by Antonella PrennaRome (Agenzia Fides) – “We work in problematic, difficult, and complex contexts where persecution exists. Where violence and persecution prevail, there is no dialogue, there is no respect for others. Precisely for this reason, in support of our specific mission of helping persecuted Christians, we also focus on interreligious dialogue, on religious freedom as a topic for deepening and raising awareness not only on a social but also on a theological level.”This is what Father Luigi Buccarello said in an interview with Fides at the end of the General Chapter of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and the Captives O.SS.T. (see Fides, 7/11/2023), where he was confirmed for a further term as Superior General. Also present was Father Antonio Aurelio Fernández Serrano, president of the organization Trinitarian International Solidarity (SIT), which coordinates activities to support persecuted Christians.In the wake of Dignitatis Humanae”Following the guidelines of the Vatican II document on religious freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, and the subsequent magisterium of the Pontiffs,” Father Buccarello continues, “we have been collaborating for two years with the Center for Interreligious Studies of the Pontifical Gregorian University, with whom we organized a six-month course entitled ‘Religious Freedom: Problems, Challenges, and Perspectives,’ which was offered for the first time this year. In addition to the course, which is aimed at theology students and those interested in the subject, we have established a two-year theological research group involving 15 specialists from various research fields. The topic of religious freedom requires an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach; geopolitics, history, sociology, theology, canon law, civil law, and religious studies are all involved. A publication will be published at the end of this two-year research period.””The lack of religious freedom,” the priest continued, “is a challenge for every religion. Every day we hear about attacks in Nigeria, Yemen, and Syria. Syria had exuberantly celebrated the regime change, but we see that we are back to square one.” “Together with Father Antonio, we are always in contact with these countries, and since we touch these realities firsthand, we recognize that religious freedom is the only guarantee of peace and coexistence. Our service is not charitable; rather, we want to address the problem at its root and combat the causes underlying religious intolerance.””The General Chapter,” the Superior General continues, “placed great emphasis on the specific training of our students in these topics. Working in the field of interreligious dialogue means paving a path to peace. Religious freedom is the path to peace. One of the important themes of the post-conciliar Magisterium is the consideration of religious freedom as a prerequisite for peace, because where freedom is respected, there is obviously peace, acceptance of others, and appreciation of religious diversity. Fundamentalists resort to violence because they do not tolerate religious diversity. They want uniformity, even within their own religious tradition; they view religion as a monolithic bloc and consider themselves the sole bearers of the authentic religious message. If this acceptance of diversity is lacking and differences are perceived as a threat rather than an enrichment, peace is in danger. But our faith is also in danger, for it always leads us to an encounter with others.”A long historyThe current mission of the Trinitarian religious family coincides with an update of its founding charism. “The Trinitarian Order,” explains Father Buccarello, “was founded for persecuted Christians, obviously in a different time and in a different historical context. In our motto, “Gloria tibi Trinitas et captivis libertas,” we find the word ‘slaves,’ ‘prisoners.’ Our founder, Saint John of Matha, began the “liberation missions,” initially from Spain to Morocco, with a letter from Innocent III, in which he recommended the Trinitarians to the Sultan of Morocco, saying that the work of freeing slaves was a work of charity, the most important, the most significant, and of universal benefit. In fact, the Pope had given the Trinitarians permission to free Christian slaves through exchange with Muslim slaves, thus creating a double liberation of both Christian and Muslim slaves.”Saint John of Matha was a learned theologian and had no intention to found a new religious family. During his first Mass, he had a vision: he saw Christ in the center, holding the arms of two slaves, a white Christian and a Black Muslim. After a period of reflection, it became clear to him that he had to found a religious family dedicated to this special mission: the redemption of captives “pro fide Christi.””Today,” adds Father Buccarello, “we know that this inspiration of our founder is very timely. The two ‘lungs’ of our mission are the works of mercy and persecuted Christians. And the latter is the work that most identifies and unites us. To update this charism, the Extraordinary General Chapter of 1999, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the adoption of the Rule of the Order and the fourth anniversary of the Order’s reform, decided to create an organization to coordinate and promote this area of assistance to persecuted Christians, which would be called ‘Trinitarian International Solidarity.’”The organization’s current president, Father Antonio Aurelio Fernández Serrano, explains that “it is an internal body of the Trinitarian religious family, whose first 25th anniversary was just celebrated. On this occasion, we made a documentary to raise awareness of the problem of persecuted Christians.” “Our projects,” he explains, “are also present in countries like Sudan and South Sudan, where we have already freed several young people.”Father Buccarello adds details of a meeting of the aid organization in Bahrain, where, at the initiative of the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, Bishop Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., a meeting was also held with Abdullah Abdullah, director of the Global Center for Peace Coexistence (see Fides, 23/10/2024). “Abdullah came to our Chapter to share his experience,” the Superior General said. “He was also in the Italian Parliament, where, at a meeting in the Chamber of Deputies, he described the Trinitarian Order as an example of dialogue, care, charity, and respect.”The challenges of todayThe Trinitarians are active in the Roman parish of Santa Maria delle Fornaci, the titular church of Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio to Syria. “The Cardinal,” Father Buccarello explains, “spoke to us extensively about the situation in Syria, about persecution, but also about poverty, about the many Christians who have left the country in recent years. When Christians disappear from the Middle East, the balance that ensures harmonious coexistence between different cultures and faiths is lost. Peaceful coexistence is most threatened when a historical component of a region’s religious landscape disappears.”The Trinitarian Order is present in 25 countries, including Vietnam, South Korea, and India, a country where, according to Father Buccarello, cases of violence and harassment against Christians are increasing year after year, as well as in many areas of Africa where “terrorist groups and movements engaged in aggressive proselytizing” are active.The specific contribution that the Trinitarian Order can make for the future, according to the Superior General, is to “train religious who are experts in interreligious dialogue. We all need to be sensitized; even in the Western world, where we often do not know how to deal with religious diversity, there is no genuine encounter between people. Everyone has their own space; there is no true integration.” “In many schools in northern Italy,” he notes, “for example, the majority of students are non-Catholic and non-Christian. What resources do we provide to the children so that they can interact and welcome others? And are there other situations that are unknown? Our Trinitarian sisters in Valence, for example, have a school on the outskirts of Marseille. Eighty percent of the students are Muslims, who choose Catholic rather than public schools because they prefer a religious approach to a materialistic, atheistic one. In our school in northern Assam, India, only five percent of the students are Catholic; the others are Hindus and Muslims. However, they live together without problems because religious diversity is a resource that fosters respect for others and promotes the value of coexistence and peace.”The “motto” of the General Chapter was a quote from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: “Persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” “One of the criteria that was very well highlighted,” the Superior General emphasized, “is that religious freedom is not a theoretical question, but affects the lives and suffering of so many people, and that it must be analyzed in context. Each reality, in its complexity and problematic nature, presents different challenges to religious freedom. In Canada, for example, members of the order cannot go to the hospital wearing a religious habit. In the Western world, there is an aggressive secularism that tends to reduce religion to the private sphere, and identity-political cultural movements that instrumentalize religion. Identitarian movements aim to mark a kind of difference and opposition between “us and you” by fueling narratives that appeal to people’s fears, for example when migration is portrayed as a kind of invasion by the enemy who has come to destroy our identity. All of us, starting with religious leaders, must loudly emphasize that the name of God cannot be associated with war and violence. This must be said emphatically. Yet even these days, we hear statements from political leaders who seek to justify the war as a kind of divine mandate.” (Agenzia Fides, 28/6/2025)
Share:
by Antonella PrennaRome (Agenzia Fides) – “We work in problematic, difficult, and complex contexts where persecution exists. Where violence and persecution prevail, there is no dialogue, there is no respect for others. Precisely for this reason, in support of our specific mission of helping persecuted Christians, we also focus on interreligious dialogue, on religious freedom as a topic for deepening and raising awareness not only on a social but also on a theological level.”This is what Father Luigi Buccarello said in an interview with Fides at the end of the General Chapter of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and the Captives O.SS.T. (see Fides, 7/11/2023), where he was confirmed for a further term as Superior General. Also present was Father Antonio Aurelio Fernández Serrano, president of the organization Trinitarian International Solidarity (SIT), which coordinates activities to support persecuted Christians.In the wake of Dignitatis Humanae”Following the guidelines of the Vatican II document on religious freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, and the subsequent magisterium of the Pontiffs,” Father Buccarello continues, “we have been collaborating for two years with the Center for Interreligious Studies of the Pontifical Gregorian University, with whom we organized a six-month course entitled ‘Religious Freedom: Problems, Challenges, and Perspectives,’ which was offered for the first time this year. In addition to the course, which is aimed at theology students and those interested in the subject, we have established a two-year theological research group involving 15 specialists from various research fields. The topic of religious freedom requires an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach; geopolitics, history, sociology, theology, canon law, civil law, and religious studies are all involved. A publication will be published at the end of this two-year research period.””The lack of religious freedom,” the priest continued, “is a challenge for every religion. Every day we hear about attacks in Nigeria, Yemen, and Syria. Syria had exuberantly celebrated the regime change, but we see that we are back to square one.” “Together with Father Antonio, we are always in contact with these countries, and since we touch these realities firsthand, we recognize that religious freedom is the only guarantee of peace and coexistence. Our service is not charitable; rather, we want to address the problem at its root and combat the causes underlying religious intolerance.””The General Chapter,” the Superior General continues, “placed great emphasis on the specific training of our students in these topics. Working in the field of interreligious dialogue means paving a path to peace. Religious freedom is the path to peace. One of the important themes of the post-conciliar Magisterium is the consideration of religious freedom as a prerequisite for peace, because where freedom is respected, there is obviously peace, acceptance of others, and appreciation of religious diversity. Fundamentalists resort to violence because they do not tolerate religious diversity. They want uniformity, even within their own religious tradition; they view religion as a monolithic bloc and consider themselves the sole bearers of the authentic religious message. If this acceptance of diversity is lacking and differences are perceived as a threat rather than an enrichment, peace is in danger. But our faith is also in danger, for it always leads us to an encounter with others.”A long historyThe current mission of the Trinitarian religious family coincides with an update of its founding charism. “The Trinitarian Order,” explains Father Buccarello, “was founded for persecuted Christians, obviously in a different time and in a different historical context. In our motto, “Gloria tibi Trinitas et captivis libertas,” we find the word ‘slaves,’ ‘prisoners.’ Our founder, Saint John of Matha, began the “liberation missions,” initially from Spain to Morocco, with a letter from Innocent III, in which he recommended the Trinitarians to the Sultan of Morocco, saying that the work of freeing slaves was a work of charity, the most important, the most significant, and of universal benefit. In fact, the Pope had given the Trinitarians permission to free Christian slaves through exchange with Muslim slaves, thus creating a double liberation of both Christian and Muslim slaves.”Saint John of Matha was a learned theologian and had no intention to found a new religious family. During his first Mass, he had a vision: he saw Christ in the center, holding the arms of two slaves, a white Christian and a Black Muslim. After a period of reflection, it became clear to him that he had to found a religious family dedicated to this special mission: the redemption of captives “pro fide Christi.””Today,” adds Father Buccarello, “we know that this inspiration of our founder is very timely. The two ‘lungs’ of our mission are the works of mercy and persecuted Christians. And the latter is the work that most identifies and unites us. To update this charism, the Extraordinary General Chapter of 1999, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the adoption of the Rule of the Order and the fourth anniversary of the Order’s reform, decided to create an organization to coordinate and promote this area of assistance to persecuted Christians, which would be called ‘Trinitarian International Solidarity.’”The organization’s current president, Father Antonio Aurelio Fernández Serrano, explains that “it is an internal body of the Trinitarian religious family, whose first 25th anniversary was just celebrated. On this occasion, we made a documentary to raise awareness of the problem of persecuted Christians.” “Our projects,” he explains, “are also present in countries like Sudan and South Sudan, where we have already freed several young people.”Father Buccarello adds details of a meeting of the aid organization in Bahrain, where, at the initiative of the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, Bishop Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., a meeting was also held with Abdullah Abdullah, director of the Global Center for Peace Coexistence (see Fides, 23/10/2024). “Abdullah came to our Chapter to share his experience,” the Superior General said. “He was also in the Italian Parliament, where, at a meeting in the Chamber of Deputies, he described the Trinitarian Order as an example of dialogue, care, charity, and respect.”The challenges of todayThe Trinitarians are active in the Roman parish of Santa Maria delle Fornaci, the titular church of Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio to Syria. “The Cardinal,” Father Buccarello explains, “spoke to us extensively about the situation in Syria, about persecution, but also about poverty, about the many Christians who have left the country in recent years. When Christians disappear from the Middle East, the balance that ensures harmonious coexistence between different cultures and faiths is lost. Peaceful coexistence is most threatened when a historical component of a region’s religious landscape disappears.”The Trinitarian Order is present in 25 countries, including Vietnam, South Korea, and India, a country where, according to Father Buccarello, cases of violence and harassment against Christians are increasing year after year, as well as in many areas of Africa where “terrorist groups and movements engaged in aggressive proselytizing” are active.The specific contribution that the Trinitarian Order can make for the future, according to the Superior General, is to “train religious who are experts in interreligious dialogue. We all need to be sensitized; even in the Western world, where we often do not know how to deal with religious diversity, there is no genuine encounter between people. Everyone has their own space; there is no true integration.” “In many schools in northern Italy,” he notes, “for example, the majority of students are non-Catholic and non-Christian. What resources do we provide to the children so that they can interact and welcome others? And are there other situations that are unknown? Our Trinitarian sisters in Valence, for example, have a school on the outskirts of Marseille. Eighty percent of the students are Muslims, who choose Catholic rather than public schools because they prefer a religious approach to a materialistic, atheistic one. In our school in northern Assam, India, only five percent of the students are Catholic; the others are Hindus and Muslims. However, they live together without problems because religious diversity is a resource that fosters respect for others and promotes the value of coexistence and peace.”The “motto” of the General Chapter was a quote from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: “Persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” “One of the criteria that was very well highlighted,” the Superior General emphasized, “is that religious freedom is not a theoretical question, but affects the lives and suffering of so many people, and that it must be analyzed in context. Each reality, in its complexity and problematic nature, presents different challenges to religious freedom. In Canada, for example, members of the order cannot go to the hospital wearing a religious habit. In the Western world, there is an aggressive secularism that tends to reduce religion to the private sphere, and identity-political cultural movements that instrumentalize religion. Identitarian movements aim to mark a kind of difference and opposition between “us and you” by fueling narratives that appeal to people’s fears, for example when migration is portrayed as a kind of invasion by the enemy who has come to destroy our identity. All of us, starting with religious leaders, must loudly emphasize that the name of God cannot be associated with war and violence. This must be said emphatically. Yet even these days, we hear statements from political leaders who seek to justify the war as a kind of divine mandate.” (Agenzia Fides, 28/6/2025)
Share:
Tetere (Agenzia Fides) – Salesian missionaries working in the Solomon Islands have chosen to explain to children what the Jubilee is, the rites associated with the Holy Year, and how to make a pilgrimage to obtain the plenary indulgence. Thanks to their initiative, more than 200 children from the Christ the King Parish School in Tetere gathered for three days, characterized by moments of prayer, catechesis, and activities under the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope: Children on their way to Jesus’.”Based on the theme chosen for this Jubilee Year, the educators accompanied the young students and their families on various pilgrimages and charitable actions. Animation films and songs were included to illustrate in a simple way the spirit and meaning of the Jubilee as an opportunity for reconciliation and mutual forgiveness.During the sessions, the history and symbols of the Jubilee were explained, there were moments of reflection for educators as well as reports on abuse prevention. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 28/6/2025)
Share:
Tetere (Agenzia Fides) – Salesian missionaries working in the Solomon Islands have chosen to explain to children what the Jubilee is, the rites associated with the Holy Year, and how to make a pilgrimage to obtain the plenary indulgence. Thanks to their initiative, more than 200 children from the Christ the King Parish School in Tetere gathered for three days, characterized by moments of prayer, catechesis, and activities under the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope: Children on their way to Jesus’.”Based on the theme chosen for this Jubilee Year, the educators accompanied the young students and their families on various pilgrimages and charitable actions. Animation films and songs were included to illustrate in a simple way the spirit and meaning of the Jubilee as an opportunity for reconciliation and mutual forgiveness.During the sessions, the history and symbols of the Jubilee were explained, there were moments of reflection for educators as well as reports on abuse prevention. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 28/6/2025)
Share:
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Tashkent, June 28 (Xinhua) — In the context of global challenges related to climate change and ecosystem degradation, combating desertification and promoting a “green” transition have become the most important state tasks for Uzbekistan, Dean of the Faculty of Economics of the Berdakh Karakalpak State University, Associate Professor Kishibay Kudiyarov said in an interview with Xinhua.
According to him, against the backdrop of the Aral Sea environmental crisis, the country is deeply aware that environmental safety is an integral part of national security. In this key area, China is seen as a reliable partner with valuable practical experience in green technologies, environmental management and sustainable development.
“In recent years, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries have made significant progress in cooperation with China in combating desertification and restoring vegetation,” the expert noted. In particular, in the Aral Sea region, experts from the two countries are jointly conducting research, introducing technologies for planting salt-resistant plants and adaptive agriculture. These measures not only improve the environmental situation, but also contribute to raising the standard of living of the population, confirming the sustainability of the “green” partnership.
K. Kudiyarov emphasized that a new agenda of “green” interaction is being formed within the framework of the “Belt and Road” initiative between the Central Asian countries and China. He drew attention to the development of wind and solar energy projects, as well as the growing interest in investing in “green” finance and environmental initiatives. All this contributes to the region’s transition to a low-carbon and sustainable development model.
The expert also noted that the concept of “ecological civilization” promoted by China has acquired special significance and has become an example for the entire region. China’s “green” development model not only serves as a guideline in the field of environmental protection, but also provides Central Asian countries with effective tools for achieving a balance between economic growth and nature conservation,” he emphasized.
Optimistically assessing the prospects for further cooperation, K. Kudiyarov expressed Uzbekistan’s readiness for even deeper institutional interaction with China in the fight against desertification and promoting the “green” transition. “Whether it is scientific cooperation, the development of regional standards or environmental education, we are ready to promote the construction of the “green” Silk Road” together with China and contribute to environmental safety and sustainable development of the entire Central Asian region,” he concluded. -0-
A pipeline of programmes to build entrepreneurial ambition, capability and networks for Scotland’s current and future entrepreneurs will be delivered with investment from the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund.
A total of 28 projects will deliver initiatives in 2025/26. They range from inspiring school pupils to helping businesses realise international growth.
They include:
Women’s Enterprise Scotland, offering a 10-week programme for women entrepreneurs to address women’s constrained access to finance.
Galashiels Soup, which will offer community micro-grant events in Scottish Borders
SGDA Games Accelerator, Scotland’s first games-specific accelerator to address the unique challenges faced by games companies in product development, financing and marketing.
A new, fully digital application process used by the Fund’s delivery partner, Inspirent, this year means that awards have been made just a few weeks after more than 300 applications were received, meaning programmes can be delivered sooner and for longer during the financial year.
Nearly £100,000 of additional funding has been awarded to projects in response to demand to the Fund.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:
“Scotland has always been a nation of innovators and these projects will build the infrastructure, networks and support systems that our entrepreneurs need to thrive, creating lasting change that goes far beyond individual businesses.
“The Ecosystem Fund sits at the heart of the Scottish Government’s £30 million record investment in entrepreneurship – the biggest commitment we’ve ever made to establishing Scotland as one of Europe’s leading start-up economies.
“The exceptional response to this year’s Fund demonstrates the vibrant entrepreneurial energy that exists across Scotland. I am proud not just to be supporting projects, but investing in the entrepreneurial talent that is the backbone of our economy.”
Chief Entrepreneur Ana Stewart said:
“It’s extremely encouraging to see the quality and diversity of applications received. What’s particularly reassuring is to see the new digitised process working effectively, streamlining and achieving a shorter and simpler process for applicants ensuring funds reach them much earlier. This is the fastest turnaround the Scottish Government has achieved to date, reflecting a more responsive, agile approach.
“The successful projects will deliver targeted support that founders need in the earliest stages of their business. From accessible business training and mentorship programmes, to networks that connect entrepreneurs across Scotland’s regions and sectors. Moving forward, the commitment is to work more closely with partners across our entrepreneurial ecosystem to ensure public sector support delivers maximum impact for Scottish founders.”
The Isle of Arran Candle Company Ltd – Arran – Arran Design Collective – £9,500.00
University of Strathclyde – Glasgow – From Sanctuary to Start up: supporting Refugees, Asylum Seekers and New Scots in navigating and thriving in Scotland’s startup ecosystem – £9,750.00
Scotpreneur Ltd – Online – The Entrepreneur’s A to Z: An Audio Guide for the Blind and Visually Impaired – £14,250.00
The shareholders of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) have appointed Dr. George Elombi as the next President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the continental financial institution. He becomes the fourth President to lead the Bank since its establishment in 1993.
