Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) will launch the exhibition “The Pride of Hong Kong: Three Preeminent Collections of Ancient Paintings and Calligraphies” from June 11 to October 7, converging for the first time treasures from three world-class collections – Xubaizhai, established by the late renowned local collector Low Chuck-tiew; Chih Lo Lou, by Ho Iu-kwong; and Bei Shan Tang, by Lee Jung-sen, which are highly revered locally and internationally. Ninety-three sets of masterpieces from the Tang to the Qing dynasties will be exhibited, showcasing Hong Kong’s golden age of collecting.
The exhibition, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is jointly organised by the HKMoA and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Addressing the opening ceremony held today (June 10), the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan, said that in the mid-20th century, Chinese national treasures were featured in a large quantity in Hong Kong. Foreign art dealers and collectors were highly enthusiastic to acquire these treasures. With the resolve to retain these embodiments of Chinese heritage on home soil, the three collectors were determined to collect ancient Chinese masterpieces. The three world-class private treasured collections, namely Xubaizhai, Chih Lo Lou and Bei Shan Tang, were thus built up. Moreover, the three collectors and their families donated their invaluable collections to the HKMoA and the Art Museum of the CUHK for exhibition and educational purposes, providing the public with the opportunity to appreciate Chinese painting and calligraphy. The three collectors and their families, committed to preserving and promoting Chinese culture, have demonstrated their honourable generosity.
An international group of physicists, including two UConn faculty, have published a white paper representing a major step forward in developing our understanding of one of the smallest units of our world, and with it, the basic laws of physics.
Thomas Blum, professor, and Luchang Jin, associate professor, in the Department of Physics are authors on this paper and members of the Muon g-2 Theory Initiative.
The group which includes more than 100 scientists from around the world formed in 2017.
The white paper deals with muons, a type of elementary particle. Muons are a lot like electrons, negatively charged subatomic particles, but they are about 200 times heavier.
Compared with many other elementary particles the muon is easier to study because it’s a kind of “Goldilocks” particle. It doesn’t interact too strongly nor too weakly with other particles.
Quarks, for example, interact so strongly with other particles they are difficult to isolate for study. But if a particle interacts too weakly with others this is also a problem, because the technology used to measure a particle’s properties actually depends on particle interactions.
Because of this, dark matters and neutrinos are difficult to study. Scientists need to build very large detectors in order to have a chance of capturing just a handful of particles. This makes the muon’s unique advantages important for probing the unknown.
“We’re interested in the muon because it presents an opportunity for something that we can measure extremely precisely in the lab and we can also calculate extremely precisely from our most fundamental theory of nature,” Blum says.
This white paper presents the theoretical side of this group’s work, which uses cutting-edge calculations to determine the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.
A particle’s magnetic moment is usually described by the g-factor (g), which is theoretically predicted to equal two. But, particles are constantly interacting with other particles, changing this value – this is the anomalous magnetic moment, or g minus two (g-2).
This quantity is critical for evaluating the Standard Model, a description of the fundamental forces and particle types that make up the entire known universe.
The value of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is a part of the Standard Model but it has some uncertainty associated with its calculation. Hence, doing a better calculation will strengthen the Standard Model overall.
The theoretical calculations published in this white paper will then be compared to the value from an experiment conducted at Fermilab outside of Chicago.
The agreement or disagreement between these two results could alter our understanding of particle physics as we know it.
“If they don’t agree, we know that the Standard Model is not quite right and we have to improve it, we have to change it to include this new effect,” Blum says. “Even if we don’t find a discrepancy, it’s important to test our most fundamental theories as precisely as we can and know when or if they break down.”
This latest development builds upon decades of scientific advancement, including the work of Blum and Jin.
Blum was the first to calculate the contribution of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) – one of the three essential forces in the Standard Model – to the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment using a numerical technique called lattice QCD.
Since that first calculation Blum,Jin, and their collaborators have calculated the contribution of the hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, producing one of the most precise values at that point using lattice QCD.
“Groups all over the world are doing these calculations and improving the precision and the accuracy of those calculations to the point where, now we believe those are the most robust parts of the HVP calculation and now we can make an accurate comparison of the Standard Model to the experiment,” Blum says.
Jin contributed significantly to improving the precision of another hadronic contribution (i.e., arising from QCD) known as light-by-light scattering.
“We made some methodological developments which greatly improved the efficiency and reduced systematic errors,” Jin says.
This work is a testament to both advances in computing, as these calculations rely on state-of-the-art supercomputers housed in national laboratories, alongside theoretical advancements.
“We need both,” Blum says. “We need the improved algorithms and methods, and we need the most powerful computers we can get our hands on.”
Professor of anthropology Dimitris Xygalatas is a scientist and self-declared rational thinker. But he’s also a lifelong soccer fan, and he fully admits that when his Greek home team finally won their league in 2019, he cried tears of joy.
“Not what you might call a rational organism’s behavior,” he jokes.
But his reaction is in keeping with his latest study, published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), which shows that the intense feelings of joy, unity, and excitement fans experience surrounding sports can be less about the game and more about the ritual of coming together.
“Rituals are the kinds of things that, at first glance, don’t make any sense in terms of human behavior, but are deeply meaningful to people,” says Xygalatas.
With the cooperation of a die-hard Brazilian soccer (actually, it’s “football,” Xygalatas grudgingly reminds us Americans) fan club, Xygalatas and his team tracked the physiological arousal of fans before, during, and after a state championship final in Minas Gerais between local rival teams.
Using wearable heart monitors, they measured the emotional reactions of fans during the ritual of Rua de Fogo (Street of Fire), where crowds gather near the stadium to welcome the team’s bus. As it arrives, fans light flares, smoke bombs, and fireworks, wave flags, and chant to boost team morale and unify supporters.
The scientists outfitted participants with EKG monitors hidden beneath their clothing. The devices measured heart rate fluctuations, which is a proxy for emotional arousal, as fans participated in the pre-game celebration, entered the stadium, and watched the match unfold.
What they found was striking: The levels of shared excitement, or what the scientists call “collective effervescence,” peaked not during the game, but during the pre-game fan rituals.
Only when the home team scored a goal did those physiological markers exceed the emotional high of the pre-match gathering.
“What we see is that, in fact, the pre-game ritual generates more emotional synchrony than the game itself,” Xygalatas says. “There’s a single moment in the entire game when they have more collective emotional synchrony than the pre-game ritual, and that’s when they scored a goal.”
The findings underscore Xygalatas’ broader work to understand how ritual shapes human behavior and identity.
Xygalatas’ past research has taken him to remote firewalking ceremonies and intense religious festivals. But soccer, he says, offers a unique laboratory: It’s a global obsession that’s rich in ritual and pageantry, but largely free from political or religious ideology.
“People attribute a lot of meaning to sports,” Xygalatas says. “Sports generate billions and billions of dollars globally, and they take up so much of people’s attention. And the reason they do that is not just because of what’s happening on the pitch. It’s because of these ritualized interactions that occur among the fans.”
The implications, the paper argues, extend beyond sports. Ritualized group behaviors like concerts, religious ceremonies, or political rallies, may powerfully shape people’s emotions and even their beliefs.
“By going to these events, we’re actually shaping our beliefs,” he says. “So, sports is not just an excuse for people to get together. It’s a driver of identity.”
Xygalatas speaks from experience. As a young man growing up in Thessaloniki, Greece, he was a member of a soccer fan club. One day, while wearing his team’s scarf in the wrong neighborhood, he was ambushed by four men and brutally attacked, an incident that echoes the fatal beating of a 19-year-old in his hometown years later, also over team allegiance.
“I felt a blow to my head from behind, and next thing I knew, there were four men beating me, kicking me on the head, everywhere,” remembers Xygalatas. “The reason I was able to escape is that another group of men was turning the corner, wearing my insignia, so they chased them away.”
Football, he says, is the only sport that regularly leads to deadly violence, a fact that leagues and governing bodies like FIFA should take seriously.
[embedded content]
He says it’s in soccer clubs’ best interest to strike a balance between building loyalty, which Europeans and South Americans are excellent at doing, and making it safe for people to participate in.
Still, Xygalatas is clear that he’s not advocating for less passion. He hopes his work helps people understand why they care so deeply in the first place.
“If we look at what makes us human, we realize that it’s our ability and our need to derive meaning from things that seem meaningless,” he says.
Xygalatas’ co-authors on this paper are Mohammadamin Saraei, graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences; Vitor Leandro da Silva Profeta, professor in the Departamento de Educação Física at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; and Gabriela Baranowski-Pinto, professor in the Department of Human Movement Sciences at the Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais.
In almost the same way the rope aboard the Pequod “folds the whole boat in its complicated coils,” so too have the details of the 14th International Melville Society Conference around UConn’s Mary K. Bercaw Edwards.
Who knew planning a weeklong event at UConn Avery Point for 150 Herman Melville scholars from lands as far away as those along the route in the hunt for Moby Dick would imitate passages from the English professor’s favorite chapter in the novel by the same name?
The whaling line, Melville writes of the rope, is both “magical, sometimes horrible.”
But once the scholars arrive and the opening plenary address begins on Monday, June 16, Bercaw Edwards says she’ll settle in and enjoy what the week has to offer as the UConn campus and southeastern Connecticut show off their maritime heritage.
“It’s going to be an amazing conference. The talks look outstanding, and everyone is so excited to be in this location,” Bercaw Edwards says.
Titled “Oceanic Melville,” the conference follows a 2022 gathering in Paris and other global destinations through the years including Poland in 2007, Israel in 2009, Italy in 2011, and Japan in 2015. The first was held in Greece in 1997, with gatherings planned generally biennially.
