Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A Peruvian student, Gerald Samuel Vega Bonilla, studying at the Polytechnic University in the World Economy and International Economic Relations profile, became the best delegate at the Model UN in Smolny in 2025 (in Spanish) and was recognized as a constructive delegate at the Model UN at the Higher School of Economics Research University.
How Gerald ended up in Russia, why he chose the Polytechnic, who inspired him and how he sees his future destiny – you will learn all about this from his interview for the traditional column “Persona”.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
PYONGYANG, July 18 (Xinhua) — North Korea on Thursday criticized Japan’s 2025 defense white paper as “a military scenario to realize its re-invasion ambitions from A to Z,” the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday.
“It is common knowledge” that Japan has revised its national security strategy to include “preemptive strike capabilities” and accelerated both the development of domestically produced long-range missiles and the purchase of foreign-made missiles in recent years, KCNA reported, citing the head of the political department of the Institute of Japanese Affairs at the DPRK Foreign Ministry.
Japan has increased its defense budget to a record high in 2025, ramping up its military capabilities to the fullest extent, KCNA reported, adding that as part of the effort, Tokyo is purchasing medium-range air-to-air missiles, long-range air-to-ground missiles and related equipment from Washington worth US$3.7 billion.
Japan is also considering deploying 400 US-made Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles and Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles that increase their range to more than 1,000 km, KCNA reported.
Japan, which has long positioned itself as a “peaceful nation” adhering to the principle of “exclusive defense,” is currently working to develop capabilities for offensive operations, including long-range strikes and cross-domain operations, KCNA said.
Japan’s defense white paper is “a military scenario for realizing its re-invasion ambitions from A to Z. Its actions to turn Japan into a military giant that seriously threatens regional peace and security cannot be tolerated,” the report said. -0-
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BRUSSELS, July 18 (Xinhua) — The European Union (EU) on Friday approved a new package of sanctions against Russia, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said.
“The EU has just approved one of the toughest sanctions packages against Russia to date,” wrote K. Kallas on the social network X.
It includes a reduction in the price ceiling for Russian oil sold to third countries by 15 percent of the market price. In 2022, the Group of Seven (G7) set the price ceiling at $60 per barrel, now the price will be $47.6, with the possibility of adjustment in accordance with future changes in oil prices.
The package also includes measures to ensure that the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea cannot be restarted.
The EU will impose sanctions on a Russian-owned oil refinery in India and blacklist more than 100 additional vessels from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” that are believed to be skirting EU sanctions by carrying mostly Russian oil, Kallas said. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ANKARA, July 18 (Xinhua) — Turkish security forces have detained 153 suspects in 28 provinces over the past two weeks in a major counter-terrorism operation against the Islamic State (IS) movement, the Turkish Cabinet said on Friday.
The operation, carried out by gendarmerie units, targeted suspected ISIS members in the provinces of Adana, Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir and 24 other provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on the social network X.
The detainees are accused of being members of IS, funding charities allegedly linked to IS and spreading terrorist propaganda through their social media accounts, the minister added.
“The operations will continue without interruption,” said A. Yerlikaya, sharing footage of the raids.
Türkiye declared ISIS a terrorist organization in 2013, accusing its militants of carrying out a series of deadly attacks in the country. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Joaquina Portillo is an indigenous elderly resident from the rural community of Rio Verde, Department of Canindeyú, Northeast Paraguay. She recently attended an outpatient care day hosted in her community and was very pleased with the comprehensive care that she and her family received.
“I came with my whole family. We have several ailments, but the main one is the flu. We are very happy, they treated us all very well,” said Joaquina.
The outpatient care day, one of many held locally, promotes dialogue between health care providers and indigenous and rural communities about intercultural care and provides a range of health services through outreach activities.
This activity was part of a broader project called Expanding Access to and Quality of Primary Health Care and Integrated Health Services in the XIV Health Region – Canindeyú, Paraguay, from 2023 – 2025.
Previously, indigenous communities in Northeast Paraguay have struggled to access the health services they need despite increasing rates of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare has worked closely with PAHO/WHO, through the UHC Partnership, to expand access to and improve the quality of primary health care services at the community level, with family health teams playing a major role.
The combination of applying geospatial analysis to identify health facility gaps, the training of health workers, and strategic approaches to health system policy has led to improved equity and access to services for many remote and indigenous populations.
Access to health services increases
The inter-programmatic and interdisciplinary initiative included developing and implementing a tool for monitoring and managing health services using geospatial data about family health units, training health workers especially in the control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and strategic Health Situation Analysis to facilitate the design of effective health policies.
The initiative has enabled progress on multiple fronts to improve health services in Canindeyú including expanding access to health care for vulnerable populations, strengthening trust in public health services among indigenous and rural populations, increasing the technical capacity of health workers, and optimizing responses to health emergencies.
Across the Department from 2022-2024 health insurance coverage increased by 18.1% and access to health services increased by 25.1%. From April-June 2023 to April-June 2024 the number of primary care visits increased by 10.5%, and the number of overall medical consultations increased by 19%. In the same period, there was also a 29% increase in the proportion of pregnant women who received an HIV and Syphilis test during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Created by PAHO/WHO, the ‘Modular Essential Conditions Assessment’ methodology (VCEm in Spanish) evaluates essential factors for the provision of services in health facilities. It was implemented in 14 health regions, including Canindeyú, to drive sustainable improvement within health service networks and to empower health workers. The methodology reveals significant changes that can be made with little or no investment.
“There are many activities that do not require a large investment such as providing training to health workers on protocols which can be done virtually. I believe this benefit will be reflected in fewer patients reaching critical conditions,” said Dr Angie Duarte, Director of the Curuguaty District Hospital.
The implementation of the modular VCEm at the Canindeyú RISS facilities identified opportunities to improve and prioritize actions to promote inclusive, equitable, and culturally appropriate health services that maintain respect for traditional medical knowledge and foster intercultural dialogue.
“The implementation of the project in Canindeyú, with the valuable support of the UHC Partnership, clearly reflects our inter-programmatic and territorial approach. This initiative was aligned with the country’s efforts to advance health equity by strengthening local capacities, promoting the use of innovative technologies, and ensuring appropriate care tailored to cultural and territorial realities,” said Dr Haydee Padilla, WHO Representative to Paraguay.
“We capitalized on lessons learned from previous experiences, which allowed for a more effective and sustainable approach. Joint work with local actors and the incorporation of intercultural dialogue and community-based health care were essential in closing historical access gaps. Furthermore, the implementation of intersectoral work reinforces the positive impact of this cooperation. This experience confirms that international collaboration, aligned with national priorities, can generate real and lasting transformations in health systems,” Dr Haydee Padilla concluded.
The UHC Partnership operates in over 125 countries, representing over 3 billion people. It is supported and funded by Belgium, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and WHO.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Paul D. Tonko released a statement following the House vote on President Trump’s Rescissions package, which claws back $9 billion in funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid that was already approved by Congress.
“Instead of addressing the rising cost of living or making life better for working Americans, Trump is using his power to go after Elmo and Big Bird.
“Public, independent broadcasting is essential to any democracy, providing critical access to information, educational programming, and updates and emergency alerts. This bill doesn’t just target national NPR or PBS. By law, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting sends over 70% of its funding to local stations. These cuts directly threaten those stations, their communities, and the trusted local journalism and programming they deliver. And international aid delivered by the U.S. has saved tens of millions of lives, addressing hunger, defending human rights, and addressing global health crisis.
“I’ve heard from thousands of constituents — hardworking American taxpayers — calling to demand these essential programs keep this funding, which was already agreed upon and approved by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
“But President Trump would rather pursue his personal, petty vendettas than do anything to make life better or more affordable for working families. While Republicans once again kowtowed to the President’s demands, I won’t stop working to defend and uphold these programs that serve my constituents, our nation, and our planet.”
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched a youth-led national movement titled ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat’ at the Youth Spiritual Summit in Varanasi, taking place from July 19–20. The initiative aims to harness the power of India’s youth—who make up over 65% of the population—to lead the charge against drug addiction and support the broader vision of a developed India.
