Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
In response to media enquiries about safeguarding national security, an Education Bureau (EDB) spokesman made the following response today (June 24):
Safeguarding national security is the Government’s responsibility, as well as the obligation of the whole community of Hong Kong. It is also part and parcel of the routine school work in promoting national security education. With the implementation of the National Security Law for five years, Hong Kong has transited “from chaos to stability” and “from stability to prosperity”. The EDB has adopted a “multi-pronged and co-ordinated” approach, including activities inside and outside the classroom, to strengthen students’ understanding of Chinese culture, the Constitution and the Basic Law, and their awareness of law-abiding in promoting patriotic education.
The EDB has issued detailed administrative and educational guidelines to schools, requiring them to establish school-based mechanisms and formulate appropriate measures according to their own circumstances and needs to implement various tasks related to safeguarding national security and national security education. The EDB also provided schools with an updated “National Security: School Self-evaluation Checklist” in April this year, and provided suggestions of refinement and good practices of different areas of work, covering national security work planning, monitoring mechanisms, learning and teaching and related resources, school activities, personnel management and training, and home-school co-operation, in order to effectively prevent and suppress acts and activities that endanger or are detrimental to national security. Schools have the responsibility to play a good gate-keeper role and to enhance the sensitivity of teachers and students to national security.
Schools offering non-local curricula also have the responsibility to help their students, regardless of their ethnicity and nationality, acquire a correct and objective understanding and appreciation of the concept of national security and the National Security Law, as well as the duty to cultivate a law-abiding spirit among their students. These schools should devise and continuously review relevant strategies and measures in light of their school-based circumstances and needs, with a view to maintaining a safe and orderly learning environment and promoting students’ effective learning and healthy development.
The EDB will continue to monitor and support schools in implementing the relevant work through various channels, such as daily communication with schools. The EDB will also advance towards more in-depth and effective implementation of work to safeguard national security, and continue to work hand in hand with different stakeholders to help schools build a protective barrier to safeguard the well-being of students.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Labour Department highly concerned about fatal work accident that happened in Tai Po today To prevent employees from falling from the tail lift of a truck while working thereon, the LD reminds employers to take suitable safety measures, including providing an effective fall protective system to relevant employees and ensuring them to take the related fall protective measures; and affixing warning notices at prominent positions to alert employees of the falling hazards.
The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years.Issued at HKT 21:36
Chief Executive John Lee today announced that two teams of civil servants were awarded the Chief Executive’s Award for Exemplary Performance.
They were the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Search & Rescue Team to quake-stricken areas in Myanmar in March 2025 and the Inter-departmental Preparation Team for Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) Commissioning respectively.
Mr Lee congratulated the two teams and expressed pride in their performance and contributions.
“The two award-winning teams reflected the outstanding competence of the civil service of the Hong Kong SAR and the efficiency of the Government, and exemplified Hong Kong’s second-place global ranking in the ‘Government efficiency’ factor of the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025. All these have confirmed and reinforced my belief in driving result-oriented policies for the Government,” he said.
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said the Hong Kong SAR Search & Rescue Team demonstrated fearless professionalism and humanitarian care, while the Preparation Team for KTSP Commissioning displayed efficient collaboration and precise planning of the civil servants.
In March this year, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, resulting in serious casualties. The Hong Kong SAR Government quickly formed an interdepartmental search and rescue team.
Civil servants from the Security Bureau, the Fire Services Department and the Immigration Department, together with medical representatives from the Hospital Authority, rushed to Mantalay, one of the most devastated areas in Myanmar, to conduct search and rescue operations.
With professional training, fearlessness and perseverance, the team completed 61 search and rescue operations covering 57 locations amid the constant aftershocks and scorching heat in the disaster-stricken areas, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) said.
The team also conducted joint operations with the China Search & Rescue Team and successfully rescued one survivor who had been trapped for more than 125 hours.
Meanwhile, the Inter-departmental Preparation Team for KTSP Commissioning comprised civil servants from the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, the Security Bureau, the CSB, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, Police and the Transport Department.
In the face of multiple challenges such as the pressing schedule, the large scale of the project and complicated co-ordination work, the preparation team, with its innovative thinking, meticulous planning and interdepartmental collaborations, completed around 20 test events, including five large-scale drills, in just five months, mobilising 140,000 civil servants to participate in the stress tests to evaluate the capability of the KTSP and its surrounding facilities comprehensively.
Through continuous stress tests and optimisation of detailed arrangements, thorough preparation was made for the commissioning of the KTSP, the CSB added.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan today attended the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025 in Tianjin, and led representatives from about 20 startups and enterprises to visit the Tianjin Binhai High-tech Industrial Development Area for business matching activities.
At the annual meeting, also known as the Summer Davos, Mr Chan joined the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders where he exchanged views on the current international financial and trade landscape and developments with other international and regional leaders.
In the afternoon, Mr Chan participated as a keynote speaker in a discussion session on the economic and investment relationship and development prospects between the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and China.
He pointed out that Hong Kong can serve as a “super connector” in trade, investment, finance, and innovation and technology (I&T) between China and the MENA.
Specifically, with the increasing popularity of trade settled in local currencies among economies in the region, renminbi liquidity, the range of renminbi investment products and risk management tools, and custodian services can be enhanced to support renminbi investment and funding needs of MENA countries.
Furthermore, as the region invests heavily in infrastructure and green transformation, Hong Kong can act as a financing centre for quality enterprises and projects. Collaboration between I&T enterprises can also help countries in the region achieve their development goals in various fields.
Separately, the Financial Secretary, leading representatives from startups from the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation, Cyberport and the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, visited the Tianjin Binhai High-tech Industrial Development Area in the morning.
They toured two enterprises and held a roundtable meeting with about 30 Tianjin-based tech companies to discuss further co-operation directions and strategies between Tianjin and Hong Kong’s innovation sectors, and promote exchanges and interface between enterprises of the two places.
During the roundtable meeting, Mr Chan said Hong Kong welcomes Tianjin’s I&T companies to leverage Hong Kong’s platform for international expansion. He emphasised that enterprises can utilise Hong Kong’s vibrant and comprehensive fundraising market and high-quality financial services to connect with global funds and investors. He also encouraged them to collaborate with Hong Kong’s I&T enterprises to make use of Hong Kong’s internationalised application scenarios and global business networks, thereby accelerating the pace of their international expansion.
In the evening, Mr Chan met Tianjin Municipal Committee Deputy Secretary Liu Guiping for in-depth exchanges on strengthening co-operation in trade, finance, shipping, I&T and tourism between Tianjin and Hong Kong.
Additionally, Mr Chan met Xi’an Mayor Ye Niuping, also attending the Summer Davos, to exchange views on further fostering co-operation.
The Financial Secretary will continue to attend the Summer Davos in Tianjin tomorrow and depart for Beijing in the evening.
S. 1883 would require the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, and Commerce, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Central Intelligence Agency to establish task forces to analyze the cooperation among the foremost adversaries of the United States—namely China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Each agency’s task force would report to the Congress on the effects of that cooperation between those adversaries, and on organizational changes needed by the task force’s parent agency to effectively respond. The bill would require those six agencies to submit a joint report to the Congress outlining the strategic approach the United States should take to disrupt the cooperative efforts of those adversaries. Finally, the bill also would require the Director of National Intelligence to report to the Congress on the nature, trajectory, and risks of cooperation among those major adversaries of the United States.
On the basis of information about similar task forces and reporting requirements, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 annually, totaling $1 million over the 2025-2030 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Rafferty. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
S. 1883 would require the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, and Commerce, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Central Intelligence Agency to establish task forces to analyze the cooperation among the foremost adversaries of the United States—namely China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Each agency’s task force would report to the Congress on the effects of that cooperation between those adversaries, and on organizational changes needed by the task force’s parent agency to effectively respond. The bill would require those six agencies to submit a joint report to the Congress outlining the strategic approach the United States should take to disrupt the cooperative efforts of those adversaries. Finally, the bill also would require the Director of National Intelligence to report to the Congress on the nature, trajectory, and risks of cooperation among those major adversaries of the United States.
On the basis of information about similar task forces and reporting requirements, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 annually, totaling $1 million over the 2025-2030 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Rafferty. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
H.R. 1327 would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an assessment of terrorist threats to the U.S. posed by people in Syria who are affiliated with foreign terrorist organizations. The bill would require the department, within 60 days of enactment, to provide the Congress with the assessment and a briefing about it.
On the basis of information about similar requirements, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Rafferty. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
H.R. 1327 would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an assessment of terrorist threats to the U.S. posed by people in Syria who are affiliated with foreign terrorist organizations. The bill would require the department, within 60 days of enactment, to provide the Congress with the assessment and a briefing about it.
On the basis of information about similar requirements, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is David Rafferty. The estimate was reviewed by Christina Hawley Anthony, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jon Bergdoll, Associate Director of Data Partnerships at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University
Paul Newman, the late actor and philanthropist, co-founded Camp Boggy Creek, which children with serious illnesses and their families attend for free. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
As two of the report’s lead researchers, we see many signs of healthy growth in charitable giving in 2024. Our data shows that the strong economy, which grew 2.8% in 2024, bolstered individual and corporate giving and allowed foundations to maintain the historically high level of giving seen from them in recent years.
Donations to nearly every charitable category we track grew.
Individuals and corporations led overall growth
Individual donors continued to provide the bulk of the nation’s charitable gifts. The $392 billion they gave to charity accounted for two-thirds of the year’s total. Giving by individuals grew 5.1% from 2023 − a swifter pace than for all donations.
Corporate giving rose even faster. It was up 6% to a record $44 billion.
For example, corporations generally donated less than 1% of pretax profits from 2004-2018. But our research team started to see corporate giving rise to 1% or more in the 2019 data. This was also the case in 2024, when corporate giving stood at 1.1% of pretax profits.
