, in some users, there may even be mild adaptations in tissue tone and airway behaviour during sleep, although Cpap isn’t a curative device.
The pressure settings are crucial and typically calibrated to each individual. Too low and the airway still collapses. Too high and the person may experience discomfort or aerophagia (swallowing air). But when correctly calibrated, Cpap doesn’t just reduce apnoea events, it can restore the natural stages of sleep, improve blood pressure and dramatically enhance quality of life.
Cpap’s effect isn’t limited to the upper airway; it also influences how the chest muscles work during breathing. By keeping the airway open, it makes it easier to breathe at night, so the breathing muscles – such as the diaphragm and the muscles between the ribs – don’t have to work as hard.
It also stops the repeated drops in oxygen that can trigger the body’s stress response, which is the main reason why untreated sleep apnoea increases the risk of heart problems.
There’s also evidence that long-term Cpap use can reduce swelling and inflammation in the upper airway. However, the benefits of Cpap depend a lot on people using it consistently. Unfortunately, the size and noise of the equipment can make it hard for some people to use it regularly. Despite this, it remains the gold standard treatment, especially for moderate-to-severe sleep apnoea.
For all its noise, Cpap is a quiet triumph of anatomical insight applied to engineering. Instead of surgery or drugs, it uses air – the same substance that betrays the sleeper with every collapse – to reclaim the airway and restore function. It is, in essence, a machine that manipulates the pliability of human anatomy to therapeutic advantage.
It may not be glamorous. But for many, Cpap is nothing short of life-changing – an anatomical nudge toward a safer, deeper and more restful night’s sleep.
Michelle Spear 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 Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester
With her latest album Something Beautiful debuting at number four in the Billboard 200 and in contention to reach the top of the UK album charts, Miley Cyrus’s commercial appeal appears as strong as ever.
Negative reviews are, of course, not uncommon, and we need look no further than The New York Times’ 1969 review of Abbey Road to see that even the most celebrated and acclaimed artists aren’t immune to the critic’s poison pen. But, while some degree of criticism is inevitable for all artists, when it comes to discussing experimentation and musical identity, female and male artists seem to be treated differently.
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During her Billboard Music Awards woman of the year speech in 2016, Madonna commented that “there are no rules – if you’re a boy. If you’re a girl, you have to play the game.” In the same year Björk observed that female artists are criticised if they sing about anything other than their boyfriends. She might have been exaggerating a little, but Björk’s and Madonna’s points are clear: if you’re a woman in music, you should stay in your proverbial box.
The music video for Something Beautiful by Miley Cyrus.
For two of Cyrus’s male contemporaries, Justin Bieber and Harry Styles (both around one year her junior), it’s a very different story. While the Guardian also notes the absence of “hits” on Bieber’s 2020 album Changes, instead of presenting it as a negative as it did with Cyrus, it’s seen as a sign of maturity on a fitfully lovely album by a pop star who no longer wants chart domination.
Cyrus has been told by critics that she must choose between being an accessible pop star or an unconventional artist and “can’t have it both ways”.
Even if she did decide to plump for one camp or the other rather than ably straddling both, it’d still be debatable as to whether the ever-fickle critics would be satisfied.
When Cyrus and Rado did collaborate on Something Beautiful, however, they remained unimpressed. You just can’t please some people. Thankfully, Cyrus is either oblivious to such noise or chooses to ignore it, and recently teased that Something Beautiful is merely “the appetizer” for a “an extremely experimental” upcoming album.
In an era where formulaic pop music dominates the charts and AI-generated content threatens to make things even more generic, we should be encouraging the idiosyncrasies of our female artists, not labelling them as having identity problems when they are brave enough to be different.
In her woman of the year’ speech, Madonna also noted that, as a female artist, “to age is a sin: you will be criticised, you will be vilified, and you will definitely not be played on the radio”. Perhaps, then, Cyrus’s biggest offence isn’t her refusal to become a stereotype or her desire to experiment and make music that she likes. It’s daring to grow up.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Welfare bill will protect the most vulnerable and help households with income boost
Additional protections for millions of vulnerable people on benefits are set to be written into law, under new measures being introduced to Parliament today [18 June 2025].
New welfare legislation to ensure there are robust protections in place to support the most vulnerable and severely disabled.
Nearly 4 million households to benefit from uprating of Universal Credit standard rate, the largest, permanent real-terms increase to basic out of work support since 1980, according to the IFS.
More than 200,000 people with most severe, lifelong conditions to be protected from future reassessment for Universal Credit entitlement.
13-week period of financial support for those affected by PIP changes as part of upcoming welfare reforms.
Comes alongside £1 billion employment support package that will unlock opportunity and grow the economy as part of the Plan for Change.
The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill will provide 13-weeks of additional financial security to existing claimants affected by changes to the PIP daily living component, including those who their lose eligibility to Carers Allowance and the carer’s element of Universal Credit.
The 13-week additional protection will give people who will be affected by the changes time to adapt, access new, tailored employment support, and plan for their future once they are reassessed and their entitlement ends.
This transitional cover is one of the most generous ever and more than three times the length of protection provided for the transition from DLA to PIP.
This government inherited a broken social security system, with costs spiralling at an unsustainable rate and millions of people trapped out of work. The case for change is stark:
Since the pandemic, the number of PIP awards has more than doubled – up from 13,000 a month to 34,000 a month. That is around 1,000 people signing on to PIP every day – that is roughly the size of Leicester signing up every year.
The surge has been largely by driven by a substantial increase in the number of people who report anxiety and depression as their main condition. Before the pandemic (in 2019), 2,500 people a month were awarded PIP for these conditions, this has more than tripled to 8,200 a month in 2023.
Almost 1 million young people – 1 in 8 – are not in education, employment or training.
1-in-10 people of working age are now claiming a sickness or disability benefit.
Without reform, the number of working age people on disability benefits is set to more than double this decade to 4.3 million.
Spending on working age disability and incapacity benefits is up £20 billion since the pandemic and is set to increase by almost that much again by the end of this Parliament, to a staggering £70 billion a year.
That’s why, through the introduction of this Bill; the government is fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot – putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:
Our social security system is at a crossroads. Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it.
This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity.
This will give people peace of mind, while also fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot – putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.