Set against the spiritual backdrop of the river Ganga, the event is designed to combine cultural engagement with policy dialogue, forming a collective resolve rooted in India’s traditions and moral heritage.
The summit will see participation from key ministries such as Health, Social Justice, and Culture, as well as enforcement bodies like the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and medical institutions including AIIMS. Spiritual organisations from across the country are also contributing, creating a unified front that combines policy, community engagement, and moral guidance.
Central to the summit is the Kashi Declaration, a roadmap for a sustained, youth-led anti-drug movement. Each session at the summit will generate an actionable plan, culminating in a final resolution that outlines specific targets, assigns responsibilities, and sets clear implementation timelines. Progress will be reviewed during the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD 2026) to maintain accountability.
Drawing inspiration from Swami Vivekananda’s message of self-discipline and service to the nation, the summit underscores the role of spiritual and moral strength in tackling addiction. The government is calling on young citizens to not only reject harmful habits but to serve as leaders in their communities.
This spiritual and strategic mobilisation marks a turning point in the national drug policy—bringing together ministries, law enforcement, and civil society under a common goal of empowering youth and building a healthier, drug-free India.
LA federal judge on Friday could deal another blow to President Donald Trump’s attempts to limit birthright citizenship, even though a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month made it more difficult for lower courts to block White House directives.
A group of Democratic attorneys general
from 18 states and the District of Columbia will urge U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin at a hearing in Boston at 10 a.m. ET Friday to maintain an injunction he imposed in February that blocked Trump’s executive order nationwide.
The order directs U.S. agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of children born in the United States after February 19 if neither their mother nor father is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
The states’ case is back in Sorokin’s courtroom so he can assess the impact of the Supreme Court’s landmark June 27th decision. In that 6-3 ruling authored by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court directed lower court judges like Sorokin that had blocked Trump’s policy to reconsider the scope of their orders.
Rather than address the legality of Trump’s executive order, the justices used the case to discourage nationwide, or “universal,” injunctions — in which a single district court judge can block enforcement of a federal policy across the country.
COMPLETE RELIEF
But the court raised the possibility that universal injunctions are still permissible in certain circumstances, including class actions, in which similarly situated people sue as a group, or if they are the only way to provide “complete relief” to litigants in a particular lawsuit.
Friday’s hearing will shed light on how lower courts plan to address what providing complete relief entails, said George Washington University law professor Paul Schiff Berman.
“One of the questions the Supreme Court left open in its nationwide injunction decision is whether states can assert claims on behalf of their citizens and, if so, whether a large-scale injunction would then be necessary to vindicate the rights of large numbers of citizens from large numbers of states,” Berman said.
Spokespersons for the White House and the attorneys general did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A ruling from Sorokin, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, in favor of the states would be the second blow to Trump’s executive order this month. On July 10 at a hearing in New Hampshire, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, an appointee of Republican president George W. Bush, issued a nationwide injunction blocking Trump’s order after he found that children whose citizenship status would be threatened by it could pursue their lawsuit as a class action.
The Democratic-led states, backed by immigrant rights groups, argue the White House directive violated a right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that guarantees that virtually anyone born in the United States is a citizen.
They have argued that, if the executive order is allowed to take effect, it would wreak havoc on the administration of federal benefits programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by making it difficult to verify eligibility.
They also argue that, because children often move across state lines or are born outside their parents’ state of residence, a “patchwork” of injunctions would be unworkable.
“Families are likely to be confused if federal benefits eligibility — let alone U.S. citizenship — differs by State,” the states wrote in a July 15 court filing.
They have urged Sorokin to double down on his February injunction, saying in the court filing that the Supreme Court decision has no bearing on the case before him.
“This Court correctly remedied the States’ injuries via a nationwide injunction, based on the same complete-relief principle that the Supreme Court recently recognized and endorsed,” the brief argued.
The Justice Department has countered that Sorokin’s injunction from February was “clearly overbroad and inappropriate.”
In a July 8 court filing, the department argued that individuals are best situated to litigate their own citizenship status.
LA federal judge on Friday could deal another blow to President Donald Trump’s attempts to limit birthright citizenship, even though a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month made it more difficult for lower courts to block White House directives.
A group of Democratic attorneys general
from 18 states and the District of Columbia will urge U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin at a hearing in Boston at 10 a.m. ET Friday to maintain an injunction he imposed in February that blocked Trump’s executive order nationwide.
The order directs U.S. agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of children born in the United States after February 19 if neither their mother nor father is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
The states’ case is back in Sorokin’s courtroom so he can assess the impact of the Supreme Court’s landmark June 27th decision. In that 6-3 ruling authored by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court directed lower court judges like Sorokin that had blocked Trump’s policy to reconsider the scope of their orders.
Rather than address the legality of Trump’s executive order, the justices used the case to discourage nationwide, or “universal,” injunctions — in which a single district court judge can block enforcement of a federal policy across the country.
COMPLETE RELIEF
But the court raised the possibility that universal injunctions are still permissible in certain circumstances, including class actions, in which similarly situated people sue as a group, or if they are the only way to provide “complete relief” to litigants in a particular lawsuit.
Friday’s hearing will shed light on how lower courts plan to address what providing complete relief entails, said George Washington University law professor Paul Schiff Berman.
“One of the questions the Supreme Court left open in its nationwide injunction decision is whether states can assert claims on behalf of their citizens and, if so, whether a large-scale injunction would then be necessary to vindicate the rights of large numbers of citizens from large numbers of states,” Berman said.
Spokespersons for the White House and the attorneys general did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A ruling from Sorokin, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama, in favor of the states would be the second blow to Trump’s executive order this month. On July 10 at a hearing in New Hampshire, U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, an appointee of Republican president George W. Bush, issued a nationwide injunction blocking Trump’s order after he found that children whose citizenship status would be threatened by it could pursue their lawsuit as a class action.
The Democratic-led states, backed by immigrant rights groups, argue the White House directive violated a right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that guarantees that virtually anyone born in the United States is a citizen.
They have argued that, if the executive order is allowed to take effect, it would wreak havoc on the administration of federal benefits programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by making it difficult to verify eligibility.
They also argue that, because children often move across state lines or are born outside their parents’ state of residence, a “patchwork” of injunctions would be unworkable.
“Families are likely to be confused if federal benefits eligibility — let alone U.S. citizenship — differs by State,” the states wrote in a July 15 court filing.
They have urged Sorokin to double down on his February injunction, saying in the court filing that the Supreme Court decision has no bearing on the case before him.
“This Court correctly remedied the States’ injuries via a nationwide injunction, based on the same complete-relief principle that the Supreme Court recently recognized and endorsed,” the brief argued.
The Justice Department has countered that Sorokin’s injunction from February was “clearly overbroad and inappropriate.”
In a July 8 court filing, the department argued that individuals are best situated to litigate their own citizenship status.
Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast applauded the Justice Department’s indictment of aVOA employee for allegedly threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene:
“Voice of America was built to fight propaganda — now it’s spewing hate at our own leaders. This is just another example in a long string of liberal taxpayer-funded hit jobs.”
1. We strongly condemn Russia’s malicious cyber activities, which constitute a threat to Allied security. We stand in solidarity and recognise that Estonia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States have recently attributed malicious cyber activity targeting several NATO Allies and Ukraine to Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU). We recall that in 2024, Germany and the Czech Republic individually attributed activity to APT 28, which is sponsored by the GRU. We also note with concern that the same threat actor targeted other national governmental entities, critical infrastructure operators and other entities across the Alliance, including in Romania. These attributions and the continuous targeting of our critical infrastructure, with the harmful impacts caused across several sectors, illustrate the extent to which cyber and wider hybrid threats have become important tools in Russia’s ongoing campaign to destabilise NATO Allies and in Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
2. We call on Russia to stop its destabilising cyber and hybrid activities. These activities demonstrate Russia’s disregard for the United Nations framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, which Russia claims to uphold. Russia’s actions will not deter Allies’ support to Ukraine, including cyber assistance through the Tallinn Mechanism and IT capability coalition. We will continue to use the lessons learned from the war against Ukraine in countering Russian malicious cyber activity.
3. NATO stands for a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace. We call on all States, including Russia, to uphold their international obligations, also when acting in cyberspace, and to act consistently with the framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace as affirmed by all members of the United Nations.
