Countries have come to rely on a network of cables and pipes under the sea for their energy and communications. So it has been worrying to read headlines about communications cables being cut and, in one case, an undersea gas pipeline being blown up..
Critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) as these connections are known, supports about US$9 trillion (£6.6 trillion) worth of trade per day. A coordinated attack on this network could undoubtedly have devastating consequences.
But, as a former submarine commander who researches maritime security, I believe that attacking and disrupting the network is not as easy as some reports might make it appear. Deliberately snagging a pipeline with a dragging anchor in relatively shallow waters can cause a lot of damage, but it is fairly indiscriminate trick with a shelf life, since the damage can be repaired, and deniability becomes increasingly difficult.
Targeting the cable networks in deeper waters require more sophisticated methods, which are much more challenging to carry out.
A hostile state wishing to attack this network first needs to locate the cables they wish to target. The majority of the newer commercial cables are very clearly charted, but their positions are not exact.
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Cables and pipelines, even the heaviest ones, will drift somewhat as they are laid, and the deeper the water they sit in, the greater the distance they may drift.
Those newer cables are often buried in a shallow trench to protect them, which
makes locating and accessing them more challenging. Older cables were laid in slightly less exact navigational times, some before the GPS network was
available for civilian use. They are not in pristine or predictable patterns.
The positions of cables used by the military are generally not advertised at all, for reasons of security. Locating the target cable requires a detailed
understanding of the topography and features of the seabed. That sort of picture can only be built up by survey and reconnaissance.
Accurately surveying the seabed takes time and significant effort. And to get certainty of the picture, the survey or reconnaissance operation needs to be conducted in overlapping rows. This is painstaking work which is conditional upon the state of the sea.
Specialist equipment
Identifying a cable against the seabed or in the trench in which it lies requires a sonar resolution of something in the order of one or two metres, requiring specialist equipment.
In 2024, several submarine telecommunications cables were disrupted in the Baltic Sea. Although there had been suspicions about ships dragging their anchors to damage the cables, authorities were not able to confirm this. The damage has not been conclusively attributed to a third party.
There have been fears about “hybrid warfare”: deniable actions taken another nation that are enough to cause disruption, but are not enough to be an attributable act of war.
In 2017, the UK chief of the defence staff said that Russia posed a threat to undersea cables. Russia has spent considerable money, time and effort in developing the platforms and capabilities that could target undersea infrastructure, if the country so wished.
An organisation called the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI) operates deep-diving nuclear submarines, as well as a survey ship that is equipped with a deep diving submersible capable of operating at 6,000 metres.
Russian navy
The Russian navy also operates survey vessels such as the Akademik Vladimirsky. The precise sensors that the ship is equipped with are unknown – but in a 2012 research expedition to the South Pole it deployed a proton magnetometer, which can be used to discover metallic objects on the seabed such as pipelines.
However, there is no suggestion that these survey vessels have been involved in disrupting undersea infrastructure. Nevertheless, operations by such vessels do not go unobserved by the west. Indicators and warnings of their deployments can be gained from imagery, and western submarines are capable of tracking and observing their patrols.
The threat posed to Europe’s critical undersea infrastructure is real, and the consequences of a successful attack could be catastrophic. But this is a difficult business in a very challenging environment.
The most acute threat is in the littoral (shore zone), where cables make landfall and in the shallows around those landing places. Protecting these chokepoints should be a top priority.
That, in turn, requires adequate numbers of attack submarines capable of
monitoring and, if necessary, deterring or disrupting hostile activity. Vigilance,
investment, and realism – not alarmism – will be the foundation of a credible undersea defence.
John Aitken does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Most of us spend around a third of our lives in bed. Sleep isn’t just downtime; it’s essential for normal brain function and overall health. And while we often focus on how many hours we’re getting, the quality of our sleep environment matters too. A clean, welcoming bed with crisp sheets, soft pillowcases and fresh blankets not only feels good, it also supports better rest.
But how often should we really be washing our bed linens?
According to a 2022 YouGov poll, just 28% of Brits wash their sheets once a week. A surprising number admitted to leaving it much longer, with some stretching to eight weeks or more between washes. So what’s the science-backed guidance?
Let’s break down what’s actually happening in your bed every night – and why regular washing is more than just a question of cleanliness.
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That fresh sweat may be odourless, but bacteria on our skin, particularly staphylococci, break it down into smelly byproducts. This is often why you wake up with body odour, even if you went to bed clean.
But it’s not just about microbes. During the day, our hair and bodies collect pollutants, dust, pollen and allergens, which can also transfer to our bedding. These can trigger allergies, affect breathing, and contribute to poor air quality in the bedroom.
Dust mites, fungi and other unseen bedfellows
The flakes of skin we shed every night become food for dust mites – microscopic creatures that thrive in warm, damp bedding and mattresses. The mites themselves aren’t dangerous, but their faecal droppings are potent allergens that can aggravate eczema, asthma and allergic rhinitis.
If you sleep with pets, the microbial party gets even livelier. Animals introduce extra hair, dander, dirt and sometimes faecal traces into your sheets and blankets, increasing the frequency at which you should be washing them.
When: Weekly, or every three to four days if you’ve been ill, sweat heavily, or share your bed with pets.
Why: To remove sweat, oils, microbes, allergens and dead skin cells.
How: Wash at 60°C or higher with detergent to kill bacteria and dust mites. For deeper sanitisation, tumble dry or iron. To target dust mites inside pillows, freeze for at least 8 hours.
Mattresses
When: Vacuum at least weekly and air the mattress every few days.
Why: Sweat increases moisture levels, creating a breeding ground for mites.
When: Every two weeks, or more often if pets sleep on them.
Why: They trap skin cells, sweat and allergens.
How: Wash at 60°C or as high as the care label allows. Some guidance recommends treating these like towels: regular and hot washes keep them hygienic.
Duvets
When: Every three to four months, depending on usage and whether pets or children share your bed.
Why: Even with a cover, body oils and mites eventually seep into the filling.
How: Check the label: many duvets are machine-washable, others may require professional cleaning.
Your bed may look clean – but it’s teeming with microbes, allergens, mites and irritants that build up fast. Washing your bedding isn’t just about keeping things fresh; it’s a matter of health.
Regular laundering removes the biological soup of sweat, skin, dust and microbes, which helps to reduce allergic reactions, prevent infections and keep odours at bay. And as research continues to show the profound effect of sleep on everything from heart health to mental clarity, a hygienic sleep environment is a small but powerful investment in your wellbeing.
So go ahead – strip the bed. Wash those sheets. Freeze your pillows. Your microbes (and your sinuses) will thank you.
Sweet dreams – and happy laundering.
Primrose Freestone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Abschied (Parting) by Sebastian Haffner (1907-1999) is dominating the bestseller charts in Germany. It has been published posthumously, over 25 years after his death, after the manuscript was found in a drawer.
The novel is a love story between Raimund, a young non-Jewish German student of law from Berlin, and Teddy, a young Jewish woman from Vienna. Raimund and Teddy meet on August 31 1930 in Berlin and the novel covers the time they spend in Berlin and Paris together.
Abschied was written between October 18 and November 23 1932, just before the Nazi takeover. It reads in the breathless, immediate manner in which it was clearly conceived. It also gives a personal insight into the zeitgeist of the final months of the Weimar Republic.
Haffner was born Raimund Pretzel in Berlin, where he trained as a lawyer. He disagreed with the Nazi regime and emigrated to London in 1938. There, in order to protect his family in Germany from potential Nazi retribution he changed his name.
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It is estimated that around 80,000 German-speaking refugees from Nazism lived in the UK by September 1939. Most of these refugees were Jewish, but there was also a sizeable number who, like Haffner, had fled for political reasons. Many politically committed exiles arrived soon after 1933 but this was not the case for Haffner. In the 1930s he was busy being a young man in Berlin, training as a lawyer and enjoying himself.
Haffner’s father was an educationalist who had a library with 10,000 volumes. As a young man Haffner liked reading, and toyed with the idea of becoming a writer and journalist, but his father advised him to study law and aim for a career in the civil service. Political developments in Germany made this option increasingly unpalatable. Initially Haffner found it difficult to see a way out. As he wrote in Defying Hitler: “Daily life […] made it difficult to see the situation clearly.”
In the book he also describes how he and other Germans acquiesced to the new regime. Haffner was disgusted with his own reaction to the SA (the Nazi party’s private army) entering the library of the court building where he was a pupil, asking those present whether they were Aryan and throwing out Jewish members of the court.
When questioned by an SA man, Haffner replied that he was indeed Aryan and felt immediately ashamed: “A moment too late I felt the shame, the defeat. I had said, ‘Yes’. […] What a humiliation to have answered the unjustified question whether I was Aryan so easily, even if the fact was of no importance to me.” Haffner never really took up his career as a lawyer, because it would have meant upholding Nazi laws and Nazi justice. Instead he started working as a journalist and writer, first in Germany and after his escape in 1938 in the UK.
Life in the UK
Soon after his arrival in the UK, Haffner finished a book titled Defying Hitler (1939). The memoir was both autobiographical and a political history of the period – but after the outbreak of the second world war it was considered not polemical enough, and was dismissed as an unsuitable explanation for the rise of Nazism at the time. But the intermingling of private and public history is of great interest to readers in the 21st century. Defying Hitler was published posthumously in German (2000) and in English (2003) and became a bestseller in both languages.
After Defying Hitler, Haffner turned to writing another book, Germany: Jekyll and Hyde (1940). It was more clearly anti-Nazi and focused on his journalism – during the war, he worked for the Foreign Office on anti-Nazi propaganda and he was later employed by The Observer as a political journalist. The book was a success, and Winston Churchill is said to have told his cabinet to read it.
The handwritten manuscript for Abschied, which was never published in Haffner’s lifetime, was found in a drawer by his son Oliver Pretzel, some time after his father’s death.
The German critic Volker Weidemann who wrote the epilogue to Parting toys with the idea that it was never published because its focus on the love story was considered a bit too trivial for such a great writer. Thanks to his work for The Observer after 1941, Haffner was a well-regarded political journalist and historical biographer. He became the paper’s German correspondent in 1954, and was well known for his column in West Germany’s Stern magazine and for his biographies, including one on Churchill (1967).
The perspective of a young non-Jewish German living a relatively ordinary life in the early 1930s makes Abschied a fascinating read. Academics have been exploring everyday life under Nazi rule for nearly half a century now, but it seems that modern readers are still keen to learn about it today.
Perhaps the novel resonates with so many German readers because we live in a time where many struggle with the inevitable continuation of everyday life while politics is becoming ever more extraordinary.
Andrea Hammel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The afterlife is not typically associated with aggressive pets and insatiable worms. But these are exactly the creatures that appeared to an unnamed woman recluse living in Winchester, England, over the course of three nights in the summer of 1422. The woman was an anchoress. That means she had chosen – and subsequently vowed – to live in solitary confinement within a small cell attached to a church for the rest of her life.
The recluse wrote a vivid account of her vision and sent it to her confessor and a circle of influential churchmen. Her letter, known today as A Revelation of Purgatory, makes her one of the earliest known women writers in the English language.
Despite deserving this accolade, the Winchester recluse did not appear alongside her more famous contemporaries or near contemporaries, Julian of Norwich (1342 – after 1416) and Margery Kempe (circa 1373 – after 1438), in the British Library’s hugely successful recent exhibition, Medieval Women: In Their Own Words. One likely reason for this is that the manuscript copy of the full account of the vision was not available for display at the time. That situation has now changed.
