Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday co-chaired the 22nd session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) alongside Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani.
The high-level meeting was held in Brescia, a key manufacturing hub in northern Italy, during Goyal’s two-day visit to the country. He was accompanied by a business delegation comprising senior leaders from nearly 90 Indian companies.
The JCEC brought together senior officials, policymakers, and key industry stakeholders from both countries.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the discussions aligned with the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–2029, which aims to enhance economic resilience, promote industrial collaboration, and support inclusive and sustainable growth.
Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in priority sectors such as Industry 4.0, aerospace, energy transition, and sustainable mobility. The talks also emphasized collaboration in skill development, digital transformation, migration and mobility, and joint initiatives under global connectivity frameworks like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
In addition, India and Italy resolved to boost ties in agriculture and food processing and agreed to establish Joint Working Groups in the automobile and space sectors to deepen technological and industrial cooperation.
A high-level growth forum was held on the sidelines of the JCEC to explore emerging business opportunities and foster potential industrial partnerships.
Goyal also held one-on-one meetings with prominent Italian corporate leaders and welcomed their plans to expand operations in India.
Marking World Environment Day, Goyal and Tajani visited A2A, an Italian waste-to-energy company, to explore collaboration in the clean energy space. They also planted saplings at the Santa Giulia UNESCO World Heritage complex in memory of their mothers, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative.
In a landmark visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off new Vande Bharat trains and inaugurated two major railway bridges—the Chenab Rail Bridge and the Anji Khad Bridge—marking a pivotal moment in the region’s rail connectivity journey. The event highlighted more than a decade of sustained investment in railway infrastructure aimed at expanding access, improving mobility, and unlocking economic opportunity across the Union Territory.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, now recognised as the world’s highest railway arch bridge, towers 359 metres above the riverbed—rising 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower. Spanning 1,315 metres, this engineering marvel is a critical part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), one of India’s most ambitious transport projects. Designed to withstand extreme weather and seismic activity, the bridge is built to endure wind speeds of up to 260 kilometres per hour and has an expected lifespan of 120 years. Structural steel capable of withstanding temperatures from minus 10 to 40 degrees Celsius and cutting-edge Tekla software for structural precision were used in its construction.
Nearby, the Anji Khad Bridge stands as India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge. Stretching 725 metres across the Anji River valley and supported by 96 high-tensile cables, the bridge is anchored by a 193-metre-tall inverted Y-shaped pylon. Set against the dramatic Himalayan landscape, the structure was completed in a record time of 11 months. Over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel were used in its construction, making it a resilient and strategic link in the Katra–Banihal section of the USBRL. The bridge has been engineered to withstand tremors, high wind loads and shifting topography, providing a vital connection in a region marked by seismic and geological volatility.
The rail network in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a radical transformation over the past 11 years. Once hindered by geography and conflict, the region’s integration into the national railway grid is now nearly complete. The USBRL project, which cuts across 272 kilometres of rugged Himalayan terrain, includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 kilometres and 943 bridges that connect isolated communities. Constructed at a cost of ₹43,780 crore, it represents one of the most challenging infrastructure undertakings in India’s post-independence era.
To maximise the benefit of this enhanced connectivity, the Vande Bharat Express will soon operate between Jammu and Srinagar. Designed for sub-zero conditions, the train is equipped with heated windshields, insulated toilets and advanced heating systems to withstand temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. A snow removal train will operate ahead of it during harsh winters, and seismic dampers have been installed to ensure safety along the route.
The journey between Katra and Srinagar, which previously took more than five hours, will now be reduced to approximately three, a shift that is expected to bring substantial gains in tourism, trade and accessibility. Full electrification of railway lines in the region further strengthens this transformation, aligning with broader goals of energy efficiency and sustainability.
In addition to new services and engineering breakthroughs, the government has focused on modernising stations and expanding pilgrimage routes. In 2014, the commissioning of the Udhampur–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra rail section opened a 25.6 km link built at a cost of ₹1,132.75 crore. It features 10.9 km of tunnels, 36 bridges and a modern Katra station, constructed with dedicated facilities including public conveniences and a footbridge for local residents. That same year, the Shri Shakti AC Superfast Express was introduced to connect New Delhi with the shrine town, enhancing accessibility for pilgrims.
More recently, in February 2024, a 48-km stretch between Banihal, Khari, Sumber and Sangaldan was inaugurated, along with the electrification of the 185.66-km Baramulla–Srinagar–Banihal–Sangaldan section. Prime Minister Modi flagged off the valley’s first electric train, marking a shift towards cleaner and more efficient rail operations. The Banihal–Sangaldan section features ballast-less tracks to ensure smoother rides.
In January 2025, Indian Railways conducted safety inspections on the 111-km Banihal–Katra section, featuring 97 km of tunnels and four major bridges. Once operational, this will complete the Jammu–Srinagar rail link. Jammu station is also being redeveloped to include eight platforms and upgraded passenger amenities. A dedicated railway division with headquarters in Jammu was created in the same month, carved out from the Ferozepur Division. It will oversee operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Punjab, enhancing administrative efficiency and service delivery.
The T-50 tunnel, a 12.77-km stretch connecting Khari and Sumber, is now the longest transportation tunnel in India and plays a critical role in the USBRL network. Constructed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method, the tunnel includes a parallel escape tunnel and cross-passages every 375 metres for safety. Extensive geological challenges were met with strategic engineering solutions, including the construction of multiple adits to fast-track completion. The installation of CCTV cameras every 50 metres, monitored from a central control room, ensures operational safety.
To support these developments, Indian Railways also laid 215 km of approach roads to ensure access to remote construction sites. These roads have brought ancillary benefits by improving rural connectivity and enabling economic activity in previously inaccessible areas.
As part of its broader modernisation strategy, the Ministry of Railways has included four Jammu and Kashmir stations—Budgam, Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Udhampur—under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. This initiative aims to deliver enhanced passenger services and drive integrated urban development.
In the Union Budget for 2025–26, the Centre allocated ₹844 crore specifically for railway development in Jammu and Kashmir. The funding is aimed at accelerating ongoing projects and strengthening rail infrastructure across the region.
The confluence of infrastructure upgrades, strategic investments and technical innovation over the past decade is reshaping Jammu and Kashmir’s transport landscape. The region, once isolated by mountains and weather, is now poised to emerge as a vital link in India’s national rail network, offering faster, cleaner and more inclusive mobility for its people.
2. As announced in the Governor’s Statement dated June 06, 2025, it has been decided to reduce the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) of all banks by 100 basis points in four equal tranches of 25 basis points each to 3.0 per cent of net demand and time Liabilities (NDTL). Accordingly, banks are required to maintain the CRR at 3.75 per cent, 3.5 per cent, 3.25 per cent and 3.0 per cent of their NDTL effective from the reporting fortnight beginning September 6, October 4, November 1 and November 29, 2025, respectively.
3. A copy of the relative notification DoR.RET.REC.24/12.01.001/2025-26 dated June 6, 2025 is enclosed.
Yours faithfully,
(Manoranjan Padhy) Chief General Manager
Encl.: As above
DoR.RET.REC.24/12.01.001/2025-26
June 06, 2025
NOTIFICATION
In exercise of the powers conferred under the sub-section (1) of Section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and sub-section (1) of Section 18 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (10 of 1949), read with Section 56 thereof, and in partial modification of the earlier notification DoR.RET.REC.53/12.01.001/2024-25 dated December 06, 2024, the Reserve Bank of India hereby notifies that the average Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) required to be maintained by every bank shall be 3.75 per cent, 3.5 per cent, 3.25 per cent and 3.0 per cent of its net demand and time liabilities effective from the reporting fortnight beginning September 6, October 4, November 1 and November 29, 2025, respectively.
This report is provided by Earth Negotiations Bulletin/International Institute for Sustainable Development. View the original reporthere.
Finance is critical to implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), but investments have not kept pace with rising demands, and aid budgets are shrinking worldwide. In many sessions through the day, delegates focused attention on financing a wide range of needs, including school safety, measures to deal with extreme heat, and nature-based solutions (NbS).
High-level dialogue
What will it take to scale DRR financing solutions at the national and local level?
Journalist Mayowa Adegoke moderated the session.
Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to Minister of International Development, Norway, emphasized DRR financing as a high priority, saying, “it is better to prevent than repair afterwards.” She noted that one in three people globally-most in cities or highly vulnerable areas-are not covered by Early Warning Systems (EWS).
Hans Sy, CEO, SM Prime Holdings, explained his company’s investment in resilient building construction, such as building on concrete pillars to allow free flow of floodwaters. He stressed that risk-informed decisions based on science and technology “makes good business sense.”
Fatima Yasmin, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the Bank regards DRR as a critical priority investment, particularly through supporting policy making, planning, advising on innovative investments, and incentivizing preparedness. On scaling DRR investments, she said financing should be fast, flexible and forward-looking.
Rob Wesseling, CEO, Co-operators Group, said no path to net zero emissions is possible without investment in both prevention and recovery. He encouraged governments to utilize the risk information gathered by insurance companies over decades to assist with decision making.
On mobilizing private sector investment, Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, stressed that every cent invested in resilience and preparedness saves lives and livelihoods.
View of the panel during the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Ministerial roundtable
Inclusive comprehensive school safety-strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
The event, which convened 36 ministries, was co-chaired by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head, UNDRR, and Paul Steffen, Deputy Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland.
In opening remarks, Kishore encouraged delegates to endorse the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2017 (CSSF), noting only 80 countries have done so, and for countries to make schools heat-resilient.
On school safety policies, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia recognized the CSSF. Portugal highlighted its DRR working group on children and youth. Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, and Portugal recognized the fundamental rights of children to safe school environments. Colombia highlighted its Law on Teaching for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management. Republic of Korea described its 2020 Child Safety Management Act.
Many countries identified education programming as fundamental to reducing risk and developing children as agents of change in their homes and communities. Malaysia, Uganda, Russia, Algeria and others described homegrown examples of such programmes, for example, student leadership groups and First Aid skills training.
Leaders from around the globe express their shared commitment to making schools safer and more resilient to disasters. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Several countries, including Greece, Kenya and Cuba, recognized the importance of social support to children experiencing disaster and loss, and the ensuing mental and emotional health impacts. The Holy See flagged the need for spiritual care of those “who have seen whole lives swept away.”
