Headline: Panasonic Energy Announces Executive Officer Personnel
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Samsung Electronics today announced its collaboration with iconic British design house Liberty, bringing a curated collection of the brand’s most celebrated designs to Samsung Art Store.1 With this partnership, Samsung Art TV users around the world can now display 20 new designs from Liberty’s rich archive of timeless art and patterns from the comfort of their own homes.
The collaboration merges the elegance of Samsung Art TVs with Liberty’s world-renowned archive, making the stunning designs available as digital artworks for the first time. Samsung curators worked closely with the in-house Liberty team to select patterns that would translate beautifully into a large-scale digital display that is alive with detail, light and color.
“This partnership was driven by a shared desire to celebrate British design in new ways,” said Rachael Roberts, Partnerships Manager at Samsung UK. “With no other British design houses currently represented on Samsung Art Store, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring Liberty’s unique voice to our global audience.”
▲ One of the most celebrated designs from Liberty named Artemis (2023), shown on 2025 The Frame by Samsung.
Founded in 1875, Liberty has long been a symbol of British creativity and craftsmanship. Known for its distinctive prints and established history of design innovation, the brand’s influence spans art, fashion and interiors. For this partnership, the collection is introduced with Artemis as the featured design — a bold, botanical take on a classic Liberty design. Spanning over a century of heritage and creativity, the collection includes everything from the whimsical Enchanted Wood to the vibrant Jungle Trip design.
“At Liberty, we’ve always believed in design that tells a story, and stories that evolve with time,” said Pere Bruach, Design Manager at Liberty. “Partnering with Samsung allowed us to reimagine our most iconic prints as living art, infusing them with a new dimension. These works, once found on silk and paper, are now reinterpreted for the home — bringing the spirit of Liberty and the timeless beauty of pattern and print into people’s everyday spaces.”
▲ 2025 The Frame Pro showcases ‘Marina’s Tea Garden,’ from Liberty’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection. This bold floral patternhas been meticulously recreated to capture the rich colors and subtle tones of gouache brushstrokes. Available as a digital artworktailored to Samsung Art Store, it brings character, history and a touch of British charm to living spaces everywhere.
Among the 20 Liberty designs featured, standout works include “Artemis,” “Marina’s Tea Garden,” “Fantasy Land,” and “My Grown Up Star,” from Liberty’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection. Each design is presented as a digital artwork tailored to Samsung Art Store, bringing character, history and a touch of British charm into living spaces everywhere.
“When selecting the right pieces for Samsung Art Store, we were drawn to those that best encapsulate Liberty’s visual language,” Bruach added. “From nostalgic 1930s florals and hand-painted botanicals to eclectic geometric designs and enchanting landscapes, the collection reflects the full spectrum of our creative heritage. Artemis, for example, felt like a natural fit for The Frame — it speaks to the blend of tradition and modernity that defines both our brands.”
“Liberty’s legacy of storytelling makes them a dream partner,” said Roberts. “Our vision for the Art Store has always been to make art and design that brings meaning to people’s lives accessible, and Liberty’s prints bring exactly that — a daily joy and a sense of place.”
This new collaboration underscores Samsung Art Store’s mission to democratize access to global art, with a growing archive of over 3,500 artworks from the world’s most renowned museums and art institutions. Now, with the addition of Liberty’s British classics, a new chapter in which printmaking heritage meets innovation begins.
About Liberty
Liberty is a movement dedicated to discovery, animated by arts, culture, design and the pursuit of beauty. Liberty is famed for its original curation, directional design and celebration of craftsmanship. In the spirit of our founder, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, we remain unapologetically eccentric and committed to bringing good design to all.
1 Liberty artworks are available through the Samsung Art Store in all service countries except India.
A powerful earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka jolted the Asia-Pacific just hours before emergency officials from APEC economies convened in Incheon for the 21st meeting of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG), a timely reminder of how disasters can ripple across the region without warning.
“Disasters know no borders, and they affect not only local communities but have long-term consequences for entire economies,” said Kim Gwang-yong, Vice Minister of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in his welcome address. “Cooperation and solidarity among APEC economies are more important than ever.”
Vice Minister Kim highlighted Korea’s recent experiences with typhoons, heavy rainfall and wildfires, noting that the country has continuously improved its disaster management systems.
He also emphasized Korea’s commitment to sharing these best practices with fellow APEC economies and expanding cooperation in ICT-based early warning systems, disaster prediction models using artificial intelligence (AI), and community-centered disaster resilience strategies.
The meeting’s agenda covered digital-based disaster risk management strategies, community leadership in disaster response and strengthening multi-layered governance.
Experts and officials discussed enhancing early warning systems, leveraging big data and satellite technologies and developing resilient infrastructure that can support disaster-affected communities.
Sessions also focused on advancing collaborative governance, bridging gaps in disaster risk management, and preparing communities for emerging risks.
EPWG co-chair Dayra Carvajal of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, urged members to recognize the compounding risks affecting the region’s interconnected systems.
“From devastating earthquakes to wildfires and catastrophic flooding, this year has once again underscored the interconnected impacts of disasters in Asia-Pacific,” she said. “These compounding stressors that ripple through shared infrastructure remind us that events in one economy are frequently felt elsewhere.”
“This year, we must endeavor to identify concrete and practical ways in which to strengthen the systems that sustain regional economic growth and prosperity: our infrastructure, markets and supply chains.”
The agenda featured project updates and best practice exchanges by member economies including on topics such as disaster risk prediction and whole-community preparedness in urban, coastal and inland areas. Delegates examined how to bridge gaps in early warning systems, scale agile and adaptable governance across central and local levels and enable technology-driven disaster leadership.
“The more we prepare, the more we can reduce disaster damage. And the more we cooperate, the stronger our response can become,” Vice Minister Kim concluded.
Looking ahead, the group emphasized that continued collaboration under the newly launched EPWG Strategic Plan 2025–2027 will be essential to turn this momentum into durable systems of protection and preparedness.