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The British Library has just announced the purchase of five medieval manuscripts from Longleat House in Wiltshire. One of these manuscripts contains the complete surviving version of the recluse’s letter, which, although referred to in an incomplete version elsewhere as “a revelation recently shown to a holy woman”, is untitled in this particular manuscript. This may be another reason for this woman’s writing having been overlooked until very recently. This exciting purchase will hopefully now give the Winchester recluse and her writing the attention they deserve.
Angels feeding souls through a purgatorial furnace in the 15th century manuscript Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Wikimedia Commons
In her vivid, technicolor visions, the recluse watched a dead friend, a nun named Margaret, ushered to the forefront of purgatory by a cat and dog that she had adored and pampered when she was alive.
Transformed into vicious satanic minions, Margaret’s former pets joined the many devils responsible for doling out her punishments. They tore endlessly at her flesh and bit and scratched her relentlessly. They did so to remind her that, as a nun, she had broken her vows by keeping them as her companions in her nunnery and by devoting too much love and attention to them.
In Margaret’s heart, too, a voracious little worm had taken up residence – a so-called “worm of conscience” – that was intent on consuming her from the inside out as part of her torment.
So deeply troubling was this vision of her friend’s suffering that the Winchester recluse immediately summoned her young maid, and the two women started to pray for the nun’s soul. On the very next day the recluse decided there was nothing for it but to document her visions of Margaret’s fate. She not only detailed all she had seen, but also stipulated which prayers, and how many, should be said on behalf of poor Margaret to deliver her from her suffering and help her reach the gates of heaven.
The recluse’s letter is very specific about the date of these visions: they took place on St Lawrence’s day, August 10 1322, which fell on a Sunday that year. There was – and still is – a small church dedicated to this saint very close to the cathedral in Winchester (the so-called Mother Church of Winchester).
As an anchoress, the author would almost certainly have occupied a cell attached to a church somewhere in Winchester. This would also have allowed her the time and the space for contemplation, study and writing.
As has been argued in a recent blog and podcast for the University of Surrey’s Mapping Medieval Women Writers project, it is quite possible that the Church of St Lawrence was the location of her cell, where she experienced her visions, and where she wrote down her account of them.
This manuscript now permanently joins an unparalleled collection of medieval women’s writing in England held in the British Library. It includes not only The Book of Margery Kempe, manuscripts of both the short and long texts of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations, but also the Lais and Fables of Marie de France, the Boke of Saints Albans attributed to Juliana Berners, and the letters of the 15th-century Norfolk gentlewoman Margaret Paston and other female family members.
As such, the work of this unnamed Winchester anchoress now takes up its rightful place alongside the writing of her hitherto better-known literary sisters.
Diane Watt has received funding from the AHRC, British Academy and Leverhulme Trust.
Liz Herbert McAvoy received funding for an associated project from the Leverhulme Trust.
Amy Louise Morgan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simone Abram, Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Director of Durham Energy Institute, Durham University
David Iliff / shutterstock
Thousands of new electricity pylons are to be built across parts of England under the government’s plans to decarbonise the electricity. And some people aren’t happy.
A glance at recent Daily Telegraph articles seem to suggest most of the genteel English countryside is about to be taken over by evil metal monsters. Headlines talk of “noisy” pylons set to “scythe through” “unspoiled countryside”, leading to a “pylon penalty” for house prices and even “mass social unrest”.
While some of the stories are rather over the top, they reflect a genuine unease, and there have been significant campaigns against pylons. In Suffolk, for instance, resistance is building against plans for a 114-mile-long transmission line connecting new offshore wind farms to Norwich and beyond.
So why do these towering steel structures evoke such powerful feelings?
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Pylons have had a particular fascination since they were first introduced in the 1920s. Even then, the biggest challenge was to get “wayleaves” (permission) to cross farmland. To calm rural protest groups, the government’s electricity board commissioned an architect, Reginald Blomfield, to design transmission towers with an eye to “visual amenity”.
Pylon cleaning, 1946. Smith Archive / Alamy
In the most protected areas, expensive underground cabling was used to hide the transmission lines altogether. The board used its copious marketing materials to emphasise that this option was around six times more expensive, and therefore only for exceptional use. By the 1940s pylons were much cheaper than underground cables, providing a techno-economic rationale that remains politically persuasive today.
Why we love the countryside
One reason pylons are so controversial is related to a particularly English fascination with landscape. The geographer David Matless wrote some years ago of the “powerful historical connection” between Englishness and a vision of its countryside. People feel a degree of ownership over a varied landscape, encompassing lowland and upland, north and south, picturesque and bleak, and often have strong opinions about what “fits”, what constitutes “heritage” and what is “out of place”.
Even if most of England is privately owned and commercially farmed, many people still imagine the land as a public good tied to national sentiments and see pylons as intruders in the landscape.
Intruders? Pylons in England’s Peak District. Martin Charles Hatch / shutterstock
This could also explain why proposals to build infrastructure across the English countryside often provoke significant objections. My research on planning in the Home Counties (the areas surrounding London) back in the 1990s revealed a very determined population of well-educated and well-resourced people willing to spend significant amounts of time and money ensuring that the landscape met their expectations.
Concerted efforts had seen off a proposal from the then Conservative government to build a motorway through the Chiltern Hills to the west of London, for example.
There were, and still are, innumerable village groups willing to turn up to public enquiries and to pay lawyers to launch appeals and legal challenges. They may have been sceptical of the more grungy road protesters (historically embodied by the indomitable Swampy), but there was certainly common purpose.
My conclusion at the time was never to underestimate the effectiveness of local action where people’s vision of the English countryside was challenged. More recently, plans to run the HS2 rail line through those same hills ran into fierce local opposition, which prompted significant redesigns.
That’s all well and good, but today we face catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss. Wind turbines are one of the most effective ways to decarbonise electricity supplies, but they are in different places from the old coal and gas power stations. Ironically, the same love of landscape that pushed wind farms out to sea now fuels opposition to the cables that bring the power back to land.
Democratic decisions?
One of the challenges here is that decisions over things like high-voltage transmission lines are based on models that seek to “optimise” the design of equipment, on the basis of cost or effectiveness, or both. These models have no way to account for landscape and heritage value or aesthetics and should never be the sole basis for decisions about infrastructure.
Running pylons across Suffolk might be the cheapest route with least electrical loss, but is it the best option? What would the alternatives be? Starting the discussion from the basis of techno-economic modelling often preempts a properly balanced debate.
This isn’t an argument for or against big pylons. It’s a call for more democratic planning and not less.
Studies consistently show that people resent being excluded from decisions that reshape their landscape and environment. Planning is a political process, and in any such process, humiliating your opponent rarely leads to long-term harmony.
Top down decisions about “national infrastructure” may save time on paper but are not a good way to make progress. It appears autocratic and shifts objectors onto the streets or into the courts.
Real consultation takes time and effort. But it builds trust and leads to better outcomes.
Maybe pylons are the least-worst option. Maybe not. But we won’t know unless we ask – and listen.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Simone Abram receives funding from EPSRC for research on integrated energy systems and equality, diversity and inclusion in energy research. She received funding from the Norwegian Research Council for research on socially-inclusive energy transitions. Her Chair is co-funded by Ørsted UK but she does not represent the company in any way and any views expressed here remain independent.
Sexting – the creating and exchanging of sexual texts, photos and videos – has become part of many people’s sexual and romantic lives. In an age where interpersonal relations often take place through digital technology, particularly since the pandemic, understanding sexting can help us better understand intimacy.
Discussions around this topic inevitably involve concerns about sexual consent, and violation of it. One frequent concern is the risk of intimate image abuse, where private sexual images are shared without the consent of the person depicted. Another is the risk of receiving unsolicited or non-consensual “dick pics”.
These violations can and do affect people of any gender identity. But research suggests that both types of violation particularly affect girls and women, who are more likely to be victims of the non-consensual further sharing of intimate images and to receive unsolicited dick pics. Girls are also more likely than boys to report feeling pressured into sending nudes or other sexual content.
In my research, I have explored how men and women experience and navigate consent when sexting in heterosexual relationships.
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I have found that consent is central to the sexting practices of both women and men, but that they approach it differently. Overall, the women I spoke to were most concerned about the risk of having their consent violated. The men, on the other hand, were more worried about the risk of accidentally violating the consent of the person they were sexting with.
Women’s experiences
Between June 2016 and February 2017, I interviewed 44 women about their use of digital media and technology in their romantic and sexual relations. A core part of this involved discussion about their experiences of sexting. Our conversations focused especially on their experiences of sexting with men, and on their notions of intimacy, risk and trust.
My participants primarily saw mitigating the risk of intimate image abuse as an individual responsibility. In other words, these women saw themselves as responsible for ensuring that their consent was not violated by a sexting partner.
They reflected on the importance of women taking charge to protect themselves. For example, by not placing their trust in the “wrong” kind of person when sexting. Many employed tactics to reduce risk, from not showing their face in an image, to establishing close connections with the friends and family of their sexting partner.
As one participant in her mid-20s explained: “I do try to meet their family and friends beforehand, just so, if anything does happen, I can kind of go and tell his mum.”
Just as the women focused on their individual responsibility for reducing risk, they also understood men as individually responsible for the sexism of sending unsolicited dick pics. Overall, they saw it as an issue of some men behaving badly, rather than part of a broader, systemic issue. This view differs from that of scholars in this area, who have linked non-consensual dick pics to wider misogyny and social issues like rape culture.
Men’s experiences
The 15 interviews I conducted with men took place between May 2022 and May 2023, five years after the interviews with women. During these intervening years, the #MeToo movement gained global reach. This movement raised awareness about the widespread, social and structural issues that lead to sexual consent violations and abuse of power in sexual relations.
This research, the findings of which will be published in a forthcoming book chapter, coincided with what many have recognised as a backlash to #MeToo. This backlash (in politics, entertainment and wider society) has manifested in, for example, the advance of the manosphere and crackdowns on sexual and reproductive rights.
Only one participant mentioned #MeToo specifically, noting its role in putting sexual consent on the agenda. However, it was clear that the rapidly changing and tumultuous social and political landscape regarding sexual consent informed the mens’ experiences.
One participant in his late thirties stressed how an interest in consent was what made him want to participate in an interview. He said: “I’ve grown up through a period where … understanding about consent has changed a lot. Men of my age … I just think we’re very ill prepared for the expectations of modern society.”
My women participants had been most concerned to protect themselves from having their consent violated. But the men appeared to be most worried about the possibility that they might violate a woman’s consent by not having ensured sexual consent when sexting.
Some participants struggled with managing what they understood as conflicting messages regarding women’s expectations of men when sexting. For some, it meant avoiding sexting they saw as “risky”. For others, it meant continuously establishing consent by checking in with a partner.
Moving forward
Overall, my interviews revealed that both men and women take consent seriously, and are eager to prevent its violation.
This is something I explored further in workshops with other researchers, relevant charities and stakeholders. Our discussions, summarised in the Consent in Digital Sexual Cultures report, stress the importance of creating room (for young men especially) to explore ideas around consent without worrying about social repercussions.
Charities like Beyond Equality and Fumble are already creating spaces for such discussions in their meetings with young people at school, in the university and online. We also need to see more of these discussions taking place in the home, at government level and through collaboration with tech companies.
Navigating consent in sexual relationships has long been a fraught task for many. Digital technology has created new opportunities for sexual interaction, but also for the violation of consent. We need spaces for dialogue, to help us figure out – together – what good sexual consent practice is and should look like, for everyone involved.
