‘Evolution of energy landscape’ requires deepening government, industry collaboration
The success of South Africa’s energy transition depends, in part, on deepening and stronger collaboration between government and the renewable energy industry to fill out policy implementation gaps and drive investment.
This according to Chief Executive Officer of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), Niveshen Govender, who participated in a panel discussion on the sidelines of the third G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting held in the North West.
“From an industry perspective… there are a number of requirements that we have to work on with government to ensure that we implement. I think we are doing a good job… We have the energy one stop shop that is now a single point of access to all permitting. You have the Department of Energy and Electricity with a minister [Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa] who is very active in unblocking [challenges].
“We have seen government’s readiness of market and allowing for business to come in, invest [and] implement on cost, on time – as quickly as possible – to get those electrons into place,” Govender said.
He noted that the industry and government stand at the same point with a “lot of commonalities” between the two.
“[This is] in terms of ensuring that we have access to energy per country, we have affordable energy to actually use, we have security of supply so we don’t go back to load shedding and we have sustainability in the long-term for reducing our carbon emissions.
“The Minister [Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa] very succinctly articulated… the importance of the energy mix and the importance of renewable energy being central to the decarbonisation of that energy mix,” Govender said.
However, despite these commonalities, misalignments still remain.
“We have very good policies in South Africa, top tier policies. They give good direction and good guidance. It takes everything into consideration… for the people of South Africa to make sure that we’re leaving no one behind.
“Where we do struggle is implementation of these policies. I think the biggest one of those is investor readiness. If you are not engaging industries, your readiness is going to [be impacted] as to what does the investor need to make that policy a reality,” the industry expert said.
He described the current developmental pace of the industry as an “evolution of the energy landscape”.
“We’ve moved from, essentially, the monopoly that Eskom was into public procurement of renewable energy and IPPs [Independent Power Producers]. Now we’re moving into bilateral agreements between these IPPs and… users. We’re even moving one step further into a liberalised energy market where you have traders and aggregators playing a role.
“We see this evolution of the electricity space that’s changing how we do business. It’s changing how we look at the landscape and energy planning,” Govender said. – SAnews.gov.za
Government launches project for investors in energy sector
As part of ongoing efforts to unlock infrastructure investments and strengthen the energy sector, government is calling on investors to invest in the country’s transmission infrastructure through the Independent Transmission Projects (ITPs) Programme.
This initiative marks the first time private investment will be allowed in South Africa’s transmission infrastructure, paving the way for a faster rollout of new high-voltage power lines across the country.
“This will support the efforts already underway by the National Transmission Company of South Africa to implement the Transmission Development Plan, which calls for more than 14 000 km of new lines to be built over the next decade.
“The introduction of ITPs is a key objective of Operation Vulindlela Phase II and will play an important role in the broader reform of the energy system. This reform includes the introduction of a competitive electricity market, which will allow multiple generators and traders to compete to provide electricity to consumers at the lowest cost and with the greatest efficiency,” Deputy Minister of Finance Dr David Masondo said on Thursday.
Addressing the launch of the Request for Pre-Qualifications for Independent Transmission Projects (ITPs) in Johannesburg, the Deputy Minister said the reform of the energy system is advancing rapidly, and its commitment remains unwavering.
“We will not allow any vested interests to delay or obstruct this reform process, including Eskom itself. Indeed, today’s release of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) demonstrates that government, led by [Electricity] Minister Dr [Kgosientsho] Ramokgopa and his team, is working hard to implement the reforms that are needed to ensure long-term energy security and expand access to affordable electricity for all South Africans.
“National Treasury has supported this process through the design of a Credit Guarantee Vehicle, as an innovative mechanism to unlock private capital and complement public financing for infrastructure while minimising contingent liabilities,” he said.
South Africa is faced with a significant infrastructure financing need.
It is estimated that South Africa’s infrastructure gap is around R3.5 to R4 trillion by 2025, or around R400 billion per annum.
“This substantial need calls for scaling up of public financing for infrastructure as well as crowding in private capital through public-private partnerships (PPP). The objective of the Credit Guarantee Vehicle is to mobilise and leverage private capital to address South Africa’s infrastructure financing gap by mitigating offtake risk for private investors.
“This vehicle will also support the efficient deployment of development partner funding under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and the achievement of the country’s decarbonisation commitments,” the Deputy Minister said.
While the Credit Guarantee Vehicle will focus on the initial phase on enabling investments in transmission infrastructure, it will be expanded into other areas such as logistics and water over time.
“The vehicle will be incorporated as a private company in South Africa, regulated by the Prudential Authority. It will operate as a standalone entity with an independent balance sheet and will target a minimum credit rating of AAA.
“A professional executive management team and board of directors with relevant experience and expertise will be appointed to operate and manage the fund,” he said.
The Credit Guarantee Vehicle will issue a combination of payment and termination guarantees to a Special Purpose Vehicle established for the project.
This will substantially derisk early investments in ITPs until the model has been proven and established.
“We are targeting an initial capital raise of US$500 million for the vehicle, spread across a range of development partners. National Treasury has committed to providing first loss capital of 20%, which will be an initial US$100 million increasing to US$500 million (R9 billion) if needed.
“In February 2025, the Minister of Finance [Enoch Godongwana] wrote to a range of development partners asking them to submit an expression of interest to invest in the vehicle. The responses received have been overwhelmingly positive, with 32 development partners engaged thus far,” the Deputy Minister said.
Formal engagements with participating partners are continuing and will lead to the delivery of conditional equity participation commitment letters in the third quarter of 2025.
This will enable the Credit Guarantee Vehicle to be operationalized by July 2026 to align with the first phase of ITP projects.
“South Africa’s ITP programme, backed by credit guarantees, represents a globally innovative model which has been designed with our own context and needs in mind.
“It will not only result in massive new investment in infrastructure but will enable thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy capacity to be connected in areas where grid capacity is limited. This will support economic growth, create jobs, and power our economy into the future,” Masondo said. –SAnews.gov.za
Labour 20 Summit places fairness under the spotlight
Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya has called for the dismantling of the misconception that competitiveness and fairness cannot co-exist in the global labour market.
The Deputy Minister was delivering remarks at the Labour 20 (L20) South Africa 2025 Summit.
“Let us be clear: fair wages, decent work and strong social protection are not barriers to growth, but they are the foundations of resilient , future ready economies. The anticipated Employment Working Group declaration lays groundwork for these efforts.
“It recognises that full and productive employment, adequacy and sustainability of social protection systems, wage settings mechanisms, grounded in rights and fairness, are essential to build a just and inclusive societies. It calls on all of us to expand formalisation and reverse decoupling of wages from productivity,” Sibiya said on Tuesday.
The summit was held under the theme: ‘Fostering solidarity, equality and sustainability through a new social compact”.
The L20 represents workers’ interests at the G20 level, bringing together trade union representatives from G20 countries and international trade union federations. It is coordinated by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The G20 labour component has also been active since the global financial crisis in 2008.
Through its existence, L20 aims to ensure that the voices of workers are heard in discussions on issues of economic policies and labour rights. South Africa’s labour federations – Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions Saftu – attended the summit.
Sibiya commended the L20’s commitment to tackling major labour market challenges, including inequality, declining real wages, and the shrinking labour income share of gross domestic product (GDP).
“The issues strike at the very heart of our societies and also manifest in growing hardship for working families, the erosion of social cohesion as well as pervasive sense among workers that growth is no longer working for them.
“For the global south, the value of labour has been steadily diminishing. Productivity had risen but workers, particularly those at the lower end of the wage distribution, have not benefitted. The disconnect between the creation of wealth and its distribution is not only unjust, but also unsustainable.”
Priorities
Sibiya said South Africa’s employment track has been anchored in four key priorities: • Promoting inclusive growth and youth employment to ensure that every young person has access to a decent job. • Accelerating gender equality in the workforce by addressing systemic barriers to women’s full and equal participation. • Reversing the decline in labour income share, so that workers regain the dignified and fair share of the value they help to generate. • Harnessing digitalisation to create an inclusive future of work rather than deepening the digital divide.
“Genuine economic growth is closely tied to decent work. This calls for us to actively shape policies and institutions to achieve fair labour market results, necessitates establishing wage systems whether through legislation or collective bargaining that assure a living wage, alongside investment and social protection for life-long income, security and strengthen social dialogue to empower both workers and employers,” he said.
The importance of financial literacy among workers was also emphasised with the Deputy Minister saying there is a need to “capacitate workers of the world on how to take responsibility of their livelihood, making sure that they use their hard-earned salaries properly.”
He added that South Africa’s own experiences offered valuable lessons in addressing inequality and unemployment. According to Sibiya, social partners continue to play a vital role in shaping labour market reforms – this amidst structural constraints.
“We strongly believe that when working together as government with social partners that is where solutions can be found. Our work is far from over. We must recommend social justice in our economic strategies,” he said.
The L20 component engagements were also held alongside the 4th G20 Employment Working Group meeting held at Fancourt in George earlier this week.
The aim of the L20 session was to have a dialogue between trade unions and certain G20 labour and employment Ministers to discuss joint approaches to tackling inequality, fostering wage increases, and increasing the labour income share, as a key priority of this year’s employment track. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
TRA launches Trade Remedies Advisory Service
A new Trade Remedies Advisory Service will provide improved support for businesses navigating trade remedies investigations.
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today (31 July) launched the Trade Remedies Advisory Service to provide support for UK businesses navigating trade remedies investigations.
The service will build on support previously provided by the TRA’s Pre-Application Office, simplifying how businesses can bring a case to the TRA to investigate a potential trade injury. It also aims to increase engagement with small and medium enterprises. The new service will provide a simplified application and questionnaire process that makes it quicker and less onerous for new businesses who want to bring a case to TRA. It is being launched as part of the TRA’s work to make its investigations more accessible to case participants, as part of the 2025 Trade Strategy.
TRA Chief Executives Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez said:
We’re committed to ensuring that UK businesses of all sizes have the support they need to navigate trade remedies investigations effectively. The expanded Trade Remedies Advisory Service represents a significant step forward, moving to a more proactive engagement with industry throughout the entire case lifecycle. This change responds to feedback from businesses who told us they need more comprehensive guidance and ongoing support. By updating processes and expanding the specialist team, we’re committed to making it easier for companies to access support if they face unfair trading practices.
The Trade Remedies Advisory Service increases support beyond traditional pre-application guidance. Assistance is now available from initial enquiries through to final determinations, with dedicated specialists for producers, importers and SMEs addressing sector-specific challenges.
Three strategic areas define the service’s enhanced capabilities:
Clear guidance through webinars, factsheets and interactive workshops targeting diverse industry sectors.
Enhanced data monitoring to identify emerging trade concerns and industries requiring additional support.
Streamlined application procedures, interactive guidance tools and dedicated industry support.