The EPWG meeting is a key platform for promoting APEC’s vision of a resilient and prosperous future, with discussions expected to result in actionable policies and collaborative projects that can mitigate disaster risks, enhance regional preparedness and protect the lives and livelihoods of the 2.9 billion people who call the APEC region home.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received a courtesy call by the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United States Mission to ASEAN, Joy Sakurai, who recently assumed her office. Both sides discussed the progress of the ASEAN-United States Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and expressed their shared commitment to working closely together to further promote ASEAN-United States CSP.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN receives a courtesy call by the new Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the United States Mission to ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
In the underwriting auction conducted on August 01, 2025, for Additional Competitive Underwriting (ACU) of the undernoted Government securities, the Reserve Bank of India has set the cut-off rates for underwriting commission payable to Primary Dealers as given below:
The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority has published an updated version of its Enforcement Decision-Making Process (EDMP).
A high-level review of the EDMP was conducted as part of the Authority’s commitment to transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement. Feedback from internal and external stakeholders has informed some minor amendments aimed at enhancing the clarity of the document.
The revised EDMP, which can be viewed online, sets out the steps to be followed by the Authority when exercising its statutory powers in relation to specific enforcement actions. It includes a table of sanctions that may be pursued by the Authority where it is considered proportionate, reasonable and appropriate to do so.
The EDMP, which is effective from 1 August 2025, supports the Authority’s objectives of reducing financial crime, protecting consumers and maintaining confidence in the Island’s finance sector through effective regulation.
Headline: South Africa launches safeguard investigation on certain flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel
The notification indicated, among other things, as follows:
“Interested parties must make themselves known within a period of 20 days after the initiation of the investigation.
Any information that the interested parties may wish to submit in writing and any request for a hearing before the Commission that they may wish to put forward should be submitted within 20 days following the initiation of this investigation to the Directorate: Trade Remedies I at the following address:
The DTI Campus, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside Pretoria, Block Uuzaji, Ground Floor, tel: +27 12 394 3600, fax +27 12 394 0518.”
The notification is available in G/SG/N/6/ZAF/*.
What is a safeguard investigation?
A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or is threatening to cause, serious injury to a domestic industry.
During a safeguard investigation, importers, exporters and other interested parties may present evidence and views and respond to the presentations of other parties.
A WTO member may take a safeguard action (i.e. restrict imports of a product temporarily) only if the increased imports of the product are found to be causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury.
Headline: We just wrapped our earnings call. It was a very strong close to our fiscal year. A few highlights…
We just wrapped our earnings call. It was a very strong close to our fiscal year. A few highlights: Azure surpassed $75 billion in revenue for the first time this year, up 34 percent year over year. It has been quite the journey from 0 to 75! We have come a long way from Project Red Dog… we now add as much capacity in a month as we did in our first five years! Super grateful for the trust so many customers have placed in us through the years. One other big number we shared: more than 100 million monthly active users across our family of Copilots. We rolled out our biggest update to M365 Copilot this quarter, and we saw the largest quarter of seat adds, with a record number of customers coming back to buy more seats. Plus, we have Copilots and agents for every role and function, which are all growing fast, from GitHub Copilot for devs (20M users), to Dragon in healthcare (13M physician-patient encounters this quarter). And with Copilot Mode in Edge, it is exciting to see innovation come back to the browser! Azure Foundry is our app server for AI, and we’re seeing great momentum. Foundry offers access to more models than any other hyperscaler, as well as best-in-class tooling, management, observability, and built-in controls for trustworthy AI. And when we look at just the number of tokens served by Foundry APIs, we processed over 500 trillion this year, up over 7X. This is good indicator of true platform diffusion beyond a few head apps and services. You can read more about our results here: https://lnkd.in/gvQd_xNf
Headline: Coming Aug. 5: Special edition of Visual Studio Toolbox Live
Join Robert Green and Leslie Richardson for a full day of live sessions, demos, and interviews.
Live from Microsoft HQ – Stream Tuesday’s Sessions with Visual Studio Toolbox!
On Tuesday, August 5, join us for a special edition of Visual Studio Toolbox Live—broadcast from VS LIVE! Redmond and hosted by Leslie Richardson and Robert Green. You’ll get a full day of Microsoft-led sessions, live studio commentary, behind-the-scenes interviews, and exclusive insights straight from campus.
Click here to set a YouTube reminder so you don’t miss a moment.
What You’ll See on Tuesday
We’re streaming five sessions led by Microsoft product teams across Visual Studio, Azure, GitHub Copilot, and .NET. Whether you’re looking to boost your daily productivity or build your next-gen AI app, this day is packed with learning.
8:00 AM – Getting the Most out of the Latest in Visual StudioHarshada Hole & Jessie Houghton, Microsoft See the newest productivity boosts, AI-assisted debugging, and smarter Git tools—plus how to make them work for your day-to-day workflow.
9:30 AM – Build Next-Gen AI Apps with .NET and AzureJon Galloway, Microsoft Discover the latest SDKs, patterns, and frameworks for building intelligent cloud-native applications.
11:15 AM – Keynote: The Future of Visual StudioMads Kristensen, Microsoft Get inspired as Mads shows off what’s new and what’s coming next for developers building with Visual Studio.
1:30 PM – Getting the Most Out of .NET Development with Visual StudioAllie Barry & Wendy Breiding, Microsoft Tips, tricks, and GitHub Copilot techniques to boost your .NET development efficiency and code quality.
3:00 PM – Building Mobile & Desktop Apps with .NET MAUIDavid Ortinau, Microsoft Explore how to build stunning cross-platform apps with .NET MAUI using Visual Studio’s latest live tooling and project templates.
Hosted Live from the Studio
Between each session, we’ll cut to the Visual Studio Toolbox studio with Robert and Leslie, featuring:
Live Q&A from the YouTube chat
Guest drop-ins from our Microsoft speakers
Commentary and context to help you apply what you just saw
And maybe a few surprises…
Have a question during the stream? Drop it in the chat—Robert and Leslie might feature it live!