Rikke Amundsen has received a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant with reference number
SRG2223230389. This grant covered the costs of the research outlined in the Consent in Digital Sexual Cultures Report.
Professional athletes from around the world spend years training to compete in some of the UK’s biggest summer sporting tournaments: Wimbledon and the British Open. But not all tournament hopefuls will make it to the finals — and some may even be forced to drop out due to a variety of sporting injuries, from torn anterior cruciates to strained shoulders.
Their elbows are at risk too. In fact, two of the most common reasons for elbow pain relate to sporting injuries — the aptly named (and dreaded) tennis and golfer’s elbow.
But it isn’t just professional athletes who are at risk of developing these common elbow injuries. Even those of us sitting on the sidelines or watching from our couches can find ourselves struck down by them – even if we don’t participate in either of these sports.
In general practice, we see patients with elbow conditions fairly frequently. Elbows can become swollen as a result of repetitive strain, gout and can be fractured by a fall.
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Tennis and golfer’s elbow are also common reasons people visit their GP. Both share root causes, arising from inflammation and degeneration of the forearm tendons, which attach either side of the elbow. These typically cause pain on the sides of the joint, which can radiate down the affected side toward the wrist. Establishing which side is injured is crucial to diagnosis.
The reason these conditions are associated with sports is because of the actions that are typical when playing them – the same actions which can result in injury.
Take tennis and one of its killer moves: a lethal backhand stroke, which was part of the tournament-winning arsenal of champions such as Roger Federer, Justine Henin and Stan Wawrinka. Tennis elbow seems to be more strongly associated with the one-handed backhand, affecting the outer side of the elbow.
The cause of tennis elbow can be pinpointed to a poor technique in the backhand stroke or grip. Problems with equipment, such as an incorrectly strung or a too-heavy racquet, might also exacerbate the problem.
Notably, this problem is actually observed less frequently in professional players compared to recreational players. This is probably because of their expertise, form and access to the best equipment and physiotherapy.
Golfer’s elbow refers to pain on the inner side, closest to the body. One action that can cause it is the golfer’s swing, where the player contracts their arm muscles to control the trajectory of the club. Doing so with poor technique or incorrect grip can irritate and damage the tendons. The golfer’s swing uses different muscles to a backhand stroke, so the injury occurs on the opposite side of the elbow.
Both conditions have some overlapping symptoms despite affecting different tendons. For instance, some patients may note pain when using their wrist – such as turning a doorknob or shaking someone’s hand. It can be also be present at rest too – affecting other simple functions, such as using a keyboard.
Tennis elbow is around five to ten times more common than golfer’s elbow, since these tendons are used more frequently in sport and daily life.
Confusingly, the conditions are actually not exclusive to these sports. Some golfers can develop tennis elbow, while some tennis players can develop golfer’s elbow. This is because both games feature a combination of techniques that can affect the tendons on either side.
Other sports that might also lead to a similar type of elbow injury include throwing sports (such as javelin), and batting or other racket sports – including baseball, cricket or squash. Weightlifting moves such as deadlifts, rows and overhead presses can also put considerable strain on the elbows too.
You can even develop golfer’s or tennis elbow without taking part in either of these sports. Certain hobbies and occupations which strain or damage the tendons come into play here. Workers who are heavy lifters or use vibrating machinery, such as carpenters, sheet metal workers or pneumatic drill operators, are prime candidates.
Treating a sore elbow
If you develop golfer’s or tennis elbow, standard protocol is to “rice” – rest, ice, compress and elevate. Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can also help. In many cases, symptoms resolve themselves within a few weeks.
Depending on the severity of the injury, you may also be sent to physiotherapy or given an elbow support or splint. For really severe cases that aren’t getting better with the usual remedies, more invasive treatment is needed.
Steroid injections into the affected area can act to reduce inflammation – but have variable effects, working better for some patients than for others.
Autologous blood injection is a therapy where blood is taken from the patient and then re-injected into the space around the elbow. The thought behind this rather odd-sounding treatment is that the blood induces healing within the damaged tendon. The method is now undergoing a renaissance – and a variation of it, which uses platelet-rich plasma derived from the blood sample.
Surgery is possible, too – but is generally reserved for severe, non-responsive cases or those where a clear anatomical problem (such as damaged tendons or tissue) are causing the symptoms.
Whether or not you’re a tennis or golf pro, persistent elbow pain isn’t normal. It’s best to speak to your doctor to figure out the cause so you can get back to the court or putting green.
Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
“Are we stopping again already?” It’s a familiar complaint on family road trips and one that’s often aimed at women. From sitcoms to stand-up routines, the idea that women have smaller bladders has become a cultural punchline. But is it anatomically accurate?
The short answer? Not really. The full picture reveals a more complex – and far more interesting – interplay between anatomy, physiology and social conditioning. Women might feel like they need to go more often, but their actual bladder size isn’t significantly different.
The detrusor is a layer of smooth muscle that forms the bladder wall. Its unusual elasticity – a quality known as compliance – allows it to stretch without triggering constant “full” signals. When nature calls, it contracts forcefully to empty the bladder.
An inner lining, the transitional epithelium, behaves like biological origami, it stretches and flattens to accommodate expanding volume, all while shielding underlying tissues from the toxic contents of stored urine.
Thanks to this clever design, your bladder can expand and contract throughout a lifetime without tearing, losing tone, or sounding false alarms – most of the time.
So where does sex come into it?
In structural terms, male and female bladders are more alike than different. Both comfortably hold around 400–600 millilitres of urine. What surrounds the bladder can influence sensation and urgency, and this is where the differences begin.
In men, the bladder nestles above the prostate and in front of the rectum. In women, it sits in a more crowded pelvic compartment, sharing space with the uterus and vagina. During pregnancy, the growing uterus can compress the bladder – hence the dash to the loo every 20 minutes in the third trimester.
Even outside pregnancy, spatial constraints may mean the bladder triggers a sense of urgency earlier. Some studies suggest women are more likely to feel bladder fullness at lower volumes – possibly due to hormonal influences, increased sensory input or the dynamic relationship between pelvic floor support and bladder stretch.
The pelvic floor – a sling of muscles supporting the bladder, uterus and bowel – is crucial. In women, it can be weakened by childbirth, hormonal shifts or simply time, altering the coordination between holding on and letting go.
Much of that control hinges on the external urethral sphincter – a ring of voluntary muscle that acts as the bladder’s gatekeeper, helping you wait for a socially convenient time to void.
A part of the pelvic floor complex, and like any muscle, it can lose tone or be retrained. Meanwhile, urinary tract infections (more common in women due to a shorter urethra) can leave the bladder hypersensitive, upping the frequency of urination even after the infection has passed.
Toileting habits can vary across cultures. But from a young age, many girls are often taught to “go, just in case” or avoid public toilets. These habits can train the bladder to empty prematurely, reducing its capacity to stretch.
Meanwhile, boys are often given more leeway – or encouraged to wait. Anyone who has ever “hovered” over a toilet seat will also recognise that hygiene concerns will influence behaviour. Over time, the bladder learns. You can’t change its size, but you can train its tolerance.
Bladder training, a technique championed by the NHS and the British Association of Urological Surgeons, involves gradually increasing the time between toilet trips. This helps reset the feedback loop between bladder and brain, restoring capacity and reducing the sensation of urgency.
Often combined with pelvic floor exercises, it’s an effective, non-invasive way to take back control – especially for those with overactive bladder syndrome or stress incontinence.
So women may not have smaller bladders, but they may have less room to manoeuvre, both anatomically and socially. The next time someone rolls their eyes at a toilet stop, remind them: it’s not about weak willpower or tiny tanks. It’s about anatomy, habit and hormones.
Michelle Spear does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Across much of Europe, the engines of economic growth are sputtering. In its latest global outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sharply downgraded its forecasts for the UK and Europe, warning that the continent faces persistent economic bumps in the road.
Globally, the World Bank recently said this decade is likely to be the weakest for growth since the 1960s. “Outside of Asia, the developing world is becoming a development-free zone,” the bank’s chief economist warned.
The UK economy went into reverse in April 2025, shrinking by 0.3%. The announcement came a day after the UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her spending review to the House of Commons with a speech that mentioned the word “growth” nine times – including promising “a Growth Mission Fund to expedite local projects that are important for growth”:
I said that we wanted growth in all parts of Britain – and, Mr Speaker, I meant it.
Across Europe, a long-term economic forecast to 2040 predicted annual growth of just 0.9% over the next 15 years – down from 1.3% in the decade before COVID. And this forecast was in December 2024, before Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies had reignited trade tensions between the US and Europe (and pretty much everywhere else in the world).
Even before Trump’s tariffs, the reality was clear to many economic experts. “Europe’s tragedy”, as one columnist put it, is that it is “deeply uncompetitive, with poor productivity, lagging in technology and AI, and suffering from regulatory overload”. In his 2024 report on European (un)competitiveness, Mario Draghi – former president of the European Central Bank (and then, briefly, Italy’s prime minister) – warned that without radical policy overhauls and investment, Europe faces “a slow agony” of relative decline.
To date, the typical response of electorates has been to blame the policymakers and replace their governments at the first opportunity. Meanwhile, politicians of all shades whisper sweet nothings about how they alone know how to find new sources of growth – most commonly, from the magic AI tree. Because growth, with its widely accepted power to deliver greater productivity and prosperity, remains a key pillar in European politics, upheld by all parties as the benchmark of credibility, progress and control.
But what if the sobering truth is that growth is no longer reliably attainable – across Europe at least? Not just this year or this decade but, in any meaningful sense, ever?
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For a continent like Europe – with limited land and no more empires to exploit, ageing populations, major climate concerns and electorates demanding ever-stricter barriers to immigration – the conditions that once underpinned steady economic expansion may no longer exist. And in the UK more than most European countries, these issues are compounded by high levels of long-term sickness, early retirement and economic inactivity among working-age adults.
As the European Parliament suggested back in 2023, the time may be coming when we are forced to look “beyond growth” – not because we want to, but because there is no other realistic option for many European nations.
But will the public ever accept this new reality? As an expert in how public policy can be used to transform economies and societies, my question is not whether a world without growth is morally superior or more sustainable (though it may be both). Rather, I’m exploring if it’s ever possible for political parties to be honest about a “post-growth world” and still get elected – or will voters simply turn to the next leader who promises they know the secret of perpetual growth, however sketchy the evidence?
To understand why Europe in particular is having such a hard time generating economic growth, first we need to understand what drives it – and why some countries are better placed than others in terms of productivity (the ability to keep their economy growing).
Economists have a relatively straightforward answer. At its core, growth comes from two factors: labour and capital (machinery, technology and the like). So, for your economy to grow, you either need more people working (to make more stuff), or the same amount of workers need to become more productive – by using better machines, tools and technologies.
Historically, population growth has gone hand-in-hand with economic expansion. In the postwar years, countries such as France, Germany and the UK experienced booming birth rates and major waves of immigration. That expanding labour force fuelled industrial production, consumer demand and economic growth.
Why does economic growth matter? Video: Bank of England.
Ageing populations not only reduce the size of the active labour force, they place more pressure on health and other public services, as well as pension systems. Some regions have attempted to compensate with more liberal migration policies, but public resistance to immigration is strong – reflected in increased support for rightwing and populist parties that advocate for stricter immigration controls.