Corporate philanthropy has grown by more than 50% since 2019, a trend that has coincided with rising in-kind donations of insulin products and other pharmaceuticals. Drugmakers made an estimated $24 billion in these donations in 2024 − up 41% since 2019.
To be sure, corporations’ donations amounted to just 7% of overall giving in 2024.
Meanwhile, grants made by foundations exceeded $100 billion for the third straight year. Almost $1 out of every $5 contributed to charity was from a foundation in each of those years.
Giving by foundations in the five years ending in 2024 was higher than any other period since Giving USA has tracked this data. Foundation giving, however, remained fairly flat from 2023 to 2024, at about $110 billion.
Around 8% of all gifts made in 2024 were from bequests included in people’s wills, the same as in 2023. Bequests totaled $44 billion, down 4.4% when adjusted for inflation. But the total given through bequests varies quite a bit from year to year.
Most kinds of donations increased
Donations to most of the nine charitable categories Giving USA tracks increased. The one exception: Gifts to churches and other religious institutions fell 1%. But religious giving remained by far the top category, followed by human services and education.
Religious causes received 23% of all donations, a total of $147 billion. Giving to human services nonprofits, such as food banks and homeless shelters, increased considerably during the pandemic. It now accounts for about 14% of all donations. In 2024, these gifts totaled $91 billion.
Giving to education, which primarily consists of donations to colleges and universities has tended to grow more slowly than overall giving in recent years.
Giving for education rebounded to a record high in 2024, however, rising nearly 10% from a year earlier. And these gifts have grown at a quick pace over the past decade, increasing by more than 22% from 2015 to 2024. The $88 billion in gifts received for education in 2024 was the third-largest of the nine categories we follow.
Several other categories also reached all-time highs of giving in 2024: health, at $61 billion; arts, culture and humanities, at $25 billion; and environment and animals, at $22 billion.
The increases in giving for most kinds of nonprofits, supported by strong growth in giving by individuals and corporations, indicate that the charitable sector ended 2024 in a relatively solid position.
Jon Bergdoll receives grant funding from the Giving USA Foundation, which publishes Giving USA.
Christina Daniken receives grant funding from the Giving USA Foundation, which publishes Giving USA.
The demographics of the special education teacher workforce have remained static, but the student population these educators serve is becoming more diverse.Courtney Hale/E+ via Getty Images
In our recent research, we found that special education teacher demographics are not keeping pace with changes in the student population.
In 2012, about 80% of U.S. public school teachers were white, including about 80% of special education teachers, while less than 20% were teachers of color. By contrast, in the same year, students of color constituted 47% of those diagnosed with disabilities.
In our recent study, we examined whether these numbers have changed. Analyzing multiple national datasets on the teacher workforce, we found the proportion of special education teachers of color has been static, even as the student population is rapidly becoming more diverse.
So, the special education teacher workforce is actually becoming less representative of the student population over time. Specifically, in 2012, 16.5% of special education teachers were people of color, compared with 17.1% in 2021. In that same span, the share of students with disabilities who are students of color rose from 47.3% in 2012 to 53.9% in 2021.
In fact, for the special education teacher workforce to become representative of the student population, U.S. schools would need to triple the number of special education teachers of color.
One study found that low-income Black male students who had one Black teacher in third, fourth or fifth grade were 39% less likely to drop out of high school and 29% more likely to enroll in college.
Moreover, teachers of color are just as effective as white teachers – and sometimes more effective – in teaching white students.
Providing pathways
The U.S. has institutions dedicated to attracting and retaining educators of color: Programs at historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and other minority-serving institutions prepare a substantial number of new teachers of color annually.
Further, many local initiatives support educators of color and attract teachers who might not otherwise have opportunities to join the profession.
However, the U.S. educator workforce faces broad challenges with declining interest in the teaching profession and declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. In this context, our findings indicate that without significant investments, the teacher workforce is likely to remain predominately white – at significant cost to students with disabilities.
Anti-DEI movement cuts funding
The Trump administration has canceled teacher preparation grants that recruit teachers of color and has taken other actions that could lead to a less diverse and skilled educator workforce. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images
While there have been long-standing challenges, recent steps taken by the Trump administration could limit efforts to boost teacher diversity.
In its push to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the administration has cut grant funding for programs designed to develop a diverse educator workforce.
The administration has also cut millions of dollars dedicated to training teachers to work in underfunded, high-poverty schools and has threatened additional funding cuts to universities engaging in equity-based work.
Given the strong evidence of the benefits of teachers of color and the national trends that our research uncovered, federal and state investments should prioritize supporting prospective teachers of color.
Elizabeth Bettini’s research has been funded by the US Department of Education’s National Center for Special Education Research within the Institute of Education Sciences, the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, and the Spencer Foundation. She is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research and Teacher Education Division, for which she edits the journal Teacher Education and Special Education.
LaRon A. Scott has received funding from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. He is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Teacher Education Division and the American Association for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Tuan D. Nguyen receives funding from the National Science Foundation to do work around STEM teachers and computer science education.
The demographics of the special education teacher workforce have remained static, but the student population these educators serve is becoming more diverse.Courtney Hale/E+ via Getty Images
In our recent research, we found that special education teacher demographics are not keeping pace with changes in the student population.
In 2012, about 80% of U.S. public school teachers were white, including about 80% of special education teachers, while less than 20% were teachers of color. By contrast, in the same year, students of color constituted 47% of those diagnosed with disabilities.
In our recent study, we examined whether these numbers have changed. Analyzing multiple national datasets on the teacher workforce, we found the proportion of special education teachers of color has been static, even as the student population is rapidly becoming more diverse.
So, the special education teacher workforce is actually becoming less representative of the student population over time. Specifically, in 2012, 16.5% of special education teachers were people of color, compared with 17.1% in 2021. In that same span, the share of students with disabilities who are students of color rose from 47.3% in 2012 to 53.9% in 2021.
In fact, for the special education teacher workforce to become representative of the student population, U.S. schools would need to triple the number of special education teachers of color.
One study found that low-income Black male students who had one Black teacher in third, fourth or fifth grade were 39% less likely to drop out of high school and 29% more likely to enroll in college.
Moreover, teachers of color are just as effective as white teachers – and sometimes more effective – in teaching white students.
Providing pathways
The U.S. has institutions dedicated to attracting and retaining educators of color: Programs at historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and other minority-serving institutions prepare a substantial number of new teachers of color annually.
Further, many local initiatives support educators of color and attract teachers who might not otherwise have opportunities to join the profession.
However, the U.S. educator workforce faces broad challenges with declining interest in the teaching profession and declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. In this context, our findings indicate that without significant investments, the teacher workforce is likely to remain predominately white – at significant cost to students with disabilities.
Anti-DEI movement cuts funding
The Trump administration has canceled teacher preparation grants that recruit teachers of color and has taken other actions that could lead to a less diverse and skilled educator workforce. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images
While there have been long-standing challenges, recent steps taken by the Trump administration could limit efforts to boost teacher diversity.
In its push to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the administration has cut grant funding for programs designed to develop a diverse educator workforce.
The administration has also cut millions of dollars dedicated to training teachers to work in underfunded, high-poverty schools and has threatened additional funding cuts to universities engaging in equity-based work.
Given the strong evidence of the benefits of teachers of color and the national trends that our research uncovered, federal and state investments should prioritize supporting prospective teachers of color.
Elizabeth Bettini’s research has been funded by the US Department of Education’s National Center for Special Education Research within the Institute of Education Sciences, the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, and the Spencer Foundation. She is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research and Teacher Education Division, for which she edits the journal Teacher Education and Special Education.
LaRon A. Scott has received funding from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. He is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Teacher Education Division and the American Association for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Tuan D. Nguyen receives funding from the National Science Foundation to do work around STEM teachers and computer science education.
When new presidential administrations enter the White House, federal agencies often find their funding and priorities shifting, sometimes dramatically.
I’m a scholar who studies how policy and market shifts affect regional economies, labor markets and public systems, particularly in the context of critical infrastructure such as energy and water. I’ve seen how both of those types of changes – of funding levels and priorities – destabilize agencies and cut off long-term projects before they achieve their intended goals.
It makes grants to, and enters research and development agreements with, small businesses, industry, national laboratories, universities and state and local governments. Recipients are often required to contribute matching funds or other support to the project to complement the federal funding.
In general, Congress appropriates funding to the office as part of the yearly budget process. However, the office also receives sporadic influxes of additional funding to stimulate the economy or address concerns related to energy security and greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, the amount of funding EERE gets depends in part on overall economic conditions or national crises.
Boosting funding levels
Some of those supplemental allocations can be significant, and many last until the funds have been spent, even if that takes a number of years. Following the energy crisis in the early 2000s, Congress allocated EERE a total of about $7 billion in funding for research and development in energy efficiency, renewable energy and biofuels.
In 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated about $16.3 billion to EERE. And in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act provided an additional $18 billion. As with other additional funding allocations, Congress made most of that money available until the total authorized amount has been spent.
Solar energy is just one of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s areas of research. alexsl/iStock / Getty Images Plus
Shifting priorities
How those varying amounts of money are spent also changes, often based on shifts in political leadership with different views about what types of technologies are most worth investing in, and about the most effective role of government in developing new technologies.
Our qualitative analysis has found that Republican administrations typically believe that very-early-stage research and development is an appropriate role for the federal government, but that as technologies move closer to commercialization, the private sector should take the lead.
In contrast, we found that Democratic administrations believe that promising innovations often fail to reach the market due to insufficient private sector support during the demonstration and deployment phases. So they tend to advocate for increased federal involvement to assist with the transition from research to market-ready technologies.