4. We remain united in our determination to counter, constrain, and contest Russian malicious cyber activities and are investing in our defences; including through the establishment of the NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre and upholding our Cyber Defence Pledge commitments as well as through the commitments made in the Hague Summit Declaration.
5. We are determined to employ the full range of capabilities in order to deter, defend against and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats. We will respond to these at a time and in a manner of our choosing, in accordance with international law, and in coordination with our international partners including the EU.
1. We strongly condemn Russia’s malicious cyber activities, which constitute a threat to Allied security. We stand in solidarity and recognise that Estonia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States have recently attributed malicious cyber activity targeting several NATO Allies and Ukraine to Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU). We recall that in 2024, Germany and the Czech Republic individually attributed activity to APT 28, which is sponsored by the GRU. We also note with concern that the same threat actor targeted other national governmental entities, critical infrastructure operators and other entities across the Alliance, including in Romania. These attributions and the continuous targeting of our critical infrastructure, with the harmful impacts caused across several sectors, illustrate the extent to which cyber and wider hybrid threats have become important tools in Russia’s ongoing campaign to destabilise NATO Allies and in Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.
2. We call on Russia to stop its destabilising cyber and hybrid activities. These activities demonstrate Russia’s disregard for the United Nations framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, which Russia claims to uphold. Russia’s actions will not deter Allies’ support to Ukraine, including cyber assistance through the Tallinn Mechanism and IT capability coalition. We will continue to use the lessons learned from the war against Ukraine in countering Russian malicious cyber activity.
3. NATO stands for a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace. We call on all States, including Russia, to uphold their international obligations, also when acting in cyberspace, and to act consistently with the framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace as affirmed by all members of the United Nations.
4. We remain united in our determination to counter, constrain, and contest Russian malicious cyber activities and are investing in our defences; including through the establishment of the NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre and upholding our Cyber Defence Pledge commitments as well as through the commitments made in the Hague Summit Declaration.
5. We are determined to employ the full range of capabilities in order to deter, defend against and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats. We will respond to these at a time and in a manner of our choosing, in accordance with international law, and in coordination with our international partners including the EU.
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARMELO CANCEL, also known as “Bebe,” 31, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for supplying cocaine to two Waterbury drug trafficking organizations.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization was headed by Angel Quiros, also known as “Papa John,” and operated in the area of William Street, and the other was headed by Daniel Diaz-Rivera and operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. Cancel supplied cocaine to both organizations, which worked together to further their operations.
Cancel, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and 14 other individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. Cancel and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
On April 23, 2025, Cancel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Released on $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on September 17.
Quiros and Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to related charges. Quiros awaits sentencing and, on June 23, 2025, Diaz-Rivera was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
TYLER, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Tyler, has been charged with a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Marco Imanol Ferrusca-Ortega, 23, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on July 8, 2025, Ferrusca-Ortega was found illegally in the United States and in possession of a firearm
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Ferrusca-Ortega faces up to 15 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Tyler Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
LOS ANGELES – A former Amtrak employee was sentenced today to 25 months in federal prison for conspiring with her husband to steal nearly $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and for fraudulently obtaining more than $63,000 in sickness benefits while she worked at the passenger railroad company.
Lizette Berrios Lathon, 48, of Moreno Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin, who also ordered her to pay $1,061,667in restitution.
In November 2022, Lizette Lathon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of wire fraud.
Previously, in July 2024, Judge Olguin sentenced Lathon’s husband, Kenneth Andrew Lathon, 50, also of Moreno Valley, to 54 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $998,630 in restitution.
Kenneth Lathon pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
From 2014 until at least September 2022, Lizette Lathon, in addition to her one-time duties as a service attendant for Amtrak, operated at least three tax preparation businesses: Miracle Tax Service, which was located on Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile; Hardcore Corp., which did business as “Hardcore Taxes”; and Lathon LLC, which did business as “LL Taxes.” The latter two companies were in Moreno Valley.
Lathon and her husband took advantage of the expanded eligibility for UI benefits made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law in 2020. The CARES Act also established the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provided additional UI benefits to qualified individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, including people who did not otherwise qualify for UI such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, and those with a limited work history.
In some instances, Lizette Lathon submitted fraudulent applications with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) for UI benefits using names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth that she obtained from former clients of her tax preparation businesses without the permission of those former clients. On the applications, she falsely asserted inflated income for the named claimants – many of whom had never lived in California – to receive the maximum benefit amount.
As a result of the fraudulent claims she filed, EDD authorized Bank of America to issue debit cards in the names of Lizette Lathon’s former clients, but the cards were mailed to addresses she and her family controlled. She and her husband then used the debit cards to make cash withdrawals at ATMs and to make purchases at retail stores.
During the conspiracy, which lasted from the spring of 2020 until March 2021, Lathon and her husband caused at least 44 fraudulent unemployment claims to be filed, resulting in losses to EDD and the United States Treasury of approximately $998,630.
Lizette Lathon, who was employed at Amtrak from 2000 to 2021, also schemed to defraud the Railroad Retirement Board out of sickness benefit payments by filing forged and false claims that stated she was being treated by a medical professional for pain and anxiety. Through this scheme, which lasted from September 2014 to January 2020, she fraudulently obtained approximately $63,047 in sickness benefit payments.
Kenneth Lathon possessed a .22-caliber rifle and 12-gauge shotgun despite his criminal history, which includes felony convictions in California state court for theft, cocaine possession, and fraud.
These matters were investigated by the Amtrak Office of Inspector General; the United States Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration; the California Employment Development Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Cory L. Burleson of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted these cases.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christopher Murrita Diaz, 20, and Gustavo Vergara Avalos, 21, both of Monroe, N.C., were each sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release yesterday for drug and gun charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Both Diaz and Avalos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of a machinegun. Diaz also pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine, transfer of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, law enforcement initiated and investigation into Diaz after they learned he was selling cocaine and machinegun conversion devices, commonly referred to as a “Glock switches.” During the investigation, Diaz sold cocaine to a confidential informant working with the ATF, 28 Glock switches, a firearm, two AR style firearms, and a machinegun. At least one of the sales of contraband occurred at Vergara-Avalos’ residence. In October 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence where they seized a total of 10 firearms, 26 Glock switches, and more cocaine.
Both men are in custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The ATF and Union the Union County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The U.S.
Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.
Ningbo (Agenzia Fides) – Saint Vincent de Paul bore witness to Christ’s charity by offering food to the hungry and care for the sick in 17th-century France. Today, following in his footsteps, the parishioners of the Longwan Church dedicated to him, in the diocese of Wenzhou, offer a cup of fresh tea to those who must work hours and hours outdoors in the Chinese coastal province of Zhejiang. Food delivery workers, postmen, bricklayers, and messengers of various kinds have had to work even on the so-called “dog days,” the 30 hottest days of the year, when the humid heat becomes oppressive and everything becomes more tiring. The fresh tea offered by the parish community to all those in need of refreshment has become a simple and appreciated sign of how Christian charity recognizes and embraces the needs, even physical needs, of all. In winter, in the same parish, those suffering from the cold can always find a steaming cup of hot tea. The parish of Longwan has become famous for its concern in bearing witness to and proclaiming faith in Jesus, also through many social works. In addition to the distribution of “Vincentian tea,” members of the parish community maintain a service of regular, free medical visits for those most in need.They also organize sacred music concerts, pilgrimages, and social gatherings for groups of the elderly, young people, and children. All of this is also inspired by devotion to the Patron Saint Vincent de Paul, in accordance with the ever-helpful suggestion of the Didache: “Seek the faces of the Saints every day and find rest in their words.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 18/7/2025)
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The European Union issued a statement restating its unwavering and unequivocal condemnation of the persistent malicious activities posed by Russia, as part of broader, coordinated, and long-standing hybrid campaigns aimed at threatening and undermining the security, resilience and democratic foundations of the EU, its member states and its partners.
The Council adopted additional restrictive measures against two individuals and two entities for acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses, or which threaten the peace, stability and security of Sudan or for obstructing the delivery of, access to, and distribution of humanitarian assistance in Sudan.