His appointment was one of the key decisions of the 32nd Afreximbank group annual meetings and associated events held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 25 to 28 June, with the formal annual general meeting of shareholders taking place on Saturday, 28 June 2025.
He succeeds Professor Benedict Oramah, who has served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2015, and who will be stepping down in September 2025.
A Cameroonian national, George Elombi has been with Afreximbank since 1996, joining as a Legal Officer. He rose through the ranks to become Executive Vice President, Governance, Legal and Corporate Services. Over his nearly three decades at the Bank, he has served as Director and Executive Secretary (2010–2015); Deputy Director, Legal Services / Executive Secretary (2008–2010); Chief Legal Officer (2003–2008); and Senior Legal Officer (2001–2003).
Prior to joining Afreximbank, he taught law at the University of Hull, United Kingdom.
Dr. Elombi played a pivotal role in establishing Afreximbank group’s structure, including the formation of key subsidiaries that have expanded the Bank’s capacity to deliver on its mandate. As Chair of the Emergency Response Committee, he led the Bank’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, mobilising over $2 billion for vaccine acquisition and deployment across African and Caribbean nations. Under his supervision of the Equity Mobilisation and Investor Relations department, the Bank’s total ordinary equity mobilised amounted to USD 3.6 billion as at April 2025.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Elombi expressed a deep commitment to the Bank’s mission and future, stating:
“I have worked alongside remarkable colleagues and extraordinary leaders to help shape this institution’s vision, its mandate as well as its growth. As we look to the future, I see Afreximbank as a force for industrialising Africa and for re-gaining the dignity of Africans wherever they are. I will work to preserve this important asset.”
He accepted the shareholders’ desire as expressed by his predecessor to make the institution a US$250 billion bank in ten years.
Dr. George Elombi holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics, University of London, and a Ph.D. in commercial arbitration from the same university. He obtained a ‘Maitrise-en-Droit’ from the University of Yaoundé in 1989.
His appointment followed a rigorous selection process initiated in January 2025, which included a global call for applications published in international media and on the Afreximbank website. Shortlisted candidates were interviewed by an international human resource executive search firm. The top candidates were presented to the Board of Directors, which recommended Dr. Elombi to the General Meeting of Shareholders for final approval.
Under the Afreximbank Charter, a president is appointed by the general meeting of shareholders upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors for a term of five years, renewable once.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
Media Contact: Vincent Musumba Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations) Email: press@afreximbank.com
Follow us on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram
About Afreximbank: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Pledge to protect Armed Forces community as government delivers on manifesto commitment
Military personnel, their families and veterans are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central government for the first time under new plans announced by the Prime Minister.
Transformative protections for military personnel, veterans and their families, including the bereaved, have been announced by the Prime Minister today.
Legislation will be brought forward to deliver manifesto promise to bring Armed Forces Covenant fully into law, placing the Armed Forces community at the heart of government decision-making.
Prime Minister visits RAF Valley to celebrate our Armed Forces Day.
Comes after a year of delivery for our Armed Forces and veterans, including “homes for heroes,” new funding for wraparound support and new Armed Forces Commissioner to advocate on behalf of the service community.
Military personnel, their families and veterans are to have their unique circumstances legally protected by central government for the first time under new plans announced by the Prime Minister.
As the nation marks Armed Forces Day, the Prime Minister visited RAF Valley in Wales where he met trainee pilots and their families to celebrate Armed Forces Week.
It comes as the Government confirms plans for the first time that all government departments will have to legally consider the needs of the Armed Forces community when making new policy.
More details of the legal duty will be set out in due course, but could include initiatives such as extending travel benefits to the families of veterans and the bereaved, or flexible working for partners of serving personnel who are required to move as part for their role in the Armed Forces.
This delivers on a manifesto promise and is part of the Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and following the Strategic Defence Review, which underscored the role our Armed Forces play in protecting our national security, which is the foundation of this Government’s Plan for Change.
This Government has committed to renewing its contract with the Armed Forces community, delivering two above inflation pay awards for service personnel and an extra £1.5bn investment this parliament to improve forces’ family housing through the Strategic Defence Review.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“Across the country and around the world, our service personnel and their families make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and protect our freedom and our way of life.
“When I became Prime Minister, I made a promise to serve those who have served us. Through the new Armed Forces Covenant, we are delivering on that promise — ensuring our service personnel, veterans and their families are treated with the respect they deserve – that is our duty.
“Our Armed Forces Covenant will put our Armed Forces community at the very heart of government decision-making. Their courage, duty, and sacrifice are the foundation of our national values, and they deserve nothing less.”
The new Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty will ensure:
Fair access to services: Ensures that serving personnel, veterans, and their families are not disadvantaged.
Priority support for those most in need: Provides additional help for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.
Legal duty on public bodies: Local authorities, NHS bodies, and schools must consider the needs of the Armed Forces community in their decision-making.
Annual reporting: The government is legally required to publish an annual report on Covenant delivery and progress.
Announcement follows the Prime Minister’s “homes for heroes” policy guaranteeing housing for all UK Armed Forces veterans, exempting them from local connection rules for social housing.
The Prime Minister also announced £3.5 million of funding for wraparound support services for veterans at risk of homelessness, including mental health, employment, and independent living support earlier this year.
Today’s announcement forms part of a wider commitment to renew the contract with those who have served the country are treated with respect and long-term security.
Under the new legislation all areas of government will for the first time have to have ‘due regard’ for the Armed Forces Covenant when policy and decision making; taking into account the unique circumstances and position of the Armed Forces community to prevent disadvantage.
Currently this is only legally required in areas of housing, healthcare and education and only at local level, so, not applicable to central government. The Legal Duty Extension marks a huge step forward in increasing support for the Armed Forces community.
This extension follows consultation with over 150 organisations and builds on recommendations from the House of Commons Defence Select Committee.
Veterans and People Minister Alistair Carns MP said:
“Service life offers unique opportunities for personal growth and camaraderie, but it also demands exceptional sacrifices. Today, we’re taking bold action to ensure that those who serve our country receive the recognition and support they deserve by embedding these principles into law.
“Whether you serve in the regular or reserve forces, you and your families stand to benefit from the Covenant Legal Duty Extension and its principles as part of our government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.”
The Armed Forces Covenant is built on a simple but powerful principle: no one in the Armed Forces community should face disadvantage in accessing public or commercial services.
Mark Atkinson, Director General, Royal British Legion:
“The Royal British Legion has been calling for a stronger Armed Forces Covenant for over a decade.
“Those who have served in the Armed Forces often face unique challenges, for example moving frequently during service can make it hard for families to receive consistent support from public services or for spouses and partners to build careers. Expanding the Covenant Legal Duty will help public services better respond to these challenges by ensuring the needs of the Armed Forces community are taken into account when making decisions.
“Currently the Covenant Legal Duty only applies to some areas of housing, education, and healthcare. We firmly welcome the decision to bring the Covenant fully into law to make sure all parts of government across the UK are working together and focused on providing the best possible support for those who are serving, have served, their families and the bereaved.
“It will be vital that the impact of the Duty is measured effectively and those who deliver services must also be resourced with funding and training so that they can fully understand the purpose of the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure this change makes a meaningful difference to the lives of all those in the Armed Forces community.”
The new legal duty announced today will extend this commitment across all government departments and devolved administrations. This transformative measure ensures that serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families are considered in every relevant policy decision—giving them a meaningful voice and delivering on the Government’s pledge to strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities.
This builds on existing successes in housing, education, and healthcare, such as dedicated NHS pathways for veterans and the Service Pupil Premium.
Additional information
The extension of the Legal Duty will encompass all UK Government Departments and Devolved Governments, and the following policy areas:
· Housing
· Education
· Healthcare
· Social care
· Childcare
· Employment and service in the armed forces
· Personal taxation
· Welfare benefits
· Criminal justice
· Immigration
· Citizenship
· Pensions
· Service-related compensation
· Transport
For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant and the legal duty extension, please visit www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk.
It is our ambition to include these statutory changes in the next Armed Forces Bill, which is required every five years to continue to have an Armed Forces.
More than 1,000 serving military personnel, veterans and cadets were joined by massed pipes and drums and vintage military vehicles in Aberdeen’s Armed Forces Day parade today (Saturday 28 June).
The 30-minute parade started at Albyn Place at 11am, before making its made its way along Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill, Upperkirkgate, Broad Street, and finishing at the Castlegate.
On Broad Street, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, in his role as His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant was joined by representatives from the UK’s Armed Forces, to take the salute in front of the City’s official flagpole outside Marischal College, on Broad Street.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeen, Dr David Cameron, said: “Today’s parade is a tribute to the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of our Armed Forces. It was heartening to see the parade route lined with residents and visitors alike, young and older, waving Aberdeen Armed Forces Day parade flags and showing their support. This parade reminds us of the enduring bond between our community and those who serve.”
Major (Retd) Grenville Irvine-Fortescue, Chairman of The Gordon Highlanders Regimental Association, said: “Armed Forces Day is always special as it honours and recognises the service, dedication and sacrifice of our men and women from across all the Services. In this year of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 that service and sacrifice is brought into even sharper focus. The veterans who march today are immensely proud to do so. They march in memory of those who have gone before. They march in support of our Armed Services of today, both Regular and Reserve Forces. They march out of respect for those servicemen and women who bare the mental and physical scars of their service and they march in deep gratitude to the families who have and continue to provide such amazing support.
“We also acknowledge the Navy, Army and Air Cadet Forces, the commitment they make and the pride they take in being a part of the parade today.
“For us here in Aberdeen we have the special honour of our last WW2 and D Day Gordon Highlander veteran, Jim Glennie BEM, Legion d’honneur, joining His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, Dr David Cameron, to take the salute as the parade marches past.
“On behalf of The Gordon Highlanders Association, I would like to thank the Lord-Lieutenant, Aberdeen City Council and the people of Aberdeen City, the communities of Aberdeenshire and the wider North East, for their wonderful support to this Armed Forces Day and their commitment to continue to stand by the remarkable men and women of our Armed Services. That support is greatly appreciated and makes us all march a bit taller.”
John McLeish, Chief Executive, The Gordon Highlanders Museum, said: “Once again, Aberdeen’s Armed Forces Day Parade has captured the hearts of people across the city and beyond. We are delighted to have been able to support this year’s ‘design a flag’ competition and we look forward to welcoming the winners to The Gordon Highlanders Museum in the near future.”