There is also a partisan difference in which technologies get financial support. Solar and wind energy technologies have historically received higher funding under Democratic administrations. In contrast, bioenergy and hydrogen technologies have received higher funding under Republican administrations.
For instance, the office’s investments have played a pivotal role in both spreading electric vehicle technologies and reducing their cost to consumers. Beginning with a major funding boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and with further allocations in subsequent years, EERE helped fund breakthroughs in battery manufacturing, power electronics and electric drive systems.
These advancements contributed to a sharp rise in adoption: In 2012, there were just 100,000 electric vehicles registered in the U.S. By 2022, that number was above 3 million. And in 2014, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles accounted for 3% of all new light-duty vehicle sales. By 2024, that share had grown to 19%.
Our analysis of the office’s operations finds that the amount of change in funding levels and priorities can create an environment that hinders thoughtful project selection. Programs that begin under one administration can’t be counted on to continue under subsequent presidents, and dollars allocated for the future may be repurposed down the road, leaving projects only partially finished.
Studies also find that rapidly increasing budgets can create misaligned incentives as public administrators scramble to use the funds during the authorization period. For example, some may prioritize grantees who can accept and spend money rapidly, regardless of the potential public benefit of their innovation.
Further, the shifting priorities complicate long-term planning for government officials, researchers and businesses. Sustaining innovation over a long period takes years of commitment. Studies have shown that inconsistent or volatile government funding can hinder overall technological progress and discourage private investment. One example is the exploration of algae-based biofuels in the 1980s, which was shut down in the 1990s due to shifting federal priorities. That stalled progress in the field and led to a loss of more than half of the genetic legacy collected through the program. In the late 2000s, the federal government resumed funding algae-based biofuel research.
Overall, research by us and others underscores the importance of sustained funding and institutional continuity to ensure the success of publicly funded research and development. That’s what other peer countries are doing: boosting long-term investments in clean energy with consistent priorities and predictable funding.
Following that model, in contrast to the current practice of ever-shifting priorities, would create more effective opportunities to develop, produce and deploy innovative energy technologies in the U.S., helping to maintain global competitiveness and reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing.
Christelle Khalaf received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to examine EERE R&D funding trends. She has also received funding from the Department of Energy for separate research.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ted Olson, Professor of Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies, East Tennessee State University
Ask Americans about the Scopes trial, and they might have heard of it as the “trial of the century,” a showdown over teaching human evolution.
Less well known are its origins. As historian Edward J. Larson observed in “Summer for the Gods,” his Pulitzer Prize-winning book: “Like so many archetypal American events, the trial itself began as a publicity stunt.”
Held during July 1925 in the tiny railroad town of Dayton, Tennessee, located not far from the public university where I teachAppalachian studies, the trial was a “stunt” prompted by the state legislature’s passage of the Butler Act, which forbade educators in public schools from teaching “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.” Tennessee was the first state to enact this type of legislation.
This “monkey trial” – so dubbed by journalist H. L. Mencken, for humans’ common ancestor with apes – exposed a cultural rift in the United States, as many Christians wrestled with how to reconcile biblical beliefs with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. That rift would be widened by media coverage and national response. Over the past century, collective memories of the trial, as interpreted through music, film and literature, have proven a bellwether of the ongoing “culture wars” in American society.
Publicity stunt
In Tennessee, support for the Butler Act was hardly universal. Not in favor was George Rappleyea, manager of a Dayton-area coal and iron mining operation. Rappleyea lobbied other community leaders, some of whom supported the new law, to collectively stage a trial, hoping media attention would generate economic activity in the town.
Those instigators approached John T. Scopes, a social science and math teacher at the local public high school who had also substitute-taught some biology lessons. The 24-year-old could not recall if his lectures had in fact violated the Butler Act, but the textbook in use at his school included evolutionary theory. Scopes agreed to participate.
Testifying against their teacher were three students who had clearly been coached to do so. Nevertheless, the presiding judge persuaded the grand jury to indict.
As an early indication of outside interest, Paul Patterson, the publisher of The Baltimore Sun, paid Scopes’ bail, and the ACLU announced it would defend him.
Center of the storm
Arguments started on July 10, 1925, at the Rhea County Courthouse. The trial may have begun as a determination of whether Scopes had violated the Butler Act, but both sides soon focused on debating the relative merits of biblical cosmology versus Darwinian theory.
American teacher John Scopes, second from left, stands during his trial for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Representing the creationist perspective was prosecuting attorney Tom Stewart, a future senator from Tennessee. Special counsel William Jennings Bryan, a former U.S. secretary of state, was included on the prosecution team at the behest of a Christian fundamentalist organization.
The evolutionary theory position was argued by prominent trade union lawyer Clarence Darrow. An agnostic who distrusted religious fundamentalism, Darrow wrote that “there was no limit to the mischief that might be accomplished unless the country was aroused to the evil at hand.”
A circuslike atmosphere enveloped Dayton. Embodying the “monkey trial” was the performing chimpanzee Joe Mendi, whose trainers posed him for photographs around town. More than 200 journalists attended the trial, with articles appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker and other publications around the nation.
Receiving the most attention was Mencken, whose reportage for The Baltimore Sun did not attempt to disguise his bias against the cultural values of rural America. Dayton’s people, he wrote, “are simply unable to imagine a man who rejects the literal authority of the Bible.”
The trial ended on July 21, 1925, with a conviction and a fine. Scopes’ conviction was eventually overturned on a technicality. Since the trial had not challenged the legality of the Butler Act, however, that law remained on the books in Tennessee for more than four decades.
‘Monkey Biz-Ness’
Commenting on the Scopes trial were two 1925 recordings by major singers of the day: a comedic jazz ditty entitled “Monkey Biz-Ness (Down in Tennessee),” performed by the International Novelty Orchestra with singer Billy Murray; and the country hit “The John T. Scopes Trial (The Old Religion’s Better After All),” sung by Vernon Dalhart. The latter song’s lyrics, composed by Carson Robison, warned listeners that “you may find a new belief, it will only bring you grief.”
Whereas Scopes was the subject of ridicule in those songs, he and his defenders were celebrated as heroes in “Inherit the Wind,” a 1955 Broadway play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. A fictionalized portrayal of the Scopes trial, the play powerfully defended free speech – veiled criticism of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s recent investigations of various American citizens for their political positions and beliefs.
“Inherit the Wind” inspired a 1960 film of the same name, directed by Stanley Kramer. Its “fanaticism and ignorance” speech depicts the character based on Darrow – played by Spencer Tracy – arguing that without science, society would regress back to a time of unconstrained bigotry. The film received its debut American screening in Dayton on the 35th anniversary of the end of the Scopes trial; Scopes himself was the guest of honor.
‘Fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding.’
Representations of rural Tennessee in popular culture depictions and in media coverage of the trial drew from a font of stereotypes about Appalachia that have continued into the present century. Condescending depictions of the region have been present in American culture since before the Civil War.
Centennial commemoration
Memory of the Scopes trial endures in popular culture. Take, for instance, a reference in Bruce Springsteen’s 1990 song “Part Man, Part Monkey,” or Ronald Kidd’s 2006 “Monkey Town,” a historical novel for young adults.
Dayton did benefit from the notoriety of the Scopes trial, thanks to sustained cultural tourism. Proud of its unique history, the town today boasts a historical marker to alert passersby to the significance of the landmark event that took place in the Rhea County Courthouse. And in 2025, Dayton has been hosting a series of events to commemorate the trial’s centennial.
“I expected to find a squalid Southern village … What I found was a country town of charm and even beauty,” he wrote.
Ted Olson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ted Olson, Professor of Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies, East Tennessee State University
Ask Americans about the Scopes trial, and they might have heard of it as the “trial of the century,” a showdown over teaching human evolution.
Less well known are its origins. As historian Edward J. Larson observed in “Summer for the Gods,” his Pulitzer Prize-winning book: “Like so many archetypal American events, the trial itself began as a publicity stunt.”
Held during July 1925 in the tiny railroad town of Dayton, Tennessee, located not far from the public university where I teachAppalachian studies, the trial was a “stunt” prompted by the state legislature’s passage of the Butler Act, which forbade educators in public schools from teaching “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.” Tennessee was the first state to enact this type of legislation.
This “monkey trial” – so dubbed by journalist H. L. Mencken, for humans’ common ancestor with apes – exposed a cultural rift in the United States, as many Christians wrestled with how to reconcile biblical beliefs with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. That rift would be widened by media coverage and national response. Over the past century, collective memories of the trial, as interpreted through music, film and literature, have proven a bellwether of the ongoing “culture wars” in American society.
Publicity stunt
In Tennessee, support for the Butler Act was hardly universal. Not in favor was George Rappleyea, manager of a Dayton-area coal and iron mining operation. Rappleyea lobbied other community leaders, some of whom supported the new law, to collectively stage a trial, hoping media attention would generate economic activity in the town.
Those instigators approached John T. Scopes, a social science and math teacher at the local public high school who had also substitute-taught some biology lessons. The 24-year-old could not recall if his lectures had in fact violated the Butler Act, but the textbook in use at his school included evolutionary theory. Scopes agreed to participate.
Testifying against their teacher were three students who had clearly been coached to do so. Nevertheless, the presiding judge persuaded the grand jury to indict.
As an early indication of outside interest, Paul Patterson, the publisher of The Baltimore Sun, paid Scopes’ bail, and the ACLU announced it would defend him.
Center of the storm
Arguments started on July 10, 1925, at the Rhea County Courthouse. The trial may have begun as a determination of whether Scopes had violated the Butler Act, but both sides soon focused on debating the relative merits of biblical cosmology versus Darwinian theory.