How to Watch
Watch the Full Livestream on YouTube Catch all five Microsoft-led sessions, plus live studio hosting from Robert Green and Leslie Richardson.
Watch Live on YouTube(Streaming begins Tuesday, August 5 at 8:00 AM PT)
Get the Backstage Pass with Krezzia & Lydia
Want to see what it’s like behind the scenes at VS LIVE! Redmond? Follow Krezzia Basilio and Lydia Yong, Microsoft FTEs from the Aspire Undergrad Program, as they bring you backstage interviews, speaker walk-and-talks, reaction clips, and stories from the event floor.
This is your unofficial, unscripted, attendee-level view of the action—from greenroom to keynote to closing time.
Follow on TikTok Follow on LinkedIn
Catch the Sessions On-Demand (After August 11)
Can’t join live? No problem—on-demand recordings of many Microsoft-led sessions will be available a few days after the event.
Want More Toolbox?
Visual Studio Toolbox is your go-to show for weekly tips, tools, and demos straight from the product team and engineering experts. From debugging hacks to Copilot walkthroughs, it’s where devs stay current without falling behind.
Explore Visual Studio Toolbox Episodes
We’ll See You on August 5
This is more than just a livestream—it’s a chance to learn directly from the people who build the tools you use every day. We hope you’ll tune in, join the chat, and spend a day with us at Microsoft HQ.
—Jim
PandaSharp 2 days ago
Would be nice to have a classic “add to calendar” or “ics file” to set a reminder, instead of only setting a youtube reminder … or couldn’t I find it?
Services exports in Europe and North America increased by only 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, down from 8% and 11% respectively in the first quarter of 2024. In contrast, strong growth was sustained in Asia at 9%.
The overall slowdown in services trade was mainly due to “Other commercial services,” a category that encompasses a wide variety of mostly digitally deliverable services ranging from financial to professional services (Chart 1). In 2024, “Other commercial services” accounted for some 60% of global services trade, with Europe contributing 40% of those exports (Chart 2).
Chart 1: Commercial services trade growth by main sector, 2024Q1-2025Q1 Year-on-year % change
Note: Services trade measured as exports. Source: WTO-UNCTAD estimates.
Chart 2: Structure of world exports of commercial services, 2024 % shares
Source: WTO-UNCTAD estimates.
Chart 3 shows a deceleration across selected subsectors of “Other commercial services” in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period of 2024. Growth in “Other business services,” covering various professional, technical and trade-related services, as well as research and development services, moderated. The United States posted a subdued 4% year-on-year increase in “Other business services” following an 8% expansion in the same period of 2024. Exports by the European Union remained flat in US dollar terms, although they rose by 4% when measured in euros.
Financial services exports grew by only 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting reduced investment activity amid increased global economic uncertainty. The sector was also affected by exchange rate movements, which dampened US dollar-denominated growth. Exports from both the European Union and the United States rose just 2% year-on-year while Switzerland’s exports fell by 3%. The United Kingdom, on the contrary, posted a robust 10% year-on-year increase sustained by double digit growth in exports to the United States (+13%).
Intellectual property related services expanded by 4% year-on-year in the first three months of 2025 in comparison with a 7% growth in the same quarter of 2024. Global trade in IP-related services remains highly concentrated, with the European Union and the United States accounting for nearly 70% of exports in 2024. EU exports, measured in US dollars, rose by just 3% year-on-year, held back by exchange rate volatility, despite stronger underlying growth of 6% in euro terms.
Global construction exports fell by 15% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reversing part of the strong 25% growth recorded during the same period in 2024. The decline reflects weaker performance across several key economies, including China (-25%), which alone accounted for over 28% of global construction exports in 2024, the Republic of Korea (-15%), and the European Union (-6%). The downturn in the first quarter likely reflects delayed investment due to uncertainty and rising costs.
Computer services exports were only marginally affected by the broader slowdown, as strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and cybersecurity solutions continued to drive growth. This momentum is expected to persist, supported by ongoing business adaptation to new technologies and rising consumer preferences for digital services. During the period, India’s computer services exports grew by 13%, while Ireland recorded a 9% increase.
Chart 3: Other commercial services exports by selected subsector, 2024 and Q1 2025 Year-on-year % change
Note: Sectors are ranked according to their relative share in services trade in 2024. Source: WTO estimates for Q1 2025 and Q1 2024; WTO-UNCTAD estimates for 2024.
As for the other main sectors of commercial services, global transport exports were up 3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, following rapid growth especially in the third and fourth quarter of 2024 due to frontloading. Asia recorded the fastest growth, up 10%, driven by a 31% rise in China, while Singapore and the Republic of Korea posted modest gains of 2%. Payments for shipping services increased by 19% in South and Central America and the Caribbean, as demand for goods surged.
Despite a difficult economic and geopolitical context, international travel expanded by 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. For the first time since the pandemic, international tourist arrivals were 3% above 2019 levels according to UN Tourism data. In Asia, travel receipts grew by 13%, driven by China (+96%), Viet Nam (+33%), Japan (+25%) and Thailand (+18%) as tourism continues to recover in the region. By contrast, North America’s travel receipts fell by 1%.
Services trade performance varied across major traders in the first five months of 2025 according to available monthly statistics. Double digit exports growth was recorded in Asian economies such as China (+13%, through June), India (+12%) and Japan (+11%). In North America, the United States and Canada saw diverging trends. US service exports rose by 5%, while Canada recorded a 6% decline. The EU’s service exports to non-member countries rose by 3%, while imports from outside the Union grew more sharply, increasing by 6%. The United Kingdom recorded marked growth, with exports up 9% and imports rising by 13%.
Chart 4: Services export and import growth of selected economies, January-May 2025 Year-on-year % change
Note: Statistics for Brazil, China and Pakistan refer to January-June. Source : National sources and Eurostat.