Most countries discussed sustainable and resilient school infrastructure, including standards for new or retrofitted buildings. Belgium, Republic of Moldova, and Singapore highlighted energy efficiency and climate resilience. On heat stress in schools, Singapore flagged cooling strategies and energy-efficient fans. Tunisia described its sustainable school network that integrates climate change, disaster risk, and biodiversity objectives. Spain said new schools need to be “climate shelters.” Bangladesh noted the construction of more than 5,000 cyclone-resistant schools.
Multistakeholder plenary
Investments in reducing risk and building resilience to accelerate investments in sustainable development
Kishore introduced the session, which was co-chaired by Paul Steffen, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, and Paola Albrito, UNDRR. Kishore noted less than 1% of national budgets is allocated to DRR.
Countries presented their national commitments, such as Australia’s Disaster-Ready Fund, which is providing up to AUD 1 billion (USD 648 million) over five years for locally-identified needs, and Switzerland’s DRR commitment of more than CHF 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) annually. Many expressed appreciation for international support, including for Moldova’s local adaptation plans in 38 communities, and Samoa’s community-based disaster risk management activities. Peru highlighted its introduction of budget flexibility for regional and local authorities, enabling rapid response to imminent hazards.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) reported that only 3% of all development assistance is allocated to agricultural DRR measures, even while these deliver significant returns in ensuring food security. Swiss Re highlighted the role of insurance in informing risk and mitigation measures, noting the availaility of parametric insurance, for example, against extreme heat events and flooding. The Resilience Action Fund showcased the work of the International Finance Corporation in developing the Building Resilience Index as a world-first metric for assessing the safety and risk of buildings for insurers and construction developers. The Latin America and the Caribbean Development Bank (CAF), India, and the UK welcomed innovative initiatives, such as a new center on extreme events, establishment of risk pools, and the use of AI to identify flood threats.
Delegates affirmed regional solidarity, demonstrated in Tunisia’s hosting of the Africa-Arab Platform for DRR in 2023, and Iran’s hosting of three regional organizations, including a Regional Center for Urban Water Management. Albania welcomed its responsibilities under the EU Civil Protection Code for cooperation among EU countries and other partners, which, he noted, enables access to advanced DRR solutions.
The International Organization for Migration highlighted its 2024 launch of Climate Mobility Innovation Labs for the Africa and Asia regions to develop solutions to climate-related mobility.
Steffen urged all present to accelerate investment in DRR, and to engage the private sector as key partners.
Moderator, Juli Trtanj, Co-Chair, Gobal Heat Health Information Network, opened the session. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called heat a “silent killer” because it is the least managed of all climate hazards. She said 50% of countries have heat warning systems in place but only 26 have dedicated Heat Health EWS. She identified three priorities: integrating heat risk into climate and DRR governance, heat EWS, and implementation using risk information and data.
In his keynote, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, India, said heat threatened public health, economic stability, and the ecological resilience of cities and communities. He underscored UNDRR’s Common Framework on Extreme Heat Risk Governance and drew attention to India’s national guidelines on heat wave management, which decentralized more than 250 heat action plans in 23 states. He called for scaling hospital and primary health care preparedness and resilience and noted India is adopting a long-term heat wave mitigation strategy, including roof-cooling technologies, passive cooling centers, revival of traditional water bodies, and improved thermal comfort and livability of informal settlements.
In a panel discussion, Benoît Faraco, Ambassador, Climate Negotiations for Decarbonized Energies and for the Prevention of Climate Risks, France, urged being modest since we are still discovering impacts and avoiding maladaptation. Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center for Meteorological Application for Development, stressed the links between heat waves, energy crises, and health care demand. Rosa Galvez, Senator, Canada, spoke about lived experience saying, “We cannot adapt forever – we must work on the causes.” Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said extreme heat is a humanitarian crisis. On involving the financial sector, Mia Seppo, Assistant Director General, International Labour Organization, discussed climate risk insurance, just transition principles, and access to essential services. Mishra advised that industry protect labor from heat risk.
Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Special session
Comprehensive approaches to reduce loss and damage-bridging climate action and DRR
Fatou Jeng, Former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General and Member of the Early Warnings for All Advisory Panel, moderated the session.
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, appreciated the support from the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network, which combined forces to launch the inaugural integrated loss and damage and DRR initiative in Vanuatu.
Kishore noted that, while many DRR practices are now in place, these need to be updated to deal with climate system changes and the associated risks, uncertainty, and volatility.
Benoît Faraco, argued that the distinction between loss and damage, and DRR, is theoretical, and remains irrelevant to people on the ground who want response, prevention, action, and solidarity to alleviate their situation.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasized the need to look at how interventions can be most impactful, stressing that solutions must be country-led, and recognize Indigenous groups and civil society participants. He expressed awareness that the FRLD must be “nimble, accessible, flexible and built on partnerships, always ensuring no one is left behind.”
Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director, Santiago Network Secretariat, elaborated on how the network is supporting countries to accelerate loss and damage, using Vanuatu’s experience to demonstrate how the Network can accelerate fund distribution and support with bold and transformative support.
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, IFRC, cautioned that the terms loss and damage represent different meanings to communities, but the bottom line is to ensure the funds really reach the local level.
Thematic Sessions
Catalyzing governance solutions for disaster and climate-related displacement
Irwin Loy, The New Humanitarian, moderated this session.
John Mussington, activist and displaced person, Antigua & Barbuda, described his work of founding the community network, Stronger Caribbean Together, with others displaced by “disaster capitalism”, as storm-damaged sites are cleared for tourism development.
Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Fiji, highlighted the 2023 Pacific Regional Mobility Framework and Fiji’s own planned relocation guidelines.
Zahra Abdi Mohamed, Director-General, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions, Somalia, described Somalia’s National Transformation Plan that prioritizes anticipatory action and climate-smart livelihoods, responding to the needs of long-term displaced communities.
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha, community representative, Nigeria, called for centering the voices of local women in decision making by removing barriers, “whether digital, linguistic, or cultural.” Claudinne Ogaldes Cruz, Executive Secretary, National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Guatemala, noted that many Guatemalan households are women-led and have the knowledge to inform decision making.
Robert Piper, former UN Secretary-General’s Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement, said line ministries responsible for decisions on land use and building codes-“those who are responsible for dealing with the failure to prevent”-must become deeply involved in the governance of disaster displacement.
Leveraging Values of Nature for Resilience: Moderated by Cecilia Aipira, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the session addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in DRR.
In his keynote, Mohammed-Yahya Lafdal, General Director, National Environment and Coastline Observatory, Mauritania, highlighted the increase in tree cover through reforestation and restoration, taking into account Indigenous knowledge and solutions, and the development of barrier systems for water distribution and management in desert areas. He emphasized how addressing land degradation and rehabilitation has been Mauritania’s best solution for increasing resilience.
Rodrigo Hernández Escobar, Representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Knowledge & DRR Network, highlighted political will and respect for Indigenous cosmovision and territories as key elements for leveraging traditional knowledge into programmes supporting NbS. Isaac Luwaga Mugumbule, Head of Landscaping, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda, stated that NbS are context-specific and require community involvement to be sustained.
Professor Satoru Nishikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stressed the need for scientific numerical quantification, analysis, and testing on the strengths and durability of NbS. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics, noting that NbS “are not silver bullets,” stressed the need to work with nature, drawing attention to NbS co-benefits. Oliver Schelske, Swiss Re Institute, noting the absence of standardized values for nature, emphasized that even if “not everything is insurable,” investing in nature makes sense from an insurance perspective, as it reduces risks to the asset being insured.
On the prerequisites for NbS to be viable, speakers mentioned common sense, co-benefit considerations, identifying the number of protected lives, and conducting independent auditing.
Thematic Sessions as visual summaries capturing key messages and insights. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Side event
Inclusive comprehensive school safety—Strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
This side event, organized and facilitated by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), showcased school safety and resilience programmes from Central Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Anja Nielsen, Co-Chair, GADRRRES, gave an overview of CSSF, noting the all-hazards, all-risks approach that includes environmental, climate change, and biological health risks, technical threats, and other everyday risks. She elaborated on the global school safety survey, representing 350 million school-aged children, and highlighted, among other concerns, that significant infrastructure investment is needed to better protect children and teachers from natural hazards, with most suffering from funding constraints.
Education administrators from Saint Lucia, Tonga, and Kyrgyzstan described CSSF activities and outcomes from their regions, and emphasized: involving the children actively in school safety is a game changer; collaboration is the essence of resilience, requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; and building capacity at all levels, particularly teachers, for comprehensive school safety is key.
IISD’s summary
The summary report of the meeting will be available on Monday, 9 June 2025, here.
The 2025 Sasakawa Award winners are Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, from the India Meteorological Department, and Dr. Harkunti Rahayu, from the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association, both in the individual category; and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster (GNDR), in the organizational category.
These winners were announced at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, in a vibrant Award Ceremony, packed with passionate candidates and their dedicated supporters, all gathered to celebrate some of the most outstanding contributions to disaster risk reduction.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is popularly known as “The Cyclone Man of India” for his exceptional contributions to tropical cyclone forecasting and warning systems. He has been instrumental in improving India’s disaster preparedness and significantly reducing casualties from tropical cyclones through advanced forecasting and early warning systems.
Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu is Professor of Disaster Aspect in Planning at the Institut Teknologi Sumatra and Chair of the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association. An internationally recognized leading expert in DRR, she chairs multiple international working groups on early warning and mitigation systems, disaster preparedness, developing people-centred early warning systems and capacity building, community awareness and preparedness.
The Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) – winner in the organizational category – is the largest global network of organizations working to strengthen the resilience of people most at risk of disasters, assembling around 2000 organisations in 130 countries. GNDR has made significant contributions to the content and implementation of the Sendai Framework, and is a strong advocate for inclusive and all-of-society disaster risk management.
Under the expert moderation of Anita Erskine, Ghanaian broadcast personality and sustainability champion, the ceremony honored those who have made exceptional strides in improving resilience to disasters.
Innovation and technology for inclusive resilience
This year’s theme, “Connecting science to people: democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster resilient communities,” captured the spirit of innovation and accessibility that drives modern disaster preparedness. With over 200 outstanding nominees received in two categories, Individuals and Organizations, all candidates demonstrated incredible depth of talent and dedication within the global DRR community.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore delivered heartfelt gratitude to the community present and those watching online, acknowledging the tireless hard work and unwavering dedication of all those nominated for the award.
“This year’s award theme recognizes the importance of innovation and technology to advance resilience – and do it in a very inclusive and democratic way…. the efforts where science has been connected to society to serve the needs of people, those who are most vulnerable,” Mr Kishore said.