American teacher John Scopes, second from left, stands during his trial for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Representing the creationist perspective was prosecuting attorney Tom Stewart, a future senator from Tennessee. Special counsel William Jennings Bryan, a former U.S. secretary of state, was included on the prosecution team at the behest of a Christian fundamentalist organization.
The evolutionary theory position was argued by prominent trade union lawyer Clarence Darrow. An agnostic who distrusted religious fundamentalism, Darrow wrote that “there was no limit to the mischief that might be accomplished unless the country was aroused to the evil at hand.”
A circuslike atmosphere enveloped Dayton. Embodying the “monkey trial” was the performing chimpanzee Joe Mendi, whose trainers posed him for photographs around town. More than 200 journalists attended the trial, with articles appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker and other publications around the nation.
Receiving the most attention was Mencken, whose reportage for The Baltimore Sun did not attempt to disguise his bias against the cultural values of rural America. Dayton’s people, he wrote, “are simply unable to imagine a man who rejects the literal authority of the Bible.”
The trial ended on July 21, 1925, with a conviction and a fine. Scopes’ conviction was eventually overturned on a technicality. Since the trial had not challenged the legality of the Butler Act, however, that law remained on the books in Tennessee for more than four decades.
‘Monkey Biz-Ness’
Commenting on the Scopes trial were two 1925 recordings by major singers of the day: a comedic jazz ditty entitled “Monkey Biz-Ness (Down in Tennessee),” performed by the International Novelty Orchestra with singer Billy Murray; and the country hit “The John T. Scopes Trial (The Old Religion’s Better After All),” sung by Vernon Dalhart. The latter song’s lyrics, composed by Carson Robison, warned listeners that “you may find a new belief, it will only bring you grief.”
Whereas Scopes was the subject of ridicule in those songs, he and his defenders were celebrated as heroes in “Inherit the Wind,” a 1955 Broadway play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. A fictionalized portrayal of the Scopes trial, the play powerfully defended free speech – veiled criticism of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s recent investigations of various American citizens for their political positions and beliefs.
“Inherit the Wind” inspired a 1960 film of the same name, directed by Stanley Kramer. Its “fanaticism and ignorance” speech depicts the character based on Darrow – played by Spencer Tracy – arguing that without science, society would regress back to a time of unconstrained bigotry. The film received its debut American screening in Dayton on the 35th anniversary of the end of the Scopes trial; Scopes himself was the guest of honor.
‘Fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding.’
Representations of rural Tennessee in popular culture depictions and in media coverage of the trial drew from a font of stereotypes about Appalachia that have continued into the present century. Condescending depictions of the region have been present in American culture since before the Civil War.
Centennial commemoration
Memory of the Scopes trial endures in popular culture. Take, for instance, a reference in Bruce Springsteen’s 1990 song “Part Man, Part Monkey,” or Ronald Kidd’s 2006 “Monkey Town,” a historical novel for young adults.
Dayton did benefit from the notoriety of the Scopes trial, thanks to sustained cultural tourism. Proud of its unique history, the town today boasts a historical marker to alert passersby to the significance of the landmark event that took place in the Rhea County Courthouse. And in 2025, Dayton has been hosting a series of events to commemorate the trial’s centennial.
“I expected to find a squalid Southern village … What I found was a country town of charm and even beauty,” he wrote.
Ted Olson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A divided Supreme Court decided on June 23, in a brief emergency order, that the Trump administration can, for now, legally deport immigrants to countries they were not born in – known as “third countries” – without giving them time to contest their destination. The third countries that President Donald Trump has recently prioritized, including El Salvador, South Sudan and Libya, are known for being dangerous places with weak rule of law and routine human rights violations.
The 6-3 decision did not specify a legal rationale for the ruling. The court’s three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, all dissented.
“Apparently, the Court finds the idea that thousands will suffer violence in farflung locales more palatable than the remote possibility that a District Court exceeded its powers when it ordered the government provide notice to the targeted migrants,” Sotomayor wrote in a 19-page dissent, joined by Kagan and Brown Jackson.
Understanding this legal case
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court at the end of May to allow the rapid deportation of eight men who were convicted of crimes to South Sudan. Only one of those immigrants is from South Sudan, a politically unstable country in northeastern Africa. The rest are from Cuba, Mexico, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Brian Murphy, a federal judge in Massachusetts, had blocked those immigrants’ deportation to South Sudan on May 21, saying that this move violated his April 2025 court order. In that ruling, he stated that people being deported to third countries should have time to contest their destination if it might put them in danger.
The flight to South Sudan was rerouted to an American military base in the East African country of Djibouti, where the men are reportedly living in a converted shipping container while they wait to hear whether they will be deported to South Sudan.
Murphy also ruled in April that the Trump administration cannot send other immigrants to Libya if they are not foreign nationals of that North African country.
I study how restrictive immigration policies make people’s journeys into a new country dangerous and can harm their well-being. In that research, I have interviewed African migrants who have traversed the Sahara Desert, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, where they seek asylum.
But a May federal court filing said that Trump administration officials have tried to negotiate deportation arrangements with Libya and South Sudan that give the governments money or other benefits for taking in immigrants from the U.S.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, right, meets with Abdel Fattah, a general from Sudan, at a September 2024 ceremony in Juba, South Sudan. South Sudan Presidency/Anadolu via Getty Images
South Sudan’s shaky footing
Migrants can legally be deported to another nation when their country of origin refuses to repatriate them – though this practice is rare.
Fighting between the government and opposition forces has prompted more than 2.3 million South Sudanese to flee to neighboring countries since 2013.
In 2025 alone, the country’s civil conflict has prompted more than 130,000 people to become internally displaced, meaning they were forced to leave their homes and live elsewhere within the country.
In March, Uganda deployed its troops to South Sudan to support the president, prompting concern of a full-scale civil war between forces backing Kiir and opposition forces. The United Nations then extended a U.S.-sponsored arms embargo in May to prevent weapons from reaching the region.
The conflict has also blocked the distribution of lifesaving aid, including food and other basic supplies, to reach people in South Sudan. About 57% of the country’s estimated 11 million people do not get enough food.
The State Department has also documented “significant human rights issues” in South Sudan, including threats to freedom of expression, as well as arbitrary arrests and detentions.
The Trump administration is also trying to send immigrants to Libya, which has not had a stable government since the U.S. and other countries supported the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gadhafi in 2011. Libya is currently ruled by two rival governments: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity in the country’s western region and the Government of National Stability in the east.
Libya is a significant destination for migrants from countries throughout Africa and the Middle East who want to work in, or just pass through, Libya on their way north to Europe.
A mass grave found in 2021 near the village of Tarhouna contained the bodies of hundreds of locals who had disappeared under militia rule. In February 2025, the U.N. confirmed the discovery of mass migrant graves, with bodies showing signs of gunshot wounds.
In a May 2025 court declaration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the injunction halting rapid third-country deportations threatens “a significant commercial deal to expand activities of a U.S. energy company in Libya.” In Libya, home to Africa’s largest oil reserves, U.S. companies are actively seeking to rekindle partnerships with the country’s national oil company.
In June, Trump included Libya on the list of countries banned from sending citizens to the U.S., citing the inability to “safely and reliably vet and screen” citizens from Libya and the other banned countries.
Other options for Trump administration
The U.S. is actively seeking additional countries it could send immigrants to in the future, even if they are not from those places.
Rubio issued a memo on June 14, about expanding the list of countries in the current travel ban against foreign nationals from 12 countries, including Libya. He noted that the 36 additional countries – mostly in Africa and including South Sudan – could mitigate the harsh policy by agreeing to accept immigrants from other countries who are deported from the U.S.
Eleanor Paynter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Everything in space – from the Earth and Sun to black holes – accounts for just 15% of all matter in the universe. The rest of the cosmos seems to be made of an invisible material astronomers call dark matter.
Astronomers know dark matter exists because its gravity affects other things, such as light. But understanding what dark matter is remains an active area of research.
With the release of its first images this month, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has begun a 10-year mission to help unravel the mystery of dark matter. The observatory will continue the legacy of its namesake, a trailblazing astronomer who advanced our understanding of the other 85% of the universe.
As a historian of astronomy, I’ve studied how Vera Rubin’s contributions have shaped astrophysics. The observatory’s name is fitting, given that its data will soon provide scientists with a way to build on her work and shed more light on dark matter.
Wide view of the universe
From its vantage point in the Chilean Andes mountains, the Rubin Observatory will document everything visible in the southern sky. Every three nights, the observatory and its 3,200 megapixel camera will make a record of the sky.
This camera, about the size of a small car, is the largest digital camera ever built. Images will capture an area of the sky roughly 45 times the size of the full Moon. With a big camera with a wide field of view, Rubin will produce about five petabytes of data every year. That’s roughly 5,000 years’ worth of MP3 songs.
After weeks, months and years of observations, astronomers will have a time-lapse record revealing anything that explodes, flashes or moves – such as supernovas, variable stars or asteroids. They’ll also have the largest survey of galaxies ever made. These galactic views are key to investigating dark matter.
Galaxies are the key
Deep field images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and others have visually revealed the abundance of galaxies in the universe. These images are taken with a long exposure time to collect the most light, so that even very faint objects show up.
Researchers now know that those galaxies aren’t randomly distributed. Gravity and dark matter pull and guide them into a structure that resembles a spider’s web or a tub of bubbles. The Rubin Observatory will expand upon these previous galactic surveys, increasing the precision of the data and capturing billions more galaxies.
In addition to helping structure galaxies throughout the universe, dark matter also distorts the appearance of galaxies through an effect referred to as gravitational lensing.
Light travels through space in a straight line − unless it gets close to something massive. Gravity bends light’s path, which distorts the way we see it. This gravitational lensing effect provides clues that could help astronomers locate dark matter. The stronger the gravity, the bigger the bend in light’s path.