Headline: ‘STEM for ALL’ : Thales Joins the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS) Programme
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As a Sponsoring Organisation with SgIS, Thales will provide Singaporean undergraduate students scholarships in a comprehensive programme that includes internship, mentoring and a starting career with Thales.
With this initiative, Thales is extending its ‘STEM for ALL’ programme to Singapore, the first launch outside Europe, with its dedicated mission to advance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education amongst youth.
In its inaugural intake, four nominated scholars will undertake engineering or research roles in strategic sectors including air traffic management, public security, cybersecurity and digital identity, working within Thales businesses and research labs like the Thales Digital Factory.
With engineers comprising one-third of Thales Singapore’s 2000+ employees, the Group has a strong interest in promoting STEM education and growing the next generation of engineering talent. On 29thJuly, Thales was proud to join SgIS as a Sponsorship Organisation at its launch event and to present awards to the scholars, aligning with the government’s mandate to develop young talent in Singapore’s strategic sectors.
Established in 2012, SgIS is an initiative which partners government and industries to nurture a strong core of Singaporean talent in 16 strategic industries which include Aerospace & Aviation and Engineering. It is the only government-led, multi-industry scholarship under the Ministry of Education which provides talented Singaporean students access to close to 150 Sponsoring Organisations, giving them development opportunities as they further their studies and begin their professional careers.
Throughout May and June, over 100 potential candidates with diverse skillsets were introduced to Thales by SgIS and invited to an Open Day to get to know Thales’ businesses. From this, over 40 were taken through rigorous technical assessments, following which 12 were further shortlisted for panel interviews with Thales experts and business leaders to further assess their technical expertise and leadership attributes.
Four talented candidates from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) were the final recipients of the Thales award. Currently at different stages in their university education, the four students will progressively join the cybersecurity and digital identity, public security, air traffic management and Thales Digital Factory teams over the next 2 years.
Expanding the Thales Group’s STEM for ALL Programme to Singapore
In early 2025, Thales, through its endowment fund Thales Solidarity, launched its STEM for ALL programme in France and Belgium to foster vocation in scientific fields to remarkable young students.
By partnering the SgIS programme, Thales is extending the Group’s ambition in endorsing STEM education worldwide by reinforcing academic excellence. Singapore is the first country outside of Europe to have a STEM scholarship programme under the STEM for ALL umbrella.
“Thales recognises the essential role that science and technology play in furthering human progress and creating a world that is safer, greener and more sustainable. Many of the younger generation are passionate about making an impact and we are constantly looking for talented individuals, skilled in STEM, to help bring this ambition to life.”said Emily TAN, Country Director & Chief Executive, Thales in Singapore.“The scholars we selected have strong technical skills which we hope to nurture when they join the Thales family. I believe that their enthusiasm to learn, coupled with the mentorship opportunities and experiences within Thales, will provide a good starting point for their careers.”
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.
The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.
Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
About Thales in Singapore
Thales established its presence in Singapore in 1973 to support the growth of aerospace activities in Asia. Since then, it has grown to be a leading deep-tech company operating in the Aeronautics (including avionics and air traffic management), Defence, Public Security, Cybersecurity & Digital Identity sectors.
Thales in Singapore runs global industrial operations for avionics and digital identity solutions and has a strong commitment to Research, Technology and Innovation, with Centres of Excellence for radars, naval drones, space, avionics, public security and defence. With over 2000 employees across four locations, Thales is actively supporting Singapore in driving its digital transformation and Smart Nation ambitions.
The technical assistance mission supported the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten in strengthening its capacity to assess banking sector resilience through the development of a new macro-stress testing framework. The framework integrates macro-consistent scenarios, sectoral credit risk models, and detailed projections of balance sheet and income statement items. Key recommendations include institutionalizing regular biannual stress testing exercises, refining parameter calibration, enhancing scenario development, and expanding data collection aligned with IFRS 9 standards. These efforts position the CBCS to improve its macroprudential oversight and better safeguard financial stability in the monetary union.
Headline: Discover the potential of agentic AI in higher education
Discover how Azure AI Foundry in education helps institutions build tailored, scalable AI solutions to drive innovation and digital transformation.
At Microsoft Build 2025, we unveiled a new wave of agentic innovations that are reshaping how higher education institutions use AI. From intelligent agents to unified data platforms, these advancements empower higher education leaders to confidently accelerate digital transformation. A key part of this evolution is the role of Azure AI Foundry in education, which helps institutions build secure, scalable AI solutions tailored to their academic goals.
With these advances in AI, institutions now have a powerful new opportunity: to use agents that can automate routine tasks, assist faculty and staff, and provide real-time, contextual insights to support teaching and learning. As more institutions begin their journey to this next frontier, AI agents will support individuals and teams by automating tasks and delivering instant, contextual insights.
This means that with data-focused AI tools from Microsoft, your institution can:
Develop scalable, intelligent agents using Azure AI Foundry, trusted by enterprises and customized for higher education compliance and innovation.
Turn data insights into action with AI-powered analytics, addressing challenges in student success, research productivity, and operational agility.
Accelerate agentic AI with Azure AI Foundry
Azure AI Foundry Agent Service empowers institutions to securely design, deploy, and scale agents with ease. Enhance your team’s efficiency with agents that simplify academic and operational workflows with robust security and trust features built in. This provides key tools and resources to help you:
Create domain-specific agents to automate complex tasks.
Use enterprise-grade identity for agents and built-in trustworthy AI.
Deploy and scale agents quickly with managed infrastructure.
Get started with Azure AI Foundry Agent Service
Create and scale domain-specific agents
With Azure AI Foundry Agent Service, your team can create domain-specific agents tailored to your unique needs. It helps you design, deploy, and scale agents that are ready for real-world use. This fully managed service handles infrastructure and orchestration. It includes ready-to-use templates, actions, and connectors for more than 1,400 enterprise data sources, including SharePoint, Microsoft Fabric, and third-party systems. For instance, you can design and deploy agents to help onboard new students with personalized guidance and support administrative teams with instant responses to common questions.