Samsung Electronics has introduced its 2025 OLED TV line-up featuring three next-gen series (S95F, S90F, and S85F) in screen class sizes up to 83”. The fastest growing OLED TV brand,[1], Samsung is continuing to innovate with its 2025 OLED lineup, delivering powerful full-screen brightness, deep blacks, vibrant, Pantone®-validated colours and our most advanced OLED Glare-Free technology – for distraction-free viewing.
“No two homes are the same, and we recognise that for some shoppers – sunlight and ambient lighting are often a top consideration when choosing which TV to buy for their space. We want to give them even more flexibility to enjoy their content when and where they want, without compromising great picture quality and colour reproduction,” said said Nivash Ramsern, Director, Visual Display at Samsung South Africa. “Our flagship S95F series offers all of that and more, featuring our best OLED Glare-Free technology yet, while maintaining pure blacks, clean whites, dramatic contrast and truly breathtaking, Pantone-validated colour. Paired with our most advanced 4K processor, an upgraded refresh rate and a 30% brightness boost, you’ll experience the most realistic picture possible on a Samsung OLED TV.”
All three series in the lineup also feature Samsung Vision AI,[2] to power not only their cinematic picture and sound, but also AI-backed experiences that will help you engage more deeply with your content and enjoy a viewing experience that’s catered to you.
Samsung Vision AI also unlocks new Samsung SmartThings features that simplify and enhance daily life. When you activate “Pet Care[3] ” and “Family Care[4] , you’ll get access to live video of your living room through your connected camera and receive alerts if your pet or child needs your attention – for peace of mind at home or away. Plus, “Home Insights[5] provides notifications from your smart devices right on screen, including a 3D Map View that shows your entire smart home at a glance.
“Universal Gestures[6] even let’s you control your TV through your Galaxy Watch – with simple hand motions like rotating the watch bezel to scroll the screen,or making a fist to return to a previous menu.
These intuitive features, along with all your favorite apps and services, will be available through One UI Tizen – the next evolution of our Tizen OS. One UI Tizen enhances the look and feel of Tizen OS, with a refreshed layout that mirrors the interface of many Samsung smartphones, tablets and Galaxy watches.
You can also now create separate profiles for each member of your household and enjoy suggested shows, movies and other content curated just for you. And, we’re maximising your entertainment with up to seven years[7] of OS updates, ensuring you’ll have access to the latest apps and services for many years to come.
S95F: The Best Samsung OLED TV Gets Even Better
The flagship series features our most powerful NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor[8] that optimizes contrast, brightness, depth and colour across every scene. No matter what you enjoy watching, the processor upscales,[9] it all into brilliant 4K resolution.
For gamers, Motion Xcelerator 165Hz,[10] ensures smooth motion and blazing fast speeds from even the most demanding games. Together, these upgrades make the S95F our best OLED yet, offering a cinematic picture without distractions.
77” Class S95F: R99,999*
S90F: Vivid Contrast and Breathtaking Clarity through AI-Powered Visuals
The S90F series (48” – 83” screen class sizes) also features our powerful NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor that delivers incredible picture and dynamic sound, and powers Samsung Vision AI experiences. You can also watch classic movies and shows like you never have before thanks to 4K AI Upscaling Pro,[11], which transforms everything on screen into impressive 4K resolution.
Experience powerful brightness and deeper contrast as OLED HDR+,[12] analyzes each scene to help you appreciate even the tiniest details – from fireworks in a night sky to the golden hue of a sunset.
With the S90F series, you can enjoy an uninterrupted, fluid picture across games and content with Motion Xcelerator 144Hz.,[13] And, AI Motion Enhancer Pro,[14]sharpens and smooths fast-moving objects – like a golf ball or hockey puck – so you never miss a play.
The S90F also envelops you in multidimensional sound tailored to your space and content – thanks to features like Object Tracking Sound Lite, Active Voice Amplifier Pro,[15] and Adaptive Sound Pro.,[16]
83” Class S90F: R129,999*
77” Class S90F: R79,999*
65” Class S90F: R42,998*
55” Class S90F: R26,999*
48” Class S90F: R18,999*
S85F: Amazing Detail and Brightness
The S85F series (55” – 65” screen class sizes) is powered by the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor, which makes movies, TV shows, video games and sports you love look and sound even better.
4K AI Upscaling,[17] can transform content from decades ago into 4K resolution, while Motion Xcelerator 120Hz brings smooth motion to games and sports. The TVs can also analyse each scene and use AI to deliver vivid colours and enhanced detail with Colour Booster Pro.[18]
Plus, you’ll enjoy the same pure blacks, bright whites and Pantone-Validated colour offered across the entire 2025 OLED lineup, so images on screen look as incredible as they do in real life.
65” Class S85F: R32,999*
55” Class S85F: R22,999*
Our 2025 TVs are also loaded with sleek, minimalist designs that blend with your environment, while SmartThings,[19] works with over 340 smart home brands, integrating all your devices into one central ecosystem and unlocking exclusive features with select Samsung products. All the while, Samsung Knox,[20] offers triple-layer protection, so your personal data stays safe and secure.
Whichever model you choose, you can shop confidently from the #1 global TV brand for 19 years running. [21]
For more on the newest OLED models and other Samsung TV and audio products, visit www.samsung.com/za .
[1] Circana, LLC, Retail Tracking Service, Display Type: OLED, US Sales, 52 Weeks Ending March 23, 2024.
[2] Samsung Vision Al is only available on 2025 Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED, OLED, QLED and The Frame TV models. Samsung Vision Al features vary by TV model. (Excludes Crystal UHD, FHD and HD TV models).
[3] Available on certain models only, and on terrestrial, cable TV and Samsung TV Plus.
[4] Works with antenna broadcast only. Available languages vary and may require download. Translation accuracy not guaranteed.
[5] Samsung Account required for network-based smart services, including streaming apps and other smart features. Separate computer, mobile, or other device may be necessary to create/log in to Samsung Account (free to download and create). Without Samsung Account log in, only external device connections (e.g., via HDMI) and terrestrial/over-the-air TV (only for TVs with tuners) are available. Each device must be signed into same Samsung Account and must have both Wi-Fi. It only works when the TV is turned off. Utilizes AI-based formulas.
[6] Samsung Account required for network-based smart services, including streaming apps and other smart features. Separate computer, mobile, or other device may be necessary to create/log in to Samsung Account (free to download and create). Without Samsung Account log in, only external device connections (e.g., via HDMI) and terrestrial/over-the-air TV (only for TVs with tuners) are available. Each device must be signed in to same Samsung Account and must have both Wi-Fi. It only works when the TV is turned off.
[7] Samsung Account required for network-based smart services, including streaming apps and other smart features. Separate computer, mobile, or other device may be necessary to create/log in to Samsung Account (free to download and create). Without Samsung Account log in, only external device connections (e.g., via HDMI) and terrestrial/over-the-air TV (only for TVs with tuners) are available.
[8] Requires Galaxy Watch 4 and higher / Wear OS 5 and higher.
[9] Samsung Account required for network-based smart services, including streaming apps and other smart features. Computer, mobile or other device may be necessary to create/log in to Samsung Account (free to download and create). Without Account log in, only external device connections (e.g., via HDMI) and terrestrial/over-the-air TV (only for TVs with tuners) available. One UI Tizen OS updates are available for up to 7 years from the product release year starting in 2023. Availability, features, contents, apps and services are subject to change without notice and may vary by product and model. OS updates does not cover hardware-related performance, features or durability.
[10] Utilises AI-Based formulas to upscale to 4K resolution. Resulting picture may vary based on source content.
[11] Utilises AI-Based formulas to upscale to 4K resolution. Resulting picture may vary based on source content.
[12] 4K 165Hz is only available with PC connected games that support such specifications (PC graphic card required). Performance may vary.
[13] Utilises AI-Based formulas to upscale to 4K resolution. Resulting picture may vary.
[14] Compared to OLED HDR, 48″ & 42″ have OLED HDR.
[15] 4K 144Hz is only available with PC connected games that support such specifications (PC graphic card required). Performance may vary.
[16] Utilises AI-Based formulas.