Members of the public who lined the parade route were given special Aberdeen Armed Forces Day flags to wave, which featured a special design by Marley Smith, a Primary Six Year pupil from the city’s Broomhill School.
The Gordon Highlanders Museum supports the ‘design a flag’ competition by gifting the three age-group category winners, which includes the overall winner, with family passes to the museum.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University
In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.
I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.
For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.
For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.
The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.
But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.
Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.
His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.
If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.
Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.
This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.
Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.
But that was just the beginning.
The scale of the discovery
When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.
As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.
Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.
Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.
It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.
This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.
Why does the discovery matter?
For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.
Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.
This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.
These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.
Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University
In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.
I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.
For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.
For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.
The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.
But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.
Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.
His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.
If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.
Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.
This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.
Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.
But that was just the beginning.
The scale of the discovery
When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.
As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.
Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.
Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.
It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.
This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.
Why does the discovery matter?
For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.
Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.
This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.
These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.
Alexander Richard Braczkowski is the scientific director of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Fellow at the Centre for Planetary Health and Resilient Conservation Group, Griffith University
In the shadows of Python Cave, Uganda, a leopard leaps from a guano mound – formed by bat excrement – and sinks its teeth into a bat. But this is no ordinary bat colony. The thousands of Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) found in this cave are known carriers of one of the world’s deadliest viruses: Marburg, a close cousin of Ebola.
I am a conservation scientist with over 17 years of experience in wildlife ecology, monitoring and human-wildlife conflict. I’m the co-founder of the Kyambura Lion Project, which made this discovery.
For years, scientists studying how diseases spread from animals to humans have hypothesised that zoonotic diseases jump from a wildlife reservoir (like a bat) to an intermediate host (monkey) and potentially to us, humans.
For past Marburg outbreaks in Uganda, two spillover pathways have been identified: the first, involves humans coming into contact with a fruit bat habitat (namely caves filled with bat guano). Indeed, fruit bats are thought to have infected two tourists at Python Cave in 2007 and 2008.
The second pathway involves humans and animals eating the same fruit that bats have fed upon or made contact with. This second spillover pathway was identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists in 2023. They tracked bats from the cave entering cultivated gardens to feed.
But Atukwatse and the team of young Ugandan scientists (Yahaya Ssemakula, Johnson Muhereza, Orin Cornille and Winfred Nsabimana) have potentially found another pathway: predation by at least 14 species.
Such rich visual evidence of a viral interface – bats, predators and people – is virtually non-existent in the literature. Many theoretical depictions of this process exist, and there are isolated incidents of a monkey predating on a bat or wildlife feeding on bat guano, but Atukwatse’s discovery of this many different predators repeatedly feeding on a known Marburg virus reservoir is a first.
A leopard grabs a fruit bat at Uganda’s Python Cave.Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project
His discovery highlights two uncomfortable truths:
many potential zoonotic interfaces remain undocumented – often right under our noses
the people most likely to detect them first are those living closest to wild frontiers.
But the bigger message is this: global health institutions need to stop overlooking local scientists and start funding field-based detection systems across Africa and Asia.
If we want to detect the next outbreak early, we should be empowering more Atukwatses, not waiting for the next lab test.
Atukwatse had heard from nearby guides that a large bat cave lay close to the survey grid. That kind of site, he reasoned, could be perfect leopard territory: a place to hunt, rest or avoid the heat.
This is ecological attentiveness at its best – the field biology equivalent of a commodities trader spotting volatility in a geopolitical flashpoint.
A blue monkey with bat in hand at Python Cave.Bosco Atukwatse/Kyambura Lion Project
Atukwatse had his radar on and acted on instinct, setting five camera traps at the cave’s entrance and along the surrounding animal trails. Just one week later, he got what he hoped for: three separate clips of a leopard hunting bats in broad daylight. He left the cameras in place in protective casing. He checked them every 7–10 days.
But that was just the beginning.
The scale of the discovery
When I first looked at Atukwatse’s videos, our joint excitement was around the leopard footage. We knew they were adaptable and could even eat small rodents , but no one had ever recorded them eating bats in Africa.
As more clips came in, we realised something bigger was unfolding. Blue monkeys were seen grabbing bats mid-roost. A crowned eagle and a Nile monitor fought over two bat carcasses. A fish eagle – typically a piscivore, which is a carnivorous species that primarily eats fish – was filmed clutching bats in its talons.
Over 304 trap-nights, Atukwatse’s traps recorded 261 independent predator events from at least 14 different species.
Then came the second shock: over 400 human visitors – many of them tourists – were filmed approaching the cave mouth without any protective gear. Some stood just metres from a known Marburg virus reservoir. Importantly, the Uganda Wildlife Authority has built a sanctioned viewing platform about 35 metres from the cave. However, tourists broke park rules and walked within two metres of the cave mouth.
Bosco Atukwatse.
It was only after I visited the cave myself to take stills of the team that we put this all together. Atukwatse had just found the first visual evidence, at a large scale in nature, of at least 14 predators feeding on a known wildlife virus reservoir harbouring one of Earth’s deadliest viruses.
This wasn’t the result of million-dollar pathogen surveillance. It wasn’t even the core aim of our leopard survey. This happened because a young Ugandan field scientist followed his ecological gut.
Why does the discovery matter?
For decades, disease ecologists have known that major outbreaks often originate in wildlife – swine flu, avian flu and even SARS-CoV-2 all trace back to animal hosts. But what’s often missing is direct observation of spillover interfaces – the exact moments when a virus jumps from a bat, goose, or other animal into new species like humans, livestock or other wildlife.
Atukwatse’s discovery may be the first large-scale visual record of such an interface in nature: a roost of Egyptian fruit bats known to harbour a deadly virus, actively predated upon by at least 14 species, with hundreds of humans visiting the same cave mouth unprotected.
This may be a Rosetta Stone moment for spillover ecology – shifting our understanding from hypothetical models to a real, observable interface.
These kinds of spillover sites exist in other places in nature: in a Chinese wet market where a civet meets a meat processor, or in a Gabonese village where a bat is butchered for bushmeat. The difference? Most of them go undocumented. Atukwatse just filmed one.
– How does Marburg virus spread between species? Young Ugandan scientist’s photos give important clues – https://theconversation.com/how-does-marburg-virus-spread-between-species-young-ugandan-scientists-photos-give-important-clues-259806
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950
Document
Resolution of June 25, 2025 No. 950
Students with significant achievements in the field of shipbuilding will be able to receive scholarships named after the outstanding Russian scientist, academician-shipbuilder A.N.Krylov. The decree on the establishment of such scholarships was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Starting from September 1, 2025, 10 full-time students (cadets) will receive a monthly stipend. The amount of the payment will be 15 thousand rubles for each scholarship recipient. The stipend will be assigned for 12 months.
Scholarships will be awarded annually based on the results of a competitive selection by a commission to be created by the Ministry of Education and Science. Students in higher education programs will be able to apply for them. Candidates will be nominated by the academic councils of universities.
Applicants for scholarships must study in the group of specialties and areas of training “Engineering and technology of shipbuilding and water transport”, have “excellent” and “good” grades based on the results of the midterm assessment, and also have results in research or scientific and practical activities in the field of shipbuilding.
Alexey Nikolaevich Krylov (1863–1945) was an outstanding Russian and Soviet mathematician, mechanic and shipbuilding engineer, and an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was the founder of the Russian school of shipbuilding.
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.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The facades of the buildings of the academic buildings of the world-class campus of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) in Yekaterinburg are being completed, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.
“Today is Youth Day. We sincerely value our future specialists. Their ideas, energy and desire for knowledge are the foundation of Russia’s progress. It is important for us that students feel comfortable studying, developing and realizing their talents. Thus, on the instructions of the President, modern university campuses with advanced infrastructure are being created. They will become centers for study, science, creativity and student initiatives. There, students gain knowledge, engage in scientific activities, and participate in cultural events. By 2030, 25 such campuses should be put into operation in our country. Currently, the Single Customer in Construction PPC alone is implementing four projects – in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Orel and Kaliningrad. Thus, in the Sverdlovsk Region, at the Ural Federal University, the installation of facades is being completed in three educational buildings,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The total area of the three buildings – the specialized educational and scientific center for senior schoolchildren (SUNC UrFU), the Institute of Radio Electronics and Information Technology (IRIT-RTF UrFU) and the Institute of Economics and Management (InEU UrFU) – is 100 thousand square meters. The construction of the buildings is planned to be completed by the end of 2025.
Each of them will be equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, co-working spaces and canteens. More than 8 thousand students will be able to study in comfortable conditions on the territory of the new campus.
“Ediny Zakazator” is building the second stage of the campus implementation. Interior finishing works and installation of engineering systems are currently underway in three buildings. The installation of elevators and lifts has also already been completed. The builders are carrying out a large volume of work according to the established schedule. Currently, the project is 70 percent complete,” noted Karen Oganesyan, General Director of PPK “Ediny Zakazator”.
Modern infrastructure for young people plays a key role in attracting talented students from different regions. This creates conditions for the exchange of experience and ideas, which in turn contributes to the development of new technologies.
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.
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today released the Senate’s full legislative text of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
“If you like higher taxes, open borders, a weak military and unchecked government spending, this bill is your nightmare.
“I am proud to present to the public the Big Beautiful Bill. By making the Trump tax cuts permanent, working families will avoid a four trillion-dollar tax increase. Our bill provides full funding to secure the border in perpetuity and injects a much-needed $150 billion into our military to keep our nation safe. In addition, the bill raises the debt ceiling so that we do not default and crash the economy.
“Equally important, our bill reforms Medicaid – which has grown by nearly 50 percent in five years. It eliminates waste, fraud and abuse – and requires able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work. This bill is the largest reduction in government spending in recent memory, and is a down payment on fiscal reform.
“The Big Beautiful Bill contains all of President Trump’s domestic economic priorities. By passing this bill now, we will make our nation more prosperous and secure.”
View the full text HERE.
View the one-pager HERE.
For more information on the:
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Armed Services Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Finance Committee Title, click HERE.
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Title, click HERE for Homeland Security and HERE for Governmental Affairs.
Senate Judiciary Committee Title, click HERE for a section-by-section and HERE for a one-pager.
Summer is the UK’s best-loved season. It’s easy to see why, with the warmer, sunnier weather it brings. But the temperature isn’t the only reason people prefer midsummer to the dark days of winter. Many also report their mood is better during the warmer months.