While the UK’s median age is now over 40, it has a birthrate advantage over countries such as Germany and Italy, thanks largely to the influx of immigrants from its former colonies in the second half of the 20th century. But whether this translates into meaningful and sustainable growth depends heavily on labour market participation and the quality of investment – particularly in productivity-enhancing sectors like green technology, infrastructure and education – all of which remain uncertain.
If Europe can’t rely on more workers, then to achieve growth, its existing workers must become more productive. And here, we arrive at the second half of the equation: capital. The usual hope is that investments in new technologies – particularly AI as it drives a new wave of automation – will make up the difference.
In January, the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, called AI “the defining opportunity of our generation” while announcing he had agreed to take forward all 50 recommendations set out in an independent AI action plan. Not to be outdone, the European Commission unveiled its AI continent action plan in April.
Keir Starmer announces the UK’s AI action plan. Video: BBC.
Despite the EU’s concerted efforts to enhance its digital competitiveness, a 2024 McKinsey report found that US corporations invested around €700 billion more in capital expenditure and R&D, in 2022 alone than their European counterparts, underscoring the continent’s investment gap. And where AI is adopted, it tends to concentrate gains in a few superstar companies or cities.
In fact, this disconnect between firm-level innovation and national growth is one of the defining features of the current era. Tech clusters in cities like Paris, Amsterdam and Stockholm may generate unicorn startups and record-breaking valuations, but they’re not enough to move the needle on GDP growth across Europe as a whole. The gains are often too narrow, the spillovers too weak and the social returns too uneven.
Yet admitting this publicly remains politically taboo. Can any European leader look their citizens in the eye and say: “We’re living in a post-growth world”? Or rather, can they say it and still hope to win another election?
The human need for growth
To be human is to grow – physically, psychologically, financially; in the richness of our relationships, imagination and ambitions. Few people would be happy with the prospect of being consigned to do the same job for the same money for the rest of their lives – as the collapse of the Soviet Union demonstrated. Which makes the prospect of selling a post-growth future to people sound almost inhuman.
Even those who care little about money and success usually strive to create better futures for themselves, their families and communities. When that sense of opportunity and forward motion is absent or frustrated, it can lead to malaise, disillusionment and in extreme cases, despair.
The health consequences of long-term economic decline are increasingly described as “diseases of despair” – rising rates of suicide, substance abuse and alcohol-related deaths concentrated in struggling communities. Recessions reliably fuel psychological distress and demand for mental healthcare, as seen during the eurozone crisis when Greece experienced surging levels of depression and declining self-rated health, particularly among the unemployed – with job loss, insecurity and austerity all contributing to emotional suffering and social fragmentation.
These trends don’t just affect the vulnerable; even those who appear relatively secure often experience “anticipatory anxiety” – a persistent fear of losing their foothold and slipping into instability. In communities, both rural and urban, that are wrestling with long-term decline, “left-behind” residents often describe a deep sense of abandonment by governments and society more generally – prompting calls for recovery strategies that address despair not merely as a mental health issue, but as a wider economic and social condition.
The belief in opportunity and upward mobility – long embodied in US culture by “the American dream” – has historically served as a powerful psychological buffer, fostering resilience and purpose even amid systemic barriers. However, as inequality widens and while career opportunities for many appear to narrow, research shows the gap between aspiration and reality can lead to disillusionment, chronic stress and increased psychological distress – particularly among marginalised groups. These feelings are only intensified in the age of social media, where constant exposure to curated success stories fuels social comparison and deepens the sense of falling behind.
For younger people in the UK and many parts of Europe, the fact that so much capital is tied up in housing means opportunity depends less on effort or merit and more on whether their parents own property – meaning they could pass some of its value down to their children.
‘Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism’, a discussion hosted by LSE Online.
Stagnation also manifests in more subtle but no less damaging ways. Take infrastructure. In many countries, the true cost of flatlining growth has been absorbed not through dramatic collapse but quiet decay.
Across the UK, more than 1.5 million children are learning in crumbling school buildings, with some forced into makeshift classrooms for years after being evacuated due to safety concerns. In healthcare, the total NHS repair backlog has reached £13.8 billion, leading to hundreds of critical incidents – from leaking roofs to collapsing ceilings – and the loss of vital clinical time.
Meanwhile, neglected government buildings across the country are affecting everything from prison safety to courtroom access, with thousands of cases disrupted due to structural failures and fire safety risks. These are not headlines but lived realities – the hidden toll of underinvestment, quietly hollowing out the state behind a veneer of functionality.
Without economic growth, governments face a stark dilemma: to raise revenues through higher taxes, or make further rounds of spending cuts. Either path has deep social and political implications – especially for inequality. The question becomes not just how to balance the books but how to do so fairly – and whether the public might support a post-growth agenda framed explicitly around reducing inequality, even if it also means paying more taxes.
In fact, public attitudes suggest there is already widespread support for reducing inequality. According to the Equality Trust, 76% of UK adults agree that large wealth gaps give some people too much political power.
Research by the Sutton Trust finds younger people especially attuned to these disparities: only 21% of 18 to 24-year-olds believe everyone has the same chance to succeed and 57% say it’s harder for their generation to get ahead. Most believe that coming from a wealthy family (75%) and knowing the right people (84%) are key to getting on in life.
In a post-growth world, higher taxes would not only mean wealthier individuals and corporations contributing a relatively greater share, but the wider public shifting consumption patterns, spending less on private goods and more collectively through the state. But the recent example of France shows how challenging this tightope is to walk.
In September 2024, its former prime minister, Michel Barnier, signalled plans for targeted tax increases on the wealthy, arguing these were essential to stabilise the country’s strained public finances. While politically sensitive, his proposals for tax increases on wealthy individuals and large firms initially passed without widespread public unrest or protests.
However, his broader austerity package – encompassing €40 billion (£34.5 billion) in spending cuts alongside €20 billion in tax hikes – drew vocal opposition from both left‑wing lawmakers and the far right, and contributed to parliament toppling his minority government in December 2024.
Such measures surely mark the early signs of a deeper financial reckoning that post-growth realities will force into the open: how to sustain public services when traditional assumptions about economic expansion can no longer be relied upon.
For the traditional parties, the political heat is on. Regions most left behind by structural economic shifts are increasingly drawn to populist and anti-establishment movements. Electoral outcomes have shown a significant shift, with far-right parties such as France’s National Rally and Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) making substantial gains in the 2024 European parliament elections, reflecting a broader trend of rising support for populist and anti-establishment parties across the continent.
Voters are expressing growing dissatisfaction not only with the economy, but democracy itself. This sentiment has manifested through declining trust in political institutions, as evidenced by a Forsa survey in Germany where only 16% of respondents expressed confidence in their government and 54% indicated they didn’t trust any party to solve the country’s problems.
This brings us to the central dilemma: can any European politician successfully lead a national conversation which admits the economic assumptions of the past no longer hold? Or is attempting such honesty in politics inevitably a path to self-destruction, no matter how urgently the conversation is needed?
Facing up to a new economic reality
For much of the postwar era, economic life in advanced democracies has rested on a set of familiar expectations: that hard work would translate into rising incomes, that home ownership would be broadly attainable and that each generation would surpass the prosperity of the one before it.
However, a growing body of evidence suggests these pillars of economic life are eroding. Younger generations are already struggling to match their parents’ earnings, with lower rates of home ownership and greater financial precarity becoming the norm in many parts of Europe.
Incomes for millennials and generation Z have largely stagnated relative to previous cohorts, even as their living costs – particularly for housing, education and healthcare – have risen sharply. Rates of intergenerational income mobility have slowed significantly across much of Europe and North America since the 1970s. Many young people now face the prospect not just of static living standards, but of downward mobility.
Effectively communicating the realities of a post-growth economy – including the need to account for future generations’ growing sense of alienation and declining faith in democracy – requires more than just sound policy. It demands a serious political effort to reframe expectations and rebuild trust.
History shows this is sometimes possible. When the National Health Service was founded in 1948, the UK government faced fierce resistance from parts of the medical profession and concerns among the public about cost and state control. Yet Clement Attlee’s Labour government persisted, linking the creation of the NHS to the shared sacrifices of the war and a compelling moral vision of universal care.
While taxes did rise to fund the service, the promise of a fairer, healthier society helped secure enduring public support – but admittedly, in the wake of the massive shock to the system that was the second world war.
In 1946, Prime Minister Clement Attlee asked the UK public to help ‘renew Britain’. Video: British Pathé.
Psychological research offers further insight into how such messages can be received. People are more receptive to change when it is framed not as loss but as contribution – to fairness, to community, to shared resilience. This underlines why the immediate postwar period was such a politically fruitful time to launch the NHS. The COVID pandemic briefly offered a sense of unifying purpose and the chance to rethink the status quo – but that window quickly closed, leaving most of the old structures intact and largely unquestioned.
A society’s ability to flourish without meaningful national growth – and its citizens’ capacity to remain content or even hopeful in the absence of economic expansion – ultimately depends on whether any political party can credibly redefine success without relying on promises of ever-increasing wealth and prosperity. And instead, offer a plausible narrative about ways to satisfy our very human needs for personal development and social enrichment in this new economic reality.
The challenge will be not only to find new economic models, but to build new sources of collective meaning. This moment demands not just economic adaptation but a political and cultural reckoning.
If the idea of building this new consensus seems overly optimistic, studies of the “spiral of silence” suggest that people often underestimate how widely their views are shared. A recent report on climate action found that while most people supported stronger green policies, they wrongly assumed they were in the minority. Making shared values visible – and naming them – can be key to unlocking political momentum.
So far, no mainstream European party has dared articulate a vision of prosperity that doesn’t rely on reviving growth. But with democratic trust eroding, authoritarian populism on the rise and the climate crisis accelerating, now may be the moment to begin that long-overdue conversation – if anyone is willing to listen.
Welcome to Europe’s first ‘post-growth’ nation
I’m imagining a European country in a decade’s time. One that no longer positions itself as a global tech powerhouse or financial centre, but the first major country to declare itself a “post-growth nation”.
This shift didn’t come from idealism or ecological fervour, but from the hard reality that after years of economic stagnation, demographic change and mounting environmental stress, the pursuit of economic growth no longer offered a credible path forward.
What followed wasn’t a revolution, but a reckoning – a response to political chaos, collapsing public services and widening inequality that sparked a broad coalition of younger voters, climate activists, disillusioned centrists and exhausted frontline workers to rally around a new, pragmatic vision for the future.
At the heart of this movement was a shift in language and priorities, as the government moved away from promises of endless economic expansion and instead committed to wellbeing, resilience and equality – aligning itself with a growing international conversation about moving beyond GDP, already gaining traction in European policy circles and initiatives such as the EU-funded “post-growth deal”.
But this transformation was also the result of years of political drift and public disillusionment, ultimately catalysed by electoral reform that broke the two-party hold and enabled a new alliance, shaped by grassroots organisers, policy innovators and a generation ready to reimagine what national success could mean.
Taxes were higher, particularly on land, wealth and carbon. But in return, public services were transformed. Healthcare, education, transport, broadband and energy were guaranteed as universal rights, not privatised commodities. Work changed: the standard week was shortened to 30 hours and the state incentivised jobs in care, education, maintenance and ecological restoration. People had less disposable income – but fewer costs, too.
Consumption patterns shifted. Hyper-consumption declined. Repair shops and sharing platforms flourished. The housing market was restructured around long-term security rather than speculative returns. A large-scale public housing programme replaced buy-to-let investment as the dominant model. Wealth inequality narrowed and cities began to densify as car use fell and public space was reclaimed.