[17] Utilises AI-Based formulas to upscale to 4K resolution. Resulting picture may vary based on source content.
[18] Utilises AI-Based formulas.
[19] Samsung Account required for network-based smart services, including streaming apps and other smart features. Additional apps required. A computer, mobile or other device may be necessary to create/log into Samsung Account (free to download and create). Without Account login, only external device connections (e.g., via HDMI) and terrestrial/over-the-air TV (only for TVs with tuners) available.
[20] Personal data includes directly input PIN-codes and passwords, and IoT device information shared through the SmartThings App. The latest software update is required.
[21] Source: Omdia, Feb 2025. Results are not an endorsement of Samsung. Any reliance on these results is at the third party’s own risk.
In my writing and rhetoric courses, students have plenty of opinions on whether AI is intelligent: how well it can assess, analyze, evaluate and communicate information.
When I ask whether artificial intelligence can “think,” however, I often look upon a sea of blank faces. What is “thinking,” and how is it the same or different from “intelligence”?
We might treat the two as more or less synonymous, but philosophers have marked nuances for millennia. Greek philosophers may not have known about 21st-century technology, but their ideas about intellect and thinking can help us understand what’s at stake with AI today.
The divided line
Although the English words “intellect” and “thinking” do not have direct counterparts in the ancient Greek, looking at ancient texts offers useful comparisons.
In “Republic,” for example, Plato uses the analogy of a “divided line” separating higher and lower forms of understanding.
A Roman mosaic from Pompeii depicts Plato’s academy in Greece. Wikimedia Commons
Plato, who taught in the fourth century BCE, argued that each person has an intuitive capacity to recognize the truth. He called this the highest form of understanding: “noesis.” Noesis enables apprehension beyond reason, belief or sensory perception. It’s one form of “knowing” something – but in Plato’s view, it’s also a property of the soul.
Lower down, but still above his “dividing line,” is “dianoia,” or reason, which relies on argumentation. Below the line, his lower forms of understanding are “pistis,” or belief, and “eikasia,” imagination.
Pistis is belief influenced by experience and sensory perception: input that someone can critically examine and reason about. Plato defines eikasia, meanwhile, as baseless opinion rooted in false perception.
In Plato’s hierarchy of mental capacities, direct, intuitive understanding is at the top, and moment-to-moment physical input toward the bottom. The top of the hierarchy leads to true and absolute knowledge, while the bottom lends itself to false impressions and beliefs. But intuition, according to Plato, is part of the soul, and embodied in human form. Perceiving reality transcends the body – but still needs one.
So, while Plato does not differentiate “intelligence” and “thinking,” I would argue that his distinctions can help us think about AI. Without being embodied, AI may not “think” or “understand” the way humans do. Eikasia – the lowest form of comprehension, based on false perceptions – may be similar to AI’s frequent “hallucinations,” when it makes up information that seems plausible but is actually inaccurate.
Embodied thinking
Aristotle, Plato’s student, sheds more light on intelligence and thinking.
A 15th-century relief of Aristotle and Plato by Luca della Robbia in the Florence Cathedral in Italy. sailko/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
In “On the Soul,” Aristotle distinguishes “active” from “passive” intellect. Active intellect, which he called “nous,” is immaterial. It makes meaning from experience, but transcends bodily perception. Passive intellect is bodily, receiving sensory impressions without reasoning.
We could say that these active and passive processes, put together, constitute “thinking.” Today, the word “intelligence” holds a logical quality that AI’s calculations may conceivably replicate. Aristotle, however, like Plato, suggests that to “think” requires an embodied form and goes beyond reason alone.
Aristotle’s views on rhetoric also show that deliberation and judgment require a body, feeling and experience. We might think of rhetoric as persuasion, but it is actually more about observation: observing and evaluating how evidence, emotion and character shape people’s thinking and decisions. Facts matter, but emotions and people move us – and it seems questionable whether AI utilizes rhetoric in this way.
Finally, Aristotle’s concept of “phronesis” sheds further light on AI’s capacity to think. In “Nicomachean Ethics,” he defines phronesis as “practical wisdom” or “prudence.” “Phronesis” involves lived experience that determines not only right thought, but also how to apply those thoughts to “good ends,” or virtuous actions. AI may analyze large datasets to reach its conclusions, but “phronesis” goes beyond information to consult wisdom and moral insight.
‘Thinking’ robots?
Today, AI takes on many physical forms, from autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots to health care robotsand drones. If intelligence requires embodiment, as Plato and Aristotle believed, it might seem as if AI is coming closer than ever to human thinking.
AI does take on many forms, but they’re still not bodies; they run on code, algorithms and datasets. Intuitive understanding, emotion, integrity and practical wisdom seem to require an embodied, perishable form that is moved by experience.
Perhaps we should ask AI itself – so I did. When I prompted ChatGPT with the simple question, “Can you think?” it responded: “I can process information, analyze patterns, and generate responses based on data. So in some ways, it might ‘seem’ like I’m thinking. But it’s not thinking like a human does. I don’t have consciousness, emotions, intentions, or awareness. Everything I ‘do’ is based on patterns learned from huge amounts of text and a set of rules and probabilities. I can ‘simulate’ certain aspects of thinking, but I don’t truly think or understand in the human sense.”
That response aligns with Plato and Aristotle’s views. For now.
Ryan Leack does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Mike returned home to Philadelphia after a 15-year prison sentence and suffered an emotional breakdown.
“I just couldn’t stop crying … I don’t know. It was the anxiety. It was just a lot,” he said. “I was under a lot of pressure and it just came crashing down.”
Mike, who was in his late 40s when we spoke, told me about his childhood filled with abuse, his first arrest at age 14, and the over 20 years of his life that he spent behind bars.
As a registered nurse and nurse scientist who studies how incarceration affects mental health, I know Mike’s experience after release from prison is not uncommon. Studies show that Black men who have experienced incarceration have higher rates of PTSD, depression and psychological distress compared with Black men who have never been incarcerated.
Working in psychiatric hospitals in Philadelphia, I met many patients in crisis who had been incarcerated at some point in their lives. As a part of my doctoral research, funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, I interviewed 29 formerly incarcerated Black men to understand how incarceration has affected their mental health.
My peer-reviewed findings were published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. All quotes shared here use pseudonyms to protect the men’s privacy.
Many formerly incarcerated men described experiencing or witnessing violence, including being beaten by correctional officers and witnessing close friends get assaulted or killed.
“You know you are not regular because you come from a traumatic situation, right?” said Thomas, 44, who spent 18 years incarcerated.
The participants expressed that racism was common, especially while incarcerated in facilities located in the rural central and northern regions of Pennsylvania.
“I ain’t gonna sugar coat it – Black people going up into them white people mountains, they call you [n-word] all day long and you basically there to accept it,” Antonio told me.
Incarceration was especially difficult for those who were held for months pretrial without ever being convicted and those incarcerated during COVID restrictions who spent more than 23 hours a day in their cells.
‘Even though I’m free, I ain’t free’
Participants described life on parole or probation, or in transitional housing, as another form of confinement.
Ken, 56, has been out of prison for over a decade but said, “I’m still locked up, even though I’m free, I ain’t free. You just get a whole new set of rules and regulations.”
Men described significant anxiety related to community supervision requirements, including difficulty sleeping the night before a probation appointment.
Participants also described distress caused by “no association” restrictions. These are common parole and probation requirements that prohibit people under supervision from interacting with others who have criminal records, are also under supervision or are currently incarcerated. Violating this requirement can lead to a technical violation and reincarceration.
While these requirements are meant to reduce the risk of reoffending, they often isolate people from supportive relationships and resources, including housing and employment.
“[There are] a lot of smart brothers in there. And it hurts my heart. And that’s where the depression coming in too,” said Reese, who spent six years incarcerated. “I can’t contact them in jail. … That’s just how it is in the system.”
Philadelphia has the highest rate of community supervision – including probation and parole – among the largest U.S. cities, according to a 2019 analysis by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The men I interviewed said they felt like parts of them never left jail or prison, while others felt that they brought prison or jail home with them.
Tyrese, 34, said he stays home as often as he can.
