Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On June 27, 2025, a meeting of the joint dissertation council for the scientific specialty 2.9.9. “Logistics transport systems” was held at the State University of Management, created on the basis of the State University of Management and the Belgorod State Technological University named after V.G. Shukhov.
The meeting was chaired by the chairman of the joint dissertation council, rector of the BSTU named after V.G. Shukhov Sergey Glagolev. The event was attended by 12 members of the dissertation council, 10 of them in person. Also present at the meeting were invited experts, including the vice-rector of the State University of Management Maria Karelina.
The agenda included the issues of accepting for preliminary consideration two dissertations on the topic of “Method of Ensuring the Unity of Performance Measures for Various Types of Transport in Logistics Transport Systems” and “Development of Passenger Transportation in an Integrated Logistics Transport System of a Megacity Based on a Contact Schedule”, submitted for the degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences in the specialty 2.9.9. Logistics Transport Systems.
At the request of the chairman of the dissertation council, commissions were appointed to conduct a preliminary examination of the applicants’ works. The academic secretary familiarized the council members with the conclusion of the preliminary examination and reported on the documents submitted by the applicants for an academic degree. The council unanimously decided to accept the dissertations of Nikolai Solovyov and Irina Rybakova for preliminary consideration.
The members of the dissertation council also held a preliminary hearing of dissertation research for the academic degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences and for the academic degree of Candidate of Technical Sciences.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudharybon Friday unveiled a report titled “Skills for the Future: Transforming India’s Workforce Landscape” in New. Developed by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), the report offers a comprehensive analysis of India’s skills ecosystem, emphasizing the need for a demand-driven, market-aligned, and outcome-oriented approach to skilling.
Speaking at the event, Chaudhary highlighted the importance of aligning skilling initiatives with industry needs and evolving workforce demands. He emphasized that skilling should not be viewed solely as a supply-side intervention but as a holistic ecosystem that bridges education, vocational training, and industry requirements. He also proposed the development of a robust employability index to monitor the impact of education and skilling on youth employment in a rapidly changing economic and technological landscape. Additionally, he stressed the value of recognizing informal and experiential learning to strengthen pathways between education and industry.
The report, an independent effort by IFC, draws on publicly available data, including unit-level analysis from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24. It reveals that 88% of India’s workforce is engaged in low-competency occupations, with only 10-12% in high-competency roles. The report identifies five key sectors—IT and ITeS, Textile and Apparel, Electronics, Healthcare and Life Sciences, and Beauty and Wellness—that account for over 66% of vocational training in India. Using a Competitiveness Framework Analysis, it also highlights five high-potential regions for these sectors, integrating data from PLFS, the PMKVY 4.0 dashboard, Sector Skill Councils, and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme to assess training, certification, and industry alignment.
Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), commended the IFC’s efforts, underscoring the need for a robust body of academic literature on skilling supported by data and evidence. He called for deeper exploration of structural changes in the skilling, education, and work continuum to drive meaningful reforms.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudharybon Friday unveiled a report titled “Skills for the Future: Transforming India’s Workforce Landscape” in New. Developed by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), the report offers a comprehensive analysis of India’s skills ecosystem, emphasizing the need for a demand-driven, market-aligned, and outcome-oriented approach to skilling.
Speaking at the event, Chaudhary highlighted the importance of aligning skilling initiatives with industry needs and evolving workforce demands. He emphasized that skilling should not be viewed solely as a supply-side intervention but as a holistic ecosystem that bridges education, vocational training, and industry requirements. He also proposed the development of a robust employability index to monitor the impact of education and skilling on youth employment in a rapidly changing economic and technological landscape. Additionally, he stressed the value of recognizing informal and experiential learning to strengthen pathways between education and industry.
The report, an independent effort by IFC, draws on publicly available data, including unit-level analysis from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24. It reveals that 88% of India’s workforce is engaged in low-competency occupations, with only 10-12% in high-competency roles. The report identifies five key sectors—IT and ITeS, Textile and Apparel, Electronics, Healthcare and Life Sciences, and Beauty and Wellness—that account for over 66% of vocational training in India. Using a Competitiveness Framework Analysis, it also highlights five high-potential regions for these sectors, integrating data from PLFS, the PMKVY 4.0 dashboard, Sector Skill Councils, and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme to assess training, certification, and industry alignment.
Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), commended the IFC’s efforts, underscoring the need for a robust body of academic literature on skilling supported by data and evidence. He called for deeper exploration of structural changes in the skilling, education, and work continuum to drive meaningful reforms.
Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC
Today, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the following matters. Materials and information related to these Board actions are available on the Board Matters webpage.
Regulatory Capital Rule: Modifications to the Enhanced Supplementary Leverage Ratio Standards
Press Release
Financial Institutions Letter
Statement by Acting Chairman Hill
Customer Identification Program Rule Exemption Order
Press Release
Financial Institutions Letter
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(June 27, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Representatives Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-07), French Hill (AR-02), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) introduced the bipartisanCountering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, legislation that creates a designation for countries or nonstate actors that wrongfully detain American citizens or permanent residents, allowing the Secretary of State and Congress to hold them accountable.
Congressman Kean said, “My constituent, Sarah Moriarty, lost her father, Robert Levinson, after he was taken hostage by Iran in 2007. Her family spent years wondering where he was, not knowing if he was alive or if they would ever see him again. Sadly, far too many American families have lived through that same kind of fear and heartbreak. Hostile regimes like Iran continue to use innocent Americans as bargaining chips, dehumanizing and mistreating them—and in some cases, even taking their lives. TheCountering Wrongful Detention Act makes it clear that there will be consequences for this kind of behavior, and the United States will always go to great lengths to protect its citizens.”
Congressman Hill said, “When Americans are wrongfully detained abroad, it’s not just a personal tragedy — it’s a direct attack on the United States. Those who wrongfully detain Americans must know that there will be real consequences for using U.S. citizens as political pawns. That’s why our bill gives the State Department the tools it needs to hold bad actors accountable while keeping Congress firmly engaged in the process. This bipartisan bill is a strong step toward protecting Americans by deterring and punishing them.”
Congressman Lawler said, “As a co-lead on theCountering Wrongful Detention Act, I’m proud to be joining a bipartisan group of colleagues working to protect Americans held hostage by rogue nations as political pawns. This legislation will provide the State Department with the necessary tools to exert pressure while ensuring that Congress maintains accountability. American families deserve nothing less.”
Congressman Gottheimer said, “As the United States faces increasing threats from foreign adversaries, protecting Americans abroad must remain a top priority. I am proud to help introduce the bipartisanCountering Wrongful Detention Actalongside Congressman Hill to ensure the State Department has the tools it needs to hold bad actors accountable. This bipartisan bill will help bring home Americans wrongfully detained around the world and strengthen efforts to prevent future hostage taking. To those being held, and their families, our message is clear: we stand with you and we are fighting every day to bring you home.”
Congressman Moskowitz said, “For years, my constituent Bob Levinson was illegally, unjustly, and unacceptably held by the Iranian regime. Bad actors like these can’t detain Americans without cause and think they can get away with it. I’m helping lead theCountering Wrongful Detention Actbecause this bipartisan bill puts real tools in place that’ll crack down on this practice and send a strong, bipartisan signal that our government will hold accountable any state or nonstate actors who threaten Americans in this way.”
Sarah (Levinson) Moriarty, Co-Founder of R. A. Levinson & Associates and Fellow, New America Future Security Program, said, “Since the introduction of PPD30 ten years ago, and the Robert A. Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act in 2019, we have seen marked improvement in how our government handles the cases of American nationals held hostage by state and non-state actors.
“This important bi-partisan legislation, coming at such a critical time where Americans continue to be taken on a weekly basis as political bargaining chips, is a giant leap forward in creating tangible deterrence that stops bad actors from continuing this horrific practice. Thank you to Representatives Hill, Gottheimer, Kean, Lawler and Moskowitz for their leadership in this issue.
“We hope to see this legislation passed by Congress and swiftly signed into law, as we know it will help prevent so many Americans from falling victim to the suffering that my father, my family, my friends in the hostage community, and far too many others have experienced.”
Background:
The bipartisan legislation creates a new authority for the Secretary of State to formally designate countries or nonstate actors as state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention, creating a deterrent framework similar to the existing state sponsors of terrorism designation. Once designated, the Secretary may impose a range of penalties on those governments, including diplomatic and economic consequences.
The bill provides congressional oversight by requiring that all state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention designations expire unless Congress passes a joint resolution to approve them within six months. Congress would also have the authority to terminate a designation through a joint resolution, ensuring these decisions reflect the interests of the American people and are subject to public accountability.
This legislation further directs the Secretary of State to brief Congress on whether the following countries should be designated under this new authority:
Electricity demand in the PJM Interconnection and ISO New England (two regional grid operators covering the Northeast United States) reached multiyear highs on June 23 and June 24, respectively. Electricity demand increased significantly due to a heat wave that affected most of the Eastern United States this week.