For the younger generation, post-growth life was less about climbing the income ladder and more about stability, time and relationships. For older generations, there were guarantees: pensions remained, care systems were rebuilt and housing protections were strengthened. A new sense of intergenerational reciprocity emerged – not perfectly, but more visibly than before.
Politically, the transition had its risks. There was backlash – some of the wealthy left. But many stayed. And over time, the narrative shifted. This European country began to be seen not as a laggard but as a laboratory for 21st-century governance – a place where ecological realism and social solidarity shaped policy, not just quarterly targets.
The transition was uneven and not without pain. Jobs were lost in sectors no longer considered sustainable. Supply chains were restructured. International competitiveness suffered in some areas. But the political narrative – carefully crafted and widely debated – made the case that resilience and equity were more important than temporary growth.
While some countries mocked it, others quietly began to study it. Some cities – especially in the Nordics, Iberia and Benelux – followed suit, drawing from the growing body of research on post-growth urban planning and non-GDP-based prosperity metrics.
This was not a retreat from ambition but a redefinition of it. The shift was rooted in a growing body of academic and policy work arguing that a planned, democratic transition away from growth-centric models is not only compatible with social progress but essential to preventing environmental and societal collapse.
The country’s post-growth transition helped it sidestep deeper political fragmentation by replacing austerity with heavy investment in community resilience, care infrastructure and participatory democracy – from local budgeting to citizen-led planning. A new civic culture took root: slower and more deliberative but less polarised, as politics shifted from abstract promises of growth to open debates about real-world trade-offs.
Internationally, the country traded some geopolitical power for moral authority, focusing less on economic competition and more on global cooperation around climate, tax justice and digital governance – earning new relevance among smaller nations pursuing their own post-growth paths.
So is this all just a social and economic fantasy? Arguably, the real fantasy is believing that countries in Europe – and the parties that compete to run them – can continue with their current insistence on “growth at all costs” (whether or not they actually believe it).
The alternative – embracing a post-growth reality – would offer the world something we haven’t seen in a long time: honesty in politics, a commitment to reducing inequality and a belief that a fairer, more sustainable future is still possible. Not because it was easy, but because it was the only option left.
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Peter Bloom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. His latest book is Capitalism Reloaded: The Rise of the Authoritarian-Financial Complex (Bristol University Press).
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
By Zhang Maoxuan
HONG KONG, China, July 7 — A naval task force assigned to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) led by the aircraft carrier Shandong (Hull 17) successfully concluded its five-day visit to Hong Kong and departed on Monday morning. A farewell ceremony was held by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government at the port of Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks. Attendees of the event included leaders from the Chinese PLA Navy, the PLA Southern Theater Command, the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, as well as the task force’s commanding officers.
During the visit, the task force hosted a series of events including deck receptions, open ship day tours, training demonstrations, national defense lectures, and sports and cultural exchanges. Over 30,000 Hong Kong residents, youth, students, and patriotic members from all walks of life boarded the warships and had warm interactions with naval sailors. Visitors obtained a vivid and direct understanding of China’s national defense and military development in the new era, further strengthening their national pride and patriotic sentiment, and deepening their love for both the motherland and Hong Kong.
ASB has partnered with global carbon management fintech Cogo to launch a new online calculator which enables Kiwis to measure, understand and optimise the efficiency of their home and vehicle, helping to lower costs, while making their homes more sustainable.
When homeowners are ready to upgrade, they can use the Better Energy Calculator to view and compare options and energy savings that are specific to their property. By choosing to switch heating, appliances or their vehicle to electric, ASB customers stand to benefit from installation discounts and could borrow up to $80,000 at 1% for up to three years through the ‘Better Homes Top Up’ for eligible upgrades.
ASB Lend and Protect Tribe Lead, David Jackson says: “The Cogo team are experts in their field at building technology that has great economic and environmental value. We’re thrilled to be leading the way by providing this online tool to our customers and to all Kiwi.
“Based on research conducted by Rewiring Aotearoa,[1] consumers could save up to $3,000 per year in energy costs with changes such as switching to an EV when it’s time for a new car and replacing old gas appliances with electricity. It means that customers looking to upgrade, are able to make an informed decision on cost-effective long-term choices that are also sustainable.”
ASB is the first bank in New Zealand to offer Cogo’s Home and Vehicle Electrification solution. It’s part of an ‘electrification ecosystem’ on ASB’s website, which offers personalised suggestions on changes energy users could make, and the upfront costs and potential savings of these changes.
For example, the Better Energy Calculator shows that for a four-person dwelling in the Auckland suburb of Birkenhead, a homeowner could save $1,400 per year by switching their heating, hot water and cook tops to electric, with upfront costs from $15,500. Adding solar to the home increases potential savings by an additional $1,600 per year, based on upfront costs from $11,000. In fact, if they go electric with their next vehicle (costing $49,990), this homeowner could save another $1,200 per year on car running costs. [2]
With a click of a mouse, people can connect directly with Cogo’s trusted installers offering exclusive discounts, and with the ASB team, who can support with financing of upfront costs. The Better Energy Calculator even removes the hard work of research by suggesting EVs most similar to the user’s existing vehicle.
Cogo founder and CEO, Ben Gleisner says: “We share a strong alignment with ASB in our mission to encourage people to take personal action on climate change, and electrifying their homes and cars is a great way to start. Success for us would be thousands of Kiwi making changes that save them money and reduce their carbon footprint.”
[1] Rewiring Aotearoa, Electric Homes Report (ref. https://www.rewiring.nz/electric-homes-report ) 2 Upfront costs represent the initial outlay for the product only and do not include finance or interest rates which vary.
When Vernon Owens came back from a work trip in early 2023, he expected to resume his usual health routine. Instead, a routine blood test from his UConn Health primary care doctor set off a chain of events that would change his life and potentially save it.
“I was just going in for a routine physical, but my doctor at UConn Health noticed something unusual in my bloodwork, my PSA was higher than usual,” said Owens. “At first it was around 3.5, and then when they checked it again, it went up a little more. That’s when I knew I needed to take it seriously.”
PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate. According to Dr. Ben Ristau, a urologic oncologist and surgical director of Urologic Oncology at UConn Health, PSA screening is the primary tool for detecting prostate cancer before symptoms ever appear. The PSA test is a simple blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells. Elevated PSA levels can indicate prostate cancer, but not always.
“PSA can go up for a variety of benign reasons,” Ristau said. “Enlarged prostate, inflammation, urinary tract infections — all of these can cause temporary increases in PSA. That’s why we usually repeat the test and look at other indicators before jumping to a biopsy.”
Ristau recommends that men at average risk begin discussing PSA screening with their doctors around age 50. Those at higher risk, such as Black men or those with a family history, should begin discussions as early as age 40–45.
“There’s also a conversation to be had about when to stop screening,” said Ristau. “For men with a life expectancy under 10 years, continuing PSA testing may do more harm than good. It’s about balancing benefits and risks.”
If PSA remains elevated, doctors may order an MRI of the prostate to look for suspicious areas and evaluate prostate size. If necessary, a targeted biopsy follows.
“The majority of prostate cancers are caught early because of PSA screening,” said Ristau. “It’s a simple blood test, but interpreting it isn’t always simple. PSA can be elevated for many reasons that aren’t cancer, such as inflammation or an enlarged prostate. That’s why it’s important to follow up with diagnostic tests, like MRI and biopsy, if it remains high.”
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in American men. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime. The good news is that most prostate cancers are slow-growing and highly treatable, especially when caught early.
“The majority of prostate cancers don’t cause symptoms until they’re advanced,” explained Ristau, “That’s why PSA screening is so important, it can detect cancer long before symptoms appear.”
The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system, located just below the bladder. It produces seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate start to grow uncontrollably.
“Most men will develop some form of prostate cancer if they live long enough,” Ristau said. “But not all prostate cancers are life-threatening. The key is knowing which ones need treatment and which can be safely watched.”
In Owens case, his PSA continued to rise. An MRI revealed an abnormal area, and a biopsy confirmed prostate cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, it was localized and caught before it spread. He was then referred to Ristau to discuss his options.
“He came in with an elevated PSA, had an MRI that showed some abnormalities, and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis,” said Ristau. “Like with all my patients, we had a heart-to-heart discussion about the best path forward.”
That conversation included all the options: active surveillance, radiation, hormone therapy, or surgery to remove the prostate.
Not all prostate cancers need to be treated right away. Many are low-grade and slow growing.
“For those cases, we recommend active surveillance,” said Ristau. “That means regular PSA tests, MRIs, and occasional biopsies to monitor for changes. The goal is to avoid unnecessary treatment and its side effects while staying ahead of any progression.”
Research shows that many men on active surveillance never require treatment, and even those who eventually do often benefit from years of preserved quality of life.
“It was scary,” Owens recalled. “I had to learn fast, about the Gleason score a grading system used to assess how aggressive prostate cancer cells look under the microscope, about staging, about the options I had. I went home, did my homework, and got two more opinions,” Vernon said. “Ultimately, after talking with my wife and weighing the risks, I decided surgery was right for me.”
“There are several treatment paths, including radiation, hormone therapy, or active surveillance if the cancer is low risk,” said Ristau. “In Vernon’s case, surgery was the most appropriate next step.”
On October 2, 2023, Owens underwent a robotic prostatectomy performed by Ristau using the Da Vinci robotic system. The minimally invasive approach meant a quicker recovery and less pain.
“I expected it to be a lot more painful,” Owens recalled. “But I was only in the hospital for one day. They told me I had to be able to walk and use the bathroom I did both right away.”
He credited his smooth recovery in part to years of martial arts training, which gave him strong core control and prepared him for the pelvic floor exercises recommended after prostate surgery to help manage incontinence.
“By the next day, I was walking laps around the hospital wing,” he said. “The care I received was exceptional. Everyone was professional, responsive, and made my wife and me feel supported through the entire process.”
Follow-up PSA tests after surgery showed the best possible result: less than 0.01, indicating no evidence of cancer in the body.
Now cancer-free, Owens is back to work and living his life. He continues regular follow-up visits with Ristau and has become a vocal advocate for men’s health within his professional and personal circles.
Screening matters, especially for those at higher risk. This includes men with a family history of prostate cancer, those with BRCA gene mutations, and Black men, who are more likely to develop aggressive forms of the disease.
“Men of color especially need to be aware,” Owens said. “We sometimes wait too long to get checked. I’m almost 67 now, and I want other men, especially Black men, to understand how important it is to stay on top of your health. Prostate cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence if you catch it early.”
“I tell my friends: don’t wait. If you feel off, get checked. If you’ve never had a PSA test, ask for one. And if prostate cancer runs in your family, start screening early, says Owens”
He’s also grateful for the care he received at UConn Health.
“Dr. Ristau and his team were phenomenal,” he said. “He answered all my questions, even the hard ones. He made me feel confident and calm during one of the most uncertain times in my life. Thanks to him, I get to tell my story and hopefully help someone else catch it early too.”
Learn more about PSA screening and prostate cancer care at UConn Health.
When Vernon Owens came back from a work trip in early 2023, he expected to resume his usual health routine. Instead, a routine blood test from his UConn Health primary care doctor set off a chain of events that would change his life and potentially save it.
“I was just going in for a routine physical, but my doctor at UConn Health noticed something unusual in my bloodwork, my PSA was higher than usual,” said Owens. “At first it was around 3.5, and then when they checked it again, it went up a little more. That’s when I knew I needed to take it seriously.”
PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by the prostate. According to Dr. Ben Ristau, a urologic oncologist and surgical director of Urologic Oncology at UConn Health, PSA screening is the primary tool for detecting prostate cancer before symptoms ever appear. The PSA test is a simple blood test that measures the level of prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells. Elevated PSA levels can indicate prostate cancer, but not always.
“PSA can go up for a variety of benign reasons,” Ristau said. “Enlarged prostate, inflammation, urinary tract infections — all of these can cause temporary increases in PSA. That’s why we usually repeat the test and look at other indicators before jumping to a biopsy.”
Ristau recommends that men at average risk begin discussing PSA screening with their doctors around age 50. Those at higher risk, such as Black men or those with a family history, should begin discussions as early as age 40–45.
“There’s also a conversation to be had about when to stop screening,” said Ristau. “For men with a life expectancy under 10 years, continuing PSA testing may do more harm than good. It’s about balancing benefits and risks.”
If PSA remains elevated, doctors may order an MRI of the prostate to look for suspicious areas and evaluate prostate size. If necessary, a targeted biopsy follows.
“The majority of prostate cancers are caught early because of PSA screening,” said Ristau. “It’s a simple blood test, but interpreting it isn’t always simple. PSA can be elevated for many reasons that aren’t cancer, such as inflammation or an enlarged prostate. That’s why it’s important to follow up with diagnostic tests, like MRI and biopsy, if it remains high.”
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in American men. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime. The good news is that most prostate cancers are slow-growing and highly treatable, especially when caught early.
“The majority of prostate cancers don’t cause symptoms until they’re advanced,” explained Ristau, “That’s why PSA screening is so important, it can detect cancer long before symptoms appear.”
The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system, located just below the bladder. It produces seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm. Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate start to grow uncontrollably.
“Most men will develop some form of prostate cancer if they live long enough,” Ristau said. “But not all prostate cancers are life-threatening. The key is knowing which ones need treatment and which can be safely watched.”
In Owens case, his PSA continued to rise. An MRI revealed an abnormal area, and a biopsy confirmed prostate cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, it was localized and caught before it spread. He was then referred to Ristau to discuss his options.
“He came in with an elevated PSA, had an MRI that showed some abnormalities, and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis,” said Ristau. “Like with all my patients, we had a heart-to-heart discussion about the best path forward.”
That conversation included all the options: active surveillance, radiation, hormone therapy, or surgery to remove the prostate.
Not all prostate cancers need to be treated right away. Many are low-grade and slow growing.
“For those cases, we recommend active surveillance,” said Ristau. “That means regular PSA tests, MRIs, and occasional biopsies to monitor for changes. The goal is to avoid unnecessary treatment and its side effects while staying ahead of any progression.”
Research shows that many men on active surveillance never require treatment, and even those who eventually do often benefit from years of preserved quality of life.
“It was scary,” Owens recalled. “I had to learn fast, about the Gleason score a grading system used to assess how aggressive prostate cancer cells look under the microscope, about staging, about the options I had. I went home, did my homework, and got two more opinions,” Vernon said. “Ultimately, after talking with my wife and weighing the risks, I decided surgery was right for me.”
“There are several treatment paths, including radiation, hormone therapy, or active surveillance if the cancer is low risk,” said Ristau. “In Vernon’s case, surgery was the most appropriate next step.”
On October 2, 2023, Owens underwent a robotic prostatectomy performed by Ristau using the Da Vinci robotic system. The minimally invasive approach meant a quicker recovery and less pain.
“I expected it to be a lot more painful,” Owens recalled. “But I was only in the hospital for one day. They told me I had to be able to walk and use the bathroom I did both right away.”
He credited his smooth recovery in part to years of martial arts training, which gave him strong core control and prepared him for the pelvic floor exercises recommended after prostate surgery to help manage incontinence.
“By the next day, I was walking laps around the hospital wing,” he said. “The care I received was exceptional. Everyone was professional, responsive, and made my wife and me feel supported through the entire process.”
Follow-up PSA tests after surgery showed the best possible result: less than 0.01, indicating no evidence of cancer in the body.
Now cancer-free, Owens is back to work and living his life. He continues regular follow-up visits with Ristau and has become a vocal advocate for men’s health within his professional and personal circles.
Screening matters, especially for those at higher risk. This includes men with a family history of prostate cancer, those with BRCA gene mutations, and Black men, who are more likely to develop aggressive forms of the disease.
“Men of color especially need to be aware,” Owens said. “We sometimes wait too long to get checked. I’m almost 67 now, and I want other men, especially Black men, to understand how important it is to stay on top of your health. Prostate cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence if you catch it early.”
“I tell my friends: don’t wait. If you feel off, get checked. If you’ve never had a PSA test, ask for one. And if prostate cancer runs in your family, start screening early, says Owens”
He’s also grateful for the care he received at UConn Health.
“Dr. Ristau and his team were phenomenal,” he said. “He answered all my questions, even the hard ones. He made me feel confident and calm during one of the most uncertain times in my life. Thanks to him, I get to tell my story and hopefully help someone else catch it early too.”
Learn more about PSA screening and prostate cancer care at UConn Health.
In recognition of a commitment to service, Dr. Priscilla Mapelli, chief resident in the UConn Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program, is this year’s winner of the Capital Area Health Consortium’s Community Service Award.
The CAHC is the group of Connecticut hospitals that employs medical residents and fellows in UConn-sponsored programs.
“I think the most remarkable quality of Dr. Mapelli’s community service is that it is a reflection of her personal values, and care for others,” says Dr. Gregory de Gruchy, the residency’s associate program director. “She has not only worked hard in many aspects of community service and launched new initiatives to help vulnerable communities, she has also consistently led and facilitated projects to assist others and find spaces to engage with their communities and work with others. She is a commensurate humanitarian who will always seek to help others and has a bright future ahead of her in helping people in need.”
Dr. Priscilla Mapelli, UConn’s chief physical medicine and rehabilitation resident, is the 2025 recipient of the Capital Area Health Consortium’s Community Service Award. (Photo by Samantha Rayward, City Headshots)
Mapelli’s nomination, from de Gruchy and Dr. Subramani Seetharama, the residency program’s director, tells of a March 2024 medical mission in Lima, Peru, where she worked at a public hospital for the underserved.
“Dr. Mapelli, over the course of long days, provided medical leadership and training to Peruvian medical staff and patients,” they wrote. “Dr. Mapelli was eager to serve in any role required of her, which ranged from wound care and inpatient hospital rounding, to outpatient medical visits and therapy for amputees walking on their prosthetic for the first time.”
After the mission, Mapelli continued to work with her Peruvian colleagues to study how community development and planning in Peru affects those with limb loss.
“Her efforts in this mission and the work she has continued since underscores her commitment to global health equity and her ability to serve beyond the walls of any hospital or institution,” her nominators wrote. “Her contributions have reached patients across borders, inspired colleagues, and enriched the communities served. It is rare to find a physician-in-training with such a profound sense of purpose and the drive to turn that purpose into meaningful action.”
Mapelli also is credited with raising awareness and funding for underserved health initiatives as a participant in events such as the Hartford and New York City marathons. Years before her residency, she was advising and mentoring staff and volunteers in interdisciplinary global health projects in rural Africa while an undergraduate at UCLA, as president of her school’s chapter of the international nonprofit Global Brigades.
“I am humbled,” Mapelli says. “Admittedly, I was delightfully unaware of how much of an impact was made. I was simply doing the things I love and practicing what was instilled in me from a young age: to be of service to others. I am grateful to Dr. Seetharama, Dr. de Gruchy and Dr. [David] Rosenblum [residency program site director at Gaylord Hospital] for creating a training environment where we can continue to follow our unique passions, while striving for clinical excellence in our specialty.”
The Capital Area Health Consortium is a nonprofit voluntary association with six member hospitals collectively responsible for the residents’ and fellows’ salaries and benefits.
In recognition of a commitment to service, Dr. Priscilla Mapelli, chief resident in the UConn Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program, is this year’s winner of the Capital Area Health Consortium’s Community Service Award.
The CAHC is the group of Connecticut hospitals that employs medical residents and fellows in UConn-sponsored programs.
“I think the most remarkable quality of Dr. Mapelli’s community service is that it is a reflection of her personal values, and care for others,” says Dr. Gregory de Gruchy, the residency’s associate program director. “She has not only worked hard in many aspects of community service and launched new initiatives to help vulnerable communities, she has also consistently led and facilitated projects to assist others and find spaces to engage with their communities and work with others. She is a commensurate humanitarian who will always seek to help others and has a bright future ahead of her in helping people in need.”
Dr. Priscilla Mapelli, UConn’s chief physical medicine and rehabilitation resident, is the 2025 recipient of the Capital Area Health Consortium’s Community Service Award. (Photo by Samantha Rayward, City Headshots)
Mapelli’s nomination, from de Gruchy and Dr. Subramani Seetharama, the residency program’s director, tells of a March 2024 medical mission in Lima, Peru, where she worked at a public hospital for the underserved.
“Dr. Mapelli, over the course of long days, provided medical leadership and training to Peruvian medical staff and patients,” they wrote. “Dr. Mapelli was eager to serve in any role required of her, which ranged from wound care and inpatient hospital rounding, to outpatient medical visits and therapy for amputees walking on their prosthetic for the first time.”
After the mission, Mapelli continued to work with her Peruvian colleagues to study how community development and planning in Peru affects those with limb loss.
“Her efforts in this mission and the work she has continued since underscores her commitment to global health equity and her ability to serve beyond the walls of any hospital or institution,” her nominators wrote. “Her contributions have reached patients across borders, inspired colleagues, and enriched the communities served. It is rare to find a physician-in-training with such a profound sense of purpose and the drive to turn that purpose into meaningful action.”
Mapelli also is credited with raising awareness and funding for underserved health initiatives as a participant in events such as the Hartford and New York City marathons. Years before her residency, she was advising and mentoring staff and volunteers in interdisciplinary global health projects in rural Africa while an undergraduate at UCLA, as president of her school’s chapter of the international nonprofit Global Brigades.
“I am humbled,” Mapelli says. “Admittedly, I was delightfully unaware of how much of an impact was made. I was simply doing the things I love and practicing what was instilled in me from a young age: to be of service to others. I am grateful to Dr. Seetharama, Dr. de Gruchy and Dr. [David] Rosenblum [residency program site director at Gaylord Hospital] for creating a training environment where we can continue to follow our unique passions, while striving for clinical excellence in our specialty.”
The Capital Area Health Consortium is a nonprofit voluntary association with six member hospitals collectively responsible for the residents’ and fellows’ salaries and benefits.
PORTLAND, Ore. — At NEA’s annual Representative Assembly (RA), educators took an unprecedented step to respond to the demands of the time and sustain their momentum—disrupting business as usual by boldly embracing a transformative shift to strengthen the movement for public education that has been growing in every district and state since January.
In an unprecedented move, delegates to the NEA RA voted to spend nearly one day of their meeting training and empowering thousands of members with the knowledge, strategies, and tools they need to build campaigns and organize effectively to protect and strengthen public education in communities nationwide.Nearly 7,000educators will return home ready to advocate for their students and colleagues—at the bargaining table, in school board meetings, at state legislatures, and at the ballot box.
“We must use our power to take action that leads, action that liberates, action that lasts,” said NEA President Becky Pringle in her address to delegates. “We are going to Educate.Communicate. Organize. Mobilize. Litigate. Legislate. Elect.”