“I’ve been out of the joint for seven years now and feel like I’m still institutionalized, I guess,” he said. “I know people that don’t even come outside,” referring to other formerly incarcerated men.
Others had dreams that they were back in a cell, or at home still wearing jail clothing. Long after release, many described constant hypervigilance and anxiety.
“I can be walking to the bus station and there be people walking around me, I’m constantly watching them,” said Anthony, who was first incarcerated at age 18 and served 16 years. “I’m watching every movement they’re doing. That’s a habit I had from jail.”
Philly rapper Meek Mill, shown here at a 2018 rally outside a Center City courthouse, was sentenced to probation for 10 years after a conviction on drug and gun charges. He became an advocate of criminal justice reform. Michael Candelori/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Finding work
People who have been incarcerated often struggle to find employment after release, as many employers are unwilling to hire a person with a criminal record.
At the time of our interview, Tay, 31, was working part-time in carpentry. “Because I had felonies on my record a lot of places won’t hire me,” he said. “And a couple of places that I was working with, they ended up firing me once they did the background check.”
These frustrations can easily spill over into family life.
Mark, 30, also works part-time and said he found himself frequently becoming agitated and snapping at his kids, other family members and his girlfriend. “I can’t get the job I want or the job that I need to do what I need to do for my family and I’ll be frustrated,” he shared.
Participants struggled with having to depend on others for basic needs upon release. Kenny, who is now self-employed as a caterer, recalled his experience a few years earlier. “I was crying. I was a grown man, almost 40 years old, and my mother had to buy me underwear, socks,” he said.
The importance of fatherhood
Despite their many hardships, some of the men spoke with joy about reconnecting with their children.
“I think the most positive thing that happened since I’ve been out of prison is I got custody of my sons,” said Ken, a father of two. “Them kids saved me.”
Like many of the other participants with children, however, he was frustrated about being unable to provide for them and worried about repeating harmful cycles.
“You want to do good, but it makes you think bad stuff when you don’t have the right resources,” he continued. “You don’t want [your kids] to do the same things you did.”
Others struggled to bond with their children after years of separation.
John, 29, explained, “The bonding is kind of awkward, because you wasn’t there, especially during the pandemic when there was no visits allowed.”
Shawn, who lives in pubic housing, showed me abandoned buildings and boarded storefronts in his neighborhood and described how the environment made rebuilding his life harder.
For many participants, returning to divested communities brought stress. They experienced frequent exposure to substance use, violence and negative police encounters, and they had limited access to basic resources and job opportunities needed to support recovery and stability.
“This is my real life. It’s not fake. It’s not no, ‘Well, why did he go back and do this or that?’” he said. “I live in an underserved, impoverished, danger zone – period.”
Moving forward
The experiences these men shared with me demonstrate how traumatic incarceration is, even many years after release.
Supporting the mental health of formerly incarcerated Black men requires trauma-informed services, such as culturally responsive counseling, peer support and care that acknowledges the lasting effects of incarceration.
It also means helping them build or rebuild their financial resources, reconnect with their children and loved ones, and supporting the broader communities they return to through investment in housing, employment and accessible health and social services.
Helena Addison received funding from National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number F31NR020434, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and American Nurses Association Minority Fellowship Program, the University of Pennsylvania’s Presidential PhD Fellowship, and Jonas Philanthropies to support this study and/or her PhD training. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health, or any other funding organizations or institutions. The views expressed in written training materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Higher vitamin D levels in a mother’s blood during pregnancy have been linked to higher IQ scores in early childhood and reduced behavioral problems. gpointstudio/iStock via Getty Images
Children whose mothers had higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on tests of memory, attention and problem-solving skills at ages 7 to 12 compared with those whose mothers had lower levels. That is a key finding of a new peer-reviewed study that my colleagues and I published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
This suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be a promising, low-cost strategy to support brain development while reducing racial disparities. Our study also suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development, highlighting the importance of early action by health care providers.
We analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the U.S. who participated in a large national study called ECHO, short for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes. We measured vitamin D in the mothers’ blood during pregnancy and assessed children’s cognitive abilities using a standardized test battery. We also accounted for other important factors that shape childhood development such as the mother’s education, neighborhood conditions and the child’s age and sex.
This new study builds on our earlier findings that higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy are linked to higher IQ in early childhood and with reduced behavioral problems in middle childhood.
Collectively, these studies suggest that vitamin D plays a crucial role in brain development during pregnancy, with lasting benefits for children’s cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
The children of mothers who had higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on tests of memory, attention and problem-solving skills at ages 7 to 12. Prostock-Studio/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Although we can get vitamin D both from sun exposure and our diets, deficiency is common because these sources don’t meet everyone’s needs. Sunlight isn’t always a reliable source, especially for people with darker skin, those living in northern climates or those who often wear sunscreen or sun-protective clothing. Natural food sources such as fatty fish, egg yolks and certain mushrooms contain some vitamin D, and fortified products such as milk and breakfast cereals help, but not everyone eats enough of these foods to maintain healthy vitamin D levels.
Although current guidelines recommend that pregnant women consume 600 international units, or IUs, of vitamin D daily, higher doses of at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU are often needed to correct deficiency. On average, U.S. women consume only 168 IU from food and beverages, and many prenatal vitamins providejust 400 IU. This highlights an important opportunity for clinicians to improve screening and support around vitamin D supplementation both before and during pregnancy.
If a simple, low-cost strategy such as prenatal vitamin D supplementation can help support brain development, it may yield lasting benefits for children. Long-term studies have shown that higher cognitive scores in childhood are linked to better memory and reasoning in older age, as well as longer lifespan.
What still isn’t known
While our studies have linked higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy to improved cognitive and behavioral development in children, we cannot yet prove that vitamin D is the direct cause.
Therefore, studies called randomized controlled trials – the gold standard of research – are needed to confirm these findings and determine how best to translate them into clinical practice. These studies will be essential for determining the optimal target levels for vitamin D to support brain development in pregnancy.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Melissa Melough receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
These attacks are part of a broader strategy known as affective nationalism. It occurs when leaders use emotions, not just ideas, to build national identity. Feelings such as fear, pride, nostalgia and resentment are deployed to create a story about who belongs, who doesn’t and who’s to blame.
Trump followed Orbán’s playbook. On May 22, 2025, his administration declared that Harvard could no longer enroll foreign students. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement claimed that university leaders “created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators.” The statement suggested that many of the so-called agitators were foreign students.
These labels – “elite,” “foreign” or “anti-national” – are not neutral. They fuel fear, resentment and powerful narratives that frame universities as threats. Harvard, Central European University and Jawaharlal Nehru University have become symbols of broader national anxieties around identity and belonging.
British-Australian feminist scholar Sara Ahmed’s work on the sticky nature of emotions helps reveal the two emotions that often appear in attacks on universities: nostalgia and resentment.
Consider Trump’s “Make American Great Again” slogan. It implies the nation was once great, has declined and must reclaim its former glory. That’s a powerful emotional story. Nationalism often works this way – by telling a tale of a lost golden age and a future that must be saved.
For that reason, nostalgia is central to populist attacks on universities and institutional reform. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, for example, evoked Harvard’s symbolic past as part of the American Dream, arguing it has lost its way and “put its reputation in serious jeopardy.”
In India, Modi’s government rejects Western influence, while using nostalgia to revive a Hindu past in higher education. The Modi government promotes national pride on campuses by glorifying military heroes and installing symbolic figures – such as the statue of Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk and philosopher, at Jawaharlal Nehru University – to shape student identity and loyalty.
In Hungary, Orbán mobilizes a glorified Christian past to challenge discourses on diversity, inclusion, critical inquiry and academic freedom in higher education. A 2021 bill tasks universities with defending the nation and preserving its intellectual and cultural heritage.
In India, the Modi government has increasingly framed public universities as institutions corrupted by Western ideas. Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images News
Enemies of the nation
Resentment is a powerful emotion often used by states that see themselves as defenders of national unity and values. When Harvard resisted Trump’s reforms, the president framed the university’s stance in a Truth Social post as a betrayal to the nation, denouncing it as “terrorist inspired/supporting ‘sickness.’” Meanwhile, the Department of Education issued a statement that accused the university of a “troubling entitlement mindset.”