PJM Interconnection Electricity load in the PJM Interconnection, the largest wholesale electricity market in the country, peaked at 160,560 megawatts (MW) on Monday, June 23, between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. according to data from our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. The load on the grid surpassed PJM’s seasonal peak load forecast of 154,000 MW but remained below the record load of 165,563 MW in 2006 (PJM has expanded numerous times, and this data point is based on PJM’s current footprint). PJM’s footprint includes 13 states and the District of Columbia.
Real-time wholesale electricity prices on June 23 peaked at $1,334 per megawatthour (MWh) at 7:00 p.m. according to PJM, compared with peak prices of $52/MWh on June 16.
At peak load on June 23, 44% of PJM’s generation came from natural gas, 20% from nuclear, 19% from coal, and 6% from solar. The remaining generation came from a mix of hydro, wind, petroleum, and other generation. Petroleum generation, which is generally the most expensive form and therefore only used to meet large demand loads, was three times greater compared with the same hour the day prior.
ISO-New England (ISO-NE)
As the hot weather moved eastward, demand peaked the following day in ISO-NE—the integrated grid operating in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Peak demand on Tuesday, June 24, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. eastern time was 25,898 MW, according to the data in our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. ISO-NE reported that Tuesday’s evening peak electricity demand was the highest level seen in the region since 2013.
Real-time wholesale electricity prices on June 24 peaked at $1,110/MWh at 6:00 p.m. according to preliminary data from ISO-NE, compared with peak prices of $65/MWh the previous week on June 17.
New England’s electricity grid depended on a combination of oil-fired power plants, electricity imports from Canada, and increased natural gas power production to meet peak demand this week. At peak load on Tuesday, 47% of ISO-NE generation came from natural gas, 12% from imports, 13% from nuclear, 12% from petroleum, 1% from coal, and 4% from renewable sources including wind, batteries, and solar. The last remaining coal-fired plant in the region, the Merrimack facility in New Hampshire, supplied 280 MWh on average to the grid on Tuesday. The Merrimack facility is typically only used when demand is high.
Principal contributors: Lindsay Aramayo, Kimberly Peterson
A proud member of the Samson Cree Nation, Buffalo is a strong voice for Indigenous prosperity and responsible resource development. His leadership will help ensure Indigenous perspectives are front and centre as the panel hears from Albertans across the province on how to strengthen Alberta’s role within a united Canada.
Buffalo holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Management and recently completed his ICD.D designation as part of the first Indigenous cohort. He brings a wealth of corporate and community experience, having served on numerous boards in both the private and public sectors, including as Chairman of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation.
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The family of Daniel Anjorin, 14 have paid tribute to his “generous spirit”.
The tribute was delivered outside court on Friday, 27 June following the sentencing of Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37 who was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 40 years.
Monzo was found guilty on Wednesday, 25 June of seven offences, including murder, three counts of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.
Daniel Anjorin was just 14 when he was murdered in the street in the brutal rampage in April last year, which also saw several members of the public and two Met Police officers seriously injured.
Speaking outside court, his family said:
“This has been a painful and deeply traumatic chapter in our lives. No verdict or sentence can bring back our son Daniel, who we loved so dearly, but we are grateful that justice has been served.
“Daniel was taken from us in a way that no family should ever have to endure. His life had so much potential ahead, he was gifted academically, was kind and had a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him. We carry that light with us, even in this dark time.
“We want to express our deepest thanks to the police, prosecution team, and all those who worked tirelessly to seek the truth. Your dedication has meant more to us than words can convey.
“To everyone who supported us through this ordeal- friends, family, our church, our workplaces, our children’s schools, and even strangers- thank you. Your love and support has been a lifeline.
“We will honour Daniel’s memory not in the shadow on this tragedy, but through the love and happiness that he bought to us and all those who knew him.”
Detectives have launched an investigation into the death of an 18-year-old man following a shooting in Enfield.
On Thursday, 26 June at 20:45hrs police were called to Great Cambridge Road, Enfield following reports that gunshots were fired.
Met officers attended the scene alongside London Ambulance Service, who treated an 18-year-old man for gunshot wounds before taking him to a nearby hospital.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he later died from his injuries.
His family has been informed and they are currently receiving support from specialist officers.
Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines who leads policing in Enfield has said: “I am saddened to hear that a young man lost his life last night. My thoughts are with his family and friends who will be processing this news today.
“We want to reassure the community that this appears to be an isolated incident and a thorough investigation is underway.
“The safety of the public remains one of our highest priorities. We are working tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are held to account.
“I would like to send my thanks to the community now, as there will be an increased police presence while we carry out enquiries over the next few days. Your patience is greatly appreciated.
“An incident like this is deeply concerning to members of the community, and we recognise that some may feel effected. Please do approach any of our officers who are in the local area, they will be happy to provide support to you.”
At this early stage, there have been no arrests.
A crime scene is in place, and the road will remain closed while enquiries are carried out.
If you know anything, then please get in contact with police by calling 101 stating CAD8393/26JUNE. You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 to remain anonymous.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
A detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti participates in the military parade marking the 65th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and the founding of the Armed Forces of Madagascar in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, on June 26, local time.
By Wang Zongyang and Dong Mingli
ANTANANARIVO, June 27 — At the invitation of the Ministry of Armed Forces of Madagascar, a detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti participated in the military parade marking the 65th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and the founding of the Armed Forces of Madagascar on June 26, local time.
The Chinese detachment consists of more than 50 troops. This is the first time that the Chinese PLA has participated in Madagascar’s military parade.
This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Madagascar. In recent years, cooperation between the two countries in multiple fields and at multiple levels has gradually entered the fast lane. In September 2024, the two countries jointly announced that they would upgrade China-Madagascar relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Ji Ping, Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar, said that China’s participation in the military parade reflects the two sides’ high attention to developing relations between the two countries and the two militaries.
A senior Malagasy military official said that China and Madagascar are sincere and trustworthy friends and partners of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Madagascar sincerely thanks the Chinese military for participating in this military parade, which fully reflects the profound friendship between China and Madagascar.
A detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti participates in the military parade marking the 65th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and the founding of the Armed Forces of Madagascar in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, on June 26, local time.
Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense
A detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti participates in the military parade marking the 65th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and the founding of the Armed Forces of Madagascar in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, on June 26, local time.
By Wang Zongyang and Dong Mingli
ANTANANARIVO, June 27 — At the invitation of the Ministry of Armed Forces of Madagascar, a detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti participated in the military parade marking the 65th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and the founding of the Armed Forces of Madagascar on June 26, local time.
The Chinese detachment consists of more than 50 troops. This is the first time that the Chinese PLA has participated in Madagascar’s military parade.
This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Madagascar. In recent years, cooperation between the two countries in multiple fields and at multiple levels has gradually entered the fast lane. In September 2024, the two countries jointly announced that they would upgrade China-Madagascar relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Ji Ping, Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar, said that China’s participation in the military parade reflects the two sides’ high attention to developing relations between the two countries and the two militaries.
A senior Malagasy military official said that China and Madagascar are sincere and trustworthy friends and partners of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Madagascar sincerely thanks the Chinese military for participating in this military parade, which fully reflects the profound friendship between China and Madagascar.
A detachment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti participates in the military parade marking the 65th anniversary of Madagascar’s independence and the founding of the Armed Forces of Madagascar in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, on June 26, local time.
Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union
Trump’s union-busting executive order was retaliation against labor unions for challenging administration’s illegal workplace actions, judge finds
WASHINGTON – A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction after ruling that the Trump administration likely violated the law by stripping nearly a million federal government employees of their union rights.
Six unions filed a lawsuit on April 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging President Trump’s March 27 executive order that removed collective bargaining rights from about 950,000 federal employees the unions collectively represent. Trump cited national security as the reason for the executive action, but the unions, led by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), argue that the executive order was unconstitutional retaliation meant to punish them for engaging in activity protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, including vocal opposition and legal challenges to the administration.
The unions also argued that the administration violated the Fifth Amendment when it voided collective bargaining agreements it had properly entered into without due process of law. The unions further contend that the administration acted in excess of its authority by applying the national security exemption to employees whose primary functions are clearly unrelated to national security. These include workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and several other departments and agencies.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE-SEIU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United (NNU), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The parties were represented by Bredhoff and Kaiser PLLC. and Feinberg, Jackson, Worthman & Wasow LLP.
“President Trump revoked our members’ union rights in retaliation for our advocacy on behalf of federal workers and the American people, and we are grateful that Judge Donato saw through his disingenuous ‘national security’ justification and has ordered the immediate restoration of their rights,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley. “Federal employees have had the right to join a union and bargain collectively for decades, including during President Trump’s first term, and at no time have employees’ union rights caused concern for our nation’s national security. Revoking these rights was clearly a retaliatory attempt to bust federal unions and wreak havoc on our nation’s workforce and the services they provide to the American people.”
“This is justice for the federal workers who were unfairly retaliated against and had their freedom to collectively bargain ripped away for standing up to illegal executive actions,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “This executive order is a direct effort to silence federal workers’ voice on the job — an essential freedom that helps maintain the integrity of our democracy. Federal workers serve every community, and targeting them through political retribution threatens the freedom of all working people to fight for fair treatment. We applaud this ruling as a critical defense of our communities and our rights at work.”