The white galaxies seen here are bound in a cluster. The gravity from the galaxies and the dark matter bends the light from the more distant galaxies, creating contorted and magnified images of them. NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI
Discovering dark matter
For centuries, astronomers tracked and measured the motion of planets in the solar system. They found that all the planets followed the path predicted by Newton’s laws of motion, except for Uranus. Astronomers and mathematicians reasoned that if Newton’s laws are true, there must be some missing matter – another massive object – out there tugging on Uranus. From this hypothesis, they discovered Neptune, confirming Newton’s laws.
With the ability to see fainter objects in the 1930s, astronomers began tracking the motions of galaxies.
California Institute of Technology astronomer Fritz Zwicky coined the term dark matter in 1933, after observing galaxies in the Coma Cluster. He calculated the mass of the galaxies based on their speeds, which did not match their mass based on the number of stars he observed.
He suspected that the cluster could contain an invisible, missing matter that kept the galaxies from flying apart. But for several decades he lacked enough observational evidence to support his theory.
In 1965, Vera Rubin became the first women hired onto the scientific staff at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in Washington, D.C.
She worked with Kent Ford, who had built an extremely sensitive spectrograph and was looking to apply it to a scientific research project. Rubin and Ford used the spectrograph to measure how fast stars orbit around the center of their galaxies.
In the solar system, where most of the mass is within the Sun at the center, the closest planet, Mercury, moves faster than the farthest planet, Neptune.
“We had expected that as stars got farther and farther from the center of their galaxy, they would orbit slower and slower,” Rubin said in 1992.
“And that really leads to only two possibilities,” Rubin explained. “Either Newton’s laws don’t hold, and physicists and astronomers are woefully afraid of that … (or) stars are responding to the gravitational field of matter which we don’t see.”
Data piled up as Rubin created plot after plot. Her colleagues didn’t doubt her observations, but the interpretation remained a debate. Many people were reluctant to accept that dark matter was necessary to account for the findings in Rubin’s data.
Rubin continued studying galaxies, measuring how fast stars moved within them. She wasn’t interested in investigating dark matter itself, but she carried on with documenting its effects on the motion of galaxies.
A U.S quarter honors Vera Rubin’s contributions to our understanding of dark matter. United States Mint, CC BY
Vera Rubin’s legacy
Today, more people are aware of Rubin’s observations and contributions to our understanding of dark matter. In 2019, a congressional bill was introduced to rename the former Large Synoptic Survey Telescope to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. In June 2025, the U.S. Mint released a quarter featuring Vera Rubin.
Rubin continued to accumulate data about the motions of galaxies throughout her career. Others picked up where she left off and have helped advance dark matter research over the past 50 years.
In the 1970s, physicist James Peebles and astronomers Jeremiah Ostriker and Amos Yahil created computer simulations of individual galaxies. They concluded, similarly to Zwicky, that there was not enough visible matter in galaxies to keep them from flying apart.
They suggested that whatever dark matter is − be it cold stars, black holes or some unknown particle − there could be as much as 10 times the amount of dark matter than ordinary matter in galaxies.
Throughout its 10-year run, the Rubin Observatory should give even more researchers the opportunity to add to our understanding of dark matter.
Samantha Thompson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Everything in space – from the Earth and Sun to black holes – accounts for just 15% of all matter in the universe. The rest of the cosmos seems to be made of an invisible material astronomers call dark matter.
Astronomers know dark matter exists because its gravity affects other things, such as light. But understanding what dark matter is remains an active area of research.
With the release of its first images this month, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has begun a 10-year mission to help unravel the mystery of dark matter. The observatory will continue the legacy of its namesake, a trailblazing astronomer who advanced our understanding of the other 85% of the universe.
As a historian of astronomy, I’ve studied how Vera Rubin’s contributions have shaped astrophysics. The observatory’s name is fitting, given that its data will soon provide scientists with a way to build on her work and shed more light on dark matter.
Wide view of the universe
From its vantage point in the Chilean Andes mountains, the Rubin Observatory will document everything visible in the southern sky. Every three nights, the observatory and its 3,200 megapixel camera will make a record of the sky.
This camera, about the size of a small car, is the largest digital camera ever built. Images will capture an area of the sky roughly 45 times the size of the full Moon. With a big camera with a wide field of view, Rubin will produce about five petabytes of data every year. That’s roughly 5,000 years’ worth of MP3 songs.
After weeks, months and years of observations, astronomers will have a time-lapse record revealing anything that explodes, flashes or moves – such as supernovas, variable stars or asteroids. They’ll also have the largest survey of galaxies ever made. These galactic views are key to investigating dark matter.
Galaxies are the key
Deep field images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and others have visually revealed the abundance of galaxies in the universe. These images are taken with a long exposure time to collect the most light, so that even very faint objects show up.
Researchers now know that those galaxies aren’t randomly distributed. Gravity and dark matter pull and guide them into a structure that resembles a spider’s web or a tub of bubbles. The Rubin Observatory will expand upon these previous galactic surveys, increasing the precision of the data and capturing billions more galaxies.
In addition to helping structure galaxies throughout the universe, dark matter also distorts the appearance of galaxies through an effect referred to as gravitational lensing.
Light travels through space in a straight line − unless it gets close to something massive. Gravity bends light’s path, which distorts the way we see it. This gravitational lensing effect provides clues that could help astronomers locate dark matter. The stronger the gravity, the bigger the bend in light’s path.
The white galaxies seen here are bound in a cluster. The gravity from the galaxies and the dark matter bends the light from the more distant galaxies, creating contorted and magnified images of them. NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI
Discovering dark matter
For centuries, astronomers tracked and measured the motion of planets in the solar system. They found that all the planets followed the path predicted by Newton’s laws of motion, except for Uranus. Astronomers and mathematicians reasoned that if Newton’s laws are true, there must be some missing matter – another massive object – out there tugging on Uranus. From this hypothesis, they discovered Neptune, confirming Newton’s laws.
With the ability to see fainter objects in the 1930s, astronomers began tracking the motions of galaxies.
California Institute of Technology astronomer Fritz Zwicky coined the term dark matter in 1933, after observing galaxies in the Coma Cluster. He calculated the mass of the galaxies based on their speeds, which did not match their mass based on the number of stars he observed.
He suspected that the cluster could contain an invisible, missing matter that kept the galaxies from flying apart. But for several decades he lacked enough observational evidence to support his theory.
In 1965, Vera Rubin became the first women hired onto the scientific staff at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in Washington, D.C.
She worked with Kent Ford, who had built an extremely sensitive spectrograph and was looking to apply it to a scientific research project. Rubin and Ford used the spectrograph to measure how fast stars orbit around the center of their galaxies.
In the solar system, where most of the mass is within the Sun at the center, the closest planet, Mercury, moves faster than the farthest planet, Neptune.
“We had expected that as stars got farther and farther from the center of their galaxy, they would orbit slower and slower,” Rubin said in 1992.
“And that really leads to only two possibilities,” Rubin explained. “Either Newton’s laws don’t hold, and physicists and astronomers are woefully afraid of that … (or) stars are responding to the gravitational field of matter which we don’t see.”
Data piled up as Rubin created plot after plot. Her colleagues didn’t doubt her observations, but the interpretation remained a debate. Many people were reluctant to accept that dark matter was necessary to account for the findings in Rubin’s data.
Rubin continued studying galaxies, measuring how fast stars moved within them. She wasn’t interested in investigating dark matter itself, but she carried on with documenting its effects on the motion of galaxies.
A U.S quarter honors Vera Rubin’s contributions to our understanding of dark matter. United States Mint, CC BY
Vera Rubin’s legacy
Today, more people are aware of Rubin’s observations and contributions to our understanding of dark matter. In 2019, a congressional bill was introduced to rename the former Large Synoptic Survey Telescope to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. In June 2025, the U.S. Mint released a quarter featuring Vera Rubin.
Rubin continued to accumulate data about the motions of galaxies throughout her career. Others picked up where she left off and have helped advance dark matter research over the past 50 years.
In the 1970s, physicist James Peebles and astronomers Jeremiah Ostriker and Amos Yahil created computer simulations of individual galaxies. They concluded, similarly to Zwicky, that there was not enough visible matter in galaxies to keep them from flying apart.
They suggested that whatever dark matter is − be it cold stars, black holes or some unknown particle − there could be as much as 10 times the amount of dark matter than ordinary matter in galaxies.
Throughout its 10-year run, the Rubin Observatory should give even more researchers the opportunity to add to our understanding of dark matter.
Samantha Thompson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Westminster City Council’s Cabinet has approved the purchase of Beethoven Centre in Queen’s Park to protect and improve local community services in the area.
The centre will offer affordable space for local groups, charities, and services such as health advice, housing support, and community events. It will also help smaller organisations find a permanent base in the area.
The purchase will support the Council’s Fairer Westminster goals, making sure residents have access to the services and spaces they need — especially in Queen’s Park, one of the most deprived parts of Westminster.
Cllr David Boothroyd, Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform, said:
“The purchase of Beethoven Centre will mark a significant step in our commitment to building a Fairer Westminster.
“By securing this vital community asset, we are safeguarding affordable space for local groups and ensuring that the people of Queen’s Park have a vibrant, inclusive hub at the heart of their community.”
The Beethoven Centre includes a large community hall, multiple office and meeting rooms, and existing space for service providers including Age UK, Carers Network, and Creative Futures.
Once operational under Council management, the centre is expected to operate on a self-sustaining financial model, with income from hires and rentals covering its running costs from the first year.
The Beethoven Centre will also undergo a full carbon assessment as part of the Council’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency.
The purchase of the centre supports the North Paddington Programme which aims to improve outcomes and opportunities for local people by addressing social, economic, health and environmental inequalities which exist within the city.