But why is it that our mood changes so much through the seasons? While there are many complex reasons why the weather can have such a significant affect on our mood and wellbeing, the key answer lies in our brain – and the way almost all of our body’s systems are hardwired to respond to what’s going on around us.
Your body’s core temperature is set at 37°C. Temperature is regulated by an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. This nerve centre receives information about temperature from all over the body and initiates actions to either cool down or warm up accordingly.
The outside temperature can also affect our biological clock – otherwise known as our circadian rhythms. These govern, among other functions, our sleep-wake cycles.
Our circadian rhythms are also regulated by the hypothalamus – more specifically, a part of it called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The fact that both temperature control and sleep-wake cycles are governed from within the same region of the brain suggests they are inextricably connected.
This connection can also partly help to explain why our moods can shift so much from winter to summer. It’s the interaction between these nervous pathways that are believed to impact mood through their effect on sleep, mood-influencing neurotransmitters, and more.
For instance, in winter, many people find their mood takes a dip – especially during the long, dark days of midwinter. Some people even develop seasonal affective disorder (Sad), a condition associated with depressive episodes that fluctuate with the comings-and-goings of the different seasons – though it’s typically more common in the winter because of the darker days and cold temperatures.
Sad can also cause sleep disturbances, lethargy and appetite changes – particularly cravings for carbohydrates. As the summer months arrive, people with winter Sad usually find their symptoms significantly improve.
There’s some evidence that Sad is linked to secretion of a hormone called melatonin – a hormone that’s also linked to our circadian rhythms. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, which shares nervous connections with the hypothalamus and acts to control timing and quality of sleep.
Melatonin levels typically remain relatively low during the day – but levels start to creep up in the evening, reaching their highest levels in the middle of the night. But the lower levels of daylight in the winter can cause dysfunction with melatonin levels, typically increasing it’s secretion. This probably explains why people feel sleepier and more fatigued in winter – and which may in turn trigger depression.
But it’s not just melatonin that’s linked to Sad. Other neurotransmitters which act as mood boosters (such as serotonin) appear to be affected by dark and cold days too. There also seems to be a link with geographical location – with evidence showing the condition is more common in regions furthest from the equator, where there are extremes of daylight and temperature.
Summertime sadness
When summer finally makes an appearance, the effect of sunshine and heat upon the energy-boosting neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) makes a notable difference to mood. This may be partly due to increased amounts of vitamin D – which is made in the skin, and requires sunlight exposure to reach higher levels. Vitamin D has been proven to positively affect serotonin levels.
But not everyone finds themselves pleased by summer’s hotter temperatures and longer days. Some may find they feel more miserable this season.
It’s less clear why some people get Sad in the summertime – and is probably due to a range of factors. It may be due to the heat and humidity or even feelings of self-consciousness. It could possibly even be due to sleep disruptions – since the longer days might disrupt our circadian rhythm.
Certain health conditions may also influence how we cope with the warmer temperatures. Take the menopause, where symptoms such as hot flushes may be exacerbated by the warmer weather. Those dealing with these symptoms may find it becomes even more difficult during heat waves – and this may take a toll on their mental wellbeing.
Some research does show that rising temperatures can be a precipitant for acute mental illness. One study examined a population of patients with bipolar disorder and found there was a significant peak in the number of hospital admissions in the summer months compared to patients with other psychiatric disorders. Their statistical analysis demonstrated that higher temperatures and solar radiation levels were the most significant determinants of acute episodes.
Another study has also suggested a link between increased temperatures and risk of suicidal behaviour.
The body’s natural responses to heat also feeds into the biological stress response. The mechanisms by which the body cools down, such as sweating and promoting blood flow to the skin, can cause dehydration and skin flushing. This may make people feel of frustrated and irritable, have trouble concentrating and may even impact the quality of sleep.
The interplay between temperature, sunlight, the body’s circadian clock and mood is a complex and intriguing conundrum – and one which is as unique as each person. While some of us are hard-wired to be sunchasers, others eagerly look forward to the dark days of winter. But in a world where climate change is a definite reality, we need to better understand how a warming world is going to affect our wellbeing.
Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
After eight years of renovations, the Waldorf Astoria in New York has reopened and is welcoming new guests. The Waldorf – as most people know it – introduced room service, velvet ropes, red-velvet cake and Thousand Island dressing. It gave its name to a salad, a chain of lunchrooms, as well as a now obscure form of democracy.
In 1907, the novelist Henry James said the Waldorf embodied what he called the “hotel spirit”: it was a place where everyone was equal – as long as they could afford the price of admission. To James, hotels defined America’s emerging culture and ideals. He said this new “spirit” was one of opportunity; of a new elite that was accessible not only by lineage, but by money.
As the historian and journalist David Freeland wrote, the Waldorf generally made room for all who were “able and ready to pay” and who displayed a willingness to “conduct themselves properly”. The Waldorf ethos was developed by its first maître d’, Oscar Tschirky – known simply as “Oscar of the Waldorf” because people struggled to pronounce his name. “Our innovations were startling and sensational”, Tschirky said in his ghost-written autobiography in 1943, “but they were always genteel”.
Those early innovations included the invention of the “presidential suite”, which saw the hotel become an unlikely early force for American feminism when it became a hub of high-level talks between suffragists and President Woodrow Wilson.
The Waldorf, then, is an American institution – or, at least, it used to be.
It is now in the hands of Chinese owners and has been shunned by presidents since Barack Obama, worried over potential security risks. The brand itself has been watered down as there are currently 32 “Waldorf Astorias” dotted around the globe.
The story of the Waldorf encapsulates modern America’s crisis of the establishment. Few places better personify the creation of the US version of the establishment (much more about money than breeding or class). And in the past decade, the hotel’s position, like the US establishment more generally, has come under assault by a rival hotel owner, Donald Trump.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
Trump has his own ideas about how to use these modern palaces to project power – and his innovations are anything but genteel. So what can the beginnings of this former American institution tell us about America today? As a researcher of political and democratic institutions, I have been examining the role of hotels in the story of American democracy. And this particular story begins with a Swiss-born waiter.
Oscar of the Waldorf
Tschirky was born in the Swiss Alpine village of Le Locle in 1866. He and his mother boarded the steamer La France in 1883, bound for New York. In his book, he recalled his mother’s announcement:
Yes, Oscar, we’re going to go to America and live with your brother in that great land of plenty where we can have everything we’ve always wanted.
That night, according to his book, was “the beginning of Oscar’s career as beloved servitor and counsellor to the great and near great of this world”.
Although it would be ten years after arriving in New York, that Tschirky would join the Waldorf (which was just about to open) as maître d’. His contract and salary commenced on January 1 1893, ahead of the grand opening of the Fifth Avenue hotel in March. He would occupy his post for the next half-century as “host to the world”.
Tschirky would remain in place as the hotel expanded in 1897 when John Jacob Astor IV built and connected the larger, taller Astoria Hotel next door. Then in 1931 the hotel was forced to relocate when its Fifth Avenue location was razed for the Empire State Building. The “new” Waldorf Astoria New York reopened on Park Avenue with the addition of its famous towers, making it the tallest hotel in the world at the time.
Tschirky was born just one year after the end of the American Civil War. It was an America of Jim Crow laws and segregation. He would live to see women’s suffrage, but not the civil rights reforms of the mid-1960s.
In this turbulent context, it appears that Tschirky did his best to keep the Waldorf out of politics. He stuck to the advice given by the Waldorf’s manager, George Boldt (himself a German immigrant) who told him that it was “not up to the hotel to settle international affairs”.
Tschirky came to understand, realise, and represent the “hotel spirit” of a new America as he presided over the establishment of hotels as American palaces: not only for visitors, but for the new American aristocracy.
A presidential palace
The Waldorf famously hosted every US president from Grover Cleveland to Franklin Roosevelt. In spring 1897, Cleveland was at the Waldorf with members of his former cabinet, who wanted him as Democratic candidate in the 1900 election. This was the first reported instance of “Waldorf democracy” – in this case, the term was used to identify this new group within (and in some respects differentiate it from) “the democracy”, that was the Democrats.
President Grover Cleveland (sitting on the far left) and his cabinet, between 1895 and 1896. Shutterstock/Everett Collection
This politics was not embraced by all. As reported in The Ohio Democrat, Congressman Edward W. Carmack of Tennessee dismissed it as “the walled-off Democracy, because they are by themselves, representing nobody, and unable to influence a vote”.
Nevertheless, political elites liked the luxury that the Waldorf offered. Presidential suites were established during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency (1913-21). In the Waldorf, this famous suite emulates the furniture of the White House and still contains several presidential souvenirs, (including John F. Kennedy’s rocking chair).
The hotel was also popular among the famous “Four Hundred of the Gilded Age” – the highest echelons of New York society. The group was originally led by Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. The Astors’ ancestral family home, the town of Walldorf, in western Germany, had even given the hotel its name. According to Tschirky’s book, the Waldorf’s grand ballroom was:
… where Teddy Roosevelt had dined, where presidents McKinley, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge and Hoover had spoken historic words to the nation, where princes of royal blood had been welcomed, where the great people in every walk of life had been honored.
The Waldorf proved a suitable palace for US presidents and their entourages and Tschirky, a suitable “servant”. When interviewed by Washington DC’s Evening Star, Tschirky “wouldn’t talk about presidents except to say that Franklin D. Roosevelt calls him, ‘my neighbor across the Hudson’”.
But Tschirky, “for all his celebrity acquaintances, never forgot that he was, in the end, a servant”, as Freeland wrote. The Waldorf likewise applied the term to its staff.
Exclusivity, exclusion and ‘democracy’
The world famous hotelier Conrad Hilton, who acquired the Waldorf in 1949, recalled in his autobiography, Be My Guest:
Originally the Waldorf was said to purvey exclusiveness to the exclusive. Later [the writer and artist] Oliver Herford announced that it ‘brought exclusiveness to the masses’. But that exclusiveness remained whether the hotel catered to a convention of three thousand or a tête-à-tête between crowned heads.
The Waldorf ethos projected “taste” and imbued it in others. Tschirky “subtly schooled Americans in fine European dining”. In 1956 – six years after Tschirky’s death – the New York Times recalled that, alongside Boldt, he undertook to teach people how to spend their money. The Waldorf embodied good taste by enforcing it, for example in its expectation of “proper conduct”.
But with exclusivity comes exclusion. Hence, the hotel’s introduction of the velvet rope. According to the Waldorf’s luxury suite specialists, this was done “to create order … the fact that it created a sense of stature and separation was secondary”.