“Judge Donato’s ruling is a resounding rejection of the Trump administration’s authoritarian tactics and its sham invocation of national security as a cover for union busting,” said NAGE National President David J. Holway. “This executive order isn’t about national security. President Trump is punishing NAGE and other unions for protecting the rights of workers and standing up to the administration’s unlawful actions. The court made it clear: national security cannot be used as a smokescreen to silence federal workers. No president is above the law.”
“America’s public service workers don’t work for profits, politics, or for glory – they serve our nation,” said SEIU President April Verrett. “The President’s unlawful executive order attacking federal unions is not an attack on a million federal workers, but is a direct attack on all workers who seek a collective voice to bargain for a better future. This is blatant retaliation against brave workers who dared to exercise their First Amendment rights to criticize this administration’s authoritarian overreach. The labor movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration’s union-busting tactics silence us.”
“Collective bargaining rights are critical for union nurses so we can advocate for our veterans and ensure they get the care they deserve. We appreciate Judge Donato ruling in favor of our lawsuit, which challenges the executive order that threatens our bargaining rights. We will fight for our veterans who put their lives on the line for us. All federal workers deserve collective bargaining rights,” said Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse and the chair of National Nurses United’s VA Division.
“The right of federal employees to join a union is protected by the Constitution and has been supported by Presidents of both parties for decades,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “We believe the Trump Administration is blatantly violating both the Constitution and federal law in a misguided attempt to bust federal unions. In our view, this is the most anti-worker and anti-union action this country has ever seen. NFFE and our allies are pleased to see the rule of law upheld and the critical rights of working people protected by Judge Donato.”
Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union
WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled to curtail federal judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions:
“The Supreme Court has again ruled to overturn decades of precedent to appease a president hellbent on breaking the law. Stripping courts of their authority to issue nationwide injunctions dangerously limits their ability to stop the ongoing abuse of power, which threatens our fundamental freedoms and the very foundations of our democracy. This takes the presidency further from the vision of the founders and closer to the tyranny they fought to escape. As the administration tries to stall justice, they cannot change the fact that their actions are illegal — as we have proven time and time again in federal courts nationwide. Despite their desperate efforts to evade accountability, we remain undeterred and will keep fighting to protect our freedoms and secure justice for all working people.”
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHEVON GRANT, 28, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense stemming from a gang-related shootout.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, after an unidentified shooter who is suspected of being a member of a rival gang opened fire at individuals who were standing in a parking lot outside of a memorial gathering at a party venue on Main Street in Hartford, surveillance cameras at the location recorded at least nine individuals drawing firearms, some of whom returned fire. Shot Spotter technology recorded nearly 50 shots fired within approximately 90 seconds in and around the location, and law enforcement recovered at least 31 shell casings from the scene. Grant was present at the memorial gathering and was recorded on surveillance videos brandishing a handgun.
Following the shooting, Hartford Police obtained a warrant for Grant’s arrest in relation to the April 18 shootout. At the time, Grant was also subject to two additional state arrest warrants for other alleged offenses. On May 7, 2022, officers encountered Grant in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle, retrieved a loaded Ruger P90 .45 firearm from beneath the driver’s seat, and took Grant into custody.
Grant’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On October 11, 2024, Grant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Grant is detained in state custody, and state charges against him are pending.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and John T. Pierpont, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Hartford State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that a federal jury convicted 30-year-old, JOVANTE MATTHEWS (“MATTHEWS”),of committing an armed carjacking that occurred on April 3, 2024, in the 2900 block of Hollygrove Street. The jury also found that MATTHEWS met the legal definition of being an “Armed Career Criminal.”
MATTHEWS had been charged in a three-count federal indictment. Count 1 charged him with Carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119. Count 2 charged him with brandishing a firearm during, and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Count 3 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The Government also charged MATTHEWS with a sentencing enhancement for being an Armed Career Criminal, alleging that he had three previous convictions for crimes of violence.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, on April 3, 2024, at approximately 12:00 noon, MATTHEWS approached two contractors who were renovating a house on Hollygrove Street. He produced a semi-automatic handgun, put it to the head of one of the victims and demanded his keys and wallet. The victims complied and Matthews drove off in their Ford F-350 work truck, that belonged to a construction company. After the victims reported the incident, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers arrived at the scene, and obtained a neighbor’s security camera video. The video showed the perpetrator, who wore distinctive clothing, walking up to the truck and the victims at 11:58 am, but did not capture the actual robbery. After NOPD officers put out a bulletin on the stolen truck, two Levee Board police officers observed the truck in the Gentilly area of New Orleans. When they attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled at a high rate of speed. As the truck sped through the intersection of Franklin Ave. and Mendez Street, it collided with an 18-wheel truck, causing a massive crash. MATTHEWS was caught inside the stolen truck wearing the carjacking victim’s jacket and carrying the victim’s wallet. Police also located a semi-automatic firearm on the driver’s side floorboard of the truck. Officers then noted that MATTHEWS was wearing the same distinctive clothing that the perpetrator had been wearing in the pre-carjacking surveillance footage.
To prove that MATTHEWS was an Armed Career Criminal, prosecutors proved at a sentencing hearing that MATTHEWS committed an armed carjacking on May 16, 2022 in the 500 block of South White Street. Additionally, prosecutors proved that MATTHEWS also committed an armed carjacking on May 18, 2022 at 12:45pm in the 2600 block of Canal Blvd, and, later that day, an armed robbery in the 1000 Block of Ursuline Street.
A review of MATTHEWS criminal history revealed that on June 3, 2023, MATTHEWS pled guilty in Criminal District Court to all three of these robbery offenses and to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Although sentenced to serve 5 years in the Louisiana Department of Corrections, MATTHEWS did not actually serve the full five years, as he was arrested on this latest carjacking on April 3, 2024.
Based on his current conviction, MATTHEWS now faces a statutory sentence of up to 15 years for the Carjacking offense, not less than 7 years, and up to life imprisonment for Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Any sentence imposed on this count will have to be served consecutively to any other sentence. He also faces a sentence of not less than 15 years, and up to life, for being an Armed Career Criminal. In total, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 22 years to life in prison. He will be formally sentenced on November 5, 2025, by United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (A.T.F.), the New Orleans Police Department, and the Levee Board Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Oscar Cruz-Baldo, 40, of Mexico, pled guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien unlawfully in the United States. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The aggressive prosecution and removal of violent illegal aliens is central to the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America. My office is committed to working with our dedicated law enforcement partners to fulfill that promise, and as a result, we are making our communities safer.”
Court documents reflect that Cruz-Baldo, a Mexican national, unlawfully entered the United States without inspection or authorization by an immigration officer. On February 12, 2025, he was involved in a domestic violence incident in Williston, Florida. According to the victim, Cruz-Baldo threatened to shoot her and her dog with a loaded shotgun. Levy County Deputies arrested Cruz-Baldo without further incident and located the loaded shotgun on the property.
Cruz-Baldo faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and deportation from the United States.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2025, at 1:00 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida before Chief United States District Judge Allen Winsor.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ahead of Armed Forces Day (28th June) , the Lord Mayor of Westminster raised the Armed Forces flag above City Hall. Joined by serving personnel, veterans and their families, he paid tribute to their sacrifices and the tireless work they do in the UK and abroad.
Speaking at a reception following the flag raising, The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg said:
In raising the flag for Armed Forces Day, it is a chance to honour those serving, our veterans and all their families who keep us safe.
To serve or have served in the armed forces, be it the Army, the Navy, or the RAF is to live a life of sacrifice. So that is why the Armed Forces Covenant is so important to uphold. It ensures they receive the support and care they deserve, both during and after their service.
He also re-affirmed Westminster City Council’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant. The Covenant, resigned in 2023, outlines principles which ensure the fair treatment of those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces and their families. The Covenant aims to prevent the Armed Forces community from facing disadvantage and also to ensure special considerations are given where needed, such as in cases of injury or mobilisation.
More information about the council’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant on our website.
Young people in Plymouth are being urged to take part in a Big Community Conversation, where they’ll have the chance to shape the future of their city.
Hosted in partnership with the Youth Parliament, the event will focus on how local government reorganisation could affect the things that matter most to young people – from jobs and housing to transport, health services, and places to hang out.
This isn’t just a meeting – it’s a chance for 12 to 18-year-olds to speak directly to decision-makers about the kind of city they want to grow up in.
Councillor Jemima Laing, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Plymouth City Council, said: “This is about the future of the city for our young people. The decisions being made now will shape the Plymouth that young people will hopefully continue to live, work and grow up in for years to come.
“Whether it’s about having a job they love, being able to afford their own place, or just having better access to transport and facilities or and more fun things to do – we want to hear from young people about what they think matters.
“Local government reorganisation might sound complicated, but at its heart, it’s about how we build a better city – and young people need to be part of that conversation.”
The event will take place from 5:00pm to 6:30pm in the Council Chamber, Council House, Armada Way. It’s open to all young people living within the Plymouth aged 12-18 years old.
Building Plymouth has officially relaunched its flagship Adopt a School programme which connects local construction businesses with schools across the city.