Feedback from industry stakeholders made it clear that ongoing support throughout a case’s lifecycle is vital, and this has directly influenced the redesign of the service. The expanded Trade Remedies Advisory Service team now includes additional specialists who recognise the needs of different interested parties, particularly SMEs. Regular drop-in sessions and process guidance workshops will also help stakeholders submit high-quality responses while freeing case teams to focus on core investigative functions.
A spokesperson from a UK producer who has been involved in a TRA investigation said:
Today’s announcement is a much-needed step to ensure every business, especially our small and medium-sized enterprises, can grow and prosper. We understand, first-hand, how daunting a TRA investigation can appear , and the enhanced function will be instrumental in guiding businesses through the process to ensure their voice is heard. We also welcome their commitment to using data to identify industries at risk and potentially requiring trade measures. This will be essential if we are to safeguard British businesses from unfair international trading practices in the future.
This change represents a strategic shift from reactive assistance to proactive engagement with industries involved in trade remedies investigations, helping the TRA support businesses in adjusting to the current turbulent global trading picture.
Any UK producer that believes they are being harmed by unfair overseas trading practices can contact the TRA for guidance and support. The TRA’s Trade Remedies Advisory Service can be contacted on: contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.
Background information
As an independent body operating at arm’s length from the Department for Business & Trade, the TRA is guided in its work by its principles of proportionality, impartiality, transparency, and efficiency.
The TRA welcomes applications for trade remedies investigations from any business operating in the UK. Read our online guidance to find out more about how to apply and what information to provide.
The TRA’s Trade Remedies Advisory Service can be contacted on: contact@traderemedies.gov.uk. Previously known as the Pre-Application Office, it will provide support not only at the pre-application stage, but throughout the life of the case to interested parties who have questions about the TRA investigation process.
While Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest HIV burden globally and is home to almost 65% of all people living with HIV, for decades, access to HIV treatment across the African region depended almost entirely on imports of lifesaving drugs and diagnostic tests manufactured thousands of miles away.
To boost supply chain resilience and regional self-reliance, WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes Department, in collaboration with the Regulation and Prequalification Department, has been actively advocating for locally manufactured quality-assured medicines and diagnostics. This work is carried out in close partnership with countries, manufacturers in Africa and partners such as the Global Fund and Unitaid.
In 2023, Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL), a Kenya-based pharmaceutical company led by Mr Palu Dhanani, became the first African manufacturer to receive WHO prequalification to produce tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD), a WHO-recommended first-line antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
“Local production of quality-assured health products is an urgent priority. With every African manufacturer that meets WHO prequalification standards, we move closer to a more self-reliant, resilient, and equitable health system. Regulation and prequalification are not just technical processes; they are catalysts for health sovereignty and timely access to lifesaving medicines and diagnostics,” said Dr Rogerio Gaspar, WHO Director for Regulation and Prequalification.
A first for the continent
As recently announced, the Global Fund now procures UCL’s TLD for Mozambique, marking the first time TLD is manufactured on African soil. This milestone reflects ongoing collaboration between WHO and the Global Fund to support essential HIV services, through the NextGen market shaping approach.
“The procurement of the African-manufactured first-line HIV treatment by the Global Fund for Mozambique is a great milestone towards strengthening supply chain systems in Africa. This will contribute to better health outcomes for people living with HIV who need uninterrupted medicine supplies,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes.
However, production alone isn’t enough. To ensure sustainable and resilient supply chains, critical enablers are needed, such as advanced market commitments, fair procurement policies and continued technical support.
WHO shares the vision of a world where every region has the capacity to secure its own health. Locally manufactured TLD is a major step towards that goal, but more action is needed. African manufacturers should be prioritized in global supply chains, and guaranteed equitable access to health technologies that meet quality, safety and efficacy/performance standards.
HIV testing: another critical frontline
HIV testing is a critical health service and a vital gateway to both prevention and treatment. With current shifts in donor funding, many countries are facing financial strain, putting testing programmes at risk. Keeping people living with HIV on treatment is important and requires affordable and reliable access to HIV rapid tests.
Codix Bio, a Nigerian in-vitro diagnostics company, has received a sublicense to manufacture rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), with an initial focus on RDTs for HIV, using technology transferred from the global in-vitro diagnostics company SD Biosensor. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of WHO’s Health Technology Access Programme and the Medicines Patent Pool, this new local manufacture of HIV RDTs will improve access to affordable diagnostic tests and help mitigate disruptions of HIV testing services.
“Having locally produced HIV RDTs will help increase affordability, and more broadly address supply chain vulnerabilities and delays in access to diagnostics,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes.
In addition to switching to low-cost quality-assured HIV tests, WHO encourages countries to use HIV self-tests to mitigate gaps in human resources for health as well as stockouts for the first RDT in national algorithms.
In a pioneering effort to combat wildlife trafficking of the threatened rhinoceros, a South African University today began implementing a project supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The project combines the safe insertion of radioactive isotopes into rhino horns and available nuclear security infrastructure to deter and detect illegal poaching.
With over 10,000 rhinos lost to poaching in the past decade, South Africa – home to the world’s largest population of rhinos – remains a target for criminals driven by the illegal trade of rhino horn. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment reported 103 rhinos poached. In response, this project run by the University of the Witwatersrand is using radiation to support conservation and enforcement efforts.
After two years of initial tests, the Rhisotope Project was created in 2021 with the idea to tag rhino horns with radioactive material. This makes the horns detectable by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already deployed at borders, ports and airports worldwide. These RPMs, commonly used to detect nuclear and other radioactive material, can now be harnessed against wildlife crime.
The IAEA’s support to the Rhisotope Project leverages its central role in strengthening the global nuclear security framework. With millions of vehicles and people crossing borders every day, the use of an estimated 10,000 RPMs worldwide has become a critical tool for detecting unauthorized transboundary movements of nuclear and other radioactive material.
“The Rhisotope Project shows how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in new ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA is supporting countries to maximize the benefits of nuclear. By using already installed nuclear security infrastructure in novel ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic and endangered species.”
At an event today in the Waterberg, Limpopo, about 250 kilometres north of Johannesburg, the University of Witwatersrand announced the results of the rigorous safety assessments conducted during the pilot phase of the project. In June last year, radioisotopes were inserted into 20 rhinos. Health monitoring and cytological examinations of 15 treated animals and a comparison of five animals not treated were conducted by Ghent University in Belgium. The test results proved that the method is non-invasive and does not pose a risk to the rhinos’ health.
“This has been an international collaboration of likeminded individuals who are trying to make a real difference to this poaching crisis,” said James Larkin, Director, Radiation and Health Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. “We started with the question – what if radiation could protect rather than harm, by turning rhino horns into traceable markers that stop poachers before they trade? After two years of digital modelling, safety testing and detection simulations, we’re ready to roll out a solution that could truly reduce rhino poaching.”
The success of project also opens the door for future applications to other endangered species.
“The methodology could be adapted to protect other endangered species like elephants or pangolins,” said Larkin.
The IAEA is providing both technical and financial support to the project under its Coordinated Research Project titled Facilitation of Safe and Secure Trade Using Nuclear Detection Technology – Detection of RN and Other Contraband. As part of the project, the Agency also supports countries in their efforts to optimize the detection of radiation by the use of its Minimum Detectable Quantity and Alarm Threshold Estimation Tool, thereby allowing detection of the tagged with radiation rhino horns.
“The Rhisotope Project brings the entire global nuclear security network into play,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “The nuclear security infrastructure that exists in many countries around the world to detect smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material can be used to pick up the trafficking of rhino horn, and any other contraband that might be carried alongside it. Committing to nuclear security pays off in multiple ways.”
Personal income increased $71.4 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in June, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—increased $61.0 billion (0.3 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $69.9 billion (0.3 percent).
Personal outlays—the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $69.5 billion in June. Personal saving was $1.01 trillion in June and the personal saving rate—personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income—was 4.5 percent.
The increase in current-dollar personal income in June primarily reflected increases in government social benefits to persons and in compensation.
The $69.9 billion increase in current-dollar PCE reflected increases of $40.1 billion in spending on services and $29.9 billion in spending on goods.
From the preceding month, the PCE price index for June increased 0.3 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index also increased 0.3 percent.
From the same month one year ago, the PCE price index for June increased 2.6 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 2.8 percent from one year ago.
Personal Income and Related Measures [Percent change from May to June]
Current-dollar personal income
0.3
Current-dollar disposable personal income
0.3
Real disposable personal income
0.0
Current-dollar personal consumption expenditures (PCE)
0.3
Real PCE
0.1
PCE price index
0.3
PCE price index, excluding food and energy
0.3
For definitions, statistical conventions, updates to PIO, and more, visit “Additional Information.”
Next release: August 29, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. EDT Personal Income and Outlays, July 2025
Technical Notes
Changes in Personal Income and Outlays for June
The increase in personal income in June primarily reflected increases in government social benefits to persons and in compensation.
The increase in government social benefits to persons was led by Social Security payments, based on data from the Social Security Administration and the Monthly Treasury Statement.
The increase in compensation reflected increases of $10.9 billion in government wages and salaries, $10.8 billion in supplements (mainly employer contributions for employee pension and insurance funds), and $6.3 billion in private wages and salaries, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics (CES). Wages and salaries in goods-producing industries increased $4.5 billion. Wages and salaries in services‑producing industries increased $1.9 billion.
Revisions to Personal Income
Estimates have been updated for April and May. Revisions to compensation reflect updated BLS CES data. Within personal income receipts on assets, personal dividend income was revised up, reflecting an updated sample of dividends paid by publicly traded companies. Within government social benefits, Medicaid was revised up, reflecting Monthly Treasury Statement data.
Personal and business bankruptcy filings rose 11.5 percent in the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2025, compared with the previous year.
According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, annual bankruptcy filings totaled 542,529 in the year ending June 2025, compared with 486,613 cases in the previous year.
Business filings rose 4.5 percent, from 22,060 to 23,043 in the year ending June 30, 2025. Non-business bankruptcy filings rose 11.8 percent to 519,486, compared with 464,553 in the previous year.
Bankruptcy totals for the previous 12 months are reported four times annually.
For more than a decade, total filings fell steadily, from a high of nearly 1.6 million in September 2010 to a low of 380,634 in June 2022. Total filings have increased each quarter since then, but they remain far lower than historical highs.
Business and Non-Business Filings, Years Ending June 30, 2021-2025
Year
Business
Non-Business
Total
2025
23,043
519,486
542,529
2024
22,060
464,553
486,613
2023
15,724
403,000
418,724
2022
12,748
367,886
380,634
2021
18,511
443,798
462,309
Total Bankruptcy Filings By Chapter, Years Ending June 30, 2021-2025
Year
Chapter
7
11
12
13
2025
333,321
8,408
282
200,290
2024
284,975
8,717
181
192,421
2023
239,125
5,986
147
173,362
2022
239,750
4,429
201
136,169
2021
335,886
6,871
438
118,864
Additional statistics released today include:
Business and non-business bankruptcy filings for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2025 (Table F-2, 12-month),
A comparison of 12-month data ending June 2024 and June 2025 (Table F),
Filings for the most recent three months, (Table F-2, 3-month); and filings by month (Table F-2, April, May, and June),
Bankruptcy filings by county (Report F-5A).