Institutions like Stanford Medicine are already using the healthcare agent orchestrator in Azure AI Foundry alongside Microsoft Copilot Studio. This integration enhances the efficiency of tumor board meetings through customized clinical workflows.
Secure and manage your agents
Creating agents is just the beginning—managing them responsibly plays a critical role in their effective use. With Microsoft Entra Agent ID, you can:
Gain complete visibility and control over agents’ actions.
Assign unique identities for each agent.
Share identity management with your team members.
Define access controls and permissions for each agent.
Learn about Microsoft Entra Agent ID
Trustworthy AI is a foundational commitment for Microsoft and for our customers. We’ve introduced new capabilities to help institutions discover, protect, and govern AI systems from the start.
On the security side, Azure AI Foundry integrates with Microsoft Defender for Cloud to provide real-time alerts and insights when threats arise. For compliance, out-of-the box integration with governance tools like Credo AI, Saidot, and Microsoft Purview, helps institutions monitor model performance, assess fairness, and track regulatory requirements.
By using Azure AI Foundry’s built-in tools for safety, security, and governance, institutions can design and deploy AI systems with greater reliability from the start.
Powering the next AI frontier with Microsoft Fabric
Strong data is foundational to effective AI. Microsoft Fabric helps unify your data to power analytics and agents—without the burden of managing complex infrastructure. As a SaaS solution, Fabric offers seamless integration of data tools and can reduce the need for manual service connections.
Try Microsoft Fabric for free
At its core is Microsoft OneLake, an open and unified data lake that supports any format, from any cloud. This flexibility allows developers to access and analyze all types of data efficiently.
Fabric also transforms how you manage and interact with data. With natural language capabilities, you can explore insights that drive student success, enhance research, and boost operational agility—empowering everyone to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Find the right data when you need it
Education leaders need tools that turn insights into action. That’s why we’re focused on making data more accessible through conversational experiences. With Copilot in Power BI, users can now ask questions in natural language and receive instant insights—no technical training needed to get started. Whether it’s enrollment trends, retention risks, or alumni giving, faculty and staff can explore data directly within Microsoft Teams to streamline their workflow.
Empower everyone to interact with their data
With enhanced interaction capabilities in Power BI and Copilot Studio, transforming data into actionable insights can now be faster and more intuitive. You can explore data through natural, conversational experiences, removing complexity, and making analysis more accessible. This shift empowers you and your teams to break down data silos and uncover valuable insights with ease. Power BI chat simplifies the exploration of complex datasets, offering quicker, more confident decision-making.
Uncover deeper insights with data agents
Finally, connecting Fabric data agents to Copilot Studio can help uncover deeper insights. These agents expertly analyze complex datasets, uncovering valuable insights from OneLake and driving informed action. By automating tasks like email sending and workflow triggering, they streamline your interactions with enterprise data, enabling confident decision-making.
Embrace the future of data-driven higher education with Microsoft Azure and Azure AI Foundry. Discover how innovative data agents and AI-powered insights can enhance your approach to learning and operations. Start your journey today and uncover the limitless possibilities that await you.
Samsung Electronics America is collaborating with Google to offer a curated museum experience powered by Galaxy S25 Edge and Gemini Live. The program kicks off at Space Center Houston, the space exploration and science learning museum that serves as the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. With AI-inspired interactive activations, visitors will get a sneak peek at the exciting ways Gemini Live can transform learning, whether you’re diving into history, exploring with curiosity, or Quick Sharing your favorite photo moments as immersive digital content.
This program will continue with unique activations at museums in Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York, to be announced throughout the summer.
At Space Center Houston, the Samsung Google Gemini Live Museum experience will feature striking digital installations positioned in the main plaza and throughout exhibit areas with multiple opportunities to engage with Gemini Live using Galaxy S25 Edge. Guests will start their journey at the plaza kiosk, where they will register and be assigned randomly generated space themed usernames, like APOLLO and MOON. After signing up, guests will continue their journey with a guided Gemini Live tutorial using Galaxy S25 Edge.
Gemini Live enhances each guest’s journey as they follow prompts at various stops throughout the museum. With Gemini Live, guests will receive personalized insights and deeper educational opportunities at each stop, with the opportunity for demos that create a seamless, curated museum visit.
Throughout this gamified experience, users will be able to see a map overview of the different activities alongside a progress bar so they are enticed to complete the whole experience fully. This creates a playful, fun, and engaging environment to learn while experiencing all that Galaxy S25 Edge and Gemini Live have to offer. Leaderboard displays will also show entertaining museum facts and fun Gemini Live features. Throughout their tour and upon completing activities, guests will be eligible to earn prizes, ranging from retail offers to digital and physical prizes at the kiosk.1 They’ll also receive emails throughout their visit to keep their username, prizes, and other helpful information streamlined.
WHO: Fans and museumgoers are invited to join Samsung for curated, hands-on experiences using Galaxy S25 Edge and Gemini Live.
WHAT: Samsung is collaborating with Google to host the Gemini Live Museum program. The showcase will feature museum activation where guests can use Gemini Live on Galaxy S25 Edge to experience the power of AI on Galaxy’s slimmest S Series phone yet.
WHEN: Thursday, July 31, 2025, through Thursday, September 25, 2025
Museum hours apply. Experience will take place daily.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today received a farewell call from Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to ASEAN, Ina Ruth Luise Lepel, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. SG Dr. Kao thanked Ambassador Lepel for her dedication in advancing the ASEAN-Germany cooperation throughout her tenure in Jakarta. He also conveyed his readiness to work closely with her successor to continue the momentum and to further strengthen ASEAN-Germany Development Partnership.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN bids farewell to Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to ASEAN appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
On September 1, 2025, Francesco Sciortino will join the Executive Board of Lufthansa Airlines and take over responsibility as Hub Manager for Frankfurt. He will also become Accountable Manager for the Lufthansa airline. Francesco Sciortino is currently a Member of the Executive Board and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Austrian Airlines. Previously, he was Managing Director and Accountable Manager at Germanwings and SunExpress. Francesco Sciortino is also a captain on Airbus A330/340 aircraft at Lufthansa.