The programme aims to inspire young people to explore careers in construction and the built environment, while strengthening the pipeline of future talent for the industry.
The relaunch was celebrated at the Building Plymouth members meeting on 25 June, hosted by Foot Anstey.
Councillor Sally Cresswell, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships at Plymouth City Council said: “Given the growth and investment in Plymouth, it is absolutely crucial that our children and young people are fully aware of the fantastic career pathways available in construction.
“I’d like to thank local construction companies for ‘adopting’ our schools and creating these new strategic relationships to improve awareness and engagement.”
Emily Waterfield from Brook Green Centre for Learning, Councillor Sally Cresswell and Andy Veasey, Managing Director of Drew and Co
Through the Adopt a School programme, each participating school is matched with a named construction professional who acts as a key contact and ambassador. These ambassadors provide tailored support to schools, including careers talks, site visits, mentoring, and curriculum-linked activities.
The initiative is coordinated by Building Plymouth’s 5E’s Group, which streamlines engagement and shares best practice across the network.
Sam Morcumb, Chair of the 5E’s Group and Business Development and Bid Manager at BuildX (SW), commented: “Our ambassadors don’t just build structures, they lay the foundation for future talent. This is game-changing work that gives young people access to real-world experiences and opportunities they might never have imagined.”
The programme already boasts a strong list of confirmed partnerships, including:
AECOM with Lipson Cooperative Academy
Balfour Beatty with UTC Plymouth
Drew and Co with Brook Green Centre for Learning
Obedair Construction with St Boniface Catholic College.
Schools have welcomed the initiative with enthusiasm. Emily Waterfield, Work Based Learning Coordinator at Brook Green Centre for Learning, said:
“We’re delighted to be partnered with Drew & Co. This collaboration will help introduce our students to careers in mechanical and electrical engineering, supported by real-life experiences that enhance our STEM curriculum.”
Rachael Hudson of St Boniface’s Catholic College added: “Obedair has already made a huge impact by setting up an alternative provision within our school, giving students vital hands-on experience in a variety of trades.”
Building Plymouth is calling on more construction businesses and schools to get involved, helping to expand the reach and impact of this transformative programme.
For more information or to get involved, please contact [email protected].
The Box was delighted to welcome Sir Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery to Plymouth yesterday, to celebrate the unveiling of a new blue commemorative plaque honouring Sir Charles Lock Eastlake (1793-1865). The plaque is located at Hillside Court, Plympton St Mary – the site of the pioneering Victorian art scholar and first director of the National Gallery’s former home ‘Hillside’.
The Box is currently working in partnership with the National Gallery to deliver The Triumph of Art, a nationwide project by artist Jeremy Deller, commissioned by the National Gallery as part of NG200, its Bicentenary celebrations.
Sir Charles Eastlake has been described as ‘the alpha and omega’ of the Victorian art world. Born in Plymouth on 17 November 1793, he became one of the most influential figures 19th-century British culture, serving as:
First Director of the National Gallery (1855-1865), transforming its collecting practices, conservation methods, and display standards
Seventh President of the Royal Academy (1855-1865), following in the footsteps of fellow Devonian Sir Joshua Reynolds
Secretary of the Fine Arts Commission (1841), overseeing the decoration of the new Houses of Parliament
Distinguished art scholar, whose 1847 work “Materials for A History of Oil Painting” remains influential today
The site where the plaque has been installed holds special significance as Eastlake inherited the property ‘Hillside’ (originally named ‘St Mary’s Hill’) from his brother in 1845. According to his wife, despite his demanding official duties, Eastlake devoted considerable attention to improving and ornamenting the property, incorporating Italian design features and personally tending to the gardens with his standing order to ‘plant more hollyhocks.’
Eastlake’s local roots run deep. He was baptised at Plymouth’s Minster church of St Andrew and attended Plympton Grammar School (where Sir Joshua Reynolds also studied). His artistic talents were first nurtured at Plymouth Grammar School under the Revd Dr John Bidlake, a prominent author, artist and educator.
Sir Gabriele Finaldi paid tribute to Eastlake’s legacy: “Sir Charles Eastlake’s transformative leadership established the foundational principles that continue to guide the National Gallery 200 years on today. His pioneering approach to collecting, conservation and scholarship created enduring standards for museum practice worldwide. It’s especially appropriate that we commemorate his legacy here in Devon, where his distinguished career began, and where The Box exemplifies the same commitment to accessibility and excellence that defined Eastlake’s tenure.
“We are also delighted to collaborate with The Box on The Triumph of Art project, which exemplifies our commitment to fostering meaningful regional partnerships that ensure our national collection reaches communities throughout the UK. This collaboration is particularly significant as we mark our bicentenary year, reinforcing our dedication to connecting all parts of Britain with their shared cultural heritage and underscoring the essential role that outstanding regional institutions play in our ongoing mission to make the nation’s artistic heritage available to the widest possible audience.”
Victoria Pomery OBE, CEO of The Box, said: “We are thrilled to honour Sir Charles Eastlake’s remarkable legacy here in Plymouth, where his extraordinary journey from local student to international art world leader began. His story perfectly embodies our mission to celebrate Plymouth’s pivotal role in shaping British culture while making world-class art accessible to all. From Reynolds to Eastlake to the present day, today’s plaque unveiling not only commemorates one man’s extraordinary achievements but also reinforces Plymouth’s position as a city that has always understood the transformative power of art and culture.
“Our partnership with the National Gallery on The Triumph of Art project also demonstrates the power of collaboration in bringing nationally significant stories back to their roots. Eastlake’s vision of accessible, excellently curated collections continues to inspire our work today, and it’s particularly meaningful that we can share this celebration with Sir Gabriele Finaldi during the National Gallery’s bicentenary year. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the future and sharing more of these important stories with communities.”
The National Gallery and The Box have enjoyed several collaborations over the years, including an exhibition exploring Eastlake’s early artistic training in Plymouth and his future career as the first director of the National Gallery in 2012, curated by Susanna Avery-Quash. The Box’s collection also holds a batch of Eastlake correspondence, donated by the family of David Robertson, Eastlake’s biographer and the title deeds for Steer’s Park, a property in Plympton that Eastlake purchased from the Earl of Morley.
Eastlake’s family contributed significantly to Plymouth’s cultural life. His father George helped establish the Proprietary Library (now located on St Barnabas Terrace), one of Plymouth’s oldest historic institutions, founded in 1810, and the family also supported aspiring artists including J.M.W. Turner, who stayed with them during his painting expeditions to Devon.
Eastlake was previously honoured with the Freedom of the City in 1832 and a former road in the city centre called Eastlake Walk. Eastlake Street near the Drake Circus shopping centre still remains while another plaque dedicated to him can be found near the site of the old Plympton Grammar School, George Lane, Plympton St Maurice.
The World Bank Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have signed an agreement to work together to support the responsible use of nuclear energy in developing countries, based on safety and security principles. The partnership agreement, signed by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, formalizes numerous contacts between the two organizations over the past year and marks the first concrete step in decades by the World Bank Group to resume cooperation on nuclear energy.
Moreover, the agreement reflects the World Bank Group’s new, broader approach to electrification – one that prioritizes affordability, affordability, and reliability, as well as responsible emissions management. With electricity demand in developing countries estimated to more than double by 2035, this approach aims to help countries meet their populations’ energy needs in ways that best fit their national context, including development goals and nationally determined contributions.
Nuclear power provides continuous baseload power while increasing grid stability and resilience. Reliable baseload power is essential for many job-creating sectors, including infrastructure, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism and manufacturing. Nuclear power also provides high-skilled jobs and stimulates investment in the wider economy. It can also adapt to changes in electricity demand and support frequency regulation, enabling greater integration of variable renewables.
“Jobs need electricity. So do factories, hospitals, schools, and water supplies. As demand grows — driven by both artificial intelligence and development challenges — we must help countries ensure reliable, affordable electricity. That’s why we see nuclear power as part of the solution — and why we’re revisiting it as part of the World Bank Group’s portfolio of ways to help developing countries realize their ambitions. Nuclear power also provides baseload power, the foundation on which modern economies are built,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “Our partnership with the IAEA marks an important step in that direction, and I’m grateful to Rafael for his personal commitment and leadership in making this possible. Together, we will expand our expertise, support countries as they choose nuclear power, and ensure that future work is guided by nuclear safety, security, and sustainability.”
“Today’s agreement is a significant milestone and the culmination of a year of work together since President Ajay Banga kindly invited me to the World Bank Group Executive Board meeting in Washington last June,” said IAEA Director General Grossi. “This landmark partnership, another sign of the world’s return to realism on nuclear energy, opens the door to other multilateral development banks and private investors who see nuclear energy as a viable tool for energy security and sustainable prosperity. Together, we can help more people build a better future.”
Under the memorandum of understanding signed today, the IAEA will cooperate with the World Bank Group in three key areas:
Building nuclear knowledge – to enhance the World Bank Group’s understanding of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, energy planning, emerging technologies, fuel cycles, plant life cycles and waste management; Extending the lives of existing nuclear power plants – to support developing countries in safely extending the lives of existing nuclear power plants, which are one of the most cost-effective sources of low-carbon energy, given that many of the world’s nuclear plants are approaching the end of their original 40-year design lives; Advanced SMR technologies – to accelerate the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), which offer flexible deployment options, lower upfront costs and the potential for widespread deployment in developing economies.