As part of our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and severely disabled, peace of mind will also be given to 200,000 individuals in the Severe Conditions Criteria group – individuals with the most severe and permanently disabling conditions who will never be able to work – as they will not be called for reassessed for Universal Credit (UC) under new legislation.
Those protected from reassessment will also be paid the higher rate of UC health top up of £97 per week, so they can live with dignity and security, knowing the reforms to the welfare system mean it will always be there to support them.
In the coming weeks, legislation will also be drafted for a Right to Try Guarantee. This will ensure that trying work will not, in and of itself, lead to a reassessment or award review, breaking down barriers to employment.
Reforms being delivered by the legislation introduced today go hand in hand with a £1 billion employment support package to support more people with health conditions back into work, unlocking opportunity and growing the economy as part of the Plan for Change.
Funding will offer personalised employment and health support for individuals on out of work benefits, with 500,000 people having already been supported into employment. This is a quadrupling the level of annual spend on supporting sick and disabled people into work, from the £275m in 2024/25 we inherited, to over £1bn in 2029/30.
Nearly 4 million households will also receive an income boost with the main rate of Universal Credit set to increase above inflation every year for the next four years – estimated to be worth £725 by 2029/30 for a single household 25 or over. This is around £250 higher than an inflation only increases.
The Bill will also rebalance Universal Credit rates by reducing the health element for new UC claims to £50 from April 2026, fixing a system which encourages sickness by paying health element recipients more than double the standard amount.
To open up opportunities to work, everyone affected by changes to the UC health element from April 2026 will be offered support from a dedicated Pathways to Work adviser, with 1,000 advisers in place across Britain.
All of those affected by reforms will be actively contacted and given the offer of a conversation about their support needs, goals and aspirations; offered one-to-one follow-on support, and given help to access additional work, health and skills support that can meet their needs.
The reforms build on the Get Britain Working White Paper that will overhaul Jobcentres, empower Mayors and local leaders to tackle inactivity, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, as part of the Government’s ambition to deliver an 80% employment rate.
Additional information
The Bill will introduce a new additional eligibility requirement for the daily living component of PIP so that a minimum of 4 points must be scored on at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component. It will also rebalance Universal Credit.
Based on current forecasts, the rebalancing mean single households 25 or over, will see their standard allowance rise to around £106pw by the end of this parliament.
Current UC health top up is more than double the UC standard allowance for a single claimant.
There are 4 criteria for the healthcare professional to consider, all of which must apply for the claimant to meet the SCC, namely whether:
The individual’s level of function will always meet LCWRA
The individual’s condition will last for the rest of their life
There is no realistic prospect of recovery of function, and
The condition has been diagnosed by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional in the course of the provision of NHS services.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Construction director sentenced after failing to explain almost £500,000 worth of transfers out of company account
Suspended sentence for director who did not deliver accounting records to the liquidator
Construction director Mario Huiu failed to account for nearly £500,000 transferred out of his company’s accounts in a one-month period in 2020
Huiu also failed to verify more than £200,000 in cash receipts and explain why his Incentive Services Limited company failed with debts of over £160,000
Insolvency Service investigations have resulted in Huiu being given a suspended sentence for failing to provide accounting records
A construction director who failed to explain transfers totalling almost £500,000 out of his company’s bank account has been handed a suspended sentence.
Mario Huiu’s failure to keep proper accounting records for Incentive Services Limited meant liquidators were also unable to verify cash receipts of more than £200,000 into the same bank account.
The 39-year-old, of Hayesbrook Road, Ilford, was prosecuted for offences under the Companies Act 2006 and Insolvency Act 1986.
Huiu was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, when he appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Friday 13 June.
Mark Stephens, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Limited liability companies provide vital protection for business owners, but this protection comes with serious responsibilities.
Maintaining proper accounting records is not just a legal requirement – it is essential for responsible business management.
Directors such as Mario Huiu who fail to keep accurate financial records put their creditors and trading partners at unacceptable risk and jeopardise their own ability to make sound trading decisions.
Incentive Services Limited was incorporated in March 2017 under the name of EMA Dry-Lining Ltd. The company changed its name three times before settling on Incentive Services Limited in May 2020.
Huiu was sole director of the company when it went into liquidation seven months later in December 2020.
As director of the company, Huiu was required to maintain and preserve company books and records and deliver them to the liquidator.
His failure to do this meant the liquidator was unable to verify transfers of £498,480 from the company’s account between May and June 2020.
Huiu’s explanation during interview that the money was spent on paying suppliers was uncorroborated and described by the Insolvency Service as “not credible”.
Similarly, unverified cash receipts of £261,960 into the same company bank account did not have supporting sales records.
Four other company bank accounts were identified during the course of Insolvency Service investigations. Huiu did not declare them all to investigators.
Huiu’s failure to deliver books and records to the liquidator meant the true level of the company’s financial turnover could not be verified.
The reasons why the company failed owing creditors £162,482 were also not explained due to the inadequate accounts.
Huiu was disqualified as a company director for six years in November 2021 following initial Insolvency Service investigations into his misconduct at Incentive Services Limited.
Further information
Mario Huiu is of Mayesbrook Road, Ilford. His date of birth is 18 September 1985
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
The Moscow Fund for the Renovation of Residential Development has identified contractors for the design and construction of housing under the renovation program at 23 sites in four administrative districts of the capital. This was reported by the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy Vladislav Ovchinsky.
Plots with a total area of more than 18.8 hectares are located inWestern, South-East, Eastern AndSouth administrative districts of the capital in the districts Nizhny Novgorod, Izmailovo, Novogireevo, Vostochny, Nagatinsky Zaton, Yuzhnoye Chertanovo, Zapadnoye Biryulevo, Tsaritsyno, Vykhino-Zhulebino, Textile workers, Yuzhnoportovy, Mozhaisk and Filevsky Park.
“In 13 districts of Moscow, 23 residential buildings will be built to implement the renovation program. The area of apartments in all buildings will be more than 382.8 thousand square meters. Most of them will appear on the site of old buildings from the first period of industrial housing construction, which will also be demolished by contractors. Thus, in Izmailovo, five-story buildings built in 1958-1961 will be replaced by three new modern residential complexes. The same number will be built in Bulatnikovsky Proezd in Biryulyovo Zapadny. Contractors were determined as part of the bidding for five lots,” said Vladislav Ovchinsky.