The latest exhibition, “Oceanic Melville,” at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art features artwork inspired by Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick,” including artist Robert Del Tredici’s mixed media print, “Torn Body, Gnashed Soul.” The exhibition at UConn Avery Point is open through June 19. (Kimberly Phillips/UConn Today)
Bercaw Edwards says The Melville Society, an international organization dedicated to the study of the author, asked her to arrange a conference at Avery Point in part because of its proximity to Mystic Seaport Museum just 15 minutes down the road where the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world, is on display.
The Morgan was launched in 1841 from New Bedford, Massachusetts, built seven months after and 7 miles away from the Acushnet, the whale ship on which Melville served as a crewmember in the Pacific Ocean before writing “Moby-Dick,” making the Morgan as identical as possible to the Acushnet.
While several days of panel discussions and other academic talks (some are open to the public) on topics ranging from Melville in popular culture to Melville and his animals are the centerpiece of the conference, Bercaw Edwards says a daylong trip to the Museum, where she works in the summer, and the chance to get up close with the Morgan is a highlight.
“They’ll see us raise sails, lower and raise the whale boat. They’ll get to pull on the halyards, which will give them a visceral feeling of what it’s like to set sail,” she says of conference attendees. “We’re also going to give them an opportunity to actually row in whale boats.”
Participants’ day at the Museum also will include the daily activities available to the public, including a concert by staff musicians playing and singing the songs mentioned in “Moby-Dick” and a 35-minute play with three actors using Melville’s words to tell the story of Ahab and the whale.
“Monstrous: Whaling and its Colossal Impact,” the Museum’s newest exhibition that opened in late May and runs through Feb. 16, 2026, by happenstance coincides with the conference.
The exhibition has been built around Mexican American artist Jos Sances’ scratchboard mural, “Or, The Whale,” a 51-foot-long artwork the same size as a juvenile sperm whale. Bercaw Edwards says Sances created the piece after reading and finding inspiration in “Moby-Dick.”
“Sances is a screen printer and a scratchboard artist who’s from Mexico and lives in California – and then he read ‘Moby-Dick’ and was driven to make this mural,” she says. “With his background, there was nothing that would have drawn him naturally to reading a book by a white New England author, but he did just like so many others do.”
‘Deep and Important Questions’
From the perspective of Pequod crewmember Ishmael, “Moby-Dick” tells the story of Captain Ahab’s trek across the globe for vengeance against the albino sperm whale Moby Dick, which took off his leg during a previous encounter.
Some chapters are incredibly dense with precise details about whaling and sailing, while others are so action-packed the story moves quickly. It’s considered among the greatest American novels and for many English majors might be considered their very own white whale.
“Quenchless Feud (Ahab)” from artist Jos Sances is on display as part of “Oceanic Melville” at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point. (Kimberly Phillips/UConn Today)
Bercaw Edwards says she’s oftentimes amazed that today’s audiences are so interested in something written in 1851 – that’s nearly 175 years ago – especially given that it’s authored by a dead, white male and features the killing of whales.
“It seems as politically incorrect as it can possibly be, and yet it feels as if it’s still on the ascendancy,” she says. “It’s a long, dense, tough book, and yet it’s immensely popular. There are graphic novels, movies, plays, concerts, memes, and T-shirts about it.”
She says she once witnessed a colleague who writes about Melville in popular culture mention the word “tattoo” during a talk, and afterward a throng of people gathered around to show him the Melville-inspired artwork on their biceps, forearms, and calves.
“It’s just amazing to me that Melville is so popular. I think it’s because he asks all kinds of deep and important questions: Is there truth? Is there justice? Is there anything beyond our human existence? How do we go about life? And he doesn’t give us any answers. Every time you think ‘OK, that’s the answer,’ he undercuts it. He wants you to realize there are no answers, but he’s asking these great questions. I think that’s part of why it’s still eternal,” she says.
Never mind the beauty of Melville’s writing.
“At the end of Chapter 1, Melville writes, ‘It is but well to be on friendly terms with all the inmates of the place one lodges in.’ I’ve always loved that. We should all get along,” Bercaw Edwards says. “I also love, ‘Ignorance is the parent of fear.’ People are afraid of things they don’t know. It’s so true.”
Pequod third mate Flask fears butter – yes, a stick of butter – Bercaw Edwards continues, noting the humor in the book. He feels as if he’s not entitled to the spread: “So when they’re all eating with Ahab – Starbuck, Stubb, and Flask – they’re always really quiet because they’re kind of nervous around Ahab, and Flask, of course, never dares to take butter. Then Melville writes, ‘For Flask is a butterless man.’”
Reading ‘Moby-Dick’
Every time “Moby-Dick” appears on a syllabus in one of Bercaw Edwards’ classes, she says she gives it a fresh read, no specific routine around it, no tableside requisite cup of black tea to share with Ahab.
She’s delighted in its humor during her at least 35 times rereading it through the years – so many instances that she finds herself quoting it as she goes along. And when she gets to her favorite chapter – number 60, “The Line” – she knows she’ll get the best Melville has to offer.
“He’s describing the whale line, which is attached to the harpoon and thrown into the whale. He has really basic information about the line, about rope, and then it’s infused with all kinds of humor,” she says, quoting his description of hemp: “Hemp is a dusky, dark fellow, a sort of Indian; but Manilla is as a golden-haired Circassian to behold.”
Melville then builds to what Bercaw Edwards calls a “metaphysical lift,” explaining that the whale-line surrounds the boat, crisscrossing it and traveling by each of the crewmembers. He then notes that we’re all surrounded by ropes, and no one knows when it will take you to eternity.
“It’s set up like a sermon,” she says of the chapter. “Sermons pick apart a line from biblical text. This does the same thing. It just does it with real line rather than a line of text.”
Then again, Bercaw Edwards can relate to Melville and journeys around the world better than most.
As her friends shifted into high school upperclassman status at 16 years old, she and her family went to sea, she says. The family of five – Mom and Dad, sister and brother, and her – sailed around the globe on a journey that took 3½ years.
“When I went to college, I knew I wanted to be an English major, but I was thinking I would study Henry James,” she says of the American British author. “Then my professor suggested that with my sailing background I should be a Melville scholar – and now I can’t imagine anything else. All my scholarship has been on Melville, with a little on Joseph Conrad and Jack London, but always centered on Melville.”
She acknowledges, though, that for some, reading “Moby-Dick” might be daunting, to which she offers four words of advice: Visit Mystic Seaport Museum.
Seeing the whale boat demonstrations and getting onboard the Morgan to imagine sleeping in its belly every night for between two and five years oftentimes help people get through those challenging whaling chapters.
She further recommends listening to the story as an audio book.
“When people hear it read aloud, they’ll often see how funny it is. I mean, it’s full of humor, and that’s often lost when people get stuck on the fact that this is The. Great. American. Novel,” she says.
From July 31 to Aug. 1, Mystic Seaport Museum will host its 40th annual “Moby-Dick” Marathon reading of the book to coincide with Melville’s Aug. 1 birthday. Readers gather onboard the Morgan and take about 24 consecutive hours to get through the 135 chapters.
“One of the things I always notice is people listening and then they start to laugh and feel embarrassed, like they’re not supposed to. This is The Great American Novel, but of course we’re supposed to laugh,” she adds.
Public Events and AVS Exhibition
With grant funding from Connecticut Humanities and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, several events during The Melville Society conference will be open to the public, Bercaw Edwards says.
The opening plenary talk at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, June 16, “Other Seas: Sailing Without Ahab,” will come from St. John’s University English professor Steve Mentz, who’s figured prominently in the field of blue humanities. He will discuss how humans engage with water, along with the history and theory of water-centric thinking.
“The Pod” from artist George Klauba is on display as part of “Oceanic Melville” at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at UConn Avery Point. (Kimberly Phillips/UConn Today)
Then, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, “Does the Whale Diminish? – Will He Perish? Cross-Disciplinary Currents in Conversation” will offer a panel discussion with Anne Cohen from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, conservation biologist and author Joe Roman, and Portuguese marine researcher Rui Prieto.
The closing plenary address at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, also is open to the public. It features Lenora Warren from Cornell University, one of the leading scholars about Melville and race. Her talk, “Melville’s Ghosts,” dovetails with the day also being Juneteenth.
At the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at Avery Point, the exhibition “Oceanic Melville” comes together thanks to curator and gallery director Jeanne Ciravolo, along with Bercaw Edwards and Robert K. Wallace from Northern Kentucky University.
Ciravolo says she mentioned during a campus faculty meeting more than a year ago that she enjoys making the gallery’s exhibitions interdisciplinary experiences and afterward Bercaw Edwards asked if she was interested in working together on a show to dovetail with the conference.
“I absolutely was,” Ciravolo says. “I’m a reader. I once thought I’d be an English teacher, but I became an artist, so to have the opportunity to marry literature plus art is very unusual for me and special.”
About two dozen framed artworks on loan from The Melville Society, which houses its collection at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, are part of the show, along with several artists’ books, Ciravolo says, noting that most of the pieces relate to “Moby-Dick.”
This includes three full-color pieces from artist George Klauba, prints from sculptor and graphic artist Leonard Baskin, and an abstract piece, “Skin’s Path/Moby Dick,” from artist Aileen Callahan, a charcoal on paper that depicts the damaged skin of a whale that’s been beaten with time.
“The idea is to always get a mix of things, a variety of style and media, into the gallery,” Ciravolo says, explaining she and Bercaw Edwards visited the New Bedford Museum to pour through The Melville Society’s full collection, as well as the Museum’s Elizabeth Schultz Collection, and select the most powerful artworks from watercolor to printmaking.
“The scholars who are coming are going to appreciate seeing these artworks,” Ciravolo says. “I love that it will be a generative experience for them and that the public will have the chance to see this very interesting show. We’re here on Long Island Sound, near the whaling center of New England, so it’s a perfect place for this.”
The AVS Gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. in the Branford House at UConn Avery Point. It will have extended hours from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 16, and Tuesday, June 17, during the Melville conference for both participants and the public. The “Oceanic Melville” exhibition is open now through Thursday, June 19.