For more on bankruptcy and its chapters, view the following resources:
The Rhisotope Project team inserting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. (Martin Klinenboeck/IAEA)
In a pioneering effort to combat wildlife trafficking of the threatened rhinoceros, a South African University today began implementing a project supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The project combines the safe insertion of radioactive isotopes into rhino horns and available nuclear security infrastructure to deter and detect illegal poaching.
With over 10,000 rhinos lost to poaching in the past decade, South Africa – home to the world’s largest population of rhinos – remains a target for criminals driven by the illegal trade of rhino horn. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment reported 103 rhinos poached. In response, this project run by the University of the Witwatersrand is using radiation to support conservation and enforcement efforts.
After two years of initial tests, the Rhisotope Project was created in 2021 with the idea to tag rhino horns with radioactive material. This makes the horns detectable by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already deployed at borders, ports and airports worldwide. These RPMs, commonly used to detect nuclear and other radioactive material, can now be harnessed against wildlife crime.
The IAEA’s support to the Rhisotope Project leverages its central role in strengthening the global nuclear security framework. With millions of vehicles and people crossing borders every day, the use of an estimated 10,000 RPMs worldwide has become a critical tool for detecting unauthorized transboundary movements of nuclear and other radioactive material.
“The Rhisotope Project shows how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in new ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA is supporting countries to maximize the benefits of nuclear. By using already installed nuclear security infrastructure in novel ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic and endangered species.”
At an event today in the Waterberg, Limpopo, about 250 kilometres north of Johannesburg, the University of Witwatersrand announced the results of the rigorous safety assessments conducted during the pilot phase of the project. In June last year, radioisotopes were inserted into 20 rhinos. Health monitoring and cytological examinations of 15 treated animals and a comparison of five animals not treated were conducted by Ghent University in Belgium. The test results proved that the method is non-invasive and does not pose a risk to the rhinos’ health.
“This has been an international collaboration of likeminded individuals who are trying to make a real difference to this poaching crisis,” said James Larkin, Director, Radiation and Health Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. “We started with the question – what if radiation could protect rather than harm, by turning rhino horns into traceable markers that stop poachers before they trade? After two years of digital modelling, safety testing and detection simulations, we’re ready to roll out a solution that could truly reduce rhino poaching.”
The success of project also opens the door for future applications to other endangered species.
“The methodology could be adapted to protect other endangered species like elephants or pangolins,” said Larkin.
The IAEA is providing both technical and financial support to the project under its Coordinated Research Project titled Facilitation of Safe and Secure Trade Using Nuclear Detection Technology – Detection of RN and Other Contraband. As part of the project, the Agency also supports countries in their efforts to optimize the detection of radiation by the use of its Minimum Detectable Quantity and Alarm Threshold Estimation Tool, thereby allowing detection of the tagged with radiation rhino horns.
“The Rhisotope Project brings the entire global nuclear security network into play,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “The nuclear security infrastructure that exists in many countries around the world to detect smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material can be used to pick up the trafficking of rhino horn, and any other contraband that might be carried alongside it. Committing to nuclear security pays off in multiple ways.”
FREE fruit, fix-it workshops and a bike buddy to guide commuters into the city will help mark Leicester’s Cycle to Work Day.
On Thursday 7 August, commuters from participating workplaces will have a bike buddy leading them from the city’s three Park and Ride sites to Town Hall Square.
And anyone cycling into work in the city centre can stop off at Town Hall Square between 8 and 10am, where a free fruit breakfast will be available.
Later on in the day, from 12-2pm at Town Hall Square, Dr Bike can fix any minor mechanical issues for free, and Leicestershire Police will be running free security bike-marking sessions.
Northside Bikes are also doing free bike maintenance from 10am-2pm on the plaza outside Mattioli Woods’ Welford Road Stadium, as part of Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival.
And the Betterpoints app, which offers rewards to people who choose active travel, will be running a prize draw for cyclists on Cycle to Work Day. Betterpoints can be redeemed for high street vouchers or donated to your favourite charity.
The aim is to show people how travelling by bike can be an easy, value-for-money and healthy way to commute to work.
Assistant city mayor for environment and transport, Cllr Geoff Whittle, said: “Leicester is great to get around by bike, with most places in the city no more than a 30-minute ride away from the city centre. Our Cycle to Work Day provides the perfect opportunity to try out Leicester’s extensive cycle network and experience first-hand the health and wellbeing benefits that a cycle commute can bring.”
Cycle to Work Day in Leicester and Leicestershire is being supported by local employers including Hastings Direct, Leicester College, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, and Leicester’s hospitals.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has signed an order to unveil the flag patterns of four branches of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), namely the aerospace force, cyberspace force, information support force and joint logistics support force.
On the occasion of China’s Army Day that falls on Aug. 1, Xi extended festive greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People’s Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of reserve forces and militia.
The release of the branch flags marks the establishment of a military flag system of the people’s army in the new era, comprising the PLA flag, the flags of the army, navy, air force and rocket force, as well as the flags of the aerospace force, cyberspace force, information support force and joint logistics support force.
The branch flags will be put into official use starting Aug. 1.
The CMC has issued a decision to adjust the current trial regulations on the administration of military flags, revising provisions on the types and usage of military flags to standardize their management and safeguard their dignity through legal measures, according to the statement.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
All Members of the Seventh Legislative Council (LegCo) today (July 31) issued the following statement through the LegCo Secretariat:
Safeguarding national security is the highest principle of “One Country, Two Systems”. All Members of the Seventh LegCo have full confidence that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) fully and faithfully implements, and resolutely protects the authority of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. This is also the constitutional duty and the bottom line of the HKSAR. The HKSAR Government and the governance team of the HKSAR, including LegCo, have resolute determination to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.
All LegCo Members stress that the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People’s Republic of China (Basic Law) clearly stipulates that LegCo of the HKSAR shall be the legislature of the region. Fugitives endangering national security who fled overseas have been challenging the bottom line of “One Country, Two Systems” and the HKSAR’s national security. They blatantly organised the so-called “election” for the “Hong Kong Parliament”, seriously violating the Basic Law and the HKNSL, and undermining the Constitution and constitutional order of the HKSAR as established by the Basic Law. The unlawful election is nothing but a farce. Their aim was to disrupt the hard-earned stability and peace in Hong Kong, and attempted to commit the offence of subversion of state power, seriously endangering national security.
Safeguarding national security is in line with international practice. LegCo Members firmly reject and castigate the biased, groundless, smearing and double-standard remarks by some politicians in western countries against the HKSAR Government’s lawful pursuit of individuals who endangered national security.
The HKSAR Government’s decisive and swift law enforcement actions are not only righteous, but also reasonable, legal and constitutional. The actions are also widely supported by various sectors of the community. All LegCo Members fully support the Hong Kong Police Force in their lawful efforts to apprehend national security offenders who fled overseas. They also resolutely support the statement issued by the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and firmly support sanctions against the fugitives in order to safeguard national security and the stability of Hong Kong.
The “space oil drug” has officially been renamed as etomidate to help promote anti-drug messages, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said today.
Mr Tang made the announcement when he spoke to the media this afternoon after attending the Fight Crime Committee meeting and explained the reason behind giving the dangerous drug a new name.
“When we look at the increase in drug offences, for the first half of 2025 we have 591 cases of serious drug offences. Among those drug (cases), one-fourth of them is relating to etomidate.
“Previously we called it ‘space oil drug’, and some of the drug traffickers make use of the name to promote a sort of fantasy and some positive feelings after taking drugs. I think this is absolutely wrong.
“Etomidate only brings you harm. It will make you behave abnormally, and will cause (defacement) in your appearance, such as losing hair. I think we have to properly name it as etomidate.”
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –
The Rhisotope Project team inserting radioactive isotopes into rhino horns. (Martin Klinenboeck/IAEA)
In a pioneering effort to combat wildlife trafficking of the threatened rhinoceros, a South African University today began implementing a project supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The project combines the safe insertion of radioactive isotopes into rhino horns and available nuclear security infrastructure to deter and detect illegal poaching.
With over 10,000 rhinos lost to poaching in the past decade, South Africa – home to the world’s largest population of rhinos – remains a target for criminals driven by the illegal trade of rhino horn. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the South African Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment reported 103 rhinos poached. In response, this project run by the University of the Witwatersrand is using radiation to support conservation and enforcement efforts.
After two years of initial tests, the Rhisotope Project was created in 2021 with the idea to tag rhino horns with radioactive material. This makes the horns detectable by radiation portal monitors (RPMs) already deployed at borders, ports and airports worldwide. These RPMs, commonly used to detect nuclear and other radioactive material, can now be harnessed against wildlife crime.
The IAEA’s support to the Rhisotope Project leverages its central role in strengthening the global nuclear security framework. With millions of vehicles and people crossing borders every day, the use of an estimated 10,000 RPMs worldwide has become a critical tool for detecting unauthorized transboundary movements of nuclear and other radioactive material.
“The Rhisotope Project shows how nuclear science and nuclear security infrastructure can be used in new ways to address global challenges,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The IAEA is supporting countries to maximize the benefits of nuclear. By using already installed nuclear security infrastructure in novel ways, we can help protect one of the world’s most iconic and endangered species.”
At an event today in the Waterberg, Limpopo, about 250 kilometres north of Johannesburg, the University of Witwatersrand announced the results of the rigorous safety assessments conducted during the pilot phase of the project. In June last year, radioisotopes were inserted into 20 rhinos. Health monitoring and cytological examinations of 15 treated animals and a comparison of five animals not treated were conducted by Ghent University in Belgium. The test results proved that the method is non-invasive and does not pose a risk to the rhinos’ health.
“This has been an international collaboration of likeminded individuals who are trying to make a real difference to this poaching crisis,” said James Larkin, Director, Radiation and Health Physics Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. “We started with the question – what if radiation could protect rather than harm, by turning rhino horns into traceable markers that stop poachers before they trade? After two years of digital modelling, safety testing and detection simulations, we’re ready to roll out a solution that could truly reduce rhino poaching.”
The success of project also opens the door for future applications to other endangered species.
“The methodology could be adapted to protect other endangered species like elephants or pangolins,” said Larkin.
The IAEA is providing both technical and financial support to the project under its Coordinated Research Project titled Facilitation of Safe and Secure Trade Using Nuclear Detection Technology – Detection of RN and Other Contraband. As part of the project, the Agency also supports countries in their efforts to optimize the detection of radiation by the use of its Minimum Detectable Quantity and Alarm Threshold Estimation Tool, thereby allowing detection of the tagged with radiation rhino horns.