The houses will be built according to individual projects with unique layouts and facade solutions that match the architectural appearance of the area. All of them will correspond to a high energy efficiency class, they will be equipped with video surveillance cameras for the safety of residents. The territories of new buildings will be landscaped taking into account the principles of a barrier-free environment.
Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the inclusion of more in the renovation program 131 sites for the construction of houses.
The renovation program was approved in August 2017. It concerns about a million Muscovites and provides for the resettlement of 5,176 houses. Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin ordered to increase the pace of implementation of the renovation program intwice.
Moscow is one of the leaders among regions in terms of construction volumes. High rates of housing construction correspond to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.
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June 17, 2025 – Abbotsford, British Columbia – Correctional Service Canada
On June 14, 2025, Abraham Froesse-Friessen, an inmate from Pacific Institution and Regional Treatment Centre, died while in our custody of apparent natural causes.
At the time of death, the inmate was 66 years old and had been serving a life sentence, which commenced on December 15, 2011.
The inmate’s next of kin have been notified.
As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances. CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Allissa V. Richardson, Associate Professor of Journalism, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Smartphone witnessing helped spur the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.AP Photo/Ethan Swope
It has been five years since May 25, 2020, when George Floyd gasped for air beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. Five years since 17-year-old Darnella Frazier stood outside Cup Foods, raised her phone and bore witness to nine minutes and 29 seconds that would galvanize a global movement against racial injustice.
Frazier’s video didn’t just show what happened. It insisted the world stop and see.
Today, that legacy continues in the hands of a different community, facing different threats but wielding the same tools. Across the United States, Latino organizers are raising their phones, not to go viral but to go on record. They livestream Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, film family separations and document protests outside detention centers. Their footage is not merely content. It is evidence, warning – and resistance.
Here in Los Angeles where I teach journalism, for example, several images have seared themselves into public memory. One viral video shows a shackled father stepping into a white, unmarked van as his daughter sobs behind the camera, pleading with him not to sign any official documents. He turns, gestures for her to calm down, and blows her a kiss. In another video, filmed across town, Los Angeles Police Department officers on horseback charge into crowds of peaceful protesters, swinging wooden batons with chilling precision.
In Spokane, Washington, residents form a spontaneous human chain around their neighbors mid-raid, their bodies and cameras erecting a barricade of defiance. In San Diego, a video shows white allies yelling “Shame!” as they chase a car full of National Guard troops from their neighborhood.
The impact of smartphone witnessing has been immediate and unmistakable – visceral at street level, seismic in statehouses. On the ground, the videos helped inspire a “No Kings” movement, which organized protests in all 50 states on June 14, 2025.
Lawmakers are intensifying their focus on immigration policy as well. As the Trump administration escalates enforcement, Democratic-led states are expanding laws that limit cooperation with federal agents. On June 12, the House Oversight Committee questioned Democratic governors about these measures, with Republican lawmakers citing public safety concerns. The hearing underscored deep divisions between federal and state approaches to immigration enforcement.
The legacy of Black witnessing
What’s unfolding now is not new – it is newly visible. As my research shows, Latino organizers are drawing from a playbook that was sharpened in 2020 and rooted in a much older lineage of Black media survival strategies that were forged under extreme oppression.
In my 2020 book “Bearing Witness While Black: African Americans, Smartphones and the New Protest Journalism,” I document how Black Americans have used media – slave narratives, pamphlets, newspapers, radio and now smartphones – to fight for justice. From Frederick Douglass to Ida B. Wells to Darnella Frazier, Black witnesses have long used journalism as a tool for survival and transformation.
Latino mobile journalists are building on that blueprint in 2025, filming state power in moments of overreach, archiving injustice in real time, and expanding the impact of this radical tradition.
Their work also echoes the spatial tactics of Black resistance. Just as enslaved Black people once mapped escape routes during slavery and Jim Crow, Latino communities today are engaging in digital cartography to chart ICE-free zones, mutual aid hubs and sanctuary spaces. The People Over Papers map channels the logic of the Black maroons – communities of self-liberated Africans who escaped plantations to track patrols, share intelligence and build networks of survival. Now, the hideouts are digital. The maps are crowdsourced. The danger remains.
Likewise, the Stop ICE Raids Alerts Network revives a civil rights-era tactic. In the 1960s, organizers used wide area telephone service lines and radio to circulate safety updates. Black DJs cloaked dispatches in traffic and weather reports – “congestion on the south side” signaled police blockades; “storm warnings” meant violence ahead. Today, the medium is WhatsApp. The signal is encrypted. But the message – protect each other – has not changed.
Layered across both systems is the DNA of the “Negro Motorist Green Book,” the guide that once helped Black travelers navigate Jim Crow America by identifying safe towns, gas stations and lodging. People Over Papers and Stop ICE Raids are digital descendants of that legacy. Where the Green Book used printed pages, today’s tools use digital pins. But the mission remains: survival through shared knowledge, protection through mapped resistance.
Five years after George Floyd’s death, the power of visual evidence remains undeniable. Black witnessing laid the groundwork. In 2025, that tradition continues through the lens of Latino mobile journalists, who draw clear parallels between their own community’s experiences and those of Black Americans. Their footage exposes powerful echoes: ICE raids and overpolicing, border cages and city jails, a door kicked in at dawn and a knee on a neck.
Like Black Americans before them, Latino communities are using smartphones to protect, to document and to respond. In cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and El Paso, whispers of “ICE is in the neighborhood” now flash across Telegram, WhatsApp and Instagram. For undocumented families, pressing record can mean risking retaliation or arrest. But many keep filming – because what goes unrecorded can be erased.
What they capture are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader, shared struggle against state violence. And as long as the cameras keep rolling, the stories keep surfacing – illuminated by the glow of smartphone screens that refuse to look away.
Allissa V. Richardson receives funding from the Ford Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Alana L. Riso, Ph.D. Student in Clinical Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Marriage and the ability to start a family are human rights. Ten years ago, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Obergefell v. Hodges case extended the right to marry to same-sex couples.
With 7.6% of Americans identifying as LGBTQ+, this decision continues to have an impact beyond legal benefits.
Marriage provides unique advantages – a reality we have come to know as psychology researcherswho focus on couples. The right to marry allowed same-sex couples the opportunity to experience these advantages.