Tschirky’s statement that “all who pay their bills are on an equal footing” reflects one of his “rules for success”:
… be as courteous to the man in a five dollar room as to the occupant of the royal suite. It is an old rule, but it never changes.
We can see from this mindset how the hotel was seen to possess, as American Studies scholar Annabella Fick put it, “a democratic quality … even though it is also elitist. In that, it invokes the democratic understanding of early America, which also differentiated between land-owning gentry and the mob”.
This was not the only differentiation. Just two years after the Waldorf opened, the 1895 New York State Equal Rights Law (commonly known as the Malby Law) – which aimed to abolish racial discrimination in public places – had aroused Boldt’s indignation. According to Freeland, Boldt described the law to reporters as “an outrage, as it prevents us from making any selection of our patrons. A man who runs a first-class hotel must respect the wishes of his guests as to the sort of people that he entertains, and the law should not dictate to him.”
In his paradoxical desire for the freedom to discriminate and persecute as he wished – and on behalf of his customers, real or imagined – Boldt illustrated the exclusion inherent in exclusivity. Boldt’s statement also presaged a system of informal segregation, in which Black Americans were allowed in the Waldorf (and elsewhere), but were certainly not welcome.
Despite this the Waldorf was at the heart of a fundamental shift in American culture which “invited” ordinary Americans access beyond the velvet rope – as long as they could afford it. As James McCarthy and John Rutherford said in their 1931 book, Peacock Alley: “The average man and woman … frowned upon grand display – chiefly because the average person knew it was beyond his or her own horizon of enjoyment. The arrival of the Waldorf, however, was an invitation to the public to taste of this grandeur.”
And it wasn’t just the paying customers. During its 30th anniversary in 1923, the Waldorf elevated its staff – its servants – to the level of guests. Reporters for the Birmingham Age-Herald noted: “Practically the entire staff of the hotel were guests … the affair reached the topnotch of Waldorf democracy, for the waiters and financiers, telephone girls and captains of industry, coat-room clerks and merchant princes sat side by side and swapped reminiscences with each other.” The article continues:
Oscar sat [at] the head of his own table as guest of honor. For a brief time Oscar was no longer the solicitous host … For an hour or two Oscar was himself the guest, and the entire kitchen menage of the Waldorf-Astoria was kept hopping filling his wants and those of his fellow guests.
Oscar and his wife Louise, in the Birmingham Age-Herald above ‘Father Knickerbocker’ – a personification of New York City (hence The Knicks) – celebrating the Waldorf at 30. Library of Congress
But being a guest was a temporary experience.
The “Waldorf democracy” described during this event – of people from every walk of life and status mixing and socialising – was very different to that of the Cleveland entourage. It was not party-political, but institutional.
Democracy meant different things, at different times, within the Waldorf; just like in the broader US. The Waldorf, in turn, began to change, and perhaps even lose its meaning within the US by the time of Obama’s presidency.
Chinese ownership
The Waldorf lost its status as presidential palace in 2014. It was bought for $1.95bn by a Chinese company that was later seized by the Chinese government. Security concerns a year later prompted President Obama to stay at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel instead.
Obama’s choice of where to stay – and where not to stay – was widely discussed in the media. The decision was seen to “break with decades of tradition”. ABC News recognised and portrayed it as the end of an era, bidding “Goodbye to the Waldorf Astoria, welcome to the Lotte New York Palace Hotel”. This new era was also framed in geopolitical terms, for example by the New York Times:
With Chinese spies rummaging through White House emails, President Obama has decided not to risk making their spying any easier: He will break with tradition and abandon the Waldorf Astoria … Mr. Obama and other officials will instead take up residence a few blocks away at the Lotte New York Palace.
The same article also pointed out that “hotels have long represented a weak link in security for travelling officials and others”. In fact, Nikita Khrushchev had once got stuck in an elevator at the Waldorf, and “probably thought it was an attempt to assassinate him”.
Covering up an assassination as an “elevator accident” is probably not what Hilton had in mind when he envisaged his hotels as “a means of combating communism”. On the contrary – as Professor Mairi Maclean, a researcher of business elites, put it – Hilton envisaged hotels as a means of “facilitating world peace through international trade and travel”.
Women’s suffrage
It may not have brought about world peace, but the Waldorf did play a part in certain moments of US history because it was always seen as a key arena to lobby rulers, most notably in 1916. Women’s suffrage in America was still four years away. On one side of the debate (and the Waldorf itself) were two hundred suffragists, occupying the East Room. On the other was Woodrow Wilson, occupying the Presidential Suite.
Tschirky recalled being “appointed diplomatic courier … and delegated to carry the first communiqué of the morning … In the midst of it all I stood my ground, swearing myself an ice cold neutral”.
Though neutral on the question of suffrage, Tschirky was willing to reduce boundaries within the hotel, especially if it was good for business. Even as the hotel was being built, Tschirky remembered that “there was not, in all America, such a thing as a motor car, a radio … Nor were cocktails ever seen in private homes; or divorces tolerated in society; nor did women smoke, or wear dresses above their ankles”.
Then in 1907 a notice was put up in the Waldorf: “Women would be served in the hotel restaurants at any time, with or without male escorts.” Freeland noted Tschirky’s simple confirmation that: “We will serve women. What else can you do in a hotel?”
Crowd of women’s suffrage supporters demonstrating with signs reading, ‘Wilson Against Women’, in Chicago on October 20, 1916. Wilson withheld his support for Votes of Women until 1918. Shutterstock/Everett Collection
A few years later, discussing women’s right to smoke in the dining rooms, Tschirky said: “We do not regulate the public taste. Public taste does and should regulate us.”
During the Waldorf’s 30th anniversary in 1923, newspapers such as El Imparcial celebrated it as “a civic asset of unique importance. And to its other accolades must be added that of contributing effectively to the progress of feminism. It was a memorable day in the women’s rights movement when The Waldorf Astoria granted female access to the Peacock Alley.”
Nevertheless, even the naming of Peacock Alley – a corridor in the hotel that became an important place of congregation, especially for women – was a recognition of exclusivity. It was where people gathered to parade themselves. As the recollection goes in Tschirky’s memoirs: “The Waldorf Hotel was a triumphant picture of the Best People at their best”.
Trump
With their ostentatious decor and gilded interiors, Trump’s hotels could be seen as the modern incarnation of Peacock Alley.
But the tenets of politeness, respect and decorum that Tschirky set down seem like echoes from another age when compared to a recent AI video showing Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sitting shirtless at a pool with drinks at an imaginary “Trump Gaza hotel”. The video appears to have been a spoof, but that didn’t stop the president from sharing it on Truth Social, his own social media platform, and Instagram.
Like Hilton (who was immortalised in Mad Men, demanding a Hilton on the moon) hotels have always been a part of Trump’s brand. Trump recalled, in How to Get Rich, that his “first big deal, in 1974, involved the old Commodore Hotel site near Grand Central Station” on 42nd Street.
The former Trump International Hotel in Washington DC, opened in 2016, was described as “the epicenter of the president’s business interests in [the capital]”. It was also “a popular choice for lobbyists and Republican Congress members during Trump’s presidency”.
“The Trump Organization sold the hotel’s lease to CGI in 2022, when the hotel was reflagged as a Waldorf Astoria”, though Trump’s firm is rumoured to be in talks to reacquire it.
Another similarity between Hilton and Trump is their use of hotels as symbols for the nation. Each hotel of Hilton’s was envisaged as a “Little America”, “to show the countries most exposed to communism the other side of the coin”.
It had all of the ingredients of greatness, but it had been neglected and left to deteriorate for many many decades … It had the foundation of success. All of the elements were here. Our job is to restore our former glory, honor its heritage, but also imagine a brand new and exciting vision for the future.
Forbes commented that this event “could’ve easily been mistaken for a Trump rally”, for example in his statement that “my theme today is five words: ‘under budget and ahead of schedule’ … We don’t hear those words too often in government – but you will!”
Similarly, in an interview with the New York Post, Trump’s son Eric Trump used familiar Maga rhetoric: “Our family has saved the hotel once. If asked, we would save it again”.
What would Tschirky have made of all this? As a political neutral he would have decried Trump’s frequent hotel plugs during political campaigns. No doubt his behaviour would have seemed crass.
Perhaps this reflects two different eras of hotels and their intended functions. Grand hotels such as the Waldorf were shaped by European colonialism, by immigrants like Tschirky and Boldt. But as historian Annabel Wharton describes, the Hiltons “were constructed not, as in the nineteenth century, to meet an established need, but to create one. They suggest that this pressure was not produced simply by the desire for profit, but from a remarkable political commitment to the system that promoted profit-making”. I think we can read Trump’s hotels, and now his politics, in the same way.
The hotel spirit has entered a new phase with Trump’s proposals to “own, level, and develop” the Gaza Strip and create a “Riviera of the Middle East” – riding roughshod over the democratic will of Palestinians in Gaza who dismissed Trump’s vision.
Less than two decades after opening, Tschirky remarked that “many of the great events, financial, diplomatic, political, had had their inception within [the Waldorf’s] stone walls”. For him, it was “an international crossroad where men from all lands came to exchange goods and ideas” and to plan the changes in the world which he would later see come to pass.
Tschirky saw hotels as the most democratic places on Earth. But the “hotel spirit” he espoused – that uniquely American narrative within which he “became a citizen almost overnight” (a feat that seems vanishingly unlikely today) – seems to have been consigned to the past.
“I know that better times will come again”, he says in the preface to his book, “but in terms of the past, I think I have seen the best. New York has changed. America has changed.”
To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Alex Prior does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) participated in a Ways and Means Health subcommittee hearing discussing the benefits of wearable medical devices for rural patients and the challenges health care providers face adopting this technology. A video and transcript of the Congresswoman’s questions and provided responses can be found below.
Congresswoman Miller began by discussing the challenges rural patients face accessing medical care.
“The majority of my work in the health care space is focused on ensuring robust patient access to care, particularly for rural patients. In my district, many patients have to travel hours to see a physician or specialist. Additionally, 70 percent of people in West Virginia have at least one chronic disease. This leaves the vast majority of patients in my state with some tough decisions about how to manage their health care. Many patients often don’t seek care as much as they might need because of costs, lack of transportation, or an inability to take a day off of work to see a doctor.
Wearable devices seem to be a very good solution to some of these problems. If a patient can have a device tracking their vitals, glucose levels, or heart rate on their wrist or finger – they can have some peace of mind about their health. They also will have a better picture of when it might be time to get themselves to the doctor,” said Congresswoman Miller.