We are announcing the launch of a new website created to support UConn’s international students, scholars, and employees. It will serve as a central hub for key information, guidance, and resources to help navigate and understand federal immigration updates, as well as related university policies.
The site was created in response to the evolving landscape of immigration policy, and reflects our commitment to keeping you informed and supported.
We encourage you to explore the site and share it with colleagues or students who may find it helpful. The site, Support for UConn’s International Community, will be updated regularly with new information and resources as they become available.
If you have suggestions or additional needs, please reach out to any of the following offices:
In recent weeks, there have been several significant immigration developments affecting institutions of higher education. These include a reported pause in expanding visa appointment availability for international students; new executive branch vetting procedures that may apply to international employees, including potential Requests for Evidence (RFEs) for biometric data such as photographs, fingerprints, and signatures; a public statement regarding possible visa revocations for certain Chinese students; and most recently, a presidential proclamation limiting travel and entry from 19 countries.
We want to reassure our community that we are actively monitoring these developments and are working diligently to provide timely communication and support to those who may be affected.
International Student and Scholar Services, Human Resources, the Dean of Students office, and UConn Health’s International Office will host an informational webinar to review the recent executive actions in greater detail. We invite you to join us on Tuesday, June 10, from noon to 1 p.m. You can access the webinar here.
UConn is committed to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for all our faculty, staff, students, and visiting scholars. We hope this resource will help you stay informed as we continue to navigate these evolving challenges together.
Yaoundé, May 8, 2025 – Cameroon has taken a major step toward ocean protection by signing, on May 2, 2025, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). This agreement aims to establish a global, legally binding framework for the preservation of biodiversity in the high seas.
The news comes just weeks before the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), strengthening Cameroon’s position on the international stage in ocean governance. “The Cameroonian government’s signature is a glimmer of hope for the future of our oceans,” says Dr. Aliou Ba, Oceans Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Africa. “We now hope for swift ratification so that this commitment can become reality.”
The signed agreement is part of a global movement to close the legal gap surrounding international marine areas. It establishes binding rules to protect species, regulate human activities on the high seas and enhance scientific cooperation.
However, vigilance remains crucial at the national level. A recent Mongabay investigation, published in April 2025, revealed serious threats to the Manyange na Elombo Campo Marine Park —the first marine protected area in Cameroon. This site, located near Kribi, is currently under threat from a controversial iron mining project.
“This example highlights the contradictions between political commitments and on-the-ground realities,” notes Dr. Ba. “The treaty’s signature alone is not enough. It must be followed by strong measures to protect coastal areas and marine resources.”
With 500 kilometers of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Cameroon is home to remarkable marine biodiversity: over 500 fish species, marine mammals, and plankton-rich ecosystems. These vital resources are now under threat from industrial exploitation, pollution and the effects of climate change.
Greenpeace Africa is urging Cameroonian authorities to turn this signature into concrete action: strengthening conservation mechanisms, monitoring marine activities and honoring international commitments.
“We applaud Cameroon’s example and call on other African nations to follow suit. This treaty is a historic opportunity for Africa to play a leading role in ocean protection—for the benefit of communities, biodiversity, and future generations.” concludes Dr. Ba.
Media Contact:
Luchelle Feukeng, Communication and Storytelling Manager, [email protected], +237 656 46 35 45
City of Wolverhampton Council will carry out the works at the site’s West Chapel and East Chapel at separate times, with the aim of causing minimum disruption at the site.
Cremations and services will continue at Bushbury Crematorium throughout the refurbishments. Work will not affect burials taking place within Bushbury Cemetery.
Each chapel will be closed for a 4 week period beginning with the West Chapel, which will close from Monday 30 June until Friday 25 July. This will be followed by the East Chapel, which will close from Monday 28 July until Friday 22 August.
West Chapel will have new carpets, new curtains around the catafalque, refreshed paintwork, improvements to the windows to prevent sun glare and renovations to the floor at the entrance to the chapel.
East Chapel will have new carpets, a full repaint, new lights in the entrance hall and a new oak door to match the existing chapel doors. The refurbishment works also include cleaning out and repair or replacement of guttering at both chapels.
The works follow the update to the Remembrance Room, located near the flower terrace on the East Chapel. The flower terrace will remain open for those who regularly place flowers overlooking the Garden of Remembrance.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “These are important refurbishment works that will improve both chapels at Bushbury Crematorium.
“The works have been planned to try and avoid as much disruption as we can for families as we are very aware that attending a service or visiting a loved one can be a difficult and sensitive time.
“Cremations, services and burials will continue as usual and we hope that by alternating the work on the chapels, people will still feel welcome and comfortable at the crematorium. In addition, our bereavement services team will be available to answer any questions or concerns.
“We thank people for their understanding during this time and we can reassure families that this refurbishment work will improve the chapels for services and periods of reflection.”
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
The webinar “The Impact of Mobile Devices on Human Well-Being” was conducted by neurologist, manual therapist of the Medical Scientific and Educational Center of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of the Novosibirsk State University Alexey Tamchuk. He spoke about the consequences of improper use of smartphones and the mechanisms of influence of mobile gadgets on human health, and also explained how you can independently minimize their harmful effects on the body, and in which cases you cannot do without the help of specialists.
— Mobile phone use is a mass phenomenon. By 2024, there were about 4.88 billion mobile phone users in the world, which is 60.42% of all the planet’s inhabitants, including infants and the elderly. Accordingly, all the effects of mobile devices are of a mass nature. A person with a smartphone in his hands, scrolling through the news feed in every free minute, is a common phenomenon. But spending a long time in this position is, at the very least, unphysiological. Researchers do not consider the mobile phone itself as a direct cause of diseases, but it may well be a risk factor, adding its contribution to the “piggy bank” of negative effects on the body, which in total lead to various unpleasant consequences, — explained Alexey Tamchuk.
The first to suffer are vision, the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system and the psyche. The strain on the eyes is the most obvious. With excessive use of the phone, especially if you bring it too close to the eyes or too far from them, there is a strain on the visual apparatus, which causes a spasm of the ciliary muscles, which change the curvature of the lens. As a result, accommodation and convergence are disrupted. To be more precise, accommodation is the ability of the eye to focus on objects located at different distances, which ensures clear vision. This process allows light to refract correctly and form an image on the retina. And convergence is the reduction of the pupils to the bridge of the nose when examining an object close up or while reading. This function, like accommodation, is part of binocular vision. In both cases, when we finally look away from the smartphone, looking into the distance, we see a blurry picture.
It has been noted that when using a mobile phone, a person blinks twice less often than in everyday life. For this reason, the cornea of the eye dries out and there is a feeling as if there is sand in the eyes. This leads to reddening of the sclera and painful sensations.
The listed vision changes are reversible, they can disappear if you give your eyes a rest or choose glasses. If this rest is insufficient, such “fatigue” can precede the development of more serious conditions. For example, myopia (nearsightedness, when a person sees poorly in the distance, but sees well up close) or macular degeneration (a group of diseases in which the retina is affected and central vision is impaired). The latter can occur due to the accumulation of lipofuscin when blue light affects the retina, which leads to dystrophy of the middle part of the retina and accelerated aging of the visual organ as a whole. In this case, the perception of light and color is impaired, and visual acuity is significantly reduced. Rest and wearing glasses will not help here.
– The blue spectrum of light from the screen of the smartphone can be harmful not only because it leads to eye fatigue. Potential damage to the retina is also associated with it. The main source of blue light is the sun for us, but in nature we never look at the light source, and therefore we do not perceive it to the central department of the retina. At the same time, it is very important, since it regulates circus rhythms, that is, 24-hour cycles that control various biological processes in the body, including sleep, wakefulness, production of hormones, metabolism and other functions. When the blue light falls on the retina, the body is produced in the body, among which is serotonin. This happens in all animals, which, like a person, have a daily type of activity. At night, in the absence of daytime (and, therefore blue) light, a melatonin is produced, which is unofficially called the “hormone of sleep” due to its ability to immerse the body into an altered state of consciousness, providing a full rest. When you spend the clock in the dark or at night in the dark, peering into the smartphone monitor, the consumption of blue light becomes excessive and melatonin is not produced. As a result, sleep architecture is violated – the phases of sleep become shorter, more night awakenings are happening, which the person himself does not remember the next morning, although it later turns out that he not only woke up, but responded to reports on social networks. Such a dream is unproductive, since a number of important physiological processes do not occur. There is no restoration of the nervous and endocrine systems, a body weight set, hypertension develops, intraocular pressure does not decrease, which can be very harmful to people predisposed to hypertension, ”explained Alexei Tamchuk.
Smartphone addiction can lead not only to vision impairment. With prolonged forced position of the hands, the function of the median and ulnar nerves can be impaired. Numbness and pain in the fingers and then the wrists appear. Subsequently, motor symptoms, including weakness, can join the sensory symptoms. Long stay in the same non-physiological position leads to tension of the muscles of the cervical-collar region, which causes discomfort, can be combined with headaches, gradually this condition can be joined by symptoms of narrowing of the intervertebral canal – pain in the neck, lower back, arms and legs, numbness of the shins and feet, weakness and fatigue in the legs, burning, tingling and pressure in the legs, impaired sensitivity in the limbs, problems with balance. Excessive use of the smartphone also causes an increase in the level of situational anxiety, apathy and irritability. Quite often, a condition called phubbing occurs – when a person is distracted by their gadget during a live conversation, paying primary attention to it, while trying to maintain a conversation. At the same time, the person constantly checks the phone, texts, scrolls through social networks or views content, ignoring the presence and words of the interlocutor. In parallel with this, there is a decrease in academic performance, emotional-volitional disorders and a deterioration in general well-being.