Benefits of a healthy marriage
Although evidence largely comes from different-sex couples, psychology research documents the numerous benefits healthy marriage confers on well-being. Married people experience more positive emotions. They also have many physical health advantages, such as being more likely to survive cancer or major surgery. Children of married couples seem to benefit as well.
Not surprisingly, the benefits of being married do not extend to unhappy marriages. The effects of marriage on physical well-being, life satisfaction, depression and mental health more broadly depend on marital quality, and so do outcomes for children.
What’s so special about marriage?
What makes a happy marriage different from a happy cohabiting, stable relationship when it comes to well-being? Social scientists don’t know, but there are a few theories.
The one with the most empirical support involves a concept from physics called inertia. Applied in relationship science, inertia describes the idea that a relationship will remain the same or continue moving along the same trajectory unless some outside force acts upon it.
As relationships progress, they naturally gain momentum. Partners invest more into their relationship over time. They exchange gifts, meet each others’ friends, and start staying at each others’ homes. Eventually, a natural step in this progression is either cohabitation or marriage.
Marriage is a milestone, marking a new stage in life. Deciding to get married is a long-term commitment that often takes years of planning. Cohabitation, on the other hand, is easy to slide into due to the forward trajectory of a relationship. Cohabitors tend to stay together less as an intentional choice but for convenience.
The intentional lifelong commitment of marriage may explain why it offers more benefits than cohabitation.
As more same-sex couples have married, are they seeing the same marriage benefits that other-sex couples always had? Research on the topic is only just beginning. Still, there is some preliminary evidence that they are.
In a 2024 survey, respondents with same-sex spouses largely felt closer to their partner and more satisfied with life in general after getting married. Findings from one research study indicate that married same-sex couples see greater benefits to psychological well-being than do same-sex couples in registered domestic partnerships. Another study on same-sex relationships found that marriage was linked to greater happiness and fewer depression symptoms than cohabitation.
As for children of same-sex parents, they do just as well as those with other-sex parents. There’s not much data yet on the impact on kids of same-sex parents divorcing.
Do marriage benefits differ for same-sex couples?
The happiness of same- and other-sex relationships is largely determined by the same factors, but there are two key differences: gender composition of the couple and stress from discrimination.
In other-sex relationships, women tend to fall into subordinate positions. Same-sex couples are free from traditional male-female gender dynamics, allowing more of a balance of power. For instance, they have a more even division of household chores, and partners have a more equal say when resolving conflicts. Greater equality may improve the quality of same-sex relationships.
Societal disapproval may lead someone to internalize negative ideas about their own sexuality and relationship. In other words, buying into society’s message that one’s relationship is morally wrong harms their own mental health and consequently their relationship. Psychology researchers theorize that societal disapproval is a key factor standing in the way of same-sex couples experiencing the full benefits of marriage.
More societal acceptance post-Obergefell
As an increasing number of U.S. states, and eventually the federal government, legalized same-sex marriage, greater societal acceptance has followed. In 2025, 67% of LGBTQ+ adults agree that the country has become more accepting of same-sex couples due to the legalization of same-sex marriage.
This trend is not unique to the U.S. Around the world, countries where same-sex marriage is legal tend to have a higher percentage of the population say they favor same-sex marriage. Although the causal direction is opaque, evidence from multiple countries indicates that same-sex marriage bans reinforce nonacceptance of LGBTQ+ people, while legal recognition fosters societal approval. Acceptance lowers stress for same-sex couples, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of marriage.
Although societal acceptance in the United States has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades, it is important to note that 19% of Americans still strongly oppose same-sex marriage. Legalization was a major step, but it has by no means eliminated discrimination altogether.
Matthew D. Johnson was an unpaid consultant on an amicus brief in support of the petitioners in Obergefell v Hodges that was submitted by Owen C. Pell of White & Case LLP.
Alana L. Riso 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.
This year’s edition of the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference & exhibition will feature a multi-track program examining how regulatory reform, foreign investment and domestic growth have shaped the market over the past five decades, and how greater collaboration, capital expenditure and local participation will shape the next 50 years of development.
Strategic Track
The AOG 2025 Strategic Track will feature a series of panel discussions, keynote addresses and in-conversation with sessions, all of which aim to provide key insight into the state of play of Angola’s oil and gas market. A session on Angola at 50: The Oil & Gas Industry – a catalyst for economic transformation will examine the role oil and gas has and will continue to play in unlocking economic opportunities for the country – from job creation to fuel security to revenue generation and infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, with the country on track for a $60 billion upstream investment drive in the coming five years and a 2025 licensing round set to offer 10 blocks in the offshore Kwanza and Benguela basins, Angola offers strategic investment opportunities for exploration and production firms. The AOG 2025 Strategic Track will feature sessions on The Role of Onshore & Shallow Water Operations in Maintaining Production Levels; and Strategic Partnerships: Unlocking Africa’s Deepwater Potential, tackling development opportunities across the market. Additionally, sessions on From Extraction to Expansion: Financing Angola’s Oil & Gas Development and Increased Production Through Investment Friendly Reforms, will examine the impact reform has played on the market and how amended policies and improved fiscals have strengthened the competitiveness of doing business in Angola.
Beyond the upstream sector, Angola targets 445,000 bpd in refining capacity, with a focus on reducing petroleum imports and bolstering regional fuel security. The Strategic Track will share insight into these objectives, with sessions on Towards a Secure Energy Future: Accelerating Downstream Development to Meet Market Demands; The Role of National Champions in Angola’s Development; Strategic Investments in Angola’s Logistics and Energy Infrastructure; and Building Tomorrow’s Workforce.
Technical Track
Geared towards service companies, innovators and data analytics firms, the AOG 2025 Technical Track will examine how technology-driven solutions will support oil and gas development in Angola. The Technical Track aligns closely with the broader goals of the nation to increase exploration, accelerate low-carbon fuel production while unlocking new opportunities for sustainable development. Sessions on Driving Investment for Seismic Opportunities in Angola and Best Practice Strategies for Successful Exploration in the Okavango Basin will explore the impact data and technology play on unlocking new frontiers in Angola.
Additionally, sessions on Economic Diversification Through Gas; Towards Net-Zero: Decarbonizing Operations; and AI and Machine-Learning: Enhancing Efficiency, Safety and Minimizing Environmental Impact will provide critical insight into emerging opportunities in Angola’s low-carbon space. Focus areas will include natural gas projects, how technology such as machine learning can enhance efficiency while reducing emissions and the role research and development plays in supporting Angolan oil and gas development. In addition to panel discussions, a series of presentations will take place across the Technical Track, led by global data and analytics providers, Angolan government leaders and major operators.