“I ask that we all ask and reflect on how we can support and scale up the vital efforts of these remarkable individuals and institutions,” he said.
The Nippon Foundation, whose generous support makes these awards possible, was proudly represented by Mr. Yosuke Ishikawa, Programme Director.
Mr. Kishore praised the high standard and exceptional achievements of all the nominees for the award, adding that the judges had to make difficult choices in selecting the winners from a group of such caliber. As a result they decided to recognize the following runners-up as highly commended.
Individuals:
Rob Hopkins “Radio Rob” from Yukon, Canada
Professor Virginia Murray from Global Disaster Risk Reduction at UK Health Security Agency, UK
Shee Kupi Shee from Disaster Management and Peace Building in Lamu County, Kenya
Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku from the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya
Organization:
The World Institute on Disability (WID), Global/US
Inspiration for us all
The visionary work of these award winners demonstrates that disaster risk reduction is not just about preparation—it’s about building resilient communities where innovation meets humanity. Their dedication shows us that every contribution, no matter how small, can create ripples of positive change that protect lives and livelihoods.
Whether you’re a researcher, community leader, or simply someone who cares about making the world safer, there’s a place for you in disaster risk reduction. The challenges the world faces require diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts. Everyone is encouraged to continue the DRR journey and be part of the solution that builds a more resilient world for all.
The next edition of the Sasakawa Awards will be held at the Global Platform in three years’ time, and the jury will be thrilled to read even more inspiring stories of hope and action!
The impacts of disasters are woven into all aspects of life.
Impacts send shockwaves across all systems – essential services, infrastructure, health, education and economic. They interact with climate change, conflict, economic fragility, and inequality – amplifying risks across systems.
However, even though disaster costs are rising, financing for disaster risk reduction (DRR) is largely fragmented, short-term, and reactive.
“Let us be clear: financing disaster risk reduction is not a cost – it is an investment, with benefits across different agendas: from protecting development, to reducing humanitarian needs, and achieving climate and environmental goals.”
Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
To protect development gains from being eroded by a spiral of deepening crises, countries must systematically embed risk reduction in national budget processes – across all levels of government. This will require a raft of innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships and novel inclusive approaches to ensure that investments provide benefits to those who need them most.
At a ministerial roundtable session at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction, ministers from 43 countries, together with the World Bank and UNDP, discussed the challenges and opportunities they face when financing resilience building; their experiences, successes and solutions; and concrete proposal for inclusive and equitable financing strategies.
The ministers acknowledged that there is a deficit in global financing for disaster preparedness. The Philippines, South Sudan, Fiji, Barbados, and members of the African Union, amongst others, drew connections between financial planning for disaster risk and broader climate financing, noting the important role of resources like the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the Loss and Damage Fund.
Financing resilience is public investment
Too often, public budgets only respond after disaster strikes. The consequence is mounting human and economic losses, especially in vulnerable countries.
“The root causes of disaster risk – inequality, misaligned financial incentives, insufficient risk governance – remain unaddressed in many development models.”
– UNDRR’s 2025 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR 2025)
To address this will require a fundamental rethink, positioning disaster risk reduction firmly in development finance.
“We must support developing countries in establishing national disaster risk reduction financing systems that are tailored to their development priorities.”
– Kamal Kishore at the ministerial roundtable.
These systems must be pro-active, not reactive, and aligned with each country’s unique development goals, while integrating a firm understanding of systemic and cascading risks.
India, for example, is taking a rule-based approach with pre-determined allocations that flow from national to district levels. Japan and Norway noted that they are both mainstreaming DRR into private sector practice, with Norway advocating for legal requirements for DRR in corporate strategies.
The GAR 2025 findings reinforce this more holistic approach, recommending that countries reconfigure their financial and economic governance to create more favourable conditions for DRR investments, especially by shifting public spending “away from short-term consumption and toward resilience-building.”
Integrating disaster risk financing into budgets
Resilient budgets require more than a single DRR line item.
Mr. Kishore highlighted the need to embed risk considerations throughout public financial planning: “This includes exploring ways of embedding resilience into budget planning at every level.”
That means sectoral ministries, infrastructure agencies, local governments, and fiscal authorities must all adopt risk-informed budget planning. This shift is not just about earmarking funds, but about transforming how development priorities are selected, financed, and measured.
Countries including Brazil are calling for a global task force on effective DRR financing, while the Philippines proposed a global financing mechanism to support disaster resilience efforts, recognising the need to anchor DRR in fiscal systems.
In a conversation with Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, Mr Kishore noted that we need a coordinated, global system making the appropriate mechanisms accessible to those who need them most:
“We have the tools to assess risk and see how much investment will lead to what kind of reduction in risk. We really need to make it a comprehensive system – where national budgets, whether countries have high income or low income – take into account the kind of disaster risk they face and systematically invest in it.”
Ms. Mohammed noted the need to develop more innovative financing mechanisms as a key priority during the Global Platform.
“We need to get to a space where we have more tools accessible to us to do it, and that again is a big challenge for this week.”
Tackling systemic challenges
For many countries, even those with the political will to invest in reducing disaster risk, systemic barriers stand in their way. These include:
Weak institutional frameworks for DRR investment planning.
Limited understanding of how DRR links to fiscal risk.
Inadequate incentives to prioritise risk reduction in capital budgeting.
DRR financing also needs to penetrate to local levels, enabling resources to reach the communities that need them most. Without fiscal devolution, even the most risk-informed national strategies will fall short in implementation.
Incentives for private sector investment
Initiatives to finance resilience must move away from reliance on public coffers.
This involves building stronger partnerships with the private sector, and cultivating greater awareness of the benefits of such investments and the dangers of neglecting them.
“We must enhance partnerships with the private sector, as it is a major source of financing that is often not guided by an understanding of disaster risks,” Kamal Kishore said.
The financial sector can play a catalytic role by developing innovative instruments, such as resilience bonds, blended finance structures, and a broad spectrum of insurance solutions. Several countries are already putting such innovations into practice:
China described its rollout of agricultural insurance, and its investment of $154 billion in property insurance.
Kiribati described its community-based insurance for drought programme providing payouts to farmers and fishers.
Norway highlighted parametric insurance schemes.
The Bahamas explained how they use their disaster-related expenditures tracking tool to map pre-disaster investments and post-disaster costs.
To mainstream such approaches, updated regulatory frameworks, disclosure standards, and fiscal incentives are needed to guide private capital toward risk reduction and embed DRR into national financial systems.
Risk-aware international finance
The global community must step up to encourage investors, both public and private, to prioritize DRR financing.
“We must rally the international community to prioritize investment in disaster risk reduction. This includes dedicating a larger portion of assistance funding to disaster risk reduction and ensuring all development funding is risk informed.”
– Kamal Kishore
Official development assistance (ODA) and climate finance must be structured and delivered accordingly. Risk-blind development projects, even when well-intentioned, can inadvertently amplify vulnerability.
Several countries at the roundtable – including Cambodia, Paraguay, and Montenegro – highlighted the importance of integrating DRR into social investment strategies, including gender-responsive financing, elderly-focused social protection, and health system resilience. Czechia called for embedding DRR funding across the humanitarian-development nexus.
“The upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development presents a critical opportunity to advance all these priorities to ensure all development is safe from disasters.”
– Kamal Kishore
The shift toward DRR financing within national budgets is technically feasible, economically wise, and morally urgent. As extreme weather events, pandemics, and conflict interact in increasingly complex ways, the costs of inaction grow exponentially.
By embedding DRR in national budgets, governments protect long-term development investments, and communities gain tools and funding for local resilience.
Additionally, the private sector becomes a co-architect of safety, increasing its stake in resilience building efforts, and international aid transitions from offering band-aids to repeated crises to providing a backbone for lasting stability.
“We must acknowledge that resilience is a long-term economic necessity, and it does have the best return on investment.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)
WASHINGTON, DC [6/5/25] –Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) introduced legislation to protect access to nutritious meals for children during the summer months.
Families of students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals can receive a $40 per month per child grocery benefit during the summer through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) Program. This program has successfully reduced hunger during the summer months, but some EBT cardholders have had their benefits stolen by skimming devices illegally installed on point-of-sale terminals.
The Mitigating Electronic Access Losses for Students (MEALS) Act will allow for the replacement of S-EBT benefits that have been targeted by scammers. Currently, EBT cardholders have limited protection and may lose all of their benefits if criminals skim their information and then cash out their benefits.
“Students should not have to go hungry if their families fall prey to scammers who install illegal skimming devices at the places where they buy groceries,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “The MEALS Act is commonsense legislation that will prevent the theft of S-EBT benefits and restore those that are stolen. This legislation will help keep hungry kids fed when school is out during the summer.”
“It is unconscionable that any child should go hungry in the wealthiest nation on earth,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “As lawmakers, we have a moral and legislative duty to ensure that every child has access to nutritious food year-round, especially during the summer months, when free or reduced-price school meals are unavailable. The Summer EBT program is a proven tool for combating food insecurity, yet far too often, these essential benefits are stolen through no fault of the families who rely on them. This is unacceptable. We must create a clear and efficient process to replace skimmed Summer EBT benefits quickly and in their entirety so that no child suffers due to theft or bureaucratic failure.”
This is the second year of Oregon’s Summer EBT program. On May 22, 2025, around 336,000 children received the grocery benefit to purchase nutritious meals during the summer break.
The MEALS Act will:
Require the Secretary of Agriculture to
Issue guidance to State agencies and covered Indian Tribal organizations (ITOs) in detecting and preventing theft of summer EBT benefits, and issue a rule for participating State agencies and ITOs to take appropriate security measures and implement procedures for the replacement of summer EBT benefits;
Coordinate with the Office of Family Assistance at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to determine how summer EBT benefits are being stolen and establish measures to prevent summer EBT benefits from being stolen and establish standard reporting methods;
Submit a report to Congress that includes the prevalence of summer EBT theft and measures establishes by the Secretary and AG;
Replace stolen summer EBT benefits, and State agencies and covered ITOs to submit claims for replacement benefits that include a signed statement by the affected household, data reports on benefit theft, and planned use of benefit theft prevention measures;
Require GAO to submit a report to Congress that examines the risks related to summer EBT benefit payment system security and policy recommendations to improving the summer EBT payment system.
A summary of the Meals Act can be found here, and the full text can be found here.