Alexey Tamchuk told how to build the right relationship with a smartphone using a cognitive-behavioral approach. It is necessary to set a screen time counter. Time flies when you are browsing news feeds and communicating on social networks, so it is best to control it. It would also be useful to set up a “reading”, “book reading” or “eye protection mode” mode on your smartphone, where there is less blue light spectrum and warmer shades. The gadget should be held at a distance of 30-40 cm from the eyes, using comfortable stands if necessary.
— It is essential to split up your phone’s screen time — take 20-20-20 breaks: after every 20 minutes of focusing your gaze on the smartphone screen, look away for 20 seconds, at a distant object, and look into the distance. It is also recommended to blink more often while spending time with a smartphone, but it is quite difficult to develop such a habit by consciously ordering yourself to blink, — advised the webinar host.
To prevent insomnia, Alexey Tamchuk advised not to use a smartphone 2 hours before bedtime and generally put it away at night. You shouldn’t fall asleep with a gadget by your pillow, so as not to be tempted, while falling asleep, to check messages for the very last time or scroll through the news feed a little. Can’t fall asleep? Read a book. And better yet – not a detective story, but a serious one. As a rule, healthy sleep comes quickly from smart books.
Unfortunately, smartphone addiction is not a myth, but a reality, so the user cannot always cope with this problem. In some cases, the help of specialists is required. For example, with persistent disorders in the emotional sphere, the patient may need the help of a psychotherapist or even a psychiatrist. And if sensitivity disorders, pain in the musculoskeletal system, headaches, dizziness, memory impairment, or other incomprehensible symptoms occur, you should visit a neurologist to clarify the causes. Regular systematic examinations by an ophthalmologist should also be carried out. Alexey Tamchuk noted that the Medical Scientific and Educational Center of NSU has everything to solve such problems.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) introduced the Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith Glioblastoma Parity Act, which amends the PACT Act to ensure Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange can access critical benefits for glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
The bill, named in honor of Specialist Fourth Class (SP4) Keith Smith, was inspired by a letter Congresswomen Hinson and Cherfilus-McCormick received from his widow, Linda Smith, an Iowa resident. SP4 Smith, a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange, died from glioblastoma—a condition not currently recognized under the PACT Act for Agent Orange exposure. As a result, he was denied critical benefits. Linda Smith now advocates to ensure no other veteran or family faces the same injustice.
“This was Keith’s wish─to help other Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange. Adding glioblastoma to the list of presumptive conditions as part of the PACT Act would help fulfill that wish.” – Linda Smith.
“Ensuring our veterans receive the benefits they have earned remains a top priority for me. I was proud to support the PACT Act to expand access to care for those exposed to toxic substances, but more work remains. Glioblastoma is not recognized as a presumptive condition under the PACT Act for Agent Orange exposure, despite mounting evidence. I had the honor of speaking with Linda Smith of Independence, Iowa—the widow of Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith, who tragically passed away from Glioblastoma. SP4 Smith served our country with pride and honor, but under the current PACT Act, he was still unable to receive the health care he deserved. I’m humbled to co-lead this bipartisan effort to update the law and ensure all veterans have access to the highest quality care. Naming this bill in SP4 Smith’s honor is a deserving tribute to his life and service, and an opportunity for Iowans and all Americans to help save lives while honoring one of our own.” –Congresswoman Ashley Hinson
“When our veterans serve, we make a promise to stand by them—not just in war, but long after they return home. Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith answered that call with courage in Vietnam, risking everything in service to our nation. This bipartisan bill is more than legislation—it’s a solemn commitment to honor his legacy, uplift his memory, and ensure that no veteran is forgotten. By recognizing his sacrifice, we reaffirm our duty to all those who have served and continue to serve, and we take a meaningful step toward keeping the promises we’ve made.” – Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick
“The Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH) is proud to endorse this critical piece of legislation. Glioblastoma claims far too many veteran lives annually. This bill is a huge step in rectifying past disparities and honoring the tremendous legacy of SP4 Smith.” – COL. Vincent Alcazar, USAF (ret.), Founder and Director of MACH
“The Invisible Enemy proudly supports the Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith Glioblastoma Parity Act introduced by Congresswomen Cherfilus-McCormick and Hinson. Glioblastoma has affected many servicemembers, whether due to Agent Orange on the battlefield or radiation at the Nevada Test and Training Range (HB 1400). We are deeply grateful to the Members of Congress who continue to support veterans by recognizing glioblastoma as a presumptive condition related to their service. These efforts bring hope and long-overdue recognition to those who have sacrificed in silence.” – David Tilem, Executive Director of the Invisible Enemy
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Canberra will welcome more electric buses plus improved safety measures for bus drivers and commuters.
In brief:
The 2025–26 ACT Budget invests in the city’s public transport system.
Thirty new electric buses will be added to Canberra’s bus fleet, and more services added.
There will be new measures to improve the safety of bus drivers and commuters.
2025–26 ACT Budget funding will see more electric buses added to the city’s public transport network.
The ACT Government will also invest in measures to improve safety for bus drivers and commuters.
Strengthening Canberra’s public transport network
The Budget will fund the addition of 30 new battery electric buses.
These will join the city’s growing public transport network. This now includes Australia’s largest purpose-built zero-emissions bus depot in Woden.
The new buses are part of the ACT Government’s plan for a truly integrated transport system.
The plan sees light rail forming the spine of the city with electric buses connecting the suburbs.
More Sunday bus services
The Budget sets the foundation for bus service changes on Sundays.
Funding will support more frequent Sunday services, increasing public transport options for Canberrans.
This will begin during Term 3 this year.
This is part of the ACT Government’s broader plan to deliver more public transport services more often, including:
20-minute local services
future new Rapid services.
Making bus travel safer for all
The Budget includes funding for measures to improve safety on ACT buses. This will include:
a dedicated bus safety team with new frontline staff
expanded training for bus drivers
upgraded cabin protection screens across the Transport Canberra bus fleet.
This supports practical measures to improve safety. It also recognises and supports bus drivers’ important role in the community.
Extra transit enforcement and network officers will be deployed across the bus network.
This will increase the visibility of staff and help deter violence and anti-social behaviour.
Expanded specialist de-escalation training will help empower bus drivers.
The addition of upgraded protective screens in all buses will provide a better physical barrier for drivers. This will help protect them from abuse or assault.
Fare compliance activities will be similar to those in place on light rail.
This commitment will help ensure a better, safer public transport system, with more services, more often.
Read more like this:
Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:
The IAEA’s Annual Report and the Technical Cooperation Report for 2024 were presented to the Board, showcasing the Agency’s work in science, international cooperation and innovation.
The 2025 Rays of Hope Forum will be held in Ethiopia at the end of June and provides an opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved over the past three years, as well as to foster collaboration and further mobilize resources. Rays of Hope aims to expand access to affordable cancer care where it is needed most; supporting countries in providing life-saving radiotherapy and building the capacities of radiation medicine professionals. More than 90 countries have requested support under the initiative.
The IAEA will continue to work with partners on Atoms4Food, its joint initiative with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to fight world hunger, Mr Grossi said. Part of the initiative, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture supports the use of nuclear technologies to boost global food security and sustainable agricultural development.
Speaking about NUTEC Plastics, the IAEA initiative to combat plastic pollution, Mr Grossi said: “At this week’s UN Ocean Conference, we are showing what we are doing in very concrete terms to fight plastic pollution through new technology.”
The IAEA is harnessing the power of nuclear technologies involving radiation to improve recycling and create bio-based plastics, which offer a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastic products.
With support from the NUTEC Plastics initiative, 104 Member States now use nuclear technologies to monitor microplastics, while 52 are collaborating with the IAEA on upcycling efforts.
Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:
PRETORIA, South Africa, June 10, 2025/APO Group/ —
Energade, Hyundai and Uber Join BAL’s Existing Partner Roster that Features Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand, Wilson, Afreximbank, Castle Lite, Hennessy, RwandAir and ServiceNow.
Semifinals Tomorrow Will Feature Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) vs. APR (Rwanda) at 4:00 p.m. CAT and Al Ittihad (Egypt) vs. Petro de Luanda (Angola) at 7:00 p.m. CAT.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) (BAL.NBA.com) today announced the league’s roster of marketing and merchandising partners for the 2025 BAL Playoffs that are underway now at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, and will culminate with the 2025 BAL Finals on Saturday, June 14 at 4:00 p.m. CAT.
The new partners – Energade, Hyundai and Uber – are engaging fans in South Africa throughout the Playoffs and Finals and join the BAL’s existing partner roster that features Foundational Partners Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand and Wilson, as well as marketing partners Afreximbank, Castle Lite, Hennessy, RwandAir and ServiceNow.
The 2025 BAL Playoffs, which are being held in South Africa for the first time, have featured the top eight teams (https://apo-opa.co/4e0OKOy) from the three conference group phases that were held inRabat, Morocco; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda in April and May. The semifinals (https://apo-opa.co/3FwN7ePschedule) will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, June 11 when Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) takes on APR (Rwanda) at 4:00 p.m. CAT and Al Ittihad (Egypt) plays Petro de Luanda (Angola) at 7:00 p.m. CAT. Tickets are on sale now atBAL.NBA.comandTicketmaster.co.za.
Below are highlights of the partner activations throughout the BAL Playoffs and Finals:
Energade
Hyundai
As an Associate Partner of the BAL Playoffs and Finals, Hyundai is featured prominently with vehicle displays in the BAL Fan Zone and at the arena entrance. Fans engaging with the brand have the opportunity to win Hyundai and BAL merchandise and prizes.
Uber
Through theBAL’scollaborationwith Uber Eats, fans can conveniently order food from in-arena vendors right from their seats, with pickup availableata dedicated area onthe concourse.
Afreximbank
As an Official Partner of the BAL, Afreximbank is supporting the off-court development of BAL players through BAL Advance, providing targeted training in areas such as nutrition, mental health, and financial literacy.
Castle Lite
Castle Lite, the Official Beer Partner of the BAL,is engagingfans through a range of on-court and in-arena experiences.