Additional Features
In addition to the main conference program, AOG 2025 will host a dedicated deal-room. Designed as a high-impact ‘Dragon’s Den’ style platform, the deal room offers Angolan entrepreneurs and innovators the chance to pitch their products and services to global operators. The deal room fosters collaboration, local participation and partnerships. Meanwhile, AOG 2025 will also host a pre-conference program on September 2, ahead of the main conference agenda. The pre-conference includes specialized workshops and sessions led by experts and is designed for engineers, geologists, project managers and financiers.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Women and Equalities Committee is hearing from Laura Bates, Activist, Speaker and Writer, on the impact of:
– the manosphere
– misogynistic online content
– the use of AI
This hearing is part of the Committee’s wider inquiry on the manosphere and misogynistic online content. Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9089/misogyny-the-manosphere-and-online-content
Driven by the rapid pace of technological change and the need for a human-centric approach to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), AI skills have a significant role in shaping the future European workforce. The growing skills gap in the EU, with almost half of the population lacking basic digital skills, including AI skills, poses a significant challenge for the future that needs to be addressed for the EU to maintain its competitiveness and manage regional disparities. Several EU initiatives are under way, including the recently adopted union of skills communication and AI continent action plan. Fostering anticipatory governance, a culture of innovation, supporting diversity and inclusiveness in the AI workforce, and strengthening digital infrastructure are all critical to ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared by all, while minimising its negative impacts. Aligning with European values will be important to ensure fairness in this process. The EU’s future prosperity depends on using AI’s potential while basing it on a human-centric approach and ethical development, ensuring transparency and accountability, as well as prioritising people’s wellbeing. Targeted investment in EU-wide digital infrastructure and education that emphasises lifelong learning and skills development could ensure balanced economic growth and competitiveness in the global talent market. By examining the multifaceted interaction between AI, skills and jobs, a way forward may be identified that focuses on the needs of EU citizens and ensures that the future European workforce – and citizens in general – are equipped to succeed in an increasingly automated and AI-driven economy.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Strengthening Women, Peace and Security focus of FSC Security Dialogue and side-event of the Estonian Chairpersonship
Strengthening Women, Peace and Security focus of FSC Security Dialogue and side-event of the Estonian Chairpersonship | OSCE
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Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Tackling hate speech in the digital age: Stronger Action Needed
SARAJEVO, 18 June 2025 – Hate speech is not new, but, fueled by the anonymity and viral nature of digital platforms, it now travels faster and further. These new arenas for hate speech carry the potential for more devastating consequences – accelerating discrimination, creating hostile environments or inciting violence, including hate crimes. As we mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, we cannot ignore the real risks of our digital and internet age, including the growing incidence and impact of online hate speech and the escalating dangers of posed by generative artificial intelligence (AI).
These risks are particularly relevant in the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where hate speech has long prevented healing and exacerbated the wounds of a painful past, at the same time jeopardizing efforts to look towards a common brighter future.
One of the most widespread and troubling forms of hate speech in the country is the denial, justification and relativization of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992–1995 conflict as well as the glorification of war criminals. Such narratives are perpetuated — sometimes by high-profile public figures and politicians — for political gain and with impunity. Murals and offensive graffiti that publicly glorify war criminals are not just painful and haunting reminders for victims; they also contribute to politically motivated historical revisionism by reflecting a deliberate manipulation of history to justify harmful ideologies and obstruct reconciliation.
Hate speech reflects our biases, for example, infused with gendered components such as such as discrediting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence or minimizing the distinct impact of war crimes of on the respective genders. Gendered hate speech undermines international justice, retraumatizes survivors and dehumanizes victims by aggravating suffering or erasing their experiences.
Hate speech also disproportionately targets marginalized communities, such as ethnic minorities, migrants and persons with disabilities, as well as women and girls, including those from these communities. This further amplifies fear and compounds structural inequalities and social exclusion. Children are especially vulnerable to online hate speech, with such exposure potentially permanently negatively impacting their well-being and development.
The anonymity and impersonal nature of online spaces often embolden the authors of hate speech, social media posts, videos or AI-generated images can be created and disseminated in seconds, reaching thousands—sometimes millions—without accountability.
No single organization or institution can tackle this issue alone. Eradicating hate speech demands joint action, bringing together governments, civil society, the media and tech platforms. Media and tech companies, who may profit from emotive and shocking content, must be aware of the particular responsibilities they have. Political actors and institutions at all levels must also act—decisively and consistently.
Critically, civil society, including grassroots organizations, human rights defenders, and environmental advocates, must be enabled and protected in fulfilling their vital role in raising awareness, providing support to survivors, and advocating for safer digital and public spaces. Countering hate speech must prioritize support for survivors, including access to justice through free legal aid, psychosocial services, and safe reporting mechanisms. We must also remember that protecting the most vulnerable requires active resistance to all forms of hate.
We — the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo — remain committed to working together and supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina towards stronger regulation against hate speech, greater accountability, and ethical and responsible public discourse, notwithstanding the right to freedom of opinion and expression in line with international standards.
We urge those in positions of responsibility, whether in politics, the media or other roles of influence, as well as citizens, to take a stand against hate speech and challenge hateful narratives in everyday life. Together, through courage and commitment, we can combat all forms of hate speech and ensure that dignity and respect remain the foundations of our both our democratic and digital societies.
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The Op-ed is published as part of the joint project “Možemo bolje”, funded by the European Union’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments under the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – jointly implemented by the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Correspondence
DfE Update: 18 June 2025
Latest information and actions from the Department for Education about funding, assurance and resource management, for academies, local authorities and further education providers.
A new Citizen Interaction Policy, aimed at promoting positive engagement between the Council and citizens, was approved this week.
Councillors from the Staff Governance Committee approved the Citizen Interaction Policy, which reinforces the Council’s commitment to providing accessible services to all members of the community, while supporting the safety and wellbeing of employees and elected members.
In addition to promoting positive engagement, the policy includes a zero tolerance pledge against violence, aggression and abuse towards employees and elected members.
Committee Convener Councillor Neil Copeland said: “We are here to help and support citizens and we ask them to work with us to make this possible.