Headline: Secretary Noem Saves American Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions by Negotiating New Contract for the Coast Guard
lass=”text-align-center”>DHS is revolutionizing national security while saving the taxpayer over $260 million WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she successfully saved the American taxpayer over $260 million by cancelling a failing U
S
Coast Guard (USCG) shipbuilding project
Shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls (HII) began production of a Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) in May 2021
It was supposed to be delivered by 2024 at the latest but is still nowhere near complete
“This is about fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to the American taxpayer,” said Secretary Noem
“Huntington Ingalls owed us this cutter over a year ago
As the Trump administration is revitalizing the U
S
Coast Guard through Force Design 2028, we need to be smart with the American taxpayer’s money
This project was over time and over budget
Now the money can be redirected to ensuring the Coast Guard remains the finest, most-capable maritime service in the world
I would like to extend my thanks to Huntington Ingalls for negotiating in good faith
” In addition to returning over $260 million to the U
S
Treasury, the Coast Guard will receive $135 million in parts that will be used to retrofit, upgrade, and maintain the Coast Guard’s existing fleet of 10 Legend-class cutters
By cancelling the production of NSC #11 and securing the parts deal with HII, Secretary Noem has ensured that the Treasury will recoup the remaining funds for use where they are most needed
Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Opening June 4 in Phelps County
Disaster Recovery Center Opening June 4 in Phelps County
Cape Girardeau – A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open tomorrow, June 4 in Phelps County to assist Missourians who sustained damage to their primary residence, personal property, or have emergency needs due to the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and wildfires on March 14-15, 2025
Those with disaster-related damage in Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Franklin, Howell, Iron, Jefferson, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, St
Louis, Wayne, Webster, and Wright counties may be eligible for assistance by registering with FEMA
At the center, affected individuals can get help applying for disaster assistance, speak to state or federal representatives, receive updates on their FEMA application, and more
The center will open Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 8:00 a
m
CDT
See locations and hours below:Phelps County Courthouse Community Room200 N
Main StreetRolla, MO 65401Hours of operation – Mon – Sat: 8 a
m
to 7 p
m
(Closed Sundays)FEMA financial assistance may include money for basic home repairs, personal property losses or other underinsured/uninsured, disaster-related needs such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral, or dental expenses
It is not necessary to go to a DRC to apply for FEMA assistance
The fastest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance
gov or via the FEMA app
You may also call 1-800-621-3362
If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone, or other service, notify FEMA by calling 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) or 1-800- 621-3362 (VRS)
Affected individuals who register for FEMA assistance will receive a decision letter by mail or on their DisasterAssistance
gov account
If the letter says you are “not approved” for some categories of assistance, it does not mean you have been denied assistance
It is important to read the letter carefully as it will explain your application status and advise what you need to do to continue the process
Missourians who need disaster information, shelter information or referrals, or would like to volunteer are urged to call 211 or 1-800-427-4626
Multilingual services are available, and the 211 service is available throughout Missouri
For out-of-state access: 314-421-0700
The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and FEMA advise individuals and businesses impacted by the disaster to report damage to their local emergency management officials
Local officials can connect survivors to resources being provided by state departments and non-governmental organizations assisting with unmet needs
If you have questions about your FEMA letter, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362
Canada has vast boreal forests that span from the Yukon in the west to Newfoundland and Labrador in the east. Each year, thousands of wildland fires char millions of hectares of these forests, particularly in the northern areas, where few people live and development is scarce. Indeed, some amount of fire is beneficial to boreal forest health and biodiversity. Challenges arise when human activity and fires collide, as they did in May and June 2025, when several large fires raged in northern Alberta’s oil sands region. The fast-developing region is home to the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves. The oil sands accounted for 58 percent of oil production in Canada in 2023, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. On May 30, 2025, the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this false-color image of charred lands around oil infrastructure near Conklin. This band combination (6-5-3) helps to distinguish between unburned vegetated areas (green) and recently burned landscapes (brown). Thicker parts of the smoke plume appear light blue. Well pads and other gas and oil infrastructure appear as rectangular clearings connected by roads. In June, news reports indicated that fires in Alberta forced some companies to evacuate workers and temporarily pushed a portion of the province’s oil production offline. Subsequent reports indicated that production resumed after conditions improved. Alberta still had 51 out-of-control wildfires burning on June 4, 2025, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.
NASA continues to collaborate with global communities to solve complex challenges through crowdsourcing with a series of 25 new NASA Open Innovation Service (NOIS) contracts managed by the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The contract aims to empower NASA’s workforce by actively engaging the public to find creative solutions to difficult space exploration challenges through rapid experimentation with new methodologies, new technologies, and unique perspectives, ensuring NASA remains at the forefront of innovation while accomplishing its missions. This is the third NOIS contract, managed by NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI), and used by NASA and other government agencies. The NOIS3 contract will provide solutions through multiple crowdsourcing tools and methodologies, which include public prize competitions, freelance tasking, technology searches, and other crowd-based methods. The total value of the NOIS3 contract is $475 million over 10 years. There is a guaranteed $500 minimum obligation for each contract award. The base contract spans June 5, 2025, through May 31, 2027, and there are two options, the first for three years, and the second for five years. If all options are exercised, work could continue through May 31, 2035. The awardees are:
Blue Clarity, Vienna, Virginia Capital Consulting Corp., Fairfax, Virginia Challenge Works, London, United Kingdom CrowdPlat Inc., Pleasanton, California Design Interactive Inc., Orlando, Florida DrivenData Inc., Denver Ensemble Government Services, Hyattsville, Maryland Hyperion Technologies, Arlington, Virginia Floor23 Digital, Jackson, Wisconsin Freelancer International, Sydney, Australia HeroX, Wilmington, Delaware HYVE Innovate, Munchen, Germany Innoget, Rockville, Maryland Institute of Competition Sciences, San Francisco Loyal Source Government Services, Orlando, Florida Luminary Labs, New York City National Institute of Aerospace Associates, Hampton, Virginia Randstad Federal, Duluth, Georgia Rios Partners, Arlington, Virginia SecondMuse, Bernalillo, New Mexico TechConnect, Summerville, South Carolina Toffler Associates, Arlington, Virginia Tongal Inc., Los Angeles Topcocder, Indianapolis yet2.com Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts
NASA’s CoECI provides guidance on open innovation initiatives, helping define challenges and requirements and formulating and evaluating potential solutions. The center’s end-to-end service allows NASA and other federal agencies to rapidly experiment with new methods and solve critical problems through innovation and collaboration. Learn more about the NASA Center of Excellence at: https://www.nasa.gov/coeci -end- Tiernan DoyleHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov Kelly HumphriesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov
CPSC Provides Important Safety Tips This Pool Season as Americans Dive into Summer | CPSC.gov
Skip to main content
Release Date: June 05, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – As the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Pool Safely public education campaign marks its 15th year, parents and caregivers can follow these simple steps to keep children safer in and around the water:
Never leave a child unattended in or near water and always designate an adult Water Watcher. This person should not be reading, texting, using a phone or being otherwise distracted. In addition to pools and spas, this warning includes bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds and fountains. If you own a pool or spa, install layers of protection, including barriers to prevent an unsupervised child from accessing the water. Homes can use door alarms, pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching devices on fence gates and doors that access pools. Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults. Many communities offer online CPR training. Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim. Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments. Ensure any pool and spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.
You can read the CPSC recent drowning and entrapment reports by visiting PoolSafely.gov. ### Pool Safely, a national public education campaign supporting the requirements of Section 1407 of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, to reduce child drownings, nonfatal drownings and entrapment incidents in swimming pools and spas. Parents, caregivers and the media are encouraged to visit: PoolSafely.gov or to follow Pool Safely on, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X for vital safety information regarding the prevention of child drownings in and around pools and spas.
Release Number 25-310
About the U.S. CPSCThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. For lifesaving information:
Report an unsafe product
The link you selected is for a destination outside of the Federal Government. CPSC does not control this external site or its privacy policy and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information it contains. You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees. Click Ok if you wish to continue to the website; otherwise, click Cancel to return to our site.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer products present significant injury risks to older Americans, sending more than three million seniors to the hospital each year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is hard at work addressing these hazards and helping them to live safer, more independent lives. According to CPSC’s most recent report, Senior Injuries and Deaths Associated with Consumer Products: 2024 Report, consumer products are associated with 41,000 senior deaths each year. CPSC is emphasizing the importance of keeping older adults safe during June—National Safety Month. This report comes as the CPSC sets yet another recall record for products violating the Safety Standard for Adult Portable Bed Rails. Last week CPSC announced the results of a recent enforcement sweep targeting these products, which can pose deadly entrapment and strangulation hazards when they do not comply with federal safety standards. In doing so, CPSC secured remedies for consumers in multiple recalls, totaling more than 95,000 units. “CPSC continues to carry out its vital mission and is outpacing key safety and performance metrics from recent years, including with respect to senior safety,” said Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “I want to recognize the leadership of my colleague Commissioner Dziak, who has done more than others to advance this cause.” “My family has seen firsthand how a senior injury can change lives forever,” said Commissioner Douglas Dziak. “Several years ago, my mother-in-law suffered a serious head injury after an in-home fall. She has never fully recovered and requires significant ongoing treatment and care. Unfortunately, as the Commission’s report describes, our story is not unique, and I will continue to prioritize senior safety by seeking to reduce consumer hazards for seniors and increase awareness regarding senior injury risk.” Older adults and their caregivers can work to prevent these tragic injuries and deaths by following these safety steps:
Check if the portable adult bed rails in your home have been recalled. If they have, do not use them. If purchasing new ones, look for bed rails that meet the ASTM voluntary standard ASTM F3186 – 17, Standard Specification for Adult Portable Bed Rails and Related Products. Install handrails on both sides of any stairs in your home and grab bars in bathrooms. Keep stairs well-lit and free of clutter. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas and inside each bedroom. Install carbon monoxide alarms on each floor outside sleeping areas. Do not wear loose clothing while cooking on the stove. The clothing can catch fire. Keep an eye on food cooking on the stovetop and in the oven. Stand by your pan. Do not swim alone. Take swimming lessons. Use a U.S. Coast Guard-approved flotation device if you are unsure of your swimming ability. Never operate a portable generator inside the home. Generators should be used outside at least 20 feet away from the house, and never near windows or vents. Watch for traffic and wear the appropriate gear when riding four-wheelers, bicycles and e-scooters, including bicycle helmets.
For more tips go to Older Adult Safety | CPSC.gov.