The Congresswoman then asked Dr. Holmes, Global Head of Human Performance at WHOOP, how wearable medical devices can help patients track their vitals and anticipate health conditions that would require medical intervention.
“Dr. Holmes, I’m sure you’ve worked with many patients to help them get the most out of your company’s technology. What are some of the benefits rural patients can see with wearable health devices and are the patients able to see and share that data from your device with their physician?” asked Congresswoman Carol Miller.
“Yes, we have mechanisms inside the app that allow for really easy sharing with your healthcare provider. I think one really good example is actually preterm pregnancy research we did with Dr. Sean Rowan at University of West Virginia Medical where we were able to actually identify a digital biomarker that can basically diagnose or alert to potential preterm birth. What’s happening physiologically is seven weeks prior to delivery, we were able to notice that there is a sharp increase in one of the metrics that we track, heart rate variability, and a sharp decrease in resting heart rate. Seven weeks prior to delivery, regardless of gestational age. So you can imagine a woman in rural West Virginia who sees this inflection point and can then at least call a doctor and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ So that was, I think, a really neat breakthrough on this. These data are published in Plus One and this, I think, was a really great example of how we can help, in this case, women specifically understand their bodies a bit better and use the data to get ahead of what could be a serious issue,” responded Dr. Holmes.
Congresswoman Miller then discussed privacy concerns associated with sharing personal medical information with a device company and what safeguards are in place to ensure confidentiality and data security.
“My constituents take their data privacy very seriously and I think patients being able to share their data with their physician is important, but many of them are reluctant to simply give their data to a device company. Mr. Zengilowski, what are some of the common misconceptions about data privacy with wearable technology and how do remote patient monitoring companies, which facilitate the exchange of information from the device to the providers, ensure patient data is protected?” asked Congresswoman Miller.
“Thank you for the question. I appreciate it and patient information security is paramount. So first, just to understand, there is a difference between a consumer wearable device and […] the medical grade, FDA cleared device used in a remote patient monitoring program. We, Coach Care, signed business associate agreements with all of the practices and hospitals that we work with, which make us a covered entity under HIPAA regulations, so we are required to follow HIPAA. I will share with you, CPT code 99454 reimburses for the technology for remote patient monitoring and the average Medicare reimbursement is approximately $45. We spend $10 per patient on security, on IT infrastructure security. So, just to give you a sense of what we’re investing to protect the patient data that we collect,” responded Mr. Zengilowski.
Congresswoman Miller concluded by discussing the possible benefits wearable medical devices could have in detecting fall risks for elderly patients.
“Another issue I take seriously is fall prevention and detection. In my state and the country, people are rapidly aging, and unintentional falls are a leading cause of injury and death among seniors. Many seniors don’t know that they’re at a fall risk and can suffer a fall. So, Dr. Holmes, do you think that wearable technology can help with this issue among seniors and what types of technologies exist to track balance or falls?” asked Congresswoman Miller.
“I think this whole conversation really needs to go back to prevention. We need to help seniors understand earlier what is going to prevent a fall. You know, we need to get […] I think the national conversation has to shift, right? A lot of the things that we’re talking about are absolutely preventable. We just need Americans to understand that they need to lift heavy weights. I, and it sounds so simple, but everything that we’re talking about here is democratically available and free. It doesn’t cost a dime, right? You can do body squats. Americans just need to understand that they have the power to take control of their own health. And so I think we need to get that information out there,” said Dr. Holmes.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Project Eagle, a Head Start project, with a new federal grant. The $5.68 million will be used to continue providing early education opportunities and family support services to children and families in Wyandotte County.
“Head Start programs are one of the smartest investments we can make — for our kids, our families, and our local economy,” said Davids. “They provide affordable early education and care that working parents can count on, help children build the skills they need to succeed, and create good-paying jobs for educators right here at home.”
“This grant will allow us to continue serving the extraordinary children and families of Wyandotte county through this grant,” said Lisa London, Director, Project Eagle. “With this support we can continue serving 299 children and families in Wyandotte county.”
Davids is committed to lowering costs for Kansas families and improving access to quality child care. Last year, she votedwith both parties to expand the Child Tax Credit, benefiting 136,000 children in Kansas. She also toured a local child care facility and visited multiple Head Start programs to highlight how federal investments have supported the workforce and daily operations of local child care small businesses and education centers.
Davids also believes in putting money back in parents’ pockets, allowing Kansas families to make their own child care decisions. She introduced the bipartisanAffordable Childcare Act, which would allow Kansas families to save on high child care expenses and live more affordably.
Background:
Project Eagle is a Head Start program under the University of Kansas Medical Center. It has offered services in Wyandotte County for more than 35 years. Their programs focus on the health and well-being of pregnant women and young children and aim to prepare children, engage families, and promote excellence in the broader field of early childhood education.
Head Start has helped more than 40 million children across the US since 1965. The program, serving certain children aged 0-5, is operated through home-based services, center-based services, or a combination of both. Head Start provides many long term-benefits to participating children. Students in early childhood education programs are less likely to repeat grades, are 25 percent more likely to graduate high school, and are four times more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree in comparison to non-Head Start students.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Sharice Davids, Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit, helped lead a hearingon the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA). The law helps farmers get a fair, consistent price for their crops, both at home and abroad. Davids invitedDr. Kevin Donnelly, Professor Emeritus of Agronomy at Kansas State University, to testify on the university’s nationally recognized grain science programs and the importance of renewing the USGSA to protect reliable, stable export markets.
“I am proud to introduce a Kansan to testify today,” said Davids. “Dr. Kevin Donnelly is an Emeritus Professor of Agronomy at Kansas State University and a farmer in central Kansas. During Dr. Donnelly’s 47-year teaching career, he taught college students about grain quality and grain grading using Federal Grain Inspection Service, known as FGIS, standards. He also conducts workshops illustrating FGIS grain inspection procedures for the International Grains Program at Kansas State University for industry professionals throughout the world.”
“I have long been interested in grain quality, probably stemming from my 4-H and FFA days when my projects involved crop production, and I started exhibiting grain samples at the county fair,” said Dr. Kevin Donnelly during his opening testimony. “As a college professor, I have integrated crop quality topics into several of my courses. We offer three unique degree programs in Grain Science at Kansas State… These programs produce graduates that typically enter industries with a vested interest in quality characteristics as end users of grain and oilseeds.”
WATCH: Davids and Dr. Donnelly speak on the importance of supporting Kansas producers
The USGSA makes sure that when farmers sell their grain — like wheat, corn, or soybeans — it’s measured and graded the same way across the country. That means buyers can trust what they’re getting, and farmers can get a fair price for their crops. The law also helps the U.S. compete in global markets by giving trading partners confidence in the quality of American grain. It’s a key part of keeping our food supply strong and our farm economy stable.
“Kansas is one of the top agricultural states in the country, and our farmers and ranchers feed not just the nation, but the world,” said Davids. “In 2023 alone, Kansas farmers exported $5.2 billion in agricultural products around the world. Whether it’s wheat, sorghum, or soybeans, Kansans know what it means to work hard and produce results. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I’ve made it a priority to support family farmers and strengthen our supply chains, because I know how vital they are to rural economies and to our global competitiveness.”
Dr. Donnelly is an Emeritus Professor of Agronomy at Kansas State University with a 47-year teaching career focused on grain quality and crop science. He taught hands-on courses in grain grading and coached competitive crops teams for 30 years. Dr. Donnelly has also led workshops for grain industry professionals from around the world through K-State’s International Grains Program and continues to support their work in retirement.
To support Kansas producers, Davids embarked on a Farm Bill listening tour, where she visited a poultry and livestock operation in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a goat farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School, served a school lunch at Black Bob Elementary in Olathe, spoke with industry leaders on financial support programs for farmers, toured a dairy farm in Garnett, and more.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
37 schools win Greening School Project Award Immaculate Heart of Mary CollegeKwong Ming SchoolTang Shiu Kin Victoria Government Secondary SchoolBonham Road Government Primary SchoolTWGHs Liu Yan Tak Memorial KindergartenSai Kung Central Lee Siu Yam Memorial SchoolHong Kong Red Swastika Society Tai Po Secondary SchoolLok Sin Tong Stephen Leung KindergartenIssued at HKT 13:15
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement following her vote on the War Powers Resolution related to future offensive attacks on Iran:
“As a strong pro-Israel Democrat, I remain hopeful that the mission U.S. servicemembers carried out last weekend will ultimately lead to the full dissolution of Iran’s nuclear facilities. I remain eternally grateful for our servicemembers’ bravery and service, and I’m particularly proud that most of the pilots involved in this mission are graduates of the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel, and the entire world, which is why we must ensure they can never acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. While I am thankful Israel was able to reach a ceasefire with Iran and am hopeful that we are able to proceed with a diplomatic solution, I will continue to back Israel should it need to respond to a break in the agreement. Similarly, if there are any attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, the United States will always defend itself.
“At the same time, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and authorize any offensive attacks on other sovereign nations. The decision to go to war and put our troops in harm’s way is one that cannot be made lightly, and must be made by Congress, which is why I voted today to advance the War Powers Resolution. Let’s be clear: nothing in this resolution would prevent the U.S. from defending our servicemembers or from continuing to provide Israel with the critical support and intelligence it needs. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel has the necessary resources to defend itself.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement following her vote on the War Powers Resolution related to future offensive attacks on Iran:
“As a strong pro-Israel Democrat, I remain hopeful that the mission U.S. servicemembers carried out last weekend will ultimately lead to the full dissolution of Iran’s nuclear facilities. I remain eternally grateful for our servicemembers’ bravery and service, and I’m particularly proud that most of the pilots involved in this mission are graduates of the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel, and the entire world, which is why we must ensure they can never acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. While I am thankful Israel was able to reach a ceasefire with Iran and am hopeful that we are able to proceed with a diplomatic solution, I will continue to back Israel should it need to respond to a break in the agreement. Similarly, if there are any attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, the United States will always defend itself.