“The policy provides safeguards for Council employees and elected members – while also providing a single point of reference to understand the standards of behaviours expected from all involved parties.”
Vice Convener, Councillor Gill Al-Samarai said, “The safety of our employees and the citizens we serve is of paramount importance. By creating a single policy we aim to tackle unacceptable behaviours for the benefit of everyone.”
“We will publish the policy on the council website and will seek to raise public awareness of our zero tolerance approach through signage in all of our public facing buildings.”
Last week, Councillors agreed at Education, Children and Families Committee that the Scottish Government guidance on school uniform will apply to all City of Edinburgh Council schools.
In line with the decision, schools in the city should not require branded school items as a compulsory part of their uniform policy. Uniform policies should be flexible and include plain and non-branded uniform items that match school colours. Blazers and branded items of uniform will no longer be compulsory, encouraged or promoted by schools.
Schools in Edinburgh will continue to have uniforms but parents and carers will have wider choice on where they choose to purchase school uniform items and on how much they wish to spend.
In recent years the cost of school uniform has steadily increased and for some families, uniform costs, especially for higher priced branded and embroidered items, represent a significant impact on household budgets. Schools are expected to do all that they can to limit school clothing costs for families.
In line with this new guidance, parents or carers should not be directed to specialist suppliers to purchase branded items.
Councillor James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener said:
We are committed to tackling poverty and inequality in our schools and it is clear that the cost of school uniform items has, for some, created a barrier to school education. One of the ways we are addressing this is by removing the need for parents and carers to be compelled to spend more money than is necessary on school uniform.
The Scottish Government guidance makes clear the rationale behind the new approach to school uniforms. It is the right thing to do make changes that will have a positive financial impact on families by reducing the cost of the school day, while also creating a more inclusive school environment and promoting sustainability. I am pleased that members of the Education, Children and Families Committee have agreed this positive step forward which is focused on supporting all pupils to come to school feeling comfortable, confident and ready to learn.
The Leader of Leeds City Council and the Mayor of West Yorkshire have welcomed government plans to bring together local communities, civil servants, and frontline workers in Leeds and the wider region to have a greater voice in shaping and testing national policy.
As a part of the next phase of the Government’s plan to transform public services and deliver its ‘Plan for Change’, three key locations; Leeds, Sheffield, and Darlington, will use thematic campuses to focus on different government policy missions and solve major challenges facing communities.
Working hand in hand with local mayoral combined authorities and public service providers, the Community Mission Challenge pilot programme aims to draw together civil servants and frontline workers with a cross section of expertise, skills, and experience from departments such as teaching and the NHS, to have a greater impact on shaping and testing new government policy locally.
Once proved successful, these solutions and ways of working can then be scaled up across other parts of the UK to accelerate delivery of the missions nationally.
The pilot programme follows a recent government announcement that will see thousands of civil servants located outside London, with the aim of bringing central government closer to the people it serves.
Under the plans, Leeds will focus on the Government’s health mission, while Sheffield will focus on opportunity, and Darlington on growth.
Leeds already has a reputation for innovation in health and social care through its comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Inclusive Growth Strategy, and its introduction of the Marmot city partnership. Coupled with a cutting-edge health technology and research sector, and its expansive voluntary and community organisations and anchor networks already working in close partnership with the local authority, the city has a wealth of experience in health innovation.
The Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis, said: “We are delighted that Leeds civil servants will take a leading role in delivering the Government’s health mission. This aligns with our local health and wellbeing strategy, which aims to improve the health of the poorest fastest.
“Leeds is a growing, diverse and ambitious city with well-established neighbourhood networks run by the voluntary and community sector and large anchor organisations working in partnership with the local authority, and a wealth of frontline expertise which will really benefit this new initiative.
“As a city, we have a hard-won reputation for innovation, especially within the health and social care sector, so we are perfectly suited to focus on the health mission which has been entrusted to the city.
“We look forward to playing a significant role in helping to shape national policy and to bringing central government closer to our community.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “This government understands that to achieve its missions and rebuild public services, it needs to listen to those who know their areas best.
“Frontline workers and civil servants across the North of England stand ready to help the government understand the challenges and deliver the change that’s needed to grow our economy and put more money in people’s pockets.
“Home to a thriving network of over 300 health tech companies, three innovative universities and the largest teaching hospital in Europe, it’s only fitting that Leeds will lead the way on transforming the NHS and the health of our communities across the UK.”
Plans for the scheme will continue to be drawn up throughout the summer with the programme expected to start work in the autumn. A new secondment scheme between government and local authorities is also being developed with people in both central and local government able to participate.
Are you looking for a fantastic opportunity for a talented youngster? The search is on for energetic and charismatic children to join the Junior Ensemble in this year’s Derby panto, Dick Whittington, at Derby Arena.
Little Wolf Entertainment is seeking young performers, bursting with personality, to share the stage with professional actors, including the acclaimed panto dame Morgan Brind.
This year’s production, another collaboration between Derby LIVE and Little Wolf, follows the massive success of previous pantomimes like 2024’s Cinderella, which received two nominations at the UK Pantomime Association Awards.
Auditions are open to boys and girls aged 9-16 who can act, sing, and dance. While previous theatre experience isn’t required, a passion for performing is a must! Please note that 16-year-olds must still be in compulsory full-time education (Year 11) at the time of the show.
If you know a young star who loves to sing and dance, this is their chance to shine on a big stage. Being part of the Junior Ensemble involves lots of hard work and commitment, but is fantastic opportunity to be part of a sensational production – and lots of fun!
To join the Junior Ensemble, you will need to be free for rehearsals on weekday evenings and all day at weekends from 13 November until the show opens, as well as performances from 5 – 31 December 2025.
Auditions will be held at Derby Arena on Sunday 20 July. Applications are open now via the Little Wolf website. Once you register, full details about the audition session for your child’s age group will be sent to you.
There’s no need to prepare anything in advance – it will be a fun, dance workshop-style audition. Each session is expected to last approximately three hours.
Morgan Brind and Alan Bowles from Derby-based Little Wolf Entertainment said:
Every year, we really look forward to these auditions. We’re consistently blown away by the sheer volume of young talent in Derby. If you’d like to be part of the team, be sure to apply soon – we can’t wait to meet you!