Demonstrating their unwavering commitment to reversing harmful education cuts, advancing equity and inclusion for every student and educator—regardless of ZIP code, race, or identity—and renewing the promise of democracy, delegates participated in intensive training sessions designed to equip them with the skills and strategies needed to lead effective advocacy efforts in their communities and across every district and state nationwide.
The trainings covered a range of topics, including effective advocacy, fighting vouchers and privatization, promoting inclusive and just schools, protecting immigrant students and building power for the common good. Delegates were quick to sign up, with most sessions reaching capacity within hours of registration opening.
In the wake of unprecedented attacks from state legislatures and with the current administration and outside interests more focused on providing tax breaks for billionaires than protecting children, NEA has been leading the charge for education and racial justice. Since January, union members, family and friends have flocked to NEA’s advocacy channels, sending hundreds of thousands of messages to Congress that demand our lawmakers protect public education and embrace diversity. In fact, some 30% of the messages sent to Congress were sent from people new to NEA’s activist universe. That energy and enthusiasm has been on display at walk-ins, rallies, and marches across the country and, no doubt, played a role in NEA being poised to finish the year with a net increase in membership.
“We cannot simply fightagainst,” added Pringle. “We must also fight forward: for our vision of a public school system where every student—every one—attends a school that is safe, welcoming, and plentiful in resources; a school where every student is celebrated for who they know themselves to be; a school that is steeped in excellence and care; where education justice is recognized as a birthright; where educators—you—are valued as the professionals you are.”
On the final day, delegates from across the nation came together with focus and determination—dedicating their time to learning, strategizing, and organizing campaigns designed to build enduring power in their communities. Fueled by the momentum they’ve created throughout the gathering, theyleftequipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources needed not just to sustain that energy, but to amplify it.
“Our educators willleaveenergized and prepared to carry their learnings back to every corner of the country—ready to engage with school boards, town halls, state legislatures, and even Congress,” said Pringle. “United in purpose, they are ready to keep advocating for their students, schools, and communities—facing the challenges to public education head-on with renewed strength and solidarity.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professionalemployeeorganization, representing 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
MOSES LAKE – A drive on the state’s longest interstate will take a little bit longer starting in July, but in the end, people will have a smoother highway.
Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will pave two separate sections of eastbound and westbound Interstate 90 between Moses Lake and east of the Vantage Bridge, from July 21 until Oct. 31, then resume in spring 2026. The work will pave sections of the road that have been identified as most in need of restoration.
In 2025, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays crews will pave lanes on the interstate:
From Dodson Road to Mae Valley, mileposts 164-175 eastbound only.
Between Mae Valley and east of Moses Lake, mileposts 175-181, both directions.
Paving both directions of I-90 between George and east of the Vantage Bridge, mileposts 138-148, will begin in spring 2026. Crews expect to finish paving in fall 2026. The paving is scheduled so it doesn’t interfere with the deck replacement project at the Vantage Bridge.
Travelers will encounter single-lane closures and temporary ramp closures throughout the project during working hours. Also, speed will be reduced from 70 mph to 55 mph with an advisory speed of 40 mph during working hours.
Working days are Monday through Thursday until Labor Day, then switch to Monday through Friday until Oct. 31.
On Friday night, July 11, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will change the traffic pattern on Route 99 South where it passes over Route 146 in North Smithfield. RIDOT is doing phased bridge preservation and needs to work on the center of the bridge. This will require a lane split with one lane on each side of the split.
Drivers should not stop or suddenly change lanes at the split. All lanes go through. The lane split will be in place for approximately two months, followed by an additional lane shift. The traffic pattern on the bridge will return to its original configuration this fall.
While the traffic split is in place, RIDOT may close one of the two lanes on Route 99 South during evening and overnight hours, from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. This will take place on Sunday-Thursday nights only.
Work on this bridge is part of RIDOT’s ongoing Route 146 project, which will replace multiple bridges, repave 8 miles of road and eliminate congestion at the intersection of Sayles Hill Road and Route 146 with the construction of a new flyover bridge. Approximately 171,000 vehicles use Route 146 daily.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The Route 146 project is made possible by RhodeWorks. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) –South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of James Devan Martin, 34, of Lexington, S.C., on three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department made the arrest.
Investigators state Martin solicited and engaged in criminal sexual conduct with a minor and sent sexually explicit images to a minor.
Martin was arrested on June 26, 2025. He is charged with one count of criminal solicitation of a minor (§16-15-342), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor (§16-3-655); and one count of dissemination of obscene material to a person under the age of eighteen (§16-15-345), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) –South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Alfred Peake, Jr., 50, of Elgin, S.C., on one charge connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Attorney General’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, South Carolina Department of Corrections, and Camden Police Department, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.
Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which led them to Peake.Investigators state Peake distributed files of child sexual abuse material.
Peake was arrested on July 1, 2025. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
* Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.
When you hear “state budget,” you might think of bureaucrats in suits arguing over line items in some far-off building. However, we do things differently here in Georgia, and this year’s budget proves it.
On July 1, our Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget officially took effect. It’s an almost $38 billion spending plan that reflects conservative principles: live within your means, invest in what matters and never forget whose money you’re spending. Unlike Washington, where gridlock and runaway spending seem to be the norm, Georgia passed a balanced budget on time, with no drama and no new debt.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I worked closely with Chairman Blake Tillery and my colleagues to ensure this budget reflects the values of middle Georgia — places like Warner Robins, Dublin, Cochran and Hawkinsville — where folks work hard, stretch a dollar and expect their government to do the same.
Let’s start with education. Whether you have a child in school, a grandchild learning to read or just want to see the next generation succeed, this budget pledges meaningful investments. We fully funded the new Promise Scholarship Program, expanding school choice so more families can find the right fit for their children. That’s a conservative win, empowering parents instead of bureaucracy.
We added $18.4 million to place 116 new literacy coaches in schools and increased funding for student mental health and advocacy specialists. These aren’t abstract policies; they’re life-changing personnel that will support schools across our state.
On the practical side, we’re helping school districts afford safer, more reliable transportation by spending $20 million on new buses and over $10 million to strengthen routes and operations. This support makes a real difference in spread-out systems like those in Laurens or Dodge County.
We also doubled down on job training. Career and technical education is booming across Georgia, and we’re meeting that demand with $33.4 million for our technical colleges, plus $15.8 million for high-demand fields like commercial truck driving, nursing and aviation.
At the end of the day, not every student needs a four-year degree to build a successful life. Whether they’re training at Oconee Fall Line Tech or Central Georgia Tech, we’re ensuring students in our area can gain the skills they need and start a career without piling on student debt or leaving home.
I was especially proud of our substantial investments in agriculture, Georgia’s number one industry. We added $7.3 million for updated ag-ed equipment and expanded Young Farmer positions in schools across the state. That kind of seed planting pays off for future family farms, vital to food security in the coming years. We also invested over $51 million to modernize Department of Agriculture facilities and funded a pilot program to promote Georgia-grown wood products, boosting our timber industry.
While our counterparts in D.C. spend months debating how many billions to borrow, here in Georgia we’re putting taxpayer dollars to work where they matter most and doing it without spending money we don’t have.
Public safety was another top budget priority this year. We committed nearly $40 million to hiring additional correctional officers and raising pay for chaplains, counselors, and food service workers. That matters here at home, too, as Pulaski State Prison and other correctional facilities in our region rely on these investments to remain fully staffed and secure. We’re also upgrading crime lab technology and building a new law enforcement training center in Monroe County, so that Georgia’s next generation of officers is well-prepared to keep our communities safe.
While Congress continues to delay federal VOCA funds that support crime victims, we stepped in with $3.1 million to keep those services going.
All of this — and I’ll say it again — while lowering taxes.
That’s the difference conservative leadership makes. We didn’t chase headlines or fund every pet project. We focused on the basics: strong schools, good jobs, safe communities and smart investments that deliver real results for the people of the 20th Senate District.
If you’d like to know more about how this budget impacts you or if you have ideas for how we can keep improving, my door is always open, and I’m proud to serve you.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions of Houston County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at Larry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Vice-Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University Sergey Vladimirovich Andryushin greeted the members of the delegation on behalf of the Rector of the University Nikolay Mikhailovich Kropachev. Emphasizing the friendliness between the University and its Chinese partners, the Vice-Rector recalled the words of Confucius that the arrival of friends from afar is a great joy.
Thanks to the China International Education Foundation, a direct cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Russian Federation, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in St Petersburg and all those who participated in this work, we have managed to increase the volume of our cooperation with Chinese partners over the past few years and maintain the highest level of our school of Sinology. It is not without reason that the rector of St Petersburg University Nikolay Kropachev says that the University can rightfully be called “the strongest center for the study of China in Russia.”
Vice-Rector for International Affairs of St. Petersburg State University Sergey Andryushin
As part of cooperation with partners from the PRC, more than six thousand people at St Petersburg University received the opportunity to learn the language of this country, almost seven thousand people passed the HSK test, more than one hundred students received a scholarship to study in China, more than two hundred students took part in a summer school of the Chinese language at the Capital Normal University in Beijing, and 24 joint international conferences and 150 major events with the participation of young people and experts from Russia and China were held.
The University has about a hundred educational programs with a Chinese component, within which it is possible to study not only the language, but also economics, culture and other subject areas related to China. At St. Petersburg State University, about one and a half thousand people study Chinese and more than two thousand citizens of the PRC are students of the University.
Academician Yan Wei emphasized that he was pleased to have the opportunity to visit Saint Petersburg State University, a distinctive feature of which he considers to be the optimal combination of fundamental education and academic freedom.
In China, we have heard a lot about St. Petersburg since childhood; many places and names that are significant for us are associated with this city: the cruiser Aurora, Nevsky Prospect, the scientist and encyclopedist Lomonosov, who studied at St. Petersburg University and initiated the creation of Moscow State University.
Chairman of the Board of the China International Education Foundation, Academician Yang Wei
According to the Chinese guests, many leading universities in China are interested in cooperation with St. Petersburg State University. Academician Yan Wei noted that the St. Petersburg State University School of Sinology has the highest level of scientific research, and expressed hope that with the support of the University’s leadership, sinological endeavors will continue to develop successfully.
The basis for teaching Chinese studies at St. Petersburg University is the additional educational program “Confucius Institute at St. Petersburg University”, the main focus of which is the study of the Chinese language, testing in the Chinese language, participation in exchange programs with Chinese universities, holding joint events, and translating literature.
The Confucius Institute at St. Petersburg State University is implemented with the support of the Chinese State Committee for the Promotion of the Chinese Language Abroad, the Capital Normal University (Beijing) and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in St. Petersburg. The agreement on the establishment of the scientific and educational project was signed in July 2005.
The delegation of the China International Educational Foundation also met with teachers of the Department of Chinese Philology of St. Petersburg State University, professors Alexey Anatolyevich Rodionov, Alexander Georgievich Storozhuk, head of the additional educational program “Confucius Institute at St. Petersburg State University” associate professor Dmitry Ivanovich Mayatsky, associate professor of the Capital Normal University of the People’s Republic of China He Fang and teacher Liu Limei.
At the meeting, Dmitry Mayatsky introduced the guests to the DOP “Confucius Institute at St. Petersburg State University”, and also told the guests about important aspects of educational activities, which include Chinese language courses, exams to determine the level of Chinese language (HSK, HSKK, YCT, BCT), Chinese language competitions (including regional competition “Chinese Language Bridge” for students of universities of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region), events of the Chinese Culture Student Club and joint summer schools of the Chinese language at the Capital Normal University.