The case was part of the council’s ongoing work to tackle fraud and protect vital public funds.
A solicitor has been sentenced following a council investigation into fraudulent pothole claim damage.
Alykhaan Nourani, of Manchester, was found guilty of four counts of fraud relating to false vehicle damage claims. He has been given an eight-month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
The case was part of the council’s ongoing work to tackle fraud and protect vital public funds.
It comes as the council has repaired more than 14,000 road defects in 12 months and is continuing its investment into improving the city’s roads, backed by a record £22 million government funding.
Nourani’s submitted fraudulent pothole damage claims in November 2019 and April 2021. The claims were linked to vehicle damage but were later found to be false following a full investigation by the council’s Corporate Fraud team.
The fraud was first identified by an internal Insurance Officer who noticed anomalies with an invoice Nourani provided in April 2021 from a local main dealership. A similar pattern was found with an earlier invoice from November 2019.
Nourani was found guilty by unanimous verdict at at Hanley Crown Court in February and was sentenced last week, Thursday 19 June to:
eight months, suspended for two years
300 hours of unpaid work
A six-month curfew between 7pm and 7am
£30,000 in costs as well as the original £874 for the fraudulent invoice
The judge highlighted Nourani’s high level of culpability, stating that his role as a solicitor – regularly dealing with Personal Injury claims – was an aggravating factor. The probation officer also confirmed that Nourani showed no remorse for his actions.
Nourani has been referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Let this be a clear warning – we will not tolerate fraud in this city. We have robust checks in place to protect taxpayers’ money and we will pursue fraudsters through the courts whenever necessary
“Fraudulent clams take money away from essential public services like improving our road network. We’ve worked tirelessly to repair more than 14,000 defects in the last 12 months and with £22 million of government investment, we are committed to doing even more.
“I’d like to thank the individuals and businesses who have assisted this investigation and provided vital evidence in court. Fraud will not be ignored in Stoke-on-Trent – we will always take strong action to protect the public purse.”
AN OUTSTANDING school in Leicester has celebrated its new building with an official opening event.
Catherine Infant School, in Belgrave, has been completely rebuilt, with new solar panels, larger play areas, a sports pitch and an outdoor classroom, as well as 15 new classrooms, a new library and a sports hall.
There are also new rooms for the school’s on-site unit for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), plus rooms for work in small groups to help give pupils extra support when they need it.
Catherine Infant School was one of 50 schools in the country to be rebuilt under a previous Government scheme to bring outdated buildings up to standard. Work began in May 2023 and pupils and staff moved into the new buildings in January 2025.
Demolition of the old building was completed in March this year and the area where the old building stood has now been landscaped.
Headteacher Mitesh Madhaw said: “We are absolutely delighted with our new building and grounds. We now have the space and facilities we need to support and inspire learning – and we’re already seeing the benefits, because our recent Ofsted inspection saw us retain our outstanding quality of education.
“I’m immensely proud that we have been able to achieve this while managing a major building programme. We all put the children first and this has paid off.
“Also, because the new building is two-storey and occupies a smaller footprint than the previous school, significantly more space has been given over to outdoor areas for learning and play, which is a fantastic improvement.”
To mark the official opening of the new building, the whole school celebrated in style with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, a live band, whole-school singing and a summer festival in the playground.
Assistant city mayor for education, Cllr Elaine Pantling, who attended the official opening, said: “We are very proud to support Catherine Infant School. It’s so important for both pupils and staff that they have the right learning environment and now, thanks to this rebuilding, they have got fantastic facilities for the future.
“It’s also great to see such good provision at Catherine Infants for those pupils who need a little extra help and support with their learning, so that they can be an integral part of the school community.”
The school has space for up to 430 pupils, including 10 specialist provision places and a 60-place nursery. More than 80 members of staff work on the premises.
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
The team of the workshop “Game Engineering and Interactive Systems” MIEM launched testing among developers of the second version of the Claw Engine game engine. “Vyshka.Glavnoe” tells about the product, in the creation of which MIEM student project teams are participating.
The Claw Engine is a video game development tool based on generative neural network technologies for rapid prototyping of game ideas and the use of complex gameplay patterns of mechanics. The complex project has been implemented for about two years by student teams of the Game Engineering and Interactive Systems workshop at MIEM. In the fall of 2024, the first version of the engine was launched, which was focused on the basic architecture and simplified visual interface. The environment allowed working with three-dimensional images and programming your own game scenarios.
“The goal of Claw Engine is to replace the outdated imported game engines, automate work on routine tasks, optimize the game creation process and simplify the development of not only games, but also other interactive applications. The engine can be used by both novice programmers and experienced game creators: for beginners, there is an intuitive interface and a low-code approach, and professionals can use the C programming language
In June 2025, open testing of the second version of the game engine began. More than 600 developers took part. The new release demonstrates how an experimental idea has turned into a technologically mature product.
“The second version of Claw Engine is not just an update. It is already a full-fledged modular platform, a transition to an engineering product with an architecture designed for development, expansion and real-life use,” says Vladimir Nikitin, head of the Claw Engine project and deputy head of the Game Engineering and Interactive Systems workshop.
The new release includes a completely redesigned visual scene editor, support for custom C scripts
“We are creating an engine in which you can not only assemble scenes, but also implement your own technological solutions – in graphics, behavior, physics. This is an opportunity for students and young developers to build engineering thinking through real work,” notes Ilya Semichasnov.
Open testing of the second version of the engine is an important step not only in the development of the product, but also in its expansion beyond the university. Developers from different regions of Russia have gained access to the assembly and are helping to debug its operation in different conditions.
The team’s immediate plans include adding next-generation graphics and physics modules, expanding AI capabilities, and implementing a plugin system. Development is iterative, taking into account community feedback. Thus, in December 2024, Claw Engine was presented at the RED EXPO exhibition, the main event of the gaming industry in Russia. Visitors could test the pre-alpha version of the engine and evaluate its key features: working with 3D scenes, a basic editor, and support for user scripts. In May 2025, the project was also presented at Positive Hack Days, one of the largest tech forums in the country. The workshop team demonstrated how Claw Engine is used in engineering and educational tasks, from modeling the behavior of objects to creating interactive environments. Participation in these events was an important step in the development of the product and expanding professional interest in it.
Claw Engine has already been used as the basis for hackathons, training courses, diploma projects and R
Work on Claw Engine unites several independent student projects implemented within the framework of the innovative project model of MIEM. Today, the teams have formed technical processes, built a testing system, and are actively developing internal documentation and a user support system.
“Claw Engine is one of those flagship projects at MIEM, where a modern project model is being honed. Today, technological projects require a clear organization of working interaction between numerous project teams solving their problem within the framework of creating a single large product. This is how large IT giants work today. In this sense, the Game Engineering and Interactive Systems workshop functions as a connecting hub, the main operator of the entire product creation process,” says Ilya Semichasnov.
In 2025, an online master’s degree program will be opened on the basis of the workshop.Digital Engineering for Computer Games” is a program aimed at those who want to not just develop games, but design technological solutions for them. The academic director of the program will be the head of the workshop Ilya Semichasnov.
The program covers the architecture of game systems, work with AI, mathematical modeling, VR and other areas at the intersection of engineering and game development. The educational process includes project work, cooperation with the industry and the opportunity to become part of teams working on real tools.
Applications for the Master’s program “Digital Engineering for Computer Games” are open until September 15, 2025.
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.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that it processed more than 2 million disability benefits claims for Veterans in fiscal year 2025, faster than ever before.
VA achieved this milestone more than a month faster than the all-time record reached in FY 2024. At this pace, VA will surpass the previous record number of completed disability claims by more than 14% this year. VA has already awarded more than $120 billion in compensation and pension benefits to Veterans and survivors in FY 2025.
Since President Trump took office, VA has reduced the inventory of backlogged disability claims by more than 74,000. Veterans are also getting their claims processed more quickly — the average wait time for a Veteran’s claim to be processed fell from 141.5 days on Jan. 20, 2025, to 131.8 days on June 21, 2025.
“VA has reduced the claims backlog and has processed these claims faster than ever for a simple reason: we’re focused on getting results for Veterans,” VA Secretary Doug Collins. “We are just getting started in our mission to help Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors get the care and benefits they’ve earned.”
VA encourages all Veterans to visit VA.gov to learn more and apply for the care and benefits they deserve.
Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
Contact us online through Ask VA
Veterans can also use our chatbot to get information about VA benefits and services. The chatbot won’t connect you with a person, but it can show you where to go on VA.gov to find answers to some common questions.
Learn about our chatbot and ask a question
Subscribe today to receive these news releases in your inbox.
Samsung recently announced the upcoming global launch of the HU8000F series, its 2025 Hospitality TV. Available in six sizes — 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″, 75″ and 85″ — the HU8000F empowers hotel owners with powerful management tools to elevate guest stays while providing visitors with effortless streaming and connectivity options through Google Cast. Samsung unveiled the HU8000F series at HITEC 2025, the world’s largest and longest-running hospitality technology event, which took place between June 16-19 in Indianapolis, USA.
“Samsung’s HU8000F Hospitality TV series delivers a new level of in-room experience, combining brilliant 4K picture, advanced streaming and easy management,” said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. “With Google Cast support, an AirSlim design, and integrated cloud capabilities, we are redefining what’s possible for hotel entertainment worldwide.”
Premium Picture Quality, AirSlim Design and Effortless Streaming
The HU8000F is powered by Samsung’s Crystal Processor 4K and features HDR10+ and Dynamic Crystal Color, immersing hotel guests in one billion shades of color with lifelike clarity and detail. Additionally, its sleek AirSlim design creates an elegant, nearly bezel-free look that complements any hotel space.