Dick Whittington is at Derby Arena from Friday 5 – Wednesday 31 December. Tickets are now on sale with ticket prices ranging from £22 to £37. Concessions and family ticket savings are available. Tickets can be purchased on the Derby LIVE website, at the Sales and Information Centre,19 Chapel Street, Derby, DE1 3GU, or by calling 01332 255 800.
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, June 18 (Xinhua) — North China’s Shanxi Province has made significant progress in international archaeological cooperation. The Fergana-Shanxi Joint Archaeological Center and the Laboratory for the Protection and Restoration of Cultural Relics were recently opened at Fergana State University in Uzbekistan, according to the provincial government’s official website.
The parties will cooperate in depth in the areas of joint archaeological research, personnel training, archaeology using scientific technologies and the protection of cultural relics.
Since the signing of the cooperation agreement between the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology and Fergana State University in October 2024, the two sides have been actively implementing the provisions of the agreement, developing exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
In March 2025, they held talks to deepen cooperation and reached a consensus, laying a more solid foundation for future joint work. From May 9 to 12, the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, together with three professors and teachers from the History Department of Fergana State University, conducted a 4-day archaeological survey in the Fergana Valley. During the survey, 9 ancient sites from the Bronze and Iron Ages were examined.
The joint archaeological team applied a variety of advanced technological methods to comprehensively and in detail study the state of preservation of the sites, their cultural appearance, the history of archaeological research, and the relationship between the settlements and burial grounds. This allowed us to obtain key data on the archaeological sites of the region, providing strong support for subsequent in-depth archaeological excavations and research work.
Fan Wenqian, Director of the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, said that promoting cooperation with Fergana State University in such areas as joint archaeological research, personnel training, archaeology using scientific technology, protection of cultural relics, exhibition, etc. is not only a responsibility but also a mission. The cooperation will not only enable a deep study of the historical and cultural content of the Fergana Valley, but also train more professional personnel with an international outlook for the archaeological circles of Shanxi, which will further enhance the international influence of Shanxi archaeology.
As it became known, from September to October 2025, employees of the Institute of Archaeology of Shanxi Province will again be in the Fergana Valley to conduct joint archaeological work. -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
URUMQI, June 18 (Xinhua) — Participants from various countries expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation in the relevant field within the SCO framework at the 4th meeting of heads of ministries and departments of the SCO member states responsible for the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), which was held in Karamay city, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Tuesday.
At the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China Xiong Jijun called promoting sustainable development and accelerating modernization common goals of the SCO countries.
According to him, China is ready to work with all parties to improve the quality and level of cooperation among the member states by improving institutional mechanisms, strengthening political dialogue, deepening practical cooperation in the field of digital technologies and ICT, promoting the transformation and modernization of industries, building a more just, accessible and inclusive digital world, thereby contributing to the formation of a community of shared destiny of the SCO.
First Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus Pavel Tkach stated that joint digital development allows for a significant deepening of integration, mutual trade and other sectors of the economy, and the exchange of experience in this area can be carried out within the framework of the SCO.
He stressed that due to the rapid growth of data in Belarus, there is a need to create centers for their processing and storage, adding that Belarus is interested in China’s experience in this area and expects to participate in specific projects with it.
Karamay City, the venue for the event, boasts of its dynamic digital economy in Xinjiang. According to local authorities, as of the end of 2024, the computing power of the cloud computing industrial park was 17,042 petaflops (1 petaflop equals 1 quadrillion floating-point operations per second), becoming the first such industrial park in the region with a computing power of more than 10,000 petaflops.
Zhanat Dzhabasova from Kazakhstan, head of the center for international cooperation and project implementation at the M. Dulatov Kostanay Engineering and Economics University, emphasized the prospects of Karamay to become a future hub of digital technologies. She stated that due to its geographical location, the city is quite capable of combining the experience of Kazakhstan and China in this area and becoming a center for digital transformation and exchanges between the two countries.
Zh. Dzhabasova also expressed hope for the development of cooperation with Chinese universities in the field of information technology and other areas, especially for conducting joint scientific research through the exchange of experience.
The head of Tajikistan’s Communications Service, Isfandiyor Sadullo, said that Karamay, as a city whose main industry is the oil industry, is making active efforts to develop digital technologies. According to him, he sees broad prospects here in the field of big data exchange.
I. Sadullo also said that Tajikistan expects cooperation with China in the field of digital and information and communication technologies, as well as in digital development and transformation.
Let us recall that the meeting adopted an action plan aimed at deepening exchanges and cooperation between the SCO member states in the development of measures for digital transformation, creation of digital infrastructure, digital government, cloud computing, digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, development and application of digital technologies, exchange of specialists in the field of digital technologies, etc. -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, June 18 (Xinhua) — The SCO Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation (China), based at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, held the Forum on Legal Support for SCO Economic and Trade Activities from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The event was held under the theme “Legal Innovations and International Cooperation – Building a New Era of Sustainable Development”. It was attended by more than 100 experts, scientists and industry representatives from international organizations, SCO countries, Chinese and foreign universities, research institutions and business circles.
The forum focused on creating an effective communication platform for deepening and promoting legal ideas in economic and trade activities, and was also aimed at forming a more open, mutually beneficial and sustainable platform for legal cooperation within the SCO.
The meeting discussed issues such as preventing legal risks in international investment and infrastructure construction within the Belt and Road Initiative, international trade, financial settlements and dispute resolution within the SCO.
Ge Weihua, Party Secretary of Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said that in the context of growing uncertainty and complexity in economic and trade exchanges, there is an urgent need for more coordinated, higher-level legal support.
Since the establishment of the SCO/China International Legal Training and Cooperation Center, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law has always been committed to promoting in-depth exchanges and cooperation in the legal, economic and trade fields within the SCO framework. In the future, the university will continue to give full play to the advantages of the center to actively promote regional legal cooperation, he added.
The forum was organized by the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and the SCO Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation /China/. -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
BAGHDAD, June 18 (Xinhua) — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has called on European powers, particularly France, Britain and Germany, to play a direct and effective role in achieving an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Iran and resuming negotiations, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Hussein held a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, during which they discussed the escalation of tensions in the region, the ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, both ministers stressed the need for immediate international action to halt military operations by all sides. They warned that further escalation could trigger a wider global economic and humanitarian crisis.
They also stressed the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading or involving other regional or international actors, which could further threaten world peace and stability.