About the U.S. CPSCThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products. Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. For lifesaving information:
Headline: Secretary Noem Ends Politicized TSA Watchlist Program That Has Failed to Prevent a Single Terrorist Attack in its Existence; Calls for Congressional Investigation
lass=”text-align-center”>The Quiet Skies Program is a redundant, corrupted program that costs US taxpayers $200 million a year WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced it is ending the Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a single terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers $200 million a year
The program, under the guise of “national security,” was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies
TSA will continue performing important vetting functions tied to legitimate commercial aviation security threats to both ensure the safety of the American traveler and uphold its statutory obligations
REAL ID, implemented on May 7 of this year, will further help bolster TSA security
DHS and TSA have uncovered documents, correspondence, and timelines that clearly highlight the inconsistent application of Quiet Skies and watchlisting programs, circumventing security policies to benefit politically aligned friends and family at the expense of the American people
In addition to its own internal investigation, DHS’s Secretary Kristi Noem is calling for a Congressional investigation to uncover further corruption through this program
“It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration—weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends
I am calling for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of US national security,” said Secretary Kristi Noem
“TSA’s critical aviation and security vetting functions will be maintained, and the Trump Administration will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public
This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans
” DHS revealed earlier this week evidence detailing the politicization of TSA’s watchlisting program under the previous administration
This includes William “Billy” Shaheen, spouse of fellow Democrat and sitting U
S
New Hampshire Senator, Jeanne Shaheen, being given blanket exemptions from review, while non-politically aligned members like then-Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard received additional screening and monitoring by Federal Air Marshalls
Despite William Shaheen traveling with a known or suspected terrorist three times, then TSA Administrator Pekoske gave explicit direction to exclude Shaheen from the Silent Partner Quiet Skies list
After Senator Shaheen directly lobbied then former Administrator Pekoske, on her husband’s behalf, Pekoske granted Billy Shaheen a blanket Quiet Skies exemption
Shaheen was not the only high-profile individual that was placed on this exclusion list: this list also included members of foreign royal families, political elites, professional athletes, and favored journalists
For more information on TSA security screening protocols, click here
What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the Golden State Literacy Plan — a step-by-step strategy to improve student reading achievement across California, building on existing efforts and proposing bold new investments. The Golden State Literacy Plan includes the deployment of over one thousand literacy coaches and specialists to the state’s highest need schools.
COMPTON – Standing alongside students and educators at Clinton Elementary School, Governor Gavin Newsom today launched the Golden State Literacy Plan, a step-by-step plan to boost literacy outcomes for California students. The plan builds on California’s recent progress in reading achievement while expanding investments to ensure every student — in every zip code — has the support they need to learn to read and read to learn. Implementation of these reforms over the coming years will mean that all students receive the comprehensive literacy instruction they need to read and analyze diverse texts, think critically and express their ideas orally and in writing, as students today and as citizens tomorrow.
“Literacy is the pathway to success – all of California’s kids deserve to discover the joys and benefits of reading and the power to formulate and express their ideas. I’m proud to unveil the Golden State Plan for Literacy today to give teachers, schools, and students the power to read – and succeed.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond: “Literacy has the power to unlock countless doors for our students and transform their lives. We are implementing a strategy to move the needle on literacy, which has already funded literacy coaches and reading specialists at 803 sites across 45 counties and has provided professional learning to nearly 4,000 educators within just this past year. I thank Governor Newsom for his partnership in this work and for proposing a budget this year that builds upon these critical investments in our children’s futures.”
State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond: “The Golden State Literacy Plan is an encouraging milestone in our ongoing quest to improve literacy education, making sure it’s effective, meaningful, and engaging for all of our students. We know effective literacy instruction requires early language development; diagnosis of student needs and progress; high-quality curriculum and materials; and preparation, professional development, and coaching for teachers so that they understand the reading process thoroughly and become adept at addressing diverse student needs, including those of English learners. As all of these elements are being strengthened in California, we are seeing progress that will accelerate in the years to come.”
Current landscape
While California, like all states, experienced setbacks during the pandemic, the state’s progress in literacy since the adoption of our curriculum framework has been noteworthy.
Between 2011 and 2022, California’s 8th grade reading achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) improved more than any other state in the nation.
California was one of three states that had the nation’s largest gains in 4th grade reading on NAEP over that decade.
California was one of only a few states whose NAEP reading scores did not decline during the pandemic (2019-2022).
While these indicators are positive, there is more work to be done to ensure all students achieve literacy success.
Literacy initiatives under Governor Newsom
The Newsom Administration in partnership with the Legislature has made significant investments in evidence-based literacy and professional learning to support the implementation of the ELA/ELD standards. Among these initiatives are:
Literacy Coaches: To date, the State has invested a total of $500 million for Literacy Coaches in the 2022 and 2023 Budget Acts, funding 818 of the state’s highest needs schools to hire and train literacy coaches and reading specialists.
Screener for Reading Difficulties: Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, California’s 1.2 million kindergarten, first, and second grade students will be annually screened for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. $25 million is allocated to support administration of literacy screenings.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Well-prepared educators are essential to delivering high quality literacy instruction, and the state has invested $1.3 billion in recent years to recruit and retain quality educators.
Literacy Roadmap: Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, elementary grades educators have literacy blocks to guide instruction with evidence-based strategies to support comprehensive literacy instruction.
Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant: The State has allocated a total of $6.8 billion for the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant (LREBG) to support LEAs in addressing the academic and emotional impacts of the pandemic, including low ELA test scores.
Universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK): . In 2025-26, the state will provide universal access to TK, which will provide pre-kindergarten to more than 300,000 additional four-year-olds (compared to the 2021-22 school year).
Before School, After School, and Summer School: The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program provides before, after, and summer school instruction and enrichment for students in grades TK-6, including high-impact tutoring.
Proposed investments in literacy
The Governor’s Budget builds on the existing literacy initiatives and includes the following additional investments:
$500 million for TK-12 Literacy and Mathematics Coaching, which builds upon and expands the existing Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists Grant Program and includes a new opportunity to support mathematics coaching.
$378.6 million in additional LREBG funding for LEAs.
$40 million in additional funding to support annual reading difficulties screenings for kindergarten, first, and second grade students.
$25 million to launch Literacy and Mathematics Networks to support implementation of state reading and mathematics initiatives.
Directs the Instructional Quality Commission to initiate an adoption for ELA/ELD instructional materials.
$1.7 billion for the Student Support and Discretionary Block Grant which prioritizes professional development on the ELA/ELD Framework and the Literacy Roadmap.
$2.1 billion to support the full implementation of universal TK, so that all children who turn four years old by September 1 of the school year can enroll in TK, and an additional $1.2 billion to support lowering the average student-to-adult ratio in every TK classroom.
$525.5 million to support full implementation of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, increasing the total ongoing funding for before, after school and summer school instruction and enrichment to $4.5 billion.
In addition, the Governor’s May Revision includes:
$200 million one-time funding to support evidence-based professional learning in literacy instruction for elementary school teachers. This proposal stems from AB 1454 by Speaker Robert Rivas that has brought together a broad coalition to support evidenced-based literacy teaching.
$10 million one-time funding to support the expansion of the Multitudes reading difficulties screening tool in additional languages.
Press releases, Recent news
Recent news
Jun 5, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must restore funding to AmeriCorps in California. This comes after Governor Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of…
Jun 5, 2025
News What you need to know: California is launching the CalAssist Mortgage Fund on June 12, 2025, to provide $105 million in relief offering up to $20,000 to homeowners whose homes were destroyed in recent disasters, including the Los Angeles firestorms. LOS ANGELES —…
Jun 4, 2025
News What you need to know: California added a record of nearly 7,000 megawatts of new clean energy capacity in 2024, marking the largest single-year increase in state history and the third consecutive year of unprecedented growth. SACRAMENTO – California has achieved…
24 new banks to be added to the euro short-term rate (€STR) reporting population as of 2 July 2025
Increase in reporting population will further support the benchmark’s robustness and representativeness
The European Central Bank (ECB), as administrator of the euro short-term rate (€STR), will expand the number of banks included in the €STR reporting population as of 2 July 2025 (reference to 1 July) by adding 24 banks to the 45 currently included in the rate’s daily calculation. The new banks were already added to the reporting population for Money Market Statistics Reporting (MMSR) on 1 July 2024, but were not included in the €STR calculation until it could be ensured that the newly reported data are of sufficiently good quality.
The expansion of the €STR sample size will improve both the robustness and the representativeness of the benchmark, which will now be supported by higher transactions volumes from a wider range of reporting institutions.
The impact on the level of the rate is expected to be limited, as the average difference observed during the testing period since July 2024 was only approximately -0.2 basis points.
The list of the new MMSR reporting banks that will be added to the €STR calculation is available on the ECB’s money market statistical reporting page.
For media queries, please contactBenoit Deeg, tel.: +49 172 1683704.
Ngũgi wa Thiong’o reads from his work in Mexico in 2017. He wrote across a huge variety of genres.Tania Victoria/Secretaría de Cultura CDMX/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Celebrated Kenyan writer and decolonial scholar Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’opassed away on 28 May at the age of 87. Many tributes and obituaries have appeared across the world, but we wanted to know more about Thiong’o the man and his thought processes. So we asked Charles Cantalupo, a leading scholar of his work, to tell us more.
Who was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o – and who was he to you?
When I heard that Ngũgĩ had died, one of my first thoughts was about how far he had come in his life. No African writer has as many major, lasting creative achievements in such a wide range of genres as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. His books include novels, plays, short stories, essays and scholarship, criticism, poetry, memoirs and children’s books.
His fiction, nonfiction and plays from the early 1960s until today are frequently reprinted. Furthermore, Ngũgĩ’s monumental oeuvre is in two languages, English and Gĩkũyũ, and his works have been translated into many other languages.
From a large family in rural Kenya and a son of his father’s third wife, he was saved by his mother’s pushing him to be educated. This included a British high school in Kenya and Makerere University in Uganda.
When the brilliant young writer had his first big breakthrough at a 1962 meeting in Kampala, the Conference of African Writers of English Expression, he called himself “James Ngũgi”. This was also the name on the cover his first three novels. He had achieved fame already as an African writer but, as is often said, the best was yet to come.
Not until he co-wrote the play I Will Marry When I Want with Ngũgĩ wa Mirii was the name “Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o” on the cover of his books, including on the first modern novel written in Gĩkũyũ, Devil on the Cross (Caitaani Mũtharaba-inĩ).