Nuclear power plants currently operate in 31 countries, collectively accounting for about 9% of the world’s electricity generation, or nearly a quarter of all low-carbon generation. More than 30 other countries, most of them developing countries, are considering or are already introducing nuclear power and are working with the IAEA to establish the necessary infrastructure to implement nuclear safety, security, and sustainability principles in this area.
“SMRs have enormous potential for clean, reliable energy systems and poverty alleviation, but funding hurdles remain,” added Director General Grossi. “Today’s agreement is an important first step to clearing the way for them.”
About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group is dedicated to achieving a world free from poverty on a planet fit for habitation, using a combination of financing, knowledge, and expertise. It comprises the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, visitVBV.Vorldbank.org,Ida. Voraldbank.org/EN/Hyome,BBV Miga.org,BBV. ifk.org AndGDV. Iks.vorldbank.org.
About the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): The IAEA is an international organization whose aim is to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and prevent its use for military purposes. The IAEA supports its Member States in building a reliable and resilient infrastructure based on the principles of nuclear safety and security, and applies safeguards to verify the peaceful use of nuclear materials and technology.
International Atomic Energy Agency (Vienna): Jeffrey Donovan, 43 699 165 22443,jrdonovan@iaea.org
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), a panel of 27 independent, international, multidisciplinary experts, today published its report on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAGO has advanced the understanding of the origins of COVID-19, but as they say in their report, much of the information needed to evaluate fully all hypotheses has not been provided.
“I thank each of the 27 members of SAGO for dedicating their time and expertise to this very important scientific undertaking over more than three years,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “As things stand, all hypotheses must remain on the table, including zoonotic spillover and lab leak. We continue to appeal to China and any other country that has information about the origins of COVID-19 to share that information openly, in the interests of protecting the world from future pandemics.”
In its report, SAGO considered available evidence for the main hypotheses for the origins of COVID-19 and concluded that “the weight of available evidence…suggests zoonotic spillover…either directly from bats or through an intermediate host.”
WHO requested that China share hundreds of genetic sequences from individuals with COVID-19 early in the pandemic, more detailed information about the animals sold at markets in Wuhan, and information on work done and biosafety conditions at laboratories in Wuhan. To date, China has not shared this information either with SAGO or WHO.
SAGO published its initial findings and recommendations in a report on 9 June 2022. Today’s report updates that evaluation based on peer-reviewed papers and reviews, as well as available unpublished information and field studies, interviews, and other reports including audit findings, government reports and intelligence reports. SAGO convened in various formats 52 times, conducted briefings with researchers, academics, journalists, and others.
“As the report says, this is not solely a scientific endeavour, it is a moral and ethical imperative,” said Dr Marietjie Venter, Chair of the group and Distinguished Professor and One Health Research Chair in Vaccines and Surveillance for Emerging viral threats at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. “Understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it sparked a pandemic is needed to help prevent future pandemics, save lives and livelihoods, and reduce global suffering.”
At a Special Session of the World Health Assembly in late 2020, WHO Member States adopted a resolution asking WHO to study the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Accordingly, a joint mission between international and Chinese experts travelled to China in January and February 2021, and published their report in March of that year.
In July 2021, Dr Tedros launched SAGO with two mandates: first, to design a global framework to investigate the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens, which it published last year, and second, to apply that framework to evaluate scientific evidence to determine the origins of COVID-19.
The work to understand the origins of SARS-CoV-2 remains unfinished. WHO welcomes any further evidence on the origins of COVID-19, and SAGO remains committed to reviewing any new information should it become available.
In Secrets We Keep, the hidden world of domestic work and abuse is exposed. Here Excel Busano who plays Angel, Cecilia’s au pair and Ruby’s best friend in Denmark speaks with her community on the phone. Tine Harden/Netflix
Moving fluidly between English, Danish and Tagalog, the six-part drama is a nuanced indictment of the lack of moral accountability among the rich. On display are the prejudices and complicity of white women in enabling a culture of toxic masculinity that treats Filipina migrant women as sexualized and disposable commodities.
The story starts with a tearful Ruby Tan — a Filipina au pair who works for the affluent Rasmus (Lars Ranthe) and Katarina (Danica Curcic) — asking for some help with her employers from her neighbour, Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen).
Cecilie is a successful non-profit manager and mother of two married to a high-profile lawyer. She employs Angel (Excel Busano), a Filipina au pair. Cecilie tells Ruby (Donna Levkovski) she cannot get involved.
The next day, Ruby vanishes without a trace.
The series is propelled by Cecilie’s guilt in refusing to help Ruby. She is shocked at her neighbours’ apparent lack of concern for Ruby’s disappearance.
Cecilie begins to sleuth for clues regarding Ruby’s disappearance and she eventually decides to assist Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), a racialized policewoman assigned to find the missing au pair. Cecilie discovers a pregnancy kit by a trash bin where she had last seen Ruby. And she soon suspects Ruby’s employer, Rasmus, of raping her.
While the series lacks true suspense due to its predictable story arc peppered with clues about Ruby’s disappearance, it is amply compensated by a sharp critique on the moral decay of modern society, systemic racism and the complicity of women in upholding white masculine privilege.
Warped racist view of the world
Secrets We Keep lays bare the warped world view of rich, white privilege, racism and the sexual fetishism of Asian women.
At a dinner party one night, Rasmus and Katarina do not seem concerned about their missing au pair. Katarina labels Filipina au pairs as whores working in brothels. When discussing Ruby, Katarina says, “she probably ran off to do porn.”
In one uncomfortable scene, Rasmus taunts Cecilia’s husband, Mike (Simon Sears), about his sexual preferences. Mike responds by saying: “I don’t have ‘yellow fever.’” Cecilia sits silently beside Mike.
Katarina also calls Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), the policewoman, “the little brown one.”
At a formal dinner, Rasmus tells Cecilia: “We stick together. We are from the same world, and we are loyal to each other.”
It led the Philippines to ban the participation of Scandinavian countries in its “informal labour” arrangement in 1998. Though the ban was lifted in 2010, Au Pair Network, an advocacy group, reveals that the program is still riddled with abuse.
At a recent gender studies conference in Stockholm, Ardis Ingvars, a sociologist at the University of Iceland who worked as an au pair for a year in the United States just after she turned 18, recalls her anxiety and apprehension as she moved to Boston.
She said:
“Au pairs hope to be lucky with the family turning out OK. What is difficult to take is the attitude of ‘ownership’ that the children and families display over the au pairs as an unquestioned entitlement.”
Ingvars said asymmetrical power relations embedded within the au pair system reinforce racial and class hierarchies.
This is reflected in Secrets We Keep. Midway during Aicha’s investigation, as she hits roadblock after roadblock, she cries out in frustration: “She’s a fucking nobody in their world.”
Aicha Petersen (Sara Fanta Traore) is the police investigator charged with finding Ruby in ‘Secrets We Keep’. Netflix
Feminized labour exploitation
Economic globalization, neoliberal policies and an increased dependence on the remittance economy fuses with the care gap in the Global North to fuel the feminized care migration from the Global South, many of them Filipino women.
Au pairs are placed with host families who provide free board and meals in return for up to 30 hours a week of housework and child care as they learn the host language and customs. The au pairs are paid “pocket money” of Danish Kroner 5,000 per month (approx $1,000 Canadian) out of which they also pay local taxes.
One scene shows one of Cecilie’s work meetings. A junior staff member expresses surprise that Cecilie has an au pair, labelling it a relic of colonial era racial hierarchies.
Cecilie defends herself, and says the system survives because of the failure of men to keep up their domestic bargain and thus the need for women like her “to outsource care.”
She argues the Filipina au pairs “are dependable” and she is “a much better mother” because of Angel. But Cecilie doesn’t acknowledge her privilege — that to be with her children and have a career is predicated on the exploitative extraction of care from Global South women.
Cecilie’s shock at finding out that Angel has a son whom she left behind in the Philippines is part of her denial. In the end, Cecilie is unable to confront her own complicity and decides to release Angel from their au pair arrangement.
“You know nothing about my world…You are very lucky,” cries Angel in anguish as Cecilie hands her the return ticket and an extra three months’ pay to demonstrate her magnanimity.
Secrets We Keep reveals the brutal reality for Global South au pairs as well as upper-class white women and their entitlements. It indicates that even though these white wealthy women may see mistreatment, they maintain their silence and participate in wilful gendered violence to hold onto that privilege, while maintaining a façade of compassion towards the disposable racial migrant other.
In Secrets We Keep, the hidden world of domestic work and abuse is exposed. Here Excel Busano who plays Angel, Cecilia’s au pair and Ruby’s best friend in Denmark speaks with her community on the phone. Tine Harden/Netflix
Moving fluidly between English, Danish and Tagalog, the six-part drama is a nuanced indictment of the lack of moral accountability among the rich. On display are the prejudices and complicity of white women in enabling a culture of toxic masculinity that treats Filipina migrant women as sexualized and disposable commodities.