The new model has expanded content options for guests by adding Prime Video to its portfolio — along with Netflix and Samsung TV Plus — which are all accessible from the Tizen OS Home. For an enhanced viewing experience, the HU8000F also includes adaptive sound technology, providing real-time audio scene analysis and quality optimisation to any news program, sports game, musical performance, TV show or movie.
Hotel-Ready Features and Integrated Hospitality Solutions
For centralised remote management and actionable business insights for hotel managers, Samsung LYNK Cloud streamlines global hospitality operations while helping drive incremental revenue through targeted promotions. With SmartThings Pro and a multi-code remote, hotel staff can offer personalized in-room experiences and ensure interference-free control, enhancing both convenience and guest satisfaction.
As Google Cast is integrated directly into Samsung’s hotel TV series, guests can easily access their favorite content from 5,000 Cast-enabled apps by mirroring their Android and iOS devices on the TV, without the need for additional dongles or login requirements. Embedding Cast also reduces costs for hotels and system integrators by removing the need to buy and maintain extra hub-type devices, avoiding the risk of theft for those types of devices and freeing up an HDMI port.
For hotels currently using the HBU8000, a software update will soon be available to enable Google Cast without interrupting service.[1] This upgrade has already been successfully deployed in Indonesia at The Apurva Kempinski Bali and Swissôtel Living Jakarta Mega Kuningan through simultaneous software updates, demonstrating the scalability and reliability of the solution.
With Google Cast and over-the-top (OTT) integration, the HU8000F ensures seamless viewing options and an optimised solution that enhances viewing experiences.
Samsung’s hospitality display series is also built to include practical features tailored for hotel environments, including RJ12 connectors, bathroom speaker support and LAN output ports. Powered by the intuitive and secure Tizen platform, the HU8000F offers smooth navigation, enterprise-grade protection with Samsung Knox and flexible connectivity through multiple HDMI and USB ports.
Samsung’s HU8000F will be available in the UK from October 2025. For more information about Samsung’s hospitality solutions, please visit www.samsung.com.
[1] The Google Cast update schedule for HBU8000 may vary by region.
Samsung recently announced the upcoming global launch of the HU8000F series, its 2025 Hospitality TV. Available in six sizes — 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″, 75″ and 85″ — the HU8000F empowers hotel owners with powerful management tools to elevate guest stays while providing visitors with effortless streaming and connectivity options through Google Cast. Samsung unveiled the HU8000F series at HITEC 2025, the world’s largest and longest-running hospitality technology event, which took place between June 16-19 in Indianapolis, USA.
“Samsung’s HU8000F Hospitality TV series delivers a new level of in-room experience, combining brilliant 4K picture, advanced streaming and easy management,” said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. “With Google Cast support, an AirSlim design, and integrated cloud capabilities, we are redefining what’s possible for hotel entertainment worldwide.”
Premium Picture Quality, AirSlim Design and Effortless Streaming
The HU8000F is powered by Samsung’s Crystal Processor 4K and features HDR10+ and Dynamic Crystal Color, immersing hotel guests in one billion shades of color with lifelike clarity and detail. Additionally, its sleek AirSlim design creates an elegant, nearly bezel-free look that complements any hotel space.
The new model has expanded content options for guests by adding Prime Video to its portfolio — along with Netflix and Samsung TV Plus — which are all accessible from the Tizen OS Home. For an enhanced viewing experience, the HU8000F also includes adaptive sound technology, providing real-time audio scene analysis and quality optimisation to any news program, sports game, musical performance, TV show or movie.
Hotel-Ready Features and Integrated Hospitality Solutions
For centralised remote management and actionable business insights for hotel managers, Samsung LYNK Cloud streamlines global hospitality operations while helping drive incremental revenue through targeted promotions. With SmartThings Pro and a multi-code remote, hotel staff can offer personalized in-room experiences and ensure interference-free control, enhancing both convenience and guest satisfaction.
As Google Cast is integrated directly into Samsung’s hotel TV series, guests can easily access their favorite content from 5,000 Cast-enabled apps by mirroring their Android and iOS devices on the TV, without the need for additional dongles or login requirements. Embedding Cast also reduces costs for hotels and system integrators by removing the need to buy and maintain extra hub-type devices, avoiding the risk of theft for those types of devices and freeing up an HDMI port.
For hotels currently using the HBU8000, a software update will soon be available to enable Google Cast without interrupting service.[1] This upgrade has already been successfully deployed in Indonesia at The Apurva Kempinski Bali and Swissôtel Living Jakarta Mega Kuningan through simultaneous software updates, demonstrating the scalability and reliability of the solution.
With Google Cast and over-the-top (OTT) integration, the HU8000F ensures seamless viewing options and an optimised solution that enhances viewing experiences.
Samsung’s hospitality display series is also built to include practical features tailored for hotel environments, including RJ12 connectors, bathroom speaker support and LAN output ports. Powered by the intuitive and secure Tizen platform, the HU8000F offers smooth navigation, enterprise-grade protection with Samsung Knox and flexible connectivity through multiple HDMI and USB ports.
Samsung’s HU8000F will be available in the UK from October 2025. For more information about Samsung’s hospitality solutions, please visit www.samsung.com.
[1] The Google Cast update schedule for HBU8000 may vary by region.
Samsung South Africa is excited to announce the #YouMake TV Redemption Promotion. Running currently until 30 June 2025, this promotion offers South Africans more than just innovative televisions — it’s a chance to tailor your tech experience and receive a complimentary gift with every qualifying TV purchase.
Samsung’s #YouMake initiative focuses on giving consumers more control over how their technology integrates into their daily lives. From customisable design to seamless connectivity, the campaign is a bold step toward a world where technology adapts to the user, and not the other way around.
Buy a TV, Get Rewarded
During the campaign, customers who purchase a qualifying Samsung TV, either online or from select retailers, will receive a complimentary gift ranging from smartphones to tablets, tailored to the specific TV model purchased. Participating retailers include Game, Takealot, Iser, Hirsch’s, House & Home, as well as Samsung’s branded stores and online store.
This is the list of qualifying TVs (including product codes);
Participating Retailer
Model Code
Product Name
Gift
Samsung Brand Store
QA85Q60DAKXXA
85-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy Tab S10FE Wi-Fi
Samsung Brand Store
QA75Q60DAKXXA
75-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A26 5G
Samsung Brand Store
QA65Q60DAKXXA
65-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A16
Samsung Brand Store
QA55Q60DAKXXA
55-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A16
Samsung Brand Store
UA85DU7000KXXA
85-Inch DU7000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy Tab S10FE Wi-Fi
Samsung Brand Store
UA75DU7000KXXA
75-Inch DU7000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy Tab A9+ Wi-Fi
Samsung Brand Store
UA65DU7000KXXA
65-Inch DU7000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy A16
Samsung Brand Store
QA65QN85DBKXXA
65-Inch Neo QLED 4K QN85D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A26 5G
Samsung Brand Store
QA55QN85DBKXXA
55-Inch Neo QLED 4K QN85D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A26 5G
Samsung Brand Store
UA75DU8000KXXA
75-Inch DU8000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy Tab A9+ Wi-Fi
How to Redeem Your Gift
Step 1: Buy a participating product on or before 30 June 2025.
Step 2: Scan the QR Code or visit TV Offer Redemption and complete the redemption form, upload all required documents, then click submit.
Step 3: An email will be shared once the completed redemption form has been submitted and evaluation of the redemption has been successful.
Step 4: Once the redemption is approved, the complimentary gift(s) will be delivered within 21-30 days.
Each purchase of a qualifying TV unlocks a gift, so there’s no limit to how many times you can redeem, as long as each purchase meets the campaign criteria.
Make It Yours with #YouMake
Samsung’s #YouMake campaign redefines personalisation and connectivity, allowing you to tailor your technology to suit your space, your preferences, and your life. Now, with every qualifying TV purchase, that experience comes with even more value.
For more details, terms and conditions, visit: Samsung Offers
Samsung South Africa is excited to announce the #YouMake TV Redemption Promotion. Running currently until 30 June 2025, this promotion offers South Africans more than just innovative televisions — it’s a chance to tailor your tech experience and receive a complimentary gift with every qualifying TV purchase.
Samsung’s #YouMake initiative focuses on giving consumers more control over how their technology integrates into their daily lives. From customisable design to seamless connectivity, the campaign is a bold step toward a world where technology adapts to the user, and not the other way around.
Buy a TV, Get Rewarded
During the campaign, customers who purchase a qualifying Samsung TV, either online or from select retailers, will receive a complimentary gift ranging from smartphones to tablets, tailored to the specific TV model purchased. Participating retailers include Game, Takealot, Iser, Hirsch’s, House & Home, as well as Samsung’s branded stores and online store.
This is the list of qualifying TVs (including product codes);
Participating Retailer
Model Code
Product Name
Gift
Samsung Brand Store
QA85Q60DAKXXA
85-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy Tab S10FE Wi-Fi
Samsung Brand Store
QA75Q60DAKXXA
75-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A26 5G
Samsung Brand Store
QA65Q60DAKXXA
65-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A16
Samsung Brand Store
QA55Q60DAKXXA
55-Inch QLED 4K Q60D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A16
Samsung Brand Store
UA85DU7000KXXA
85-Inch DU7000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy Tab S10FE Wi-Fi
Samsung Brand Store
UA75DU7000KXXA
75-Inch DU7000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy Tab A9+ Wi-Fi
Samsung Brand Store
UA65DU7000KXXA
65-Inch DU7000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy A16
Samsung Brand Store
QA65QN85DBKXXA
65-Inch Neo QLED 4K QN85D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A26 5G
Samsung Brand Store
QA55QN85DBKXXA
55-Inch Neo QLED 4K QN85D Tizen OS Smart TV (2024)
Galaxy A26 5G
Samsung Brand Store
UA75DU8000KXXA
75-Inch DU8000 Crystal UHD 4K HDR Smart TV
Galaxy Tab A9+ Wi-Fi
How to Redeem Your Gift
Step 1: Buy a participating product on or before 30 June 2025.