The previous Hub Manager for Frankfurt, Klaus Froese, has taken over the role on an interim basis and is transferring to Lufthansa’s Boeing 747 fleet as a captain as planned.
Heiko Reitz, Member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Airlines, will take over responsibility as Hub Manager for Munich on September 1, 2025. Jens Ritter, who holds this position in addition to his role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), will focus on the further development of Lufthansa Airlines as CEO and drive forward the consistent implementation of the turnaround program for the future.
At the beginning of 2025, Lufthansa Airlines introduced two Hub Managers with explicit responsibility for improving operational processes between the Lufthansa teams and their partners at both locations in Frankfurt and Munich. Since then, operational stability and punctuality have improved significantly, as has customer satisfaction.
Government of India has announced the sale (re-issue) of Government Securities, as detailed below, through auctions to be held on August 01, 2025 (Friday).
As per the extant scheme of underwriting commitment notified on November 14, 2007, the amounts of Minimum Underwriting Commitment (MUC) and the minimum bidding commitment under Additional Competitive Underwriting (ACU) auction, applicable to each Primary Dealer (PD), are as under:
(₹ crore)
Security
Notified Amount
MUC amount per PD
Minimum bidding commitment per PD under ACU auction
6.68% GS 2040
16,000
381
381
6.90% GS 2065
16,000
381
381
The underwriting auction will be conducted through multiple price-based method on August 01, 2025 (Friday). PDs may submit their bids for ACU auction electronically through Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) System between 09:00 A.M. and 09:30 A.M. on the day of underwriting auction.
The underwriting commission will be credited to the current account of the respective PDs with RBI on the day of issue of securities.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Samsung pioneered the foldable smartphone category more than six years ago, and now, in its seventh generation, is raising the bar on what a smartphone can do. Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 offer powerful performance, refined AI experiences, and enhanced durability in incredibly thin and light designs. And the latest Z series advancements are fueling new levels of interest from consumers.
Both Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 saw more than a 25% increase in total preorders compared to the previous generation. That includes more Galaxy Z Fold7 pre-orders than any previous Z Fold device in US history. As part of that, carrier partners saw nearly a 60% pre-order jump cumulatively for both devices compared to last year’s models. In-store shoppers are taking advantage of getting their hands on the devices, with thin, light and compact designs, as well as camera improvements being among the top interest drivers.
Since last week’s general availability, momentum for both devices remain strong, with orders continuing to outpace the previous generation by more than 25%. Further, Galaxy Z Fold7 is out pacing its previous model by nearly 50% since availability opened on July 25.
“Foldables have reached an inflection point as they are becoming a mainstream choice for users,” said Drew Blackard, Senior Vice President of Mobile Product Management at Samsung Electronics America. “Now on our seventh generation, we’ve addressed consumer feedback year after year and have arrived at the kind of experience you can’t get on any other device. When people go hands-on with a Z series device, they’re hooked — and now it’s all coming together with record-breaking numbers.”
As interest in Z series foldables continues to grow, user trends are shifting — mainly their color and style preferences. While black has historically been the preferred choice of Z Fold users, Blue Shadow made up nearly half of Z Fold7 pre-orders. With Galaxy Z Flip7, demand for Coralred color option has also beat expectations, making up 25% of Z Flip7 pre-orders. These trends are remaining steady through the first week of availability.
Both Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 build on years of consumer feedback, including the cutting-edge AI features for Galaxy Z series unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked in July. Whether you’re a creative looking for powerful tools to take your work to the next level, want to tap into the power of Now Bar1 to stay on top of your busy schedule, or rely on Gemini Live2 for helpful, intuitive AI-powered conversations, the Galaxy Z series brings together the best of Galaxy to offer an ultra-like experience for the first time on Flip and Fold.
Building on decades of smartphone innovation, the latest additions to the Galaxy Z series are expanding the foldables landscape. And with availability just underway — the full story is still unfolding. Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and Galaxy Z Flip7 FE are available for purchase now at Samsung.com, Samsung Experience Stores, carriers, and retail stores nationwide.
For more information about the Galaxy Z series, please visit the Samsung US Newsroom, SamsungMobilePress.com and Samsung.com.
The value of exports and imports of services during June 2025 is given in the following table.
International Trade in Services
(US$ million)
Month
Receipts (Exports)
Payments (Imports)
April – 2025
32,843 (8.8)
16,909 (0.9)
May – 2025
32,452 (9.6)
16,694 (-1.1)
June – 2025
32,105 (12.0)
15,897 (5.0)
Note: Figures in parentheses are growth rates over the corresponding month of the previous year which have been revised on the basis of balance of payments statistics.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
The Reserve Bank today released data on India’s invisibles as per the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) format for January-March of 2024-25.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will welcome H.E. José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, to the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, on 1 August 2025.
The visit will include a Policy Speech by H.E. José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and an Interface with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to ASEAN. The visit will highlight, among others, the progress in Timor-Leste’s journey towards membership in ASEAN. During the Policy Speech, attendances would include members of the diplomatic corps in Jakarta, representatives of Entities associated with ASEAN, academia and think tanks, the business community, as well as staff members of the ASEAN Secretariat.
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Johannesburg, South Africa – on July 22, 2025, The New Development Bank (NDB) and the South African National Roads Agency Soc Limited (SANRAL) have today signed a landmark loan agreement worth ZAR7 billion to finance the rehabilitation and expansion of key national road segments. This strategic partnership reflects a shared commitment to modernizing South Africa’s transport infrastructure, reducing logistics costs, and boosting economic growth.
The loan agreement will fund critical upgrades including the widening of highways, rehabilitation of bridges, and improvement of intersections along major freight corridors. These infrastructure enhancements are expected to significantly reduce travel times, improve road safety, and facilitate smoother movement of goods and people across the country.