The story starts with a tearful Ruby Tan — a Filipina au pair who works for the affluent Rasmus (Lars Ranthe) and Katarina (Danica Curcic) — asking for some help with her employers from her neighbour, Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen).
Cecilie is a successful non-profit manager and mother of two married to a high-profile lawyer. She employs Angel (Excel Busano), a Filipina au pair. Cecilie tells Ruby (Donna Levkovski) she cannot get involved.
The next day, Ruby vanishes without a trace.
The series is propelled by Cecilie’s guilt in refusing to help Ruby. She is shocked at her neighbours’ apparent lack of concern for Ruby’s disappearance.
Cecilie begins to sleuth for clues regarding Ruby’s disappearance and she eventually decides to assist Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), a racialized policewoman assigned to find the missing au pair. Cecilie discovers a pregnancy kit by a trash bin where she had last seen Ruby. And she soon suspects Ruby’s employer, Rasmus, of raping her.
While the series lacks true suspense due to its predictable story arc peppered with clues about Ruby’s disappearance, it is amply compensated by a sharp critique on the moral decay of modern society, systemic racism and the complicity of women in upholding white masculine privilege.
Warped racist view of the world
Secrets We Keep lays bare the warped world view of rich, white privilege, racism and the sexual fetishism of Asian women.
At a dinner party one night, Rasmus and Katarina do not seem concerned about their missing au pair. Katarina labels Filipina au pairs as whores working in brothels. When discussing Ruby, Katarina says, “she probably ran off to do porn.”
In one uncomfortable scene, Rasmus taunts Cecilia’s husband, Mike (Simon Sears), about his sexual preferences. Mike responds by saying: “I don’t have ‘yellow fever.’” Cecilia sits silently beside Mike.
Katarina also calls Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), the policewoman, “the little brown one.”
At a formal dinner, Rasmus tells Cecilia: “We stick together. We are from the same world, and we are loyal to each other.”
It led the Philippines to ban the participation of Scandinavian countries in its “informal labour” arrangement in 1998. Though the ban was lifted in 2010, Au Pair Network, an advocacy group, reveals that the program is still riddled with abuse.
At a recent gender studies conference in Stockholm, Ardis Ingvars, a sociologist at the University of Iceland who worked as an au pair for a year in the United States just after she turned 18, recalls her anxiety and apprehension as she moved to Boston.
She said:
“Au pairs hope to be lucky with the family turning out OK. What is difficult to take is the attitude of ‘ownership’ that the children and families display over the au pairs as an unquestioned entitlement.”
Ingvars said asymmetrical power relations embedded within the au pair system reinforce racial and class hierarchies.
This is reflected in Secrets We Keep. Midway during Aicha’s investigation, as she hits roadblock after roadblock, she cries out in frustration: “She’s a fucking nobody in their world.”
Aicha Petersen (Sara Fanta Traore) is the police investigator charged with finding Ruby in ‘Secrets We Keep’. Netflix
Feminized labour exploitation
Economic globalization, neoliberal policies and an increased dependence on the remittance economy fuses with the care gap in the Global North to fuel the feminized care migration from the Global South, many of them Filipino women.
Au pairs are placed with host families who provide free board and meals in return for up to 30 hours a week of housework and child care as they learn the host language and customs. The au pairs are paid “pocket money” of Danish Kroner 5,000 per month (approx $1,000 Canadian) out of which they also pay local taxes.
One scene shows one of Cecilie’s work meetings. A junior staff member expresses surprise that Cecilie has an au pair, labelling it a relic of colonial era racial hierarchies.
Cecilie defends herself, and says the system survives because of the failure of men to keep up their domestic bargain and thus the need for women like her “to outsource care.”
She argues the Filipina au pairs “are dependable” and she is “a much better mother” because of Angel. But Cecilie doesn’t acknowledge her privilege — that to be with her children and have a career is predicated on the exploitative extraction of care from Global South women.
Cecilie’s shock at finding out that Angel has a son whom she left behind in the Philippines is part of her denial. In the end, Cecilie is unable to confront her own complicity and decides to release Angel from their au pair arrangement.
“You know nothing about my world…You are very lucky,” cries Angel in anguish as Cecilie hands her the return ticket and an extra three months’ pay to demonstrate her magnanimity.
Secrets We Keep reveals the brutal reality for Global South au pairs as well as upper-class white women and their entitlements. It indicates that even though these white wealthy women may see mistreatment, they maintain their silence and participate in wilful gendered violence to hold onto that privilege, while maintaining a façade of compassion towards the disposable racial migrant other.
In Secrets We Keep, the hidden world of domestic work and abuse is exposed. Here Excel Busano who plays Angel, Cecilia’s au pair and Ruby’s best friend in Denmark speaks with her community on the phone. Tine Harden/Netflix
Moving fluidly between English, Danish and Tagalog, the six-part drama is a nuanced indictment of the lack of moral accountability among the rich. On display are the prejudices and complicity of white women in enabling a culture of toxic masculinity that treats Filipina migrant women as sexualized and disposable commodities.
The story starts with a tearful Ruby Tan — a Filipina au pair who works for the affluent Rasmus (Lars Ranthe) and Katarina (Danica Curcic) — asking for some help with her employers from her neighbour, Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen).
Cecilie is a successful non-profit manager and mother of two married to a high-profile lawyer. She employs Angel (Excel Busano), a Filipina au pair. Cecilie tells Ruby (Donna Levkovski) she cannot get involved.
The next day, Ruby vanishes without a trace.
The series is propelled by Cecilie’s guilt in refusing to help Ruby. She is shocked at her neighbours’ apparent lack of concern for Ruby’s disappearance.
Cecilie begins to sleuth for clues regarding Ruby’s disappearance and she eventually decides to assist Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), a racialized policewoman assigned to find the missing au pair. Cecilie discovers a pregnancy kit by a trash bin where she had last seen Ruby. And she soon suspects Ruby’s employer, Rasmus, of raping her.
While the series lacks true suspense due to its predictable story arc peppered with clues about Ruby’s disappearance, it is amply compensated by a sharp critique on the moral decay of modern society, systemic racism and the complicity of women in upholding white masculine privilege.
Warped racist view of the world
Secrets We Keep lays bare the warped world view of rich, white privilege, racism and the sexual fetishism of Asian women.
At a dinner party one night, Rasmus and Katarina do not seem concerned about their missing au pair. Katarina labels Filipina au pairs as whores working in brothels. When discussing Ruby, Katarina says, “she probably ran off to do porn.”
In one uncomfortable scene, Rasmus taunts Cecilia’s husband, Mike (Simon Sears), about his sexual preferences. Mike responds by saying: “I don’t have ‘yellow fever.’” Cecilia sits silently beside Mike.
Katarina also calls Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), the policewoman, “the little brown one.”
At a formal dinner, Rasmus tells Cecilia: “We stick together. We are from the same world, and we are loyal to each other.”
It led the Philippines to ban the participation of Scandinavian countries in its “informal labour” arrangement in 1998. Though the ban was lifted in 2010, Au Pair Network, an advocacy group, reveals that the program is still riddled with abuse.
At a recent gender studies conference in Stockholm, Ardis Ingvars, a sociologist at the University of Iceland who worked as an au pair for a year in the United States just after she turned 18, recalls her anxiety and apprehension as she moved to Boston.
She said:
“Au pairs hope to be lucky with the family turning out OK. What is difficult to take is the attitude of ‘ownership’ that the children and families display over the au pairs as an unquestioned entitlement.”
Ingvars said asymmetrical power relations embedded within the au pair system reinforce racial and class hierarchies.
This is reflected in Secrets We Keep. Midway during Aicha’s investigation, as she hits roadblock after roadblock, she cries out in frustration: “She’s a fucking nobody in their world.”
Aicha Petersen (Sara Fanta Traore) is the police investigator charged with finding Ruby in ‘Secrets We Keep’. Netflix
Feminized labour exploitation
Economic globalization, neoliberal policies and an increased dependence on the remittance economy fuses with the care gap in the Global North to fuel the feminized care migration from the Global South, many of them Filipino women.
Au pairs are placed with host families who provide free board and meals in return for up to 30 hours a week of housework and child care as they learn the host language and customs. The au pairs are paid “pocket money” of Danish Kroner 5,000 per month (approx $1,000 Canadian) out of which they also pay local taxes.
One scene shows one of Cecilie’s work meetings. A junior staff member expresses surprise that Cecilie has an au pair, labelling it a relic of colonial era racial hierarchies.
Cecilie defends herself, and says the system survives because of the failure of men to keep up their domestic bargain and thus the need for women like her “to outsource care.”
She argues the Filipina au pairs “are dependable” and she is “a much better mother” because of Angel. But Cecilie doesn’t acknowledge her privilege — that to be with her children and have a career is predicated on the exploitative extraction of care from Global South women.
Cecilie’s shock at finding out that Angel has a son whom she left behind in the Philippines is part of her denial. In the end, Cecilie is unable to confront her own complicity and decides to release Angel from their au pair arrangement.
“You know nothing about my world…You are very lucky,” cries Angel in anguish as Cecilie hands her the return ticket and an extra three months’ pay to demonstrate her magnanimity.