Hennessy
Hennessy, the Official Spirit of the BAL,isengagingfans with a premium courtside experience at The Hennessy Lounge.The Hennessy Loungeisalsohostingthe brand’s guests, including celebrities and influencers.
NIKE
Three-time WNBA MVPA’jaWilsonis giftinggift pairs of her newly launchedNIKEA’Onesneakers to the girlsparticipatingin the BAL4Her U–23campthat is being held in conjunction with the Playoffs and Finals, markingthe first time her shoes arebeingdistributedin Africa.The campis takingplace from June 9–14,with former WNBAplayerEdnieshaCurryreturning as camp directorfor the second consecutive year.
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 10 (Xinhua) — Two squadrons of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy), led by the aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong, conducted training in the western Pacific Ocean and other waters recently, PLA Navy spokesman Wang Xuemeng said on Tuesday.
According to his report, the training was aimed at testing the defensive capabilities of warships in the distant sea zone and their ability to conduct joint combat operations.
This is another training that was organized within the framework of the annual plan and in accordance with international law and practice. The maneuvers are not aimed at any specific country or target, Wang Xuemeng emphasized. -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
LOS ANGELES, June 9 (Xinhua) — About 700 US Marines have been mobilized in connection with protests in Los Angeles, the country’s second-largest city, CNN reported on Monday, citing three sources familiar with the situation.
Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, will join thousands of National Guard troops who were activated by U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend without the consent of the California governor or the mayor of Los Angeles, the statement said.
CNN noted that the deployment of a full battalion of Marines marks a significant expansion in the scale of Trump’s use of the military to demonstrate force against protesters.
Like National Guard troops, the Marines are prohibited from engaging in law enforcement activities, such as making arrests, unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to use the armed forces to stop an insurrection or rebellion against federal government, the statement said.
The city of Twentynine Palms is located approximately 220 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles.
The Marines deployed to Los Angeles will be tasked with protecting federal property and personnel, NBC News quoted two U.S. Defense Department officials as saying, while ABC News reported they are expected to arrive within the next 24 hours.
On Saturday, Trump took emergency action by calling in 2,000 National Guard troops to quell immigration protests in the Los Angeles area, invoking rarely used federal powers and bypassing the authority of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
About 300 National Guard troops arrived early Sunday in downtown Los Angeles. More than 1,000 protesters clashed with National Guard troops in the city Sunday during demonstrations against immigration enforcement raids that took place across California over the weekend. –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 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday congratulated Javier Efrain Bu Soto on his assumption of office as Honduran Foreign Minister.
In his message, he noted that in March 2023, the heads of the two states made a far-sighted strategic decision, opening a new chapter in the history of relations between China and Honduras.
In the more than two years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have witnessed rapid development of bilateral relations and achieved fruitful results in bilateral cooperation, which has brought tangible benefits to both peoples, the minister said.
Facts have proven that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Honduras is a significant modern achievement with long-term benefits, Wang added.
He said Beijing highly values Tegucigalpa’s commitment to the one-China principle and will continue to support Honduras as much as possible in developing its economy and improving the well-being of its people.
Wang Yi expressed his willingness to establish a strong working relationship with J.E. Bu Soto, jointly implement the important agreements reached by the two heads of state, and continuously improve the level of relations between China and Honduras. –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
VIENNA, June 10 (Xinhua) — At least nine people were killed in a shooting at a school in Austria’s second-largest city of Graz, local media reported on Tuesday.
Several students and teachers were seriously injured, local media reported, citing police. The suspect apparently committed suicide, the reports added.
According to Austria’s largest newspaper, Kronen Zeitung, the incident took place at a school in the Lend district at around 10:00 /08:00 GMT/ on Tuesday.
Local police have been mobilized and a helicopter has been dispatched. The school has been evacuated and there is no further danger, local police said on social media X. –0–
India is poised to make history as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force prepares to become the first Indian astronaut in over four decades to travel to space. Selected under the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Human Spaceflight Programme, Shukla will serve as Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on June 11, 2025. This mission, reviving the legacy of Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 spaceflight, underscores India’s bold ambition to lead in global space exploration.
Managed by Axiom Space and led by Commander Peggy Whitson of the USA, Ax-4 is a landmark collaboration involving India, Poland, and Hungary, each sending government-sponsored astronauts to the ISS for the first time. Shukla’s role highlights India’s growing prominence in the global space community, focusing on operational readiness, microgravity adaptation, and advanced scientific experiments in space biology and life support systems. His work will include pioneering studies on edible microalgae to explore their growth under microgravity and space radiation, alongside research on cyanobacteria like Spirulina and Synechococcus for self-sustaining life support systems. An ISRO-led project, Voyager Tardigrades, will investigate the resilience of tardigrades in space, aiming to uncover molecular mechanisms for surviving extreme environments. Additional experiments on crop seeds, myogenesis, STEM demonstrations, and sprouts will further bolster India’s space science expertise. These efforts, developed in partnership with ISRO, NASA, and the Department of Biotechnology, are vital for long-duration missions and align with India’s Gaganyaan Programme, targeting a crewed mission to Low Earth Orbit by 2027.
The Gaganyaan Programme, backed by a ₹20,193 crore budget, is India’s flagship initiative for indigenous human spaceflight. It aims to develop and validate technologies for safe crewed missions, with a vision to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and achieve a crewed lunar landing by 2040. Four Indian Air Force test pilots—Group Captains PB Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shukla—have completed rigorous training. As of May 2025, the programme is in its final phase, with the Human-rated LVM3 vehicle, Crew Escape System, and Crew Module undergoing final testing for a planned 2027 launch. Gaganyaan is expected to drive technological innovation, industrial growth, and high-tech job creation, while inspiring future generations in STEM fields.
India’s space programme has already achieved remarkable milestones. Between January 2015 and December 2024, ISRO launched 393 foreign satellites and three Indian customer satellites, serving 34 countries, including the USA, UK, and Singapore. In 2017, ISRO set a world record by launching 104 satellites in a single mission. The Chandrayaan-3 mission made India the first nation to land on the Moon’s southern pole, with the Pragyan rover confirming sulphur presence. The Aditya L-1 solar mission, launched in 2017, captured unprecedented solar flare data in February 2025. Upcoming initiatives like the SpaDeX mission in December 2024 will demonstrate indigenous docking technology, while ISRO’s Orbital Re-entry Vehicle will enable autonomous re-entry and landing capabilities.
International collaborations are central to India’s space strategy. Partnerships with NASA on the NISAR mission, ESA on astronaut training and microgravity research, CNES on the TRISHNA satellite, and JAXA on lunar exploration studies highlight India’s global role. The India Space Policy 2023 and liberalized FDI norms, allowing up to 100% investment in certain space activities, have fueled private sector growth, with over 328 space startups emerging in recent years. Central Public Sector Enterprises like Antrix Corporation Limited and NewSpace India Limited, alongside IN-SPACe, are driving innovation and commercialization. The space budget has nearly tripled over the past decade, from ₹5,615 crore in 2013-14 to ₹13,416 crore in 2025-26, reflecting strong government commitment.
India’s Space Vision 2047 outlines ambitious goals, including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, lunar landings, and missions to Venus.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Housing Authority recognises outstanding estate management services contractors and frontline staff The HA introduced a new award this year to recognise the significant contributions of outstanding frontline staff on combating tenancy abuse, in appreciation of their efforts in safeguarding this valuable housing resource.
Officiating at the presentation ceremony, the Deputy Director of Housing (Estate Management), Mr Ricky Yeung, said, “Public housing resources are precious and should be allocated appropriately and rationally to those in genuine need of housing. The HA has been committed to combating tenancy abuse in public housing. We are encouraging services contractors to collaborate with us in safeguarding these housing resources.
“We have implemented a reward mechanism in the service contractor evaluation system, whereby services contractors who perform well in combating tenancy abuse will receive additional points, enhancing their bidding and contracting opportunities. Indeed, the effectiveness of the assistance provided by frontline staff of services contractors to our colleagues in detecting cases has been significant, helping our work in combating tenancy abuse achieve the desired results.”
The EMSC Awards in 2024 went to 17 services contractors providing property management, cleaning, security and car park operating services. Eight property services managers and 56 frontline staff members were also commended. The full list of awardees is in the Annex. Currently, the management of more than half of the HA’s public rental housing estates is outsourced to property services contractors, and many major maintenance tasks in the HA estates are being supervised by them. By leveraging the private sector’s resources and experience in managing private properties, the HA seeks to continuously raise the quality of its estate management services and provide a pleasant living environment for its tenants. Issued at HKT 19:56
President Donald Trump has praised the Gilded Age, which he believes was a time of immense national prosperity thanks to tariffs, no income tax, and few regulations on business.
Similar to today, the late 19th century was a time where a small group of men enjoyed immense wealth, privilege and power to shape the nation. It was a time of immense inequality, as factory and housing conditions crushed the lives of the poor.
And it was a time of white Christian nationalism.
In Northern cities, reformers saw the wealth gap, the plight of workers and the squalid conditions in tenements as undermining their vision of a Christian America. Fueled by faith, the Social Gospel movement worked to expand labor rights and improve living conditions at the turn of the 20th century.
At the same time, many of these white Protestant activists believed their own culture and race to be superior, and this prejudice hindered their efforts. They often spouted anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant rhetoric, and mostly ignored Black workers’ plight.
One of Jacob Riis’ many photographs of living conditions on New York’s Lower East Side. Bettmann via Getty Images
Ever since the Puritans landed, white Christian nationalism has informed how many Protestants try to shape their country – a history I trace with church historian Richard T. Hughes in the book “Christian America and the Kingdom of God.” But Christian nationalism has taken dramatically different forms over time. The progressive Social Gospellers of a century ago are a particularly striking contrast to the conservative Christian right that has shaped U.S. politics for half a century, up to today.