Step 2: Scan the QR Code or visit TV Offer Redemption and complete the redemption form, upload all required documents, then click submit.
Step 3: An email will be shared once the completed redemption form has been submitted and evaluation of the redemption has been successful.
Step 4: Once the redemption is approved, the complimentary gift(s) will be delivered within 21-30 days.
Each purchase of a qualifying TV unlocks a gift, so there’s no limit to how many times you can redeem, as long as each purchase meets the campaign criteria.
Make It Yours with #YouMake
Samsung’s #YouMake campaign redefines personalisation and connectivity, allowing you to tailor your technology to suit your space, your preferences, and your life. Now, with every qualifying TV purchase, that experience comes with even more value.
For more details, terms and conditions, visit: Samsung Offers
The federal opposition has accepted an invitation from Treasurer Jim Chalmers for shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien to attend the August economic roundtable.
The acceptance contrasts with the position taken by former opposition leader Peter Dutton last term. He refused to attend the government’s jobs and skills summit although the Nationals leader David Littleproud did so.
The opposition’s decision is in line with the indication from its leader Sussan Ley that she wants to be more constructive than the Liberals were last term.
The roundtable, focused on productivity, has broadened into a meeting where tax reform is expected to figures heavily. Chalmers is looking for consensus for reforms but the extent to which that can be achieved remains to be seen.
Chalmers said on Tuesday he had provided the invitation to O’Brien “in good faith. I think it would be a good thing to have the shadow treasurer engaged at the economic reform roundtable.
“I think it will give us a better chance of making the kind of progress that we desperately need to see on reform and in our economy more broadly.”
Chalmers is still finalising the invitations, which will go to business, the union movement and civil society representatives.
O’Brien said he would engage at the roundtable “in a business-like fashion”.
He said the Coalition would be “constructive where we can and critical where we must”. It would hold the government to account and he would not be at the summit “to rubber stamp a talkfest”.
“It’s worth the treasurer knowing from the outset that I believe rhetoric is no substitute for reform. I want to see honesty in how the government defines the economic problems our nation faces, and I will be looking to tangible outcomes as real measures of success.”
On Wednesday Ley will appear at the National Press Club, speaking about her personal story, the Liberals’ federal election defeat, and some markers on policy areas where the Liberals will focus.
She will also outline some priority policy areas that she’ll champion during this parliamentary term.
In her address Ley will highlight “aspiration”, saying this is the “thread that connects every single part of Australian society”.
“Aspiration is the foundation of the Australian promise: that if you work hard, play by the rules, do your best for your kids and contribute to your community, you will be able to build a better life for yourself and your family.”
In her speech, part of which was released ahead of delivery, Ley acknowledges the opposition didn’t just lose the last election – “we got smashed. We respect the election outcome with humility. We accept it with contrition. And we must learn from it with conviction.”
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Rack Centre, West Africa’s leading Tier III carrier – and cloud -neutral data centre, has signed a strategic collocation agreement with TelCables Nigeria, a subsidiary of Angola Cables (www.AngolaCables.co.ao) and one of Africa’s most connected network operators. Through the partnership, TelCables Nigeria is deploying its high capacity network and cloud infrastructure together with four international subsea cable systems (SACS, MONET, SEBRAS and EllaLink) directly into Rack Centre’s carrier ecosystem in the region. The move delivers the most resilient, low-latency south-bound routes to Europe, the Americas and Latin America, mitigating the risk of future cable-cut outages along West Africa’s coast and powering next-generation cloud services across the continent.
“Our unique Africa – to – Latin America route via SACS, combined with MONET, SEBRAS and EllaLink, gives customers the lowest – latency paths to the Americas and Europe,” said Fernando Fernandes, CEO of TelCables Nigeria. “Businesses in latency sensitive sectors: financial services, content delivery and real-time communications will experience faster transactions, reduced lag and an enhanced user experience. By hosting at Rack Centre we also localise Clouds2Africa resources, price them in naira, and remove expensive ingress/egress charges or FX exposure.”
Partnership highlights
Robust dark-fibre integration: TelCables Nigeria is lighting diverse, redundant dark-fibre rings into Rack Centre, ensuring always-on performance.
Clouds2Africa platform on-net: Customers can consume scalable IaaS, PaaS and CDN services from within the data sovereign walls of Rack Centre, paying in NGN.
Direct on-ramps to AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, supporting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies alongside Dedicated Internet Access, IP Transit and remote Internet Exchange (IX) peering.
Low-latency routes to three continents, including the only direct Africa to Latin America path, plus shortest-hop connections to Europe and the USA.
Supporting Rack Centre’s expansion strategy
Rack Centre’s 13.5MW data centre campus designed with its recently launched LGS2 facility that delivers a design PUE of 1.35 and powered from sustainable energy sources, already hosts 70+ carriers, ISPs and network operators.
Lars Johannisson, CEO of Rack Centre, said:
“Adding a global operator of Angola Cables’ calibre through TelCables Nigeria dramatically deepens our connectivity fabric. We can now offer 99.95 % SLA routes to more destinations, enabling enterprises, governments and cloud providers to meet performance and data-residency requirements while keeping traffic local.”
With features such as N+2 high-efficiency cooling, an integrated Building Management System and AI-ready high-density racks, LGS2 combines capacity, sustainability and innovation reinforcing Rack Centre’s position as a critical digital hub for Nigeria and West Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Angola Cables.
For Media Enquiries: Ada Ibelegbu Senior Marketing Associate Rack Centre Email: ada.ibelegbu@rack-centre.com M: +234 80 904 03 473 T: +234 1 700 5515
About Angola Cables: Angola Cables is an international ICT solutions provider operating a 33,000 km subsea-cable network (WACS, SACS, MONET) and 50,000 km of partner routes, linking the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. The company runs Tier III data centres in Fortaleza (Brazil) and Luanda (Angola), manages the Angonix IXP, and maintains 30+ PoPs worldwide. CAIDA ranks Angola Cables among the top-25 global ISPs (2023). www.AngolaCables.co.ao
About Rack Centre: Rack Centre is West Africa’s leading Tier III carrier and cloud neutral data-centre operator. Since 2012 it has specialised in colocation and interconnection, offering customers a technically superior, physically secure and cost-efficient environment. The campus hosts 70+ carriers, ISPs and global Tier 1 networks, with direct links to every subsea cable landing on Africa’s Atlantic coast including Equiano and, soon, 2Africa. www.Rack-Centre.com
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), Africa’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, today announced that the Republic of Angola has become its latest sovereign shareholder. This strategic equity investment further strengthens Angola’s partnership with AFC and underscores the country’s confidence in AFC’s mandate to accelerate sustainable development and regional integration through transformational infrastructure.
As a member of the Africa Finance Corporation since 2022, Angola has deepened its strategic partnership with the institution through a landmark equity investment commitment of US$184.8 million. This bold move reflects Angola’s confidence in the AFC’s institutional strength and its ambition to help shape Africa’s development agenda from within. It builds on nearly US$1 billion in AFC investments across Angola’s priority sectors—power, rail, logistics, and critical minerals—core to the country’s industrialization and economic diversification strategy. The investment also signals growing momentum for African-led capital solutions to drive long-term, transformative growth across the continent.
Earlier this year, the Fundo Soberano de Angola, Angola’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, also made a US$25 million equity investment in AFC. Together, these investments reflect a cohesive national strategy to advance Angola’s infrastructure and industrial development agenda through close collaboration with the Corporation.
With this milestone investment, Angola becomes the second Lusophone African nation, after Cape Verde, to join the growing list of equity investors in AFC. This underscores the Corporation’s expanding pan-African footprint and its commitment to accelerating the continent’s structural transformation through strategic, high-impact partnerships.
“Angola’s capital commitment underscores the impact of sovereign alignment with AFC’s mandate to catalyse Africa’s transformation. It affirms the value of combining national vision with AFC’s model of delivering critical infrastructure, deploying innovative financing solutions, and forging catalytic partnerships across the public and private sectors”, said Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. “This marks a significant step in AFC’s journey to broaden shareholder representation across Africa”.
Dr. Vera Daves de Sousa, Angola’s Minister of Finance, said: “Angola’s shareholding investment in AFC signals our strong belief in the power of partnerships to deliver lasting economic transformation. The Corporation has been a trusted ally over the last few years, financing strategic sectors including infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects critical to our diversification efforts, and we look forward to a continued, mutually beneficial partnership”.
AFC and Angola have had a strong collaborative history over the years, exemplified by initiatives such as the Lobito Corridor project, where AFC is acting as lead developer alongside other partners. This transformational multi-country transport network connecting Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the potential to unlock new industrial and value-chain opportunities across key sectors, including mining, agriculture, energy, and tourism.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).
Media Enquiries: Yewande Thorpe Communications Africa Finance Corporation Mobile: +234 1 279 9654 Email: yewande.thorpe@africafc.org
About AFC: AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.
Eighteen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 45 member countries and has invested over US$15 billion in 36 African countries since its inception.
This morning in Luanda, on the margins of the US-Africa Business Summit, H.E. President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of the Republic of Angola received H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission and his delegation, at the State House. The Chairperson briefed the President on the regional developments, including the situations in Eastern DRC, Sudan, South Sudan, the Sahel, and Somalia, as well as ongoing efforts to mobilise sustainable funding for African-led peace support operations.
President Lourenço commended the Chairperson’s leadership in advancing peace, security, and regional integration, and encouraged continued diplomatic engagement in resolving ongoing conflicts, and AU activities in support of Agenda 2063.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