Secrets We Keep reveals the brutal reality for Global South au pairs as well as upper-class white women and their entitlements. It indicates that even though these white wealthy women may see mistreatment, they maintain their silence and participate in wilful gendered violence to hold onto that privilege, while maintaining a façade of compassion towards the disposable racial migrant other.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ruth H. Thurstan, Associate Professor in Marine and Historical Ecology, University of Exeter
Ruth Thurstan holds the Piscatorial AtlasCredit: Lee Raby, CC BY-NC-ND
What stands out most about the book I’m carrying under my arm, as I meander through the exhibits at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, is its awkwardly large size. The Piscatorial Atlas, authored by Ole Theodor Olsen and published in 1883, contains 50 beautifully illustrated charts of the seas around Great Britain. These show the locations exploited at that time for a variety of fish species, alongside the typical vessels or fishing gear used. This information was collated from fishermen in the decade before the atlas was published.
The atlas isn’t a book made for travel. Luckily, it can be readily admired online. But leafing through its carefully curated pages, which contain the collective knowledge of so many people who have long since passed away, feels special, and is why I chose it to show to the programme producers today.
I’ve always loved old books, but I never imagined they would become such an integral part of my work. My interest in marine historical ecology – the use of historical archives to make sense of how our ocean ecosystems are changing – started 18 years ago when I read The Unnatural History of the Sea by Professor Callum Roberts. Within its pages it details how historical perspectives provide critical insights into the deteriorating health of our seas.
Local science, global stories.
This article is part of a series, Secrets of the Sea, exploring how marine scientists are developing climate solutions.
In collaboration with the BBC, Anna Turns travels around the West Country coastline to meet ocean experts making exciting discoveries beneath the waves.
In recent decades, fishery declines, degradation of coastal habitats and the loss of large predators show that exploitation, coastal development, pollution and climate change are exacting their toll on marine ecosystems.
Yet information extracted from old books, reports, and even newspaper articles, show us that many of these issues started long ago. We have exploited the seas for thousands of years, but in Britain, the 19th-century introduction of steam power was a watershed moment. A point in time when our ability to exploit the seas abruptly and dramatically increased. My research aims to uncover how our use of this technological advance – and those that followed – have affected the functioning of marine ecosystems and their continued ability to support our needs.
Transformation of the seas
These negative effects are profound. Towards the end of the Piscatorial Atlas is a page dedicated to the native oyster (Ostrea edulis). It is my favourite of the charts. A gradation of colour indicates where oysters were found in abundance at this time. Colour surrounds the coastal seas of Britain and further afield. Strikingly, there is an enormous area of oyster ground delineated in the southern North Sea.
Today, the native oyster ecosystem is defined as collapsed. The decline of nearshore oyster reefs was well underway by the time the Piscatorial Atlas was published, and the loss of the large North Sea oyster ground – so clear on Olsen’s chart – swiftly followed. As those with the knowledge of these once prolific grounds passed away, the memory of the once vast oyster habitats was lost. This problem was further compounded by science. In the late 19th century, studies of oyster grounds were rare, and scientific surveys almost always occurred after the habitat had been destroyed. Low densities of oysters became the scientific norm.
Recent research I was involved in with a team of experts used historical sources from across Europe to show just how much change has occurred. We showed that reported native oyster habitat once covered tens of thousands of square kilometres and was a dominant feature of some coastal ecosystems. Multiple layers of old oyster shell, consolidated by a layer of living oysters, provided raised reefs that supported a diverse range of species.
The economic and cultural significance of oysters created a more visible historical record than many other species. Yet, the history of marine declines is not limited to oysters. Historical sources quote fishermen concerned about the expansion of trawling and fishing effort. They described the efficiency with which sail trawlers and early steam-powered vessels extracted fish and non-target species from the seafloor.
The impact of land-based activities, such as sediment and pollutant run-off and coastal development, also increased as societies industrialised. These placed marine ecosystems under further pressure, yet regulations governing sustainable management of our seas failed to keep up. These influences, coupled with a collective societal amnesia regarding what we have lost, facilitated the hidden transformation of marine ecosystems.
Using old books and other deep-time approaches, researchers are increasingly making these transformations visible. Reading the words of people from centuries ago, we learn that their experiences of marine ecosystems were often fundamentally different from our own. Understanding the scale of this difference, where species and habitats existed, and in what abundances, can help make the case for their conservation and restoration.
People have always made use of the seas. For me, looking to the past isn’t just about understanding what we have lost, it is also about taking positive lessons from the past, such as the myriad ways in which societies benefited from the presence of healthy marine ecosystems. Heeding these lessons from history helps us visualise the full range of possible futures available to us, including the many benefits that more ambitious conservation and restoration of our ocean ecosystems could bring, should we choose this path.
Ruth H. Thurstan works for The University of Exeter. She receives funding from the Convex Seascape Survey and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 856488).
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ruth H. Thurstan, Associate Professor in Marine and Historical Ecology, University of Exeter
Ruth Thurstan holds the Piscatorial AtlasCredit: Lee Raby, CC BY-NC-ND
What stands out most about the book I’m carrying under my arm, as I meander through the exhibits at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, is its awkwardly large size. The Piscatorial Atlas, authored by Ole Theodor Olsen and published in 1883, contains 50 beautifully illustrated charts of the seas around Great Britain. These show the locations exploited at that time for a variety of fish species, alongside the typical vessels or fishing gear used. This information was collated from fishermen in the decade before the atlas was published.
The atlas isn’t a book made for travel. Luckily, it can be readily admired online. But leafing through its carefully curated pages, which contain the collective knowledge of so many people who have long since passed away, feels special, and is why I chose it to show to the programme producers today.
I’ve always loved old books, but I never imagined they would become such an integral part of my work. My interest in marine historical ecology – the use of historical archives to make sense of how our ocean ecosystems are changing – started 18 years ago when I read The Unnatural History of the Sea by Professor Callum Roberts. Within its pages it details how historical perspectives provide critical insights into the deteriorating health of our seas.
Local science, global stories.
This article is part of a series, Secrets of the Sea, exploring how marine scientists are developing climate solutions.
In collaboration with the BBC, Anna Turns travels around the West Country coastline to meet ocean experts making exciting discoveries beneath the waves.
In recent decades, fishery declines, degradation of coastal habitats and the loss of large predators show that exploitation, coastal development, pollution and climate change are exacting their toll on marine ecosystems.
Yet information extracted from old books, reports, and even newspaper articles, show us that many of these issues started long ago. We have exploited the seas for thousands of years, but in Britain, the 19th-century introduction of steam power was a watershed moment. A point in time when our ability to exploit the seas abruptly and dramatically increased. My research aims to uncover how our use of this technological advance – and those that followed – have affected the functioning of marine ecosystems and their continued ability to support our needs.
Transformation of the seas
These negative effects are profound. Towards the end of the Piscatorial Atlas is a page dedicated to the native oyster (Ostrea edulis). It is my favourite of the charts. A gradation of colour indicates where oysters were found in abundance at this time. Colour surrounds the coastal seas of Britain and further afield. Strikingly, there is an enormous area of oyster ground delineated in the southern North Sea.
Today, the native oyster ecosystem is defined as collapsed. The decline of nearshore oyster reefs was well underway by the time the Piscatorial Atlas was published, and the loss of the large North Sea oyster ground – so clear on Olsen’s chart – swiftly followed. As those with the knowledge of these once prolific grounds passed away, the memory of the once vast oyster habitats was lost. This problem was further compounded by science. In the late 19th century, studies of oyster grounds were rare, and scientific surveys almost always occurred after the habitat had been destroyed. Low densities of oysters became the scientific norm.
Recent research I was involved in with a team of experts used historical sources from across Europe to show just how much change has occurred. We showed that reported native oyster habitat once covered tens of thousands of square kilometres and was a dominant feature of some coastal ecosystems. Multiple layers of old oyster shell, consolidated by a layer of living oysters, provided raised reefs that supported a diverse range of species.
The economic and cultural significance of oysters created a more visible historical record than many other species. Yet, the history of marine declines is not limited to oysters. Historical sources quote fishermen concerned about the expansion of trawling and fishing effort. They described the efficiency with which sail trawlers and early steam-powered vessels extracted fish and non-target species from the seafloor.
The impact of land-based activities, such as sediment and pollutant run-off and coastal development, also increased as societies industrialised. These placed marine ecosystems under further pressure, yet regulations governing sustainable management of our seas failed to keep up. These influences, coupled with a collective societal amnesia regarding what we have lost, facilitated the hidden transformation of marine ecosystems.
Using old books and other deep-time approaches, researchers are increasingly making these transformations visible. Reading the words of people from centuries ago, we learn that their experiences of marine ecosystems were often fundamentally different from our own. Understanding the scale of this difference, where species and habitats existed, and in what abundances, can help make the case for their conservation and restoration.
People have always made use of the seas. For me, looking to the past isn’t just about understanding what we have lost, it is also about taking positive lessons from the past, such as the myriad ways in which societies benefited from the presence of healthy marine ecosystems. Heeding these lessons from history helps us visualise the full range of possible futures available to us, including the many benefits that more ambitious conservation and restoration of our ocean ecosystems could bring, should we choose this path.