“The Rhisotope Project brings the entire global nuclear security network into play,” said Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security. “The nuclear security infrastructure that exists in many countries around the world to detect smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material can be used to pick up the trafficking of rhino horn, and any other contraband that might be carried alongside it. Committing to nuclear security pays off in multiple ways.”
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies and Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell
An Israeli soldier prays in the Evyatar outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on July 7, 2024. AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
Since Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel’s war against Hamas drags on in the Gaza Strip, a quieter but escalating war has unfolded in the West Bank between Israelis and Palestinians.
Attacks include harassment of Palestinian villagers trying to access their crops or work outside their villages, as well as more extreme and organized violence, such as raiding villages to vandalize property. While many of the attacks are unprovoked, some are what settlers call “price tag” actions: retaliation for Palestinian violence against Israelis, such as car-rammings, rock-throwing and stabbings.
Mourners attend the funeral of three Palestinians who were killed when Jewish settlers stormed the West Bank village of Kafr Malik, on June 26, 2025. AP Photo/Leo Correa
As a scholar who has studied Jewish religious extremism for over two decades, I contend this campaign is not merely a result of rising tension between the settlers and their Palestinian neighbors amid the Gaza conflict. Rather, it is fueled by a confluence of ideological fervor, opportunism and far-right Israelis’ political vision for the region.
Religious redemption
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967’s Six-Day War against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, transforming this small region of around 2,000 square miles (5,200 square kilometers) to an amalgam of Jewish and Palestinian enclaves. Most countries other than Israel consider Jewish settlements illegal, but they have rapidly expanded in recent decades, becoming a major challenge for any settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ideological roots of violence lie within religious Zionism: a worldview embraced by about 20% of Israel’s Jewish population, including most West Bank settlers.
The great majority of the leaders of the early Zionist movement held strong secular views. They pushed for the creation of a Jewish state over the objections of Orthodox figures, who argued that it should be a divine creation rather than a human-made polity.
Religious Zionists, on the other hand, view the creation of modern-day Israel and its military victories as steps in a divine redemption, which will culminate in a Jewish kingdom led by a heaven-sent Messiah. Adherents believe contemporary events, particularly those asserting Jewish control over the entire historical land of Israel, can accelerate this process.
In recent decades, influential religious Zionist leaders have argued that final redemption requires Israel’s total military triumph and the annihilation of its enemies, particularly the Palestinian national movement. From this perspective, the devastation of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war are a divine test – one the nation can only pass by achieving a complete victory.
The violence in the West Bank reflects an extension of the same beliefs. Extreme groups within the settler population aim to solidify Jewish control by making Palestinian communities’ lives in the region unsustainable.
Opportunistic violence
Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, traumatized the nation. It also hardened many Jewish Israelis’ conviction that a Palestinian state would be an existential threat, and thus Palestinians cannot be partners for peace.
This shift in sentiment created a permissive environment for violence. While settler attacks previously drew criticism from across the political spectrum, extremist violence faces less public condemnation today – as does the government’s lack of effort to curb it.
This increase in violence is also enabled by a climate of impunity. Israeli security forces have been stretched thin by operations in Gaza, Syria, Iran and beyond. In the West Bank, the military increasingly relies on settler militias known as “Emergency Squads,” which are armed by the Israeli military for self-defense, and army units composed primarily of religious Zionist settlers, such as the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. Such groups have little incentive to stop attacks on Palestinians, and at times, they have participated.
Together, violence from below and policy from above advance a clear strategic goal: the coerced depopulation of Palestinians from rural areas to solidify Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank.
Instead, such policies seem to entrench many Israelis’ perception of international bias and double standards: the sense that critics are antisemitic, or that few outsiders understand the country’s challenges – particularly in light of threats from entitles like Iran, Hamasand Hezbollah, which openly seek Israel’s elimination.
More targeted policies aim specifically at the Israeli far right, including sanctions – economic, political or cultural – directed at settler communities and their infrastructure. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the U.K. have imposed travel bans on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, and frozen their assets in those countries. Similarly, I believe decisions to ban goods produced in the West Bank settlements, as Ireland has recently debated, would be more effective than banning all Israeli products.
This targeted approach, I would argue, would allow the international community to cultivate stronger alliances with the many Israelis concerned about the settlements and Palestinians’ rights in the West Bank.
Arie Perliger 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.
As Thomas Friedman pointed out in The New York Times on June 3, 2025, “In Trump I, the president surrounded himself with some people of weight who could act as buffers. In Trump II, he has surrounded himself only with sycophants who act like amplifiers.”
As a scholar of Greco-Roman antiquity, I have spent many years studying the demise of truth-telling in periods of political upheaval. Spanning the period from 27 B.C.E. to 476 C.E., the Roman Empire still offers insights into what happens to political leaders when they interpret possibly helpful advice as dissent.
Particularly telling is the case of Nero, Rome’s emperor from 54 to 68 C.E., who responded to a disastrous fire in 64 with extreme cruelty and self-worship that did nothing to help desperate citizens.
Suppressing honest advice under Nero
Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, established a handpicked circle of advisers – called the consilium principis in Latin, meaning emperor’s council – to give a republican look to his autocratic regime. Augustus became the emperor of Rome in 27 B.C.E. and ruled over the empire, which stretched from Europe and North Africa to the Middle East at its peak, until his death in 14 C.E.
Augustus wanted to hear what others thought about the empire’s needs and his policies. At least some of Augustus’ advisers were bold enough to assert themselves and risk incurring his displeasure. Some, such as Cornelius Gallus, paid for their boldness with their lives, Gallus apparently took his own life, so that might not be the best example – unless it was a forced suicide while others, such as Cilnius Maecenas, managed to push their political agendas in softer ways that allowed them to maintain their influence.
But the Roman emperors who came after Augustus were either less skilled at maintaining a republican facade, or less interested in doing so.
Nero was the last of the emperors from the noble Julio-Claudian dynasty in ancient Rome at its peak of power. Historians who describe Nero’s rise and fall from power describe the first five years of his reign, or the quinquennium neronis in Latin, as a period of relative calm and prosperity for the empire.
Because Nero was just 16 years old when he acceded to power, he was assigned advisers to guide his policies. Their opinions carried significant weight.
But five years into his reign, chafing at their continued oversight, Nero began to purge these advisers from his life, via execution, forced suicide and exile.
Nero instead collected a small cadre of self-interested enablers who derived power for themselves by encouraging their leader’s delusions, such as his desire to project himself as the incarnation of the sun god, Apollo.
The single most unspeakably corrupt and nefarious of these preferred advisers was Ofonius Tigellinus. Tigellinus had caught Nero’s eye early in 62 by urging the senate to convict a Roman magistrate of treason for having composed poems that he deemed insulting to the emperor. Later that year, Tigellinus was appointed the head of the emperor’s personal army.
As praetorian prefect, Tigellinus was charged not only with protecting Nero from physical harm, but also with crafting and guarding the leader’s public image. Tigellinus urged Nero to stage an ongoing series of public spectacles – like theatrical performances and athletic competitions – that featured him as a divine ruler and a god on Earth.
The Roman Emperor Nero surveys the city of Rome after the disastrous fire in 64 C.E. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Up in flames
It was likely at Tigellinus’ urging that, in the aftermath of the great fire of 64 that raged for six days in Rome, Nero staged an exorbitant garden party where Christians were soaked in flammable oils and lit as human torches to illuminate a decadent late-night feast.
But, try as he might, Nero couldn’t outrun the fire and its aftermath by indulging in clever cruelties. Huge swathes of the city had been razed by the fire. Thousands of citizens lacked clothing. They were hungry, displaced and homeless.
For answers, the fire’s countless victims looked to Nero, their earthly Apollo, for help. But they did not encounter a sympathetic leader sweeping in to address their needs. Instead, they found a man desperate to place blame on others – in this case, foreigners from the east.
In order to squelch rumors that Nero had lit the fire, Tigellinus’ army unit rounded up Christians, falsely blamed them for starting the fire and executed them.
But this move just showcased Nero’s failure to focus on the dire needs of the poor, the very people who worshipped him. Instead, he sought to rise above the ashes by doubling down on his divine pretensions.
Once the rubble left by the fire was cleared away, Nero built a magnificent new home for himself. This palace, called the domus aurea in Latin, meaning house of gold, covered more than 120 acres in the heart of Rome. It featured spectacular water fountains, elaborate works of art and, standing tall in the entryway, a 120-foot bronze statue of Nero as the sun god, Apollo.
No truth-teller was there to tell Nero that maybe he shouldn’t rub his people’s noses in their suffering. (can we say ‘Maybe he shouldn’t exploit his people’s suffering in this way’?) this suggestion needs either accepted or rejected
Nero’s delusional response to the fire did not put an end to his career, but it did much to hasten its end.
Less than four years later, with armies bearing down on the city, Nero committed suicide. Rome tumbled into civil war.
President Donald Trump appears at an Independence Day event at the Mount Rushmore national monument near Keystone, S.D., in 2020. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Self-worship in the Trump era
Trump has long expressed a desire to have his face carved on Mount Rushmore, a national memorial in South Dakota that features the likenesses of legendary American presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt.
As far away as the Roman Empire might seem, Nero’s rise and fall offers a lesson in what can happen when honest criticism of a political leader is sidelined in favor of idolatry.
Instead of honest solutions to real problems, what Romans got was a colossal statue that portrayed their leader as a god on Earth.
Kirk Freudenburg 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.
Imagine this: You’re at your doctor’s office with a sore throat. The nurse asks, “Any allergies?” And without hesitation you reply, “Penicillin.” It’s something you’ve said for years – maybe since childhood, maybe because a parent told you so. The nurse nods, makes a note and moves on.
But here’s the kicker: There’s a good chance you’re not actually allergic to penicillin. About 10% to 20% of Americans report that they have a penicillin allergy, yet fewer than 1% actually do.
I know from my research that incorrectly being labeled as allergic to penicillin can prevent you from getting the most appropriate, safest treatment for an infection. It can also put you at an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance, which is when an antibiotic no longer works against bacteria.
The good news? It’s gotten a lot easier in recent years to pin down the truth of the matter. More and more clinicians now recognize that many penicillin allergy labels are incorrect – and there are safe, simple ways to find out your actual allergy status.
A steadfast lifesaver
Penicillin, the first antibiotic drug, was discovered in 1928 when a physician named Alexander Fleming extracted it from a type of mold called penicillium. It became widely used to treat infections in the 1940s. Penicillin and closely related antibiotics such as amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate, which goes by the brand name Augmentin, are frequently prescribed to treat common infections such as ear infections, strep throat, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and dental infections.