I Will Marry When I Want was performed in 1977 in Gĩkũyũ in a local community centre. It was banned and Ngũgĩ was imprisoned for a year.
And still so much more was to come: exile from Kenya, professorships in the UK and US, book after book, fiction and nonfiction, myriad invited lectures and conferences all over the world, a stunning collection of literary awards (with the notable exception of the Nobel Prize for Literature), honorary degrees, and the most distinguished academic appointments in the US, from the east coast to the west.
Yet besides his mother’s influence and no doubt his own aptitude and determination, if one factor could be said to have fuelled his intellectual and literary evolution – from the red clay of Kenya into the firmament of world literary history – it was the language of his birth: Gĩkũyũ. From the stories his mother told him as a child to his own writing in Gĩkũyũ for a local, pan-African and international readership. He provided every reason why he should choose this path in his books of criticism and theory.
Ngũgĩ was also my friend for over three decades – through his US professorships, to Eritrea, to South Africa, to his finally moving to the US to live with his children. We had an ongoing conversation – in person, during many literary projects, over the phone and the internet.
Our friendship started in 1993, when I first interviewed him. He was living in exile from Kenya in Orange, New Jersey, where I was born. We both felt at home at the start of our working together. We felt the same way together through the conferences, books, translations, interviews and the many more literary projects that followed.
What are his most important works?
Since Ngũgĩ was such a voluminous and highly varied writer, he has many different important works. His earliest and historical novels like A Grain of Wheat and The River Between. His regime-shaking plays.
His critical and controversial novels like Devil on the Cross and Petals of Blood. His more experimental and absolutely modern novels like Matigari and Wizard of the Crow.
His epoch-making literary criticism like Decolonising the Mind. His informal and captivating three volumes of memoirs written later in life. His retelling in poetry of a Gĩkũyũ epic, The Perfect Nine, his last great book. A reader of Ngũgĩ can have many a heart’s desire.
My book, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: Texts and Contexts, was based on the three-day conference of the same name that I organised in the US. At the time, it was the largest conference ever held on an African writer anywhere in the world.
What I learned back then applies now more than ever. There are no limits to the interest that Ngũgĩ’s work can generate anytime anywhere and in any form. I saw it happen in 1994 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and I see it now 30 years later in the outpouring of interest and recognition all over the world at Ngũgĩ’s death.
In 1993, he had published a book of essays titled Moving the Centre: The Struggle for Cultural Freedoms. Focusing on Ngũgĩ’s work, the conference and the book were “moving the centre” in Ngũgĩ’s words, “to real creative centres among the working people in conditions of gender, racial, and religious equality”.
What are your takeaways from your discussions with him?
First, African languages are the key to African development, including African literature. Ngũgĩ comprehensively explored and advocated this fundamental premise in over 40 years of teaching, lectures, interviews, conversations and throughout his many books of literary criticism and theory. Also, he epitomised it, writing his later novels in Gĩkũyũ, including his magnum opus, Wizard of the Crow.
Moreover, he codified his declaration of African language independence in co-writing The Asmara Declaration, which has been widely translated. It advocates for the importance and recognition of African languages and literatures.
Second, literature and writing are a world and not a country. Every single place and language can be omnicentric: translation can overcome any border, boundary, or geography and make understanding universal. Be it Shakespeare’s English, Dante’s Italian, Ngugi’s Gĩkũyũ, the Bible’s Hebrew and Aramaic, or anything else, big or small.
Third, on a more personal level, when I first met Ngũgĩ, I was a European American literary scholar and a poet with little knowledge of Africa and its literature and languages, much less of Ngũgĩ himself. He was its favourite son. But this didn’t stop him from giving me the idea and making me understand how African languages contained the seeds of an African Renaissance if only they were allowed to grow.
I knew that the historical European Renaissance rooted, grew, flourished and blossomed through its writers in European vernacular languages. English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and more took the place of Latin in expressing the best that was being thought and said in their countries. Yet translation between and among these languages as well as from classical Latin and Greek culture, plus biblical texts and cultures, made them ever more widely shared and understood.
From Ngũgĩ discussing African languages I took away a sense that African writers, storytellers, people, arts, and cultures could create a similar paradigm and overcome colonialism, colonial languages, neocolonialism and anything else that might prevent greatness.
Charles Cantalupo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Kris Jenner’s “new” face sparked myriad headlines about how she can look so good at 69 years old. While she’s not confirmed what sort of procedures she’s undergone, speculation abounds.
As a US reality TV personality, socialite and Kardashian matriarch, Jenner has long curated her on-screen identity. Her fame and fortune are intimately tied to a multinational cosmetics industry that has, for centuries, bartered in the illusion of timeless beauty.
The pursuit of cosmetic enhancement can be traced back as far as Ancient Egypt, reminding us the desire to look younger is hardly new.
But while many women try in vain to battle the ageing process, Jenner is an example of someone who’s actually succeeded, at least visually. What does that mean for the rest of us?
Decades of surgeries
Modern cosmetic plastic surgery has its roots in compassion. It was developed to help disfigured first world war soldiers rebuild their faces and identities.
But this origin story has been sidelined. Today, aesthetic procedures are overwhelmingly pursued by women and marketed as lifestyle enhancements rather than medical interventions.
Advancements in reconstructive surgery were made after both world wars with treatments on wounded soldiers. AFP/Getty Images
Plastic surgery, once considered extreme or shameful, began to gain popularity in the 1960s, and is now widespread.
Hollywood has long played a role in shaping these standards. During its Golden Age, stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne are reported to have undergone cosmetic surgeries – rhinoplasty (nose jobs), chin implants, facelifts – to preserve their screen personas.
Even before Instagram, before-and-after images were a cultural obsession, often used to shame or expose.
From taboo to trend
The digital age has further normalised cosmetic enhancements, with social media influencers and celebrities promoting procedures alongside beauty products.
It’s estimated Jenner spent upwards of US$130,000 (around A$200,000) on cosmetic interventions, resulting in a look that some media outlets suggest places her in her 30s.
On Jenner, social media users are split. Some offer aspirational praise (“If I had the money, I’d get it all done!”), while others criticise her rejection of “ageing gracefully”.
Yet many stars, including Courtney Cox, Ariana Grande, and Mickey Rourke, have spoken openly about regrets and the psychological toll of these procedures. Even with agency, the pressure remains immense.
Youth as a cultural ideal
This obsession with agelessness reflects a deeper societal discomfort with visible ageing, particularly in women.
Celebrities, with access to elite medical professionals and procedures, seem to cheat time.
Yet the outcome of is often disorienting: when Jenner appears younger than her children, the generational lines blur.
This erasure of age difference entrenches youth as an end in itself. It also destabilises how we perceive kinship and mortality.
Supermodel Bella Hadid has said she regrets getting a rhinoplasty as a teenager. Of Palestinian descent, she said “I wish I’d kept the nose of my ancestors”.
In my own research, I’ve argued cosmetic enhancement is tied to a cultural denial of death.
The ageing isn’t the problem – it’s our refusal to accept it.
The desperate clinging to youth reflects a collective resistance to change. Celebrity culture and consumer capitalism exploit this vulnerability, making age a problem to be solved rather than a life stage to be honoured.
We should mourn our ageing, not erase it. In another world, we could witness it, share it, and celebrate its quiet, powerful beauty.
So what about us?
But that’s not the world many live in, and the pressure extends beyond Hollywood.
With filters, apps, and social media platforms, ordinary people also curate and enhance their images, playing their part in a fantasy of perfection.
A recent study looked at the way young Australians use selfie editing tools. It found the widespread use of such apps have a significant effect on the body image of young people.
The line between self-care and self-deception has never been blurrier. We all want to present the best version of ourselves, even if reality slips into illusion.
So while women have long tried to outrun visible ageing, whether that be through anti-wrinkle creams or more invasive means, Jenner is an example of something relatively rare: a woman who’s actually managed to do it.
In doing so, she and her celebrity counterparts set a new youthful beauty standard in what ageing should (or shouldn’t) look like.
And while that standard may be felt by a variety of women, few will be able to achieve it.
Extremely wealthy beauty moguls like Kris Jenner can afford elite treatments, while most people face growing financial pressure and a cost-of-living crisis. The divide isn’t just aesthetic – it’s economic.
Beauty, in this context, is both a product and a privilege.
And of course, judgement of women’s appearances remains a powerful force for discrediting their political, social, and moral worth. For every bit of praise there is for Jenner’s “youthful” appearance, there are videos claiming she’s “ruined her face” and questioning of whether she should spend so much money on such a cause.
As long as gender inequality persists and beauty remains a currency of value, the pressure to conform will endure.
Margaret Gibson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Black and white rhino populations in the Greater Kruger (Kruger National Park and surrounding reserves) in South Africa have plummeted from over 10,000 rhinos in 2010 to around 2,600 in 2023. Hundreds of rhinos are killed each year by poachers for their horns. These are sold on the illegal global market.
Nature reserve managers, rangers, international funders, and local non-profit organisations have invested millions of dollars in anti-poaching interventions. These include tracking dogs to track poachers, artificial intelligence-enabled detection cameras, helicopters to monitor reserves and, more recently, dehorning (removing rhinos’ horns reduces the incentive for poachers).
Together, managers and scientists gathered seven years of rhino poaching data across 2.4 million hectares in the north-eastern region of South Africa and western Mozambique. During this time, we documented the poaching of 1,985 rhinos across 11 reserves in the Greater Kruger area. This number is about 6.5% of the rhino populations in these reserves annually.
This landscape is a critical global stronghold that conserves around 25% of all Africa’s rhinos.
Our study’s headline result was that dehorning rhinos to reduce incentives for poaching achieved a 78% reduction in poaching (average reduction across implementing reserves). This was based on comparison between sites with and without dehorning as well as changes in poaching before and after dehorning. Exactly 2,284 rhinos were dehorned across eight reserves over the seven years of our research – this was most of the rhino in the region.
Our findings show that significant progress can be made against rhino poaching by reducing the reward attached to poaching (removing the horn). This is a strategic shift in focus away from purely focusing on increasing risks to poachers.
But we are being careful to note that dehorning is not a complete solution. Our research found that 111 rhinos were poached even though they had been dehorned. This is because up to 15cm of horn is left on the rhino when it is dehorned by veterinarians. This is to protect the growth plate at the base of the horn.
Rhinos’ horns regrow over time. During our fieldwork, we also noticed that criminal syndicates remain willing to kill rhinos for their stumps, even if they do this at lower rates than before dehorning.