Ruth H. Thurstan works for The University of Exeter. She receives funding from the Convex Seascape Survey and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 856488).
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ruth H. Thurstan, Associate Professor in Marine and Historical Ecology, University of Exeter
Ruth Thurstan holds the Piscatorial AtlasCredit: Lee Raby, CC BY-NC-ND
What stands out most about the book I’m carrying under my arm, as I meander through the exhibits at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, is its awkwardly large size. The Piscatorial Atlas, authored by Ole Theodor Olsen and published in 1883, contains 50 beautifully illustrated charts of the seas around Great Britain. These show the locations exploited at that time for a variety of fish species, alongside the typical vessels or fishing gear used. This information was collated from fishermen in the decade before the atlas was published.
The atlas isn’t a book made for travel. Luckily, it can be readily admired online. But leafing through its carefully curated pages, which contain the collective knowledge of so many people who have long since passed away, feels special, and is why I chose it to show to the programme producers today.
I’ve always loved old books, but I never imagined they would become such an integral part of my work. My interest in marine historical ecology – the use of historical archives to make sense of how our ocean ecosystems are changing – started 18 years ago when I read The Unnatural History of the Sea by Professor Callum Roberts. Within its pages it details how historical perspectives provide critical insights into the deteriorating health of our seas.
Local science, global stories.
This article is part of a series, Secrets of the Sea, exploring how marine scientists are developing climate solutions.
In collaboration with the BBC, Anna Turns travels around the West Country coastline to meet ocean experts making exciting discoveries beneath the waves.
In recent decades, fishery declines, degradation of coastal habitats and the loss of large predators show that exploitation, coastal development, pollution and climate change are exacting their toll on marine ecosystems.
Yet information extracted from old books, reports, and even newspaper articles, show us that many of these issues started long ago. We have exploited the seas for thousands of years, but in Britain, the 19th-century introduction of steam power was a watershed moment. A point in time when our ability to exploit the seas abruptly and dramatically increased. My research aims to uncover how our use of this technological advance – and those that followed – have affected the functioning of marine ecosystems and their continued ability to support our needs.
Transformation of the seas
These negative effects are profound. Towards the end of the Piscatorial Atlas is a page dedicated to the native oyster (Ostrea edulis). It is my favourite of the charts. A gradation of colour indicates where oysters were found in abundance at this time. Colour surrounds the coastal seas of Britain and further afield. Strikingly, there is an enormous area of oyster ground delineated in the southern North Sea.
Today, the native oyster ecosystem is defined as collapsed. The decline of nearshore oyster reefs was well underway by the time the Piscatorial Atlas was published, and the loss of the large North Sea oyster ground – so clear on Olsen’s chart – swiftly followed. As those with the knowledge of these once prolific grounds passed away, the memory of the once vast oyster habitats was lost. This problem was further compounded by science. In the late 19th century, studies of oyster grounds were rare, and scientific surveys almost always occurred after the habitat had been destroyed. Low densities of oysters became the scientific norm.
Recent research I was involved in with a team of experts used historical sources from across Europe to show just how much change has occurred. We showed that reported native oyster habitat once covered tens of thousands of square kilometres and was a dominant feature of some coastal ecosystems. Multiple layers of old oyster shell, consolidated by a layer of living oysters, provided raised reefs that supported a diverse range of species.
The economic and cultural significance of oysters created a more visible historical record than many other species. Yet, the history of marine declines is not limited to oysters. Historical sources quote fishermen concerned about the expansion of trawling and fishing effort. They described the efficiency with which sail trawlers and early steam-powered vessels extracted fish and non-target species from the seafloor.
The impact of land-based activities, such as sediment and pollutant run-off and coastal development, also increased as societies industrialised. These placed marine ecosystems under further pressure, yet regulations governing sustainable management of our seas failed to keep up. These influences, coupled with a collective societal amnesia regarding what we have lost, facilitated the hidden transformation of marine ecosystems.
Using old books and other deep-time approaches, researchers are increasingly making these transformations visible. Reading the words of people from centuries ago, we learn that their experiences of marine ecosystems were often fundamentally different from our own. Understanding the scale of this difference, where species and habitats existed, and in what abundances, can help make the case for their conservation and restoration.
People have always made use of the seas. For me, looking to the past isn’t just about understanding what we have lost, it is also about taking positive lessons from the past, such as the myriad ways in which societies benefited from the presence of healthy marine ecosystems. Heeding these lessons from history helps us visualise the full range of possible futures available to us, including the many benefits that more ambitious conservation and restoration of our ocean ecosystems could bring, should we choose this path.
Ruth H. Thurstan works for The University of Exeter. She receives funding from the Convex Seascape Survey and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 856488).
Two Defendants Charged with Attempting to Murder Ringleader of the Fraud
FBI and IRS-CI agents arrested multiple people today for their roles in a $93 million COVID-19 tax credit fraud scheme—considered to be the largest ever identified. Two of the defendants are also charged for attempting to murder the ringleader of the scheme.
On June 11, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment in Los Angeles that was unsealed today charging four defendants with conspiracy to commit mail fraud; mail fraud; and conspiracy to submit false claims. Two of the defendants are also charged with attempting to kill a witness and using a firearm in furtherance of that crime.
Those charged in the indictment are:
Kristerpher Turner, aka “Kris Turner,” “Red,” “Red Boy,” and “Bullet,” 52, of Harbor City, California.
Toriano Knox, aka “Scooby,” and “Dwight,” 55, of Los Angeles, California.
Kenya Jones, aka “Kenya Emua Jones,” and “Kenya Hunt,” 46, of Compton, California.
Joyce Johnson, a.k.a. “Ms. Jay,” 55, of Victorville, California.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress authorized tax credits, including “sick and family wage credits,” otherwise known as Coronavirus Response Credits, to help alleviate the impact of COVID-19, via the Family First Coronavirus Response Act. Small businesses could seek refunds on business tax returns claiming the credit. Authorized tax credits would reimburse businesses for the wages paid to employees who could not work because of the pandemic.
According to the indictment, defendant Turner operated a tax fraud scheme whereby he and his co-conspirators would submit fraudulent forms to Coronavirus Response Credits for businesses, including bogus companies, that did not pay any sick and family wage credits to any employees at any time. Defendant Turner and his co-conspirators would submit these fraudulent filings on behalf of their own purported businesses, but also on behalf of others recruited to the scheme.
Defendant Turner would direct and manage recruiters, including defendant Knox and Jones, to recruit fraud clients, including romantic partners. According to the indictment, Jones recruited her family and friends to the fraud, resulting in false forms being submitted in the names of multiple businesses. Fraud clients would provide their personal identifying information to be used to establish fake businesses and prepare fraudulent tax filings. Others would provide information about preexisting businesses that were ineligible to receive Coronavirus Response Credits so that the co-conspirators could use that information to file fraudulent tax filings on behalf of those businesses.
Fraud participants would receive U.S. Treasury checks in the mail as a result of the conspiracy’s fraudulent tax filings and would attempt to deposit those Treasury Checks in business accounts opened in the name of the fake businesses at various banks.
For each fraud client that obtained Treasury checks through this conspiracy, defendant Turner would charge a percentage of the fraud proceeds that amounted to somewhere between 20 to 40 percent of funds received. Defendant Turner would direct fraud clients and his recruiters to pay a portion of the fraud proceeds to him personally or to entities controlled by him, or his co-conspirators, as kickbacks, including through cashiers’ checks, money transfer services, or cash.
In total, from approximately June 2020 and December 2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators submitted and caused the submission of fraudulent forms for at least 148 companies, seeking a total of approximately $247,956,938 in tax refunds to which they were not entitled. In reliance on the fraudulent forms and the false statements, the IRS issued Treasury checks in the total amount of at least approximately $93 million.
At some point during the scheme, the now-defendants learned that the IRS and others were making inquiries about their fraudulent activity. According to the indictment, on or about August 29, 2023, defendants Knox, Jones, and others known and unknown to the grand jury, attempted to kill defendant Kristerpher Turner in order to prevent him from speaking to law enforcement about the fraud. Turner was shot multiple times in broad daylight at an office park in Gardena. He survived and is paralyzed. Knox and Jones are also charged with using a firearm in the furtherance of a crime of violence.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of the charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on each mail fraud charge. Knox and Jones would face life imprisonment on the firearm charge and 30 years on the attempted murder charge.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, TIGTA, and the IRS—Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Reidy and Haoxiaohan Cai of the Major Frauds Section, and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
The authorities’ implementation of the home-grown economic recovery and transformation (BERT 2022) plan and ambitious climate agenda has remained strong, supported by the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangements. Economic activity was robust in 2024, driven by tourism, construction, and business services. Inflation moderated further due to the easing of global commodity prices and prices of domestic goods and services. The external position continued to improve, with the current account strengthening further and international reserves remaining ample at US$1.6 billion (equivalent to over 7 months of import cover), supporting the exchange rate peg. While the near-term outlook remains stable, risks are tilted to the downside, given the highly uncertain external economic environment and Barbados’ vulnerability to external shocks and natural disasters.