Penicillin antibiotics are a class of narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which means they target specific types of bacteria. People who report having a penicillin allergy are more likely to receive broad-spectrum antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill many types of bacteria, including helpful ones, making it easier for resistant bacteria to survive and spread. This overuse speeds up the development of antibiotic resistance. Broad-spectrum antibiotics can also be less effective and are often costlier.
Figuring out whether you’re really allergic to penicillin is easier than it used to be.
Why the mismatch?
People often get labeled as allergic to antibiotics as children when they have a reaction such as a rash after taking one. But skin rashes frequently occur alongside infections in childhood, with many viruses and infections actually causing rashes. If a child is taking an antibiotic at the time, they may be labeled as allergic even though the rash may have been caused by the illness itself.
Some side effects such as nausea, diarrhea or headaches can happen with antibiotics, but they don’t always mean you are allergic. These common reactions usually go away on their own or can be managed. A doctor or pharmacist can talk to you about ways to reduce these side effects.
People also often assume penicillin allergies run in families, but having a relative with an allergy doesn’t mean you’re allergic – it’s not hereditary.
Finally, about 80% of patients with a true penicillin allergy will lose the allergy after about 10 years. That means even if you used to be allergic to this antibiotic, you might not be anymore, depending on the timing of your reaction.
Why does it matter if I have a penicillin allergy?
Believing you’re allergic to penicillin when you’re not can negatively affect your health. For one thing, you are more likely to receive stronger, broad-spectrum antibiotics that aren’t always the best fit and can have more side effects. You may also be more likely to get an infection after surgery and to spend longer in the hospital when hospitalized for an infection. What’s more, your medical bills could end up higher due to using more expensive drugs.
Penicillin and its close cousins are often the best tools doctors have to treat many infections. If you’re not truly allergic, figuring that out can open the door to safer, more effective and more affordable treatment options.
A penicillin skin test can safely determine whether you have a penicillin allergy, but a health care professional may also be able to tell by asking you some specific questions. BSIP/Collection Mix: Subjects via Getty Images
How can I tell if I am really allergic to penicillin?
Start by talking to a health care professional such as a doctor or pharmacist. Allergy symptoms can range from a mild, self-limiting rash to severe facial swelling and trouble breathing. A health care professional may ask you several questions about your allergies, such as what happened, how soon after starting the antibiotic did the reaction occur, whether treatment was needed, and whether you’ve taken similar medications since then.
These questions can help distinguish between a true allergy and a nonallergic reaction. In many cases, this interview is enough to determine you aren’t allergic. But sometimes, further testing may be recommended.
One way to find out whether you’re really allergic to penicillin is through penicillin skin testing, which includes tiny skin pricks and small injections under the skin. These tests use components related to penicillin to safely check for a true allergy. If skin testing doesn’t cause a reaction, the next step is usually to take a small dose of amoxicillin while being monitored at your doctor’s office, just to be sure it’s safe.
A study published in 2023 showed that in many cases, skipping the skin test and going straight to the small test dose can also be a safe way to check for a true allergy. In this method, patients take a low dose of amoxicillin and are observed for about 30 minutes to see whether any reaction occurs.
With the right questions, testing and expertise, many people can safely reclaim penicillin as an option for treating common infections.
Elizabeth W. Covington does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Nicole Amoyal Pensak, Researcher of Caregiver Stress Management and Clinical Psychologist, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Panel members discussed adding a so-called black box warning to the drugs – which the agency uses to indicate severe or life-threatening side effects – about the risk they pose to developing fetuses. Some of the panelists who attended had a history of expressing deep skepticism on antidepressants.
SSRIs include drugs like Prozac and Zoloft and are the most commonly used medicines for treating clinical depression. They are considered the first-line medications for treating depression in pregnancy, with approximately 5% to 6% of North American women taking an SSRI during pregnancy.
The panel did not address the safety of SSRIs following delivery, but numerous studies show that taking SSRI antidepressants while breastfeeding is low risk, usually producing low to undetectable drug levels in infants.
Clinical depression interferes with brain plasticity, such that the brain becomes “stuck” in patterns of negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors.
This leads to impairment in brain functions that are essential to motherhood. New mothers with depression have decreased brain activity in regions responsible for motivation, regulation of emotion and problem-solving. They are often withdrawn or overprotective of their infants, and they struggle with the relentless effort needed for tasks that arise with child-rearing like soothing, feeding, stimulating, planning and anticipating the child’s needs.
Prescription drugs like SSRIs are just one aspect of treating pregnant women struggling with mental illness. Evidence-based psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, can also induce adaptive brain changes. But women with severe symptoms often require medication before they can reap the benefits of psychotherapy, and finding properly trained, accessible and affordable psychotherapists can be challenging. So sometimes, SSRIs may be the most appropriate treatment option available.
The FDA-convened panel heavily focused on potential risks of SSRI usage, with several individuals incorrectly asserting that these drugs cause autism in exposed youth, as well as birth defects. At least one panelist discussed clinical depression as a “normal” part of the “emotional” experience during pregnancy and following birth. This perpetuates a long history of of women being dismissed, ignored and not believed in medical care. It also discounts the rigorous assessment and criteria that medical professionals use to diagnose reproductive mental health disorders.
Compared with these very serious risks, the risks of using SSRIs in pregnancy turn out to be minimal. While women used to be encouraged to stop taking SSRIs during pregnancy to avoid some of these risks, this is no longer recommended, as it exposes women to a high chance of depression relapse. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all perinatal mental health treatments, including SSRIs, continue to be available.
Many women are already reluctant to take antidepressants during pregnancy, and given the choice, they tend to avoid it. From a psychological standpoint, exposing their fetus to the side effects of antidepressant medications is one of many common reasons for women in the U.S. to feel maternal guilt or shame. However, the available data suggests such guilt is not warranted.
Taken together, the best thing one can do for pregnant women and their babies is not to avoid prescribing these drugs when needed, but to take every measure possible to promote health: optimal prenatal care, and the combination of medications with psychotherapy, as well as other evidence-based treatments such as bright light therapy, exercise and adequate nutrition.
The panel failed to address the latest neuroscience behind depression, how antidepressants work in the brain and the biological rationale for why doctors use them in the first place. Patients deserve education on what’s happening in their brain, and how a drug like an SSRI might work to help.
Should the FDA, as a result of this recent panel, decide to place a black-box warning on antidepressants in pregnancy, researchers like us already know from history what will happen. In 2004, the FDA placed a warning on antidepressants describing potential suicidal ideation and behavior in young people.
I receive royalties for the sales of my book RATTLED, How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain.
Dr Novick has a career development award from the National Institute of Child Health and Development (K23HD110435) to study the neurobiology of hormonal contraception. This funding was not used to support the preparation or publication of this article. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent those of the National Institutes of Health or the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Customized pricing – where each customer receives a different price for the same product – is a holy grail for businesses because it boosts profits. With customized pricing, free-spending people pay more while the price-sensitive pay less. Just as clothes can be tailored to each person, custom pricing fits each person’s ability and desire to pay.
For much of history, customized pricing was the normal way things happened. In the past, business owners sized up each customer and then bargained face-to-face. The price paid depended on the buyer’s and seller’s bargaining skills – and desperation.
An old joke illustrates this process. Once, a very rich man was riding in his carriage at breakfast time. Hungry, he told his driver to stop at the next restaurant. He went inside, ordered some eggs and asked for the bill. When the owner handed him the check, the rich man was shocked at the price. “Are eggs rare in this neighborhood?” he asked. “No,” the owner said. “Eggs are plentiful, but very rich men are quite rare.”
Custom pricing through bargaining still exists in some industries. For example, car dealerships often negotiate a different price for each vehicle they sell. Economists refer to this as “first-degree” or “perfect” price discrimination, which is “perfect” from the seller’s perspective because it allows them to charge each customer the maximum amount they’re willing to pay.
Set prices have several advantages for businesses. For one thing, they allow stores to hire low-paid retail workers instead of employees who are experts in negotiation.
Historically, they also made it easier for stores to decide how much to charge. Before the advent of AI pricing, many companies determined prices using a “cost-plus” rule. Cost-plus means a business adds a fixed percentage or markup to an item’s cost. The markup is the percentage added to a product’s cost that covers a company’s profits and overhead.
The big-box retailer Costco still uses this rule. It determines prices by adding a roughly 15% maximum markup to each item on the warehouse floor. If something costs Costco $100, they sell it for about $115.
The problem with cost-plus is that it treats all items the same. For example, Costco sells wine in many stores. People buying expensive Champagne typically are willing to pay a much higher markup than customers purchasing inexpensive boxed wine. Using AI gets around this problem by letting a computer determine the optimal markup item by item.
So much information is collected when you pay electronically that in 2024 the Federal Trade Commission issued civil subpoenas to Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase and other financial companies demanding to know “how artificial intelligence and other technological tools may allow companies to vary prices using data they collect about individual consumers’ finances and shopping habits.” Experiments at the FTC show that AI programs can even collude among themselves to raise prices without human intervention.
There are ways to get around customized pricing. All depend on denying AI programs data on past purchases and knowledge of who you are. First, when shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, use paper money. Yes, good old-fashioned cash is private and leaves no data trail that follows you online.
Third, many computer pricing algorithms look at your location, since location is a good proxy for income. I was once in Botswana and needed to buy a plane ticket. The price on my computer was about $200. Unfortunately, before booking I was called away to dinner. After dinner my computer showed the cost was $1,000 − five times higher. It turned out after dinner I used my university’s VPN, which told the airline I was located in a rich American neighborhood. Before dinner I was located in a poor African town. Shutting off the VPN reduced the price.
Last, often to get a better price in face-to-face negotiations, you need to walk away. To do this online, put something in your basket and then wait before hitting purchase. I recently bought eyeglasses online. As a cash payer, I didn’t have my credit card handy. It took five minutes to find it, and the delay caused the site to offer a large discount to complete the purchase.
The computer revolution has created the ability to create custom products cheaply. The cashless society combined with AI is setting us up for customized prices. In a custom-pricing situation, seeing a high price doesn’t mean something is higher quality. Instead, a high price simply means a business views the customer as willing to part with more money.
Using cash more often can help defeat custom pricing. In my view, however, rapid advances in AI mean we need to start talking now about how prices are determined, before customized pricing takes over completely.
Jay L. Zagorsky 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.
In a 2023 study, our team looked at 145 countries, including the U.S., to understand the link between labor rights and inequality. We found evidence that strengthening collective labor rights may reduce economic inequality.
Empowering workers
Collective labor rights include the rights to form and join a union, bargain collectively for higher pay and better working conditions, go on strike, and get justice if employers punish workers who exercise these rights.
Through negotiations on behalf of their members, unions can pressure employers to provide fair wages and benefits. If negotiations break down, the union can call for a strike – sometimes winning better benefits and higher wages as a result.
Some U.S. unions don’t have the right to strike, including air traffic controllers, teachers and those working on national security issues. But most unions have some ability to implement work stoppages and impose costs on employers to negotiate for raises and better benefits and conditions.