To optimise financial efficiency, the loan is denominated in South African Rand (ZAR), which helps reduce debt financing charges by mitigating currency risk and aligning repayment obligations with local revenue streams.
South Africa’s transport sector plays a vital role in the national economy, and efficient road networks are essential for supporting trade, tourism, and job creation. By investing in the modernization of its road infrastructure, SANRAL aims to lower transportation costs for the majority of road users in South Africa, enhance connectivity between urban and rural areas, and stimulate inclusive economic development.
This financing aligns with the New Development Bank’s mission to support sustainable infrastructure projects that foster regional integration and economic resilience. As Mr. Monale Ratsoma, Chief Financial Officer, explained, “This loan agreement with SANRAL demonstrates the New Development Bank’s commitment to partnering with South Africa in building resilient and efficient infrastructure that drives economic transformation. We are proud to support projects that will improve the quality of life for millions of South Africans.”
From SANRAL’s perspective, Reginald Demana, Chief Executive Officer, emphasised, “The investment from the New Development Bank is a vital step towards upgrading our national road network. It will enable us to deliver safer, more reliable roads that underpin economic growth and social development.
The signing ceremony took place in Johannesburg at NDB’s Africa Regional Office and was attended by senior officials from both organisations, highlighting the strong cooperation between the New Development Bank and South African government agencies. Background Information
New Development Bank
NDB was established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing countries, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.
For more information on NDB, please visit www.ndb.int
South African National Roads Agency LTD
The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) is an independent, statutory company. South Africa’s Ministry of Transport is the sole shareholder and owner of SANRAL. Its mandate focuses on building and maintaining roads to enhance connectivity and development in South Africa.
Headline: Straight Talk Launches Mission to Help Families Build Healthy Digital Habits with “The First Phone Pact”
NEW YORK – As families prepare for the back-to-school season, Straight Talk Wireless, a leading prepaid brand covered by Verizon’s 5G network, is addressing one of parents’ most pressing concerns: helping children develop healthy phone habits from the start. The wireless carrier today released “The First Phone Pact,” a resource that goes beyond connectivity to provide families with practical tools for establishing digital boundaries together. The new resource was developed in partnership with Dr. Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist who studies the impact of digital technology on kids’ well-being.
The First Phone Pact offers an elevated, user-friendly experience designed to help families create an agreement that reflects their specific values, parenting style, and child’s maturity. This pact creates clear expectations upfront — shaping their child’s first phone experience with clarity and care.
This customizable pact helps parents establish their own ground rules around:
Screen time limits and phone-free zones
Appropriate apps and content guidelines
Consequences for misuse
Digital citizenship and online etiquette
Age-appropriate milestones and privileges
“At Straight Talk, we believe that anyone’s first exposure to a phone should come with a plan for how to use it,” said Nancy Clark, President at Verizon Value. “The First Phone Pact gives families the blueprint they need to establish healthy digital habits from day one and includes expert-backed guidance parents can trust. Families deserve a smooth, confident digital transition.”
The campaign responds to growing parental anxiety around children’s first exposure to phones. Back-to-school preparation now extends beyond supplies and clothes to include digital boundaries, as families grapple with questions about appropriate screen time, online safety, and responsible technology use.
“A child’s first phone is an important milestone for families,” said Dr. Nesi. “It’s the perfect opportunity to lay the groundwork for healthy digital habits in the future. Having open, honest conversations and setting clear boundaries upfront goes a long way and we’re here to help parents do that by providing practical, personalized tools.”
The First Phone Pact is available as a free resource for all families, regardless of their wireless carrier. Supporting families goes beyond digital guidance. In addition to The First Phone Pact, Straight Talk is making back-to-school easier with affordable device deals available only at Walmart and StraightTalk.com.
For a limited time through 10/19/25, families can take advantage of special back-to-school savings on top devices, including:
Samsung A26 – Only $99 (a $100 savings) with a $55+ plan
$50 off select iPhone models (iPhone 14, 15, 15+, 15 Pro and 16e) with activation of a $55+ plan
Moto G 5G (128 GB) – Free (on us) with activation of a $55+ plan, for new lines or upgrades
The downloadable First Phone Pact template is available in English and Spanish. For more information, visit thefirstphonepact.com.
About Straight Talk
Straight Talk Wireless provides quality no-contract wireless solutions to value-conscious consumers and is available exclusively at Walmart, Walmart.com, and Straighttalk.com.
Straight Talk is part of the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes Total Wireless, Visible, Tracfone, Simple Mobile, SafeLink, Walmart Family Mobile, and Verizon Prepaid.
Source: African Development Bank Group The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), managed by the African Development Bank, has committed a €6 million concessional finance package for the development of the 18 MW Dédougou Solar Power Plant in Burkina Faso, marking a significant milestone towards increasing the country’s energy generation capacity.
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, and the Federation of Japanese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN (FJCCIA) Chairman, Mr. Wakabayashi Koichi, today led the 17th Dialogue between the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the FJCCIA at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat. Joined by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) President, Mr. Kataoka Susumu, Japanese government representatives and key members of Japanese chambers across ASEAN, the dialogue explored critical areas such as resilient supply chains, green economy & sustainability, and digital economy & emerging technologies. The high-level exchange aligned with ASEAN’s priorities, fostering actionable policies to enhance regional competitiveness and deepen the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Download the full remarks here.
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Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
The following two tables show New Zealand and the 24 other economies in the world most easily and fruitfully compared to New Zealand. The countries are sorted with the worst-performing economies (in terms of economic growth per capita) listed at the top. Thus, taking four-year compounded growth for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Germany was the worst performer (ranked 25 out of 25); its economy, adjusted for population growth, shrank over four years by 1.2 percent.
The ‘top’ three countries in the table all had such negative growth.