As part of cultural and educational activities, events are regularly held at which university students and residents of St. Petersburg can become acquainted with the traditional and modern culture of China: film festivals, arts festivals, exhibitions, Traditional Chinese Holidays.
The University staff are also actively translating works of Chinese classical and modern literature, write and publish scientific monographs, textbooks, research Chinese written monuments stored in the library collection of St. Petersburg State University. It has become a good tradition to hold an annual event at the University scientific conferences Andwriters forums.
Chairman of the Board of the China International Education Foundation, Academician Yang Wei, highly praised the work of the teachers of St. Petersburg State University and expressed deep gratitude to them for their selfless work. “St. Petersburg University is a unique example and model that other Russian universities should follow,” noted Mr. Yang Wei. “The University has become a unique bridge of humanitarian cooperation between Russia and China.”
A lively dialogue took place between the members of the delegation of the China International Education Foundation and the University’s teachers, during which current issues and prospects for cooperation between the foundation and St. Petersburg State University were discussed. The Chinese partners expressed their readiness to continue to provide comprehensive support to the university’s endeavors.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, delivered by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, at the fiftieth anniversary of Cabo Verde and the fiftieth anniversary of its partnership with the United Nations, in Praia today:
I am happy to be with you today on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and I thank the Government and the people of Cabo Verde for your warm welcome and hospitality. I am honoured to deliver his remarks on this historic occasion.
It is with deep emotion that I send these words to a country I hold close to my heart. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, as former Prime Minister of Portugal and as a long-time friend, I am honoured to mark this fiftieth anniversary of Cabo Verdean independence and partnership with the United Nations.
Cabo Verde has shaped my conscience and conviction. And I celebrate with you the enduring spirit of the povo cabo-verdiano — a people whose determination has long outshone the constraints of geography.
The story of Cabo Verde is a story of freedom reclaimed. On 5 July 1975, the world bore witness to the birth of a new republic.
After centuries of colonial rule, the people of Cabo Verde — together with their brothers and sisters in Guinea-Bissau — rose up to demand self-determination.
As a Portuguese citizen, I cannot speak of Cabo Verde without acknowledging the deep and complex history we share — a history marked by pain, injustice, but also by solidarity.
I carry with me the memory of walking through the gates of the former Tarrafal concentration camp — in the company of Edmundo Pedro and Sérgio Vilarigues, who had endured its horrors. Their stories of suffering and resistance are etched into my memory.
Today, we honour so many heroes of that struggle — heroes like Amílcar Cabral. Receiving the Order of Amílcar Cabral by Prime Minister Carlos Veiga remains one of the greatest honours of my life.
From the beginning, Cabo Verde chose the harder path: Stability over strife. Dialogue over division. The peaceful transition to independence, the embrace of democracy and good governance. A model that endures.
Cabo Verde is also a wonder of geography. Ten volcanic islands scattered across the Atlantic, bound by morabeza — that singular warmth and grace that define the Cabo Verdean soul.
But, it is the people who truly set Cabo Verde apart. A culture that is at once rooted and global, melancholic and joyful.
This nation gave the world morna — a music of sodade, of longing for home across distant seas. It brought us the timeless voice of Cesária Évora, who sang from Mindelo to the world — and made every listener feel a little closer to Cabo Verde.
When Cabo Verde gained independence, many may have doubted. Yet, five decades later, you stand as a middle-income country and a champion of peace and equality.
As Prime Minister of Portugal, I had the privilege of working closely with Cabo Verde to deepen our cooperation. I recall with pride the signing of the Acordo de Cooperação Cambial — a monetary agreement that was more than a technical arrangement.
It was a bridge between our economies, a symbol of trust and a recognition of Cabo Verde’s growing role on the global stage. And through it all, you have remained true to your values.
Welcoming migrants, upholding the rule of law and staying true to the principles of solidarity and open cooperation. I saw these values in action during my last visit.
At the port of Mindelo, I watched the sails of the Ocean Race rise against the horizon — a striking reminder of Cabo Verde’s openness, resolve and connection to the wider world.
What stayed with me was not just the race, but the spirit onshore — young people learning, communities coming together, leaders thinking boldly about the future. It reinforced what I have always felt: Cabo Verde is not just navigating the tides of change — it is helping to chart the course.
And the United Nations has been honoured to journey with you. From the earliest development plans — schools, health systems and social protection, to our shared work on food security, disaster resilience and democratic institutions.
From supporting the graduation from least developed country status, to cooperating on climate action, ocean conservation, biodiversity protection, renewable energy. And advancing the multidimensional vulnerability index — a vital tool to reflect the unique challenges of small island developing countries.
Together, we are exploring new frontiers: the blue economy, digital inclusion and diaspora engagement. And today, as we celebrate your past, we also recommit to your future. A future shaped by resolve. Cabo Verde knows, more than most, the realities of climate change. Rising seas, droughts, external shocks.
Your location also brings higher costs — for transport, for energy, for resilience. But, you have turned water scarcity into a frontier of innovation.
You are building climate resilience in your infrastructure and communities. You are expanding clean energy. You are leading on marine conservation. And as co-lead of the Small Island Developing States Coalition for Nature, you are rallying global action to protect our planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems.
You are showing the world that ocean stewardship is a responsibility. And the world must match your determination with support — through climate finance, technology and fairer systems for small island developing States.
Fifty years ago, Cabo Verde was born into freedom. Today, it moves boldly into the future with ambitious plans grounded in the Sustainable Development Goals; with innovation in the blue economy, biodiversity and climate resilience; with empowered youth and inclusive growth; with leadership in regional affairs — from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the African Union; and with more regional integration — taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The people of Cabo Verde understand what it means to struggle — and to overcome. To the povo cabo-verdiano, in every island and across the ocean: This celebration belongs to you.
As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I salute your journey. As a friend, I rejoice in this moment and celebrate with you. As a citizen of the world, I thank you — for your example, your partnership, your promise.
May Cabo Verde forever shine: As a light in the Atlantic. A bridge between continents. A country of hope and dreams. Parabéns, Cabo Verde. Long live the republic. Long live your journey. Long live your future. Obrigado.
Visitors to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park can now easily see where bison are in the park through GPS technology that identifies the herd’s location and displays it on a screen in the Visitor Centre.
Fourteen bison have been fitted with GPS ear tags, which allows park staff to track their movements within the park, monitor the health of the herd, learn more about their grazing patterns and determine if current conservation efforts are effective. The project is a partnership between the Ministries of Parks, Culture, Sport and Agriculture.
“The Bison at Buffalo Pound are part of the area’s history and they play a crucial role in the park’s ecosystem,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross said. “With this new tracking system, park staff can make sure both the bison and the land remain healthy. It will also help visitors create a deeper connection to nature and the cultural importance of these remarkable animals.”
Bison were first introduced back into the park in 1972. Over the years the size of the herd has fluctuated as park staff learned about grazing patterns and how much space they need. The tracking system was installed to provide better data to support herd management.
“We often receive visitor inquiries about where the bison are in the park,” Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, Park Manager Dave Bjarnason said. “The herd lives on 250 acres of rolling hills and is not always visible from the fence line. The display helps visitors determine if they can find a spot to see them up close, and it gives us another opportunity to educate people about the bison.”
Saskatchewan livestock producers may also benefit from the information gathered at the park. The information will lay the groundwork for future projects about bison grazing behaviour and using technology to track livestock.
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia · July 7, 2025 · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, will attend and speak at a special celebration to mark a major milestone in the growth of Mil-Aero Electronics, a female-owned Indigenous business in the Aerospace and Defence sector.
Date: July 8, 2025
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: 81 Mount Hope Ave. Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met with the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The two leaders reviewed the status of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved across various sectors. They discussed collaboration in critical minerals, trade and commerce, Digital Public Infrastructure and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), health and pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine, small and medium industries, training, and capacity building.
Both leaders recognised the scope for expanding cooperation in the critical minerals sector and underlined the need to build sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships in this area. They also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing development cooperation between the two countries, including the implementation of Quick Impact Projects and capacity-building initiatives under India’s ITEC scholarship programme.
The Prime Minister conveyed his solidarity with the people of Bolivia in the wake of the severe flooding that affected La Paz and several other regions in March-April this year.
PM Modi also welcomed Bolivia’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance and extended his warm greetings to the people and Government of Bolivia on the country’s upcoming bicentennial, marking 200 years of independence on 6 August 2025.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met with the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The two leaders reviewed the status of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved across various sectors. They discussed collaboration in critical minerals, trade and commerce, Digital Public Infrastructure and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), health and pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine, small and medium industries, training, and capacity building.
Both leaders recognised the scope for expanding cooperation in the critical minerals sector and underlined the need to build sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships in this area. They also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing development cooperation between the two countries, including the implementation of Quick Impact Projects and capacity-building initiatives under India’s ITEC scholarship programme.
The Prime Minister conveyed his solidarity with the people of Bolivia in the wake of the severe flooding that affected La Paz and several other regions in March-April this year.
PM Modi also welcomed Bolivia’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance and extended his warm greetings to the people and Government of Bolivia on the country’s upcoming bicentennial, marking 200 years of independence on 6 August 2025.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Yamandu Orsi, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
During their meeting, the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions covering the full spectrum of bilateral relations. They reviewed cooperation in areas such as digital collaboration, information and communication technology (ICT), Digital Public Infrastructure and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), defence, railways, health and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, energy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
A major focus of their talks was on strengthening bilateral trade and investment. Both sides expressed keen interest in expanding the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement, aiming to unlock greater economic potential and harness trade complementarities between India and Uruguay.
The Prime Minister also conveyed his gratitude to President Orsi for Uruguay’s strong condemnation of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and appreciated the country’s solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to build a forward-looking and robust bilateral partnership.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Update on the Leadership of UK Statistics Authority and the Office for National Statistics
An update following Sir Robert Devereux’s review of the Office of National Statistics
On 26 June Sir Robert Devereux’s review of the Office of National Statistics was published.
The UK Statistics Authority and the Cabinet Office have accepted his findings and conclusions, including his recommendation to appoint an additional Permanent Secretary temporarily to lead the day to day operations of the department.
Today we launch an internal expression of interest for this new Permanent Secretary role. It closes on 21 July. This will be open to existing Directors General and Permanent Secretaries. This vital role will be responsible for leading the ONS’ operational business and restoring much needed trust and confidence in the department.
In parallel we have also begun the process to find the next National Statistician and will shortly appoint a search partner to support us on this critical appointment leading our national government statistical service.
Last month Sir Robert Chote informed the Cabinet Office of his intention to step down as UKSA Chair in the autumn to take up the role of President of Trinity College, Oxford. A campaign to appoint his successor will be launched within the next few weeks.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, said:
The Devereux Review findings require immediate action to address the challenges identified and rapidly restore confidence in the core statistics produced by ONS that underpin decision-making. New leadership is critical to delivering this outcome and I welcome the launch of that process today.
Dundee City Council Leader Cllr Mark Flynn has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr Fortune Gomo following the recent news of her death in the city.
Council Leader Cllr Mark Flynn said: “On behalf of the city, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to Dr Gomo’s family, friends and everyone who knew her.
“This is a deeply sad time for the community and our thoughts are with everyone affected.
“I want to voice my support for the community at this difficult time and echo the appeal made by Police Scotland for anyone with any information that might assist in their investigation to come forward.”
Police Scotland have appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed the incident or has information that may assist them to contact 101 quoting incident number 2283 of 5th July 2025.
Information can also be given through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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