Reducing inequality
For our study, we analyzed the human rights in the CIRIGHTS dataset, which uses human rights reports from the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International and other sources to measure government respect for 24 human rights, including the rights to unionize and bargain collectively. The dataset is produced by the University of Rhode Island, Binghamton University and the University of Connecticut. One of us, Skip Mark, serves as a co-director of the project.
Using a scoring guide, a team of researchers reads human rights reports and gives each country a score of zero if they have widespread violations, one point if they have some violations, or two if they have no evidence of violations. The team has assigned scores for all 24 rights from 1994 through 2022.
Using this data, we created a measure of collective labor rights by adding scores for the right to workplace association and the right to collective bargaining. The resulting collective labor rights score ranges from zero to four.
Countries where workers’ rights are routinely violated, such as Afghanistan, China and Saudi Arabia, scored a zero. The United States, Macedonia and Zambia, three countries with little in common, were among those that tended to get two points, placing them in the middle. Countries with no reported violations of the rights to workplace association and collective bargaining, including Canada, Sweden and France, got four points.
According to the CIRIGHTS dataset, the strength of respect for collective labor rights around the world declined by 50%, from 2.06 in 1994 to 1.03 in 2022.
At the same time, according to the World Inequality Dataset, the share of income earned by the 1% with the biggest paychecks increased by 11%.
We used advanced statistical methods to figure out whether better worker protections actually reduce inequality or are just associated with it.
Gaps between individuals and ethnic groups
We also measured what’s been happening to economic inequality, using two common ways to track it.
One of them is vertical inequality, the gap between what people earn within a country – the rich versus the poor. The more unequal a society becomes, the higher its vertical inequality score gets. We measured it using the disposable income measure from the Gini index, a commonly used indicator of economic inequality that captures how much money individuals have to spend after taxes and government transfers.
We found that a one-point increase in collective labor rights on our four-point scale reduces vertical inequality by 10 times the average change in inequality. For the U.S., a one-point increase in collective labor rights would be about enough to undo the increase in inequality that occurred between 2008 and 2010 due to the Great Recession and its aftermath. It would also likely help stem the growing wealth gap between Black and white Americans. That’s because income disparities compound over time to create wealth gaps.
We also assessed the connection between horizontal inequality, which measures income inequality between ethnic or other groups, and collective labor rights.
Negative horizontal inequality measures the amount of a country’s income held by the poorest ethnic group. Higher scores for this metric indicate that the lowest-earning ethnic group has less income relative to the rest of society. Black Americans have the lowest median income of any racial or ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Positive horizontal inequality measures the income earned by the richest ethnic group. When positive horizontal inequality rises, that means the richest ethnic group has more income relative to the rest of society. According to the same Census Bureau report, Asian Americans had the highest median earnings.
We found that stronger collective labor rights, both in law and in practice around the world, also reduce both types of horizontal inequality. This means they raise the floor by helping to improve the income of the poorest ethnic groups in society. They also close the gap by limiting the incomes of the richest ethnic group, which can reduce the likelihood of conflicts.
That is, our findings suggest that when workers are free to advocate for higher wages and better benefits for themselves, it also benefits society as a whole.
Stephen Bagwell is a researcher with the Human Rights Measurement Initiative, a charitable trust registered in New Zealand
Skip Mark 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.
Zikia, a 12th grader in Philadelphia, was stressing over where she would attend college in the fall. Her charter school’s college decision ceremony was the next day, and she was torn between her two top choices.
At a crossroads, she reached out to her favorite teacher, the only Black educator on her course schedule. “I texted him at nighttime,” she recalled. “I didn’t feel like I could do that with my other teachers.”
In my research
on college and career readiness, I did not initially set out to study the impact of Black teachers, but students like Zikia readily brought up the topic.
In interviews, students insisted on the importance of having Black educators. They consistently named their Black teachers and counselors as the most influential adults in their planning for life after graduation.
Black educators, though, are severely underrepresented in the local teaching workforce. At Zikia’s school, over 75% of students are Black compared to only about 15% of teachers.
The picture is just as striking in Pennsylvania as a whole. Statewide, the share of Black students is four times the share of Black teachers – 14.5% of students are Black, while only 3.7% of teachers are. A majority of public schools in Pennsylvania do not employ a single teacher of color despite serving racially diverse communities.
These statistics are particularly concerning because strong evidence suggests that minority students benefit greatly from working with same-race teachers.
To answer this latter question, I went directly to the source.
I conducted interviews with roughly 100 Philadelphia 12th graders, asking them how they came to trust and depend on Black educators when weighing one of the most consequential decisions of their lives: whether and where to go to college. I spoke with students at five city high schools, including district-run and charter schools, as well as some of the teachers and counselors involved in their college decisions.
Zikia and the other names used in this story are pseudonyms to protect the confidentiality of research participants.
Inspiration, empathy and insight
The presence of Black educators mattered to students for several reasons.
Some of my respondents felt inspired by seeing Black people in school leadership positions. LaMont, for instance, said that taking classes from Black teachers motivated him: “Just to see success is achievable. A teacher is something in life. And it shows that people that look like me are able to overcome something. Having Black teachers gives you a sense of confidence.”
LaMont’s seeing his own identity and background reflected in his teachers is what sociologists and political scientists call descriptive representation. His classmates agreed that it was important to have teachers who looked like them. Their connection, they insisted, was more than skin deep. Most of them gravitated to Black teachers because of how those teachers did their jobs and advocated for minority students, a concept called substantive representation.
For instance, many students felt most comfortable asking for help from Black teachers because they regarded them as more empathetic listeners and felt they were invested in their holistic well-being, not just in their grades or academic performance.
When I asked Ramir to tell me about the teachers he had strong relationships with, he offered a typical answer: “Most of them are African American,” he said. “But it’s not even just about that. I like a teacher who tries to understand you for who you are. Not look at you as a student but as a human being and build with you.”
Students also credited Black teachers with making them feel like they belonged at school. They sought out advice from teachers who believed in their potential and held them to high academic and behavioral standards. These qualities were by no means unique to Black teachers, but white teachers sometimes found it difficult to balance authority with warmth in their relationships with students.
“There are some teachers that act like siblings and some that act like parents,” said Emily, a white social studies teacher. “And it’s very rare that a white teacher can act like a parent and have the kids still like them.”
Black educators also had culturally relevant insights into college that students valued highly. They often had deeper knowledge of local historically Black colleges and universities, or they could speak to the experience of being a racial minority at a predominantly white institution. Students valued guidance more when it came from a source they felt was relatable.
These findings suggest that Black educators are effective not only because of shared identity or experiences, but also because of the skills and dispositions they bring into the classroom: proactively building relationships, coupling high expectations with high levels of support, and bringing schoolwork to life. As a result, minority students held out hope not only for more representation in the classroom but also that all their teachers – regardless of race – would integrate these practices into their tool kits.
Joseph Sageman 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.
The nation has a long history of similar efforts, including a wildly unpopular 1980 attempt by Reagan administration Interior Secretary James Watt to promote development and expand private concessions in the parks. But debate over using public national park land for private profit dates back more than a century before that.
As I explain in my forthcoming book, no park has played a more central role in that debate than Yosemite, in California.
Early concerns
In early 1864, Central American Steamship Transit Company representative Israel Ward Raymond wrote a letter to John Conness, a U.S. senator from California, urging the government to move swiftly to preserve the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees to prevent them from falling into private hands. Five months later, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, ceding the valley and the grove to the state of California, “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.” This was years before Yellowstone became the first federal land designated a national park in 1872.
California said their businesses threatened the state’s ability to develop roads and trails in Yosemite by competing for tourist dollars. A legal battle ensued and was not resolved until an 1872 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that the men’s land claims had not been fully validated according to the procedures of the time. The California legislature paid both men compensation for their land, and both left the park.
Yet, as my research has found, the role of private interests in the park remained unsolved. Private companies under contract to the National Park Service have long provided needed amenities such as lodging and food within the national parks. But questions over what is acceptable in national parks in the pursuit of profit have shaped Yosemite’s history for generations.
In 1925, I found, the question centered on the right to build the first gas station inside the park, in Yosemite Valley. Two private businesses, the Curry Camping Company and the Yosemite National Park Company, had long competed for tourist dollars within the park. Each wanted to build a gas station to boost profits.
Frustrated over the need to decide, National Park Service Director Horace Albright ordered the rival firms to simplify management of the park’s concessions. The companies merged, and the newly formed Yosemite Park and Curry Company was granted the exclusive rights to run lodges, restaurants and other facilities within the park, including the new gas station.
But as I found in my research, the park service and the concessions company did not always see eye to eye on the purpose of the park. The conflict between profit and preservation is perhaps most clearly illustrated by the construction of a ski area within the park in the early 1930s. The park service initially opposed the development of Badger Pass Ski Area as not conducive to the national park ideal, but the Yosemite Park and Curry Company insisted it was key to boosting winter use of the park.
In 1973, the Music Corporation of America, an entertainment conglomerate, bought the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. The company already had a tourist attraction operating near Hollywood, where visitors could pay to tour movie sets, but had not yet changed its name to Universal Studios or launched major theme parks in Florida and California. Its purchase of the park’s concessions set off a firestorm of controversy over fears of turning Yosemite into a theme park.
That didn’t happen, but annual park visitor numbers climbed from 2.5 million to 3.8 million over the 20 years MCA ran the concessions, which sparked concerns about development and overcrowding in the park. Conservationists argued the park service had allowed the corporate giant to promote and develop the park in ways that threatened the very aspects of the park most people came to enjoy.
With three restaurants, two service stations with a total of 15 gas pumps, two cafeterias, two grocery stores, seven souvenir shops, a delicatessen, a bank, a skating rink, three swimming pools, a golf course, two tennis courts, kennels, a barbershop, a beauty shop, Badger Pass Ski Area and three lodges, the Yosemite Valley was a busy commercial district. Critics argued that such development contradicted the park service’s mandate to leave national parks unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.
Falling profits and consolidation within the music industry led MCA to sell its concessions rights in Yosemite in 1993. The Delaware North Companies, a global hospitality corporation, took over and ran the park’s concessions until 2016, when it sold the rights to Aramark.
But in that sale, the question of public resources and private profits arose again. Delaware North demanded $51 million in compensation for Aramark continuing to use the names of several historic properties within the park, such as the Ahwahnee, a hotel, and Curry Village, another group of visitor accommodations. The company claimed those names were a part of its assets under its contract with the park service.
The park service rejected the claim, saying the names, which dated back more than a century, belonged to the American people. But to avoid legal problems during the transition, the agency temporarily renamed several sites, including calling the Ahwahnee the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and changing Curry Village to Half Dome Village. Public outrage erupted, denouncing the claim by Delaware North as commercial overreach that threatened to distort Yosemite’s heritage. In 2019, the park service and Aramark agreed to pay Delaware North a total of $12 million to settle the dispute, and the original names were restored.