Table 1: Rankings for 25 Advanced Economies 2019-23
2019-23*
growth pc
inflation
interest
population
rank
rank
rank
rank
Germany
25
6
9
18
Finland
24
19
9
20
Austria
23
1
9
9
United Kingdom
22
2
4
12
Canada
21
14
3
3
Spain
20
15
9
10
France
19
16
9
19
Japan
18
24
25
24
Norway
17
10
7
6
Sweden
16
9
21
15
New Zealand
15
4
1
5
Switzerland
14
25
24
7
Australia
13
11
8
4
Belgium
12
8
9
13
Portugal
11
17
9
16
Netherlands
10
3
9
8
Italy
9
12
9
23
Israel
8
22
6
1
United States
7
5
2
11
Slovenia
6
7
9
17
Denmark
5
18
23
14
Korea
4
21
5
21
Greece
3
20
9
25
Taiwan
2
23
22
22
Ireland
1
13
9
2
*
end of year data for inflation and interest
source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025
On growth, New Zealand was in the middle of the pack, with 3.9 percent compounded growth per capita; that averages out to just below one percent per annum.
On inflation and interest rates, a high ranking is generally regarded as a poor performance; although a low inflation rate may be outside the policy target zone, just as a high inflation rate may be. New Zealand had the fourth-highest CPI inflation over that four-year period, comparing consumer prices in December 2023 with December 2019. In December 2023, consumer prices were 20.6% higher than in December 2019. The country with highest compounded inflation was Austria with 22.4%, and the lowest Switzerland with 5.5%.
New Zealand had the highest compounded interest rates for that period; it had top-ranking for high-interest. If $1,000 was ‘invested’ at the Official Cash Rate each December from December 2020, and reinvested each December for four years in total, the accumulated amount would have been $1,111. Next highest were the United States and Canada. This ranking gives a sense of the monetary policy in the four years after the 2020 covid wave; New Zealand had the tightest monetary policy for the period as a whole, meaning the strongest ‘anti-inflationary policy’. If you see Table 2 below, you will see that New Zealand had the lowest economic growth in 2024, a direct consequence of that tighter monetary policy stance.
On interest rates, we note that the countries in the Euro currency zone all experience the same monetary policy setting. It means that those Euro countries which are more aggressively anti-inflation tend to resort most to fiscal consolidation, a euphemism for government retrenchment and austerity. There is no simple measure for tight fiscal policy; the Budget deficit/surplus is often used incorrectly because government retrenchment significantly undermines government revenue.
On inflation, we note that some of those northern European countries which we normally expect to have low inflation actually had the highest inflation: Austria, Netherlands, Germany. One country similar to New Zealand on inflation and interest, and with zero growth per capita, was the United Kingdom. Australia was better than New Zealand on all three measures: growth, inflation, and interest. And much the same as New Zealand on population growth.
Table 2: Rankings for 25 Advanced Economies 2023-24
2023-24*
growth pc
inflation
interest
population
rank
rank
rank
rank
New Zealand
25
13
6
2
Austria
24
15
8
15
Canada
23
17
7
1
Finland
22
22
8
12
Ireland
21
24
8
3
Germany
20
9
8
20
Israel
19
3
2
5
Switzerland
18
25
24
4
United Kingdom
17
10
1
6
Netherlands
16
2
8
11
Belgium
15
1
8
14
Australia
14
11
5
13
Japan
13
6
25
25
Sweden
12
20
22
17
Italy
11
23
8
22
France
10
21
8
19
Portugal
9
4
8
10
Norway
8
14
2
7
Slovenia
7
19
8
18
United States
6
8
2
9
Korea
5
16
20
21
Spain
4
7
8
8
Greece
3
5
8
24
Denmark
2
18
21
16
Taiwan
1
12
23
23
*
end of year data for inflation and interest
source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025
Table 2 shows the same data items for 2024. Of particular interest is the 2024 growth and inflation rates in 2024, compared to the interest rates for the preceding four years. New Zealand, with the toughest monetary policy over a longer period certainly got the recession it asked for; and was the median country for CPI inflation in 2024, virtually bang-on the policy target. (Was the pain worth it?)
It’s important to note that many countries with significantly lower inflation than New Zealand did not have anything like the very high policy interest rates that New Zealand was subjected to; eg Sweden, Italy, France, Denmark, Slovenia. Any beneficial link from high interest rates to low inflation remains moot; and it is clear that high-interest-rate policies do much damage to the wider economy. While Japan had higher inflation in 2024 than New Zealand, we note that Japan’s overall increase in consumer prices in the half-decade was much lower than New Zealand’s. Japan’s inflationary pressures are almost entirely imported, with New Zealand’s domestically generated CPI inflation being significantly greater than Japan’s.
We should note that southern Europe was doing particularly well in 2024. Although Greece’s per capita growth is fuelled in part by substantial population losses. Spain, on the other hand, is getting its population back. Further north, the Austrian economy is looking particularly problematic; it’s no wonder the ‘far-right’ political party did so well there in elections at the end of 2024 (ten percentage points higher than the Hitler-led NSDAP party got in Germany in 1930). And Finland is not looking happy either, despite low inflation.
United States, United Kingdom and Australia continued to have above-median inflation in 2024, despite – or, more likely, because of – their continued perseverance with high-interest monetary policies.
On population growth we see that Canada has been the overall ‘winner’, presumably in the sense that it both attracts and accepts immigrants. Surprisingly, in 2024 Australia slumped in its population growth, whereas New Zealand did not. I suspect that 2025 will show more immigration in Australia than New Zealand.
Finally
All is not well in the New Zealand economy. And it’s also quite unwell in some other countries, especially the North European Euro-zone countries, and the United Kingdom. And the United States, with its tight monetary policies, seems to have only averted the fate of the United Kingdom and New Zealand (and Germany and Austria) by virtue of stimulus to its military-industrial complex. Or, strictly speaking, to its military complex. Civilian industry remains weak in the USA.
*******
Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Would be nice to have a classic “add to calendar” or “ics file” to set a reminder, instead of only setting a youtube reminder … or couldn’t I find it?