“At the same time, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and authorize any offensive attacks on other sovereign nations. The decision to go to war and put our troops in harm’s way is one that cannot be made lightly, and must be made by Congress, which is why I voted today to advance the War Powers Resolution. Let’s be clear: nothing in this resolution would prevent the U.S. from defending our servicemembers or from continuing to provide Israel with the critical support and intelligence it needs. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel has the necessary resources to defend itself.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement following her vote on the War Powers Resolution related to future offensive attacks on Iran:
“As a strong pro-Israel Democrat, I remain hopeful that the mission U.S. servicemembers carried out last weekend will ultimately lead to the full dissolution of Iran’s nuclear facilities. I remain eternally grateful for our servicemembers’ bravery and service, and I’m particularly proud that most of the pilots involved in this mission are graduates of the Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
“A nuclear Iran is a threat to the United States, Israel, and the entire world, which is why we must ensure they can never acquire or develop a nuclear weapon. While I am thankful Israel was able to reach a ceasefire with Iran and am hopeful that we are able to proceed with a diplomatic solution, I will continue to back Israel should it need to respond to a break in the agreement. Similarly, if there are any attacks on U.S. personnel in the region, the United States will always defend itself.
“At the same time, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and authorize any offensive attacks on other sovereign nations. The decision to go to war and put our troops in harm’s way is one that cannot be made lightly, and must be made by Congress, which is why I voted today to advance the War Powers Resolution. Let’s be clear: nothing in this resolution would prevent the U.S. from defending our servicemembers or from continuing to provide Israel with the critical support and intelligence it needs. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Israel has the necessary resources to defend itself.”
The Government is announcing a new action plan to combat racism and hate crime. Through this concerted action, the Government is taking important steps in the efforts to free Sweden from racism and hate crime. The efforts in this area will be accurate, measurable and long-term. Schools, judiciary, welfare and working life will be in focus.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
ATHENS, June 28 (Xinhua) — A delegation led by Baima Chilin, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, concluded a three-day visit to Greece on Friday to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning.
During the visit, which took place from June 25 to 27, Baima Chilin attended an international symposium on human rights wisdom in classical civilizations and met with former Greek Foreign Minister, independent expert on international order of the UN Human Rights Council Giorgos Katrougalos and former Ambassador to China, President of the Greek-Chinese Association Ioannis Theofanopoulos.
The Chinese delegation gave a detailed presentation of China’s view on human rights governance and outlined the development path of human rights in China and the achievements in this field in Xi Jinping, China.
The two sides held in-depth discussions on expanding exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Greek civilizations and improving global human rights governance. They also expressed their willingness to play an active role in promoting exchanges and mutual understanding between China and Europe on human rights. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Tashkent, June 28 /Xinhua/ — The Belt and Road Initiative has opened up unprecedented development opportunities for Uzbekistan, said Aizhan Djumanova, a professor at Tashkent State Transport University and a PhD in economics, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
According to her, since Uzbekistan joined the joint construction of the Belt and Road, Uzbek-Chinese cooperation has gone far beyond traditional trade and covered such areas as infrastructure construction, industrial cooperation, development of interconnectivity, humanitarian exchanges and other areas, forming a high-quality, multi-level and multi-sectoral partnership model.
“The successes in the area of infrastructure are especially noticeable,” A. Djumanova noted. Joint construction of roads and railways, creation of modern logistics hubs and industrial parks within the framework of the “Belt and Road” contribute to strengthening the regional interconnectedness of Uzbekistan and increasing the efficiency of transport and logistics flows. The consistent promotion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project clearly demonstrates the strategic potential of Central Asia as a transit corridor between the East and West of Eurasia, the expert said.
In the area of industrial development, in her opinion, Chinese technologies, investments and management experience successfully compensate for the weaknesses of Uzbekistan’s industrial base. “Projects with the participation of Chinese capital in such sectors as solar, wind and hydropower, agricultural processing, electric vehicles, contribute to the modernization of the structure of our economy, create jobs and support the green transition and energy diversity,” she emphasized.
The expert also noted that at the regional level, the Belt and Road Initiative has become a stable and mutually beneficial platform for the development of Central Asian countries. According to her, thanks to Chinese initiatives, there is increasingly closer policy coordination, growing market connectivity, and the institutionalization of cross-border projects and dialogue on regional governance. The agency’s interlocutor added that the creation of the China-Central Asia mechanism was a logical continuation and confirmation of the maturity of this cooperation.
“Looking to the future with optimism, we are convinced that cooperation between Uzbekistan and China, as well as between the Central Asian countries and China under the auspices of the Belt and Road Initiative, will only deepen,” said A. Djumanova. According to her, this is not just a set of short-term projects, but a strategic partnership based on a common vision of development and high-quality standards. “Uzbekistan, as before, will firmly support and actively participate in this cooperation, which brings hope to the entire region,” the expert concluded. –0–
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 28, 2025.
Israeli soldiers ‘ordered’ to fire at Gaza aid seekers – 70 killed across Strip Israeli soldiers have said that they were ordered to open fire at unarmed Palestinian civilians desperately seeking aid at designated distribution sites in Gaza, a report in the Ha’aretz newspaper has revealed. The report came as 70 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip — mostly at aid sites belonging to the widely condemned Gaza
RFK Junior is stoking fears about vaccine safety. Here’s why he’s wrong – and the impact it could have Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney The United States used to be a leader in vaccine research, development and policymaking. Now US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr is undermining the country’s vaccine program at the highest level and supercharging vaccine skepticism.
The ‘Godfather of Human Rights’ Ken Roth on genocide, Trump and standing up for democracy By Richard Larsen, RNZ News producer — 30′ with Guyon Espiner The former head of Human Rights Watch — and son of a Holocaust survivor — says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials. Speaking
The sentencing of Cassius Turvey’s killers shows courts still struggle to deal with racism Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The brutal homicide of 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, by a group of white men revealed the racial schisms in
Celebrities, blue jeans and couture: how Anna Wintour changed fashion over 37 years at Vogue Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology After 37 years at the helm, fashion industry heavyweight Anna Wintour is stepping down from her position as editor-in-chief of American Vogue. It’s not a retirement, though, as Wintour will maintain a leadership
Antoinette Lattouf win against ABC a victory for all truth-tellers By Isaac Nellist of Green Left Magazine Australian-Lebanese journalist and commentator Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case win against the public broadcaster ABC in the Federal Court on Wednesday is a victory for all those who seek to tell the truth. It is a breath of fresh air, after almost two years of lies and uncritical
Caitlin Johnstone: The fictional mental illness that only affects enemies of the Western empire Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Within the storytelling of Western politics and punditry there exists a fictional type of mental illness which only affects people the US empire doesn’t like. If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, its crazy lunatic government will flip out and nuke us all.
Do all Iranians hate the regime? Hate America? Life inside the country is much more complex and nuanced Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Theobald, Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame Australia From 2015 to 2018, I spent 15 months doing research work in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. As an anthropologist, I was interested in everyday life in Iran outside the capital Tehran. I was
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 28, 2025.
Israeli soldiers ‘ordered’ to fire at Gaza aid seekers – 70 killed across Strip Israeli soldiers have said that they were ordered to open fire at unarmed Palestinian civilians desperately seeking aid at designated distribution sites in Gaza, a report in the Ha’aretz newspaper has revealed. The report came as 70 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip — mostly at aid sites belonging to the widely condemned Gaza
RFK Junior is stoking fears about vaccine safety. Here’s why he’s wrong – and the impact it could have Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney The United States used to be a leader in vaccine research, development and policymaking. Now US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr is undermining the country’s vaccine program at the highest level and supercharging vaccine skepticism.
The ‘Godfather of Human Rights’ Ken Roth on genocide, Trump and standing up for democracy By Richard Larsen, RNZ News producer — 30′ with Guyon Espiner The former head of Human Rights Watch — and son of a Holocaust survivor — says Israel’s military campaign in Gaza will likely meet the legal definition of genocide, citing large-scale killings, the targeting of civilians, and the words of senior Israeli officials. Speaking
The sentencing of Cassius Turvey’s killers shows courts still struggle to deal with racism Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. The brutal homicide of 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, Cassius Turvey, by a group of white men revealed the racial schisms in
Celebrities, blue jeans and couture: how Anna Wintour changed fashion over 37 years at Vogue Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology After 37 years at the helm, fashion industry heavyweight Anna Wintour is stepping down from her position as editor-in-chief of American Vogue. It’s not a retirement, though, as Wintour will maintain a leadership
Antoinette Lattouf win against ABC a victory for all truth-tellers By Isaac Nellist of Green Left Magazine Australian-Lebanese journalist and commentator Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case win against the public broadcaster ABC in the Federal Court on Wednesday is a victory for all those who seek to tell the truth. It is a breath of fresh air, after almost two years of lies and uncritical
Caitlin Johnstone: The fictional mental illness that only affects enemies of the Western empire Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Within the storytelling of Western politics and punditry there exists a fictional type of mental illness which only affects people the US empire doesn’t like. If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, its crazy lunatic government will flip out and nuke us all.
Do all Iranians hate the regime? Hate America? Life inside the country is much more complex and nuanced Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Theobald, Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame Australia From 2015 to 2018, I spent 15 months doing research work in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. As an anthropologist, I was interested in everyday life in Iran outside the capital Tehran. I was
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in regenerative medicine by identifying a genetic switch that can restore healing abilities in mammals, a discovery that could revolutionize treatments for organ damage and traumatic injuries.
According to the study, published on Friday in the journal Science, flipping an evolutionarily disabled genetic switch involved in Vitamin A metabolism enabled the ear tissue regeneration in rodents.
Unlike animals such as fish and salamanders, mammals have limited capacity to regenerate damaged tissues or organs fully. The ear pinna, varying widely in its ability to regenerate across species, makes an ideal model for studying how regenerative capacity has evolved in mammals.
“As an apparently beneficial trait, regeneration is well-maintained in some animals but lost in others,” said Wang Wei, who led the study. “Understanding what has occurred during animal evolution to drive the loss or gain of regeneration will shed new light on regenerative medicine.”
The study revealed that non-regenerative mammalian species fail to sufficiently activate the gene Aldh1a2 following injury, a critical deficiency that impairs their regenerative capacity compared to species capable of natural tissue repair.
The researchers from the National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), BGI Research and Northwest A&F University found that low expression of this gene caused the insufficient production of retinoic acid (RA).
They then demonstrated that switching on the gene or supplying RA using a gene enhancer from rabbits was sufficient to restore the regenerative capacity in mice and rats.
RA signaling is believed to be broadly involved in different contexts of regeneration, including bone, limb, skin, nerve and lung regeneration.
“This study identified a direct target involved in the evolution of regeneration and provided a potential framework for dissecting mechanisms underpinning the failure of regeneration in other organs or species,” said Wang from NIBS.
This could “potentially provide a strategy for promoting regeneration in normally non-regenerative organs,” commented Stella M. Hurtley, the journal’s editor.