Protesters unfurl an upside-down U.S. flag from the top of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in February 2025, protesting Trump administration changes to the National Park Service.
Renewed interest in commercial efforts
In June 2025, Yosemite again took center stage in the dispute over the role of federal funding versus private interests at the start of the second Trump administration when a group of climbers unfurled an American flag upside down off El Capitan in protest of the administration’s cuts in personnel and slashing of the park service’s budget.
Whichever side prevails in the short term, the debate over the role of private interests within national parks like Yosemite will undoubtedly continue.
Michael Childers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
UKHSA reminds public to stay tick aware this summer
The latest annual report on common animal-associated infections shows more than 1,500 cases of Lyme disease in 2024.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people of the steps they can take to protect themselves against tick bites this summer, as the latest annual data shows that there were 1,581 laboratory confirmed cases of Lyme disease reported in 2024.
Case numbers fluctuate year on year and while cases have fallen by 5.2% in 2024 compared to 2023, the number of confirmed cases is likely an underestimate of the true burden of Lyme disease in England. It’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible if you start to develop symptoms of Lyme disease after a tick bite. Some people may not notice that they have been bitten as ticks are small and their bites rarely cause pain, which is why it’s important to check for ticks on all parts of the body soon after spending time outdoors this summer.
Lyme disease is an infection that can be acquired when someone is bitten by an infected tick. Not all ticks are infected and not everyone who is bitten by an infected tick will develop Lyme disease. To pass on the infection, the tick needs to be attached for many hours. You are unlikely to develop Lyme disease if you just see a tick crawling on you which has not yet attached and fed.
In those that do develop Lyme disease, a spreading ‘bullseye’ rash at the site of the tick bite is the most common symptom, which develops between 3 to 30 days after the bite. The rash does not occur in all cases and other symptoms include a fever, headache and fatigue, a facial droop, nerve pains and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
While cases were reported across all regions, most confirmed cases in 2024 were reported in people living in the South West, South East and London regions.
Cases of Lyme disease peak in the spring and summer months as the risk of exposure increases, which is why it’s important to be aware of the steps you can take to prevent being bitten over the next few months.
Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics so if you do notice these symptoms after a tick bite, it is important to contact your GP to ensure you receive prompt treatment if needed.
Christina Petridou, Consultant Microbiologist at UKHSA, said:
It’s really important that people continue to be tick aware this summer to protect themselves against Lyme disease.
The disease is usually acquired when spending time outdoors in green spaces, which people do more of in the summer months. After spending time in nature, people should take precautions such as checking for ticks and promptly and safely removing them which will reduce chances of infection.
While not all ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and not all bites will result in human infection, it’s still important to check for ticks when you return from outdoor activities. If you notice any symptoms like a spreading circular rash, flu-like symptoms, nerve pain or a droop on one or both sides of the face within a few weeks of being bitten by a tick, contact your GP or dial NHS 111.
To reduce your risk of tick bites, while walking in green spaces, stick to clearly defined paths and try to avoid brushing against vegetation where ticks might be present.
Also consider wearing clothing that covers your skin to make it more difficult for ticks to access a suitable place to bite.
Use insect repellent (for example DEET) and regularly check clothing or exposed skin so that you can spot any crawling ticks and brush them off. After spending time outside, it’s very important to check yourself, your clothing, your pets and others for ticks. Remove any attached tick as soon as you find it using a tick removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers. Fine-tipped tweezers are different from regular tweezers that might be used to remove eyebrow hair. They are very narrow and pointed at the tip and ensure that ticks are not squashed during removal.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
UK Government backs Ford’s global transformation
UK Export Finance announces a new £1 billion export guarantee, supporting Ford UK’s transition to electric vehicle production.
Iconic car manufacturer Ford continues global transformation as government backs new loan
Financing assists Ford’s operations in developing world-leading products, including cleaner engines and electric power units while supporting thousands of jobs
Latest action in the government’s Plan for Change and in support for the UK’s automotive sector as part of the Industrial Strategy
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is providing a £1 billion export development guarantee to Ford UK, supporting the car giant’s long-term growth ambitions around the world.
Ford operates various sites across the country including the UK’s largest automotive research & development (R&D) centre based in Essex and directly employs more than 5,500 workers across the country.
The loan will help Ford continue its global transformation, engineering and manufacturing smart, connected and electrified vehicles for customers around the world.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
Ford has been the pride of Essex since 1911, over a century of innovation and industry. The R&D centre in Basildon employs thousands of people in well-paid, highly skilled jobs.
This £1 billion loan guarantee is a major boost for Britain’s auto sector. It will help develop world-leading products, open new export markets, and secure jobs. This is our Plan for Change in action – delivering growth and putting more money in people’s pockets.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
We’re proud of our historic auto sector, and the commitment that global companies like Ford have made to make cars and create jobs in the UK.
I’m delighted that UKEF is backing Ford in supporting the company’s ambitions for growth, helping to cement our position as a global leader for manufacturing and backing our Plan for Change.
This Government has taken significant action to back auto firms – including by securing landmark trade deals with the US and India to bring down tariffs for British car manufacturers and create new export opportunities, measures to lower electricity prices in our Industrial Strategy, and updating the ZEV mandate to support UK manufacturers and safeguard jobs of the future.
In recent years, the company has invested heavily into electric vehicle development, including a £380 million transformation of its Halewood manufacturing plant from producing transmissions to electric motors for iconic vehicles like the Ford Transit van and Ford Puma. Ford has also invested £70 million in state-of-the-art testing and development labs at its R&D site in Essex.
This follows several significant announcements in recent months showing the government backing the UK’s automotive sector. This includes launching an Electric Car Grant to support the transition to zero emission vehicles and incentivise sustainable manufacturing, and the publication of the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan and Modern Industrial Strategy, which commits £2 billion capital and R&D funding to 2030, and an additional £500 million to extend the R&D support to 2035. This support is giving innovative manufacturers the confidence to pursue technological advancements needed in the automotive sector.
UKEF is guaranteeing 80 per cent (£800 million) of the £1 billion loan provided by Citi and a syndicate of lenders. Citi is the sole coordinator and agent on the loan to Ford.
This announcement forms part of the government’s Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth and raise living standards across the United Kingdom by supporting businesses to export and grow.
British car manufacturers now benefit from major tariff reductions when exporting to the US, thanks to the landmark trade deal secured with the US. The UK is the only country to have secured this deal with the US, which reduces car export tariffs from 27.5% to 10%, saving manufacturers hundreds of millions each year and protecting hundreds of thousands of jobs, backing the Plan for Change.
UKEF Chief Executive Tim Reid said:
This is a great example of UKEF’s collaboration with the automotive industry, which is a key sector of the government’s Industrial Strategy. Our export development guarantee is a versatile product that has lasting impact on businesses. Boosting growth, securing key jobs, growing the UK’s export potential and doing so sustainably – that’s what UKEF does best.
Lisa Brankin, Chair, Ford Britain, said:
Recent investments in the UK have proved crucial to our European operations and have expanded our UK export capability, on top of supporting Ford’s investment in an all-electric product line-for Europe. This new UKEF facility will play an important role in supporting our UK exporting footprint, especially amid the continued uncertainty in the trade landscape and the disconnect between electric vehicle targets and customer demand.
Richard Hodder, Global Head of Export and Agency Finance at Citi, said:
Citi is pleased to partner with Ford and UK Export Finance on this significant transaction. This third UKEF Guarantee loan under the EDG program demonstrates our dedication to supporting Ford’s global innovation and UK export operations. This transaction showcases both the cross-border expertise and local knowledge that Citi’s Services business provides clients in the UK, and around the world.
This is the third EDG awarded by UKEF to Ford, taking total financing to almost £2.4 billion (£1.9 billion guaranteed by UKEF) since 2020:
June 2022: £750 million UKEF EDG (UKEF guarantee of £600 million) supported phase two of Ford’s electric vehicle plans. The investment significantly expanding Ford’s electric power unit production line capability.
June 2020: a £625 million UKEF EDG facility (UKEF guarantee on £500 million). This helped to finance Ford’s global vehicle research and development headquarters in Dunton in Essex, securing key of jobs and supporting the development of electric vehicle technologies.
Over the last financial year, UKEF provided a record £14.5 billion in new financing, helping over 667 UK companies to export and grow and supported up to 70,000 jobs.
Portsmouth City Council is proud to announce that The D-Day Story has been awarded a 2025 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award, placing it among the top 10% of attractions worldwide based on visitor reviews and ratings.
This recognition celebrates the museum’s continued excellence in delivering a powerful and engaging visitor experience, telling the story of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy through immersive displays, personal accounts, and historic artefacts — including the iconic Landing Craft Tank 7074 and the Overlord Embroidery.
Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council and Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Economic Development, said:
“It’s great to see The D-Day Story recognised once again by Tripadvisor, and even more rewarding that so many of Portsmouth’s attractions have been recognised this year. These honours reflect the hard work of our teams and the unique experiences our city offers.
“Portsmouth’s rich heritage, culture and stunning seafront continue to make it a top destination for visitors from across the UK and beyond.”
The D-Day Story is one of several Portsmouth attractions to receive Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award in 2025, reinforcing the city’s growing reputation as a must-visit cultural and historical destination.”
Independent commercial operator, PDJ, opened the doors to the state of the art 4 screen venue inside the iconic Chubb Building earlier this month.
It will ultimately employ a local workforce of 3 permanent and 20 part time staff – with 9 of the vacancies now filled by recruits from council led employment service, Wolves at Work.
Roles include front of house service to ensuring the safety of customers watching films to offer the best experience possible.
Working with city partners, Wolves at Work offers one to one support for residents living in Wolverhampton who are looking for work or to progress in their careers and is a free service available for people of any age to access.
Residents are offered their own dedicated Work Coach who provides support with CVs, help to complete job applications and interview practice, advice on training courses and in work benefits and access to hundreds of local jobs through links with employers.
Deon Marcel Millen from Bradmore in Wolverhampton, a Lockworks Cinema employee supported by Wolves at Work, said: “Wolves at Work were very, very helpful. I contacted them in April/May because I needed help finding a job and I got signed in which was nice and easy. A lady called Michelle helped me with my CV and within 3 weeks to a month I was able to get this job.
“It’s really good here and the team and staff are great. It’s a well balanced job for me and I’m enjoying helping people.”
Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “Supporting our residents into jobs, skills and training is one of the key priorities for the city and Wolves at Work is producing positive employment outcomes for our residents.
“PDJ has delivered an exciting new city centre cinema and by connecting with Wolves at Work it has ensured the new jobs available are going to local people.
“The cinema, alongside other popular venues like the art gallery, Grand Theatre and University of Wolverhampton at The Halls, will also drive footfall to support neighbouring local businesses and help them grow – creating further job opportunities.”