It may be best to think of dehorning as a very effective but short-term solution that buys us time to address the more ultimate drivers of poaching: horn demand, socio-economic inequality, corruption, and organised criminal networks.
A different approach to pinning down the problem
Part of what made our study special was its strong focus on collaboration between managers and scientists. The project was first conceived by reserve managers at the frontline of rhino conservation and led by Sharon Haussmann, chief executive officer of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation. They recognised the need to take a look at whether their investments into tracking dogs, artificial intelligence cameras and other anti-poaching interventions were paying off.
Faced with a poaching crisis despite millions of dollars invested in law enforcement, security and technology, Sharon and the team were bold enough to ask: “Why are we still losing so many rhinos? What could we do differently?” These managers then began working closely with scientists to tackle this problem together through our research.
Tragically, Sharon died unexpectedly on 31 May, less than a week before our research was published. We want to dedicate this research to her legacy.
Detecting and arresting poachers alone is not enough
The nature reserves we studied had invested US$74 million (R1 billion) in anti-poaching interventions between 2017 and 2021. Most of the investment focused on reactive law enforcement – rangers, tracking dogs, helicopters, access controls and detection cameras. This helped achieve over 700 poacher arrests. Yet we found no statistical evidence that these interventions significantly reduced poaching.
Why? These interventions are a necessary element of the anti-poaching toolkit. But they were compromised by bigger challenges. For example, stark socio-economic inequality in the region creates the ideal conditions for crime to thrive, and criminal syndicates find it easy to recruit people willing to take the large risk of poaching rhino.
Entrenched corruption among police and reserve staff allowed offenders access to inside information on the locations of dogs, cameras and rhinos. This meant that poaching was not deterred as much as it could have been.
Finally, ineffective criminal justice systems mean that arrested offenders often escape punishment, with evidence from the Greater Kruger of poachers who were multiple repeat offenders.
What can be done differently?
A range of interventions will be needed to complement dehorning, particularly as poaching for stumps would probably continue if there were no risk to poachers. There is also some evidence that dehorning rhino in one area means poachers may move to another area where rhino still have horns and poach there instead. (This has happened in South Africa’s second largest rhino stronghold in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park where rhino have not been dehorned.)
Our findings challenge the conventional wisdom that detecting and arresting poachers is enough on its own. Instead, we recommend these measures:
Give local people a voice and a stake. Many people affected by rhino conservation have no say and don’t share in the benefits of the industry.
Disrupt transnational criminal networks outside protected areas through intelligence-led investigations (follow the money).
Continue supporting dehorning in the short term. This will buy time to solve the biggest drivers of wildlife crime: inequality, horn demand, and corruption.
Dehorning needs to be supported by other measures to protect the rhino.
Support people first, then interventions. Rangers are key here – their welfare, wages, training and safety are not always given the attention or funding they deserve.
Keep loving rhinos and buying your kids pyjamas with them on.
Timothy Kuiper has received funding from the National Research Foundation in South Africa.
This week the US Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed two men suspected of bombing a fertility clinic in California last month allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to obtain bomb-making instructions. The FBI did not disclose the name of the AI program in question.
This brings into sharp focus the urgent need to make AI safer. Currently we are living in the “wild west” era of AI, where companies are fiercely competing to develop the fastest and most entertaining AI systems. Each company wants to outdo competitors and claim the top spot. This intense competition often leads to intentional or unintentional shortcuts – especially when it comes to safety.
Coincidentally, at around the same time of the FBI’s revelation, one of the godfathers of modern AI, Canadian computer science professor Yoshua Bengio, launched a new nonprofit organisation dedicated to developing a new AI model specifically designed to be safer than other AI models – and target those that cause social harm.
So what is Bengio’s new AI model? And will it actually protect the world from AI-faciliated harm?
An ‘honest’ AI
In 2018, Bengio, alongside his colleagues Yann LeCun and Geoffrey Hinton, won the Turing Award for groundbreaking research they had published three years earlier on deep learning. A branch of machine learning, deep learning attempts to mimic the processes of the human brain by using artificial neural networks to learn from computational data and make predictions.
Bengio’s new nonprofit organisation, LawZero, is developing “Scientist AI”. Bengio has said this model will be “honest and not deceptive”, and incorporate safety-by-design principles.
According to a preprint paper released online earlier this year, Scientist AI will differ from current AI systems in two key ways.
First, it can assess and communicate its confidence level in its answers, helping to reduce the problem of AI giving overly confident and incorrect responses.
Second, it can explain its reasoning to humans, allowing its conclusions to be evaluated and tested for accuracy.
Interestingly, older AI systems had this feature. But in the rush for speed and new approaches, many modern AI models can’t explain their decisions. Their developers have sacrificed explainability for speed.
Bengio also intends “Scientist AI” to act as a guardrail against unsafe AI. It could monitor other, less reliable and harmful AI systems — essentially fighting fire with fire.
This may be the only viable solution to improve AI safety. Humans cannot properly monitor systems such as ChatGPT, which handle over a billion queries daily. Only another AI can manage this scale.
Large language models and machine learning are just small parts of today’s AI landscape.
Another key addition Bengio’s team are adding to Scientist AI is the “world model” which brings certainty and explainability. Just as humans make decisions based on their understanding of the world, AI needs a similar model to function effectively.
The absence of a world model in current AI models is clear.
One well-known example is the “hand problem”: most of today’s AI models can imitate the appearance of hands but cannot replicate natural hand movements, because they lack an understanding of the physics — a world model — behind them.
Yoshua Bengio is recognised as one of the godfathers of AI. Alex Wong/Getty Images
On the right track – but it will be bumpy
Bengio is on the right track, aiming to build safer, more trustworthy AI by combining large language models with other AI technologies.
However, his journey isn’t going to be easy. LawZero’s US$30 million in funding is small compared to efforts such as the US$500 billion project announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this year to accelerate the development of AI.
There’s also an outstanding question. Even if Bengio can build an AI system that does everything he says it can, how is it going to be able to control other systems that might be causing harm?
Still, this project, with talented researchers behind it, could spark a movement toward a future where AI truly helps humans thrive. If successful, it could set new expectations for safe AI, motivating researchers, developers, and policymakers to prioritise safety.
Perhaps if we had taken similar action when social media first emerged, we would have a safer online environment for young people’s mental health. And maybe, if Scientist AI had already been in place, it could have prevented people with harmful intentions from accessing dangerous information with the help of AI systems.
Armin Chitizadeh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly condemned Pakistan’s repeated attempts to destabilise peace and progress in the region, asserting that such acts would not derail India’s development push in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a public gathering in Katra, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple infrastructure projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore. These include the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji.
He said that tourism has emerged as a key driver of economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir, creating jobs and fostering unity. “Tourism generates employment and strengthens bonds between people. But Pakistan seeks to destroy this progress,” he said. PM Modi accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting the tourism sector, which has seen record-high visitor footfall in recent years, to hurt the earnings of local workers such as porters, horse riders, guides, and shopkeepers.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to Adil, a young man who died while resisting the attackers. “Adil was working hard to support his family. He stood up to terrorists and lost his life in the process. His courage will always be remembered,” he said.
Highlighting the shift in public sentiment, PM Modi said that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are now determined to confront terrorism head-on. He recalled how the decades-long militancy in the Valley had scorched schools, hospitals, and even disrupted free and fair elections. “Generations lost their dreams, and many came to accept violence as their fate. But today, this has changed,” he said.
He noted that the current atmosphere reflects a profound transformation. “Kashmiri youth today take pride in the sight of thriving markets, lively cinema halls, and new shopping malls. They dream of bringing back film shoots and transforming Jammu and Kashmir into a sports hub,” he said, citing the Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela, the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, and Eid celebrations as signs of the region’s renewed energy.
PM Modi also recalled the military action carried out by India on May 6, named Operation Sindoor, which he said dealt a decisive blow to Pakistan-based terror networks. “The terror infrastructure built over decades was reduced to ruins within minutes. Pakistan never imagined such a bold response,” he said, adding that the operation would remain a reminder of Pakistan’s humiliation.
He alleged that in retaliation, Pakistan targeted civilian areas in Jammu, Poonch, and other districts. “They shelled schools, hospitals, temples, mosques, and gurdwaras. The world witnessed their cruelty,” PM Modi said, praising the courage and unity displayed by residents in the face of cross-border aggression. He assured the affected families that the country stood with them in full solidarity.
PM Modi announced that families who lost loved ones in cross-border firing have already been provided appointment letters for government jobs. He also said that the government had previously extended financial aid for home repairs in shelling-hit areas, and that this assistance would now be increased. Severely damaged houses will receive ₹2 lakh, while partially damaged homes will be granted ₹1 lakh in additional support.
The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s recognition of border residents as the “nation’s frontline protectors”. Over the past decade, nearly 10,000 new bunkers have been built in the region, he said, noting their importance during recent escalations. Modi further announced the formation of two new Border Battalions in Jammu and Kashmir and confirmed the establishment of two Women Battalions to strengthen both security and women’s participation in the armed forces.
PM Modi concluded his address by declaring that no obstacle would be allowed to hinder the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir’s youth. “If anyone dares to threaten their dreams, they will have to face me first,” he said.
Coffee mornings organised for Loneliness Awareness Week
Residents from the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough are being encouraged to come along to a series of events being organised by Libraries NI to mark Loneliness Awareness Week (June 9 – June 15).
Throughout the year, Libraries NI support people in the community; helping them to stay connected, feel welcomed, and building a sense of belonging.
Libraries are trusted community spaces where people of all ages can spend meaningful time without spending money; whether that’s chatting over a cup of tea at a Knit and Natter session, enjoying a library activity, or simply spending time in the company of others.
Here are just a few of the events and activities happening in your area during the week:
Armagh City Library – Tea and Board Games for Adults – Monday 9 June, 10am – 12noon
Banbridge Library – Coffee and Chat with their new walking group after their walk – Friday 13 June at 11am-12noon – **new members welcome**
Brownlow Library – Tea & Board Games for Adults – Tuesday 10 June, 10:30am – 12:30pm
You can drop in briefly or, stay for a session and chat with staff and library users. It’s a great chance to see how libraries are making a real difference locally.
Applications are being invited for one of Lancaster’s most historic traditions.
This year Lancaster City Council will continue the longstanding custom of admitting new Freemen of the city.