Similarly, in India, the Modi government has increasingly framed public universities – especially those with critical voices – as “anti-national” spaces. By casting critical voices as enemies within, the state turns resentment into a political weapon to justify the erosion of academic freedom.
In Hungary, the Orbán government mobilized resentment to portray universities and academics as disloyal elites working against the nation. One example of Hungary’s war on universities is the 2018 ban on gender studies, justified by the Orbán government as rejecting “socially constructed genders” in favor of “biological sexes.” This move reflects how the government uses resentment to assert ideological control over academic institutions.
Universities are under attack for what they represent. Hindustan Times
Emotional battlegrounds?
Universities, especially elite ones such as Harvard and Jawaharlal Nehru University, carry deep symbolic weight. People care because of what the institutions represent.
Harvard, with its elite status, has long been a symbol of academic authority. But more recently, it has been cast as a defender of liberal higher education – making it a Trump administration target.
Jawaharlal Nehru University in India holds similar symbolic weight. It’s historically associated with producing the country’s social elites and is seen, especially in mainstream media, as left-leaning, making it a lightning rod in India’s polarized political landscape.
Universities are under attack not just for what they teach and research, but for what – and who – they represent. These are not just ideological disputes; they are emotional struggles over identity, belonging and public trust.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Holy See Press Office Press Release: Telephone conversation of the Holy Father with the Prime Minister of Israel, 18.07.2025
This morning, in his residence at Castel Gandolfo, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, following yesterday’s military attack by the Israeli army that struck the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, killing three people and injuring others, including some seriously.
During the conversation, the Holy Father repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war. He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonizing price.
Finally, His Holiness reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.
SAN JOSE – Andrew Alvarado was sentenced today to 38 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy and 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering, to run concurrently, for his role in multiple murders and attempted murders as part of the self-proclaimed “Murder Squad,” a crew of Salinas-based Norteño criminal street gang members falling under the Monterey County Regiment Enterprise affiliated with the Nuestra Familia prison gang. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentence.
Alvarado, 34, of Salinas, pleaded guilty on April 15, 2025, to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering. According to court documents, the “Murder Squad” conducted more than a dozen “hunts,” tracking and shooting dozens of Salinas residents whom they perceived to be members of a rival gang for reasons as vague as they were Hispanic, bald, or wearing blue. The squad would often use military-style tactics, traveling in a convoy of vehicles with a designated shooter vehicle and a designated security/spotter vehicle, all of which were in constant communication via conference call. The security/spotter vehicles would patrol the streets, find a target, and transmit their location to the shooter vehicle. The shooters in the shooter vehicle would drive up, exit, fire at the victims until their magazines were empty, and speed away. The security/spotter vehicles would follow behind, ready to distract or intercept law enforcement and allow the shooter vehicle to escape.
Between 2015 and 2018, 11 people were killed during these hunts. Another 17 people were shot at but survived. Most of the victims were not actually members of a rival gang. Some of the victims were not the intended target at all but were nevertheless hit in the crossfire.
In connection with pleading guilty, Alvarado admitted that he personally participated in six “hunts” between January 2017 and May 2017. He was the shooter in three of those hunts, resulting in the deaths of three victims and the wounding of a fourth. In one instance, the hunt began when members of the “Murder Squad” gathered at a house to remember a family member killed in a car accident; they decided to commemorate the person’s death and lift their spirits by going out to kill another. Separately, Alvarado was in the security/spotter vehicle in three other hunts, resulting in the deaths of three victims, the wounding of four victims, and the near-miss of one victim.
“Gangs and the drugs and violence they bring with them wreak havoc on our communities and the hardworking families that live within them. The ruthless actions of the ‘Murder Squad’ shattered the public’s sense of safety and destroyed the lives of so many in Salinas,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “The so-called ‘hunts’ that Alvarado and his crew ran were simply inhumane. This lengthy sentence means that Alvarado, like many of his fellow gang members, will now answer for his brazen crimes.”
“HSI San Francisco has a long and impactful history of investigating transnational gangs that threaten the safety of our communities in Northern California. We are committed to the pursuit of justice for the victims of these criminal enterprises and the violence they perpetuate. Today’s sentencing is the product of countless investigative hours and the significant investigative resources which HSI brings to bear in combatting violent transnational criminal organizations and apprehending dangerous gang members like Alvarado,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Brannigan.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman also sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release on count one and a three-year period of supervised release on count two, to run concurrently. Alvarado was immediately remanded into custody to begin serving his sentence.
Alvarado is the sixth member of the “Murder Squad” to be sentenced. Five other defendants each pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1962(d) and one count of conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) and were previously sentenced on Sept. 10, 2024.
This prosecution was brought by the Violent Crime Strike Force and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Nina Burney, Lakisha Holliman, and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, the FBI, the Salinas Police Department, and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
OAKLAND – Staccato Powell, a former bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (“AME Zion”), pleaded guilty in federal court today to wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with a far-reaching scheme to obtain control of church properties in California using false statements, forged documents, concealment, and deception.
Powell, 65, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, was indicted along with co-defendant Sheila Quintana by a federal grand jury in January 2022. Quintana pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in April 2025.
According to court documents and the plea agreement, in 2016, shortly after Powell was selected as bishop and assigned to AME Zion Church’s Western Episcopal District, a geographic division of the church covering several states in the western United States, including California, he formed an entity called Western Episcopal District, Inc. (WED, Inc.). Powell was the chief executive officer of WED, Inc. and Quintana was the chief financial officer from 2017 to 2019.
In 2016, Powell instructed pastors of AME Zion Churches throughout the Western Episcopal District to sign deeds granting WED, Inc. title to their congregation’s property – typically the church building, but also any outbuildings, lots, parking lots, and residences used by the pastors. At Powell’s direction, Quintana and other WED, Inc. officers worked on completing the necessary steps to accomplish the transfer of titles through grant deeds.
Starting in early 2017, Powell instructed Quintana and other WED, Inc. officers to obtain loans using the property of local AME Zion Churches acquired through the grant deeds as collateral for the loans. In response to the lenders’ request for confirmation of the local AME Zion Church’s authorization of the loan, Powell caused to be created documents purporting to be resolutions by churches to support WED, Inc.’s loan applications. In several instances, Powell directed WED, Inc. to use church resolutions with false statements, and directed Quintana to create the false documents and sign the resolutions in the name of an officer with the local church.
In pleading guilty, Powell admitted to fraudulently obtaining mortgages on the following church properties:
Kyles Temple in Vallejo: Powell formed a group that included co-defendant Quintana to assist with the purchase of a $1.5 million episcopal residence in Granite Bay, with approximately $1 million covered by a bank loan. At Powell’s direction, to obtain the additional $500,000 in funding, the group identified two church properties, including Kyles Temple in Vallejo, that would be used as collateral to secure the financing to purchase the episcopal residence. Quintana executed the loan documents using a false resolution, which she drafted at Powell’s direction, that purported to confirm approval of the transaction by the Kyles Temple congregation. Powell also directed Quintana to draft the resolution to indicate that there had been a church meeting at which the board of trustees approved it and purportedly gave Quintana authority to execute loan documents as chair of the Kyles Temple Board of Trustees. No such meeting to discuss or approve the resolution had occurred.
First AME Zion Church in San Jose: In 2017, Powell determined that the First AME Zion of San Jose would be used as collateral for a new loan to purchase a parsonage, and instructed Quintana to execute the purchase agreement on the new residential property. At Powell’s direction, Quintana prepared a resolution of the First AME Zion Church of San Jose’s trustee board approving the transaction including the use of the church’s property as collateral for the loan. Quintana then prepared, again at Powell’s direction, a second resolution on the San Jose church’s letterhead falsely stating that a membership meeting was held at the church to vote on “deeding all properties to the AME Zion Western Episcopal District, Inc., of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church” and that the church’s membership unanimously approved the transaction and authorized its pastor to sign all transaction documents. In fact, the church’s trustee board met twice to consider whether to execute a deed transfer to WED, Inc. and Powell knew that at these meetings the trustee board voted against the deed transfer. Nevertheless, Powell directed Quintana to proceed with the loan transaction in the amount of $750,000, using the church as collateral based on the false resolution. Powell later learned that the AME Zion Church of Los Angeles held a title interest in the San Jose church and directed Quintana to prepare another resolution. This resolution falsely stated that the AME Zion Church in Los Angeles held a membership meeting on October 12 and voted to deed the church in San Jose to WED, Inc. Subsequently, in December 2019, Powell directed WED, Inc. officers to encumber the San Jose church with an additional debt of $3 million. Powell admitted that he knew that the San Jose church did not authorize either the $750,000 loan or the $3 million loan.
Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland: Powell decided in 2018 to use the Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland as collateral for a loan in the amount of $1.1 million. At Powell’s direction, Quintana obtained a resolution from Greater Cooper signed by the reverend transferring title to WED, Inc., and signed grant deeds in May 2019 transferring the church property to WED, Inc. Then, in November 2019, the reverend signed a grant deed transferring all interest in title from Greater Cooper AME Zion Church to WED, Inc., which then executed a second loan of $500,000, with the Greater Cooper property used as collateral. Powell admitted that the Greater Cooper congregation did not authorize the loans.
University AME Zion Church of Palo Alto: In 2017, Powell informed the pastor of University AME Church that he planned to use the church as collateral for a $200,000 loan to assist another AME Zion Church in Sacramento. Powell directed Quintana to prepare a transfer of deed of the University AME Church to WED, Inc. After the reverend signed the grant deed, Powell directed Quintana to execute the necessary paperwork for a $2 million dollar loan using University AME Zion Church as collateral. Although Powell told Quintana he would inform the reverend of the $2 million loan, Powell never did so. Powell encumbered the University AME Church with unauthorized loans totaling approximately $3.9 million.
First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles: Powell decided in December 2017 that the First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles would be used as collateral for a new loan. Powell informed Quintana that he had spoken to the pastor of the Los Angeles church and that the pastor told him that the membership had approved the transfer of title from the Los Angeles church to WED, Inc. Based on Powell’s representation, Quintana prepared a resolution purportedly from the Los Angeles church confirming its approval of the loan and placed a signature on the resolution purporting to be that of the church’s secretary. Later, in furtherance of Powell’s instructions to use the Los Angeles church as collateral, Quintana prepared an updated resolution which also purported to document a meeting at which the membership approved the transfer of title to WED, Inc. and which authorized Powell to sign all documents pertaining to the transaction, again with the church secretary’s forged signature. Based on the false resolution with the forged signature, Quintana executed the deed of trust and other loan paperwork for this $1.2 million loan. As a result, WED, Inc. obtained the $1.2 million loan using the Los Angeles church property without the authorization of the congregation.
Further, Powell admitted that at his direction, WED, Inc. borrowed $2.15 million in September 2019 to pay off other outstanding loans and $3 million in December 2019 to pay off the September 2019 loan, using several AME church properties in Arizona and California as collateral.
In addition, while serving as bishop, Powell diverted some of the funds borrowed by WED, Inc., using properties of local AME Zion Churches as collateral, for his personal benefit, including purchase of real property in North Carolina for two of his children and payment of mortgage debt that he owed on a residence in North Carolina.
Powell caused WED, Inc. to file for bankruptcy in a July 2020 petition, in which it claimed its assets included 11 churches, a parsonage, and Powell’s official residence. The petition stated that WED, Inc.’s real property was worth over $26 million with debts totaling over $12 million.
In connection with pleading guilty, Powell agreed to pay restitution in an amount no less than $3,000,000 and no greater than $12,475,453. He also agreed to forfeit any interest, claim, or right in the properties of the AME Zion Church denomination.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
Powell is currently released on bond. Powell’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White. Defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years and a $250,000 fine for each count. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat, Helen Yee, and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Boost for travelers and businesses as Germany opens up eGates
UK and Germany agree to phased opening of German eGates for UK travellers
Germany agrees to phased opening of e-gates for the over 3 million Brits visiting each year
Follows UK-EU Summit in May and agreement that there were no legal barriers to allow UK citizens access to e-gates in more EU Member States after the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System
Millions of UK travellers to Germany will be able to use e-gates in the future thanks to a new agreement made between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today (Thursday 17 July). Part of a landmark bilateral treaty between the two countries.
Germany will roll out the first phase of e-gates access for UK travellers by the end of August, starting with frequent travellers such as Brits with family in Germany or who travel regularly for business. Access for all UK nationals will be possible once Germany has completed technical updates to its entry systems as it introduces the new EU’s Entry/Exit System.
3.2 million Brits visited Germany in 2023, with numbers growing steadily since the Covid pandemic. Opening up e-gates in Germany, and across the EU, will support UK trade and tourism and boost growth through the Plan for Change.
The agreement follows the successful UK-EU Summit in May, where the UK and EU made clear that there were no legal barriers to even more EU countries allowing UK citizens to use eGates at airports. EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas Symonds also visited Berlin in June to discuss e-gates, among other issues, with German ministers.
Since then, the UK has secured e-gates access for UK citizens traveling to Bulgaria and now into Germany. Other countries and airports have also opened up access, including Portugal (Faro airport) and the Czech Republic (Prague airport) and Estonia has confirmed they will open up access at (Tallinn airport) in 2026.
EU Relations Minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds said:
eGates can make the slog of travelling through an airport that bit easier, which is why I have been working with the EU and member states to get more airports opened up to Brits abroad.
With £30 billion of services trade between the UK and the EU, this agreement isn’t just good for holidaymakers, it’s good for British businesses too. Making traveling easier between Europe’s biggest economies, to get deals done and boost growth.
The UK and Germany have a trading relationship worth almost £150 billion a year. Germany is the UK’s second largest trading partner behind the USA, where the UK agreed a new trade deal last month.
The UK exports almost £30 billion worth of services to Germany each year, a growing market for British service providers. Services trade, like financial services, IT and consultancy are heavily reliant on face to face meetings and this e-gates agreement will save British firms valuable time.
While many EU countries now allow UK citizens to use e-gates, the government is continuing to work with others to do so.
7th Round of Pakistan-UK Dialogue on Arms Control & Non-Proliferation: Joint statement
The 7th Round of the United Kingdom-Pakistan Dialogue on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament was held in London on 16 July 2025
Director of Defence and International Security at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Stephen Lillie CMG, and Additional Foreign Secretary for Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islamabad, Ambassador Tahir Andrabi, led the respective delegations.
The two sides engaged in comprehensive discussions on a wide array of issues, including international and regional security, strategic stability, arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation. Deliberations also focused on the dynamics of the United Nations General Assembly (First Committee), the Conference on Disarmament (CD), international conventions (such as the BTWC, CWC, and CCW), multilateral export control regimes, and the use and implications of new and emerging technologies.
In addition, both sides exchanged views on UK-Pakistan bilateral cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Since its inception in 2015, the Dialogue on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament has remained a key component of the broader bilateral engagement between the two countries.
Both sides recognized the vital role of regular dialogue in fostering mutual understanding and promoting cooperation. In this context, they agreed to convene the next round of consultations in Islamabad next year.
7th Round of Pakistan-UK Dialogue on Arms Control & Non-Proliferation: Joint statement
The 7th Round of the United Kingdom-Pakistan Dialogue on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament was held in London on 16 July 2025
Director of Defence and International Security at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Stephen Lillie CMG, and Additional Foreign Secretary for Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islamabad, Ambassador Tahir Andrabi, led the respective delegations.
The two sides engaged in comprehensive discussions on a wide array of issues, including international and regional security, strategic stability, arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation. Deliberations also focused on the dynamics of the United Nations General Assembly (First Committee), the Conference on Disarmament (CD), international conventions (such as the BTWC, CWC, and CCW), multilateral export control regimes, and the use and implications of new and emerging technologies.
In addition, both sides exchanged views on UK-Pakistan bilateral cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
Since its inception in 2015, the Dialogue on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament has remained a key component of the broader bilateral engagement between the two countries.
Both sides recognized the vital role of regular dialogue in fostering mutual understanding and promoting cooperation. In this context, they agreed to convene the next round of consultations in Islamabad next year.