James Jervis, Director at PDJ Management, said: “We have been delighted to work with Wolves at Work. They have provided a brilliant service and the staff we have taken on have impressed from day one with an excellent attitude, big smiles and ensuring the Lockworks Cinema has best in class customer service.
“The connection to the local area from our employees is a key part of what makes us a true independent cinema for the city.”
To register for employment support visit the Wolves at Work office at i10, Railway Drive, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LH (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), calling 01902 554400 or emailing wolvesatwork@wolverhampton.gov.uk.
Local employers looking for support to fill roles can call on Wolves at Work’s team of dedicated Recruitment Managers. They can help by finding the right candidates for vacant roles and offer a range of support, from mapping potential candidates against your criteria through to arranging interviews. They also offer ongoing support to ensure that candidates stay in employment – from assisting with initial travel costs to providing advice on childcare and finances.
Employers can advertise their vacances for free on Wolves Workbox, an online skills and employment website dedicated to the City of Wolverhampton. Anyone interested in doing this should visit Wolves Workbox or email recruitment@wolverhampton.gov.uk.
Check out the Lockworks Cinema website to buy tickets for the latest Hollywood blockbusters.
SECURING HISTORIC SETTLEMENT WITH BROWN UNIVERSITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump secured a historic settlement with Brown University to restore fairness, merit, and safety in higher education.
The agreement ensures Brown will not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in admissions or university programming. Brown will provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with its commitment to merit-based admissions.
Brown will pay $50 million over ten years to state workforce development organizations that comply with anti-discrimination laws, supporting regional economic growth and career opportunities.
Brown will adopt the definitions of “male” and “female” from President Trump’s Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism” for women’s sports, programing, facilities, and housing.
Brown will not perform gender reassignment surgeries on minors or prescribe them puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones.
Brown will take steps to improve the campus climate for Jewish students and combat anti-Semitism.
The agreement reinstates all HHS grants, restores Brown’s eligibility for future grants and awards, and closes pending investigations into the university.
The agreement establishes a three-year monitoring period to ensure compliance with the agreement and federal laws.
ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AT BROWN: The Trump Administration took action to address concerns about violations of federal civil rights laws, protecting students and upholding fairness in higher education.
The settlement comes after public outcry over incidents and civil rights investigations into Brown’s alleged discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
Brown’s failure to address anti-Semitism and ensure fair treatment for all students raised urgent concerns about student safety and equal opportunities.
By securing this settlement, the Trump Administration is ensuring that Brown upholds merit-based standards, complies with federal law, and fosters an environment of academic excellence and safety for all students.
ADVANCING REFORMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: President Trump is holding elite universities accountable, ensuring they prioritize fairness, merit, and American values.
The Administration has challenged elite universities like Harvard, Columbia, and Brown for discriminating against students and staff, failing to protect students from violent anti-Semitism, and otherwise failing to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.
President Trump signed a Proclamation to safeguard national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University.
The Administration successfully negotiated a resolution with the University of Pennsylvania to keep men out of women’s sports and restore the trophies and records of women.
President Trump secured a more than $200 million settlement with Columbia University to resolve claims related to discriminatory practices, marking a significant win for accountability in academia.
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
WASHINGTON— House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) is hitting the road during the August district work period to kick off the One Big Beautiful Tour, highlighting the wins the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) delivers for working-class families, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, and every hardworking American.
For the first leg of the tour, Chairwoman McClain—the top messenger for House Republicans—is partnering with the National Association of Manufacturers to visit small and mid-sized manufacturers in the districts of Reps. Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07), Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08), and Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07).
“It’s a privilege to help carry the message of President Trump and the American people’s agenda,” Chairwoman McClain said. “I have been sharing with my constituents in Michigan all the incredible things the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for them. As Conference Chair, I have the opportunity to join my colleagues during this district work period and share that message across the country. I’m excited to help bring our results directly to more people and communities.”
“This once-in-a-lifetime historic tax bill is the investment of a generation in America’s manufacturers,” NAM Executive Vice President Erin Streeter said. “These important tax provisions provide businesses of all sizes—across every state and congressional district—with the certainty they need to invest, innovate and grow. The NAM is proud to partner with Chairwoman McClain to tell the story of how these pro-growth tax policies are improving the quality of life for Americans all across the country. Because when manufacturing wins, America wins.”
“The newly signed reconciliation package delivers real results for the American people,” Rep. Kean said. “By eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay, this bill helps workers keep more of what they earn and strengthens our local economy. I am looking forward to welcoming Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain and the National Association of Manufacturers to NJ-07 for a tour of Bihler of America in Phillipsburg. Their facility, known for its precision metal stamping and automated assembly systems, is a prime example of American manufacturing in action. This visit is a chance to see firsthand how the legislation is already making a difference for hardworking Americans and the manufacturers who employ them.”
“I’m honored to welcome Chairwoman McClain to Northeastern Pennsylvania to highlight the real results House Republicans are delivering for our region,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “NEPA is built on the grit and work ethic of our families, small businesses, and local manufacturers that keep our region and our country moving forward. This reconciliation bill delivers meaningful wins for our community, and I’m proud to highlight how we are fighting in Washington for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania during our visit to i2M next week.”
“I’m looking forward to welcoming Chairwoman McClain to the Greater Lehigh Valley to showcase the incredible work being done at AMPAL. For decades, AMPAL has supported our local economy and played a key role in powering American manufacturing, defense, and innovation,” Rep. Mackenzie said. “Her visit underscores our shared commitment to growing jobs, strengthening American manufacturing, and highlighting the investments of the One Big Beautiful Bill. I’m proud to work together to deliver results that move our region and our country forward.”
In our most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we forecast nationwide U.S. retail electricity sales to ultimate customers will grow at an annual rate of 2.2% in both 2025 and 2026, compared with average growth of 0.8% between 2020 and 2024. The forecast reflects rapid electricity demand growth in Texas and several mid-Atlantic states, where the grid is managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the PJM Interconnection, respectively. We expect electricity demand in ERCOT to grow at an average rate of 11% in 2025 and 2026 while the PJM region grows by 4%.
After relatively little change in U.S. electricity demand between 2005 and 2020, retail sales of electricity have begun growing again, driven by rising demand in the commercial and industrial sectors. Developers have proposed numerous data centers and large manufacturing facilities that could consume significant amounts of electricity, and many of these projects are concentrated in the ERCOT and PJM regions. But, the timing of these facilities’ initial operations remains uncertain.
We publish short-term forecasts for electricity sales to ultimate customers for each of the nine census divisions and for the entire United States. We directly incorporate ERCOT’s and PJM‘s monthly projections for power demand into our sales forecasts for the relevant regions. The portion of the power grid that ERCOT operates is located within the West South Central Census Division, which consists of Texas and three neighboring states: Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. In Texas, electricity is delivered to end-use customers by four large investor-owned utilities and several municipal utilities.
We expect electricity demand within ERCOT to increase by 7% in 2025 and by 14% in 2026 when some large data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities come online. We expect retail electricity sales in the broader West South Central Census Division to grow by 5% this year and 9% in 2026.
Dozens of utilities deliver electricity on the PJM Interconnection portion of the grid, which covers 13 states in parts of the Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, and East North Central Census Divisions. Within the area covered by PJM, the Northern Virginia market contains the highest concentration of data centers in the world, according to analysis conducted for Virginia’s state government. The growing demand for power by these new customers could increase electricity sales in PJM by 3% in 2025 and 4% in 2026.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Robson, Deputy Chair, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology
Productivity growth is a key driver of improvements in living standards. But in Australia over the last decade, output per hour worked grew by less than a quarter of its 60-year average.
We urgently need to turn this around.
That’s why the government has asked the Productivity Commission – where I am deputy chair – to conduct five inquiries and identify priority reforms.
As a first step to boost productivity growth, we need business to expand and invest in the tools and technology that help us get the most out of our work.
Unfortunately, some of our most important policy settings are holding us back.
Business investment has slumped
Capital expenditure by all non-mining firms is down 3.2 percentage points as a share of the economy since the end of the global financial crisis in 2009.
And the ever-growing thicket of rules and regulations faced by business is a significant handbrake on growth.
Lower company tax rates are likely to attract more overseas firms to invest in Australia and help people start and grow businesses. They may strengthen the ability of smaller firms, which contribute the bulk of capital investment, to compete with larger ones.
Our draft recommendations include:
Cutting the company tax rate to 20% from 25% or 30% for businesses with revenue under A$1 billion – the vast majority of companies
Introducing a new 5% net cash-flow tax on all firms. This supports companies’ capital expenditure by allowing them to immediately deduct the full value of their investments.
The company tax rate would remain at 30% for firms earning over $1 billion. This would affect about 500 companies.
In line with other developed nations
The reduction in Australia’s headline company tax rate would move Australia from having one of the highest to one of the lowest rates for small and medium-sized firms among developed economies.
And if the net cashflow tax is effective, it could be expanded over time and fund broader reductions in company income tax.
Our modelling indicates these two changes would increase investment in the economy by $8 billion and boost Australia’s GDP by $14 billion, with no net cost to the budget over the medium term.
An abundance of red tape
The interim report also notes regulation can enhance productivity and protect against harms. But too much, or inappropriate, regulation can disproportionately inhibit economic dynamism and resilience.
Australia’s regulatory burden has grown. Businesses report spending more and more on regulatory compliance.
Regulators and policymakers have a broad mandate to further the public interest. But they can face incentives to be overly risk-averse and to downplay the burden that regulations place on businesses. They may pursue narrow goals at the expense of broader economy-wide goals.
There are many practical examples that illustrate the problem.
In the Australian Capital Territory, for example, the average time a house builder must wait for a planning decision is nearly six months. In New South Wales, it takes an average of nine years to get approval to build a wind farm.
This kind of unnecessary and costly over-regulation ultimately benefits nobody.
More scrutiny needed
Simply put: Australia’s regulatory culture needs to change. And cultural change starts at the top.
As a first step, the government needs to make a clear, whole-of-government public commitment to reducing regulatory burdens, and ensure new regulatory proposals face greater cabinet and parliamentary scrutiny.
Regulators need to look for ways to promote economic growth, while continuing to ensure Australians are protected against avoidable harms.
Ministers could issue statements of expectations to regulators and regulatory policymakers that clearly indicate how much risk they should tolerate in pursuit of business dynamism.
To improve the evaluation of cumulative regulatory burdens, the Productivity Commission should be tasked with a regular and systematic stream of reviews. These would focus on sectors or regulatory systems where complex and enduring thickets of regulation have emerged.
The draft recommendations on tax and regulation set out in the interim report are clear, actionable and ambitious reforms. They will support governments in delivering a meaningful and measurable boost to Australia’s lagging productivity.
Alex Robson is deputy chair of the Productivity Commission.