Both sides agreed on the need to coordinate international efforts to support dialogue, describing it as the most viable way to prevent dangerous consequences for the region and the world, the statement added. –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
TEHRAN, June 18 (Xinhua) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the country remains steadfast in the conflict with Israel and will not give in to pressure, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.
In a televised address, he praised the Iranian people’s “steadfast, courageous and timely” response to what he called Israel’s “stupid and malicious aggression.” He said the nation’s resilience reflected “the growth of rationality and spirituality” in the country.
“The Iranian people will firmly resist the imposed war, just as they will firmly resist the imposed peace. This nation will not surrender to anyone’s pressure,” Tasnim quotes A. Khamenei as saying.
He also warned that the United States would suffer “irreparable damage” as a result of any military intervention. “Those who know Iran and its history understand that threatening its people is futile,” he said.
Iran’s supreme leader made the remarks after US President Donald Trump made several social media posts on Tuesday demanding Tehran’s “immediate surrender,” fueling speculation that the US was getting militarily involved in the conflict.
The conflict between Israel and Iran is continuing for a sixth day. During this time, about 600 people have died in Iran and 24 in Israel. The escalation began after Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iranian territory on June 13. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, June 18 (Xinhua) — China will set up an international digital yuan operations center, Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng announced at the Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai on Wednesday.
The purpose of establishing this center, he said, is to promote the internationalization of the digital yuan and the development of financial market services, as well as support innovation in the field of digital finance. -0-
We forecast U.S. ethane exports will decrease by 80,000 barrels per day (b/d) this year and by 177,000 b/d in 2026 in our June Short-Term Energy Outlook because of new licensing requirements for U.S. exports of ethane to China. Any policy changes that relax licensing requirements, such as the outcome of trade negotiations between the United States and China, would lead us to increase our forecasts for U.S. ethane exports again.
China is the largest destination for U.S. ethane exports, accounting for 47% of U.S. ethane exports in 2024. All U.S. ethane exports to China come from two terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Enterprise operates the Orbit terminal in Morgan’s Point, Texas, and Energy Transfer operates a terminal in Nederland, Texas. These terminals have long-term contracts with ethane cracking facilities in China. Both companies announced they received notice from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) that they need to apply for a special license to export ethane to China. Both Enterprise and Energy Transfer report that BIS said ethane exports to China pose an “unacceptable risk” that the material could be used for military purposes.
According to Vortexa data, as of June 16, seven Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs), nearly a quarter of the VLEC fleet, are stalled along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Two stalled VLECs are laden with nearly 1 million barrels of ethane each. Typically, these loaded VLECs would be headed to China through the Panama Canal, indicating that they were likely loaded before the export licenses were denied. Three VLECs that typically go to China are ballast (empty) and moored off the U.S. Gulf Coast. Two vessels that typically carry ethane from the U.S. Gulf Coast to China on long-term agreements have been diverted to ethane crackers in Dahej, India. The last shipment of U.S. ethane to China left May 23 from Energy Transfer’s terminal on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Ethane is a natural gas liquid extracted from wet natural gas during processing and is primarily used to produce ethylene. Ethylene is a crucial component in the petrochemical industry and a building block for plastics, resins, and synthetic rubber.
Average annual U.S. ethane exports have increased every year since 2014 except 2020, when exports fell slightly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing U.S. ethane exports have been supported by rising global petrochemical demand, ethane’s cost advantage in ethylene production over other feedstocks such as naphtha and propane, and increased ethane tanker fleet shipping capacity.
Crackers in China that can only use ethane as a feedstock, such as Satellite Petrochemical, have already shut down, according to Argus, because no alternative sources for ethane imports exist. Other crackers in China can switch feedstock to naphtha or liquified petroleum gas (propane and butane), such as SP Chemical’s Taixing cracker.
CLARKSBURG, WV—On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division Assistant Director Timothy A. Ferguson presented the Harrison County (West Virginia) Deputy Reserve Program with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for its service to citizens in West Virginia. The Harrison County Deputy Reserve Program is dedicated to strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the community.
The FBI established the DCLA in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence.
“The FBI’s successes are built on our connections with our law enforcement partners and our communities,” said CJIS Division Assistant Director Ferguson. “Having partner organizations such as the Harrison County Deputy Reserve Program that engage with the public ensures we are able to maintain public trust and accountability, crush violent crime, and defend the homeland.”
The Harrison County Deputy Reserve Program is a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers who support law enforcement and the community in a myriad of ways. The organization’s members are trained to assist in missing persons’ searches and traffic incident management. They hold monthly meetings that provide opportunities to connect state, local, and federal law enforcement. They also provide platforms for the FBI’s CJIS Division to reach community members via the CJIS Community Outreach Program’s Child ID Fingerprinting—a service that gives parents and guardians copies of their children’s fingerprints. The family can then turn over the fingerprints and accompanying headshots, which are not stored in any FBI system, to police in the event a child goes missing. Inspired by the FBI CJIS Division’s Citizens Academy, the Harrison County Deputy Reserve Program created the Harrison County Citizens Academy to connect with, and better educate, community leaders about aspects of law enforcement and the judicial system. As with the FBI’s citizen academies, these opportunities enable frank discussion to enhance communities.
Multiple members of the Harrison County Deputy Reserve Program attended the award ceremony.
“I want to extend our sincere gratitude to the FBI for this tremendous honor,” said former Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny. “Thank you for your unwavering commitment to strengthening the bond between federal and local law enforcement and thank you recognizing the power of partnership in building safer communities. This award is a testament to what can be accomplished when ordinary citizens step forward to do extraordinary things. The men and women of our Reserve Unit have answered that call time and again, without hesitation and without expectation. We are honored to accept this award, not just as a unit, but as part of the greater law enforcement family—united by purpose, service, and the unwavering belief that communities are worth protecting.”
“This award was totally unexpected, but I am proud of how our unit has come together to give back to the community and to assist the sheriff’s office and deputies as they fulfill their duties,” said Deputy Sheriff Reserve Michael Lambiotte.
Photo Courtesy: Federal Bureau of Investigation – CJIS Division Assistant Director Timothy A. Ferguson (far left) and CJIS Division Section Chief Scott E. Schubert (far right) are joined by Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny II (center left) and members of the Harrison County Deputy Reserve Program.