Guardians of a Christian nation
There are many differences between Christian nationalism then and now. Like many conservative Christians today, however, the Social Gospellers believed that the United States was uniquely chosen and blessed by God, and called to be a Christian nation. They saw themselves as the rightful guardians of that mission. And though the country was still overwhelmingly Protestant, they feared they were losing influence.
New research explored the history of the Bible – research that many Christians feared would undermine people’s trust in Scripture as the word of God, by emphasizing its human composition. New scientific ideas about the Earth’s creation and human evolution challenged their visions of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. Meanwhile, rapid industrialization and urbanization had created new social challenges, such as workers’ safety and living conditions, leading some to reject faith as irrelevant to their needs.
Social Gospellers wanted to vindicate Christianity and show it was still relevant to modern life. But white leaders’ vision of what a Christian America should look like conflated their Protestant faith with their race and culture.
Josiah Strong, for example, was a Congregationalist minister known for promoting factory safety. But he stoked fear of Catholic immigrants and endorsed the expansion of the U.S. as a benevolent empire. The Anglo-Saxon race “is destined to dispossess many weaker races, assimilate others, and mold the remainder,” Strong argued in his 1885 book, “Our Country.”
Another Social Gospel reformer, Northern Baptist theologian Walter Rauschenbusch, railed against unrestrained greed, political corruption, militarism and contempt between elites and the working class. But he shared the white supremacy of his age. God was favoring Germanic and Anglo-Saxon people, he claimed, to enact God’s purposes.
“Other races are as dear to God as we and he may be holding them in reserve to carry His banner when we drop it,” he wrote in an undated article. But it was part of God’s plan, he believed, for Northern Europeans to “hold the larger part of the world’s wealth and power in the hollow of their hands and the larger share of the world’s intellectual and spiritual possessions in the hollow of their heads.”
The ‘right’ kind of Christian
Though many white Protestants felt threatened by the challenges of immigration, they were still a clear majority, and they presumed that most Americans would endorse applying Christian ethics to public policy and social reform.
What’s more, women gaining the right to vote in 1920 meant Social Gospel leaders expanded Protestants’ power at the ballot box. Many Social Gospel leaders embraced women’s suffrage because women were already leading supporters for their causes: For example, Frances Willard, who promoted temperance and workers’ rights; and Jane Addams, who ran a Christian “settlement house,” or community center, for the poor.
But in another sense, demographics were not on their side. The U.S. might have been a very white and Christian country, but in some Social Gospellers’ minds, the era’s waves of immigrants were not the “right” kind of Christian: Northern European and Protestant. Immigration was shifting from Great Britain, Ireland and Germany to Russia, Poland, Hungary and Italy. While Protestants far outnumbered Catholics nationally, Strong wrote that they were double the Protestant population in major cities like New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Strong argued that Catholic immigrants were lazy, prone to alcoholism and criminal activity, and willing to sell their vote to corrupt city politicians. He claimed they would corrupt the morals of Anglo-Saxon Americans, and that if the Catholic population grew, it would undermine Protestants’ religious liberty.
Nativist views like these led to the National Origins Act of 1924, which restricted the number of immigrants. Quotas for each country were based on the profile of the American population in 1890 – an attempt to maintain Protestant dominance against Catholic and Jewish immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe. That distrust also kept Social Gospellers from partnering with Roman Catholic leaders on shared concern for workers.
Flourishing for all, or some?
Still, when it came to workers’ basic needs, reformers cared deeply about improving circumstances for the “least of these.” The movement was strongly influenced by the biblical parable of the sheep and the goats: verses in the Book of Matthew where Jesus promotes feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, clothing the naked and visiting those in prison.
Social Gospellers aimed to prove that Christianity could answer the social challenges caused by industrialization, urbanization and immigration. For the most part, they sought to use their privilege in ways that promoted the flourishing of all Americans, such as expanding labor rights and providing services to the poor through settlement houses.
A photograph by Jacob Riis in a small New York City sweatshop in the 1880s. Bettmann via Getty Images
In 1908, for example, the Federal Council of Churches adopted a 14-point statement called the “Social Creed,” affirming that churches should support reforms “to lift the crushing burdens of the poor, and to reduce the hardships and uphold the dignity of labor.” While some of the reforms they called for are taken for granted today — like one day off per week — other calls, like a living wage for all, are yet to be realized.
Over the past half-century, the modern Christian right, too, has feared that its vision for the nation is eroding. Conservative churches have seen their influence drop as more Americans move awayfrom organized religion and reject their rejection of LGBTQ+ people.
Like the Social Gospellers of a century ago, the Christian nationalists of recent decades are wary of religious and racial change in their country. Yet the movement’s priorities – often focused around its vision of families, sex and gender – are starkly more limited than the broader quality-of-life issues that Social Gospellers addressed.
Both groups desired an America rooted in biblical values. But each interpreted Scripture through its own lens, seeking to remake America in its own, white Protestant image.
Christina Littlefield 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: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Congresswoman Beatty reintroduced H.R. 3709 the ‘Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act’ to codify the Financial Agent Mentor-Protégé Program at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The program pairs up small and rural financial institutions with large banks and credit unions, providing resources, training, and technical assistance to help them better serve their communities and become Financial Agents to Treasury.
Small financial institutions, including Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), play a critical role in their communities, yet there are only 151 MDI banks left in the United States, and the number of minority-owned banks has dropped more than 30% since its peak in 2008. Although their numbers have largely stabilized in recent years, MDIs generally have much higher expenses and are often forced to merge with other minority-owned banks to survive.
“Small financial institutions are anchors of local economies across the U.S., providing mortgage credit, small business lending, and other critical banking services to their communities ,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “These institutions know the financial needs of their communities best, and codifying the mentor-protégé program at Treasury will go a long way toward preserving and strengthening their impact across America —and advancing our mission of an inclusive financial system.”
“The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is pleased to support Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s Advancing the Mentor-Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act, which would establish a Treasury Financial Agent program enabling partnerships between MDIs, rural community banks, and other financial institutions,” said Rebeca Romero Rainey, ICBA President and CEO. “This legislation reinforces and supports the critical role MDIs and rural community banks serve as a lifeline in their communities, providing tailored financial products, and fostering greater economic growth.”
“The American Bankers Association is pleased to support Rep. Beatty’s Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act, which would increase the ability of community banks, rural financial institutions and MDIs to meet the financial service needs of their customers, clients and communities,” said Rob Nichols, ABA President and CEO. “By strengthening partnerships between large banks and these community financial institutions with the help of the Treasury Department, this bill will provide significant benefit to consumers across the country and the broader economy.”
“The National Bankers Association (NBA) proudly supports Congresswoman Joyce Beatty’s Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act, which takes a critical step toward strengthening small, mission-driven banks,” said Nicole Elam, President and CEO of the NBA. “This legislation builds on existing Treasury efforts by expanding the scope of support for Minority and Rural Depository Institutions—ensuring they have greater access to federal resources and opportunities. Through the establishment of a Financial Agent Mentor-Protégé Program, larger financial institutions will be able to mentor and support small, mission-driven banks in enhancing their operational capacity, deepening community impact, and qualifying to serve as financial agents of the U.S. government.”
“America’s Credit Unions applauds Rep. Joyce Beatty’s efforts to promote programs that support minority depository institution (MDI) credit unions and other credit unions. We are pleased to see the reintroduction of the Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act. This bill would empower MDI and other smaller credit unions to collaborate with larger credit unions in these mentorship efforts. This builds on the credit union culture of ‘people helping people’ and working cooperatively to ensure the success of communities they serve,” said Jim Nussle, America’s Credit Unions President/CEO.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Correspondence
UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre: letters of support
The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation has received letters of support from leading figures in Holocaust education and remembrance, encouraging Peers to vote in favour of the UK Holocaust Memorial Bill.
The UK Holocaust Memorial Bill will return to the House of Lords on Wednesday, 11 June. In anticipation, the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation has received letters of support from 16 individuals and organisations, urging Peers to support the Bill. Prominent figures in Holocaust education, Jewish organisations, and security services have voiced their support of the Bill and encourage Peers to do the same.
The victims of one of the worst acts of brutality of the Second World War, have been remembered at a ceremony in the city centre.
The ceremony marked the 83rd anniversary of the Lidice atrocity, which took place on 10 June 1942, when Nazi forces entered the mining village of Lidice, Czechia.
In retaliation for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, ‘The Butcher of Prague’, by British-trained Czech resistance fighters, the Nazis executed 173 men, forcibly removed the women and children and destroyed the village.
Today (Tuesday 10 June) the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Steve Watkins and Honorary Custodian, Councillor Ross Irving laid a wreath at the Messenger of Hope pear tree – grown from a cutting from the only living thing to survive the atrocity.
Cheryl and Alan Gerrard – trustees of the Lidice Lives organisation – have donated a print of ‘Lidice Shall Live’ by Sid Kirkham to the city. The artwork – the original of which is in the prestigious Lidice Collection in Czechia – will be hung in the newly named Lidice Hall at the Civic Centre in Stoke as a lasting reminder of the enduring friendship between Stoke-on-Trent and Lidice.
The bond between the two communities goes back to September 1942, when news of the massacre sparked an extraordinary response in Stoke-on-Trent. Local GP and Councillor Barnett Stross, alongside the North Staffordshire Miners’ Federation led the “Lidice Shall Live” campaign in direct defiance of Adolf Hitler’s claim that “Lidice shall die”.
The campaign was launched at a mass meeting at the Victoria Hall in Hanley on 6 September 1942. It raised £32,000 – the equivalent of more than £1.5 million today – with most of the donations coming from local miners who gave part of their wages to help rebuild the village.
Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Steve Watkins, said: “I am incredibly proud to represent our city as we remember both the tragedy that took place in Lidice and the inspiring response of the people of Stoke-on-Trent.
“At the launch of the Lidice Shall Live campaign, at the Victoria Hall in Hanley, Dr Edvard Beneš, the Czech President in exile, said ‘From now on, Stoke-on-Trent will live forever in the heart of every Czech citizen.’ The newly named Lidice Hall will be another powerful reminder of this enduring friendship for generations to come.”