Traditionally the honour of becoming a Freeman carried a number of privileges including the right to ‘pasture a limited number of beasts’ on the Marsh, to enter the city free from the payment of tolls and also to bring goods through toll gates for sale at the Lancaster Market.
Nowadays the role carries few rights, but remains popular amongst those who are proud of their heritage.
Both men and women are eligible to apply to become a Freeman if they meet one of the following criteria:
• To be the son or daughter of a Freeman or Freewoman. • To have served an apprenticeship to a Freeman or Freewoman of the City for a period of seven years. • To have been born within the old city boundaries. If you were born in the RLI you will be eligible. • To have lived within the old city boundaries for a period of seven consecutive years.
In each case, the applicant has to be at least 16 years of age. New Freemen will be entered at a special court of admission on Saturday, 12th July 2025 starting at 10am, and applications are now being invited.
Applicants are also required to attend the court in person and must bring with them a person who is willing to stand and vouch for their identity – for example a spouse, sibling or friend – and swear an oath of allegiance to His Majesty the King and to the Mayor and the city.
Application forms are available from the Mayor’s Office by emailing mayor@lancaster.gov.uk. The deadline for applying to be admitted at this year’s Freemen’s Court is Monday June 23.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)
LEON Act is named for Rev. Leon Sullivan
WASHINGTON (June 5, 2025) – U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans (D-PA) and Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11) have introduced a bipartisan job-training bill, the Leveraging Educational Opportunity Networks (LEON) Act,to help build pathways out of poverty and solve the nation’s structural, long-term labor shortage.
Under the bill (H.R. 3681), the U.S. Department of Labor would provide federal competitive grants to organizations that partner with local employers to provide no-cost professional training to workers for living-wage jobs in construction, disaster recovery, manufacturing and more.
“Too many families — in Pennsylvania’s 3rd District and across the country — have been shut out from employment opportunities that offer them a pathway to the middle class,” said Congressman Evans. “The LEON Act would help build a national career technical education system that would break down barriers and prepare low-income people with the skills that employers need.”
“Western North Carolina is still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene last fall, and recovery is going to take years. This is in part because we have a shortage of qualified construction workers to help us rebuild,” said Congressman Edwards. “The LEON Act would enable us to quickly train the workers we need to help us build stronger, more resilient communities and economies.”
The bill — which would award grants to accredited, not-for-profit, post-secondary educational institutions providing training at no out-of-pocket cost to students — is named for civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, who in 1964 founded a worldwide network of skills-training organizations under the umbrella of Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC).
“The LEON Act is an opportunity to future-proof tomorrow’s workforce by preparing adults for jobs that will provide a pathway to the middle class,” said Louis J. King II, OIC of America’s president and CEO. “With no-cost training, we can transform lives, stabilize and strengthen communities, and address the demands of our national labor shortage. In doing so, we can create a stronger America.
The text of the bill is available here.
Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. He recently announced that his office returned to or saved $4.5 million for constituents in 2024 in cases involving federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. The 2024 figure brings Evans’ office’s total to more than $45.5 million returned to or saved for constituents during his first eight years in Congress.
Evans serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, including its Subcommittee on Health. The committee oversees Social Security, Medicare, taxes, and trade. Evans’ website is evans.house.govand his social media handle is @RepDwightEvanson YouTube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)
WASHINGTON (June 4, 2025) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) issued this statement today:
“I’m deeply concerned by recent violence at aid distribution centers in Gaza and continue to call for a negotiated ceasefire to end the violence in Gaza, including the immediate return of all hostages and the safe, immediate delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. I’m co-sponsoring anew resolutioncalling on this administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza and to bring about the release of the hostages.
“And I continue to join with congressional colleagues in calling on this administration and the Israeli government to protect Palestinian lives; opposing the forcible transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza; and advocating for providing economic security in the West Bank as Palestinian unemployment rates continue to rise. Recently I signed on to a congressional letter to the Israeli ambassador expressing opposition to their blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, as well as a congressional letter to President Trump opposing his remarks about taking over Gaza.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Chief Executive in Council approves provision of land resources to Urban Renewal Authority to take forward redevelopment programmes The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said, “As an important partner of the Government in urban renewal, the URA has been adopting a district-based approach in planning and taking forward redevelopment projects over the past years to avoid ‘pencil’ block development, inject holistic planning into urban redevelopment, and enhance liveability. Meanwhile, redevelopment projects of larger scale involve huge acquisition costs. Coupled with the sluggish property market in recent years, the URA’s projects have been subject to the ‘buy-high-sell-low’ situation (i.e. acquiring properties at the market peak but tendering at low price or even a failed tender), thus affecting its cashflow.”
The URA has taken a number of measures to maintain a financially healthy portfolio, such as adjusting the pacing of taking forward redevelopment projects, obtaining external financing through bond issuance and loan facilities, enhancing the market attractiveness of project tenders, and critically controlling its operating expenditure. Notwithstanding, according to the URA’s latest assessment, in the event that the property market continues to falter and the results of project tenders are not as expected, the URA will have to secure additional financial support in order to maintain the redevelopment momentum, including making acquisition offers for the commenced redevelopment projects.
“The Government has been providing financial support to the URA to enable it to carry out redevelopment and fulfil other statutory missions in a self-financing manner. Granting land at nominal land premium has long been one of the major government support measures for the URA. For example, the Government will grant urban renewal sites to the URA at nil land premium, as well as, in recent years, Government, Institution or Community (G/IC) sites in the vicinity of individual urban redevelopment projects to increase the overall development potential. Granting the two sites to the URA is along the same direction that helps the URA to fulfil its urban renewal mission,” Ms Linn continued.
Ms Linn added, “The granting of the two sites to the URA could also benefit the community. Specifically, the Bailey Street Site can create synergy with the URA’s cluster of redevelopment projects in the Kowloon City area. As for the TKO Site, the original housing development of which has been deferred due to re-prioritisation of the Hong Kong Housing Authority’s (HKHA) projects, granting the site to the URA would optimise the use of the land resources in a timely manner.”
The Bailey Street Site, with a net site area of 7 610 square metres, was reserved for school development. Upon review, the Education Bureau considered that this site can be released for other uses. Granting the Bailey Street Site to the URA could result in optimised land use and enhanced planning gains for the area by accommodating G/IC facilities to meet the district shortfall, enhancing connectivity of the area, and amalgamating the adjacent Hoi Sum Park to provide public open space. The proposed total gross floor area (GFA) will be about 68 490 sq m with a plot ratio of 9.
The TKO Site has a net site area of about 9.15 hectares. The proposed total GFA is about 713 700 sq m with a plot ratio of 7.8. While the residential site concerned was reserved for public housing development, having considered the re-prioritisation of the HKHA’s projects and with sufficient land supply for public housing over the next 10 years, the granting of the site to the URA will have no impact on the overall public housing supply target for the current 10-year period (from 2025-26 to 2034-35). Furthermore, there are still about 42 ha of land reserved for housing development in Tseung Kwan O Area 137, which can be flexibly deployed for public or private housing use. The Government will take into account the market needs and adjust the public-to-private housing ratio in the area in a timely and appropriate manner to provide flexibility in the mix of housing planned for the longer term.
The Executive Council has set clear requirements for this land grant, including (i) requesting the URA to make good use of the two sites as its assets to enhance its financing and borrowing capacity to maintain the momentum of urban redevelopment in a financially prudent manner in the next few years including making acquisition offers to the six commenced redevelopment projects (Note) between now and 2027-28. Moreover, with the land sales revenue to be generated from the two sites for the URA in the future, the URA should make good use of the additional and other income and re-prioritise yet-to-be-commenced projects in light of its financial position; and (ii) the URA should work with the Government to review and refine its operating and financing model that can enable it to undertake urban redevelopment in a financially sustainable manner irrespective of market ups and downs. Furthermore, the URA should advise how to step up building rehabilitation to extend the service life of aged buildings and reduce the immediate need for redevelopment. The URA should come up with specific recommendations within 2026.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs special operation combats online sale of counterfeit perfumes and skincare products (with photo)Issued at HKT 17:20
Hong Kong Customs mounted a special enforcement operation on May 28 and yesterday (June 5), and detected two cases of selling suspected counterfeit goods on online platforms. A total of about 700 items of suspected counterfeit goods, including perfumes and skincare products, with an estimated market value of about $300,000, were seized, and two persons were arrested.
Customs earlier received information from the public and a trademark owner alleging that counterfeit skincare products were put on sale through online platforms. Customs officers then made use of a big-data analytics system to conduct risk assessments and analyses, and through cyber patrols, discovered that another account on an online platform was also selling suspected counterfeit perfumes and skincare products. An investigation was then launched.
After a comprehensive investigation and with the assistance of the trademark owner, Customs officers took enforcement actions on the aforementioned dates and searched two residential units in Mei Foo and Kwun Tong, resulting in the seizure of the batch of suspected counterfeit goods.
During the operation, two women aged 43 and 31 were arrested.
The investigation is ongoing, and the arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out. Also, Customs is looking into the source of the goods involved in the cases, and samples will be sent to the Government Laboratory for safety testing.
Customs reminds consumers to purchase goods at reputable shops or online shops and to avoid conducting transaction with suspicious traders. They should check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.
Customs has been striving to protect consumer rights and carries out inspections in the market and on the Internet from time to time. Moreover, Customs officers use a big-data analytics system to carry out risk assessments and analyses to verify whether online shops have complied with the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO) with a view to safeguarding the interests of consumers during online purchases.
Under the TDO, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes (with photo)Issued at HKT 18:20
An incoming male passenger was sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment with a fine of $1,500 at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today (June 6) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs Officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers intercepted the incoming 59-year-old male passenger at the Lo Wu Control Point yesterday (June 5) and seized 2 185 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $8,900 and a duty potential of about $7,200 from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
What is antisemitism and how do we stop it? Rabbi Jill Jacobs speaks about countering antisemitism as part of a new series for the #NoToHate campaign.
The #NoToHate campaign is a global initiative that aims to counter hate speech and promote tolerance and inclusion. It’s part of a larger UN effort to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia, racism, discrimination, and intolerance, focusing on preventing human rights violations and promoting peace and equality.
The campaign is in line with the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech.
The International Day for Countering Hate Speech is 18 June.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
There’s no wrong way to stay fit for life. Veterans from 48 states and D.C. are proving that movement looks different for everyone and that’s the point.
There’s a sport for every Veteran whether you’re competing, trying something new, or just showing up for yourself.