Honorary Custodian, Councillor Ross Irving, said: “As Lord Mayor, I was proud to plant the Messenger of Hope pear tree outside the Victoria Hall in Hanley in 2018, alongside Cheryl and Alan Gerrard.
“Seven years on, it’s an honour to be involved in continuing to remember the victims of this terrible atrocity and celebrating the strong links between our two mining communities in my role as Honorary Custodian of the city of Stoke-on-Trent.”
Keith Barr was born only months before the historic Apollo 11 landing in 1969. While he was too young to witness that giant leap for mankind, the moment sparked a lifelong fascination that set him on a path to design technology that will carry astronauts farther into space than ever before. Today, Barr serves as a chief engineer and Orion Docking Lidar Field Test lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. He spearheads the field testing of docking lidars for the Orion spacecraft, which will carry astronauts to the Moon on the Artemis III mission. These lidars are critical to enabling Orion to autonomously dock with the human landing system on Artemis III — the mission that will land astronauts near the Moon’s South Pole for the first time in history.
“The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions are some of humanity’s greatest technical achievements,” he said. “To be part of the Artemis chapter is a profound honor.” In recognition of his contributions, Barr was selected as a NASA Space Flight Awareness Honoree in 2025 for his exceptional dedication to astronaut safety and mission success. Established in 1963, NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program celebrates individuals who play a vital role in supporting human spaceflight. The award is one of the highest honors presented to the agency’s workforce. With a career spanning over 25 years at Lockheed Martin, Barr is now recognized as a renowned leader in lidar systems—technologies that use laser light to measure distances. He has led numerous lidar deployments and test programs across commercial aviation, wind energy, and military markets. In 2019, Barr and his team began planning a multi-phase field campaign to validate Orion’s docking lidars under real-world conditions. They repurposed existing hardware, developed a drone-based simulation system, and conducted dynamic testing at Lockheed Martin facilities in Littleton, Colorado, and Santa Cruz, California. In Littleton, the team conducted two phases of testing at the Space Operations Simulation Center, evaluating performance across distances ranging from 50 meters to docking. At the Santa Cruz facility, they began much farther out at 6,500 meters and tested down to 10 meters, just before the final docking phase. Of all these efforts, Barr is especially proud of the ingenuity behind the Santa Cruz tests. To simulate a spacecraft docking scenario, he repurposed a lidar pointing gimbal and test trailer from previous projects and designed a drone-based test system with unprecedented accuracy. “An often-overlooked portion of any field campaign is the measurement and understanding of truth,” he said. “The system I designed allowed us to record lidar and target positions with accuracy never before demonstrated in outdoor docking lidar testing.”
The test stand at the Santa Cruz Facility had once been used for Agena upper stage rockets—a key piece of hardware used during the Gemini program in the 1960s. “We found a Gemini-era sticker on the door of the test bunker—likely from the time of Gemini VIII, the first space docking completed by Neil Armstrong and David Scott,” Barr said. “This really brought it home to me that we are simply part of the continuing story.”
Barr spent more than two decades working on WindTracer—a ground-based Doppler wind lidar system used to measure wind speed and turbulence at airports, wind farms, and in atmospheric research. The transition from WindTracer to Orion presented new challenges. “Moving onto a space program has a steep learning curve, but I have found success in this new arena and I have learned that I can adapt and I shouldn’t be nervous about the unknown,” he said. “Learning new technologies, applications, and skills keeps my career fun and exciting and I look forward to the next giant leap—whatever it is.”
Barr’s passion for flight moves in tandem with his pursuit of innovation. Over his career, he has flown over 1.6 million miles on commercial airlines. “I often joke that I’m on my fourth trip to the Moon and back—just in economy class,” he said. Before specializing in lidar systems, Barr flew as a captain and assistant chief pilot at New England Airlines, operating small aircraft like the Piper Cherokee 6 and the Britten-Norman Islander. He also worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, contributing to several NASA airborne missions aimed at unraveling the science behind global ozone depletion.
As Barr reflects on his journey, he hopes to pass along a sense of legacy to the Artemis Generation. “We are in the process of writing the next chapter of human space exploration history, and our actions, successes, and troubles will be studied and analyzed well into the future,” he said. “We all need to consider how our actions will shape history.”
Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) – “At Easter, there were 200 adult baptisms in the city of Bangkok, 15 of which were from my parish in Bangkok. This is good news and a sign of hope: it shows us that the Lord is acting and that Christ is attracting people, even in our particular context, a nation that is 90% Buddhist, where, out of 70 million inhabitants, there are about 300 thousand are Catholics,” Fr. Peter Piyachart Makornkhanp, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Thailand, told Fides. “As a Church, we are a small minority, fragile, but we are strong in our faith. We are respected in society, we have good schools. We have good relationships with everyone,” the National Director emphasized, referring to the social and cultural context in which the Catholic community lives.”In Thailand,” he explains, “the current mentality is characterized by generosity and respect for everyone, which is also reflected in the field of religion. The main idea is that all religions are perceived positively and help people; spirituality is a strong component of life, an important part, whatever it may be, so there is no problem in professing a faith community. The positive side is that we can make friends with everyone, that there is mutual respect, solidarity, and goodwill, and that fruitful cooperation with other people is possible. The other side of the coin is that for the ordinary person, one faith is as good as another, and it is completely irrelevant which religion one professes.”The Catholic Church brings “the specific face and the distinctive contribution of Christianity, of the Catholic faith. We have no problem preaching; we are free to show ourselves and reveal the face of Christ,” but often people think “that they already have a religion, so they don’t need anything else and do not seek anything new,” he notes.”In the freedom to express themselves, to open themselves to grace, and to share the Gospel, the Church has its own vitality,” the priest added in this context. “Vocations to the priesthood are present and increasing: We have 80 seminarians in the interdiocesan seminary, which welcomes candidates for the priesthood from the 11 Thai dioceses who, God willing, will later become priests. This is a good perspective for the life of our Church, allowing us to live and carry out pastoral activities.”The National Director recalls that “a birth control policy is in place in the country and that Thai women do not have many children, so the overall assessment of the number of vocations is positive,” and the same applies to vocations to religious life.In general, he says, “the Church enjoys good relations with everyone in society, where it is recognized as a moral authority; it is valued by both institutions and ordinary people. The population understands our values and considers works such as education and welfare to be very important. We do not suffer from being a minority; there is no hostility or discrimination, and this brings great serenity to the normal life of Christian communities,” which is also reflected in the work of evangelization.”Our mission areas,” says Fr. Peter Piyachart Makornkhanp, “are the various areas of Church life, including education, social work, and charity: everything serves the proclamation of the Gospel. I would like to note that the Church’s social communications are very well developed: we have radio and television channels and social media channels that appeal primarily to young people and are widely used.” “But even in a country with our culture, we sense secularization, that is, the tendency to live without God. But then that deep need in the heart returns; there is something in the heart of the people that resurfaces,” notes the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. “People are searching for truth, they are searching for something that goes beyond material life,” he continues. “Often, the young people who study in our schools, when they become adults, reconsider the meaning and significance of their lives. Then they return to the Church and want to know more about Jesus Christ and our faith. Among them are also baptized adults. We see this especially in 2025, the year in which we celebrate the Jubilee of Hope.” “Hope is something that fascinates and arouses interest,” says the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. “People find hope in the Catholic Church; we present a different hope for life, which is Christ himself. This is different from the hope one finds on the streets of the world. It is a different hope. Those who embrace it experience and witness new joy and new peace. And this gives us hope too.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 9/6/2025)
Share:
Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) – “We, bishops, priests, men and women religious, and the faithful in Cambodia, ask the United Nations to intervene urgently to end the violence and bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, so that peace can prevail and people can live in dignity, with respect for human rights, in mutual love, and in tranquility,” reads an appeal released by the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, on behalf of the Catholic community in Cambodia. The appeal is also joined by the Apostolic Prefects of Battambang and Kompong Cham, Bishop Enrique Figaredo and Bishop Pierre Hangly, who issue an “urgent appeal” for an end to the violence in the Strip. The appeal of the bishops, which Fides has received, was preceded by an interreligious event in which representatives of the Catholic community in Cambodia participated together with delegates from the Buddhist communities: the international symposium on the theme “Buddhists and Christians working together for peace through reconciliation and resilience” (see Fides, 27/5/2025).”This dialogue,” the bishops stated, “has demonstrated religious harmony in Cambodia as an exemplary model that we can proudly present to the world.” Referring to the International Day for the Rights of the Child, the bishops expressed concern about the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip: “We cannot remain silent. How can we join together in the search for peace while the war continues, claiming the lives of tens of thousands of innocent people, especially children and infants?” they asked. The message recalls the “Massacre of the Innocents,” which Herod ordered according to the account in the Gospel of Matthew, and states: “Tragically and painfully, in 2025, we see history repeating itself in Gaza. Since 2023, approximately 18,000 children and infants have lost their lives in this war. Many families have lost fathers, mothers, and children; their homes have been destroyed by shelling.” Furthermore, “there is no access to education; people suffer from a lack of medical care, disabilities, and food shortages. Images of children, grandparents, and thousands of dying parents are shared daily on social media, causing great pain and sorrow for all of us,” the document states. In the face of so much violence, “the Catholic community in Cambodia thanks God for granting Cambodia religious harmony and guiding us to live in peace. But we cannot remain indifferent when we see how children and thousands of people suffer, how the injured and disabled die every day.” It continues: “We remember the year 1975, when the Khmer Rouge seized control of Phnom Penh and sealed Cambodia off from the world for three years, eight months, and 20 days. During this time, the international community remained silent and allowed more than 20% of the Cambodian population—approximately 2 million people—to die of starvation and mass murder. Under this regime, people were physically and psychologically tortured, separated from their families, and lived without family ties, in mutual distrust, and in extreme fear.” Back then, the bishops note, “there were no social media platforms like today. But today we have this social media, which allows us to witness the tragedy in Gaza every day. We must pray to God that peace will prevail.” “The Catholic community in Cambodia launches an urgent appeal, asking the United Nations to use all means to immediately end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip” so that “more children and innocent people do not die, suffer pain, live in fear, become homeless, or suffer hunger because of this ongoing and bloody war.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 10/6/2025)
Share:
Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – “We are deeply disturbed by the tragic and suspicious death of Albert Ojwang while in police custody. His death is not just a personal loss to his family, but a painful wound to our national conscience and a reminder of the urgent need for accountability in our justice system,” is what the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) expressed, demanding clarification on the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and influencer who died on June 8 while in pre-trial detention.Ojwang was arrested on June 6 at the family home in Kakot, Homa Bay County, following a social media post that allegedly defamed Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat. He was taken more than 350 kilometers to Nairobi Central Police Station and charged with violating a cybercrime law. On June 8, he was found unconscious in his cell during a routine check, apparently with head injuries. Police alleged he had committed suicide by repeatedly banging his head against a wall, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Mbagathi Hospital. However, the family’s lawyer reported that the body showed severe trauma, including head swelling, bruises, and bleeding from the nose and mouth, signs that do not match the official police account.Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an inquiry into his death. The Inspectorate General of Police has suspended six officers stationed at Nairobi Central Police Station as a precautionary measure while the exact circumstances of Ojwang’s death are investigated.” We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the late Albert Ojwang. We share in their grief and in the public’s rightful demand for truth and justice,” the episcopal statement continues.” We strongly support the directive by the Inspector General to interdict officers linked to this case and urge that investigations be swift, transparent, and free from interference. No one is above the law, and those found culpable must face full legal consequences,” the bishops add. Ojwang’s case comes amid a climate of growing social tension, following the Generation Z protests in 2024 (see Fides, 1/7/2024), which were harshly repressed by the authorities and left 60 dead.Furthermore, between 2020 and 2024, more than 100 deaths in custody were recorded, according to data from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which has intensified demands for profound reform of the police force. In this context, the bishops called on Kenyan youth to remain calm. “At this difficult time, we call upon all Kenyans, especially the youth, to remain calm, peaceful, and prayerful. Let us not be provoked into violence or division. Our strength is in our unity and our collective demand for justice through lawful means.” “We remind our institutions: the measure of any just society is how it treats the vulnerable. Let this not be another case swept under the rug. Let Albert Ojwang’s name not be added to a growing list of forgotten victims,” the prelates conclude.The Supreme Council of Muslims of Kenya has also requested a transparent investigation into the death of the young teacher, while calling on the population to remain calm. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/6/2025)
Share:
Lebanon (Agenzia Fides) – A new “ecumenical” television and radio station is intended as an instrument of shared witness for the churches and ecclesial communities of the Middle East. The new channel, MECC TV, began its experimental test broadcasts today, June 10. It is a new media initiative of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), which celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1974.The initiative was presented at a press conference yesterday, Monday, June 9, in Beirut, at the headquarters of the MECC General Secretariat.During the press conference, MECC Media Relations Officer Lea Adel Maamary emphasized that the primary role of Christian media “amidst dangers and surprises is to give its people strength” and to help preserve the historical and ecclesiastical heritage of individual Churches. Jordanian priest Rifaat Bader, initiator and editor-in-chief of the news portal “abouna.org,” who also participated in the conference, emphasized that the ecumenical initiative, which aims to unite Christians in proclaiming the Gospel through the media, is taking shape at a time when the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which formulated the common creed still recited by the various denominations today, is being celebrated.Professor Michel Abs, Secretary General of the MECC, pointed out in his contribution as an academic and analyst of social processes that, in modern times, the manipulation of information can go so far as to constitute a real crime, while the sharing and dissemination of information for the common good “represents a human, national, and religious duty.”Founded in Nicosia in 1974 and currently based in Beirut, the Ecumenical Council of Churches of the Middle East aims to facilitate cooperation among the Christian communities of the Middle East on issues of common interest and to contribute to overcoming denominational differences.Approximately 30 members of several “ecclesial communities” – the Catholic, the Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and Evangelical – are members of the Council. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 10/6/2025)
Share:
Bangui (Agenzia Fides) – “We, the Bishops of Bangassou, together with the entire Catholic community, are deeply concerned about the violence affecting Haut Mbomou,” emphasize Juan Josè Aguirre, Bishop of Bangassou and Aurelio Gazzera, Coadjutor Bishop of the diocese in the south-east of the Central African Republic, in a pastoral letter read on Sunday, June 8, during the Mass in the parishes of the diocese in the southeast of the Central African Republic.”We cannot accept that the southeast of our country, the Central African Republic, is the scene of violence of any kind, a land from which people are fleeing, a land of devastation,” the two bishops write. “We mourn the dozens of deaths in recent weeks,” they emphasize in this context. In their letter, Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera recall that “the southeast has been in mourning for decades, a region fought over and exploited first by LRA fighters, then by the Seleka rebels, and finally by the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe; the latter movement, founded to protect the population from the violence of the UPC and other former armed groups, is in danger of becoming a danger to the population itself.” The LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) is a guerrilla movement born in Uganda that has been active in this part of Central Africa for several years, while the Seleka movement brings together a number of militias that emerged during the 2012 civil war. The UPC (Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique), on the other hand, is a group that emerged in 2014 from a split of the Seleka movement. These groups have recently been joined by mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner, who officially operate in support of the Armed Forces of Central Africa (FACA), but have been responsible for serious violence against innocent civilians. “In recent weeks, we have mourned deaths: FACA soldiers, but also civilians. Civilians have been shot, wounded, tortured, and executed – with complete impunity,” said Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera. “We think of the thousands of civilians who have been forced to flee Zemio, Mboki, and Djema, including tens of thousands on their way to the Democratic Republic of Congo. We think of villages that have been bombed, looted, and set on fire.” “All of this must end: The violence will not stop. Quite the opposite! Violence only breeds more violence, division and misery, hatred, mistrust, and ultimately a vicious cycle of revenge,” the bishops warn. “We ask all those involved: Azande Ani Kpi Gbe, FACA, Wagner, and the population, to put an end to the violence and to commit themselves so that this remote and isolated region, without roads or transport links, can live in peace and become a territory where every woman, man, child, and young person can look to life and the future with hope,” Bishops Aguirre and Gazzera wrote in their pastoral letter. “The Catholic Church, which has opened the doors of the missions in Zemio, Mboki, and Obo in recent weeks, is always ready and willing to welcome all people of good will around the table to discuss and work on peace, reconciliation, and development in the region,” the two bishops emphasized. “This is not the time for war, but for dialogue! It is not the time for violence, but the time to listen! It is not the time for suspicion, resentment, accusations, and jealousies, but the time to listen to the poor, to hear their cry for peace! Let us pray and implore peace. But let us also be women and men of peace, in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Peace be with you!” the bishops conclude. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/6/2025)
Share:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted government’s commitment in advancing India’s digital connectivity over the past 11 years.
Responding to an article by Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, PM Modi said, “Our government has been constantly striving to provide world-class facilities in digital connectivity to the country. In his article, Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia has explained in detail how the success achieved in this in the last 11 years is inspiring us to move forward even faster in this direction.”
In his article, Scindia elaborated on how villages have started telling the story of digital revolution.
Scindia said on X, “In the last 11 years, the historic decisions taken in the telecom sector and the Postal Department, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, have given rise to a digital revolution, connecting not only cities, but also villages, forests and borders.”
Israeli gunfire killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded dozens as thousands of displaced people approached an aid distribution site of a U.S.-backed humanitarian group in central Gaza on Tuesday, local health authorities said.
Medics said the casualties were rushed at two hospitals, the Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and the Al-Quds in Gaza City, in the north.
The Israeli military said its forces fired warning shots at “suspects who were advancing in the area of Wadi Gaza and posed a threat to the troops.” It added that it was aware of reports that several were injured, but argued numbers released by local health authorities did not align with the information they collected.
“The warning shots were fired hundreds of meters from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours and toward the suspects who posed a threat to the troops,” the military added.
Last week it warned Palestinians not to approach routes leading to sites of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, describing these roads as closed military zones.
There was no immediate GHF comment on Tuesday’s incident.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of aid distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral.
Many Gazans say they have to walk for hours to reach the sites, meaning they have to start travelling well before dawn if they are to stand any chance of receiving food.
While the GHF has said there have been no incidents at its so-called secure distribution sites, Palestinians seeking aid have described disorder, and access routes to the sites have been beset by chaos and deadly violence.
“I went there at 2 a.m. hoping to get some food, on my way there, I saw people returning empty-handed, they said aid packages have run out in five minutes, this is insane and isn’t enough,” said Mohammad Abu Amr, 40, a father of two.
“Dozens of thousands arrive from the central areas and from the northern areas too, some of them walked for over 20 km (12 miles), only to come back home with disappointment,” he told Reuters via a chat app. He said he heard the firing but did not see what happened.
Later on Tuesday, local health authorities said an Israeli strike on a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip killed eight people, taking Tuesday’s death toll to at least 25.
The Israeli military said separately, it intercepted one rocket fired from northern Gaza towards Israeli territories, which signalled Hamas and other militant group remained able to fire the weapons despite Israeli devastation of their arsenal.
Israel allowed limited U.N.-led operations to resume on May 19 after an 11-week blockade in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where experts have warned a famine looms. The U.N. has described the aid allowed into Gaza as “drop in the ocean.”
Witnesses said at least 40 trucks carrying flour for U.N. warehouses were looted by desperate displaced Palestinians as well as thieves near Nabulsi roundabout along the coastal road in Gaza City.
The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Israel’s single deadliest day.
Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.
.jpg){kind=link}
